第6章

Hereweareatlast，thetripfromSantaBarbarawhereI

lastwroteyouwasmadeinsixdays。ItwasnotsointerestingasthefirstpartbecauseitwasveryhighupandthetropicalscenerygavewaytoimmenselytallpinesandothertreesthatmighthavebeeninCalifornia，ortheRockies。TheCorderillaswhichisthenameofthemountainswecrossedareacontinuation，bytheway，oftheRockies，andtheAndesbutarenotmorethan4，000feethigh。

WehadtwoveryhotdaysofitintheplainsofComgaquawheretherewasonceacityof60，000foundedbyCortezbutwheretherearenotnowmorethan6，000。Theheatwasawful。Wepeeledalloverourfacesandhandsanddodgedandduckedourheadsasthoughsomeonewerebitingatus。MysaddleandclothesweresohotthatIcouldnotplacemyhandonthem。

Atonevillageweheardthatabullfightwastobegivenatthenextfifteenmilesaway，sowerodeonthereandarrivedintimetotakepart。Theyhadenclosedtheplazawithabarricadeoflogssevenfeethigh，boundtogetherwithvines。

Theyropedabigbullandlassoedhimalloverandthenamangotonhisbackwithspursonhisbarefeetandheldonbytheropesaroundthebull"sbodyandbyhistoesandthrewacloakoverthebull"seyeswheneveritgottoonearanyone——Theystuckitwithspearsuntilitwasmadandthenletthelassoesslipandthebullstartedofftotearoutthetorreadors。I

thoughtitwouldbeagreatsportingacttokodakabullwhileitwaschargingyouandsoweallvolunteeredtoactastorreadorsanditwasmostexcitingandfunny。ItwasratherlatetogetgoodresultsbutIgotsomeprettygoodpicturesofthebullcomingatmewithhisheaddownandthenI"dskipintoaholeinthewall。ThebestpicturesIgotwereofSomersandGriscomscramblingoverthesevenfootbarrierswiththebullinhotchase。Wealllookedsofunnyinourhighbootsandhelmetsandsomuchalikethatthesavagesyelledwithdelightandthoughtwehadbeenengagedespeciallyfortheirpleasure。Our"mosers，"ormuledriverstreatedusmostinsolentlybutwecouldnotdoanythingbecauseJeffs。hadengagedthemandwedidnotwanttointerferewithhisauthoritybutataplacethelastdayoutoneofthemtoldJeffs。heliedandthatwealllied。HehadlostorstolenacanteenofGriscom"sandtheyhadsaidwehadnotgivenittohim。Jeffs。wentathimrightandleftandknockedhimallovertheshop。Therewerehalfadozendrunkenmuledriversattheplaceandwethoughttheywouldtakeahandbuttheydidnot。ThatnightJeffs。thoughttotryustoseewhatwewouldhavedoneandleftusbathinginamountainstreamandrodeonaheadandhidhimselfbehindarockinacanonandlayinambushforus。WewerejoggingalonginthemoonlightandSomersetwasrecitingthe"WalrusandtheCarpenter，"whensuddenlyJeffs。letoutaseriesofyellsinSpanishandopenedfireonusoverourheads。SomersetwasridingmymuleandIhadnoweapons，soIyelledathimtoshootandhefelloffhismuleandrantomineandletgoattherockbehindwhichJeffs。waswiththecarbines。SothatinaboutfivesecondsJeffs。"curiositywasperfectlysatisfiedastowhatwewoulddo，andheshoutedformercy。WethoughtitwasasentryorbrigandsandweregreatlydisappointedwhenitturnedouttobeJeffs。Wegotherelastnightandadirtierormoredismalplaceyouneversaw。Wehadtelegraphedaheadforroomsbutnothingwasinorderandwewerelodgedmuchworsethanwehadbeenseveraltimesintheinteriorwheretherewasoccasionallyacleanfloor。ThismorningwewrotedirecttothePresident，askingforanintervieworaudienceanddidnotaskourConsultohelpusbecauseJeffs。hadaskedhiminourpresencetocomemeetusandhesaidhewouldafterhehaddonetalkingtosomeothermen，buthenevercame。BeforeweheardfromBonillahowever，welearnedthattheVice-presidentwhohasthesamenamewastobesworninsowewenttothepalacealongwiththepopulaceintheirbarefeet。WesatoutofsightbuttheEnglishConsulwhowasthefinestlookingpersoninthechamber——allovergoldlace——sawusandaskedthatwebegivenplacesinfront，whichtheministerofsomethingaskedustotakebutweobjectedonaccountofourclothes。Somershadonaflannelsuitthatlookedexactlylikepajamasandlawntennisshoes。

ButassoonastheceremonywasovertheyinsistedonourgoingintothebanquethallandinspiteofourobjectionswewerethereconveyedandpresentedtoBonillawhobehavedverywellandaftersayinghehadreceivedourlettersbuthadnothadtimetoreadthemleftusandavoidedus，whichwaswhatwewantedforwelookedlikethedevil。WemeteverybodyelsethoughandtooktheEnglishandGuatemalianConsulsbacktoourroomsandgavethemdrinksandthenwewenttotheirrooms，sothedaywentverypleasantly。ThePresidentsentusafunnyprintedcardappointinganaudienceatelevento-morrow。Itisexactlywhatyouwouldimagineitwouldbe，thesoldiersarebarefootedexceptaboutfiftyandthePresidentleanedoutofthewindowinhisshirtsleevesafterthereviewandtheyhavenotplastereduptheholesinhispalacethathiscannonmadeinitjustayearagoto-day，whenhewasfightingVasquez，andVasquezwasthenontheinsideandBonillaonthehills。Iforgottotellyouthatthismorningaboyaboutsixteenyearsold，withapoliceman"sbadgeandclubcametoourwindowandtalkedpleasantlywithusoratusrather，whileweshavedandguyedhiminEnglish。FinallywefoundthathehadcometoarrestJeffs。sowetoldhimwhereJeffs。wasbuthepreferredtowatchusshaveandwefinisheditunderhiscustody。ThenwewenttotheCommandanteandfoundthatthemosershadhadJeffs。arrestedfornotpayingthemontheirarrivalatTegucigalpa，aswehaddistinctlytoldthemwewouldnotdobutatSanPedrofromwherewetookthem，ontheirreturn。ItwasonlyaspitecasesuggestedbyJeffs。thrashingtheirleader。TheCommandantegavethemascoldingandwewentoutintriumph。

February4th——

Yourcablereceivedallright。Wewereverygladtohear。WehavedecidedtogoonbymulestoManaqua，theCapitalofNicaragua，andfromthereeithertoCorintoortoLemonontheAtlanticside。WehadtodothisorwaitheretendaysfortheboatgoingsouthatAmapala。Itismoonlightnowsothatwecanavoidtheheatoftheday。YesterdaywewentoutridingwiththePresident，whoputagoldrevolverinhishippocketbeforehestartedandmadeusfeelthatuneasyliestheheadthatrulesinthiscountry。Hehadtwohorsesthathadneverbeenriddenbefore，asacomplimenttoourpowers，theresultwasthattheVice-president"shorsealmostkilledhim，whichIguessthePresidentintendeditshouldandthehorseGriscomrodebackedalloverthetown。Hewasastallionandhadneverbeenriddenbeforethatday。Minewasagentleoldgee-geeandyetIfeltgoodwhenwewereallonthegroundagain。

TheBritishconsulgaveSomersafinereceptionandraisedtheflagforhimandhadthebandtheretoplay"GodSavetheQueen，"

whichhehadspentthewholemorninginteachingthem。GriscomandIcalledonourConsulandplayedhisguitar。Weboughtoneforourselvesfortherestofthetrip。

