THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
then pitching them into the air 
and catching them again. Arriv- 
ing immediately in front of us, 
they discharged their guns and 
reined in their steeds so suddenly 
that the horses fairly slid over 
the ground on their haunches in 
their efforts to check their mad 
career. They would then return 
in a sedate walk to the starting 
point and repeat the “play.” We 
remained two nights at Alcazar 
in order to have some necessary 
repairs to our outfit made. 
After leaving this rather un- 
important town, the country be- 
came wild and hilly and quite 
unsafe. The guards, from six 
to ten in number, whom the kaid 
of each village or town had been 
compelled to place about our 
camp and who had seemed so 
useless, were from now on ap- 
preciated, 
The second night ace leaving 
Alcazar our camp was thrown 
into a state of turmoil. We were 
preparing to retire for the night 
when the evening stillness was 
rudely broken by most unearthly 
yells and sounds of blows close 
* at hand. Thinking that at last 
Photo by George E. Holt 
VARIED TYPES: MOROCCO 
of chicken buried in a great heap of bar- 
ley meal, raisins, and spices and cooked 
by steaming. 
HONORING A GUEST,—THE POWDER PLAY 
Here also was instituted a “powder 
play” in our honor. A number of Moors 
in flowing garments and mounted on 
handsome horses formed in line at some 
distance from our camp. Placing the 
reins about their own necks in order to 
have their hands free to handle their long 
guns, they started toward our tents in a 
slow canter. After going some fifty 
yards, at a given signal they dashed for- 
ward at full speed, twirling their guns 
about their bodies and over their heads, 
the bandits were upon us, we 
snatched up our revolvers, but 
before the tents could be un- 
buttoned the sounds began to die 
away in the distance. 
Tragedy was turned into comedy. It 
seemed that the chief of our village 
guards of that night on making his round. 
had found one of his men lying on his 
face asleep. Seizing the convenient op- 
portunity for chastisement, he “lit in” 
with a club and landed several well-di- 
rected blows before the luckless son of 
Morocco, emitting lusty howls of pain, 
could get to his feet and seek his more 
inviting home. 
We were beginning to feel that the 
stories about the lawless condition of the 
country had been grossly exaggerated, 
when upon the night following the one 
just mentioned we heard distant shoot- 
