"GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN."
Stubbs' action was so entirely unexpected that for a moment the other
occupants of the automobile were stunned. Then Hal and Chester leaped to
their feet, as did Nikol, Ivan and Colonel Anderson.
"Little man's gone off his head," muttered Ivan, as he leaped from the
car to go to Stubbs' assistance.
Stubbs, in his headlong leap, struck exactly where he had intended--right
upon the Bulgarian's shoulders, and the force of the impact bore the man
to the ground. Again, the action was so unexpected that the man did not
have time to discharge his rifle.
As the soldier went to the ground beneath his weight, Stubbs' hands
gripped him by the throat and he squeezed as hard as his weak muscles
would permit.
But the Bulgarian had recovered himself now and hurled Stubbs to one
side. He pulled himself to his feet, and with an angry growl, half raised
his rifle.
It was at that moment that Ivan, quicker than the others, seized the
rifle in his two hands. He gave a quick twist and jerked the weapon from
the hands of his opponent. The latter staggered back and his hand dropped
to his belt. But before he could draw a revolver, Ivan had raised his
newly won rifle and brought it down on the Bulgarian's head. The man
dropped inert without a sound.
Then Ivan picked Stubbs up bodily, deposited him in the tonneau of the
car and climbed in himself.
"We'd better get away from here," he said.
Quickly Hal resumed his seat and threw off the clutch. The automobile
dashed forward again.
Ivan turned to Stubbs.
"Why all this bloodthirstiness, Mr. Stubbs?" he demanded in surprise.
"I'm getting tired of all this nonsense," replied Stubbs. "I want to get
out of this country. I want to get back home where there is no
war--where men are not killing each other off by the thousands. I'm a
peaceable man and I'm going back to a peaceable country if I have to
fight to get there."
Nikol the dwarf now extended a hand to Stubbs.
"You are a brave man, sir," he exclaimed. "Not many are there who would
have attacked a man who held a rifle pointed at his breast. You are a
brave man, sir."
Unthinkingly, Stubbs clasped the hand and a moment later gave a
howl of pain.
"Hey! Leggo my hand!" he cried. "Ouch!"
Nikol released Stubbs' hand with a murmured apology, while Stubbs felt
the injured right member tenderly with his left and turned an aggrieved
eye on Nikol, but he said nothing.
Suddenly the car slowed down. Those in the rear seat glanced ahead and
the reason for the abrupt slackening of speed became apparent.
Coming toward them at a rapid trot was a squadron of Bulgarian cavalry,
blocking the road.
Hal turned to the Bulgarian officer between him and Chester and
said quietly:
"Now it's up to you. Remember, I've got my gun ready and at the first
false move I'll put a bullet through you."
The captain in command of the cavalry squadron gave a sharp command and
his men drew rein while the officer came forward. He glanced at the
colonel in the automobile and saluted.
"Oh, it's you, sir," he said. "Have you seen anything of the fugitives?"
The Bulgarian felt the pressure of Hal's revolver in his back.
"No," he said.
The captain saluted and would have passed on, but Hal instructed his
prisoner to ask:
"How far are we from the Greek frontier?"
"Less than a mile," was the answer. "There is but one more body of our
troops between here and a strong force of Greeks, which is patrolling
the border."
The two Bulgarians saluted each other and the troop separated to make a
path for the automobile.
"Another close shave for all of us," said Chester, when they had passed
by. "You, too," he said to the Bulgarian. "You'd have been a goner if you
had sought to give the alarm."
A few minutes later Hal made out another body of troops blocking the
road. He reduced the speed of the car and spoke to the others.
"The last barrier to freedom," he said. "Be ready to duck down in the
car. I am going to take no more chances with our prisoner here. He is
likely to take this last chance to betray us. The troops are drawn up on
both sides of the road. I am going to make a dash for it."
There was no reply, but Hal had expected none.
The car approached the troops slowly and seemed about to stop.
The Bulgarians moved to one side, thinking to surround the machine when
it had come to a halt.
Less than fifty feet from the nearest soldiers, and a scant two hundred
yards from where Hal could make out a large body of Greek troops, the car
suddenly leaped ahead and Hal threw the gear into high.
All save Hal ducked instinctively.
The Bulgarians, taken completely by surprise, stood stock still for a
moment and then the cry of in officer rang out:
"Fire!"
Instantly fifty rifles were leveled at the automobile, now fast eating up
the short distance to the Greek frontier, and a score of bullets struck
the car in the rear.
Bullets flew all about Hal's head and he felt a stinging sensation in his
left shoulder. There came a second volley and then the car flashed among
the body of Greek troops.
Quickly Hal brought the car to a stop. Heads bobbed up from the back of
the car and it was Anthony Stubbs who breathed the relief that all felt.
"Safe at last!" he cried.
Now all alighted from the car, the Bulgarian officer, Hal's prisoner,
with them.
Greek troops approached.
