The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-06-13

like that around here. They'd take
me out and shoot me for treason.
like enough"
However, we overcame the scrupleS
of this good American. and toward
4 p. M. had the satisfaction OF seeing
the scattering houses Of Plovnitza
just ahead Of us, in a valley that mar
rowed until it was a mere ravine
This was the end Of the lake. In the
road at the back of the pier there
were about a dozen three horse car
riages waiting to relay travellers on
to Cettinje. Despite his protests that
he would just as soon walk, we
packed the volunteer into one OF them
with us and soon were rafting over
the smooth macadam through Plovnit'
"a, which did not take many seconds.
and then up the precipitous cliffs Into
the mountains.
Splendid Mountain Road.
This we'll built road entities Monte
negro to claim to be the most ad'
vanced nation of the Balkans. In all
our trip we had seen nothing to COM
pare with 1t. 1t rivals the finest
mountain roads of Italy. France and
England. Though the ascent is con-
tinuous all the way to the national
capital, which lies on plateau IN
the very lap Of the peaks. we were
drawn by the wiry little horses at !
trot a good part Of the way.
It was twilight now. The stars
came out bright and sharp. The
sounds from the village houses far
below rose faint and peaceful to our
ears-the barking Of a dog. the rattle
Of wheels, the glad cry Of a child.
Suddenly rounding the broad curve Of
a precipice. we were startled by the
glazing searchlight Of an automobile
descending upon us at sharp speed.
It slowed at SIGHT Of us. edgtng up
close against the cliff, so that as Vt
passed could plainly make out the
bluff and erizzled features OF the
elderly man who sat with two others
in the rear seat.
He was King Nicholas. Looking
back. we saw the carriage In which
four Serb officers had been following
us, draw to a stop. The automobile
stopped also. The officers got out
and we're presented to his majesty.
there in the road in the clear night
We could even watch them deliver to
him the dispatches of which they had
been the bearers. Their mission
was ended. The automobile sped on.
and the carriage turned back That
night, as we afterward learned, the
Turks made sortie from the Scutari
trenches, but the Mcntenegrins had
been forewarned Instead Of finding
the besiegers unprcpared the Turks
were received by terrible fire which
left many dead or grooming on the
plain ere they could regain the shell.
ter Of their fertilization.
King Nicholas, as tie foregoing In.
cident indicates, keeps a close watch
upon the status of his army. The
story is told Of visit he made short.
" after the beginning Of the war to
one of the villages in the rocks near
Cettinje. On returning to the capital.
he sent a message to the local ad.
ministration Of that village. saying
that he had been amazed to see rs
many men in the village street as II
the land had been at peace instead Of
at war and that he desired that every
able bodied male. no matter what his
position or what his excuses. be
straightway mustered in.
The kings automobile is familiar
sight on such Of the mountain roads
az will permit But. while the scenery
Is magnificent. motoring in Monte
negro is not without danger. Four
days before our arrival, on tho very
curve we were now traversing. q local
merchant had been spinning down
to Plovnitza in his machine. whom
something happened-nobody win
ever know Just what. The automo
bile with its passenger and chauffeur
plunged over the low guard wall and
down 500 feet to be fiattened to bits
on the rocks at the base OF the crass.