Iwantyoutodosomethingforme:keepalltheunfavorablenoticesyouget。IknowMotherwon"tdoit，soIshallexpectNoratomakeapointofsavingthemfromthewaste-paperbasket。IfthereisnotalotofthemwhenIgetback，Iwillraisearow。

DICK。

MANAQUA-NICARAGUA-February13，1895。

DEARFAM:

Ihadagreatdealtotellyou，butwehavejustreceivedcopiesofthePanamaStarandhavereadofthetrolleyriotsinBrooklyn，acrisisinFrance，WarintheBalkans，arevolutioninHonoluluandanotherinColombia。Theresultisthatwefeelwearenotinitandweareallkickingandgrowlingandabusingourluck。HowClaiborneandRussellwilldelightoverusandintellinghowthemilitiafiredonthestrikersandhowTroopAfoughtnobly。Nevermindourturnwillcomesomedayandwemayseesomethingyet。WehavehadthedeuceofatimesinceweleftTegucigalpa。Nowweareinalandwheretherearebullhidebedsandcanvascotsinsteadofhammocksandiceandrailroadsanddirectcommunicationwithsteamshiplines。Hereafterallwillbemerelyamatterofwaitinguntiltheboatsailsorthetrainstartsandtheuncertaintiesofmulesandcatboatsareatanend。ItishardtoexplainaboutourdifficultiesafterweleftTegucigalpabuttheyweremany。WegaveupourideaofridingheredirectbecausetheyassureduswecouldgetasteamlaunchfromAmapalatoCorintosowerodethreedaystoSanLorenzoonthePacificsideandtookanopenboatfromtheretoAmapala。Itwasrowedbyfourmenwhowalkedupanotchedlogandthenfellbackdraggingthesweepsback，withtheweightoftheirbodies。

Itwasamoonlightnightandtheylookedverypicturesquerisingandsinkingbackandoutlinedagainstthesky。TheywerenakedtothewaistandrowedallnightandIhadagoodchancetoseethemasIhadtolieonthebottomoftheboatonthreemahoganylogs。Bytenthenextdayweweretoocrampedtostandit，soweputashoreonadesertedislandandplayedRobinsonCrusoe。Wehadtwobiscuitsandaboxofsardinesamongfiveofusbutwefoundoystersontherocksandknockedalotoffwithclubsandstonesandthebuttsofourguns。Theywereverygood。Wealsohadabathuntilafishranintomeaboutthreefeetlongandcuttwogashesinmyleg。WereachedAmapalaaboutfourintheafternoon。Itwasanawfulplace；dirtandfilthandnoroomtomoveabout，sowecharteredanopenboattosailorrowtoCorintosixtymilesdistant。

Yousee，wecouldnotgobacktoTegucigalpauntilthesteamerarrivedwhichistotakeusSouthofPanamaandwecouldnotgotoManaquaeitherandforthesamereasonthatwehadsentbackourmuletrainandwewouldnotwaitinAmapalapartlybecauseoffeverwhichhadbeenthereandpartlybecausewewantedtogettoCorintowheretheyhaveiceandtoseeManaqua。TheboatwasaboutaslongastheVagabondandtwiceasdeepandafootortwomoreacrossherbeam。Therewerefourofus，fiveofthecrewandtwonativeswhowantedtomakethetripandwhowetookwithus。Itwasprettyawful。TheoldtubrockedlikeamilkshakeandIwasneversoillinmylife，wealllaypackedtogetherontheribsoftheboatandcouldnotmoveandthewavessplashedoverusbutweweretooilltocare。Thenextdaythesunbeatinonusandroasteduslikeanopenfurnace。TheboatwasapitofheatandoutsidetheswellofthePacificroseandfellandreflectedthesunlikecopper。WereachedCorintoinabouttwentyfourhoursandIwasneversogladtogetanyplacebefore。ThetownturnedouttogreetusandsomeEnglishmenrantoaskfromwhatboatwehadbeenshipwrecked。Theywouldnotbelievewehadtakenthetripforanyotherreason。

Theyhelpedusverykindlyandwouldnotletusdrinkalltheicedwaterwewantedandsentusintobatheinaplacesurroundedbypilestokeepoutthesharksandbyarooftoshelteronefromthesun。CorintoprovedtobeallthatAmapalawasnot；clean，coolwithveryexcellentfoodandbroadbedsofmatting。Ilikeditbetterthananyplaceatwhichwehavebeen，wecameonherethenextdaytoseethePresidentandfoundthecityhot，dustyandofnointerest。

ThereisanexcellenthotelhoweverandwehadatalkwiththePresidentwhowasamuchbetterchapthanBonillabeingolderandmorecivilized。Ofcoursethereisabsolutelynoreasonorexcuseforusifwedonotgetcontrolofthiscanal。IfonlythatitwouldallowourshipsofwartopassfromOceantoOceaninsteadofgoingaroundthehorn。Thewomenarereallybeautifulbutthathasnothingtodowiththecanal。

TomorrowmorningwereturntoCorintoasSomersandIlikeitbest。GriscomwouldliketogoonacrossbytherouteofthecanalwhichwouldbeagoodthingwerewecertainofmeetingasteameratSimonorGreytown，buttheMinisterwhowentlastmonththatwayhadtowaittheresixteendays。

So，wewillprobablyleaveCorintoonthe17thor20th，therearetwosteamers，onethatstopsatportsandonethatdoesnot。Theybotharrivetogether。Idonotknowwhichwewilltakebut——thisletterwillgowithme。UptodateIthinkthetripwillmakeagoodstorybutitwillhavetobeapersonaloneaboutthethreeofusforthecountryasitstandsisuninterestingtothegeneralreaderforthereasonthatitDUPLICATESitselfineverything。Butwithourphotographsandahumorousstory，itoughttobeworthreadingandIhavepickedenoughcuriousthingstomakeitofsomevalue。

February15，——Corinto。

Wearebackherenowandridofthatdusty，dirtycity。Youwouldbeamusedifyousawthisplaceandtriedtounderstandwhywepreferittoanyplacewehaveseen。ThereissurfbathingatahalfmiledistantandagoodhotelwithagreatbarwhereaFrenchmangivesusiceandtheseacaptainsandagentsforminesandplantationsintheinteriorgathertoplaybilliards。OutsidetherearerowsofhandsomewomenwithdecolletegownsandshiningblackhairandcoloredsilkscarfssellingfruitanddowntheonestreetwhichfacesthebayareadoublerowofpalmsandthestorewheretwoAmericanboyshaveaphonograph。TheyaretheonlyAmericansIhavemetwhohaveoraretakingadollaroutofthiscountry。Theyplaytheguitarandbanjoverywell。OneofthemwasonthePrincetongleeclubandtheirstoriesofhowtheyhavetouredCentralAmericaareveryamusing。LotsofLove。

DICK。

S。S。Barracouta——OffSanJuanFebruary21，1895。

DEARMOTHER:

