think of, after all the
rest!"

So it was agreed. In the first village they reached they stopped and
bought provisions. After dark they hobbled their horses and built a
lean-to shelter and a big camp-fire. The two Bulgarians passed them as
they began; soon one rode back.

"I thought so!" said Stepan. "They're watching us, Dick."

Dick looked at him curiously. There was a strange light in Stepan's
eyes. It was as if he could see things that are hidden from ordinary
sight. And before he could answer Stepan sprang to his feet.

"Come!" he said. "Tear your shirt up into strips--I'm going to muffle
the feet of the horses."

He went to work with a will, and Dick followed his example, smiling to
himself. He knew Stepan too well to argue with him in such a mood. But
that there was serious danger he could not believe for a moment.

"Come!" said Stepan again, when they had finished. He took his horse and
led it into the field. They were in wooded country but the trees were
not thick, and they could pick a way through them.

Dick looked back at the blazing fire regretfully.

"Are you going on--now?" he asked.

"For your sake," said Stepan, curtly. And Dick said no more.

"A mile away there is another road. We have maps of all this region, of
course, and I studied them," said Stepan. "If we can reach a place I
have just thought of we may be safe."

They came undisturbed to the parallel road. Then they mounted.

"The horses are pretty tired," suggested Dick.

"I'm sorry for them, but I can't help that," said Stepan. "Come
on--ride!"

From the start he set a hot pace. Before long Dick felt his horse was
growing more and more tired and finally he protested.

"Slow up, then, if you like!" said Stepan, fiercely. "Don't you know by
this time that I don't speak of danger unless it is real? Perhaps you
want to be caught by these people! But they know me--and I know what
they would do to me! I don't intend to have them catch me, I can tell
you!"

"Then why did you come with me?" asked Dick, angrily. He had never seen
his friend in such a mood before. Stepan's tone made him so angry that
he was almost able to forget how much he owed him.

Stepan didn't answer. But just then, as they still rode on, forcing
their pace, they came to a turn in the road. A lone figure, mounted on a
big horse, was standing guard. At sight of them he leaned forward, then
cried out sharply, "Halt!"

For answer Stepan spurred his horse on; Dick