adventures and letters-第64章

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oasting　and　selfconscious；　but；　still　likable。　　But；　I　did　not　succeed　in　making　him　of　interest；　and　it　always　has　hurt　me。　　Also；　your　liking　the　〃Derelict〃　and　the　〃Fever　Ship〃　gave　me　much　pleasure。　　You　see　what　I　mean；　it　was　your　selecting　the　things　upon　which　I　had　worked；　and　with　which　I　had　made　every　effort；　that　has　both　encouraged　and　delighted　me。　　Being　entirely　unprejudiced；　I　think　it　is　a　fine　article；　and　as　soon　as　I　stamp　this；　I　will　read　it　over　again。　　So；　thank　you　very　much；　indeed；　for　to　say　what　you　did　seriously；　over　your　own　name；　took　a　lot　of　courage；　and　for　that　daring；　and　for　liking　the　same　things　I　do；　I　thank　you　many　times。

Sincerely　yours；

RICHARD　HARDING　DAVIS。


In　reading　this　over；　I　find　all　I　seem　to　have　done　in　it　is　to　complain　because　no　one；　but　yourself　and　myself　liked　〃Macklin。〃　　What　I　wanted　to　say　is；　that　I　am　very　grateful　for　the　article；　for　the　appreciation；　although　I　don't　deserve　it；　and　for　your　temerity　in　saying　so　many　kind　things。　　Nothing　that　has　been　written　about　what　I　have　written　has　ever　pleased　me　so　much。

R。　H。　D。


In　the　spring　of　1906　while　Richard　was　on　a　visit　to　Providence；　R。　I。；　Henry　W。　Savage　produced　a　play　by　Jesse　Lynch　Williams　and　my　brother　was　asked　to　assist　at　rehearsals；　a　pastime　in　which　he　found　an　enormous　amount　of　pleasure。　　The　〃McCloy〃　mentioned　in　the　following　letter　was　the　city　editor　of　The　Evening　Sun　when　my　brother　first　joined　the　staff　of　that　paper　as　a　reporter。


NEW　YORK；　May　4；1906。　DEAR　NORA：

I　left　Providence　Tuesday　night　and　came　on　to　New　York　yesterday。　　Savage　and　Williams　and　all　were　very　nice　about　the　help　they　said　I　had　given　them；　and　I　had　as　much　fun　as　though　it　had　been　a　success　I　had　made　myself；　and　I　didn't　have　to　make　a　speech；　either。

Yesterday　I　spent　in　the　newspaper　offices　gathering　material　from　their　envelopes　on　Winston　Churchill；　M。　P。　who　is　to　be　one　of　my　real　Soldiers　of　Fortune。　　He　will　make　a　splendid　one；　in　four　wars；　twice　made　a　question；　before　he　was　21　years　old；　in　Parliament；　and　a　leader　in　BOTH　parties　before　he　was　36。　　In　the　newspaper　offices　they　had　a　lot　of　fun　with　me。　　When　I　came　into　the　city　room　of　The　Eve。　Sun；　McCloy　was　at　his　desk　in　his　shirt　spiking　copy。　　He　just　raised　his　eyes　and　went　on　with　his　blue　pencil。　　I　said　〃There's　nothing　in　that　story；　sir；　the　man　will　get　well；　and　the　woman　is　his　wife。〃

〃Make　two　sticks　of　it；〃　said　McCloy；　〃and　then　go　back　to　the　Jefferson　police　court。〃

When　I　sat　down　at　my　old　desk；　and　began　to　write　the　copy　boy　came　and　stood　beside　me　and　when　I　had　finished　the　first　page；　snatched　it。　　I　had　to　explain　I　was　only　taking　notes。

At　The　Journal；　Sam　Chamberlain　who　used　to　pay　me　500　a　story；　touched　me　on　the　shoulder　as　I　was　scribbling　down　notes；　and　said　〃Hearst　says　to　take　you　back　at　17　a　week。〃　　I　said　〃I'm　worth　18　and　I　can't　come　for　less。〃　So　he　brought　up　the　business　manager　and　had　a　long　wrangle　with　him　as　to　whether　I　should　get　18。　　The　business　manager；　a　Jew　gentleman；　didn't　know　me　from　Adam；　and　seriously　tried　to　save　the　paper　a　dollar　a　week。　　When　the　reporters　and　typewriter　girls　began　to　laugh；　he　got　very　mad。　　It　was　very　funny　how　soothing　was　the　noise　of　the　presses；　and　the　bells　and　typewriters　and　men　yelling　〃Copy！〃　and　〃Damn　the　boy！〃　I　could　write　better　than　if　I　had　been　in　the　silence　of　the　farm。　　It　was　like　being　able　to　sleep　as　soon　as　the　screw　starts。

DICK。



CHAPTER　XVI　THE　CONGO

During　the　winter　of　1907　the　world　rang　with　the　reports　of　the　atrocities　in　the　Congo；　and　Robert　J。　Collier；　of　Collier's　Weekly；　asked　Richard　to　go　to　the　Congo　and　make　an　investigation。　　I　do　not　believe　that　my　brother　was　ever　in　much　sympathy　with　the　commission；　as　he　did　not　feel　that　he　could　afford　the　time　that　a　thorough　investigation　demanded。　　However；　with　his　wife　he　sailed　for　Liverpool　on　January　5；　1907；　and　three　weeks　later　started　for　Africa。　　Regarding　this　trip；　in　addition　to　the　letters　he　wrote　to　his　family；　I　also　quote　from　a　diary　which　he　had　just　started　and　which　he　conscientiously　continued　until　his　death。


