Fiction > Book editions > London, 1886 - Kidnapped

198                                   KIDNAPPED.
west, there came a patch of shade on the east side of our
rock, which was the side sheltered from the soldiers.
"As well one death as another," said Alan, and
slipped over the edge and dropped on the ground on the
shadowy side.
I followed him at once, and instantly fell all my
length, so weak was I and so giddy with that long ex-
posure. Here, then, we lay for an hour or two, aching
from head to foot, as weak as water, and lying quite
naked to the eye of any soldier who should have strolled
that way. None came, however, all passing by on the
other side; so that our rock continued to be our shield
even in this new position.
Presently we began again to get a little strength;
and as the soldiers were now lying closer along the
riverside, Alan proposed that we should try a start. I
was by this time afraid of but one thing in the world;
and that was to be set back upon the rock; anything
else was welcome to me; so we got ourselves at once in
marching order, and began to slip from rock to rock one
after the other, now crawling flat on our bellies in the
shade, now making a run for it, heart in mouth.
The soldiers, having searched this side of the valley
after a fashion, and being perhaps somewhat sleepy with
the sultriness of the afternoon, had now laid by much
of their vigilance, and stood dozing at their posts or
only kept a look-out along the banks of the river; so
that in this way, keeping down the valley and at the
same time towards the mountains, we drew steadily