CHAPTER IV.
INTO THE MOUNTAINS.
Nicholas, king of the Montenegrins, came forward slowly, his head bowed as though in grief, and it seemed for a moment as though he would pass Hal, Chester and the others without seeing them. But even as he drew abreast of the five, he looked up suddenly. His gaze rested upon Colonel Edwards and the Englishman bowed low. Colonel Anderson did likewise. Hal, Chester and Stubbs remained erect.
The king smiled slightly at Colonel Edwards, whom he plainly knew, and glanced inquiringly at the others.
Colonel Edwards approached him.
"Your majesty," he said, "I would crave your permission to present another of my countrymen and three Americans, who have seen service with your allies in the western theater of war."
The king nodded his head affirmatively and Colonel Edwards motioned the others to approach. The king extended a hand to each and spoke a few pleasant words.
"I hope," he said, "that you will make yourselves perfectly at home in my camp. I am sorry I have no better to offer you." He turned to Edwards. "I have faith in you English," he said, "and for that reason I was about to summon you this morning. I have a mission of importance, and some danger, I would have you undertake."
"I shall be pleased, sire" replied Colonel Edwards with a bow.
The king smiled.
"I knew you would be," he said. "Now this mission will necessitate probably more than a single man. You shall pick the others. It seems simple, but I can assure you it is not. Among the Albanian tribesmen, I am told, there is a disposition to doubt the justice of our cause and the cause of our allies. A spirit of unrest is rife there. I would have it looked into. I have faith in the majority of the Albanians, but a few agitators could do much harm right now. The reason I say one man could hardly undertake the task is that he would hardly have time to cover the necessary ground. Two might do; even more would be better."
At this point Colonel Anderson stepped forward.
"If you please, your majesty," he said, and hesitated.
"Speak, sir," said the king.
"If you please, your majesty," Colonel Anderson repeated, "it would give me, and my friends here, the utmost pleasure to be of some slight service to you. With your permission, we shall offer our services to Colonel Edwards."
A smile stole over the king's rugged face.
"I have always said," he declared, "that the British and the Americans come nearer to being like my own people than any others. You have my permission, sir, for yourself and your friends, and I have no doubt of the success of the mission." He turned again to Colonel Edwards. "You will make all possible haste?"
"What we may, with caution," was the reply.
"Good. Then I shall expect you back within the week."
Again all bowed before the king and after a few words of farewell the
Montenegrin monarch resumed his walk.
"Well, I feel better now," declared Hal. "We've got something to do, so we won't feel as though we had no business here."
"My sentiments, exactly," agreed Chester.
"Well, they are not mine," declared Stubbs. "Say! what's the matter with you fellows, anyhow? Look at all the trouble we had finding a safe place to come down, and now you are running around looking for more trouble. You are not going to get Anthony Stubbs into any Albanian mountains, I can tell you that."
"You don't have to go if you don't want to, I'm sure," said Colonel
Anderson stiffly. "I had no idea you were afraid."
"Afraid!" echoed Stubbs. "And why shouldn't I be afraid, I ask you? Why shouldn't I be afraid, eh? I don't know anything about mountains. I don't know anything about mountaineers. I don't want to know anything about any of them. All I want to do is—"
"Get a little news for the New York Gazette," Chester interrupted.
"Eh?" exclaimed Stubbs. "What's that? News? Sure, I've got to get some news. By George! Might be a good feature story up in those mountains." He turned to Colonel Edwards. "Count me in on this little trip, will you?" he said.
Colonel Edwards hesitated. He didn't know Stubbs as well as the others.
"Well—" he began.
"Oh, he's all right, Colonel," said Hal. "It's just his way. He's no coward. He is no more afraid than you are."
"Don't you believe it, Colonel," said Stubbs. "I assure you I am scared to death. But I am more afraid of losing my job with the New York Gazette than I am of these Albanian mountaineers, so if I go I am just choosing the lesser of two evils. I want to go with you fellows. But please remember one thing: I'm no fighter. If it comes to a fight, you can count me out; but if it's a question of run—well, you'll find me with you, or far ahead."
"Then if the others have no objections, I am sure that I shall be pleased to have you accompany us," said Colonel Edwards.
