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

time I was with them, and when on
the morning Of the fourth day de-
tachment of our men came in from an
all night raid, driving before them z
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 grove of CO.
Goa palms that adorned an oasis 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 tinne as it Glanced
the advent of Christmas day. This
latter was not, Of course, the result Of
intention, but it happened that the
natal day of the Nazarene fell due
CONFIDENTLY with the Mohammedan fes-
tival of Jebraiel, the archangel, and
the pious 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 Bedouins
slaughtered by dozens and brought the
CORY carcasses to the campfires, where
they were taken in hand by the cooks
and pitchforked on long poles as splits
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 lot Of Old women pottering over
the fires, but through it all they main
tanned an air Of dignity. and if any
one haG questioned their capacities
they would have whipped out their
long knives and have CARED up an ar
gument with neatness and dispatch.
There was no table. and we were
seated around the fire in a large Cir
cle-first 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 all
the time over the bones we threw to
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 of 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 and
conveying the stuff to their mouths.
Observing that I was somewhat hes
itant in following their example, the
old chief paved out some of the choice
bits and, before I knew what he was
about, crammed them into my mouth.
As this was considered the highest
honor an Arab could bestow upon a
guest I made a pretense of liking 1t,
but never experienced 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.
.'Now we go see powder play!' ex-
claimed Mohammed as every adult
Arab took up his ever present musket,
with barrel of iron or brass several
feet longer than himself, and mounted
his fiery, untamed steed, which had
stood all the while saddled and bri-
died close BY. The powder play or
'.3ab-el-barada," Is d superb exhibition
OF horsemanship to the accompani-
ment Of 4 rafting musketry fire and
demoniac yells from half craIed men.
n reality it Il Z sham battle, and
when the Bedouins, having galloped
a to the edge Of the oasis, came
charging back in whirlwind Of dust
and / with the thunder Of 200 hoofs,
yelling IKE fiends and firing on their
guns promiscuously at the sky, at the The
ground and IN every direction around md
Them. I certa inly fought the mel. OF