Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-08
ENGLAND's ARAB TROOPS.
Ascene Before Battle in the l:cyuttnn
Campaign.

Campaign.
Inc colonels words produced an al-
most magical effect. With the Arabs
the fantasia must precede the fight
80 soon as the men heard these wholly
unexpected but to them exceedinrlv
welcome orders, there was a scene Of
the most extraordinary excitement. In
moment and of their own accord the
whole $50 men fell out of their ranks
and rushed off at full speed, shouting,
brandishing their rifles, and leaning
toward their huts; and there, as is
their custom before going to battle.
they donned the amulets that heighten
courage and bring good fortune in war,
the armlets and necklaces of their
wives, and gave farewell embraces to
those dusky danes, whose excitement
was as great as their own, for through
out all the hut encampment now rose
the shrill luluing of the women and the
din of beating tQmtoms. But the men
wasted but little time in these tradi-
tional observances. Even as they had
rushed off, so did they soon hurry back,
and were again drawn up before Col.
Parsons, ready for the march and eager
for the fight and the looting of cattle
which would be the reward of victory.
1t was expected that they would be
about five or six days away, but their
commissariat arrangements were very
simple; they had with them few
camels to carry skins of water and a
little flour. They had no baggage of
any sort; barefooted, and clad in
scanty robe of white cloth, each man
carried with him nothing but his rifle
and ammunition, and was quite pre-
pared, it given his handful of flour
day and su1ficiency of water, to march
from one end of the Soudan to the
other. Sons of the most wariike tribes
of the African Arabs-Hadendoa, Deni
Amer, and others-these savage war
riors presented a splendid appearance
as they stood there drawn up awaiting
the final order that should let them
loose, moving restlessly, a murmur
passing through their ranks, like
hounds with the prey in sight still held
back by the leash; while their proud
chiefs, clad in their picturesque flowing
down the line on their prancing horses.
A little distance off stood all the wom-
en-, still luluing, clapping their hands,
and encouraging their husbands with
brave words. All the warlike instincts
of the race were uppermost, and one
felt that men like these need no tighter
discipline than that which now con-
frh fhai1
chiefs, to make them most formidable
foe, even if opposed to picked European
troops.
At last the short, quick word of COM
mand was given, the bugle sounded,
and they were off, a 1G hours march
between them and the foe. It was a
spectacle such as one seldom has the
fortune to behold. The sun was just
setting, a red disk, on the edge of the
broad plain; and to the east the huge
granite buttresses and peaks of the
Jebel Kassala glowed in various tints
Of luminous purple and copper-brown.
As the bugle sounded the chiefs waved
their swords and spurred their horses,
the men gave yell and in a body broke
into a iuick run, brandishing their
rifles, leaping. and cheering as before,
and rushed in the direction Of the set
ting sun, across the plain of withered
grass, soon to disappear in the clouds
of dust they raised. So long as they
were in sight the women lulued and
the tomtoms beat. 1t was indeed a very
fine setting out for battle. I think that
had even the most peaceable individual
of those who regard all war with hor-
ror been present the contagion OF that
excitement would have found out in
him and made to Jingle some hidden,
unsupported fiber of the old barbarian.
--Kassala Cor. London Times.