adventures and letters-第46节

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the　boat　race　To…day　Wood　sent　me　out　with　a　detail　on　a　pretense　of　scouting　but　really　to　give　them　a　chance　to　see　the　country。　　They　were　all　college　boys；　with　Willie　Tiffany　as　sergeant　and　we　had　a　fine　time　and　could　see　the　Spanish　sentries　quite　plainly　without　a　glass。　　I　hope　you　will　not　worry　over　this　long　separation。　　I　don't　know　of　any　experience　I　have　had　which　has　done　me　so　much　good；　and　being　with　such　a　fine　lot　of　fellows　is　a　great　pleasure。　　The　scenery　is　very　beautiful　when　it　is　not　raining。　　I　have　a　cot　raised　off　the　ground　in　the　Colonel's　tent　and　am　very　well　off。　　If　Chaffee　or　Lawton；　who　are　the　finest　type　of　officers　I　ever　saw；　were　in　command；　we　would　have　been　fighting　every　day　and　would　probably　have　been　in　by　this　time。　　This　weather　shows　that　Havana　must　be　put　off　after　Porto　Rico。　　They　cannot　campaign　in　this　mud。

DICK。


SANTIAGO；　July　1898。　DEAR　FAMILY：

This　is　just　to　reassure　you　that　I　am　all　right。　　I　and　Marshall　were　the　only　correspondents　with　Roosevelt。　　We　were　caught　in　a　clear　case　of　ambush。　　Every　precaution　had　been　taken；　but　the　natives　knew　the　ground　and　our　men　did　not。　　It　was　the　hottest；　nastiest　fight　I　ever　imagined。　　We　never　saw　the　enemy　except　glimpses。　　Our　men　fell　all　over　the　place；　shouting　to　the　others　not　to　mind　them；　but　to　go　on。　　I　got　excited　and　took　a　carbine　and　charged　the　sugar　house；　which　was　what　is　called　the　key　to　the　position。　　If　the　men　had　been　regulars　I　would　have　sat　in　the　rear　as　B　did；　but　I　knew　every　other　one　of　them；　had　played　football；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing；　with　them；　so　I　thought　as　an　American　I　ought　to　help。　　The　officers　were　falling　all　over　the　shop；　and　after　it　was　all　over　Roosevelt　made　me　a　long　speech　before　some　of　the　men；　and　offered　me　a　captaincy　in　the　regiment　any　time　I　wanted　it。　　He　told　the　Associated　Press　man　that　there　was　no　officer　in　his　regiment　who　had　〃been　of　more　help　or　shown　more　courage〃　than　your　humble　servant；　so　that's　all　right。　　After　this　I　keep　quiet。　　I　promise　I　keep　quiet。　　Love　to　you　all。

RICHARD。


From　Cuba　Richard　sailed　with　our　forces　to　Porto　Rico；　where　his　experiences　in　the　Spanish…American　war　came　to　an　end；　and　he　returned　to　Marion。　　He　spent　the　fall　in　New　York；　and　early　in　1899　went　to　London。

