The son of the Sultan killed eight rebels and thirty-five horses,
but many of his soldiers fell. He retreated to Morocco.
VII
Information about the country of Taragoust: This is a unique district
situated near the source of the Ourd-Sous. It is distant from Taroundant
about a day and a half's march. When a young man becomes of age his father
buys him a gun and a sabre. The market is in the middle of the country. But
no man goes there without his weapons. The sheiks judge each one in the
market for four months in the year in turn and during their period of
office. They decided who was guilty and demanded price of blood for those
killed in the market. One of them said:
"I will give nothing. Find the murderer. He will give you the price of
blood."
The sheik replied: "Pay attention. Give us part of your goods."
"I will give you nothing," he answered.
In this way they quarrelled, until they began fighting with guns. Each
tried to steal the other's horses and oxen in the night and kill the owner.
They kept acting this way toward each other until Ben-Nacer came to examine
the villages where so many crimes were committed, and he reestablished
peace and order.
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