FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
>>  
w. What was left of the Serbian infantry staggered back to the main army shattered and beaten. The big guns took up the battle again, but not with the same vigor and confidence as before. The Serbian fire seemed even to tell the spectators on the housetop that the Serbians had lost hope. Half an hour later a general retreat began. "Bad generalship, that's all," declared Hal. "Without doubt," agreed Colonel Anderson. "A charge is a charge and once begun must be finished. That was where the Bulgarians gained the whip hand." "The next step, I suppose, is an advance by the Bulgarians," said Chester. "Very likely," Hal agreed, "and that means that we shall be caught in the Bulgarian lines." "It means worse than that," said Colonel Anderson. "We are all in civilian attire and if our identities are discovered, it means that we'll be stood up and shot." "By Jove!" said Hal. "I hadn't thought of that." "Oh, we've been in predicaments just as serious," said Chester, "and we have always come through somehow. I guess we shall do so again." "We'll get into one just once too often, I'm afraid," said Hal, "and this is likely to be it." "You're getting as bad as Stubbs, Hal," said Chester. "Just keep a stiff upper lip and we'll come through this thing some way." "I'm no quitter," said Hal. "But the best we can do now is let events shape themselves." And now the Bulgarian advance began. Apparently the Bulgarian commander had no thought of attempting to overtake the Serbians and annihilate them. Apparently he figured that ground gained was ground gained whether with or without a fight. The army moved forward slowly. A party of officers, following in the wake of the vanguard, rode suddenly toward the house in which the friends had taken refuge. "And here comes the trouble, as Stubbs would say," declared Hal. "Let's go below and get ready to receive them." He suited the action to the word and the others followed him silently. Below, Hal acquainted Helen with what had transpired and announced that the Bulgarians were approaching. "And what of the bodies without?" asked the girl quietly. "Whew!" Hal gave a long and expressive whistle. "I hadn't thought of that. Wait a moment, though. We'll have to say they were here when the Serbians advanced and were killed." "But the Serbians were not so close to the house." "I know that, but I cannot think of any better excuse." "Besides," said Stubbs, "i
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
>>  



Top keywords:
Serbians
 

Stubbs

 

thought

 
Chester
 
Bulgarian
 
Bulgarians
 

gained

 

Serbian

 

charge

 

advance


Apparently
 
ground
 

Anderson

 

declared

 

Colonel

 

agreed

 

bodies

 

approaching

 

events

 

officers


announced
 

slowly

 

forward

 
annihilate
 

expressive

 
overtake
 
attempting
 

Besides

 

commander

 

quietly


figured

 

transpired

 
whistle
 
excuse
 

receive

 
killed
 

suited

 

silently

 

action

 

advanced


friends

 

suddenly

 
vanguard
 

moment

 
trouble
 
refuge
 

acquainted

 

general

 
retreat
 

housetop