The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28

What was life? I had set too great a
store by 1t. The modern reverence for
life vas eating away The finest instincts
of mans nature. Life was not the most
sacred of our possessions. Duty. justice.
truth. these were higher things.
So he talked that 9ay and the next. I'M
ill from thoughts of the loss of the Las
car we had drifted far into wider and
more perilous speculations. The Ameri-
can he'd to his canon. War was often
better than peace, and open massacre
than corrupt tranquility. We wanted
some of the robust spirit OF the middle
ages in these our piping days The talk
turned on the persecution of the Jews in
Russia. The American defended 1t; a
stern people was purging itself of an alien
element which. like an interminate tape
worm. had been preying on its vitals.
The remedy was drastic but necessary:
life was lost, but also life was saved.
Then coming to closer quarters We
talked OF murder The American held 70
the doctrine of Sterue. 1t was a hard
case that the laws of the modern world
should not have made any manner of diff
ference between numbering an honest man
and only executing a scoundrel. These
things should always he rated ad yalorem
As for blood split In self -defense. it was
folly TO talk of it as crime. Even the
laws of my own effeminate land justi-
fled the man who struck down the arm
that was raised TO kill him; and the
mind that reckoned such act as an
offense was morbid and diseased.
Such opinions were repugnant to me,
and I tried To resist them. There was a
sanctity about human life which no man
should dare to outrage. God gave it,
and only God should take Ii away. As
for the government of the world. let 1t
be for better or for worse. 1t was In
Gods hands and God required the help of
no man.
My resistance was useless. The Ameri-
can held to his doctrine: it was good 70
take life in a good cause: and If it was
good for the nation Ii was good for the
individual man. The end was all.
I fenced these statements with all the
force I could command, and / knew not
how strongly my adversary had assailed
me. Now know too well that his opin-
ions sank deep into my soul Only too
we'll j know II now-now that
We arrived at Gibraltar the following
morning and going up on deck in the
empty void of air that follows on the
sudden stopping of a ships engines.
found the American. amid a group OF
swarthy Gibraltarians. bargaining for a
boat to take him to the mole. 1t turned
out that he was going to Morocco also,
and we hired the boat together
The morning was clear and cold; the
great broad rock looked like water and
starker and more like a gigantic oyster
shell than ever against the blue of the
sky There would be no steamer for Tan
gier until the following day. and we
were to put up at the Spanish hotel
called the Calpe.
Immediately on landing / made my way
TO the postoffice to dispatch a telegram
home announcing my ARRIVAL, and there
l found two letters. which having come
overland, arrived in advance of me. One
OF them was from Wenman, telling me
that he had called at Wimpole street the
morning after my departure and found
al well at my house; and also
enclosing resolution of thanks
and congratulations from my colleagues
Of the College of Surgeons in relation to
my recent labors. which Were said to be
memorable in the cause of humanity and
science"
The other letter was from my wife a.
sweet, affectionate little note. cheerful
Yet tender. written on her return from
Tflhury. limiting that the dear old house
looked Just trifie empty and as II some
how II missed something, but that our
boy was up and happy with a new toy
that | had left for him as a consolation
on his awakeninE-a great elephant that
worked its trunk and roared II have
just asked our darling" wrote my wife.
what message he would like to send
you. Tell papa he answers I'm all
right. and Jumho's all right. and is he
al right and will he come home VERY
quick and see him grunting'"
That night NJ the cape I had some fur
Their talk with the American Young as
ne was he had been great Eastern ,rav-
eler. Egypt. Arabia, Syria. the Holy Land
he Knew them ALL For his forthcoming
Sotour1 in Morocco ne had prepared him
aia
or travel In Barhary is voluminous but he
had gone through the best OF H. With
he faith NJ Islam he had long been fla
milnr and the corrupt and tyranuical
form OF government OF Mulai 81 nassan
and his kaids and kadis ne had an init
mate knowledge. He had even studied
tho language of the Moorish peoDIe-,he
Moroccan Arabic which is A dlaiec- ~
the language Of the koran-and so that
he might hold Intercourse with tho Som
hardic Jews also. vino people the Mel
labs OF Morocco he had mastered the
Spanish language as we'll
THIS extensive equipment sufficient 10
start a crusade or 10 make revolution
was meant 20 do more than rrnylde hin,
| with adventure. His intention was Ia seq
ihe country and its customs TO observe
'he manners of the people and the or5i-
nanceS % their religion Il shall get into
The palaces and the prisons Of she Kas
has, 70 said; yes. and the MOSQUES and
the SAINTS houses. and the harerns also ~
It Is possible % play eunuch or mid
wife
Little a. I knew then Of the Monrs ard
t6cir country, I foresaw he dangers -
such an enterprise. ana ] warned him
| against IL. You Viii get Yourself int
awkward corners" said l.
Yes he said, and shall get myself
out - them
remembered his doz-trina urorour,5.sl
on III" snip. and - a that he vas ma,
of resolution buG said 'fRen7erntar vo,,
are socG 20 the land OF this peenla fnr
amusement alone. II Is not necessity .ba.
thFpsts you upon their pre- isfdira thai~
superstition and their fanatscisr,.
True he SAID. but If get int .ro,,-
HE among them II Will n01 be my srn,see-
ments. but ray liberty or my Efe that
will be in danger
Then in such a case you will stick AT
nothing 20 riow your way out?'
Nothing"
laughed for my -lird refused ., be.
ljeye him. and We laughed nasSsly ~.
rether with visions ~ bloody "a ve,arS
before the eyes of both
Father. my heart believed. Silently 50
cfetiy. unconScious}y Il drank in the mi
son az bis thoughf-firan nix Il IN. ave-
Next day about noon We sailed for Tar.
ger. oar ship was the Jackal = uttta
old iron steam tug battered by time ana
tempest. cismred ana stayed a. every
side, and just holding together as by the