So am I!" admitted Steve, a little tremulously. "And I hoped I wouldn't
be! I wanted to be a soldier, but a coward can't be a soldier."

Before Dick, who didn't think that it was cowardly to be afraid, could
answer, another shell plumped into the water beyond them, and again
showered them with spray, while it set the boat to rocking. But in a way
even this danger was a source of safety, for the upheaval of the water
had spoiled the aim of the rifleman each time, and though they dared not
rise to look, they felt that they must be very near the Servian shore by
this time. And then big Mischa laughed aloud.

"You need not be afraid, Stepan Ivanovitch," he said. "You need not be
afraid that you are a coward, I mean. I am afraid at first every time I
am under fire, and so are most soldiers. Ask your father, now that you
have been under fire yourself. It soon wears off, that fear. But the
bravest men need not be ashamed to admit they are afraid when the first
bullets sing in their ears, or when they hear the shells burst near
them!"

Twice more, in a few moments, shells dropped in the water near them. But
either luck was with them, or the monitor's target practice was poor,
for neither damaged the boat. And now they could hear the encouraging
shouts of the Servians from the shore. Then there came an explosion
louder than any of the rest, and the boat seemed to go to pieces under
them. The water rushed in. Luckily, no one of them was hurt, but all
were thrown into the water. They began to swim lustily, striking out
blindly for the shore, until Mischa raised his voice in a great laugh,
and seized one of them in each arm.

"Here, I'll carry you ashore!" he cried.

They were safe!

CHAPTER VII

THE WOUNDED CAPTAIN

Safe, but only for the moment. The searchlight had been following them,
and now it played on them and the Servians, a little party of five or
six men, who had dragged them thus to safety.

"Look out! Scatter!" cried one of these, the only one who was in
uniform. "They'll try another shell, just to get even, now that you've
got away from them."

They scattered at once, flinging themselves to the ground after running
a few paces. And, sure enough, a shell struck close to the brink of the
water, half burying itself in the sand before it exploded and sent sand
and dirt flying all over them. The fire of the riflemen carried across
the river, too, from the other bank, but the bullets had little force
lef