The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-01-17
IN ADVENTURE IN THE BALKANS.

am now going to chronicle little
excursion that made into the Balkan
Peninsula, where IN Il certain mountain
GUS and murderous region. ! was 70
learn ali l could about recently quilt
forts-particularly OF their size and ar
mament This precise part OF the zen
insuIa is about as wild and eerie a. any
spot on earth: add to this that the IN
hebitants are wilder still. for they gem
orally settle arguments with KNIFE
or dagger. while the women invarianiE
carry n kind of *tillcto AT their waist.
and you Will catfer that cifill0t
member OF the weaker SIX would not
be wishful Of taking q habtation in
such surroundings on ton years lease
In briee the male reputation hercabouts.
arc a set OF bloodthirsty bandits who
would murder the Arrhangle Gaorlr!
himself for half & nicklc.
Although my passport WIS quite In
order I found that no official could de-
cipher It. doubt IF these said officials
were acquainted with their own eccen-
trio alphabet. l have before remarked
that I am rather quick and clever In
learning a foreign tongue. and had
taken good care 10 learn, enough or the
language to satisfy my needs and re-
Quirements. And II was well.
I shall never forget. the difficulty I
had in obtaining departments. ! SUR
mise that l tried Il hundred places be-
fore I was eventually taken In and
done for" at little farmhouse.
Dlscomforts were tnnumerable. and In
addition. all the men, women and child
rem Of the locality. when they had few
hours to spare. visited tho farmhouse
To Inspect me. much as Ravarian vii
lagc would turn out TO witness the an
ties of 4 performing bear. My bicycle
and style Of dress. I suppose. had much
to 90 with the native curiosity.
4 bicycle in those regions was a
necessity for me. This much under
stood a$ soon as I had glanced at the
map Of the district. Especially had l
to consider the most practicable mcauS
Of escape should I be suspected. And
lish manufacture.
imagine that q bicycle had never be-
fore been seen in those parts, because
wherever I went and passed village or
habitatlon the bired paragon Of AMI
mails" would flock around me like wasps
around strawberry Jam. Their stings
we're generally reserved for my retreat
ing back. In tho shape Of sticks and
stones and other missiles. As In China.
I was generally regarded rs foreign
devil
Every mile or so along these Balkans
roads there was O sentry and sentry
box, the sentry generally hulklRg,
sleepy headed yokel armed with rifle,
These "sentries" arc frontier patrols,
whose duty Is to look out for and watch
SUSPICIOUS looking travellers. and see
that no contraband goods are carted
over the mountains. On the whole had
little difficulty with these Doors. who
usually Saluted me with grin. l Ger
,ninly did not carry contrahand goods.
and II was unlikely Ito them) that L
was in quest Of military information. l
Judged that woman spy had never
hccn dreamed Of In those outlandtsh TO-
pIons. I therefore had little fear Of ar
rest for espionage.
The next morning at sunrise I mount
cd my bike" and spun away IN the
direction Of the new forts. decminE II
best to choose tho early hours 1or
reconnaissance.
Tho exact position OF the two new
forts I have mentioned was not known
in Berlin. Ny first duty was to locate
them. After this I had TO gather the
fullest details possible. IF I could gain
admittance to the forts so much the
better. A sketch OF the forts from the
outside was imperative 1 was not i"
return to Roonstrasse "a without them.
Way Barred by Soldiers.
T had ridden about q mile and hali.
o1onr q fairly level road curvinE round
the side Of q mountain, when suddenly
bcheld In front Of me three soldiers
in the middle Of the roadway. Truth TO
tell at that extremely early hour l had
not expected to meet a military uni
form. even doubted If should sec q
sentry either on the roadside or near the
forts However. I rodo on. and erentu-
alIy came up to the three soldiers one
Of whom, an officer barred tho way
with a warning arm.
On dismounting I was told poiitelE
that In front OF me was military roao
which was closed to everyone save the
soldiers Of the country. From thas ana
ono or two other little remarks the Of
flcers let fall. Judged that was on
the right track and that the Forts /
was In search Of lay ahead Of me. 1sNI
7 Was firmly informed that / must turn
back.
yainly I expostulated that I was
merely tourist enjoying the early
morning scenery and my evident In
nocent air and simple speech nalpahly
impressed tho officer But on no ac-
count could he allow me to pass.
IF you wish for better view ma
dame" ne said In French, there Is an
your right. Il muln track half mii.
down the road you have just come n'hnG
of course. your bicycle would b" OF n"
use but II YOU have done any climbing
YOU may be able to reach the crest in
about three hours
7 thanked the officer for his advice.
7 could SEQ from his taco and dcmcan"r
that he was obduratr. llH addressed IN"
IN cool and level tones. as IT no were