adventures and letters-第27节

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　That　night　Jeffs。　thought　to　try　us　to　see　what　we　would　have　done　and　left　us　bathing　in　a　mountain　stream　and　rode　on　ahead　and　hid　himself　behind　a　rock　in　a　canon　and　lay　in　ambush　for　us。　　We　were　jogging　along　in　the　moonlight　and　Somerset　was　reciting　the　〃Walrus　and　the　Carpenter；〃　when　suddenly　Jeffs。　let　out　a　series　of　yells　in　Spanish　and　opened　fire　on　us　over　our　heads。　　Somerset　was　riding　my　mule　and　I　had　no　weapons；　so　I　yelled　at　him　to　shoot　and　he　fell　off　his　mule　and　ran　to　mine　and　let　go　at　the　rock　behind　which　Jeffs。　was　with　the　carbines。　　So　that　in　about　five　seconds　Jeffs。'　curiosity　was　perfectly　satisfied　as　to　what　we　would　do；　and　he　shouted　for　mercy。　　We　thought　it　was　a　sentry　or　brigands　and　were　greatly　disappointed　when　it　turned　out　to　be　Jeffs。　　We　got　here　last　night　and　a　dirtier　or　more　dismal　place　you　never　saw。　　We　had　telegraphed　ahead　for　rooms　but　nothing　was　in　order　and　we　were　lodged　much　worse　than　we　had　been　several　times　in　the　interior　where　there　was　occasionally　a　clean　floor。　　This　morning　we　wrote　direct　to　the　President；　asking　for　an　interview　or　audience　and　did　not　ask　our　Consul　to　help　us　because　Jeffs。　had　asked　him　in　our　presence　to　come　meet　us　and　he　said　he　would　after　he　had　done　talking　to　some　other　men；　but　he　never　came。　　Before　we　heard　from　Bonilla　however；　we　learned　that　the　Vice…president　who　has　the　same　name　was　to　be　sworn　in　so　we　went　to　the　palace　along　with　the　populace　in　their　bare　feet。　　We　sat　out　of　sight　but　the　English　Consul　who　was　the　finest　looking　person　in　the　chamberall　over　gold　lacesaw　us　and　asked　that　we　be　given　places　in　front；　which　the　minister　of　something　asked　us　to　take　but　we　objected　on　account　of　our　clothes。　　Somers　had　on　a　flannel　suit　that　looked　exactly　like　pajamas　and　lawn　tennis　shoes。　　But　as　soon　as　the　ceremony　was　over　they　insisted　on　our　going　in　to　the　banquet　hall　and　in　spite　of　our　objections　we　were　there　conveyed　and　presented　to　Bonilla　who　behaved　very　well　and　after　saying　he　had　received　our　letters　but　had　not　had　time　to　read　them　left　us　and　avoided　us；　which　was　what　we　wanted　for　we　looked　like　the　devil。　　We　met　everybody　else　though　and　took　the　English　and　Guatemalian　Consuls　back　to　our　rooms　and　gave　them　drinks　and　then　we　went　to　their　rooms；　so　the　day　went　very　pleasantly。　　The　President　sent　us　a　funny　printed　card　appointing　an　audience　at　eleven　to…morrow。　　It　is　exactly　what　you　would　imagine　it　would　be；　the　soldiers　are　barefooted　except　about　fifty　and　the　President　leaned　out　of　the　window　in　his　shirt　sleeves　after　the　review　and　they　have　not　plastered　up　the　holes　in　his　palace　that　his　cannon　made　in　it　just　a　year　ago　to…day；　when　he　was　fighting　Vasquez；　and　Vasquez　was　then　on　the　inside　and　Bonilla　on　the　hills。　　I　forgot　to　tell　you　that　this　morning　a　boy　about　sixteen　years　old；　with　a　policeman's　badge　and　club　came　to　our　window　and　talked　pleasantly　with　us　or　at　us　rather；　while　we　shaved　and　guyed　him　in　English。　　Finally　we　found　that　he　had　come　to　arrest　Jeffs。　so　we　told　him　where　Jeffs。　was　but　he　preferred　to　watch　us　shave　and　we　finished　it　under　his　custody。　　Then　we　went　to　the　Commandante　and　found　that　the　mosers　had　had　Jeffs。　arrested　for　not　paying　them　on　their　arrival　at　Tegucigalpa；　as　we　had　distinctly　told　them　we　would　not　do　but　at　San　Pedro　from　where　we　took　them；　on　their　return。　　It　was　only　a　spite　case　suggested　by　Jeffs。　thrashing　their　leader。　　The　Commandante　gave　them　a　scolding　and　we　went　out　in　triumph。

