Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1891-11-28
THE SON OF THE SHEIK.

The smell Of the warm slime on the
JelifTe River and the sweet heavy.
and sickening odor that exhaled into
the unspeakable heat of the desert air
from the punches OF dead and scorched
r-reeds is with me yet; also the
sight Of the long stretch Of dry mud
bank rising by shallow and barely
perceptible degrees TO the edge of the
desert sands. and thus disclosed by the
shrinkage OF the Jelitie during the hot
months
And in the midst Of it alive.
Now Eve broadly and generally
| speaking. were the small right wing
OF General Pawirots division of the
African service: speaking less broadly
and less generally. '.wen were the adj
yance-g guard Of said division: and.
speaking in the narrowest and most
particular sense we were the party
Of ar-correspondents specials, extras.
artists. etc, who were accompanying
said adyance-guard OF said wing OF
said army OF said service for reasons
herein to be set forth
As the long, fat. black scow of the
commissariat went crawling up the
torpid river with the advance guurd
struggling along upon the right we
lay on the deck under the shadow Of
the scow's awning and talked and
drank kouscoussow.
forget now what had led up to it,
but Ponscarine had said that the Arabs
were patriotic. when Bah Azzoun cut
In and said something which | shall
repeat as soon as have told you about
Bah Azzoun himself
Briefly then Bah Azzoun had been
born twen,y-nine years before this
time. at Tlemcen. OF Kabyle parents
his papa was sheik--had been
iransplanted TO France at the age of
ten, and had flourished there In truly
remarkable manner. He had gradual
ed fifth from Polytechnique; he had
written books that had been .,courron-
nees par academic" he had become
naturalized; he had been prominent in
politics-no one can cut a wide swath
in Paris in anything without hitting
against "a Dolfiqae; he had occupied
important positions in two embassies:
he was Il diplomat OF 70 mean quali-
tics: he had lots Of influence; he dressed
in fauljless French fashion: he had
owned Crusader; he had lost money on
him; he had applied to the government
for the Office OF 'Souschef des bureaux-
Arabes dams Koran. in order to re.
coup; he had obtained it, he had come
on with ms AMI was now on this his
first visit 70 his fatherland since his
tenth year, on his way 10 his post
And when Ponscarine had spoken
thus about the patriotism of the Arabs.
Bah Azzoun made him answer; THE
Arabs are not sufficiently educated to
, be true patriots.
"Bahl' said Santander. "a man does
not require TO be educated in order "a
be patriot And, indeed. the rudest
nations have over been The most de.
yotedly patriotic
Yes, said Bah Azzouu. but il is
q narrow and a very selfish patriot.
ism.
Il cant see that put in Pouscarine;
"a patriot is like an egg-he is either
good or bad. There is no such thing
rs good enough egg; there is q
such thing as n good enough patriot
IF a man is one at all he is a per
feet one. y
Il agree, answered Bah Azzouu.
yet patriotism can be more or less
narrow. Listen and ! will explain
he raised himself from the deck or
his elbow and gestured with the am.
Der mouth-piece OF his chibouk-, III
looking backward upon the gradua
development of patriotism in the mind,
of men since tho days when they frs
| began TO band together YOU can see
! il pass through five very distinct
stages Patriotism first was bu
love OF family-of parents and kin.
dred; but then us the family grows an(
, expands into the tribe it, too-a.
, merely a large family-becomes tn,
! object Of affection, of patriotic deyo.
ton. This is the second stage. Ii
the third stage the tribe has souph
, protection behind the Enclosure o
I walls. 1t is the age of cities; patriot
ism is the devotion TO the city. Ii
! the next period. patriotism means af
lection for the state, for the country,
! for the province; while we of to-day
, form the latest but not the last linl
, Of the lengthening chain by honorinC
! loving, and deserving the country
! above all considerations, be they o
! tribe or town, or tenure. Yet / d,
not believe this 70 be the last tn,
highest. the noblest form OF patriotism
mo, said Bah Azzoun, thus devel
!, opment shall go on, ever expanding
!, ever mounting, until carried upol
!, its topmost crest we attain to tina
y height from which we can look dow
+, upon the world as our country, hu
! manity rs our countIymen. and Ii
:, shall be the best patriot who is tn
!. least patriotic.
8 ,Ah-h, Gcbtrom exclaimed Santan
! dor listlessly throwing cushion a
a Bah Azzoun's head; ga tt couckcr
4 It's too hot TO theorize; you're either
great philosopher Bah or large