adventures and letters-第15节

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I　am　now　en　route　to　Creede。　　Creede　when　you　first　see　it　in　print　looks　like　creede　but　after　you　have　been　in　Denver　or　Colorado　even　for　one　day　it　reads　like　C　R　E　E　D　E。　　All　the　men　on　this　car　think　they　are　going　to　make　their　fortunes；　and　toward　that　end　they　have　on　new　boots　and　flannel　shirts；　and　some　of　them　seeing　my　beautiful　clothing　and　careful　array　came　over　and　confided　to　me　that　they　were　really　not　so　tough　as　they　looked　and　had　never　worn　a　flannel　shirt　before。　　This　car　is　typical　of　what　they　told　me　I　would　find　at　Creede。　　There　are　rich　mine　owners　who　are　pointed　out　by　the　conductor　as　the　fifth　part　owner　of　the　〃Pot　Luck〃　mine；　and　dudes　in　astrakan　fur　coats　over　top　boots　and　new　flannel　shirts；　and　hardened　old　timers　with　their　bedding　and　tin　pans；　who　have　prospected　all　over　the　state　and　women　who　are　smoking　and　drinking。

I　feel　awfully　selfish　whenever　I　look　out　of　the　car　window。　　Switzerland　which　I　have　never　seen　is　a　spot　on　the　map　compared　to　this。　　The　mountains　go　up　with　snow　on　one　side　and　black　rows　of　trees　and　rocks　on　the　other；　and　the　clouds　seem　packed　down　between　them。　　The　sun　on　the　snow　and　the　peaks　peering　above　the　clouds　is　all　new　to　me　and　so　very　beautiful　that　I　would　like　to　buy　a　mountain　and　call　it　after　my　best　girl。　　I　will　finish　this　when　I　get　to　Creede。　　I　expect　to　make　my　fortune　there。　DICK。

CREEDE；　March　7。

A　young　man　in　a　sweater　and　top　boots　met　me　at　the　depot　and　said　that　I　was　Mr。　Davis　and　that　he　was　a　young　man　whose　life　I　had　written　in　〃There　was　90　and　9。〃　　He　was　from　Buffalo　and　was　editing　a　paper　in　Creede。　　He　said　I　was　to　stop　with　him　Creede　is　built　of　new　pine　boards　and　lies　between　two　immense　mountains　covered　with　pines　and　snow。　　The　town　is　built　in　the　gulley　and　when　the　spring　freshets　come　will　be　a　second　Johnstown。　　Faber；　the　young　man；　took　me　to　the　Grub　State　Cabin　where　I　found　two　most　amusing　dudes　and　thoroughbred　sports　from　Boston；　Harvard　men　living　in　a　cabin　ten　by　eight　with　four　bunks　and　a　stove；　two　banjos　and　H　O　P　E。　　They　own　numerous　silver　mines；　lots；　and　shares；　but　I　do　not　believe　they　have　five　dollars　in　cash　amongst　them。　　They　have　a　large　picture　of　myself　for　one　of　the　ORNAMENTS　and　are　great　good　fellows。　　We　sat　up　in　our　bunks　until　two　this　morning　talking　and　are　planning　to　go　to　Africa　and　Mexico　and　Asia　Minor　together。Lots　of　love。　DICK。


Very　happy　indeed　to　be　back　in　his　beloved　town；　Richard　returned　to　New　York　late　in　March；　1892；　and　resumed　his　editorial　duties。　　But　on　this　occasion　his　stay　was　of　particularly　short　duration；　and　in　May；　he　started　for　his　long…wished…for　visit　to　London。　　The　season　there　was　not　yet　in　full　swing；　and　after　spending　a　few　days　in　town；　journeyed　to　Oxford；　where　he　settled　down　to　amuse　himself　and　collect　material　for　his　first　articles　on　English　life　as　he　found　it。　　In　writing　of　this　visit　to　Oxford；　H。　J。　Whigham；　one　of　Richard's　oldest　friends；　and　who　afterward　served　with　him　in　several　campaigns；　said：

