Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-20

Never anything more lovely, more uarnUy
and proud moved on four legs.
| She was neither big nor heavy, but her
muscles were of whalebone and her bones
of the finest tempered steel. Her limbs
indeed were like wrought metal in the
flrmness, cleanness and grace of them, and
| the trunk in eXquisiteness of curve and
symmetry of parts was such as q sculptor
may have dreamed of, but has never
matched in bronze or marble. The sum
total of that animate loveliness-the silken
bay coat, the softly sloping shoulders, the
buoyancy of the curved back, the fiery
pride of the arched neck, the full round
launches, the rich sweep Of name and tail,
the sharp, daintily poised ears, the broad
forehead and the fine muzzle, and, above
all, the spirit of the alert full orbed eye-is
beyond the power of any artist save ma
ture herself, nor does nature take such
| pains anywhere out of Arabia.
When Fatima found mein the saddle, she
| began to glide through tho giddy mazo
with an ease and fuency of motion that to
me was like foretaste of heaven. 1plumed
myself on my craftsmanship, for one of the
few things I learned thoroughly as a boy
was to stick on the back of anything that
could take o bit between its teeth, and no
doubt had now the conceit to hold up my
head as a fit rider for the noblest of steeds.
DuJ luuGGu al OlI vic COulO nave SCtO l4eho
supple, mincing creature with security,
though the upward glance of her eye, with
it's intimation of suppressed fire, told that
under different conditions she could behave
in totally different manner. was after
ward to prove how her spirit and behavior
varied with varying circumstances.
Presently the muezzin began to cry
plaintively from the minarets, and the
soldiers and citizens trooped off to the
mosques to pray for pardon and victory,
leaving only few men to look after the
beasts. AS my company in worship would
defile the sacred places of Moslem, also
remained behind.
When the worshipers returned from their
devotions, the baggage camels were put into
line and examined by the officers, the
horses and dromedaries being made ready
for their riders while the examination was
proceeding. Then came supper, and in
honor of the great occasion many sheep
were slaughtered and roasted whole over
big fires. The kissing carcasses had hardly
time to take q brown crust when they were
torn asunder and eaten in huge mouthfuls
by a ravenous host, who washed down the
burning meat with copious drafts of
goats milk. AS did not care to enter the
lists in such contest, contented myself
with piece of doughty bread, some dates
and q cup of coffee.
When the meal was over, q characteristic
ceremony was enacted. y calf only Il few
days old was led into the open space and
killed with Il sword, it's blood being made
to flow inward toward the castle. The an
imal's life extinct, every man who was to
accompany the expedition stepped solemn
ly over the body, which was then burned,
so that no dog or other unclean beast might
eat any part of the flesh This is supposed
IN hrDO cTOOA fortune and APoh
could not be induced to take the field with
out first observing the sacriicial rite. The
calf safely cremated, the men Immediately
mounted their camcls and horses and
wheeled into line. Then Abou Kuram, GO
ing to the front, delivered II short grafton
on the glory Of war and the bravery Of his
soldiers, which evoked uproarious applause
from the f1attered.
Ere it died away tho kettledrums were
rafting and the cymbals clashing the adj
vance, and amid vociferous cries of God
save Abou Kuram; God give the victory
to Abou Kuram," the strangely assorted
troops swung slowly into line. The huge
serpentine procession wound tediously
through the narrow, tOrtuOuS streets, in
which two camelmen found it hard to
march abreast, but its tardy ceilings were
enlivened by the capcrings and shOutings
of the mob who ran in front of us and hung
on our heels and, to their own Immediate
peril, squeezed and pressed on both sides
of us.
On the outskirts of the town the people
stopped, finding the pace on the open
ground beyond their capacity in running;
so they stood there and yelled themselves
hOarse with blessings and good wishes,
which we acknowledged with resembling
cheers. As we deploycd into open order for
greater ease i'll marching l caught a last
glimpse of Said Achmet, who stood apart,
waving with his hands rs if to signify he
had double interest in the receding col
umn. Both Tabal and myself waved our
adicu in return, and from me there went
with it heartfelt benediction.