Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-09-06
dQlOrtester 4allp Spp.
The Devils Castle.
a FRENCH TRAVELLERS ADVENTURE WITH AN
ARAB SUPERSTITION

vanced, the outlines of the mountains and
hills running into curously fantastic forms
Old ruined castles, gothic cathedrals, and The
remains OF palaces, with long colonhades and
stupendous pOrticos, were all visioned out 10
us by these rocks, among which weired wilLo-
the.wisps for ever fitted, supposed by the
Arabs to be the souls OF the ancient Sabians.
We passed at the foot Of a mountain called in
the language OF the country, KdSr 81 Cheitan-
the Devils CaStle-fOr information respecting
the origin of which l applied to Abu, Bekr-el-
-SDoani
''Seek not to know, replied he-''the devil
is the enemy Of mankind let us try to protect
ourselves from his malice, and be content in
ignorance OF his mysteries"
"But tell me, at least" said l. "what that
mountain has to do with him 2?
Nothing that know Of answered the refs,
Except that it is a biding place of the enemy
of man a place haunted, from base to summit,
by emssaries of hell. Allah protect us /! listen
to this trightful story of two rash men who
went there and never returned:
cone evening in the month of Moharrem of
the year 1910, the silence that reigned over
these mountains was suddenly broken by the
steps of dromedaries, soon after which could
be distinguished the forms of two cavaliers,
who were heard saying to each other
This, then, is the place, Yusuf-the Kas-
sarel Cheitan 60
les, " hOHdmuleu, TepIeu tne Otner,
CHS is it,
"And, as he spoke, they reached the foot of
the mountain and began to ascend it, when
some wandering Arabs who happened to be
passing entreated them to desist, telling them
that no one ever went up that mountain, which
is the abode of Satan.
"What matter for thatW retorted the cava-
Tiers we have vowed to bring our sweet
hearts some wonderful things that nobody else
Obt f,r that IN
keep And they went on their way up the
mountain.
"Then the Arabs, who again entreated them
to return, seeing that their Efforts were useless,
went on their way reciting the Fdtta * but
they had not gone far when they saw strange
light glimmerlng at the top OF the mountain,
accompanied by fearful sound and cries of
distress, and then all was silent as before.
Next day they recounled everywhere how
two cavaliers had gone up to Kassrel- Chef
from which they had not been seen to return
moro did the families or friends of these two cava-
Tiers ever hear any news of them again, OK.
cept indeed, that the devil and his imps had
roasted them alive"
When the refs had concluded burst into
fit of loud laughter, at which he turned pale
and said:
"Have l not sorrows enough to bear up
against that you must bring more upon me by
the levity with which you look upon such
horrible events"
"Be not troubled, Sidi," answered l. with
as much gravity as l could command. "Be OF
good cheer; in my country, too, people tell
foolish stories, with which the frighten eak-
minded persons and small children but such
fear is unworthy of man like you, as | will
prove to you. How long will it take the cara
van to file past this mountain 3,
"HIalf an hour or less"
Good l will use the time in making my
way to the top of it."
"What" exclaimed the refs, ''in spite of
what have told you"
Because of what you have told me-" re-
piled 1 ; and leaving him to recover from his
CONSERVATION, l turned to my companions of
the caravan, asking whether any of them
would accompany me on visit TO the hosts
of Kassr-el- Ceitan-an invitation which they
declined with horror, one and all, some of
them even running away from me when l
made show of approaching them A few
however, endeavored to dissuade me from my
undertaking; but after the course | had taken
/ did not choose to withdraw, lest | might
have been set down as an empty braggart;
though, on the other hand, by carrying out
my design | should subject myself to the sus-
picion Of having commerce with evil spirits.
Dashing my dromedary, then, across the
rocks and bushes at the foot of Kassr.el Chef
tan, | commenced ascending the spiral path
which thought heard murmuring sound
as of human voices.
l rode towards the spot from whence the
sound appeared to proceed, where L found a
large opening in the rock, slightly concealed
by the tall heritage, into which | entered on
foot, and had made but a few steps into the
cavern, when | found myself in utter dark
ness. listened-the murmur of voices ap.
peared to come from the depths of the cave,
bpplmp ST / haA M
means of lighting myself on the way, return
ed, fearing lest l might fall over some preci.
pice, if | ventured farther in the dark.
thought, BESIDES that | must have been de.
ceived with regard to voices issuing from tie
cave, and that the sounds heard by me must
have come from the caravan below. Continu-
ing my ascent, therefore, reached the sum-
init of the mountain, where ] found myself
upon plateau, in the center OF which there
was deep pit, which | al once recognised as
the crater Of an extinct volcano. | leaped off
my dromedary, and rolling a large stone down
into the gaping abyss heard it spashing into
water below ; tor the ascending waters-as in
other instances observed by me-had evident
ly extinguished the fire and the lava of the
crater, and converted it into lake. The
splash of the.stone was Immediately followed
by rumbling sound, which reminded me of
the Pantheon, at Paris.
lremounted my dromedary land commenced
to descend the path, when, suddenly, bril-
liant light shot across it some distance in adj
vance, the source of which, owing to the spi-
raj nature OF the path, | could not perceive till
/ had taken another turn. Strong minded
enough, however, to reject the idea that the
flames oil the internal regions had got so high
up, | supposed for moment that one of our
chouafs had ventured on the mountain, when,
on turning an angle Of the path, | saw before
me seven or eight men, with none OF whom
could claim acquaintance. Each of them was
armed with a gun, richly carved ard damas-
keened their garb consisted of red somma-
da bound round the head, a yellow fouta grt
over the hips and falling to the middle of the
thigh, and eathern girdle, worked with sill
yer and garnished with two pistols and a scim.
itar. They were fine looking fellows in every
sense Of the term, with handsome, intelligent
faces, and figures of perfect mold but, al
though there was nothing menacing in their
looks, their sudden appearance certainly dis.
committed me little, though | put as good a
lace on the matter as | could.
Where are you going, my friend? 2" asked
one OF them who appeared to be the chief, ad.
dressing me.
Down from Kassrel Cheiian, to join my
companions below, replied |.
hnow you not that he who has been to the
top OF TINS mountain never gets to the bottom
OF 1t again = continued the speaker.
$50 have been told
"Why did you come, thcn?"
"Because could see no Just reason WHY an
inoflensiye traveller might not return safe and
sound, after having explored the mountain.
"But it is the residence OF a genius. who does