“Still,” said the commanding officer, “I have set my heart on striking one more blow at the enemy. Would you counsel against it?”
“I am always in favor of striking one more blow at the enemy,” replied Alexis. “I suppose I should counsel against it, but I will not.”
“Good!” exclaimed his commander. “One decisive blow to the enemy in the hills, and then we shall fall back into Galicia. Now, where are the Austrians massed?”
“It will be extremely hazardous,” said Alexis slowly, “but I guess it can be done. Fifteen miles straight along this mountain pass you come to a small plateau. I advanced that far myself. Encamped there are in the neighborhood of one hundred thousand of the enemy. By a quick and silent dash and a night attack, we may be able to deal them a crushing blow; but even so, we must fall back immediately. Even then we shall be greatly harassed by the foe.”
“Well,” said the commander, “we shall make the attack, come what may afterward.”
Alexis saluted his commander and returned to where he had left the two lads, where he repeated his interview. Then he turned to Chester.
“It is too bad,” he said, “that you will be unable to take part in the battle.”
“But I shall take part in it,” exclaimed the lad. “You don’t think I am going to sit idle while there is fighting going on, do you?”
“I am afraid you cannot help yourself,” replied Hal. “You will go with the advance, of course; but you will be kept well in the rear.”
In vain did Chester protest. His commanding officer overruled all of his complaints, and at last the lad was forced to make his way to the rear of the Russian army. All that day the army rested, and it was not until the following afternoon that the signal was given for the advance, for the Russian commander had so timed his movement that he would come upon the enemy after nightfall.