adventures and letters-第21章

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ch　as　they　will　allow　and　to…morrow　I　go　to　Tangier　where　I　expect　to　have　some　boar　hunting。　　I　would　suggest　your　getting　The　Evangelist　in　a　week　or　two　as　Dr。　Field's　letters　cover　all　I　have　seen。　　I　do　not　tell　you　anything　about　the　place　because　you　will　read　that　in　the　paper　to　the　H。　W。　but　I　can　assure　you　the　girls　are　very　pretty　and　being　garrison　girls　are　not　as　shy　as　those　at　home　in　England。　　I　am　the　first　American　they　ever　met　they　assure　me　every　hour　and　we　get　on　very　well　notwithstanding。

You　can　imagine　what　it　is　like　when　Spaniards；　Moors　and　English　Soldiers　are　all　crowded　into　one　long　street　with　donkeys　and　geese　and　priests　and　smugglers　and　men　in　polo　clothes　and　soldiers　in　football　suits　and　sailors　from　the　man…of…war。　　Of　course；　the　Rock　is　the　best　story　of　it　all。　　It　is　a　fair　green　smiling　hill　not　a　fortress　at　all。　　No　more　a　fortress　to　look　at　than　Fairmont　Park　water　works；　but　the　joke　of　it　is　that　under　every　bush　there　is　a　gun　and　every　gun　is　painted　green　and　covered　with　hanging　curtains　of　moss　and　every　promenade　is　undermined　and　the　bleakest　face　of　the　rock　is　tunnelled　with　rooms　and　halls。　　Every　night　we　are　locked　in　and　the　soldiers　carry　the　big　iron　keys　clanking　through　the　streets。　　It　is　going　to　make　interesting　reading。　DICK。

GIBRALTAR。

DEAR　MOTHER：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　February　23rd；　1893。

AEneas　who　〃ran　the　round　of　so　many　chances〃　in　this　neighborhood　was　a　stationary　stay　at　home　to　what　I　have　to　do。　　If　I　ever　get　away　from　the　Rock　I　shall　be　a　traveller　of　the　greatest　possible　experience。

I　came　here　intending　to　stay　a　week　and　to　write　my　letter　on　Gib。　and　on　Tangier　quietly　and　peacefully　like　a　gentleman　and　then　to　go　on　to　Malta。　　I　love　this　place　and　there　is　something　to　do　and　see　every　minute　of　the　time　but　what　happened　was　this：　　All　the　boats　that　ever　left　here　stopped　running；　broke　shafts；　or　went　into　quarantine　or　just　sailed　by；　and　unless　I　want　to　spend　two　weeks　on　the　sea　in　order　to　have　one　at　Malta；　which　is　only　a　military　station　like　this；　I　must　go　off　to…morrow　with　my　articles　unwritten；　my　photos　undeveloped　and　my　dinner　calls　unpaid。　　I　am　now　waiting　to　hear　if　I　can　get　to　Algiers　by　changing　twice　from　one　steamer　to　another　along　the　coast　of　Spain。　　It　will　be　a　great　nuisance　but　I　shall　be　able　to　see　Algiers　and　Tunis　and　Malta　in　the　three　weeks　which　would　have　otherwise　been　given　to　Malta　alone。　　And　Tunis　I　am　particularly　keen　to　see。　　While　waiting　for　a　telegram　from　Spain　about　the　boats；　I　shall　tell　you　what　I　have　been　doing。　　Everybody　was　glad　to　see　me　after　my　return　from　Tangier。　　I　dined　with　the　Governor　on　Monday；　in　a　fine　large　room　lined　with　portraits　of　all　the　old　commanders　and　their　coats…of…arms　like　a　little　forest　of　flags　and　the　Governor's　daughter　danced　a　Spanish　dance　for　us　after　it　was　over。　　Miss　Buckle；　Cust's　fiancee；　dances　almost　as　well　as　Carmencita；　all　the　girls　here　learn　it　as　other　girls　do　the　piano。　　On　Tuesday　Cust　and　Miss　B。　and　another　girl　and　I　went　over　into　Spain　to　see　the　meet　and　we　had　a　short　run　after　a　fox　who　went　to　earth；　much　to　my　relief；　in　about　three　minutes　and　before　I　had　been　thrown　off。　　There　are　no　fences　but　the　ground　is　one　mass　of　rocks　and　cactus　and　ravines　down　which　these　English　go　with　an　ease　that　makes　me　tremble　　with　admiration。　　We　had　not　come　out　to　follow；　so　we；　being　quite　soaked　through　and　very　hungry；　went　to　an　inn　and　it　was　such　an　inn　as　Don　Quixote　used　to　stop　at；　with　the　dining…room　over　the　stable　and　a　lot　of　drunken　muleteers　in　the　court　and　beautiful　young　women　to　wait　on　us。　　It　is　a　beautiful　country　Spain；　with　every　sort　of　green　you　ever　dreamed　of。　　We　had　omelettes　and　native　wine　and　black　bread　and　got　warm　again　and　then　trotted　home　in　the　rain　and　got　wet　again；　so　we　stopped　at　the　guard　house　on　the　outside　of　the　rock　and　took　tea　with　the　officer　in　charge　and　we　all　got　down　on　our　knees　around　his　fire　and　he　hobbled　around　dropping　his　eyeglasses　in　his　hot　water　and　very　much　honored　and　exceedingly　embarrassed。　　I　amused　myself　by　putting　on　all　the　uniforms　he　did　not　happen　to　have　on　and　the　young　ladies　drank　tea　and　thawed。　　This　is　the　most　various　place　I　ever　came　across。　　You　have　mountains　and　seashore　and　allamandas　like　Monte　Carlo　in　their　tropical　beauty　and　soldiers　day　and　night　marching　and　drilling　and　banging　brass　bands　and　tennis　and　guns　firing　so　as　to　rattle　all　the　windows；　and　picnics　and　teas。　　I　am　engaged　way　ahead　now　but　I　must　get　off　tomorrow。　　On　Washington's　birthday　I　gave　a　luncheon　because　it　struck　me　as　the　most　inappropriate　place　in　which　one　could　celebrate　the　good　man's　memory　and　the　Governor　would　not　think　of　coming　at　first；　but　I　told　him　I　was　not　a　British　subject　and　that　if　I　could　go　to　his　dinner　he　could　come　to　my　lunch；　so　that；　or　the　fact　that　the　beautiful　Miss　Buckle　was　coming　decided　him　to　waive　etiquette　and　he　came　with　his　A。　D。　C。　and　his　daughter　and　officers　and　girls　came　and　I　had　American　flags　and　English　flags　and　a　portrait　of　Washington　and　of　the　Queen　and　I　ransacked　the　markets　for　violets　and　banked　them　all　up　in　the　middle。　　It　was　fine。　　I　turned　the　hotel　upside　down　and　all　the　servants　wore　their　best　livery　and　everybody　stood　up　in　a　row　and　saluted　His　Excellency　and　I　made　a　speech　and　so　did　his　Excellency　and　the　chef　did　himself　proud。　　I　got　it　up　in　one　morning。　　Helen　Benedict　could　not　have　done　it　better。

