now
coming to their Rescue. All were aware that they owed their misery
to the Greco-Serb combine. All knew of the martyrs of Fostivar and
of Kosovo. I shall never forget the inspired enthusiasm with which
one of the headmen of Valona cried, as he raised his hands to
heaven: "God is about to avenge the innocent! The Serbs will be
punished for their crimes!" He was an Ipek man, and knew too well
what those crimes were.

A letter came to me from England from a man versed in military
matters, suggesting a line of attack, and urging the Albanians to
hasten at once to Kosovo and take the Serbs in the rear, should
Austria attack in the front. No official news of any kind or sort
came through. The Italian consul had no news, the Austrian none
since the news that the Serajevo murderers had confessed that they
and their bombs had come from Belgrade, and the latter had been
supplied by a Serbian officer, and that the Belgrade papers approved
the crime. To me it appeared that the affair was similar to the
attempt on King Nikola in 1907. I said: "I suppose Russia is mixed
up in this?" The Consul said: "Probably. We shall insist on a very
complete investigation as to all the guilty parties."

Meanwhile, it was daily clearer that the refugees could not remain
in the terrible heat and fever-laden atmosphere of the Valona
plains. They were doomed to die in that case. Small-pox as well as
malaria had broken out. It was barely possible to feed the poor
creatures, let alone give them quinine. One lump of bread per head
per day was all we could manage. I laughed bitterly later on when I
was called on to sympathize with Belgians who, after a short though
uncomfortable journey, had arrived in England and were living like
fighting cocks.

At the last meeting of the Relief Committee we decided we must try
and move them to higher land. The question was, where was the Greek
army? Could any of the refugees return in safety to their burnt
villages, or, at least, cut the corn that must now be ripe? The
three consuls said it was impossible for them to spy the Greek
position as, if caught, they would get into political trouble. Nor
could Albanians be sent, for fear of starting fighting and bringing
the Greeks down on Valona.

I therefore volunteered to go myself, if provided with a guide to
take me up to the limit held by the Albanians. Ernst Gorlitz, a very
friendly youth, of whom I had seen a good deal, and who was acting
as correspondent to