“Not with this force.  And I should not dare to go so far without special orders,” said the officer.  “We could not charge the culvert, and, approaching it from this side, we should have to ride uphill.  But I am sure that when those in command know your story, a force will be sent to rescue Prince Boris.  Come with us now.  I will get you a horse if you are able to ride.  The Uhlans left some behind!”

Fred could ride, and said so.  And in a few minutes he was riding toward the fires that twinkled before them, side by side with the Russian officer, who was anxious to know all that Fred could tell him.

“That was splendid!” he cried enthusiastically when he heard how Fred had discovered the real purpose of the Germans by his ruse in pretending to be deaf and dumb.  “And it means, too, that we will get some real work to do here in this quarter.  I thought at first that the army in the north would get all the fighting.  We have been sitting here for nearly a week, doing nothing.  This is the first skirmish we have had, for our orders are not to bring on an action, but only to prevent the enemy from coming toward us if they show any sign of attacking.”

“If what I have heard is true, there will be an advance from this quarter soon,” said Fred.  “If the Germans are to be outflanked, it must be by the troops here.  And that ought to mean as much fighting as anyone could hope to get.”

“That is what we are looking for,” said the officer.  “But you—­you will be glad of a rest for a time, I should think!”

“I want to get my cousin back,” said Fred.  “It was hard to leave him.”

“It was the only thing to do.  You saved his life as well as your own by going.  And one who saves a Suvaroff does a fine thing for Russia in these days—­if this Boris is like the rest of the breed.”

“Oh, we have never known!” said Fred, suddenly remembering.  “Did General Suvaroff get back safely after he failed to catch General von Hindenburg?”

“He did!  He had less than a thousand men, and he rode for sixty miles or more through a whole German army!  He was intercepted but when he found a German brigade lined up in his path, instead of trying to circle around it, and so giving the Germans time to surround him, he cut right through it!” answered the officer, smiling.

“That was splendid!”

“I don’t think the war will show anything better!” said the Russian, with enthusiasm.  “He charged before the Germans knew that he was fairly upon them, and the whole fight lasted less than ten minutes.  Then our fellows were through and riding for our lines.  And the best of it was that not more than fifty of our saddles were emptied.  The Germans are wonderful fighters, I believe.  We shall have a hard time beating them.  But they fight too much by rule.  A German cavalry commander would have been brave enough to try to do that, but he would not have tried because he would have known that it was an unsound plan.”