Perhaps half a mile away came a body of horsemen, perhaps twenty of them. The sun, shining upon their uniforms, showed them to be Austrians. Quickly Hal leaped from his horse, and putting forth his utmost strength, rolled several great stones into place across the road, absolutely barring the pass. Then, after Chester had been helped to the ground, the two lads dropped behind this barrier.
The pass at this point was hardly wide enough for four men to walk abreast. On each side walls of rock rose straight up for perhaps twenty feet. Hal looked at his two revolvers and the one he had taken from the women in the house.
“Lucky we have plenty of ammunition,” he said calmly.
He tested all weapons carefully and loaded them. Then he passed one to Chester.
“I am keeping two,” he explained, “because, being wounded, you probably won’t be able to move about as quickly as I will. I don’t know how long we shall be able to hold these fellows off; but if they don’t rush us, we may be able to hold out till help arrives.”
“If they were Germans I wouldn’t feel quite so easy,” said Chester; “but I don’t believe there is much likelihood of Austrians rushing us.”
“Right you are,” said Hal cheerfully. “They’ll probably dismount, hide behind their horses and try to pick us off.”
As yet the Austrians were unaware of the presence of enemies in the pass above them. They came on slowly, laughing and talking. Then one, chancing to raise his head, saw the barrier in the pass. He called the attention of the others to it. No sign of an enemy was visible, but the Austrians approached very carefully.
The two lads waited until the Austrians were so close that a miss was impossible, then, taking deliberate aim, each fired once. Two of the enemy fell to the roadside.
There came a cry of dismay from the Austrians, and they reined in their horses and sprang to the ground.