l around and
Ivan seemed genuinely pleased to meet Chester. He was profuse in his
apologies for his rough treatment, while Chester was dumbfounded to
learn that his captor was the brother of his old friend Alexis. They
shook hands heartily.

"If you had not pestered me with so many questions, I would not have
bothered you," Ivan explained. "To tell the truth, I took you for a
couple of Austrian spies."

"Tell us, Chester," said Hal, "what have you learned?"

"Learned?" echoed Chester. "We haven't learned anything, except that it
is awfully cold in these mountains. I'm going to tell you right now, it's
no fun being locked up in an icebox."

"It is not," Colonel Anderson agreed dryly, stretching his feet out
to the fire.

"I'll tell you how it came about," said Chester, smiling at Ivan.
"Colonel Anderson and I had just completed a most terrible climb. Coming
once again to a level spot we sat down to rest. We saw a man coming
along--a big man, none other than Ivan here. I suggested that we ask him
a few questions."

"You asked them, all right," said Ivan.

"Well," Chester continued, "he didn't tell us much. In fact, he was as
mum as an oyster. Colonel Anderson took a hand with no better luck. It
seems that between us we talked too much. Ivan here didn't like it. He
said he guessed he'd have to take us along with him. We said we were
satisfied to stay where we were. This didn't suit Ivan. He reached for
me and I dodged; but with his other hand he grabbed Anderson and held
him helpless.

"I drew my gun but I was afraid to fire for fear of hitting the Colonel.
I thought I would rap the big man over the head with the butt of the
weapon. I ventured a trifle too close and he nailed me, too. He shook me
so hard that I dropped my gun. Anderson hadn't been able to get at his.
Then Ivan relieved him of it, and still holding us each by an arm, he
brought us here.

"When he shoved us under the rock ahead of him, we decided to jump him if
he came in. We jumped him. It didn't do much good, did it, Colonel?"

Chester turned to Colonel Anderson with a smile.

"Not much," was the Colonel's dry response.

Ivan grinned sheepishly.

"I didn't mean to hurt you too much," he said. "You see, sometimes I
don't realize my own strength. I guess maybe I squeezed your arms
too hard."

"Well, now tell us about yourself, Hal," said Chester, "and who is this
little fellow who hangs so close to Stubbs?"

"This little fellow," returne