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Show BEDOUINS AND THEIR HORSES Nomads of the Desert Ride the Most Beautiful Animals Ever Subjugated Sub-jugated by Man. Charlesi Doughty describes a meeting meet-ing with some Arab horsemen in the desert. These came near; they approached ap-proached his party and proved to be three long-haired Bedouins, wh bid them salaam (peace). Then he tells of how "a fourth shock-haired cyelops of the desert, whom the fleetness of their mares had outstripped, trotted in after them, uucouthly seated upon the rawbone, narrow withers of his dromedary, without saddle, without bridle, and only as a herdsman driving with his voice and the camel-stick. His fellows rode with naked legs and unshod un-shod upon their beautiful mures' bare backs, the halter in one hand, and the long balanced lance, wavering upon the shoulder, in the other. We should think them sprawling riders ; for a boast or warlike exercise, in the presence pres-ence of our armed company, they let us view how fairly they could ride a career and turn ; striking back heels, and seated low with pressed thighs, they parted at a hand gallop, made a tourney or two easily upon the plain; and now wheeling wide, they betook themselves down in the desert, every man bearing and handling his spears ns at point . . . ; so fetching a compass and we marching, they a little out of breath came gallantly again. Under the most ragged of these riders was a very perfect young and startling chestnut chest-nut mare so shapely there are few among them. Never combed by her rude master, but all shining, beautiful and gentle of herself, she seemed a durling life upon that savage soil not worthy of her gracious pasterns ; ;! strutting tail flowed down even to the ground, and the mane (orfa) was phed by the loving nurture of her mother nature." |