th a particularly large number of
hay-stacks was a farm house. When we were about thirty or forty yards from
it and on opposite sides, we leaped up and dashed toward it as hard as we
could run. It is a fact that this is the safest way for patrols to
approach a house. If any of the enemy are inside, they become excited when
they see men rushing toward them and are likely to open fire--instead of
waiting until the scouts get inside and then killing them noiselessly.
Their aim is also more uncertain at a running man than it is at one
sneaking along slowly, and, most important of all, whether the scouts are
killed or not, the noise of the rifle fire alarms the main body and the
party in the house is detected.

Troolan (my scout partner) and I arrived at this particular farm house on
a dead run without having drawn any fire or detected the least sign of
life. We tried all the doors; they were locked. The windows, too, were
bolted from the inside. Troolan smashed one in, got inside, and opened the
door for me. We searched the building rather hurriedly and discovered no
sign of any one having been there. Just as we were going out, I had a
premonition that I ought to look further.

"Wait outside and watch," I said to Troolan, "and I will take another look
around."

He posted himself outside. Very cautiously I stepped down the cellar
stairs. The boards seemed to squeak and groan like a lumbering farm wagon.
It was dark as pitch, but I did not dare to make a light. It would have
been fatal if any one really was lurking there. Something scurried across
the floor. I felt the hot blood surge under my scalp. For a second I
expected to see a red flash in the utter darkness and feel a bullet smash
into my body. Then I discovered that it was only a rat.

I thought I heard breathing. I stood stock still, and strained my eyes on
every side till they ached as if they would burst from their sockets. I
was trying to catch the reflection of some stray beam of light from the
eyes of a man or the barrel of an automatic, but I do not believe that so
much as a pin point of light was diffused in that whole black pit.
Suddenly I almost laughed aloud, although I knew that to do so might mean
instant death. The breathing that I heard was my own. Cautiously I thrust
out my foot to descend another step.

There was a shout outside.

"Run to the door quickly," Troolan was yelling.

I leaped up the stairway regardless of what might be behind me and