One　of　the　most　interesting；　certainly　the　most　widely　talked　of；　〃sporting　events〃　for　which　Richard　was　responsible　was　the　sending　of　an　English　district…messenger　boy　from　London　to　Chicago。　　The　idea　was　inspired　by　my　brother's　general　admiration　of　the　London　messenger　service　and　his　particular　belief　in　one　William　Thomas　Jaggers；　a　fourteen…year…old　lad　whom　Richard　had　frequently　employed　to　carry　notes　and　run　errands。　　One　day；　during　a　casual　luncheon　conversation　at　the　Savoy　with　his　friend　Somers　Somerset；　Richard　said　that　he　believed　that　if　Jaggers　were　asked　to　carry　a　message　to　New　York　that　he　could　not　only　do　it　but　would　express　no　surprise　at　the　commission。　　This　conversation　resulted　in　the　bet　described　in　the　following　letters。　　The　boy　slipped　quietly　away　from　London；　but　a　few　days　later　the　bet　became　public　and　the　newspapers　were　filled　with　speculation　as　to　whether　Jaggers　could　beat　the　mails。　　The　messenger　carried　three　letters；　one　to　my　sister；　one　to　Miss　Cecil　Clark　of　Chicago；　whom　Richard　married　a　few　months　later；　and　one　to　myself。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Jaggers　delivered　his　notes　several　hours　before　letters　travelling　by　the　same　boat　reached　the　same　destinations。　　The　newspapers　not　only　printed　long　accounts　of　Jaggers's　triumphal　progress　from　New　York　to　Chicago　and　back　again；　but　used　the　success　of　his　undertaking　as　a　text　for　many　editorials　against　the　dilatory　methods　of　our　foreign…mail　service。　　Jaggers　left　London　on　March　11；　1899；　and　was　back　again　on　the　29th；　having　travelled　nearly　eighty…four　hundred　miles　in　eighteen　days。　　On　his　return　he　was　received　literally　by　a　crowd　of　thousands；　and　his　feat　was　given　official　recognition　by　a　gold　medal　pinned　on　his　youthful　chest　by　the　Duchess　of　Rutland。　　Also；　later　on；　at　a　garden　fete　he　was　presented　to　the　Queen；　and　incidentally；　still　later；　returned　to　the　United　States　as　〃buttons〃　to　my　brother's　household。


Bachelors'　Club；　Piccadilly；　W。　March　15th；　1899。　DEAR　CHAS。

I　hope　you　are　not　annoyed　about　Jaggers。　　When　he　started　no　one　knew　of　it　but　three　people　and　I　had　no　idea　anyone　else　would；　but　the　company　sent　it　to　The　Mail　without　my　name　but　describing　me　as　〃an　American　gentleman〃　Instantly　the　foreign　correspondents　went　to　them　to　find　out　who　I　was　and　to　whom　I　was　sending　the　letter　I　told　the　company　it　was　none　of　their　damned　businessthat　I　employed　the　boy　by　the　week　and　that　I　could　send　him　where…ever　I　chose。　　Then　the　boy's　father　got　proud　and　wrote　to　The　Mail　about　his　age　and　so　they　got　the　boy's　name。　　Mine；　however；　is　still　out　of　it；　but　in　America　they　are　sure　to　know　as　the　people　on　the　steamer　are　crazy　about　him　and　Kinsey　the　Purser　knows　he　is　sent　by　me。　　After　he　gets　back　from　Chicago　and　Philadelphia；　you　can　do　with　him　as　you　like　until　the　steamer　sails。　　If　the　thing　is　taken　up　as　it　is　here　and　the　fat　is　in　the　fire；　then　you　can　do　as　you　please　I　mean　you　can　tell　the　papers　about　it　or　not　Somerset　holds　one　end　of　the　bets　and　I　the　other。　　There　are　two　bets：　one　that　he　will　beat　the　mail　to　Chicago；　Somerset　agreeing　to　consider　the　letter　you　give　him　to　Bruce；　as　equivalent　to　one　coming　from　here。　　The　other　bet　is　that　he　will　deliver　and　get　receipts　from　you；　Nora　and　Bruce；　and　return　here　by　the　5th　of　April　You　and　Bobby　ought　to　be　able　to　do　well　by　him　if　it　becomes；　as　I　say；　so　far　public　that　there　is　no　possibility　of　further　concealment　You　have　my　permission　to　do　what　you　please　He　is　coming　into　my　employ　as　soon　as　he　gets　back　and　as　soon　as　the　company　give　him　a　medal。

