y passed. A half-starved dog,
that had refused to follow its master from home, set up a mournful
howl that tended to chill the marrow in the bones. The very silence was
appalling. The breaking of a twig was as the discharge of a rifle. The
lightest footfall resounded in the distance. To the party it seemed
their shoes were of iron and the earth a ringing plate of steel.

After a hard struggle with Nature's obstacles, and many halts to
locate and determine the cause of suspicious noises, the little band
finally emerged from the dense undergrowth into an open field. Almost
simultaneously with the entrance into this open space there was a
slight break in the clouds, and through the crevice the moon and
stars gave sparingly of their light.

The men were now deployed into line of skirmishers, and moved slowly
and cautiously forward. There was just sufficient light to cause the
imagination to see an enemy behind every rice-dyke or bunch of grass.

The advance was made to within 150 paces of the river, when a halt
was made. A vague outline of the village and trenches could be
seen. Someone saw the dim figure of a rebel sentry. All eyes were
turned on the spot, but he remained as fixed as the stars.

Van Osdol decided to go alone to investigate the trenches and village,
for in doing this there would be less danger of detection.

The Sergeant remained behind to take command of the detachment. The
intrepid officer, with revolver in hand, went on his way toward the
river. His advance was slow--only a few feet at a time, then he would
stop, lower his head to the ground, and listen intently.

Now the trenches loomed up before him not more than fifty yards
away. He strained his eyes in effort to see some signs of a living
occupant, but nothing save the fanning of the giant leaves of the
banana, and the waving of the tall grass under the gentle breeze of
the south wind, was seen to move. There was reigning the stillness
of death--that awful omen of lurking danger. A few feet further he
wormed his way, now crawling on all fours. Just in front of him was
a foot-bridge across the river, made of a single stringer of poles
and a hand-rail with which to balance the body.

Over this bridge he began to cross. Not more than two short steps
were taken when he heard a low, whistling sound. He halted instantly,
squatted on his haunches beneath the hand-rail, and listened, as
fixed as a statue. The whistling was repeated; this time nearer,