IVAN SHOWS HIS METAL.
Chester had poured the boiling water upon the foe at the psychological
moment indeed--for Ivan had been ready to dash forward at that exact
minute and Chester had diverted the attention of the Bulgarians long
enough for Ivan to reach them without being discovered.
Had the men not been otherwise engaged when he dashed from his place of
concealment, they would doubtless have shot him down before he reached
them. But the kettle of hot water had prevented them from bringing their
revolvers to bear until too late.
Ivan descended upon them with a wild cry, and at sight of him the
Bulgarians gave back. Eight of them there were, but they recoiled as a
single man from the great Cossack.
A single shot Ivan fired from his two revolvers and then they were empty.
Quickly he reversed both weapons, and holding both by the barrels, he was
among the enemy, striking right and left as fast as the eye could see.
Down went a man on the left with a cracked skull. A man on the right
caught a glancing blow on the shoulder and also toppled over. Now the
remaining six scattered and sought to get a position where they could
shoot Ivan down without fear of injuring one of their own number. But
Ivan prevented this by keeping close.
He at length seized one man by the neck--dropping the revolver he held in
his left hand to do so--and held him before him as a shield.
Then he charged the others.
Ivan's eyes shone with a terrible fire as he darted forward. His hat was
off and his long hair streamed in the wind. Holding his human shield as
he did with his strong left hand, he raised his revolver aloft in his
right, gripping it tightly by the barrel.
The nearest man of the enemy failed to skip aside quickly enough and the
revolver crashed down on his head with a thud. That was the last of him.
A second, thinking to take advantage of this action, slipped upon the
giant from behind and leveled his revolver at Ivan's head. But once more
Ivan was too quick for him, and, whirling suddenly, hurled his revolver
at the man.
The Cossack's aim was true, and struck squarely in the face with the
sharp revolver, the man dropped to the ground. Now, besides the man he
still held aloft, there were but three of the enemy left. With a loud
cry, they turned and ran.
But Ivan had no mind to be balked of his prey. He still held a weapon,
and he made good use of it. The weapon was the man he had been using for
a shield. Raising him high above his head with his right arm, he hurled
him forward, as a man putting the shot.
The human catapult sailed through the air and struck two of the enemy as
it fell, carrying them to the ground, knocking the breath from the bodies
of all three.
Ivan leaped forward quickly. Stooping, he picked up two men, one in each
hand, and brought their heads together with an audible crash. Then he
hurled one down upon the third man with great force, and stooping, picked
up a revolver.
Quickly he dropped to one knee, and leveling the revolver, took
careful aim at the remaining man, who was now some distance away and
running swiftly.
"Crack!"
A report, a flash of flame in the darkness.
An imprecation from Ivan, a second report and flash of flame, and the man
fell sprawling.
Ivan rose calmly. He surveyed the field of action with a critical eye.
Then, without a word, he turned on his heel and stalked back to the
house. As he came to where Chester and Helen stood, he said quietly:
"Any more of them in here?"
"None," returned Chester. "You finished the lot."
"Good," said the Cossack. "I thought they had me once."
He uttered no further word, but made his way to the parlor, where he sat
down as calmly as though nothing had happened.
"You go in there, too," said Chester to Helen. "I'll have a look at
Anderson."
But the girl refused to obey this command and accompanied the lad to
where the gallant Colonel lay, moaning feebly.
Chester dropped down and raised Colonel Anderson's head to his knee.
"How do you feel, old man?" he asked.
"Rather weak and dizzy," was the Colonel's mumbled response.
"Where did the bullet hit you?"
"Top of the head some place," and Colonel Anderson raised a feeble hand
and passed it over his head.
"Quiet now," said Chester. "I'll have you in the other room in a jiffy
and we'll have a look at the wound. Will you make a light in the parlor,
Miss Ellison?"
The girl hastened away to do as Chester requested and the lad assisted
Colonel Anderson to his feet.
"Put your arm around my neck," the lad commanded. "Lean all your
weight on me and I'll drag you into the other room. You're too big for
me to carry."
Colonel Anderson followed instructions and Chester dragged him to the
parlor, where he laid him on a couch. Then he bent over and examined
the wound.
"Doesn't amount to much," he said finally, rising. "Will you get me some
water and a cloth. Miss Ellison? Also, if by any chance you can find it,
a piece of adhesive plaster."
"I can get them all," said the girl. "Miss Thatcher's kit is still here."
She hurried away and was back in a few minutes with the necessary things.
