The Boy Allies with the Cossacks Part 4

Hal and Chester glanced at each other and smiled quizzically. The same thought was in the mind of each: "He talks too boastfully to be much of a fighter."

Alexis noticed the interchange of glances, and the quizzical smiles. He realized their meaning in an instant.

"You think I won't fight, eh?" he said loudly. "Alexis Vergoff not fight? Ho! Ho!"

He threw back his head and laughed loudly. The boys were not impressed.

"Worse and more of it," thought Hal to himself.

Chester was of the same opinion, but he did not say so aloud.

"Why," continued Alexis, "I've fought more battles than you will ever hear of. I have killed twenty men."

"Twenty is a good many," said Hal softly.

"True! True!" shouted Alexis, "but I'll kill twenty more in the next battle, just to show you. You shall see what sort of a man Alexis Vergoff is!"

"I am afraid we shall see too soon," muttered Chester to himself.

"Why," went on Alexis, "it was only a month ago, before being ordered to the front, that I slew five men single-handed!"

"Great Scott!" muttered Hal. "I wish I had not started him. He'll never let up now."

"It was at my mother's home," continued Alexis. "I reached home unexpectedly. Five men had surrounded her and threatened to kill her unless she gave them money she kept in the house. One had drawn a knife just as I entered the room. No one saw me enter, and I was upon them before they knew it.

"I picked up the man with the knife as though he had been a child, and threw him bodily upon the other four. He had no time to strike at me with his knife or even drop it. The other four went down in a heap. The knife of the first man was buried in one of his companions, and so there were only three who could stagger to their feet. I picked up a lamp that stood on the table. This I hurled at another. It struck him squarely on the head, and rebounded against the head of another. Both men went down with cracked skulls. The fifth man turned to flee, but picking up a knife, I hurled it after him. It stuck in his back, and he ran half a mile before he fell down dead. The next man jumped for me----"

"Hold on!" said Hal, laughing. "You said there were only five, and you have already killed them."

"True!" muttered Alexis, though in no wise taken aback. "It was in another fight where I killed six men. I always get them mixed up. In that fight----"

"Save that for another time," said Hal, restraining his laughter with difficulty.

"Don't you want to hear it?" demanded Alexis in surprise. "I always like to hear a story of a good fight."

"I believe you would rather tell one," replied Hal.

Alexis looked very much crestfallen.

"Do you think I made that up?" he asked in consternation. "Why, I can tell you of other fights I have had that----"

"I don't doubt it at all," said Hal. "I am willing to admit that you can draw the long bow to the Queen's taste."

"Draw the long bow?" repeated Alexis, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"It wouldn't do for me to tell you," replied Hal chuckling to himself.

"Ask someone else."

Alexis turned to Chester.

"Do you know what he means? Will you tell me?" he asked.

"Yes, I know what he means," replied Chester, laughing, "and I believe he is right. However, it wouldn't do for me to tell you either. You must ask someone else."

Alexis turned to the man on his right, and repeated his question. The man acknowledged he knew no more what the expression meant than Alexis himself.

Alexis accosted several other officers, but with no better luck. He turned to Hal aggrieved.

"You should not have said that unless you tell me what you mean," he said.

"Ask Colonel Bluekoff, perhaps he may tell you," said Hal.

Alexis approached the Colonel.

"What is it, sir?" asked the latter.

"Colonel," said Alexis, saluting, "can you tell me what drawing the long bow means?"

The colonel looked at him in amazement. Then he said sternly:

"Get back to your place, sir. This is no time for joking."

Alexis returned to his place.

"Did he tell you?" asked Hal.

"No," replied Alexis, "but I'll find out, if I have to put off killing one of my enemies to ask him about it."

CHAPTER IV.

LODZ.

There came a sudden command from Colonel Bluekoff, and the regiment to which Hal and Chester were attached galloped forward. The advance guard could be seen falling back, firing as they retreated upon the main body of cavalry. They had encountered a force of the enemy.

With Colonel Bluekoff leading, his sword whirling about his head, the troop dashed forward at a charge. As they went by, the retreating advance guard reformed and also dashed forward with them. From ahead came several puffs of smoke and the cracking of rifles, and here and there a man fell to the ground. But the rest dashed on.

The Cossacks did not fire a shot and soon the enemy had disappeared in the distance.

"A reconnoitering force that must have gotten around Lodz in some way,"

Colonel Bluekoff told his officers.

The regiment now fell back upon the main body.

"That's two more," said Alexis complacently to Hal and Chester.