Talking was not to be encouraged during this secret night trip up along the strip of coast stretching between the camps of the Australian and the New Zealand contingents of the fighting Territorials. If there arose any necessity for exchanging remarks, great care was to be taken to whisper in the lowest tone possible.
Arturus, the Greek guide, had told the boys there was every likelihood of their meeting detachments of the Turks somewhere on the way. The enemy moved about more or less, seeking new positions which they believed would be to their advantage. More than this, they were very fond of night attacks, and would go to great trouble to surprise the entrenched invaders.
On this account, then, the boys had made up their minds to be surprised at nothing. They hoped to get through in safety, and would do
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 everything in their power to bring about such a desirable result.
Several things favored them, they had figured. In the first place the night was rather dark, though when their eyes became accustomed to their surroundings they were able to see fairly well. Then there was the fact that both boys were good at this sort of thing, being well up in most of the rules of woodcraft; so that they were not apt to stumble clumsily along, and constantly threaten to betray their presence to any lurking foe.
Best of all, Jack considered, was the fact that they had engaged the services of a skillful guide in the person of Arturus. He knew every foot of the ground, for most of his life had been spent on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Consequently they would have the advantage of being led around certain gullies that might have proved barriers or traps to anyone unacquainted with the vicinity.
Jack had amused himself during the afternoon in seeking a position that was a little elevated, where he could get something of a view of the
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 territory beyond. Here, with the aid of his binoculars, he had tried to figure out what might be the easiest way of advancing.
When, soon after they had departed from the camp, he found that the guide was beginning to turn toward the edge of the water, Jack was not much surprised. Indeed, he had wondered why this might not prove the easiest method of covering the space separating the two camps.
Upon mentioning his belief to Arturus, Jack had learned that part of the trail did lead along the sandy stretch that hugged the shore. The only trouble was that some of the Turks were in the habit of coming down to the water during the night, and this being the case they were likely to stumble upon the enemy at any minute.
A sharp lookout was necessary to prevent discovery. No matter how lonely their surroundings might seem they must not be off their guard. Amos had been duly impressed with the fact that silence was golden in this case, and all comments he might feel inclined to make would have to be left until another time.
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Presently they could hear the sound of the waves running up on the sandy beach. It chanced to be an unusually quiet night. Even out on the deep water there seemed to be nothing doing, though far away the boys could catch the flitting gleam of searchlights playing at tag with the darkness, as the vessels of the fleet stood guard.
Had the wind chosen to rise and rattle the leaves of the stumpy trees, as well as dash the rollers against the shore with more or less of a resounding clamor, it would have served their purpose much better. Still, they had to take conditions as they found them, and make the best of it.
Every rod placed behind them counted. Arturus had assured them it was not more than a mile and a half at the most which they had to cover before reaching the vicinity of the other camp.
Now a distance like that may seem a mere trifle when the road is good, and the traveler has daylight to show him what obstacles he must surmount. When he finds it necessary to grope his
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 way along over the roughest of ground, avoiding many threatening pitfalls, listening constantly for signs of lurking foes, and meeting with every conceivable manner of trouble, the case becomes a more serious one.
Amos had started with a light heart. He fancied they would certainly be able to tide over the gap inside of an hour or two. Looking back he could remember several instances when he and Jack had done such a caper as this without exerting themselves unduly. He therefore felt that before the end came they would surprise the guide with the abundance of their knowledge concerning Indian ways. Darkness had little terror for Amos at starting time.
They had not gone very far, however, when he began to realize that he was up against a pretty hard proposition, a much tougher one than he had imagined could confront them.
There seemed to be some sort of rough road along the shore. It could not have been much of a thoroughfare in its palmiest days, and long neglect had caused it to become a hollow mockery,
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 had one attempted to drive any sort of vehicle that way.
For a short time after leaving the camp Arturus had been leading them along this road. Now he dropped down and sought the shallow beach, and Jack guessed that the going would be better there.
In this he found himself correct, though they had to keep close to the little bluff, and stop to listen every minute or so for signs of hostile forces ahead.
Amos was trying to figure out what distance they had covered. The only way he knew of accomplishing this was according to the steps they took. He had worked that all out, knew the number of feet in a mile, and counting two to a step believed he could tell when they had passed the half-way mark.
When, according to his deductions, they had actually made one-third of the distance, his hopes began to mount higher. Why, after all, this was not so very bad; he felt positive they could get to their destination in due course of time; and thinking
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 thus Amos was actually patting himself—figuratively of course—upon his back.
Then something happened as usual to throw down all these fine castles in the air. Arturus came to a sudden pause. He held out both hands as though to prevent either of his charges from advancing another step.
Standing or half crouching there they strained their ears to listen. Low sounds reached them as the night air took a new slant just then, striking directly in their faces.
There was the mutter of voices for one thing, and then came a queer clinking noise, followed by more grumbling sounds. Jack jumped to the conclusion that they must have stumbled upon a nest of the enemy, who for some reason had taken up a position at this particular spot where the scrub grew thickest, and they could more easily lie in ambush.
The boy wondered what reason the Turks could have for hiding here; and what that strange clinking sound meant. Possibly Arturus, who was better acquainted with such things, would be able
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 to understand it all. He had hardly come to this conclusion when he felt the Greek guide pushing him gently back. This Jack knew meant they must retreat for a consultation; and taking hold of his chum’s arm,............