TodayIbelieveisthe21st。WeareouttwodaysfromCorintooffSanJuanontheboundaryofCostaRicaandlieheresomehours。ThenwegoonwithoutstoppingtoPanamaarrivingthereaboutthe25th。Onthe28thwetakethesteamertoCaracas。WewillbeatCaracasaweekandthengostraighthome。ButinthemeanwhilewewillhavegotonemailatColonwhenwegotheretotaketheboatforCaracasandgladIwillbetogetit。WehavehadasummaryofthenewsinthePanamaStarandabundleofWorldstellingallaboutthetrolleystrikeandthatisallexceptDad"scableatTegucigalpathatwehaveheardinnearlytwomonths。Iamverysorrythatthedistanceshaveturnedoutsomuchlongerthanweexpectedandthatwehadthatunfortunatetendayswaitforthesteamer。I

knowyouwantmehomeandIwouldliketobetherebutIdonotthinkIoughttogowithoutseeingCaracas。IthelpsthebooksomuchtooifonerunsitintoSouthAmericafornooneintheStatesthinksmuchofCentralanddoesnotwanttoreadaboutit。AtleastIknowIneverdid。Wehavehadamostamusingtimewiththetwophonographchaps。Oneofthemhasbeenanadvertisingagentandadeputysheriffandchasedstagecoachrobbersandkeptahard-warestoreandisonlytwenty-fiveandtheotherhasnothadquiteasmuchexperiencebuthasbeentoPrinceton，heis23。Themixtureofnarrativeswhichchangefromtricksofthehard-waretradetodancesatBuckinghamPalaceandanecdotesofCliffHousesupperpartiesatSanFranciscoareveryinteresting。Iamgoingtowriteabookforthemandcallit"ThroughCentralAmericawithaPhonograph"

or"WhoWeDid，andHowWeDoneThem。"Wesingthemostbeautifulmedleysandcontributetothephonograph。

Ihadtoprotestagainstthemannouncing"HerGoldenHairwasHangingDownherBack"byRichardHardingDavisandSomersetkickedattheirintroducing"GodSavetheQueen"assungby"HisGracetheDukeofBedford"whichtheyinsistinthinkinghisrealtitleandhisname；ifhewouldonlyconfessthetruth。YoucannothaveanyideaofhowgladIamthatItookthistrip，justthisparticulartrip，notforanyinterestitwillbetothegentlereaderbutforthebenefitithasbeentome。AllthethingsIwasnervousabouthavebeendoneandshouldIgetnervesagainasIsupposeIalwayswillinoneformoranotherIcangetridofthembyrememberinghowIgotridofthembeforeduringthismostpeculiarexcursion。ForthoughIandwealltoldthetruthaboutbeingwell，wewereinamosttryingplaceattimesandtheridewetookandthesailtogetawayfrompossiblefeverwasverymuchofastrain。IdonotseehowGriscomkeptupashedidforhewasaninvalidandverynervouswhenhestarted。Butheshowedgreatsportingblood。

Itwasmuchbetterhavingthreethantwoandhefurnisheduswithmuchamusementatwhichhenevercomplains。Hisartlessnessandhisbadbreakswhichkeepusfilledwithterrormakethemostentertainingnarrativesandhetellsthemonhimselfandthenkeepsonmakingnewones。OnenightJeffscamedownwithfeverthroughbathinginthemountainstreams，apracticewhichdidnothurtusbutwhichnativesofthecountrycannotdoinsafety，andIconfessIwasscared。Jeffspulledthroughinafewdays。Itwasoddthatthemanwhohadlivedhereelevenyearsshouldhavebeentheonlyonetogiveupthroughoutthewholetripandhewasagoodsport，too。

IwillhavetheCentralAmericanstoriesalldoneornearlysobythetimewereachNewYorkwhichisoneofthecomfortsofthisoverabundanceofseavoyages。IhavethelotterystorynearlywrittenandamwonderingnowifBissellwillletmepublishit。WoulditnotbeagoodideatohaveDad，ifheknowshim，explainabouthowIwentSouthtowriteitandjustwhatitisandgethisofficialsanctionorshallIwriteorgettheHarper"stowritewhenIgetback。Thelotterypeopleinjokeoffered$10，000iftheycouldwritethestorythemselves。AndsometimesIwishtheywouldforitisthehardestkindofwork。IdonotwanttoadvertisetheiroldgameandyetIcannothelpdoingit，inaway。WeputinatPuntaArenasandIfoundawomanlookingatuswithanoperaglassandshortlyaftershesentouttosaysheknewmeandthatshewantedmetocomeup。ItseemedImetherinElizabeth，NewJerseywithEddieCowardwhereshewasplayinginprivatetheatricals。SincethenasapunishmentnodoubtshehaslivedhereandherhusbandisMinisteroftheNavywithonegunboat。ThistripisveryhotandIsleepondeckandlookupatthestarsandthelightonthejibandthesmokespoilingthefirmament。Itmakesyoufeelterriblyfarawayfromthecentreofcivilizationinfrontofthefireandyoualltryingtomakeoutwhereweareat。Ihopeyouknowmoreaboutitthanwedo。

ItistheworstcountryforgettingaboutthatIeverheardof。Ithasrevivedmyinterestandbeliefinallsuchbeautifulthingsasburiedtreasuresandhiddencitiesandshootingmenagainststonewallsandfilibusters。Therearenotmanyofthesestoriesbuteverymantellsthemdifferentlysotheyhaveallthefreshnessofanewtale。Thereisnoiceonthisboatorlemonsorsegars。Itisthefirsttimesotheysaythatithashappenedintwelvemonths，butafterthisitmustbebetter。AtPanamatheyfinetheiceman$1000

everydayhismachinebreaksandsowehavehopes。Ifeelsovery，veryselfishoffdownhereandleavingyouallaloneanditmakesmelosemytempermorethanusualwhenallthesedelaysoccurbutIpromisetobegoodhereafterandwewillbetogethersoonnowbytheendofMarchsureandIhopeyouwillnotmissmetoomuch，asmuchasImissallofyou。SometimesIwishyoucouldseesomeoftheseislandsandthelongshadowysharksandtheturtles，therearethousandsofturtlesasbigastubsjustfloatingaroundlikeemptybottles，butI

haveneveronthewholetakenatripwhenIsoseldomwishedthatthefamilywerearoundtoenjoyit。ItusedtohurtmeduringtheMediterraneantripbutthereisnotmuchthatwouldpleaseyouinthisoutfit。IlikeitbecauseIamsatisfiedtogodirtyforweeksatatimeandtotalktotheengineerorthequeerpassengersandtopickupstoriesandimprovemygeographybutIdonotthinkthescenerywouldcompensateeitherNoraoryouorDadforthelackofnecessitiesandCLEANTH。WhenwewerecrossingthecontinentIdon"tbelieveIhadaspotonmeasbigasanickelwithoutthreebitesonit，allsortsofbites，theyjustswarmedoveryouallsizes，colorsandvarieties。Theycamefromdogs，fromthesand，fromtrees，fromthegrass，fromtheair。

Theworstwerelittleredbugsthatlayundertheleavescalledcarrapati"sandthatcameoffonyouinahundredatatime。Andtherewerealso"jiggers"thatgetunderyournailsandleaveeggsthere。Sometimeswecouldnotsleepatallforthebitesandyouhadtocarryabrushtobrushthecarripatsoffeverytimeyoupassedthroughbushes。It"sthedamnedestcountryIwaseverinnowthatIhavetimetothinkofit。TheotherdayIwasgoingintobatheandthesandwassohotthatIcouldnotgettothebreakersandsoIwentyellingandjumpingbacktothegrassandthegrasswasjustonemassofburrs，soIgaveanotheryellandleapedontoabiglogandthelogwasfullofthorns。That"sthesortofcountryitis。Andthenafteryoudomakeadashforthesurfasharkmakesadashforyouandyoudon"tknowwhatyouarehereforanyway。Ithaditshumoroussideanditwasveryfunny，especiallyasitneverturnedoutotherwise，toseethemenscamperwhenthesharkscamein。

