Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-10

U1HbhbIt wall lay utLWCGu AhNAAAs -
her away Pierre would have consented 10
everything, even to agree TO oarcanys
terms. Count SandOrt and he we're reedy
TO abandon the fortune which the scoun-
drel coveted. And this, although ne dlu
not forget that Justice ought TO be done on
the betrayer OF stephen Bathory ana La
dlsla5 /athmar.
situated as they were, there would seem
20 be almost iusurmOuutable difficult es
ia carrying OIL Sarcany or getting sara
away from Sidl Hazam's house. fofce
was not likely TO succeed, would strata
gem! Would tO-mOTrOw'S festival ia any
way assisty Probably it would, ana
plan had been suggested by POINT res
CAGE, and had been under the consider
alton Of the doctor, Pierre and Luigi dur'
ing the evening. In executing IT Pescade
would risk MS life but il ne could enter
the mOQuaddem's house he might sue
coed in managing Sara's escape. Moth
ing seemed impossible with his courage
ana cleNeTness.
1t Was, then, in execution OF this plan
that the next day the doctor and Pierre
and Luigi were on the watch among the
crowd on the PLAIN OF eoung-Ettelate'
while Pescade and Matifou we're prepar-
ing their parts. There was then no sign
Of the noise and excitement with which
the plain would be full beneath the glare
| OF innumerable torches when the evening
, arrived. In the compact crowd they
had scarcely noticed the SenOusists. VINO,
in their simple costumes, communicated
with eacn oJner only by masonic si-ns.
But it IS desirable that We should know
the Oriental, or rather African, legend. oil
winch the chief incidents were to be re-
produced in the feast Of the stOrks, which
Is the great attraction for the Monamme-
dams"
fnefe was formerly on the African con-
tlnent race of Djins. Under the name
Ol B0u-Chebris, these DjinS occupied a
/ vast territory situated on the borders OF
! the desert OF Hammada, between Irlpoh
! and tue kingdom OF FeZzan. Ihey were
powerful people, fearless and feared
they were unjust, peritiOus, aggressive,
inhuman, and no African TssnRich had
been able 70 suppress them,
iuere came IL gay WAen the prophet Sill
! leymau attempted, not 10 attack, but -
! convert these Djins. And with TINS Oh
/ jcct he sent one OF his apostles % preach
! 10 them the love OF good ana the hatred II
! evil. Vain effort. The ferociOus horde
| seized the missionary ana put san to
! death. The Djns showed so much au-
/ daclty because their country was isola-
I ted and difficult of access. and they knew
/ that no nelghbOrlng ruler would dare TO
/ venture there with mis- armies. Bes des,
! they thought that no messenger would
! carry to the prophet Suleyman the news
! OF what they had done IN his apostle.
/ They were mistaken.
La the country were great number OF
! stgrh5. As We know, stOrks are Dirds OF
! good manners, Of unusual intelligence,
/ and above all things Of great common
! sense, for the legend atii ms that they
! never lnhabit country the name Of
! which appears on piece Of mOney-fOr
money IS the source OF all wickedness and
! LEe great power That draws all men TO the
/ ABYSS OF their evil passions.
! These stOrks, then, seeing the perYerse
way in which the Djins lived, mustered
! one day in deliberate assembly, and de-
/ cided 70 dispatch one OF their number to
the prophet Suleyman, SO as to procure
| bIs just vengeance on the missionary 3
| assassins.
And so the prophet called the hOopoe,
his tayorite courier, and ordered MIN to
! collect in the upper zones of the African
! sky all the storks on earth. This was
done, and when the innumerable fOcks
OF these birds were gathered before
the prophet ouleyman the legend says
they formed a clOnd which put in
shadow all the land between Media and
| MourZOuk
Then each one, taking a stone in its
beak, flew towards the country of the
! Djins. And from above they stoned tC
death the unhappy race whose souls are
now imprisoned for all eternity in the
desert of Hammada.
Sucn is the liable which has given rise
to the festival of the day. Many hun
| dreds OF storks had been got together un.
der huge nets stretched over the surface
/ of the plain Of SOung- Ettelate. And there
for the most part standing on one leg
| they waited Tor the hour OF their deliver.
| aDce, and the clicking Of their beaks
| caused sound in the air as Ofthe beating
of tambourine. At the given sig.
| nal they would be set free to fly
Oft, dropping harmless stones Of clay
| among the crowd Of the faithful, amid the
cheers OF the spectators, the uproar Of
the instruments, the reports of the mus.
kerry, and the light from the torches with
cOlored flames.
Pescade knew the programme Of this
festival, and 1t was from 1t that he re-
! ceiYed the suggestion as to the part be
intended to play, and by the aid Of which
| he was to obtain admission to Sidi Ha
zams house.
AS soon as the sun set a gun from the
/ fortress of TripOli gave the signal so i'm
patiently expected by the people OF
ooung- Ettelate. The doctor, Pierre. anC
Luigi were at first almost deafened by th,
trightiul noise which arose on every side
anu NEiG Antu hCall ~ bAAuutu ny III
thousands OF lights that's sprang up al
over the plain.
When the gun was heard the crowd 0
nOmads were still busy at their eyeninl
meal. Here the roast mutton, the pilav
OF fowls Tor those who were Turks ant
wished il TO be seen; there the cous cOus
son for the well-tO-dO Arabs; farther off
simple Oazina, a sort of barley-fOur boil
ed in oil, for the poorer people, hose peck
cts contained more mahbOubs Of bras
than metals of gold; and everywhere tn
"lagby," the juice Ofthe date-palm, which
when 1t is taken as an alcoholic beer, i
productive of the worst excuses OF intox
lcatiOn.
A few minutes after the gun had beel
heard, men, women, children, Turks
Arabs, and negroes had finished thei
meal. The instruments OF the barbara,
orchestras necessarily rejoiced in alarm
ing sOuOrOusness TO make themselVe
heard above the human tumult. In place
horsemen were leaping about discharginl
their lOog guns and their saddle pistols
while fireworks were thrown about ami,
an uprOar it would be impossible to dc
scribe.
Here IN the torchlight, TO the Tattlini
OF the wooden drum and the information o
a mOnOtOnOus chant, negro chief fan
tastioally dressed. with a rafting belt o
bones, and his face hidden beneath dia
bOlical mask WAS exciting to the dane