The Washington herald., 1914-11-22
{ \ !


fife for them. So husband was brought
out and introduced. He looked to be a
boy or perhaps sixteen, and rather
Dlushlngly-if brown boy can blush
admitted that he was the husband OF
the two wonderful dancers. His FIFE
was sent for, also a couple of tom-tom
players-and, at last, everything seemed
TO be ready.
1t was an event that Ell Mazata is
likely to remember for some time 10
come, for fully 200 men and women
squatted around the palm trees in a
sort OF public square" and watched the
weird operations of the photographer,
VINO stood turning crank on a little
machine, the meaning of which nobody
attempted to understand. The young
er wives Of the town, that is those
about sixteen years of age, came to a
nearby knoll of sand, for the girls con-
sented to dance in the open air, so that
all or the tOWnSpeOple, as well as OUr-
-elyes, might see them. The sleik .;,ye
a signal and everybody squattrd as the
hte and tOn-tOm players took their
places. We asked him to have the dau,e
performed exactly as il is done at night
in the desert. and after giving the Or-
der TO the girls, he turned to us and
remarked 1t is we'll"
The music, if it may be called music.
started. 1t was wholly unlike an Of
that make-believe music of the orient to
which we are accustomed in American
exhibitions. It was shrill and had
marked rhythm, but these are about
the only marks that could distinguish
il as music. 1t began slowly and diTge-
like, as the girls stepped into the ring
made by the audience. but gradual, in
rreased in tempo, as the girls struck
their brass Castanets, which were not
unlike those which Spanish dancers
strike between their thumbs and fingers
as they Whlrl They wore pound ~
jewelry. which clanked and jinutpd.
cheap junk which had doubtless Feen
brought to them by their admirers
observed that one girl wore big bronze
medal bearing the likeness of Franz Jo-
s"ph Of Austria, while the others chief
ornament Was a big plate OF brass that
sounded like a camel bell when she
stirred
AssuredE. these Young ladies had not
teen 'SHmIl'd hy America. and rhev
had not heard %. Cairo. Old Hassan Of
MenIeh would have been delighted to
know of rhc.~ tar:ics-Of the .preserya-
tinn Of the Ca.re as it was in the days
Of the Pharaoas"
~ first it all sec med to be pretty
tedious. The girls merely Draaced
around like young colts. occasionally
whirliDC once or twice and then bOwing
close t" the ground. either forward or
backward But in time it changed Hus-
hand-p.per screached wildly and the
Iou-tom players began to beat their
drums as if the crack of doom were an-
proa"Eing The girls soon were whfrl-
ing in IrrnZv. Several Of the native
girls, and some of th- ..l women cigar
smokers, who had doul.l, - been dane
ers in their day, hv- now no LONGER
yelled their faces. vo.e no longer ah.a
-
their sgUattiLE positions. ar first vt
time slowly v.E yHs.r bodies. and t,.H
before No. ~.nr- aware of r. th-y 3D.
were wh.rltHc wildly and aprarearI To-
ing their h'~' 90 iuira- o." dr~e-r -.r.S
,H0'' r-. '-.. t..us r
s"emr, Z q: : . ~r.rr 5o0urat5sr tdf
begun a. darce Tor. arr NJ. dill ny
know ir :. so,. rard. go -. ..- snr0t
ca~ 'Ha s.usir Of the O. d.. 77a ~ema.n
"a~...." Ve,iIy. - lr----v q -lld.
Fl Na-.'. ..s 2 yi.l.-e d .ra--'
T. -eerri that ;tr O. ia~.
.aj. hour. buy tho p ~
~I.~.i his hand and 81 .rr-
~ jIo music stopped ...' .-' g. 4
io"n whirIing were Yin ...ru!
fh" girls wer" eva. e. i
Ur painting. sccwi-.l ID = 'n..r
artistic efforts hat been ~..' '"r, o
the strangers. And ~ lrr:,irs
the bashful y0unc h.~hanr Oh. ~iAtrru
became less basN.rl He f. p .tfa'.iy
sPraug forward .'. IN" il. ,'t. .. bar
gaining began. "" had $ ~ .' now
and now We r,.~r rovar, in na.d-
sOmely. He was quit" '.o- - q
world" this yOuur fellow. nao quite a
business man. lie deranl. "'.-.~. .
equivalent Of an American l..irv .
toased him for r.r"e on ar .... ...
''eNce~~iye' ,hrr'.-. Int h".'' r ..I
d"ll@r and p Il il his nrln a-f 10
was so delighted 'hlt p, w.. '. '.,a
repeated the CNI ih.tinn 4 we I.H 80 ID
him to do 50.
After the >hcik had clarpcd .- nauis
and tho black huv he'd saryoH O., fee
again. the funniest event Of r.. morn
ing trauspireI Two men rid "- .a-r-
els had viov of The crowd in .ho :nn
from afar, and l~owin@ that s. nprhjrc
unusual was happening. they came rrn.
ming toward Us 0t i0-r gS '1"ir 4"i-
mails could travel W waited for thor
and whom tho, "rriyol. tr1d t'"m 1t
we would trfo their pj.tures if jH,v
would pose before tho camera. This 60 .
them q f~i-L; which reader W. sr,...
" anprocrote. for il is a well ku~r3
fact among 'he arabs that when .nu,. 4
clicks before camel. the animal, So. :
killed and il is likely to die at m, -
u'cut thereafter. The men screened -
If threatened with death. and pulling o.
lonE-'hOngod l2Sh"S. they whipped their
camels around md iIadc for the dcs.rt
again even faster than thev Irl core.
when all eagerDcss to view the excite
mcnt
The Young ~heiL -rinned and con-
tinuel TO chatter of their COwarTfr,, o-i
Ignorance" until We departed A. ua
reached the river bank the policeman
with the brass ring Of his arm. our
protector" whom we had fnrgotfon
during our visit after he had 2nnounred
that he would look out for MS. ap-
preached us and intimatci that he wouId
like some little souvenir of our visit We =
gave him shilling for his services 1nd
made him completely haDpy. He had