ussian steamer, which immediately got under way. One
hundred yards, two hundred yards, three hundred, they steamed from the
doomed vessel; then there came the sound of a muffled explosion, the
German craft burst into a sheet of flame, broke into two pieces, and
settled slowly beneath the waters of the Vistula.

"A good job done," said the Russian commander briefly.

He turned once more to the two lads. "I want to say," he added, "that it
has never been my fortune to meet two braver lads. You are English, I
take it?"

"Americans," replied Hal briefly.

"So? Still, I might have known it. I have known several Americans, and
they were always cool and brave. Where do you wish to go now?"

"Well," said Hal, "we would like to get back to Lodz. I suppose our
regiment is still stationed there."

"I will see that you get there with all possible dispatch," the
commander promised. "I will land you where it will be most convenient
for you."

The lads thanked him, and walked across the deck, where they rejoined
Alexis and Stephan.

"You would make a pretty good sailor, Alexis," Chester told him.

The Cossack drew himself up and strutted proudly for several moments.

"Of course I would," he said. "It is nothing new to me."

"Nothing new!" exclaimed Hal in some surprise.

"No," replied Alexis.

"You mean you have been a sailor?" demanded Chester.

"Certainly. Of course the commander of this vessel did a fair piece of
work a few moments ago; but I could tell him a few things. Why, when I
commanded a ship in the battle of----"

"Enough! Enough!" cried Hal, throwing up his hands in protest.

"Do you doubt my word?" demanded Alexis fiercely.

"Not at all," Hal hastened to assure him. "But, Alexis; have you learned
yet what 'drawing the long bow' means?"

"No," replied the giant, "are you going to tell me at last?"

"I had about decided to," said Hal slowly; "but after this, never!"

CHAPTER XIII.

INTO THE CARPATHIANS.

"So," said the Grand Duke Nicholas, "you find that there are adventures
to be found in the eastern as well as the western theater of war, eh?"

"Yes, Your Excellency," replied Hal.

"And tell me," continued the Grand Duke, "what do you think of the
Cossacks as fighters?"

"From what we have seen," replied Chester, "I should say that there are
none better."

"Good!" was the emphatic rejoinder. "There are none better!" and he
regarded the lads silently for some moments.

Hal, Chester