h I decided to film
him. Reaching there, I did so.

I then saw, going in opposite directions, two more scouts, each
proceeding to crawl slowly in the same fashion as the first.

"This film certainly will be unique," I thought. Who could imagine that
within half an hour's ride of this whirling sand, with full-blooded
Arabs moving about upon it, the soldiers of Belgium are fighting in two
feet of mud and water, and have been doing so for months past. No one
would think so to look at it.

A rattle of musketry on my right served as a hint that there were other
scenes to be secured. Making my way in the direction of the sound, I
came upon a body of Goumiers engaged in sniping at the Germans. I filmed
them, and was just moving away when the interpreter of the company
stopped and questioned me. I told him of my previous conversation with
the Captain, which satisfied him.

"Well," he said, "you are just in time to catch a troop going off on a
scouting expedition," and he led the way to a large dune looking down on
the sea, and there just moving off was the troop.

What a magnificent picture they made, sitting on their horses. They
seemed to be part of them. Veritable black statues they looked, and
their movements were like a finely tensioned spring. Hastily filming the
troop, I hurried across and succeeded in obtaining some scenes of
another detachment proceeding further on the flank, and as they wound in
and out up the sand-hills, I managed to get into a splendid point of
vantage, and filmed them coming towards me. Their wild savage huzzas, as
they passed, were thrilling in the extreme. Looking round, I perceived a
curious-looking group a short distance away, going through what appeared
to be some devotional ceremony.

Hastening down the hill, I crossed to the group, which turned out to be
under the command of the Chief of the Goumiers himself, who was going
through a short ceremony with some scouts, previous to their meeting the
Germans. It was quite impressive. Forming the four men up in line, the
Chief gave each of them instructions, waving signs and symbols over
their heads and bodies, then with a chant sent them on their journey.
The actual obeisance was too sacred in itself to film. I was told by the
interpreter afterwards that he was glad I did not do so, as they would
have been very wrath?

A few words about the customs of the Goumiers may not be out of place.
These men are the aristocracy of the Algerian Arabs