34 IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 



looking out, saw two peasants approaching. They 

 proceeded to spread out rough rugs on the ploughed 

 land, and, wrapping themselves in others, lay down. 

 I then went to try and ascertain the cause of this, 

 when one, who could speak a little Italian, in- 

 formed me that they had come as a guard to us 

 by order of the gendarmerie. They refused to 

 accept my suggestion that they should go home, 

 and that I should say nothing about their having 

 done so, so I bade them good night. The night 

 was fine, and after all a Morlak peasant's house 

 is not much more comfortable than a ploughed field, 

 barring the roof, which, however, is not always 

 watertight. 



The priest and the gendarme are all-powerful 

 in Dalmatia, and as they do not, as in some 

 countries nearer home, pull in different directions, 

 this was only a trifling example of their power; 

 for it appears it was the priest who had suggested 

 these sentries to the policemen. Next day I pro- 

 tested against it as quite unnecessary, and it was 

 not repeated. 



