When I asked a Montenegrin his opinion of his neighbours in the
matter of marching and hill climbing, he could only contemptuously
spit. And then he explained to me that any fool can go uphill, but a
Montenegrin is the only man who can go downhill.
He pointed to the round tower in Cettinje, and told me within it lay
several piles of Turks' head, for the reason that every Montenegrin
who could show a heap of nine Turks' heads gathered by himself was
entitled to a gold medal from the Prince.
Their method of gaining Turks' heads was this:
A party of them would make a raid into Turkish territory and get a
few cattle or women. They would then be pursued by the Turks into the
mountains, and they would make their way hurriedly up the mountain
side just sufficiently far ahead to lead the Turks on to pursue them
eagerly. When the Turks had become well strung out in the pursuit, the
Montenegrins would suddenly turn on them and charge down the mountain
side.
There was no escape for the Turks. They were only ordinary mortals,
and could not run downhill. And he showed me his great bare knee, and
slapping it with pride, he said: "That is what takes you downhill,
and no other nation has a knee like the Montenegrins. And as for the
Bosnians--" then he spat!
However, as the Bosnians were reported to be doing such great things
in the marching line for the Austrian army, my next step was to visit
the Austrian manoeuvres and watch them.
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