The men were shouting and waving torches. The car moved towards them at a gentle pace; in the half-light Rex saw that they were armed. As the car drew level one of them sprang on the footboard — there were no chains — the car moved steadily on — the man shouted something in Russian — another jumped on the other side of the car.
“Ready, Simon?” asked Rex, quietly. “I’m going to step on it.” As he spoke he slashed at the first soldier’s face with the marlinspike, and the car leapt forward — the man fell with a loud cry.
“Duck!” Rex shouted, “duck — they’ll shoot!”
Simon had struck his man in the face, but the fellow still clung on — he struck him again, but his fist seemed to make no impression on the peasant’s thick skull. There was a crack of rifles as the car tore over the bridge. With uncanny skill Rex zig-zagged from side to side — a bullet clanged into the metalwork behind — another crashed through the window at the back. The Duke was crouching on the floor, and had drawn Richard down beside him. Simon struck his man again, but the soldier would not let go; the rattle of another scattered volley sounded from the rear — Simon’s antagonist straightened with a sudden jerk and dropped from view; the car rushed across the farther bridge-head and up the hill on the other side. A last bullet pinged on the mudguard, and they had crossed the Bug!
“When I last crossed that river it was stiff with corpses,” remarked the Duke, with a quiet chuckle. “The fighting here was terrible during the War.”
“Reckon there’s another corpse tonight,” Rex laughed; “that chap on Simon’s side got it in the neck all right.”
“I simply could not make him leave go,” muttered Simon angrily.
“If you had used one finger instead of your fist, and poked it in his eye,” suggested the Duke, mildly, “he would have dropped off quick enough; these people have skulls like cannon-balls.”
“Must remember that,” said Simon, thoughtfully.
Richard had slept through it all. The Duke had propped him up again, but beyond an occasional moan he showed no sign of life.