February　4th

Your　cable　received　all　right。　　We　were　very　glad　to　hear。　　We　have　decided　to　go　on　by　mules　to　Manaqua；　the　Capital　of　Nicaragua；　and　from　there　either　to　Corinto　or　to　Lemon　on　the　Atlantic　side。　　We　had　to　do　this　or　wait　here　ten　days　for　the　boat　going　south　at　Amapala。　　It　is　moonlight　now　so　that　we　can　avoid　the　heat　of　the　day。　　Yesterday　we　went　out　riding　with　the　President；　who　put　a　gold　revolver　in　his　hip　pocket　before　he　started　and　made　us　feel　that　uneasy　lies　the　head　that　rules　in　this　country。　　He　had　two　horses　that　had　never　been　ridden　before；　as　a　compliment　to　our　powers；　the　result　was　that　the　Vice…president's　horse　almost　killed　him；　which　I　guess　the　President　intended　it　should　and　the　horse　Griscom　rode　backed　all　over　the　town。　　He　was　a　stallion　and　had　never　been　ridden　before　that　day。　　Mine　was　a　gentle　old　gee…gee　and　yet　I　felt　good　when　we　were　all　on　the　ground　again。　　The　British　consul　gave　Somers　a　fine　reception　and　raised　the　flag　for　him　and　had　the　band　there　to　play　〃God　Save　the　Queen；〃　which　he　had　spent　the　whole　morning　in　teaching　them。　　Griscom　and　I　called　on　our　Consul　and　played　his　guitar。　　We　bought　one　for　ourselves　for　the　rest　of　the　trip。

I　want　you　to　do　something　for　me：　keep　all　the　unfavorable　notices　you　get。　　I　know　Mother　won't　do　it；　so　I　shall　expect　Nora　to　make　a　point　of　saving　them　from　the　waste…paper　basket。　　If　there　is　not　a　lot　of　them　when　I　get　back；　I　will　raise　a　row。

DICK。


MANAQUA…NICARAGUA…February　13；　1895。　DEAR　FAM：

I　had　a　great　deal　to　tell　you；　but　we　have　just　received　copies　of　the　Panama　Star　and　have　read　of　the　trolley　riots　in　Brooklyn；　a　crisis　in　France；　War　in　the　Balkans；　a　revolution　in　Honolulu　and　another　in　Colombia。　　The　result　is　that　we　feel　we　are　not　in　it　and　we　are　all　kicking　and　growling　and　abusing　our　luck。　　How　Claiborne　and　Russell　will　delight　over　us　and　in　telling　how　the　militia　fired　on　the　strikers　and　how　Troop　A　fought　nobly。　　Never　mind　our　turn　will　come　someday　and　we　may　see　something　yet。　　We　have　had　the　deuce　of　a　time　since　we　left　Tegucigalpa。　　Now　we　are　in　a　land　where　there　are　bull　hide　beds　and　canvas　cots　instead　of　hammocks　and　ice　and　railroads　and　direct　communication　with　steamship　lines。　　Hereafter　all　will　be　merely　a　matter　of　waiting　until　the　boat　sails　or　the　train　starts　and　the　uncertainties　of　mules　and　cat　boats　are　at　an　end。　　It　is　hard　to　explain　about　our　difficulties　after　we　left　Tegucigalpa　but　they　were　many。　　We　gave　up　our　idea　of　riding　here　direct　because　they　assured　us　we　could　get　a　steam　launch　from　Amapala　to　Corinto　so　we　rode　three　days　to　San　Lorenzo　on　the　Pacific　side　and　took　an　open　boat　from　there　to　Amapala。　　It　was　rowed　by　four　men　who　walked　up　a　notched　log　and　then　fell　back　dragging　the　sweeps　back；　with　the　weight　of　their　bodies。

