210 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



aside all mere flowers of oratory. In support of 

 his own position Dr. Samson quoted from recog- 

 nized authorities, sacred and profane, fortifying 

 his argument until I was sure that no intellectual 

 artillery could pierce the armor of his defense. 

 But when O'Connor's turn came he traversed the 

 doctor's every argument, quoting with his mar- 

 velous memory from the very authorities cited 

 by his opponent, passages admitting of a con- 

 struction antithetical in effect to that sought by 

 Samson. 



As the intellectual duel proceeded, the subject 

 broadened until it gave play to all the elements of 

 oratory, to humor and pathos as well as argument 

 and rhetoric, to personal magnetism and an in- 

 tonation so effective as to amount to acting. 

 Around me, seated on the deck, as near the speak- 

 ers as they could get, were a score of my guests, 

 while in a circle of chairs about them were twice 

 that number of ladies, while behind them fifty 

 men were standing. The full moon flooded our 

 deck with light, it fell softly on the silent water 

 about us, and made brilliant our foaming wake 



