the days of my life-第68章

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rter　may　be　dealt　with；　preferably　by　making　him　talk　about　himself；　which　is　a　subject　far　more　interesting　to　him　than　you　are；　or　he　may　be　persuaded　to　tell　you　about　the　last　person　or　subject　upon　which　he　has　had　to　report。　Thus；　on　a　subsequent　occasion；　a　reporter　came　on　board　the　ship　to　see　me　before　she　reached　her　berth。　Early　as　it　was　in　the　morning；　he　had　already　been　about　his　paper’s　business；　attending　the　electrocution　of　two　men　in　a　prison！　The　sight　had　impressed　even　his　hardy　nerves　sufficiently　to　make　him　talk　a　great　deal　about　it；　describing　all　its　details。　Therefore　I　was　called　upon　to　furnish　him　with　but　little　information　about　myself；　though　probably　this　was　not　a　fact　that　weighed　on　him　when　it　came　to　the　writing　of　the　interview。
Another　man；　who　caught　me　in　a　railway　train；　grew　so　interested　in　talking　of　his　own　affairs　that　he　never　noticed　that　the　train　had　started　till　it　iles　an　hour。　Then　with　a　yell　he　rushed　down　the　carriage　and　leapt　out　into　the　night。　I　have　always　wondered　whether　he　was　killed　or　only　broke　his　leg。
There　is　nothing　that　an　American　reporter　will　not　do　to　attain　his　ends。　For　instance；　I　have　known　them　to　break　into　my　room　at　midnight　when　I　was　in　bed。
Once；　when　I　was　in　America　as　a　missioner；　the　reporter　of　a　great　paper　did　his　best　to　make　me　express　opinions　on　some　important　matter　connected　with　the　internal　policy　of　the　United　States。　Naturally　I　declined；　but　this　did　not　prevent　my　alleged　vie　appearing　everywhere。　Then　followed　leading　articles　in　some　of　the　best　papers　gravely　lecturing　me　and　pointing　out　how　improper　it　was　that　one　who　had　been　received　with　so　much　courtesy；　and　who　occupied　a　diplomatic　position；　should　publicly　intervene　in　the　domestic　affairs　of　the　country　to　which　he　had　been　sent　by　his　Government。　A　famous　ic　journal；　also；　published　a　cartoon　of　me　in　a　pulpit　engaged　in　lecturing　the　American　people。
Needless　to　say；　I　was　extremely　annoyed；　but　of　redress　I　could　obtain　none。　Contradiction　where　the　country　is　so　vast　and　newspapers　are　so　many　is　hopeless。　However；　when　I　was　leaving　New　York　another　representative　of　the　same　great　paper　came　to　interview　me　on　the　steamer；　and　to　him　I　expressed　my　feelings。　He　listened；　then　replied；　with　a　somewhat　sickly　smile；　“Very　annoying；　Mr。　Haggard；　but　I　guess　it　would　be　scarcely　loyal　of　me　to　give　our　man　away；　would　it？”
Nothing　could　exceed　the　kindness　with　which　we　were　received　in　the　United　States　—　even　the　reporters　were　kind　till　it　came　to　cold　print。　Really　I　think　that　Americans　are　the　most　hospitable　people　in　the　world。　I　will　go　further　and　say　that　nobody　is　so　nice　or　sympathetic　or　broad…minded　or　desirous　of　all　good　as　a　really　first…class　American；　man　or　woman。　I　remember　that　on　the　occasion　of　this　visit　we　were　quite　glad　to　escape　from　New　York；　where　literally　we　were　being　killed　with　kindness。　To　feast　with　some　hospitable　host　at　every　meal；　from　breakfast　till　a　midnight　supper；　after　a　week　or　so　bees　more　than　the　human　frame　can　bear。
From　New　York　we　went　to　the　beautiful　city　of　New　Orleans；　where　also　we　were　widely　entertained。　One　dinner…party　I　shall　never　forget。　Upon　each　napkin　lay　a　little　poem　anent　something　I　had　written。　For　instance；　here　is　one　which　evidently　refers　to　“The　World’s　Desire”：
Upon　thy　breast　the　“bleeding　Star”　of　love；
？Etherealised；　and　freed　from　serpent　taint；
Is　all　afire；　O　burnished　dove！
？For　whom　men　fail　and　faint！
Moreover　in　the　middle　of　dinner　someone　—　I　think　it　was　our　hostess　—　rose　and　read　a　poem　at　me。　Though　very　kindly　meant；　it　was　really　most　embarrassing；　especially　as　I　had　no　poem　ready　with　which　to　reply。
In　New　Orleans；　amongst　other　places　of　much　interest；　I　was　shown　a　park　in　which　duels　used　to　be　fought　in　the　early　days；　and　a　graveyard　where；　because　of　the　water　in　the　soil；　the　dead　are　buried　in　niches　in　the　surrounding　walls。
Leaving　that　most　hospitable　city；　we　travelled　on　to　El　Paso；　then　quite　a　small　town　on　the　Mexican　border。　I　remember　that　on　the　train　I　fell　into　conversation　with　a　gentleman　who；　much　to　my　astonishment；　informed　me　that　in　the　future　we　should　telegraph　through　the　air　without　the　use　of　any　connecting　wires；　and　furnished　me　with　the　details　of　how　this　would　be　done。　At　the　time　I　confess　it　occurred　to　me　that　he　was　amusing　himself　by　gammoning　a　stranger　who　was　known　to　write　romances。　Now；　however；　I　see　that　at　the　mencement　of　the　year　1891　there　was　at　any　rate　one　person　who　was　very　well　acquainted　with　the　system　of　wireless　telegraphy　which　is　now　identified　with　the　name　of　Mr。　Marconi；　then　a　lad　of　sixteen　years　of　age。
