The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-06
AN ARAB MARTYR.
|sTORT or THE FORT DIS YJNGT-
OUATRB HEURES.

L
old familiar words which have been sounding
now Tor eighteen hundred years and more. my
mind travelled back % a fort "a Algiers. th,
Fort lies Aingtquatr0 Heures, made of huge
.blocks which for three hundred years re-
mainod immovable and silent. But in 1853 d
|nartyrdom. which some people looked upon
as an idle tale others as O superstitious
legend. was brought 20 light and the
very stones themselves, with undeulahe wit
ness. revealed the pathetic figure of the Arab
martyr. Geronimo. Just 347 years ago lit
tle Arab baby was taken pris lner by some
ISpsuisl soldiers and brought 90 Gran 20 be
Iofsred up for sale as q slave. j be good
z vcsr-g general. Juan Caro- bought him, and
hook him % his own house % educate MIN.
! snd he baptized him under the name Of
|Ger0n,mO. When the child was eight years
III few Arab slaves made their escape from
5Omn. and believing they were doing the boy
"a kindness they took him with
Itlem. 20 for some years he lived
|wth Lisl people rs Mahometen
hut the holy faith which Juan Caro- had
6ranted IN the chilCs heart had taken such
fm root that bis relations could not tear 10
&ut he remained with them til he was
ATenty.lve. aud then he took r. step which he
&neu no Arab could forgive and which if he
&hould be- recaptured, would lead him with
Il .ertsinty 90 suffering or death. He fed from
8 is home and returned TO the Vicar General.
md telling him OF the dangers Of his flight.
q G said simply 1T was because ] wish 20
Z We henceiorth IN the faith OF the divine Sa-
= hour
Juan Caro- was 90 delighted that he received
= he youRg Arab ike a lost child. and
y ier0uimO. on his sido. could not show his
4oeneactOr love and gratitude enough lie
boon entered the spanish Guards as paid
Soldier. and be performed such brave deeds
hhsi be STAINED very high military hOnOrs Bnt
tthe height q his joy and ambition was gained
&whel be heard that the Nicar-Generai gave
Dis consent and approval 90 a marriage be-
ktWeen him and q young Arab girl also a con-
.Verl with whom be had fallen IN love. For
\ ser years nothing but happiness shown on his
Die he won the respect and confidence of all
arouud him. he was Juan iarO's right hand
nnd his wife was as O daughter 10 his adopted
Father. no shadows seemed 20 cross their
II path 90 troubles seemed drawing near them
4 But one bright May day In 1859 news came
4 10 Oran that q small Arab enCampInent had
been noticed q sh0Tt distance on. The rumOr
Old not seem OF Importance. p handful of
Spanards lcouid easily manage the Arabs. al
least. so Geronimo must have imagined for he
only took nine soldiers and manned little
boat. intending o. land on the coast. where
the ARABS had assembled. They rOWed out
Of the safe har0or with the sun shin
iug on them and sailed along the blue sea
past the cOraltshery ~ Mers-el-K ebir never
dreaming OF danger when suddenly two
bio ,rsh Organizes which had been lying
secretly ID wait for them, chased them and
IAN them down The nine soldiers escaped
but Ge1ouim0. who was too marked q man
vas seized upon at once aud carried obi to
Luldl All. the Calahran renegade A great cry
spread IKE Wlldhre among the Arabs through
Vu A'gefA That the spostate was captured
tlAt ne. the traitor. who had abandoned
as own people, denied his own faith was
iNug prisoner 10 the fortress. the "BaqnOn
4e AooIs, who knew his history. made d
ttoieml vow Chat they would restore him 10
y ~ on ielsion So they began 10y sending
AaIsD9uls % convert him with arguments
ana far promises But they returned dis
eoMltel ia tuldl Ali. their fine words had
movable
iIesh treatment was next tined, he was
LOADED with chains and treated with the
utmost cruelty, and when be was faint from
ionlie and scarcely able 10 speak, the Mara
80, - ',ood around him, Offering MIN liberty.
yoNeI honor riches. But no offer made him
Ss1' lls iaih. no longing for freedom made
IL i.'.. lofsHear for one single moment his TO-
.sou Once. after some most horrible !
81 a.lgAh ne raised his poor suferiDgrhead /
~ VIVA voice 50 weak ID could |
. slioely be heard he said They think thev
Wiz IN n'ke me Mahometan. but that they
VII He' or DO even d they Kill me For four /
,,..l'ls huldi Ali gloated over the daily tor
80 80 nc Was infhotlnR on Geronimo. but 1t /
iasi the very sameness OF his crueltv naNe5 /
, -,.. Aim. end be was determined d invent
ana more hidi0us revenge for tho
-iYa'Aies obsunacy" One morning the
-. anne 10 him. He was examining the
= ~ OF a fort by the gate OF Bah
h, "hen be Saw a block of beton stand
49,. ~ me great stones. This block was
fI.5 ~. ~ the shape Of the immense stones,
60 N'th Snd OF concrete. when the con
i IL sAs sulroently hardened the wall was
: oe built with t. Here was the h,iobt 81
M i'1'e. Here was the most exquisitely pain
II uo'th man might devise. The dog of
iV should be laid in similar mould
,ir 1lal plaster should DO poured over
- ne should be built alive into Tho wall
io,. s.uo should be turned into very
$50 Plt as Arabs never act hastily The
s,f~ ''. .i9eia'sd most carefully whether this
,oB3 u DC the most brutal death he
. e-'l conceive. and then, BELIEVING fbere
..i' 10 more ehectual means Of barbsritv he
49, 49,. 20 Nayarrese mason. who was alsoa
,-i'stah slave Michel 81 bc -
~ y'- SOC TINS empty mould Of beton}
, present leave u; have
m, ~ az 20 make beton Of that
al y. Vt9h who refuses to come back TO tie
,hev 49,. t-. ryi bAltIc Mlchcl lad 10 |
al out he finished his days work with
n, I.ll1l As sooa a. BIO entered the "Bagnon
49, also was a prisoner no found oul !
i srer',,oo ana told him Eudi Ali'scommand
iis,a'.e'u0 heard the command in perfect
'GoS's 1Lnv then very calmly he answered:
Dj.er.i molly will be done. Let not those
M ~ ~ men think they will friehten me
me any .no 4sita OF Christ BY tho idea of this
az, reAtn. May my blessed saviour only
Tbe -. 5io my SINS and preserve me nv soullb
rsb 49, oro'V oi That night this brave Young
eatb go ~ prayer and preparation for the
I'M N..ass Nnich lie knew were awaiting
.sr, b''..st not the memories Of his bioh mi
'sro .b 81 Anc fame. the kindness If .luan
ssh.d 80 o. his fair young wife hove
0tos llyufh his Overstrlng mind Tke
loiIino I es,s glitterinR dream Was
hath Ivy Nothing roals NOTHING bnt
hsi usa,h 30 ghastly IN its fearfnI ssysc cr
'wavs A. 'vft lie beyond seemed hitde1
eDts, nh. y was not too late even NOV. ~
.rtbi.O couid still DO recalled and ".aa.a
VA w. po"ef Than Geronimo had sror III
nArtyrs. ".aAin La reach Every line in that
~ ia SEC 40 We stood before Ills Dlsster'
keo. ,o us what ais cry must bsy.' ha,',,
"a. so.u Us ilontly how his crv for s,ro De9h
he ns,, s"efed; Between 2 and 4 o'n1eeL
y The - morning. guard summoned 'i 49,
'1ferine presence. There he stood
psiore q great ~, gr.s9ner in chains.
a'pas multitude Of Turks and