Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-19
AFRICAN GODDESS OF WAR.

| AFRICAN GODDESS OF WAR.
Wild Arab Woman Leads the Fight
Against the Italians.
The following stirring account Of q
special feature Of the war between
Italy and Turkey, Is sent to the Lon
don Express by Alan Ostler, special
correspondent Of that paper with the
Turkish army IN Tripoli, under date Of
Senati Benz Adhem, January 20:
When the Arabs chased the Italian
infantry out Of the trenches at Garga-
resh two days ago. they dashed In,
Arab fashion, under the fire Of the can
non, and got to close quarters almost
before their hidden antagonists had
realized that for those who did not
retire the trenches would afford ready
made graves.
The attackers, with their white drap-
cries tossing and fiuttering, and their
voices hoarsely shouting war cries.
came on like a tidal wave that broke
over the trenches.
At their head was a figure, cloaked
and hooded In russet brown, who car
ried no weapon but a staff Of olive
wood, and whose voice rang high and
shrill above the shouts and rattling RI
fie fire. The face beneath the russet
hood was Of so deep a brown as to be
almost black
The eyebrows met in a savage frown
over keen, glittering eyes; the jaw was
square and heavy, the nose short and
straight With widely distended nostrils;
and a c. lar Of panther's teeth glisten-
ed against the brown bosom.
With a voice like the scream Of an
angry stallion this figure alternately
menaced and exhorted the Arabs, and
shrieked out terrible curses against the
Italians.
The desert men swept up and over
the earthworks, and their fearless lead
er, leaping into the trenches, stopped,
plunged an arm elbow-deep in blood,
and then stood, with a dripping right
hand flung upwards, a statue of the
goddess Of African battle.
For II was q woman, Soudanese
She warrior, that fought in the ranks
with the men at Gargaresh. 1t was
her voice, bidding towards hide with
children in the tents, and urging brave
men to find a sure road to paradise un-
der the Italian guns. that maddened
the Arabs as only the voices Of their
womenfolk can.
She was struck with a fragment of
shell before the charge began; but she
went forward, shaking her bleeding
hand in the faces of the men, and bid
ding them earn glorious wounds like
hers. After the fight she was the hero
inc of the camp at the Garden Of the
Children Of Adhem, and strode among
the tents, one hand bandaged and one
brandIshing the stafr Of olive wood.
This woman chanted fiercely, tri-
umphantly, as Deborah chanted
through the lines Of the Israelite tents
when the host of Sisera was over
L
ed her courage. But she wanted not
praise, but a gun; and she came to the
door of the tent Of the Turkish leaders
and made her petition there. And a
carbine was given to her.
She shook It aloft, threw back her
head, and closed her eyes, and sent out
a high, ringing cry-a musical, long
drawn note. From the Arab tents on
every side came shout after shout In
answer; the camp hummed like hive
Of swarming bees.
The battle Of Gargaresh has. in some
ways, been one Of the most important
incidents of the war; It has checked
the Italian advance, which was obvi-
ously made with the intention of
|reoccupying Zanzour and cutting the
Turkish line Of communication with
Zouara, 1t has filled the desert mar
kets once again with loot, and, above
all, it has, If possible, increased the
confidence Of the Arabs and their con-
tempt for the enemy
It was a scouting party Of thirty
Ajellat Arabs, led by Emin Bey, that
brought the first news Of the Italian
advance. Or. rather, they sent the news
by drawing the enemy's fire, and thus
advertising to the outpost camps that
the Italians were in the neighborhood
Of Gargaresh. They had been out all
night, and at dawn they saw horse
men and Italian sappers among the
palm trees near the village.
"The Italian horsemen rode eastward
along the coast" (my information is an
Arab who was with the original par
ty), "and presently came back with
many columns Of men on foot; and as
It became lighter we saw their big
guns.
"Then we said: Let us shoot at
them, spreading out and firing from
many different places. They will shoot
off their cannon at us, and our broth
ers at Blu Garesh and Senati Benz Ad-
hem will hear, and come to give bat
tle.'"
Now, the Italians were entrenched
breast deep, in front Of the palms, and
| had cannon and Maxims, and their ar
tillery kept back the main body OF the
Arabs. But about 300 led by Sheik
Mohamed Lawi (zawia). Shiek Arab
DjebeD and Shiek Sof (M'hamid).
dashed in under the range Of the big
guns and flew at the trenches, the Sou
danese woman screaming wildly among
them.
Izak Bey led small force of mount
ed men right away to the left flank OF
the Italians. 1t was quite a small body
of men, not more than $50 strong, and
for a time lost sight of them watch
ing the dash Of the 300.
suppose their attack on the left fl
nally decided the wavering Italians, for
suddenly, little gray and dun colored'
figures came scrambling out Of the first
line Of trenches, and ran towards the
palms, and there were the $50 Arabs,
with Izak Bey, charging in on the left.
There were four lines Of trenches In
all, and three times the Italians were
driven back In the first trench the