Theyneverscentedusfortenminutesorsoandthentheywouldswimupandwewouldgiveayellandallmakefortheshoreheadoverheelsandsplashingandshriekingandscaredandexcited。Therewouldalwaysbeonemanwhowasfurtheroutthantherestandhecouldnothearonaccountofthewavesandwewouldalllineuponthebeachandyellanddanceupanddownandtrytoattracthisattention。Butyouwouldseehimgoondivingandplayingalonginhorriblelonelinessuntilheturnedtospeaktosomeoneandfoundthemangoneandthenhewouldlookfortheothersandwhenhesawusallontheshorehewouldgiveonewildwhoopoutofhimandgofallingoverhimselfwithhishaironendandhiseyesandmouthwideopen。Isawonesharktenfeetlongbutwewouldhavediedoftheheatifwehadnotbathedsowethoughtitwasworthit。That"sovernowbecausewecannotgetanymoreseabathing。JustaroundPanama。

Finestplaceseenyet。

RICHARD。

PANAMA，February28th，1895。

DEARMOTHER:

GriscomhasawakenedtothefactthatheisaPresscorrespondentandisinterviewingrebelswhocomestealthilybynightfollowedbyspiesofthegovernmentandsitinGriscom"sroomwiththesonoftheConsulGeneral，asinterpreter。SomersetandIrefusetobeimplicatedandsitintheplazawaitingforafileofsoldierstocarryGriscomoffwhichisourcueforaction。Thereisaman-of-war，theAtlanta，theonewemadefriendswithatPuertoCortez，lyingatColonandsowefeelsafe。Wemaynowbesaidtobeabsorbinglocalcolor。ThatisaboutallwehavedonesinceweleftAmapala。Andifitwerenotthatyouareallaloneupthere，Iwouldnotmindit。Iwouldprobablycontinueon。WeknowitnowaswedoLondonorParis。Wecandistinguishseacaptains，lawyersinpolitics，commandantes，oldestresidents，gentlemenlygoodfornothings，shippingagentsandcommissiondealers，coffeeplantersandmenwhoare"onthebeach"withunerringeye。Weknowthestoryofeachbeforehetellsit，oritistoldbysomeoneelse。TheCommandanteshotalotofmenbythesideofaroadduringthelastrevolution，firstallowingthemtodigtheirowngravesandisherenowsothathecanpayhimselfbystealingthecustomdues，thelawyerpoliticianhasbeentoCornellandtakenamedicaldegreeinParisandaspirestobeadeputyandonlyremembersNewYorkasthehomeofLillianRussell。ThecommissionmerchantsareallGermansandthecoffeeplantersareallFrench。Theypointwithpridetolittlebare-footboyssellingseashellsandcocoanutsastheiroffspring，althoughtheycannotremembertheirnames。TheseacaptainsyoucantellbytheirreadymadeclothesofamaterialthatwouldbewarminAlaskaandbythemwearingSpanishdollarsforwatchguardsandbythewalkwhichisrollingeasilywhensoberandpitchingheavilytowardthenight。Theoldestresidentalwayssitsinfrontofthehotelandinthesameseat，withatortoiseshellcaneandrememberswhenVasquezorMendozaorBarrios，orBonillaoccupiedtheCathedralandfiredhotshotintothePalaceandeverybodytookrefugeintheEnglishConsulateandhehelpedguardthebankallnightwithaSpringfieldrifle。Themenwhoareonthebeachhavejustcomeoutofthehospitalwheretheyhavehadyellowfeverandtheywantfood。Thisstoryisintendedtoinduceyoutogetridofthemhurriedlybyasmalltoken。SometimesoutofthisqueercombinationyouwillgetagoodstorybutgenerallytheywanttoshowyouaruinedabbeyoradocumentasoldastheSpanishoccupationortomakeyouacquaintedwithamanwhohaspearlstosell，oracoffeeplantationoracollectionofunusedstampswhichhestolewhileapost-officeemployee。

Ourchiefsportnowistogothrowmoneyattheprisonerswhoarelockedupinarowofdungeonsunderneaththeseawall。Thepeoplewalkandflirtandenjoytheseabreezeabovethemandtheconvictsbyholdingamirrorbetweenthebarsofthedungeonscanseewhoisleaningovertheparapetabovethem。Thentheyholdouttheirhandsandyoudropnickelsandtheyfailtocatchthemandthesentrycomesupandteasesthembyholdingthemoneyafewinchesbeyondtheirreach。Theyclimballoverthecrossbarsintheiranxietytogetthemoneyandlooklikegreatmonkeys。Atnightitisperfectlytremendousfortheirisonlyalightovertheirheadsandtheycrawlalloverthebarsbeneaththis，standingoneachother"sshouldersandpushingandfightingandyellinghalfnakedandwholeyblackandcoveredwithsweat。AsamatteroffacttheyarebettercontenttostayinjailthanoutandwhentheBritishConsulofferedtosendeightofthembacktoJamaicatheyrefusedtogoandsaidtheywouldratherserveouttheirsentenceofeightyears。ThisisthewaytheplacelooksandIamgoingtointroduceitinamelodramaandhavesomeonelowerfilesdowntotheprisoners。

DICK。

AftersomenotveryeventfulorpleasantdaysatCaracas，Richardsailedforhomeandfromthesteamerwrotethefollowingletter:

March26th——OnboardS。S。Caracas。

DEARCHAS:

OffthecoastofGod"scountry。Hurrah!H——didnotcomenearusuntilthemorningofourdeparturewhenhearrivedattheStationtremblingalloverandinneedofashave。ButinthemeanwhiletheconsulatCaracaspickedGriscomandmyselfupinthestreetandtookusintoseeCrespowhoreceiveduswithmuchdignityandpoliteness。Sowemethimafterallandhelpedthestoryoutthatmuch。

ThereisnotmuchmoretotellexceptthatIwasneversogladtosetmyfacehomeasIamnowandeventheroughnessofthistripcannotsquelchmyjoy。ItseemstomeasifyearshadpassedsinceweleftandtothinkweareonlythreedaysofffromSandyHookseemsmuchtoowonderfullygoodtobepossible。SomedaywhenwehavedinedalonetogetheratLaurent"sIwilltellyouthelongstoryofhowSomersandGriscametobedecoratedwiththeOrderoftheBustofBolivartheLiberatorofVenezuelaofthe4thclassbutatpresentIwillonlysaythatthereisathirdclassoftheorderstillcomingtomeinCaracas，asthereis20minutesstillcomingtoKellyinBrooklyn。Itwasamatterofeithermygettingthethirdclass，whichIoughttohavehadanywayhavingthethirdclassofanotherorderalready，andTHEIRGETTINGNOTHING，orourallgettingthe4thor5thclassandofcourseIchoosethattheyshouldgetsomethingandsotheydidandformyaimableunselfishnessinthemattertheyhavefrequentlydrunkenmyhealth。IwasdelightedwhenSomersgothisforhewashappieroveritthanIhaveeverseenhimoveranythingandkeptmeawakenightstalkingaboutit。IconsideritthehandsomestorderthereisaftertheLegionofHonorandIhavebecomesocrazyaboutBolivarwhowasasecondWashingtonandNapoleonthatIamverygladtohaveit，althoughIstillsighforthethirdclasswithitsstarandcollar。

TheboysareespeciallygladbecausewehaveorganizedaTraveller"sClubofNewYorkofwhichweexpectgreatthingsandtheyconsiderthatitstartsoffwellinhavingthreeofthememberspossessorsofaforeignorder。WeformedtheclubwhilecrossingHondurasinsightofthePacificOceananditsobjectistogiveeachotherdinnersandtopresentaclubmedaltopeoplewhohavebeennicetoandwhohavehelpedmembersoftheclubwhiletheywereinforeignparts。

