Of course he could have looked through the fence with greater ease, but that would have involved no such dramatic effect.

His sudden view of the landscape taken, the boy climbed the fence, ran to the dry ditch, parted the overhanging weeds and leaped down.

Once in the dry waterway, he was utterly concealed from view, even had any one been near; but that made no difference with his precautions.

He knew that after savages had lurked, they always glided, and that what the writers describe as "a snake-like motion" was something absolutely essential.
Spear in hand and creeping on his hands and knees, the destroyer advanced along the drain, lying flat and wriggling with much patience wherever a particularly clear stretch of sand presented itself.

Half way across the field he raised his head with a movement so slow that a full minute was occupied in the performance, parted the weeds gently and peered out to get his bearings and ascertain if any foemen were in sight.