The girl smiled at both of them, and Chester was glad to learn that she understood French.
"And now," he said, "if you will tell me exactly where we are, I shall be greatly obliged."
The girl looked at him in surprise.
"You don't know where you are?" she asked.
Chester shook his head.
"You are now," said Helen, "just across the Serbian border from Bulgaria. This house is the home of a friend of mine, Miss Thatcher, a Red Cross nurse. I met her in Belgrade where she was wounded. When it became evident that the Austrians were about to occupy the city, we came to the home of her friend here, a Serbian woman. That was before there was any talk of Bulgaria joining Germany. But now that war has been declared—"
"War declared!" exclaimed Chester.
"Why, I think so. Maybe there has been no declaration of war, but anyhow the Serbians and Bulgarians have been fighting across the frontier. That's why I was so afraid when you knocked at the door to-night."
"And it was you who shot at me?" asked Chester.
"Yes," replied the girl. "And, oh, I am so sorry. If—"