Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-05-16
THE DOG THAT WAS NOT
Writer Befriended Pariah and Learn
ed About the East.
CBv Albert Payson Terhune.J

came across him first on the Oldest
street Of the worlds Oldest city, on
the street that is called straight
Just eastward of the bazaar quarter, in
Damascus.
AS JamaI and / came through the
arch from the bazaars we found mop
of men and boys blocking the narrow
roadway around lively semi circle or
snarling pariah dogs. And the good
little dog ! am writing about formed
the nucleus of this inner half circle.
He was as large, perhaps, as fair
sized Irish terrier. Shorthaired, long
nosed, bone thin, he was scarcely good
looking enough to have won q BOBBY
prize in a mongrcl show.
But / liked his eyes. 1t is the eyes
that tell Of dogs soul. This pups
eyes had pluck, a stcadfastness in
them that caught my notice.
In Damascus, as in olden Constan-
tinople, pariah dogs are the city scay-
engers Nobody owns a dog. For to
the true Moslem, the dog is unciean,
by creed and by custom, and is an OBJ
ject of loathing. Yet Il am speaking
of the last decade Of the nineteenth
century, dogs are tolerated in eastern
cities in the absence Of any street
cleaning department.
These dogs, for some unknown rea-
son, stick to certain quarters of the
city for generation after generation
Woe to the dog Of one quarter If he
happens to stray into another! News
of his intrusion spreads with amaz-
ing speed. And the local pariah clan
flocks gleefully to the slaughter.
Recognized a Friend.
This is what had just happened to
my little gray and white friend. He
was crouching with his back to the
street wall, his fangs barred in pitiful
defiance. The pack was closing in on
him.
Now, in the East or the near East
it is cardinal wisdom to interfere with
no native custom or pastime. Yet
we'll, l was in the early twenties. And
the pup was so plucky!
To .Jamars horror l pushed through
the crowd Of onlookers, made my way
past the closing circle Of ours by the
aid of riding whip and boot toe, ant
reached the luckless little victim.
picked him up, tucked him under my
arm and got clear Of the unlovins
throng. With Jamal at my heels / Sc
forth toward the khan where our out
fit was preparing for the long hike
southwark to Galilee and Samaria ant
Judea.
The pup nestled into the crook o
my arm as confidingly as might an!
collie baby. He understood. He di'
not have those wise eyes for nothing
When we mounted in early after
noon, for our southwark journey th
pup took up a right hazardous position
midway under my horse. How h
lodged the mounts hoofs, | don
know. But there he stayed, immun
from other dogs and safe from hoo
blows, as we rode out Of the city an
into the gray brown winter countr
beyond.
i And so, for the next fortnight O
desultory travel southwark and east
ward. All day and every day he trot
ted under my horse or beside hin
All night and every night he lay at tn
door of my tent fiercely alert
= Jamal, my dragoman, and 1mbaral
my cook, were native Christians. s.
except by association, they had non
of the personal loathing for dogs i
general, and for this pup in particu
lar, that marked Serkeese, my mon
key faced groom, and Abou- Ysou
our frowsy Bedouin guard, and II
multeers, all of whom W. C Mohan
medans. Yet l was the puppy's on
friend, and no one knew it bette
than he.
Then, being young and a fool,
proceeded to do him more harm tha
all his enemies put together.
On a late afternoon-the day b.
i fore we were due to enter the garrisC
n town of Nablous (the "Schechem"
e Holy Writ)-I was sitting in front
+ my tent, glancing over an Engli!
Il illustrated magazine. / happened on
l picture of the sultan of Turkey-h
(more or less) sacred majesty, Add
: Hamid Something about the MOI
: arch's somberly brilliant eyes and t
slope of his checks toward the no