Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-07
A DERELICT
How the Story of the Destruction OF
Cervera'S Fleet Was Told.
Bv RICHARD HARDING DAVIS.
Copyright by Charles Seribner's Sons
a.. a a. m


Icause I can't see the war any other
way, and it doesn't seem fair to them
What do you think?"
"Oh, don't do that" protested the
World" manager. You stick to your
own trade. Well get you something to
do. Have you tried the Consolidated
Press yet?"
Charming smiled grimly at the recol-
lection.
| 1T would be throwing pearls to
have you write for them, I know, but
they're using so many men now.
should think you could get on their
boat"
"No-I saw Keating," Claiming ex-
planned. HE said I could come along
as a stoker, and guess I'll take him
up, 1t seems"
"Keating said-what?" exclaimed the
World" man. "Keating? Why, he
stands to lose his own job If he isn't
careful. If it wasn't that he's just mar
ried, the c. P. boys would have report
ed him a dozen times"
Reported him, what for?"
"Why-you know. His old COM
plant"
"Oh, that" said Charming. MY old
complaint" he added.
well, yes, but Heating hasn't been
sober for two weeks, and he'd have
fallen down on the Guasimas story If
those men hadn't pulled him through.
They had to because they're in the
syndicate He ought to go shoot him.
self; he's only been married three
months and he's handling the biggest
piece of news the country's had in thir-
ty years, and he can't talk straight.
There's a time for everything, l say"
growled the World" man.
1T takes it out of d man. this boat
work." Charming ventured. in extenua-
ton. IT'S very hard on him."
"You bet 1t is," agreed the "World''
manager, with enthusiasm. "Slosh-
| ing about in those waves, seasick most
/ ly, and wet all the time, and with a
mutinous crew, and so afraid you'll
miss something that you can't write
| what you've got" Then he added,
as an afterthought, And our cruisers
thinking you're a Spanish torpedo boat
and chucking shells at YOU"
mo wonder Keating drinks" Chan
ming said gravely. "You make 1t seem
almost necessary"
Many thousand American soldiers
had lost themselves in a jungle, and
had broken out of it at the foot Of San
Juan HILL Not wishing to return in
to the jungle, they took the hill. On
the day they did this Charming had the
good fortune to be in Siboney. The
World" man had carried him there and
asked him to wait around the water
front while he went up to the real
front, thirteen miles inland. Chan
ning's duty was to signal the press
boat, when the first despatch-rider rode
in with word that the battle was on.
The World" man would have liked to
ask Charming to act as despatch-rider,
but he did not do so because the des-
patch-riders were either Jamaica ne
groes or newsboys from Park Row
and he remembered that Keating had
asked Charming to be his stoker.
Charming tramped through the damp,
| ILL., l-smellng sand of the beach, sick
with self-pity. On the other side of
those glaring, inscrutable mountains, a
battle, glorious, dramatic, and terrible,
was going forward, and he was thir-
teen miles away He was at the base,
with the supplies and the skulkers.
1t was cruelty hot. The heat-waves
flashed over the sea until the trans
ports in the harbor quivered like pic
lures on a biograph. From the refuse
of company kitchens, from reeking
huts, from thousands of empty cans,
rose foul, enervating odors, which
deadened the senses like drug. The
atmosphere steamed with a heavy.
moist humidity Charming staggered
and sank down suddenly on a pile of
railroad ties in front of the commits
sary's depot. There were some Cubans
seated near him, dividing their govern
ment rations, and the sight reminded
him that he had had nothing to eat.
He walked over to the wide door Of
the freight depot, where a white-hair-
ed. kindly faced, and perspiring officer
was, with his own hands, serving out
canned beef to a line Of Cubans. The
al n
throat. The shoulder-straps of a COL
onel were fastened to it by safety pins.
Charming smiled at him uneasly.
Gould l draw on you for some ra-
tions?" he asked I'm from the Three
Friends 1 am not one of their reg
ular accredited correspondents, he
added, conscientiously, I'm just help
ing them for today"
Haven't you got a correspondents
pass?" asked the officer. He was bus
lily pouring square hardtack down the
throat of a saddle-bag a Cuban soldier
held open before him.
NO" said Charming, turning way,
I'm just helping"
| The 0ffcer looked alter MIN, anu
what he saw caused him to reach under
the counter for a tin cup and bottle
of lime-j juice.
Here" he said. drink this. What's
the matter with yOu-fever? Come in
here out of that sun. You can lie down
on my cot, If you like"
Claiming took the tin cup and swal-
lowed a warm mixture of boiled water
and acrid lime-j juice.
| Thank you," he said, but / must
keep watch for the first news from the
| front"
| A man riding a government mule ap-
peared on the bridge Of the lower trail,
and came toward them at a gallop. He
was followed and surrounded by a
hurrying mob of volunteers. hospital
stewards, and Cubans.
The colonel vaulted the counter and
ran to meet him.
This looks like news from the front
now" he cried.
The man on the mule was from civil
life. His eyes bulged from their sock