Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1903-05-29
MUFTAH
BY.
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He sat in the blazing sun with his
face bowed. His lean brown hands
were folded over decent black robe.
and q faded scarf was twisted about
his head. He was Muftah-and the
story. Every man is a story, Muftah
pitiful one And all this was outside
the upper Tangier gate by the market
Inside the brown old gate snone the
white succeed houses and gay ba-
zaars. Outside the great market place
of trodden earth was one mass OF peo-
pie and animals. The men were Of
every color and type. from pure blood
ed Moors of astonishing, classical beau
ty to fat nosed, grinning negroes as
black as night. And stranger medley
of queerly cut robes and jilavas, Of
fezzes, white turbans and gay scarfs,
was never seen elsewhere. Most went
barefoot. Only some of the older and
more richly dressed had thrust their
stockingless brown feet into yellow
slippers.
Ugly camels lay in rows. swapping
GROSSLY at each passerby. Wild look
Ing Arabs from the desert stalked
about, each with his horses bride
wrapped about his arm. each resplen-
dent in many garments and scarfs,
newly washed and snowy. Country
women sat in groups upon the ground,
displaying their fruits and vegetables
They wore large straw hats on top Of
their turbans TO serve as sun umbrel-
las, and they looked like mere heaps of
rags. Jostling each other with great
rudeness, vOluble with an oriental flu
ency Of retort, the throng swayed back
and forth. Occasionally some one rode
his donkey laden with panniers among
the women, and then great was the
uproar. The air was full Of wOmen's
shrill voices and their cackling laugh
ter, so numerous were the slaves, pur-
chasing for their households.
Strange that Muftah did not raise his
head to gaze upon this interesting life
surging past him! Perhaps it is no
new story TO him? Perhaps he has
wearied for sight of It? Alas, no!
A yelled slave brushes close TO his
side, bracelets and anklets tinkling
merrily. Yet Muftah heeds this not
He is looking far, far beyond the bril-
liant throng, and what does lie see?
A great black we'll that recedes and
recedes TO unfathomable depths and
faroff haZy visions that become al
most real at times, then vanish before
he can truly say he sees them. Some
times they take on the form OF a low.
broad tent. with n kettle swung over
the fire, sheep and goats grazing, and
beyond the scanty herba ge and palms
a strange golden line OF desert, with
hills of pink and intense purple shad
ows. Naked children are at play while
their mother weaves. singing rs she
crosses the heavy shuttles. 4 slave
mixes coarse black cakes for the even.
ing meal.
In the distance he sees a horsemaD
crossing the burning sands. The horse.
tossing his long name, Is young ana
graceful. Almost Muftah can feel the
animal beneath him. The wind blows
the cutting sand of the desert about
them. but Muftah's turban veil pro
tects him. His long mantle streams on
the breeze. oh. the eXhilaration or
that gallop over the trackless waste.
And Joyous, too, is the errand, for he
has been made sheik.
Always the strongest and most in
fuential Of his tribe. the sultan has
now marked him for Advancement
Little does Muftah know it is as ON
inous a preference as that OF the vul'
ture for the tenderest lamb. He only
feels that he is TO be a leader among
men. He will receive the sultan
tribute, direct the wanderings or his
| tribe from oasis to oasis and be at ease
and happy. Ten years Of happiness
they seem like an hour now. Is De
| thirsty? Here Is q cooling spring III
the earthen jar. Is he hungry! Ihey
bring him cheese and bread, fresh
curds and pulpy dates. In the even
ing the men gather in a circle and
! listen to the strange recital of some
| story teller, who half sings, half tells
| an interminable Moorish tale.
| Only ten years, and then there comes
an obsequious messenger, desiring bis
presence at the court Of the bashaw
| of Tangier, there to render more den
| mite account of his stewardship than
has been given with his regularly re
mitted tribute money.
| His laughing children have one more
| ride on the beautiful Gilzar. Two
/ slaves pack their camels with provi
sions for the journey and with pres
ents OF honey and almonds for the
bashaw. The shelk makes his rare
well speech to his friends, with tn
touching Moslem gesture, placing MI
hand upon his forehead and his near
before he shakes that Of his compan
ION to show that mind and heart ar'
faithful Then for the last time N
looks into the lovely eyes of her wh'
is mother Of his children.
Muftah groans. The mother OF Ill
children!
Three days of burning sands, thel
at last the bay Of Tangier. with II
\