East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-09-21


Reminding Muraiche of my pre-
vious orders to have everything in
readiness by two O'Clock / sauntered
up TO lunch at Mr.. Tate's. The route
to nv next point of destination, the
little town of KuSsabat, was not only
over n rough mountainous country,
bat was considered by the Arabs dan
gorous on account of thieves. Being
under the necessity of making the
lJurncy that day / was anxious to
ariiy" there by sundown. Consequent
ly, when by half past two none of my
outfit put in an appearance, / deS-
patched one of the house servants to
learn the reason.
First by WHY excuses and then by
open mutiny, my men delayed the de-
paIturc until half past five, when by
threats to appeal to the Turkish
Pasna to have them thrOn into prison
an engage new men we were finally
rCaUy to start.
"But guard Arbi (Naster) ?"
twice Muraiche has asked the nues-
tt0n and twice I answered him that I
had notified the Turkish officials of
my intention to depart at two o'clock.
! lad they intended to send q guard
| they would have done SO. However,
being desirous of conforming to GUS
| toni sent Muraiche to the Governors
palace with instructions to report our
departure, but not to ask for q guard
as p, sonally shared in the common
| opinion that often the traveller is safer
| without one
| watched Mursicho after he round
ed i corner and disappeared at eallop
| down the narrow street to the palace,
| from which, Immediately reappearnG,
! he set off to Il different quarter of
| the town. Questioned on his return,
| he replied that an officer had sent
him to notify guard who was to go
| with us.
"Youll see your way all right, for
| the fun moon ought to be up in about
| two hours, but ride fast" were Tate's
parting words. 1T was good advice
and had often been given me before.
TO travellers in North Africa par
ticularly those among French colon
lists Of Tunis and Algeria, the saying
"Ncver allow an Arab to ride behind
you" has become an adage. and this
night in the Gharian I proved its
worth
We rode to the top of the steep
trail, down which the slanting after
noon Sunbeans shot by in golden
shafts. Back and beyond us these
sun shafts speap, until striking the
white walls of Khoms they broke,
spilling over them flood of orange
hnt al,
groves and date-palms with q golden
green, and through the shimmering
shifting gold mist above it all
sparkIed scintillating sea of blue.
Our course now lay almost due
south to the region of the Djebcl
Gharian, the region I had hoped to
enter and pass through by day.
Resting on the site of-ancient Lebda'
of the Romans, my golden city of
KhomS lay nearly an hours ride be-
hind us and as yet no guard, to my en-
tire satisfaction. This was short lived
however for soon a yell such as | had
never vet heard lOosed from the
throught of a human being caused us
suddenly to draw reign. Down the
steep rocky enCline, where an ordinary
way, out on the sandy plateau upon
which we had just ridden, riding wild
and giving his wry little animal free
rein, dashed n guard, and when
abreast of us drew up short out of a
full run, after the manner of Arab
horsemen.
"Bsalaam" to Muraiche, and a nod
of the head to me, which ! slightly
rcciprOCated; yes very slightly, for
before me was the one man out of all
the arabs had ever seen that would
have chosen last for II companion
that night, There in the glow of the
late afternoon sunlight the stock of
his short Carhinc resting on his sad
die and the sweat making bright the
high lights on his evil, brassy bronze
face, set the worst cutthroat it was
ever my fortune to look upon,-I
MuraiChr's friend, he of the market
place.
Although had learned not to judge
men too much by appearances, / re-
solved to watch him. After Il short
conversation with Muraichc, during
which the guards peculiar eyes scan
ned me from the rowcls of my spurs
to the top of my sun helmet | knew
that the main objects of his searching /
glance were in my holsters, covered by
my Jacket; meantime, however | lost /
no detail of his weapon, a hammcrlCss .
magazine rifle of modern make. Then /
he addressed me in Arabic but not .
speaking the language, l turned to /
Muraichc. He tells to start" the
later replied.
This sudden assumption Of leader
ship came most unexpectedly, his
seeming intention To bring up the
rear. Now Arabs are daring though I.
ignorant; but like all Oricntals fully II
only one thing. and that is just ana
strong hand, which they must feel in
order to appreciate. Consequently my
course was plain. Tell the guard 4
to head the caravan, and that if he
goes with me, he goes as one Of my
men" As we got under way. the
guard rode slowly ahead. meanwhile
aking sidelong glanccS at me. out Of
the corners Of his vilanious gray
green eyes, filled with all the hatred
NJ the NIuslcm for the Christian.
realized that never in my life had tho Z
lssets and liabilities Of my status quo
'cCcivcd such careful auditing.
when the great red lantern Of the