Without awaiting a reply, he crossed to the window.

“A hand up, Uncle John,” he said quietly.

The latter hurried to his side, and making a step of his uncle’s hand, Chester pulled himself up.  A moment later he disappeared.

“I’ll be the other,” declared Colonel Anderson and started toward the window.  Hal stretched out a hand and detained him.

“No, I’ll go,” he said.

“You forget,” said Colonel Anderson, “that I am in command of this expedition, sir.  I command you to obey my orders.”

Hal stepped back.

“Very well,” he said slowly.

Uncle John gave the colonel a hand up, and then hurried to Hal’s side, and the two stood awaiting the word that would send them from their fiery retreat in a wild dash through the Austrian troops without.

Suddenly the sound came.  Hal heard it plainly—­Chester’s voice, raised in a shout in English.

“All right!  Go!”

With a low cry to Uncle John to follow him, Hal leaped through the scattered heap of chairs, over the table and dead bodies that almost blocked his progress, and into the open.  Uncle John was right behind him.

The way seemed clear and Hal’s heart beat with hope as he made out directly ahead of him the shadowy form of what he knew to be a body of horses.  He dashed toward them silently.

He seized a bridle of the first horse and tossed it to Uncle John, who leaped quickly to the saddle, and waited a moment for Hal.  The lad was astride a second horse a moment later and whirling the animals quickly, they urged them forward in the darkness at top speed.

At that moment a form blocked their way.

With a quick movement Hal whipped out his automatic, and without pausing to take aim, fired.  The bullet went true, and the man toppled to one side even as Hal’s horse would have trampled him under foot.

There came a loud cry from behind and Hal realized that their ruse had been discovered.

“Hurry,” he called to Uncle John.

A volley of bullets was sent after the flying horsemen by the Austrians, who realized for the first time that two of their quarry were about to escape.

“Mount and after them,” came a hoarse Austrian command.

Half a dozen troopers made a rush for their horses, while as many more dropped to their knees, levelled their rifles and fired into the darkness where the fugitives had been a moment before.

But the darkness was a blessing to the two fugitives.  The Austrians were aiming by mere guess and neither rider was touched.

Hal began to breathe easier.  He checked the pace a trifle, as he realized that Uncle John was lagging a little behind, his horse, apparently, not being as fresh or as swift as the one the lad bestrode.

And now the boy caught the sound of hoofbeats hurrying after them.

“Hurry, Uncle John!” he called anxiously.  “They are after us.”