adventures and letters-第43节

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dn't　stop　until　I　caught　by　my　arms　and　the　back　of　my　neck。　　It　was　very　dark　and　they　had　opened　it　while　I　was　in　a　cabin。　　The　Jackie　whose　business　it　was　to　watch　it　was　worse　scared　than　I　was；　and　I　looked　up　at　him　while　still　hanging　to　the　edges　with　my　neck　and　arms　and　said　〃why　didn't　you　tell　me？〃　　He　shook　his　head　and　said；　〃that's　so；　Sir；　I　certainly　should　have　told　you；　I　certainly　should〃　They're　exactly　like　children　and　the　reason　is；　I　think；　because　they　are　so　shut　off　from　the　contamination　of　the　world。　　One　of　these　ships　is　like　living　in　a　monastery；　and　they　are　as　disciplined　and　gentle　as　monks；　and　as　reckless　as　cowboys。　　When　I　go　forward　and　speak　to　one　of　them　they　all　gather　round　and　sit　on　the　deck　in　circles　and　we　talk　and　they　listen　and　make　the　most　interesting　comments　The　middy　who　fired　the　first　gun　at　Matanzas　is　a　modest　alert　boy　about　18　years　old　and　crazy　about　his　work　So；　the　Captain　selected　him　for　the　honor　and　also　because　there　is　such　jealousy　between　the　bow　and　stern　guns　that　he　decided　not　to　risk　feelings　being　hurt　by　giving　it　to　either　So；　Boone　who　was　at　Annapolis　a　month　ago　was　told　to　fire　the　shot　We　all　took　his　name　and　he　has　grown　about　three　inches。　　We　told　him　all　of　the　United　States　and　England　would　be　ringing　with　his　name　When　I　was　alone　he　came　and　sat　down　on　a　gull　beside　me　and　told　me　he　was　very　glad　they　had　let　him　fire　that　first　gun　because　his　mother　was　an　invalid　and　he　had　gone　into　the　navy　against　her　wish　and　he　hoped　now　that　she　would　be　satisfied　when　she　saw　his　name　in　the　papers。　　He　was　too　sweet　and　boyish　about　it　for　words　and　I　am　going　to　take　a　snapshot　at　him　and　put　his　picture　in　Scribner's〃he　only　stands　about　so　high〃

DICK。


I　enclose　a　souvenir　of　the　bombardment。　　Please　keep　it　carefully　for　me　It　was　the　first　shot　〃in　anger〃　in　thirty　years。


TAMPA；　May　3rd；　1898。　DEAR　NORA：

We　are　still　here　and　probably　will　be。　　It　is　a　merry　war；　if　there　were　only　some　girls　here　the　place　would　be　perfect。　　I　don't　know　what's　the　matter　with　the　American　girlhere　am　Iand　Stenie　and　Willie　Chanler　and　Frederick　Remington　and　all　the　boy　officers　of　the　army　and　not　one　solitary；　ugly；　plain；　pretty；　or　beautiful　girl。　　I　bought　a　fine　pony　to…day；　her　name　was　Ellaline　but　I　thought　that　was　too　much　glory　for　Ellaline　so　I　diffused　it　over　the　whole　company　by　re…christening　her　Gaiety　Girl；　because　she　is　so　quiet；　all　the　Gaiety　Girls　I　know　are　quiet。

