A DESPERATE VENTURE.
Before Ivan could raise a hand to stay him, had such been his intention,
Hal had darted across the cavern in the direction from which had come the
sound he had recognized as Chester's voice. It was very dark there and
the lad could not make out his surroundings, but he seemed to have
brought up against a solid wall. He explored the smooth surface with his
hands, but could find no opening in that particular spot. Then he came
upon one of the narrow passageways and entered it without hesitation, for
he believed it was in that direction he would find Chester.
Now heavy footsteps sounded behind him and Ivan's voice roared:
"Where are you going?"
"It is Chester--my friend who was with me when Alexis died," returned
Hal. "I heard his voice. He must be near some place and in trouble."
"Ho!" said Ivan. "He will be one of my prisoners, I expect. I remember
that one was rather young."
"Well, let him out, will you?" exclaimed Hal.
"Certainly," returned Ivan.
He passed Hal and led the way down the dark passage. Presently Hal heard
a huge rock move and then footsteps came toward him.
"Who is it?" he asked.
There came a cry of surprise.
"That you, Hal?" came in Chester's voice. "How on earth did you
get here?"
"That's rather a long story," replied Hal, "but it seems that it's a good
thing I did get here. I thought a heard a sound awhile back. It must have
been you."
"Anderson and I have been yelling for the last week, it seems," said
Chester ruefully. "We didn't hope to be fortunate enough to raise you,
but we thought some one might hear us."
"Well, come on out here to the fire--and you, too, Colonel," his last to
Colonel Anderson, who now came forward, closely followed by Ivan.
They needed no urging, for they had been shut up in the cold so long
that they were almost frozen. Introductions now followed all around and
Ivan seemed genuinely pleased to meet Chester. He was profuse in his
apologies for his rough treatment, while Chester was dumbfounded to
learn that his captor was the brother of his old friend Alexis. They
shook hands heartily.
"If you had not pestered me with so many questions, I would not have
bothered you," Ivan explained. "To tell the truth, I took you for a
couple of Austrian spies."
"Tell us, Chester," said Hal, "what have you learned?"
"Learned?" echoed Chester. "We haven't learned anything, except that it
is awfully cold in these mountains. I'm going to tell you right now, it's
no fun being locked up in an icebox."
"It is not," Colonel Anderson agreed dryly, stretching his feet out
to the fire.
"I'll tell you how it came about," said Chester, smiling at Ivan.
"Colonel Anderson and I had just completed a most terrible climb. Coming
once again to a level spot we sat down to rest. We saw a man coming
along--a big man, none other than Ivan here. I suggested that we ask him
a few questions."
"You asked them, all right," said Ivan.
"Well," Chester continued, "he didn't tell us much. In fact, he was as
mum as an oyster. Colonel Anderson took a hand with no better luck. It
seems that between us we talked too much. Ivan here didn't like it. He
said he guessed he'd have to take us along with him. We said we were
satisfied to stay where we were. This didn't suit Ivan. He reached for
me and I dodged; but with his other hand he grabbed Anderson and held
him helpless.
"I drew my gun but I was afraid to fire for fear of hitting the Colonel.
I thought I would rap the big man over the head with the butt of the
weapon. I ventured a trifle too close and he nailed me, too. He shook me
so hard that I dropped my gun. Anderson hadn't been able to get at his.
Then Ivan relieved him of it, and still holding us each by an arm, he
brought us here.
"When he shoved us under the rock ahead of him, we decided to jump him if
he came in. We jumped him. It didn't do much good, did it, Colonel?"
Chester turned to Colonel Anderson with a smile.
"Not much," was the Colonel's dry response.
Ivan grinned sheepishly.
"I didn't mean to hurt you too much," he said. "You see, sometimes I
don't realize my own strength. I guess maybe I squeezed your arms
too hard."
"Well, now tell us about yourself, Hal," said Chester, "and who is this
little fellow who hangs so close to Stubbs?"
"This little fellow," returned Hal, "has appointed himself Stubbs' best
friend. Stubbs overcame him in fair fight this afternoon and he thinks
Stubbs is a great man."
"Well, what's the matter?" Stubbs broke in. "Don't you?"
"Of course," Hal hastened to assure him.
Stubbs subsided grumbling.
"The question now is," Colonel Edwards declared, "what are we going to
do? There is no use staying here longer than we can possibly help. We had
better be moving."
"Hold on," shouted Ivan, jumping suddenly to his feet. "Tell me what it
is you are going to do? Perhaps I may lend a hand. I know something of
these mountains."
