ItisworsethantheFrenchatSedanamilliontimes。WearejustamateursatwarandaboutliketheIndiansColumbusdiscovered。Iamexceedinglypleasedwithmyselfattakingitsogoodnaturedly。IwouldhavethoughtIwouldhavegonemadorgonehomelongago。BonsalandRemingtonthreatentogoeveryminute。Milestellsmeweshallhavetowaituntilthosecruisersarelocatedorbottledup。I'mtiredofbottlingupfleets。IlikethewayDeweybottlesthem。Whatastorythatwouldhavemade。Twenty-sixtransportswithasmanythousandmensunkfivemilesoutandtwo-thirdsofthemdrowned。RemembertheMaineindeed!they'dbetterremembertheMainandbraceup。IfwewaituntiltheycatchthoseboatsImaybehereforanothermonthaswecannotdaregoawayforlongorfar。Ifwedecidetogowithaconvoywhichiswhatweoughttodo,wemaystartinadayortwo。Nothingyoureadinthepapersiscorrect。DidItellyouthatMilessentDorstaftermetheothernightandmademealongspeech,sayinghethoughtIhaddonesowellinrefusingthecommission。Iwasgladhefeltthatwayaboutit。Well,lotsoflove。I'mnowgoingtotakeabath。Godblessyou,thisisa"merrywar。"
  RICHARD。
  InsightofSantiago——
  June26th,1898。
  DEARCHAS。:
  WehavecometoahalthereinacampalongthetrailtoSantiago。Youcanseeitbyclimbingahill。InsteadofwhichIamnowsittingbyafinestreamonacoolrock。I
  havediscoveredthatyoureallyenjoythingsmorewhenyouarenotgettingmanycomfortsthanyoudowhenyouhaveallyouwant。Thatsoundsdullbutitismostconsoling。IhadabaththismorningintheserocksthatIwouldnothavegivenupforallthegooddinnersIeverhadattheWaldorf,ortheSavoy。Itjustwentupanddownmyspineandsentthrillsalloverme。ItismostinterestingnowandallthetroublesofthedulldaysofwaitingatTampaandthatawfultimeonthetroopshipareover。Thearmyisstretchedoutalongthetrailfromthecoastforsixmiles。Santiagoliesaboutfivemilesaheadofus。IamveryhappyandcontentandthebookforScribnersoughttobeaninterestingone。Itisreallyveryhardthatmydespatchesarelimitedto100wordsfortherearelotsofchances。ThefaultlieswiththearmypeopleatWashington,whogivecredentialstoanyonewhoasks。ToTheIndependentandotherperiodicals——innosensenewspapers,andtheygiveseventoonepaper,consequentlyweasaclassareapesttotheofficersandtoeachother。Fortunately,thesurvivalofthefittestisthetestandonlythebestmenineverysensegettothefront。Therearefiftyothersatthebasewhokeepthewireloadedwithrumors,sowhenaftergreatdifficultywegetthecorrectnewsbacktoDaiquireaSiboneythereisnoroomforit。Someofthe"warcorrespondents"haveabsolutelynothingbuttheclothestheystandin,andtheothershadtotakeupsubscriptionsforthem。Theygambledallthetimeonthetransportsandareensconcednowatthebasewithcardsandcountersandnothingelse。WhitneyhasturnedoutgreatattheworkandIamgladheisnotonadailypaperorhewouldshareeverythingwithme。JohnFox,WhitneyandIarelivingonWood'sroughriders。WeareverywelcomeandRoosevelthasusatHeadquartersbut,ofcourse,weseethemenweknowallthetime。
  Yougetmorenewswiththeotherregimentsbuttheofficers,eventheGenerals,aresuchnarrowmindedslipshodmenthatweonlyvisitthemtopickupinformation。
  WhitneyandIweretheonlycorrespondentsthatsawthefightatGuasimas。HewaswiththeregularsbutIhadthelucktobewithRoosevelt。Heissorebutstillhesawmorethananyoneelseandisproportionallyhappy。Stillhenaturallywouldhavelikedtohavebeenwithourpush。WewerewithinthirtyyardsoftheSpaniardsandhiscrowdwerenotnearerthanaquarterofamilewhichwasnearenoughastheyhadnearlyasmanykilled。Gen。Chaffeetoldmeto-daythatitwasWood'schargethatwontheday,withoutitthetenthcouldnothavedriventheSpaniardsback——Woodisagreatyoungman,hehasonlyoneideaorratherallhisideasruninonedirection,hisregiment,heeatsandtalksnothingelse。Heneversleepsmorethanfourhoursandalltherestofthetimeheismovingaboutamongthetents——Betweenyouandmeandthepoliceman,itwasaveryhottime——MaybeifIdrewyouamapyouwouldunderstandwhy。
  WoodandGen。Young,byagreementthenightbeforeandwithoutordersfromanybodydecidedtoadvanceatdaybreakanddislodgetheSpaniardsfromLasGuasimas。Theywentbytwonarrowtrailssinglefile,thetwotrailswerealongthecrestsofalineofhillswithavalleybetween。ThedottedlineisthetrailweshouldhavetakenhadtheCubanstoldusitexisted,ifwehaddonesowewouldhavehadtheSpaniardsinthefrontbandrearasGeneralYoungwouldhavecaughtthemwheretheyexpectedhimtocome,andwewouldhavecaughtthemwheretheywerenotlookingforus。Ofcourse,theCubanswhoareworthlessineverywaynevertoldusofthistrailuntilwehadhadthemeeting。NooneknewwewerenearSpaniardsuntilbothcolumnswereontheplacewherethetwotrailsmeet。Thenourscoutscamebackandreportedthemandthecompanieswerescatteredoutasyouseetheminthelittledots。TheSpaniardswereabsolutelyhiddennotover25percentofthemensawoneofthemfortwohours——Iranoutwiththecompanyontherightofthedottedline,marked"ourposition。"IthoughtitwasafalsealarmandnoneofusbelievedtherewereanySpaniardsthissideofSantiago。Thegroundwascoveredwithhighgrassandcactusandvinessothatyoucouldnotseetwentyfeetahead,themenhadtobeatthevineswiththeircarbinestogetthroughthem。Wehadnotrunfiftyyardsthroughthejunglebeforetheyopenedonuswithaquickfiringgunatahundredyards。Isawtheenemyonthehillacrossthevalleyandgotsixsharpshootersandbeganonthem,thenthefiregotsohotthatwehadtolieonourfacesandcrawlbacktotherear。IhadawoundedmantocarryandwasinaverybadwaybecauseIhadsciatica,TwoofhismentookhimoffwhileIstoppedtohelpaworsewoundedtrooper,butIfoundhewasdead。WhenIhadcomebackforhiminanhour,thevultureshadeatenouthiseyesandlips。InthemeanwhileatrooperstooduponthecrestwithaguidonandwaveditattheoppositetrailtofindoutifthefiringtherewasfromSpaniardsorLenYoung'snegroes。
