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"Wait!" cried the lad, who had been doing some quick thinking. "Your name is Ivan Vergoff and you are a Cossack?" The big man paused suddenly and glanced about him. "Yes!" he shouted. "What of it?" "Only," replied Hal quietly, "that I bring you word of your brother, Alexis!" The big man paused and turned an enquiring eye upon Hal, whom he could dimly perceive in the darkness. "Alexis!" he echoed.

Hal rose, as did the others, as the Bulgarian swept into the room. "Who are you?" demanded the officer in a harsh voice. "Hal Paine, an American," replied the lad, and indicated the others after this fashion: "Chester Crawford, also an American; Harry Anderson, an American; Nikol, an Albanian, the servant there of Anthony Stubbs, American war correspondent; Ivan Vergoff, also an Albanian."

"Hm-m-m," muttered the Bulgarian. "You have quite a fluent tongue, young man. And what are you doing here?" "Three of us," said Hal, indicating Chester, Colonel Anderson and himself, "were looking about Montenegro when the war broke out. We have been there since, lending what aid we could to the wounded. There we encountered Ivan Vergoff, who, for some reason, became attached to us.

"Ivan Vergoff, the greatest of the Cossacks, attacked by this puny pygmy." Hal had now approached close enough to see the gigantic figure of Nikol's antagonist and to witness the struggle. The giant had stooped over and seized Nikol by one arm. He pulled, but the dwarf, his feet firmly planted on the ground, did not budge.

There came a sudden startled cry from ahead and then a great, boisterous laugh. "Ho! Ho!" exclaimed a voice in French. "Look what has attacked Ivan Vergoff." For some reason that he could not explain, Hal left his place of concealment and moved toward the combatants. The others followed him. "Ho! Ho!" came the great voice again.

"I'm here and Hal is some place between here and Belgrade, I expect. Now will you tell me who you are?" "I am Helen Ellison of St. Louis," replied the girl, extending her hand. Chester took the hand and turned to the others. "Allow me to present my friends to you," he said quietly. "Colonel Anderson, of His British Majesty's service." Colonel Anderson bowed. "And Ivan Vergoff," this in French.