Boy Allies with the Cossacks; Or, A Wild Dash over the Carpathians

by Clair W. Hayes

  CHAPTER XXII.

  AT BAY IN THE PASS.

  When Hal, after creeping into the house through a window, hadinadvertently bumped into several pots and pans, knocking them to thefloor with a clatter, he drew his revolver and stood stockstill. Heheard Chester's cry of warning, and, realizing that an enemy wasapproaching, he drew a bead upon the doorway.

  An arm with a pistol appeared through the opening; there was a flash offire and a bullet sped past him. He fired quickly in return, and theweapon of his unseen enemy dropped to the floor with a crash, followedby a shrill scream of pain.

  "Great Scott, a woman!" cried Hal and leaped forward.

  But the woman was more frightened than hurt. Realizing that she wasuninjured, as Hal came toward her, she leaped forward and threw her armsabout him, pinioning the lad's hand that held his revolver to his side.At the same moment she cried out to her companion:

  "Quick! Pick up the revolver and shoot him while I hold him!"

  Hal realized that he was in grave danger and struggled fiercely to freehis hands. But his adversary was a very powerful woman, and havinggained a secure hold, Hal was unable to free himself.

  The woman who had been left to guard Chester, at the command of theother, ran to her aid. Chester, holding to the back of the chair, drewhimself to his feet and staggered after her, still clinging to hisbroken sword.

  As the woman stooped to pick up the revolver dropped by the other whenHal's bullet had struck her hand, Chester, in spite of the pain of hiswounds, leaped forward. As she arose to her feet and would have firedpoint-blank at Hal, he knocked the weapon from her hand with a sharpblow of his broken sword.

  Then coming quickly to Hal's side he took the lad's revolver from him,and, stepping back, aimed it at the head of the woman with whom hisfriend was struggling.

  "Release him instantly," he ordered, "or I shall fire!"

  The woman glanced at him over her shoulder, and smiled tauntingly.

  "You wouldn't shoot a woman," she sneered.

  "I wouldn't like to," replied Chester, "but if you have not released himand if both of you do not line up against that wall with your hands inthe air by the time I count three, I will shoot, just as surely as Istand here. One, two----"

  The woman glanced at him. Her eyes must have told her that the lad meantwhat he said, for, releasing Hal, she stepped quickly back and raisedher hands in the air. The second woman followed her example. Chesterstepped to Hal's side, and extended the revolver to him.

  "Take this quick!" he commanded.

  Hal did so, and without another word, Chester suddenly crumpled up in aheap on the floor. He had fainted.

  Still covering the women with his revolver, Hal knelt by his friend'sside. Then he turned to the woman.

  "Some water!" he commanded.

  Under the threatening muzzle of the revolver, the woman brought it, andat a command from Hal, bathed Chester's face. Then, still at Hal'scommand, she lifted the lad and placed him in a chair. Hal took his seatnear the window, for he knew that it was only a question of time untilsome of the Russian troops passed in one way or the other. His revolverstill covered the two women, who sat without uttering a word.

  Gradually the color returned to Chester's face, and at last he openedhis eyes and looked about. He took in the situation at a glance, andsmiled faintly.

  "Well, I see we won," he said.

  "We did," replied Hal grimly. "How do you feel?"

  "Better. I shall be all right now."

  "Do you think you are equal to holding this revolver while I go out andreconnoiter?"

  "Sure!" replied Chester. "Give it to me."

  Hal put the revolver in his friend's hand.

  "Don't hesitate to fire if one of them makes a false move," he said."They would kill you in a moment if they had the chance."

  "I'll use it if necessary; have no fear about that," replied Chester.

  Hal arose and left the room and the house. He gazed up and down theroad. There was no sign of troops, nor, by listening intently, could hehear hoof beats. He made his way to where he had left his horse, andtied it alongside the horse that had brought Chester to the house. Thenhe returned to Chester and his prisoners.

  "There is no telling how long we may have to wait for our men toreturn," he said to his friend. "Do you suppose that if I lifted you upon your horse you could ride?"

  "I am sure of it," replied Chester.

  "That is the best plan," said Hal. "Come, then, we will try it."

  He went to Chester's side, and still holding the revolver in his righthand, threw his left arm around his friend's neck. Chester put an armabout Hal's shoulder, and thus supported, made his way from the roomwithout much pain.

  Hal made a stirrup of his hand, and Chester, putting his foot into it,was soon astride his horse, though he winced somewhat with the pain theexertion gave him. Then Hal sprang into his own saddle, and the twoturned their horses' heads in the direction of the main body ofCossacks.

  Along the narrow mountain trail they rode slowly for perhaps an hourwithout the sight of either friend or foe. Then, rounding a sharpturning in the pass, at the top of a steep section of the road, Halreined in suddenly with a muttered imprecation. Chester followed hisfriend's example.

  Perhaps half a mile away came a body of horsemen, perhaps twenty ofthem. The sun, shining upon their uniforms, showed them to be Austrians.Quickly Hal leaped from his horse, and putting forth his utmoststrength, rolled several great stones into place across the road,absolutely barring the pass. Then, after Chester had been helped to theground, the two lads dropped behind this barrier.

