Sherif

“ Wazira is our rogue, rich in all the perfections of African cunning. A prayerless Sherif, he utterly despises all Makafiri or infidels; he has a hot temper, and when provoked he roars like a wild beast. ”

“ The prophet also, according to another tradition, said, "As long as there remains one man of the Koreysh, so long shall that man be my successor;" and as to the Arab race, "If the Arab race falls Islam shall fall." All the world knows these things, and to the popular mind, especially, the [Pg 119] Sherif is already far more truly the representative of spiritual rank than any Sultan or Caliph is.
The vast populations of Southern and Eastern Asia send out their pilgrims, not to Constantinople but to Mecca, and it is the Sherif whom they find there supreme. ”

“ Some Moros believe also that the sherif can by his mere will send a sickness on whom he pleases. All is for the purpose of terrifying them and so that the sherif can get whatever he wishes from them. Whenever I have opposed this error, I have asked them why, if the sherif had this power, he did not send diseases upon the Christian village, since he is hostile to the Christians, but they do not reply to the question, but remain in their obstinacy. ”

“ It was his intention to visit the shrine of the prophet at Mecca, across the Red Sea, and after exploring the wonders of Luxor, Carnac, and ancient Thebes, go up the Nile, past Cairo, to Alexandria.
It was just the kind of pilgrimage to suit Ibrahim, and his heart beat so fast with expectancy that his uncle feared he might bring on a nervous fever. When Mecca was reached Sherif was so full of religious fervor that he began to see visions and dream dreams, much to the annoyance and yet amusement of Ibrahim. ”

“ Sherif Ali's emissaries had been seen in the market-place the day before, strutting about haughtily in white cloaks, and boasting of the Rajah's friendship for their master. One of them stood forward in the shade of a tree, and, leaning on the long barrel of a rifle, exhorted the people to prayer and repentance, advising them to kill all the strangers in their midst, some of whom, he said, were infidels and others even worse--children of Satan in the guise of Moslems. ”

“ After two days rest the caravan resumed its journey, Klatch and the entire tribe pleading hard to go with Sherif.
When the caravan rested after the next day’s journey, Sherif found the chief’s daughter sleeping by his tent. She had followed in the distance and under cover of the night reached the pasha’s tent.
Sherif ordered her back, but she refused to return, and he threatened to use force to compel her.
She explained that according to the custom of her people she would be killed.
If a girl was sold to a man, and he repented of his bargain, the girl must die. ”

“ The district of Medina is occupied by the Harb Bedouins, a larger and more powerful tribe than the Koreysh, who also recognize the Sherif, but their allegiance is precarious; while to the east and south of Mecca the Ateybeh and Assir, more powerful still, are wholly independent. It has always been a difficult matter to keep these unruly elements at peace with each other and with the citizens, nor could the Sherif hope to effect it were he not himself of Bedouin and noble blood. ”

“ Max and Girzilla, still unconscious, were on the same camel, being fastened to basket paniers, one on either side of the animal.
As the caravan moved across the sandy plain we will take the opportunity of more fully introducing the party to our readers.
Sherif el Habib was a Persian. In Khorassan he was known as the most prosperous shawl manufacturer of all Persia.
He gave employment to over a hundred men, and Sherif el Habib’s Persian shawls had been worn by the empresses and queens of the world. ”

“ The Mongol commander at Shiraz and Uns Kahtun’s chief minister took proper measures and marched against this descendant of Mohammed. They met near Guvar. Many thought that the “Madhi” was assisted by spirits, and that whoso attacked him would be paralyzed. For some time no man in the army of Shiraz would raise a hand against Sherif. At last two warriors ventured to discharge arrows at him, others followed this example. The Mongols then charged the insurgents, who fled; Sherif was killed in the mêlée with most of his followers. ”

“ A Sheykh, on the other hand, being first amongst equals, bears himself towards his followers with a dignity and charm commingled out of paternal pride and childlike modesty, nor does such an one consider his position to be threatened because his tribesmen never cringe. They, too, are freeborn men and carry their heads high even in the presence of the Sheríf of Mecca, who holds his race too dear to exact an obsequious homage. ”

