, then Alexis
and then Chester.

When Hal reached the trees, uninjured, he turned to speak to Chester.
What was his amazement and dismay to find that Chester was not there. At
that moment Alexis and Stephan dashed into the shelter. Hal glanced back
over the distance they had come.

There lay Chester, in the open field. He had been struck down by a
German bullet, and even now the enemy, with a triumphant cry, was
charging down upon him. With a cry, Hal leaped forward, but the iron
hand of Alexis stayed him.

"You stay here," said the giant. "I'll get him!"

Discarding his rifle, he dashed forward in the very face of the
onrushing foe. Chester's life hung in the balance!

CHAPTER XI.

TWO TO THE RESCUE.

As friend and foe alike bore down on him, Hal saw Chester raise himself.
He got to his knees, struggled to his feet, staggered, and then fell
back again.

The Germans rushing toward the lad numbered twenty--Hal counted them.
They were approaching the prostrate form of the lad as rapidly as they
could, afoot. But Alexis was nearer, and it was evident that he would
reach the lad first.

The giant Cossack covered the intervening space with long bounds, going
at a speed of which Hal had not deemed him capable.

And now, as he came close to Chester, a second form bounded after him.
There was a flash of a hairy body as Marquis leaped forward and set out
after Alexis. He came up with the latter before he reached Chester, and
they came to the lad's body together.

In the meantime, Hal and Stephan kept up a steady fire with their
rifles, pouring a hail of bullets in the direction of the advancing
Germans. One man fell, but the others dashed on.

At this point Hal made a startling discovery. The magazine of his weapon
was empty and he had not another cartridge. At the same moment Stephan
fired his last remaining shot. Hal sprang forward and seized the weapon
Alexis had thrown down when he dashed to Chester's aid. It was empty.
The lad uttered a cry of dismay, and turned his eyes. The two still had
their revolvers, but the distance was too great for a pistol bullet.

Alexis, having reached Chester's side, knelt and raised the lad's head
to his knee. Hurriedly he drew his canteen and poured a little water
down his throat. Chester looked up into the Cossack's face and smiled
feebly. Alexis tried to place him upon his feet, but the lad was too
weak to stand.

A fierce growl from Marquis, who had been standing