Men sprang up on all sides now; and it seemed impossible that the four could escape.  But fortune favored them.

Swerving suddenly again, Hal, who was in the lead, stopped short, and uttered a cry of pure dismay.  The way ahead was blocked.  There seemed no way out; and then Chester cried: 

“An aeroplane hangar!”

It was true.  Fortune had guided their footsteps to possibly the only place in the whole Austrian camp where there was a chance of escape.

Hal wasted no time.  Rapidly he mounted the hangar, the others following him closely.  The lad uttered a short prayer as he climbed and then gave a great sigh of relief.  He had feared there would be no air craft there, but, and Hal cried his relief aloud, there was.

He glanced at the machine quickly and uttered another cry of joy as he made out that the craft was exceptionally large, capable of seating at least ten men, and the additional fact that it was a self starter.

“Climb in quick!” he shouted, leaping into the pilot’s seat and taking the wheel.

The others followed this command with all despatch, and Chester took his place at the motor.

“Let ’er go, Chester!” shouted Hal.

There came a faint buzz at first, followed by a louder noise as the motor began to whir; there was the sound of the whizzing propellers, and the machine shot from the hangar with a lurch.

And at the same moment there came from all sides volleys of rifle and pistol shots.  Chester felt a sharp tinge in his left arm, and Hal felt the breeze of a bullet as it flew by his ear.  Colonel Anderson was untouched, but Stubbs sent up a howl of anguish.

“I’m shot!” he cried and started to his feet.

The machine rocked crazily as he attempted to rise and Colonel Anderson reached quickly up and seized him by the arm.

“Sit down, you fool!” he commanded.  “Do you want to spill us all out?”

Hal threw over the elevating lever and the huge air craft soared into the sky.  And not until they had reached an altitude of a thousand feet did Hal straighten the machine out for a level flight.

Then he slowed down a moment to take stock of injuries.

“Hit, Colonel Anderson?” he asked.

“No,” was the reply.

“You, Chester?”

“Scratch, I guess,” answered Chester.  “Bullet touched me on the arm.  Doesn’t amount to much.”

“Stubbs?” queried Hal.

“I’m killed!” exclaimed the little man, and there was the trace of a quaver in his voice.  “Shot through the heart.”

“Nonsense!” exclaimed Hal.  “If you had been shot through the heart you wouldn’t be talking about it now.”

“But I was,” protested Stubbs.

“Look him over, Colonel Anderson,” instructed Hal.  “If it’s as bad as all that, throw him out.  We can’t be bothered with excess now.”

“No!  No!  I’m all right!” declared Stubbs, drawing away as Colonel Anderson extended an exploring hand.  “I don’t think the bullet touched me.”