Both lads were about the same age.  Large and strong, they were proficient in the use of their fists and of the art of swordsmanship, and were entirely familiar with firearms.  Another thing that stood them in good stead was the fact that both spoke French and German fluently.  Also, each had a smattering of Italian.

Following their coup in saving the French president from the hands of traitorous Apaches in Paris, Hal and Chester had come to Rome with their mothers, 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 their mothers’ entreaties had finally prevailed.  As Chester’s Uncle John had said, “This is none of our war.  Your place, boys, is with your mothers.”

Chester and Hal had sought consent to rejoin the army in vain.  Neither Mrs. Paine nor Mrs. Crawford would hear of such a thing.  So at last they agreed to return home.  First, however, at Uncle John’s suggestion, the party decided to stop in Rome.

“Italy is still a sane and peaceable country,” Uncle John had said.

Naturally the lads had been greatly interested in the war demonstrations in Rome.  Uncle John, who at first had “pooh-poohed” the prospect of Italy’s entering the war, finally had been 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 to America.  They feared that some harm would come to Hal and Chester—­feared that the boys might be drawn into trouble again—­for they both knew their dispositions not to shirk danger.

The war situation at this time was anything but favorable to the Allies.  Along the great western battle line, stretching out from the North Sea far to the south, the mighty armies were gripped in a deadlock.  Occasional advances would be made by both sides and retreats would follow.

Having pushed the invader back from the very walls of Paris soon after the outbreak of hostilities, the French had shoved him across the Aisne and then across the Marne.  But here the allied offensive halted.  Grand assaults and heroic charges proved ineffectual.  The Kaiser’s troops were strongly intrenched and could not be dislodged.  On their side, the Allies’ positions were equally impregnable and repeated assaults by the enemy had failed to shake their lines.

In the eastern theater of war the Russians, at this moment, were meeting with some success.  Several large Austrian strongholds had been captured after the bloodiest fighting of the war, and it was believed that it would only be a question of a few weeks until the Russian Grand Duke would develop his long-expected invasion of Hungary.

In the north of the eastern war arena, also, the Russians had met with some success, Poland had been invaded, and around Warsaw the great German drive had been checked.  The sea was still free of German ships, with the exception of the submarines which still continued to prey upon all commerce, neutral as well as Allies’.