〃When　we　first　met　Richard　Harding　Davis　he　was　living；　to　all　practical　purposes；　the　life　of　an　undergraduate　at　Balliol　College；　Oxford。　　Anyone　at　all　conversant　with　the　customs　of　universities；　especially　with　the　idiosyncrasies　of　Oxford；　knows　that　for　a　person　who　is　not　an　undergraduate　to　share　the　life　of　undergraduates　on　equal　terms；　to　take　part　in　their　adventures；　to　be　admitted　to　their　confidence　is　more　difficult　than　it　is　for　the　camel　to　pass　through　the　eye　of　a　needle　or　for　the　rich　man　to　enter　heaven。　　It　was　characteristic　of　Davis　that　although　he　was　a　few　years　older　than　the　average　university　〃man〃　and　came　from　a　strange　country　and；　moreover；　had　no　official　reason　for　being　at　Oxford　at　all；　he　was　accepted　as　one　of　themselves　by　the　Balliol　undergraduates；　in　fact；　lived　in　Balliol　for　at　least　a　college　term；　and　happening　to　fall　in　with　a　somewhat　enterprising　generation　of　Balliol　men　he　took　the　lead　in　several　escapades　which　have　been　written　into　Oxford　history。　　There　is　in　the　makeup　of　the　best　type　of　college　undergraduate　a　wonderful　spirit　of　adventure；　an　unprejudiced　view　of　life；　an　almost　Quixotic　feeling　for　romance；　a　disdain　of　sordid　or　materialistic　motives；　which　together　make　the　years　spent　at　a　great　university　the　most　golden　of　the　average　man's　career。　　These　characteristics　Davis　was　fortunate　enough　to　retain　through　all　the　years　of　his　life。　　The　same　spirit　that　took　him　out　with　a　band　of　Oxford　youths　to　break　down　an　iron　barrier　set　by　an　insolent　landowner　across　the　navigable　waters　of　Shakespeare's　Avon　carried　him；　in　after　years；　to　the　battlefields　where　Greece　fought　against　the　yoke　of　Turkey；　to　the　insurrecto　camps　of　Cuba；　to　the　dark　horrors　of　the　Congo；　to　Manchuria；　where　gallant　Japan　beat　back　the　overwhelming　power　of　Russia；　to　Belgium；　where　he　saw　the　legions　of　Germany　trampling　over　the　prostrate　bodies　of　a　small　people。　　Romance　was　never　dead　while　Davis　was　alive。〃

That　Richard　lost　no　time　in　making　friends　at　Oxford　as；　indeed；　he　never　failed　to　do　wherever　he　went；　the　following　letters　to　his　mother　would　seem　to　show：


