These raids were likely
to occur on bright nights, and as the time of the full moon
approached, the people of the village grew more watchful and
slept less soundly.
On the night following the adventure of the Twins in the meadow,
though the moon shone, no aerial visitor appeared, nor did one
come the next night after. Neither did any news from camp come to
the village. Pierre and Pierrette longed to tell Mademoiselle and
the Doctor their secret, but Uncle Sam had told them to share it
with no one but their parents, and they knew obedience was the
first requisite of a good soldier; so they said nothing, and
nearly burst in consequence. They went no more to the meadow
after cress, however. Mother Meraut saw to that. If they had gone
there on the morning of the next day but one after their
encounter with the spies, they would have had a still more
thrilling expe rience, for at midnight Uncle Sam, Jim, and the
Captain had quietly stolen away from camp and hidden themselves
in the straw. There they stayed until in the gray of the early
dawn they saw a boat come up the river, and the slouching figure
of the spy stalk across the meadow to his rendez-vous under the
shed. They stayed there until the soldier appeared, and until
they had heard with their own ears the plan for signaling the
German airplane that night, and for giving information which
would en able the aviator to blow up their stores of powder and
ammunition. Then, suddenly and swiftly, at a prearranged signal,
the three men sprang from the straw, and the astonished spies
found themselves surrounded and covered by the muzzles of three
guns.
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