Ourofficercametowardsusandsaidgayly,\"Well,youhaveseentheanimalsfed,\"andletustakeourgratefulleave.Ithinkwewereratheraloss,inourgoing,tothemarines,whoseemedgladofachancetotalk.Iamsurewewerealosstothemanonguardattheinnergate,whowalkedhisbeatwithreluctancewhenittookhimfromus,andeagerlywhenitbroughthimback.Thenhedelayedforarapidandcomprehensiveexchangeofopinionsandideas,successfullyblendingmilitarysubordinationwithAmericanequalityinhismanner.
ThewholethingwasveryAmericanintheperfectdecorumandtheutterabsenceofceremony.ThosegoodfellowswereintheclothestheyworethroughthefightsatSantiago,andtheycouldnothaveputonmuchsplendoriftheyhadwished,butapparentlytheydidnotwish.Theyweresimple,straightforward,andadequate.Therewassomedryjokingaboutthesuperiorityoftheprisoners\'rationsandlodgings,andourofficerironicallyprofessedhisintentionofmessingwiththeSpanishofficers.
Buttherewasnogrudge,andnotashadowofillwill,orofthatstupidandatrocioushatetowardsthepublicenemywhichabominablenewspapersandpoliticianshadtriedtobreedinthepopularmind.Therewasnothingmanifestbutasortofcheerfulpurposetoliveuptothatmilitaryidealofdutywhichissomuchnoblerthanthecivilidealofself—interest.Perhapsdutywillyetbecomethecivilideal,whenthepeoplesshallhavelearnedtoliveforthecommongood,andareunitedfortheoperationoftheindustriesastheynowareforthehostilities.
IV.
ShallIsaythatasenseofsomethingdomestic,somethinghomelike,imparteditselffromwhatIhadseen?Orwasthismoreproperlyaneffectfromourvisit,onthewaybacktothehospital,whereahundredandfiftyoftheprisonerslaysickofwoundsandfevers?Icannotsaythatahumanerspiritprevailedherethaninthecamp;itwasonlyamorepositivehumanitywhichwasatwork.Mostofthesuffererswerestretchedonthecleancotsoftwolong,airy,woodenshells,whichreceivedthem,fourdaysaftertheordersfortheirreceptionhadcome,witheveryequipmentfortheircomfort.Atfiveo\'clock,whenwepasseddowntheaislesbetweentheirbeds,manyofthemhadagay,nonchalanteffectofhavingtoothpicksorcigarettesintheirmouths;butitwasreallythethermometerswithwhichthenursesweretakingtheirtemperature.Itsuggestedapossibilitytome,however,andIaskediftheywereallowedtosmoke,andbeingansweredthattheydidsmoke,anyway,whenevertheycould,Igotridatlastofthoseboxesofcigaretteswhichhadbeenburningmypockets,asitwere,allafternoon.
IgavethemtosuchasIwastoldwerethemostdeservingamongthesickcaptives,butHeavenknowsIwouldaswillinglyhavegiventhemtotheleast.Theytookmylargessegravely,asbecameSpaniards;onesaid,smilingsadly,\"Muchasgracias,\"buttheothersmerelysmiledsadly;andIlookedinvainfortheresponsewhichwouldhavetwinkledupinthefacesofevenmoribundItaliansatourlooksofpity.Italianswouldhavemetoursympathyhalfway;butthesepoorfellowswereofanothertradition,andinfactnotalltheLatinpeoplesarethesame,thoughwesometimesconvenientlygroupthemtogetherforourdetestation.Perhapsthereareevenpersonaldistinctionsamongtheirseveralnationalities,andtherearesomeSpaniardswhoareastrueandkindassomeAmericans.
WhenwerememberCortezletusnotforgetLasCasas.
Theylayintheirbedsthere,theselittleSpanishmen,whosedarkfacestheirsicknesscouldnotblanchtomorethanasicklysallow,andastheyturnedtheirdullblackeyesuponusImustownthatIcouldnot\"supportthegovernment\"sofiercelyasImighthavedoneelsewhere.Butthetruthis,Iwasdemoralizedbythelooksofthesepoorlittlemen,who,inspiteoftheircharacterofpublicenemies,didlooksomuchlikesomebody\'sbrothers,andevensomebody\'schildren.Imayhavebeeninfectedbytheairofcompassion,ofscientificcompassion,whichprevailedintheplace.Thereitwasaswhollybusinesstobekindandtocureasinanotherbranchoftheserviceitwasbusinesstobecruelandtokill.Howdrollthesethingsare!Thesurgeonshadtheirfavoritesamongthepatients,toallofwhomtheywereequallydevoted;
inarticulatefriendshipshadsprungupbetweenthemandcertainoftheirhaplessfoes,whomtheyspokeofas\"asortofpets.\"Oneofthesewasveryusefulinmakingthemutinoustaketheirmedicine;anotherwaslikedapparentlybecausehewassolikable.Atacertaincotthechiefsurgeonstoppedandsaid,\"Wedidnotexpectthisboytolivethroughthenight.\"
Hetooktheboy\'swristbetweenhisthumbandfinger,andaskedtenderlyasheleanedoverhim,\"Pocomejor?\"Theboycouldnotspeaktosaythathewasalittlebetter;hetriedtosmile——suchthingsdomovethewitness;nordoesthesightofamanwhosebandagedcheekhasbeenhalfchoppedawaybyamachetetendtorestoreone\'scomposure.