ItismyideaandIthinkagoodoneastherearelotsofthingsonewantstodoforpeoplewhohelpyouandthiswillbeasgoodasany。Membersoftheclubaretheonlypersonsnoteligibletoanymedalbestowedbytheclubandtheeligibilityformembershipisdeterminedbycertaindistanceswhichamanmusthavetravelled。Althoughtheideareallyistokeepitrightdowntoourowncrowdandmakeeachmanjustifythesmallnessoftheclub"smembershipbydoingsomethingworthwhile。IamPresident。Bonsalisvicepresident。RusselltreasurerandGriscomSecretary。Somersetisthesolitarymember。YouandSamandHelenandElizabethBislandareatpresenttheonlyhonorarymembers。WearealsogivinggoldmedalstothetwochapswhocrossedAsiaonbicycles，toWillieChanlerandJamesCreelman，butthatdoesnotmakethemmembers。Itonlyshowsweasaclubthinktheyhavedoneasportingact。Ihopeyouliketheidea。WehavegoneoveritforamonthandconsidereditineverywayandI

thinkweareallwellenoughknowntomakeanybodypleasedtohaveusrecognizewhattheydidwhetheritwasforanyofuspersonallyorforthepublicasexplorers。OnthistripforinstancewewouldprobablysendtheclubmedalsinsilvertoAdmiralMeade，toKelly，toRoyastheVenezuelanMinisterfortheorderstotheGovernorofBelize，totheconsulatLaGuayraandtooneofthephonographchaps。Inthesamewayifyouwouldwanttosendamedaltoanymanorwomanprinceordoctorwhohadbeenkind，courteous，hospitableorofofficialservicetoyouyouwouldjustsendinarequesttothecommittee。WritemesoonandwithlotsofloveDICK。

InApril，1895，RichardwasbackinNewYork，atworkonhisSouthandCentralAmericanarticles，andaccordingtothefollowingletters，havingagoodtimewithhisoldfriends。

NEWYORK，April27，1895。

DEARCHAS:

IreadinthepapertheothermorningthatJohnDrewwasinHarlem，soIsenthimatelegramsayingthatIwasorganizingareliefexpedition，andwouldbringhimoutofthewildernessinsafety。AttwelveIsentanotherreading，"NativesfrominteriorofHarlemreporthavingseenDavisReliefExpeditionaryForcecrossingCentralPark，allwell。RobertHowardRussell。"AttwoIgotholdofRussell，andwetelegraphed"ReliefreachedEighty-fifthstreet；nativespeacefullyinclined，awaitingrearcolumn，ledbyGriscom；

saveyourammunitionandprovisions。"Justbeforethecurtainfellwesentanother，reading:"Ifyoucanholdtheaudienceatbayforanotherhour，weguaranteetorescueyourselfandcompanyandbringyouallbacktothecoastinsafety。Donotbecomedisheartened。"ThenwestartedforHarleminacabwithGeorgeandanothercoloredmandressedasAfricanwarriors，withassegaidaggersandrobesofgoldandhighturbansandsashesstuckfullofswords。Iworemysombreroandridingbreeches，gauntletsandridingboots，withcartridgebeltsfullofbumcartridgesovermyshoulderandaroundthewaist。Russellhadmypithhelmetandasuitofkhakiandleggins。Griscomwasinoneofmycoatsofmanypockets，ahelmetandboots。Weallcarriedrevolvers，canteensandrifles。WesentGeorgeinwithanotesayingwewereoutsidethezarebaandcouldnotrescuehimbecausethemanonwatchobjectedtoourguns。AssoonastheysawGeorgetheyrushedoutandbroughtusallin。Drewwasonthestage，sowetrampedintothefirstentrance，followedbyallthegrips，stagehandsandmembersofthecompany。TheoldmanheardhiscuejustasIembracedhim，andwassorattledthatwhenhegotonthestagehecouldnotsayanything，andthecurtainwentdownwithoutanyoneknowingwhattheplotwasabout。WhenJohncameoff，Iwalkeduptohim，followedbytheotherfourandtheentirecompany，andsaid:"Mr。Drew，I

presume，"andhesaid:"Mr。Davis，Ibelieve。Iamsaved!"

HelenBenedicthappenedtobeinMaudeAdams"dressing-room，andwentoffintoafit，andthecompanywasdelightedasJohnwouldhavebeenhadhebeenquitesurewewerenotgoingonthestageorintoabox。Weleftthemafterwehadhadadrink，althoughthecompanybesoughtustostayandprotectthem，andgotasupperreadyinRussell"srooms，atwhichHelen，EthelBarrymore，JohnandMrs。Drew，MaudeAdamsandGriscomwerepresent。

DICK。

NEWYORK，November，1895。

DEARMOTHER:——

Thechinacupshavearrivedallrightandareabeautifuladditiontomycollectionandtomyroom，inwhichDaphnestillholdsfirstplace。

WhatdoyouthinkSirHenrysentme？Themedalandhislittleblackpipeinagreenvelvetboxaboutasbigastwobrickslaidsidebysidewithaheavyglasstopwithbevellededgesandthemedalandpipelyingonawhitesatinbed，bounddownwithsilver——andalargegoldplatewiththeinscription"ToRichardHardingDaviswiththewarmestgreetingsfromGregoryBrewster——1895"——Youhavenoideahowprettyitis，Bailey，BanksandBiddlemadeit——ItisjustlikehimtodoanythingsosweetandthoughtfulandithasattractedsomanypeoplethatIhavehaditlockedup——NoBurdenjewelrobbershere——Myfriend，theRussianO——ladystillpursuesmeandasshehasnosenseofhumorandtakeseverythingseriously，shefrightensme——Iamafraidshewillmoveinatanymoment——ShehasaskedmetospendthesummerwithheratParisandMonteCarlo，andathercountryplaceinNorfolkandbombardsmewithinvitationstosuppersandthingsinthemeantime。Shehasjustsentmeapictureofherselftwofeetbythree，withwritingalloveritandatanymoment，Iexpecthertoringthebellandorderhertrunkstakenupstairs——I

amtooattractive——LastnightIdinedwithHelenandMaudeAdams，whoisstayingwithher。Iwantthemtoboardmetoo。

MaudesangforusafterdinnerandthenwentofftoseeYvetteGuilbertata"sacredconcert"tostudyhermethods。IwenttoN——"sboxtohearMelbaandwechattedtotheaccompanimentofMelba，NordicaandPlanconinatrio——theOgre，worefur，pearls，whitesatinandviolets。Itwasapinksilkbox。ThenIwentdowntoareceptionatMrs。DeKoven"sandfounditwasaplay。EverybodywasseatedalreadysoIsquatteddownonthefloorinfrontofMrs。DeKovenandatallwomaninabrocadegowncutlikeaJapanesewoman"s——

Itwasverydarkwheretheaudiencewas，soIcouldnotseeherfacebutwhenthepantomimewasoverIlookedupandsawitwasYvetteGuilbert。SoIgrabbedMrs。DeKovenandtoldhertopresentmeandGuilbertsaidinEnglish——"Itisnotcomfortableonthefloorisit？"andIsaid，"Ihavebeenatyourfeetforthreeyearsnow，soIamquiteusedtoit"——forwhichIwasmuchapplauded——AfterwardsItoldsomeonetotellherinFrenchthatIhadwrittenabookaboutParisandaboutherandthatIwasgoingtomarkitandsenditandbeforethewomancouldtranslate，Guilbertsaid，"No，sendmetheVanBipperebook"——Soweaskedherwhatshemeantandshesaid，"M。BourgettoldmetomeetyouandtoreadyourVanBippereBook，youareMr。Davis，areyounot？"——SoafterthatIownedtheplaceandrefusedtomeetMrs。Vanderbilt。

YvettehasofferedtoteachmeFrench，soIguessIwon"tgotoSomerset"swedding，unlessO——scaresmeoutofthecountry。Igotmy$2，000checkandhavepaidallmydebts。

