Two American Boys in the War Zone

In Short

After fleeing the Mexican revolution, American teenagers Sidney and Raymond Porter find themselves stranded in Russia when World War I breaks out in 1914. Mistakenly targeted because of their German heritage, their father is arrested, prompting the brothers to embark on a perilous cross-country journey. They travel down the Volga River, cross the rugged Caucasus Mountains on foot, and survive bandit encounters, grizzly bears, and a naval mine disaster. Ultimately, with the help of kind sea captains, they secure passage back to New York, completing an unforgettable trial of endurance.

The Story

The narrative begins in El Paso, where brothers Sidney and Raymond Porter are attending high school after escaping civil unrest in Mexico. Their father soon relocates the family to Russia, but the outbreak of World War I abruptly shatters their peace. Because their grandmother was German and Mr. Porter speaks the language, Russian authorities arrest him on suspicion of being a spy. Left on their own in Petrovsk, the boys secure an official travel document from a friendly local police chief, purchase horses and supplies with the help of a sympathetic sailor, and prepare for a grueling mountain trek across Daghestan.

Their journey immediately turns hazardous. Armed bandits track them to their lodging and attack them in the wilderness. Forced into a desperate confrontation, Raymond uses his pistol with deadly precision to kill two attackers in self-defense. Fleeing the scene, the boys are captured by local police and thrown into a filthy jail. Unfazed, they plan their escape, slip out through a window, and continue on foot when they lose their horses. They endure scorching heat, severe dehydration, and terrifying encounters, including Raymond shooting a massive bear that blocks a narrow rock cave.

Pushing ever upward through blinding snowstorms and freezing temperatures, the exhausted brothers finally reach the summit of the Caucasus Mountains. The brutal Arctic-like ascent gives way to a breathtaking view of the sunny, green valley of Georgia below. Descending to the coast, they find passage on the aging freighter Princess Mary, commanded by the generous Captain Foster, who agrees to take them toward Venice.

As they sail through the Bosporus and the Aegean Sea, the shadow of a wider conflict deepens with Turkey's alignment against Britain. Disaster strikes when the Princess Mary hits a naval mine and sinks. Captain Foster is knocked unconscious and thrown into the sea, but Sidney and Raymond work feverishly alongside the surviving mate, Mr. Wright, to build a sturdy raft. They rescue the captain, reviving him through warmth and tireless rubbing until he recovers consciousness.

Shortly after, an Austrian naval vessel intercepts the survivors. The naval officer detains Captain Foster and his crew as prisoners of war due to hostilities, but he arranges for the two American boys to travel by rail toward the Italian frontier at Genoa. From there, they plan to secure a ship to England and finally reunite with their family in New York. Though separated from their benefactor, Sidney and Raymond complete their remarkable odyssey, carrying a promise to deliver news of the imprisoned captain to his grieving wife in London.

How It Unfolds

• The voyage begins: After their father is unjustly arrested in Russia as a German spy upon the outbreak of World War I, Sidney and Raymond obtain a special police passport and outfit themselves in Petrovsk with horses and heavy gear for a dangerous mountain crossing.
• Night prowlers: Armed bandits stalk the brothers in the rugged Daghestan mountains, forcing Raymond to use his revolver with fatal accuracy to defend their lives during a terrifying wilderness ambush.
• A Lesghian jail: Arrested by local authorities after the shootout, the boys are locked in a filthy holding cell, where they are searched and threatened with a delayed trial before they manage to outwit their guards and slip away.
• Without water and wildlife: Stranded in the arid mountains without supplies, the brothers suffer agonizing thirst before Raymond shoots a massive bear that is wedged inside a narrow cave entrance, narrowly avoiding disaster.
• Snowed under: Struggling through blinding snowstorms, deep drifts, and freezing glacial trails, the exhausted pair fights upward against physical exhaustion to conquer the towering, rosy-tinted summit of the Caucasus range.
• From midsummer to midsommer: Descending into the lush, green Georgian valley, the brothers reach the coast and secure passage to Venice aboard the aging freighter Princess Mary with the help of Captain Foster.
• A great disaster: While cruising smoothly through the Mediterranean region as international tensions rise, the ship suffers a catastrophic explosion early in the morning after striking a hidden naval mine.
• Castaways and rescue: Clinging to a makeshift raft built from floating wreckage, the survivors revive an unconscious Captain Foster, only to be intercepted by an Austrian warship that detains the crew but sends the boys safely toward Italy and home.

The People

Sidney Porter, the older brother, provides steady judgment, practical reasoning, and emotional resilience. He manages financial hiding spots, speaks to authorities using his multilingual skills, and constantly encourages his younger sibling through moments of despair. His primary obstacle is the hostile political climate of wartime Russia, which treats his family with immediate suspicion.

Raymond Porter, the younger brother, acts as the primary protector through his exceptional marksmanship and physical courage. Eager to prove himself, he struggles internally with the moral weight of taking human life during the bandit ambushes, yet he acts with lightning speed when danger threatens. His main obstacles are extreme physical exhaustion, severe dehydration, and the constant threat of capture.

Captain Foster, the warm and generous master of the freighter Princess Mary, offers vital assistance to the stranded boys out of pure kindness toward fellow Americans. His goal is to safely transport them to Venice, but his path is blocked by the outbreak of naval hostilities and the hidden dangers of wartime shipping. He ultimately ends up detained as a prisoner of war after his ship strikes a mine.

Mr. Wright, the capable first mate of the freighter, proves instrumental in a crisis by organizing the crew to construct a sturdy timber raft after the explosion, ensuring the survival of the remaining passengers.

In Its Own Voice

“You are not Germans, are you?”

When the boys visit a hotel office to inquire about their detained father following a sudden and alarming arrest, an English-speaking clerk voices immediate wartime suspicions regarding their heritage.

“I’m not afraid of missing, but it makes me sick to think of potting them like rats.”

Before engaging in a tense wilderness shootout with armed stalkers in the Daghestan mountains, Raymond confesses his heavy internal reluctance to take human life despite knowing it is necessary for survival.

“Gee, Sid... that’s swell! You talk Spanish and he talks Italian, and you both understand. Try him again.”

While encountering foreign sailors on their southern route, Raymond enthusiastically marvels at his older brother's surprising ability to converse effortlessly across complex language barriers.

What It's Really About

The book explores the sudden erosion of civil trust during global conflict, where ordinary family ties and peaceful travelers are instantly criminalized by sweeping wartime paranoia. It examines how youth and inexperience are violently tested by extreme geographical environments, rapidly transforming ordinary schoolboys into hardened survivors. Beneath the fast-paced adventure plot lies a deeper exploration of moral maturation, particularly focusing on the heavy psychological toll of violence and self-defense. Green highlights how human decency persists through unexpected acts of international solidarity, demonstrating that empathy and cooperation can still transcend hostile borders even as nations tear themselves apart in war.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love classic survival narratives, historical adventure, and tales of youthful grit will find plenty to enjoy in this turn-of-the-century juvenile fiction. Reading it feels like stepping directly into a vintage adventure serial, driven by relentless pacing, high-stakes danger, and exotic landscapes ranging from the snowy Caucasus peaks to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean.

Modern readers must approach the text with an awareness of its period context, including outdated attitudes and archaic idioms common to literature from 1915. However, the emotional core remains remarkably potent. The unbreakable bond between the two brothers, their gritty determination in the face of starvation and freezing blizzards, and their encounters with unforgettable figures like Captain Foster create a lasting impression. It is a brisk, immersive journey that captures the breathless thrill of survival against overwhelming odds.