"And what are they jumping on poor little Serbia for, a big one like Austria? That's your kings for you." It was one of his Irish friends speaking. "But they'll fight, them Serbians; they're scrappers all right. Nikola is going in the morning. Marta too. It is good to live in a country where they don't have wars." "Nikola's foolish to go," broke in some one. "I told his woman so, and she flared up and said, 'He no go, I go! Serbian men fight--not 'fraid.' I guess she's right. I don't see what she is going to do, five kids too." Dick walked on. One of the foremen dropped out of the group that sat on the porch. "May I speak with you, Mr. Dick?" he said. "A man came to-night, Serbian. He was here when Nikola and Marta came up, and went home with them. Nikola was just here. He told me Serbia was going to war, and that he and Marta and Yovan were leaving in the morning. What's the row? Is there a war?" Dick told him all he knew. The foreman's brief comment was, "Must be some country that will take a man like Nikola out of a job like his--family too." "It is," said Dick. Back at home he called up Ralph. "Better be sure that some one is at the 10:30 to-morrow morning, Sam. Nikola is leaving. Marta and Yovan too." "Leaving," said Ralph. "Why, they're the best men in the 'Emma.' You don't mean they're fools enough to rush out without knowing whether there's going to be a war. It will be over before they get there. Stop 'em, Dick. It is nonsense." "There'll be a war when they get there, all right, Ralph, and no man could hold Nikola now. Make a note of their going, won't you?" "Sure, if you want it." If you will examine the personal column of the Sabinsport _Argus_ for July 29, 1914, you will find among other items, this: "Nikola Petrovitch, Yovan Markovitch, and Marta Popovitch, all of the 'Emma' mine, left at 10:30 this morning for New York. They expect to sail at once for Serbia, where they will join the army which has been called into the field by Austria's declaration of war. Hope to see you back soon, boys." And thus it was that the Great War first came to Sabinsport. CHAPTER II A ripple of interest ran over a few quarters of Sabinsport when it read of the sudden departure of three Serbian miners. At the banks, and in the offices of the mills and factories, men sniffed or swore, "Doesn't a man know when he is well off? I don't understand how a steady fellow like Nikola Petrovitch can do such a crazy thing. Who is going to take care of his family?" This was the usual business view. A few members of the Ladies' Aid of Dick's church grumbled to him. "We will have that family on our hands again. Couldn't you stop him?"