adventures and letters-第29节

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t　sleep　at　all　for　the　bites　and　you　had　to　carry　a　brush　to　brush　the　carripats　off　every　time　you　passed　through　bushes。　　It's　the　damnedest　country　I　was　ever　in　now　that　I　have　time　to　think　of　it。　　The　other　day　I　was　going　in　to　bathe　and　the　sand　was　so　hot　that　I　could　not　get　to　the　breakers　and　so　I　went　yelling　and　jumping　back　to　the　grass　and　the　grass　was　just　one　mass　of　burrs；　so　I　gave　another　yell　and　leaped　on　to　a　big　log　and　the　log　was　full　of　thorns。　　That's　the　sort　of　country　it　is。　　And　then　after　you　do　make　a　dash　for　the　surf　a　shark　makes　a　dash　for　you　and　you　don't　know　what　you　are　here　for　anyway。　　It　had　its　humorous　side　and　it　was　very　funny；　especially　as　it　never　turned　out　otherwise；　to　see　the　men　scamper　when　the　sharks　came　in。　　They　never　scented　us　for　ten　minutes　or　so　and　then　they　would　swim　up　and　we　would　give　a　yell　and　all　make　for　the　shore　head　over　heels　and　splashing　and　shrieking　and　scared　and　excited。　　There　would　always　be　one　man　who　was　further　out　than　the　rest　and　he　could　not　hear　on　account　of　the　waves　and　we　would　all　line　up　on　the　beach　and　yell　and　dance　up　and　down　and　try　to　attract　his　attention。　　But　you　would　see　him　go　on　diving　and　playing　along　in　horrible　loneliness　until　he　turned　to　speak　to　some　one　and　found　the　man　gone　and　then　he　would　look　for　the　others　and　when　he　saw　us　all　on　the　shore　he　would　give　one　wild　whoop　out　of　him　and　go　falling　over　himself　with　his　hair　on　end　and　his　eyes　and　mouth　wide　open。　　I　saw　one　shark　ten　feet　long　but　we　would　have　died　of　the　heat　if　we　had　not　bathed　so　we　thought　it　was　worth　it。　　That's　over　now　because　we　cannot　get　any　more　sea　bathing。　　Just　around　Panama。　　Finest　place　seen　yet。

