The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-17
JEWEL MYSTERIES
Bv MAX PElMBERTON.
THE WATCH AND THE sCIMITAR.
Copyright, 1904

1T, has long ceased to charm the true
son of the east, blase with the nomadic
charged with those imaginary oriental
splendors which are" nowhere writ so
large as in the catalogs and adver-
tisements Of the later day upholsterer.
This is not the fault Of the new. Icosium,
as any student of the Moorish town
account of the French usurpation, and
that strange juncture of Frank and Fat
ma, which has brought the boulevard to
the city Of the Corsairs and banished
Mohammed to the shadow of the, Kas-
bah, Rather, it is the outcome, OF cou-
pons and of cooperative enthusiasm.
which sends the roamer to many lands,
of which he learns the names, and
amongst many people with whose GUS
toms he claims familiarity.
than three days pension in the Hotel
de Ia Regence is necessary; tho that is
the temporal limit for many who return
to Kensington or Mayfair to protest
that cit is so French, you know I
T Sfn FS %eS well the 2R9 %e and aa
when I ventured a voyage to Burmah---
in the matter of the ruby interest--and
determined to see Cairo, Tunis, and the
CITY OF mosques on my return westward.
Many told me that would do better to
reach Jaffa and Jerusalem; others adj
spoke we'll of Rhodes; all agreed,
whether they had been there or whether
they had not, that Algiers was eaten up
with Chauyinism, and scarce worthy a
passing call. Barisbroke at the club,
who is always vigorous. in persuading
other people not to do things, summoned
inane Jokes. "Tt's had it's Dey," said
he, and buried himself in his paper as
tho the project ended then ~, and =? there
and decided consensus Of opinion could
have had but one result---it sent me to
the town Of Hercules at the first oppor:-
tunity.
If the truth is to be told the visit
was in some part one Of pleasure, but in
had done well in the remoter east, and
had sent some fine parcels of rubies, sap
phires. and pearls to Bond street; but a
side-wind Of curiosity casting me up
upon the shores Of Tunis, I had bought
there, In the house Of very remarkable
workmanship and splendor Of effect, I
have not yet met with. 1t was, to de-
scribe it simply, the model Of a. Moorish
scimitar perhaps four inches long, the
sheath exquisitely formed of superb
brilliants, thu, blade itself Of platinum,
lev Of stones, but little watch with a
thin sheet Of q very fine pearl for. a
face, and superb diamond as the
cup of the hands. Altho the jewels in
manahip was 50 fine, and the whole bau:
BILE had such an original look, that |
paid $500 for it cheerfu1ly, and thought
myself lucky to get it at that. What
is moro to the point, however, is the
fact that the hazard which gave me
the possession of the scimitar sent me
also to Algiers to hunt there for like
uriositiesNand in the end brought me
large knowledge of the Moorish town,
and nearly cost me my life:
[ had Intended to stay in the town
for three days, but on the very eve.
ming Of my coming to the Hotel or
leans in the Boulevard de la Repub'
tillery, man by name Eugene Chas-
saigne; an exceedingly pleasant fellow,
and one who had some Arabic, but
small appreciation Of anything beyond
the "today' of life. He laughed at
my notion of buying anything in the
time plodding in dirty bazaars ant
amongst still dirtier dealers. For him
self his one idea was to be dams le
movements; but he brought me. 'tt
know, on the second day Of my visit
a singularly docile Moor, Sid ben Al
still persisted in my intention, the fel
low would serve we'll for courier, valet
or in any office I chose to place him
And in this he spoke no more than thu
truth, as I was very soon to prove. -.
| have always thought, when recall
lection, that the prophet had done hin
very poor turn in locating his 81
for away from the blessings of com
pany-promotion and rickety- building
societies His face would have beer
his fortune at any public meeting; an
as for thoroness, his love Of detail wa
amazing. Before I had been in hi
me; being able to tell you precisel.
how much linen I carried, the numbe
Of gold pieces in my purse, my tast
in fish and fruits, my object in com
ing to his country. And this was veS
atious; for all the vendors of Benare
sellers of gaudy burnouses, the buck
sters Of the tawdriest carpets and tn
most fimsy scimitars, held concert O
the steps of the hotel every time
showed my face within twenty pace
Of the doe H. sid alone was i thn III
blageurs ALL" said he; and 7 agree
within him.
If these things troubled my man, tn
jewel [ had purchased in Tunis >trol
b1ed him still more. How he learne
that had it heaven alone could tel
DuC Nc ulu uOG Lcll W COIlo W IuS
deieuner each morning and to repes
with unfailing regularity the mon
ton, elf Allah wills, the jewel
stolen" I used to tolerate this {
first; but in the end he exasperate
me; and upon the seventh morning
showed him the model and said en-
phaticallv, "sidi, you Will please
observe that Allah does not will tt
loss of the jewel-let us change tt
subject He gave me no answer, b.
on the next, morning [ had from hi
the customary greeting-and the laue
was all upon his side, for the scimits
was gone.
I say that the laugh was with Sic
but in very truth do not believe th'
this worthy fellow ever laughed in h
life He possessed a stolid immobilit
Of cohntenance that would have L
manned in repose even at the sound
the last trumpet The Intelligent
which I conveyed to him, I doubt n
with pathetic anger, and much bad la
guage, moved him no more than the SO
south wind moved the statute Of ii
first governor general out by the mosq1
there. He examined. my ravished b
with a provoking silence; uttered
few pessimistic sentences in Arab
and then fell back upon the Koran al
the platitudes of his prophet. If
had been an Englishman, l should ha
suspected him without hesitation; b
he bore such character, he had be-
40 long a servant Of the hotel he w