TheywerenotathirdasmuchasIthoughttheywere，sothat"sallright。

Docomeovermother，assoonasyoucanandwewillmeetatJerseyCity，andhaveanicelunchandagoodtalk。GivemybestestlovetoDadandNora。HowwouldshelikeYvetteforasister-in-law？JohnHarehassentmeseatsfortonight——Heisverynice——Ihavebegunthestoryofthe"Servants"Ball"

andgotwellintoit。

andlotsoflove。

DICK。

ThefollowingletterwaswrittentomeatFlorence。Thenovelreferredtowas"SoldiersofFortune，"whicheventuallyprovedthemostsuccessfulbook，commercially，mybrothereverwrote。

Mrs。Hicks，towhomRichardfrequentlyrefers，isthewell-knownEnglishactressEllalineTerriss，thewifeofSeymourHicks。SomersetisSomersSomerset，thesonofLadyHenrySomerset，andtheFrohmanreferredtoisDanielFrohman，whowasthemanageroftheoldLyceumTheatre。

EarlyinNovember，WilliamR。HearstaskedmybrothertowriteadescriptionoftheYale-PrincetonfootballgameforTheJournal。Richarddidnotwanttowritethe"story"andbywayofapoliterefusalsaidhecouldnotundertakeitforlessthan$500。00。GreatlytohissurpriseHearstpromptlyacceptedtheoffer。Atthetime，Iimaginethiswasbyfarthelargestsumeverpaidawriterforreportingasingleevent。

December31st，1895。

NewYork。

ThePlayers。

NewYear"sEve。

DEARCHAS:

Iamnotmuchofaletterwriterthesedays，butIhavefinishedthenovelandthatmustmakeupforit。ItgoestotheScribnersfor$5，000whichisnotasmuchasIthinkI

shouldhavegotforit。IamnowlyingaroundhereuntilthefirstofFebruary，whenIexpecttosailtoSomerset"swedding，reachingyouinlittleoldFirenziinMarch。Wewillthenpaintit。AfterthatIdonotknowwhatIshalldo。

TheJournalisaftermetodoalmostanythingIwantatmyownfigure，asacorrespondent。TheyhavemadeRalphLondoncorrespondentandtheirpaperistheonlyonenowtostickto。

Theyaretryingtogetallthewellknownmenatbigprices。

IhavehadsuchagoodtimehelpingMrs。HicksinSeymour"sabsence。Shehadabouteverythinghappentoherthatispossibleandsheisjustthesortoflittlepersonyoulovetodothingsfor。ShefinallysailedandIamnowabletoattendtomyownfamily。

TheCentralAmericanandVenezuelanbookcomesoutonFebruarylst。SeveralofthepapersherejokinglyalludedtothefactthatmyarticleontheVenezuelanboundaryhadinspiredthePresident"smessage。Ofcourseyougetgarbledideasofthingsoverthereandexaggeratedones，asforinstance，ontheCoxeyarmy。Butyouneversawanythinglikethecountryafterthatwarmessage。ItwaslikelivingwithaBritishfleetoffSandyHook。

Everybodytalkedofitandofnothingelse。Iwenttoadinnerof300menallofdifferentcallingsandIdonotbelieveoneofthemspokeofanythingelse。Cabmen，carconductors，barkeepers，beggarsandpolicemen。AlltalkedwarandVenezuelaandtheDoctrineofMr。Monroe。Inthreedaysthecountrylostonethousandofmillionsofdollarsinvalues，whichgivesyouanideahowexpensivewaris。Itisworsethanrunninganewspaper。Now，almosteveryoneisforpeace，peaceatanyprice。Idonotknowofbutonejingopaper，TheSun，andwartalkisgreetedwithjeers。Itwasasifthepeoplehadsuddenlyhadtheireyesopenedtowhatitreallymeantandhavingseenwerewiserandwantednomoreofit。Yourbrother，personally，looksatitlikethis。

Salisburywastoblameinthefirstplaceforbeingrudeandnotofferingtoarbitrateashehadbeenaskedtodo。WhenhesaidtoCleveland，"It"snoneofyourbusiness"theonlyanswerwas"Well，I"llmakeitmybusiness"butinsteadofstoppingthere，Clevelandutteredacastironultimatuminsteadofleavingaloopholefordiplomacyandachanceforeitherorbothtobackout。That"swhereIblamehimasdoeseveryoneelse。

SamSothernisinChicagoandweallwrotehimguyinglettersaboutthewar。Helensaidshewasgoingtoengage"TheHeartofMaryland"companytoprotectherfrontyard，whileRussellandIhaveengaged"TheGirlILeftBehindMe"companywithBlanchWalshandtheoriginalcast。

WesentSomersetapictureofhimselfriddledwithbullets。

AndMrs。HicksmadeherselffamousbyaskingifitwasthatodiousDunraventheyweregoingtowarabout。

MyarticlewasaveryluckythingandisgreatlyquotedandinsocialgatheringsIamappealedtoasafinalauthority。

Thefootballstory，bytheway，didmeaheapofgoodwiththenewspapersandthepricewasquotedasthehighesteverpaidforapieceofreporting。Peoplesentforitsothattheeditionwasexhausted。TheJournalpeopleweregreatlypleased。

YvetteGuilbertisatHammerstein"sandcrowdsthenewmusichallnightly，attwodollarsaseat。IrvingandMissTerryhavebeenmostfriendlytomeandtothefamily。Frohmanisgoingtoput"Zenda"oninNewYorkbecausehehasplayedafailure，whichwillofcoursekillitfornextyearforEddie，whenhecomesoutasastar。Ihaveneverseensuchgeneralindignationoveraprivateaffair。BarrymorecalleditacaseofOllagaZenda。TheyevenwenttoBrooklynwhenEddiewasplayingthereandaskedhimtostagetheplayforthemandhowhemadehischangesandputonhiswhiskers。PoorEddie，helacksabusinessheadandabusinessmanager——andSamtalksandshakeshisheadbutislittlebetter。LotsofloveandbestwishesfortheNewYear。

DICK。

CHAPTERIX

MOSCOW，BUDAPEST，LONDON

Theyears1896——1897wereprobablythemostactiveofRichard"sveryactivelife。InthespaceoftwelvemonthshereportedtheCoronationatMoscow，theMillennialCelebrationatBudapest，theSpanish-CubanWar，theMcKinleyInauguration，theGreek-TurkishWarandtheQueen"sJubilee。Althoughthisrequiredagreatdealoftimespentintravelling，Richardstillfoundopportunitytodoconsiderableworkonhisnovel"CaptainMacklin，"towhichherefersinoneofhislettersfromLondon。

AscorrespondentoftheNewYorkAmerican，thenTheJournal，RichardwentfromFlorence，wherehewasvisitingme，toMoscow。HewasaccompaniedbyAugustusTrowbridge，anoldfriendofmybrother"sandararelygoodlinguist。ThelatterqualificationprovedofthegreatestpossibleassistancetoRichardinhiseffortstowitnesstheactualcoronationceremony。TohavefinallybeenadmittedtotheKremlinmybrotheralwaysregardedasoneofhisgreatestsuccessesasacorrespondent。

Enroute——May1896。

DEARCHAS:

Thenightispassedandwiththedaycomes"ahope"butduringtheblacknessIhad"asuffer"——Ireaduntiltwo——fivehours——andthensleptuntilfivewhenthemiddlemanwhohadsleptonmyshoulderallnightleftthetrainandthesecondonetowhomBernardiwassopoliteleftmealoneandhadtheporterfitmeupabedsothatIsleptuntilsevenagain——ThentheGuardianAngelreturnedforhistrapsandIbadehimasleepyadieuandwasstartledtoseetwosoldiersstandingshadingtheireyesinsaluteinthedoorwayandtwogentlemenbowingtomykindprotectorwiththeobsequiousnessofservants——Hesortofsmiledbackatmeandwalkedawaywiththesoldiersand13

porterscarryinghistraps。SoIrunguptheconductorandhesaiditwastheKing"sMinisterwithhiseyesstickingoutofhishead——theconductor"seyes——nottheMinister"s。Idon"tknowwhataKing"sMinisterisbuthelikedyourwhiskey——IamnowpassingthroughtheAustrianTyrolwhichpleasesmesomuchthatIamchortlingwithjoy——Noneoftheplacesforwhichmyticketcallareonanymap——butdon"tyoucare，Idon"tcare——

