r positions not far from where the king and the general staff
stood viewing the Austrian lines through their glasses.

Even as they settled themselves as comfortably as possible, the first big
gun of the enemy boomed. Other big guns from the Montenegrin lines took
up the action and soon the artillery engagement became general. The air
was filled with terrible din and it was next to impossible to make
oneself heard above the roar of battle.

Hidden batteries in the Montenegrin lines were making their fire felt.
Shielded from the enemy in front, they were also, in most cases, made
invisible to the Austrian air craft that continually hovered overhead,
sheltered as they were in dense clumps of trees and bushes.

From the Montenegrin lines now went a small fleet of aeroplanes, seeking
out the hiding places of the enemy artillery and signaling back the range
to the Montenegrin gunners.

For an hour the duel of big guns continued without other action of any
kind. Now and then the spectators were able to make out the effect of an
enemy shell as it struck within the Montenegrin line, but they were
unable to determine the result of the Montenegrin fire.

Came the sound of a bugle from the rear.

"Something up!" shouted Chester at the top of his voice.

Hal nodded but said nothing. He did not feel equal to making himself
heard above the terrible roar of battle.

From the Austrian line suddenly issued a squadron of cavalry, closely
followed by many other squadrons. It became apparent to the spectators
that the enemy had determined to silence the Montenegrin guns, or a
portion of them, at any rate, by a charge.

On they came in the very face of a hail of lead that cut great gaps in
their ranks, mowing men and riders down like chaff before a storm. But as
fast as the ranks were thinned, they filled up again as the Austrians
continued their charge, while from their rear the great Austrian guns
continued to hurl their messengers of death over their heads into the
ranks of the Montenegrins beyond.

Straight for a little woods in the center of the long battle line the
Austrian cavalry dashed, their intention apparently being to seek
temporary shelter there before charging some other part of the
Montenegrin line.

Now they were almost to the trees and it seemed that they must find
shelter there. This would mean that it would be a hard task for the
Montenegrins to dislodge them. They were less than a hundred yards away
when th