the answer as Carter looked
up at Carrick with a frank laugh. The dilemma was not causing him much
alarm. "If they are," he continued, "we're dished unless we can get by
them. I'll take a chance anyhow. We won't stop to investigate. Right
through the woods as if the devil was after us," with which instructions
he leaped into the machine.

Carrick grinned. Such orders were just to his taste. A touch on the
lever and the automobile shot down the hillside at a speed more rapid
than Terror's own. Nearing the scattered outposts, whose frightened
horses flattened themselves against adjacent fences, the occupants of
the touring car were greeted by a shower of bullets, all of which went
wide owing to the disconcerted aim of the sentries, who seemed to fly by
the autoists in phantom shapes as the wood was safely gained. Once in
its tree-protected road they never relaxed speed until five miles had
been placed between them and possible pursuit.

"That's done with, anyway," remarked Carter jubilantly. He turned and
faced his comrade whom the hum of bullets had exhilarated.

"Were they Russians? Did you notice anything?"

Carrick laughed outright. Peal followed peal before he could control
himself. "I just saw one 'oss, sir. 'E was bally well scared. I'll never
forget 'is look,--eyes bulging and mouth open as if 'e was going to
swallow a whole hyrick. After spying 'im I couldn't 'ave looked at 'is
rider if I 'ad tried."

"Well, they'll have trouble overtaking us anyhow if they were children
of the Czar. Look, Carrick," he continued, indicating the wider and more
frequent patches of sunlight flecking the road, "it's lighting up. We'll
soon be out of the woods."

"Better not halloa till we are, Mr. Carter."

"Gad, that's a prophecy all right. Our way is blocked." The machine came
to an abrupt halt.

Not far distant the exit from the forest disclosed to plain view an
extensive segment of open country to the southward.

"Not less than a thousand in that bunch," commented Carrick with gloomy
reference to a dense throng of men along the road outside the forest.
"Mixed troops. 'Ow many more there are we can't see for these bloomin'
trees."

"Certainly are cavalry and infantry. But they don't appear to be paying
much attention to this end of the road. They're all looking the other
way. That black and gold hussar uniform beats the gray and silver of the
foot. I don't believe they're Russians," Carter concluded with a joyful
sta