The Ocala evening star., 1915-07-07


Ting about. The camels were ordered
to kneel and Arab riders and drivers
buried themselves underneath the
folds of their capacious burnouses, so
that the sand could cover them COM
pletely without injury.
Storm Approaches.
Those of US in the automobiles
huddled in our seats and were COW
cred with large cloths which complete
ly enveloped machine and occupant.
They did not cover US up until the last
minute, so that we could see the storm
approaching. We could see pillars of
whirling and twisting sand, each sur
rounded by a nimbus of dust through
which the sun shot its rays making
various tints all of which were sad and
lifeless. II is really a difficult thing
/ suppose, to get much beauty out OF a
dust cloud. The storm swept nearer
and nearer. The camels grumbled but
laid their long necks straight on the
ground ready to meet the storm.
As soon as the dust began to swirl
about US, We were enveloped in the
huge cloths covering the automobile,
and we remained under cover until
the storm had swept past. Luckily,
it was not severe storm. 1t lasted
only about ten minutes, and we could
see IL swirling and twisting in the dis
tance as it passed on over the desert.
The men of the party rode here and
there always keeping within sight of
the caravan and they brought back for
our inspection those ugly little horned
toads, an amazing collection of lizards,
while they reported the conquest of
several rattle-snakes.
We passed an old miner-a typical
'49er, dressed in a gray wooden shirt,
corduroy trousers and long heavy
boots. He was camped by the way
side, his only companion being a tiny
burro, dressed in an enormous pack
saddle. The old man had his pick and
shovel and gold-pan strapped to the
pack saddle and evidently had hopes
or finding some place to use them. Our
party greeted him jbvially and wished
him good luck, but he sat by his little
camp fire unmoved and with no more
expression on his features than his
companion, the burro.
In the desert, one day is just about
nights offer no change from the mon
otony. OF course, we had a big tent
which we used as a drawing-room and
there in the evening, we sat about
with music sometimes, giving bridge
party, and enjoying ourselves in vari-
GUS ways. Several in the party had
good voices, so we had some singing
of excellent quality.
One thing we were always careful
about, was TO make a thorough exami-
nation of our bedding before retiring
for the night. More than one member
of the party gave vent to calculations
of horror upon the discovery of a scor-
pion or centipede, which evidently
thought the bed had been especially
prepared for his comfort
Day by day the picture making went
on. There was mad riding on horse
back and camelback. There was shoot
ing, and / will never forget the day
of the fierce combat which was so
realistic that we all shuddered, and
felt that we had witnessed a tragedy,
indeed. or course, during the action
of the piece, other fights were pic
tured, but the big fight in the desert,
one who sees the picture.
One particular thing about our des-
ert journey, at least the fact was Pc
culiar to US, occidentals, was the close
application of the Arabs and other Mo-
hammedans in our train, to their re-
ligious duties. They had a muezzin,
who was also a whirling dervish, and
he called the devotees of Mohammed
to prayers as strictly as though they
were in their own home country
Enjoyable Feature.
An exceptionally enjoyable feature
in connection with our trip, was the
privilege of taking a bath-something
never before done in the desert. Mr..
Selig had an eye to the comfort of the
members of his troupe, and instructed
that arrangements should be made for
a plentiful supply Of water to be used
for bathing purposes. / don't suppose
that ever before in the history of a
desert caravan, were daily baths in
dulged in by members of a party. /
don't mean to intimate that everybody
took baths. but some of us did, and it
made life less difficult under the
uTeduluA anu HouTHIul SURROUNDINGS.
1t took US long time in the desert,
and the work was hard. but we knew
that it must be accomplished and we
all did our best. So that when you see
The Carpet From Bagdad" produced
in a great Selig photoplay. those of
you who read this article, will recall
the substance of my writing. We did
not move about much and we were
fairly comfortable during the weeks
spent in the desert.
can realize how a man, alone amid
the trackless waste of sands, can be-
come hopeless and helpless especially
when without water. / will never for
| get one day when we had ridden sew