to face the voice, only to have it come
from some new quarter.

"Attend carefully to what I say!" said the mysterious voice. "You have
risked death by coming to this spot! But I am merciful, and I wish to
preserve all soldiers who fight for their fatherland! I am the spirit of
this place! I command you to go! Go up the gully. Stand with your back
turned to this place and count one hundred. Then, and only then, you may
return. Your gun will be here, and you may then go in peace. This ground
is sacred to me. On your life, when you have regained your gun, go! Do
not look back! Do not hesitate! And, above all, tell no one what you
have seen! I have spoken!"

The soldier was trembling now in every limb. He looked hard at Fred, as
if he suspected that he might have something to do with this mysterious,
awesome voice. But Fred's lips had never moved. Fred, at home, had often
amused the guests of his family and the gatherings of the scout patrol
to which he belonged with this trick of ventriloquism. But the German
evidently had never heard of such a thing. And suddenly he broke into a
run. He made for the gully and ran along it with stumbling feet.

"Now stop!" boomed the voice--directly in front of him! "Not a step
further! Begin to count aloud. But do not shout!"

"Ein, zwei, drei, vier--" began the German, obediently.

And Fred, half choking with suppressed laughter, slipped behind the
screened entrance of the secret passageway, while the soldier's back
was still turned. He did not quite close the door, but waited to make
sure that the German's curiosity did not get the better of his fright,
which had certainly been real enough. But it was all right. The man
counted right up to a hundred, and once or twice, to Fred's huge
amusement, when he stammered, and lost track of his numbers, he went
back and counted several of them over again! But he finished at last,
and Fred heard him come stumbling down the gully. He seemed to hesitate
then.

"May I really go now?" he asked. "I did not know there was a spirit
here, or I would not have come."

"Yes. Go, and quickly!" said Fred, throwing his voice out so it came
from far above the soldier.

He heard the soldier running then, and in a moment closed the door
behind him, and began retracing his steps along the secret tunnel.

"Gee! That was a close call!" he said to himself. "Serves me good and
right, too, for doing more than I was told! I might have spoiled
everything by no