Wemountedsomestonestepsoverthisportalandweremetbyayoungmarine，wholefthisGatlinggunforamomenttoaskforourpermit，andthenwentbacksatisfied.Thenwefoundourselvesinthepresenceofasentrywitharifleonhisshoulder，whowasrathermoreexacting.
Still，heonlywishedtobeconvinced，andwhenhehadpointedouttheheadquarterswherewewerenexttogo，heletusoverhisbeat.Attheheadquarterstherewasanothersentry，equallyserious，butequallycivil，andwiththeinterventionofanorderlyourleadersawtheofficeroftheday.Hecameoutofthequarterslookingratherblank，forhehadlearnedthathispassadmittedourpartytothelines，butnottothestockade，whichwemightapproach，atacertainpointofvantageandlookoverinto，butnotpenetrate.Weresignedourselves，aswemust，andmadewhatwecouldofthenearestprisonbarrack，whosedooroverflowedandwhosewindowsswarmedwithswarthycaptives.Heretheywere，atsuchclosequartersthattheirblack，eagereyeseasilypiercedthepocketsfullofcigaretteswhichwehadbroughtforthem.Theylookedmostlyveryyoung，andtherewasonesmilingrogueatthefirstwindowwhowasobviouslypreparedtocatchanythingthrowntohim.Hecaught，infact，thefirstboxofcigarettesshiedoverthestockade;thenextboxflewopen，andspilleditspreciouscontentsoutsidethedead—lineunderthewindow，whereIhopesomecompassionateguardgatheredthemupandgavethemtothecaptives.
Ourfellowslookedcapableofanykindnesstotheirwardsshortoflettingthemgo.Theywereamostfriendlycompany，withaneffectofpicnickingthereamongthesweet—fernandblueberries，wheretheyhadpitchedtheirwoodententswithaslittledisturbancetotheshrubberyaspossible.Theywereverypolitetous，andwhen，afterthatmisadventurewiththecigarettes（Ihadputouryoungleaderuptothrowingthebox，merelysupplyingthecorpusdelictimyself），IwanderedvaguelytowardsaGatlinggunplantedonanearthenplatformwherethelaurelandthedogroseshadbeencutawayforit，themaninchargeexplainedwithasmileofapologythatImustnotpassacertainpathIhadalreadycrossed.
OnealwaysacceptstheapologiesofamanwithaGatlingguntobackthem，andIretreated.Thatseemedtheend;andweweregoingcrestfallenlyawaywhentheofficerofthedaycameoutandallowedustomakehisacquaintance.Hepermittedus，withlaughingreluctance，tolearnthathehadbeeninthefightatSantiago，andhadcomewiththeprisoners，andhewasmostobliginglysorrythatourpermitdidnotletusintothestockade.IsaidIhadsomecigarettesfortheprisoners，andIsupposedImightsendthem;in，buthesaidhecouldnotallowthis，fortheyhadmoneytobuytobacco;andheansweredanotherofourparty，whohadnotasoulabovebuttons，andwhoaskedifshecouldgetonefromtheSpaniards，thatsofarfrompromotingherwish，hewouldhavebeenobligedtotakeawayanybuttonsshemighthavegotfromthem.
\"Thefactis，\"heexplained，\"you\'vecometothewrongendfortransactionsinbuttonsandtobacco.\"
Butperhapsinnocencesogreatasourshadwroughtuponhim.Whenwesaidweweregoing，andthankedhimforhisunavailinggood—will，helookedathiswatchandsaidtheywerejustgoingtofeedtheprisoners;
andaftersomeparleyhesuddenlycalledout，\"Musicoftheguard！\"
Insteadofaregimentalband，whichIhadsupposedsummoned，asinglecorporalranoutthebarracks，touchinghiscap.
\"Takethispartyroundtothegate，\"theofficersaid，andhepromisedusthathewouldseeusthere，andhopedwewouldnotmindaroughwalk.Wecouldhaveansweredthattoseehisprisonersfedwewouldwadethroughfathomsofred—tape;butinfactwewerearrestedatthelastpointbynothingworsethanthebarbedwirewhichfortifiedtheoutergate.Heretwomarineswerewillingtotellushowwelltheprisonerslived，whilewestaredintothestockadethroughaninnergateofplankwhichwasrunbackforus.TheysaidtheSpaniardshadabreakfastofcoffee，andhashorstewandpotatoes，andadinnerofsoupandroast;andnowatfiveo\'clocktheyweretohavebreadandcoffee，whichindeedwesawthewhite—capped，whitejacketedcooksbringingoutinhugetinwash—boilers.
