The Boy Allies with the Cossacks Part 15

They had not escaped a second too soon.

There was a terrible rending sound, the crunching of rock against rock, and slowly the walls of the cavern gave; then fell inward with a fearful crash.

Some distance from the cavern the four stopped running. Hal wiped the moisture from his brow.

"A close call and no mistake," he said weakly.

Chester grasped Alexis by the hand.

"I thought you were done for," he exclaimed.

Alexis grinned.

"Can't kill me that way," he said. "What's a little rock like that? It was play for me to lift it."

"Maybe so," replied Chester, "but even now, I can scarcely believe what I saw."

"Why," said Alexis, "I could have lifted that rock with one hand. It was child's play. Now I can still remember one great feat I accomplished. It was in St. Petersburg--Petrograd now, by the grace of G.o.d and the Czar.

There is a little stream runs through the city. Over this there is a bridge. I was pa.s.sing along one day, when I saw that the bridge, having been weakened in the middle, was about to fall. Well, there was no one on it, so that would have been all right. But, dashing down the street was an ambulance. The woman in it was very ill. It was absolutely necessary that she be taken across the bridge at once. At the bridge the driver was held up. The guard would not allow the ambulance to cross. It was too dangerous. But delay meant death for the lady. I leaped into a small boat and was quickly under the middle of the bridge. The bridge was low, and by standing I could just touch it. I put my two hands under the bridge and braced it while the ambulance crossed. I was sorely tested, but I held out. I account that one of my greatest feats."

"And so you should," said Hal dryly.

"But," demanded Stephan, who was greatly interested in his brother's wonderful narrative, "how is it, that with all that weight resting upon you, and you standing in a boat, the boat didn't sink? I can't understand how, with that weight upon it, it remained afloat."

"Why," said Alexis with perfect gravity, "I forgot to mention that the stream was very shallow--in fact it could be waded. The boat was forced down by the great weight until it rested on the bottom. In that way, it was perfectly simple."

"I see," exclaimed Stephan. "A wonderful feat, truly!"

"Was the bridge made out of rubber?" asked Chester, laughing to himself.

"Rubber?" repeated Alexis. "No; it was a wooden bridge."

"Then," said Chester, "how do you account for the fact that it stretched so when the boat went to the bottom of the stream?"

"I didn't say it stretched," said Alexis.

"I know you didn't say so," grinned Chester; "but it must have stretched unless it broke in two."

Alexis looked aggrieved.

"If you don't believe me----" he began.

"I wouldn't dispute you for the world," said Chester. "I just wondered."

Alexis would have replied, but at that instant his hat was lifted from his head, and all four became aware of the distant sound of a shot.

Quickly all dropped to the ground, but they were not quick enough to go unscathed. A bullet struck Stephan in the arm, and he dropped it to his side with a cry.

Instantly Alexis was all anxiety. He jumped to his brother's side.

"Are you much hurt, Stephan?" he asked tenderly, taking the injured arm in his hand.

"Just a scratch," replied Stephan. "I'll be all right."

Nevertheless Alexis would not rest until he had bound up the wound with his handkerchief. In the meantime, from their positions on the ground, the others had been popping away at the enemy. Several rounds of shots were exchanged but none of the four friends was. .h.i.t again. The enemy was so far away that the lads could not tell whether or not their fire was effective.

Bullets began to drop closely about them, in their exposed position.

Also they fell oftener now, indicating that the force opposed to them was numerically superior.

"Great Scott!" exclaimed Hal, as his hat seemed to leap suddenly from his head. "We'll have to get away from here. This is too close for comfort."

"You bet," said Chester. "Now when I say the word we'll all jump to our feet and make a dash for those trees in the distance."

At the word, the four sprang to their feet, and not even waiting to take a parting shot at the enemy, dashed away as fast as their feet would carry them. Hal took the lead, and behind him came Stephan, then Alexis and then Chester.

When Hal reached the trees, uninjured, he turned to speak to Chester.

What was his amazement and dismay to find that Chester was not there. At that moment Alexis and Stephan dashed into the shelter. Hal glanced back over the distance they had come.

There lay Chester, in the open field. He had been struck down by a German bullet, and even now the enemy, with a triumphant cry, was charging down upon him. With a cry, Hal leaped forward, but the iron hand of Alexis stayed him.

"You stay here," said the giant. "I'll get him!"

Discarding his rifle, he dashed forward in the very face of the onrushing foe. Chester's life hung in the balance!

CHAPTER XI.

TWO TO THE RESCUE.

As friend and foe alike bore down on him, Hal saw Chester raise himself.

He got to his knees, struggled to his feet, staggered, and then fell back again.

The Germans rushing toward the lad numbered twenty--Hal counted them.

They were approaching the prostrate form of the lad as rapidly as they could, afoot. But Alexis was nearer, and it was evident that he would reach the lad first.

The giant Cossack covered the intervening s.p.a.ce with long bounds, going at a speed of which Hal had not deemed him capable.

And now, as he came close to Chester, a second form bounded after him.

There was a flash of a hairy body as Marquis leaped forward and set out after Alexis. He came up with the latter before he reached Chester, and they came to the lad's body together.

In the meantime, Hal and Stephan kept up a steady fire with their rifles, pouring a hail of bullets in the direction of the advancing Germans. One man fell, but the others dashed on.

At this point Hal made a startling discovery. The magazine of his weapon was empty and he had not another cartridge. At the same moment Stephan fired his last remaining shot. Hal sprang forward and seized the weapon Alexis had thrown down when he dashed to Chester's aid. It was empty.

The lad uttered a cry of dismay, and turned his eyes. The two still had their revolvers, but the distance was too great for a pistol bullet.

Alexis, having reached Chester's side, knelt and raised the lad's head to his knee. Hurriedly he drew his canteen and poured a little water down his throat. Chester looked up into the Cossack's face and smiled feebly. Alexis tried to place him upon his feet, but the lad was too weak to stand.