adventures and letters-第54章

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　　They　are　very　generous　and　are　spending　money　like　fresh　air。　　I　am　to　cable　letters　to　Cape　Town；　only　to　save　three　days。　　So；　now　all　that　is　needed　is　for　something　to　happen。　　Everything　else　is　arranged。　　All　I　want　is　to　see　three　or　four　good　fights　and　a　big　story　like　the　relief　of　Ladysmith　and　I　am　ready　and　anxious　to　get　home。　　I　shall　observe　them　from　behind　an　ant　hillI　don't　say　this　to　please　you　but　because　I　mean　it。　　This　is　not　my　war　and　all　I　want　is　to　earn　the　very　generous　sums　I　have　been　offered　and　get　home。　　We　are　just　off　Port　Elizabeth。　　I　will　go　on　shore　and　post　this　there。　　With　all　love。　DICK。


Deal's　Central　Hotel；　East　London。　February　20th；　1900。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　are　stopping　at　every　port　now；　as　though　the　Scot　were　a　ferry　boat。　　We　came　over　the　side　to　get　here　in　baskets　with　a　neat　door　in　the　side　and　were　bumped　to　the　deck　of　the　tender　in　all　untenderness。　　This　is　more　like　Africa　than　any　place　I　have　seen。　　The　cactus　and　palms　abound　and　the　Kaffirs　wear　brass　anklets　and　bracelets。　　A　man　at　lunch　at　this　hotel　asked　me　if　I　was　R。　H。　D。　and　said　he　was　an　American　who　had　got　a　commission　in　Brabants　horse　He　gave　me　the　grandest　sort　of　a　segar　and　apparently　on　his　representation　the　hotel　brought　me　two　books　to　sign；　marked　〃Autographs　of　Celebrities　of　the　Boer　War。〃　　It　seemed　in　my　case　at　least　to　be　premature　and　hopeful。

Good　luck　and　God　bless　you。　　This　will　be　the　last　letter　you　will　get　for　ten　days　or　two　weeks；　as　I　am　now　going　directly　away　from　steamers。　　This　one　reaches　you　by　a　spy　gentleman　who　is　to　give　it　to　Rene　Bull　of　The　Graphic　and　who　will　post　it　in　Cape　Town　He　and　all　the　other　correspondents　are　abandoning　Buller　for　Roberts。　　Let　'em　all　go。　　The　fewer　the　better；　I　say。　　My　luck　will　keep　I　hope。　DICK。


Imperial　Hotel；　Maritzburg；　Natal。　Feb。　23rd；　1900。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　reached　Durban　yesterday。　　They　paraded　the　band　in　my　honour　and　played　Yankee　Doodle　indefinitely　I　had　corrupted　them　by　giving　them　drinks　to　play　the　〃Belle　of　New　York〃　nightly。　　The　English　officers　thought　Yankee　Doodle　was　our　national　anthem　and　stood　with　their　hats　off　in　a　hurricane　balancing　on　the　deck　of　the　tender　on　one　foot　The　city　of　Durban　is　the　best　I　have　seen。　　It　was　as　picturesque　as　the　Midway　at　the　Fair　There　were　Persians；　Malay；　Hindoo；　Babu's　Kaffirs；　Zulu's　and　soldiers　and　sailors。　　I　went　on　board　the　Maine　to　see　the　American　doctorsone　of　them　said　he　had　met　me　on　Walnut　Street；　when　he　had　nearly　run　me　down　with　his　ambulance　from　the　Penna　Hospital。　　Lady　Randolph　took　me　over　the　ship　and　was　very　much　puzzled　when　all　the　hospital　stewards　called　me　by　name　and　made　complimentary　remarks。　　It　impressed　her　so　much　apparently　that　she　and　the　American　nurses　I　hadn't　met　on　board　came　to　see　me　off　at　the　station；　which　was　very　friendly。　　I　have　had　a　horrible　day　here　and　got　up　against　the　British　officer　in　uniform　and　on　duty　bent　The　chief　trouble　was　that　none　of　them　knew　what　authority　he　had　to　do　anythingand　I　had　to　sit　down　and　tell　them。　　I　wonder　with　intelligence　like　theirs　that　their　Intelligence　Department　did　not　tell　them　the　Boers　fought　with　war　clubs　and　spears。　　I　bought　a　ripping　pony　and　my　plan　is　to　cut　away　from　all　my　magnificent　equipment　and　try　to　overtake　Buller　before　he　reaches　Ladysmith　and　send　back　for　the　heavy　things　later。　　It　is　just　a　question　of　minutes　really　and　it　seems　hard　to　have　come　1500　miles　and　then　to　miss　it　by　an　hour　I　arrive　at　Chievely　tomorrow　at　fivethat　is　only　ten　miles　from　where　Buller　is　to　night；　so　were　it　not　for　their　dd　regulations　I　could　ride　across　country　and　join　them　by　midday　but　I　bet　they　won't　let　me　and　I　also　bet　I'll　get　there　in　time。　　Of　course　you'll；　know　before　you　see　this。　　Marelsburg　is　the　capital　and　its　chief　industry　is　rickshaw's　pulled　by　wild　Kaffi's；　with　beads　and　snake　skins　around　them　and　holes　in　their　ears　into　which　they　stick　segars　and　horn　spoons　for　dipping　snuff。　　The　women　wear　less　than　the　men　and　have　their　hair　done　up　in　red　fungus。

