"You chaps stop here and I'll reconnoitre."
But Pedlar, who was nearly six months older than Trelawny, said he ought
to reconnoitre too. Finally they both went to reconnoitre in different
directions and came back in five minutes. Neither had seen the bull.
"There's no bull!" said Trelawny. "It's a subterfuge. Come on."
"Wait," said Chilvers. "I have a feeling it's not a subterfuge.
Something tells me there is a bull."
Trelawny said it was cowardice, and Chilvers said it was a presentiment.
Anyway, no time could be lost, and Chilvers was firm, so we left him.
He was half inclined to come, but said that an uncle of his had once
been gored by a buffalo, or some such thing, in America, and somehow he
felt that this particular adventure would not suit him, though he would
have feared nothing else. Of course Trelawny explained that this was no
excuse, even if true. But though white and very worried, Chilvers was
firm. He refused to follow, so we went alone.
We made a detour of the trees in the middle of the field and crept
forward in Indian file. Fifty yards from the wall Pedlar whispered that
he saw something red in a hollow, which might easily be a bull's back;
so Trelawny said "Sprint!" and we threw off caution to the winds and
sprinted. So we got to the wall in safety, and, as if to reward us for
the effort, what should we see on the other side but a beautiful bit of
ground all prepared for seeds! It was smoothed and arranged, and little
narrow trenches had been drawn in it about an inch deep--evidently for
seeds. It was frightful luck and playing into the hands of the enemy as
Trelawny said. He instantly gave the word and we dropped. There was
not a soul in sight--only a spade and two rakes, where the man who had
been working had left them.
"A commander always seizes any chance the enemy offer," said Trelawny.
"Pour the seed pretty thick along the drills and everywhere else, then
take the rakes and rake it all over until everything is quite smooth!"
So all Cherry Ripe's arrangements for planting seed were used by us to
sow a particularly deadly sort of clover. We worked jolly hard, and in
about five minutes the thing was done by me and Pedlar while Trelawny
mounted guard.