The Boy Allies in Great Peril; Or, With the Italian Army in the Alps

E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Project Gutenberg Beginners Projects,
Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Or, With the Italian Army in the Alps
Author of The Boy Allies at Liege, The Boy Allies on the Firing Line. The Boy Allies with the Cossacks, The Boy Allies in the Trenches.
1916
Did you ever see such a mob, Hal?
The speaker was an American lad of some seventeen years of age. He stopped in his walk as he spoke and grasped his companion by the arm. The latter allowed his gaze to rove over the thousands upon thousands of people who thronged the approach to the king's palace at Rome, before he replied:
Some mob, Chester; some mob.
Looks like a real army could be recruited from this bunch, continued the first speaker.
Rather, agreed the other. And unless I am mightily mistaken that is what will be done. Most of them are soldiers anyhow, you know.
True. I had forgotten we were in Italy, where military service is compulsory. Then you think that Italy has at last decided to enter the war?
I certainly do. The Chamber of Deputies has done its best to keep Italy from becoming involved, but the voice of the people must be heeded sooner or later. I believe the time has come.