adventures and letters-第45章

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a　six　hours　ride　through　blazing　fields　of　sugar　cane　and　stopped　on　my　way　to　the　hotel　to　ask　the　Consul　when　the　next　boat　went　to　Saqua　la　Grande　I　had　no　letter　of　introduction　to　him　as　I　had　to　the　Matanzas　consul；　but　as　soon　as　he　saw　my　card　he　got　out　of　his　chair　and　shook　hands　again　and　was　as　hearty　and　well　bred　and　delightful　as　Charley　himself　and　unlike　Chas　he　did　not　ask　me　14　francs　for　looking　on　him。　　He　is　out　now　chasing　around　to　get　me　a　train　for　to…morrow。　　But　I　won't　go　to…morrow。　　My　hotel　looks　on　the　plaza　and　the　proprietor　and　the　whole　suite　of　attendants　are　my　slaves。　　It　is　just　as　different　as　can　be。　　My　interpreter　does　it；　he　calls　himself　MY　VALET；　although　I　point　out　to　him　that　two　shirts　and　twelve　collars　do　not　constitute　a　wardrobe　even　with　a　rubber　coat　thrown　in。　　But　he　likes　to　play　at　my　being　a　distinguished　stranger　and　I　can't　say　I　object。　　Only　when　you　remember　the　way　I　was　invited　to　see　Cuba　and　expected　to　see　it；　and　now　the　way　I　am　seeing　it　from　car　windows　with　A　VALET。　　What　would　the　new　school　of　yellow　kid　journalists　say　if　they　knew　that。　　For　the　first　time　on　this　trip　I　have　wished　you　were　both　with　me；　that　was　to　night。　　I　never　see　anything　really　beautiful　but　that　it　instantly　makes　me　feel　selfish　and　wish　you　could　see　it　too。　　It　has　happened　again　and　again　and　to　night　I　wish　you　could　be　here　with　me　on　this　balcony。　　The　town　runs　down　a　slope　to　the　bay　and　in　the　middle　of　it　is　the　Plaza　with　me　on　the　balcony　which　lets　out　of　my　sleeping　room　〃the　room〃　so　the　proprietor　tells　me；　〃reserved　only　for　the　Capitain　General。〃　　It　is　just　like　the　description　in　that　remarkable　novel　of　mine　where　Clay　and　Alice　sit　on　the　balcony　of　the　restaurant。　　I　have　the　moonlight　and　the　Cathedral　with　the　open　doors　and　the　bronze　statue　in　the　middle　and　the　royal　palms　moving　in　the　breeze　straight　from　the　sea　and　the　people　walking　around　the　plaza　below。　　If　it　was　in　any　way　as　beautiful　as　this　Clay　and　Alice　would　have　ended　the　novel　that　night。

I　got　a　grand　lot　of　letters　to…day　which　Otto；　my　interpreter　brought　back　from　Havana　after　having　conducted　Remington　there　in　safety。　　I　must　say　you　are　writing　very　cheerfully　now；　but　I　don't　wonder　you　worried　at　first　but　now　that　I　am　a　commercial　traveller　with　an　order　from　Weyler　which　does　everything　when　I　find　it　necessary；　you　really　must　not　worry　any　more　but　just　let　me　continue　on　my　uneventful　journey　and　then　come　home。　　I　shall　have　been　gone　so　long　and　my　friends；　judging　from　Russell　and　Dana　and　Irene's　letters；　will　be　so　glad　to　see　me；　that　they　will　have　forgotten　I　went　out　to　do　other　things　than　coast　around　in　trains。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　this　is　a　terribly　big　problem　and　most　difficult　to　get　the　truth　of；　I　find　myself　growing　to　be　the　opposite　of　the　alarmist；　whatever　that　is；　although　you　would　think　the　picturesque　and　dramatic　and　exciting　thing　would　be　the　one　I　would　rather　believe　because　I　want　to　believe　it；　but　I　find　that　that　is　not　so；　I　see　a　great　deal　on　both　sides　and　I　do　not　believe　half　I　am　told。　　As　we　used　to　say　at　college；　〃it　is　against　history；〃　and　it　is　against　history　for　men　to　act　as　I　am　told　they　are　acting　here　They　show　me　the　pueblo　huddled　together　around　the　fortified　towns；　living　in　palm　huts　but　I　know　that　they　have　always　lived　in　palm　huts；　the　yellow　kid　reporters　don't　know　that　or　consider　it；　but　send　off　word　that　the　condition　of　the　people　is　terrible；　that　they　have　only　leaves　to　cover　them；　and　it　sounds　very　badly。　　