Finding me still unresponsive, they began to
nose in the dried grasses with an affected unconcern which set me
smiling; it seemed so humanlike a pretence under rebuff. The rest,
as usual, dispersed under the trees and along the nettle-beds by the
wall. It occurred to me that, if I let these gentlemen work round to
my rear, they might distract my attention--perhaps at an awkward
moment--by nosing up to the forage-bags or upsetting the
camp-furniture, so with a wave of my musket I headed them back.
They took the hint obediently enough, and, wheeling about, fell to
rooting between me and the entrance. So I sat maybe for another five
minutes, still keeping my main attention on the gateway, but with an
occasional glance to right and left, to detect and warn back any
fresh attempt to work round my flanks.
Now, in the act of waving my musket, I had happened to catch sight of
one remarkably fine hog among the nettles, who, taking alarm with the
rest, had winced away and disappeared in the rear of the church,
where a narrow alley ran between it and the churchyard wall. If he
followed this alley to its end, he would come into sight again around
the apse and almost directly on my right flank.
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