Part 15 (1/2)

They had not escaped a second too soon.

There was a terrible rending sound, the crunching of rock against rock, and slowly the walls of the cavern gave; then fell inward with a fearful crash.

Some distance from the cavern the four stopped running. Hal wiped the moisture from his brow.

”A close call and no mistake,” he said weakly.

Chester grasped Alexis by the hand.

”I thought you were done for,” he exclaimed.

Alexis grinned.

”Can't kill me that way,” he said. ”What's a little rock like that? It was play for me to lift it.”

”Maybe so,” replied Chester, ”but even now, I can scarcely believe what I saw.”

”Why,” said Alexis, ”I could have lifted that rock with one hand. It was child's play. Now I can still remember one great feat I accomplished. It was in St. Petersburg--Petrograd now, by the grace of G.o.d and the Czar.

There is a little stream runs through the city. Over this there is a bridge. I was pa.s.sing along one day, when I saw that the bridge, having been weakened in the middle, was about to fall. Well, there was no one on it, so that would have been all right. But, das.h.i.+ng down the street was an ambulance. The woman in it was very ill. It was absolutely necessary that she be taken across the bridge at once. At the bridge the driver was held up. The guard would not allow the ambulance to cross. It was too dangerous. But delay meant death for the lady. I leaped into a small boat and was quickly under the middle of the bridge. The bridge was low, and by standing I could just touch it. I put my two hands under the bridge and braced it while the ambulance crossed. I was sorely tested, but I held out. I account that one of my greatest feats.”

”And so you should,” said Hal dryly.

”But,” demanded Stephan, who was greatly interested in his brother's wonderful narrative, ”how is it, that with all that weight resting upon you, and you standing in a boat, the boat didn't sink? I can't understand how, with that weight upon it, it remained afloat.”

”Why,” said Alexis with perfect gravity, ”I forgot to mention that the stream was very shallow--in fact it could be waded. The boat was forced down by the great weight until it rested on the bottom. In that way, it was perfectly simple.”

”I see,” exclaimed Stephan. ”A wonderful feat, truly!”

”Was the bridge made out of rubber?” asked Chester, laughing to himself.

”Rubber?” repeated Alexis. ”No; it was a wooden bridge.”

”Then,” said Chester, ”how do you account for the fact that it stretched so when the boat went to the bottom of the stream?”

”I didn't say it stretched,” said Alexis.

”I know you didn't say so,” grinned Chester; ”but it must have stretched unless it broke in two.”

Alexis looked aggrieved.

”If you don't believe me----” he began.

”I wouldn't dispute you for the world,” said Chester. ”I just wondered.”

Alexis would have replied, but at that instant his hat was lifted from his head, and all four became aware of the distant sound of a shot.

Quickly all dropped to the ground, but they were not quick enough to go unscathed. A bullet struck Stephan in the arm, and he dropped it to his side with a cry.

Instantly Alexis was all anxiety. He jumped to his brother's side.

”Are you much hurt, Stephan?” he asked tenderly, taking the injured arm in his hand.