The Boy Allies in the Balkan Campaign | Page 5

French?" Chester wanted to know.
"Nothing, I guess," returned Hal. "I'll try him. We are British officers,"
he said, addressing the Montenegrin officer, "and we have just escaped
from the Austrians."
The Montenegrin understood and replied in broken French:
"How am I to know you are not of the enemy?"
"Well, I don't know, to tell the truth," Hal replied with a pleasant smile.
"I am afraid it does look a little bad for us, as we have nothing to prove
our identities. But if you have a British or French officer about here,
perhaps we can convince him."
The Montenegrin nodded.
"Fortunately, we have," he said. He ordered one of his men to summon
Colonel Edwards.
"By Jove!" said Anderson. "I know an Edwards. I wonder can it be the
same?"

"No such luck, I am afraid," said Chester.
But it was; and a few moments later Colonel Edwards and Colonel
Anderson were shaking hands affectionately.
CHAPTER III.
THE KING OF THE MONTENEGRINS.
With his hand upon Edwards' arm, Colonel Anderson approached Hal
and Chester.
"I want you to meet my two young friends," he said.
Colonel Edwards shook hands with each lad in turn and then turned to
Stubbs, who, during all this time, had been standing quietly, while he
cast a critical eye upon the Montenegrin troopers who stood near.
"A likely looking bunch of men," he muttered to himself. "I'll bet they
could give a good account of themselves in a--"
He faced about just in time to acknowledge Colonel Anderson's
introduction to Colonel Edwards; then turned again to survey the
mountaineers.
"Good fighters, these," he said to himself, "or I miss my guess."
"Now," said Hal to Colonel Edwards, "there is really no use of our
standing here. I'd like to look up a place where I can turn in for a few
winks. I'm dead tired and I imagine the rest of you are, too."
Chester seconded Hal's motion and Colonel Anderson admitted his own
fatigue. Stubbs settled the matter.
"Where there are men there are beds," he said; "or at least cots, or
pallets, or something. I'm going to find one."
He moved toward a row of tents in the distance.

"Hold on there," said Chester. "We're all going, Stubbs."
In the meantime Colonel Edwards had been holding a consultation with
the Montenegrin officer who had first accosted the friends.
"I am sure that if you vouch for them they are all right," said the
Montenegrin.
"Thanks," said Edwards. "Then, with your permission, I shall conduct
them to my own quarters."
"And you may also make free with mine," said the other.
Again Colonel Edwards expressed his thanks, in which the others
joined, and then he led the way toward the distant tents.
Fifteen minutes later the four friends were sleeping soundly, with never
a care in the world, for it had been long since they had closed their eyes
and they were completely worn out.
Darkness shrouded the small tent when Hal opened his eyes. It was
several moments before the lad could gain his bearings, but when at
last he realized just where he was he bethought himself of the others.
"Still sleeping, I guess," he said.
He arose, moved to the door of the tent and passed out. A steady
rumbling sound fell upon his ears and Hal, momentarily, was unable to
account for it. But the solution soon came to him.
"Troops moving," he told himself.
He was right. Walking some distance from the tent, he made out,
probably half a mile away, the dark forms of many men as they
marched swiftly on in the darkness, their figures lighted up ever and
anon by the gleam of a flashlight. But the camp in which the lad stood
was perfectly quiet.
"Now I wonder--" he muttered--gazed silently ahead a moment and

then turned back toward the tent, saying to himself: "Guess I'll wake
the others up."
Chester and Colonel Anderson were aroused without much trouble. Not
so Stubbs.
"What's the matter?" came the little man's query, when Hal prodded
him gently in the ribs with his foot.
"Time to get up," said Hal, briefly.
For a moment Stubbs opened his eyes and peered into the darkness--for
Hal had made no light.
"Get up?" he exclaimed. "What! Anthony Stubbs get up in the middle
of the night? Not much!"
"But we are going, Stubbs," said Hal. "We don't want to leave you here
by yourself."
"Kind of you," said Stubbs sarcastically. "I can remember when you
were not so solicitious of my welfare. Don't worry about me. I'll just
sleep right along."
He turned over and a loud snore a few moments later told that he was
again in the land of dreams.
Again Hal prodded him with his foot.
"Stubbs! I say,