The Boy Allies in Great Peril Part 42

"Then come on out of there, and let's go."

"All right, I'll be right out now."

Again there was silence.

A revolver b.u.t.t tapped the side of the house.

"Come on out of there," said the Austrian outside.

"Coming," replied Hal.

Again silence; but this time broken from an unexpected source.

There came a sudden cry from the man on the floor--the man whom Colonel Anderson had struck down as he jumped into the room:

"Help!"

Just that one word; that was all. Again a revolver b.u.t.t crashed upon the Austrian's head and he subsided without a murmur.

But the one word had given the warning.

The Austrian who had remained on the outside of the shack awaiting the return of his friend, also raised his voice.

"The fugitives are in here!" he shouted. "This way, men!"

Came the sound of many running footsteps.

"We're in for it now," said Colonel Anderson quietly. "All ready?"

"All ready," replied Hal and Chester quietly.

"Good! Take your places in the corners of the room--as much out of the line of fire as possible."

This was done.

"Surrender!" came a voice from without.

CHAPTER XXVI.

FOUR AGAINST MANY.

Chester could not resist the temptation to answer this demand.

"Come and get us!" he called back defiantly.

Uncle John created a slight diversion at this moment. He had been stooping over the form of the unconscious German in the shack, and now straightened up with an exclamation of satisfaction.

"Well, I've got these, anyway," he said.

He displayed a brace of revolvers and a cartridge belt which he had taken from the fallen man.

"Good," said Colonel Anderson. "Now, Hal, you and I will guard the door, and Chester and Uncle John will take care of the window. The chances are they will attack from both directions at once. Stand as far back as possible and out of the line of fire."

At that moment there came a crash against the door, as if several men were pounding upon it with their rifle b.u.t.ts. And this, indeed, was the case.

"Quick!" commanded Colonel Anderson. "Shove this table and these chairs against the door. Brace it with anything you can find. We should have done it sooner."

Chester and Uncle John gave up their posts guarding the window for a minute and helped in the work of barricading the entrance. And all the time the pounding continued.

As Chester stepped back after putting the last chair into place, there came a report from behind him. There was a flash that lighted up the shack like day, and the lad felt a bullet whiz past his ear.

He whirled quickly, and fired in the direction of the window, where he saw a head bobbing down. The Austrian had dodged quickly after his shot, but Chester had been quicker still; and the Austrian toppled down outside at the feet of his companions. The fall was plainly audible.

"I got one of 'em!" shouted Chester gleefully.

"Good for you," replied Hal. "We'll get the rest of them as fast as they come."

The pounding upon the door continued and the occupants of the shack kept their eyes upon it anxiously.

"It gave a little that time," declared Hal, after an extraordinarily furious blow. "It won't last much longer. Then we'll have to do some real fighting."

"They will hardly rush us," said the colonel. "We should be able to pick them off as fast as they come through. They won't try that long."

At this juncture Chester grew tired of waiting. He motioned Uncle John to give him a hand up and from the latter's shoulder raised his head cautiously to the edge of the window. For the moment he was not seen. A body of Austrians stood beneath the window, engaged in deep conversation.

Quickly Chester levelled his automatic and pressed the trigger. Ten shots struck squarely in the little knot of the enemy, and several men fell.

A cry of anger rose on the night air, as Chester leaped down within the little cabin.

"Think I got some more of 'em that time," he said with a grin. "They'll find out we can take the initiative ourselves once in a while."

"Let them alone, unless they bother us," ordered Colonel Anderson. "The longer they keep quiet and do nothing, the better for us. Time is the one factor that will work to our advantage."

"I forgot about that," returned Chester a little sheepishly.

There came a terrible thundering upon the door now; and it was evident that many men without had been called to force an entrance.

"It can't hold much longer," declared Hal quietly.

"About two more like that and it will give," agreed Colonel Anderson.

Another rain of blows was followed by a crash, as the bottom of the door gave way. A moment later it tumbled inward against the table and chairs stacked up to brace it.

And even as it did so, Colonel Anderson and Hal pressed the triggers of their revolvers. Once, twice, each spoke, and the voices of the automatics were rewarded by cries of pain from the outside.