"And when shall we start?" asked Hal.
"Just as soon as we can."
"Walk, ride, or what?"
"Horses, until we reach the top of the mountains. Then we'll walk. Also, we will discard our uniforms—anyhow, I don't imagine you like the cut of those Austrian garments."
"I don't, and that's the truth," Hal agreed.
"Good. We'll change immediately. You go to my quarters and wait. I'll rustle up some civilian clothes and have them sent you. Also I'll arrange for our mounts and other details. I'll meet you here two hours from now."
With this Colonel Edwards betook himself away and the others returned to his quarters.
Half an hour later the clothes arrived and the four friends hastened to climb into them, Stubbs the while muttering to himself.
"Great Scott, Stubbs!" said Hal at last. "Quit your grumbling. Any one would think you were going to a funeral."
"And so I am—maybe," returned the little man. "And what worries me is that it is likely to be my own."
"You are a cheerful sort of a companion, I must say," declared Chester.
"What's the use of yelling before you are hurt?"
"Because I probably won't be able to afterwards," was the reply.
Colonel Edwards was waiting when the four made their way to the appointed spot. The horses were picketed nearby.
"All ready?" asked the colonel. "Guns? Ammunition?"
All nodded.
"Then there is no use waiting longer. We may as well be moving."
He led the way to the horses and leaped lightly to the saddle. The others followed suit. Edwards waited until all were mounted and then headed his horse toward the north.
"Let us ride," he said.
All through the morning hours and well into the afternoon they rode along without adventure. They were challenged several times by Montenegrin outposts, but were allowed to proceed after an explanation by Colonel Edwards.
It was four o'clock by Hal's watch when Colonel Edwards at last drew rein in the far outskirts of a tiny mountain village.
"We'll leave our horses here," said the colonel, dismounting.
He led the way to a small barn near a smaller hut. Approaching the hut he gave a loud whistle. A man emerged and Colonel Edwards engaged him in conversation. At length the man nodded. Colonel Edwards turned to the others.
"We'll turn our horses over to him," he said. "I told him we would be back within seven days and wanted him to keep the animals here for us. He has agreed."
"But will he?" asked Hal.
Colonel Edwards shrugged his shoulders.
"You know as much about it as I do," he replied. "However, we have no choice."
"Well, they might come in handy if we get back," declared Stubbs. "When we return this far we are liable to be in considerable of a hurry, and if the horses were not here it would be a terrible disappointment for us, at least. If we come back, we'll probably come on the run."
"And why will we come on the run?" Chester wanted to know.
"Bayonets behind," returned Stubbs briefly. "Rifles, revolvers and whatnots. Oh, yes, we'll—"
"Stubbs," said Hal severely, "you would be a kill-joy at any feast. When it comes to plain, downright pessimism, you take the cake. Your equal does not exist."
"I'm glad to hear you say I'm good for something," muttered Stubbs.
"Well, if a pessimist is good for anything, you come first always," said Chester.
By this time the mountaineer had stabled their horses. Colonel Edwards gave him a piece of money, and mumbling his thanks, the man moved away.
"Which way?" asked Colonel Anderson.
Colonel Edwards drew a small map from his pocket, which he consulted for some moments.
"About five miles straight along this mountain road," he said at last. "There we cross the Albanian frontier, and there, also, we part company, or some of us do. Some of us will strike off to the right and the others to the left. You know what his majesty said. We would not learn much if we all went together."
"True," returned Hal. "Well, let's be moving."
They trudged along the rough, hilly road at a fair gait; but the walking was difficult and it was almost two hours later that Colonel Edwards again called a halt at what appeared to be a fork in the mountain pass.
"We'll split up here," he said briefly.
"And how?" asked Chester.
"That's up to you fellows. Of course, I'll take charge of one party, and
I suppose Colonel Anderson should be entrusted with the other."
"Of course," said Chester. "I'll go with Colonel Anderson. Hal and Stubbs can go with you."
"One way as well as another," was the reply.
And so it was decided. There was a last handshake all around and the two parties went their separate ways—Colonel Anderson and Chester taking the more level trail to the right, and Colonel Edwards, Hal and Stubbs moving off along the rough pass to the left, leading more abruptly upward.