a violent argument ensued. We remained adamant. At last in
despair the harbour master said that he would go and telephone. Night
was coming on, the deck was chilly, so Jan went to explore. The quay was
half under water, but by jumping from stone to stone one could get
about, and Jan discovered an entrance into the stone storehouse. The
door was boarded up, but he forced his way in, discovering a huge empty
interior banked up well above the water. At one end was a platform made
of boards on tubs. An ideal bed. He called the company and they arranged
themselves on the planks, though some were dismayed at the prospect of
getting no supper. The boards were loose and as each took his place they
bobbed up and down. Miss Brindley said that it seemed like sleeping on
the keyboard of a piano. We did not expect to see anything before
morning of the harbour-master or of Stajitch who had gone with him; but
just as we were settled and beginning to snore and the rats were running
about, Stajitch poked his head through the window and said that the boat
was going immediately. We reluctantly got up, for we were really rather
cosy, packed again and hopped in the moonlight from stone to stone till
we got to the ship--which was the same old Turkish gunboat on which we
had travelled once before. The thing was then explained--a telegraphic
mistake. The captain had been ordered to fetch the strangers: but
strangers and mattresses are only one letter different, "n" or "m," this
letter had been transposed.

Luckily it was a beautiful moonlight night. The lake was wonderfully
romantic. A fat Serbian captain, who seemed to know Stajitch, made a
request. He said that he had been cut off from his division, which was
at Monastir, and that he was going to try and rejoin them. He ask us if
he could join our party, as it would come cheaper at the hotels and he
could get transport.

It was pretty cold on the lake, but we wrapped ourselves in our blankets
and said the view was lovely. Hunger was also gnawing within us, so we
were glad when at last the rumbling old engines halted and the steamer
gave three hoots. We waited anxiously, and at last a large rowboat came
sideways against the steamer. Four carriages were waiting in the bazaar.
A very polite Montenegrin doctor welcomed us at the hotel and we got
some much desired food.

Bed was beginning to be a mere commonplace now, but we enjoyed it for
all that, and slept well into the morning.

Scutari w