There　were　at　this　time　two　railway　lines　running　from　the　States　to　Mexico　City；　and　I　recollect　that　we　hesitated　long　by　which　of　them　we　should　travel。　Our　choice　was　fortunate；　since　the　train　which　left　on　the　same　day　by　the　other　line　met　with　many　adventures。　Amongst　other　things　it　was　twice　thrown　off　the　rails　by　intelligent　Mexicans　actuated　either　by　spite　or　the　hope　of　plunder；　and　some　of　its　occupants　were　killed。　Mexico；　even　in　those　days；　was　a　wonderful　city　of　almost　Parisian　appearance；　but　I　confess　that　what　interested　me　more　than　its　tramways　and　fine　modern　buildings　were　such　relics　of　old　Mexico　as　could　be　seen　in　the　museum　and　elsewhere；　and　the　mighty　volcano　of　Popocatepetl；　which　the　Aztecs　feared　and　worshipped；　towering　to　the　skies。　The　cathedral　also；　built　by　the　early　Spanish　conquerors；　is　a　remarkable　church；　though；　owing　to　the　rarity　of　the　air　at　that　height　above　sea…level；　I　should　not　remend　any　visitor　who　has　doubts　as　to　the　condition　of　his　heart　to　follow　our　example　and　climb　to　the　top　of　its　tower。
I　think　I　mentioned　that　the　original　cause　of　my　visit　to　Mexico　was　the　tale　of　a　certain　treasure　which　appealed　to　all　my　romantic　instincts。　This　was　the　story　so　far　as　I　can　recollect　it。
In　Mexico　Mr。　Jebb　knew　a　certain　Cuban　named　Don　Anselmo。　This　man；　who　was　a　geologist；　was　prying　about　on　the　farther　shore　of　Lake　Tezcuco；　when　a　Mexican　emerged　from　some　bushes　and　remarked　that　he　saw　that　Anselmo　knew　the　secret　which　he　thought　belonged　to　himself　alone。　Anselmo；　being　no　fool；　pumped　him；　and　out　came　the　story。　It　appears　than　an　aged　cacique　confided　to　the　Mexican　the　plans　and　inventory　of　that　portion　of　the　treasure　of　the　Aztecs　which　was　recaptured　from　the　Spaniards　in　the　disaster　of　the　Noche　triste。　This　inventory　set　out　a　list　of　eighteen　large　jars　of　gold；　either　in　the　form　of　ornaments　or　dust；　several　jars　full　of　precious　stones；　much　arms　and　armour；　also　of　gold；　and　lastly　a　great　golden　head　more　than　life…size；　being　a　portrait　of　the　Emperor　Montezuma。　The　plan　showed　where　and　how　all　this　wealth　had　been　disposed　of　in　a　pit　sixty　feet　deep；　at　the　bottom　of　which　was　a　great　rock　covered　with　Aztec　writing。　The　mouth　of　this　pit　was　on　the　land　where　Anselmo　was　pursuing　his　geological　researches；　and　marked　by　two　ancient　trees　planted　near　to　it　by　the　Aztecs　when　they　buried　the　treasure。
The　only　stipulation　made　by　the　old　cacique　when　he　revealed　the　secret；　which　came　straight　down　to　him　from　his　forefather　who　had　helped　Guatemoc　to　bury　the　treasure；　was　that　it　should　never　be　given　up　to　Government　or　to　any　Spaniard。
Needless　to　say；　the　Mexican　and　Don　Anselmo　entered　into　a　partnership。　Anselmo　tried　to　raise　funds　to　buy　the　property。　Failing　in　this；　he　got　the　leave　of　the　proprietor　to　prospect　for　sulphur；　and；　with　some　others；　began　to　dig　at　the　spot　indicated　on　the　plan。　All　went　well。　The　Mexican　kept　away　native　loungers　by　announcing　that　devils　dwelt　in　the　hole。　The　pit　was　cleared　out；　and　at　the　depth　of　sixty　feet　was　found　the　great　stone；　on　which　was　cut　an　owl；　the　crest　or　totem　mark　of　Guatemoc。　Unfortunately；　just　at　this　time　the　excavators　were　advised　that　the　property　had　been　sold　to　a　new　owner；　who　was　ing　to　inspect　it。　All　night　long　they　worked　furiously　at　the　stone；　which　at　last　they　destroyed　with　dynamite。　A　tunnel　was　revealed　beyond；　running　at　right　angles　into　the　side　of　the　hill；　till　some　steps　were　reached　that　mounted　upwards。　On　one　of　these　steps　lay　the　copper　head　of　a　spear。　At　the　top　of　them；　however；　was　a　very　solid　wall　of　some　hard　material　which　had　been　fused　by　heat。
The　excavators　retreated；　baffled　by　the　lack　of　time　and　this　imperable　wall。　They　filled　in　the　shaft；　hurling　down　it　the　boles　of　the　two　trees　that　Guatemoc　had　planted；　and　ran　before　the　new　owner　arrived；　announcing　that　they　had　found　no　sulphur。
Ultimately　Anselmo　approached　Mr。　Jebb；　who　was　known　to　have　influence　with　the　member；　or　ex…member；　of　the　Government　who　had　acquired　the　property。　From　him　Jebb　obtained　permission　to　dig　for　antiquities　on　his　estate。　I　remember　the　arrival　of　the　formal　letter　of　leave；　but　not　what　stipulations　were　made　as　to　the　disposal　of　any　articles　that　might　be　found。　Full　of　hope　that　it　would　fall　to　our　lot　to　discover　the　golden　head　of　Montezuma　and　the　jars　of　treasure　and　of　jewels；　with　the　help　of　Senor　Anselmo　we　were　making　our　preparations　once　more　to　clear