rning, it will be well to introduce a few words concerning them, that those who hav

ad been in Berlin when the great European conflagration broke out and had been stranded the

Belgium, where they arrived in time to take part in the heroic defense of Liége in the early stages of the war. Here they rende

service with the British troops on the continent, where they were attached to the staff of General Sir John French, in com

e service under the Russian Bear in the eastern theater of war. They fought in the midst of the Russian forces

in taken up their duties with the British army. As related in "The Boy Allies in the Trenches," they had been instrumental in

f the art of swordsmanship, and were entirely familiar with firearms. Another thing that stood them in go

s, whom they had found in Paris, and Chester's uncle. They had not come without protest, for both had been eager to get back to the firing line, but

nor Mrs. Crawford would hear of such a thing. So at last they agreed to return h

and peaceable country

een convinced that such a course was only a matter of time. Mrs. Paine and Mrs. Crawford, realizing how greatly interested their sons were becoming, immediately decided to return t

rn battle line, stretching out from the North Sea far to the south, the mighty armies were gri

ross the Marne. But here the allied offensive halted. Grand assaults and heroic charges proved ineffectual. The Kaiser's troops were strongly intrenched a

ian strongholds had been captured after the bloodiest fighting of the war, and it was believed that it would on

d, and around Warsaw the great German drive had been checked. The sea was still free of German ships, with

the Allies, and thus form an iron ring about the Germanic powers, but this matter was no nearer a successful issue than it h

le Alliance at the beginning of the war, Italy had refused to support a war of aggression by the Kai

ious she had all to lose and nothing to gain. The first act of the successful German army would be to crush her. Besides, there had always been antagonism between Aus

Deputies. Wild anti-German and anti-Austrian demonstrations were almost daily occurrences in the streets of Rome and other of the larger Italian citie

She agreed to almost anything. But the Italian government was not fooled. Austria would yield anything at the prese

ined fighting men, fresh from the rigors of the recent Turkish war, were ready to take the field at almost a

join the French and British troops recently landed on the Gallipoli peninsula and a portion of her fleet to help force the Dardanelles, or would she str

t upon the result of this conference hinged the issue, peace or war. The chamber was still in se

mber of Deputies wended its way to the palace, where it stood awaiting some word of

They had just left their mothers and Uncle John at their hotel, announcing that they would get

e leave in the morning, and we expect

d strolled out and

hey were now in civilian clothes. This was a matter of some regret to them, for they had been proud

ave our unif

manded th

lian officers. It makes me feel l

laug

with the soldier who has such an absolute disgust for a

I wish I had m

t of yours might get us in trouble. Every time I look at mi

y tough," ag

se could we do? We must ple

ust the same, several times I

k me, too; but we gave

rugged his

e helped no

our own some day," said Hal. "Th

good to be true," w

he lads had joined the crowd before the palace, an