Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 32: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

30 while we were entering the Mosque of _. Abraham. They went first to the Governor- - ~ a h” ; 4 fy ~ 7 . Bd ” Pee ate and it fortuned that de Crespigny ad- vised them to keep the camels until morn- ing for their better convenience in spread- ing the news. So they lost no time; and being Hebron men with an inborn under- standing of the city’s ways, they came straight to the Haram where “they felt sure in a time of excitement of finding the great- est possible number of men assembled in Pies place. - They gave their news to the crowd out- side and entered the mosque by the south door exactly at the moment when the Sheikh at the opposite end turned_into the center aisle with his mind made up to ascend the pulpit and tell -his story of . having seen a vision. So he waited until they had done un- -~ burdening themselves of tidings to the oe be - . * ; — pale ~ ful, and he likes his meal at that; swarm that closed around them. An Arab would rather have news to tell than a belly- so the two men made quite a ceremony of it, neither of them feeling inconvenienced or - disappointed by being the center of atten- tion. You could hear every word as they made the most of brief importance; and they.were not unconscious of the obligation ont owed to be accurate, since it was no small honor toyhave been selected to be witnesses of grave events. _ The story of a massacre by Jews is not — true. - started it by insulting Moslems. There has been fighting. The Jews A few ~ _ were killed. Many hundred of both sides ws pee. bet ae a _ officer to show us all we-cared Moslem holy places are intact 4nd guarded - have been wounded. But the troops are -now in control. There are barriers across _the streets. The city gates are shut. We saw the administrator and he assigned an o see. The by British troops. “We asked the administrator whether troops would be sent to Hebron and he said no, there was no need; but we think that is because there are no troops that can be spared. He said there are plenty of troops, but we did not believe him; there are enough to hold the city* quiet but no more. It is our belief that there is no further danger of the Jews massacring Moslems in Jerusa- lem. Moreover, that administrator is a man to be reckoned ‘with, with whose wrath it is net wisdom to take chances.” *The Arabs call Jerusalem El-Kudz, meaning The City. Adventure - =? Grim began whispering to the Sheikh, who was stroking that sacerdotal beard of his in a conflict of emotions. It was a serious enough crisis in his affairs, for if he should give the wrong advice or make ° - the unacceptable statement at that moment it was likely his own influence would be gone forever, and possibly the salaried position with it. It was by Grim’s urging that he mounted the ancient pulpit— a marvel of a thing, made of Cedar of Lebanon for a Christian bishop in crusader _ times. We three squatted in darkness by the wall and watched him. I. thought Grim looked worried. The’ worst kind of fool on earth and the likeliest to make irreparable , blunders is the man who is thinking of his own position first, as that Sheikh was un--~- doubtedly.. He stood stroking his beard, sharp-eyed and hook-nosed as an eagle, peering this and that way into all the shadows until the crowd became aware of him and spread itself to squat down on the mats to listen to him. There is a peculiar democracy about the Moslem faith. Their whole law is religious, and they recognize no other legislation if they can help it. Once let him convince them that a given course is indicated in the Koran and any one can do almost as he likes with them. Any one can get a hearing; but they usually concede to their appointed officials the right to speak first, after which they are ready to argue endlessly, so that the first speaker does well to be primed with something solid that can stand the devas- tating discussion which is sure to follow. The Sheikh was an old hand at making an impression. down and grow intense before he spoke and then began acridly with an accusation. “Ye lsten to this and that man and the latest comer has your ear. dust and ye call that news. A camel coughs in the suk, and ye say a prophet speaks. The breath of your mouthings fills the air like bad smells from a dung-heap, and ye. call that wisdom. Ye pray, and to what end? That your vain imaginings may take form. Ye ask Allah, the all-wise, to change the universe to suit your foolishness, imagin- ing that fools are competent to give advice to the Creator. It is written that the fool shall rue his folly, and the headstrong man shall dread the day of reckoning!”’ He had their attention pretty thoroughly He let the silence settle | The wind brings © &. Gomicboo ° . JOOKS.€O " ;