  HewashitinthreeplacesbutestablishedthefactthatYoungwasuponthetrailonourrightacrossthevalleyfortheycheered。HewasamanwhohadrunontheGoldTicketforCongressinArizona,andconsequently,assomeonesaid,naturallyshouldhaveledaforlornhope。AblackguardhadjustrunpasttellingthemthatWoodwaskilledandthathehadbeenorderedtoSiboneyforreinforcements。Thatwashowthereportspreadthatwewerecuttopieces——AreporterwhoranawayfromYoung'scolumnwasresponsibleforthestorythatIwaskilled。HemeantMarshallwhowasontheleftofthelineandwhowasshotthroughthespine——Therewasalotofwoundedatthebaseandthefightinginfrontwasfearfultohear。Itwasasfastasahardfootballmatchandyoumustrememberitlastedtwofullhours;duringthattimethemenwereontheirfeetallthetimeorcrawlingontheirhands——
  Notoneofthem,withtheexceptionof——,andaSergeantwhothrewawayhisgunandran,wentastepback。Itwaslikeplayingblindman'sbuffandyouwereit。IgotseparatedonceandwasscareduntilIsawthelineagain,asmylegwasverybadandIcouldnotgetaboutovertheroughground。IwentdownthetrailandIfoundCaprondyingandthewholeplacelitteredwithdiscardedblanketsandhaversacks。IalsofoundFishandpulledhimundercover——hewasquitedead——ThenI
  borrowedacarbineandjoinedCapron'stroop,asecondlieutenantandhisSergeantwereincommand。Themannextmeinlinegotabulletthroughhissleeveandonethroughhisshirtandyoucouldseewhereitwentinandcameoutwithouttouchingtheskin。ThefiringwasveryhighandwewereinnodangersoItoldthelieutenanttoletuschargeacrossanopenplaceandtakeatinshackwhichwasheldbytheSpaniards'rearguard,fortheywereopeninretreat。
  Rooseveltorderedhismentodothesamethingandweranforwardcheeringacrosstheopenandthendroppedinthegrassandfired。IguessIfiredabouttwentyroundsandthenformedintoastrategyboardandwentoffdownthetrailtoscout。IgotlonelyandwascomingbackwhenImetanothertrooperwhosatdownandsaidhewastoohottoruninanydirectionSpaniardornoSpaniard。Sowesatdownandpanted。
  AtlastheaskedmeifIwasR。H。D。andIsaidIwasandhesaid"I'mDean,ImetyouinHarvardintheracquetcourt。"
  Thenweembraced——thetenthcameupthenanditwasallover。
  Myleg,thankgoodness,isallrightagainandhasbeensoforthreedays。Itwasonlytherunningaboutthatcausedit。I
  won'thavetorunagainasIhaveahorsenowandtherewillbenomoreambushesandmoreoverwehave12,000menaroundus——BeingtogetherthatwayinatightplacehasmadeusallfriendsandIguessI'llsticktotheregiment。SendthistodearMotherandtellherIwasnotborntobekilled。Ioughttotellyoumoreofthecharmingsideofthelife——wearealldirtyandhungryandsleeponthegroundandhavegrandtalksoneverysubjectaroundtheheadquarterstent。Iwasnevermorehappyandcontentandneversowell。Itishotbutatnightitisquitecoolandtherehasbeennorainonlyafewshowers。`Nooneisillandtherehavebeennocasesoffever。I
  havenotheardfromyouoranyonesincethe14th,whichisnotreallylongbutsomuchgoesonthatitseemsso。Lotsoflovetoyouall。
  DICK。
  AfterreadingthisoverIoughtperhapstosaythatthepositionoftherealcorrespondentsisabsolutelytheverybest。Nooneconfoundsuswiththemenatthebase,andnothingtheyhavetheydenyus。Wearetreatedimmeasurablybetterthanthepoorattacheswhoarestillontheshipandwhoiftheywerespiescouldnotbetreatedworse。ButforWhitney,Remingtonandmyselfnothingistoogood。Generalsfighttohaveusontheirstaffsandallthatsortofthing,soIreallycannotcomplain,exceptaboutthefactthatourrealnewsiscrowdedoutbythefakerintherear。
  SANTIAGO。
  HeadquartersCavalryDivision,U。S。Army。
  Headqrs。Wood'sRoughRiders。
  June29th,1898。
  DEARDAD:
  IsupposeyouarebackfromMarionnowandIhavemissedyou。
  Ican'ttellyouhowsorryIam。Iwantedtoseeyoucomingupthestreetthissummerinyourknickerbockersandwithnofish,butstillhappy。Nevermind,weshalldothetheatresthisFall,andhavegoodwalksdowntown。IhopeMotherwillcomeupandvisitmethisSeptember,atMarionandsitonAllen'sandontheClarks'porchandwecanhaveChas。too。I
  supposehewillhavehadhisholidaybuthecancomeupforaSunday。WeexpecttomoveuponSantiagothedayafterto-morrow,andit'sabouttime,forthetrailwillnotbepassablemuchlonger。Itrainseverydayatthreeo'clockforanhourandsuchrainyouneverguessed。Itisthreeincheshighforanhour。Thenweallgooutnakedanddigtrenchestogetitoutoftheway。Itisveryroughliving。IhavetoconfessthatIneverknewhowwelloffIwasuntilIgottosmokingDurhamtobaccoandI'veonlyhalfabagofthatleft。Theenlistedmenaresmokingdriedhorsedroppings,grass,rootsandtea。Someofthemcan'tsleeptheyaresonervousforthewantofit,butto-dayalotcameupandallwillbewellforthem。I'vehadasteadyrationofcoffee,baconandhardtackforaweekandonemango,tonightwehadbeans。Ofcourse,whattheyoughttoserveisriceandbeansasfriedbaconisimpossibleinthisheat。Still,everyoneiswell。Thisisthebestcrowdtobewith——theyaresowelleducatedandsointeresting。Theregulararmymenareverydullandnarrowandwouldboreonetodeath。WehaveWood,Roosevelt,Lee,theBritishAttache,WhitneyandaDoctorChurch,afriendofminefromPrinceton,whoisquitethemostcheerfulsoulandthefunniestIevermet。Hecarriedfourmenfromthefiringlinetheotherdaybackhalfamiletothehospitaltent。Hespendsmostofhistimecomingaroundheadquartersinanundershirtofmineandagoldbraceletfightingtarantulas。Iwokeuptheothermorningwithonesevenincheslongandashairyasyourheadreposingonmypillow。MysciaticabothersmebuthasnotpreventedmeseeingeverythingandIcandigrainguttersandcutwoodwithanyofthem。ItisveryfunnytoseeLarned,thetennischampion,whoseeverymovementatNewportwasapplaudedbyhundredsofyoungwomen,marchingupanddowninthewetgrass。WhitneyandIguyhim。To-dayasentryonpostwasreading"AsYouLikeIt"andwheneverIgodownthelinehalfthemenwanttoknowwhowontheboatrace——To-dayWoodsentmeoutwithadetailonapretenseofscoutingbutreallytogivethemachancetoseethecountry。Theywereallcollegeboys,withWillieTiffanyassergeantandwehadafinetimeandcouldseetheSpanishsentriesquiteplainlywithoutaglass。Ihopeyouwillnotworryoverthislongseparation。