She　never　does　what　I　tell　her　anyway；　so　it　doesn't　matter　what　I　call　her。　　But　when　this　cruel　war　is　over　（6　a　day　with　bath　room　adjoining）　I　am　going　to　have　an　oil　painting　of　her　labelled　〃Gaiety　Girl　the　Kentucky　Mare　that　carried　the　news　of　the　fall　of　Havana　to　Matanzas；　fifty　miles　under　fire　and　Richard　Harding　Davis。〃　　To…morrow　I　am　going　to　buy　a　saddle　and　a　servant。　　War　is　a　cruel　thing　especially　to　army　officers。　　They　have　to　wear　uniforms　and　are　not　allowed　to　take　off　their　trousers　to　keep　cool　They　take　off　everything　else　except　their　hats　and　sit　in　the　dining　room　without　their　coats　or　collars　That's　because　it　is　war　time。　　They　are　terrible　braveyou　can　see　it　by　the　way　they　wear　bouquets　on　their　tunics　and　cigarette　badges　and　Cuban　flags　and　by　not　saluting　their　officers。　　One　General　counted　today　and　forty　enlisted　men　passed　him　without　saluting。　　The　army　will　have　to　do　a　lot　of　fighting　to　make　itself　solid　with　me。　　They　are　mounted　police。　　We　have　a　sentry　here；　he　sits　in　a　rocking　chair。　　Imagine　one　of　Sampson's　or　Dewey's　bluejackets　sitting　down　even　on　a　gun　carriage。　　Wait　till　I　write　my　book。　　I　wouldn't　say　a　word　now　but　when　I　write　that　book　I'll　give　them　large　space　rates。　　I　am　writing　it　now；　the　first　batch　comes　out　in　Scribner's　in　July。

to　you　all。

DICK。


During　the　early　days　of　the　war；　Richard　received　the　appointment　of　a　captaincy；　but　on　the　advice　of　his　friends　that　his　services　were　more　valuable　as　a　correspondent；　he　refused　the　commission。　　The　following　letter　shows　that　at　least　at　the　time　my　brother　regretted　the　decision；　but　as　events　turned　out　he　succeeded　in　rendering　splendid　service　not　only　as　a　correspondent　but　in　the　field。


TAMPAMay　14；　1898。　DEAR　CHAS。

On　reflection　I　am　greatly　troubled　that　I　declined　the　captaincy。　　It　is　unfortunate　that　I　had　not　time　to　consider　it。　　We　shall　not　have　another　war　and　I　can　always　be　a　war　correspondent　in　other　countries　but　never　again　have　a　chance　to　serve　in　my　own。　　The　people　here　think　it　was　the　right　thing　to　do　but　the　outside　people　won't。　　Not　that　I　care　about　that；　but　I　think　I　was　weak　not　to　chance　it。　　I　don't　know　exactly　what　I　ought　to　do。　　When　I　see　all　these　kid　militia　men　enlisted　it　makes　me　feel　like　the　devil。　　I've　no　doubt　many　of　them　look　upon　it　as　a　sort　of　a　holiday　and　an　outing　and　like　it　for　the　excitement；　but　it　would　bore　me　to　death。　　The　whole　thing　would　bore　me　if　I　thought　I　had　to　keep　at　it　for　a　year　or　more。　　That　is　the　fault　of　my　having　had　too　much　excitement　and　freedom。　　It　spoils　me　to　make　sacrifices　that　other　men　can　make。　　Whichever　way　it　comes　out　I　shall　be　sorry　and　feel　I　did　not　do　the　right　thing。　　Lying　around　this　hotel　is　enough　to　demoralize　anybody。　　We　are　much　more　out　of　it　than　you　are；　and　one　gets　cynical　and　loses　interest。　　On　the　other　hand　I　would　be　miserable　to　go　back　and　have　done　nothing。　　It　is　a　question　of　character　entirely　and　I　don't　feel　I've　played　the　part　at　all。　　It's　all　very　well　to　say　you　are　doing　more　by　writing；　but　are　you？　　It's　an　easy　game　to　look　on　and　pat　the　other　chaps　on　the　back　with　a　few　paragraphs；　that　is　cheap　patriotism。　　They're　taking　chances　and　you're　not　and　when　the　war's　over　they'll　be　happy　and　I　won't。　　The　man　that　enlists　or　volunteers　even　if　he　doesn't　get　further　than　Chickamauga　or　Gretna　Green　and　the　man　who　doesn't　enlist　at　all　but　minds　his　own　business　is　much　better　off　than　I　will　be　writing　about　what　other　men　do　and　not　doing　it　myself；　especially　as　I　had　a　chance　of　a　life　time；　and　declined　it。　　I'll　always　feel　I　lost　in　character　by　not　sticking　to　it　whether　I　had　to　go　to　Arizona　or　Governor's　Island。　　I　was　unfortunate　in　having　Lee　and　Remington　to　advise　me。　　We　talked　for　two　hours　in　Fred's　bedroom　and　they　were　both　dead　against　it　and　Lee　composed　my　telegram　to　the　president。　　Now；　I　feel　sure　I　did　wrong。　　Shafter　did　not　care　and　the　other　officers　were　delighted　and　said　it　was　very　honorable　and　manly　giving　me　credit　for　motives　I　didn't　have。　　I　just　didn't　think　it　was　good　enough　although　I　wanted　it　too　and　I　missed　something　I　can　never　get　again。　　I　am　very　sad　about　it。　　I　know　all　the　arguments　for　not　taking　it　but　as　a　matter　of　fact　I　should　have　done　so。　　I　would　have　made　a　good　aide；　and　had　I　got　a　chance　I　certainly　would　have　won　out　and　been　promoted。　　That　there　are　fools　appointed　with　me　is　no　answer。　　I　wouldn't　have　stayed　in　their　class　long。

