adventures and letters-第70章

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tories。　　In　August　of　that　year　my　brother；　accompanied　by　his　wife；　returned　to　Chicago　to　report　the　Progressive　convention。　　During　the　year　1913　he　wrote　and　produced　the　farce　〃Who's　Who；〃　of　which　William　Collier　was　the　star；　and　in　the　fall　of　the　same　year　spent　a　month　in　Cuba；　with　Augustus　Thomas；　where　they　produced　a　film　version　of　〃Soldiers　of　Fortune。〃　In　referring　to　this　trip；　Thomas　wrote　at　the　time　of　Richard's　death：

〃In　1914　a　motion…picture　company　arranged　to　make　a　feature　film　of　the　play；　and　Dick　and　I　went　with　their　outfit　to　Santiago　de　Cuba；　where；　twenty　years　earlier；　he　had　found　the　inspiration　for　his　story　and　out　of　which　city　and　its　environs　he　had　fashioned　his　supposititious　republic　of　Olancho。　　On　that　trip　he　was　the　idol　of　the　company。　　With　the　men　in　the　smoking…room　of　the　steamer　there　were　the　numberless　playful　stories；　in　the　rough；　of　the　experiences　on　all　five　continents　and　seven　seas　that　were　the　backgrounds　of　his　published　tales。

〃At　Santiago；　if　an　official　was　to　be　persuaded　to　consent　to　some　unprecedented　seizure　of　the　streets；　or　a　diplomat　invoked　for　the　assistance　of　the　Army　or　the　Navy；　it　was　the　experience　and　good　judgment　of　Dick　Davis　that　controlled　the　task。　　In　the　field　there　were　his　helpful　suggestions　of　work　and　make　up　to　the　actors；　and　on　the　boat　and　train　and　in　hotel　and　camp　the　lady　members　met　in　him　an　easy　courtesy　and　understanding　at　once　fraternal　and　impersonal。

〃The　element　that　he　could　not　put　into　the　account　and　which　is　particularly　pertinent　to　this　page；　is　the　author　of　‘Soldiers　of　Fortune'　as　he　revealed　himself　to　me　both　with　intention　and　unconsciously　in　the　presence　of　the　familiar　scenes。

〃For　three　weeks；　with　the　exception　of　one　or　two　occasions　when　some　local　dignitary　captured　the　revisiting　lion；　he　and　I　spent　our　evenings　together　at　a　cafe　table　overlooking　‘The　Great　Square；'　which　he　sketches　so　deftly　in　its　atmosphere　when　Clay　and　the　Langhams　and　Stuart　dine　there。　　At　one　end　of　the　plaza　the　President's　band　was　playing　native　waltzes　that　came　throbbing　through　the　trees　and　beating　softly　above　the　rustling　skirts　and　clinking　spurs　of　the　senoritas　and　officers　sweeping　by　in　two　opposite　circles　around　the　edges　of　the　tessellated　pavements。　　Above　the　palms　around　the　square　arose　the　dim；　white　facade　of　the　Cathedral；　with　the　bronze　statue　of　Anduella　the　liberator　of　Olancho；　who　answered　with　his　upraised　arm　and　cocked　hat　the　cheers　of　an　imaginary　populace。

〃Twenty　years　had　gone　by　since　Dick　had　received　the　impression　that　wrote　those　lines；　and　now　sometimes　after　dinner　half　a　long　cigar　would　burn　out　as　he　mused　over　the　picture　and　the　dreams　that　had　gone　between。　　From　one　long　silence　he　said：　　‘I　think　I'll　come　back　here　this　winter　and　bring　Mrs。　Davis　with　mestay　a　couple　of　months。'　　What　a　fine　compliment　to　a　wife　to　have　the　thought　of　her　and　that　plan　emerge　from　that　deep　and　romantic　background。

〃The　picture　people　began　their　film　with　a　showing　of　the　‘mountains　which　jutted　out　into　the　ocean　and　suggested　roughly　the　five　knuckles　of　a　giant's　hand　clenched　and　lying　flat　upon　the　surface　of　the　water。'　　That　formation　of　the　sea　wall　is　just　outside　of　Santiago。　　‘The　waves　tunnelled　their　way　easily　enough　until　they　ran　up　against　those　five　mountains　and　then　they　had　to　fall　back。'　How　natural　for　one　of　us　to　be　unimpressed　by　such　a　feature　of　the　landscape　and　yet　how　characteristic　of　Dick　Davis　to　see　the　elemental　fight　that　it　recorded　and　get　the　hint　for　the　whole　of　the　engineering　struggle　that　is　so　much　of　his　book。

〃We　went　over　those　mountains　together；　where　two　decades　before　he　had　planted　his　banner　of　romance。　　We　visited　the　mines　and　the　railroads　and　everywhere　found　some　superintendent　or　foreman　or　engineer　who　remembered　Davis。　　He　had　guessed　at　nothing。　　Everywhere　he　had　overlaid　the　facts　with　adventure　and　with　beauty；　but　he　had　been　on　sure　footing　all　the　time。　　His　prototype　of　MacWilliams　was　dead。　　Together　we　visited　the　wooden　cross　with　which　the　miners　had　marked　his　grave。




