The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-16
ENGLAND'S ARAB TROOPS.


ENGLAND'S ARAB TROOPS.
A Scene Before Battle In the Egyptian
Campaign.
The colonel's words produced an
almost magical effect. With the
Arabs the fantasia must precede the
fight. So soon as the men heard
these wholly unexpected but to
them exceedingly welcome orders,
there was a scene Of the most eX-
traordinary excitement. In mo-
ment 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 leaping
toward their huts, and there, as is
their custom before going to battle,
they donned the amulets that height
en- courage and bring good fortune
in war, the armlets and necklaces of
their wives, and gave farewell en-
braces to those dusky danes, whose
excitement was as great as their
own, for throughout all the hut en-
campment now rose the shrill lulu
ing of the women and the din of
beating tamtams. But the men
wasted but little time in these ira
ditional observances. Even as they
had rushed off so did they soon
hurry back, and were again drawn
up before Colonel 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 a 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 ammuni
ton, and was quite prepared, if
given his handful of flour day and
a suficiency of water, to march
from one end of the Sudan to the
other. Sons of the most warlike
tribes of the African Arabs-Haden-
doa, Benz Amer and others-these
savage warriors presented 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 flow
ing robes of various colors, rode up
and down the line on their prancing
horses. A little distance off stood
all the women, 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 controls them,
when fighting under their chiefs, to
make them most formidable foe,
even if opposed to picked European
troops.
At last the short, quick word Of
command was given. the bugle
sounded, and they were off, a 16
hours march between them and the
foe. 1t was a spectacle such as one
seldom has the fortune to behold.
The sun was just setting, red disk,
on the edge of the broad plain, and
to the east the huge granite but
tresses and peaks of the Jebel Kas-
sala glowed in various tints of lu-
minous purple and copper brown.
AS the bugle sounded the chiefs
waved their swords and spurred
their horses, the men gave yell
and in body broke into a quick
run, brandishing their rifles, leap
ing and cheering as before, and
rushed in the direction of the set
ting sun, across the plain of wither-
ed 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. Itwas
indeed very fine setting out for
battle. think that had even the
most peaceable individual OF those
who regard all war with horror been
present the contagion of that excite
ment would have found out in him
and made to tingle some hidden, un-
suspected fiber of the old barbarian.
-Kassala Cor. London Times.