were reported during the spring, but apparently the
Italians were well able to hold their own.

There were, however, indications that the Allies in Saloniki had been
steadily strengthening their positions and augmenting their numbers,
and that, conscious of their growing strength, they were throwing out
their lines. In the first week in May came a dispatch announcing that
they had occupied Florina, a small town only some fifteen miles south
of Monastir, though still on Greek territory.

That there was really some truth in these announcements; that the
Allies were really showing some indications of expanding their lines
and were assuming a threatening attitude, was indicated by the next
move made on the board, this time by the Bulgarians; a move, however,
which was obviously of a defensive nature, though at the time it
seemed to portend a Bulgarian offensive.

On May 26, 1916, the Bulgarians for the first time ventured across the
Greek frontier. And not only did they cross the frontier, but, instead
of attacking the Allies, they forced the Greek forces occupying a
point of strategic value to evacuate it and occupied it themselves.

Fort Rupel, on the Struma River, and north of Demir Hissar, is about
six miles within Greek territory. It commands a deep gorge, or defile,
which forms a sort of natural passageway through which troops can be
marched easily into Greek territory from Bulgaria. To either side
tower difficult mountains and rocky hills. On account of these natural
features Greece had fortified this defile after the Balkan Wars so
that she might command it in case of a Bulgarian invasion. On the
commanding prominences the Greeks had also built fortifications.

It was the chief, the most important, of these forts that the
Bulgarians took. A courier was sent forward with notice to the Greek
commander that he had two hours in which to evacuate the position with
his troops. This he did peacefully, and before evening the Bulgarians
were installed, though it was said that they had given due assurances
that their occupation was merely a temporary measure undertaken as a
defensive precaution, and that as soon as the need should cease the
fort would be returned to Greece.

On the following day came the announcement that the Bulgarians, in
strong force, had deployed from Fort Rupel and had also occupied Fort
Dragotin and Fort Kanivo. At the same time unusual activity on the
part of the Bulgarians was also reported fro