CHAPTER XVIII.
IVAN AGAIN.
"Come," said Colonel Anderson, "the battle is over. There will be no more fighting to-day. Let us move."
Slowly all made their way back toward their quarters, talking over the battle as they went.
It was late in the afternoon. The battle had raged all day, and now for the first time the friends felt the need of food. Instead of taking camp fare, to which they were invited by the Montenegrin officer who accompanied them, they decided to go to a little village not far from the camp, where the officer informed them they could get a substantial meal at a certain, little restaurant.
Thither they made their way and to their satisfaction found the information correct. Then, their appetites satisfied, they left the restaurant and started back to the camp.
It was now after dark and as they walked slowly, discussing events of the day, they came upon a knot of men engaged in some sort of an argument.
"My curiosity always gets the better of me," said Chester. "Let's have a look," and he led the way toward the gesticulating group.
It was plain, as they drew nearer, that the argument was heated. Loud voices broke the stillness of the night, and one of them, a deep bass, had a familiar ring. One look at the faces in the crowd and they recognized its owner.
It was none other than Ivan, whom they had last seen when he made his dash for liberty in the mountains.
Ivan was in the very center of the crowd, and as Hal, Chester and the others came close, in the glare of a dim light he could be seen gesticulating violently.
"I tell you," he shouted, "I have no money."
"But you showed two bags of gold in the restaurant," said one of the men pressing in on him.
"Well, what if I did?" demanded Ivan. "That gold is not mine. It belongs to your king and I am taking it to him."
"A likely story," said one man in the crowd with a sneer. "You stole it some place. We want a share."
"Oh, you do?" said Ivan, and he broke into a loud laugh. "Well, you won't get it. First, however, I want to tell you again, that I did not steal the money and that it is not mine."
"Then why," said another of the crowd, "why did you dip into one of the bags to pay for a drink at the restaurant?"
"Why?" echoed Ivan in a loud voice. "I'll tell you. Because I was dry."
"But if the gold is not yours?"
For a moment Ivan appeared somewhat flustered. But he made answer after a moment.
"I am entitled to the price of a glass of wine for carrying this gold for the king. That's why."
"It's my belief you filled up on wine before you got the gold," said another voice in the crowd.
"You may have any belief you choose," shouted Ivan angrily. "But now stand aside. I am going on my way."
"Not until you give us a share of your spoils," said a voice close to him.
"Ho!" said Ivan. "You think so. Ho! Ho!"
He took a step forward and his merriment subsided.
"Stand aside there!" he commanded sternly.
For a moment it appeared that the crowd would give before him, but a man in the back of the crowd cried:
"What! will you run from one man, a drunken man at that?"
Another, closer to the giant, reached out a hand and sought to clutch the bag of gold Ivan held in his left hand.
With a sudden movement and a loud cry, Ivan stretched forth a hand and seized the man by the throat. Then he lifted him high in the air and hurled him through space. The man struck the ground with a loud cry of pain.
At the same instant a second man struck at Ivan with a club.
With a cry of anger, Ivan reached forth and seized the club; then, whirling it about his head, brought it down on the man's skull. The man toppled over like a log.
Now Ivan began to laugh in glee.
"Ho! Ho!" he cried. "Come on and take the gold," and he brandished it aloft in his left hand. "What! Are you afraid of one man? Ho! Ho!"
The crowd gave back as Ivan moved forward.
A man from behind sprang forward and stabbed the giant between the shoulders with a thin knife.
Ivan whirled about with a terrible cry. Then, raising his recently acquired club, he dashed in among the crowd and laid about him right and left. Men went down on all sides and in a moment the others turned and fled.
One, from a distance, drew a revolver and fired. Whether the bullet came close to the giant, Hal could not tell, but he drew his own revolver, and springing forward, cried:
"That's enough of this! The next man to make a move I'll put a bullet through."
Chester, Nikol and Colonel Anderson ranged themselves by Hal's side and also produced their automatics. Seeing nothing else to do, Stubbs also joined them and flourished a revolver.
