The Placer herald., 1861-11-30
Horse Stealing in Algeria,


The Arab who is projecting master
stroke, and intends selecting the handsomest
out of thousand steeds, usually comes in
the course Of the day to inspect the bivouac
although he is obliged to make his prelim-
nary observation from dstance-from a
very considerable distance, It NAV be. The
natl es, in fact are allowed to penetrate
easily into the middle of the encamprnent,
but they are almost always people of the
nei9 hborhood who form part Of the exped
tionary columns-such AS camel drivers,
herdsmen, and pack horse dealers, who have
been hired for the transport of provisions.
In the latter case, the Arab thief will be
mistaken for one of the men employed
He will take good care that no one shall see
him enter. His choice made, the rogue dis,
middle Of the bivouac, he ha'itualIy divesls
himself of every item of clothing, and re.
tains no other arm than a well sharpened
knife in a leather sheath, slung with a
strap across his body lie is also provided
with a long rope of canefs hair, which is
twisted around his head like turban AS
soon as he has passe the first sentries the
thief is metanorphosed into serpent: he
crawls on continually without hurry, with
out noise, without perceptible rustling.-
With bis eyes fixed on the living objects
whom he wishes to avoid, he stops short if he
perreives in the sentinel the slightest sign
that their attention has been attracted He
will take three hours. II need be, to clear a
distance Of one hundred yaads. At last be
gets near the coveted object. the horse in
tended to be stolen. There bis movements
are more deliberate than ever, in order not
to friohten the animal, who must not be
allowed for several minutes to perform any
but very natural motions, capable of deceiv-
ING the eye of the most vigiant sentinel.-
AT first he cuts the sharklts with which the
horses fore feet are tied together, he fastens
his rope to one of the horses feet, and re
tires, crawling all the while, as far as the
length OF the rope allows him.
The distance between himself and the ami
NAL then varies from q to Is feet. II, dur
ng these preparations, the horsekeepers ap
pear to have beard any noise, the thief again
renia Ms mptione-s; the horse remaining
quiet, and the sentrIs resoming their for
n,rr tranquility, the process Of stealing Is
continued ihe Arab slightly pulls the
r"l'-; solicited hy This mute appeal, the horse
rises and sets "A stei; b't the movement is SO
perfectly similar to that which til: animal is
in the ha'. of making when he wants to
reach a wisp Of hay or n blade of GRASS a
little way off the stake to which he is tas,
tened, that. hv eight, nine senii'.elS out of
ten would be deceived. The ruhber repeats
,he same maneuler AS long AS pnssiile.-
As he has carefully studied the ground he
will continue it willie no alarm is given; but
neraly once out Of the immediate reach
of the men whose duty it is to keep special
watch over the stolen horse, he leaps on the
animals back and sets off at full gallon well
knowing that gun shots by night are only
dangerous for the comrades OF those who
fire them. Sometimes the thief covers his
entire person with leaves, but he will com
nit no such foolish act in a country denuded
Of shrubs and bushes. Ga naked ground he
is as naked as a snake; in bushy country
he transforms himself into living Bush;
in short, he assmiIa'es his person to the
aspect of the country he is traversing.
AU the Year Round.