“And no wonder,” replied Chester.  “It must have been a terrible day for you.”

“It has indeed,” said the girl weakly.

Chester sprang toward her quickly and took her gently by the arms, just as it seemed she would fall over in a faint.  He seated her in a chair, and poured her a glass of water from a pitcher on a nearby table.

After drinking the water the girl appeared refreshed.

“So foolish of me to get weak like that,” she said, smiling.

“It’s no wonder,” returned Chester.  “It’s just the reaction.  You’ll be all right in a minute or two.”

The lad was a good prophet; and five minutes later Helen was talking and laughing vivaciously.  All four were having a good time, when Chester’s ears caught a faint sound from without.

The lad paused as he was about to say something in reply to one of Helen’s questions and listened intently.

“What’s the matter?” asked Helen.

“Oh, nothing,” said Chester, and continued his remarks.

A few moments later, however, he arose, and asking to be excused for a moment, stepped toward the door which Ivan had broken to permit their entrance; just beyond he caught sight of a dark shadow.

“As I thought,” he muttered.  “They have come back.”

He returned to the door of the parlor and summoned the big Cossack.

“Oh, Ivan,” he called.  “Come out here a minute.”

The Cossack came up to him and Chester led him toward the door.

“What can you see out there?” he asked.

Ivan poked his head out and looked around.

“Ho!” he exclaimed suddenly and leaped out.

A moment later Chester heard the sound of a brief struggle and then Ivan reappeared dragging a man after him.

“I’ve got him,” said the giant, laughing loudly.

The laughter attracted the attention of Helen and Colonel Anderson, who came from the parlor to learn the cause of it.

Helen gave a cry of fear as her eyes fell upon Ivan’s prisoner.

“Who is he?” she exclaimed.

“Oh, just some fellow who was spooking around outside,” replied Chester.

But Helen was not to be fooled thus easily.

“It is one of the Bulgarians who were here this afternoon,” she cried, and addressed the man in his own tongue.  Then she turned to the others.  “He says the others are coming,” she cried.  “He came on ahead of them.”

“Oh, is that so?” said Chester quietly.  “Well, they’ll have a different reception this time.”

He told the others what the girl had learned.

Colonel Anderson received the news quietly.

“We’ll be ready for them,” he said.

But Ivan was not so calm when he heard what Helen had told Chester.

“So there is going to be a fight at last, eh?” he cried in a loud voice.  “What are a dozen or so of these Bulgarians?  I know them of old.  Cowards and traitors all.  I have had an experience with more than one of them.  We are good for a dozen or two of them, if we can keep them in front of us.  Oh, yes, the Bulgarians are great fighters—­from behind.”