With the Serbs in Macedonia

52 WITH THE SERBS IN MACEDONIA
transport was urgently needed. Two days later
we left Mikra Bay with all available vans loaded
with oats and bread, and travelled all day over
a road which struck us as very bad, but which
later we learned was one of the best in the
country. We picked up during the afternoon a
subaltern ''
on detachment ''
with his men
and cars, and for the first time found ourselves a
complete company.
We passed that night in the open, a mile or
two away from two large British general
hospitals at Verte Kop, great bombing favourites
with friend Fritz. Our rest was a short one,
for we had learned that the Battle of Ostrovo
was in full swing and the Serbs were short of
ammunition. So we started again at daybreak,
and had our first experience of a really bad and
hilly Balkan road. That road has been made up
now into a very respectable main road with
reasonable gradients and wooden bridges. But
that day we bumped over boulders and stuck in
muddy places and pushed till the sweat poured
off us to get our Henrys up the hill to Vodena—
which now a Ford in good order can take on top
speed nearly all the way.
W^e reached our appointed camping-place just
outside Ostrovo without any casualties. But
no time was allowed us to pitch camp. Off
went our vans at once with ammunition.