The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-26


of the devil, ye deserve not the mercy of the
God OF the faithful. But if ye wish TO win
the intercessioQs of the prophet, take this
pearl, which l will give you, and at the
hight of the sun, twenty days hence, let it
melt into one Of the springs Of the waste;
then battle We in the spring and the wrath
of Allah viii be Gppeased. Seize this
chanceI"
The supersuitious Bedouins, awe-stricken,
reverently took the pearl, gave up their
plumber, and silently departed
At last, after journey OF great difficulty
and danger, the party came within view OF
the white mosques of Medina, and, feesting
their eyes with gaze at the holy city, the
whole caravan joined in the prayer:
"Oh, Allah! bless the last of prophets,
the seal of prophecy, with blessings in num-
Der as the stars of heaven and the waves OF
the sea and the sands OF the waste-bless
him, o Lord of might and majesty, as long
as the corn field and date continue to feed
mankindn
Shelk AbdulIah, after performing the re-
quired ablutions, and dressed in white
clothes, the favorite color OF the prophet,
started on his holy GRAND at the mosque.
Here his ignorance of very small matter
nearly caused his death. At the door of
the mosque he removed his sandals, but,
instead Of putting his right foot forward
upon crossing the threshold, he unknown
luRID SL5Dpcu VIII LIS iSLk AOOb. OH0 VI
the faithful, who was close behind him,
noticed the action, which is considered a
gross sacriiege, and, drawing a knife from
underneath his shrOud, walked after the
Englishman. But the Sheik Abdullah had
already fallen on his knees, AID in a SEEM
ing RAPTURE was reciting the 109th and 10TH
chapters of the Koran.
The Mussulman, treasured, retired.
The Damascus caravan arrived at Medina
a few days later, and thousands of pilgrims,
camels, horses soldiers and nondescnpts,
filed the holy city and crowded the holy
places. The English adventurer mixed
freely among the new party, sustaining per-
fectly his character as Abdullah the At
CHAN, and Joined them in their various cere-
monies. Their devotions concluded at
Medina, the united caravans took up the
weary march TO Mecca, an even more dan
gerous Journey than from Yambu to Me-
dina When the holy city at last came
into view the Sheik Abdullah could scarcely
express the feeling of triumph. His were
ALMOST THE FIRST CHRISTIAN EYES
to gaze upon the white city of the desert
since the days of the prophet-of Islam.
His motive in making the pilgrimage was
one of curiosity merely. It was certainly
not the motive which prompted him TO visit
the giaut fragments of boar antiquity in
Egypt or the remains of barbaric gorgeous
ness in India.
He penetrated the most sacred and hal
lowed chambers and sanctuaries of Mecca,
by continuing to initiate exactly the actions
81 his fellow pilgrims, and not once during
the sojourn at Mecca was suspicion excited.
On the return journey the caravan was
again attacked by the band of robbers upon
whom Burton had practiced the deception.
They had repented the momentary enthua-
asm which had led them to accept bauble
in full requital for their risk in making the
first attack, and now their fury knew no
bounds. They slaughtered right and left,
and many lives were sacrificed before the
caravan could retreat. Burton only saved
himself by having his servants tie him in a
bag and suspend him from the back Of one
of the camels, where it was impossible to
distinguish him from the rest Of the
animals pack. The robbers were told that
the sheik who gave them the pearl had died
at Mecca.
When the thinned and weary caravan at
last trod the streets of Cairo and Sheik At
dullah, being no longer obliged to keep up
the deception, and beng annoyed at one
of the Dranks of his mules, burst into q vol
ley of old-fashioned Anglo-Saxon ex-
pletives. An old dragoman, who knew
English, was riding beside him. The effect
was electrical. He wheeled his mule and
rode the entire length of the caravan, de-
| nouncing the serpent. Inside of five min
| utes the air was filled with cries and shouts:
''By the name of Allah, would have cut
the infidel dog to pieces had l known it!
Did he not throw dirt on the tomb Of the
prophet, with whom be the peace of God
forever! Did he not cefile the most holy
mountain? Allah preserve me! Did he not
look with unsatisfied eyes on the most rev.
erend Kaaba? May our Lord and prophet
remember him in the Judgment"
But Burton, safe under the flag Of his
own country, laughed in their boards.