"By-the-bye, O'Malley, did you see the fellows at work in the trenches?
How beautifully clear it was towards the southward!" "Yes, I remarked that! and what surprised me was the openness of their position in that direction.

Towards the San Benito mole I could not see a man." "Ah, they'll not attack on that side; but if we really are--" "Stay, Hampden!" said I, interrupting him, "a thought has just struck me.
At sunset, I saw, through my telescope, the French engineers marking with their white tape the line of a new entrenchment in that quarter.

Would it not be a glorious thing to move the tape, and bring the fellows under the fire of San Benito ?" "By Jove, O'Malley, that is a thought worth a troop to you!" "Far more likely to forward his promotion in the next world than in this," said Baker, smiling.
"By no means," added I."I marked the ground this evening, and have it perfectly in my mind.

If we were to follow the bend of the river, I'll be bound to come right upon the spot; by nearing the fortress we'll escape the sentries; and all this portion is open to us." The project thus loosely thrown out was now discussed in all its bearings.
Whatever difficulties it presented were combated so much to our own satisfaction, that at last its very facility damped our ardor.

Meanwhile the night wore on, and the storm of rain so long impending began to descend in very torrents; hissing along the parched ground, it rose in a mist, while overhead the heavy thunder rolled in long unbroken peals; the crazy door threatened to give way at each moment, and the whole building trembled to its foundation.
"Pass the brandy down here, Hampden, and thank your stars you're where you are.