Part 1 (1/2)

The Boy Allies with the Cossacks

by Clair W Hayes

CHAPTER I

FLYING

”What's that below, Hal?”

The speaker was Chester Crawford, an American lad of some 16 years

Hal Paine allowed his eyes to turn fro aeroplane

”I don't see anything,” he replied, after a careful scrutiny below

”Neither do I, now,” said Chester, straining his eyes

At this moment the third occupant of the machine made his presence known

”Woof! Woof!” he exclai

”Woof! Woof!” he barked again

Hal, with a quick ently closer to the earth

”Must be so,” he confided to Chester, ”or Marquis wouldn't be barking like that”

Both lads peered into the darkness that engulfed them on all sides As far as the eye could penetrate there was nothing but blackness, solid, intense

”Let's go a little lower, Hal,” whispered Chester

Under Hal's firently, until at last it was soaring close to the treetops And now, suddenly, both lads made out the cause of Marquis's uneasiness

Beneath them were thousands upon thousands of armed men To the north, to the south, and to the east and west the denseclose to the earth, at last could ht Not broad daylight, but the darkness gave way enough for the lads to distinguish what lay below the

At the sae round their presence in the air was discovered There cale shot and the whiz of a bullet, as it sped close to Hal's ear

With a quick h in the air once ht unprepared, lost his balance, and saved hi the side of thethrown out He let out a loud yelp of fear, as he was thrown violently against Chester The lad threw out a hand and grabbed hie to certain destruction

”Say!” he called to Hal, when he finally regained his breath and his head ”What's the matter with you? You almost dumped us both out”

”Did I?” replied Hal briefly ”Well, as long as you didn't fall it's all right We had to coone down suddenly But it's