The crowd gave back.
Ivan turned upon the newcomers in surprise. Then he cried in a great voice:
"Well! Well! and where did you come from? I had made sure you had deserted me."
"No, we haven't deserted you," said Hal. "We simply missed you, that's all."
"Well, it's all right, anyhow," said Ivan. "Now come to the restaurant with me and I shall buy wine for all of us."
"Thanks, Ivan, but we don't drink wine," said Hal quietly. "If you will come with us to our quarters we will talk matters over."
"Not I, not until I have had wine," declared Ivan.
"But you have had enough wine," declared Chester.
"And how do you know I have had enough wine?" demanded Ivan, turning upon the lad.
"The way you talk makes it plain enough," replied Chester quietly. "Come,
Ivan, let's get away from here."
"Well," said Ivan hesitatingly, "maybe you are right." Turning he caught sight of Nikol.
"Why, there is my old friend Nikol," he shouted. "Nikol, you will join me in a bottle of wine?"
"I shall be pleased," said Nikol, with a smile.
"Good. Come with me." He turned and made as though to move away, when suddenly his eyes lighted upon Stubbs.
"Ho! Ho!" he laughed. "And my friend Stubbs here shall accompany us."
"Thanks; some other time," said Stubbs nervously.
For answer Ivan leaned down, picked the little man up in his arms and walked away with him in spite of Stubbs' cries and struggles.
Nikol went along and for once he did not offer to take Stubbs' part.
"Great Scott! Hal, we can't stand for this," said Chester. "What shall we do?"
"Go along, I should say," said Colonel Anderson.
"But we don't drink wine," protested Hal.
"There is no reason you should. If you can get Ivan seated and talk to him he will be all right in a few minutes. Besides, he is likely to get into more trouble this way."
"I guess you're right," said Hal. "Come on, Chester."
The three followed Nikol, Ivan and the latter's struggling burden in the person of Stubbs.
They entered the restaurant right behind the others and took seats at the same table. Ivan greeted them with a smile.
"Glad to see you came along," he said. He turned to Stubbs. "What will you have?"
"Thanks, I don't drink," said Stubbs fearfully.
"Now, Mr. Stubbs!" said Ivan with a comical grin.
Hal now decided the affair had gone far enough.
"Listen to me, Ivan," he said quietly. "Stubbs doesn't want any wine and neither do the rest of us. You have had enough."
"And what have you to do with it?" demanded Ivan loudly.
"Just this," said Hal, and produced a revolver. "Before I'll stand for any more of this nonsense, I'll put a hole through you. Understand?"
Ivan looked at the lad, apparently bewildered, for some moments. Then he said with a laugh:
"Don't you ever shoot at me with that gun. Not ever!"
He rose to his feet and faced Hal threateningly. The lad was nonplussed. He had no idea that his bluff wouldn't work. He knew of course that he could never shoot the Cossack.
It was Chester who saved the day.
"Ivan," he said quietly. "That's not your money."
"What—what's that?" said Ivan, turning to him suddenly.
"I said that's not your money. Surely you are not a thief?"
"A thief?" cried Ivan. "Who says I am a thief?"
"I do, if you touch the money in the bag you hold there," said
Chester quietly.
For a moment it seemed that the big Cossack would spring upon Chester; but the lad stood his ground, and suddenly Ivan sank down in a chair.
"No, I'm not a thief," he mumbled. "I'm not going to be a thief."
He threw the bag of gold down heavily on the table and looked thoughtfully into space.
Chester approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"There," he said calmly, "I knew you wouldn't. This, you know, is the king's money. You wouldn't touch that?"
"No," said Ivan, then added hastily: "but I have touched it. I bought wine with it; and it wasn't my money."
His remorse was so apparent that Chester was forced to smile.
"Why, that's all right," he said. "You are going to pay him back. Now come with us."
Again Ivan was silent for several moments.
"That's right," he said at last. "I'm going to pay him back." He rose to his feet. "Come, I shall go with you," and they all passed out into the night.