第3章

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.