of the enemy's
columns had crossed the Drina far down in the south, and was marching on
Krupanie, just below the Guchevo Mountains and on the way to the upper
part of the Jadar Valley. However, as the first report seemed to
indicate that this was only a minor force, a small force of third
reserve men was detached to hold this force back and prevent its
entrance into the main field of operations.

During the day and night of August 15,1914, the two opposing forces were
moving into position for battle: setting the pawns for the game of
strategy that was to be played. The Austrians at Losnitza were advancing
up the mountain slopes and took possession of the Tzer and Iverak
ridges, straddling the Leshnitza Valley.

Up in Shabatz, Austrian troops were pouring across the pontoon bridges.
A flanking column, coming from the Drina, had arrived at Slepehevitch.
Another force was stationed with its left and center on Krupanie, its
right spread out into the mountains north of Liubovia.

On the Serbian side the right wing of the Second Army, screened by the
cavalry division, were preparing to cut off the Austrian forces in the
north from their juncture with those advancing along the Tzer ridges;
the center and left was marching on the enemy on the Iverak ridges, in
conjunction with the right of the Third Army, then north of Jarebitze.
The center of the Third held the positions south of Jarebitze, while its
left, split into small detachments, had been directed to oppose the
invasion toward Krupanie and the advance from Liubovia.

Such were the positions of the various forces as dawn broke brightly on
the morning of August 16, 1914. As the growing light made objects
visible, the extreme right division of the Serbian front, which was
creeping northward to cut off Shabatz, discovered a strong Austrian
column moving along the lower spurs of the Tzer Mountains. Obviously
this body was clearing the ground for a general descent of the forces up
along the ridges; a whole army corps. This movement threatened to become
a serious obstacle to the Serbian plan of separating the Austrians in
Shabatz from those farther south. But the situation was saved by one of
those incidents which sometimes stand out above the savagery of warfare
and give to it a touch of grandeur.

A young artillery officer, Major Djukitch, of the Fourth Artillery
Regiment, asked permission to go out and meet this body of advancing
Austrians with but a single cannon. He