CHAPTER X.
FLIGHT.
Nicolas stopped short in his tracks. His face went red, then white, then flushed a dull red again. For a moment there was a deathly silence and then the Montenegrin sprang toward Hal with a cry of fury. The boy stood his ground.
"I wouldn't if I were you," he said very quietly.
His automatic glistened in his hand at his hip. Nicolas gazed down and then pulled himself up short as his eyes rested on the weapon. He said nothing.
"I'm glad to see you're sensible," Hal continued. "Now you will take the lead, and for your own sake, I advise you to take the shortest cut in the general direction of Cettinje. Ivan, and you, Nikol, will see that he goes in the proper direction."
The dwarf's face was covered by a comical grin and his long arms waved about eagerly as he gave his assent. He turned to Stubbs.
"You will walk with me?" he asked.
For a moment Stubbs hesitated. He gazed first at the little man and then at the great bulk of Nicolas. Then his eyes roved to the huge form of Ivan.
"By Jove! I'd rather be alongside Ivan there," he muttered to himself, "but it wouldn't do to let this little fellow think I'm afraid. You're taking a long chance, Anthony, but I guess you had better do it. All right," he said to Nikol, and ranged himself at the dwarf's side.
"I wouldn't try any tricks if I were you, Nicolas," said Ivan, as he swung into step behind the traitor, Nickol and Stubbs, the prisoner in the center.
Colonel Edwards and Colonel Anderson came next in line and Hal and
Chester brought up the rear.
"It's a good two days' journey back," said Hal to Chester, "and, the chances are, we will encounter many of Nicolas' friends en route. We'll have to be careful."
"We shall indeed," returned his chum. "One little slip and there is no telling what may happen."
Night brought them to Ivan's cavern again and there they decided to spend the night. It had now been more than twenty-four hours since they had closed their eyes and all were tired out.
They experienced no difficulty getting Nicolas under the rock into the cavern, nor did the Montenegrin seek to attack them as they crawled after him, as Hal had half feared he would. He seemed completely dejected and downcast. He had not spoken a word during the day's march.
"I'll put him in your erstwhile prison," Ivan said to Chester with a grin. "I guess he'll be safe enough there for the night."
He did so.
"Well, I'm going to turn in," said Stubbs. "I'm dead for sleep. I tell you, it's no fun hoofing it over these mountains, particularly when you are guarding a prisoner like I have been all day, never knowing what minute he may make a break for liberty. No, sir, it's no fun."
"Did you watch him pretty closely, Stubbs?" asked Chester.
"I did," replied Stubbs, briefly.
"Why?" continued Chester. "Afraid he might jump you? Hope you didn't think he could catch you if you had a two-foot start."
Stubbs drew himself up majestically.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded in a ruffled tone.
"Oh, nothing," said Chester, smiling.
"If you mean to insinuate that I was afraid—" began Stubbs in an injured tone.
"What!" interrupted Chester. "You afraid, Mr. Stubbs? You do me an injustice, I assure you. Why, I have seen you fight, Mr. Stubbs. Now, do you, by any chance, remember your battle with three wildcats?"
"I do," said Stubbs, considerably pleased. He turned to Nikol. "Did I ever tell you about that fight?" he asked.
Nikol shook his head and eyed the little war correspondent with interest.
"Well, I did," continued Stubbs. "It was in Belgium. Three of the beasts attacked me in the dark and gave me a terrific struggle. But I killed them all, as these two boys can tell you."
Nikol was all smiles. He was glad that the man who had conquered him was such a royal gladiator.
"And you were not hurt?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing to speak of," said Stubbs, modestly. "A few scratches.
Nothing serious."
"They are bad beasts to fool with," said Nikol. "My brother had both eyes scratched out in an encounter with a single wildcat. And you killed three."
"There wasn't much chance of your eyes being scratched out, was there,
Mr. Stubbs?" said Chester.
"And why not?" demanded the little man,
"Come now, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, "you don't mean to tell me you have forgotten you were lying flat on your face dodging bullets when the cats jumped you."
"No, I hadn't forgotten," said Stubbs in an injured tone. "But was it my fault that I had stumbled over a stone in the darkness a moment before?"
"Well, no, possibly not," Chester admitted. "But it's funny you didn't think to mention that stone at the time."
"If you are determined to laugh at me," said Stubbs with an air of ruffled dignity, "I have nothing more to say. Any man is likely to fall."
