ere the best riders in the world, and many a one of them held his
lance aloft in one hand, his revolver raised in the other, the rein
loose on his horse's neck.

The Austrians and Alexis' foremost men fired at the same moment. The
Austrians had not time to turn and flee, for the Cossacks, unchecked by
this second greeting of fire, came on at headlong speed.

"At 'em, boys!" cried Hal excitedly, firing his revolver at a tall
Austrian officer, who fell sidewise from his horse.

An Austrian officer struck with a sword at Chester's left arm, but only
knocked the pistol from his hand. The lad found himself threatened on
the right by a trooper, and slashed at him with his sword. The blow went
home, but the sword's end became entangled with the victim's breast
knot. A second trooper brought his rifle butt down heavily upon the
sword, and it snapped off.

Chester felt a keen smart in his left leg. It came from a second sword
blow aimed by the Austrian officer, who might have followed it with a
third, but that he was now attacked elsewhere. Chester had no sooner
clapped his hand to his wounded leg than he was stunned by a blow from
the rifle butt of the trooper who had previously struck the sword. He
fell forward on his horse's neck, which he grasped madly with both arms.

Still holding the broken sword in his right hand, Chester now lapsed
from a sense of the tumult, the plunging and shrieking horses, the whir
and clash of swords, the thuds of rifle blows, into half consciousness,
while the unguided horse turned suddenly and made off in the direction
from which he had come.

Meanwhile the Cossacks had been pushing the Austrians back. Hal and
Alexis, fighting side by side, were so far unharmed. Right into the
midst of the enemy they plunged, and for several minutes could see
nothing but flying swords and lances. Then, at a signal, the Austrians
turned and fled.

Hal turned to speak to Chester, but the latter was not there. In alarm,
he called Alexis' attention to the fact that Chester was missing.
Quickly Alexis ordered a halt and looked around. Bodies strewed the
road, and leaping from their horses, the two investigated. Chester was
not there.

"Great Scott!" exclaimed Hal. "What can have happened to him?"

Alexis questioned his men. One remembered that a great black charger had
dashed through the troop in the midst of the battle and had fled to the
rear. He remembered that a form was upon the animal's back.

"It mu