Wemountedsomestonestepsoverthisportalandweremetbyayoungmarine，wholefthisGatlinggunforamomenttoaskforourpermit，andthenwentbacksatisfied.Thenwefoundourselvesinthepresenceofasentrywitharifleonhisshoulder，whowasrathermoreexacting.
　　Still，heonlywishedtobeconvinced，andwhenhehadpointedouttheheadquarterswherewewerenexttogo，heletusoverhisbeat.Attheheadquarterstherewasanothersentry，equallyserious，butequallycivil，andwiththeinterventionofanorderlyourleadersawtheofficeroftheday.Hecameoutofthequarterslookingratherblank，forhehadlearnedthathispassadmittedourpartytothelines，butnottothestockade，whichwemightapproach，atacertainpointofvantageandlookoverinto，butnotpenetrate.Weresignedourselves，aswemust，andmadewhatwecouldofthenearestprisonbarrack，whosedooroverflowedandwhosewindowsswarmedwithswarthycaptives.Heretheywere，atsuchclosequartersthattheirblack，eagereyeseasilypiercedthepocketsfullofcigaretteswhichwehadbroughtforthem.Theylookedmostlyveryyoung，andtherewasonesmilingrogueatthefirstwindowwhowasobviouslypreparedtocatchanythingthrowntohim.Hecaught，infact，thefirstboxofcigarettesshiedoverthestockade;thenextboxflewopen，andspilleditspreciouscontentsoutsidethedead—lineunderthewindow，whereIhopesomecompassionateguardgatheredthemupandgavethemtothecaptives.
　　Ourfellowslookedcapableofanykindnesstotheirwardsshortoflettingthemgo.Theywereamostfriendlycompany，withaneffectofpicnickingthereamongthesweet—fernandblueberries，wheretheyhadpitchedtheirwoodententswithaslittledisturbancetotheshrubberyaspossible.Theywereverypolitetous，andwhen，afterthatmisadventurewiththecigarettes（Ihadputouryoungleaderuptothrowingthebox，merelysupplyingthecorpusdelictimyself），IwanderedvaguelytowardsaGatlinggunplantedonanearthenplatformwherethelaurelandthedogroseshadbeencutawayforit，themaninchargeexplainedwithasmileofapologythatImustnotpassacertainpathIhadalreadycrossed.
　　OnealwaysacceptstheapologiesofamanwithaGatlingguntobackthem，andIretreated.Thatseemedtheend;andweweregoingcrestfallenlyawaywhentheofficerofthedaycameoutandallowedustomakehisacquaintance.Hepermittedus，withlaughingreluctance，tolearnthathehadbeeninthefightatSantiago，andhadcomewiththeprisoners，andhewasmostobliginglysorrythatourpermitdidnotletusintothestockade.IsaidIhadsomecigarettesfortheprisoners，andIsupposedImightsendthem;in，buthesaidhecouldnotallowthis，fortheyhadmoneytobuytobacco;andheansweredanotherofourparty，whohadnotasoulabovebuttons，andwhoaskedifshecouldgetonefromtheSpaniards，thatsofarfrompromotingherwish，hewouldhavebeenobligedtotakeawayanybuttonsshemighthavegotfromthem.
　　"Thefactis，"heexplained，"you'vecometothewrongendfortransactionsinbuttonsandtobacco."
　　Butperhapsinnocencesogreatasourshadwroughtuponhim.Whenwesaidweweregoing，andthankedhimforhisunavailinggood—will，helookedathiswatchandsaidtheywerejustgoingtofeedtheprisoners;
　　andaftersomeparleyhesuddenlycalledout，"Musicoftheguard！"
　　Insteadofaregimentalband，whichIhadsupposedsummoned，asinglecorporalranoutthebarracks，touchinghiscap.
　　"Takethispartyroundtothegate，"theofficersaid，andhepromisedusthathewouldseeusthere，andhopedwewouldnotmindaroughwalk.Wecouldhaveansweredthattoseehisprisonersfedwewouldwadethroughfathomsofred—tape;butinfactwewerearrestedatthelastpointbynothingworsethanthebarbedwirewhichfortifiedtheoutergate.Heretwomarineswerewillingtotellushowwelltheprisonerslived，whilewestaredintothestockadethroughaninnergateofplankwhichwasrunbackforus.TheysaidtheSpaniardshadabreakfastofcoffee，andhashorstewandpotatoes，andadinnerofsoupandroast;andnowatfiveo'clocktheyweretohavebreadandcoffee，whichindeedwesawthewhite—capped，whitejacketedcooksbringingoutinhugetinwash—boilers.
