“We want to get in.”

“You can’t get in,” returned Chester calmly.

There was a roar of laughter from without.

“Did you hear that?” said one.  “He says we can’t get in.”  The man called to Chester:  “And who is going to stop us?”

“You’ll find there are enough of us here for that purpose,” replied the lad evenly.  “I warn you we’ll shoot the next step forward you take.”

Again those without held a consultation and Chester could barely make out the trend of the conversation.

“Perhaps they are too many for us,” said one.

“Nonsense,” was the reply of another.  “He’s simply trying to frighten us away.  We’ll rush the two windows and the doors at the same time.  Some of us will get in.”

“All right.  Whatever you say—­”

“Come on then.”

The men split up suddenly into four separate bodies and rushed forward.

“Let ’em have it,” said Chester quietly.

His revolver spoke at the same moment as did that of Helen and two men stumbled as they ran.  One recovered himself instantly and came on, but the other pitched forward to the ground.

Colonel Anderson, at the rear door, remained at his post.  There was nothing he could do until the enemy attempted to force the door.

Ivan, however, stepped quickly from his place of concealment and standing erect in the doorway fired point blank at the four men who came dashing toward him.  One threw up his hands with a cry and a second muttered a fierce imprecation.  Ivan emptied his revolver and then dashed back to safety even as a fusillade was fired at him.  The Cossack was untouched.  He smiled grimly to himself.

“Not so bad,” he muttered.

He reloaded in haste and again stepped into the open.  The men before his post, the three who remained upon their feet, were directly in front of the door and all fired simultaneously as Ivan showed himself.  The big Cossack felt a stinging sensation in his left arm, but he did not pause to investigate the wound.

Again he raised his weapon quickly and fired its contents toward his foes.  But Ivan’s aim was poor—­or he had fired without aiming—­for not a bullet went home.  Again Ivan dodged back just in time.

The men who had advanced toward the two windows had been driven off by Helen and Chester.  Two of their number lay on the ground and two of the others were nursing wounded arms.  Out of revolver-shot they stopped and discussed the situation.

In the rear, the men who had attacked there were even now knocking at the door with their revolver butts.  Chester heard Colonel Anderson’s voice: 

“Get away from there, or I shall fire through the door.”

There came a loud report and Chester believed for a moment the colonel had been as good as his word.  But he was soon undeceived.

“They’ve blown the lock off the door,” cried the colonel.  “Guess they’ll try to rush me now.”