CHAPTER XV.
GETTING AWAY.
All were up long before a guard appeared with breakfast. This they ateleisurely and then sat down to talk their predicament over calmly.
"There must be some way of getting out of here," said Chester.
"Yes," agreed Hal; "and if we are fond of life, I believe we had betterget away soon. But what can we do?"
"You leave this to me," growled Alexis. "I have it all figured out andwhen the time comes, we will go."
"What!" exclaimed Chester. "You have found a way out?"
"Yes," replied the giant briefly.
"Then----" began Chester, but he was interrupted by the sound of a keyturning in the lock of the door.
A moment later the smiling face of Brunnoi appeared in the doorway. Heentered the room and closed the door behind him.
"I have come to tell you," he said, "that I am going away for possibly aweek. You shall be kept here until I return. By that time I will havedecided just what to do with you. I am taking most of my men with me,but I have no fear of your getting out of this room."
"We are grateful for your thoughtfulness in letting us know you aregoing away," said Hal sarcastically. "I am sure we shall miss you."
"I am glad of that," replied Brunnoi. "Your meals will be brought to youat regular intervals. Till I return then."
He waved his hand airily and stepped quickly through the door, closingand locking it behind him. Immediately he had left the room Alexisjumped to his feet. Hal and Chester watched him in surprise.
The giant Cossack walked over to the bed in which he had slept andquickly stripped it of its coverings. Then, when nothing but the bareframe remained he stepped inside of it. Doubling up his huge fist, hedrove it into the footboard with tremendous force. There was asplintering crash and it fell in twain. Wrapping his hardly-usedknuckles in a cloth he picked up from the floor, he repeated theoperation on the headboard--and the bed lay in four pieces on the floor.
Seizing the first portion by one of the heavy legs, he tore at it withhis naked fingers, like a dog at a bone; and soon, exerting histremendous strength, he had stripped it clean. The second of the smallerlegs he treated in the same manner, and likewise one of the larger legsat the head. Then, with these three clubs in his hands, he approachedthe two boys.
"Here is a weapon apiece for you," he said, extending one of the smallerlegs to the lads.
Hal and Chester each took the proffered weapons. They were ungainly andheavy, but the lads realized that they were indeed formidable weapons.Alexis stood looking at them with the big leg resting lightly on hisright shoulder. It was a massive piece of wood, this third leg, aterrible weapon in the hands of a giant like Alexis.
"Now," said Chester, "we have these weapons, but how are we going to getout of here?"
"Don't let that worry you," replied the giant. "As soon as we arecertain the bandit king is well on his way, we'll get out."
An hour they waited--two hours, before Alexis rose slowly to his feet,indicating that the time for action had come. Slowly he approached thedoor and pressed his great weight against it. It did not budge.
"Surely you are not expecting to get out that way?" said Hal.
Alexis did not deign to reply. Instead he walked over to the table inthe center of the room, and with a single movement swept the dishes onto the floor. Then, lifting the heavy table, he raised it above hishead, and advanced upon the door.
Once, twice, thrice the stout oak table crashed against the solid door.It gave slightly. The giant struck the door a fourth tremendous blow,and the table burst into a hundred pieces.
"There," said Chester, "I didn't think it would give."
"I was afraid so, too," said Hal.
Alexis said nothing. Instead he approached the door, and pressed againstit--testing it. Then he turned, and without exertion, wheeled a secondmassive bed into position before the door. This he braced with the thirdbed, so that by straining his hardest, he could not budge them.
"What are you going to do now?" demanded Hal.
"You'll see," replied the giant briefly.
He stepped between the door and the first bed, close to it. Here,bracing himself against the bed, he laid his great hands against thedoor and pushed. There was a slight cracking noise. Under this terribleforce, the door was straining. And still the giant kept up the pressure.
The muscles in the back of his neck stood out like bands of iron. Thesinews in his bare arms quivered and seemed about to leap from beneathhis skin; and still Alexis struggled with the unyielding door. Therecame again the sound of cracking; and the giant released the pressure.Even from where they stood, the lads could see the door sway inward intoplace, thus showing the pressure that had been put against it.
The two lads were lost in admiration of the great strength of Alexis.
"It doesn't seem possible," said Hal, half to himself.
"It isn't possible," declared Chester.
But Alexis did not heed these remarks. Hurling the beds away with fiercekicks, he cleared a space in front of the door. Then he drew back.
"Look!" exclaimed Chester in an awed voice.
Even as he spoke, Alexis drew himself together for a spring. Ten quicksteps he took, and then hurled his giant frame against the heavy door.There was a thud as he smashed against it, followed by a great crash ofsplintering wood, and Alexis, door and all went down in a tangled heap.
Quickly the giant extricated himself and darted back into the room,where he picked up his massive club. Whirling it wildly about his headhe shouted to the lads:
"Come on!"
