It was strange how that sky-blue uniform of the poilu merged into the dark shades of the night.
At last the soldier came back, reporting to his sergeant, though using only the language of hand signs.
With a nudge for Prescott the sergeant crept out of the hole, Dick following.

There was no thought of haste, yet at last they reached the first of the wire obstructions.

Now Dick was able to guess the meaning of the soldier's recent hand signs.

He had discovered that the Huns had left narrow passages through their own wires, presumably for the use of German patrols.
This time it was the sergeant who went forward first.

Dick thrilled with admiration when he saw the French non-com pass the last of the barbed wire and creep up to the top of the German parapet, flattening himself and peering over and down.
Following closely Dick and the French soldier at his side saw the sergeant kick up slightly with one foot, a signal that caused the soldier to move to the top of the parapet; Prescott, therefore did the same thing.
It was his first look down into a German trench! Not that there was much to be seen.