IwishIcouldadequatelydescribelastnightwithnothingbuttunnelshoursinlengthsothatyouhadtohaveallthewindowsdownandtheroomlookedlikeasafeandfulloftobaccosmokeanddampspongeysmokefromtheengine，andbadair。ThatfirstcompartmentIwentinwasfilledlaterwithGermanwomenwhotookofftheirskirtsandthementookofftheirshoes。EverybodyintherearofthecarisfilthydirtybutIhadawashattheCustomhouseandnowIamalmostcleanandquitehappy。Thedayisbeautifulandthecompartmentisallmyown——IamabsolutelyenchantedwiththeTyrol——IhaveneverseensuchquaintpicturebookhousesandmillswithwheelslikethatintheGoodforNothingandcrucifixeswonderfullycarvedandsnowmountainsanddarkgreenforests——

TheskyisperfectandtheairisfilledwiththesunandthetrainmovessosmoothlythatIcanseelittleblueflowers，babyblue，Bavarianblueflowers，intheSpringgrass。Suchdearoldcastleslikebirdsnestsandsuchhomelikeoldmillsandred-facedmillerswithfeathersintheircapsyouneversawoutofacomicopera——ThemaninherewithmenowisaRussian，ofcourse，andsawthelastCoronationandknowsthatmysuiteisontheprincipalStreetandattendstomychangingmoneyandgettinganomelette——IcansurviveanothernightnowhavinghadanomelettenotsogoodasMadamMasi"sbutstillanomelette——IhavenowleftMunichandtheRussianandaconductorwhomImistookforahereditaryprinceofBavaria，withtasselsdownhisback，hasassuredmeheisgoingtoBerlin，andthatIamgoingtoBerlinandmuchelsetowhichI

smileknowinglyandsaymuchogracia，weewee，yaya，ichichlimmerandotherlongspeechesendingwith"aner——"

DICK。

May15th，1896。Moscow。

DEARCHAS:

WeleftBerlinMondaynightatelevenandsleptwellinawagon-lit。ThatwastheonlynightoutofthefivethatI

spentinthecarsthatIhadmyclothesoff，althoughIwasabletostretchoutontheseats，soIamcrampedandtirednow。AtsevenMondaymorningtheguardwokeusandtoldustogetreadyfortheCustomHouseandIlookedoutandsawamelancholycountryofgreenhillsandblackpinesandwithnosignofhumanlife。ItwasraininganddrearylookingandthenIsawaswepassedthemalineofpostspaintedinblackandwhitestripesahalfmileapartoneachsideofthetrainandIknewwehadcrossedtheboundaryandthatthelineofpostsstretchedfromtheArcticOceantotheBlackSeaandfromthePacifictotheCaucasusMountainsandthePamirs。ItgavemeagreatthrillbutIhavehadsomanyto-day，thatIhadalmostforgottenthatone。Fortwodayswejoggedalongthroughalevelcountrywithmeanthatchedhutsandblackcrowsflyingcontinuallyandpeasantsinsheepskincoats，fullintheskirtandtightatthewaist，withbootsorthongsofleatheraroundtheirfeet。

Thewomenworebootstooandallthemenwhowerenotsoldiershadtheirhaircroppedshortlikemops。Wecouldnotfindanyonewhounderstoodanylanguage，soasweneverknewwhenwewouldstopforfood，weateateverystationandIamoftheopinionthatformonthsIhavebeenlivingonhotteaandcaviarandhashsandwiches。ThesnowfellaninchdeeponWednesdayanddriedupagaininanhourandthesunshonethroughitall。

Soonthewholeitwasagoodtripandmostinteresting。ButherewearenowinaperfectpandemoniumandtheCzarhasnotyetcomenorone-fifthevenofthenotables。Itisagreatcity，immenseandoverpoweringinitsextent。Thehousesareuglylowstoriedandinhideouscolorsexceptthechurcheswhicharelikemosquesandpaintedeverycolor。IconfessI

feelbeatentonightbythenoiseandrushandroarandbysomanystrangefiguresandmarvellouscostumes。Ourroomsareperfectthatisonethingandthesituationistheverybest。

IfthemainstreetwereFifthAvenueandMadisonSquaretheGovernor"sSquare，hispalacewouldbeDelmonico"sandourroomswouldbethecornerroomsoftheBrunswick，soyoucanseehowwellweareplaced。WecansitinourwindowsandlookdownandupthemainstreetandseeeveryonewholeavesorcallsupontheGovernor。Wearenowgoingoutforadinnerandtooneofmanycafe-chantantsandIwilltellyoutherestto-morrow，whenIgetsleep，forafterfivenightsofitI

feeldoneup，butIfeelequallysureitisgoingtobeagreatexperienceandIcannottellyouhowglad1amthatI

came。LovetoyouallandtodearFlorenceinwhichTrowbridge，whoisabrick，joinsme。

DICK。

Moscow——May1896。

DEARCHAS:

TherewasagreatdealtotellwhenIshutdownlastnight，butIthoughtIwouldhavehadthingssettledbythistimeandwaited，butitlooksnowasthoughtherewastobenorestforthewearyuntiltheCzarhasputhiscrownonhishead。Thesituationisthis:thereareninetycorrespondents，andtwelvearetogetintothecoronation，twoofthesewillbeAmericans。Therearefivetryingforit。

CountDaschoff，theMinisteroftheCourt，hasthesayastowhogetsinofthosefive。T。andIcalledonhimwithmycredentialsjustashewasgoingout。NeverhaveIseensuchaswell。HemadeusfeellikedudesfromPaterson，NewJersey。Hehadthreediamondeaglesinanastrakancap，awhitecloak，agrayuniform，topbootsandthreerowsofmedals。HespokeEnglishperfectly，withthemostpolitelyinsolentmannerthatIhaveeverhadtolistento；andeightservants，eachofwhomwehad，inturn，mistakenforaprinceroyal，bowedathimallthebrieftimehetalkedoverourheads。Hesentustothebureauforcorrespondents，wheretheygavemeabadgeandapocketbook，withmyphotoinit。

Theyaregoodfornothing，excepttogetthroughthepolicelines。Nooneatthebureaugaveustheleastencouragementastomygettinginatthecoronation。Wewerefrantic，andIwentbacktoBreckenridge，ourMinister，andwrotehimalongletterexplainingwhathadhappened，andthatwhatIwrotewould"live，"thatIwasadvertisedandhadbeenadvertisedtowritethisstoryformonths。IdroppedTheJournalaltogether，andbeggedhimtorepresentmeasaliterarylightofthefinestcolor。ThishedidinaverystronglettertoDaschoff，andIpresenteditthismorning，buttheMinister，likeEdison，saidhewouldletmeknowwhenhecouldseeme。

ThenIwroteBreckaletterofthankssoelegantandcomplimentarythatheansweredwithanother，sayingifhisfirstfailedhewouldtryagain。Thatmeansheisforme，andatthebureautheysaywhicheveroneheinsistsonwillgetin，buttheyalsosayheissogood-naturedthathehelpseveryonewhocomes。Itoldhimthis，andhehaspromisedtocontinueinmybehalfassoonaswehearfromDaschoff。

