e had paid attention, in his burst of eloquence, to
the man's family, antecedents, personal appearance, and probable
future, "go back to the hotel, and await my master's return! Thou
knowest the law. For even laying the hand on thy revolver in anger,
and against strangers in our land, thou wilt be thrown into prison,
and thou wilt receive ten months. I will come and see thee, and listen
to the music of thy clanking chains, and we will talk of to-day's
doings!" By the time Stephan had finished, abject fear was depicted on
the man's face, and his companions showed signs of having heard
enough. Murmuring apologies, they sheered off, and with a slow and
thoughtful rhythm paddled back the way they had come.

On our return to the inn several hours later the three men were
standing stiffly outside the door, cap in hand and thoroughly scared.
He who had attacked us spoke tremblingly, offering as an excuse that
they had fished all night and had but gone for some food before taking
us out again. They were direly poor, he said, and the fear of losing
their wages had upset them, the long night without sleep had destroyed
their powers of reasoning, and--would we forgive them for the
dastardly outrage? Needless to say we dismissed them, as do the
magistrates, with a caution.

We met amongst other Montenegrin officials the district doctor, an
interesting man of varied experience. At his invitation we witnessed
the annual vaccination, which is compulsory in Montenegro.

[Illustration: VACCINATION]

[Illustration: BAZAAR LIFE, DULCIGNO]

Outside the door of the principal mosque the doctor and his
assistants and some other officials took up their position one morning
and waited. Shortly afterwards crowds of children appeared on the
scene, mostly in charge of their Turkish fathers or elder brothers,
some of the latter scarcely able to carry their little burdens. Very
rarely a Turkish mother appeared, closely veiled, but the Christian
mothers invariably came; that is, the Albanian Christians from the
outlying villages. Very quaint are these women in a most picturesque
costume and carrying their infants in a cumbersome and unwieldy cradle
slung on their backs. It was a very varied assortment of babies which
was presented to the doctor, many of the Turkish children being so
emaciated and such a mass of repulsive sores, that many were sent away
as too weak. Most of them shrieked with fear, but a few came up
smiling, one and all comforte