tationed with its left and
center on Krupani, its right spread out into the mountains north
of Liubovia.

On the Serbian side the right wing of the Second Army, screened
by the cavalry division, were preparing to cut off the Austrian
forces in the north from their juncture with those advancing along
the Tzer ridges; the center and left was marching on the enemy on
the Iverak ridges, in conjunction with the right of the Third Army,
then north of Jarebitze. The center of the Third held the positions
south of Jarebitze, while its left, split into small detachments,
had been directed to oppose the invasion toward Krupanie and the
advance from Liubovia.

Such were the positions of the various forces as dawn broke brightly
on the morning of August 16, 1914. As the growing light made objects
visible, the extreme right division of the Serbian front, which
was creeping northward to cut off Shabatz, discovered a strong
Austrian column moving along the lower spurs of the Tzer Mountains.
Obviously this body was clearing the ground for a general descent of
the forces up along the ridges; a whole army corps. This movement
threatened to become a serious obstacle to the Serbian plan of
separating the Austrians in Shabatz from those farther south. But
the situation was saved by one of those incidents which sometimes
stand out above the savagery of warfare and give to it a touch
of grandeur.

A young artillery officer, Major Djukitch, of the Fourth Artillery
Regiment, asked permission to go out and meet this body of advancing
Austrians with but a single cannon. He would create a diversion which
would give the Serbians time to adapt themselves to the changed
conditions, though the chances were very largely in favor of his
losing his life on this mission. Permission was granted. Calling
on volunteers from his command, he advanced with his single cannon
and took up a position in the path of the approaching enemy. The
moment he opened fire the Austrians, naturally not realizing that
only one cannon was opposing them, and believing that a large Serbian
force had surprised them, broke into a panic. Half an hour after he
had opened fire, the Serbian field commander sent a messenger to
Major Djukitch, ordering him to retire. In reply he sent a message
to the commander, describing the confusion he had created in the
Austrian ranks, and instead of retiring, he asked for reenforcements.
The balance of his own battery, a detachment of infantry,