The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-07-15
BEDAWINS
CHAPTER TX
1t was long past midnight.

1t was long past midnight.
He remembered, few miles
northeast of town, small oasis,
no more than half dozen palm
trees and shallow pool of brak-
ish water, where daily, in the
early morning, passed cameleers
bound from Mounetville for the
interior. He would spend the
night there and, in his privileged
character as a dervish, join the
first caravan.
So he walked straight on,
through the sleeping town, pres
emily stepping into the desert that
reached out at him suddenly from
the tangle of hectic, encroaching
bazaars and alleys.
In the distance spoke the Gums:
rub rub-rumbleddy ="
On and on he walked, until he
reached the little oasis, hours later.
Nobody else was there. He
stretched himself out to sleep,
wrapped in his burnoose.
The moon vanished behind the
clouds. The drums thumped
again, with vibrating, minor tone
waves.
Lincoln Elliot slept soundly and
awakened to the thin tinkling of
bells, the jingling of headstalls, the
soft 'thud-thud-thud of camelS'
padded feet, the creaking and rasp-
ing of saddle leather
He sat up and took look. On
the eastern horizon, where already
morning was beginning to loom
with a golden, wedge-like gesture,
he saw a caravan ambling along.
1t drew near: a small caravan,
no more than half a dozen pack
animals heavily laden and tied
head to tail, and three Bedawins
astride lean, racing dromedaries,
short stocky, swarthy men, long
barreled rifles slung across their
shoulders, rhinoceros- hide whips
swinging from their wrists, their
Jaws bound mummy-fashion
against the drifting, driving sand
grains.
They dismounted; quenched their
thirst at the brakish pool and
watered their animals.
Ungraciously, after the manner
OF their coarse desert breed, they
replied to the Americans courte-
Gus: "Salaam aleykoom, yah Mos
lemin!" with cultural, unfriendly
grunts; told him, as ungraciously,
in answer to his question - not
that, by Allah and by Allah! it
was any concern of his-that they
were bound for the little hamlet
which was called Feb zudjooim.
Here - thought Lincoln - was a
bit of luck
He knew that there the caravan
trail split in two, one leading
northwest towards Timbuktoo and
the ancient, walled cities of the
Sudan and the second dipping
northeast to the jungly stretch of
land on the other side of Lake
Tchad.
So, when the Bedawins mounted
and were about to whip on their
animals with shrill yells of "zid!
lid! - hurry! hurry!' he stopped
them.
Let me 60 with YOU" he beg
ged.
why should we?" demanded
their leader, whom the others adj
dressed as Rashid Nasir. BE on
your way, o creature, and let us
be on ours!"
my way is the same as yours"
Then laughing harshly, 'let
your own two feet carry your
The American was astonished.
THESE men were Bedawins, thus
coarse, unfriendly. Still-to refuse
such simple request to brother
Moslem? 1t was unlike the code of
the desert, and he wondered what
might be the reason.
He was familiar with their like:
realized that a polite inquiry
would bring no result. The at
tack, and insult, direct, was the
only method.
So he cried angrily:
II verify believe that you are
not of the True Believers, but
Christians or Jews, eaters of i'm
purities, accursed by the Lord
God, to refuse charity to a der
viSh!"
"Dervish, are you?' jeered Ra-
Shi NaSir. ''Pah - before this have
WE TIKI