Over　here　there　is　the　greatest　possible　interest　in　the　matter　At　the　Clubs　I　go　to；　the　waiters　all　wait　on　me　in　order　to　have　the　latest　developments　and　when　it　was　cabled　over　here　that　the　Customs'　people　intended　stopping　him；　indignation　raged　at　the　Foreign　office。

of　love；

DICK。


89　Jermyn　Street；　S。　W。

March1899　DEAR　NORA：

This　is　to　be　handed　to　you　by　my　special　messenger；　who　is　to　assure　you　that　I　am　in　the　best　of　health　and　spirits　Keep　him　for　a　few　hours　and　then　send　him　on　to　Chicago　As　he　is　doing　this　on　a　bet；　do　not　give　him　any　written　instructions　only　verbal　ones。　　I　am　very　well　and　happy　and　send　you　all　my　love　Jaggers　has　been　running　errands　for　me　ever　since　I　came　here；　and　a　most　loyal　servitor　when　I　was　ill　On　his　return　I　want　to　keep　him　on　as　a　buttons。　　See　that　he　gets　plenty　to　eat　If　he　comes　back　alive　he　will　have　broken　the　messenger　boy　service　record　by　three　thousand　miles。　　Personally；　it　does　not　cost　me　anything　to　speak　of。　　The　dramatization　of　the　Soldiers　continues　briskly；　and　Maude　is　sending　Grundy　back　the　Jackal；　to　have　a　second　go　at　it。　　Maude　insists　on　its　being　doneso　I　stand　to　win　a　lot。　RICHARD。


Beefsteak　Club；　9；　Green　Street；　Leicester　Square；　W。　C。　Tuesday。　　March1899。　DEAR　MOTHER：

The　faithful　Jaggers　should　have　arrived　to…day；　or　will　do　so　this　evening　I　am　sure　you　will　make　the　poor　little　chap　comfortable　I　do　regret　having　sent　him　on　such　a　journey　especially　since　the　papers　here　made　such　an　infernal　row　over　it　However；　neither　of　us　will　lose　by　it　in　the　end

I　dined　with　Lady　Clarke　last　night　and　met　Lord　Castleton　there　and　he　invited　me　up　to　Dublin　for　the　Punchtown　Races　I　have　a　great　mind　to　go　and　write　a　story　on　them　Castleton　is　a　great　sport　and　very　popular　at　home　and　in　England　and　it　would　be　a　pleasant　experience。　　Kuhne　Beveridge　is　doing　a　bust　of　me　in　khaki　outfit　for　the　Academy　and　also　for　a　private　exhibition　of　her　own　works；　which　includes　the　Prince　of　Wales；　and　the　Little　Queen　of　Holland。

Hays　Hammond　has　invited　me　down　to　South　Africa　again；　with　a　promise　of　making　my　fortune；　but　I　am　not　going　as　it　takes　too　long。　DICK。




CHAPTER　XII

THE　BOER　WAR


On　May　4；　1899；　at　Marion；　Massachusetts；　Richard　was　married　to　Cecil　Clark；　the　daughter　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　John　M。　Clark　of　Chicago。　　After　the　marriage　Richard　and　his　wife　spent　a　few　weeks　in　Marion　and　the　remainder　of　the　summer　in　London　and　Aix…les…Bains。


MARION；　May　28th；　1899。　DEAR　MOTHER：

You　sent　me　such　a　good　letter　about　the　visit　of　the　three　selected　chorus　girls。　　But　what　was　best；　was　about　your　wishing　to　see　me。　　Of　course；　you　know　that　I　feel　that　too。　　I　would　have　it　so　that　we　all　lived　here；　so　that　Dad　could　fish；　and　Nora　and　Cecil　could　discuss　life；　and　you　and　I　could　just　take　walks　and　chat。　　But　because　that　cannot　be；　we　are　no　further　away　than　we　ever　were　and　when　the　pain　to　see　you　comes；　I　don't　let　it　hurt　and　I　don't　kill　it　either　for　it　is　the　sweetest　pain　I　can　feel。　　If　sons　will　go　off　and　marry；　or　be　war…correspondents；　or　managers；　it　does　not　mean　that　Home　is　any　the　less　Home。　　You　can't　wipe　out　history　by　changing　the　name　of　a　boulevard；　as　somebody　said　of　the　French；