"Whom have you there?" demanded the Grand Duke, looking at the prisoner.

"Brunnoi, sir," replied Hal calmly.

"What!" cried the Grand Duke, springing to his feet. "Is this the bandit chief?"

"It is, sir," replied Chester.

"I am Brunnoi," said the bandit calmly. "You have me. What will you do with me?"

"You shall be shot in the morning!" cried the Grand Duke angrily.

Brunnoi smiled.

"I fear you are mistaken," he said quietly.

The Grand Duke grew very angry.

"You shall be shot at eight o'clock," he said very quietly. "You have already caused me much trouble. I can't afford to let you escape."

He summoned a guard of an officer and ten men, and turned the bandit chief over to them, with orders that he be shot in the morning at eight o'clock.

As Brunnoi was led by the three lads, he smiled at them.

"I will see you later," he said calmly.

The Grand Duke thanked the lads for their important capture, and then, with Alexis, they made their way to the house where Marquis was waiting for them. They were given connecting rooms and were soon in bed.

Tired out they slept heavily. Therefore, while they had expected to arise before eight o'clock, nine found them still sleeping. They were awakened at last, however, by the sounds of a commotion in the adjoining room.

The two lads sat up in bed and listened intently. Heavy footsteps tramped toward their door and it was thrown open with a quick jerk.

Hal and Chester uttered exclamations of surprise. Confronting them, in the doorway, was the smiling face of Brunnoi, who was to have been put to death an hour before. In his hand he held two revolvers, covering the lads.

"You see I have kept my word," he said. "I was not shot."

"How did you escape?" demanded Hal, asking the only question he could think of at that moment.

"Never mind that," replied the bandit. "Get your clothes on quickly, and come with me."

Under the muzzles of the two revolvers, the lads dressed hurriedly. The presence of Alexis in the adjoining room--the giant lying completely covered up by bed clothes--pa.s.sed unnoticed. But Alexis, beneath his covering, heard what was going on and understood.

"Go out ahead of me," ordered Brunnoi.

He dropped his two revolvers into side pockets, but kept his fingers on the trigger of each.

"One false move and I'll drop you," he said quietly. "Now, march!"

Slowly the lads left the room, and Brunnoi followed them; but hardly had they disappeared through the door, when Alexis bounded out of bed and silently followed.

At the outside door, Brunnoi stepped back to allow his captives to pa.s.s out first. For an instant he was off his guard. It was Alexis'

opportunity and he leaped suddenly forward.

Brunnoi heard the sound of the giant's footsteps. He turned quickly, and drew his revolvers, but the Cossack's leap was too quick. With a single movement he sent both of the weapons from the bandit's hands, and reached out to seize him.

Brunnoi was as slippery as an eel. He eluded Alexis' grasp and darted through the door. Now without weapons, he took to his heels.

Hal perceived the flying apparition, and reached out a hand to detain him. He clutched the flowing white beard of the bandit chief--and the beard came away in his hand. Brunnoi fled down the steps and made good his escape, Hal being too surprised to move.

Chester and Alexis were equally as astonished.

"Well, what do you think of that?" demanded Chester, in great surprise.

"A false beard! But I wonder how he escaped from the firing squad."

"It's too deep for me," Hal admitted. "But we had better report this to the Grand Duke."

Together they made their way to the quarters of the commander-in-chief.

The latter listened to their story with interest.

"I have just learned of Brunnoi's escape from the firing squad," he said when they had finished their account of their experience with the bandit chief. "Count de Reslau, being a Hungarian himself, was greatly interested in this Brunnoi. He asked me for a pa.s.s to see him, I granted this request. The guards saw the count leave the tent after a few moments' conversation. But when they went in to lead Brunnoi forth to execution, he was gone, and another man was there in his stead. He had exchanged places with Brunnoi."

"Have you perfect confidence in Count de Reslau, Your Excellency?" asked Hal.

"Absolute confidence," replied the Grand Duke. "Why?"

"No particular reason," replied the lad.

At this moment Count de Reslau himself entered the tent.

"I hear Brunnoi has escaped," was his first remark to the Grand Duke.

"Unfortunately, that is true," replied the Russian commander.

"Strange," said the count. "When I talked to him a couple of hours ago he seemed resigned to his fate."

"But," said the Grand Duke, "he paid these lads a visit soon after his escape. Following a struggle, he again got away."

The count glanced at the lads incredulously.

"Has it ever occurred to Your Excellency," he said quietly, "that these two lads may know more about Brunnoi than they care to admit?"

"What!" exclaimed the Grand Duke.

Hal took a quick step forward.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked calmly.

"You know what I mean," replied the count with a sneer.

He turned again to the Grand Duke. "Has it never occurred to you, Your Excellency, that these boys may be a.s.sociated with the bandit--that they may have been leading you on."