“ The silver bands she wore round her arms and ankles betokened rank, but might not her father be a bandit, and bedecked his child with them?
Girzilla was well educated, but even that was an objection to Max’s mind, for he could not help thinking that, perhaps, she was educated to serve as a decoy for the robber band.
Sherif el Habib was surprised at the young American’s silence.
“If thou wouldst marry her yourself——”
“I, an American, marry an Arab?”
“My dear fellow,” said Sherif el Habib, earnestly, “you of all men oughtn’t to think her race an objection.” ”

“ There is no sherif, from the chief down to the poorest among them, who has not been brought up among the Bedouins; and many of them are also married to Bedouin girls. The sons of the reigning Sherif family were usually educated among the tribe of Adouan, celebrated for the prowess and hospitality of its members; but it has been so much reduced by the intestine wars of the Sherifs, in which they always took part, and by the late invasion of Mohammed Aly, that they found it expedient to abandon the territory of the Hedjaz, and seek refuge in the encampments of the tribes of the Eastern plain. ”

“ This individual, it will be remembered, had been sent by Ali Bey Sherif to settle the Madibbo-Egeil differences, and having found on my return to Darfur that he had acted unjustly, I had discharged him; but he had subsequently told me that he had been ordered by Ali Bey Sherif to collect a considerable sum of money for him, and that, therefore, he could not act otherwise. I pardoned and reinstated him; moreover, most of the Shaigia horsemen in El Fasher were his relatives, and he was the only man who appeared to be able to exercise any degree of authority over them. ”

“ Max asserted himself so strongly in favor of Girzilla that Ibrahim refrained from approaching her, not because he had conquered the passion he felt for her, but entirely out of respect for the madcap.
Sherif el Habib treated Max as a guest, and when he told him that he was on a pilgrimage to find the promised mahdi, Max so thoroughly threw himself into the [69] work that the Persian devotee believed more than ever in fate. ”

“ But if I were young I would find a way to solve the mystery.”
“May we try it?”
“Yes; and may Allah and the Prophet guide you.”
“But what says Girzilla?” asked Max.
“She is willing,” responded Sherif, solemnly.
CHAPTER XIII.
DANGEROUS JESTS.
Sherif el Habib, having chosen a camping ground in the oasis, and being supplied with provisions enough for several months, agreed to wait for the return of the young explorers.
No sooner were Max and Ibrahim away from the camp than they felt like boys. ”

“ I know not, but a young and beautiful girl hath fainted, and with her——”
“Who is she?” asked Ibrahim. “Lead me to her!”
“Nay, nephew, it is not fit that thou——”
“Go along, uncle; when I am your age I shall do as you do. Go along, I care not for all the girls of Egypt.”
Sherif el Habib had not heard all the boy’s speech, for he had hurried away with Effendi.
The eunuch led him across the sands to the place where Madcap Max had fallen, and over him the girl, Girzilla. ”

“ Berbers in striped brown rags, and wrapped in the curious mantle, called an “achnif” in Shillah, made of black wool with fringes and an orange-coloured eye, about two feet in length, woven into the back, abounded; through them I shoved my horse, not even looking down when the poor fellows lifted my cloak and kissed the hem, and, passing through majestically, I heard some mutter, “That Sherif is very proud for one so thin,” fat being amongst Moors a sign of wealth, as it was evidently amongst the Jews, if we are to take the testimony of the Old Testament as worthy of belief. ”

“ Their behaviour in the town was wild and disorderly; the orders of the chief Sherif were disregarded; every one made use of his personal authority to increase his wealth; family quarrels frequently occurred; and, in the time of the Hadj, they often waylaid small parties of pilgrims in their route from Medina or Djidda to Mekka, plundering those who made no defence, and killing those who resisted. ”

