Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

see Tat y 4 ey ‘OTE eT ’ ' . ’ 7 , i Pe * ot nee Th b SANS ie sit ”) “Ut . te Res >. a “ ’ ’ . oe | ee “* Re ae We aa i = _ -there was more life in evidence. 24 point of view was not so puzzling as Cohen’s; _-he was like a knife that goes straight to the heart of things, as unconscious of resistance as a blade that is fine enough to slip between what heavier tools must press against and a break. Making our way poniteeinilie southward, we threaded the quarter of the glass-blowers and the quarter of the water-skin makers, past endless shuttered stalls where -lamp- light filtered dimly through the cracks in _ proof that the city was not asleep. There was very little sound, but an at- mosphere of tense expectancy. A few men were abroad, but they avoided us, slinking into shadows; for it is not wise to be re- cognized before the looting starts, lest an enemy denounce you afterwards. The wise—and all Hebron prides itself on wisdom in affairs of lawlessness—were doors, waiting. You felt as if the city ‘held its breath. When we drew near the Haram at last It began with the street dogs that always leave their __ miserable offal-hunting to slink and be curi- ps fot! Twi " ied | rH nS 4/) OR 5 Loe Ve.” j ae J DS Ee y" ty at ham SOA bil : " ie bi r Pay i ire Ri yD Ly La eT of sik . eS a eal le hy « M we ‘ ( LY a.*) a) AES ) & he oS ~ ’ - ous around the circle of men’s doings. We had to kick them out of the way and were well saluted for our pains so that our arrival __ on the scene was hardly surreptitious. Over the south entrance of the Haram a great iron lantern burned, and we could see the wall beyond it, of enormous, drafted, smooth-hewn blocks as old as history. Men were leaning against it and standing in groups, some of them holding lanterns and every one armed. The men of Hebron, who ‘pride themselves on fierceness, are at pains to look fierce when violence is cooking and _ the Arab costume lends itself tothat. I think - Cohen shuddered and I know I did. Grim So eS eae oe ded straight on, as if he owed no explanation to the guardians of the place and did not expect to be called upon to give any. But they stopped us at the entrance, an arch no wider than to admit two men abreast, and, because Grim was leading, hands that were neither too respectful nor overgentle thrust him back, and fierce, ex- cited faces were thrust close to his. “‘Allah! Where are you coming? Who are your” “Heaven preserve you, brothers! Ma- hommed Hadad and two friends,” Grim answered. ~“What do you want?” “To see the fire-gift.” o> S = veg - *2 . at = SS a ee gs. Adventure — ~ “Whence do you come?” ; “From Beersheba, where all men tell of the great happenings in El-Kalil.” “Ye come to spy on us!” “Allah forbid!” ‘ “Then to steal! Beersheba is a rain- washed bone; ye come'to help loot El-Kalil and afterwards leave us to bear the blame. for it!” In “Shu halalk?* We be honest men. the name of the Merciful, my brothers, we seek admittance.” “Are there Jews with you?” ‘That is a strange jest! Who would ae a Jew to this place?” ‘“‘Nevertheless, let us see the others.” There were long, keen knives in - their girdles. As Cohen and I raised our facés to be looked at we offered our throats temptingly and the goose-flesh rose all down my arms and thighs. Only a Jew can guess what Cohen felt; but a Jew looks exactly like an Arab when his face is framed in the kafiyi. Neither of us spoke. I stepped forward after Grim, trying to look as if I knew my rights in the matter, and Cohen followed me. In another second we were past the guard and mounting steps up which sudden death is the penalty for trespass. CHAPTER V “The mummery they call the fire-gift.” HAT with darkness and the crowd and the fact that every one was busy with his own excitement we were safe enough until we reached the mosque door. - The Haram is a big place with all manner of buildings opening off it—dwellings for dervishes for instance, a place for people known as saints and a home for the guardi- ans, who live separate from the saints and - are said to have a different sort of morals altogether. The court was packed with men among whom we had to thread our way, and the steps leading up to the mosque were like a grandstand at a horse-race with barely foot-room left for ong ign at a time up the middle. ' Directness seemed to be Grim’s key. That as a fact is oftenest the one safe means of doing the forbidden thing. Your defer- ent, too cautious man is stopped and ques- tioned, while the impudent fellow gets by and is gone before suspicion lights on him. _*What talk is this? - a =) a boo = “e< ~" _— « _— - — . a ,} at Ce — a 7: ned = . = 7. ee _— = ee . Sj i> 2 ex ee A