CHAPTER III.
THE MOB.
Hal sat up and passed his right hand gently over his head.
"Quite a bump," he muttered to himself. "What a fool I was not to havebeen prepared for that ruse. Well, I'll know better next time."
The lad pulled himself to his feet and gazed in the direction in whichthe other had disappeared. He made as if to move after him, and thenchanged his mind.
"Not much chance of finding him now, I guess," he muttered.
He turned on his heel, and then, for the first time, his eyes fell uponChester's prostrate form.
"So he got you, too, eh?" he said to himself.
He hurried forward and bent over his chum. At the same moment Chesteropened his eyes and smiled up at him feebly.
"Hello," he said; "where's our friend?"
"Gone," replied Hal briefly, raising Chester's head to his knee. "How doyou feel?"
"A little rocky, and that's a fact," was the reply.
"What did he bump you over with--gun?"
"No; fist."
"I don't see any marks."
"I feel 'em," said Chester, rubbing his chin ruefully. "He landed anuppercut that was a beauty."
"I am glad you are well enough to appreciate it," said Hal, with a slightsmile. "He was big enough to have put you out for keeps."
"I'm not to be gotten rid of so easily," returned Chester. "Help me up."
Hal lent a supporting hand and Chester struggled to his feet.
"Dizzy?" queried Hal.
"A little," was the reply. "I'll be all right in a minute, though."
He shook his head several times and at last appeared to have gotten ridof the effects of the blow. He threw off Hal's hand.
"Well, what now?" he asked.
Hal hesitated.
"I hate to see that fellow get away," he said finally. "He probably hasstolen important information."
"I guess there is not much doubt of that," replied Chester, "but Rome isa pretty sizeable town. A slim chance we have of finding him."
"I'd know him if I see him," said Hal
"So will I. Did you notice the scar across his face?"
"Yes; that's why I say I would know him any place. What do you suppose itwas he stole?"
"A paper of some kind; I saw that. Probably has to do with troopmovements or something of the sort. You remember he stole it from anarmy officer."
"Yes; which reminds me that he also disposed of said army officer withoutmuch trouble. The last I saw of him he was floundering about on theground in the midst of the crowd."
"Let's go back and have a look for him."
"Good; come on."
The boys turned and retraced their steps. Rounding a corner they cameagain within sight of the palace.
"Crowd still there," Hal commented briefly.
It was true. The crowd seemed to have grown rather than to havediminished.
"Something must have happened while we were gone," said Chester. "Hearthem yell."
"I guess it means war," was Hal's quiet response. "Well, I'm glad."
"And so am I. This German business should be settled without muchtrouble now."
"Don't you believe it. The Kaiser is good for a long, hard fight yet."
They pushed their way through the crowd. Suddenly they came to a stop,their further progress being barred by a solid mass of humanity directlyin front of them, Hal took Chester by the arm.
"Let's see what is going on here," he said.
By dint of hard pushing and shoving they worked their way graduallythrough the crowd.
"As I live, it's our friend the army officer," ejaculated Hal.
"So it is," agreed Chester, "and he seems to be rather excited. Look athim waving his arms about."
Surrounded by a curious crowd, the officer referred to was declaimingeloquently. It was plain from the attitude of the crowd, however, that hewasn't making himself plain.
"He's too excited to talk coherently," said Hal. "Maybe we can help himout a bit. Let's get through the rest of this gang."
He put his elbows in front of him, and closely followed by Chester, threwhis weight upon the mass of humanity in front. The crowd parted, and thelads pushed their way through, unheeding the protests their rough methodscalled forth. They stopped beside the still excited officer.
"Signor--" began Hal, but the officer paid no attention to him, andcontinued to wave his arms violently about.
"You can't get his attention that way," said Chester. "Let me try."
He grasped the Italian officer roughly by the arm and whirled him about.
Immediately the latter's arms ceased their violent gesticulations and heturned an angry face upon Chester.
"How dare you lay your hands upon an officer of the king?" he demanded ina harsh voice.
His hand dropped to his holster.
