Along this route he had friends who were
glad to entertain them at night, and give them mules or horses, and
besides, it was an advantage that the way should be unfrequented by
Europeans. He cheered her by describing the interest of the journey
when, by and by, she would ride a mehari, sitting in a bassour, made of
branches heated and bent into shape like a great cage, lined and draped
with soft haoulis of beautiful colours, and comfortably cushioned. It
would not be long now before they should come to the douar of his father
the Agha, beyond El Aghouat. She would have a wonderful experience
there; and according to Maieddine, all the rest of the journey would be
an enchantment. Never for a moment would he let her tire. Oh, he would
promise that she should be half sorry when the last day came! As for
Lella M'Barka, the Rose of the West need not fear, for the bassour was
easy as a cradle to a woman of the desert; and M'Barka, rightfully a
princess of Touggourt, was desert-born and bred.
Queer little patches of growing grain, or miniature orchards enlivened
the dull plain round the ugly Saharian town of Djelfa, headquarters of
the Ouled Nails. The place looked unprepossessingly new and French, and
obtrusively military; dismal, too, in the dusty sand which a wailing
wind blew through the streets; but scarcely a Frenchman was to be seen,
except the soldiers. Many Arabs worked with surprising briskness at the
loading or unloading of great carts, men of the Ouled Nails, with eyes
more mysterious than the eyes of veiled women; tall fellows wearing high
shoes of soft, pale brown leather made for walking long distances in
heavy sand; and Maieddine said that there was great traffic and commerce
between Djelfa and the M'Zab country, where she and he and M'Barka would
arrive presently, after passing his father's douar.
Pages:
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310