Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1922)
LET 'ER BUCK Page Eighteen East Oregonian Bound-Up Souvenir Edition Pendleton, Oregon, Thursday, September 21, 1922. COLONEL FURLONG FOUND THAT TRAVELLING WITH ARABS HAD SOME j . DIFFICULTIES; MORE THAN ONCE HE HAD DIRE NEED OF HIS GUN ARM Adn venture? Itl picked the other raiin nnd became ...no Word or' lmi betrayed the . leuat. has drawn men "' !' nr". to the far places KincP sunrise, as approached A Khn.T:-, a change had come over Alur of the earth to. , . tn tMttrtt ethttwA v nHrU every point of tho j torn iass. Life and limb are risked in court Imr the thrills! 1 1) u t adventure! may Hive, and! ninny u re t h e thrillH that liavf' been so found by; ihost- who got! away from the ! Lenten path. How it felt to risk bin life a- trainst the maohi- Ta.ie it a linns nf a pi;:-, ilTOMp or i VI 1'KH in a ride across a denTf is tdd by ( harles Welling ton Furlong in an article which was IHiiiiis h c d in Warper's Month ly, The story, an related by Col. Kiii'loiiM", i as fol lows; 1 snap e c t o d ,M imtirhe. sus pected him of an indefinite shmelhinK, but the work ings of hit wily, old Arab mind, its MNiaoiiH and' its purposes, were to me ti mysterious 'as the prenl wastes of tin- Suhhra fSarhara) over which for days we had been eruwHnff, and as a elusive oh i he noxious Hand-lizards which now and aln scurried from beneath our horses feet. , Thfj lonpr, hut caravan trail along which -wo had crawled during the day had led over the sun-scorched rocky wastes or the 1 jnbel Nntfah'a (N'atfa Hr.a AlounlaiiiK), and a. sundown emptied uh into tho lit tin Arab town KtioniK. Here we parted with a Hinall caravan forty oamels Htrnn& bound for Alma rata, with which we hud traveled for the last three days. .My two men, Mohammed and All, who were' on loot, drove a, larue fast walkhitf paeli-dotikey: while Mural eho, .like myself, rode an Arab slal Ifon. Ills )ient old figure, now ahead of me, now by my side, seemed lost in the folds of his barracan. ' Some mouths previously, a vifieed 'lriHspurt and ot her document h had landed me safely within the confines of the town of Tripoli, and later, aft er comp difficulty, permission to Ifavct Into the desert had been rant eti by the Turkish Tusha who cum ni'inded the Turkish t'ot'ers In thai coniilry. 'Many Arabs there were in tin town who would uladly have risked the dnnmas of the desert as rtiauemen, but as toy object was to obi, i in iu lUi'tiin t ion of dfHi't t life, a lii-tii vh't could net also as interpret er u indispensable; and Murniohu proved to be tin only available man. K s irue that he had an unsavory rec i o '.lid 1 was so warned by certain iiu'inbersi of the little Kiitflish col ony there. Ittil his broken KuKlfsh and JiiiKiia. Franca, who valuable us s ts; besides forewarned was -fore-i.'i'iued, so It came about that Alurai- wflh alacrity, and when several times them nharply, he seemed to awaken it vm;; necessary for me to repeat ui n a start from deep . meditation. This, at the time I attributed to the faii;:ue of our journey and anticipat ed r' laxalion, for j had promised a rent ni Khoms following a custom of the country. I reported to the Turkish govern or on our arrival, saw my men a ('. animal oonfora bly fixed in a I'jndek (caravansary), with orders to have everything In readiness to start at two the following afternoon, then spent the night at the house of Mr. the only Englishman in the This night In niid-Jully and the fol lowing night, strangly different, stand oat strongly In my memory perhaps for the contrast with the dusty, mo notonous traveling of other days and the sleeping in dirty, crowded fond uks; or perhaps, in contrast with each other. If you would know the plea sure of bathing, of sleeping between the snow-'white Hheets of a bed, travel day after day on the burning, scorch ing, yellow-red sand of the Sa libra; fill your eyes, nose and ears, your very soul, with its flne-owdered dust; tie your handkerchief, after the manner of the Touurons, across your