CHAPTER XX.
THE DEATH OF A FRIEND.
Hal, Chester and Alexis had been in the midst of the fray, where thefighting was the thickest. Not in the first line of attack, they hadadvanced with the first reserves. And beside them, snapping, biting andsnarling, strode Marquis.
Now the herculean prowess of the giant Cossack stood them all in goodstead. More than once Hal or Chester would have gone down, or beentrampled under foot by the troops behind, had not the quick eye ofAlexis signaled out their danger and his powerful arm come to their aid.Guarding himself perfectly from the sword and bayonet thrusts of theenemy, after the fighting became hand to hand, the Cossack fought like amadman, as did others of his race, hurling himself upon his foes withalmost superhuman ferocity.
For the first time the two lads had the experience of digging trenchesas they advanced upon the enemy, and in spite of the fact that they wereofficers, they did not shirk the work. Just before reaching the parapet,the first line of reserves--to which the friends were attached--joinedthe original first line and sprang into the trenches together.
There they fought with desperation. Not a word was exchanged betweenthem, although they fought side by side. There was no time forconversation. The press was too thick, and death too near.
But now that the Germans had turned to flee, the Russians sent up a wildcry of triumph. Hal, Chester and Alexis rested upon their weapons,watching the troops pour a hail of lead into the flying foe. Marquisadvanced several paces ahead of the farthest Russian troops, stood up onhis hind legs and let out a bark of joy. Bullets flew around him, andChester, realizing the dog's danger, whistled sharply. Marquis turnedand wagged his tail at his friend, and opened his mouth in one morejoyful bark.
It was at that moment that a German bullet struck him. Without a soundthe noble animal crumpled up and fell to the ground. The ball hadpierced his throat. But life was not extinct. Marquis struggled to hisfeet, and dragged himself toward Hal and Chester, who, having seen himfall, dashed toward him.
Gently Chester lifted Marquis' heavy weight up in his arms, holding himso that the blood would not flow so rapidly from the gaping wound in histhroat. Marquis looked up into the lad's face, and uttered a low,painful bark. His tail wagged.
Quickly the lads hurried back to Alexis and as quickly sought out asurgeon. Chester laid Marquis gently on the ground, and the surgeon bentover him. After a brief examination he arose and shook his head.
"No hope," he said quietly. "The bullet pierced his jugular vein."
"Isn't there something you can do?" pleaded Chester, tears streamingdown his face.
The surgeon shook his head sadly.
"Nothing," he said, and hurried away.
Chester picked Marquis up again, and followed by Hal and Alexis, madehis way toward the rear, where the troops were more scattered, and wherethere was none to bother them. Hal drew off his coat, and Chester laidthe dog on it.
Marquis did not whimper. He, as well as his three friends, seemed toknow that death was not far off, and he was prepared to meet the endbravely, as a soldier-dog should. He turned slightly and lickedChester's hand that lay upon his head. Chester patted him gently, but hewas beyond words.
Alexis extended a huge hand and softly stroked the dog's soft body.
"Poor fellow!" he said to himself.
Marquis' keen ears caught these words, and he turned feebly toward thegiant Cossack, and strained slightly toward him. At the same time heslowly raised a paw. Chester saw the movement.
"He wants to shake hands with you, Alexis," he said brokenly.
The giant drew nearer, and gravely took Marquis' right paw in his greathand. Once, twice, three times he shook it gently, then laid it upon theground and turned away. Marquis moved restlessly, and uttered a shortbark. He was trying to see Hal, who was kneeling behind him.
Hal arose and came around. To him also Marquis extended his paw, and Halgrasped it and pressed it. Then, shifting his position slightly, the dogalso extended the paw to Chester. He seemed to know well that the endwas swiftly approaching, and he wished to shake hands with all hisfriends before he passed away.
Now the three gathered about the head of their dying friend. Alexisclenched his great fists and spoke to Marquis.
"I shall see that you are avenged," he said fiercely. "Twenty Germanlives will not pay for this day's work, but I'll do the best I can. Doyou understand, Marquis?"
Marquis' tail beat a weak tattoo upon the ground, and he barked feebly.He understood.
"I'll do it!" said Alexis. "You may rest assured of that."
Now the end was fast approaching. Marquis' breath came in quick gasps.Suddenly he staggered to his feet, stood upright a second, turned hisface toward the distant enemy, and gave utterance to one sharp bark--abark of defiance. Then he sank to the ground.
