Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-12-16

time l was with them, and when on
the morning Of the fourth day a de-
tachment of our men came in from an
all night raid, driving before them a
flock Of several hundred sheep, said
nothing, but there was no doubt as to
how the rascals got those sheep. We
were then encamped in a grove Of CO.
Goa palms that adorned an oasie within
a small valley surrounded with high
hills, upon the crests of which our sen
tinels were posted
As my robber friends had taken good
care to select for their "razzia' de.
fenseless community that could not
make reprisals in short order, it was In
peace and quietude that they prepared
to celebrate the outcome Of their raid
and at the same time, as it CHANGED,
the advent of Christmas day. This
latter was not, Of course, the result Of
intention, but it happened that the
natal day of the Nazlrene fell due
coincij!ently with the MohamE}etlan fes-
tival of Jebraiel, the archangel, and
tie poNs villains laid themselves OUT
for the biggest kind Of festivity.
Within our "douar,' or camp, com
posed Of black and shaggy camel's hair
tents there WAS no turkey or goose
Or fowl Of any sort. but there We're
sheep galore. These the Belol1ins
slaughtered by dozens and brought the
CORY carcasses to the campfres, where
they were taken in hand by the cooks
and pitchforked on long poles as spits
by patient Arabs, who were bent over
| almost double for hours at a time
Wrapped in their ''haiks' and bur-
! nooses, with the pointed hoods hang.
ing down their backs, they appeared
like a 10; of old women potterinG over
! the fires. but through it all tlley main.
| tanned IA air OF Il ccilijy. and if any
! one hal. cue stoned tAci" capacities
| they would have whipped out their
| long kE;vos and have cared up IN ar
| gument With neatlcss and dispatch.
There was no table. anu we were
seated around the fire in large Cir
| cle-frst the chief men Of the tribe
! including their guest, then the inferior
members, and lastly several concen'
! trio circles Of lean and NANCY ours
! which were snarling and fighting al
the time over the bones we threw tt
them. The Bedouins' finger nails were
curved and sharp as scimiters, so they
had no trouble in rending the ribs OF
sheep apart and tearing off huge mouth
fuls, which disappeared as if by magic
Besides the meat we had big dishes
! of "cuscussa," or "kusskuss," into
which the Arabs all dipped their hands
scooping out the rice and gravy anC
conveying the stuff to their mouths
Observing that was somewhat hes
itant in following their example, thu
old chief paved out some Of the choice
bits and, before l knew what he was
about, crammed them into my mouth
J As this was considered the highest
honor an Arab could bestOW upon q
guest I made pretense of liking it
but never experienced a happier mo
ment than when at last slave came
around with a basin Of water with
which to lave our hands and boards
proclaiming that the feast was over.
Nov we go see powder play!' ex
| claimed Mohammed as every adult
Arab took up his ever present musket
with barrel of iron or brass severa
feet longer than himself, and mounted
his fiery, untamed steed, which ha6
stood all the while saddled and bri
died close by. The powder play OF
'1ab-el-barada," is a superb exhibition
Of craftsmanship to the accompani
ment Of 4 rafting muskery fire and
demoniac yells from half crazed men
In reality it IL a sham battle, and
when the Bedouins, having galloped
OF to the edge Of the oasis, came
charging back in whirlwind of dust
and with the thunder Of 200 hoofs
yelling like flends and firing of thei1
guns promiscuously at the sky, at thu
ground and in every direction around
them. certainly. fought the men o.
: * - e IT, -.- !