Ourmarineswereofopinion，andnodoubtrightly，thatthesepoorSpaniardshadneverknownintheirlivesbeforewhatitwastohavefullstomachs.Butthemarinessaidtheyneveracknowledgedit，andtheonewhohadaGermanaccentintimatedthatgratitudewasnotavirtueofanyRoman（IsupposehemeantLatin）people.ButIdonotknowthatifI
wereaprisoner，fornofaultofmyown，Ishouldbeveryexplicitlythankfulforbeingunusuallywellfed.Ithought（orIthinknow）thatafigorabunchofgrapeswouldhavebeenmoreacceptabletomeundermyownvineandfig—treethanthestewandroastofcaptorswhowereindeedshowingthemselveslessmyenemiesthanmyowngovernment，butwerestillnotquitemyhosts.
III.
Howisitthegreatpiecesofgoodluckfalltous？Theclockstrikestwelveasitstrikestwo，andwithnomorepremonition.Aswestoodthereexpectingnothingbetterofitthanthreeatthemost，itsuddenlystrucktwelve.Ourofficerappearedattheinnergateandbadeourmarinesslideawaythegateofbarbedwireandletusintotheenclosure，wherehewelcomedustoseatsonthegrassagainstthestockade，withmanypoliteregretsthatthetoughlittleknotsofearthbesideitwerenotchairs.
Theprisonerswerealreadyfilingoutoftheirquarters，atarapidtrottowardsthebencheswherethosegreatwash—boilersofcoffeewereset.
Eachmanhadasoup—plateandbowlofenamelledtin，andeachinhisturnreceivedquarterofaloafoffreshbreadandabigladlefulofsteamingcoffee，whichhemadeoffwithtohisplaceatoneofthelongtablesunderashedatthesideofthestockade.Oneyoungfellowtriedtogetaplacenothisownintheshade，andourofficerwhenhecamebackexplainedthathewasaguerrillero，andratherunruly.Weheardthateightoftheprisonerswereinirons，bysentenceoftheirownofficers，formisconduct，butallsavethisguerrillerohereweredocileandobedientenough，andseemedonlytoogladtogetpeacefullyattheirbreadandcoffee.
FirstamongthemcamethemenoftheCristobalColon，andthesewerethebestlookingofallthecaptives.Fromtheirprettyfairaveragetheothersvariedtoworseandworse，tillaveryscrublot，saidtobeex—
convicts，broughtuptherear.Theywerenearlyalllittlefellows，andverydark，thoughhereandthereasix—footertoweredup，orablondshowedamongthem.Theywerejokingandlaughingtogether，harmlesslyenough，butImustownthattheylookedacrewofrathersorryjail—
birds;thoughwhetheranyrunofhumanitycladinmisfitsofournavyblueandwhite，andotherchancegarments，withclose—shavenheads，andsometimesbarefeet，wouldhavelookedmuchlesslikejail—birdsIamnotsure.Still，theywerenotprepossessing，andthoughsomeofthemwerepatheticallyyoung，theyhadnoneofthecharmofboyhood.Nodoubttheydidnotdothemselvesjustice，andtobeherdedtherelikecattledidnotimprovetheirchancesofmakingafavorableimpressionontheobserver.
Theywerekindlyusedbyourofficerandhissubordinates，whomixedamongthem，andstraightenedouttheconfusiontheygotintoattimes，andperhapssometimeswilfully.TheirguardsemployedafewhandywordsofSpanishwiththem;wherethesedidnotavail，theytookthembythearmanddirectedthem;butIdidnothearaharshtone，andIsawnoviolence，orevensomuchindignityofferedthemastheordinarytrolley—
carpassengerissubjectedtoinBroadway.Atacertainbugle—calltheydispersed，whentheyhadfinishedtheirbreadandcoffee，andscatteredaboutoverthegrass，orreturnedtotheirbarracks.Weweretoldthatthesechildrenofthesundreadeditsheat，andkeptoutofitwhenevertheycould，eveninitsdecline;buttheyseemednotsomuchtowithdrawandhidethemselvesfromthat，astovanishintothehistoryof\"old，unhappy，far—off\"times，whereprisonersofwar，properlybelong.I
rousedmyselfwithastartasifIhadlosttheminthepast.