was horribly vexed and apologized for that intrusion, saying that
the fellow was a future great sculptor and perfectly harmless; but
he had been swallowing lots of night air which had got into his
head apparently.

Mills peered at me with his friendly but awfully searching blue
eyes through the cloud of smoke he had wreathed about his big head.
The slim, dark Captain's smile took on an amiable expression.
Might he know why I was addressed as "Young Ulysses" by my friend?
and immediately he added the remark with urbane playfulness that
Ulysses was an astute person. Mills did not give me time for a
reply. He struck in: "That old Greek was famed as a wanderer--the
first historical seaman." He waved his pipe vaguely at me.

"Ah! Vraiment!" The polite Captain seemed incredulous and as if
weary. "Are you a seaman? In what sense, pray?" We were talking
French and he used the term homme de mer.

Again Mills interfered quietly. "In the same sense in which you
are a military man." (Homme de guerre.)

It was then that I heard Captain Blunt produce one of his striking
declarations. He had two of them, and this was the first.

"I live by my sword."

It was said in an extraordinary dandified manner which in
conjunction with the matter made me forget my tongue in my head. I
could only stare at him. He added more naturally: "2nd Reg.
Castille, Cavalry." Then with marked stress in Spanish, "En las