"Stun them with your rifle butts, my lads!" he cried to his soldiers.
"Take the spies alive!"
Reversing their weapons, the two soldiers strode forward. As one raised
his rifle preparatory to bringing it down upon his head, Chester leaped
forward between them, thinking to take the officer, who stood behind
them, unprepared, and cut him down.
But, even as he stepped forward, the officer's revolver spoke, and
Chester fell to the floor with a groan, a bullet in his chest. But, at
that instant, and before the officer could fire again, Hal, who also had
avoided the attack of the two soldiers, sprang forward and aimed a
slashing blow at the officer.
The latter warded off the blow with his arm, but one of his pistols was
sent flying from his grasp. As he raised his other revolver, his arm
was suddenly seized from behind, and Edna attempted to wrench the
revolver from him. He turned on her, and as he did so the revolver came
away in her hand.
Pointing the weapon straight at the officer, the girl pulled the trigger;
but the revolver missed fire. Stepping back, as the officer advanced, the
girl grasped the pistol by the muzzle and hurled it squarely in his face.
With blood gushing from his mouth and nose, the man fell to the floor.
In the meantime Hal had turned swiftly once more to face the second
attack of the two soldiers. As they again raised their rifles to strike
him down, he leaped between them, thrusting with his sword.
Pierced through the shoulder, one of the soldiers threw up his arm and
staggered back.
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