The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-15
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY NOVEMBER Is, 1909.
BY ALFRED HENRY LERIS
Copyrighted, 1908, by
A. j. Drexel Biddie.
Entered at stationer's
Hall, London.

/ 1T is for you to name weapons"
| quoth Pigeon breast. Then, with hest
| tation: IF it meet your view, how
ever. We for our side would welcome
| swords"
"And that is a highly improper re-
| mark, permit me to say" My atti-
| tude was purpOsely severe. 1t would
| throw Pigeon-breast into confusion.
"Since the choice is with US, it is
neither graceful nor safe for you to
| try to lead it,"
Surely" protested Pigeon breast, IT
| meant no unfairness, no offense. But
with swords, sir, this might come
| quietly off in town. Should you say
! pistols, ii will mean Bladensburg; and
the mud is girth deep"
At the word mud" poor Pigeon
| breast gazed upon his vanished boots
! and bandbox regimentals with round
| eyes of apprehension. l took advant-
age of Pigeon-breas solicitude and
! feminine terror of Bladensburg miro to
say that if we might have our men
up at once, it would tell strongly in
favor of swords. OF course, my haste
was to have the things finished before
some waifword of it reached the Cen
erals ear.
why, l believe an hour from now"
said Pigeon breast, hopefully, might
suit us extremely WELL That would
make it sharp noon. Shall we say
llOOA
"And the ball room at Gadsby's?" 1
returned. Having considered. 1 deem
ed il best to be out of the Indian Queen
with this clash.
Gabsby's was to the taste of Pigeon
| breast; it would serve admirably, Also,
Pigeon-breast would bring brace of
rapiers.
Thus was it adjusted between the
militant Pigeon-breast and myself
Ptgeon-breast withdrew, giving me a
most sweeping bow; but carefully keep
ing his hand to himself, by which 1
saw that he was not IMMERSED in the
etiquette of the field.
Returning to Noah, laid before him
our arrangements; incidentally, / would
get a mOrsel of food, since l had had
none that morning, and my stomach
was much inclined to take this neglect
in dudgeon.
Having a private parlor to ourselves
for Kendall and Hill would lunch with
me, l sent for what we craVed and
urged dispatch. The repaSt was
| brought, and while we did it honor
with knife and fork, Noah slipped a
thimbleful of sherry, saying he accept
ed it to quicken the eye and give vigor
and pliancy TO the wrist.
AS We lunched, Noah called for a
| messenger.
Find Mr.. Rivera" said Noah: "bring
| him to me here"
There was a question on my tongue;
| 1t covered the charge tossed over my
! shoulder by the man, Witherspoon,
that Noah had fixed the country's
status as nation of heather among
the Powers of the earth.
THE statement is true" said Noah;
the story is brief. 1t was during the
| last war, and while I represented the
country in Tunis. a Yankee privateer
| little but valiant, came into port tow
ing a hulking English merchantmen,
! whereof cutlass in hand, he had made
| prize. The Yankee would have the
merchantmen condemned in the courts
| of Tunis, and sold. The British min
! lister objected; he recalled the Bey, be-
! fore whom we both appeared, to his
| treaty made with England. One clause
procluded the use of Tunis as a port
of condemnation for English ships
| made prize in wars between England
and any other Christian nation The
| phrase was Christian nation There
| was no going about the treaty; it
stood in ink and sheepskin. Where
| upon / read the learned Bey-himself
/ a darkened pagan-our constitution.
| showed him we were not a Christian
nation but admitted every creed or
sect or sept or faith of men, Gentle
or Jew or Musselman, and all on COM
| mon terms. 1t was impossible we
should be a Christian nation the
| treaty with England did not in this
| instance tie his hands. The Bey held
| with me; America was not a Christian
| nation;' the prize was condemned and
| sold. They Bey would receive one
| fifth of the proceeds Of that sale; which
| may or may not have aided his wis
| dom to the decision I've described. Still
| it was a decision; and since 1t never
has been quarreled with or overturn-
| ed, heather country we remain to
| this 69V In the of intnrDo "a ION l
| law"
| AS Noah ended his scrap of history,
a tall young man. square and heavy of
| shoulders, and with every movement
| of his body as smoothly sure and sin
| uous as the movements of a cat, an
| peared. He was that Rivera for whom
| Noah had sent.
| go to my rooms and bring me a
pair of swords" said Noah.
1.-The small swords?" asked Rivera,
with just thought of interest.
| mo; the Spanish swords"
| "Who is your armorer?" l asked of
| Noah when Rivera was gone.
| This boy / had come across before.
| He had drawn himself upon my at
| tention by the panther grace and
| strength told of in his motions Large,
long of limb, and heavy, there was
vet a brisk lightness with him to hold
one like a spell.
Rivera-Michael Rivera-and his blood
| flows a fantastic. almost a formidable
| mixture. His mother was a maid of
my mother: an Irish lass she was, and
| came out of Tipperary. The father on
| the far other hand, was a Spanish
| jew; by trade a bull fighter, the fore
most toreador of Seville, where, when
| my family was visiting in Spain, the
impressionable Tipperary maiden lost
| her heart to him as he flourshed blood
| lily about the arena. They We're mar
ried by the padre, for Rivera, senior,
while Pure Jew, was none the less
pure Catholic; under Spanish law he
| could have had no place among the
| bull fighters else, since in Spain 1t is
not permitted to be cruel unless one
first be Christian. My protege, who
| goes for the swords. is the fruit of
that union; now. his parents being
| dead, and because he was born among
my people, he abides with me. He has
| a drowsy, honest soul-though hot
enough when moved-and he loves me.
He would accept death for me like a
dog"
''And what is his part with you ?"
| terested us.
mo part" responded Noah, more
| than to go where l go, and come
| when 1 come; to fetch and to carry
| and to do my word. He is we'll taught
Of books: but owns ideas not at all.
/ for he has no width nor current of
conjecture. Yet you are not to believe
him a fool. He is silent. but blithe
| to obey, and true as blade to hilt. l
keep him, for he would have other