DICK。

TAMPA；　May　29；　1898。　DEAR　CHAS。：


The　cigars　came；　they　are　O。　K。　and　a　great　treat　after　Tampa　products。　　Captain　Lee　and　I　went　out　to　the　volunteer　camps　today：　　Florida；　Alabama；　Ohio　and　Michigan；　General　Lee's　push；　and　it　has　depressed　me　very　much。　　I　have　been　so　right　about　so　many　things　these　last　five　years；　and　was　laughed　at　for　making　much　of　them。　　Now　all　I　urged　is　proved　to　be　correct；　nothing　our　men　wear　is　right。　　The　shoes；　the　hats；　the　coats；　all　are　dangerous　to　health　and　comfort；　one…third　of　the　men　cannot　wear　the　regulation　shoe　because　it　cuts　the　instep；　and　buy　their　own；　and　the　volunteers　are　like　the　Cuban　army　in　appearance。　　The　Greek　army；　at　which　I　made　such　sport；　is　a　fine　organization　in　comparison　as　far　as　outfit　goes；　of　course；　there　is　no　comparison　in　the　spirit　of　the　men。　　One　colonel　of　the　Florida　regiment　told　us　that　one…third　of　his　men　had　never　fired　a　gun。　　They　live　on　the　ground；　there　are　no　rain　trenches　around　the　tents；　or　gutters　along　the　company　streets；　the　latrines　are　dug　to　windward　of　the　camp；　and　all　the　refuse　is　burned　to　WINDWARD。

Half　of　the　men　have　no　uniforms　nor　shoes。　　I　pointed　out　some　of　the　unnecessary　discomforts　the　men　were　undergoing　through　ignorance；　and　one　colonel；　a　Michigan　politician；　said；　〃Oh；　well；　they'll　learn。　　It　will　be　a　good　lesson　for　them。〃　　Instead　of　telling　them；　or　telling　their　captains；　he　thinks　it　best　that　they　should　find　things　out　by　suffering。　　I　cannot　decide　whether　to　write　anything　about　it　or　not。　　I　cannot　see　where　it　could　do　any　good；　for　it　is　the　system　that　is　wrongthe　whole　volunteer　system；　I　mean。　　Captain　Lee　happened　to　be　in　Washington　when　the　first　Manila　outfit　was　starting　from　San　Francisco；　and　it　was　on　his　representations　that　they　gave　the　men　hammocks；　and　took　a　store　of　Mexican　dollars。　　They　did　not　know　that　Mexican　dollars　are　the　only　currency　of　the　East；　and　were　expecting　to　pay　the　men　in　drafts　on　New　York。

Isn't　that　a　pitiable　situation　when　a　captain　of　an　English　company　happens　to　stray　into　the　war　office；　and　happens　to　have　a　good　heart　and　busies　himself　to　see　that　our　own