These are some adventurous mariners who had the misfortune to discover El Dorado, he remarked.
Below them there had appeared a large hollow in the earth shaped like the interior of a bowl. The sides were steep and apparently of polished glass, and on its slightly concave surface stood about two dozen men clad in the half costume, half uniform, of aviators. Their upturned faces, lit with wrath with malice, with despair, with cynical humor, were covered by long growths of beard, but with the exception of a few who had pined perceptibly away, they seemed to be a well-fed, healthy lot.
Braddock Washington drew a garden chair to the edge of the pit and sat down.
Well, how are you, boys? he inquired genially.
A chorus of execration in which all joined except a few too dispirited to cry out, rose up into the sunny air, but Braddock Washington heard it with unruffled composure. When its last echo had died away he spoke again.
Have you thought up a way out of your difficulty?
From here and there among them a remark floated up.
We decided to stay here for love!
Bring us up there and well find us a way!
Braddock Washington waited until they were again quiet. Then he said:
Ive told you the situation. I dont want you here. I wish to heaven Id never seen you. Your own curiosity got you here, and any time that you can think of a way out which protects me and my interests Ill be glad to consider it. But so long as you confine your efforts to digging tunnels yes, I know about the new one youve started you wont get very far. This isnt as hard on you as you make it out, with all your howling for the loved ones at home. If you were the type who worried much about the loved ones at home, youd never have taken up aviation.
A tall man moved apart from the others, and held up his hand to call his captors attention to what he was about to say.
Let me ask you a few questions! he cried. You pretend to be a fair-minded man.
How absurd. How could a man of my position be fair-minded toward you? You might as well speak of a Spaniard being fair-minded toward a piece of steak.
At this harsh observation the faces of the two dozen steaks fell, but the tall man continued:
All right! he cried. Weve argued this out before. Youre not a humanitarian and youre not fair-minded, but youre human at least you say you are and you ought to be able to put yourself in our place for long enough to think how how how
How what? demanded Washington, coldly.
how unnecessary
Not to me.
Well, how cruel
Weve covered that. Cruelty doesnt exist where self-preservation is involved. Youve been soldiers; you know that. Try another.
Well, then, how stupid.
There, admitted Washington, I grant you that. But try to think of an alternative. Ive offered to have all or any of you painlessly executed if you wish. Ive offered to have your wives, sweethearts, children, and mothers kidnapped and brought out here. Ill enlarge your place down there and feed and clothe you the rest of your lives. If there was some method of producing permanent amnesia[36] Id have all of you operated on and released immediately, somewhere outside of my preserves. But thats as far as my ideas go.
How about trusting us not to peach on you? cried some one.
You dont proffer that suggestion seriously, said Washington, with an expression of scorn. I did take out one man to teach my daughter Italian. Last week he got away.
A wild yell of jubilation went up suddenly from two dozen throats and a pandemonium of joy ensued. The prisoners clog-danced and cheered and yodled and wrestled with one another in a sudden uprush of animal spirits. They even ran up the glass sides of the bowl as far as they could, and slid back to the bottom upon the natural cushions of their bodies. The tall man started a song in which they all joined
oh, well hang the Kaiser
on a sour apple tree
Braddock Washington sat in inscrutable silence until the song was over. You see, he remarked, when he could gain a modicum of attention. I bear you no ill-will. I like to see you enjoying yourselves. Thats why I didnt tell you the whole story at once. The man what was his name? Critchtichiello? was shot by some of my agents in fourteen different places.
Not guessing that the places referred to were cities, the tumult of rejoicing subsided immediately.
Nevertheless, cried Washington with a touch of anger, he tried to run away. Do you expect me to take chances with any of you after an experience like that?
Again a series of ejaculations went up.
Sure!
Would your daughter like to learn Chinese?
Hey, I can speak Italian! My mother was a wop.[37]
Maybe shed like tlearna speak NYawk!
If shes the little one with the big blue eyes I can teach her a lot of things better than Italian.
I know some Irish songs and I could hammer brass oncet.
Mr. Washington reached forward suddenly with his cane and pushed the button in the grass so that the picture below went out instantly, and there remained only that great dark mouth covered dismally with the black teeth of the grating.
Hey! called a single voice from below, you aint goin away without givin us your blessing?
But Mr. Washington, followed by the two boys, was already strolling on toward the ninth hole of the golf course, as though the pit and its contents were no more than a hazard over which his facile iron had triumphed with ease.
VII
July under the lee of the diamond mountain was a month of blanket nights and of warm, glowing days. John and Kismine were in love. He did not know that the little gold football (inscribed with the legend Pro deo et patria et St. Midas[38]) which he had given her rested on a platinum chain next to her bosom. But it did. And she for her part was not aware that a large sapphire which had dropped one day from her simple coiffure was stowed away tenderly in Johns jewel box.
Late one afternoon when the ruby and ermine music room was quiet, they spent an hour there together. He held her hand and she gave him such a look that he whispered her name aloud. She bent toward him then hesitated.
Did you say Kismine? she asked softly, or
She had wanted to be sure. She thought she might have misunderstood.
Neither of them had ever kissed before, but in the course of an hour it seemed to make little difference.
The afternoon drifted away. That night when a last breath of music drifted down from the highest tower, they each lay awake, happily dreaming over the separate minutes of the day. They had decided to be married as soon as possible.
VIII
Every day Mr. Washington and the two young men went hunting or fishing in the deep forests or played golf around the somnolent course games which John diplomatically allowed his host to win or swam in the mountain coolness of the lake. John found Mr. Washington a somewhat exacting personality utterly uninterested in any ideas or opinions except his own. Mrs. Washington was aloof and reserved at all times. She was apparently indifferent to her two daughters, and entirely absorbed in her son Percy, with whom she held interminable conversations in rapid Spanish at dinner.