find no room in the place where I could sleep. The hotels were
crammed, and even in the shops men were billeted to sleep on and under
the counters, as also in every garret and archway in the place.

Finally, I went to the station and asked the stationmaster if I could
sleep in a railway carriage. He informed me that all these were filled
with troops; but one of the railway men who came from the signal-box
a short way down the line took pity on me, and told me if I liked
there was his cabin, which I could share with his brother, who was a
corporal, and his squad of men, and that I might find room to lie down
there.

I gladly climbed the steps into the signal-box, and was made welcome
by the corporal and his men in sharing their supplies, and after
supper and a chat I bedded down amongst them.

It was interesting to see how conscientiously this little party did
its work. At every hour during the night the corporal went out and
inspected his sentry, just as if on active service, and patrols were
frequent and reports handed in, although no officer ever came near the
place.

During the next two days we had plenty of experience of marching and
counter-marching, firing and charging; but going along in the rear
of the immense mass of troops one soon realised what enormous wastage
there is in stragglers, and especially those with sore feet. So much
so was this the case that wagons came along, picked up the sore-footed
men, and carried them back to the railway, where every evening a
special train was in attendance to convey them back to their garrison.

A few that were missed out by this operation on the field were
collected into their field hospitals, and thus the numbers shown every
day to the general staff of men admitted to hospital for sore feet was
very small indeed compared with the number that were actually put out
of action from that cause.

It was soon quite evident that my friend the Montenegrin had not spat
without reason, and that the Bosnians were no harder in their feet
than the other nationalities in that variegated army.

AUSTRIAN OFFICERS.

I had a very strong fellow feeling for the Austrian army and its
officers. They were so very much like our own, but far more amateurish
in their knowledge and methods of leading; as old-fashioned as the
hills, and liable to make mistakes at every turn.

The only one who seemed to realise this was the aged Emperor himself,
and when he came flying along it was ver