She lent Chester a hand and bathed the wound on the Colonel's head, while
Chester unrolled the adhesive plaster. Then they bound up the wound.
Colonel Anderson then insisted on sitting up. He passed a hand ruefully
across his bandaged head and smiled faintly.
"Hurts a little, but not much," he said in answer to Chester's question.
"But now, if you'll tell me--"
He paused suddenly and raised a warning hand.
"What's the matter now?" demanded Chester anxiously.
"Thought I heard voices without."
With a bound Ivan left his chair and darted toward the door. He
disappeared in the darkness.
"Ivan's fighting blood is up," said Chester. "I guess I'd better go after
him. You guard the wounded man here, Miss Ellison."
He hurried after Ivan.
Outside the door he came upon a strange sight--a sight that caused him to
cry out in merriment and thankfulness.
In his first gaze he saw four figures and the first he recognized as that
of Hal, the next that of Nikol. These two stood quietly gazing at two
other figures who were struggling nearby. Chester glanced at the other
figures. They were Ivan and Anthony Stubbs and they appeared to be locked
in a death grapple.
"Help! Help!" came Stubbs' voice.
Chester moved forward to interfere, for he reasoned that perhaps Ivan,
in his lust for battle, had been unable to distinguish between friend
and foe. But Hal stayed him with uplifted hand and Chester saw that his
chum was laughing quietly. He realized then that Ivan had recognized
his opponent.
He lined up with Hal and Nikol and watched the struggle.
Ivan had one huge arm around the little man and seemed to be making
strenuous efforts to throw him. Stubbs struggled valiantly, the while
sending out wails for help. Chester saw that Ivan was simply playing.
"Stick to him, Mr. Stubbs," cried Chester. "You'll have him down in
a minute."
Stubbs twisted and squirmed like an eel. Once he slipped free of Ivan's
clutch and started to run. Ivan reached out quickly and grasped him by
the left shoulder and drew him back.
Stubbs let out a yell of fear, and as he turned face to face with the
Cossack, he struck out and upward with his clenched fist. The blow landed
squarely on Ivan's nose and brought a stream of blood.
Ivan let out a roar of rage. Apparently he had not bargained for this.
Then he lifted Stubbs high, in the air and tossed him away in the
darkness. The little man's yells were loud and long as he flew through
the air. He struck the hard earth with a grunt perhaps twenty feet away.
Slowly he got to his feet and came toward the others, who were now
talking to Ivan. In front of them, he stopped.
"Say!" he exclaimed. "What are you fellows trying to do, anyhow? Get me
killed off so you won't have to bother with me? Didn't you see that big
heathen tossing me around? What?"
Hal turned and eyed the little man suddenly.
"Why, there he is now," he said in a voice of surprise. "We were just
talking about you, Mr. Stubbs. Chester was asking about you. I told him
you were here a moment ago. Where did you go so suddenly?"
Stubbs glared at them.
"You mean to tell me you didn't see some big giant grab me a minute ago?"
he demanded. "You didn't see me fighting for my life?"
"Fighting?" exclaimed Hal. "You fighting, Mr. Stubbs. I didn't think you
would attack a man."
"I didn't attack a man," shouted the thoroughly aroused Stubbs. "I
didn't attack a man. A man attacked me. No, it wasn't a man, either. It
was a giant."
"Is that so, Mr. Stubbs?" asked Chester in well-feigned surprise. "And
where were the rest of us all that time?"
"Where--where were you?" echoed Stubbs. "You were right here, that's
where you were. You mean to tell me you didn't hear me call for help?"
"You don't say," said Hal. "Why didn't you call aloud, Mr. Stubbs?"
Stubbs sputtered angrily.
"By George! I did call out loud," he cried.
"And what has happened to the man who attacked you, Mr. Stubbs--the giant
you speak of?" inquired Hal civilly.
"Well, he, I--I don't know. He looked suspiciously like Ivan there to me,
though why he should jump me, I don't know. Yes, sir, I could have sworn
it was Ivan, but I must have been mistaken."
Stubbs glanced around on all sides.
"By George!" he exclaimed at last. "I know I had a fight, but I can't
seem to make any one believe it."
"Still sleepy, Mr. Stubbs?" asked Hal.
"Sleepy?" repeated the little man. "Sleepy? What do you mean?"
"Why, that fighting dream just now," said Hal. For a moment Stubbs stared
at the lad angrily; then turned on his heel and stalked into the house.
"Come," said Chester, with a laugh, "I'll take you into the house, Hal,
and introduce you to a real nice little girl. She's heard of you. She
told me so. Come on."