IN THE BALKANS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17773, 8 October 1927, Page 9

IN THE BALKANS.

WHERE LIKE IS LIKE FICTION • , I (By .Mary Gordon West.) -An Englishwoman who lias been . travelling in the Balkans.

Life in the Balkans is like a series of: short stones: every event, every ineulent, seems to end in the bizarre and the unexpected. My first snort story happened to me ■when I.reached Cattaro, at the edge ot the Black Mountains, on my way across. .Montenegro to Albania. At 2 -a,in. a boat deposited. me oil a quay beset by monstrous dark hi'ls and deserted except for a dozen ragged, tierce-looking fellows who clamoured low my suitcases. When they Heard that 1 wanted a certain hotel, every one claimed to be a pelter ot that hotel, t hey are like that in the Balkans. Two insisted on being engaged, one ier each ease; and the remainder, having nothing esse- u> <lO at that time of tee morning, came vith us. Through ston.v, dim-lit-, deserted streets we clattered, the whole thirteen of us —through a town ot the dead, so silent was the night. At tlie hotel an old woman, after peering- at the thirteen of us through a portcullis m a massive wall, admitted the thirteen of us, and by the light of a cand e the thirteen of us shuttled and scrambled up a stone stair to find me a room. X- had no sooner entered it and observed its four beds than the candle went out. Silence and the breathing of a dozen men at the door ot my room; Suddenly in the silence, a loud ! hammering sounded from under my window, followed b.\’ the rasp of a saw. “What on earth is this P” T. askecl. The candle flickered to lile again. ; “Oh, it is nothing,” said the old woman, beaming at me reassuring'v. “Vjeksl'nu, the waiter, ■ died this •morning ; they are making him a 'beautiful coffin. Tis nothing, guspoda.”^ Xbey were still making pour Yjekslau his coffin under my window when X fell asleep iToin nervous exhaustion at fi a.m.

When I left Cattafo to cross Montongi;o .1 was. told: “Bo not lake much Ifiggage. It is hard travelling with much luggage.” So 1 leit my two suitcases in charge of the hotel proprietor, and because of his vociferous assurances that they would be sate with him I locked in one of them a sum of emergency money which 1 might need later. ■ When I returned weeks later I asked for tho eases, nr.d the. proprietor led me to the public bathroom, where tho eases wore lying under the bath. I commented that this was soarco.’y a. safe place. '“Safe!” lie exclaimed in genuine amazement. “Safe! Why, gospoda, tins'is the safest place in the bouse. A'-'bath' costs CO dinara (ss) here. Nobody ever goes near the bathroom.”

T went across the mountains to Gotinej with the Government motor mail, -which had an escort of two armed soldiers.

At tiie top, as far as my eyes could

carry me, was a barren desolation ot grey and black mountains, jagged, horrible peaks, stony, sunstrickeu valleys. We stopped lor .water. “Why is it necessary to have an armed guard? ' I asked a. soldier, wishing to be reassured. “Are there bandits?” He spat. “Bandits?” be said. “No such lnek. 'this Government lias cured Montenegro ol bandits. There is nothing 1 for us to do except this.” And he raised his rifle and shot at an inoffensive crow to relieve his ieolings. The crow continued its right without bhowmg the slightest concern. 'The women of Montenegro wear black clothes. It is the men who.arc gay in their red- caps, magenta waistcoats, blue trousers, white leggings, and white string shoes. I commented on this to an e uci ly .Montenegrin. ■•'Yes, they are in mourning lor the battle,” he said. “All, the war,”! said comprohendingly. •‘War?” he queried. “Oh, not that war. They are in mourning for the men who fell at Kossovo.’’ The , Battle of Kossovo against the Turks was fought in I.TBO, when halt Montenegro died. « • I k;now that when I return T shall miss this dramatic quality of life. L ani gruwing used to living short stories instead of merely reading them! Life in England will seem more like a novel, a'rather long Victorian novel, with ail ending ’.somewhere in the dim future. Ouly in the Balkans-do they know how io Jive in n^qcltcs.