Page:The International - Volume 7.djvu/239

 reigned within. For the players in there were not at home to the outer world just then; Beruska was gone to the village on some important business, and the fat footman to the fields for the prescribed constitutional.

In his helpless despair Foltyn ran along the hall. Suddenly he stopped before the door of the ancient guard room, stood still for a second, then, throwing open the door, seized the gigantic drum hanging there, and rushed out into the passageway. He bowed his head, raised his sticks and a deafening rumble reverberated in the evening air. He drummed until large drops of perspiration rose on his scarred forehead.

The steward, hearing the rumble, grew pale.

“For heaven’s sake, Foltyn has gone crazy,” he yelled, and flew out to the passageway, where he saw Beruska, a handful of cards in one hand while with the other he held the untimely performer by the collar of his cloak.

“Are you drunk?” shrieked the assistant. But Foltyn drummed on.

The steward hastened to the assistant’s reinforcement.

“Cease, idiot,” he thundered. “Don’t you know his lordship may be asleep? I’ll discharge you from service—”

“Oh! keep him in service,” said the baron’s voice behind them; “he drums capitally.” Then his lordship passed through the bowing assemblage. Whistling as he went, and playfully striking his high boots with a dainty cane, he passed out of the castle.

When the baroness, startled by the unusual noise, came back without hearing the nightingale’s concert, and entered the salon, she found her precious statuette in the middle of the floor, broken into several pieces. She sent for Marietta, whose tearstained face betrayed the miscreant. With great anger the lady’s maid was immediately discharged. Short was the dream of fine mansions, beautiful gowns and grand carriages!

At noon, the next day, old Foltyn stood before the castle and beat the usual signal for work. At the same time his eyes were fixed on the road, where the noble equipage was moving swiftly from the village. When it vanished in the woods, he drew a deep breath, lowered the drumsticks and shook his head. Perhaps he, like his old drum, no more fitted into this modern world!

N the return of Columbus to Europe after his discovery of America, the opinion became universally diffused that the inhabitants of those new lands were barbarous and savage peoples, with no idea of civilization. This was sufficient to establish the principle that they should be regarded as beings destitute of any rights whatsoever, a principle that continued inexorable during the whole of the long epoch of discovery and conquest.

So, not only was their political existence unrecognized in those countries possessing vast empires already advanced in civilization, like those of the Incas and of the Aztecs, but they were even denied the right of property or rule over the lands inhabited by them.

From this proceeded the fact that in the international law of those times, the American Continent was considered as res nullius, as a thing without a master, which belonged by full right to the Holy See, or to him or them to whom the Holy See conceded it, and in the absence of this, to the first occupant, or to whomsoever took possession of it. All this seems very strange to