Chapter II: Beyond the Enemy

Hal Paine and Chester Crawford, two young American lads, had already seen much active service in the great European war of 1914, the greatest war of all history.

With Hal's mother they had been in the capital of Germany when the conflagration broke out. In making their way from Berlin they had been separated from Mrs. Paine and, thrown upon their resources, it became necessary for them to make their way out of Germany alone, or else to stay in Berlin for an indefinite time. The boys elected to leave.

With Major Raoul Derevaux, a French Officer, then a captain, and Captain Harry Anderson, an Englishman, they had finally succeeded in making their way into the Belgian lines. They had witnessed the heroic defense of the Belgians at Liege, and had themselves taken part in the battle. Having accomplished several missions successfully, they had come to be looked upon with the greatest respect by the Belgian commander.

At Louvain Hal was wounded, and Chester had him conveyed to Brussels. Here the lads again fell in with Captain Anderson, and, through the good offices of the latter, eventually found themselves attached to the British forces on the continent. They had gained favor in the eyes of Sir John French, the British Field Marshal in command of the British troops, and had successfully accomplished several difficult missions.

Taken prisoners by the Germans, they had been saved from death at the hands of a firing squad by the Emperor of Germany himself, and had finally been taken back to Berlin.

In the streets of the German capital, one day, a message had been put into their hands by an English prisoner, who declared that its delivery to the Grand Duke Nicholas, commander of the hosts of the Czar of Russia, was a matter of much moment.

Displaying great resourcefulness and bravery, the lads had succeeded in escaping from Berlin in an aeroplane, as narrated in "The Boy Allies on the Firing Line," the same in which, at the opening of this story, we find them flying swiftly eastward.

Crack revolver shots, and having skill in the use of the sword and with their fists, the boys had fought themselves out of many ticklish situations. And now, free again, they were making all speed to deliver the message from the combined leaders of two countries to Grand Duke Nicholas, a message that would mean closer cooperation between the Russians in the east and the British and French forces in the west.

The Russian campaign so far could hardly be called a success. True, the first German advance into Poland, with Warsaw as its object, had been checked, and the invader had been driven back; but the mighty legions of the Czar of all the Russias could not be mobilized with the swiftness of the Kaiser's troops; and, when mobilized, could not be transported to the front with the same dispatch.

Reenforced after their first defeat in Poland, the Germans had begun a new drive into the heart of Poland. Day after day they drew nearer and nearer to the little capital, Warsaw--the Russians retreating before them.

But now, within two days' march of Warsaw, the Russians held steadily, and, try as he might, the German commander could not break through this line of steel. Grand Duke Nicholas, commander-in-chief of the Russian armies--who at first had been with the southern army opposing the Austrians and advancing upon Cracow, in Galicia--had hurried north, to take personal command in Poland.

His presence had instilled new vigor into the Russian troops, and, after several days of defensive action, the Russian troops had at last resumed the offensive.

It was toward this mighty army that the aeroplane that had borne the boys through the heart of the enemy was now flying swiftly.

"Seems to me," said Hal, "that by this time we must have passed the German lines. I guess we might as well go down a bit and have a look around."

Accordingly the machine glided nearer the earth. The day was dark and foggy, and at first the lads could discern nothing below but a great blur.

They drew closer.

At that moment there came a shot from below. Hal instinctively threw over the lever in an effort to take the craft out of harm's way.

But the machine did not respond to his touch.

"Great Scott!" he cried. "That one bullet must have put us out of commission. We'll have to go down, or be shot to pieces up here."

Gently the little craft glided toward the earth; and now the boys could make out the objects below.

On all sides, stretching out as far as the eye could see, was a mighty mass of moving men.

"Germans?" asked Chester anxiously.

"We'll soon see," replied Hal briefly.

It was apparent now that those below, realizing that the aircraft was falling, would not fire at it again. With upturned eyes thousands of men watched the flight of the little plane, as it soared down among them.

Hal looked closely at the men, as the machine drew near the ground, and then exclaimed:

"No, they are not Germans; Russians, that's what they are."

