ong in leisurely fashion.

The sentry, who appeared to be a good-natured, rather stupid fellow,
surveyed the chums with a grin. He pointed to the sky, then made a
motion of shivering. Clearly this native believed the pretended brown
men to be foolish fellows for remaining out in such a downpour.

"Hastu maki not," observed Hal.

"No beni," replied Noll, and Hal stepped away in the darkness. He did
not appear to be headed for the gully, but Noll distracted the attention
of the sentry for a few moments, and out of the corner of his eye Terry
caught a glimpse of Hal's body moving into the mouth of the gully.

A moment later Hal was out of sight and sound. Noll and the sentry stood
side by side. Presently, as neither could understand the other's speech,
Noll and the Moro fell to "conversing" by means of signs. Yet, in this
line, they could go little beyond the weather. Noll presently made a
hit with the real brown man by shaking his fist in the direction of the
American camp, then drawing his hand across his throat with an eloquent
gesture of throat-cutting.

Sergeant Hal Overton not only got out of the gully, but also satisfied
himself that the slopes were not guarded.

"As the gully looks like a natural trap, and the datto has at least four
hundred men between himself and the gully, I suppose old Hakkut is not
worrying a great deal," reflected Overton.

Hal did not now trouble himself to move so stealthily, until he neared
the American encampment. With noiseless step he approached and called
out in the darkness:

"Officer of the day!"

"Halt! Who goes there?" called an alert soldier.

"Sergeant Overton, in scout disguise," Hal returned. "I wish to return
to camp."

"Advance, Sergeant Overton, to be recognized."

Thus assured that he would not be shot down by mistake, Hal walked
slowly but openly in the direction of the voice from the trench.

"If you can recognize me, Galbraith, you're a wonder," laughed Hal, as
he came within the soldier's range of vision.

"_You_, Sergeant Overton. Great Scott, I don't recognize anything but
the voice. I know that, however; pass on, Sergeant."

Hal went at once to Captain Freeman, whom, however, he had to awaken.
Lieutenants Prescott and Holmes were quickly added to the lightning
conference that followed.

The officers listened almost in amazement to the yarn that Sergeant
Overton rapidly spun for them.

"We made no mistake in detailing you two sergeants to investig