  Idon'tknowofanyexperienceIhavehadwhichhasdonemesomuchgood,andbeingwithsuchafinelotoffellowsisagreatpleasure。Thesceneryisverybeautifulwhenitisnotraining。IhaveacotraisedoffthegroundintheColonel'stentandamverywelloff。IfChaffeeorLawton,whoarethefinesttypeofofficersIeversaw,wereincommand,wewouldhavebeenfightingeverydayandwouldprobablyhavebeeninbythistime。ThisweathershowsthatHavanamustbeputoffafterPortoRico。Theycannotcampaigninthismud。
  DICK。
  SANTIAGO,July1898。
  DEARFAMILY:
  ThisisjusttoreassureyouthatIamallright。IandMarshallweretheonlycorrespondentswithRoosevelt。Wewerecaughtinaclearcaseofambush。Everyprecautionhadbeentaken,butthenativesknewthegroundandourmendidnot。
  Itwasthehottest,nastiestfightIeverimagined。Weneversawtheenemyexceptglimpses。Ourmenfellallovertheplace,shoutingtotheothersnottomindthem,buttogoon。Igotexcitedandtookacarbineandchargedthesugarhouse,whichwaswhatiscalledthekeytotheposition。
  IfthemenhadbeenregularsIwouldhavesatintherearasB——did,butIkneweveryotheroneofthem,hadplayedfootball,andallthatsortofthing,withthem,soIthoughtasanAmericanIoughttohelp。Theofficerswerefallingallovertheshop,andafteritwasalloverRooseveltmademealongspeechbeforesomeofthemen,andofferedmeacaptaincyintheregimentanytimeIwantedit。HetoldtheAssociatedPressmanthattherewasnoofficerinhisregimentwhohad"beenofmorehelporshownmorecourage"thanyourhumbleservant,sothat'sallright。AfterthisIkeepquiet。I
  promiseIkeepquiet。Lovetoyouall。
  RICHARD。
  FromCubaRichardsailedwithourforcestoPortoRico,wherehisexperiencesintheSpanish-Americanwarcametoanend,andhereturnedtoMarion。HespentthefallinNewYork,andearlyin1899wenttoLondon。
  Oneofthemostinteresting,certainlythemostwidelytalkedof,"sportingevents"forwhichRichardwasresponsiblewasthesendingofanEnglishdistrict-messengerboyfromLondontoChicago。Theideawasinspiredbymybrother'sgeneraladmirationoftheLondonmessengerserviceandhisparticularbeliefinoneWilliamThomasJaggers,afourteen-year-oldladwhomRichardhadfrequentlyemployedtocarrynotesandrunerrands。Oneday,duringacasualluncheonconversationattheSavoywithhisfriendSomersSomerset,RichardsaidthathebelievedthatifJaggerswereaskedtocarryamessagetoNewYorkthathecouldnotonlydoitbutwouldexpressnosurpriseatthecommission。
  Thisconversationresultedinthebetdescribedinthefollowingletters。TheboyslippedquietlyawayfromLondon,butafewdayslaterthebetbecamepublicandthenewspaperswerefilledwithspeculationastowhetherJaggerscouldbeatthemails。Themessengercarriedthreeletters,onetomysister,onetoMissCecilClarkofChicago,whomRichardmarriedafewmonthslater,andonetomyself。
  Asamatteroffact,Jaggersdeliveredhisnotesseveralhoursbeforeletterstravellingbythesameboatreachedthesamedestinations。ThenewspapersnotonlyprintedlongaccountsofJaggers'striumphalprogressfromNewYorktoChicagoandbackagain,butusedthesuccessofhisundertakingasatextformanyeditorialsagainstthedilatorymethodsofourforeign-mailservice。JaggersleftLondononMarch11,1899,andwasbackagainonthe29th,havingtravellednearlyeighty-fourhundredmilesineighteendays。Onhisreturnhewasreceivedliterallybyacrowdofthousands,andhisfeatwasgivenofficialrecognitionbyagoldmedalpinnedonhisyouthfulchestbytheDuchessofRutland。Also,lateron,atagardenfetehewaspresentedtotheQueen,andincidentally,stilllater,returnedtotheUnitedStatesas"buttons"tomybrother'shousehold。
  Bachelors'Club,Piccadilly,W。
  March15th,1899。
  DEARCHAS。
  IhopeyouarenotannoyedaboutJaggers。WhenhestartednooneknewofitbutthreepeopleandIhadnoideaanyoneelsewould,butthecompanysentittoTheMailwithoutmynamebutdescribingmeas"anAmericangentleman"——InstantlytheforeigncorrespondentswenttothemtofindoutwhoIwasandtowhomIwassendingtheletter——Itoldthecompanyitwasnoneoftheirdamnedbusiness——thatIemployedtheboybytheweekandthatIcouldsendhimwhere-everIchose。Thentheboy'sfathergotproudandwrotetoTheMailabouthisageandsotheygottheboy'sname。Mine,however,isstilloutofit,butinAmericatheyaresuretoknowasthepeopleonthesteamerarecrazyabouthimandKinseythePurserknowsheissentbyme。AfterhegetsbackfromChicagoandPhiladelphia,youcandowithhimasyoulikeuntilthesteamersails。Ifthethingistakenupasitishereandthefatisinthefire,thenyoucandoasyouplease——Imeanyoucantellthepapersaboutitornot——SomersetholdsoneendofthebetsandItheother。
  Therearetwobets:onethathewillbeatthemailtoChicago,SomersetagreeingtoconsidertheletteryougivehimtoBruce,asequivalenttoonecomingfromhere。Theotherbetisthathewilldeliverandgetreceiptsfromyou,NoraandBruce,andreturnherebythe5thofApril——YouandBobbyoughttobeabletodowellbyhimifitbecomes,asIsay,sofarpublicthatthereisnopossibilityoffurtherconcealment——Youhavemypermissiontodowhatyouplease——
  Heiscomingintomyemployassoonashegetsbackandassoonasthecompanygivehimamedal。
  Overherethereisthegreatestpossibleinterestinthematter——AttheClubsIgoto,thewaitersallwaitonmeinordertohavethelatestdevelopmentsandwhenitwascabledoverherethattheCustoms'peopleintendedstoppinghim,indignationragedattheForeignoffice。
  oflove,DICK。
  89JermynStreet,S。W。
  March——1899
  DEARNORA:
  Thisistobehandedtoyoubymyspecialmessenger,whoistoassureyouthatIaminthebestofhealthandspirits——KeephimforafewhoursandthensendhimontoChicago——Asheisdoingthisonabet,donotgivehimanywritteninstructionsonlyverbalones。Iamverywellandhappyandsendyouallmylove——JaggershasbeenrunningerrandsformeeversinceI
  camehere,andamostloyalservitorwhenIwasill——OnhisreturnIwanttokeephimonasabuttons。Seethathegetsplentytoeat——Ifhecomesbackalivehewillhavebrokenthemessengerboyservicerecordbythreethousandmiles。
