CHAPTER III.
THE KING OF THE MONTENEGRINS.
With his hand upon Edwards' arm, Colonel Anderson approached Hal and Chester.
"I want you to meet my two young friends," he said.
Colonel Edwards shook hands with each lad in turn and then turned to Stubbs, who, during all this time, had been standing quietly, while he cast a critical eye upon the Montenegrin troopers who stood near.
"A likely looking bunch of men," he muttered to himself. "I'll bet they could give a good account of themselves in a—"
He faced about just in time to acknowledge Colonel Anderson's introduction to Colonel Edwards; then turned again to survey the mountaineers.
"Good fighters, these," he said to himself, "or I miss my guess."
"Now," said Hal to Colonel Edwards, "there is really no use of our standing here. I'd like to look up a place where I can turn in for a few winks. I'm dead tired and I imagine the rest of you are, too."
Chester seconded Hal's motion and Colonel Anderson admitted his own fatigue. Stubbs settled the matter.
"Where there are men there are beds," he said; "or at least cots, or pallets, or something. I'm going to find one."
He moved toward a row of tents in the distance.
"Hold on there," said Chester. "We're all going, Stubbs."
In the meantime Colonel Edwards had been holding a consultation with the
Montenegrin officer who had first accosted the friends.
"I am sure that if you vouch for them they are all right," said the
Montenegrin.
"Thanks," said Edwards. "Then, with your permission, I shall conduct them to my own quarters."
"And you may also make free with mine," said the other.
Again Colonel Edwards expressed his thanks, in which the others joined, and then he led the way toward the distant tents.
Fifteen minutes later the four friends were sleeping soundly, with never a care in the world, for it had been long since they had closed their eyes and they were completely worn out.
Darkness shrouded the small tent when Hal opened his eyes. It was several moments before the lad could gain his bearings, but when at last he realized just where he was he bethought himself of the others.
"Still sleeping, I guess," he said.
He arose, moved to the door of the tent and passed out. A steady rumbling sound fell upon his ears and Hal, momentarily, was unable to account for it. But the solution soon came to him.
"Troops moving," he told himself.
He was right. Walking some distance from the tent, he made out, probably half a mile away, the dark forms of many men as they marched swiftly on in the darkness, their figures lighted up ever and anon by the gleam of a flashlight. But the camp in which the lad stood was perfectly quiet.
"Now I wonder—" he muttered—gazed silently ahead a moment and then turned back toward the tent, saying to himself: "Guess I'll wake the others up."
Chester and Colonel Anderson were aroused without much trouble. Not so Stubbs.
"What's the matter?" came the little man's query, when Hal prodded him gently in the ribs with his foot.
"Time to get up," said Hal, briefly.
For a moment Stubbs opened his eyes and peered into the darkness—for Hal had made no light.
"Get up?" he exclaimed. "What! Anthony Stubbs get up in the middle of the night? Not much!"
"But we are going, Stubbs," said Hal. "We don't want to leave you here by yourself."
"Kind of you," said Stubbs sarcastically. "I can remember when you were not so solicitious of my welfare. Don't worry about me. I'll just sleep right along."
He turned over and a loud snore a few moments later told that he was again in the land of dreams.
Again Hal prodded him with his foot.
"Stubbs! I say, Stubbs!" he called.
Directly Stubbs opened his eyes.
"And what's the matter this time?" he demanded aggrievedly.
"Hurry!" Hal exclaimed, thinking to get the little man up by a ruse. "The
Austrians are coming."
"Run, then!" replied Stubbs. "I'll hide here. They won't bother me."
"Now listen here, Stubs," said Chester, "just when do you want to get up?"
Again Stubbs allowed his eyes to open and he peered into the darkness sleepily.
"What day is this?" he inquired mildly.
"Tuesday," replied Chester; "but what—"
"Then call me Saturday," said the little man gently, and closed his eyes in sleep once more.
"Ha! Ha!" laughed Colonel Anderson. "He had you there, Chester."
Chester appeared somewhat flustered.
"Well, he'll have to get up out of there," he said wrathfully.
"Oh, come on and let him be, Chester," said Hal. "I guess nothing will hurt him. We'll be back by daylight and I'll venture to say we will find him here, still snoring."
