Hal shook his head.

"Can't understand that lingo," he exclaimed.

He addressed the officer in English and the officer also indicated that
he could not understand.

"Don't want to tackle him in German if I can help it," said Hal. "It
might not suit him."

"Well, what's the matter with French?" Chester wanted to know.

"Nothing, I guess," returned Hal. "I'll try him. We are British
officers," he said, addressing the Montenegrin officer, "and we have just
escaped from the Austrians."

The Montenegrin understood and replied in broken French:

"How am I to know you are not of the enemy?"

"Well, I don't know, to tell the truth," Hal replied with a pleasant
smile. "I am afraid it does look a little bad for us, as we have nothing
to prove our identities. But if you have a British or French officer
about here, perhaps we can convince him."

The Montenegrin nodded.

"Fortunately, we have," he said. He ordered one of his men to summon
Colonel Edwards.