You have a sword at your side; but as you neglected to use it, you will excuse me if I ask you to give it to me," added Christy, reaching out for the weapon.
"Give you my sword!" exclaimed Captain Rowly.
"It is a formality rather insisted upon on such occasions as the present." "I don't see it." "You don't?
Then I must say that I think you are rather obtuse, Captain Rowly, and I shall be under the painful necessity of helping you to see it.

As a prisoner of war--" "As what ?" demanded the soldier.
"I regard you as a prisoner of war, and I must trouble you to give me your sword in token of your surrender." "I was not taken in a battle." "Very true; your men fought the battle after you had left them.

I have no more time to argue the question.

Will you surrender your sword, or will you have the battle now?
Two or three of my men will accommodate you with a fight on a small scale if you insist upon it." "Don't you intend to send me back to the Keys ?" asked the captain, whose military education appeared to have been neglected, so that his ideas of a state of war were very vague.
"I have not the remotest idea of doing anything of the sort.

Your sword, if you please." "This sword was presented to me by the citizens of my town--" "Here, Boxie and Lanon, relieve this gentleman of his sword," added Christy, as he saw the young lady coming up the companion way.
"Oh, I will give it up, if you really say so; but this is a queer state of things when my sword, presented to me by my fellow-citizens, is to be taken from me without any warrant of law," said Captain Rowly, as he handed the sword to Christy, who returned it when it had done its duty as a token of submission.
The prisoner was marched to the forecastle of the Havana, and put under guard.