in the morning."

It was too cold for a leisurely disrobing, so in a very short time the
three girls were ready for the night. Soon after they were asleep.

For many hours, lasting all through the darkness, the fortress at Grovno
appeared wrapped in a profound silence. This in spite of the presence of
many thousands of men without and within its gates. Now and then there
may have been the faint noise of a sentry changing his watch, or a scout
arriving with a report for headquarters.

It was just at dawn when the German attack began. But the Russian
general had been warned and was awaiting it.

Never in all the grim history of war was there ever a more sudden or
more terrific cannonading.

The three American girls were at first stunned by the unexpected noises
of the explosions. Shell after shell shrieked over the walls of the
fortress, cannon after cannon repeated an unceasing bombardment.

Neither were the Russian guns slow in replying. Except for the location
of the sounds it was impossible to tell which were the Russian cannon
and which those of the enemy.

For some time no one of the three American girls attempted to speak. It
would have been impossible to have heard one another. But by and by
Barbara crawled out of her cot and put her arm about Mildred Thornton.

"I am frightened, Mildred. I wish your General's order had come sooner
and we were safely away from Grovno. I think perhaps because of Dick I
don't want anything dreadful to happen. I want to be happy."

There was a sob in Barbara's voice which Mildred heard, if not with her
ears, at least with her heart.

"It is going to be all right, little sister," she returned. "I can't
explain exactly why, but I have perfect faith in General Alexis."

CHAPTER X

_Mildred's Opportunity_

For five days and nights the firing continued almost without cessation.

In a measure the occupants of the Russian fortress grew accustomed to
the noises, unless one explosion seemed a little more terrific than the
others.

Actually the Red Cross nurses went about their work inside the hospital
wing of the fort as though the Germans were not attacking.

There was one fact, however, that could not be overlooked: more and more
wounded were constantly being brought in, until not only the cots but
most of the floor space of the wards were covered with stricken
soldiers.

There was no definite news. No one could say whether the Germans had
been seriously deplet