ONE:"I saw some men tryin' to cross the crick there," replied Jim, pointing with his rammer in the direction of the opposite bank."Interesting," Rogier said. "May we take it that this is a sample of the work you have been doing?"
It was a scene to discourage any but the stoutest heart, yet it only wrought up the boys to greater eagerness to get through to the firing-line."If we do it's got to be done mighty slick," said Si. "They're all mighty good boys, and spunky. They'll all want to go with us, and if they find out we've made any choice they'll never forgive us. I'd a'most as soon have one six boys as another, yit if I had to pick out six I believe I'd take Harry Joslyn, Gid Mackall, Alf Russell, Monty Scruggs, Jim Humphreys and Sandy Baker."It was too bad Norma didn't know that.