The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-01-24
TRAITS OF THE ARAB
IMPARTIAL AoseIrALlry IS ONE or
The MOST MARKED.

An Ineident OF Real Life That strtk-
iaxiy Illustrates the sscredaess
VITA which n Quest, Even TheaKh
Ne De an Enemy, L. Regarded.
A chief Of a party Of the hey o.
Tripolrs troops while pursued by
Arabs on q certain OCCASION during
the year 1904 lost his way and was
benightel near the enemy's camp.
Passing the door OF tent which was
open. he stopped his horse and I'M
plored assistance. being exhausted by
fatigue and thirst. The warlike Arab
babe his enemy enter his tent with con.
fidence and treated him with all the
respect and hospitality for which his
people are so famous. The highest
among them. Ike the patriarchs OF old,
wait upon their guest. A man OF rank
when visited by stranger quickly
fetches q lamb from his flock and kills
it and his wife superlntends her wo-
men in. dressing II In the best manner.
With some Of the Arabs the primitive
custom so often spoken OF In the Bible
Of washing the feet is yet followed,
and this compliment Is performed by
the head Of the family. Their supper
was the best OF the fatted lamb roast
ed. their dessert dates and dried fruit.
and the Arabs wife, to honor more
particularly her husbands guest, set
before him a dish Of ''boseen" Of her
own making. This was preparation
of -four and water kneaded into q
paste. which, being half baked, was
broken into pieces and kneaded again.
with new milk. oil and salt. and gar.
nished with 'kadeed.' or mutton dried
and seasoned In the highest manner.
Though these two chiefs were op-
posed in war, they talked with candor
and friendship TO each other, recount
ing the achievements Of themselves
and their ancestors, when . sudden
paleness overspread the countenance Of
the host. He started from his seat and
retired. and in a few. minutes sent
word TO his guest that his bed was
prepared and all things were ready for
his repose; that he was not well him
self and could not attend 70 finish the
repast; that he had examined the
Moor's horse and found II too much ex-
hausted to bear him through hard
journey the next day, but that before
sunrise sn able horse. with every ac-
eommodation. would be ready at the
door OF the tent, where he would meet
him and expect him to depart with all
speed. The stranger, not able to ac-
count for the conduct Of his host, re-
tired to rest.
An Arab awakened him In time 10
take refreshments which had been pre-
pared for him before his departure,
hut he saw none OF the family until
be perceived on reaching the door Of
the tent the master Of 1t holding the
bride Of his horse and supporting his
stirrups for him to mount. which In
done among the Arabs as the last offer
Of friendship. No sooner was the Moor
mounted than his host announced to
him that In the whole Of the enemy's
camp be had not so great an enemy to
hraaa az bf,neaIf
Last night" said be, -in the ex-
ploits Of your ancestors you discovered
TO me the murderer OF my father.
There lie all the habits he was slain
in (which were at that moment brought
10 the door Of the tent, over which IN
the presence Of my family l have
many times sworn TO revenge his death
and TO seek the blood OF his murderer
from sunrise TO sunset. The sun has
not yet risen-the sun viii be no more
than risen when ! pursue you, after
you have In safety quilted my tent,
where, fortunately for you, it is against
our religion to modest you after your
having sought my protection and found
q refuge there, but all my obligations
cease as soon as we part. and from
that moment you must consider me as
one determined ON your destruction in
whatever part or at whatever distance
we may meet again. You have not
mounted a horse inferior to the one
that stands ready for myself; on its
swiftness surprising that OF mine de
pends one Of our lives. or both."
After saying this be shook his adyer
sary by the hand and parted from him.
The Moor, profiting by the few mo-
ments be had In advance, reached the
bey's army In time to escape his pur-
suer, who followed him closely, as near
the enemy's camp as be could with
safety. This was certainly striking
trait Of hospitality, but II was no more
than every Arab and every Moor in the
same circumstances would do.-New
York Herald.