joining up there with Essad Pasha, who had declared
himself against Austria. A few days later this chief, in the name of
the Albanian nation, declared war on Austria.

Meanwhile, the Austrian warships had become very active along the
coast; in December their activities culminated in an attempt to
bombard Durazzo, whereupon they were engaged by some Italian, French,
and British ships and compelled to retire, with the loss of two
destroyers.

Thus, at the beginning of the year 1916, a period of comparative quiet
seemed to be settling down over the Balkans, with one exception. And
that exception was Montenegro. Austria was now prepared to turn her
full attention to this little state, whose soldiers had invaded her
territory several times, during the Serbian campaign at the very
beginning of the war, and now again, when the final invasion had been
undertaken.

Little was heard of Montenegro in the press dispatches, but she had
thrown the full strength of her little army into the field against the
Austro-German invaders. Before the Balkan wars her fighting men had
numbered some forty thousand, but by this time they were reduced to
something less than twenty thousand. They were short of artillery and
munitions, short of all kinds of supplies, even food, but it was a
difficult task for the Allies to offer them any material relief.
Montenegro is unserved by any seaport and even the Italians who had
landed at Avlona did not hope to establish any communication with them
through the mountainous country intervening.

The one topographical feature of Montenegro that must be especially
noted is a mountain which rises abruptly, dominating the surrounding
Austrian territory along the coast, more especially the seaport and
naval station, Cattaro. The importance of this eminence, Mount Lovcen,
would have been paramount, had it been properly equipped for offensive
action.

For Cattaro is a natural harbor of the first order, capable of
accommodating the whole Austrian fleet. The barracks at Cattaro are
plainly visible from the top of Mount Lovcen, but to bring guns of a
large enough caliber up there to reach those barracks was practically
impossible, on account of the rugged nature of the surrounding
country.

During the ten weeks the fourth and final invasion of Serbia was
running its course, the warriors of the Black Mountains were engaged
in giving their kinsmen, the Serbians, their full support. Indeed, the
Montenegrin army, t