I　had　a　funny　adventure　the　morning　I　left　Tangier　There　was　a　good　deal　of　talk　about　Field　（confound　him）　and　my　getting　into　the　prison　and　The　Herald　and　Times　correspondents　were　rather　blue　about　it　and　some　of　the　English　residents　said　that　I　had　not　been　shown　the　whole　of　the　prison；　that　the　worst　had　been　kept　from　us。　　Field　who　only　got　into　the　prison　because　I　had　worked　at　it　two　days；　said　there　was　an　additional　ward　I　had　not　seen。　　I　went　back　into　this　while　he　and　the　guard　were　getting　the　door　open　to　go　out　and　saw　nothing；　but　to　make　sure　that　the　prison　was　as　I　believed　an　absolute　square；　I　went　back　on　the　morning　of　my　departure　and　climbed　a　wall　and　crawled　over　a　house　top　and　photographed　the　top　of　the　prison。　　Then　a　horrible　doubt　came　to　me　that　this　house　upon　which　I　was　standing　and　which　adjoined　the　prison　might　be　the　addition　of　which　the　English　residents　hinted。　　There　was　an　old　woman　in　the　garden　below　jumping　up　and　down　and　to　whom　I　had　been　shying　money　to　keep　her　quiet。　　I　sent　the　guide　around　to　ask　her　what　was　the　nature　of　the　building　upon　which　I　had　trespassed　and　which　seemed　to　worry　her　so　much　He　came　back　to　tell　me　that　I　was　on　the　top　of　a　harem　and　the　old　woman　thought　I　was　getting　up　a　flirtation　with　the　gentleman's　wives。　　So　I　dropped　back　again。

It　will　be　a　couple　of　months　at　least　before　my　first　story　comes　out　in　The　Weekly。　　I　cannot　judge　of　them　but　I　think　they　are　up　to　the　average　of　the　Western　stories；　the　material　is　much　richer　I　know；　but　I　am　so　much　beset　by　the　new　sights　that　I　have　not　the　patience　or　the　leisure　I　had　in　the　West　Then　there　were　days　in　which　writing　was　a　relief；　now　there　is　so　much　to　see　that　it　seems　almost　a　shame　to　waste　it。

By　the　grace　of　Providence　I　cannot　leave　here　until　the　28th；　much　to　my　joy　and　I　have　found　out　that　I　can　do　better　by　going　direct　to　Malta　and　then　to　Tunis；　leaving　Algiers　which　I　did　not　want　to　see　out　of　it…Hurrah。　　I　shall　now　return　to　the　calm　continuation　of　my　story　and　to　writing　notes　which　Chas　will　enjoy。

DICK。


GIBRALTAR…February　1893。　DEAR　MOTHER：

Morocco　as　it　is　is　a　very　fine　place　spoiled　by　civilization。　　Not　nice　civilization　but　the　dregs　of　it；　the　broken　down　noblemen　of　Spain　and　cashiered　captains　of　England　and　the　R　L's　of　America。　　They　hunt　and　play　cricket　and　gamble　and　do　nothing　to　maintain　what　is　best　in　the　place　or　to　help　what　is　worst。　　I　love　the　Moors　and　the　way　they　hate　the　Christian　and　the　scorn　and　pride　they　show。　　They　seem　to　carry　all　the　mystery　and　dignity　of　Africa　and　of　foreign　conquests　about　them；　and　they　are　wonderfu