The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-07-04

Arab made his appearance in camp about
sunset of that very day, nearly naked,
and apparently greatly frightened and
exhausted. After having seized and
kissed the hands (the customary way of
introducing oneself, as well as of claim
ing protection, among the Arabs of the
first party he met on the outskirts of our
camp, who happened TO be Mr. R., q
young countryman of mine, speaking
and writing the Arabic language as well
us any native Arab, the stranger told
him that he came from Bagdad, and was
returning to Azizia-a small town on the
left bank of the Tigris, about thirty-six
miles below our camping-ground-but
that he had been pounced upon in the
bushes of Casseba by five rufians, who
relieved him of a young bay mare, sad
died and bridled, wooden blanket, q
sword, two pistols, and small amount
of money, together with all his wearing
apparel excepting pair of old trowsers,
which the villains left him for decency's
sake. He begged hard to be allowed to
spend the night in camp, as he was hun
CRY, thirsty, and exhausted, and as he
bore the looks of a man who spoke the
truth, his request was granted, with the
proviso, however, that he was not to
leave our camp before daylight the next
morning, which he promised faithfully.
Hereupon he was properly cared for by
his fellow-countryme in camp, and
after refreshing himself little, he pro-
ceeded to describe the five highwaymen
who had robbed him, and his description
of these worthless corresponded infinitely
with that given by our two donkey
drivers.
Though there was every appearance
of truth in his story, there were men in
camp who were too well acquainted with
the character of the motives of the coun-
try in general, and Bedouin tricks in
particular, to put much confidence in it /;
on the contrary, they suspected the
stanger of being an accoInplice of the
highwaymen, sent into camp as spy,
or for the purpose of robbery.
1t was thought advisable, however, not
to show any suspicion, and to treat him
ostensibly as the victim of robbers, but
in reality all his movements were to be
closely watched by the shrewd "Aghels"
(camp-watchmen) in whose tent he was
to spend the night, and who had been
made responsible for his safe-keeping,
and had received strict orders to shoot
him if he attempted to leave the camp
before sunrise.
Previous to our retiring to rest, it
was agreed that he should be provided
with a donkey in the morning, and that
he should proceed with one of our two
donkey-drivers to Bagdad, for which
journey we offered to pay him two hun
| Il In1 II L. -,
of his being attacked again in the neigh
bcrhood of Casseba, to which he agreed
After this arrangement was concluded,
everybody in camp retired to rest except
the "Aghels," who kept an unusually
vigilant look out that night; but the
stranger slept soundly, and had to be
awakened in the morning.
Soon after sunrise the two men
mounted their donkeys, and proceeded
toward Bagdad, provided with the regu-
lar amount Of money, to buy provisions
Herewith.
Scarcely, however, were they out of
sight of our camp when a busy hustle
suddenly pervaded the latter; horses
were hastily saddled and bridled, rifles
and revolvers examined and loaded, and
ten minutes later six horsemen stole out
OF camp toward Casseba, not on the
Arabs track, however, but by circui-
tous route, and hidden from one by the
long range of high mounds which con-
stitute now all that is left of the ruins
of Seliman Bhag and Ctesiphon, thus
successfully evading detection on the
part of our two Arabs, as well as of
anybody else who might be on the other
side of the plain intersected by the
| mounds.
On account of the wide circuit which
we had to take, we were compelled to
fall into. brisk pace, so that we might
reach Casseba before the Arabs, who,
the reader will readily perceive, were,
unbeknown to themselves, to serve us as
decoy-ducks to use a sporting term.
About two miles above Taak Kesra"
palace of Kesra, Khusru, or Kosroes l.,
a famous Persian king of the Sassanide
dynasty, who is supposed to have built
the magnificent palace, the gigantic
ruins of which still tower high above
the ruins of ancient Ctesiphon, about
the year $50 A. D. J, at spot where the
regular road or path to Bagdad passes
through a sort of detile or cutting, in
one of the enormous mud-walls or
mounds, we saw the two Arabs slowly
disappear among the bushes which cover
that portion of the plain closest to the
river bank.
No sooner had the two men, utterly
unconscious of being followed by us,
disappeared among the brushwood, than
our little band divided into two detach-
ments of three men each. One of the
parties followed up the course of the
river, cautiously stealing through the
bushes along the bank, while the other
continued to advance along the base of
the mounds to the uttermost end thereof; /;
and it was agreed that both parties
should SO proceed, until they should hear
the report of firearms, when they were
to dash out of their concealment, and
endeavor to capture the highwaymen, or
else shoot them.
Friend j and myself enlisted in
the latter party, who reached the ter
minus of the mounds about half an hour
after separating from our companions.
Immediately after arriving at our place
of destination, we dismounted, and
climbed the mound for the purpose of
reconnoitring, large tuft of grass grow
ing on the top of the mound affording
capital screen for our faces. The whole
bushy portion of the plain lay like q
mammoth chart at our feet, and every
object thereon was distinctly visible
from our elevated position moreover,
we had the ADVANTAGE of having the sun