The Springfield herald., 1912-05-31
The Watch '"z d. Scimitar
By MAX PEMBERTON
(copyrIght. by W. G. Chapman.)

calls 1t, has long ceased to charm the
true son of the east. blase with the no
madic fulness of the ultimate Levant,
or charged with those imaginary ori-
entail splendors which are nowhere
writ SO large as in the catalogues and
advertisements of the latter day up
holsterer. This is not the fault of the
new Icosium. as any student Of the
Moorish town knows WE'LL nor is 1t
to be laid to the account of the French
usurpation. and that strange juncture
of Frank and Fatma which has
brought the boulevard to the city of
the corsairs and banished Mohammed
TO the shadow of the Kasbah. Rather,
1t is the outcome of coupons and of
cooperative enthusiasm. which sends
the roamer to many lands. of which
he learns the names, and amongst
many people with whose customs he
claims familiarity.
To know Algiers something more
than three days pension in the Ho-
tel de la Regence is necessary:
though it is the temporal limit for
many who return to Kensington or
Mayfair to protest that cit is SO
French. you know" can recollect
well the monitions and advice which
] received two years gone when l VEN
tured voyage to Burmah-in the
matter of the ruby interest-and de-
termined to see Cairo. Tunis and the
City of Mosques on my return west
ward. Many told me that l would do
better to reach Jana and Jerusalem.
others advised the seven churches of
Asia; many spoke well of Rhodes; all
agreed. whether they had been there
or whether they had not. that Algiers
was eaten up with Chauvinism and
scarce worthy passing call. Baris-
broke. at the club. who is always Wig
orous in persuading other people not
to do things. summed 1t up in one of
his enthusiastically inane jokes. Its
had Its dey" said he, and buried him
self in his paper us though the project
ended then and there upon his own
ipse dixit. This marked and decided
consensus of opinion could have had
but one result-it sent me to the town
of Hercules at the first opportunity.
II the truth is to be told. the visit
was in some part one of pleasure. but
in the more part question of sequins.
had done well in the remoter east
and had sent some fine parcels of ru-
bies. sapphires and pearls to Bond
street: but a side-wind of curiosity
casting me up upon the shores of Tu-
mis-, l had bought there, in the house
of very remarkable Jew. bauble
whose rival in strange workmanship
and splendor of effect l have not yet
met with. 1t was. to describe it sim
ply. the model of Moorish scimitar
perhaps four inches long. the sheath
exquisitely formed of superb bril-
liants. the blade itself of platinum,
and in the haft not only strange
medley of stones. but little watch
with thin sheet of very fine pearl
for a face and a superb diamond as
the cup of the hands. Although the
Jewels in this were worth perhaps
$500. the workmanship was so fine
and the whole bauble had such an
original look that l paid $500 for 1t
and thought myself lucky
to get it at that. What is more to
the point. however. is the fact that
the hazard which gave me the posses
Algiers to hunt there for like curiosi-
ties-and in the end brought me
large knowledge of the Moorish town,
and nearly cost me my life.
I had intended to stay in the town
for three days. but on the very even
Ing of my coming to the Hotel dor
leans in the Boulevard de la Repub-
lique l met French lieutenant of
artillery. a man by name Eugene
Chassaigne. an exceedingly pleasant
fellow and one who had some Arabic.
but small appreciation of anything
beyond the to-day" of life. He laughed
at my notion Of buying anything in
the upper city and urged me not to
waste time plodding in dirty bazaars
and amongst still dirtier dealers. For
himself, his one idea was to be dams
lie mouvement; but he brought me to
know. on the second day of my visit.
a singularly docile Moor, Sidi ben All
med by name. and told me that IL l
still persisted in my intention the fel-
low would serve well for courier. valet,
or in any office I chose to place him.
And in this he spoke no more than
w
! have always thought when recall
ing this sheep-like Moor to my recol-
lection that the prophet had done him
very poor turn in locating him so
far away from the blessings of COM
-pnny promotion and rickety building
societies. His face would have been
his fortune at any public meeting. and
as for thoroughness. his love of de-
tail was amazing. Before / had been
in his hands for "a hours he knew me.
being able to tell you precisely how
much linen / carried, the number of
gold pieces in my purse. my taste in
fish and fruits, my object in coming
to his country. And this was vexa-
tious, for all the vendors of Benares
ware fashioned in Birmingham. all the
sellers of gaudy burnouses. the huck-
sters of the tawdriest carpets and the
most fimsy scimitars. held concert on
the steps of the hotel every time
showed my face within 20 PAGES of
the door. Sidi alone was immobile.