With the utmost caution the two boys approached the fort at a point
where its walls extended close to the river's edge. Here, beneath a
tangle of wild-grape vines, Has'se removed a great piece of bark that
closely resembled the surrounding soil, and disclosing an opening so
narrow that but one man at a time might pass it. Leading the way into
the passage, that extended underground directly back from the river, he
was closely followed by Rene, and the two groped their way slowly
through the intense blackness. It seemed to the white lad that they
must have gone a mile before they came to the end, though in reality it
was but about a hundred yards.
At length Has-se stopped, raised a second slab of bark that rested
above his head, and whispered that they were now directly beneath the
house of the commandant, which was built on stone piers that lifted it
nearly two feet above the ground.
Has-se then lay down in the narrow passage, while Rene crawled over his
body, until he was directly beneath the opening. Then giving Has-se's
hand a warm squeeze with his own, he raised himself to the surface,
leaving the Indian lad to make his way back to those who awaited him
outside.
Upon gaining the fresh air once more, Rene found himself, even as
Has-se had said he would, beneath a house, and in fact struck his head
smartly against one of its timbers before he realized how shallow was
the space between it and the ground.
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