The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-07-20
Se1ert Stnrg
THE LEGEND OF HE CASTLE.

raltar. and the constant intercourse and
commerce kept up with Europeans, Tan
qier preserves its primitive appearance,
and bears the stamp of a thoroughly
Moorish town. Like most Moslem cities
it is surrounded by beautiful gardens,
and the ride of few miles will reward
the tourist with some beautiful scenery
There is work, too, for the antiquary
round about Tangier. Ruins of cities,
remains Of of a Roman aqueduct, traces
of the Portuguese dominion, strange
tombs of warrior saints who fell in bat
tie, are to be visited. To the north, also,
near the sea, there stands the ruins ofan
old castle, famous as having once been
the retreat of bold chieftain, who re-
belled against the Sultan. This ruin,
with portions of the outer wall yet stand
ing, covers a large extent of ground, and
used frequently to be the destination of
my morning rides Day after day, when
riding listlessly through the neighboring
lanes, between hedges of the aloe and
prickly pear, my horse paused at the old
castle, and l went in to raise a panic
among bats and owls that were disturbed
by my wandering through its gloomy
passages and desolate old halls.
A very matter-of-faCt soldier had, for a
long time, been the attendant on our
rides-for it is unsafe to trespass far be-
yond the town without guard; this gen.
tleman had not word wherewith to sat
isfy my curiosity, or crafty my feminine
desire to provide every ruin with its
legend. A change of guide, however,
brought me at last under the shadow of
a charming fellow, a battered, tale-tell-
ing old hunter, named Shebah, or the
Lion no doubt from his courage His
conversation was stocked largely with |
magicians, genii and enchanted castles, |
which he built up with much gorgeous
ness of detail, yet speaking always with
a certain dignifed simplicity and pecu-
liarity of idiom that gave piquant relish |
to the richness of the diet upon which |
my ears were put,
One bright September morning, as a
small party of us rested on a grassy spot |
on what perhaps had been the tilt-yard |
of the castle before mentioned, enjoying |
a cool picnic breakfast, the old hunter |
sat cross-legged in our neighborhood, |
with his gun beside him, and knife |
glittering in his belt, looking with grave
Wistfulness at the sparkle of our wine,
and wrestling mentally, perhaps, with
the hard veto of his prophet. To console
himself, he lifted up his voice and told
us all he knew about surrounding objects
sliding eventually into what he called
the Legend of the Castle. l really can
not repeat it after him in his own gor-
geous words, that sounded very well up
on his lips under the Moorish castle
walls, but would trip less successfully
from mine anywhere else. l will tell
the story as we'll as can, beginning
properly with Once upon Time. ..
Once upon time when this castle,
now deCayed, was strong fortress, there
dwelt in it a certain Arab chief named
Muley ben Abel, alias Al Zagal or the
Valiant. AL Zagal's valor was not tenn
pered with mercy, and he was by no
means universally esteemed by all who
knew him. The two half brothers of AL
Zagal were, however, called the Good
Lords, and the public preference for
these two men was the cause of their sud
den disappearance. They were followed
out Of the world by their father Ion
Amir, when he was a man still in the
prime of life, AL Zagal had, after this
fipoa manu- Gnparu no;ntad ~ hin, orJ
became SO greatly dreaded by the people
that he was not unwilling to give them
other cause for dread. He began ac-
cordingly to prey upon the country, and
the Sultan, being at war with the noun
tain tribes, had neither time nor inclina-
ton to put any check on his proceedings.
So AL q gal collected a toup of black
warriors, with conscience of a like color
with their skins, and levied blackmail
on all travellers and merchants as they
passed on their way to Granada, (which
then" said the hunter, "our people pos.
sessed, and, by the blessing Of Allah, will
again possess" The Moors faithfully be-
lieve that they shall in time reconquer
Spai /; and many families Of note, tracing
descent from Moors of Grenada, still kept
the keys of houses, and the title deeds of
lands held by their ancestors, ready to
be produced in the good time that is COM
ing. Every Friday the Imaums in the
mosque pray for the consummation so
devoItly wished,
AL Zagal and his black guards did not
more mischief than a herd of wolves
among the surrounding hamlets, and
their den came to be called accordingly
the Black Castle, The robbers would
sweep by in the night, like hot wind
from the desert, and leave eyerything de-
stToyed upon their track.
Now it so happened that a sheik Of a
small village, distant about half days
Journey from the Black Castle Hamlet
al IIassan was his name), had a fair
the only child left him by thir-
teen wives, and she was named Lindora.
Lindora means light of the dawn; and
the damsel was as and quiet, and delight
full as her god mother, Aurora. Necessa-
rily she was, for she is not the heroine of
the legend that was told us 10y the Moor
ish hunter under the Black Castles
walls.
1dulcIJ Iue ldGucI, lOT Iile Bake vi |
peace and quietness. seeing how weak he
was, paid blackmail to Al Zagal, that
was collected on behalf of the castle, at
fixed periods, by one of the chiefs {
sWarthy followers. 1t happened that
such a messenger one day CHANGED to be-
hold Lindora when she returned from
drawing water at the village well.
''Son of AL Hassan," said the envoy,
give me, l pray thee, thy daughter to
my wife, for the maid finds favor in my
sight. l will befriend thee with my in
duence, and cause AL zagal to remit this
tribute"
"Most worthy envoy of the most noble
AL Zagal," said the old man in reply, 1
many have asked Lindora at my hands
in marriage, but she is betrothed to Cedi {
Ibn Amar, my brothers son; {
and when he returns from fighting for {
The Sultan, | have promised that they l
shall be welded. So even the marriage t
gifts are prepared against his coming. {