CHAPTER XXV.
A WILD DASH.
But the damage had been done; and in response to the single wild cry, footsteps came hurrying toward them. Every sleepy outpost within hearing was wide awake now; and the alarm was carried both ways down the long battle line.
"Run!" cried Hal.
The four took to their heels and dashed ahead—in the direction that eventually would carry them into the heart of the Italian lines, were they fortunate enough to escape the bullets that in a moment would be sent whizzing after them.
"If we only had horses," thought Chester as he dashed over the ground.
The same thought struck the others, but they did not pause to give voice to it.
Fifty yards, a hundred yards they covered in the darkness before the first shot came whining after them; but this was wide, thanks to the blackness of the night. But now came a volley, from the Austrian troops behind. They could not see the running figures, but the volley was scattered and the four heard the sound of the singing bullets as they passed over their heads.
"Down!" cried Colonel Anderson, even as a second volley rang out, and they dropped just in time; for this second volley was aimed low, and would have riddled the four fugitives. A third volley passed over their prostrate forms, and then, as another did not come immediately, Colonel Anderson gave the command: "Up and on again."
This command was obeyed to the letter and again the four fugitives dashed over the ground without a word. Two, three, four hundred yards they dashed at top speed and then paused for a much needed breath and to take stock of the situation.
"Anybody hit?" asked Hal anxiously.
"No," came the reply from the other three.
"Good. Now the question is what is best to do. Undoubtedly the Austrians will send a force of cavalry out looking for our bodies, and when they fail to find them, they will spread out and give chase. That way they are bound to overtake us sooner or later. Shall we bear off to the left, with a hope of losing them, or shall we go straight ahead as fast as we can and trust to luck?"
"I think I can answer that," said Hal, suddenly. "As we came out I remember passing an old shack of some kind, a short distance off our left. I vote we make for that, and if we can reach it, we will attempt to hold it until daylight, when we can expect some assistance from the Italians. They will come to our aid when they see us besieged by the Austrians."
"A good plan," declared Colonel Anderson. "Do you think you can lead the way to the shack you speak of?"
"I can come pretty close to it," declared Hal. "My sense of direction is still with me, I believe. Come on."
Bearing slightly off to the right, he broke into a run and the others followed close behind him. For perhaps another five hundred yards, he ran forward at fair speed and then paused.
"It should be about here some place," he said. "Spread out and we'll have a look for it."
This plan was followed and a hunt for the shack began in the darkness.
After perhaps five minutes, Chester's voice rang out.
"I've found it. This way."
The others made their way in the direction of his voice and a few moments later all stood before the shack.
"Is it open?" asked Chester.
Hal tried the doorknob. It was locked. Also it was barred on the outside. He put the muzzle of his revolver to the lock and would have fired had not Colonel Anderson stayed his hand.
"Hold on there," he commanded. "We don't want to open it that way if we can help it. Look around. Maybe there is a window."
At the back of the shack they found one, but it was well out of reach.
"Give me a hand up, Hal," said Chester.
Hal obeyed and Chester climbed to his shoulders. His head came level with the window. Chester pushed against it and it swung inward.
"All right," he called back. "I'm going in."
He pulled himself up and then dropped down inside. Those on the outside heard a terrible rattle and clatter and stood suddenly silent, for they did not know what had happened. Then Chester called out:
"It's all right. I jumped in the dishpan; that's all. Come on."
Hal and Colonel Anderson boosted Uncle John to the window sill, and then Hal gave Colonel Anderson a hand up. The latter, perched in the window, leaned down and pulled Hal up beside him. They dropped down inside.
At that moment a sudden beam of light flashed into the room.
The moon had come out, lighting up the outside and accentuating the darkness in the old shack.
"Well, here we are," said Chester. "Now we'll keep quiet, so as not to tell the enemy where we are."
For perhaps an hour they sat in silence; and then Hal's quick ears detected the sound of approaching horses.
"Listen!" he whispered.
The others strained their ears to catch some sound; and directly it came—the sound of many horses approaching.
"Better see to our guns," said Colonel Anderson quietly.
He examined his own brace of revolvers carefully, and Hal and Chester did the same. Uncle John was unarmed.
"Too bad we didn't stop and get the guns of the officer I knocked down back there," said Hal. "However, it's too late now. We'll have to get along with these."
"Perhaps they won't find this place in the darkness," said Uncle John hopefully.
"Don't fool yourself there," said Chester. "They'll find it all right. That is their business, right now. Besides, it's not so dark as it was when we arrived."
"Maybe they won't take the trouble to look in," persisted Uncle John.
"They'll look in, all right," replied Hal dryly.
"Whoa!" came a voice in Austrian from outside.
Other voices became audible.
"Maybe they are in this old shack," said one.
"Hardly possible they found it in the darkness," replied another.
"We'll have a look, anyhow," declared a third.
Footsteps advanced toward the front door and a hand tried the knob.
"Locked," said a voice, "and, as you see, barred from the outside. I guess they are not in there."
"Any windows?" asked another voice.
The pursuers moved around the house.
"Here's one," exclaimed a voice, stopping before the window by which the fugitives had entered the shack.
"Climb in and have a look around," came a command.
"And get shot in the darkness?" questioned the other. "What's the matter with your doing that?"
"Afraid, eh," said the other. "Here, give me a hand up."
A moment later, in the moonlight that streamed through the window, the four inside saw the face of the first of their pursuers; but in the darkness within, the occupants of the shack were not visible.
"I can see no one," said the Austrian.
"Get down and have a look," said the other.
The man in the window drew himself up to the sill and then turned and dropped down inside; and even as he struck the floor Colonel Anderson dealt him a terrific blow over the head with the butt of a revolver.
The man fell forward on his face without so much as a groan.
Then there was silence for some minutes.
"Well," came a voice from outside, "what's the matter with you in there?
Find anything?"
Hal stepped close to the window, and mimicking the first Austrian's voice, replied:
"Don't see a thing. Nobody here."
"All right then; come on out."
"I'll have a better look first," replied Hal.
"Now what good is all that going to do?" demanded Chester of Hal. "They won't go away and leave him here; and they'll discover his absence before long."
"Just a little play for time," replied Hal. "Every minute helps, you know. If we can hold out till daylight we will be all right."
"Right you are," whispered Colonel Anderson. "Minutes are precious things right now."
There was silence for a few minutes; then the voice of the man without came again:
"Say; what are you doing in there, anyhow? Are you coming out or not?"
"In a minute," mimicked Hal again.
"Find anything yet?"
"No."
"Then come on out of there, and let's go."
"All right, I'll be right out now."
Again there was silence.
A revolver butt tapped the side of the house.
"Come on out of there," said the Austrian outside.
"Coming," replied Hal.
Again silence; but this time broken from an unexpected source.
There came a sudden cry from the man on the floor—the man whom Colonel
Anderson had struck down as he jumped into the room:
"Help!"
Just that one word; that was all. Again a revolver butt crashed upon the
Austrian's head and he subsided without a murmur.
But the one word had given the warning.
The Austrian who had remained on the outside of the shack awaiting the return of his friend, also raised his voice.
"The fugitives are in here!" he shouted. "This way, men!"
Came the sound of many running footsteps.
"We're in for it now," said Colonel Anderson quietly. "All ready?"
"All ready," replied Hal and Chester quietly.
"Good! Take your places in the corners of the room—as much out of the line of fire as possible."
This was done.
"Surrender!" came a voice from without.