RICHARD。

PANAMA；　February　28th；　1895。　DEAR　MOTHER：

Griscom　has　awakened　to　the　fact　that　he　is　a　Press　correspondent　and　is　interviewing　rebels　who　come　stealthily　by　night　followed　by　spies　of　the　government　and　sit　in　Griscom's　room　with　the　son　of　the　Consul　General；　as　interpreter。　　Somerset　and　I　refuse　to　be　implicated　and　sit　in　the　plaza　waiting　for　a　file　of　soldiers　to　carry　Griscom　off　which　is　our　cue　for　action。　　There　is　a　man…of…war；　the　Atlanta；　the　one　we　made　friends　with　at　Puerto　Cortez；　lying　at　Colon　and　so　we　feel　safe。　　We　may　now　be　said　to　be　absorbing　local　color。　　That　is　about　all　we　have　done　since　we　left　Amapala。　　And　if　it　were　not　that　you　are　all　alone　up　there；　I　would　not　mind　it。　　I　would　probably　continue　on。　　We　know　it　now　as　we　do　London　or　Paris。　　We　can　distinguish　sea　captains；　lawyers　in　politics；　commandantes；　oldest　residents；　gentlemenly　good　for　nothings；　shipping　agents　and　commission　dealers；　coffee　planters　and　men　who　are　〃on　the　beach〃　with　unerring　eye。　　We　know　the　story　of　each　before　he　tells　it；　or　it　is　told　by　some　one　else。　　The　Commandante　shot　a　lot　of　men　by　the　side　of　a　road　during　the　last　revolution；　first　allowing　them　to　dig　their　own　graves　and　is　here　now　so　　that　he　can　pay　himself　by　stealing　the　custom　dues；　the　lawyer　politician　has　been　to　Cornell　and　taken　a　medical　degree　in　Paris　and　aspires　to　be　a　deputy　and　only　remembers　New　York　as　the　home　of　Lillian　Russell。　　The　commission　merchants　are　all　Germans　and　the　coffee　planters　are　all　French。　　They　point　with　pride　to　little　bare…foot　boys　selling　sea　shells　and　cocoanuts　as　their　offspring；　although　they　cannot　remember　their　names。　　The　sea　captains　you　can　tell　by　their　ready　made　clothes　of　a　material　that　would　be　warm　in　Alaska　and　by　them　wearing　Spanish　dollars　for　watch　guards　and　by　the　walk　which　is　rolling　easily　when　sober　and　pitching　heavily　toward　the　night。　　The　oldest　resident　always　sits　in　front　of　the　hotel　and　in　the　same　seat；　with　a　tortoise　shell　cane　and　remembers　when　Vasquez　or　Mendoza　or　Barrios；　or　Bonilla　occupied　the　Cathedral　and　fired　hot　shot　into　the　Palace　and　everybody　took　refuge　in　the　English　Consulate　and　he　helped　guard　the　bank　all　night　with　a　Springfield　rifle。　　The　men　who　are　on　the　beach　have　just　come　out　of　the　hospital　where　they　have　had　yellow　fever　and　they　want　food。　　This　story　is　intended　to　induce　you　to　get　rid　of　them　hurriedly　by　a　small　token。　　Sometimes　out　of　this　queer　combination　you　will　get　a　good　story　but　generally　they　want　to　show　you　a　ruined　abbey　or　a　document　as　old　as　the　Spanish　occupation　or　to　make　you　acquainted　with　a　man　who　has　pearls　to　sell；　or　a　coffee　plantation　or　a　collection　of　unused　stamps　which　he　stole　while　a　post…office　employee。　　Our　chief　sport　now　is　to　go　throw　money　at　the　prisoners　who　are　locked　up　in　a　row　of　dungeons　underneath　the　sea　wall。　　The　people　walk　and　flirt　and　enjoy　the　sea　breeze　above　them　and　the　convicts　by　holding　a　mirror　between　the　bars　of　the　dungeons　can　see　who　is　leaning　over　the　parapet　above　them。　　Then　they　hold　out　their　hands　and　you　drop　nickels　and　they　fail　to　catch　them　and　the　sentry　comes　up　and　teases　them　by　holding　the　money　a　few　inches　beyond　their　reach。　　They　climb　all　over　the　crossbars　in　their　anxiety　to　get　the　money　and　look　like　great　monkeys。　　At　night　it　is　perfectly　tremendous　for　their　is　only　a　light　over　their　heads　and　they　crawl　all　over　the　bars　beneath　this；　standing　on　each　other's　shoulders　and　pushing　and　fighting　and　yelling　half　naked　and　wholey　black　and　covered　with　sweat。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　they　are　better　content　to　stay　in　jail　than　out　and　when　the　British　Consul　offered　to　send　eight　of　them　back　to　Jamaica　they　refused　to　go　and　said　they　would　rather　serve　out　their　sentence　of　eight　years。　　This　is　the　way　the　place　looks　and　I　am　going　to　introduce　it　in　a　melodrama　and　have　some　one　lower　files　down　to　the　prisoners。　DICK。


After　some　not　very　eventful　or　pleasant　days　at　Caracas；　Richard　sailed　for　home　and　from　the　steamer　wrote　the　following　letter：

March　26thOn　board　S。　S。　Caracas。

DEAR　CHAS：

Off　the　coast　of　God's　country。　　Hurrah！　　H　did　not　come　near　us　until　the　morning　of　our　departure　when　he　arrived　at　the　Station　trembling　all　over　and　in　need　of　a　shave。　　But　in　the　meanwhile　the　consul　at　Caracas　picked　Griscom　and　myself　up　in　the　street　and　took　us　in　to　see　Crespo　who　received　us　with　much　dignity　and　politeness。　　So　we　met　him　after　all　and　helped　the　story　out　that　much。