mouth to prevent evaporation, that your throat may not parch too much. Tra vel early and late to make the most fit the cool of the morning and even lug. Sleep lightly if you are a lone stranger and do not mind the un comfortable lump of your pistol-holders under your arm: they are better in your hands than in tho other fellows. So when, sunburnt, saddle-sore, and tired of long riding and little sleep, you fitd what did, a bath of delici ous cold water, brought from nn old toman well still used hy the Arabs In Khonis, and a snow-white bed, give praise at Allah. Then let the L bar baric noise.4 of tho wild Sudanese dance in the distance and the musical chant of the Muezzin melt away with your thoughts in the quite of the Af rican night. Had it no been for a casual stroll through the Snk the next afternoon my men might now bo recounting a different yarn over their smoking kief and coos-coos. . J threaded my way among men, animal, shacks, scattered garden produce, grains and wares, which covered the ground In Interesting heaps, and uh I pushed through a small crowd which had gathered about me, their curionslty ami cupidity aroused by a gold filling oi one oi my ieeui, mopped ior a moment. For there In the middle of an open space beside a Mm hoi it C saint's tomb), Muralche was en grossed in a low conversation with one of the irregular guards, an Arab in t hi Turkish employ. Disappearing unobserved to another part of the Suit. I should have thought no more of the matter but for the fact that when later In the morning these two met iu my presence' by the (iovernor's ( alace, they omitted the customary b'salaanis and effusive greetings of Abdiammedan acquaintances, and hy Harvest . Machinery Gears of all Kinds. WALT WELDS ANYTHING Walt's Welding Works 110 Water St. Plume 71 Pendleton Cycle Co HARTAIAN LONG, Prop. AJAX Tires AND TUBES. Bicycles and Supplies Vulcanizing 22S E. Court Phone lit recognition. - . i itemindingr. Muraiche of my pre vious orders to have everything in readiness by twro oc!ock , I sauntered up to lunch at Mr. Tate's. The route to mv next point of destination, the little town of Kussabat, was not only over a rough mountainous country, but was considered by tho Arahs dan gerous on account of thieves. Heing under the necessity of making the Uiirney that day f was anxious to anic there by sundown. Consequent ly, when by half ' past two none of my outfit put hi an appearance, i des patched one of the house servants to learn the reason. First by wiiy excuses and then by open mutiny, my men delayed the de pa lure until half past five, when by threats to a peal to the Turkish I'nshn to have them thron into prison an ' i.gnge new men we were finally ready to start. "Hut a guard, Arhi (Master) ?" Twhe Muraiche has asked the ques tion and twice f answered him that T had notified the Turkish officials of my intention to depart at two o'clock. Had they intended to send a guard they vould have done so. However, being desirous of conforming to cus tom. I sent Aruraiche to the Governor's palace with instructions to report our (b purture, but not to ask for a guard as jm isonally I shared in the common opinion that often the traveler is safer without one. 1 watched Mui'iche after he round ed corner and disapoarcd at a gallop down the narrow street to the palace from which, immediately reappearing, ho set off to a different quarter of tho town. Questioned on his return, he replied that an officer had sent him to notify a tfitard who was to go with us. 1 "you'll see your way all right, for I ho full moon ought to be up in about two hours, but ride fast," were Tale's parting words. Jt was good advice and had often been given uie. before. To t ra velers in North A frlcn , par tioularly those among French colon ists of Tunis and Algeria, the saying "Never allow an Arab to ride, behind you," has become an adage, and this night in tho Oharian I proved its worth. Wo rode to the top of the steep trail, down whioh the slanting after noon sunbeans shot by in golden shafts. Hack and beyond