“ The Navy under Sir Rosslyn had been of the greatest assistance to the Sherif, giving him guns, machine-guns, landing parties and every other sort of help; whereas the British Army in Egypt was doing nothing for the Revolt. Practically no military help came except from the native Egyptian Army, the only troops at the disposal of the British High Commissioner. Lawrence crossed over with the Admiral and at Port Sudan met two English officers of the Egyptian army on their way to command the Egyptian troops which were with the Sherif, and to help train the regular forces now being formed at Rabegh. ”

“ A few days after our arrival, Father Bonomi was brought from Rahad to El Obeid in chains, and he and I were given a small hut in the midst of his slaves' quarters, where it was thought we would be in safe custody.
Sherif Mahmud was a small thin man about fifty years of age, full of wiry strength and with evil, malignant-looking eyes. He had formerly been a slave-dealer in Dar Fertit and had then joined Zubeir Pasha's army. Even at Abba he was one of the Mahdi's most fanatical adherents. ”

“ Senaar resisted for several hours, but the flag of the Mahdi floats over its fortress. The day is ours.
“Ibrahim.”
Sherif el Habib handed his document to the Mahdi.
“Dear uncle, we have fought and won,” ran the letter. “I was wounded in the right foot and lost two toes, but that was better than my life. The people were all with us, but the soldiers fought bravely. It was a tough battle. The commander gave me his sword, which I will send to the Mahdi when I hear from him. How is Girzilla? Give her my love. Is Max the Madcap alive? Of course he is. Tell him not to play any pranks in Kordofan. ”

“ They were hung with cartridge-bandoliers, several apiece, and fired off their rifles for fun at every excuse. They were in great spirits and would have liked the war to last another ten years. The Sherif was feeding them and their families and paying two [109] pounds a month for every man and four pounds extra for the use of his camel.
There were eight thousand men with Feisal, of whom eight hundred were camel-fighters: the rest were hill men. They served only under their own tribal sheikhs and only near their own territory, arranging for their own food and transport. ”

“ Each sheikh had a company of about a hundred men. When larger forces were used they were commanded by a Sherif, that is, a member of the Prophet’s family, whose dignity raised him above tribal jealousies. Blood feuds between clans were supposed to be healed by the fact of the national war and were at least suspended. The Billi, Juheina, Ateiba and other tribes were serving together in friendship for the first time in the history of Arabia. Nevertheless, members of one tribe were shy of those of another and even within a tribe no man quite trusted his neighbour ”

“ Every morning at sunrise the bugle sounded, and the soldiers and followers of the new prophet were drilled for an hour.
At ten o’clock they were again mustered and drilled in the manual of arms.
Sherif el Habib was given the command of a division, and he appointed Ibrahim as his chief of staff, while Max [169] occupied the same post of responsibility under Mohammed.
Each knew that at any moment they might have to fight, and our young heroes were eager for the fray.
Truth to tell, Max was a soldier born. ”

“ The Sherif had had the sense too, in spite of his great piety as a Mohammedan, to keep religion out of the war. Though one of his chief personal reasons for declaring war was that the young Turks were irreligious, he realized that this would be an insufficient reason for the tribes. They knew that their own allies the British were Christians. ‘Christian fights Christian, why not Mohammedan Mohammedan? We want a Government which speaks our own language and will let us live in peace. ”

“ Though such customs might have a tendency to crush the power of the reigning Sherif, they were attended with bad consequences to the community: every individual was obliged to attach himself to one or other of the parties, and to some protector, who treated his adherents with the same tyranny and injustice that he experienced from his superior ”

“ Nothing reminds one that within half a mile a town, in which three thousand people live, is near, except the footpaths which zigzag in and out, crossing the fields, emerging out of woods, and intersecting one another, as the rails seem to do at Clapham Junction. A fusillade tells that a Sherif from the Sus has just arrived; all Amsmiz sally forth to meet him mounted upon their best, charging right up to the Sherif, and firing close to his horse—wheeling and yelling like Comanches—making a picture p. ”