"That settles him," said Chester. "Now to get out of here."
He turned toward the door, and stopped, a cry of dismay on his lips.
In the doorway stood three figures. As Chester turned, one of them advanced toward him.
"You did a pretty job," he said, eyeing the lad appreciatively, "and we are glad to have seen it. But, we cannot let you escape."
Chester groaned and sat down.
"There're too many of them," he said to himself. "So near and yet so far. If I hadn't let my temper get the best of me I would have been safely out of here. I'll never waste another second on an Austrian. This is what I get for not shooting him like a dog, and using my fists on him, like I would on a gentleman. Never again."
CHAPTER XIV.
THE AMBASSADOR AGAIN.
While Hal, Chester and Uncle John were having their troubles with members of the Austrian diplomatic corps on Italian soil, the Italian army itself already had taken the field against the enemy. War having been declared, the Italian general staff had wasted no time.
Along the Austrian frontier, at the head of the Adriatic, clear north to the Swiss border, the troops of King Emmanuel had intrenched themselves against a possible attack of the foe; big guns even now were roaring and raining the messengers of death upon the fortified positions of the Austrians in their front.