He made for the gully and ran along it with stumbling feet.
"Now stop!" boomed the voice--directly in front of him! "Not a step further! Begin to count aloud.

But do not shout!" "Ein, zwei, drei, vier--" began the German, obediently.
And Fred, half choking with suppressed laughter, slipped behind the screened entrance of the secret passageway, while the soldier's back was still turned.

He did not quite close the door, but waited to make sure that the German's curiosity did not get the better of his fright, which had certainly been real enough.

But it was all right.

The man counted right up to a hundred, and once or twice, to Fred's huge amusement, when he stammered, and lost track of his numbers, he went back and counted several of them over again! But he finished at last, and Fred heard him come stumbling down the gully.