ng out, and bullets whistling over the heads of Hal
and Chester found lodgment in Austrian breasts and heads. The enemy
turned and fled.

With a quick word of command to his men the Cossack captain, now close
to the kneeling lads, pulled in his horse with a sudden movement and
sprang to the ground. The rest of the troop continued its mad dash after
the Austrians, who were fleeing as fast as their tired horses could
carry them.

There was but one possible result of such a chase. Noble animals, though
the Austrian horses were, they were no match, at their best, for the
Cossack chargers. And there was no mercy in the hearts of the Cossacks
for their enemies. The Austrians did not cry for quarter, and no quarter
was given. Ten minutes later the Cossacks, their ranks thinned by four,
returned to where their leader had dismounted beside the lads.

As the Cossack commander flung himself to the ground by their side, both
lads gave a cry of glad surprise.

"Alexis!" they exclaimed in a single voice.

"The same!" replied their Cossack friend. "Don't tell me any more about
your strategy. Where would you have been, if I hadn't arrived just now,
eh?"

"Well," said Chester slowly, "we wouldn't be here."

"You would have been dead, that's where you would have been," said
Alexis calmly. "As it was, I almost arrived too late. Perhaps next time
you will not leave me behind."

"We won't try to thank you," said Hal. "But how did you happen to arrive
so opportunely?"

"Why," replied Alexis, "looking across the plain I saw two horsemen
pursued by many others. I knew you would return from that direction, and
I surmised who it was. But here is one case where my keen eyesight
almost worked to your disadvantage. I made out your Austrian uniforms,
even as I would have ordered my men forward, and hesitated. It wasn't
any of my business if two Austrians were killed. Then I remembered your
talk of strategy, and guessed that maybe the uniforms were part of it.
But, you may take my word for it, you almost used too much strategy."

Alexis now ordered one of his men to secure two of the riderless horses,
and, mounting, the lads rode back toward the Russian lines with the
Cossack troop. Here they wasted no time, but started at once on their
return journey to Lodz, Alexis, having obtained permission from his
superior officer, going with them.

Grand Duke Nicholas was well pleased with the lads' report and
complimented them highly upon their