284 GENTLE JUSTICE 



truth, rarely rode ; but he could ride and did know a good 

 horse. 



One day the caliph asked me to sit beside him while 

 he held court. I did so, and was witness to a number of 

 Oriental scenes of strongly dramatic interest. The usual 

 litigants were at odds about land or money matters, but 

 the decision of the caliph, after a hearing, generally 

 about a half-hour long, seemed to be readily accepted — as 

 of course it had to be. The quiet, earnest attention and 

 final summing up of the caliph were in strilving con- 

 trast to the voluble fervor of the applicants , I could 

 see whence came his very great influence. 



One case was that of a father, whom his son, some 

 seventeen or eighteen years old, obstinately refused to 

 obey. The father besought the caliph to compel his son 

 to do his bidding, the son complained of his father's treat- 

 ment. The father opened his case with apparent violence 

 (Oriental fury, however, often goes for naught), and the son 

 was equally angry, but sullen withal. The caliph had the 

 right to punish the son in any way, by imprisonment in 

 chains or stripes ; but after listening attentively to all each 

 had to say, he held up his hand to end the evidence, and 

 everything in the room at once was still. His face was a 

 beautiful picture. He began in a low, sweet, but rapid 

 voice — all Orientals speak rapidly — dwelling on some of 

 the long vowels in a musical tone as delicious as Salvini's 

 Italian, and with an utterance which ran from a deep, 

 rich base to tlie higli soprano, A^et perfectly natural withal. 

 The son, I was told, had been extremely guilty, according 

 to Tunisian notions; but the caliph sought other means 

 than severity to accomplish his end. His words were 

 addressed alternately to father and son, and the effect 

 on each as he proceeded was marked. He s})oke with 

 evident authority. ;nid yet with a persuasive tone, wliich 



