| Show arab methods of warfare in his route to the equator gen gordon will have to fight many battles with the wild bedouin tribes of the tile soudan an all account of the arab methods of warfare will be interesting in this connection the arabs A whether pure bedouin bed or the barbarized barbari zed population of the larger towns arc are from national character physique ue and conditions of life admirably suited for arras arms and make under tinder discipline fine f ine soldiers As skirmishers and light cavalry they have probably no superiors s u in asia and as the auxiliaries aries of a regular force told off to harass communications and annoy the enemy generally by stamped stampeding in g convoys cutting ox stragglers en keeping encampments encamp ments in perpetual alarm and so forth they would woul d bo be absolutely ly without rivals seen in their native country a 1 singular monotony of fea feature ture strikes the visitor for in the desert as has been said expression of face knows few varieties sometimes there is a stupidly ferocious type but as a rule a fierce geff self sufficiency is is the prevails pre prevailing vaili ang one which in old age and b high agh position tuition tsi tion is replaced by a very striking ng dignity keeping the eye par t ticul arly closed when abroad partly as a defense against the driving sand and glare and partly also from tho the constant vigilance with which the cautious bedouin keeps scanning the horizon gives to the face a sinister cast which is accidental while the brownin frowning 9 due to the same calls causes seams the face with premature wrinkles but apart from this the true arab of the desert is exactly what ha he looks a fierce and hard livin living bandit their T air tribes have no dwarfs or idiots among them andon the other hanano men of extraordinary stature in height and weight they maintain a singularly close aver overage and as for a fat bedouin such a phenomenon is impossible arc are old men very common for the sword the first argument of th the 0 people of the desert is fatal to length of years and cuts short dispute and life together if it were not as with lions that in every community the fiercest and strongest obtain the predominance and exercise their authority with impartial ferocity Ye Te rocity and if the terrors hereditary blood feuds did not to some extent keep spears from froni throats threats and clans from internecine bloodshed tho the nation might long ago have dwindled into insignificance and instead of bringas bein gas they are now the strongest raca raco within their limits would have bee become ome the mere jackals jackala of solitary places their conceptions of valor are not in harmony with western id ideas aas far for the arab perched up in in the peaks thinks it honorable warfare to shoot down upon unsuspecting travelers tra velera he is welcomed as a hero when he is really only an assassin arab wars are a succession of skirmishes in which men will retreat after losing a dozen of their number the first charge as a rule secures a victory and the vanquished fly till covered bv the shades of night then come cries and taunts of women deep oaths wild poetry excitement and reprisals which will probably end in in the flight of the former victor when peace is is made both parties count up their dead and tho the usual blood money is paid for excess on either side generally however the feud endures till all becoming weary of it some great man as the sheriff of mecca alecca is called upon to settle the terms of a treaty which is nothing but an armistice after a few months peace a glance or a word will draw blood for these hates are old growths and new dissensions sen easily shoot up from them |
