so that by straining his hardest, he could not budge them.

"What are you going to do now?" demanded Hal.

"You'll see," replied the giant briefly.

He stepped between the door and the first bed, close to it. Here,
bracing himself against the bed, he laid his great hands against the
door and pushed. There was a slight cracking noise. Under this terrible
force, the door was straining. And still the giant kept up the pressure.

The muscles in the back of his neck stood out like bands of iron. The
sinews in his bare arms quivered and seemed about to leap from beneath
his skin; and still Alexis struggled with the unyielding door. There
came again the sound of cracking; and the giant released the pressure.
Even from where they stood, the lads could see the door sway inward into
place, thus showing the pressure that had been put against it.

The two lads were lost in admiration of the great strength of Alexis.

"It doesn't seem possible," said Hal, half to himself.

"It isn't possible," declared Chester.

But Alexis did not heed these remarks. Hurling the beds away with fierce
kicks, he cleared a space in front of the door. Then he drew back.

"Look!" exclaimed Chester in an awed voice.

Even as he spoke, Alexis drew himself together for a spring. Ten quick
steps he took, and then hurled his giant frame against the heavy door.
There was a thud as he smashed against it, followed by a great crash of
splintering wood, and Alexis, door and all went down in a tangled heap.

Quickly the giant extricated himself and darted back into the room,
where he picked up his massive club. Whirling it wildly about his head
he shouted to the lads:

"Come on!"

Without a moment's delay, surprised as they were, the lads lifted their
own weapons, and dashed after the Cossack. Straight out the door of the
bandit chief's private room the three ran into the corridor beyond.
Sprawling figures sitting idly about gave evidence that the chief had
not taken all of his men with him. At the abrupt entrance of Alexis
these jumped to their feet, drawing knives and swords.

Alexis was upon them in a trice, Hal and Chester close behind him.
Rapidly the huge club of the giant rose and fell, once, twice,
thrice--even to five times, and with each crushing blow a man went down
with a crushed skull. The others drew back.

The two lads now ranged themselves on either side of Alexis, and
together they charged the foe. There was no escape for the bandi