"Here! Here!" exclaimed Hal. "Hold your horses now and don't get excited.We've come to tell you something about that paper you lost."
"Ah!" cried the Italian. "So you have it, eh? Give it to me!"
He held out a hand expectantly.
"No, we haven't it," replied Hal, "but--"
"Give me the paper!" cried the officer, his voice becoming shrillwith anger.
"I tell you we haven't the paper," said Hal.
"That's a lie!" shouted the Italian. "You knocked me down and stolethe paper."
He clutched Hal by the arm.
"Let go of me," said the lad angrily. "We are trying to help you and--"
The Italian officer now suddenly drew his revolver, and pointed itsquarely at Hal.
"Give me the paper or I shall shoot," he said more quietly.
He staggered suddenly backward and the revolver dropped to the groundwith a clatter. The Italian wheeled and confronted the angry face ofChester, who had struck up the weapon.
"What's the matter with you? Can't you see we are trying to help you?"demanded Chester.
At this point there came a diversion. Members of the crowd who hadwitnessed the dispute between the officer and the two lads suddenly setup a cry of "spies."
Others behind them took it up.
"Spies! Spies!" a hundred voices rang out.
The crowd surged in about them.
Hal gave one quick look about, and then said quietly to Chester:
"We are in for it now, old man. We'll have to make a break for it."
"All right," said Chester grimly. "Lead the way."
Once more the Italian officer stretched forth a detaining hand, but thistime Hal wasted no time in explanation. He struck out straight from theshoulder, and the officer toppled to the ground.
"Second fall for him to-day," muttered Hal between his teeth.
He felt Chester's arm press his elbow.
"Come on," he said.
Side by side the lads stepped forward in the very faces of the mob thatbarred their path, and for a moment the crowd gave back. Then one man,bolder than the rest, sprang forward and sought to clutch Chester's arm.The lad's fist met him half way and he dropped silently to the ground.
An angry roar went up from the crowd.
Chester's hand dropped to his pocket. Hal perceived the motion andcried out:
"No guns, Chester!"
Chester realized the soundness of the warning and his revolver remainedwhere it was.
Two of the crowd sprang forward together, but Hal and Chester, with theirgreater strength and reach, disposed of them easily. A blow from behindlanded on Chester's neck and he staggered forward. He recovered himselfin a moment, however, and shouted.
"Rush 'em, Hal!"
The latter also realized that to stand still and fight gave the crowdbehind too great an opening and he obeyed Chester's injunction. At thesame moment both sprang forward, and the crowd opened before them.
Straight ahead they went, striking out right and left, but rushingforward as fast as possible all the time. Men fell on both sides ofthem beneath their heavy blows, and so far neither lad had received asevere jolt.
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At that moment, however, Hal felt a keen pain in his left arm. He glanceddown curiously and saw a tiny stream of red spout forth. His lips set ina thin line.
"Guns, Chester," he said quietly, halting in his tracks. "They areusing knives."
"Good," said Chester, also halting. "Back to back."
The lads whipped out their automatics simultaneously, and, back to back,confronted the crowd. Hal spoke.
"We are not spies," he shouted, "but we are not going to be killedwithout a fight. We are British army officers. Stand back!"
Before the threatening muzzles of the two automatics the crowd hesitated.Then, from directly ahead of Chester, a shot rang out. The lad heardsomething whiz past his head, and from beyond came a cry of pain.
"Shot one of his own number," muttered the lad.
His finger tightened on the trigger as he saw a man about to leap forwardregardless of the automatic.
"I'm going to shoot, Hal," he called.
"I guess it can't be helped," replied the lad quietly. "When I give theword turn loose on 'em, and then we'll make another break."
He hesitated a single instant and then called:
"Ready?"
"Ready!" came the reply.
"Then--" began Hal, and suddenly cried, "Wait!"
For at that moment the crowd in front of him suddenly began to scatter,and from beyond Hal made out a troop of Italian cavalry bearing down onthem with drawn sabers. Hal lowered his weapon and called out:
"It's all right, Chester!"