Clair W. Hayes

“ Alexis took off his shoes and threw them into a corner, and divested himself of his coat. Von Bernstrum growled like a dog as he followed the Cossack’s example.
Alexis held out his hand. Von Bernstrum gripped it hard and gave a grunt of satisfaction.
“A man’s hand,” he exclaimed.
Alexis placed his right hand across the German’s shoulders and caught him firmly and the boys saw by the expression on his face that he was not certain of the outcome. The German had not boasted in vain. He was indeed a giant.
“If ever men felt the joy of battle, these two do,” exclaimed Hal to Chester. ”

“ Alexis was upon them in a trice, Hal and Chester close behind him. Rapidly the huge club of the giant rose and fell, once, twice, thrice–even to five times, and with each crushing blow a man went down with a crushed skull. The others drew back.
The two lads now ranged themselves on either side of Alexis, and together they charged the foe. There was no escape for the bandits, now backed into a corner; but they fought back with a desperation born of despair. Three minutes later there was not a man standing on his feet. ”

“ Suddenly there came a command from Colonel Bluekoff.
“Charge!” he cried.
Immediately the squadron to which the lads were attached hurled itself forward once more, right into the thickest of the fray, in the face of overwhelming numbers. They dashed forward with the fury of madmen, shouting and yelling as they charged.
For a moment the Germans gave back, so terrible was the charge of this mere handful of Cossacks, but for a moment only; then they came on again. From all sides they bore down on the squadron, now completely cut off from the main body of troops, seeking to annihilate them. ”

“ Good riders themselves, Hal and Chester could not but envy the riding prowess of their companions. Accounted among the best riders in the world, the Cossacks who now dashed forward hurled themselves toward the enemy with reckless abandon. Their lances held high in one hand, each brandished a large revolver in his other. The bridles lay across the horses’ necks, the riders guiding their mounts by the pressure of their knees. ”

“ If ever a man felt the joy of battle it was he. He heeded not the number of his adversaries nor the steel that flashed forth against him. Slashing, cutting, parrying, thrusting, he hurled himself in upon them. They were carried back by the very fierceness of his attack. They gave way before him, parting to retreat around one of the aircraft. With one swift sweep of his foot, Alexis tore a ragged hole in the bottom of the first craft; and at the same instant two men fell beneath his slashing blows. ”

“ Hal and Chester tumbled into the beds, but Alexis continued to sit in his chair, brooding.
“Come on, Alexis, get to bed,” Hal called. “What on earth’s the matter, anyhow?”
Alexis did not reply, and Hal repeated his question.
“I was just thinking,” said the giant, “what a fool I was to let these fellows take my gun away from me without even a struggle. With a good gun apiece, we might be able to get away from here.”
“Cheer up,” said Hal. “We are not going to be killed. While there is life there is hope. We’ll get out of this ticklish situation somehow. Just be patient.” ”

“ At that moment, the Austrians who had been scouring the woods for the fugitives, attracted by the sound of the shot, came into sight and dashed 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 chance of getting away. Putting spurs to their horses both lads were soon out of range.
“Now,” said Chester, “we shall have to keep a sharp lookout for other Austrians in front; for it is certain all of our pursuers didn’t enter the woods after us.” ”

“ Urging their horses on at a gallop, the Germans came rapidly forward. There was the clash of steel on steel as the enemy hurled themselves upon three sides of the little square simultaneously. Russians and Germans dropped together, fighting till the last.
But the odds against them were too great. Dense masses of the Germans swooped down upon them, engulfing them, overpowering them. Hal, engaged with a big German officer, had just succeeded in parrying a thrust of the other’s sword, when someone from behind struck him a heavy blow over the head. ”

“ It was a barrel of powder.
“Alexis,” said Hal, “you will take this barrel, the fuse of which I am going to light, and hurl it at our enemy. Can you do it?”
Alexis stooped over the barrel, weighing fully seventy pounds. He lifted it easily with one hand.
“Light it,” he said briefly.
“Throw it right in among them,” explained Hal.
“Light it,” repeated Alexis.
Hal did so, and the giant, picking up the barrel, advanced to the door of the compartment. Beyond he could hear the confused shouts of many men, as they in vain sought to explain the death of their companions. ”

“ At the same instant that the lads made out the huge mass of humanity upon the ground their presence in the air was discovered. There came the sound of a single shot and the whiz of a bullet, as it sped close to Hal’s ear.
With a quick movement the lad sent the plane soaring high in the air once more. So sudden was the movement that Chester, caught unprepared, lost his balance, and saved himself from tumbling to the ground only by clutching the side of the machine. Marquis also had a narrow escape from being thrown out. He let out a loud yelp of fear, as he was thrown violently against Chester. ”

