The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-07-15
Moorish Robbers.

w uttU hluu VI peOpl6 are the BEN
Hassanp" demanded De Amicis, mem
Der OF the Italian embassy to the Moors
referring to the approaching compan
of wild horsemen who were to escor
them through the next province.
"Thieves and murderers," replied th
interpreter; faces from the othe
world; the worst crew in Morocco
And naturally the signor's curiosit,
was excited to the uttermost when theI
were expecting the arrival of their rob
Der escort.
The faces from another world were
not long in coming. We saw in nd
vance great cloud of dust, and in a few
minutes were surrounded by a throne
OF 800 mounted savages in green, yellow
white, violet and scarlet, ragged, dis.
heveled and painting, as il they had lust
come out OF fray. In the midst of the
thick dust they raised we could discern
their governor--a long-haired, black
bearded giant, who, followed by two
hoary vice-governors, all armed with
muskets, approached the ambassador,
pressed his hand, and then disappeared.
Immediately the usual firing, charging
and yelling began. They seemed frantic.
They fired between the legs of our
| mules, over our heads and close to our
shoulders. Seen from distance they
must have looked like a band of as
sasslns assailing US. They were formida-
be old men with long white boards, all
skin and bone, but looking as if they
might live for centuries; and Young
men with long locks of black hair fiying
like names. Many had their chests
more or less bare, turbans in tatters,
and red rags twisted round the head |;
cafes torn, saddles broken brides made
OF cord, old sa bers and poniards of
strange forms. And such faces! cit
is absurd" said the commandant, "to
suppose that these people will be capa
BILE OF the self-sacrifice of not killing
u.s." Every one of these faces told n
story of blood. They looked at us as
they passed, out of the corner of their
eyes, as if to hide the impression of their
glance.
The manner and morals of this un-
pleasant people by no means belied their
viliinous looks. Theft is their avowed
profession, and they take rank accord
ing to their deXterity in it. The boys
are put in training from their most ten
der ages, and the youth are told off to
particular departments, according to
the capabilities they develop. They go
to work like an oiganized Gang of bur-
glars, on circuits far beJ ond their i'm.
mediate beat. They are in the habit of
lying in wait in the towns to attack
Jews, who are compelled by law to go
unarmed, and who are generally worth
plundering. Like mounted Indians,
they go great distances on horseback to
make sudden descents on unsuspecting
duars. They will dismount, and. like
some of the low-caste Hindoos, strip to
the skin, soap themselves all over, and
slip within the precincts of the village,
for the dogs will not bark at naked
man. They glide upon the ground like
snakes, covered with grass, with straw,
with leaves, dressed in sheep.skins, dis
guised as beggars, as madmen, as saints,
as soldiers. They will risk their lives
for chicken, and 60 ten miles for
dollar. They will even steal bag of
money from under the head of Sleep
ing man. They terrorize the surround
ing country far and near, levying heavy
of blackmail on the vii
lagos that derive exemption from their
depredations. 1t may be said, no doubt,
that it is not SO very long since gentle
men caterans like Rob Roy drove a
hourishing business in Scotland. But,
AZ all events, Rob Roy was prescribed
and hunted down, and he had his head
quarters in the Businesses of a remote
Highland district, while these Moorish
robbers thrive on their ill-gotten gains
IN country open to the irregular cav
airy, OF which their emperor has so
many in his pay; and their bands infest
the roads between the court and his
capitals, which are habitually travelled
oy MS caravans and treasure trains.