The independent., 1907-01-24

larly sad He smiled sometimes, but
seldom, and even though | knew him
much better later on I never heard
him laugh. With his followers he was
cold and naughty, and they treated
him with all the respect due to his
birth.
When next / saw him was his pris-
oner at Zinat--in June, 1903. He had
altered little. His face had filed out,
the mouth had become harder and
little more cruel, but he was still re-
markably handsome. He had not
changed for the better. Only a few
months before my capture he had sold
one of his prisoners to an enemy for
$1,000 and stood by to see the purchaser
cut the Victims throat. AS long as
he had restricted his energies to cattle
lifting and to attacks upon natives no
one paid very serious attention to him,
though the Maghzen were trying to en-
compass his capture. On June 49, 1903,
the Shereedan troops attacked and
burned Zinat; the same afternoon |
was captured while riding in that vi
cinity some six or eight miles outside
OF Tlpgier. For eleven days I re-
mained shut up in a small room in
Raisuli's house. after which / was re-
o.
Raisuli's treatment of me was not al
together bad, though on one or two oc-
casions in order to impress the crowd
OF mountain tribesmen his attitude was
exasperatingly insulting-but on the
whole, except for dirt and discomfort
and want of food, / suffered no more
than | had previously done during
many of my journeys in Morocco and
elsewhere. Raisuli was almost always
with me, and was able to judge how
quick and intelligent he was. Even
tually | was exchanged for sixteen
rebel prisoners whom the sultan was
obliged to release in order to procure
my restoration to liberty For a year
after this adventure Raisuli remained
toerably quiet, but the following
spring he carried out a coup even more
daring. He surrounded the villa Of Mr.
Perdicaris at night and carried off both
the proprietor and his son-in-l law. The
American government sent a fleet to
Tangier and the whole world watched
the ensuing negotiations. Mr.. Perdi-
caris and Mr. Varley were restored to
liberty but at what price! Raisuli
demanded and obtained from the sultan
the following terms. That he should
be appointed governor Of all the dis
tricts in the neighborhood of Tangier;
that the existing governor-his former
friend. who had betrayed him-should
be deposed: ransom of $4,000; the
Imprisonment of all his enemies and
the release from prison Of all his
fEiendsy and other nonces ssions: of less
Importance. The sultan surrendered
and the terms were carried out Raj
suli found himself POWERFUL hero
in the eyes of the Moors, a menace in
those of Europe.
His first acts We're good. He put
down the effervescence which Blu Ha-
maras rebellion had caused in the
neighborhoOd, and opened the roads to
caravan traffic. and since he was made
governor not a single caravan had been
robbed within the limits of his juris-
dictiona He brought about, in fact, a
period of greater security than had ex-
listed during the previous year or two;
but security that depended upon Raj
suli was naturally doubtful one.
AS his influence increased he became
a despot. He squeezed the people under
him and extorted money from even the
very poorest Of the poor. The -Iaghzen
lived in terror Of him and let him
know it, with the result that he ignored
their orders and commands, and even
the treaties with Europe. He threat
ened and blackmailed even the Magh-
zen itself, who openly acknowledged
their incapacity to deal with him, and
he became at the same time the pro-
tector and the scourge Of Tangier and
the surrounding districts. He enforced
his authority up to the very gates of
the town, and his armed followers even
entered and dragged out of prison men
who were not in his jurisdiction. His
representative administered justice Cd
in the market place, and beat people to
death within a few yards of tho French
AMI German legations Raisuli had
reached the zenith of his power. AT