as if by magic. Another officer, unable to account for the
pile of dead, cried to the men behind him:

"Fire!"

A volley rang out, and for a moment the cavern was lighted as if by day.
But none was hit. From behind him Alexis now heard the sound of Hal's
voice.

"Come back quickly!" whispered the lad.

The giant obeyed instantly, and glided softly through the door to the
third compartment. Hal took him by the arm and led him to the side of
the room, where he showed him the object over which he had stumbled when
in the compartment a few moments before. It was a barrel of powder.

"Alexis," said Hal, "you will take this barrel, the fuse of which I am
going to light, and hurl it at our enemy. Can you do it?"

Alexis stooped over the barrel, weighing fully seventy pounds. He lifted
it easily with one hand.

"Light it," he said briefly.

"Throw it right in among them," explained Hal.

"Light it," repeated Alexis.

Hal did so, and the giant, picking up the barrel, advanced to the door
of the compartment. Beyond he could hear the confused shouts of many
men, as they in vain sought to explain the death of their companions.

Alexis blew on the fuse, that it might burn quicker.

And now, by the light of the sparkling fuse, the enemy made out his
form. They saw the barrel he held in his hand; they understood what was
going to happen.

A cry of terror arose. Some attempted to fly; officers cried out to
Alexis that they would spare him if he would extinguish the fuse. Others
commanded their men to fire; but the latter were too terrified to do so.

Now the arm of the giant swung round. There passed through the air the
train of fire, like a falling star. The barrel fell into the midst of
the terrified German soldiers. Immediately Alexis dashed for the far end
of the cavern, just outside which his friends now stood.

Then, from inside the second compartment came the terrible thunder of
the explosion, blowing the cavern to pieces, hurling men to death by the
force of its shock, falling stones crushing out the life of many more.

Alexis dashed for the open air, where his friends stood awaiting him, a
happy smile on his face at the success of his exploit. Three more paces
and he would be free of the cavern--two more. And right at the exit, a
heavy piece of rock, sent hurling in the air by the explosion, fell upon
him--striking him upon the shoulder--bearing him to the
ground--pinioning him beneath it.

And at the same