"He has never been known to play at any game whatever, and yet one
night he sat down to the chess table with old Admiral Du Brey. You
know the Admiral is the great champion since he beat the French and
English officers in the tournament last winter. Well, you also
know that the conventional openings at chess are scientifically and
accurately determined. To the utter disgust of Du Brey, Mason
opened the game with an unheard-of attack from the extremes of the
board. The old Admiral stopped and, in a kindly patronizing way,
pointed out the weak and absurd folly of his move and asked him to
begin again with some one of the safe openings. Mason smiled and
answered that if one had a head that he could trust he should use
it; if not, then it was the part of wisdom to follow blindly the
dead forms of some man who had a head. Du Brey was naturally angry
and set himself to demolish Mason as quickly as possible. The game
was rapid for a few moments. Mason lost piece after piece. His
opening was broken and destroyed and its utter folly apparent to
the lookers-on. The Admiral smiled and the game seemed all one-
sided, when, suddenly, to his utter horror, Du Brey found that his
king was in a trap. The foolish opening had been only a piece of
shrewd strategy. The old Admiral fought and cursed and sacrificed
his pieces, but it was of no use. He was gone. Mason checkmated
him in two moves and arose wearily.

"'Where in Heaven's name, man,' said the old Admiral,
thunderstruck, 'did you learn that masterpiece?'

"'Just here,' replied Mason. 'To play chess, one should know his
opponent. How could the dead masters lay down rules by which you
could be beaten, sir? They had never seen you'; and thereupon he