CHAPTER XXV.
BETWEEN TWO FIRES.
At the door to the parlor, Chester stopped stock still. The others haltedbehind him.
"Now what do you think of that?" he demanded.
Inside, Stubbs was standing before Helen Ellison.
"Yes," he was saying, "I am Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent of the _NewYork Gazette_. I am here on important business. But I have other worriesbesides my work. I am burdened with the care of two young American boys.I have to look after them and keep them out of trouble. Hal Paine andChester Crawford. Perhaps you know them?"
The little man paused expectantly.
"I have met Chester Crawford," was the reply. "He was here only a momentago. I do not know Hal Paine."
"Well, if you know one of them you are just one better off than I am,"was Stubbs' rejoinder. "I know them both, too well. Were it not that I amcontinually giving up my time to getting them out of scrapes, I would beable to give more attention to my own work. You should be glad that youknow but one of them."
"But I thought--" began the girl.
Stubbs interrupted her with a wave of his hand.
"Oh, I know what you thought," he said. "I thought so myself once. Sohave lots of others. But if you knew them as well as I do you'd changeyour mind."
"Well, what do you think of it?" asked Chester of Hal, in a whisper.
"I think it's about time we went in," returned Hal.
Chester advanced into the room and the others followed. Stubbsturned guiltily.
"Oh, there you are," he said. "I was just telling this young lady herewhat great friends we all are. Yes, sir. I just remarked that if she werein any kind of danger, to mention it to you and you boys would see thatno harm came to her."
"Are you sure that's what you were talking about, Mr. Stubbs?"asked Chester.
"Why, of course. What did you think?"
"Well, I thought perhaps you might have told Miss Ellison of all thetrouble we have caused you."
Stubbs started.
"I--I--" he stammered.
"Oh, we heard you, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal.
"Well," said Stubbs with ruffled dignity. "Eavesdroppers never hear anygood of themselves." But the little man soon recovered his poise. "I wasjust joking," he said. "I knew you boys were listening. Ha! Ha!" He eyedChester. "The young lady here says she has met you," he said. "You youngrascal, so this is why you wanted to come on ahead, is it?"
Chester blushed.
"See here, Mr. Stubbs," he began, "I--"
"Ha! Ha!" laughed Stubbs. He approached Chester and gave him a dig in theribs with his thumb. "So," he exclaimed, and added, "well, I was youngmyself once."
He had successfully turned the tables on Chester and he was now very muchpleased with himself.
Chester decided that the best policy was to ignore the little man'sremarks, so he turned the conversation by introducing Hal and Nikol toHelen. Then, when all were on speaking terms, he turned to Hal.
"Tell me how you happened to find us?" he asked.
"It's simple enough," was the reply. "As we were sailing along, I heardshots below. I came down to investigate. The first thing I knew, aftercoming in sight of this house, I saw a great hulk of a man come rushingout. I drew my revolver and was about to fire when I recognized Ivan. Atfirst I wasn't sure whether Ivan knew us, but when he grabbed Stubbsthere and began to play with him, I knew he did. So Nikol and I stoodback and watched. Then you came out. That's all I have to tell."
"And so you admit it wasn't a dream," exclaimed Stubbs angrily. "A finelot of friends you are. How do you know what that untamed heathen mighthave done to me?"
"Heathen, am I?" exclaimed Ivan, getting to his feet.
"No, no! I didn't mean that," said Stubbs, backing away. "I apologize."
Ivan resumed his seat and Stubbs continued:
"I just want to tell you I don't think much of such treatment. As I havetold you before, you rush to each other's aid fast enough, but when I getin a tight place I am left to fight it out by myself."
"And you always come out on top, Mr. Stubbs," declared Chester. "We woulddeprive you of none of the glory."
"Yes, but some of these times I won't come out on top and then what goodwill glory do me, huh?"
"Think how proud Mrs. Stubbs--"
"I can tell you right now that Mrs. Stubbs is not looking for glory,"shouted Stubbs. "What Mrs. Stubbs wants is me and if I fool around withyou much longer I'm mighty likely to disappoint her."
Stubbs stalked across the room and sat down in a corner.
"Tell me," said Hal to Chester, "what was all the shooting about?"
"Oh, it didn't amount to much," returned Chester. "ThirteenBulgarians attacked us. That's all. Anderson, Miss Ellison and Idisposed of a couple and Ivan here attended to the rest. They are alldead now, I guess."
