MY QUEST OF THE ARAB HORSE 



are habituated to war and robbery. They 

 believe that to cultivate the soil is to sink 

 in the esteem of their fellow men, so they pre- 

 fer to be dignified, and die, if possible, on 

 horseback, or at their horse's feet on the field 

 of battle. They own immense flocks of sheep 

 that must produce fine wool as well as mutton, 

 as they are the "fat-tailed" variety. These, 

 with goats, and their camels, are their chief as- 

 sets except what they get by robbery. They 

 do not, as a rule, fight among themselves, but 

 they rob the Arabs who have settled down to 

 farming, or they war on other tribes, especial- 

 ly the Shammar, and its sub-tribes across the 

 Euphrates. They fight, in the main, with the 

 lance, but in recent years they have acquired 

 quantities of rifles, and it is estimated that the 

 Anezeh have several thousands of guns. 



As I have said before, the true Bedouin is 

 a gentleman. In natural politeness he is un- 

 equaled. He eats with his fingers and some 

 of his personal habits are not pleasant, but 

 his hospitality is unsurpassed and even if he 

 hates you he has the knack of making his hos- 

 pitality appear entirely genuine. You may 

 be his personal enemy, as well as his tribal 

 enemy, still, if you come and touch his tent 



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