CHAPTER XXIII.
IN THE NICK OF TIME.
Hal, at the right of the barrier, confined his attention to that side ofthe road, leaving Chester to deal with the enemy rushing forward on theleft. Three times the weapon of each lad spoke, and at each shot anAustrian fell to the ground. Firing coolly and deliberately at suchclose quarters, a miss was absolutely impossible.
But the lads did not have time to fire again. The enemy was at thebarrier; but, instead of hurling themselves over it, as both lads hadexpected they would, they dropped to the ground on the opposite side ofthe big rocks, and there they remained.
It was indeed a peculiar situation--the enemies less than six feetapart, separated only by a few rocks. Still the Austrians, in spite oftheir losses, outnumbered the lads three to one.
Now the rocks of the barrier began to move inward toward the lads.
"Great Scott!" cried Chester. "They are trying to push these rocks overon us. If they tumble this barrier over, we can't hope to account forall six of them."
The lads braced themselves against the rocks; but the strength of thetwo was not as great as the strength of the six. Such a contest couldhave but one ending. The boys realized this as well as did their foes.
"Well," said Hal calmly, "it looks as though they had us. All ready fora last stand, Chester?"
"All ready," replied Chester calmly.
"When I say jump," instructed Hal, "leap backward!"
Chester nodded in understanding of this plan.
"Now!" cried Hal. "Jump!"
Both lads leaped quickly backward, and as they did so, thebarrier--freed of their supporting shoulders--tumbled inward, while thesix Austrians sprawled on the ground. For a moment the lads had theadvantage and they made the best of it.
Hal's revolver spoke and one Austrian straightened out in the act ofrising. Chester accounted for another, and then both lads sprang inclose upon the foe, thus precluding the use of the foe's firearms.
Hal, grappling with two of the enemy, was giving a good account ofhimself; but Chester, weak from the loss of blood, was unable to holdhis own. A blow from the butt of one of the Austrian's revolvers and hewent to the ground.
At that moment, from their rear, came the sound of rapidly gallopinghoofs. Around the bend some distance away dashed a troop of Cossacks,Alexis himself at their head. The giant Cossack took in the situationwith one comprehensive glance and put spurs to his horse. The twoAustrians who had attacked Chester saw the advancing Cossacks, and,turning, took to their heels.
The two with whom Hal struggled, however, were too busily occupied tonotice the approach of reenforcements and sorely, each trying to bringhis revolver to bear.
Alexis now jumped from his horse and dashed forward toward the three. Hestretched forth two mighty hands and plucked the Austrians off the lad.Raising each high in the air, he stretched wide his arms, and thenbrought them together with great force. There was a crunch as the headsof the two met with terrific force. Then they hung limp in the giant'shands. He hurled them from him with a disdainful gesture, and, snatchinghis revolver from its holster, dropped to his knee and fired two shotsin quick succession at the two remaining enemy, who were fleeing downthe road.
His aim was true, and as the last of the Austrians bit the dust, Alexisturned to where Chester lay and picked him up gently in his arms. Fromhis canteen he poured water over the lad's face and soon came signs ofreturning consciousness. Then he laid him gently on the ground andturned to Hal.
He gazed first at the lad, then at the dead bodies of the enemy and thenback to Hal.
"Hm-m-m," he said gruffly. "Quite a fight. But where would you have beenif Alexis had not arrived so opportunely?"
"Dead, I guess," replied Hal quietly. "We owe you our lives, but thereis no need to tell you that we are grateful."
"Not a bit," said Alexis. "Thanks from one brave man to another arenever necessary; but did you see how easily I disposed of those fourAustrians?"
"It was very pretty," replied Hal.
"Wasn't it?" cried the giant gleefully. "Still, it was a trifle. Iremember the time that I----"
Hal walked over to Chester's side and bent down and so did not hear thestory of Alexis' might. The giant looked sorrowfully after him for amoment, muttered to himself and then he walked after him.
