With him was a Slav-Hungarian, who
recommended us to go home by Gussigne, Plav and Ipek, the best scenery
in all Montenegro he said; he himself had just returned from Scutari,
whence he had advanced with a Montenegrin army halfway across Albania.
At each village the natives had fled, burying their corn and driving off
their cattle, leaving the villages deserted, and the army, starving, had
at last been forced to retire. Dr. Ob promised us a motor by four, but
added that they had no oil and very little benzine. Then growing more
confidential, he took us by the buttonholes and asked us to use our best
influence with the Count de Salis, and request him to tell the Admiralty
to allow petrol to be brought up from Salonika, where the British had
laid an embargo upon it. He promised pathetically that _all_ the petrol
would be brought up overland.
Intensely amused by the doctor's idea of our importance, we solemnly
delivered his message to the Count.
We went to the Serbian Minister, a charming man with a freebooter's
face, for our passports, and then back to Dr.
Pages:
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152