adventures and letters-第33章
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tal where they have had yellow fever and they want food。 This story is intended to induce you to get rid of them hurriedly by a small token。 Sometimes out of this queer combination you will get a good story but generally they want to show you a ruined abbey or a document as old as the Spanish occupation or to make you acquainted with a man who has pearls to sell； or a coffee plantation or a collection of unused stamps which he stole while a post…office employee。 Our chief sport now is to go throw money at the prisoners who are locked up in a row of dungeons underneath the sea wall。 The people walk and flirt and enjoy the sea breeze above them and the convicts by holding a mirror between the bars of the dungeons can see who is leaning over the parapet above them。 Then they hold out their hands and you drop nickels and they fail to catch them and the sentry comes up and teases them by holding the money a few inches beyond their reach。 They climb all over the crossbars in their anxiety to get the money and look like great monkeys。 At night it is perfectly tremendous for their is only a light over their heads and they crawl all over the bars beneath this； standing on each other's shoulders and pushing and fighting and yelling half naked and wholey black and covered with sweat。 As a matter of fact they are better content to stay in jail than out and when the British Consul offered to send eight of them back to Jamaica they refused to go and said they would rather serve out their sentence of eight years。 This is the way the place looks and I am going to introduce it in a melodrama and have some one lower files down to the prisoners。 DICK。
After some not very eventful or pleasant days at Caracas； Richard sailed for home and from the steamer wrote the following letter：
March 26thOn board S。 S。 Caracas。
DEAR CHAS：
Off the coast of God's country。 Hurrah！ H did not come near us until the morning of our departure when he arrived at the Station trembling all over and in need of a shave。 But in the meanwhile the consul at Caracas picked Griscom and myself up in the street and took us in to see Crespo who received us with much dignity and politeness。 So we met him after all and helped the story out that much。
There is not much more to tell except that I was never so glad to set my face home as I am now and even the roughness of this trip cannot squelch my joy。 It seems to me as if years had passed since we left and to think we are only three days off from Sandy Hook seems much too wonderfully good to be possible。 Some day when we have dined alone together at Laurent's I will tell you the long story of how Somers and Gris came to be decorated with the Order of the Bust of Bolivar the Liberator of Venezuela of the 4th class but at present I will only say that there is a third class of the order still coming to me in Caracas； as there is 20 minutes still coming to Kelly in Brooklyn。 It was a matter of either my getting the third class； which I ought to have had anyway having the third class of another order already； and THEIR GETTING NOTHING； or our all getting the 4th or 5th class and of course I choose that they should get something and so they did and for my aimable unselfishness in the matter they have frequently drunken my health。 I was delighted when Somers got his for he was happier over it than I have ever seen him over anything and kept me awake nights talking about it。 I consider it the handsomest order there is after the Legion of Honor and I have become so crazy about Bolivar who was a second Washington and Napoleon that I am very glad to have it； although I still sigh for the third class with its star and collar。
The boys are especially glad because we have organized a Traveller's Club of New York of which we expect great things and they consider that it starts off well in having three of the members possessors of a foreign order。 We formed the club while crossing Honduras in sight of the Pacific Ocean and its object is to give each other dinners and to present a club medal to people who have been nice to and who have helped members of the club while they were in foreign parts。 It is my idea and I think a good one as there are lots of things one wants to do for people who help you and this will be as good as any。 Members of the club are the only persons not eligible to any medal bestowed by the club and the eligibility for membership is determined by certain distances which a man must have travelled。 Although the idea really is to keep it right down to our own crowd and make each man justify the smallness of the club's membership by doing something worth while。 I am President。 Bonsal is vice president。 Russell treasurer and Griscom Secretary。 Somerset is the solitary member。 You and Sam and Helen and Elizabeth Bisland are at present the only honorary members。 We are also giving gold medals to the two chaps who crossed Asia on bicycles； to Willie Chanler and James Creelman； but that does not make them members。 It only shows we as a club think they have done a sporting act。 I hope you like the idea。 We have gone over it for a month and considered it in every way and I think we are all well enough known to make anybody pleased to have us recognize what they did whether it was for any of us personally or for the public as explorers。 On this trip for instance we would probably send the club medals in silver to Admiral Meade； to Kelly； to Royas the Venezuelan Minister for the orders to the Governor of Belize； to the consul at La Guayra and to one of the phonograph chaps。 In the same way if you would want to send a medal to any man or woman prince or doctor who had been kind； courteous； hospitable or of official service to you you would just send in a request to the committee。 Write me soon and with lots of love DICK。
In April； 1895； Richard was back in New York； at work on his South and Central American articles； and according to the following letters； having a good time with his old friends。
NEW YORK； April 27； 1895。 DEAR CHAS：
I read in the paper the other morning that John Drew was in Harlem； so I sent him a telegram saying that I was organizing a relief expedition； and would bring him out of the wilderness in safety。 At twelve I sent another reading； 〃Natives from interior of Harlem report having seen Davis Relief Expeditionary Force crossing Central Park； all well。 Robert Howard Russell。〃 At two I got hold of Russell； and we telegraphed 〃Relief reached Eighty…fifth street； natives peacefully inclined； awaiting rear column； led by Griscom； save your ammunition and provisions。〃 Just before the curtain fell we sent another； reading： 〃If you can hold the audience at bay for another hour； we guarantee to rescue yourself and company and bring you all back to the coast in safety。 Do not become disheartened。〃 Then we started for Harlem in a cab with George and another colored man dressed as African warriors； with assegai daggers and robes of gold and high turbans and sashes stuck full of swords。 I wore my sombrero and riding breeches； gauntlets and riding boots； with cartridge belts full of bum cartridges over my shoulder and around the waist。 Russell had my pith helmet and a suit of khaki and leggins。 Griscom was in one of my coats of many pockets； a helmet and boots。 We all carried revolvers； canteens and rifles。 We sent George in with a note saying we were outside the zareba and could not rescue him because the man on watch objected to our guns。 As soon as they saw George they rushed out and brought us all in。 Drew was on the stage； so we tramped into the first entrance； followed by all the grips； stage hands and members of the company。 The old man heard his cue just as I embraced him； and was so rattled that when he got on the stage he could not say anything； and the curtain went down without any one knowing what the plot was about。 When John came off； I walked up to him； followed by the other four and the entire company； and said： 〃Mr。 Drew； I presume；〃 and he said： 〃Mr。 Davis； I believe。 I am saved！〃 Helen Benedict happened to be in Maude Adams' dressing…room； and went off into a fit； and the company was delighted as John would have been had he been quite s
