adventures and letters-第51章
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
