AT BAY IN THE PASS.
When Hal, after creeping into the house through a window, had
inadvertently bumped into several pots and pans, knocking them to the
floor with a clatter, he drew his revolver and stood stockstill. He
heard Chester's cry of warning, and, realizing that an enemy was
approaching, he drew a bead upon the doorway.
An arm with a pistol appeared through the opening; there was a flash of
fire and a bullet sped past him. He fired quickly in return, and the
weapon of his unseen enemy dropped to the floor with a crash, followed
by 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 was
uninjured, as Hal came toward her, she leaped forward and threw her arms
about 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 free
his hands. But his adversary was a very powerful woman, and having
gained a secure hold, Hal was unable to free himself.
The woman who had been left to guard Chester, at the command of the
other, ran to her aid. Chester, holding to the back of the chair, drew
himself to his feet and staggered after her, still clinging to his
broken sword.
As the woman stooped to pick up the revolver dropped by the other when
Hal's bullet had struck her hand, Chester, in spite of the pain of his
wounds, leaped forward. As she arose to her feet and would have fired
point-blank at Hal, he knocked the weapon from her hand with a sharp
blow 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 his
friend 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 him
and if both of you do not line up against that wall with your hands in
the air by the time I count three, I will shoot, just as surely as I
stand here. One, two----"
The woman glanced at him. Her eyes must have told her that the lad meant
what he said, for, releasing Hal, she stepped quickly back and raised
her hands in the air. The second woman followed her example. Chester
stepped 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 a
heap on the floor. He had fainted.
Still covering the women with his revolver, Hal knelt by his friend's
side. Then he turned to the woman.
"Some water!" he commanded.
Under the threatening muzzle of the revolver, the woman brought it, and
at a command from Hal, bathed Chester's face. Then, still at Hal's
command, she lifted the lad and placed him in a chair. Hal took his seat
near the window, for he knew that it was only a question of time until
some of the Russian troops passed in one way or the other. His revolver
still covered the two women, who sat without uttering a word.
Gradually the color returned to Chester's face, and at last he opened
his eyes and looked about. He took in the situation at a glance, and
smiled 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 and
reconnoiter?"
"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 the
road. There was no sign of troops, nor, by listening intently, could he
hear hoof beats. He made his way to where he had left his horse, and
tied it alongside the horse that had brought Chester to the house. Then
he returned to Chester and his prisoners.
"There is no telling how long we may have to wait for our men to
return," he said to his friend. "Do you suppose that if I lifted you up
on 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 right
hand, threw his left arm around his friend's neck. Chester put an arm
about Hal's shoulder, and thus supported, made his way from the room
without 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 the
exertion gave him. Then Hal sprang into his own saddle, and the two
turned their horses' heads in the direction of the main body of
Cossacks.
Along the narrow mountain trail they rode slowly for perhaps an hour
without the sight of either friend or foe. Then, rounding a sharp
turning in the pass, at the top of a steep section of the road, Hal
reined in suddenly with a muttered imprecation. Chester followed his
friend's example.
Perhaps half a mile away came a body of horsemen, perhaps twenty of
them. The sun, shining upon their uniforms, showed them to be Austrians.
Quickly Hal leaped from his horse, and putting forth his utmost
strength, rolled several great stones into place across the road,
absolutely barring the pass. Then, after Chester had been helped to the
ground, the two lads dropped behind this barrier.
The pass at this point was hardly wide enough for four men to walk
abreast. On each side walls of rock rose straight up for perhaps twenty
feet. Hal looked at his two revolvers and the one he had taken from the
women in the house.
"Lucky we have plenty of ammunition," he said calmly.
He tested all weapons carefully and loaded them. Then he passed one to
Chester.
"I am keeping two," he explained, "because, being wounded, you probably
won't be able to move about as quickly as I will. I don't know how long
we 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; "but
I don't believe there is much likelihood of Austrians rushing us."
"Right you are," said Hal cheerfully. "They'll probably dismount, hide
behind their horses and try to pick us off."
As yet the Austrians were unaware of the presence of enemies in the pass
above them. They came on slowly, laughing and talking. Then one,
chancing to raise his head, saw the barrier in the pass. He called the
attention of the others to it. No sign of an enemy was visible, but the
Austrians approached very carefully.
The two lads waited until the Austrians were so close that a miss was
impossible, then, taking deliberate aim, each fired once. Two of the
enemy fell to the roadside.
There came a cry of dismay from the Austrians, and they reined in their
horses and sprang to the ground.
But two of them had not been quick enough, and while they left their
horses at practically the same time as did the others, they did not rise
again to their feet.
"Four!" said Chester calmly.
"About ten, if Alexis were doing the counting," said Hal grimly. "But I
would give a whole lot if he were here right now."
The Austrians forced their horses to lie down, and took up their
positions behind them. Then they blazed away wildly at the barrier
ahead. They could see nothing at which to shoot, however, and their
bullets 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 slowly
over the barrier. A hail of bullets flew about it. Chester took
deliberate aim at one of the Austrians who exposed himself, and Hal at
another. Again their revolvers cracked once each, and two Austrians bit
the dust.
"We'll be on even terms soon, if we keep this up," said Hal gleefully.
Chester tried the cap trick again; but this time it did not work. The
Austrians had learned a lesson.
For perhaps five minutes there was silence; then Hal, glancing quickly
over the barrier, saw one of the enemy jump to his feet and dash
straight toward the barrier. In his anxiety to pick the man off, Hal
fired too quickly, and missed.
The man dashed on and flung himself to the ground right up against the
barrier. Here, for the moment, he was safe, for the lads could not get
at him without leaning over the barrier and thus exposing themselves to
the 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 had
his weapon spoken, when a shot from below went whizzing by his head. Hal
tumbled back to safety rapidly.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "We'll have to get that fellow away from
there. He almost got me that time."
"Yes; but how?" demanded Chester.
Hal considered the situation for some moments in silence. Then he passed
one of his two revolvers to Chester.
"You blaze away as rapidly as you can at the Austrians with those two
guns," 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 both
before long. Here goes!"
At the moment that he sprang to the top of the barrier, Chester opened
upon the Austrians with both weapons. The man on the opposite side of
the barrier was taken by surprise by Hal's sudden action. Hal toppled
over upon him without warning. With a startled cry the Austrian raised
his weapon to fire, but Hal was too quick for him.
His revolver, less than a foot from the man's head, spoke sharply. Hal
waited long enough to see that the work had been well done, then rose to
his feet, placed his hand upon the barrier, and, amid a hail of bullets
from the other Austrians, vaulted back to safety.
"I got him!" he told Chester quietly, as he turned and emptied his own
revolver at the enemy, who seemed on the point of rushing forward.
Quickly Chester reloaded his own revolvers, and it was well that he did
so, for the enemy seemed to be manifesting a desire to come forward to
the attack, apparently believing that the lads were out of ammunition.
The lads had now accounted for eight of the enemy, but they were not so
foolish as to believe that the Austrians would remain in their present
position 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 shoot
straighter than they can while they are on the run. We should be able to
pick 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 of
some kind. Suddenly, at a given signal, all twelve of the foe still
alive, sprang to their feet and made a concerted rush toward the
barrier.
"Here they come!" cried Hal. "Steady now!"