It startled them tremendously at
first, but then they remembered Ivan's warning.
"There is one place where, for about four miles, the road runs very
close to the railway," he had said. "The Germans will have patrols all
along the railway line, but there is no reason why they should pay any
attention to you. Be watchful--that is the vital thing. And especially
so when you begin to descend a long hill. At the bottom of that hill the
railway crosses your road, and that culvert will be watched with
especial care. After that you will find the way clear, for our nearest
outposts should not be more than a mile or so beyond the railway there.
We would have seized the line before, except that until we had
straightened our front in that quarter it would have been useless to do
it."
The whistle that they heard warned them that they were getting near to
this dangerous stretch of road, and in a few moments the sight of a
train, sparks flying from the smokestack of the engine, gave them visual
proof as well. Then for a time they ran along parallel with the tracks.
Fires were burning along the railway at intervals of about a hundred and
fifty yards, and at times, in the firelight, they could see a dark
figure moving slowly.
Pages:
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157