It　was　a　moonlight　night　and　they　looked　very　picturesque　rising　and　sinking　back　and　outlined　against　the　sky。　　They　were　naked　to　the　waist　and　rowed　all　night　and　I　had　a　good　chance　to　see　them　as　I　had　to　lie　on　the　bottom　of　the　boat　on　three　mahogany　logs。　　By　ten　the　next　day　we　were　too　cramped　to　stand　it；　so　we　put　ashore　on　a　deserted　island　and　played　Robinson　Crusoe。　　We　had　two　biscuits　and　a　box　of　sardines　among　five　of　us　but　we　found　oysters　on　the　rocks　and　knocked　a　lot　off　with　clubs　and　stones　and　the　butts　of　our　guns。　　They　were　very　good。　　We　also　had　a　bath　until　a　fish　ran　into　me　about　three　feet　long　and　cut　two　gashes　in　my　leg。　　We　reached　Amapala　about　four　in　the　afternoon。　　It　was　an　awful　place；　dirt　and　filth　and　no　room　to　move　about；　so　we　chartered　an　open　boat　to　sail　or　row　to　Corinto　sixty　miles　distant。　　You　see；　we　could　not　go　back　to　Tegucigalpa　until　the　steamer　arrived　which　is　to　take　us　South　of　Panama　and　we　could　not　go　to　Manaqua　either　and　for　the　same　reason　that　we　had　sent　back　our　mule　train　and　we　would　not　wait　in　Amapala　partly　because　of　fever　which　had　been　there　and　partly　because　we　wanted　to　get　to　Corinto　where　they　have　ice　and　to　see　Manaqua。　　The　boat　was　about　as　long　as　the　Vagabond　and　twice　as　deep　and　a　foot　or　two　more　across　her　beam。　　There　were　four　of　us；　five　of　the　crew　and　two　natives　who　wanted　to　make　the　trip　and　who　we　took　with　us。　　It　was　pretty　awful。　　The　old　tub　rocked　like　a　milk　shake　and　I　was　never　so　ill　in　my　life；　we　all　lay　packed　together　on　the　ribs　of　the　boat　and　could　not　move　and　the　waves　splashed　over　us　but　we　were　too　ill　to　care。　　The　next　day　the　sun　beat　in　on　us　and　roasted　us　like　an　open　furnace。　　The　boat　was　a　pit　of　heat　and　outside　the　swell　of　the　Pacific　rose　and　fell　and　reflected　the　sun　like　copper。　　We　reached　Corinto　in　about　twenty　four　hours　and　I　was　never　so　glad　to　get　any　place　before。　　The　town　turned　out　to　greet　us　and　some　Englishmen　ran　to　ask　from　what　boat　we　had　been　ship　wrecked。　　They　would　not　believe　we　had　taken　the　trip　for　any　other　reason。　　They　helped　us　very　kindly　and　would　not　let　us　drink　all　the　iced　water　we　wanted　and　sent　us　in　to　bathe　in　a　place　surrounded　by　piles　to　keep　out　the　sharks　and　by　a　roof　to　shelter　one　from　the　sun。　　Corinto　proved　to　be　all　that　Amapala　was　not；　clean；　cool　with　very　excellent　food　and　broad　beds　of　matting。　　I　liked　it　better　than　any　place　at　which　we　have　been；　we　came　on　here　the　next　day　to　see　the　President　and　found　the　city　hot；　dusty　and　of　no　interest。　　There　is　an　excellent　hotel　however　and　we　had　a　talk　with　the　President　who　was　a　much　better　chap　than　Bonilla　being　older　and　more　civilized。　　Of　course　there　is　absolutely　no　reason　or　excuse　for　us　if　we　do　not　get　contro