“Well, I think I shall stay,” said Fred.

“No,” said Ivan.  “Listen!  If you go now, quickly, you can get away in the car.  Here is the road you must follow.”  He took a map and pointed.  “See—­swing west first, and then south—­far south.  So you will be safe from the Germans, for they have abandoned that section except for the railway from Insterberg to Liok.  That is guarded, but thinly.  In the car are two long coats such as the German officers wear, and two helmets.  They are under the rear seat.  Put those on, and you will pass most of their sentries, if you should encounter them.”

“If he says we must go, we must do it,” said Boris, quickly.  “I should like to stay, too, Fred, but he is right.  We can do no good here, and if you are caught it will be very bad.  It would not matter with me, for they would only treat me as a prisoner.”

Fred was still unwilling.  He had not Boris’s Russian readiness to accept whatever came, but there was something about Ivan that convinced him that argument would be useless.

“Go now,” said Ivan, “and God go with you!  I will see to it that Vladimir and the others follow.”

And so Fred went through the tunnel again, this time with Boris.  He wondered if he would ever see this place again.

CHAPTER XV

A DASH THROUGH THE NIGHT

Both boys were startled when they reached the open air again to observe how the din of the battle to the east had increased.  They paused for a moment to stare at one another.

“That is real war,” said Boris.  “Not like the skirmish here when the Cossacks came.”

“The Germans are giving way on purpose, of course, if Ivan is right—­and it seems to me he must be,” said Fred.  “I am afraid to think of what will happen to him.”

“I do not like to think of it, either,” said Boris, “but it is fate.  He has his work to do, and it is all for Russia—­for God and the Czar!  I have always been taught that we can die only once, and that it is a holy thing to die for Russia.”

“Yes, but it is better to live for Russia than to die for her, if it is possible,” said Fred.  “Come!  We have no time to lose, I suppose.”

They approached the car in a death-like silence.  It was still where Fred had left it.  There was a little delay in the start.  Both Fred and Boris had driven cars, but they were not familiar with this one, and it seemed a good idea to learn the controls before they started.  But in a few moments they were off.  The car rode easily, and the motor was very powerful.  It was a silent one, too, considering its great power.  Fred took the wheel first.

“We can take it in turns,” he said.  “Get some sleep, if you can, Boris.  I’ll rouse you if there is any need of that.  And I’ll be glad to rest myself, after a time.  Just now I’m too excited to sleep, even if there were no especial reason for keeping awake.”