KING PETER'S RETREAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 March 1916, Page 8

KING PETER'S RETREAT.

A TERRIBLE JOURNEY. AGED MONARCH'S HARDIHOOD. A touching account oi the terrible journey of King Peter of ServU from intravital to Scutari, in Albania, in given Toy the Gaulois. "On horseback and by foot, with three officers and six soldiers of the regiment o? the Guard as his sole escort, the King of Serbia, septuagenarian and ill, occupied seven days, in horrible weather, in making the journey of 90 miles across the mountains to Scutari. At night, when the time for rest came, the aged King was without a bed, and he contented himself with bread and cheese fare, as did his soldiers. , "The journey of the King across the I mountains oi Albania was a veritable epic. The little Royal cortege were ignorant of the road, and they had no guide—often the. only indication that they were on the right road was the prostrate body of a soldier who had fallen from exhaustion. The King and his companions only, had three honses between them, and it ivas impossible to persuade King Peter not to take his turn in walking. He resolutely insisted on walking just as much as the others did. and he walked quit#' half the distance. During the day the party journeyed with only two short halts for meals. During the whole seven days the King had no hot food, and one day he was even without bread. At night they generally succeeded in discovering the hut of some Albanian shepherds in the mountains betwen Prizrend and Scutari. and the poor shepherds little dreamed that the aged, careworn gentleman who slept on the naked srroiind, and who left in the morning n,ftcr a frugal meal of dry and unpalatable bread, with perhaps a cup of inilk, was the King of Sorvia. "One night, near Oiat'maht, the little Royal cavalcade completely lost their road, and darkness fell on them when they were on a mountain without a human habitation in sight,. Then King Peter remembered that he had a smail electric lamp among his few possessions. Happily lie found it in working order, and this proved their salvation. By its feeble light, they succeeded in following a slightly-beaten track down the mountain side, and after several hours reached a shepherd's hut, where they passed the night. This terrible journey of a King, as dramatic and unreal as an old legend, lasted seven day*. The party crossed the mountains and deep valleys, tim soldiers nf the Guard several times wading through istpaiuous uiountfilii torrents, carrying their- King on their shoulders."