"This," said Hal, pointing, "will be the end of our tour of inspection.
Beyond those lines they will not let us go."
"We'll go as far as we can," declared Uncle John.
Suddenly from directly ahead came the heavy thunder of a single gun, followed almost immediately by another giant voice. Other big guns began to speak, and soon the roaring of thousands filled the air.
"A battle!" exclaimed Hal.
Other voices now, more faint but sharper of note, took up the fighting—rapid firers and the rifles of the infantry coming into play. From their present position Hal and Uncle John could not tell just where the fighting was in progress, the numbers engaged, or whether the Italians had taken the offensive, or the Austrians, or how the battle was progressing. All they could hear was the terrible din and roar. They could see nothing. They were at present far from the battle line.
Still they advanced.
Now they were suddenly in the center of the Italian troops, still stationary, awaiting the word to move forward in support of the second line or the first line as the case might be.
An officer rode up to them.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"Nothing particularly," replied Hal. "I am a British officer and, being in this neighborhood, thought I would look around a bit."