Now, as the men moved forward, the formation was not kept.

Each for himself reached the crater in his own way and time.

Down in this basin men could crouch without fear of being seen should the night become lighted up.
When the others had entered, Prescott, being further from the rim, signed to the French lieutenant to precede him.

De Verne had just gained the hole when---Click! Not far away something was shot up into the air; then it broke, throwing down a beam of light.

Other clicks could be heard, until the land within two hundred feet of the crater became at least half as bright as daylight would have made it.
Dick Prescott was outside the crater! At the instant of hearing the first click he found himself in a shallow furrow in the dirt.
To have sprung into the crater would have been to betray the presence of the party to the enemy.