THE END OF A TRAITOR.
It was two years after the outbreak of the great war that the
Austro-German armies were hurled forward in a great and final effort to
crush Serbia. Since the early days of the struggle, heavy battles had
been fought upon the Austro-Serbian frontier, with success first to one
side and then to the other.
Belgrade, the Serbian capital, had been bombarded time after time by the
great Austrian guns and once the city had been occupied by the foe.
Later, however, the Serbians had driven out the invader and reoccupied
the capital. And now, the Austrian army, reinforced by a hundred thousand
Germans, bringing the total number of troops to half a million, was again
knocking at the gates of Belgrade; and the Serbians, realizing the utter
hopelessness of their cause unless aid arrived from the Anglo-French
troops at Saloniki, were preparing to flee.
This was the situation when the aeroplane bearing Hal, Chester and their
friends descended just outside the city.
Hardly had they alighted when they were taken in charge by a squad of
Serbian troops. Colonel Anderson, acting as spokesman for the party,
explained their presence in a few well-chosen words and asked to be taken
to the commanding officer. There was considerable red tape to go through
before the friends finally were ushered into the presence of the Serbian
commander, and that worthy immediately informed them he had but a few
moments to give them.
Colonel Anderson, therefore, came to the point at once. He told him of
the conversation he and Chester had overheard a short time before.
"And you say one of the men wore a Serbian uniform?" asked the general.
"Yes, sir."
"You don't know who he is--you didn't hear his name mentioned?"
"No, sir; but I would know him again if I saw him."
"Good. You shall have the chance. Now, how far from the city do you say
this conversation took place?"
"Must have been all of ten miles, sir."
"Then the men have hardly returned to the city yet. And you say you did
not hear the name of the member of the general staff, the first traitor,
or spy mentioned as having divulged information?"
"No, sir."
"Very well. Now I will leave all of you here for an hour or so. I have
some matters to attend to. When I come back we'll see if you can identify
the man you speak of."
The general bowed to them and took his departure, leaving them alone in
his quarters.
From without a heavy cannonading could be heard.
"I guess the last advance has begun," said Chester slowly.
"You probably are right," agreed Hal. "And I feel sorry for these
Serbians. If the British and French could only get here in time."
"Well, I don't see why they don't," declared Chester. "England has
promised more than once since the war began that she would not permit
Serbia to be crushed. Seems to me she should have taken some decisive
action before now."
"You forget," said Colonel Anderson, "that England has her hands full in
other parts of the great war theater--France, Belgium, the Dardanelles,
Egypt, India and Africa."
"That's the trouble," said Hal. "England has too many irons in the fire.
That's where the Germans and Austrians have the edge, as we say in the
United States. Their armies are not scattered all over the world."
"That's true enough," replied Colonel Anderson, "and it is, without
doubt, the reason the Central Powers have not been crushed long ago."
Ivan now took a hand in the conversation.
"These wonderful tales you told me of my brother Alexis," he began.
"Well, what of them?" asked Hal.
"Why," said Ivan. "When I came with you I thought I should see some
fighting. All I have done is fly through the air, like a bird, and hear a
thousand miles of talk. I want to see some fighting, like Alexis saw."
"You probably will see it soon enough," returned Chester quietly. "Even
now you can hear the booming of the great guns without. The
Austro-Germans are moving on Belgrade and it will only be hours before
the Serbian retreat begins."
The conversation continued along various lines until the return of the
Serbian commander, General Save.
"If you will come with me," he said to Colonel Anderson, "I will see if
you can identify the traitor. Which of your friends here was with you?"
Colonel Anderson nodded toward Chester.
"Then he shall come, too. The others may remain here until we return."
Hal, Ivan and Nikol were undeniably disappointed at this turn of affairs.
Not so Stubbs.
"This comes nearer being what I call comfort than anything I have enjoyed
since coming across to Europe," he said, settling himself in the
commander's easy chair and drawing exhilarating puffs from his pipe. "I
don't care how long we stay here."
"Mr. Stubbs," said Hal, "I am afraid you are lazy."
"Mr. Paine," said Stubbs, "I know I'm lazy."
