adventures and letters-第41部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　me　in　line　got　a　bullet　through　his　sleeve　and　one　through　his　shirt　and　you　could　see　where　it　went　in　and　came　out　without　touching　the　skin。　　The　firing　was　very　high　and　we　were　in　no　danger　so　I　told　the　lieutenant　to　let　us　charge　across　an　open　place　and　take　a　tin　shack　which　was　held　by　the　Spaniards'　rear　guard；　for　they　were　open　in　retreat。　　Roosevelt　ordered　his　men　to　do　the　same　thing　and　we　ran　forward　cheering　across　the　open　and　then　dropped　in　the　grass　and　fired。　　I　guess　I　fired　about　twenty　rounds　and　then　formed　into　a　strategy　board　and　went　off　down　the　trail　to　scout。　　I　got　lonely　and　was　coming　back　when　I　met　another　trooper　who　sat　down　and　said　he　was　too　hot　to　run　in　any　direction　Spaniard　or　no　Spaniard。　　So　we　sat　down　and　panted。　　At　last　he　asked　me　if　I　was　R。　H。　D。　and　I　said　I　was　and　he　said　〃I'm　Dean；　I　met　you　in　Harvard　in　the　racquet　court。〃　　Then　we　embracedthe　tenth　came　up　then　and　it　was　all　over。　　My　leg；　thank　goodness；　is　all　right　again　and　has　been　so　for　three　days。　　It　was　only　the　running　about　that　caused　it。　　I　won't　have　to　run　again　as　I　have　a　horse　now　and　there　will　be　no　more　ambushes　and　moreover　we　have　12；000　men　around　us　Being　together　that　way　in　a　tight　place　has　made　us　all　friends　and　I　guess　I'll　stick　to　the　regiment。　　Send　this　to　dear　Mother　and　tell　her　I　was　not　born　to　be　killed。　　I　ought　to　tell　you　more　of　the　charming　side　of　the　lifewe　are　all　dirty　and　hungry　and　sleep　on　the　ground　and　have　grand　talks　on　every　subject　around　the　headquarters　tent。　　I　was　never　more　happy　and　content　and　never　so　well。　　It　is　hot　but　at　night　it　is　quite　cool　and　there　has　been　no　rain　only　a　few　showers。　‘No　one　is　ill　and　there　have　been　no　cases　of　fever。　　I　have　not　heard　from　you　or　any　one　since　the　14th；　which　is　not　really　long　but　so　much　goes　on　that　it　seems　so。　　Lots　of　love　to　you　all。

DICK。


After　reading　this　over　I　ought　perhaps　to　say　that　the　position　of　the　real　correspondents　is　absolutely　the　very　best。　　No　one　confounds　us　with　the　men　at　the　base；　and　nothing　they　have　they　deny　us。　　We　are　treated　immeasurably　better　than　the　poor　attaches　who　are　still　on　the　ship　and　who　if　they　were　spies　could　not　be　treated　worse。　　But　for　Whitney；　Remington　and　myself　nothing　is　too　good。　　Generals　fight　to　have　us　on　their　staffs　and　all　that　sort　of　thing；　so　I　really　cannot　complain；　except　about　the　fact　that　our　real　news　is　crowded　out　by　the　faker　in　the　rear。


SANTIAGO。

Headquarters　Cavalry　Division；　U。　S。　Army。　Headqrs。　　Wood's　Rough　Riders。

June　29th；　1898。　DEAR　DAD：

I　suppose　you　are　back　from　Marion　now　and　I　have　missed　you。　　I　can't　tell　you　how　sorry　I　am。　　I　wanted　to　see　you　coming　up　the　street　this　summer　in　your　knickerbockers　and　with　no　fish；　but　still　happy。　　Never　mind；　we　shall　do　the　theatres　this　Fall；　and　have　good　walks　downtown。　　I　hope　Mother　will　come　up　and　visit　me　this　September；　at　Marion　and　sit　on　Allen's　and　on　the　Clarks'　porch　and　we　can　have　Chas。　too。　　I　suppose　he　will　have　had　his　holiday　but　he　can　come　up　for　a　Sunday。　　We　expect　to　move　up　on　Santiago　the　day　after　to…morrow；　and　it's　about　time；　for　the　trail　will　not　be　passable　much　longer。　　It　rains　every　day　at　three　o'clock　for　an　hour　and　such　rain　you　never　guessed。　　It　is　three　inches　high　for　an　hour。　　Then　we　all　go　out　naked　and　dig　trenches　to　get　it　out　of　the　way。　　It　is　very　rough　living。　　I　have　to　confess　that　I　never　knew　how　well　off　I　was　until　I　got　to　smoking　Durham　tobacco　and　I've　only　half　a　bag　of　that　left。　　The　enlisted　men　are　smoking　dried　horse　droppings；　grass；　roots　and　tea。　　Some　of　them　can't　sleep　they　are　so　nervous　for　the　want　of　it；　but　to…day　a　lot　came　up　and　all　will　be　well　for　them。　　I've　had　a　steady　ration　of　coffee；　bacon　and　hard　tack　for　a　week　and　one　mango；　to　night　we　had　beans。　　Of　course；　what　they　ought　to　serve　is　rice　and　beans　as　fried　bacon　is　impossible　in　this　heat。　　Still；　every　one　is　well。　　This　is　the　best　crowd　to　be　withthey　are　so　well　educated　and　so　interesting。　　The　regular　army　men　are　very　dull　and　narrow　and　would　bore　one　to　death。　　We　have　Wood；　Roosevelt；　Lee；　the　British　Attache；　Whitney　and　a　Doctor　Church；　a　friend　of　mine　from　Princeton；　who　is　quite　the　most　cheerful　soul　and　the　funniest　I　ever　met。　　He　carried　four　men　from　the　firing　line　the　other　day　back　half　a　mile　to　the　hospital　tent。　　He　spends　most　of　his　time　coming　around　headquarters　in　an　undershirt　of　mine　and　a　gold　bracelet　fighting　tarantulas。　　I　woke　up　the　other　morning　with　one　seven　inches　long　and　as　hairy　as　your　head　reposing　on　my　pillow。　　My　sciatica　bothers　me　but　has　not　prevented　me　seeing　everything　and　I　can　dig　rain　gutters　and　cut　wood　with　any　of　them。　　It　is　very　funny　to　see　Larned；　the　tennis　champion；　whose　every　movement　at　Newport　was　applauded　by　hundreds　of　young　women；　marching　up　and　down　in　the　wet　grass。　　Whitney　and　I　guy　him。　　To…day　a　sentry　on　post　was　reading　〃As　You　Like　It〃　and　whenever　I　go　down　the　line　half　the　men　want　to　know　who　won　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　un