adventures and letters-第47章

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e　time　by　the　fleet；　so　that　it　would　be　absolutely　impossible　for　any　force　to　withstand　the　awful　hailstorm　they　would　play　on　it。　　Transports　carrying　the　provisions　would　be　protected　by　the　ships　on　the　gulf　side；　and　the　guns　at　Morro　could　be　shut　up　in　twenty…four　hours。　　This　is　not　a　dream；　but　the　most　obvious　and　feasible　plan；　and　it　is　a　disgrace　if　the　Washington　politicians　delay。　　As　to　health；　this　is　the　healthiest　part　of　the　coast。　　The　trade　winds　blow　every　day　of　the　year；　and　the　fever　talk　is　all　nonsense。　　The　army　certainly　has　delayed　most　scandalously　in　mobilizing。　　This　talk　of　waiting　a　month　is　suicide。　　It　is　a　terrible　expense。　　It　keeps　the　people　on　a　strain；　destroys　business；　and　the　health　of　the　troops　at　Tampa　is；　to　my　mind；　in　much　greater　danger　than　it　would　be　on　the　hills　around　Havana；　where；　as　Scovel　says；　there　is　as　much　yellow　fever　as　there　is　snow。　　Tell　Dad　to　urge　them　to　act　promptly。　　In　the　meanwhile　I　am　having　a　magnificent　time。　　I　am　burned　and　hungry　and　losing　about　a　ton　of　fat　a　day；　and　I　sleep　finely。　　The　other　night　the　Porter　held　us　up；　but　it　was　a　story　that　never　got　into　the　papers。　　I　haven't　missed　a　trick　so　far　except　not　getting　on　the　flagship　from　the　first；　but　that　does　not　count　now　since　I　am　on　board。

I　haven't　written　anything　yet；　but　I　am　going　to　begin　soon。　　I　expect　to　make　myself　rich　on　this　campaign。　　I　get　ten　cents　a　word　from　Scribner's　for　everything　I　send　them；　if　it　is　only　a　thousand　words；　and　I　get　four　hundred　dollars　a　week　salary　from　The　Times；　and　all　my　expenses。　　I　haven't　had　any　yet；　but　when　I　go　back　and　join　the　army；　I　am　going　to　travel　en　suite　with　an　assistant　and　the　best　and　gentlest　ponies；　a　courier　and　a　servant；　a　tent　and　a　secretary　and　a　typewriter；　so　that　Miles　will　look　like　a　second　lieutenant。

When　I　came　out　here　on　the　Dolphin　I　said　I　was　going　to　Tampa；　lying　just　on　the　principle　that　it　is　no　other　newspaper…man's　business　where　you　are　going。　　So；　The　Herald　man　at　Key　West；　hearing　this；　and　not　knowing　I　WAS　GOING　TO　THE　FLAGSHIP；　called　Long；　making　a　strong　kick　about　the　correspondents；　Bonsal；　Remington　and　Paine；　who　are；　or　were；　with　the　squadron。　　Stenie　left　two　days　ago；　hoping　to　get　a　commission　on　the　staff　of　General　Lee。　　So　yesterday　Scovel　told　me　Long　had　cabled　in　answer　to　The　Herald's　protests　to　the　admiral　as　follows：　　〃Complaints　have　been　received　that　correspondents　Paine；　Remington　and　Bonsal　are　with　the　squadron。　　Send　them　ashore　at　once。　　There　must　be　no　favoritism。〃

Scovel　got　the　admiral　at　once　to　cable　Long　on　his　behalf　because　of　his　services　as　a　spy；　but　as　Roosevelt　had　done　so　much　for　me；　I　would　not　appeal　over　him；　and　this　morning　I　sent　in　word　to　the　admiral　that　I　was　leaving　the　ship　and　would　like　to　pay　my　respects。　　Sampson　is　a　thin　man　with　a　gray　beard。　　He　looks　like　a　college　professor　and　has　very　fine；　gentle　eyes。　　He　asked　me　why　I　meant　to　leave　the　ship；　and　I　said　I　had　heard　one　of　the　torpedo　boats　was　going　to　Key　West；　and　I　thought　I　would　go　with　her　if　he　would　allow　it。　　He　asked　if　I　had　seen　the　cable　from　Long；　and　I　said　I　had　heard　of　it；　and　that　I　was　really　going　so　as　not　to　embarrass　him　with　my　presence。　　He　said；　〃I　have　received　three　different　orders　from　the　Secretary；　one　of　them　telling　me　I　could　have　such　correspondents　on　board　as　were　agreeable　to　me。　　He　now　tells　me　that　they　must　all　go。　　You　can　do　as　you　wish。　　You　are　perfectly　welcome　to　remain　until　the　conflict　of　orders　is　cleared　up。〃　　I　saw　he　was　mad　and　that　he　wanted　me　to　stay；　or　at　least　not　to　go　of　my　own　wish；　so　that　he　could　have　a　grievance　out　of　itif　he　had　to　send　me　away　after　having　been　told　he　could　have　those　with　him　who　were　agreeable　to　him。　　Captain　Chadwick　was　in　the　cabin；　and　said；　〃Perhaps　Mr。　Davis　had　better　remain　another　twenty…four　hours。〃　　The　admiral　added；　〃Ships　are　going　to　Key　West　daily。〃　　Then　Chadwick　repeated　that　he　thought　I　had　better　stay　another　day；　and　made　a　motion　to　me　to　do　so。　　So　I　said　I　would；　and　now　I　am　waiting　to　see　what　is　going　to　happen。　　Outside；　Chadwick　told　me　that　something　in　the　way　of　an　experience　would　probably　come　off；　so　I　have　hopes。　　By　this　time；　of　course；　you　know　all　about　it。　　I　shall　finish　this　later。