  Personally,itdoesnotcostmeanythingtospeakof。ThedramatizationoftheSoldierscontinuesbriskly,andMaudeissendingGrundybacktheJackal,tohaveasecondgoatit。
  Maudeinsistsonitsbeingdone——soIstandtowinalot。
  RICHARD。
  BeefsteakClub,9,GreenStreet,LeicesterSquare,W。C。Tuesday。
  March——1899。
  DEARMOTHER:——
  ThefaithfulJaggersshouldhavearrivedto-day,orwilldosothisevening——Iamsureyouwillmakethepoorlittlechapcomfortable——Idoregrethavingsenthimonsuchajourneyespeciallysincethepapersheremadesuchaninfernalrowoverit——However,neitherofuswilllosebyitintheend——
  IdinedwithLadyClarkelastnightandmetLordCastletonthereandheinvitedmeuptoDublinforthePunchtownRaces——
  Ihaveagreatmindtogoandwriteastoryonthem——CastletonisagreatsportandverypopularathomeandinEnglandanditwouldbeapleasantexperience。KuhneBeveridgeisdoingabustofmeinkhakioutfitfortheAcademyandalsoforaprivateexhibitionofherownworks,whichincludesthePrinceofWales,andtheLittleQueenofHolland。
  HaysHammondhasinvitedmedowntoSouthAfricaagain,withapromiseofmakingmyfortune,butIamnotgoingasittakestoolong。
  DICK。
  CHAPTERXII
  THEBOERWAR
  OnMay4,1899,atMarion,Massachusetts,RichardwasmarriedtoCecilClark,thedaughterofMr。andMrs。JohnM。ClarkofChicago。AfterthemarriageRichardandhiswifespentafewweeksinMarionandtheremainderofthesummerinLondonandAix-les-Bains。
  MARION,May28th,1899。
  DEARMOTHER:
  Yousentmesuchagoodletteraboutthevisitofthethreeselectedchorusgirls。Butwhatwasbest,wasaboutyourwishingtoseeme。Ofcourse,youknowthatIfeelthattoo。
  Iwouldhaveitsothatwealllivedhere,sothatDadcouldfish,andNoraandCecilcoulddiscusslife,andyouandI
  couldjusttakewalksandchat。Butbecausethatcannotbe,wearenofurtherawaythanweeverwereandwhenthepaintoseeyoucomes,Idon'tletithurtandIdon'tkilliteitherforitisthesweetestpainIcanfeel。Ifsonswillgooffandmarry,orbewar-correspondents,ormanagers,itdoesnotmeanthatHomeisanythelessHome。Youcan'twipeouthistorybychangingthenameofaboulevard,assomebodysaidoftheFrench,andifIwereabletobeintwoplacesatonce,IknowinwhichtwoplacesIwouldbeherewithCecilatMarion,andatHomeintheLibrarywithyouandDadandTheEveningTelegraph,andNoraandVanBibber。YouwillneverknowhowmuchIloveyouallandyoumustnevergiveuptryingtocomprehendit。Godblessyouandkeepyou,andmylovetoyoueveryminuteandalways。
  DICK。
  LateinJanuary,1900,RichardandhiswifestartedontheirfirstgreatadventuretogethertotheBoerWar。ArrivingatCapeTown,Richardlefthiswifethereand,actingascorrespondentwiththeBritishforcesfortheNewYorkHeraldandLondonMail,sawthereliefofLadysmith。
  AfterthishereturnedtoCapeTown,withtheintentionofjoiningLordRobertsinhisadvanceonPretoria。ButonarrivingatCapeTownhelearnedthatLordRobertsdidnotintendtomoveforthreeweeks,andsodecidedtosayfarewelltotheBritisharmyandtoreturntoLondoninaleisurelyandsightseeingfashionalongtheeastcoast。ItwasaftertheywerewellstartedonthisreturnvoyagethatRichardconceivedtheideaofleavingtheshipatDurban,goingtoPretoria,and,asheexpressedit,"watchtheBoersfightingthesamemenIhadjustseenfightingthem。"
  R。M。S。ScotFebruary4th,1900。
  DEARMOTHER:
  AgreatchangehascomesinceIwroteyoufromMadeira。WearenowonSummerseasandhaveregulatedthedayssothattheypassverypleasantly——notthatwedonotwanttobeonland——Ineversomuchwantedit——Somersiswithusandissuchacomfort。Heisevenyoungerthanheusedtobeandsoquickandcourteousandgoodtempered。Heislikeaboyoffonaholiday——Ithinkheisverymuchinlovewithhiswife,butinspiteofhimselfheisgladtogetaholiday,andlikeallofushewillbesomuchmoregladwhenheishomewardbound。TheythreatenedtoshutusoutofouronlychanceofputtingfootonlandatMadeira——Inthefirstplace,weweresodelayedbythestormthatwearrivedateighto'clockatnight,sothatwemissedseeingitinitsbeautyofflowersandpalms。Andthenitwassoroughthattheysaiditwasmostunsafeforustoattempttogoashore。
  ItwasagreatdisappointmentbutIurgedthateveryonelovedhisownlife,andifthenativeswerewillingtorisktheirstosellusphotographsandwickerbasketsitwasprobablysaferthanitlooked——Soweagreedtodietogether,andwithSomersgotourraincoats,andthethreeofusleapedintoarowboatpulledbytwoPortugesepiratesandstartedofftowardarowoflampsonaquaythatseemedmuchlowerthanthewaves。Theremainderontheshipwatchedusdisappearwithominuswarnings——Wereallyhadamostadventurouspassage——towardsshorethewavestossedusaboutlikealobsterpotandwejustmissedbeingrundownbyacoalbargeandescapedanupsetoverthebowanchorchainofaship。ItwassoclosethatbothSomersandIhadourcoatsoffandI
  toldCeciltograbthechain——Butweweathereditandlandedatahighgangwaycutinthesolidrockthefirstthreestepsofwhichwereswampedbythewaves。Aropeandchainhungfromthetopofthewharfandamanswunghisweightonthisandyankedusouttothestepsastheboatwasonthewave。
  Therainbeatandthewindroaredandbeautifulpalmslashedtheairwiththeirfronds——Itwasgrandtogetonshoreonceagain——Attheendofthewharfwewerehustledintoasledonsteelrunners,likeahearsewithcurtainsarounditanddrawnbybullocks——Thestreetswereallofmosaic,thousandsoflittlestonesbeingpackedtogetherlikecornonacob。Overthistheheavysledgewasdrawnbythebullockswhileasmallboyranaheadthroughthenarrowstreetstocleartheway——Hehadafeatherdustermadeofhorse'stailasabadgeofauthorityandheyelledsomestrangecryattheemptystreetsandclosedhouses。Anotherlittleboyinastripedjerseyranbesideandassuredushewasaguide。Itwaslikeapageoutofafairystory。Thestrangecartslidingandslippingoverthestoneswhichwereassmoothasice,andthecoloredhousefrontsandthepalmsandstrangeplants。Thedarknessmadeitallthemoreunreal——Therewasagovernor'spalacebuttressedandguardedbysentinelsinastrangeuniformandqueerlittlecafe'sundervines——andterracesofcannon,andatlastafunny,patheticlittlecasino。ItwassuchaqueerimitationofAixandMonteCarlo——TherewerechasseursandfootmeninmagnificentliveryandstuccowhitewallsornamentedwithsilkSHAWLS。Alsoaverygoodbandandanewroulettetable——
