As we rode into Podgorica that morning, we were struck by meeting several groups of the Turkish inhabitants hanging about outside the town.  Arriving in the town, only Montenegrins were to be seen in the streets, walking somewhat ostentatiously up and down, their natural swagger greatly exaggerated.  The news of the elopement of another Turkish maiden soon reached us, and that day at dinner, an officer, detailed to prove the matter, told us the story.

A young Montenegrin had won the heart of the maiden, and accompanied by a friend, he had gone to the wall of her house and given a preconcerted signal.  The girl had come, but a dispute now arose between the men as to who should ultimately marry her, and she, in great disgust, had told them to go away and settle the matter.  It seems that the girl had no particular wishes as to whom she should marry.  At last the friends arranged matters satisfactorily and the girl was abducted, if one can call an elopement an abduction.  However, in the eyes of the Turks it was a forcible abduction, and the fact that the girl was related to the most influential Turk in the town did not improve matters.  The Beg had demanded the restitution of the girl at once and punishment of the offenders.  The Prince had sent officials to settle the dispute.  The girl, however, very naturally refused to be given back, as she would probably have been killed, and insisted on her baptism and marriage taking place forthwith.

As the officer said to us—­

“This is a free country, and we shall not give back the maiden against her will.”

This had incensed the Turks beyond measure.  The town was being patrolled nightly, and the Beg attempted flight to mark his anger.  But this the Prince would not allow, and the Beg was stopped by gendarmes as he was entering a carriage one night.  Only if he first gave up his orders, decorations, and his sword of honour, and, furthermore, took his wives and belongings with him, could he leave the country.

Such was the state of affairs on our return.  At night we went armed, and really had hopes of seeing a street fight.  One evening a shot was fired in the town, and in the twinkling of an eye men turned out rifle in hand.  Nothing came of it, and the crowd of several hundred armed Montenegrins slowly dispersed.  Had further shots been fired, we were told, the peasants from far and near would have taken up the alarm, and in an hour thousands would have flocked into the town.  No wonder the Turks were chary of taking revenge into their own hands.[8]

[Footnote 8:  Again, since writing the above, this statement has been fully proved.  In February, 1902, a party of Turkish soldiers, half starved in their frontier block-houses, attempted a raid into Montenegro.  They were accompanied by a brother of the famous Achmet Uiko; whose story has been related elsewhere.  In spite of the caution which the raiders displayed, the news reached Podgorica as soon