that anything might happen in that time, if we had not prepared
for her. As it is, there is almost nothing of Austria's plans and
preparations that we do not know."

While Steve talked they were walking through what seemed almost like a
tunnel. Now he flashed his light, looked about, and dropped his voice.

"Now we must begin to be careful," he said. "We are getting near the
light. This is like a rabbit's warren, but soon we shall be in the open.
Sure as we are that the Austrians know nothing of this place, we never
take chances."

"We must be a long way from the cellar we first went into," said Dick.
"Even if we've circled around, and here where there are no stars, I
can't tell about that. We've walked a long distance, I should say."

"You're right," said Steve, with a low and discreet chuckle. "Oh, this
is a fine tunnel! Do you know what we did a few minutes ago? We walked
right under a police station!"

The tunnel seemed to dip now, and then to rise again. And in a few
moments cold air was blowing on their faces; cold, that is, by
comparison with the heat of the subterranean workings in which they had
been buried. Then they came out, stooping, and passing through a well
designed covering of shrubs and bushes, on the sandy beach of the river.
Dick gasped a little at that, and at seeing that they had evidently got
out of the town altogether. Before him now lay the lights of Belgrade,
but he noticed one thing at once. The lights had shrunk; there were
fewer than there had been the night before.

Steve had gone ahead now, scouting to see if the coast were clear, but
he returned in a moment, jubilant.

"All safe!" he said. "I knew it would be, of course, but there is no
need to take chances. Now we're all right so far. But we've got quite a
walk before us yet. We'll still be very cautious."

"Which way?" asked Dick.

"West, along the bank of the Save here. Look, do you see that monitor
there? If her searchlight swings this way, drop down. She might not pay
any attention, but we don't want to be noticed at all, and it's better
to be on the safe side."

"Why are there so few lights in Belgrade?" asked Dick. "I know it's
late, but other nights, when I've looked over, it was much brighter."

"I'm not sure," said Steve, looking anxious. "You see, it's hours since
I've had any news. The war may have come already, Dick. I hope not,
because I should feel that we were more sure of getting across before
the declaratio