Evening star., 1925-07-26
MOORS DINE LJXJRTOTJSTY
THOUGH LACKING FINESSE
Food Is Plentiful and Tasty, But Custom
of Digging at Roast With Fingers
Revelation to Occidental Guest.

one may be talking, and it is not good
to seem too well informed or to COM
NIT ones self politically before stran.
gers. These Moors were really thor
oughly informed. They knew just how
close Abd-el-Krim had been to captur-
ing Fee a few weeks before, and they
were familiar with the political situa-
ton in every tribe along the front.
But they all pretended a kind Of naive
ignorance. They had heard of my trip
into the Riff and they began asking
me questions.
How many soldiers do you sup
pose ABIDE el-Krim has?"
Tell me how many men there are
in the Riff" I replied, in my best Ori.
entail manner, "and will tell you the
size Of his army"
They all thought this an excellent
| answer. / could see their respect for
my intelligence Immediately increase
The sheriff now clapped his hands
ing round wooden table about s
inches high. Both wore bright.colored
! headdresses and garments, heavy sill
yer bracelets. necklaces and earrings
Their finger nails. toenails and the
soles Of their bare feet had been stain
ed red with -henna. One was a young
negress. Her thick neither lip was
beautifled by three black vertical bars
penciled with a bit Of kohl. The other
was very pretty Arab girl. Her eye
brows and eyelashes were darkened
with kohl. Her cheeks and lips were
rouged in the traditional Oriental man
ner.
They set down the tables and oul
party gathered about in two groups
for at a native dinner of any sizs
there are always a first and second
table. The dishes are placed before
the hosts table, and only when the
guests there have eaten their fill are
the same dishes passed over to the
less distinguished company at the sec
ond table. Embroidered Turkish tow
els were spread upon our knees by
way Of napkins. Before each of us ir
turn the negress placed a shallow
brass bowl, and while we took up the
piece of pink soap she poured with g
brass ever a small cool stream o1
water over our hands. We wiped oui
hands on our towel-napkins and were
ready to eat.
Eat With Fingers.
The first duty of the host Is tc
break the bread. The old sheriff tool
up the fiat loaves-each about the
size of pie-broke them into quar-
terS and tossed the pieces about the
table to the guests. The pretty Arat
placed in the center of the table g
| large crock in which was roast oi
| mutton, done to turn. We soppet
| bits Of bread in the sauce at the
crooks edge, then presently began te
| dig our fingers into the hot roast, de
taching Juicy bits of the succulent
| meat. The sheriff, when he thought
| a guest was not diligent enough ol
when he wished to do some one 6
| small honor, would tear out a good
| sized piece of the mutton with his
own fingers and hand 1t to the person
he had singled out.
At last he clapped his hands and
while the negress removed the dilapi
dated roast to the second table
| whence a loud smacking Of lips could
presently be heard-the pretty Araf
set before us a second roast of NUT
| ton, prepared in sweet olive oil ant
highly spiced with aromatic herbs, sc
| that the meat really had a differen
| flavor from that which had gone be
| fore. After that we had kous-kous-
| wheat flour rolled into little kernel!
and served like steamed rice-fiavoret
with meat Juice and bits of meat ant
vegetables. Usually this is eaten, lik'
everything else, with the fingers o.
! the right hand, but on this occasion
out OF consideration for me, nJc1ei