were soon lost in one raw mass of bleeding flesh. As the arm of one
wearied, another took his place, and a bucket of cold water was thrown
over the victim's legs. At first her face had been ashy pale, it was
now livid from the blood descending to it, as her legs grew white all
but the soles, which were already turning purple under the cruel lash.
Then merciful unconsciousness stepped in, and silence supervened.

"That will do," said the governor, having counted eighty-nine. "Take
her away; she'll know better next time!" and he proceeded with the
cases before him, fining this one, imprisoning that, and bastinadoing
a third, with as little concern as an English registrar would sign an
order to pay a guinea fine. Indeed, why should he do otherwise. This
was his regular morning's work. It was a month before Mesaodah could
touch the ground with her feet, and more than three before she could
totter along with two sticks. Her children were kept alive by her
neighbours till she could sit up and "stitch, stitch, stitch," but
there was no one to hear her bitter complaint, and no one to dry her
tears.

One day his faithful henchman dragged before the kaid a Jewish broker,
whose crime of having bid against that functionary on the market, when
purchasing supplies for his master, had to be expiated by a fine of
twenty dollars, or a hundred lashes. The misguided wretch chose the
latter, loving his coins too well; but after the first half-dozen had
descended on his naked soles, he cried for mercy and agreed to pay.

[Illustration: _Photograph by Dr. Rudduck._

JEWESSES OF THE ATLAS.]

Another day it was a more wealthy member of the community who was
summoned on a serious charge. The kaid produced a letter addressed
to the prisoner, which he said had been intercepted, couched in the
woefully corrupted Arabic of the Moorish Jews, but in the cursive
Hebrew character.

"Canst read, O Moses?" asked the kaid, in a surly tone.

"Certainly, yes, my Lord, may God protect thee, when the writing is in
the sacred script."

"Read that aloud, then," handing him the missive.

Moses commenced by rapidly glancing his eye down the page, and as he
did so his face grew pale, his hand shook, and he muttered something
in the Hebrew tongue as the kaid sharply ordered him to proceed.

"My Lord, yes, my Lord; it is false, it is a fraud," he stammered.

"The Devil take thee, thou son of a dog; read what is set before thee,
and let us have none of