us these sun shafts speap, until striking the white walls of Khoms they broke, spilling over them a flood of orange gold, diffusing her surrounding olive groves ana oaxe-paims wnn a goiuen shifting (fold mist above it all sparkled scintillating sea of blue. Our course now lay almost due south to the region of the Djebel (rharian, the region I had hoped to enter and pass through by day. Hosting on the site of. ancient Tebda of the Hoinans, my golden city of Khoms lay nearly an hour's ride be hind us and uh yet no guard, to my en tire satisfaction. Tnis was short lived however, fop soon a yell such as I had never yet heard loosed from the through), of a human being caused us suddenly to draw reign. Down the steep rocky encline, where an ordinary horseman could but carefully pick bis way, out on the sandy plateau upon which we had Just ridden, riding wild and giving his wiry little animal free rein, dashed a guard, and when abreast of us drew up short out of a full run, after tho manner of Arab horsemen, "Jl'salaam' to Aluraiche, and a nod of the head to me, which I slightly reciprocated; yes, very slightly, for before me was the one man out of all the arahs t had ever seen that I would have chosen last for a companion that night. There in the glow of the lato afternoon sunlight the stock of his short, carbine resting on his sad dle and the sweat making bright the high lights on bis evil, brassy-bronze face, set the worst cutthroat it was ever my fortune to look upon,- Aluraiehe's friend, ho of the niatket pla ce. Although I had learned not to Judge men too much by appearances, i re solved to watch him. After a short j conversation with Muraiche, during which tho guard's peculiar eyes scan ned me from the rowels of my spurs! to the lop of my sun helmet, 1 knew I PJ that the main objects of his searching I F glance were in my holsters, covered by w my jacket; meantime, however 1 lst j no oi cm oi ins weapon, a nanituern 'S: maga'uie rifle of modern make. Then he addressed me in Arabic, but not j speaking the language, I turned to i .ti ui aieiie. lie tens io man, me va later replied. j This sudden assumption nf leader-! ship came most unexpectedly, bis J m seeming intention to bring up the j A rear. Now Arahs are daring though J ignorant; but like all Orientals, fully i mountains ior a s'.jort space. Then wicked-looking- nohhen club, which the moon-glow appeared In the Kasl, usually he had kept stuck In one of and soon the moon itseif lifted its pale j the packs. I knew that each carried a distored shape above the horizon, and suffused everything with, its pale blue-green light, so cool and satisfy ing to the eye and mind in contrast to the hot sun glare that during the day reflected through to the very brain. 1 Put the dark shadoe masses of hol ders, perched shrub patches, and shaded slopes, what uncanny things might they not contain? And those Gorges, too, which in the day reflect ed heat light like an oven from there hot, red sides'.' Now Ihey were cold, damp and forebording, and a shudder passed over me. For a moment a sem-e of weakness, of (Var, of almost helpness, tool; possession of me; thenj 1 reasoned with mysHf, 1 was cired, unduely a pju-ehensive, the conditions of heat and long days in the saddle had overt a xed my nerves. I fell to watching the agile bodies of my Arabs on foot, as, tiring of the pace they dropped back, until just in front; of me Mohammed in particular; how the lights and shadows played over his great, powerful, animal-like form, how subtly his sholder and calf mus cles moved under the sleek dark skin; how they fascinated me! Willing through the long journey they had served me, save at Khoms, 1 started, my dreaming suddenly ended, and al most involuntarily my spurs ca used by horse to start ahead. The two mea had so imperceptibly lessened their pace that now they had dropped just back of me, one on either side of my horse, and in Mohammed's hand was a long Arab knife so I ordered Muraiche to tell the men to keep along side of the donkey. Down the