d would be worth
untold gold to the enemy. No wonder Stumm had been in a wax at its
loss.

The Deve Boyun lines seemed to me monstrously strong, and I remembered
the merits of the Turk as a fighter behind strong defences. It looked
as if Russia were up against a second Plevna or a new Gallipoli.

Then I took to studying the flanks. South lay the Palantuken range of
mountains, with forts defending the passes, where ran the roads to Mush
and Lake Van. That side, too, looked pretty strong. North in the
valley of the Euphrates I made out two big forts, Tafta and Kara Gubek,
defending the road from Olti. On this part of the map Stumm's notes
were plentiful, and I gave them all my attention. I remembered
Blenkiron's news about the Russians advancing on a broad front, for it
was clear that Stumm was taking pains about the flank of the fortress.

Kara Gubek was the point of interest. It stood on a rib of land
between two peaks, which from the contour lines rose very steep. So
long as it was held it was clear that no invader could move down the
Euphrates glen. Stumm had appended a note to the peaks--'_not
fortified_'; and about two miles to the north-east there was a red
cross and the name '_Prjevalsky_'. I assumed that to be the farthest
point yet reached by the right wing of the Russian attack.

Then I turned to the paper from which Stumm had copied the jottings on
to his map. It was typewritten, and consisted of notes on different
points. One was headed '_Kara Gubek_' and read: '_No time to fortify
adjacent peaks. Difficult for enemy to get batteries there, but not
impossible. This the real point of danger, for if Prjevalsky wins the
Peaks Kara Gubek and Tafta must fall, and enemy will be on left rear of
Deve Boyun main position_.'

I was soldier enough to see the tremendous importance of this note. On
Kara Gubek depended the defence of Erzerum, and it was a broken reed if
one knew where the weakness lay. Yet, searching the map again, I could
not believe that any mortal commander would see any chance in the
adjacent peaks, even if he thought them unfortified. That was
information confined to the Turkish and German staff. But if it could
be conveyed to the Grand Duke he would have Erzerum in his power in a
day. Otherwise he would go on battering at the Deve Boyun ridge for
weeks, and long ere he won it the Gallipoli divisions would arrive, he
would be out-numbered by two to one, and his chance would have