large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_13
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
He lived in a little tent near the mosque, where I found him squatting on the floor, nodding drowsily over his comfortable paunch. As he was an officer of the old régime, I entered boldly, squatted beside him and told him my troubles. The answer came with an enormous shrug of the shoulders. HE LIVED IN A LITTLE TENT NEAR THE MOSQUE WHERE I FOUND HIM SQUATTING ON THE FLOOR NODDING DROWSILY OVER HIS COMFORTABLE PAUNCH AS HE WAS AN OFFICER OF THE OLD REGIME I ENTERED BOLDLY SQUATTED BESIDE HIM AND TOLD HIM MY TROUBLES THE ANSWER CAME WITH AN ENORMOUS SHRUG OF THE SHOULDERS
the full-throated response of all the others. The chorus was tremendously effective. Sometimes the singer would indulge in pointed personalities, with answering roars of laughter. These dances lasted for hours, and as they progressed the men gradually worked themselves up into a frenzy. I never failed to wonder at these people, who, without the aid of alcohol, could reproduce the various stages of intoxication. As I lay by and watched the moon riding serenely above these frantic men and their twisting black shadows, I reflected that they were just in the condition when one word from a holy man would suffice to send them off to wholesale murder and rapine. It was my good fortune soon to be released from the noise and dirt of the mosque. I had had experience with corruptible Turkish officers; and one day, when barrack conditions became unendurable, I went to the officer commanding our division--an old Arab from Latakieh who had been called from retirement at the time of the mobilization.  WILL BE GRANTED CAME THE FULL THROATED RESPONSE OF ALL THE OTHERS THE CHORUS WAS TREMENDOUSLY EFFECTIVE SOMETIMES A SINGER WOULD INDULGE IN POINTED PERSONALITIES WITH ANSWERING ROARS OF LAUGHTER THESE DANCES LASTED FOR HOURS AND AS THEY PROGRESSED THE MEN GRADUALLY WORKED THEMSELVES UP INTO A FRENZY I NEVER FAILED TO WONDER AT THESE PEOPLE WHO WITHOUT THE AID OF ALCOHOL COULD REPRODUCE THE VARIOUS STAGES OF INTOXICATION AS I LAY BY AND WATCHED THE MOON RIDING SERENELY ABOVE THESE FRANTIC MEN AND THEIR TWISTING BLACK SHADOWS I REFLECTED THAT THEY WERE JUST IN THE CONDITION WHEN ONE WORD FROM A HOLY MAN WOULD SUFFICE TO SEND THEM OFF TO WHOLESALE MURDER AND RAPINE IT WAS MY GOOD FORTUNE SOON TO BE RELEASED FROM THE NOISE AND DIRT OF THE MOSQUE I HAD HAD EXPERIENCE WITH CORRUPTIBLE TURKISH OFFICERS AND ONE DAY WHEN BARRACK CONDITIONS BECAME UNENDURABLE I WENT TO THE THE OFFICER COMMANDING OUR DIVISION AN OLD ARAB FROM LATAKI WHO HAD BEEN CALLED FROM RETIREMENT AT THE TIME OF MOBILIZATION
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