at last."

Before starting, the boys went a few paces from each other; and
were pleased to find that their white costumes suited admirably as,
between the driving snow and the white sheet upon the ground, they
could not make each other out at more than eight or ten yards, even
when they knew exactly where they stood. They now began to descend
the hill, very carefully, step by step. The snow upon the ground
made walking much more easy than it otherwise would have been.
Their footsteps--muffled alike by the India-rubber soles, and the
snow upon which they walked--were inaudible, even to themselves.
They had several walls to climb, and the noiseless India-rubber
soles were of good service, here. Several times they could hear the
sentries, beating their feet upon the ground to warm them; but in
no case were they near enough to see them.

At last, after an hour and a half--spent in passing the three
hundred yards which separated them from the river--they reached, in
safety, the wall of the road which runs along by the river. Here
the sentries were pacing along at distances of thirty or forty
yards apart. The white houses, upon the opposite side of the road,
could be faintly seen; and the boys moved along until opposite an
opening between them, by which they could get through to the river.
Looking over the wall, they could watch the sentries and--choosing
their time when one had just passed, so that his back would be
turned towards them--he no sooner disappeared in the darkness than
they dropped noiselessly into the road, ran across the street,
climbed a low railing, and stood in a garden which reached down to
the river.

They stood watching, for some time, to assure themselves that no
sentry was placed in the garden; but at last they stole forwards
and stood at the end of the garden, with the river at their feet.
The snow--which was at their backs--was falling faster than ever.
The river deepened rapidly from the wall; but the water was low
enough for anyone to get along on the sloping side--faced with
rough stone--between the foot of the wall and the water.

The boys got over the wall, took the dummy from the bag and,
holding one end of the cord, put it quietly into the water; and
allowed it to float down, about sixty yards.

"Now, Percy," Ralph said, "you get ready to slip into the water, as
quietly as possible, the moment you hear a splash. I will leave
this bag here, so as to know exactly where you have gone in a