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.