  Cominginoutofthenightandtherainitwaslikeatheatreafterthe"darkscene"hasjustpassed——ThereweresomemostdignifiedcroupiersandthreeEnglishwomenandafewsadEnglishmenandsomeverywickedlookingnativesindiamondsandwhitewaistcoats。WehadonlyfifteenminutestosparesowebeganplayingbrisklywithtwoshillingpiecesCecilwithindifferentfortuneandSomerslosing——ButIwoneverytimeandthecroupiersgavemestrangenotesoftheBoncodePortugalwhichIputbackontheboardonlytogetmoreofalargernumber——IfeltgreatlyembarrassedasIwasnotarealmemberoftheclubandIhatedtoblowinoutofahurricaneandtaketheirmoneyandsailawayagain——SoIappealedtooneofthesadeyedEnglishmenandheassuredmeitwasallright,thattheywelcomedthepeoplefromthepassingsteamerswhogenerallyleftafewpoundseachwiththebank。ButthemoreIspreadthemoneythemoreIwonuntilfinallythewholeroomgatheredaround。ThenIsentoutandorderedchampagneforeverybodyandsparegoldtoallthewaitersandstillcashedinseventy-fivedollarsinEnglishmoney。Itwasprettygoodforfifteenminutesandwewentoutleavingthepeopleopen-eyed,andhittingthechampagnebottles——Itwasallapartofthefunespeciallyaswithallourgoldwecouldgetnothingforsupperbut"huevosfrite"whichwasalltheSpanishIcouldrememberandwhichmeantfriedeggs——ButwewereverywetandhungryandwegottheeggsandsomefruitandrealMadeirawineandthenrowedoutagainrejoicing。Thepiratesdemandedtheirpayhalfwaytotheboatwhilewewereonthehighseasbuttheyhadstrucktheverywrongmen,andI
  neversawamutinyquelledsoabruptly——SomersandItoldthemwe'dthrowthemoverboardandrowourselvesandtheyunderstoodremarkablywell——Thenextdayweweretheadmiredandenviedofthosewhohadnothadthenerve"todaretoattempt。"ItwasoneofthebestexperiencesaltogetherweeverhadandIshallcertainlyputMadeiraonmysilvercup。
  RICHARD。
  AftertheirarrivalatCapeTown,whereRichardarrangedforhiswifetostayduringhisabsenceattheBritishfront,hestartedforLadysmith,sailingonthesamevesselonwhichhehadleftEngland。
  February18th,1900
  boardScot。
  DEARMOTHER:
  IgotoffyesterdayandamhopingtogettoBullerbeforeLadysmithisrelieved。IcouldnotgettogowithRobertsbecauseRalphhasbeenherefourmonthsandhasbornetheheatandburdenoftheday,soalthoughIonlycameinordertobewithRobertsandKitchenerIcouldnotasktohaveRalphrecalled——TheywantedmewithRobertsandIwanteditbutnoneofuscouldmakeupourmindstoturndownRalph。SoI
  amgoinguponthissidetrackonthechanceofseeingLadysmithrelievedandofjoiningRobertswithBullerlater。
  IshallbesatisfiedifIseeLadysmithfall。FortunatelyI
  amtodoagreatdealofcablingforTheMaileverydayandthatcountsmuchmorewiththereadingpublicthanletters——
  CapeTownisadusty,windriddenwesterntownwithamountainbackofitwhichonemansaidwasabadlypaintedbackdrop——
  Theonlyattractivethingaboutthetownisthismountainandahotelsituatedatitsbaseinperfectlybeautifulgardens。
  HereCecilissettled。IgotherasittingroomandabigbedroomandTheMailagentorPryorpaysher$150aweekandwilltakegoodcareofher。Itreallyisabeautifulandcomfortablehotelandgroundsandshehasmademanyfriends,andalsoIforcedapitchbattlewithawomanwhowasrudetoherwhenwevisitedthehospital——So,asthehospitalpeoplewereverykeentohavemeseeandpraisetheirhospitaltheyhavetakenuparmsagainsttheunfortunatelittlebounderandchampionedCecilandme。Cecilhadreallynothingtodowithitasyoucanimagine——SheonlylaughedbutIgavetheladylotstoremember。
  OntheotherhandeveryoneisaskindandinterestedinCecilascanbe。Mrs。WaldronwhosesonisSecretarytoMilnerandhissecretaryweremorethanpolitetoeachofus。MilnerspentthewholeeveningweweretheretalkingtoCecilandnottotheladywehadhadtherowwith,whichwasapleasingtriumph。HesentmeunsolicitedamostflatteringpersonallettertotheGovernorofNatal,sayingthatIhadcometohimwithmystronglettersbutthathehadsoenjoyedmeetingmethathewishedtopassmeononhisownaccount。CecilaskedmewhatitwasIhadtalkedsomuchtohimaboutandIaskedherifitwerepossibleshecouldn'tguessthatofcourseI
  wouldbetellinghimhowtorunthecolony。MyadvicewastobombardCapeTownandmakemartiallaw,fortheCapeTownersarethemostrotten,cowardlylotofrebelsIeverimaginedasbeingpossible。Heseemedsogladtofindanyonewhoappreciatedthatitwasaqueen'scolonyinnameonlyandsaid,"Mr。Davis,itisasbadasthis——IcantakeastrollwithyoufromthesegardenswewereatthebackoftheGovernmentHouseandattheendofourstrollwewillbeinhostileterritory。"
  WespentthelastdayafterIhadgotmyorderstojoinBullerwhoseemedverypleasedtohavemecallingontheofficialsforpassestogetherandtheywereinagreatstatefallingintotheircoatsanddressingguardforherandwereallsofriendlyandhearty。TheCensorseemstothinkIamasortofMatthewArnoldandshouldbewrappedincotton,sodoesPryorTheMailagentwhoapologizesforaskingmetocable,whichisjustwhatIwanttodo。Theyareverygenerousandarespendingmoneylikefreshair。IamtocableletterstoCapeTown,onlytosavethreedays。So,nowallthatisneededisforsomethingtohappen。Everythingelseisarranged。AllIwantistoseethreeorfourgoodfightsandabigstorylikethereliefofLadysmithandIamreadyandanxioustogethome。Ishallobservethemfrombehindananthill——Idon'tsaythistopleaseyoubutbecauseImeanit。ThisisnotmywarandallIwantistoearntheverygeneroussumsIhavebeenofferedandgethome。
  WearejustoffPortElizabeth。Iwillgoonshoreandpostthisthere。Withalllove。
  DICK。
  Deal'sCentralHotel,EastLondon。
  February20th,1900。
  DEARMOTHER:
