A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

128 A QUEER RACE. «Nothing to speak of,” answered the young fellow, smiling. ‘That last beggar we killed gave me a crack on the leg just as he was turning over; I rather think it is broken.” | ““T am very sorry. I was in hopes the day would end without any mishap. Sowever, Dr. Sergeant will soon set you to rights. You will have to keep the house two or three weeks, though.” «“That is the worst of it. But we have had a splendid day’s sport, so I must not complain. The fortune of war, you know; ana it might have been worse. ‘The last bout we had, poor ‘l'om Ferrers got bitten in two just as I gave the shark that did it the death-stroke.” ‘‘What Spartans those fellows are!” I said. ‘But a broken leg cannot surely be cured in two or three weeks?” — . ‘“ Not quite; but he will be able to hobble about in two or three weeks, and be quite well in five or six.” “In England broken legs take double that time to get well.” “Yes; but in England you eat beef and drink beer and spirits.” ‘‘ And don’t you eat beef and drink beer and spirits?” ‘“ As we have no cattle we can have no beef; and in the way of animal food we confine ourselves to fish, fowl, and venison, and eat very little even of that—don’t care for it, in fact. While as for beer and spirits, one of my ancestor's first proceedings when he decided to settle in the island was to cast all the rum in the spirit-room of the Santa Anna into the sea. Whenhe became protector he prohibited the production of strong drink in any — shape, and the prohibition has been maintained by his — successors.” ‘““ You are all teetotalers, then?” ‘“<'Teetotalers! What is a teetotaler?” 7 ‘Don’t you know? Ah, I was forgetting. Itisa word © of the present century. Teetotalers are people who re-— ligionsly abstain from strong waters.” | ‘In that case we are teetotalers, for we only drink | nature’s own water.” , | | “‘And athletes,” I added. ‘‘ Your ancestor was a wise man, Queen Mab. I dare say you are all the better with- CeCe pall ice eo) “<S7Gcom