But Fred's lips had never moved. Fred, at home, had often
amused the guests of his family and the gatherings of the scout patrol
to which he belonged with this trick of ventriloquism. But the German
evidently had never heard of such a thing. And suddenly he broke into a
run. He made for the gully and ran along it with stumbling feet.
"Now stop!" boomed the voice--directly in front of him! "Not a step
further! Begin to count aloud. But do not shout!"
"Ein, zwei, drei, vier--" began the German, obediently.
And Fred, half choking with suppressed laughter, slipped behind the
screened entrance of the secret passageway, while the soldier's back
was still turned. He did not quite close the door, but waited to make
sure that the German's curiosity did not get the better of his fright,
which had certainly been real enough. But it was all right. The man
counted right up to a hundred, and once or twice, to Fred's huge
amusement, when he stammered, and lost track of his numbers, he went
back and counted several of them over again! But he finished at last,
and Fred heard him come stumbling down the gully. He seemed to hesitate
then.
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