  Wearestoppingateveryportnow,asthoughtheScotwereaferryboat。Wecameoverthesidetogethereinbasketswithaneatdoorinthesideandwerebumpedtothedeckofthetenderinalluntenderness。ThisismorelikeAfricathananyplaceIhaveseen。ThecactusandpalmsaboundandtheKaffirswearbrassankletsandbracelets。AmanatlunchatthishotelaskedmeifIwasR。H。D。andsaidhewasanAmericanwhohadgotacommissioninBrabantshorse——Hegavemethegrandestsortofasegarandapparentlyonhisrepresentationthehotelbroughtmetwobookstosign,marked"AutographsofCelebritiesoftheBoerWar。"Itseemedinmycaseatleasttobeprematureandhopeful。
  GoodluckandGodblessyou。Thiswillbethelastletteryouwillgetfortendaysortwoweeks,asIamnowgoingdirectlyawayfromsteamers。ThisonereachesyoubyaspygentlemanwhoistogiveittoReneBullofTheGraphicandwhowillpostitinCapeTown——HeandalltheothercorrespondentsareabandoningBullerforRoberts。Let'emallgo。Thefewerthebetter,Isay。MyluckwillkeepIhope。
  DICK。
  ImperialHotel,Maritzburg,Natal。
  Feb。23rd,1900。
  DEARMOTHER:——
  IreachedDurbanyesterday。TheyparadedthebandinmyhonourandplayedYankeeDoodleindefinitely——Ihadcorruptedthembygivingthemdrinkstoplaythe"BelleofNewYork"
  nightly。TheEnglishofficersthoughtYankeeDoodlewasournationalanthemandstoodwiththeirhatsoffinahurricanebalancingonthedeckofthetenderononefoot——ThecityofDurbanisthebestIhaveseen。ItwasaspicturesqueastheMidwayattheFair——TherewerePersians,Malay,Hindoo,Babu'sKaffirs,Zulu'sandsoldiersandsailors。IwentonboardtheMainetoseetheAmericandoctors——oneofthemsaidhehadmetmeonWalnutStreet,whenhehadnearlyrunmedownwithhisambulancefromthePennaHospital。LadyRandolphtookmeovertheshipandwasverymuchpuzzledwhenallthehospitalstewardscalledmebynameandmadecomplimentaryremarks。ItimpressedhersomuchapparentlythatsheandtheAmericannursesIhadn'tmetonboardcametoseemeoffatthestation,whichwasveryfriendly。IhavehadahorribledayhereandgotupagainsttheBritishofficerinuniformandondutybent——Thechieftroublewasthatnoneofthemknewwhatauthorityhehadtodoanything——andIhadtositdownandtellthem。IwonderwithintelligenceliketheirsthattheirIntelligenceDepartmentdidnottellthemtheBoersfoughtwithwarclubsandspears。IboughtarippingponyandmyplanistocutawayfromallmymagnificentequipmentandtrytoovertakeBullerbeforehereachesLadysmithandsendbackfortheheavythingslater。Itisjustaquestionofminutesreallyanditseemshardtohavecome1500milesandthentomissitbyanhour——IarriveatChievelytomorrowatfive——thatisonlytenmilesfromwhereBulleristonight,sowereitnotfortheird——dregulationsIcouldrideacrosscountryandjointhembymiddaybutIbettheywon'tletmeandIalsobetI'llgetthereintime。Ofcourseyou'll,knowbeforeyouseethis。Marelsburgisthecapitalanditschiefindustryisrickshaw'spulledbywildKaffi's,withbeadsandsnakeskinsaroundthemandholesintheirearsintowhichtheysticksegarsandhornspoonsfordippingsnuff。Thewomenwearlessthanthemenandhavetheirhairdoneupinredfungus。
  Well,lovetoyouall,toNoraandDadandChas,andGodblessyou。
  DICK。
  1900。
  DEARDEARMOTHER:——
  IamhereatlastandcountingthedayswhenIshallgetaway。
  Wardoesnotsoothemysavagebreast。IfindIwantCecil,andJaggers,andMacklintowrite,andplaystorehearse。
  WithoutCecilboredtodeathatCapeTown,Iwouldnotminditatall。IknowhowtobecomfortableandonmyseconddayI
  beatallthesemenwhohavebeenherethreemonthsingettingmynewsonthewire。ForIamanewsmannow,andhavetocollecthorridfactsandhostsofcasualtiesandtofindoutwhetheritwastheDubblinsortheDurbansthatdiditandwhatitwastheydid。IwasinterriblefearthatIwouldbetoolatetoseethereliefofLadysmithbutIwaswellintimeandsawafightthefirstfewhoursIarrived。ItisterriblybigandoverwhelminglikeeightyofBarnumcircusesallgoingatonceineightyringsandveryhardtounderstandthegeography。TheTugelaislikeasnakeandcrossesitselfeverythreefeetsothatyouneverknowwhetheryouhavecrossedityourselfornot。EveryoneismostkindandIamascomfortableascanbe。IndeedIlikemytentsomuchthatIamgoingtotakeittoMarion。Ithaswindowsinitandthemostamusingtrapdoorsandpocketsinthewallsandclotheslinesandhooksandventilators——Itiscoloredalovelygreen——Ihavealsotwochairsthatfoldupandatablethatdoesnothingelseandabedandtwolanterns,3ponies,oneaBoerponyIboughtfor$12。fromaTommywhohadstolenit。Ihadtopay$125eachfortheothertwoandonehadasorebackandtheothergetslostinmysaddle。Butwarasthesepeopledoitboresonetodestruction。Theyareterriblydullsouls。Theycannotgiveanorderintelligently。
  Therealtestofasoldieristhewayhegivesanorder。I
  heardaColonelwitheightribbonsforeightcampaignsscoldaprivateforfiveminutesbecausehecouldnotseeasignalflag,andnooneelsecould。ItisnotbecomingthataColonelshouldscoldforfiveminutes。Fridaytheychargedahillwithoneoftheir"frontal"attacksandlostthreeColonelsand500men。Inthemorning——itwasanightattack——whentherollwascalledonlyfiveofficersanswered。
  Thepropernumberis24。ACaptainnowcommandstheregiment。
  Itissheerstraightwasteoflifethroughdoggedstupidity。
  Ihaven'tseenaBoeryetexceptsomepoordevilsofprisonersbutyoucanseeeveryEnglishwhoisonahill。Theywalkalongtheskylinelikeshipsonthehorizon。Itmustbesaidforthemthatitisthemostawfulcountrytoattackintheworld。Itisimpossibletogiveanyideaofitsdifficulties。HoweverIcantellyouthatwhenIgetbacktothecenterofcivilization。DoyouknowIhaven'theardfromyousinceIleftNewYorkontheSt。Louis。AllyourletterstoLondonwentastray。Whatlotsyouwillhavetotellmebutdon'tletCharleyworry。I
  won'ttalkaboutthewarthistime。Ineverwanttohearofitagain。
  DICK。
  LADYSMITH。March1st,1899。
  DEARCHAS:
  ThisisjustalinetosayIgotinherewiththefirstafteragallopoftwelvemiles。Keepthisformeandtheenvelope。
  Withmyloveandbestwishes——
  DICK。
  LADYSMITH,March3,1900。
  DEARMOTHER:
