, pursuing the enemy for nine miles and capturing
twenty-five cannon and many prisoners, according to dispatches of
Entente origin. For the next thirty-six hours the fighting was
intense, and then the whole Bulgarian right wing seemed to crumple and
swing backward. For a while the Bulgarians made a stand on the banks
of the Cerna, at the southern bend of the great loop made by the
river, but finally the Serbians effected a crossing and continued
driving the Bulgarians up along the ridges forming the eastern side of
the Monastir Valley. Farther to the left the French and Russians were
also succeeding in their efforts. The Bulgarians were driven out of
and beyond Florina (Lerin in Bulgarian dispatches) and General
Cordonnier, in command of the French, immediately established his
headquarters at this important point, commanding the whole Monastir
plain. Up this level country the Bulgarians fled. Reports did not
indicate to just what point up the valley the French were able to
advance, but it was quite obvious that the Bulgarians were able to
stay them some distance before Monastir, where the mountains approach
the city and offer excellent positions for artillery against troops
advancing up the railroad line toward the city. On the map at least
this important city seemed to be threatened, but it was still too
premature to pronounce it in serious danger, as did the Entente press.

CHAPTER XXXVII

THE GREEKS ON THE FIRING LINE

It was during these six days' hard fighting that the Greek volunteers
underwent their baptism of fire and the first of them shed their blood
for the cause of the Allies. These constituted the First Regiment of
Greek volunteers commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Gravanis. He was
under the command of the French general at Fiorina, and he and his men
took a prominent part in the capture of the town. During the next few
days the fighting calmed down, except farther eastward above Ostrovo,
where the Serbians had succeeded in driving the Bulgarians from their
important positions along the Kaimakcalan ridges. Here the Bulgarians
counterattacked bitterly and continuously, but apparently with no
success. These assaults were repeated at intervals of several days
during the rest of the month, and though Sofia reported the recapture
of Kaimakcalan Heights and a general triumph along this whole section
of the front, the reports from both sides later indicated that these
dispatches were wholly false, probabl