Without a moment's delay, surprised as they were, the lads lifted theirown weapons, and dashed after the Cossack. Straight out the door of thebandit chief's private room the three ran into the corridor beyond.Sprawling figures sitting idly about gave evidence that the chief hadnot taken all of his men with him. At the abrupt entrance of Alexisthese jumped to their feet, drawing knives and swords.
Alexis was upon them in a trice, Hal and Chester close behind him.Rapidly the huge club of the giant rose and fell, once, twice,thrice--even to five times, and with each crushing blow a man went downwith a crushed skull. The others drew back.
The two lads now ranged themselves on either side of Alexis, andtogether they charged the foe. There was no escape for the bandits, nowbacked into a corner; but they fought back with a desperation born ofdespair. Three minutes later there was not a man standing on his feet.
Alexis rested the end of his club upon the ground, and leaning on it,wiped the perspiration from his brow. Then, after a brief rest, he ledthe way to the entrance to the cavern, barred by the great rock.
"Here," said Chester, "I am afraid, is where we stop. We do not know howto open it."
Alexis pushed the lads aside and examined the rock. Then, without aword, he dropped his club and put his shoulder to the boulder thatbarred the exit. The first attempt made no impression. Taking a deepbreath, the giant tried again. Putting every ounce of his herculeanstrength into this final effort, he exerted himself to the utmost.
Slowly the huge rock began to move. Slowly it began to swing outward.Then, more rapidly, until, as the catch was released, it swung away backon its hinges. Alexis, unable to recover his balance, fell forward onhis face. He was up in a moment, however, and the three darted from thecavern.
For half a mile they sprinted, seeking to put as great a distance aspossible between themselves and the cavern before pausing for breath.Then, suddenly, Alexis toppled over on the ground.
Hal dropped to his knees and gently raised the giant's head.
"Quick, Chester! Some water!" he cried.
Chester darted away, and soon returned with water in his cap. This Halsprinkled over the giant's face. His efforts were rewarded at length.The color slowly returned, and Alexis heaved a deep sigh. Consciousnesswas returning.
"Poor fellow," said Hal softly. "He has worn himself out."
"Yes," said Chester, "and had we not brought him along, we w
ould stillbe prisoners in the cavern, with our death only a question of days orhours."
"True," said Hal. "And such strength," he added, "I never saw before."
"Nor do I ever expect to see again," said Chester.
Now Alexis stirred and groaned. Then he sat up.
"What has happened?" he demanded.
"Through your prowess and bravery," Hal made answer, "we have escaped."
Alexis jumped to his feet and patted himself on the chest.
"It is true," he said, "I am a brave man; and I am a strong man, am Inot?"
"There can be no question about either," replied Hal.
"Still," continued the giant, "all things considered, that was not sucha remarkable feat. Now I remember once----"
Chester interrupted.
"Come," he said, taking Alexis by the arm, "we must get away from here.The story can wait."
Alexis subsided without further words, and the three continued on theirway.
"The thing to do now," said Hal, "is to get back to Lodz as quickly aswe can. With luck, we should make it in four days."
"Yes," agreed Chester, "we have learned what we set out to learn. Thereis no use delaying."
The attention of all three was at that moment attracted by the sound ofgalloping horses, nearby. The hoof beats were coming toward them. Alexissprang to action.
"We must have horses," he said in a hoarse whisper. "Otherwise we willbe weeks getting back. We will take these."
"How?" demanded both lads in a single voice.
"Follow me," commanded the giant.
Breaking into a quick run he hurried along the road to where it curvedsharply. Here they could not be seen by the approaching riders untilthey actually met.
Alexis took his stand in the center of the road, motioning for the boysto take positions, one on each side of the road. Then all stood waiting.
The hoof beats drew nearer, and then the horses came trotting round thebend.
"Only three! Good!" Hal muttered to himself unconsciously.
The riders were right upon Alexis before they realized that their waywas blocked. They quickly drew rein and attempted to check theiranimals; but it was too late. Alexis had two of the horses by thebridles, and pushing them back on their haunches by main strength,succeeded in unseating the riders.
Hal and Chester pounced upon the two unhorsed men, and had their weaponsbefore they could make a move to defend themselves. Alexis, stillholding to the two horses, called upon the lads to cover the thirdrider, who seemed about to make a dash for liberty.
Hal was quick to obey.
"One move," he said quietly, as he pointed his newly-acquired revolversquarely at the third man, "and you are a dead man."
The latter raised his hands above his head. While Hal kept him covered,Chester advanced and relieved him of his weapons. Then he ordered him todismount.
Alexis now approached with the other two horses, one of which he turnedover to Chester. Hal took the third horse.
"We are sorry to be forced to do this," said Hal to the men whose horsesthey had appropriated, "but necessity knows no law. We need theseanimals worse than you do; therefore, we take them."
"We are thankful," said one of the men, "that you have spared ourlives."
Quickly the three friends leaped into their saddles, and spurred theirhorses onward.