“ GUERILLA WARFARE.
“Do you mean?” asked Hal, “that 150 men, at large in these woods, have defied the whole German army?”
“There are less than a hundred now,” replied the brother of Alexis, whose name the lads learned was Stephan. “We have been conducting this guerilla warfare for more than two weeks now, and we have done inestimable harm to the Germans. We have evaded large bodies of troops sent out to kill or capture us. Of course, some of our men have been picked off, but we are not going to run yet.”
“But how do you live?” demanded Chester. ”

“ The Cossack was disappointed and astonished.
“Not take me!” he exclaimed in surprise. “Why, I am good for fifty men! You know that!”
“But this is not a case of strength and fighting,” Hal explained. “This is a case where strategy will count more than a hundred men.”
“Well,” demanded Alexis, “am I not a strategist? Did you not tell me so with your own lips? As a strategist there is none better than I. Why, I can tell you how I―”
“But, Alexis,” Hal interrupted, “one look at you would tell an Austrian your nationality. You cannot expect to fool them as we did the peasant of the hills. ”

“ Now the craft was close to the water. Gently it skimmed over it, across a short stretch of sand, and then settled slowly to the ground.
Hal and Chester glanced about. There was no one in sight on the sandy beach and the Germans were coming right after them.
“Even though this be Sweden,” said Hal, “unless Swedish troops come to our aid, the Germans are likely to violate the neutrality of the country and take us anyhow.”
“Not without a fight,” declared Alexis. “Let me get my feet on the ground again, and I will show you such a fight as you never saw. On the ground I can fight.” ”

“ He made as if to leave the room.
“Not so fast!” exclaimed Hal. “The clash of steel would bring the whole fortress down on us. But I shall try you out.”
“How?” exclaimed the German eagerly.
“Alexis!” called Hal.
The big Cossack approached.
“Here,” said Hal to the German, pointing to Alexis, “is a foeman worthy of your steel. You shall try with him.”
“Good!” exclaimed von Bernstrum. “With fists?”
“No,” replied Hal, who was somewhat doubtful of Alexis’ prowess in the fistic art. “How about a wrestling match?”
“Good!” exclaimed von Bernstrum again. “But I assure you I am his superior.” ”

“ Alexis extended a hand to each of them, which they grasped.
“This,” he said, pressing their hands in a still strong grip, “is the end. I wish that I could have lived to see the outcome of this war.”
“There can be but one outcome,” replied Chester softly. “You may rest assured of that.”
“True,” said the giant, “but I would like to have seen my old home again.”
The lads were silent. Finally Hal spoke.
“To think,” he said, “that we are responsible for your fate; but for us you would have remained with the army and have lived to the end of the war. We are to blame.” ”

“ His breath came with difficulty.
“There is one thing I should like to know,” he said.
“What is it, Alexis?” asked Hal.
“Will you tell me what you meant by ‘drawing the long bow’?”
Hal was silent for some moments, and then replied gravely.
“When a man boasts of things he has never done, in America it is called ‘drawing the long bow.’ I was mistaken in your case. It would be impossible for you to ‘draw the long bow.’ You have done too much.”
“That is true,” agreed Chester.
Suddenly the giant frame fell back. Hal turned as best he could while Chester leaned over him anxiously. ”

“ There was no conversation as the little troop rode along, and at length they were well inside the German trenches. Here, after some delay, the three prisoners were conducted before General von Hindenburg, the Teuton commander in the East, a man of kindly face and courteous bearing, the man whose successes, brief though they were, earned him the name of “The German Napoleon.”
“How comes it,” asked General von Hindenburg of Hal, “that you two American lads are fighting with the Russians? How comes it that two lads born and reared in a civilized country have espoused the cause of the barbarians?” ”

“ Ten men lay dead upon the ground, their skulls battered by fierce blows of the revolver, or pierced through and through by the great sword.
And now Hal and Chester, the aëroplane once more ready for flight, dashed forward to the rescue with loud cries.
They ranged themselves alongside the fighting Cossack. He greeted them with a half-smile; he had no time for more. Three men threw themselves upon him. One he hurled from him with a stroke of his mighty leg, another felt the weight of his revolver butt and the third fell back with a sword wound in his chest. ”

