d Greek]; a chapter which will probably be a lost one in
the History of Civilization. But that he who smokes should drink beer
is quite indisputable. Whether the beer is to be X, XX, or XXX; or
whether the brewer's name should begin with an A, as in Alsopp, and
run through the whole alphabet, ending with V, as in Vassar, may be
fairly left to individual consideration.

What noble poetry, what spirited odes, what eloquent words, has not
the world lost by the ignorance of the Greek and Roman touching this
plant?

The above remarks were made by Dick on this occasion. But Buttons was
talking with the wounded Italians.

The Doctor had bound up their wounds and Buttons had favored them
with a drop from his flask. Dick cut up some tobacco and filled a
pipe for each. After all, the Italians were not fiends. They had
attacked them not from malice, but purely from professional motives.

Yet, had their enemies been Tedeschi, no amount of attention would
have overcome their sullen hate. But being Americans, gay, easy,
without malice, in fact kind and rather agreeable, they softened,
yielded altogether, and finally chatted familiarly with Buttons
and Dick. They were young, not worse in appearance than the majority
of men; perhaps not bad fellows in their social relations; at any
rate, rather inclined to be jolly in their present circumstances.
They were quite free in their expressions of admiration for the
bravery of their captors, and looked with awe upon the Doctor's
revolver, which was the first they had ever seen.

In fact, the younger prisoner became quite communicative. Thus:

"I was born in Velletri. My age is twenty-four years. I have
never shed blood except three times. The first time was in
Narni--odd place, Narni. My employer was a vine-dresser. The season
was dry; the brush caught fire, I don't know how, and in five
minutes a third of the vineyard was consumed to ashes. My employer
came cursing and raving at me, and swore he'd make me work for him
till I made good the loss. Enraged, I struck him. He seized an axe.
I drew my stiletto, and--of course I had to run away.

"The second time was in Naples. The affair was brought about by a
woman. Signore, women are at the bottom of most crimes that men
commit. I was in love with her. A friend of mine fell in love with
her too. I informed him that if he interfered with me I would kill
him. I told her that if she encouraged him I would kill him and her
too. I suppose she