Копи царя Соломона

           One,agentlemanofaboutthirty,wasperhapsthebiggest-chestedandlongest-armedmanIeversaw. Hehadyellowhair,athickyellowbeard,clear-cutfeatures,andlargegreyeyessetdeepinhishead. Ineversawafiner-lookingman,andsomehowheremindedmeofanancientDane. NotthatIknowmuchofancientDanes,thoughIknewamodernDanewhodidmeoutoftenpounds; butIrememberonceseeingapictureofsomeofthosegentry,who,Itakeit,wereakindofwhiteZulus. Theyweredrinkingoutofbighorns,andtheirlonghairhungdowntheirbacks. AsIlookedatmyfriendstandingtherebythecompanion-ladder,Ithoughtthatifheonlylethisgrowalittle,putoneofthosechainshirtsontohisgreatshoulders,andtookholdofabattle-axeandahornmug,hemighthavesatasamodelforthatpicture. Andbythewayitisacuriousthing,andjustshowshowthebloodwillout,IdiscoveredafterwardsthatSirHenryCurtis,forthatwasthebigman’sname,isofDanishblood. Healsoremindedmestronglyofsomebodyelse,butatthetimeIcouldnotrememberwhoitwas. 

           Theotherman,whostoodtalkingtoSirHenry,wasstoutanddark,andofquiteadifferentcut. Isuspectedatoncethathewasanavalofficer; Idon’tknowwhy,butitisdifficulttomistakeanavyman. Ihavegoneshootingtripswithseveraloftheminthecourseofmylife,andtheyhavealwaysprovedthemselvesthebestandbravestandnicestfellowsIevermet,thoughsadlygiven,someofthem,totheuseofprofanelanguage. Iaskedapageortwoback,whatisagentleman? I’llanswerthequestionnow: ARoyalNavalofficeris,inageneralsortofway,thoughofcoursetheremaybeablacksheepamongthemhereandthere. IfancyitisjustthewideseasandthebreathofGod’swindsthatwashtheirheartsandblowthebitternessoutoftheirmindsandmakethemwhatmenoughttobe.