CHAPTER　XIX　VERA　CRUZ　AND　THE　GREAT　WAR

Late　in　April；　1914；　when　war　between　the　United　States　and　Mexico　seemed　inevitable　Richard　once　more　left　the　peace　and　content　of　Crossroads　and　started　for　Vera　Cruz；　arriving　there　on　April　29。　　He　had　arranged　to　act　as　correspondent　for　a　syndicate　of　newspapers；　and　as　he　had　for　long　been　opposed　to　the　administration's　policy　of　〃watchful　waiting〃　was　greatly　disappointed　on　his　arrival　at　the　border　to　learn　of　the　President's　plan　of　mediation。　　He　wrote　to　his　wife：


CRUZ；　April　24；　1914。　DEAREST　ONE：

We　left　today　at　5。30。　　It　was　a　splendid　scene；　except　for　the　children　crying；　and　the　wives　of　the　officers　and　enlisted　men　trying　not　to　cry。　　I　got　a　stateroom　to　myself。　　With　the　electric　fan　on　and　the　airport　open；　it　is　about　as　cool　as　a　blast　furnace。　　But　I　was　given　a　seat　on　the　left　of　General　Funston；　who　is　commanding　this　brigade；　and　the　other　officers　at　the　table　are　all　good　fellows。　　As　long　as　I　was　going；　I　certainly　had　luck　in　getting　away　as　sharply　as　I　did。　　One　day's　delay　would　have　made　me　miss　this　transport；　which　will　be　the　first　to　land　troops。


April　25th。

A　dreadnaught　joined　us　today；　the　Louisiana。　　I　wirelessed　the　Admiral　asking　permission　to　send　a　press　despatch　via　his　battleship；　and　he　was　polite　in　reply；　but　firm。　　He　said　〃No。〃　　There　are　four　transports　and　three　torpedo　boats　and　the　battleship。　　We　go　very　slowly；　because　we　must　keep　up　with　one　of　the　troop　ships　with　broken　engines。　　At　night　it　is　very　pretty　seeing　the　ships　in　line；　and　the　torpedo　boats　winking　their　signals　at　each　other。　　I　am　writing　all　the　time　or　reading　up　things　about　the　army　I　forget　and　getting　the　new　dope。　　Also　I　am　brushing　up　my　Spanish。　　Jack　London　is　on　board；　and　three　other　correspondents；　two　of　whom　I　have　met　on　other　trips；　and　one　〃cub〃　correspondent。　　He　was　sitting　beside　London　and　me　busily　turning　out　copy；　and　I　asked　him　what　he　found　to　write　about。　　He　said；　〃Well；　maybe　I　see　things　you　fellows　don't　see。〃　　What　he　meant　was　that　what　was　old　to　us　was　new　to　him；　but　he　got　guyed　unmercifully。

April　27；　1914。

The　censor　reads　all　I　write；　and　so　do　some　half…dozen　Mexican　cable　clerks　and　60　（sixty）　correspondents。　　So　when　I　cable　〃love；〃　it　MEANS　devotion；　adoration；　and　worship；　loyalty；　fidelity　and　truth；　wanting　you；　needing　you；　unhappy　for　you。　　It　means　ALL　that。

RICHARD。


VERA　CRUZ；　April　30；　1914。

This　heathumid　and　moistwould　sweat　water　out　of　a　chilled　steel　safe；　so　imagine　what　it　does　to　me　with　all　the　awful　winter's　accumulation　of　fat。　　I　hate　to　say　it；　but　I　LIKE　these　Mexicansmuch　better　than　Cubans；　or　Central　Americans。　　They　are　human；　kindly；　it　is　only　the　politicians　and　bandits　like　Villa　who　give　them　a　bad　name。　　But；　though　they　ought　to　hate　us；　whenever　I　stop　to　ask　my　way　they　invite　me　to　come　in　and　have　〃coffee〃　and　say；　〃My　house　is　yours；　senor；〃　which　certainly　is　kind　after　people　have　taken　your　town　away　from　you　and　given　you　another　flag　and　knocked　your　head　off　if　you　did　not　salute　it。　　I　now　have　a　fine　room。　　The　Navy　moved　out　today　and　I　got　the　room　of　the　paymaster。　　It　faces　the　plaza　and　the　cathedral。　　I　burned　a　candle　there　today　for　our　soon　meeting。　　The　priests　all　had　run　away；　so　I　had　to　hunt　up　the　candle；　and　pay　the　money　into　the　box　marked　for　that　purpose；　but　the　Lord　does　not　run　away；　and　He　will　see　we　soon　meet。


May　2nd。

Yesterday　I　went　out　on　the　train　that　brings　in　refugees　and　saw　the　Mexicans。　　They　had　on　three　thousand　cartridges；　much　hair；　hats　as　high　as　church　steeples；　and　lots　of　dirt。　　The　Selig　Moving　Picture　folks　took　many　pictures　of　us　and　several　〃stills；〃　in　which　the　war　correspondent　was　shown　giving　cigarettes　to　the　brigands。　　Also；　I　had　a　wonderful　bath　in　the　ocean　off　the　aviation　camp。　　I　borrowed　a　suit　from　one　of　the　aviators；　and　splashed　and　swam　around　for　an　hour。　　My！　it　was　good。　　It　reminded　me　of　my　dear　Bessie；　because　the　last　time　I　was