"And where is Anderson?" demanded Hal.
"Over there on the sofa," said Chester, pointing. "He's sleeping and Ididn't like to disturb him. He's got a hole in his head."
"Bad?" asked Hal anxiously.
"No; mere flesh wound. He'll be all right directly."
"And do you mean to tell me," demanded Hal, "that Ivan here did allthis work?"
"Well, he did the greater part of it. It reminded me of the old days,when we watched Alexis in action. Any one who had ever seen them bothfight would know they were brothers. Ivan is a powerful man and agreat fighter."
Ivan had hung his head modestly as Chester talked. Now he lookedup and said:
"It was nothing."
"And yet how unlike Alexis," muttered Hal. "Can you imagine what Alexiswould have said after a fight like that?"
"Rather," said Chester dryly. "He'd have sworn he had defeated aregiment."
"Well," said Hal. "It seems to me we have delayed here long enough. Youwill remember your orders to hurry. My plane will carry us all, if MissEllison cares to go."
"Certainly she cares to go," returned Chester. "We can't leave her herealone. I'll wake Anderson now."
He did so. The Colonel announced that he was feeling perfectly fit andready to go at any time.
"Well, you people get ready and I'll go and have a look at theplane," said Hal.
He left the house.
It had grown light by this time. Dawn had broken half an hour before andthere was every indication that the day would be bright and cheerful.
Helen was upstairs getting her things together, while the others satabout in the parlor. Suddenly Hal dashed into the house. There was anexpression of alarm on his face. The others jumped to their feetexcitedly.
"Now what's the matter?" exclaimed Chester.
"Oh, nothing much," said Hal, "only that about fifty thousand Bulgarianshave nabbed my aeroplane."
"What?" exclaimed the others.
"Exactly," said Hal, "and that's not the worst of it."
"My goodness!" exclaimed Stubbs. "What can be worse than that?"
"Well," replied Hal, sinking into a chair. "On the other side of us Imade out about a million Serbians advancing."
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Chester. "You mean we are in between them?"
"Precisely."
"Oh, my," groaned Stubbs. "This will be the last of us for sure."
"Quiet, Stubbs," said Hal sharply.
Now Ivan had a remark to make.
"There don't happen to be a million Serbians," he said calmly.
"Well, I wasn't talking literally," said Hal. "I don't know how manythere are, but they look like a million."
"And what are we going to do?" moaned Stubbs.
"It looks to me as though we should have to stop right here," saidHal quietly.
"And be shot to pieces?" This from Stubbs.
"You might go outside and try running a bit," returned Chester. "I haveno doubt you would be killed a bit quicker."
"I'll stay here," said Stubbs.
At this moment Helen came into the room. She was heavily attired andcarried a small satchel.
"Well, I'm rea
dy," she said, smiling. "Did you think it would take me allday to dress?"
"You might just as well go back and get unready," said Stubbs in afaint voice.
Helen gazed at the serious faces about her queerly.
"Why, what on earth is the matter?" she asked anxiously.
"Matter?" echoed Stubbs. "Everything is the matter. The Serbians andBulgarians are coming to shoot us full of holes."
Helen turned to Hal for an explanation.
"It's true, Miss Ellison, though not as Mr. Stubbs expresses it," saidHal quietly. "We are between two fires. The Bulgarians are less than halfa mile from us and they have seized my airplane. The Serbians areadvancing. There will undoubtedly be a battle and we will be somewhereabout the middle of it."
"But can't we leave now and hurry toward the Serbians?" asked Helen.
"I had thought of that," said Hal; "but the Bulgarians are too close. Ifthey saw us fleeing, they would probably shoot us down."
"Then cannot we seek the protection of the Bulgarians?"
This brought a growl from Ivan.
"Better keep as far from the Bulgarians as possible," he said in a harshvoice. "I know something of the Bulgarians."
Hal nodded.
"Besides, we have other business," he added. "We do not want to fall intothe hands of the Bulgarians if we can possibly help it. We have a missionto perform if it is humanly possible."
"Boom!" it was the sound of a big gun.
"The battle is on," said Hal. "Will any of you come to the roof with me?We should be able to get a good view."
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The battle was on in full blast.
Boy Allies in the Balkan Campaign; Or, the Struggle to Save a Nation Page 25