  The pass at this point was hardly wide enough for four men to walkabreast. On each side walls of rock rose straight up for perhaps twentyfeet. Hal looked at his two revolvers and the one he had taken from thewomen in the house.

  "Lucky we have plenty of ammunition," he said calmly.

  He tested all weapons carefully and loaded them. Then he passed one toChester.

  "I am keeping two," he explained, "because, being wounded, you probablywon't be able to move about as quickly as I will. I don't know how longwe shall be able to hold these fellows off; but if they don't rush us,we may be able to hold out till help arrives."

  "If they were Germans I wouldn't feel quite so easy," said Chester; "butI don't believe there is much likelihood of Austrians rushing us."

  "Right you are," said Hal cheerfully. "They'll probably dismount, hidebehind their horses and try to pick us off."

  As yet the Austrians were unaware of the presence of enemies in the passabove them. They came on slowly, laughing and talking. Then one,chancing to raise his head, saw the barrier in the pass. He called theattention of the others to it. No sign of an enemy was visible, but theAustrians approached very carefully.

  The two lads waited until the Austrians were so close that a miss wasimpossible, then, taking deliberate aim, each fired once. Two of theenemy fell to the roadside.

  There came a cry of dismay from the Austrians, and they reined in theirhorses and sprang to the ground.

  But two of them had not been quick enough, and while they left theirhorses at practically the same time as did the others, they did not riseagain to their feet.

  "Four!" said Chester calmly.

  "About ten, if Alexis were doing the counting," said Hal grimly. "But Iwould give a whole lot if he were here right now."

  The Austrians forced their horses to lie down, and took up theirpositions behind them. Then they blazed away wildly at the barrierahead. They could see nothing at which to shoot, however, and theirbullets did no damage.

  "I wonder if the Austrians know this old hat trick?" said Chester.

  Picking up a little stick, he put his cap upon it and raised it slowlyover the barrier. A hail of bullets flew about it. Chester tookdeliberate aim at one of the Austrians who exposed himself, and Hal atanother. Again their revolvers cracked once each, and two Austrians bitthe dust.

  "We'll be on even terms soon, if we keep this up," sai
d Hal gleefully.

  Chester tried the cap trick again; but this time it did not work. TheAustrians had learned a lesson.

  For perhaps five minutes there was silence; then Hal, glancing quicklyover the barrier, saw one of the enemy jump to his feet and dashstraight toward the barrier. In his anxiety to pick the man off, Halfired too quickly, and missed.

  The man dashed on and flung himself to the ground right up against thebarrier. Here, for the moment, he was safe, for the lads could not getat him without leaning over the barrier and thus exposing themselves tothe fire of the others.

  A second Austrian leaped to his feet and dashed forward. This time,however, Hal did not hurry, and picked the man off with ease. Hardly hadhis weapon spoken, when a shot from below went whizzing by his head. Haltumbled back to safety rapidly.

  "Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "We'll have to get that fellow away fromthere. He almost got me that time."

  "Yes; but how?" demanded Chester.

  Hal considered the situation for some moments in silence. Then he passedone of his two revolvers to Chester.

  "You blaze away as rapidly as you can at the Austrians with those twoguns," he said. "Never mind whether you see anything to shoot at or not.Just shoot when I give the word. That'll keep those fellows under cover.I'll attend to this one."

  "What are you going to do?" asked Chester.

  "I'm going over after him!" said Hal grimly.

  "But he is liable to kill you!" exclaimed Chester in alarm.

  "If I don't get him," said Hal quietly, "he is sure to kill us bothbefore long. Here goes!"

  At the moment that he sprang to the top of the barrier, Chester openedupon the Austrians with both weapons. The man on the opposite side ofthe barrier was taken by surprise by Hal's sudden action. Hal toppledover upon him without warning. With a startled cry the Austrian raisedhis weapon to fire, but Hal was too quick for him.

  His revolver, less than a foot from the man's head, spoke sharply. Halwaited long enough to see that the work had been well done, then rose tohis feet, placed his hand upon the barrier, and, amid a hail of bulletsfrom the other Austrians, vaulted back to safety.

  "I got him!" he told Chester quietly, as he turned and emptied his ownrevolver at the enemy, who seemed on the point of rushing forward.

  Quickly Chester reloaded his own revolvers, and it was well that he didso, for the enemy seemed to be manifesting a desire to come forward tothe attack, apparently believing that the lads were out of ammunition.

  The lads had now accounted for eight of the enemy, but they were not sofoolish as to believe that the Austrians would remain in their presentposition and be picked off one at a time.

  "They'll make a rush soon!" declared Chester.

  "Well," replied Hal, "when they do we'll be ready for 'em. We can shootstraighter than they can while they are on the run. We should be able topick off two more each before they get here."

  "We'll have a try at it," said Chester simply.

  It was plainly evident that the Austrians were preparing for a move ofsome kind. Suddenly, at a given signal, all twelve of the foe stillalive, sprang to their feet and made a concerted rush toward thebarrier.

  "Here they come!" cried Hal. "Steady now!"