Part 31 (1/2)

Still holding the broken sword in his right hand, Chester now lapsed fro horses, the whir and clash of swords, the thuds of rifle blows, into half consciousness, while the unguided horse turned suddenly and made off in the direction from which he had co the Austrians back Hal and Alexis, fighting side by side, were so far unhared, and for severalswords and lances Then, at a signal, the Austrians turned and fled

Hal turned to speak to Chester, but the latter was not there In alarm, he called Alexis' attention to the fact that Chester was

Quickly Alexis ordered a halt and looked around Bodies strewed the road, and leaping froated Chester was not there

”Great Scott!” exclaimed Hal ”What can have happened to hireat black charger had dashed through the troop in the midst of the battle and had fled to the rear He remembered that a form was upon the animal's back

”It o on in pursuit of the Austrians, and I will go back and see if I can find him”

”Good,” said Alexis ”The horse probably will run back to thehim”

With a word of command Alexis ordered the troop ahead, and Hal started back on the trail of his chus he was still clasping the horse's neck and was being borne along he knew not whither His head ached and his left leg pained hireatly He was dizzy and too weak to raise hihting He tried to sit up and look around, but this added to his pain, so he fell forward on the neck of his horse again

Suddenly the horse stopped

Once more Chester tried to sit up This tilanced about him The horse had halted near a little house, set back some fifty feet from the road, and even as he looked up a woman caht of the horse and its wounded rider, and hastened back into the house

She reappeared in a moment, however, accoe revolver

The t approached the lad and lifted hied himself into the house, and dropped weakly into a chair Then the women stepped back and pointed the revolver at him

”You shall remain here,” she said, ”until I can turn you over to the Austrians”

Chester was soiven hi up, he would be allowed to rejoin his friends; but the set expression on the woman's face told the lad that she meant what she said

The second woes and soon bound up his wounds Then the lad was escorted to another roouard over him with her revolver

”So,” she told hiuard you”

All this time Chester retained his hold on the broken sword Suddenly, down the road, cah theand in a ure of Hal

Quickly he stepped to the , and before his captor could prevent him, shattered thepane with his broken sword

”Hal!” he cried at the top of his voice ”Hal! Here I am, wounded and a prisoner!”

The woht In his weakened condition he was no match for her She thrust him back into the chair He turned his eyes to theHal had passed on

”Great Scott!” ejaculated Chester ”He didn't hear nized the sound of his friend's voice, and realized that he was in trouble of some kind Likewise he surmised what the trouble was, for he knew that they were in the heart of a hostile country Therefore, he did not check the speed of his horse at once, but rode so rein Then he dis in a the trees, he advanced cautiously toward the house

Both women, secure in the belief that he had passed on, turned to taunt Chester The latter shut his lips grimly and refused to make a reply