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

by Clair W. Hayes

  CHAPTER XXVI.

  A DASH FOR LIFE.

  One glance over his shoulder convinced Hal that at least half a dozen ofthe enemy had mounted and were spurring forward in pursuit. He passedthe word to Chester, and bending low in their saddles, the lads urgedtheir horses to greater efforts.

  From ahead suddenly came a body of horsemen. Before they realized it,the lads were dashing by these at a distance of less than a hundredyards. Here the Austrian uniforms stood them in good stead. The officerhesitated to give a command to his men to fire on what were apparentlyAustrian officers, and before he was made aware of the situation byshouts from behind, the lads had placed considerable distance betweenthemselves and these new enemies.

  Now the latter also turned and gave chase.

  After some minutes the lads realized that they were easily maintainingtheir lead and breathed easier.

  "We'll get away yet if our horses don't give out!" shouted Chester.

  "All right!" Hal shouted back. "Keep up the pace!"

  In their haste in seizing upon two horses, the lads had not had time tolook the animals over and it soon developed that they had made a badchoice. The animals which the boys bestrode had returned only an hourbefore from a long and tedious journey, and consequently were almostexhausted. Under the spur they put forth their best efforts, but finallythey began to tire, and despite the urging of the lads, faltered intheir stride.

  Hal was the first to notice this.

  "I am afraid it is all up!" he shouted to Chester.

  Right in the face of his oncoming enemies he drew rein. Chester followedhis example, and then both lads quickly dismounted.

  At this spot there was a small clump of trees. Slapping their horsesacross the flanks with their hats, the lads plunged in among the foliagewhile the tired horses made off slowly.

  "Up into these trees quick," shouted Chester. "It has saved us before;it may again!"

  Quickly the lads clambered up among the branches, where they layperfectly still. The sound of the approaching Austrians grew nearer, andat last half a dozen of the enemy pulled up their mounts almost underthe lads' hiding place.

  "Which way did they go?" asked a voice.

  "They have probably made off through the woods," said a second. "We'llhave to search for them."

  The tree in which the lads were hiding was the largest nearby. Up in itsdense foliage the boys were absolutely hidden from the ground below. Oneof the Austrians glanced up into the tree.

  "They may be hiding up here," he said to his companions.

  "Hardly likely," replied a second.

  "Well, I'll send up a couple of shots and see," said the first speaker.

  His rifle spoke sharply twice. Hal felt a slight stinging sensation inhis left arm. One of the bullets, as it passed, brushed his skin. Theother sang close to Chester's head. But in spite of this, and in spiteof the fact that another shot from below might end one of their lives,neither boy so much as shifted his position.

  After firing the shot into the tree the Austrian became still,listening, as did his companions. There was no sound.

  "They can't be up there," said a voice. "If they were, and even had notbeen hit, they couldn't remain still."

  "You are right," said another voice. "We shall have to look for themelsewhere. Scatter out, men, and we'll search the woods."

  The Austrians moved from beneath the tree. Waiting until he was surethat they had gone, Chester whispered to Hal:

  "What shall we do now?"

  "If possible," replied Hal, "we shall slip down and try to pick out acouple of fresh horses. Then we can make another dash for it."

  "All right," agreed Chester, "but we had better wait here until we canget down the tree unseen."

  Hal nodded in assent, and for perhaps half an hour the lads waitedsilently. In the distance they could hear the enemy beating up thebushes for some trace of them, but these sounds gradually grew fartheraway; then died down altogether.

  Cautiously Hal peered down from his hiding place. There was no sign ofan enemy. The lad dropped quickly to the ground, and Chester followedsuit a moment later. Then they dashed silently toward the road.

  Upon entering the woods in pursuit of the fugitives, the Austrians hadabandoned their horses and were searching afoot. Approaching the edge ofthe forest, the lads saw six horses tied to trees. They ran rapidlytoward them. As they did so a single Austrian, who had been left toguard the animals, stepped suddenly forward, raised his rifle and cried:"Halt!"

  There was no time for either lad to draw his revolver. Chester's handwent to his pocket, even as he ran, but he did not wait to extract theweapon. With his hand still in his pocket, he pointed the muzzle of hisrevolver at the Austrian and pressed the trigger. The bullet sped truethrough the cloth, and the Austrian dropped his rifle and toppled overto the ground.

