The Springfield herald., 1912-05-31

MOOR Wnen wishing 10 explore tne up
per town at night. l escaped unpleas-
ant curiosity and arrived at the steep
ascent Of the Rue de la Lyre, feeling
that l was like. at any rate. to get
more excitement out of the old city
than nine-tenths of the EnglishElen
who visit her
Almost at the top of the street the
Moor's friends met me. l could see
little Of their faces. for they covered
them as much as possible with their
somber-hued cloaks, but they salaamed
profoundly on greeting me, and Sidi
took his leave when he had exchanged
a few words in Arabic with them.
From that time onward they did not
speak. but went straight forward into
the old quarter and soon we had en-
tered narrow way. where flights of
stairs, frequently recurring, led one
up towards the Kasbah.
We must have mounted for ten min
utes or more before my guides stopped
at large house in particularly un-
inviting looking cul-de-sac; and, hav-
ing spoken a few words with an old
crone at the wicket. we gained admit
tance to a large court and found 1t
packed with a very curious company.
1t was picturesque place. gloriously
tiled and surrounded by gallery sup
ported on slender columns of exquisite
shape. terminating In Moorish arches
and fretwork balustrades. There the
women, numbering some score, sat:
but l. knowing the danger of betray-
Ing the faintest interest In Moor's
household. averted my eyes at once,
and examined more minutely the
strange scene below.
must confess that the surprise Of
finding myself in such a place was
very great. had gone with the Moors
to recover a thousand pounds worth
of property. but how the visit brought
me nearer to that, or to any purpose
whatever. could not see. knew that
I was the only European In the COM
pany and all tradition as well as COM
mon sense told me of my danger. Yet
had gone of my own will and the
Moor. Sidi. had encouraged me to the
risk, which. after all, l thought, was
worth bartering for the sight of so
strange an entertainment Indeed, 1t
is not in accord with my fatalistic
creed to conjure up terrors of the
mind in moments of comparative tran
quillity, and when I realized that the
question of wisdom or want of wis
dom was no longer under discussion
fell in with the spirit of this singular
festivity-and waited for enlighten-
ment
The feast or performance was now
going on briskly. A conjurer trod
upon the heels of the dervish and per-
formed a few palpable feats which de-
ceived no one but himself; and after
that we had the expected dancing
girls and the Ouled-Nails. Nor were
the latter central piece. as 1t were.
of our hosts program. for presently
the Moors about me ceased their bab-
bling; there was a restless chatter in
the gallery above. the old host whis-
pered something to his attendant and
new musicians, who had relieved the
others, struck up hideous banging OF
tom-toms. fageolets and guitars. At
that very moment, when I had come
to the conclusion that Sidi ben Ahmed
had made fool of me, and that my
errand was to end idly, one of my
guides spoke for the first time. putting
his mouth close to my ear. and using
very passable English. Now" said
he, "be ready" but whether he meant
me to prepare for some saltatory dis
play, or for action. he did not conde-
scend to say: and before I could ask
him a great applause greeted the ad.
vent of dancing girl. who bounded
into the arena with a conventional
run, and at once began her amazing
gyrations.
She was beautiful girl. not more
than eighteen years Of age. should
think, and probably Circassian. She
bright with the freshness of youth. a
figure of fine balance and maturity;
but the most striking thing about her
was her hair More abundant or
glossier tresses l have never seen in
color, a deep golden-red, this masnifl-
cent silky gift was punched upon her
head In a great coil at the back, and
fell hence almost to her feet. 1t COW
cred her when she chose as the bur-
nooses covered the Moors who watched
her; and she used 1t in her dancing
with chic and skill unimaginable
In one moment coiling 1t about her
body SO that she seemed wrapped in
a sheen of gold; in the next cast like
an outspread fan behind her, she pre-
scented picture ravishing beyond de-
scription, and one which drew shouts
of "Zorah. Zorah!" even from the
women in the galleries above. sat
under the spell, enraptured like the
rest.
Now, the girl must have been dan
cling for couple of minutes. and the
audience was thoroughly held by her
prodigious cleverness, when !, en-
crossed as the others, was suddenly
interrupted In my contemplation of
her by the action of the Moors, my
guides. To my utter surprise they of
sudden stood up on either side Of
me. one crying to me in English as
before to be ready, the other seemed
to wait for the girl Zorah. who. with
streaming hair and body thrown well
back, was dancing down towards us.
A few of, the company near to us
turned their heads, and cried out at
the interruption; but the girl came on
with quick steps. and when she was
Just upon us, the Moor who waited
seized her by her hair and DuttinQ his