“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 butt 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 butts.  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.