Without pausing in his stride, Frank raised his own revolver and fired around Jack's side. The Russian dropped. Jack pulled up before the door. "Pull it open!" cried Frank. Jack laid hold of the knob and pulled. The door did not budge. "Hurry!" cried Frank. Came the sounds of running footsteps from behind, loud cries and shouts. Again Jack wrenched at the knob, and it came away in his fingers. Jack looked at the knob in dismay. "It's broken," he cried. At that moment the first Russian hove in sight. He saw the lads at the same moment Frank perceived him. Both raised their revolvers simultaneously, but Frank was the first to fire. "Blow the lock off the door!" cried Frank. "I'll hold 'em back." Jack placed the muzzle of his revolver to the lock and pulled the trigger. Still the door would not open. A second Russian came into sight in the rear. Again Frank fired with excellent result. "Open the door!" he cried to Jack. "It won't open," Jack shouted back. "Blow the lock off!" "It didn't come off!" "Try it again!" Jack did so; and still the door refused to budge. "Guess I don't hit it in the right place," he said quietly. "Well, turn around here and do a little shooting," said Frank. "Here they come. They'll try to rush us." "We should be able to hold them," replied Jack cheerfully. He fell to one knee, and holding one revolver in his left hand by his side, rested his right elbow on his right knee. Two Russians appeared around the corner at the same moment. Crack! Crack! Just two shots and the Russians toppled over. A second pair met the same fate. Another man did not appear. "You guard this end a moment and I'll have a try at the door," said Frank. Jack nodded. Frank placed his revolver against the lock and fired. Immediately the lad swung the door open. "Fire a couple of shots to hold them back," he cried. He suited the action to the word and Jack followed suit. Then both lads sprang through the open door into the darkness. They ran down the narrow hall as fast as their legs would carry them. "Watch the steps!" cried Frank again. Jack pulled up at the edge of the stairs safely and they descended them rapidly. Footsteps from behind indicated that the Russians had discovered their absence and were in full chase again. Down the dark passageway ran the lads at full speed and at last came to the outside. Quickly they climbed the few steps to the street and ran down the thoroughfare. "Here's where we shall have to hustle," shouted Frank. "They can spread out here and pick us off. Double around the first corner." They did so and with better fortune than they could possibly have hoped for; for not a Russian emerged from the house while they were in sight. "Around the next corner, and the next and the next," shouted Frank. Jack obeyed; and after turning half-a-dozen corners the lads felt sure they had shaken off their pursuers.