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.