Colonel Edwards glanced at Hal. The boy nodded.
"Might be a good idea," he said.
Then Colonel Edwards explained. Ivan heard him patiently.
"Well," he said at length, "nothing would please me more than to join
this expedition." He spoke to Hal. "You have told me of the service
rendered the Czar by my brother Alexis. I am ashamed that I have been
idling here in these mountains while my country needs me. I shall try
and make up for it in the future. Now, I believe I can tell you what you
want to know."
"Then," asked Colonel Edwards, "is there a strong Austrian sentiment
among the Albanians?"
"Until a month ago there was little Austrian sentiment," returned Ivan,
"But recently there has been a change, and the change I lay at the door
of a single man."
"An Albanian?"
"It is even worse than that. The man is a Montenegrin. And still worse.
He bears the same name as the king of Montenegro, Nicolas. He has, most
likely, another name, but I do not know it."
"But why should a Montenegrin seek to raise the enmity of the Albanians
against his own people?" Chester demanded.
"There is but one reason--gold," said Ivan simply.
"And his methods?" inquired Colonel Anderson.
"More gold," was the reply.
"I see," said Colonel Anderson. "Furnished by the Austrians, eh?"
"How else? I have had several interviews with this Nicolas. He seems to
think I could be of use to him. In fact, he has made me offers. But while
I have taken no part in active fighting, although I admit I have
neglected my own country, I have not fallen low enough for that sort of
work. However, I did not tell Nicolas that. I temporized with him and I
suppose he believes he can win me over if he cares to make his offer
tempting enough."
"All this," said Hal slowly, "suggests a plan."
"Well?" said Chester, expectantly.
"And by this plan of mine," Hal continued, "we may accomplish even more
than we set out to do."
"Explain, Hal," said Colonel Anderson.
"It's very simple. We'll have Ivan take us to Nicolas. He can tell him we
are Germans, or what you please. Being, apparently, friends of Ivan's, we
shall be received. Then Ivan can appear to fall in with his plans. At the
first opportune moment, we shall take charge of Mr. Nicolas and escape."
"H-m-m-m," mused Colonel Edwards. "You say all that easily enough, but
you can take my word for it, it will be no small job."
"Of course not," Chester agreed, "but still we should be able to do it.
And if we do, we shall have removed the cause of the Albanian enmity
toward Montenegro. There will be no such strong Austrian sentiment once
the supply of gold is cut off."
Ivan jumped to his feet and clapped the lad on the back.
"Good!" he exclaimed eagerly. "I'm with you; and if it comes to a fight,
you will find that you can use me to advantage."
"I am sure of it," smiled Hal.
Ivan, in turning, cast his eye upon the little dwarfed figure of Nikol.
He walked quickly toward him and extended a hand.
"We didn't finish our little argument awhile ago," he said simply. "I see
no reason why we should finish it. Why should we fight each other when
there are others to fight?" He turned to Hal. "I'll guarantee this man
will give a good account of himself," he said. "I doubt if there is
another man in the mountains, besides myself, who has his strength. He
will prove his worth."
He turned to Nikol again and the dwarf grinned at him, showing strong
white teeth.
"You are right," he said and gripped Ivan's hand hard.
"Well then," said Colonel Edwards, "the sooner we get started the sooner
we may get back again. When shall we start, Ivan?"
"Immediately," was the reply, and the giant moved toward the mouth of
the cavern.
"Now, look-a-here, you fellows," said the voice of Anthony Stubbs. "I've
been a whole lot of places with you and I hope to go with you a whole lot
more, but I claim it is downright foolishness to stick our heads into a
brigand's lair. What's the use? The best we can get is the worst of it."
"Stubbs," said Hal quietly, "you don't have to go along if you don't want
to. You can stay right here."
"What?" exclaimed the little man. "Stay here by myself? I should say not.
I don't want to stay here alone and I don't want to go hunting brigands.
What I want to do is get some place where it's safe. I don't like this
country, if you want to know it."
"It's a good country," said Nikol abruptly.
Stubbs looked at the dwarf in surprise. It was the first time the
Albanian had talked back to him.
"What do you know about it?" demanded Stubbs. "You never saw a
regular country."
The dwarf bowed his head in some confusion. Apparently Stubbs' spell
still held good over him.
"Come, Stubbs, don't be stubborn," said Chester.
"Well, all right," said the little man, shaking his head sadly. "I'll go
if the rest of you do, but I want to tell you right now, I protest!"