Thesecondthingofimportanceisthegettingthestory，IF

WEGETIT，onthewire。That，Iamhappytosay，weareasassuredofasIcouldhopetobe。IowntheheadoftheTelegraphBureausoul，bodyandmind。HelovesthegroundT。

andIspurn，andhesentoutmyfirstcabletoday，oneofinterrogationmerely，aheadoftwelveothers；hehasalsogivenustheentreetoaprivatedoortohisoffice，alltheothercorrespondentshavingtogotothepress-roomsandundergoasortofpresscensorship，whichentailsoneachmanthecuttingupofhisstoryintothreeparts，soastogiveallachance。IgaveT。threedictumstoguidehim；thefirstwasthatwedidnotwantafairchance——wewantedanunfairadvantageovereveryoneelse。Second，toneveraccepta"No"

ora"Yes"fromasubordinate，buttotakeeverythingfromhead-quarters。Third，touseeverymouse，andnottotrusttothelions。Hehadpractiseonthetrain。WhenhetoldmewewouldbeinMoscowintenhours，Iwouldsay，"Whotoldyouthat，"andbackhewouldgototheHerrStationDirectorinaredgown，andreturntosaythatwewouldgetthereintwentyhours。BythistimeIwillmatchhimagainstanynewspapercorrespondentonearth。Heflatters，lies，threatensandbribeswithaskillandassurancethatissimplybeautiful，andhislanguagesandhismannerspullmeoutofholesfromwhichIcouldneverhaverisen。Withitallheisasmodestascanbe，andsaysIamthegreatestdiplomatoutofoffice，whichIreallythinkhebelieves，butIamonlyusingoldreporters"waysandapplyingthethingsothermendidfirst。

MybeststrokewastoaddtomycabletoTheJournal，"Recommendamplerecognitionofspecialfacilitiesaffordedbytelegraphofficial"——andthengethimtoreadithimselfunderthepretextofwishingtolearnifmywritingwaslegible。Hegrinnedalloverhimself，andsaiditwas。AftermyfirststoryisgoneIwillgivehim200roublesforhimselfinanenvelopeandsayJournalwiredmetodoit。Thatwillfixhimforthecoronationstory，asitamountstosixmonths"

wagesabout。But，mydearbrother，inyoursweetandlovelyhome，wherethesunshinesontheCascineandtheworkmensleeponthebridges，anddearoldladiesknitinthestreets，thatisonlyoneofthethousandthingswehavehadtodo。Itwouldtakeyearstogiveyouanaccountofwhatwehavedoneandwhywedoit。Itislikeagameofwhistandpokercombinedandwebluffontwoflimsyfours，andcrawlthenextminutetoamanthatholdsameaslytwo-spot。Thereisnotawirewehavenotpulled，oraleg，either，andwegodashingaboutalldayinabath-chair，withadriverinabellhatandabluenightgown，leavingcardsandwritingnotesandgivingdrinksandhavingsecretariestolunchandbuyingflowersforwivesandcigarboxesforhusbands，andthreateningtheMinisterwithCleveland"sname。

JohnA。Logan，Jr。，iscomingdressedinaRussianUniform，andheworeitonthesteamer，andsaysheisthespecialguestoftheCzarandtheSecretaryofthevisitingmission。

Mrs。P。P。ispaying$10，000forahotelforoneweek。Thatisallthegossipthereis。WelunchedwiththeMcCookstodayandenjoyedhearingAmericanspoken，andtheywereapparentlyverygladtohaveus，andmademuchofT。andofme。Weonlyhopetheycanhelpus；andIamtellingtheGeneraltheonlymantomeetisDaschoff，andwhenhedoesIwilltellhimtotellDaschoffIamtheonlymantobeallowedinthecoronation。IwishIcouldtellyouaboutthecity，butweseeitonlyoutofthecornerofoureyesaswedashtobureauafterbureauand"excellency"and"royalhighness"people，andthendashofftostrengthenotherbridgesandmakenewfriends。Itisgreatfun，andIamveryhappyandT。ishavingthetimeofhislife。HetoldmehewouldratherbewithmeonthistripthantravelwiththeGermanEmperor，andyouwillenjoytohearthathewroteSarahIwasthemost"good-natured"manheevermet。Godblessyouall，anddear，dearFlorence。Lotsoflove。

DICK。

Moscow——May，1896。

DEARCHAS:

Ihavejustsentoffmycoronationstory，andthestrainofthisthing，whichhasreallybeenonmeforsixmonths，isoff。Youcanimaginewhatareliefitis，or，rather，youcannot，fornoonewhohasnotbeenwithustheselasttendayscanknowwhatwehavehadtodo。ThestoryIsentisnotagoodone。Itwasimpossibletotellitbycable，andthefirstoneontheentrywasamuchbetterone。Idonotcaremuch，though；ofcourse，I

docare，asIoughttohavemadeagreathitwithit，buttherewasnotime，andtherewassomuchdetailandminutiathatI

couldnottreatitright。However，aftertheawfulpossibility，orrathercertainty，thatwehavehadtofaceofnotgettinganystoryatall，Iamonlytoothankful。Iwouldnotdoitagainfortenthousanddollars。EdwinArnold，whodiditforTheTelegraph，had$25，000，andifItoldyouofthewayHearstactedandRalphinterferedwithimpertinentcables，youwouldwonderIamsane。TheyneversentmeacentforthecablesuntilitwassolatethatIcouldnotgetitoutofthebank，andwehavespentandborrowedeverypennywehave。Imaginehavingtowriteastoryandtofighttobeallowedachancetowriteit，andatthesametimetobepressedformoneyforexpensesandtollssothatyouwerewornoutbythatalone。

Thebrightestsideofthewholethingwasthewayeverybodyinthistownwasfightingforme。Theentiretowntooksides，andevenmenwhodislikedme，andwhoIcertainlydislike，likeC。W。andR——oftheParisEmbassy，turnedinandfoughtformygettinginlikerelations。Andthewomen——Ihadgranddukesandambassadorsandprinces，whomIdonotknowbysight，movingeverylever，andasStanhopeofTheHerald，testified"everyman，womanandchildinthevisitingandresidentlegationiscrazyonthesubjectofgettingDavisintothecoronation。"Theymadeitapersonalmatter，andwhenIgotmylittlebluebadge，thewomenkissedmeandeachother，andcheered，andthemencametocongratulateme，andactedexactlyasthoughtheyhadgotitthemselves。

Itwasabeautifulsight；theCzarinamuchmorebeautifulandmoresad-lookingthaneverbefore。Butitwasnotsolemnenough，andthepriestsgroanedandwailedandchantedandsang，andeveryonestoodstillandlistened。AllthattheCzarandCzarinadidwasovertenminutesaftertheyenteredthechapel，andthenforthreehourstheprieststookthecenterofthestageandgroaned。Iwastherefromsevenuntilone。Sixsolidhoursstandingandwritingonmyhat。Itwasafinehat，forwewereincourtcostume，Ibeingadistinguishedvisitor，aswellasacorrespondent。Thatwasanotherthingthatannoyedme，becauseBreckinridge，whohasactedlikeabrick，didnotthinkhecouldputmeonbothlists，soIchosethecorrespondents"list，ofcourse，inhopesofseeingtheceremony，butknowingallthetimethatthatmeantnoballsorfunctions，sothathadIlosttheceremonyIwouldhavehadnothing；buthearrangeditsothatIamonbothlists。NotthatIcarenow。ForIamtiredtodeath；andTrowbridgedidnotgetoneitherlist，thankstothedamnedJournalandtohisusingallhisfriendstohelpme，sothatIguessIwillgetoutandgotoBudaPestandmeetyouinParis。Donotconsiderthistooseriously，forI