vast majority of Ragusa is Catholic.

But Liberty is a glorious thing, and I found the Orthodox heartily
approved of Alexander's murder as one step towards it.

By now I had learned that even officials in Austrian employ were
working against the Austrian Government. A friend of mine, who was
also much interested in things South Slavonic, wrote at this time
and suggested I should join the Slovenski Jug Society then recently
formed. But as it was made clear to me that these so-called
patriotic associations were plotting against the Austrian Government
I decided that I, as a British subject, should steer clear of them,
more especially as one could not tell to what lengths they would go.
I had been on the brink of the plot for the destruction of Alexander
Obrenovitch, a sufficiently alarming precedent, so I declined to
become a member of the Slovenski Jug, preferring a front seat at the
drama to being possibly dragged onto the stage.

As one of my objects in this journey was to see Christmas customs in
a peasant house I determined to leave for Montenegro, where I could
do so easily, and left the tense political atmosphere of Bosnia with
some relief.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

1907

Blindly and bloodily we drift.--MASEFIELD.

The thirteen days' difference between the Old and New Style enabled
me to spend Christmas 1906 at Serajevo, and celebrate it a second
time in old Serb fashion in Krsto's hut at Nyegushi in January 1907.
Montenegro lay deep under snow, all mountain tracks buried. Life in
the villages was rough and severe. We celebrated Christmas, the New
Year, the Blessing of the Waters, and St. Sava. But by leaving
Bosnia I had not found peace. The undercurrent of discontent with
the government was more marked than last year. Even in Nyegushi, the
birthplace of the Prince, there were growlings. What was done with
all the money? The most hateful and wearisome work in all the world
was guarding flocks on the mountain. Therefore a herdsman should be
paid more than a chinovnik (official). Nevertheless every youth
aspired to be a chinovnik, because then you could retire early with
a pension. Many men had lately returned from America with pockets
full of cash. They preached that the duty of a government was to
make "jobs." They used the English word, and their audience had not
the least idea what "jobs" meant, except that it was a highly
desirable something which brought in money. America was a republic,
and in America