gaged elsewhere. When
its turn comes it holds out for terms, since it has no hope of
successfully confronting such an overwhelming force as is sooner
or later brought against it. The usual custom is to send small
detachments of soldiers to the support of the over-grasping
functionaries, and when they have been worsted, to send down an
army to "eat up" the province, burning villages, deporting cattle,
ill-treating the women, and often carrying home children as slaves.
The men of the district probably flee and leave their homes to be
ransacked. They content themselves with hiding behind crags which seem
to the plainsmen inaccessible, whence they can in safety harass the
troops on the march. After more or less protracted skirmishing, the
country having been devastated by the troops, who care only for the
booty, women will be sent into the camp to make terms, or one of the
shareefs or religious nobles who accompany the army is sent out to
treat with the rebels. The terms are usually hard--so much arrears
of tribute in cash and kind, so much as a fine for expenses, so many
hostages. Then hostages and prisoners are driven to the capital in
chains, and pickled heads are exposed on the gateways, imperial
letters being read in the chief mosques throughout the country,
telling of a glorious victory, and calling for rejoicings. To any
other people the short spell of freedom would have been too dearly
bought for the experiment to be repeated, but as soon as they begin to
chafe again beneath the lawless rule of Moorish officials, the Berbers
rebel once more. It has been going on thus for hundreds of years, and
will continue till put an end to by France.

In Morocco each official preys upon the one below him, and on all
others within his reach, till the poor oppressed and helpless villager
lives in terror of them all, not daring to display signs of prosperity
for fear of tempting plunder. Merit is no key to positions of trust
and authority, and few have such sufficient salary attached to render
them attractive to honest men. The holders are expected in most cases
to make a living out of the pickings, and are allowed an unquestioned
run of office till they are presumed to have amassed enough to make it
worth while treating them as they have treated others, when they are
called to account and relentlessly "squeezed." The only means of
staving off the fatal day is by frequent presents to those above them,
wrung from those below. A larg