CHAPTER XIII.
A SAD LOSS.
The leader of the flight was Anthony Stubbs. He had covered considerabledistance when the others started and was now well in advance. The littleman's heels continued to dig at the ribs of the horse he bestrode, andthe animal, snorting and with ears laid back, covered the ground ingreat bounds.
Hal and Chester, riding close to each other, kept an eye on the others;and after they had ridden perhaps half a mile, they perceived thatNicolas and Ivan were lagging behind.
"Nicolas is holding back!" shouted Chester.
Hal shook his head.
"His weight is too great for the horse," Hal shouted back. "Samewith Ivan."
This was plainly true and the lads saw that the pursuers weregaining on them.
Hal headed his horse diagonally across the road and slowed down a bit.Chester followed suit. Perceiving this movement, the others also checkedthe speed of their horses, all save Stubbs, who was now far ahead.
As Nicolas came abreast of Hal he suddenly leaned over his horse, andbefore the lad could realize what was up, he seized Hal's revolver, whichwas in a holster at his side. Hal grabbed for it too late.
With an evil light in his eye, the Montenegrin leveled the revolverdirectly at Hal and his finger tightened on the trigger. But anotherbrain had acted more quickly than Nicolas'.
Two sharp reports came almost together. Hal felt a bullet brush past hisear. Nicolas dropped suddenly from his horse. Turning, Hal gazed into thecalm face of Nikol and in the dwarf's hand was a smoking revolver. He hadwhipped out his revolver and fired in the nick of time.
Hal realized that he owed his life to the dwarf and he smiled athim slightly.
A quick look at the prostrate form of Nicolas showed that he was beyondhuman aid, and Hal also realized the need of haste, as the pursuers wereeven now within range and bullets whined about the fugitives.
"Forward!" he cried.
Again they set off at a gallop.
Ten minutes later Hal again noticed that Ivan was lagging behind. He drewhis horse down until Ivan came up with him. A moment later ColonelEdwards also dropped back on even terms with them.
"Go ahead. Don't wait for me," shouted Ivan.
Hal shook his head slightly, as did Colonel Edwards.
"I tell you, it's no use," said Ivan. "This horse can't carry me muchfarther. Ride on!"
The others paid no heed.
Suddenly Ivan drew rein, pulling his horse back on his haunches, andleaped lightly to the ground. Then, before the others realized hisintention, he drew his revolvers and faced the pursuers.
Quickly Hal and Colonel Edwards checked their horses, wheeled about andhurried back to him.
"You are fools!" said Ivan hoarsely. "There is no need for all of us todie. I could have held them off until the rest of you were safe. It isnot too late yet. Ride on!"
For answer Hal leaped lightly to the ground and Colonel Edwards followedsuit. The latter produced two revolvers and Hal one, for his other stilllay beside the body of Nicolas.
"Into the woods here, quick!" Hal commanded.
The others obeyed him; and they moved from their perilous positions not amoment too soon, for the pursuers had found the range and revolverbullets whistled about them as they darted for shelter.
Ahead, Chester now discovered that the others had stopped. He checked hisown horse, and calling to Colonel Anderson and Nikol, wheeled about anddashed down the road, the others following.
Chester allowed the reins to fall loose on his horse's neck and in eachhand glistened a revolver. Colonel Anderson and Nikol were also prepared.
Some distance beyond where Hal, Colonel Edwards and Ivan had dismounted,the pursuers had drawn rein; and now Chester, Colonel Anderson and Nikolcharged right at them.
In spite of their numbers, the pursuers, after one hasty volley,turned and fled as the three charged down upon them. The three firedonce each at the foe and one man dropped. Then they checked theirhorses, dismounted and made their way into the woods, where theyjoined the others.
"Well," said Chester. "Here we are. Now what?"
"I don't know," said Hal. "We might push on through the woods, leavingthe horses here, or we might wait until dark and make another break. Wecan probably lose our pursuers some way."
"I should say the latter is the better plan," said Colonel Edwards. "IfIvan will start first, we can come on an hour later. We can protect hisflight. Because of his great weight his horse cannot keep up with therest of us."
Ivan protested. He didn't want to go and leave the others behind. But atlast he agreed.
"Then I can see no reason for waiting until dark," said Chester. "LetIvan mount now and make a break for it. We can cover him. They won't getby us. An hour later we can start."
After some further discussion, this plan was adopted; and grumblingsomewhat, Ivan mounted in the shelter of the trees. When the Cossack wasready, Hal peered out. A short distance back he could see the pursuersand his appearance drew a shot. But the men were too far away to aim withany degree of accuracy and the shot went wild.
"All right, Ivan," the lad said. "Go!"
The big Cossack dug his heels into his horse's ribs and with a shoutdashed out into the road.
There was an answering shout from behind and the thundering of horses'hoofs told those among the trees that the enemy was on the advance.
