“We have been to the village,” they said.

We asked them about the horses.  They said they were all there!!!!

That professor again!

Some one heard trickling water, and with a cry of joy we put our mouths under the jet of water which spouted from a little trough which jutted from the hill.  Nothing could be seen of the village when we arrived, but it seemed very long and very stony.  An old peasant with a candle led us for what seemed miles between high palisades of wood until we reached the inn.

There was a big room with a stove in the middle and many Montenegrins in uniform were sitting about.  Some of our party were already asleep, worn out on the benches.  We opened a tin of beef, got some bread and kaimack and woke up the others for their evening meal.  While we were eating a Montenegrin staff officer said—­

“Your commandant, the professor—­”

“What?” said we.

“Your commandant, the professor, has said you will rest here to-morrow.”

We told him the professor was no commandant of ours, and that we certainly would not rest there to-morrow.

“Well,” said the staff officer, “he has certainly ordered horses for the day after from the captain.”

We were too tired to rectify matters at once, and our meal finished, we rolled up on the dirty floor.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXI

THE FLEA-PIT

Those comfortable folks who have never slept out of a bed do not know how annoying a blanket may be, if there is nothing into which to tuck its folds.  Wrap yourself up in one, lie flat and motionless on the floor, and we guarantee that in an hour the blanket has unrolled itself and is making frantic efforts to escape.  Every night on the road resolved into a half-dazed attempt to hold on to the elusive wrap.  Sleep came in as a second consideration, and when we say we awoke on any particular morning, it really means that we got up, though several of us in the intervals of blanket catching did get in a snore or two.

Well, we got up, then, in good time next day, hoping to rectify the professor’s interference, and stumbling along with Stajitch, we reached the high-roofed “Duerer” dwelling where resided the commandant of the village.  In the kitchen we found two women with bare feet, two children and a man half undressed.  He brought in the captain, also in negligee.  Now, mark, we were in Montenegro.  We exposed our grievance to the captain and roundly denounced the professor as an interfering old beggar.  The captain first gave us coffee, second hurried us to his office, third called in three henchmen and issued rapid orders.

“Certainly, certainly.  You shall have all the horses you need.  Just only wait one little quarter of an hour.  I will give you four policemen to go with you.”

We protested that four was too many.