From　diary　of　January　24th；　1907。　　　　　　　　Last　day　in　London。　　Margaret　Frazer　offered　me　gun　from　a　Captain　Jenkins　of　Nigeria。　　Instead　bought　Winchester　repeating；　hoping；　if　need　it；　get　one　coast。　　Lunched　Savoy…Lynch；　Mrs。　Lynch；　her　sistervery　beautiful　girl。　　In　afternoon　Sam　Sothern　and　Margaret　came　in　to　say　〃Good　bye。〃　　Dined　at　Anthony　Hope'sBarrie　and　Mrs。　Barrie　and　Jim　Whigham。　　Mrs。　Barrie　looking　very　well；　Barrie　not　so　well。　　As　silent　as　ever；　only　talked　once　during　dinner　when　he　told　us　about　the　first　of　his　series　of　cricket　matches　between　authors　and　artists。　　Did　not　have　eleven　authors；　so　going　along　road　picked　up　utter　strangers　one　a　soldier　in　front　of　embracing　two　girls。　　Said　he　would　come　if　girls　came　tooall　put　in　brake。　　Mrs。　Barrie　said　the　Llewellen　Davis'　were　the　originals　for　the　Darlings　and　their　children　in　Peter　Pan。　　They　played　a　strange　game　of　billiards　suggested　by　Barrie　who　won　as　no　one　else　knew　the　rules　and　they　claimed　he　invented　them　to　suit　his　case。　　Sat　up　until　three　writing　and　packing。　　The　dinner　was　best　have　had　this　trip　in　London。


Compagnie　Belge　Maritime　Du　Congo。

S。　S。　　February　11th；　1907。


To…morrow；　we　will　be　in　Banana；　which　is　the　first　port　in　the　Congo。　　When　I　remember　how　far　away　the　Congo　seemed　from　New　York　and　London；　it　is　impossible　to　believe　we　are　less　than　a　day　from　it。　　I　am　so　very　glad　I　came。　　The　people　who　have　lived　here　for　years　agree　about　it　in　no　one　fact；　so；　it　is　a　go…as…you…please　for　any　one　so　far　as　accurate　information　is　concerned；　and　I　am　as　likely　to　be　right　as　any　one　else。　　It　has　been　a　pleasant　trip　and　for　us　will　not　be　over　until　some　days；　for　at　Matadi；　which　is　up　the　river；　we　will　probably　live　on　the　steamer　as　the　shore　does　not　sound　attractive。　　Then　I　shall　probably　go　on　up　the　river　and　after　a　month　or　six　weeks　come　back　again。　　At　Boma　I　am　to　see　the　Governor；　one　of　the　inspectors　on　board　is　to　introduce　me；　and　I　have　an　idea　they　will　make　me　as　comfortable　as　possible；　so　that　I　may　not　see　anything。　　Not　that　I　would　be　likely　to　see　anything　hidden　under　a　year。　　Yesterday　was　the　crossing　of　the　Equator。　　The　night　before　Neptune；　one　of　the　crew；　and　his　wife；　the　ship's　butcher；　and　a　kroo　boy；　as　black　as　coal　for　the　heir　apparent　came　over　the　side　and　proclaimed　that　those　who　never　before　had　crossed　the　Equator　must　be　baptized。　　We　had　crossed　but　I　was　perfectly　willing　to　go　through　it　for　the　fun。　　The　Belgians　went　at　it　as　seriously　as　children；　and　worked　up　a　grand　succession　of　events。　　First　we　had　gymkana　races　among　the　kroo　boys。　　The　most　remarkable　was　their　placing　franc　pieces　in　tubs　of　white　and　red　flour；　for　which　the　boys　dived；　they　then　dug　for　more　money　into　a　big　basket　fitted　with　feathers　and　when　they　came　out　they　were　the　most　awful　sights　imaginable。　　You　can　picture　their　naked　black　bodies　and　faces　spotted　with　white　and　pink　and　stuck　like　chickens　with　feathers。　　Then　the　next　day　we　were　all　hauled　before　a　court　and　judged；　and　having　all　been　found　guilty　were　condemned　to　be　shaved　and　bathed　publicly　at　four。　　Meantime　the　Italians；　is　it　not　the　picture　of　them；　had　organized　a　revolution　against　the　Tribunal；　with　the　object　of　ducking　them。　　They　went　into　this　as　though　it　were　a　real　conspiracy　and　had　signs　and　passwords。　　At　four　o'clock；　in　turn　they　sat　us　on　the　edge　of　the　great　tank　on　the　well　deck　and　splashed　us　over　with　paste　and　then　tilted　us　in。　　I　tried　to　carry　the　Frenchman　who　was　acting　as　barber；　with　me　but　only　got　him　half　in。　　But　Milani；　one　of　the　Italians；　swung　him　over　his　head　plumb　into　the　water。　　The　Frenchman　is　a　rich　elephant　hunter　who　is　not　very　popular。　　When　the　revolution　broke　loose　we　all　yelled　〃A　bas　le　Tribunal〃　〃Vivela　Revolution〃！　and　there　was　awful　rough　house。　　I　made　for　the　Frenchman　and　went　in　with　him　and　nearly　drowned　him；　and　everybody　was　being　thrown　into　the　tank　or　held　in　front　of　a　fire　c