The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-10

might be privileged to appear before | the wondering populace of the desert Following the musicians, strode the
 imposing figure, of Alderman J. Lee | carnival and feast to come. In con-
 trast to the Arabian garb of his com
 pani1ns. this leader in the Citys conn-
 ell sias chamber was attired In black Be,
 hand, and the dignity of office set-
 ting well upon his staiwart shoulders l walked the Royal vizier of the Tenn, honored in the secret meetings of the Temple followed. There was the grace- l ful figure. of the Temple Scribe. Glad c. H. Mccombs. Mokanna of the local crensSaw. c attendants;s roibert Letcher.
 nsu Dig @sa n hs m drs msss ss sans. .l Y
 In their rear walked the tyros
 striped with the bars of their inferi,, from the ranks. behind them stalked the ruler of the Arabian Gehenna.. with horns and pitchfork. horrible warn at the last moment regret his fate and wish to retire from applicant ranks to membership in the order.
 with M their the captiees, mn marched % n1 through essa, ! the thoroughfares of the town. hum
 dreds Rathe-ed to watch tme pass.
 Small boys followed in theip wake, and
 ster of this Oasis. they kept closest to the object of their admiration, his Satanic Majesty.
 To cool the parched tongues of the I prisoners. keg of water from Zem Zem's fountain, drawn by wild goats Of the desert, accompanied the pro,
 aryen hns of sy all ATs rsa M Mnts Hs ears
 pick up those who should fall by the wayside. To the wondering denizens of the
 the strange procession % of ta1sn triumpSip Spoia it
 was explained that the Knights had
 gathered to adopt into the bond, of
 blood -brotherhood fifty. captives taken
 from allied tribes of the Knights of Pythians. Called to Montgomery from | the most remote limits of the Desert of Alabama to partake in the first ini- tiation ceremonial in that place since the inauguration of the Temple more
 than a year ago, the Knights of the
 Temple had come to assist in putting had come in force, and in the ample folds of their jackets they bore pockets full of hot sands from distant regions,
 CT instruments of pain. Small wondey l the tyros trembled and gazed appre-
 hensively about them. They knew
 ns sy kns% # ws. ss%ns esns @ hsn
  often.
 Not since the establishment of the
 locai Temple had 80 Sere alone, it was rumored. had hit the ex- che.quer of the order some half thous- and sequins. The triumphal process last but not least. the feast of the sheiks and the tribesmen had been prepared on scale befitting the dis-l
 s m bs Asss oeesson who Tse to obet 9ecG of ! the founders of the Temple. the social uplift and association of the tribesmen of Alabama, had been faithfully kept pared for the event., ran series of iinique features which caused the hosts and guests of the evening to pull their boards, and shake their sides with 1t was 5:sO o'clock in the evening. when the dust of the first caravan from
 the outer confines of. of the desert was was watched as it grew in size by the Arabs waiting to receive their guests, As 1t reached the gates of the encamp- tribe gave them welcome. Formality was done away with. It was Saiaam,
 sahib whas aSng don gans,ths ir shs ois esrs Sheik. we're going to have the time of our lives" was the response Thrice the
 greeting was repeated and s,,d, then the the
 simple custom of the tribe.
 Other caravans brought still other
 trains of Arabs, and when all had ar
 way to the scene of the festivities. Here preparations were made for the great procession of the evening.
 ern rim of the desert, and the con stellations began to stand out clear in
 the sky, the Arabs issued forth from
 the big tent called DraqghSSn. on. on sor DeSo tSo procession. With magic fire from the shrine of Mohammed. they pursued their way through the main thorough
 accompanied their steps, and revolyed about them like satellites. Among the
 high tents of the encampment they
 vent returning at at last ;.. to the ne. start Ta pie were to be held. Here, the tyros were conducted within to the ordeals, far from the sight of the multitude, in the sacred chamber of the Temple. The tortures suffered by them in the pro- gram which followed is a secret known only to those who participated in 1t. shrieks of the victims, and the howls of their tormentors were to be heard in the neighboring tents.
 It was not until the beginning. of another day that the initiatory feast of the evening was begun. When the carnage was complete. and the tyros Khorassan. the members of the Tenn way to the bazaar of Bastiani and Cas-
 sinus. Promptly at the hour when one day passes into another, they cross-legged themselves before the board whereon appeared the game of the desert, the fruit of the vineyards, and the sparkling waters of Zem Zem. Then began the flow of soul and the feast of reason which will be talked of among members of the tribe until the
 paling of the stars and the dawn of the
 Arab millennium; High above the rest
 on the divan of honor was perched the
 mighty master of the feast, A. c. Min
 ter Under his direction the orations of ! the occasion were delivered. Opening the verbal part of the pro- gram, the master, in the name of 1 "Friendship" welcomed the visitors. and paid respect to those who had passed through the purging flames; He spoke of the wonders of the Oasis of Mont gomery. of the pleasure the appear , ance of visiting Arabs had given to
 of the spirit of the Capital Oasis ana md | tsnts should wax great. great as the sands of the desert, when even 100000