Charlevoix county herald., 1913-02-08

a marvellous sweetness out of the desert, sheet
ing the spread encampment with a silvery veil.
1t is wonderful sight. The camels seem twice
their natural size among the piledup fodder. Lit
tie fires spring up, built over stones. Voices are
low; noises lie down one by one-braying of
donkeys, gurgng grunts of camels bleating OF
goats and kids soon to be sacrificed Groups
gather closely round the fires, for the night air
nips. Coffee is made in tiny china cups and the
gaunt heads Of the cames thrust forward over
the very shoulders Of their owners They chew
and chew and chew. Those dark bundles in the
sand lying apart by themselves, are men already
asleep, wrapped from head to feet in sheets of
black and blue and white and yellow. No one
treads on them. The bare feet go silently to and
fro, picking their way carefully. And every
where dark faces CLEAN in the moonlight, eyes
flash like stars and white teeth shine.
Little visits paid from group to group. A
bearded fellow with a face of night enters cir
Gle where all are seated round the fire and coffee
pot Are you happy?" Il am happy because Of
your existence" Golfer" handing him cup.
Coffee for ever as he sips it slowly. We out
sders watch and stare and question, yet get
nearer to them Centuries lie between. Their
courtesy is perfect They accept cigarette, light
Ing it with flint and steel, offering the latter
a present that may not be refused. The young
man. playing his reeds softly TO a group OF
listeners, hands them to admirer who
has praised them, with please accept them from
me-" Behind, in the sand men are praying on
their knees towards Mecca Sing to us, kindly"
asks Englishman who knows Arabic. of an
other man. The singer is shy, but only requires
coaxing, and when the Englishman suggests a
certain song the other hesitates "It is not
pleasing that I should sing such a song before
gentlemen and ladies'" They don't understand
| a word" But cannot do It. Whether they
understand no, find 1t not pleasing" And
after this lesson in sweet delicacy, between the
verses of a song he finally chants, always this
question: Does my voice please you o gentle
man." Yet these merely fellaheen. the peas
ant toers OF the delta, who accompany the great
Bedouin pilgrimage to the Desert Tomb of Abou
Sera, Father OF Speed OF Mahomets gen.
erals And after midnight one or two OF
them rise quietly and resume their journey. Our
| camels travel better in the nighttime" on they
60 with their donkeys, goats and children. carry
Ing all they possess in this world with them. The
unmeasured desert swallows them No sound
comes back They vanish in the moonlight as
| softly as they came. One thinks OF that Bedouin
who loved Englishman, and paid him the
great honor of taking him home. 81 will show
you my home" he said, and they travelled three
days and nights the desert. Beneath
limestone boulder he pointed TO the ground Now
you in my home" he said, proudly. and with
the stately dignity OF great prince OF the desert
| And the Englishman saw a little pile OF ashes at
| his feet IL summer a tent unnecessary:
| the wife and locks away. This square foot
Of sand in the enormous wilderness was home.