That　is　an　instance　of　what　I　mean。　　In　a　big　way　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　process　going　on　here　is　one　of　extermination　and　ruin。　　Two　years　ago　the　amount　　of　sugar　shipped　from　the　port　of　Matanzas　to　the　U。　S。　was　valued　at　11　millions　a　year。　　This　last　year　just　over　shows　that　sugar　to　the　amount　of　　800；000　was　sent　out。　　In　'94；　154　vessels　touched　at　Matanzas　on　their　way　to　America。　　In　'95　there　were　80　and　in　'96　there　are　16。　　I　always　imagined　that　houses　were　destroyed　during　a　war　because　they　got　in　the　way　of　cannon　balls　or　they　were　burned　because　they　might　offer　shelter　to　the　enemy；　but　here　they　are　destroyed；　with　the　purpose　of　making　the　war　horrible　and　hurrying　up　the　end。　　The　insurgents　began　first　by　destroying　the　sugar　mills；　some　of　which　were　worth　millions　of　dollars　in　machinery；　and　now　the　Spaniards　are　burning　the　homes　of　the　people　and　herding　them　in　around　the　towns　to　starve　out　the　insurgents　and　to　leave　them　without　shelter　or　places　to　go　for　food　or　to　hide　the　wounded。　　So　all　day　long　where　ever　you　look　you　see　great　heavy　columns　of　smoke　rising　into　this　beautiful　sky　above　the　magnificent　palms　the　most　noble　of　all　palms；　almost　of　all　trees　It　is　the　most　beautiful　country　I　have　ever　visited。　　I　had　no　recollection　of　how　beautiful　it　was　or　else　I　had　not　the　knowledge　of　other　places　with　which　to　compare　it。　　Nothing　out　of　the　imagination　can　approach　it　in　its　great　waterfalls　and　mossy　rocks　and　grand　plains　and　forests　of　white　pillars　with　plumes　waving　above　them。　　Only　man　is　vile　here　and　it　is　cruel　to　see　the　walls　of　the　houses　with　blind　eyes；　with　roofs　gone　and　gardens　burned；　every　church　but　one　that　I　have　seen　was　a　fortress　with　hammocks　swung　from　the　altars　and　rude　barricades　thrown　up　around　the　doorways　If　this　is　war　I　am　of　the　opinion　that　it　is　a　senseless　wicked　institution　made　for　soldiers；　lovers　and　correspondents　for　different　reasons；　and　for　no　one　else　in　the　world　and　it　is　too　expensive　for　the　others　to　keep　it　going　to　entertain　these　few　gentlemen　I　have　seen　very　little　of　it　yet　and　I　probably　won't　see　much　more；　but　I　have　seen　all　I　want。　　Remington　had　his　mind　satisfied　even　soonerbut　then　he　is　an　alarmist　and　exaggerates　things　The　men　who　wear　the　red　badge　of　courage；　I　don't　feel　sorry　for；　they　have　their　reward　in　their　bloody　bandages　and　the　little　cross　on　their　tunic　but　those　you　meet　coming　back　sick　and　dying　with　fever　are　the　ones　that　make　fighting　contemptiblepoor　little　farmers；　poor　little　children　with　no　interest　in　Cuba　or　Spain's　right　to　hold　it；　who　have　been　sent　out　to　die　like　ants　before　they　have　learned　to　hold　a　mauser；　and　who　are　going　back　again　with　the　beards　that　have　grown　in　the　field　hospitals　on　their　cheeks　and　their　eyes　hollow；　and　too　weak　to　move　or　speak。　　Six　of　them　died　while　I　was　in　Jaroco；　a　town　as　big　as　Marion　and　that　had　been　the　average　for　two　months；　think　of　that；　six　people　dying　in　Marion　every　day　through　July　and　August　I　didn't　stay　in　that　town　any　longer　than　the　train　did　Well　I　have　been　writing　editorials　here　instead　of　cheering　you　up　but　I　guess　I'm　about　right　and　when　I　see　a　little　more　I'll　tell　it　over　again　to　The　Journal　It　is　not　as　exciting　reading　as　deeds　of　daring　by　our　special　correspondent　and　I　haven't　changed　my　name　or　shaved　my　eyebrows　or　done　anything　the　other　men　have　done　but　I　believe　I　am　getting　near　the　truth。　　They　have　shut　off　provisions　going　or　coming　from　the　towns；　they　have　huddled　hundreds　of　people　who　do　not　know　what　a　bath　means　around　these　towns；　and　t