, until they succeeded in taking two heights
overlooking the town, each over a thousand feet high and thus forced
the defeated enemy over the Cserna River, a northern branch of the
Danube. This success caused some sensation, for now it appeared that
the way was opening for an offensive across the southern portion of
Hungary which should sever the Teutons and the Magyars from their
Bulgarian and Turkish allies.

Badly beaten as they had been by Brussilov, the Hungarians and the
Austrians were now considerably shaken. Again, Germany was called on
to come to the rescue, as she had done before on the eastern front and
in Serbia. Nor could the Germans afford to overlook the call, for
there had been much agitation in Hungary for a separate peace. Indeed,
Germany had for some time been preparing to relieve the situation as
subsequent events conclusively proved. On the following day, September
2, 1916, her first blow was struck.

CHAPTER XXVI

BULGARIA ATTACKS

Up to this time the Rumanians had hoped, perhaps, even believed, that
Bulgaria would refrain from attacking in Dobrudja. Not a word had come
from Sofia indicating that Bulgaria intended to begin hostilities. But
on this day, September 2, 1916, a strong force composed of Bulgarians,
Turks, and Germans, which had been quietly mobilizing behind the
Bulgarian frontier, hurled itself over into Dobrudja and threw back
the weak Rumanian guards. The force with which this blow was delivered
was understood a few days later, when it was learned that Germany had
sent her best field commander, General Mackensen, to direct operations
in this zone.

This territory is of a nature entirely different from the scene of the
fighting along the eastern and northern borders of Rumania. Dobrudja
forms a square tract of level country, about a hundred miles long and
sixty broad, lying just south of the delta of the Danube and along the
Black Sea coast. The larger part of it is marshy or low, sandy plain.
Here the Danube splits into three branches, only one of which, the
Sulina, is navigable. Two railroads traverse this country; the one
running from Bucharest to Constanza, an important seaport; another
branching off from this line below Medgidia, running down to Dobric,
thence over the frontier into Bulgaria. The former was of special
importance to the Rumanians, as it was the only line of communication
between Rumania and any Rumanian force that might be operating in
Dobrudja. It c