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.