Adventure, December 1914 — page 212: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

210 the disgust at Ferdinand’s policy which was spreading in Russia, and wound up by alluding to the Roumanian mobilization which had called three hundred and fifty thousand men to the colors. “Aye, aye,” said Savoff impatiently. “TI can admit all that. The General Staff at this moment reports that the Servians have increased their troops actually under arms to two hundred and seventy-five thousand men, and the Greeks have done what we did not dream they could do—they have two hundred and fifty thousand men in Macedonia and Epirus. That gives them five hundred and twenty-five thousand men to our four hundred thousand. “Counting the Roumanians, they have eight hundred and fifty thousand. Count- ing the Turks, they have one million one hundred and fifty thousand. But that is not so bad. I do not consider myself a Frederick the Great, mark you, but still I think much might be done against these separate armies, disjointed as they are. It needs only a smashing success at the open- ing of the campagin, and the spirit of the rest will be gone. ‘But how am I to gain a smashing success without money? What do you say to that Mr. Blair? You came to our rescue once before. Are you standing back of us now?e”’ : “I’m sorry, General,’ I answered. “I’m more sorry than I can say. But I warned his Majesty more than two months ago that he could expect no assistance from me in such a campaign as he proposes.” “That’s finale” asked Savoff curtly. ‘“Tt’s more than final, if such a thing can be,” I returned. ‘“Well,” he said slowly. ‘‘And it means my country’s doom.”’ He sat silent for several minutes while the minister and I looked sorrowfully away. ‘I’m not su- perhuman, Mr. Blair,’’ he resumed at last. “IT can’t fight a modern war without am- munition and supplies. We have barely fifty rounds of field artillery ammunition to the piece. The infantry have the car- tridges in their pouches and what little there is left in the reserve depots. “Many of the heavy guns are hopelessly fouled. Our cavalry is only half mounted. Our transport has crumbled to pieces under the strain it has been subjected to. We are helpless without money. Only a miracle could pull us through.” Adventure “The sinews of war,’ murmured the minister softly. ‘‘What shall you do, General?” I asked as he rose. “Doe” he repeated mechanically. “I shall tell his Majesty that I do not approve his plan. What else can I do?” Kurtsky and I looked at each other as the door closed upon him. “Let us pray that this man who is beyond suspicion may save the day at the last min- ute,”’ said the minister. “God grant it,’’ I answered fervently. But two hours later Masoya crept in, gray-faced and hollow-eyed, to report that after a stormy council of war at the Palace Savoff had handed the Czar his resignation. ‘They talk of Dimitrieff to succeed him,” she added. ‘One man or another; what does it mat- ter?”’ said the minister. ‘“The end will be the same.” “But it can’t be the end—the end you mean,’’ cried Masoya vehemently. ‘‘What? After all we have gone through? After all we have accomplished? It is Bulgaria’s destiny to succeed, to achieve! Greece and Servia must yield in the long run, and then Roumania will back water.”’ “If you only believed in it yourself, my dear,”’ said the minister mournfully. She looked at him a moment, then burst into tears and left the room. As.) THE next day the Bulgarian armies “a in Thrace fronting the Tchataldja Lines were withdrawn. The situa- tion on the Servian and Macedonian fron- tiers was too tense to permit their reten- tion in this position, especially since peace had been signed with Turkey, and accord- ing to international usage Bulgaria had no more to fear from the Turks. But it was a long, weary march across the hills and mountain ranges of Thrace, Macedonia and Southern Bulgaria; and in the absence of sufficient rail transportation to accommo- date them all, it required a week or more _ to get the troops into their new positions. Then came another delay. Russia had renewed her offers of mediation, and for a space it seemed as if he might yet accept and save himself and his country the awful humiliation that impended. ? But while the diplomats haggled and bargained, the Bulgarian armies were halted, and their exact destinations, which MICLOOOK (C@