Transcriber’s Notes: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. * * * * * By Worthington Green TWO AMERICAN BOYS IN THE WAR ZONE. Illustrated. THE BOY FUGITIVES IN MEXICO. Illustrated. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON AND NEW YORK * * * * * TWO AMERICAN BOYS IN THE WAR ZONE * * * * * [Illustration: STOP, RAY! THEY’RE GOING TO SHOOT!] TWO AMERICAN BOYS IN THE WAR ZONE BY L. WORTHINGTON GREEN WITH ILLUSTRATIONS [Illustration] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1915 * * * * * COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY L. WORTHINGTON GREEN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _Published October 1915_ * * * * * TO GLADYS WHOSE OWN WORK SERVES AS AN INSPIRATION * * * * * NOTE In writing this story the author has been indebted, for suggestions of local color, to George Kennan’s illuminating article in the _National Geographic Magazine_, “An Island in the Sea of History,” to Stephen Graham’s fascinating book, _A Vagabond in the Caucasus_, and to Ruth Kedzie Wood’s excellent guide, _The Tourist’s Russia_. CONTENTS I. THE JOURNEY TO RUSSIA 1 II. THE ARREST 14 III. THE FLIGHT DOWN THE VOLGA 26 IV. AN INVOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE RUSSIAN ARMY 39 V. NIGHT PROWLERS 53 VI. A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER 64 VII. A LESGHIAN JAIL 75 VIII. AN ESCAPE 86 IX. A CHASE 101 X. IN HIDING 112 XI. WITHOUT WATER 125 XII. RESTING 139 XIII. THEIR FIRST GAME 151 XIV. LESGHIAN HOSPITALITY 162 XV. A BLOCKADE 176 XVI. SNOWED UNDER 188 XVII. AN ARCTIC CAMP 199 XVIII. FROM MIDWINTER TO MIDSUMMER 211 XIX. GOOD-BYE TO RUSSIA 224 XX. A GREAT DISASTER 240 XXI. CASTAWAYS 256 XXII. A RESCUE 270 * * * * * TWO AMERICAN BOYS IN THE WAR ZONE CHAPTER I THE JOURNEY TO RUSSIA After the Porter brothers, Sidney and Raymond, had escaped from Mexico in their flight from Mexican rebels, they proceeded as rapidly as possible to their El Paso home. There they found their father, who had succeeded, several weeks before, in reaching El Paso from Chihuahua. Mrs. Porter declared that the boys should then remain at home, at least until they had ceased to be boys. She said that her nerves were not equal to another such strain as they had endured while the boys were in the wilds of Mexico, and that she would have no more wandering in dangerous foreign lands.