"Well, all right," Chester agreed at length; "but to tell you the truth,
I don't just like that answer he gave me."
The three left the tent and Hal led the way toward where he had so recently perceived the passing troops.
Infantry, cavalry and artillery were still passing in dense masses, moving westward.
"I wonder where they are going?" said Chester.
"To the front, I suppose," replied Hal.
"Now do you really suppose they are?" asked Chester sarcastically. "I thought perhaps they were on dress parade. Say, just where are we anyhow? Do either of you know?"
"By Jove!" exclaimed Colonel Anderson. "I meant to ask Edwards, but I forgot all about it. He told us, you remember, he would be in the tent on our left. We'll go back and have him out. Perhaps we can learn a few things."
"Suits me," Hal agreed. "We can't see anything here but troops, and we have seen too many of them to be much interested. Come on."
Fifteen minutes later found them seated in the tent Colonel Edwards had commandeered for his temporary headquarters and the colonel himself doing the talking.
"You are perhaps fifteen miles northwest of Cettinje, the capital of
Montenegro," he explained.
"And where are these troops going?" asked Hal.
"Reinforcements to the Austrian front," said Colonel Edwards. "Also some of them, can they be spared, will be rushed to the aid of the Serbians, who, from all accounts, are being sorely pressed by the new German offensive."
"New German offensive?" exclaimed Hal.
"Why, yes. Haven't you heard of it?"
"No. Will you explain?"
"I'll try," said Colonel Edwards. "I'll revert back to the start. On Friday, August 13, news reached London, where I was then stationed, that an Austro-German army of more than 300,000 men was massing at a point on the Serbian frontier and it was asserted that the Kaiser was about to strike a blow at Serbia in order to improve Teuton prospects in the Balkans, where Roumania and Greece had been reported as waiting a favorable opportunity to join the Allies.
"The great German victories in Russia, following the fall of Warsaw, had, however, caused the Balkan kingdoms to waver, and Bulgaria was said to have strong pro-German leanings. On August 16 the Austro-German army crossed the frontier and began a bombardment of Belgrade, the capital. This led to a crisis in the Greek parliament, where the Venizelos party caused the downfall of the cabinet, which supported the king's attitude of strict neutrality—a neutrality he had promised his consort, who is the sister of the Kaiser, as you know.
"On August 21 Serbia made it known that in accordance with the advice of the Allies, she was willing to grant the demands of Bulgaria for the return of territory taken in the last Balkan war, and for a time it seemed that Bulgaria would enter the war on the side of the Allies. However, on September 19 it was said that Bulgaria would join the Central Powers, thus permitting Germany to establish an unbroken line of allies from the Baltic to the Bosporus.
"On October 5, the Allies, upon invitation of the Greek premier, began the disembarkation of troops at Saloniki to go to the assistance of the Serbians; and, so far as I know, they are still landing."
The three friends had listened attentively to this account of the Balkan situation. They had heard some inkling of the seriousness of the Serbian plight, but had not realized until now that Germany had at last set out to crush the little Balkan kingdom as she had crushed Belgium in the early days of the great war.
"And what is the latest on the Bulgarian attitude?" asked Colonel
Anderson.
"Well, I haven't heard anything later than I have told you, but my personal opinion is that Bulgaria, sooner or later, will join the Germans."
"Fools," said Colonel Anderson, briefly.
"And Greece?" inquired Chester.
"I don't know, but I believe Greece will keep out of the war just as long as she possibly can. Certainly, the Greek people will never consent to aiding the Germans."
"You never can tell," said Colonel Anderson sententiously.
Outside the tent it was now growing light, for time had passed swiftly.
Hal noticed the light filtering in.
"Great Scott! I had no idea it was morning," he said. "It must have been after midnight when we awoke. Let's get outside."
They left the tent and Hal went into their own quarters a moment, where he found Stubbs up and about to emerge. Together the five walked toward the eastern extremity of the camp.
Came a sudden blaring of trumpets and a body of horse swept toward them. The riders drew rein almost before the friends, dismounted and stood at attention, while a figure who had been in the center also jumped to the ground. This figure of huge stature, a man of advanced age, who dismounted nimbly in spite of his years, walked toward the spot where stood the five friends. Edwards came to attention, as did the others.
"The king!" said Colonel Edwards in a low voice.