passed into a queer pallid country, pale grey houses, pale
yellow or pale green fields, grey sky and stones, a violently rolling
plain where our guide lost his way, and we became increasingly aware of
the discomfort of our saddles, and prayed for the journey to end.

We refound the route, and asked a peasant, "How far to Jabliak?"

"Bogami, quarter of an hour."

We cheered.

At the end of twenty minutes we asked once more.

"Bogami, quarter of an hour."

At the end of twenty minutes more we asked again, our spirits were
falling.

"Bogami, quarter of an hour."

"* * *!"

We then asked a peasant and his wife. The woman considered for a moment.

"About an hour," she said.

Her husband turned and swore at her.

"Bogami, don't believe her, gentlemen," he cried, "it's only a quarter
of an hour."

We left them quarrelling.

It grew dark, and we grew miserable. Jabliak seemed like a dream, and we
like poor wandering Jews, cursed ever to roam on detestable saddles in
this queer pallid country.

At last a peasant said it was five minutes off, and then it really was a
quarter of an hour distant.

We came down from the hills to find the whole aristocracy--one
captain--not to say all their populace, out on the green to do us
honour. They had been informed by telegraph of our august decision to
sleep in their wooden village. When we got off our horses our knees were
so cramped that we could scarcely stand, and we hobbled after the
captain into a bitterly cold room without furniture. Various
Montenegrins came and looked at us, and an old veterinary surgeon, also
_en route_, but in the opposite direction, conversed in bad German. The
old vet. was a Roumanian, and the only animal doctor in all Montenegro.

To their great surprise we demanded something to eat.

"Supper is at nine," they said severely.

"But we have had nothing since ten this morning," we protested.

"But supper will be ready at nine," they said again.

After a lot of trouble we got some scrambled eggs, but nothing would
persuade our guide, whose name, by the way, was "Mike," to have
anything. It almost seemed improper to eat at the wrong hours, even if
one was hungry.

After supper we sat growing colder and colder. At last, in desperation,
we asked if there were no place in the village which had a fire.

"Oh yes, there is a fire in the other cafe," and thither we were
conducted.

We were in a jolly wooden room, with a blazing stove and a m