Two miles down the road, Hal was forced to stop by the presence in the road of a single man armed with a rifle, which he aimed straight at the car.

“What do you want?” demanded Hal, anxiously.

“You’ll have to get out,” was the man’s reply.  “I have orders to let no one pass.”

Helen looked at Hal hopelessly and the lad was moved to action.

Gently he stirred the Colonel with his toe as he commanded under his breath: 

“Speak for us or I’ll put a bullet through you.”

The officer did as commanded.

“Why are you barring our way?” he demanded in a harsh voice.

“Orders, sir,” was the reply.

“Do you know who I am?”

“No, sir, and it will make no difference.”

This conversation was put to an end in a sudden and unexpected manner.

Anthony Stubbs rose in his place.

“Will you permit us to proceed?” he demanded.

The man in the road shook his head.

“All right,” said Stubbs.

He climbed to the front seat, and before any one could realize what he was up to, sprang head-first at the Bulgarian.

CHAPTER XXX.

“Greater Love hath no man.”

Stubbs’ action was so entirely unexpected that for a moment the other occupants of the automobile were stunned.  Then Hal and Chester leaped to their feet, as did Nikol, Ivan and Colonel Anderson.

“Little man’s gone off his head,” muttered Ivan, as he leaped from the car to go to Stubbs’ assistance.

Stubbs, in his headlong leap, struck exactly where he had intended—­right upon the Bulgarian’s shoulders, and the force of the impact bore the man to the ground.  Again, the action was so unexpected that the man did not have time to discharge his rifle.

As the soldier went to the ground beneath his weight, Stubbs’ hands gripped him by the throat and he squeezed as hard as his weak muscles would permit.

But the Bulgarian had recovered himself now and hurled Stubbs to one side.  He pulled himself to his feet, and with an angry growl, half raised his rifle.

It was at that moment that Ivan, quicker than the others, seized the rifle in his two hands.  He gave a quick twist and jerked the weapon from the hands of his opponent.  The latter staggered back and his hand dropped to his belt.  But before he could draw a revolver, Ivan had raised his newly won rifle and brought it down on the Bulgarian’s head.  The man dropped inert without a sound.

Then Ivan picked Stubbs up bodily, deposited him in the tonneau of the car and climbed in himself.

“We’d better get away from here,” he said.

Quickly Hal resumed his seat and threw off the clutch.  The automobile dashed forward again.

Ivan turned to Stubbs.

“Why all this bloodthirstiness, Mr. Stubbs?” he demanded in surprise.