The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-09

O0fIiO0 as their amount Oh Wofh litfCdScS
or decreases. Some slaves thus pass into
different hands sometimes every year The
prices / heard ranged from $40 to 500. ac-
cordins to the age and dc; Gqns ! paby w "A y0 sn1s
for 80. Boys and girls from ten to NJ
teen were valued from go to $50, but the
highest price was not set Iortn uhrm sne
that is, the age OF about eighteen. AS a
matter OF course, the operation OF sale IN
cluded an examination OF the pody. mus.
as though being mere animals, they were
put naked into one OF the dooriess rooms
nearby. open to the sight Of all would-be
buyers.
groups / was the target OF many eyes,
and soon l noticed hat nv Arabian toilet
''s~isoigneef' gave them strong reasons to
believe / was one of the authorities In
deed. with my snow-white garb, / looked
quite prominent among those sioveniy peo-
pie, who but rarely wash their garments,
which. originally white. become yenow py
ing often patched or tattered-
A YOUTHFUL CAPTIVE.
Finally nv attention was attracted to a
corner by a group Of spectators circhng
around something which seemed to be un-
usually interesting to them looked
through and saw a desolate little girl eight
or nine years old, sitting on the ground
with a tear-stained face and grief stricken
features. Her brown co~untenance and thin
lips, so far from the negro type, caused me
to think she was of pure Arab or Tuarik
Blood; but then 1 wondered how 1t was that
a Mussulman should be put on sale when
the Koran prohibits 1t. She kept her looks
cast down to the ground, not daring to look
at any of the trattickers around her, as II
afraid OF them. They were discussing In a
low tone about her, some were hagglng,
finding the price the owner wanted for her
quite high. He asked SO. which was an
1nnCftQ nrina for fhQf ZOE VQ1nlV II en-
deavored to understand why that girl was
sold so dear and why were they all looking
eagerly and mysteriously at her. re-
GREETED much not to be able to read in their
eyes what they knew of her. While waiting
impatiently for some calculation, anticipat-
ing some strange affair, the owner at last
did, but the girl did not move, as II not
understanding. He added in a louder tone;
lo sSoT S yoI him 5On yet with one e wes diaF'i the
order. This astonished me, knowing how
submissive the slaves generally were. See
ing his words were inffectual, the owner
neck, put one hand upon her forehead, the
other upon her chin, and so opened her
stepping forward caught her tongue. pulled
it out and examined 1t. As soon as re-
leased the child burst out crying and in her
sobs let escape a word which. echoed TO the
bottom OF my heart. / looked at her atten-
lively and at last thought 1 had discovered
the mystery about her; Ma repeated
EICs lto ID Xix 6OI AALAbC ~ AA(A t4C
children in all the Latin races, French, Ital-
ian, Spanish and English, use to call their
mother. This child is q European" I
thought, probably kidnapped in some set
Element of TripoH or Algeria" And losing
all the reserve / had kept until then, and
without minding the probability of my for
eign character being discovered, i entered
the circle and went straight to the girl. /
raised her from the ground and spoke to
her In French, which caused astonishment
wondering who 1 was under my Arabian
costume and why | touched the child with
out previously asking him any question but
for fear of having to deal with a superior
he dared not ask for explanation and like
the others stood listening. The girl seeing
more gently than the others, ceased crying
and looked at me. / said to her in French,
who are you, what is your manner, But
no answer was given. Astonished, ! re-
newed the same question in Italian, with
no more success. 1 thought 1 had made a
mistake, and to ascertain 1T I put the same
given. Perplexed, I thought she was insane
or silly. Knowing also the Spanish lam
guage / tried my last resource TO clear up
the case AS soon as asking for her name
in that language she looked anxious and
surprised me with this answer: "Carlota
Guerrero"
rs that your manner, I asked hastily.
Isl Senor'' eyes sir, she answered.
Where are your p%arents?s
n TO Sc" q do not know.
Where did you live before being taken
away?"
IN Saida."
SEEKING HER RELEASE.
Now / understood all the tragedy. Saba
is a city in the province Of Oran, Algeria,
almost entirely composed Of Spaniards en-
gagged in the trade of alta (Arthraterum
pungens), with which the neighboring hauts-
p~lateaux abound. The previous year the re-
volted tribes of the South strayed upon
that city and massacred a great many OF
the male portion and took away a number
Of the females. From the following ques-
tons 1 asked this girl 1 learned that her
father had been killed and her mother
taken away with her, from whom she had
been separated. not long ago. before being
able nor wishing to sacrifice the required
sum for redeeming her. L did not think long
of what to do. Addressing. the owner L
said: IT wish to buy that child. Come with
me to the house; / will pay you there"
These words seemed to recall his spirits,
but without waiting for his answer | took
lowed by him. When, a while after, he saw
me stopping and knocking at the door OF
the Agha he looked bewildered. The door
was opened and 1 went in with the girl,
but the Arab stood outside, not daring to
move. ''Step in" / said, land wait here"
l was led into the room of the Agha. with
whom / was very friendly, since / had
rendered him some medical services. l told
him: Here is a child which last year was
KIDNAPPED from Saida; she belonged TO a
Spanish family which was destroyed dur
ing the revolt. I found her in the mar
ket. where she was TO be sold. Now, may
/ beg of you a friendly officer
''You may" said he.
''Then. / wish to say that all the Eu-
ropeans residing or taken from Algeria
must be respected as wei as the Mussul-
mans; that is TO say, they must not be
enslaved."
II acknowledge your claim right" he
replied. 1.-THE character of a European Is
a sufficient justification for me to redeem
that child. How did you get her In the
market? Did you pay for herg'
II did not, but took the owner with me,
and wish you to question him to lind out
what became OF her mother, who was alb
Quoted at the same time and separated from
her at a recent date
us the merchant here?" he hastily ex-
claimed.
HE is in the vestibule," / replied.
He inomediafelv took his matrak "a big,
heavy stick with which he used TO call
his attendants and gave three terrible
blows upon the floor, which startled US.
His koddam male servant came almost
instantly.
call that man there" he shouted in an
excited voice.
The koddam went, while the Agha took
down a heavy scimetar hanging on the
wall. =, "a, !,
a will depend upon his answers" he
replied. MY Judgment has no medium; Ii
implies life for the truth and death for the
lfnD