nificance here insomuch as they explain the special importance
of the railway from Belgrade south along the ancient highway of
the Crusaders.

Before following this route farther south, a few words should be
devoted to Montenegro. Between Serbia and Montenegro lies the Sanjak
of Novibazar. This small territory nominally belonged to Turkey
before the Balkan War, but it was in fact garrisoned by Austrian
troops, the civil administration being left to the Turks. Austria
had gone to special trouble to establish this arrangement, so that
it might have a wedge between the territories of the two little
Serb nations. Anticipating this war long ago, Austria had counted
on having a large enough force in Novibazar to prevent a union of
the two armies. But, when it actually came, she was in no position
to prevent it, so much of her strength being required to meet the
Russians.

Montenegro is the natural refuge of the Serbs. Whenever in the
past they were especially hard pressed by the Turks, they would
flee to the mountain fastnesses of Tzherna Gora, the Black Mountain,
for here military operations, even in this day of modern artillery,
are absolutely impossible, and when it came to mountain guerrilla
fighting, the Turks were no match for the Serbs. Thus it was that
the Serbs were able to preserve their old traditions, their language
and the best blood of their race. And it may be said that to a
slightly lesser extent Ragusa served the same purpose.

The Montenegrins are born fighters and die fighters. From one end
to the other Montenegro is one wilderness of mountain crags and
towering precipices, traversed only by foot trails. Here and there
a shelf of level soil may be found, just enough to enable people
to grow their own necessities. The capital of this rocky domain,
high up among the crags and overlooking the Adriatic, is Cettinje,
which was to be stormed and conquered by the Teutons. The main
street, about 150 yards long, comprising two-thirds of the town,
is so broad that three or four carriages may be driven abreast
down the length of it. It is composed entirely of one and two story
cottages. A few short streets branch off at right angles, and in
these is all of Cettinje that is not comprised in the main street.
The king inhabited a modest-looking, brown edifice with a small
garden attached. Overlooking the capital is Mt. Lovcen, on top
of which the Montenegrins planted guns to defend any attack that
might be made agai