the lost road-第3章

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that　it　was　prudent。

For　some　reason；　perhaps　a　defective　circulation　or　a　weakened
heart；　his　system　failed　to　react　from　these　cold…water　baths。
All　through　the　days　he　complained　of　feeling　chilled。　　He　never
seemed　to　get　thoroughly　warmed；　and　of　us　all　he　was　the　one　who
suffered　most　keenly　from　the　cold。　　It　was　all　the　more
surprising；　for　his　appearance　was　always　that　of　a　man　in　the
pink　of　athletic　fitnessruddy…faced；　clear…eyed；　and　full　of
tireless　energy。

On　one　occasion　we　returned　from　the　French　front　in　Serbia　to
Salonika　in　a　box　car　lighted　only　by　candles；　bitterly　cold；　and
frightfully　exhausting。　　We　were　seven　hours　in　travelling
fifty…five　miles；　and　we　arrived　at　our　destination　at　three
o'clock　in　the　morning。　　Several　of　the　men　contracted　desperate
colds；　which　clung　to　them　for　weeks。　　Davis　was　chilled　through；
and　said　that　of　all　the　cold　he　had　ever　experienced　that　which
swept　across　the　Macedonian　plain　from　the　Balkan　highlands　was
the　most　penetrating。　　Even　his　heavy　clothing　could　not　afford　him
adequate　protection。

When　he　was　settled　in　his　own　room　in　our　hotel　he　installed　an
oil…stove　which　burned　beside　him　as　he　sat　at　his　desk　and　wrote
his　stories。　　The　room　was　like　an　oven；　but　even　then　he　still
complained　of　the　cold。

When　he　left　he　gave　us　the　stove；　and　when　we　left；　some　time
later；　it　was　presented　to　one　of　our　doctor　friends　out　in　a
British　hospital；　where　I'm　sure　it　is　doing　its　best　to　thaw　the
Balkan　chill　out　of　sick　and　wounded　soldiers。

Davis　was　always　up　early；　and　his　energy　and　interest　were　as
keen　as　a　boy's。　　We　had　our　meals　together；　sometimes　in　the
crowded　and　rather　smart　Bastasini's；　but　more　often　in　the
maelstrom　of　humanity　that　nightly　packed　the　Olympos　Palace
restaurant。　　Davis；　Shepherd；　Hare；　and　I；　with　sometimes　Mr。　and
Mrs。　John　Bass；　made　up　these　parties；　which；　for　a　period　of
about　two　weeks　or　so；　were　the　most　enjoyable　daily　events　of
our　lives。

Under　the　glaring　lights　of　the　restaurant；　and　surrounded　by
British；　French；　Greek；　and　Serbian　officers；　German；　Austrian；
and　Bulgarian　civilians；　with　a　sprinkling　of　American；　English；
and　Scotch　nurses　and　doctors；　packed　so　solidly　in　the　huge；
high…ceilinged　room　that　the　waiters　could　barely　pick　their　way
among　the　tables；　we　hung　for　hours　over　our　dinners；　and　left
only　when　the　landlord　and　his　Austrian　wife　counted　the　day's
receipts　and　paid　the　waiters　at　the　end　of　the　evening。

One　could　not　imagine　a　more　charming　and　delightful　companion
than　Davis　during　these　days。　　While　he　always　asserted　that　he
could　not　make　a　speech；　and　was　terrified　at　the　thought　of
standing　up　at　a　banquet…table；　yet；　sitting　at　a　dinner…table
with　a　few　friends　who　were　only　too　eager　to　listen　rather　than
to　talk；　his　stories；　covering　personal　experiences　in　all　parts
of　the　world；　were　intensely　vivid；　with　that　remarkable
〃holding〃　quality　of　description　which　characterizes　his
writings。

He　brought　his　own　breada　coarse；　brown　sort；　which　he　preferred
to　the　better　white　breadand　with　it　he　ate　great　quantities　of
butter。　　As　we　sat　down　at　the　table　his　first　demand　was　for
〃Mastika；〃　a　peculiar　Greek　drink　distilled　from　mastic　gum；　and
his　second　demand　invariably　was　〃Du　beurre！〃　with　the　〃r's〃　as
silent　as　the　stars；　and　if　it　failed　to　come　at　once　the　waiter
was　made　to　feel　the　enormity　of　his　tardiness。

The　reminiscences　ranged　from　his　early　newspaper　days　in
Philadelphia；　and　skipping　from　Manchuria　to　Cuba　and　Central
America；　to　his　early　Sun　days　under　Arthur　Brisbane；　they　ranged
through　an　endless　variety　of　personal　experiences　which　very
nearly　covered　the　whole　course　of　American　history　in　the　past
twenty　years。

Perhaps　to　him　it　was　pleasant　to　go　over　his　remarkable　adventures；
but　it　could　not　have　been　half　as　pleasant　as　it　was　to　hear　them；　told
as　they　were　with　a　keenness　of　description　and　brilliancy　of　humorous
comment　that　made　them　gems　of　narrative。