　　Ourmarineswereofopinion，andnodoubtrightly，thatthesepoorSpaniardshadneverknownintheirlivesbeforewhatitwastohavefullstomachs.Butthemarinessaidtheyneveracknowledgedit，andtheonewhohadaGermanaccentintimatedthatgratitudewasnotavirtueofanyRoman（IsupposehemeantLatin）people.ButIdonotknowthatifI
　　wereaprisoner，fornofaultofmyown，Ishouldbeveryexplicitlythankfulforbeingunusuallywellfed.Ithought（orIthinknow）thatafigorabunchofgrapeswouldhavebeenmoreacceptabletomeundermyownvineandfig—treethanthestewandroastofcaptorswhowereindeedshowingthemselveslessmyenemiesthanmyowngovernment，butwerestillnotquitemyhosts.
　　III.
　　Howisitthegreatpiecesofgoodluckfalltous？Theclockstrikestwelveasitstrikestwo，andwithnomorepremonition.Aswestoodthereexpectingnothingbetterofitthanthreeatthemost，itsuddenlystrucktwelve.Ourofficerappearedattheinnergateandbadeourmarinesslideawaythegateofbarbedwireandletusintotheenclosure，wherehewelcomedustoseatsonthegrassagainstthestockade，withmanypoliteregretsthatthetoughlittleknotsofearthbesideitwerenotchairs.
　　Theprisonerswerealreadyfilingoutoftheirquarters，atarapidtrottowardsthebencheswherethosegreatwash—boilersofcoffeewereset.
　　Eachmanhadasoup—plateandbowlofenamelledtin，andeachinhisturnreceivedquarterofaloafoffreshbreadandabigladlefulofsteamingcoffee，whichhemadeoffwithtohisplaceatoneofthelongtablesunderashedatthesideofthestockade.Oneyoungfellowtriedtogetaplacenothisownintheshade，andourofficerwhenhecamebackexplainedthathewasaguerrillero，andratherunruly.Weheardthateightoftheprisonerswereinirons，bysentenceoftheirownofficers，formisconduct，butallsavethisguerrillerohereweredocileandobedientenough，andseemedonlytoogladtogetpeacefullyattheirbreadandcoffee.
　　FirstamongthemcamethemenoftheCristobalColon，andthesewerethebestlookingofallthecaptives.Fromtheirprettyfairaveragetheothersvariedtoworseandworse，tillaveryscrublot，saidtobeex—
　　convicts，broughtuptherear.Theywerenearlyalllittlefellows，andverydark，thoughhereandthereasix—footertoweredup，orablondshowedamongthem.Theywerejokingandlaughingtogether，harmlesslyenough，butImustownthattheylookedacrewofrathersorryjail—
　　birds;thoughwhetheranyrunofhumanitycladinmisfitsofournavyblueandwhite，andotherchancegarments，withclose—shavenheads，andsometimesbarefeet，wouldhavelookedmuchlesslikejail—birdsIamnotsure.Still，theywerenotprepossessing，andthoughsomeofthemwerepatheticallyyoung，theyhadnoneofthecharmofboyhood.Nodoubttheydidnotdothemselvesjustice，andtobeherdedtherelikecattledidnotimprovetheirchancesofmakingafavorableimpressionontheobserver.
　　Theywerekindlyusedbyourofficerandhissubordinates，whomixedamongthem，andstraightenedouttheconfusiontheygotintoattimes，andperhapssometimeswilfully.TheirguardsemployedafewhandywordsofSpanishwiththem;wherethesedidnotavail，theytookthembythearmanddirectedthem;butIdidnothearaharshtone，andIsawnoviolence，orevensomuchindignityofferedthemastheordinarytrolley—
　　carpassengerissubjectedtoinBroadway.Atacertainbugle—calltheydispersed，whentheyhadfinishedtheirbreadandcoffee，andscatteredaboutoverthegrass，orreturnedtotheirbarracks.Weweretoldthatthesechildrenofthesundreadeditsheat，andkeptoutofitwhenevertheycould，eveninitsdecline;buttheyseemednotsomuchtowithdrawandhidethemselvesfromthat，astovanishintothehistoryof"old，unhappy，far—off"times，whereprisonersofwar，properlybelong.I
　　rousedmyselfwithastartasifIhadlosttheminthepast.