Part 34 (2/2)

The way before them was clear, and they ran side by side, careful of their steps lest a hole ht mean a fall and a sprained ankle

Presently a bullet passed between the fashi+on to puzzle the marksmanshi+p Ellerey constantly turned to look back There were , but a few of the rapidly These did not pause to fire; they ran, judging their pace and distance to a nicety Long before the point for which the fugitives werecould be reached these osie”

The lad looked back He was beginning to pant heavily

”Not yet,” he said; ”they are not close enough”

So they ran on It was evident to Ellerey that the boy's pace was palpably slackening, and there was yet so of the final dash for the horses Thethe feet

”Twelve paces, Grigosie,” he murmured, ”then turn sharply Do not kill, lame them; their companions may stop to help them”

Ellerey counted the twelve paces aloud, and then they both turned Four shots rang out sharply, and three of the foreh Ellerey's coat sleeve, and there was the pain as of a hot skewer laid for a ain

”Every step lessens the distance, lad,” he said encouragingly ”That will teach them to keep a little farther in the rear”

Still Ellerey turned constantly to watch their pursuers One or two had stopped by their wounded companions, but the rest held on their way, undeterred by the fate of their coain did Ellerey count twelve paces, and he and Grigosie turned together and fired The foreosie's mark, and he missed him The man had bounded forward to ain It was not theli on his face, and with one spasain without a word They were close to the height now It was to their left, and the boy pointed to a depression which lay between it and another elevation The as narrohich was in their favor, and if only the brigands were not in force on the other side, and Grigosie had made no mistake in the direction, there was a chance of escape

Ellerey let Grigosie enter the narroay first, and then paused in the entrance Only twoEllerey stop, they fired Ellerey fired twice in answer, and without waiting to see if the shots had taken effect dashed after Grigosie

The boy had round which they had cli Below theher up the slope above the Soone this way to cut off their retreat, and the fugitives had not a moment to waste in their final dash for freedom

Ellerey fired into the air to put Stefan on the alert, and seizing Grigosie's arm--for the boy was nearly beaten--he dashed down the steep incline Stefan saw them and spoke quickly to Anton, who for a moment seemed inclined to lose his head The soldier's sharp coosie was beside hi to his own

”No others?” Stefan shouted, wheeling Ellerey's horse round toward him

”No”

Without a word Stefan cast loose the reins of the other horses, and the next instant the four riders were galloping for dear life up the pass, Ellerey and Grigosie in the centre, Anton and Stefan on either side Knee to knee they galloped, their bodies low upon their horses'

necks Several shots followed them, but ide of the mark, and a bend in the pass soon covered the no word There was only the sound of the rapidly beating hoofs and the rough purring of the leather as the legs rubbed the saddles

Ellerey thought that along the pass any surprise or ambush was impossible He had taken careful notice of the mountain walls which shut them in, but he was not so satisfied that they would find the castle open to them Those who occupied it, if any were there, could hardly have heard of the failure of the ain possession of it by stratagem To ride out of the pass would bethe plain The castle was their only hope--their place of refuge, as Grigosie had prophetically called it

Ellerey drew rein presently

”We have distanced them,” he said ”What do you think, Stefan--will the castle be eed his shoulders

”If any brigands still occupy the hills about it, they cannot know that our nal very quickly to one another,” Stefan answered

”Then we ht for its possession It is our only chance”