“ Alexis and Stephan came close behind them. The very fury of their attack caused the Germans to halt momentarily, and this gave the Russian sailors time to rally and spring to their aid.
Their automatics having been emptied, the lads leaped into the thick of their foe, striking out with their naked fists. Hal twisted a sword from the hand of a German officer, and laid about him lustily. Chester, stooping, came to his feet with a sword in his hand, and joined his friend in the press. Alexis also possessed himself of a weapon and rushed forward. ”

“ From the rear of the trenches there came running formed troops, to assist in the repulse of the Russians, and as the supporting lines of the attack threw themselves into the fray, the whirling, struggling, fighting lines on the trenches’ top thickened and swayed.
The line sagged, bulged, trembled, and broke in huge gaps. Into the splaying breaches there rushed fresh troops from front and rear, and the lines thickened and swayed again. Men discarded their arms to lock in one another’s embrace, fighting to the last. ”

“ Colonel Bluekoff was down, having been pierced a few moments before by a German bullet. Among these few men there were, besides Alexis, but two minor officers unharmed. At that moment Alexis himself took command.
His sword raised aloft, he turned flashing eyes upon his men.
“Will we surrender?” he shouted, and answered his own question: “No!”
A wild cheer from his men was the reply. The huge Cossack turned to the two lads.
“We will fight till the last,” he said calmly. “Are you with us?”
“We are,” said Hal simply.
“You bet!” Chester agreed.
“Good!” exclaimed Alexis. ”

“ There were several beds in the room.
“You may make yourselves comfortable here,” said Brunnoi. “The door will be always locked, but that need not interfere with your comfort.”
He bowed and left the room, and the three prisoners heard the key turn in the lock behind him.
“It looks to me as though we are in a bad way this time, all right,” said Chester, when they were left alone.
“A bad way is no name for it,” replied Hal; “but tell me, Chester, did you notice anything familiar about Brunnoi?” ”

“ The losses of the Austrians had been terrible, those of the Cossacks comparatively slight. In spite of the fact that they had been in the midst of the fighting, Hal and Alexis had escaped without injury.
Now the Austrian cavalry, having had time to form, scattered on each side of the pass and rode after the Cossacks. They came up with the rear guard, and from the sides poured in bullets, until they were forced to draw rein because of the treacherous nature of the ground on either hand. It was here that the Cossacks sustained their heaviest losses. ”

“ But they will find that when the Russians attempt to cross the Carpathians, as they surely will, we bandits will give as good an account of ourselves as will the trained troops. We love our country just as well as do those who live in Budapest. But tell me, you are not Hungarians nor Austrians, nor even Germans?”
“No,” said Hal, thankful that they had been wise enough to discard their uniforms before setting out upon their mission. “We are Americans.”
“Ah!” said the man. “I have heard much of them. And you have been fighting with the German army?”
“Yes,” said Chester truthfully. ”

“ The lads stood facing their would-be executioners when the Grand Duke and Count de Reslau appeared. At that moment, Hal felt something in his pocket that gave him a sudden thrill.
“I am going to take one last chance,” he said to Chester. To the Duke he called: “Your Excellency, may I make a last request?”
The Grand Duke nodded an assent.
“I would say once more, Your Excellency,” said Hal, “that we are innocent. But,” he paused, “I can produce Brunnoi himself!” ”

“ He called upon me. My eyes, being far more powerful than the glass, showed me plainly what was going on, and we were thus kept from falling into a trap. Then I remember another case―”
“One is enough,” said Hal dryly. “If you knew Brunnoi and Count de Reslau were the same person, why didn’t you say so?”
“Why,” said Alexis in no wise disconcerted, “I didn’t see that it made any difference.”
“Then your sight is not so good after all,” said Chester. “But what are we going to do now, Hal?”
“Well,” said Hal, “I guess we might as well go get Marquis and return to our regiment. Our work here is done.” ”

“ The Cossacks dashed into these fresh troops with the same abandon they had first charged. But this time the result was different. Tired by the furious work, they were thrown back by the German reënforcements, and in spite of heroic efforts, were forced to retire slowly.
Flushed with this success, the Germans pressed on. The fighting was man to man, horse to horse, and hand to hand. Not for once had Alexis left the side of the two lads and none of the three had so far been injured, although men dropped on all sides of them. ”

“ The firing line had thickened until it was a solid mass, one man deep, and in the rear line after line had sprung to its feet and was closing up in support to the crucial assault. At the trenches of the defenders, batteries, with horses falling and being cut away in an instant, dashed to the line, unlimbered and poured in their scattering salutations of zero shrapnel to the men in front. ”