long as they performed their task without making a noise that would
attract the attention of the sentries on either side. The darkness of
the line, from the shadows of the trees and bushes and the deepness of
the cutting itself, Max felt he could rely upon to prevent the other
sentries from seeing if aught were amiss. The important thing,
therefore, was that they should perform their task without noise.

Promptly at midnight the sentries were changed. The momentary bustle
was, as arranged carefully beforehand by Max, taken advantage of by the
groups of three to creep close up to their objectives. Then things
settled down again in quietude. All was peaceful and silent between the
thunder of the trains, and time was allowed the sentries to grow
accustomed to their surroundings and to develop any individual habits of
carelessness that might be theirs. At first the men marched to and fro
rather frequently. Later, they contented themselves with leaning on
their rifles and making themselves as comfortable as such a position
would allow. There had been no attacks on any part of the line in
Germany so far as had become known, and there was no reason in the world
why these line guards should expect one now.

One of the sentries presently came to a halt in the shadow cast by a
tree. He was thus out of sight of his comrades on either side, and the
three men in deadly attendance upon him were satisfied that their chance
had come. Noiselessly emerging from the shadows, they stole upon him
from behind. One seized him by the throat in a grip of iron, stifling
all utterance, another pinioned his arms to his sides, while the third
caught the rifle which fell from his startled hand. Between the three
the struggles of the unfortunate sentry were quickly mastered. He was
securely pinioned, gagged, and dragged out of harm's way into the
shelter of the bushes.

The capture of one made the capture of the two others comparatively
easy. It was only necessary to await a moment when the farther sentinel
was facing away from the next man marked down for attack, before
springing upon him. One after the other the three guards were
successfully placed out of action, and the stern work of reprisal was at
hand.

As a precautionary measure, two men, wearing the tunics and helmets of
the captured Germans, were stationed as sentries one at each end of the
break, to satisfy their German neighbours in case they should miss the
sight of the comrades who