Then once more the Bulgarian cavalry wheeled and charged.  Right into the dense masses of Serbians rode the troopers, cutting and slashing to right and left.  The execution among the panic-stricken Serbians was terrible to behold.

“They can’t stand it long,” Hal shouted, barely making himself heard above the roar of battle.

“The day is lost already,” Chester shouted back.

There seemed no doubt of that now.

What was left of the Serbian infantry staggered back to the main army shattered and beaten.  The big guns took up the battle again, but not with the same vigor and confidence as before.  The Serbian fire seemed even to tell the spectators on the housetop that the Serbians had lost hope.

Half an hour later a general retreat began.

“Bad generalship, that’s all,” declared Hal.

“Without doubt,” agreed Colonel Anderson.  “A charge is a charge and once begun must be finished.  That was where the Bulgarians gained the whip hand.”

“The next step, I suppose, is an advance by the Bulgarians,” said Chester.

“Very likely,” Hal agreed, “and that means that we shall be caught in the Bulgarian lines.”

“It means worse than that,” said Colonel Anderson.  “We are all in civilian attire and if our identities are discovered, it means that we’ll be stood up and shot.”

“By Jove!” said Hal.  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Oh, we’ve been in predicaments just as serious,” said Chester, “and we have always come through somehow.  I guess we shall do so again.”

“We’ll get into one just once too often, I’m afraid,” said Hal, “and this is likely to be it.”

“You’re getting as bad as Stubbs, Hal,” said Chester.  “Just keep a stiff upper lip and we’ll come through this thing some way.”

“I’m no quitter,” said Hal.  “But the best we can do now is let events shape themselves.”

And now the Bulgarian advance began.

Apparently the Bulgarian commander had no thought of attempting to overtake the Serbians and annihilate them.  Apparently he figured that ground gained was ground gained whether with or without a fight.  The army moved forward slowly.

A party of officers, following in the wake of the vanguard, rode suddenly toward the house in which the friends had taken refuge.

“And here comes the trouble, as Stubbs would say,” declared Hal.  “Let’s go below and get ready to receive them.”

He suited the action to the word and the others followed him silently.  Below, Hal acquainted Helen with what had transpired and announced that the Bulgarians were approaching.

“And what of the bodies without?” asked the girl quietly.

“Whew!” Hal gave a long and expressive whistle.  “I hadn’t thought of that.  Wait a moment, though.  We’ll have to say they were here when the Serbians advanced and were killed.”

“But the Serbians were not so close to the house.”