D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 The Petrel Changes Hands. weatherbeaten from snow as well as sun. His sable hair and beard were trimmed close, as if to wear the morion, still used by some prudent warriors. His mustache was also cropped to prevent its being entangled with the steel- cap chin strap, on occasion, or a bedrabbled plume. He was compactly built, rather muscular than bony ; rather sinewy than nervous, but a bunch of vitality slept under the hardened skin, prompt to be called into action. His cheek was tanned, and his hands blackened, as be- came a traveler out of the south. Sober was his dress, unidentifiable when nearly every- body wore ‘thabiliments denoting a profession, a craft or a class. The cotton velvet was cut for him, full where movement was wanted untrammeled, and the embroidery was real threads of gold, though delicately done. His trunk-strings were leather, for wear; his hat, feathers of a rare African bird, but short. Although an excellent rider, his boots were not too elegant on straight legs, not yet bent by the horse’s barrel. Gold spurs and the fine rapier denoted the gentleman— although all except merchant, muleteer, shepherd, miner or peasant, put on spurs and carried a sword. But it was one thing to carry a sword, another to wield it; by the wrists, somewhat enlarged, and the biceps of the right arm, one might conclude that this was a long-exercised swordsman. His nose was sharp and eaglelike; such are predestined men of war; his mouth was firm, but he could smile, and winningly. His eyes were black diamonds, almost insup- portable in their piercing glance, when fired by great feeling. Withal, that strange commingling which made what we call an all-round gentleman of action; captain on the land and on the sea; indifferently presiding, by order of his king, or that of his whim, on poopdeck or charger’s sad- dle. In vain did this human gamecock assume, as now, a peaceful position—even a civilian less expert in judging men than a landlord, knew it was a leader. | Equal to any fortune, these men wore ascetic garb, or court insigmia, steel in the camp or counselor’s robes, drank the rinsings of the buffeted ship’s water cask, or Gomichbooks (EO)