Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-07-17

band of robbers who had for 80 long
defied justice.
Strange as it may appear to people
unfamiliar with the hooks and corners
of the Arab mind, among the effects
and booty found in Ell Bachir's camp
was well -thumbed copy of the
Koran. evidently diligently and rever-
emily stud led by this successor to the
ancient "old man of the mountains,
Hassan-I bn- Sabbah, from whose name
the word assassin has been coined. A
richly carved and gilt rosary such as
is used by Dervishes and Santors
among the Mohammedans, was also
taken from the bosom Of his dress.
where it had evidently been carried for
pious purposes.
Ell Bachir's confidential lieutenant.
Mohammed Ben Add oun, is a worthy
associate of his chieftain. He is an
escaped convict who fell into the
hands of his present captain while
hiding from pursuit in the wilds OF
the desert. A common sympathy in
crime united these two ruffians, and
from the time of their association the
murders and robberies became still
more frequennt than before, and it
was noticed that those of the natives
who had in any way aided in the
capture of either of these scoundrels
were singled out for vengeance and
promptly assassinated.
Notwithstanding his innumerable
crimes Ell Bachir found favor and as
sistance among the very people whom
he murdered and robbed This was
chiefly owing to his undaunted bravery
and the report widely circulated that
his body was impervious to ordinary
weapons of offense, and that his life
could only be taken by means of sill
yer bullet oonsecrated with mysterious
ceremonies to "Azrael." the angel Of
death, and 'Tblis," the monarch Of
hell.
Only few years ago Ell Bahir was a
simple porter on the quays Of Anglers.
but having committed robbery upon
fellow workman he fed for refuge to
his native village of Bou-Hini. where
he assembled band of villains, over
whom he established complete mas
terry. One day three of his band gave
into his hands a sum of 700 francs
which they had stolen from traveller
who was going from Tizi-Ouzou to
Azazga The next day, learning that
the traveller was venerable marabout
of Soumam. he hastenend to restore the
stolen money and slew the principal
author of the robbery. From that
time forth the name of Areski was re-
spected by the most influential mar
abouts and the wise men of the country
declared that he was under the special
protection of the prophet.
Among his exploits is one of un-
paralleled ferocity and daring. One
night, under pretense of taking ven-
geance upon an Emin OF head man Of
a village, Ell Bachir and his band went
to Tabarourt, collection of huts
niched like an eagles nest on pre-
cipitous rock, close to the sea. The
band set fire to every cabin in the
village. A great many people per-
ished in the flames, and three men and
two women were shot while endeavor-
ing to escape the holocaust, 1t is said
that during this night of blood more
than five hundred rifles were emptied
upon the unresisting villagers.
To their eternal disgrace, be it said,
that arms and ammunition were fur
pished to this horde of assassins by
Europeans, partly through fear and
partly because Areski, after the man.
ner Of highland chiefs in the olden
time, undertook the protection of his
allies against all other robbers, and as
the band gained strength and daring
he treated the country as conquered
territory and confiscated all their goods
and munitions of war.
One day. on the occasion of a family
fete. Areski assembled at Bou-Hini all
the natives of the country side, who
flocked to him by hundreds. More
than thousand guests were present at
a festival where the Nautch Wallahs,
or dancing girls. displayed their graces,
and gathered more than two thousand
francs from the spectators, which they
dutifully handed over to the bandit
chief. 1t was owing to the excuses
committed ON this occasion that he and
his band were captured, at the moment
when they were about to quit the
Soummam and to escape to Tunis and
Tripoli, where they would have been
in safety.
Thus during his trial, when the
PRESIDENT of the assizes put the usual
questions, Areski replied in these SIM
pie words:
"The dead speak not"
And from that moment until the
fatal sentence was pronounced, like
Iago, she never more spoke word. -
Times.
IN HIS EAVOR