76 MONTENEGRO 



the likely places and point out the trout, without the 

 slightest attempt at concealment. The effect upon the 

 fish of his dazzling array, especially of the fluttering shirt- 

 sleeves, may easily be imagined. Nor was this all. My 

 Turkish escort was as keen as he. Idlers, of which there is 

 never any lack about Albanian farms, collected as we went 

 along, until I had an advanced guard of a score of fellows 

 averaging six feet high a brightly-coloured throng, all 

 chattering and disputing who should be first to find a 

 trout for the Inglese. After persevering for a mile or 

 so, I gave up all idea of fishing, and turned to botanis- 

 ing, in which my beautiful attendant could pretend no 

 concern. But, before leaving me, he stepped off the 

 pedestal whereon my fancy had set him. Standing 

 before me, he put out his hand, palm uppermost, open- 

 ing and shutting his fingers and thumb ; while those 

 splendid almond eyes, in which I had read such heroic 

 thoughts, cried Pelf, pelf, pelf! as plain as spoken word. 

 Groping in the pockets of my inglorious flannels, I 

 could find nothing smaller than a five-franc piece a 

 heavy price to pay for the destruction of all chance 

 of sport ; but what could be done ? The eyes of a 

 score of armed men were upon me; they had spent 

 an hour or two frightening my trout. I tossed the 

 coin to my magnificent attendant, and we parted 

 company. 



Despite this failure, we lacked not fresh fish for 

 breakfast on the morrow. A shot of the seine by star- 

 light at the river mouth produced half a hundred small 

 bass, grey and red mullet, material for an excellent 

 friture. By the time we discussed it we were far 