  Thecolumncameintotowntoday,2200men,guns,cavalry,ambulances,lancers,navygunsandoxen。Itwasamostcruelassaultuponone'sfeelings。Thegarrisonlinedthestreetsasasalutingguardofhonorbutonlyoneregimentcouldstanditandtheothersallsatdownonthecurbonlyrisingtocheertheheadofeachnewregiment。Theyareyellowwithfever,theirteethprotrudingandtheskindrawntightovertheirskeletons。Theincomingarmyhadhadfourteendayshardfightingattheendofthreemonthscampaigningbutwererobustandtannedraggedandcakedwithmud。Astheycameintheycheeredandthegarrisontriedtocheerbackbutitwaslikeawhisper。
  WinstonChurchillandIstoodinfrontofGen。Whiteandcriedforanhour。ForthetimeyouforgotBoersandthecause,orthelackofcauseofitall,andsawonlythesideofitthatwasbeforeyou,thestarvinggarrisonrelievedbymenwhohadlostalmostoneoutofeverythreeintryingtohelpthem。I
  wasrathertoopreviousingettinginandlikeevery-oneelsewhocamefromoutsidegaveawayeverythingIhadsothatnowI'masbadlyoffastherestofthem。Yesterdaymyrationsforthedaywerefourbiscuitsandanounceofcoffeeandoftea,withcornwhichtheycallmealieswhichIcouldnoteatbutwhichsavedmyhorse'slife。HeisaBoerponyIboughtfromaTommyfortwopoundstenandhe'sworthbothoftheothertwoforwhichIpaid$125apiece。TomorrowthewagoncarryingmysupplieswillbeinandIcangetmillionsofthings。Italmostapallsmetothinkhowmany。Especiallycleanclothes。I'vesleptintheseforfourdays。IgotoffsomestorieswhichIhopewillreadwell。Ican'tcomplainnowthatIsawtheraisingofthissiege。ButIhopewedon'tstaystill。Iwanttoseealotquicklyandgetout。Thisisverysafewarfare。Yousitonahillandthearmydoestherest。Mysciaticaisnottroublingmeatall。LovetoyouallandGodblessyou。
  DICK。
  LADYSMITH,March4th,1900。
  DEAR,DEARMOTHER:
  TodayIgotthefirstletterIhavehadfromyousincewelefthome。Itwassuchhappinesstoseeyourdearsweethandwritingagain。Itwasjustlikeseeingyouforaglimpse,orhearingyouspeak。IamsohungryfornewsofNoraandChasandyouall。I
  knowyou'vewritten,butthelettershavemissedsomehow。IsentyoursrightbacktoCecilwhoisverylonelyatpresent。
  SomersethasgonetothefrontandJim——home——Blessedword!A
  littlemiddyrodeuptometodayandbeganbysaying"I'mgoinghome。I'mORDEREDthere。Home——ToEngland!"HeseemedtothinkIwouldnotunderstand。Heprattledonlikeachildsayingwhatluckhehadhad,thathehadbeenbesiegedinLadysmithandseenlotsoffightingandwouldgetamedalandallthewhilehewas"justamiddy。""Butisn'titawfultothinkofourchapsthatwereleftontheship"hesaidquitemiserably。Itisabeastlydullwar。Thewholethingisso"class"andfullof"form"andtraditionandworryingover"putties"andetiquetteandrank。ItisthemostwonderfulorganizationIeverimaginedbutitislikeabeautifullocomotivewithoutanengineer。
  TheBoersoutplaytheminintelligenceeveryday。Thewholearmyisofficeredbyoneclassandthatthedullone。ItisliketheHouseofPeers。Youwouldnotbelievethemistakestheymake,theawfulwayinwhichtheysacrificethelivesofofficersandmen。AndtheylettheBoersescape。IwatchedtheBoersforfourhourstheotherdayescapingafterthebattleofPietersandIasked,notbecauseIwantedthemcapturedbutjustasamilitaryproposition"Whydon'tyousendoutyourcavalryandlightartilleryandtakethosewagons?"Thestaffofficergiggledandsaid"Theymightkillus。"Idon'tknowwhathemeant;neitherdidhe。However,I'msickofitbutthere'snothingelsetotalkof。IhateallthepeopleaboutmeandthisdirtytownandIwishIwasback。AndI'mgoingtoo。I'llhavestartedbythetimeyougetthis。
  Imeantocutoutofthissoonbutdon'timagineI'minanydanger。I'mtakingd——dgoodcaretokeepoutofdanger。NooneismoredeterminedonthatthanIam。DearMother,thisissuchadullletterbutyoumustforgiveme。Iwasneversohomesickandboredinmylife。ItwillbebetterwhenIgoouttomorrowinmygreententandleavethisbeastlyhole。I
  likethetentlife,andthehorsesandbeingclean。I'vereallystarvedhereforfourdaysandhaven'thadacleanthingonme。GodblessyouallanddearNoraGodblessherandChasandtheLoneFisherman。
  DICK。
  OutsideLadysmith。
  5thMarch,1900。
  DEARESTMOTHER:
  IwasabrutetowriteasIdidlastnight。ButIwassoblueinthatmiserabletown!!!Itwassofoulanddirty。ThetownsmeltasbadasJohnstown。Myroominthesocalledhotelstunk,thedirtwasalloverthefloorandtheservantshadtobepaidtodoeverythingeventobringyouatowel——andthenI
  hadnoplacetowriteorbealone,andnothingtoeat——Thepoorsoulsatmytablewhohadbeeninthesiege,whentheygotalittlebitofsugaroracanofcondensedmilkwouldcarryitofffromthetableasthoughitwereadiamonddiadem——IdidthesamethingmyselfforIcouldn'teatwhattheygavemeandsoIcorruptedthecanteendealerandboughttinthings——I'vereallyneverwantedtobaccosomuchandfoodasIhavehere——togiveawayImean,foritwassomethingwonderfultoseewhatitmeanttothem。Threetrooperscameintothediningroomyesterdayandaskediftheycouldbuysometeaandwereturnedoutsorudelythatitseemedtohurtthemmuchmorethanthefactthattheywerehungry:IfollowedthemoutandbeggedthemtocomebacktomyverandahandhaveteawithmebuttheyatfirstwouldnotbecausetheyknewIhadwitnessedwhathadhappenedinthehotel。Theybelongedtoaverygoodregimentandtheyhadbeenstarvedforfourmonths。
  ButinspiteoftheirindependenceIgotthemtomyporch。Ihadjustpurchasedatawfulpricesafewdelicacieslikesugarandtobacco,marmaladeandabottleofwhiskey。SoIgavethemtothemandIneverenjoyedanythingsomuch——ThepooryellowfacedskeletonsateinabsolutesilencestillfightingwiththeirprideuntilItoldthemIwasanAmericanandwasacanteencontractor'sfriend——ThenIgavethemsegarsanditwastoopitiful——Inourcolumn,ifyougiveamansomethingextrahesaysalotandswearsit'sthebestdrinkorthebestsegarorthatyou'rethebestchapheevermet——JustasIsayittothemwhentheygivemethings。Butthesestarvedbodiestriedtobeverypoliteandconversationaloneverysubjectexceptfood——whenIofferedthemthesegarswhichcouldonlybegotthenatadollartwenty-fiveapiecetheyhadnotcostmethatasIhadboughttheminCapeTownfortwocentsapiece!