His three friends dropped to their knees and bent over him. He looked upinto their faces and it seemed to all that he smiled at them. His tailstruck the ground feebly, once, twice. He shook once with a silentconvulsion. Then his body straightened out and stiffened. He lay still.
Marquis was dead.
His three friends rose slowly to their feet, and lifted their caps fromtheir heads.
"Good old Marquis!" said Hal. "But he died as a soldier should!"
"Yes," said Chester, "and with almost his last breath he breatheddefiance to the Germans, whom he hated."
"There wasn't a better or braver soldier in the Russian army," saidAlexis. "We must bury him with honors."
"We shall!" cried Chester.
"I am somewhat handy with a knife," said Alexis. "I shall carve him alittle monument."
"And he shall be laid to rest with full military honors," said Chester.
And so it was done.
All that day Alexis worked upon the little monument. When it was finallycompleted, all was in readiness for the burial. The dog had made friendsin the regiment. Not a man but had become attached to him; and so it wasno small funeral cortege that escorted the body of the dog-hero to hislast resting place.
From the quartermaster Chester had secured a large French flag.
"He shall be buried beneath his own flag," he said, and spreading thetricolor upon the ground, he laid the stiffened body of Marquis upon it.
Gently he wrapped it about the dog, and then, while practically thewhole regiment stood at attention around the little grave, he placed thebody in the ground and stepped back. A volley was fired over the grave,and the lads shoveled in the earth.
Now Alexis approached, and, making a small hole at the head of thegrave, set up the little monument. And when he had finished, thesoldiers crowded around to read the epitaph that the giant Cossack hadinscribed in the hard wood. It was this:
"Marquis--killed on the field of honor!"
It was upon the following day that the welcome news came that there wasto be further action. Practically every Cossack regiment at the front inPoland was ordered back to Lodz, their places being taken by otherRussian cavalry and infantry.
Again in Lodz the lads learned what this new movement meant. Grand DukeNicholas, the investment of Galicia having been successful, had decidedupon an immediate invasion of Hungary. The Cossacks had been called tolead the dash over the Carpathians into the heart of the enemy'sterritory.
Hal and Chester had an audience of the Grand Duke. The latter summonedthem to his quarters to offer an apology for his hasty action inordering them shot some days before. Also he talked a little of theproposed invasion.
"Sixty thousand Cossack cavalry will be the advance guard," he informedthem. "Behind these will come the infantry in great force. I plan tohave a million men in Hungary within two months. If we are successful inforcing a passage of the mountains, and I am sure we shall be, Budapestwill be at our mercy, with Vienna as the next goal.
"In the meantime the Poland campaign will be pressed, that the Germansmay be unable to go to the aid of the Austrians in the south. The thingthat I fear now is that Turkey may be drawn into the war on
the side ofthe German emperor. The Kaiser has brought great pressure to bear uponthem, and I fear that they cannot long be kept neutral."
"What effect would that have upon the invasion of Hungary?" questionedChester.
"It would unquestionably delay it for days, possibly weeks. While we areprepared for the Turks, nevertheless it would probably necessitate thesending of reenforcements toward the border, and naturally I should haveto draw upon the forces I am now sending into Hungary."
"I see," replied Chester. "But the Turk, as a fighting man, doesn'tamount to much, as I understand it."
"In the recent Balkan war they did not show much fighting prowess, it istrue," said the Grand Duke, "but officered by Germans, and under Germandiscipline, there may be a different story to tell."
"But there is no danger of their affecting the ultimate outcome of thewar?" asked Hal.
"None," was the confident reply. "What it will mean, however, is thatTurkey, as a nation, will be wiped off the map of Europe, and, possibly,of Asia also."
"The sooner the better," was Hal's comment.
The Grand Duke smiled.
"It may take time," he said, "but it will be done just so surely asTurkey casts in her fortunes with Germany."
After some further talk the lads left the Grand Duke's tent, andrejoined their regiment. Everything was now practically ready for theadvance to the southward, and the troops were eagerly awaiting the wordthat was to send them into the Carpathians, to strike a decisive blow atthe Austrians.
And the word was given early the following morning.
Boy Allies with the Cossacks; Or, A Wild Dash over the Carpathians Page 20