OXFORDMay；　1892。　DEAR　FAMILY：

I　came　down　here　on　Saturday　morning　with　the　Peels；　who　gave　an　enormous　boating　party　and　luncheon　on　a　tiny　little　island。　　The　day　was　beautiful　with　a　warm　brilliant　sun；　and　the　river　was　just　as　narrow　and　pretty　as　the　head　of　the　Squan　river；　and　with　old　walls　and　college　buildings　added。　　We　had　the　prettiest　Mrs。　Peel　in　our　boat　and　Mrs。　Joseph　Chamberlain；　who　was　Miss　Endicott　and　who　is　very　sweet　and　pretty。　　We　raced　the　other　punts　and　rowboats　and　soon；　after　much　splashing　and　exertion；　reached　the　head　of　the　river。　　Then　we　went　to；　tea　in　New　College　and　to　see　the　sights　of　the　different　colleges　now　on　the　Thames。　　The　barges　of　the　colleges；　painted　different　colors　and　gilded　like　circus　band…wagons　and　decorated　with　coats　of　arms　and　flying　great　flags；　lined　the　one　shore　for　a　quarter　of　a　mile　and　were　covered　by　girls　in　pretty　frocks　and　under…grads　in　blazers。　　Then　the　boats　came　into　sight　one　after　another　with　the　men　running　alongside　on　the　towpath。　　This　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　sights　of　the　country　so　far。　　There　were　over　six　hundred　men　coming　six　abreast；　falling　and　stumbling　and　pushing；　shouting　and　firing　pistols。　　It　sounded　like　a　cavalry　charge　and　the　line　seemed　endless。　　The　whole　thing　was　most　theatrical　and　effective。　　Then　we　went　to　the　annual　dinner　of　the　Palmerston　Club；　where　I　made　a　speech　which　was；　as　there　is　no　one　else　to　tell　you；　well　received；　〃being　frequently　interrupted　with　applause；〃　from　both　the　diners　and　the　ladies　in　the　gallery。　　It　was　about　Free　Trade　and　the　way　America　was　misrepresented　in　the　English　papers；　and　composed　of　funny　stories　which　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　speech。　　I　did　not　know　I　was　going　to　speak　until　I　got　there；　and　considering　the　fact；　as　Wilson　says；　that　your　uncle　was　playing　on　a　strange　table　with　a　crooked　cue　he　did　very　well。　　The　next　morning　we　breakfasted　with　the　Bursar　of　Trinity　and　had　luncheon　with　the　Viscount　St。　Cyres　to　meet　Lord　and　Lady　Coleridge。　　St。　Cyres　is　very　shy　and　well…bred；　and　we　would　have　had　a　good　time　had　not　the　M。　P。's　present　been　filled　with　awe　of　the　Lord　Chief　Justice　and　failed　to　draw　him　out。　　As　it　was　he　told　some　very　funny　stories；　then　we　went　to　tea　with　Hubert　Howard；　in　whose　rooms　I　live　and　am　now　writing；　and　met　some　stupid　English　women　and　shy　girls。　　Then　we　dined　with　the　dons　at　New　College；　socalled　because　it　is　eight　hundred　years　old。　　We　sat　at　a　high　table　in　a　big　hall　hung　with　pictures　and　lit　by　candles。　　The　under…grads　sat　beneath　in　gowns　and　rattled　pewter　mugs。　　We　all　wore　evening　dress　and　those　that　had　them　red　and　white　fur　collars。　　After　dinner　we　left　the　room　according　to　some　process　of　selection；　carrying　our　napkins　with　us。　　We　entered　a　room　called　the　Commons；　where　we　drank　wines　and　ate　nuts　and　raisins。　　It　was　all　very　solemn　and　dull　and　very　dignified。　　Outside　it　was　quite　light　although　nine　o'clock。　　Then　we　marched　to　another　room　where　there　were　cigars　and　brandy　and　soda；　but　Arthur　Pollen　and　I　had　to　go　and　take　coffee　with　the　Master　of　Balliol；　the　only　individual　of　whom　Pollen　stands　in　the　least　awe。　　He　was　a　dear　old　man　who　said；　〃O　yes；　you're　from　India；〃　and　on　my　saying　〃No；　from　America〃；　he　said；　〃O　yes；　it's　the　other　one。〃　　I　found　the　other　one　was　an　Indian　princess　in　a　cashmere　cloak　and　diamonds；　who　looked　so　proud　and　lovely　and　beautiful　that　I　wanted　to　take　her　out　to　one　of　the　seats　in　the　quadrangle　and　let　her　weep　on　my　shoulder。　　How　she　lives　among　these　cold　people　I　cannot　understand。　　We　were　all　to　go　to　a　concert　in　the　chapel；　and　half　of　the　party　started　off；　but　the　Master's　wife　said；　〃Oh；　I　am　sure　the　Master　expects　them　to　wait　for　him　in　the　hall。　　It　is　always　done。〃　　At　which　all　the　women　made　fluttering　remarks　of　sympathy　and　the　men　raced　off　to　bring　the　others　back。　　Only　the　Indian　girl　and　I　remained　undisturbed　and　puzzled。　　The　party　came　back；　b