"We'll have to stop 'em!" cried Hal. "Aim carefully now."
They waited until the riders were close and then stepped into the open.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The revolvers of the six friends spoke as one. Two of the approachinghorsemen reeled in their saddles, then toppled to the ground. Two moredropped their weapons and uttered loud cries. The pursuers beat ahasty retreat.
"Guess that will give Ivan a chance to get away," said Hal briefly. "Now,all we have to do is to wait until he has a good start."
But the mountaineers had no mind to remain idle and let the fugitivesmake all the plans. Even now they were in deep consultation. There weremany gestures and noddings of heads. And at last the mountaineers seemedto have hit upon a plan of action.
The men split up into small groups, and leaving their horses, picketedby the side of the road, plunged in among the trees. Hal, glancing fromhis place of concealment at that moment, took account of the activitiesof the foe.
"Something up," he whispered to the others. "They probably will attemptto surprise us. We'll have to look sharp now."
"My advice," said Colonel Edwards, "is that we split up a bit, to returnhere at a given signal. If we all remain here, it will be simple for themto surround us. Scattered, we may catch them at a disadvantage."
"A good plan," Hal agreed. "We'll scatter a hundred yards in eachdirection. And the signal to return?"
"I'll whistle," said Colonel Edwards.
"Good! Let's move."
Five minutes later, in the spot where the five had been, there remainedonly the five horses.
With revolvers in hands, the five friends were scattered near by, eyeswide open for the first enemy to show himself.
And the first chanced to be a scant twenty yards from Chester. He camecrawling along the ground, glancing furtively about. He spied Chester atthe same moment the lad saw him. The two revolvers spoke almost as one.
Chester felt a slight pain in his left arm. His opponent gave a loud cryand toppled over.
"Guess he won't bother us any more," muttered the lad grimly.
He kept his eyes peeled for sign of another of the foes. And in otherparts of the woods the others did likewise.
Hal saw no sign of an enemy and after the one whom he had accountedfor, neither did Chester. They kept careful watch, the while awaitingthe signal that was to call them back to their horses in a final dashfor safety.
From their places of concealment the lads heard a shot. There was not asecond. Each was greatly worried, for neither knew who had fired it orwhether friend or foe had been hit. All they could do was wait
.
At last the whistle came, the signal agreed upon. It came so faintly asto be scarcely audible to those who had been awaiting it. Hal and Chestermoved toward the spot where stood the horses. There they saw ColonelEdwards holding the bridle of his own animal. A moment later ColonelAnderson and Nikol appeared.
"All right. No use waiting longer," said Colonel Edwards. "Mount andwe'll run for it!"
All suited the action to the word.
"Go!" commanded Colonel Edwards.
There was a strange catch in the colonel's voice and Hal glanced at himsharply before touching his horse. He saw Colonel Edwards reel suddenlyin his saddle, then fall heavily to the ground.
With a cry to the others, Hal leaped quickly to the ground, ran to thefallen figure of the colonel and bent over him anxiously.
The others, at Hal's cry, also dismounted and returned to the fallen man.
"Stand guard there till I see what's wrong!" Hal commanded.
Colonel Anderson, Chester and Nikol stood with drawn revolvers.
Gently Hal lifted Colonel Edwards' head to his knee. The eyes wereclosed. The lad put a hand over the officer's heart. There was afaint beating.
A moment later Colonel Edwards opened his eyes. He smiled feebly.
"Guess I'm done for," he said quietly.
Hal did not reply, for the little wound just above the heart showed wherethe bullet had gone home.
Now Colonel Anderson knelt down beside his old friend.
"What's the matter, old man?" he said. "Did they get you?"
"They got me," replied Colonel Edwards. "You fellows go on. You can donothing for me. It's too late."
A sudden shudder shook him and he burst into a fit of coughing. His eyesclosed, but he reached forth a hand and his fingers clasped ColonelAnderson's hand.
"Tell the folks at home--" he said feebly, then became still.
Quickly Colonel Anderson placed a hand over the other's heart. Then helooked at Hal.
"Dead!" he said simply.
For long minutes all stood there silently, their hats off. How long theywould have remained, it is hard to tell, but the sound of a shot close athand awakened them to their own danger.
"We can do no good here," said Colonel Anderson quietly. "We mayas well go."
"First," said Hal, "we shall move his body to a little hole in the groundI saw back here. We'll cover him up and then we'll go."
Under the very revolvers of the enemy this was done; and the fourreturned to their horses.
"Mount!" ordered Colonel Anderson.
The order was obeyed. Colonel Anderson gazed lingeringly toward the spotwhere lay the body of Colonel Edwards, and there were tears in his eyesas he did so. He drew a hand sharply across his eyes, shook himself a bitand commanded:
"Forward!"