Part 33 (2/2)

The tholed, however, were too busily occupied to notice the approach of reenforce his revolver to bear

Alexis now jumped from his horse and dashed forward toward the three He stretched forth two hty hands and plucked the Austrians off the lad

Raising each high in the air, he stretched wide his arreat force There was a crunch as the heads of the two iant's hands He hurled the his revolver from its holster, dropped to his knee and fired two shots in quick succession at the two re down the road

His aim was true, and as the last of the Austrians bit the dust, Alexis turned to where Chester lay and picked hiently in his arms From his canteen he poured water over the lad's face and soon caently on the ground and turned to Hal

He gazed first at the lad, then at the dead bodies of the eneruffly ”Quite a fight But where would you have been if Alexis had not arrived so opportunely?”

”Dead, I guess,” replied Hal quietly ”We owe you our lives, but there is no need to tell you that we are grateful”

”Not a bit,” said Alexis ”Thanks from one brave man to another are never necessary; but did you see how easily I disposed of those four Austrians?”

”It was very pretty,” replied Hal

”Wasn't it?” cried the giant gleefully ”Still, it was a trifle I remember the time that I----”

Hal walked over to Chester's side and bent down and so did not hear the story of Alexis' iant looked sorrowfully after him for a moment, muttered to himself and then he walked after him

Chester now sat up and looked about His eyes rested on the dead bodies

”Looks like Alexis had been here,” he iant

Alexis heard hiloith pleasure

”He is here,” he said, stepping forward

Chester's face lighted up

”By Jove!” he exclaiood to see you We have wished several times in the last hour that you ith us We needed you badly

However, you arrived just in time”

Alexis blushed like a schoolboy, for he was not used to hearing others praise his prowess

”Yes, I did arrive in the nick of tiet away froth of the enemy in thedown the pass

”I learned enough to make sure that, without infantry and artillery support, the cavalry will probably be annihilated,” replied Alexis briefly ”By a dash, we ary, but without support we should end our days there I shall counsel retreat”

”But I thought you would never counsel retreat?” said Hal, s