"So he is, Mr. Stubbs," agreed Chester, "and I don't know but I'd fall myself if I saw three wildcats coming for me. Yes, I would, and I'd try to get my head just as deep in the ground as possible, like an ostrich, and then maybe they couldn't see me."
For a moment Mr. Stubbs glared at the lad angrily and seemed about to speak; then turned on his heel angrily and strode to the far side of the cavern, where was the pallet which had been assigned to him.
Chester broke into a little laugh, which died suddenly as he stared down into the angry face of Nikol, which glared up at him.
There was a deep frown on the dwarf's face and he tapped himself upon the breast with one finger as he said:
"Any man who insults my friend, insults me. You have cast reflections upon my friend's courage. He, being your friend, overlooks it; but I, the man whom he worsted in fair fight, cannot. You must apologize."
Here Hal interfered. He had had such an encounter with the dwarf himself and he understood the situation.
"Hey, Stubbs!" he called. "Come back here, quick!"
Stubbs, just about to lie down upon his pallet, hurried back. He took in the situation at a glance and turned upon Nikol angrily.
"Here," he cried. "You keep out of my quarrels. I was big enough to attend to you, I can do the same with the rest of them."
"But he said—" protested the dwarf, pointing a finger at Chester.
"I don't care what he said," Stubbs said. "I can fight my own battles."
Nikol, deeply offended, drew back, and without another word, walked to the pallet that had been assigned to him. Stubbs, feeling somewhat better now that he had been able to berate some one and thus soothe his injured feelings, also stalked away without another word and lay down on his pallet. A moment later he was fast asleep.
"Do you suppose there is need for one of us to stand watch, Ivan?" asked Hal.
"I do not believe so," was the reply. "No one knows where my cavern is and we are not likely to be disturbed."
"I vote we turn in immediately then," said Colonel Edwards.
"Second the motion," said Colonel Anderson. "We've got to be on the move early and we've got to have some sleep first."
"Here goes, then," said Chester, and moved to his own place.
The others also sought their pallets and soon there was silence in the cavern. Completely worn out, the travelers slept like logs.
Several hours later, had they not been so completely exhausted, the sleepers undoubtedly would have heard strange noises from that part of the cavern in which Nicolas had been confined.
Came a faint grinding sound, which gradually became louder and louder, but which, after a time, ceased altogether. Then came a softer sound, that of footsteps coming slowly from the dark passageway; and a moment later Nicolas himself stepped into the glare of the fire.
His clothing was torn about the shoulders and his open hands dripped little drops of blood. He rubbed them together tenderly.
"Had I been a weaker man it would have been impossible," he muttered.
For he had pushed aside the heavy rock that guarded his prison—a rock that Ivan had believed not another man save himself could move. Apparently Nicolas had been underestimated.
Now the Montenegrin moved softly toward the entrance to the cave, fearful at every step that he would awaken the sleepers. It was dark within and this fact probably is all that prevented his escape.
In moving toward the entrance he passed close to the pallet upon which Stubbs slept. One of the little man's hands was stretched out across the floor and Nicolas' heavy boot came down squarely upon it.
A sudden loud cry shattered the deathly stillness of the night, followed by a more piercing cry.
Instantly every one was awake, though only half so, for the awakening had come so suddenly.
At Stubbs' first outcry, Nicolas, with a muttered imprecation, had dashed for the exit. He fell upon his knees and was about to crawl outside when Nikol, more wide awake than the others, flung himself forward and clasped his long arms about the Montenegrin's neck.
Nicolas drew back in the cave and pulled himself to his feet in spite of the dwarf's frantic efforts to hold him down. Then, seeing the size of his opponent, Nicolas laughed aloud and sought to fling the little man from him. But Nikol held him firmly.
But in spite of the dwarf's great strength, Nicolas was too big and powerful for him. The powerfulness the dwarf might have overcome, but the size was too much.
Plucking away the arms that were tightened about his neck, Nicolas held the dwarf away from him with his left hand, then struck him heavily in the face with his right. Taking a step more toward the center of the cavern, he hurled his opponent across the room.
Nikol struck the floor with a thud and lay still.
Now, realizing the need of haste, Nicolas turned quickly and made as though to move toward the exit. But he had delayed too long. The dwarf's efforts to hold him, though futile, had been enough to prevent the Montenegrin's escape.
A second huge form—the form of Ivan—barred the exit.
"Come on, have a try," said Ivan, with a grin.
Nicolas gave a loud cry—the cry of a cornered beast. Then he sprang.
"I'll kill you!" he yelled in a voice of thunder.