He did not know the country here, and had no notion of what sort of cover he might find.

But luck was with him though for a moment he thought he had stumbled into a disastrous predicament.

The ground gave way beneath him suddenly and he felt himself falling.

He relaxed instinctively, and came down on hands and knees on a mass of leaves and twigs.

He had fallen into a sort of shallow pit, but deep enough to shelter him.