The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-10
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ILLUSTRATIONS SL> RAY WALTERS
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rItcnoune shook out mis- snort
hairy body and came out of the oasis
pool into the sunlight and trotted into
the Arabian village.
Fatou Ami parched corn in bra
zier before her house. Her house
was mud hut with yellow walls. 1t
had no roof and was open to the sky.
Fatou Ami was ninety years old,
straight as lance-straight as one
of the lances the men of the village
carried when they went to dispute
with white people. These lances with
which the yc>lng men had fought, had
Won them the last battle. Tney nau
been victorious on the field.
Fatou Ami was the grandmother
OF many men. She had been the
mother of many men. Now she
parched corn TRANQUILITY, prayerfully.
Allah! that the corn should not
burn; Allah! that 1t should be sweet
Allah! that her men should be al.
ways successful"
She was the fetish of the settle
ment. In single blue garment, her
black scrawny breast uncovered, the
thin veil that the Fellaheen wear
pushed back from her face, her fine
eyes were revealed and she might
have been priestess as she bent
over her corn!
Allah! Allah Akbar!"
Rather than anything should hap
pen to Fatou Ami, the settlement
would have roasted its enemies alive,
torn them In shreds. Some OF them
said that she was two hundred years
old. There was a charmed ring
drawn around her house. People sup
posed that If any creature crossed it
unlimited, 1t would fall dead.
The sun had risen for an hour and
the air was still cool. Overhead, the
sky, unstained by single cloud, was
blue as turquoise floor, and against
It, black and portentous, flew the vul-
lures. Here and there the sun-touched
pools gave life and reason to the
oasis.
Fatou Ami parched her corn. Her
barbaric chant was interrupted by
sharp bark and low pleading whine.
She had never heard sounds just
like that The dogs of the, village
were great wolfiike creatures. Pit
chounes bark was angelic compared
with theirs. He crossed the charmed
circle drawn around her house, and
did not fall dead, and stood before
her, whining. Fatou Ami left her
corn. stood upright and looked at Pit
choune. To her the Irish terrier was
an apparition. The fact that he had
not fallen dead proved that he was
beloved of Allah. He was, perhaps, a
genie, an afrit.'
Pitchoune fawned at her feet. She
murmured a line of the Koran. It did
not seem to affect his demonstrative
affection. The woman bent down to
him after making pass against the
Evil Eye, and touched him, and Pit
choune licked her hand.
Fatou Ami screamed, dropped him,
went into the house and made her
ablutions. When she came out Pit.
choune sat patiently before the
parched corn, and he again came
crawling to her.
The Arabian woman lived in the
last hut of the village. She could
satisfy her curiosity without shocking
her neighbors. She bent down to
scrutinize Pitchoune's collar. There
was sacred medal on it with sacred
inscriptions which she could not read.
But as soon as she had freed him this
time. Pitchoune tore himself away
from her, flew out Of the sacred ring
and disappeared. The he ran back,
barking appealingly; he took the hem
of her dress in his mouth and pulled
her. He repeatedly did this and the
superstitious Arabian believed herself
To be called divinely. She cautiously
left the doorstep, her veil falling be-
fore her face, came out Of the sacred
ring. followed to the edge of the berry
field. From there Pitchoune sped over
the desert; when he stopped and
looked back at her Fatou Ami did
not follow. and he returned to renew
his entreaties. When she tried to
touch him he escaped, keeping at
safe distance. The village began to
stir. Blue and yellow garments fiut-
tered In the streets.
Allah Akbar," Fatou Anni muir.
INJURED, these are days of victory, of
recompense."
She gathered her robe around her
and. statelily and impressively, started
toward the huts of her grandsons.
When she returned, eight young war
riors, fully armed, accompanied her.
Ptchoune sat beside the parched corn,
watching the brazier and her meal.
Fatou Ami pointed to the desert.
She said to the young men, Go
with this genie. There is something
he wishes to show us. Allah is great.
Co."
When the Capitaine de Sabron
opened his eyes in consciousness,
they encountered square Of blazing
blue heaven. He weakly put up his
hand to shade his sight, and cotton
awning, supported by four bamboo
poles, was swiftly raised over his
head. He saw objects and took cogni-
zance of them. On the floor in the
low doorway Of a mud hut sat three
little naked children covered with
flies and dirt. He was the guest of