The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-08-19

~ We TOOK our ease at our Inn.
MN my friend Frampton and I.
NM The road In front Of US led
Al where our boat lay, and
left.handed to the creek
'ight-handed to the main part of
he village. including the church
md station. A hedge. just break
ng into green, skirted the road,
ind over its brim we could see
bowman guiding his team leisurely
Up and down broad. fiat field. The
nan in his drab corduroys and the
iorses. big brown and gray, made
picturesque group. They gave one,
| 90, the pleasant sense of restfulness
IN idler feels In watching other men
york. In the fulness OF my content
murmured something silly about the
! :ignity Of labor. which reused my
| companion from his comfortable ST.
ence to retort: That's because you've
never done any" I looked up to
where q small, dark speck was rapidly
Using in the windy April sky and
looding the air with joyous melody.
Just listen to that lark singing" |
said. Just listen to that signboard
:reaking! We shall have it down on
,ur heads" retorted my practical
minded friend: not without reason, for
strong breeze was briskly swinging
| he old sign to and fro. and the storm
If the night before had left dangling
oy single rusty hook. The Pillow
| md Anchof!" I muttered, as I eyed 1t
md warily edged along the bench
rom under it. Il wonder what came
irst at the beginning OF things, and
when the first furrow was turned?"
THAT will be something for you to
.hink about till get back" said
srampton benignly.
That chap with the pillow somehow
axes me back to Algeria"
My friend grinned with a good. thu
nored sarcasm. Most things seem
o do that" he said. But II you
want to ruminate on blowing. here's
something for start that takes one
o the back of beyond" AS he spoke
lie detached coin from his watch.
,hain and tossed 1t to me. Next mo-
nent he looked at his watch and
'ose hastily to his feet. "Jove!" he
exclaimed, tits ten to! | must run
or It," And swinging his coat across
ais shoulder. he picked up his bag
md disappeared at trot round the
bend of the road to the station.
Frampton was right. Numberless
Incidents of the most trifling kind sui
iced to carry my Thoughts back to
Algeria. Life In the desert, life In the
towns, life In the Tell. each had i'm
pressed me wildly with its strange
and distinctive attraction. In the lat.
ter district particularly had studied
the process and progress of farming
carried on there in way l should
never have thought Of doing at home.
There was such a glamour over 1t all;
over even the poverty and reckless
ness of the fellah and his primitive
methods Of agriculture. Like farm
ars all the world over. what he did and
what he left undone was the result not
! Of personal initiative. but of faithful
adherence to precedent. In spite Of
the efforts of the French government
10 introduce innovations and improve
ments the native cultivators of agra
rian land pillow. sow and reap as men
did when the world was young. To
see an Arab steering yoke of oxen.
one hand pressed upon the single stem
of the pillow and the other holding the
long. slim goad. Is to see a living H.
lustration Of how Elisha looked and
moved when Elijah found him blowing
and cast his cloak upon him in signifi.
cant symbolism of his destiny. Only
In some such Insignificant details as
the names of the months In the Kabyle
dialect is the stamp of Rome still Wis
ible, and in the system of hiring labor
In the Tell there survives a custom
belonging to the early days of the Ro.
man republic.
This Is what happens. A farmer
finds himself in debt. or he wants a
lump sum Of money in order to marry
and settle down. He forthwith Dor.
rows the required amount of a richer
neighbor and signs contract by which
he practically enslayes himself until
he is able to pay of the loan. His
master must provide him with a pillow
and a pair of oxen. the seed for the
crop and the necessaries Of life. He
also receives fixed allowance of oil
wheat any barley per month. besides
a yearly supply Of clothes and foot.
wear, the price Of them going to In,
crease the original debt. In harvest.
time the khamme's. as he is called. il
entitled TO an assistant. but he often
prefers to take a small indemnity and
set his wife and children to work In.
stead Usually he Is free to seek en-