At　times；　in　our　work；　we　all　tried　our　hands　at　describing　the
Salonika　of　those　early　days　of　the　Allied　occupation；　for　it　was
really　what　one　widely　travelled　British　officer　called　it〃the
most　amazingly　interesting　situation　I've　ever　seen〃…but　Davis's
description　was　far　and　away　the　best；　just　as　his　description　of
Vera　Cruz　was　the　best；　and　his　wonderful　story　of　the　entry　of
the　German　army　into　Brussels　was　matchless　as　one　of　the　great
pieces　of　reporting　in　the　present　war。

In　thinking　of　Davis；　I　shall　always　remember　him　for　the
delightful　qualities　which　he　showed　in　Salonika。　　He　was
unfailingly　considerate　and　thoughtful。　　Through　his　narratives
one　could　see　the　pride　which　he　took　in　the　width　and　breadth　of
his　personal　relation　to　the　great　events　of　the　past　twenty
years。　　His　vast　scope　of　experiences　and　equally　wide
acquaintanceship　with　the　big　figures　of　our　time；　were　amazing；
and　it　was　equally　amazing　that　one　of　such　a　rich　and
interesting　history　could　tell　his　stories　in　such　a　simple　way
that　the　personal　element　was　never　obtrusive。

When　he　left　Salonika　he　endeavored　to　obtain　permission　from
the　British　staff　to　visit　Moudros；　but；　failing　in　this；　he　booked
his　passage　on　a　crowded　little　Greek　steamer；　where　the　only
obtainable　accommodation　was　a　lounge　in　the　dining　saloon。
We　gave　him　a　farewell　dinner；　at　which　the　American　consul
and　his　family；　with　all　the　other　Americans　then　in　Salonika；　were
present；　and　after　the　dinner　we　rowed　out　to　his　ship　and　saw
him　very　uncomfortably　installed　for　his　voyage。

He　came　down　the　sea　ladder　and　waved　his　hand　as　we　rowed　away。
That　was　the　last　I　saw　of　Richard　Harding　Davis。

JOHN　T。　MCCUTCHEON。





THE　LOST　ROAD




During　the　war　with　Spain；　Colton　Lee　came　into　the　service　as　a
volunteer。　　For　a　young　man；　he　always　had　taken　life　almost　too
seriously；　and　when；　after　the　campaign　in　Cuba；　he　elected　to
make　soldiering　his　profession；　the　seriousness　with　which　he
attacked　his　new　work　surprised　no　one。　　Finding　they　had　lost　him
forever；　his　former　intimates　were　bored；　but　his　colonel　was
enthusiastic；　and　the　men　of　his　troop　not　only　loved；　but
respected　him。

From　the　start　he　determined　in　his　new　life　women　should　have　no
parta　determination　that　puzzled　no　one　so　much　as　the　women；
for　to　Lee　no　woman；　old　or　young；　had　found　cause　to　be
unfriendly。　　But　he　had　read　that　the　army　is　a　jealous　mistress
who　brooks　no　rival；　that　〃red　lips　tarnish　the　scabbard　steel；〃
that　〃he　travels　the　fastest　who　travels　alone。〃

So；　when　white　hands　beckoned　and　pretty　eyes　signalled；　he　did
not　look。　　For　five　years；　until　just　before　he　sailed　for　his
three　years　of　duty　in　the　Philippines；　he　succeeded　not　only　in
not　looking；　but　in　building　up　for　himself　such　a　fine
reputation　as　a　woman…hater　that　all　women　were　crazy　about　him。
Had　he　not　been　ordered　to　Agawamsett　that　fact　would　not　have
affected　him。　　But　at　the　Officers'　School　he　had　indulged　in　hard
study　rather　than　in　hard　riding；　had　overworked；　had　brought
back　his　Cuban　fever；　and　was　in　poor　shape　to　face　the　tropics。
So；　for　two　months　before　the　transport　was　to　sail；　they　ordered
him　to　Cape　Cod　to　fill　his　lungs　with　the　bracing　air　of　a　New
England　autumn。

He　selected　Agawamsett；　because；　when　at　Harvard；　it　was　there　he
had　spent　his　summer　vacations；　and　he　knew　he　would　find
sailboats　and　tennis　and；　through　the　pine　woods　back　of　the
little　whaling　village；　many　miles　of　untravelled　roads。　　He
promised　himself　that　over　these　he　would　gallop　an　imaginary
troop　in　route　marches；　would　manoeuvre　it　against　possible
ambush；　and；　in　combat　patrols；　ground　scouts；　and　cossack
outposts；　charge　with　it　〃as　foragers。〃　　But　he　did　none　of　these
things。　　For　at　Agawamsett　he　met　Frances　Gardner；　and　his
experience　with　her　was　so　disastrous　that；　in　his　determination
to　avoid　all　women；　he　was　convinced　he　was　right。

When　later　he　reached　Manila　he　vowed　no　other　woman　would
ever　again　find　a　place　in　his　thoughts。　　No　other　woman　did。
Not　because　he　had　the　strength　to　keep　his　vo