Bretton, furnished with credentials to Balkan officers, obtains a personal letter from the Minister of War, charging his subordinates to give the young newspaper man every assistance. On the train Bretton meets Clark, correspondent of a rival newspaper. While passing through the Customs, Clark catches sight of Bretton's letters of recommendation. Not having any himself, he resolves to steal them. The story jumps to the scene of warfare, where Sonia and her father are tending their sheep. The old man is killed by a stray bullet and is buried by his mourning daughter. The two correspondents proceed on foot to headquarters, and notice from the edge of a precipice a skirmish between the contending forces. In order to more clearly observe the fight, Bretton throws down his knapsack. Approaching too near the edge, he makes a false step and falls. His cries are heard by Sonia, who in going to his rescue risks her life. Clark cuts open his rival's knapsack and steals the coveted papers.