  "Good work, Chester!" shouted Hal, not pausing in his stride toward thehorses.

  He had all six horses untied in a jiffy, and passing the bridle of oneto his chum, leaped lightly into the saddle. Chester did likewise. Theother horses stood still.

  "No use leaving them here for the enemy to pursue us with," decidedChester.

  He rode his own horse among the others, and with several quick blows ofhis cap, started them on ahead of them.

  At that moment, the Austrians who had been scouring the woods for thefugitives, attracted by the sound of the shot, came into sight anddashed toward the lads, their revolvers spitting fire as they ran.

  "Come on!" cried Hal to Chester.

  It was no time to hesitate, nor to fight back while there was a chanceof getting away. Putting spurs to their horses both lads were soon outof range.

  "Now," said Chester, "we shall have to keep a sharp lookout for otherAustrians in front; for it is certain all of our pursuers didn't enterthe woods after us."

  "Right you are," replied Hal.

  They rode forward at a quick trot, and soon were out of sight of theenemy behind. For perhaps fifteen minutes they continued on their waywithout interruption, and then a band of horsemen bore down on them.

  "Austrians," said Chester briefly. "What shall we do?"

  "Go straight ahead," replied Hal quickly. "Perhaps they will notrecognize us. We still have our Austrian uniforms. It may be they willtake us for some of the searching party."

  They drew nearer the approaching horsemen. The latter reined in theirmounts.

  "Did you find them?" Hal called out.

  "No," came back the reply; "did you?"

  "No," said Hal, "they must have given us the slip."

  The horsemen came closer and Hal and Chester kept their faces averted asmuch as possible, for they knew that a close scrutiny would betray theiridentity.

  "Well," shouted Hal, "we will look a little farther on. You search thewoods. Perhaps your eyes may be better than ours."

  "All right," was the reply, and the boys rode on slowly so as to givetheir mounts a rest. Some moments later there was a great commotionbehind, and turning in their saddles, the lads saw the Austrians comingrapidly after them. They had come upon the little party who had seen thelads leaving the woods.

  With a cry to Chester, Hal put spurs to his horse and soon both wereliterally flying over the ground, the Austrians in full chase.

  But the horses that the boys now bestrode were much fresher than hadbeen their first mounts; still, Hal saw that several of the Austrianswere gaining.

  Now one of the enemy drew well ahead of his companions, a bit behindcame a second, while a third, who was some distance ahead of theremainder, closely followed the second. These three, at their respectivedistances, slowly drew closer to the lads.

  Suddenly, without a word to Hal, Chester checked his horse abruptly, andhis revolver flashed in his hand. Before the first Austrian could checkhis mount, he had come within range of the lad's weapon, which spokesharply. The Austrian tumbled sidewise from his horse.

  Chester turned and spurred on after Hal.

  Now the second Austrian drew
close upon the lad. Once more the latterabruptly checked his horse and turned to face the Austrian. The latter,perceiving the boy's maneuver, also drew rein. But he was not quickenough, and a second bullet from Chester's revolver laid him low. Oncemore the lad turned his horse's head forward and dashed on.

  The third Austrian, unmindful of the fate that had overtaken his twocompanions, still dashed after the lads. He gained steadily, and was nowa considerable distance ahead of the main body of the enemy. A thirdtime Chester turned suddenly on the foe and a third time his revolverspoke. He missed, and the Austrian opened with his own revolver. But hisaim was no better.

  Chester, sitting quietly on his horse, then took careful and deliberateaim and at his next shot, the Austrian fell to the ground. Then heturned and rode on after Hal, who had slowed down to wait for him.

  Once more the lads put spurs to their horses and dashed on--each forwardstride of their animals taking them much nearer the Russian lines andsafety--until at last they made out in the distance the outposts of theRussian camp.

  Hal raised a cry of triumph, but at the same moment his horse steppedinto a hole and went to his knees, hurling Hal over his head.

  Chester reined in alongside his friend and leaped to the ground. TheAustrians, perceiving the lad's misfortune, bore down on them with awild cry of joy.