The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-23
point at the beginning of doubling all

point ut the beginning of doubling all
said.
Art not thou heretic unbeliever?" he
asked, bending a pair of uncommonly sharp,
black eyes on me Art not thou an enemy
OF our holy religion, scoffer, an infidel?
Here, what sayest thou9" he demanded OF
Tabal as not this fellow an unbeliever"
GAS lahek Allah [may heaven set you
rightl," replied Tabal, with "a rapt and
pious expression. Surely man never knew
his Koran better"
"We will see," said the priest
Whereupon, whipping out his greasy copy
of the sacred volume, he began TO catechise
me with the air of one who would say,
NOW you shall see me do up this hereto"
But in my enforced leisure | had not
studied the Koran in vain. To every ques-
tion came pat answer in the very words
Of the prophet himself, till the priest, first
amazed and then convinced. thrust the
book back into his bosom and embraced
me as true believer.
"Marhaba. marhaba" WELCOME, wei.
comel be said, with a fervor more embar.
rassing than his doubt. "Icrave thy pardon
for my distrust. Thou art indeed worthy
follower of our holy prophet. Would that
all his sons knew his words so well. And now
sit thee down. FL hamdu lillah. Praise be
TO heaven it hath fallen TO our lot TO rescue
believer from the fangs of these wolves.
Semmo [eat]." And forthwith we all set
to work with an appetite that the exercise
with the Koran had in no wise dulled.
It required constant watchfulness. how
ever, to preserve me from lapsing into
Christian barbarities and heathenisms
Even Tabal had to be kept out of my inner
secrets, and as to Rance, though doubted
not her desire TO be secret. had a careful
remembrance OF the natural weakness of a
woman's tongue.
Once satisfied with our credentials the
pilgrims made US as one Of themselves
When we spoke of their kindness TO stran-
gers, they made ever the one answer:
think ye it is the will of God that any
true believer should be left TO perish on the
way TO the holy city, AT the gathering of
the nations, when the angels shall render
their account of mems deeds, both good
and bad, what would be our recompense il
we were guilty of such thingp And
somehow il seemed TO me the spirit was one
that Christians who boast of their charity
might occasionally initiate with advantage
We travelled fast and made our destina-
tion without loss by sickness or violence
No Bedouin molested us, because we were
1000 strong and our way lay through the
open, where the children Of the desert sell
dom attack. We went by arid strips and
fertile pasture lands, among focks and
herds and herdsmen that are today as they
were in the days of the patriarchs, and APP
pear not TO miss the blessings of civiliza-
tion. We paid extortionate tolls to legal
ized robbers for allowing us TO pass where
all tha world was free, and we halted for
rejection and prayers beside pleasant wells
that were in no fanciful sense the eye of
the landscape. t1he Bedouin, living mostly
among torrid sands very appropriately
calls water the eye OF the landscapel And
ever as we drew nearer the holy city the
pace increased and the enthusiasm grew.
We smote ourselves on the breast, eIGcu-
lating fervid passagps of the Koran, and
many would have dismounted aild run, so
ardent and inspiring was their joy.
At last one evening as we were winding
among short, stony Tavines that edged
verdurous plain, the leaders raised an
ecstatic shout, and the rest Of the caravan
crushing forward with beating hearts be-
held in sort OF valley below them the
minarets OF Mecca cleaning in the sun like
q thousand points Of fire, the great mosque
being conspicuous In the midst.
We descended like an avalanche IN
storm Of dust, every Moslem Of us beside
himself with Joy and awe and. excitement,
and. reaching the foot OF the declivty. we
burst into such a scene Of commotion a.
human eye could witness nowhere else un-
der the wide cope OF heaven.
We talk of Babel. but the credit Of the
real confusion of tongues belongs to Mecca.
There were hundred thousand strangers
in the city and, judging by the ear. ten
times ne many tongues and dialects. There
we're faces Of every elsgiRs5ls hue and