“I have a great favour to ask,” he said diffidently.  “If I might I should like to give to you a little appendix.  It is my son.  He is seventeen, but is very big for his age.  If the Austrians catch him I do not know what will become of him.”

We were introduced to the boy, and at once consented.

“I will decide for certain to-morrow,” said the colonel.  “Can I meet you at seven o’clock?”

We hunted once more for West.  Ran him to earth at last in the Hotel de Paris.  This hotel could perhaps have existed in the Butte de Montmartre, but even there it would have been considered a disgrace.  We had to pass through a long room crammed with sleeping soldiery, stepping across them to get to the door opposite.  Every window was tight shut, and after one horrified gulp we held our breath till we reached the interior courtyard.  Here, too, were sleeping men, and all along the balconies and passages were more.

We found Holmes’ room.  West was there, rather white and just recovering from the anaesthetic.  We sat down.  Dr. Holmes had thought of coming with us, but the authorities had looked suspiciously at his passes, which were made out to Mitrovitza, so he decided to go on there.  We wished that he had come, as a doctor would have been a great comfort had we really needed him.

After a rest West was well enough to go back to the camp.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XX

THE UNKNOWN ROAD

As we stood around the camp fire drinking our cocoa a queer ragged old Albanian crept up and watched us with a smile.  He was the owner of the house near by, whose palings we had almost looted.  We offered him cocoa, which he liked immensely; and asked him about the road to Tutigne.  He said—­

“There is a road for carts—­I know it.”

“Will you show it us?” said Jo.

He gave a wild yell and ran away, waving a stick.

“What ——?!!!! ——­”

It was nothing, only the pigs had invaded his cabbage patch.  He came back later with an enormous apple, which he presented to Jo.

“Have you apples for sale?”

He shook his head, saying “Ima, ima.”

We bought several pounds, arranged with him to guide us later to the carriage road, and hurried into the town to buy provisions.

There we met Colonel Stajitch.  “Will you take my boy?”

“Delighted.  Are his papers in order?”

The mayor hereupon turned up, and the colonel’s face grew longer as they conversed.

“The mayor cannot give me the necessary permits without Government sanction,” he said.  “I must get it from Rashka by telephone.  It will take an hour.  Can you wait?”

We spent the time shopping.  Each shop looked as empty as if it had been through a Saturday night’s sale.  One had elderly raisins, another had a few potatoes.  We found some onions, bought another cooking pot and kitchen necessaries, and packed them in the carts which had arrived in the town.  Nobody would take paper money unless we bought ten francs’ worth.  After waiting an hour and a half we hunted down the colonel.  The telephone official told us he had got leave from the Government.  At last we found him in the mayor’s office, bristling with papers and the passport.