Page:Ossendowski - The Fire of Desert Folk.djvu/137

Rh his fellow-prisoners, who were burned with him, collected together in baskets and sent to the mountaineers of the Ghomara to apprize them of the fate of those who opposed the sultan's will.

"It was here also that the books and messenger of the false prophet, Ben Sliman, were afterwards burned. Once a year the sultan came to Bab el-Maroukh and judged criminals, who had spent all the months since their capture weighted in irons, looking forward to this annual court of the ruler. When the criminals sentenced to death mounted to the number of one hundred, the ninety-ninth had, according to established custom, the right to ask for the hand of the sultan's daughter. But it was necessary, if he would hope to succeed in his suit, that he should possess some special merit beyond the mere caprice of Chance. He must be either very rich, very strong, fleet of foot, clever at arms or well versed in the songs and stories of a bard. If such a condemned one, on being presented to the ruler's daughter, were accepted, he was saved; but if, in spite of his unusual qualities, he were refused, the sultan pronounced upon him the fatal sentence: 'You are blessed with neither good fortune nor happiness but with only the vermin of a criminal and you shall perish.'

"Through this gate the Andalusian Moors, who formed a large portion of the inhabitants of Fez, brought back their Christian slaves, or Nasara, as they were called. Some were dragged this long distance only to be beheaded for the glory of the sultan, while others became khadem, or slaves sold at auction. The women among these, once they had been bought by a Moor or an Arab