The lights still burned as a signal, enabling the boat to
land each party almost at the same spot. Malcolm wondered what was
going on. A perfect stillness reigned on the other side, and it
was certain that the alarm had not yet been given.
On ascending the bank he saw in front of him some dark figures
actively engaged, and heard dull sounds. On reaching the spot he
found the parties who had preceded him hard at work with shovels
throwing up an intrenchment. In the darkness he had not perceived
that each of the soldiers carried a spade in addition to his arms.
The soil was deep and soft, and the operations were carried on
with scarce a sound. As each party landed they fell to work under
the direction of their officers. All night the labour continued,
and when the dull light of the winter morning began to dispel the
darkness a solid rampart of earth breast high rose in a semicircle,
with its two extremities resting on the riverbank.
The last boat load had but just arrived across, and the 600 men
were now gathered in the work, which was about 150 feet across, the
base formed by the river. The earth forming the ramparts had been
taken from the outside, and a ditch 3 feet deep and 6 feet wide
had been thus formed.
The men, who, in spite of the cold were hot and perspiring from
their night's work, now entered the intrenched space, and sat down
to take a meal, each man having brought two days' rations in his
havresack.
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