We　began　bombarding　Matanzas　twenty　minutes　after　I　wrote　the　above。　　It　was　great。　　I　guess　I　got　a　beat；　as　The　Herald　tug　is　the　only　one　in　sight。

DICK。

Flagship…Off　Havana　April　30th；　1898。　DEAR　FAMILY：

You　must　not　mind　if　I　don't　write　often；　but　I　feel　that　you　see　The　Herald　every　day　and　that　tells　you　of　what　I　am　seeing　and　doing；　and　I　am　writing　so　much；　and　what　with　keeping　notes　and　all；　I　haven't　much　time　What　you　probably　want　to　know　is　that　I　am　well　and　that　my　sciatica　is　not　troubling　me　at　allMother　always　wants　to　know　that。　　On　the　other　hand　I　am　on　the　best　ship　from　which　to　see　things　and　on　the　safest；　as　she　can　move　quicker　and　is　more　heavily　armored　than　any　save　the　battleships　The　fact　that　the　admiral　is　on　board　and　that　she　is　the　flagship　is　also　a　guarantee　that　she　will　not　be　allowed　to　expose　herself。　　I　was　very　badly　scared　when　I　first　came　to　Key　West　for　fear　I　should　be　left　especially　when　I　didn't　make　the　flagship　But　I　have　not　missed　a　single　trick　so　far　Bonsal　missed　the　bombardment　and　so　did　Stephen　Crane　All　the　press　boats　were　away　except　The　Herald's。　　I　had　to　write　the　story　in　fifteen　minutes；　so　it　was　no　good　except　that　we　had　it　exclusively

I　am　sending　a　short　story　of　the　first　shot　fired　to　the　Scribner's　and　am　arranging　with　them　to　bring　out　a　book　on　the　Campaign。　　I　have　asked　them　to　announce　it　as　it　will　help　me　immensely　here　for　it　is　as　an　historian　and　not　as　a　correspondent　that　I　get　on　over　those　men　who　are　correspondents　for　papers　only。　　I　have　made　I　think　my　position　here　very　strong　and　the　admiral　is　very　much　my　friend　as　are　also　his　staff。　　Crane　on　the　other　hand　took　the　place　of　Paine　who　was　exceedingly　popular　with　every　one　and　it　has　made　it　hard　for　Crane　to　get　into　things　I　am　having　a　really　royal　time；　it　is　so　beautiful　by　both　night　and　day　and　there　is　always　color　and　movement　and　the　most　rigid　discipline　with　the　most　hearty　good　feeling　I　get　on　very　well　with　the　crew　too；　one　of　them　got　shot　by　a　revolver's　going　off　and　I　asked　the　surgeon　if　I　might　not　help　at　the　operation　so　that　I　might　learn　to　be　useful；　and　to　get　accustomed　to　the　sight　of　wounds　and　surgery　It　was　a　wonderful　thing　to　see；　and　I　was　confused　as　to　whether　I　admired　the　human　body　more　or　the　way　the　surgeon's　understood　and　mastered　it　The　sailor　would　not　give　way　to　the　ether　and　I　had　to　hold　him　for　an　hour　while　they　took　out　his　whole　insides　and　laid　them　on　the　table　and　felt　around　inside　of　him　as　though　he　were　a　hollow　watermelon。　　Then　they　put　his　stomach　back　and　sewed　it　in　and　then　sewed　up　his　skin　and　he　was　just　as　good　as　new。　　We　carried　him　over　to　a　cot　and　he　came　to；　and　looked　up　at　us。　　We　were　all　bare…armed　and　covered　with　his　blood；　and　then　over　at　the　operating　table；　which　was　also　covered　with　his　blood。　　He　was　gray　under　his　tan　and　his　lips　were　purple　and　his　eyes　were　still　drunk　with　the　ether　But　he　looked　at　our　sanguinary　hands　and　shook　his　head　sideways　on　the　pillow　and　smiled　〃You'se　can't　kill　me；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　a　New　Yorker；　by　Godyou'se　can't　kill　me。〃　The　Herald　cabled　for　a　story　as　to　how　the　crew　of　the　New　York　behaved　in　action。　　I　think　I　shall　send　them　that　although　there　are　a　few　things　the　people　had　better　take　for　　granted　Of　course；　we　haven't　been　〃in　action〃　yet　　but　the　first　bombardment　made　me　nervous　until　it　got　　well　started。　　I　think　every　one　was　rather　nervous　and　it　was　chiefly　to　show　them　there　was　nothing　to　worry　about　that　we　fired　off　the　U。　S。　guns。　　They　talk　like　veterans　now　It　was　much　less　of　a　strain　than　I　had　expected；　there　was　no　standing　on　your　toes　nor　keeping　your　mouth　open　or　putting　wadding　in　your　ears。　　I　took　photographs　most　of　the　time；　and　they　ought　to　be　excellentwhat　happened　was　that　you　were　thrown　up　off　the　deck