Well；　love　to　you　all；　to　Nora　and　Dad　and　Chas；　and　God　bless　you。

DICK。


1900。　DEAR　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　am　here　at　last　and　counting　the　days　when　I　shall　get　away。　　War　does　not　soothe　my　savage　breast。　　I　find　I　want　Cecil；　and　Jaggers；　and　Macklin　to　write；　and　plays　to　rehearse。　　Without　Cecil　bored　to　death　at　Cape　Town；　I　would　not　mind　it　at　all。　　I　know　how　to　be　comfortable　and　on　my　second　day　I　beat　all　these　men　who　have　been　here　three　months　in　getting　my　news　on　the　wire。　　For　I　am　a　news　man　now；　and　have　to　collect　horrid　facts　and　hosts　of　casualties　and　to　find　out　whether　it　was　the　Dubblins　or　the　Durbans　that　did　it　and　what　it　was　they　did。　　I　was　in　terrible　fear　that　I　would　be　too　late　to　see　the　relief　of　Ladysmith　but　I　was　well　in　time　and　saw　a　fight　the　first　few　hours　I　arrived。　　It　is　terribly　big　and　overwhelming　like　eighty　of　Barnum　circuses　all　going　at　once　in　eighty　rings　and　very　hard　to　understand　the　geography。　　The　Tugela　is　like　a　snake　and　crosses　itself　every　three　feet　so　that　you　never　know　whether　you　have　crossed　it　yourself　or　not。　　Every　one　is　most　kind　and　I　am　as　comfortable　as　can　be。　　Indeed　I　like　my　tent　so　much　that　I　am　going　to　take　it　to　Marion。　　It　has　windows　in　it　and　the　most　amusing　trap　doors　and　pockets　in　the　walls　and　clothes　lines　and　hooks　and　ventilators　It　is　colored　a　lovely　green　I　have　also　two　chairs　that　fold　up　and　a　table　that　does　nothing　else　and　a　bed　and　two　lanterns；　3　ponies；　one　a　Boer　pony　I　bought　for　　12。　from　a　Tommy　who　had　stolen　it。　　I　had　to　pay　125　each　for　the　other　two　and　one　had　a　sore　back　and　the　other　gets　lost　in　my　saddle。　　But　war　as　these　people　do　it　bores　one　to　destruction。　　They　are　terribly　dull　souls。　　They　cannot　give　an　order　intelligently。　　The　real　test　of　a　soldier　is　the　way　he　gives　an　order。　　I　heard　a　Colonel　with　eight　ribbons　for　eight　campaigns　scold　a　private　for　five　minutes　because　he　could　not　see　a　signal　flag；　and　no　one　else　could。　　It　is　not　becoming　that　a　Colonel　should　scold　for　five　minutes。　　Friday　they　charged　a　hill　with　one　of　their　〃frontal〃　attacks　and　lost　three　Colonels　and　500　men。　　In　the　morningit　was　a　night　attackwhen　the　roll　was　called　only　five　officers　answered。　　The　proper　number　is　24。　　A　Captain　now　commands　the　regiment。　　It　is　sheer　straight　waste　of　life　through　dogged　stupidity。　　I　haven't　seen　a　Boer　yet　except　some　poor　devils　of　prisoners　but　you　can　see　every　English　who　is　on　a　hill。　　They　walk　along　the　skyline　like　ships　on　the　horizon。　　It　must　be　said　for　them　that　it　is　the　most　awful　country　to　attack　in　the　world。　　It　is　impossible　to　give　any　idea　of　its　difficulties。　　However　I　can　tell　you　that　when　I　get　back　to　the　center　of　civilization。　　Do　you　know　I　haven't　heard　from　you　since　I　left　New　York　on　the　St。　Louis。　　All　your　letters　to　London　went　astray。　　What　lots　you　will　have　to　tell　me　but　don't　let　Charley　worry。　　I　won't　talk　about　the　war　this　time。　　I　never　want　to　hear　of　it　again。

DICK。


LADYSMITH。　　March　1st；　1899。　DEAR　CHAS：

This　is　just　a　line　to　say　I　got　in　here　with　the　first　after　a　gallop　of　twelve　miles。　　Keep　this　for　me　and　the　envelope。　　With　my　love　and　best　wishes

DICK。


LADYSMITH；　March　3；　1900。　DEAR　MOTHER：

The　column　came　into　town　today；　2200　men；　guns；　cavalry；　ambulances；　lancers；　navy　guns　and　oxen。　　It　was　a　most　cruel　assault　upon　one's　feelings。　　The　garrison　lined　the　streets　as　a　saluting　guard　of　honor　but　only　one　regiment　could　stand　it　and　the　others　all　sat　down　on　the　curb　only　rising　to　cheer　the　head　of　each　new　regiment。　　They　are　yellow　with　fever；　their　teeth　protruding　and　the　skin　drawn　tight　over　their　skeletons。　　The　incoming　army　had　had　fourteen　days　hard　fighting　at　the　end　of　three　months　campaigning　but　were　robust　and　tanned　ragged　and　caked　　with　　mud。　　As　they　came　in　they　cheered　and　the　garrison　tried　to　cheer　back　but　it　was　like　a　whisper。

Winston　Churchill　and　I　stood　in　front　of　Gen。　White　and　cried　for　an　hour。　　For　the　time　you　forgot　Boers　and　the　cause；　or　the　lack　of　cause　of　it　all