Part 7 (1/2)

And so they swept forward, dashi+ng swiftly over the few round toward the spot where the Gerreeted them with a hail of bullets, but they faltered not

Men fell and horses dropped, but there was no hesitation ale sounded, and they dashed on with greater ferocity than before

Squadrons of German cavalry issued forth to meet them They crashed with a terrible shock The impact was terrific, and horses and riders on both sides reeled back

But the Cossacks were the first to recover, and they spurred their horses into the thick of the enemy The sweep of their lances and the fire from their automatics were deadly There was no pause in the Russian attack

Cutting and slashi+ng, the squadron to which Hal, Chester and Alexis were attached was soon in the midst of the foe Not unused to such encounters, the lads nevertheless found themselves hard put to keep their seats and ward off the blows of their foes

But with eachwith the best of the lance on his upraised sword, and raising his revolver took a snap shot at his opponent The latter threw his arh, and toppled from his horse Chester, by a quick move, escaped a revolver shot aimed at him by a German officer, and the lad's oeapon spoke sharply His aian to give ground It was ie The Russians pressed the retreating foe closely

But no forces of Germans dashed forward to drive back the Cossacks, or at least to protect the retreat of their companions

The Cossacks dashed into these fresh troops with the saed But this time the result was different Tired by the furious work, they were thrown back by the German reenforcements, and in spite of heroic efforts, were forced to retire slowly

Flushed with this success, the Ger was man to man, horse to horse, and hand to hand Not for once had Alexis left the side of the two lads and none of the three had so far been injured, although men dropped on all sides of them

Suddenly there cae!” he cried

Immediately the squadron to which the lads were attached hurled itself forward once ht into the thickest of the fray, in the face of overwhel nu and yelling as they charged

For a e of this mere handful of Cossacks, but for a ain From all sides they bore down on the squadron, now co to annihilate them

There was no order to surrender from the German commander, nor would one have been heeded for the matter of that At a quick command, the Cossacks formed a little square, back to back, and awaited the attack of the enemy

It came upon the instant Upon the Russian horse and shooting as they caave blow for blow, and in spite of the fierce charge, h men fell here and there Unable to pierce this line of steel, the Ger space, Hal and Chester, standing side by side, took in the scene about them Of the little troop of Cossacks there remained now possibly a hundred ed elsewhere, would be unable to coht it out alone

Colonel Bluekoff was down, having been pierced a fewthese few men there were, besides Alexis, but two minor officers unharmed At that moment Alexis himself took co eyes upon his men

”Will we surrender?” he shouted, and answered his own question: ”No!”

A wild cheer froe Cossack turned to the two lads

”We will fight till the last,” he said calmly ”Are you with us?”