Chester now sat up and looked about. His eyes rested on the dead bodies.
"Looks like Alexis had been here," he muttered, for he had not yet seenthe giant.
Alexis heard him and his face glowed with pleasure.
"He is here," he said, stepping forward.
Chester's face lighted up.
"By Jove!" he exclaimed. "It is good to see you. We have wished severaltimes in the last hour that you were with us. We needed you badly.However, you arrived just in time."
Alexis blushed like a schoolboy, for he was not used to hearing otherspraise his prowess.
"Yes, I did arrive in the nick of time," he said awkwardly. "But come,we must get away from here."
"Have you learned the strength of the enemy in the mountains?" asked Hala few minutes later, as they rode along down the pass.
"I learned enough to make sure that, without infantry and artillerysupport, the cavalry will probably be annihilated," replied Alexisbriefly. "By a dash, we might be able to reach the plains of Hungary,but without support we should end our days there. I shall counselretreat."
"But I thought you would never counsel retreat?" said Hal, smiling.
"For myself, never!" replied the giant. "But there are more lives thanmine depending upon this. Therefore I say retreat."
Alexis was as good as his word. Upon their return to the main column,Alexis was called into consultation with the commanding officer. Herecounted what he had learned, and urged that the retreat be begun atonce.
"There are half a million men in these hills," he informed hiscommander, "and they are trying to draw us on. We will be allowed to goso far, and then they will close in on us. One hundred or two hundredthousand, I don't mind. We could whip them with ease; but half a millionare too many for sixty thousand. If we had not outdistanced our infantryand artillery, we might do it, but without them, no."
"Still," said the commanding officer, "I have set my heart on strikingone more blow at the enemy. Would you counsel against it?"
"I am always in favor of striking one more blow at the enemy," repliedAlexis. "I suppose I should counsel against it, but I will not."
"Good!" exclaimed his commander. "One decisive blow to the enemy in thehills, and then we shall fall back into Galicia. Now, where are theAustrians massed?"
"It will be extremely hazardous," said Alexis slowly, "but I guess itcan be done. Fifteen miles straight along this mountain pass you come toa small plateau. I advanced that far myself. Encamped there are in theneighborhood of one hundred thousand of the enemy. By a quick and silentdash and a night attack, we may be able to deal them a crushing blow;but even so, we must fall back immediately. Even then we shall begreatly harassed by the foe."
"Well," said the commander, "we shall make the attack, come what mayafterward."
Alexis saluted his commander and returned to where he had left the twolads, where he repeated his interview. Then he turned to Chester.
"It is too bad," he said, "that you will be unable to take part in thebattle."
"But I shall take part in it," exclaimed the lad. "You don't think I amgoing to sit idle while there is fighting going on, do you?"
"I am afraid you cannot help yourself," replied Hal. "You will go withthe advance, of course; but you will be kept well in the rear."
In vain did Chester protest. His commanding officer overruled all of hiscomplaints, and at last the lad was forced to make his way to the rearof the Russian army. All that day the army rested, and it was not untilthe following afternoon that the signal was given for the advance, forthe Russian commander had so timed his movement that he would come uponthe enemy after nightfall.
It was indeed an imposing si
ght, these 60,000 men, able to marchscarcely six abreast through the narrow mountain pass, moving hurriedlythrough the midst of the wild Carpathians. For miles they stretched out,but they advanced rapidly, and long before night the advance guard waswithin sight of the Austrian position.
This was made known to the Russian commander by his scouts; and stillout of sight, the Cossacks halted.
The pass was considerably wider here, and the men spread out somewhat.Outposts were thrown out to guard against a counter surprise attack, andthe men allowed to lie down and rest.
The battle formation was preserved, however, and the men fell to sleepupon their arms, each and every one ready to spring up and dash forwardat a moment's notice.
And still the Austrians were unaware of their approach.
Boy Allies with the Cossacks; Or, A Wild Dash over the Carpathians Page 23