Part 5 (1/2)
”Well,” said Bruce, ”what have you to tell?”
”When I left Sightwell,” the scout replied, ”I hurried around the west side of the demilune, which bends in pretty close to the fort, and ends in a tall, silk-lined leaf-tower. This is used by sentinels as a sort of guard house, but I managed to slip by un.o.bserved. I got into the Pixie camp and moved about unnoticed, pa.s.sed along the whole front of the fort and came out on the east side. The walls of the fort are under charge of the Lineweaving Legion, who built them. They consist of single silken cables, crossed, knotted and interlaced into a ma.s.s several inches thick. The cables are interwoven with and lashed to the blades of gra.s.s and sprigs and foliage of meadow weeds, forming a strong wall.”
”Could our troops break through or climb over it?”[M]
Glideaway shook his head doubtingly. ”It would be a difficult task.
Engineer Theridion directed the construction and his work is thorough.
However, it might be done, and I for one am ready to try, Sir.”
”And I, and I!” cried in chorus the officers and men who stood around.
”Thanks, my brave fellows,” said Bruce, his eyes kindling with pride.
”We shall doubtless have a chance to try your mettle before long. What are the defences of the front walls?”
”In the centre of the wall is a gate built by Engineer Linyphia of the Lineweavers. It is a high dome hung amidst a maze of crossed lines and protected beneath by a curtain floor, which is swung from the dome. The dome is pierced for defence and observation, and a strong guard mans the curtain. The main entrance to the fort is here, and all who go in must pa.s.s underneath it, and through the guard.
”At each corner or angle of the fort is a gate like the central one, except that the dome is reversed and becomes a bowl. On the flanks or sides the fort is built and manned by Lineweavers and is precisely like the front.”
”Very good,” said Captain Bruce dismissing the scout. ”Who will report as to the river front and interior?”
”We detailed our most skillful men for that service,” Adjutant Blythe answered. ”Sergeants Clearview and True have charge of the scout. It is a nice and dangerous service, and we can't expect an early return.”
”Let us away, then, to put our command in the best condition possible; and when the report comes in I will summon you.”
The morning had quite worn away when the news came that the scouts had returned. The officers speedily gathered at headquarters, where Sergeant True and three of his men were waiting. Where could the others be? Were they lost?
”We skirted the eastern face of the fort,” began Sergeant True, ”and reached Lake Katrine. Then we saw that the fort is built some distance from the water on the crown of the hill that forms the sh.o.r.e, which there slopes down to the lake. The defences on the water front are like those on the other side, but not so heavy. The tower at the angle is different, however. It has been built by the Wolf Legion, and Captain Arenicola is in command. It is a pentagon or five-sided turret of dry twigs, like a log chimney, and is silk-lined within.[N] The Pixies'
skull-and-bones flag floats from the top.
”Here we held a consultation and agreed to divide our party. Sergeant Clearview with Corporal Dare and three men undertook to survey the river front. It fell to myself to explore the interior of the fort, aided by Corporal Swiftsure and two men, Lookclose and Treadlight. Having bidden good-bye to our companions, I explained to my men the delicate and dangerous work in which we were engaged. Then we divided our squad into two parties. I took Treadlight and pushed forward, having bidden Swiftsure and Lookclose to follow at a distance that would leave us just in view. In case of discovery or accident to either party, the first duty of the other was to escape and tell at headquarters the facts already learned.
”The fort is so newly built that the surface is not yet thickly covered with snares, traps and crosslines. This greatly favored us. We found the chief part of the fort to be an immense Tubeweaver's tent built by Engineer Agalena. The central tube runs downward toward the Lake, and opens out near a tower that guards the water front. The tent is built around tall weeds which stick out like the poles of a circus pavilion, and from their tips strong guy lines stretch to various points on the roof, thus bracing it up.[O]
”We skirted the vast edifice as far as the central front gate, just opposite to which we found another of Arenicola's turrets. From this point, sweeping around toward the Lake, and fronting the tower on the southwest angle, is erected a strong tent of the Tegenaria type. It is composed of a thick sheet like that of Agalena, but this is drawn up at the margin, making a sort of breastwork. Along the pouch-like depression within are many sentinels for whom openings are pierced in the breastwork. The system ends in a tall round tower, in which Captain Tegenaria has his observatory.[P]
”We wished to cross the path between the front Linyphia gate and the opposite tower, but it was so thronged by pa.s.sing Pixies that we dare not venture. We therefore turned back, thinking we had discovered enough, and ought not to further risk losing what we had learned.”
”A wise and patriotic decision,” said Captain Bruce, ”but how did you get out of the Pixie quarters?”
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 20.--Arenicolas' Tower and Stridulans' Drum.]
”It was not so easy to get out of their den as to get into it,” said Sergeant True, ”as is usual when dealing with Pixies. We had scarcely taken the back track when a terrible racket sounded from the tower behind us. Now we saw that a big drum hung from the top of the turret, upon which a gigantic Pixie was beating furiously. We knew that this must be Drummer Stridulans whose beating sounds the various signals of the Pixies. He was now sounding an alarm, which stirred the fort with great excitement. Sentinels sprang to their posts: warriors poured out of their quarters and ran to the ramparts. Soon companies were seen hurrying toward the lake front, and amid all the rush and clatter Stridulans' drum kept up its dolorous booming from the turret.
”A score of times we barely escaped detection by the Pixies who were running to and fro; and we lay in our ambush almost breathless, nearly hopeless of keeping concealed, and ready to sell our lives at the greatest cost to our foes. Then we saw an officer run up and signal the tower. The drum ceased, and squads of Pixies began to return from the lake front in a quieter mood.
”We were anxious to know the cause of the alarm, and of its conclusion too, for we feared it might concern Clearview and his party. Words dropped by pa.s.sing warriors confirmed our suspicions; but of the result, whether good or ill to our companions, we could gather nothing. When the fort had settled into quiet we continued our retreat; and here we are, Sir. But, it was trying work and a close shave. We crawled through the gra.s.s like snakes the whole way, until we had gone around the outer wall and were fairly out of sight of pickets and lookouts.”
Sergeant True's report caused great uneasiness in the Brownie camp as to the fate of the river scouting party. At last an unusual stir around headquarters showed that something important was afoot. An anxious crowd gathered before the tent door, peering inside, where Sergeant Clearview could be seen in the midst of a circle of officers. He looked sadly draggled and worn; his face was bruised, his clothes limp and stained, and alas, he was alone! Let us hear his story.
”When we parted from Sergeant True we slowly moved along the edge of the Lake keeping under shelter of the sloping bank, and screening ourselves behind the tall gra.s.s at the water's brink. We pa.s.sed nearly one-half the lake front of the fort, which we found protected in the same manner as the other sides, except that the works are not so heavy. The Pixies clearly intend the navy to defend that quarter from a.s.sault. However, no s.h.i.+ps are anch.o.r.ed in the stream. Indeed we did not even meet a boat of any sort until we came to the remains of the Old Bridge that stood, as you remember, nearly opposite the centre of the fort, where the water gate is placed. There we came upon a skiff moored among the rushes.