other side of the moonlit valley I paw a caravan coming towards us heading for Khoms. Taking a small note-bonk from my pocket, 1 wrote "Should any accident occur to me, thoroughly investigate, my men, including the guard.' and signed it. Tearing the leaf from the book and! folding I watched the great lumbering, camels approach us, and dropped a little farther behind, intending to give it to the head man of the caravan for him to bear to the Pasha at Khoms. Then J decided that under the cir cumstances there was not sufficient evidence to thus predjudice the Turk ish authorities against my men, so I chewed it up and spat it into a patch of sand-lilies. From the distance came the faint report of gun. Kvery one of my men beard it, I knew, but no comment was made, and we pushed deeper into the mountains. On our left, looking to ward the moon, objects were indis tinct in tho half -tone and shadow, while seen from there we appeared in full moonlight. Now and again I sensed moving shadows from that dt reetion, but it was some time before was sure that they were living forms following us, perhaps hyenas, jnckaU, or some sly chotah. As we made sharp tutrns nt times in W H.BJLIUULH H H B-IUUIOJIJUI" (Continued 'in pase 21.) rif r " i i 'i ui i i liana' 730 Main Street Phone 484 Lowest Prices in six years f STORAGE BATTERI ES Highest Quality Tvith a REAL GUARANTEE good at USL Service Stations everywhere and hacked by an $8,500,000 Corpor ation, rated AAA-1, with twenty-two years battery building experience. Standard USL Batteries $22.00 for Ford Overland Chevrolet, etc. for Buick, Reo Studebaker Hudson, Chalmers, etc. for Dodge Franklin MaxweIl.1915-19, etc. $25.00 $31.75 Pricci net in exchange for i. bctte:y. P. S. tnr can't do. better than USL with its time proven quail guarantee. But you might ask us ai Batteries. We build them in our USL Machine Pasted Plates an these attractive exchange prices: for Ford 18.40 for Buick $22.00 iv a Standard And factory - our Special shop from uer them at for Dodge $26.90 BROWN & SANBLOM E. Court and Thompson We inspect, repair and recharge all makes ofbattertt drive in today '2 only one thinn. and that in a just andjK strong ham!, which tiny must feel in!)? urder to appreciate. Omsetim nlly my couisn was plain. 'Till the tuuirdj , ui man ine r.iravan, ana mai u ne tfoM with me, lie kocs us one of wy men. As we sot under way, the I uuard rode slowly ahead, meanwhile ' taking sidelong plances at nie. out of t he corners or his vulanious pray , prpen eyes, filled with all the h.itn d of the Mo.slnn for the Christian. I realized th.it never in my life had lh assets and liabilities of my status quo received such careful audit ins. When the reat red lantern of the sun disk had sunk beneath the eaith i line, from without the deep myster ious valleys crept the Wne-vioiet mii't film t of t w ilicht shadow s, absorbing and leaveninc intr their dark denes the brighter crimson ai'terulow. acainst which moved the dark .shapes of horse and men. Suddenly they bunch d t to -mt and t be nuird dismount d. tin n Mohamtmd and AH went on with the paek-donk. . 'The guards s.iddle-inh brok t ii," Mm. tu be inform d nie. tpt ui1 w ill f t it .i iil on can i id- on i v ! ." "I mil wait." 1 replied, tin hand to ft nciirU rstinc -n one of my ids t"N. "Cut ou ride on M oriache." Th ciith wa S'-on "f. d.' whi h csn-oii'it in a a in ! foit to hit h it ; tno'h. r hole. Snh ji r .ind more rsicttd jcirw th trail and e entered the ranne of the harian. At davhcht dimmed, an un- cciuXontbJ tUiaucM iiuci over the. We Recommend idarilicaui because ve know it will give you lasting satisfaction We sell Lowe Brothers Paint because quality is our hobby and this paint has the quality that exactly fits our idea of high standard merchandise. If you are planning to paint, let us tell you about - High Standard the investment paint. CONTRACT AND JOB WORK OF ALL KINDS L. J. McAtee THE PRACTICAL FAINT MAX ."!." Main Street, Tcndleton. Telephone 15S M a a a a EM IwMpJ la la a a a m a ca Ea fa f v
