The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-02-08

marvellous sweetness out of the desert sheet
ing the spread encampment with silvery veil
1t Is a wonderful sight The camels seem twice
their natural size among the piled-up fodder. Lit
tie nres spring up. built over stones. Voices are
low; noises lie down one by one-braying of
donkeys. gurgling 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
-easut heads of the camels 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 SO carefully And every
where dark faces CLEAN In the moonlight eyes
fash like stars and white teeth shine.
Little visits are paid from group to group.
bearded fellow with face of night enters cir
Gle where all seated round the fire and coffee
pot Are you happy" II am happy because of
your existence" "Cofee?" handing him a cup
Coffee for ever" he sips it slowly. We out
siders watch and stare and question. yet get no
nearer to them. Centuries lie between Their
courtesy is perfect They accept cigarette light
ing it. with flint and Steel offering the latter as
present that may not be refused. The young
man, playing his reeds so softly to a group of
listeners. hands them over to an 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 u.s. kindly"
asks an 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. 1T is not
pleasing that should sing such song before
gentlemen and ladies' They don't understand
q word" But cannot do it. Whether they
understand no. find 1t not pleasing" And
after this lesson In sweet delicacy, between the
verses of q song he finally chants always this
question: Does my voice, please you gentle
mani" Yet these are merely fellaheen. the peas
ant toilers of the delta, who accompany the great
Bedouin pilgrimage to the Desert Tomb of Abou
Seria. Father of Speed one 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 an Englishman and paid him the
great honor Of taking him home. Il will show
you my home" he said. and they travelled three
days and nights across the desert. Beneath a
limestone boulder he pointed to the ground Now
you are in my home" he said proudly and with
the stately dignity Of great prince of the desert
And the Englishman little pile Of ashes at
his feet. 1t was summer tent unnecessary;
the wife and focks were away. This square foot
OF sand In the enormous wilderness was home.