Hal spoke hurriedly to the Bulgarian.
"Quick now!" he cried. "If you make a dash you can get back over the
border before these fellows can stop you."
The Bulgarian wasted no time in talk. He took to his heels and made
record time for his own country, which he reached in safety, in spite of
a volley fired by the Greek troops.
A Greek officer now came hurriedly up to Hal.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded harshly. "Do you not know that
this is a neutral country?"
"And we thank Heaven for that," said Stubbs fervently. "We have had a
hard enough time getting here."
"I shall have to turn you over to my superior," said the officer. "He
will dispose of your cases. In the meantime, you may consider yourselves
under arrest."
Neither Hal nor Chester paid much attention to what the Greek officer was
saying. They were too busily engaged watching the antics of their
erstwhile prisoner, who, now safe on his own side of the line, was
shaking his fist in their direction and making other fierce gestures.
Now Hal turned to the Greek officer.
"Will you accompany us back close to the line," he said, "that we may
hear what yonder little fellow is talking about? He seems to be greatly
put out about something."
"First tell me what you are doing here?" was the command.
Hal explained as rapidly as possible and then repeated his request that
they be allowed to go back toward the border a few moments.
At last the officer gave his permission.
Chester, Hal, Colonel Anderson, Ivan and Nikol, each grinning, moved back
toward the border. Stubbs hung back, and seeing this, Hal called:
"Come along, Mr. Stubbs. Here is one time you may look at an enemy with
impunity."
Stubbs followed.
The Bulgarian officer was still angrily waving hit arms about when they
neared him.
"Look at him rave, will you?" said Hal, with a laugh.
"Ha! Ha!" laughed Ivan.
"He should think himself lucky that we allowed him to go back,"
declared Chester.
The friends were less than fifty feet from the Bulgarian now, but they
ventured no closer for fear they might inadvertently cross the line.
They stood in this order: Hal, Chester, Nikol, Stubbs, Ivan and
Colonel Anderson.
"Poor little fellow," said Stubbs at this juncture. "Poor little fellow.
He looks so awfully mad!"
The Bulgarian officer, who had been growing angrier with each taunt from
across the Greek line, now became suddenly infuriated. Forgetting all
prudence, forgetting all laws of neutrality, forgetting everything except
the smiling face of Anthony Stubbs, American war correspondent, he
suddenly drew his revolver and fired pointblank at the little man.
Stubbs' face blanched at the movement and the others were too surprised
to move--all except one; and this one, quick as a flash, leaped forward
with the agility of a cat and thrust his body protectingly before
Anthony Stubbs.
When the smoke of the revolver had cleared away Stubbs stood erect,
unharmed--but at his feet lay the twitching body of Nikol, the dwarf.
There was a sudden hush, prolonged for several minutes; then Stubbs
dropped to his knee with an inarticulate cry and threw his arms around
the neck of Nikol.
Quickly the others gathered about and Hal shouted:
"A surgeon, quick!"
But Nikol, raising his head to Stubbs' knee, stopped him with a gesture.
"It's no use," he said quietly. "It got me here," and he raised a hand
slowly and touched a spot just above the heart. "A surgeon can do no
good. Besides, I would not have a stranger near me when I die. To me you
are all strangers and yet for days I have not looked upon you as such. I
am glad to have known you all and I know the day will come when I shall
see you all again. Now, if I could see the young lady for just a moment
before--before--"
Hal hastened back to the automobile where Helen Ellison still sat,
wondering at the cause of the trouble, and repeated the dwarf's request.
"Of course I'll go," said the girl, and there was a catch in her voice,
for this was the first time death had come so close to her.
She ran forward and knelt over the little dwarf and took his hand. He
smiled at her.
"I just wanted to tell you good-bye," he said. "I have never seen a young
lady like you before."
For a space of several seconds he looked at her. Then he dropped her
hand and said:
"Now if the rest of you will just shake hands with me once--"
Silently the others grasped Nikol's hand, one after another, and at the
last came Stubbs.
To the latter's hand the dwarf clung tenaciously.
"You, sir, are a brave man," said Nikol. "I am glad I was able to save
you. You may be of some use in the world."
The pressure upon Stubbs' hand tightened and tightened until the little
man winced with the pain of it; but he made no outcry--only smiled as he
exclaimed in a broken voice:
"Nonsense! Nonsense!"
"Well, good-bye, all," said Nikol faintly, after a moment's pause.
"Good--"
The pressure on Stubbs' hand relaxed and the little dwarf of the Albanian
hills fell back, dead.
Stubbs rose and brushed the tears from his eyes. Then, after one look at
the still form on the ground, he turned and walked away. The others said
nothing, for they knew his grief was great.
And now, while the others--all good friends and true--are gathered about
the body of little Nikol, the dwarf, we shall leave them once more,
knowing that, after days and weeks of strenuous adventures and grave
perils, they are, for the moment at least, in a land of peace.
THE END.