Chester raised a feeble cheer.

"Hurrah!" he shouted.

Marquis, aroused by the sound of the lad's voices, arose and stretched. Even he seemed pleased.

And now the aeroplane bumped the ground, and the lads stepped out to see a long line of rifle barrels confronting them.

The lads threw up their hands instantly, but Marquis's back bristled and he growled threateningly.

"Keep quiet!" Chester commanded, and the dog grew still. An officer approached the lads.

"What do you here?" he demanded, in some language the lads could not understand.

The lads shook their heads, and the officer tried again, this time in German.

"What do you here?" he demanded.

As briefly as possible, Hal, acting as spokesman, explained. The officer's incredulous gaze grew more so as the lad went on with his story. When the lad had finished, he said simply:

"I don't believe you!"

Hal was angry in a second. He took a step toward the officer.

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded.

The officer stood his ground.

"Just what I say," he replied. "I don't believe you. The tale you tell is impossible."

Chester stepped into the breach. He took Hal by the arm.

"Of course such a tale is hard to believe," he said. "But, nevertheless, it is true. We carry an important message for the Grand Duke."

"Well," said the officer, "I don't think you will see him. He is too busy to give up his time to listen to such a tale as yours."

But at this moment a second officer, apparently the other's superior, approached. To him, upon request, Hal repeated his story. This officer also looked incredulous, but the result was different.

"You tell a very strange story," he said, "but it is not for me to pass upon its veracity. You shall be given an audience with the Grand Duke; but, mark me well, if it is found that you have been lying--that you have nothing of importance, it will go hard with you."

"We have no fear of that, sir," said Chester briefly.

"All right, then. Follow me."

The lads did as ordered, Marquis trailing along after them. Through thousands of rapidly-moving men the lads followed the officer, and at last, after more than an hour's walk, came to a stop, upon command, in front of a large, bewhiskered man, of imposing military stature.

"This," said the officer who had conducted them, "is Grand Duke Nicholas."

The officer looked down on them.

"What is it?" he demanded gruffly.

The officer repeated the story the boys had told him. The Grand Duke grew greatly interested as the story progressed, and, when the message was mentioned, he interrupted.

"Enough," he said. "I have been expecting such a message." He turned to the two lads. "Do you bear it?" he asked.

Hal bowed in assent.

"Then give it to me!" he cried eagerly.

Chester reached in his pocket, and a moment more the Grand Duke eagerly clutched the paper the lad handed him--a paper they had gone through so much to deliver.

The Grand Duke read the message through twice, sitting on his horse without a move, his face a perfect blank. Then he thrust it into his pocket and turned once more to the two lads.

"You have done well," he said. "Captain, you will see that they are brought to my quarters to-night at eight o'clock. I desire to question them. In the meantime, see that they are fed and clothed properly, for it is very cold."

The officer saluted, and the Grand Duke rode away, closely followed by the members of his staff. At a sign from the officer in whose charge they had been left, the lads followed him.

Toward the rear of the army they continued their way, coming at last upon a row of tents. Into one of these the officer led the way, the lads and the dog following him.

Here the officer quickly set out food, and the boys fell to with a will, for it was a long time since a morsel had passed their lips. Then, having satisfied their appetites, they informed the officer that they would like to rest.

The officer nodded, and showed them into another tent, where two bunks had been prepared. With a word of thanks, the boys climbed in, and the officer left them alone.

"Well," said Chester, "we have accomplished our mission successfully. What are we going to do now?"

"I have been thinking," Hal replied, "of how life on this side of the war arena would go."

"You mean stay here and not return to France?" asked Chester.

"Exactly. I have read that the Russian Cossacks are terrible fighters. I would like to see some of them in action."

"And so would I," declared Chester.

"All right," said Hal. "Then, if you are agreeable, when we see the Grand Duke to-night, I shall ask him if he cannot arrange to assign us to duties with the Russian army."

In another moment the two lads, tired out, were fast asleep, with Marquis on guard.