Page:Narrative of a captivity and adventures in France and Flanders between the years 1803 and 1809.djvu/239

 bivouac'd with the main body. In this position, we remained for about two hours, whilst Peter, and his chief were occasionally watching the motions of the enemy, and looking out for the private signal from the boat. Our anxiety was now at its utmost stretch, and every passing moment appeared an age. The look-*out, every now and then, was obliged to retreat, to avoid the patroles; although, had the boat arrived, being well armed, amidst irregular sand hills, and the spirits inflamed by confidence, our object could not have been defeated easily, or with impunity. The boat not coming, we were obliged to retreat to Peter's hut, for concealment. This habitation had but one room; a few loose boards lying across from side to side upon mud walls, which supported a straw roof, formed a kind of ceiling to about one half of it: on these boards were spread some dry rushes, upon which we reposed. In this situation, day after day closed, whilst we expected each succeeding one to be the last in this country; but no appearance of the boat,—*