strians before
them.

But that word of command seemed long delayed. Finally, indeed, it came,
but only to the cavalry. The horsemen were sent ahead, up and down the
line, screening the men in the trenches. And then suddenly came the
word to the men in the trenches.

"March!"

They did fall in and begin to march. But not forward. The heads of the
columns turned toward the rear, back toward Serbia. Presently the whole
Serbian army, just as further victories seemed all but won, was on the
retreat. Behind them they heard the fire of their own cavalry,
protecting their rear. The retreat was orderly and the river was
recrossed without loss or confusion. Even more concerned and
disappointed were the Serb peasants of the villages through which they
passed, for these simple folk had thought the Magyars permanently beaten
and that King Peter's men were now moving onward to take Vienna. They
had, therefore, shown unmeasured enthusiasm and had showered gifts of
chicken, milk, eggs and other rural dainties on their brother Serbs from
Serbia, to the full extent of their slender resources. A few days later
they had to pay dearly for this manifestation of their sympathies. When
again the Magyars came down into their territory they became so
oppressive toward these poor villagers that a Croatian regiment, whose
members were racially akin to the Serbs, broke into open revolt and
attacked the Magyars, the result being a pitched battle in which not
only rifles, but machine guns and cannon were employed. Presently word
was passed back and forth among the rank and file of the Serbian army
explaining the disappointing retreat.

"The Austrians are swarming across the Drina again," their officers
whispered. "There will be plenty of fighting yet, but it will be the
same old battle ground."

Thus ended Serbia's brief invasion of Austrian soil.

CHAPTER LIII

AUSTRIA'S SECOND INVASION

The second Austrian invasion of Serbia began September 7, 1914. Had the
Serbian General Staff known what mighty efforts the Austrians were to
put forth at this second attempt to invade the country, it would never
have undertaken the expedition into Syrmia. After the failure of the
first invasion the Austrian staff placed at General Potiorek's
disposition a force of 300,000 men, with a reserve of another 150,000 to
draw upon, should the necessity become strong enough. Fortunately for
the Serbians the Russian pressure in Galicia became so strong, la