There　is　not　much　more　to　tell　except　that　I　was　never　so　glad　to　set　my　face　home　as　I　am　now　and　even　the　roughness　of　this　trip　cannot　squelch　my　joy。　　It　seems　to　me　as　if　years　had　passed　since　we　left　and　to　think　we　are　only　three　days　off　from　Sandy　Hook　seems　much　too　wonderfully　good　to　be　possible。　　Some　day　when　we　have　dined　alone　together　at　Laurent's　I　will　tell　you　the　long　story　of　how　Somers　and　Gris　came　to　be　decorated　with　the　Order　of　the　Bust　of　Bolivar　the　Liberator　of　Venezuela　of　the　4th　class　but　at　present　I　will　only　say　that　there　is　a　third　class　of　the　order　still　coming　to　me　in　Caracas；　as　there　is　20　minutes　still　coming　to　Kelly　in　Brooklyn。　　It　was　a　matter　of　either　my　getting　the　third　class；　which　I　ought　to　have　had　anyway　having　the　third　class　of　another　order　already；　and　THEIR　GETTING　NOTHING；　or　our　all　getting　the　4th　or　5th　class　and　of　course　I　choose　that　they　should　get　something　and　so　they　did　and　for　my　aimable　unselfishness　in　the　matter　they　have　frequently　drunken　my　health。　　I　was　delighted　when　Somers　got　his　for　he　was　happier　over　it　than　I　have　ever　seen　him　over　anything　and　kept　me　awake　nights　talking　about　it。　　I　consider　it　the　handsomest　order　there　is　after　the　Legion　of　Honor　and　I　have　become　so　crazy　about　Bolivar　who　was　a　second　Washington　and　Napoleon　that　I　am　very　glad　to　have　it；　although　I　still　sigh　for　the　third　class　with　its　star　and　collar。

The　boys　are　especially　glad　because　we　have　organized　a　Traveller's　Club　of　New　York　of　which　we　expect　great　things　and　they　consider　that　it　starts　off　well　in　having　three　of　the　members　possessors　of　a　foreign　order。　　We　formed　the　club　while　crossing　Honduras　in　sight　of　the　Pacific　Ocean　and　its　object　is　to　give　each　other　dinners　and　to　present　a　club　medal　to　people　who　have　been　nice　to　and　who　have　helped　members　of　the　club　while　they　were　in　foreign　parts。　　It　is　my　idea　and　I　think　a　good　one　as　there　are　lots　of　things　one　wants　to　do　for　people　who　help　you　and　this　will　be　as　good　as　any。　　Members　of　the　club　are　the　only　persons　not　eligible　to　any　medal　bestowed　by　the　club　and　the　eligibility　for　membership　is　determined　by　certain　distances　which　a　man　must　have　travelled。　　Although　the　idea　really　is　to　keep　it　right　down　to　our　own　crowd　and　make　each　man　justify　the　smallness　of　the　club's　membership　by　doing　something　worth　while。　　I　am　President。　　Bonsal　is　vice　president。　　Russell　treasurer　and　Griscom　Secretary。　　Somerset　is　the　solitary　member。　　You　and　Sam　and　Helen　and　Elizabeth　Bisland　are　at　present　the　only　honorary　members。　　We　are　also　giving　gold　medals　to　the　two　chaps　who　crossed　Asia　on　bicycles；　to　Willie　Chanler　and　James　Creelman；　but　that　does　not　make　them　members。　　It　only　shows　we　as　a　club　think　they　have　done　a　sporting　act。　　I　hope　you　like　the　idea。　　We　have　gone　over　it　for　a　month　and　considered　it　in　every　way　and　I　think　we　ar