Leaving the general's quarters, Colonel Anderson and Chester accompanied
the Serbian commander toward the front.
"The enemy has begun his advance," General Save explained, as they walked
along. "He is attacking in force all along the line. We are resisting as
well as we may. That is why every available man has been sent forward. We
will find the traitor there some place."
"And do you have any hope of holding back the enemy, sir?" Chester asked.
"None," returned the general quietly. "We will resist to the last, but
even now preparations are being made for evacuating the capital. With
the coming of darkness, the retreat will begin. We shall fall back to
Nish, which, I trust, we shall be able to hold until Anglo-French
assistance arrives."
"I hope so, sir," declared Chester.
"And as soon as you have picked out this traitor for me," said General
Save, "I will ask you to undertake a mission for me."
"We shall be glad to be of service, sir," replied Colonel Anderson. "And
the nature of the mission?"
"Why," said the commander. "I have information to the effect that the
Anglo-French troops are already on the way from Saloniki. They may not
know of the real seriousness of our position. Communication has been
hampered for the last few days. I will send word to them by you."
"Very well, sir," said Colonel Anderson. "We shall be glad to go."
"Now keep your eyes open," said General Save, as they came for the first
time among the Serbian troops, the men farthest from the front, men being
held in reserve.
Among the regiments the three passed slowly, scanning the face of every
officer; and they came upon their man sooner than they could reasonably
have hoped.
Chester suddenly touched General Save on the arm.
"Look! There he is!" the lad said in a low voice.
The general glanced in the direction indicated. Perhaps twenty yards to
the left, engaged in conversation with an officer who wore colonel's
stripes, and a man whom General Save immediately recognized as one of the
general staff, stood the person the lads had seen in the woods a few
hours earlier. "Are you sure that is he?" demanded the Serbian commander.
Chester nodded his head vigorously.
"Certain, sir," Colonel Anderson agreed.
"Very good. Then come with me."
The general approached the group of officers, who stood respectfully at
attention when they perceived his approach.
"Captain Dellse!" said the General.
"Sir," replied the officer, stepping toward the Serbian commander.
The older officer looked squarely into the man's eyes for several
moments without saying a word. The traitor tried his best to return the
general's steady gaze and for a moment he succeeded. Then his eyes
wavered slightly.
General Save extended his right hand.
"Your sword, sir!" he commanded.
The other staggered back and his face turned a ghastly white.
"Wha--what, sir?" he stammered.
"Your sword," repeated the general calmly, his hand still extended.
With a visible effort the other pulled himself together.
"I do not understand you, sir," he said, with a subdued air of insolence,
glancing quickly about at the others who now surrounded him.
General Save lost all patience now. He took a step forward.
"Give me your sword, you traitor!" he commanded angrily. "You are under
arrest. You shall be shot in ten minutes."
The face of the accused officer turned livid. There was no pretending to
misunderstand now.
Quickly he glanced about him. Chester and Colonel Anderson, in their
civilian clothes, stood each with a hand in his right coat pocket, and in
the hand of each rested a little automatic.
An ever increasing group of Serbian officers also surrounded him. The man
with whom the traitor had been engaged in conversation moved gradually
toward the rear of the circle. General Save caught sight of him out of
the corner of his eye.
"Colonel Breyold!" he commanded.
The other halted.
"Come here, sir," commanded the general.
Glancing furtively about him, the other obeyed. The Serbian commander
turned to another of his officers.
"Relieve Colonel Breyold of his sword," he commanded.
Without waiting to see that his command was carried out, he stepped close
to Dellse. The other gave way before him and with a sudden movement
produced a revolver.
Before those nearby could interfere, he had raised the weapon and pulled
the trigger. There was a sharp report, a flash of fire, and when the
smoke had cleared away, Dellse and General Save were locked in each
other's embrace, struggling furiously.
With loud cries other Serbian officers jumped forward and separated the
combatants. Dellse's weapon was wrested from his grasp and in a moment he
was powerless.
"Are you hurt, sir?" asked one of the officers anxiously of the general.
"No," was the reply.
With a gesture of his arm, he indicated the two traitors. "Take them out
and shoot them immediately!" he ordered.