  WhathasDadtosaytothatforeconomy?TheyacceptedthemquiteasthoughitwasinHavana——andthenleanedbackandwentoffintoopiumdreams——Imaginethefirstsegarafterthreemonths。Iamoutherenowonabluff,withtwotreesinfrontandgreathillswithnameshistoricalofthesiegeofLadysmith——nameswhichIrefusetolearnorremember——IamperfectlycomfortableandwereitnotforCecilperfectlycontent——Ifshewereonlyhereitwouldbeperfectlymagnificent——IhavearetinuethatwoulddocredittotheWarringtonsintheVirginians——ThreeKaffirboyswhorefusetoyieldtomysenseofthepicturesqueandgonakedliketheirlesseffetebrothers,twooxenandthreeponies,alittlepuppyIfoundstarvedinLadysmithandfedoncompressedbeeftablets。IcallherLadysmithandshesleepsbesidemycotandinmylapwhenIamreading——Ihavealsoabeautifultentwithtapewindowpanes,ventilators,pocketsinside,doorsthatloopupandredknobs;also,itisgreensothattheantswon'teatit。Alsotwotables,twochairs,abathtub,twolanterns,andacapecart——andafoldingbed——
  InCubaIhadtwosaddlebagsandwasjustascleanandjustashappy。Oneboydoesnothingbutpolishmybootsandgaitersandharness,sothatIlookaswellastheofficerswhoarenotmuchgoodatanythingbutthat。ImusttellyouwhatIthinkisthesaddeststoryofthesiege——Theycouldnotfeedthehorses,sotheykeptpartofthemforscouting,parttoeatanddrove3,000ofthemtowardstheBoers。Being,welltrainedcavalryhorses,theydidnotknowhowtoeatgrass,soatbuglecallthewhole3,000cametrottingbackagainandsentrieswereplacedateverystreettostampedethembackintotheveldt——OnehorsefromonebatterymetoutintheprairieanotherhorsethathadbeenitsgunmateinanartilleryregimentfiveyearsbeforeinIndiaandthetwopoorthingscamegallopingbacksidebysideandpassedthesentriesandintothelinesanddrewupbesidetheirbattery。
  Anotherhorsefounditsrideractingassentryandwhenthemantriedtodriveitawayitthoughthewasplayingwithitandkeptcomingbackandfinallythemanbroughtitintothecolonelandcriedandaskedifitmighthavehalfofhisrationsofcorn。GoodnightandGodblessyouallwithallmylove。
  DICK。
  March15th,1900。
  DEARMOTHER:
  IamonmywaybacktoCapeTown。ThisseemedbetterthanstayingwithBullerwhowillnotmovefortwoorthreeweeks。
  IshalleithergostraightuptoRoberts,orwewillreturntoLondon。IhaveseenthereliefofLadysmithandgotaverygoodideaofitall,andIdonotknowbutwhatIshallquitnow。IstartedintoolatetodomuchwithitandasitisI
  haveseenagreatdeal。Itisneitheraninterestingcountrynoraninterestingwar。ButIdon'thavetostayheretoobligeanybody。IfIdogouptoRobertsitwillonlybetostayforthreeweeksatthemostandonlythenifthereisfighting。Iwon'tgoifheisrestingasBulleris。Sothiswillexplainwhywestarthomesosoon。IamverygladI
  came。IwouldhavebeenverysorryalwaysifIhadnot,butmyheartisnotinitas,ofcourse,itwasinourwar。
  SometimestheyfightalldayusingsevenoreightregimentsandkillaterriblelotoffinesoldiersandcapturefortyBoerfarmersandtwowomen。ItisnotthekindofwarIcaretoreport。"Normeanto!"IcannotmakeabookoutofwhatlittleI'veseenbutIwillcomeoutabouteven。IthasbeenveryroughonCecil。TodayIwenttotheMaineandaskedLadyRandolphtogivemealiftdowntoCapeTownastheshipgetstheretwodaysaheadoftheCastleSteamer。
  So,theywereapparentlyverygladtohavemeandI
  amgoingonSaturday。IlikeitontheshipwhereIhavebeenspendingthedayasitisfuntakingcareofthewoundedandlisteningtotheirstories。IamtowriteanarticleforhernextAngloSaxonmagazineonthePassingoftheWarCorrespondent。TheideaisthathemusteitherdisappearaltogetherliketheVivandiereorbeallowedtodohiswork。
  AsitisnowtheGovernmentforceshimupontheGeneralsagainsttheirwillandsotheygetbackbytakingitoutofhim。EithertheyshouldpersuadetheGovernmentthattheirobjectionstohimareweightyandsuppresshimaltogether,orrecognizehimasapartoftheoutfit。Idon'tmuchcarewhichasIcertainlywouldneveragaingowithanEnglisharmy。IamsorrythelettershomehavebeensodullbutI
  havehadratherhardluckstraightthrough,andthedistancesaresoverygreatandthetimespentincoveringthemseemsverywasteful。IshallbegladIsawitbecauseitisthebiggestthingastoscalethatIeversawofthesort,andI
  couldnothaveaffordedtohavemissedbeinginit。Itisthefirstbigmodernwarandalltheconditionsandweaponsarenew。Idon'tthinktheEnglishhavelearnedanythingbyit,becausethefaultliesentirelywiththeirofficerswhoareallornearlyallofoneclass。
  DICK。
  March25th,1900。
  CapeTown。
  ThisisjusttoexplainourplansandastheytakeabitofexplainingthisismeantfortheHousesofClarkandofDavis。
  So,passiton——AfterLadysmithwasrelievedBullerdecidedhewouldnotmoveforamonth,soIcamebacktojoinRoberts。I
  couldnotdothatonfirstarrivingbecausetherewasaMailmanwithhim。ImeanttodoitlaterasaHeraldman,andtoletTheMailgo。Butonarrivinghere,havingspentaweekincomingandhavingsoldallmyoutfitataloss,IfoundthatRobertsdidnotintendtomoveforthreeweekseither。SoI
  decidedIhadseenenoughtojustifymyreturning。Therewereotherreasons,thechiefonebeingthattheEnglishirritatedmeandIhadsolittlesympathywiththemthatIcouldnotwritewithanypleasureoftheirwork。MysportingbloodrefusedtoboilatthespectacleofsuchamonsterEmpiregettingtheworstofitfromanuntrainedbandoffarmers——I
  foundIadmiredthefarmers。SowedecidedtochuckitandgotoLondon。Iwouldnothavemisseditforanything。Iwouldneverhavebeensatisfied,ifwehadnotcome。Ihaveseenmuchofthecountryandthepeople,andofthearmyanditswonderfulorganizationanddiscipline。Ienjoyedtwobattles——andthereliefofLadysmithisoneofthethingstohaveseen,almostthebest,ifnotthebest。EveryofficerandcorrespondentagreesthatIgotthepickofthefightingandthe"beststory。"Bytheway,IbeatalltheLondonpapersingettingoutthenewsbyoneday。Atleast,soPryor,TheMailmanagertellsme。Thepaperwasverymuchpleased。WehavenowdecidedtocomehomebytheEastCoast。
  ItwasCecil'sideaandwishandIwasonlytoogladtodoit。
  Shesayswecertainlywillnevercometothiscountryagain。
  Godhelpusifwedo——andthatitwouldbecriminaltospendseventeenblankdaysontheWestcoastwhenwecouldfillintheentiretripNorthontheEastCoastatmanyports。Itisarathercomplicatedtripasonehastochangefrequentlybutitwillbeagreatthingtohaveseen。CecilhasreallyseennothingatCapeTownandonthistripshewillbepaidforalltheboredomthathasgonebefore。Ihavebeenoverpartofitandamsure。DurbanaloneisoneofthemostcuriouscitiesI