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And soon we were in the outskirts of Novi Bazar, the most ordinary town of the Sanjak, combining the dull parts of Plevlie with the dull parts of Ipek. There was a stream down the middle of the road, in which some of the inhabitants were washing, while one sat on his haunches holding up a small looking-glass with one hand and shaving himself. We bustled off to the mayor's office.

This is not the black mountain where the last dregs of old Serbian aristocracy defied the Turk, this is still the Sanjak, three years ago Turkish, and with pleasant pasturages spreading on either hand. At last we came up over Plevlie.

Almost all his escort had succumbed to the speed, and he was full of the story of his orderly's horse which had done 300 kilometres in four days, and was the only animal which had come through with him, he having changed mounts at Plevlie. We left him and went straight to bed. Just as we were comfortably dozing off, a man burst into the room and demanded "Mike," and said something about a horse.

The Shadow was terribly puffed up about his feat. The following morning as we were sketching in the town, an officer approached respectfully. "His excellency the Sirdar invites you to supper," he said. We considered a moment, for we had intended to return to Plevlie. The Shadow broke in. "It is inconvenient to come to supper," he said to our horror.

Montenegrins crowded in, and discussed the probable end of the war. There was little enthusiasm shown, most of the talk was of the hardships, and a little grumbling that the farms were going to pieces because of the lack of men. Before leaving Plevlie, Dr. Clemow had presented Jan with a box of Red Cross cigars, and he handed one to the captain. The official received it gratefully. "Ah!" he said.

Our hotel room proved large and comfortable with a talkative willing Turk in attendance. We slept immensely and were wakened by yet another horrible cock crowing. All Balkan cocks seem to have bronchitis. Plevlie is a red-tiled nucleus with a fringe of wood-roofed Serb houses planted round it.

We pushed on again, and on the road picked up an overcoat, which later we were able to restore to its owner, a Turk, who was going to Nickshitch to buy sugar and salt for Plevlie. Bits of the big white road appeared and reappeared with insistence. We asked who was responsible for its inception. "Sirdar," said Mike; "he good boy. Much work."

She, a Russian girl, and an English orderly had driven from Plevlie, en route to Uzhitze. Half-way along the wheel of their carriage had broken in pieces, so they finished the road on foot. Curiously enough we had travelled from England to Malta with this lady, Sister Rawlins, on the same transport.

"Tell his excellency that the gentleman and lady will come to lunch if he wishes it." The Sirdar meekly sent answer that lunch would suit him very well, and we could drive back with him to Plevlie. "Would we come to his house at 12.30?" The Prefect told us that we ought to go to the lunch at twelve, because the Sirdar's clock was always half an hour fast.

The population of the Sanjak and its cities, Plevlie, Ipek, Berane, and Jakovitza, are of course largely Mussulman or Albanian, and already the balance of people in the little mountain kingdom is wavering.