the days of my life-第92章

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erandah　and　some　spare　rooms；　in　one　of　which　I　slept。　After　the　mosquito…haunted　canoe　and　our　nocturnal　habitations；　that　clean　little　room　seemed　an　almost　celestial　abode。　Tarantulas　were　very　plentiful　about　the　house　and；　going　to　bed　one　night；　I　perceived　a　specimen　of　inconceivable　size　—　really　it　looked　as　large　as　a　plate　—　sitting　on　the　ceiling　immediately　above　my　head；　and　shouted　for　assistance。　My　host　arrived　and；　after　inspection　of　the　monster；　exclaimed：　“For　goodness’　sake　don’t　touch　it！　That　isn’t　a　tarantula；　that’s　the　chap　who　lives　upon　tarantulas！”　I　accepted　the　explanation；　but　asked　him　to　be　good　enough　to　remove　this　household　god　to　his　own　room。
While　Jebb　was　engaged　in　the　affairs　of　the　mine　I　wandered　about　the　beautiful　valley　in　which　it　was　situated；　collecting　plants　and　ferns。　The　vegetation　here　was　truly　wonderful；　while　palms　and　other　trees；　covered　with　ferns　and　orchids　to　their　crowns；　presented　a　lovely　sight。　Only；　because　of　the　snakes　which　were　said　to　abound；　it　was　necessary　to　be　very　careful　in　gathering　these　floral　treasures。　With　much　difficulty　I　succeeded　in　bringing　a　sackload　of　roots　to　England；　and　in　the　greenhouses　here　still　survive　some　of　the　plants　I　collected　in　Mexico；　though　certain　of　the　ferns　grew　so　enormous　that　they　had　to　be　given　away。　I　lost　that　sack　on　an　American　train；　and　was　told　by　the　conductor　to　go　and　look　for　it　in　a　very　insufficiently　lighted　van；　where　presently　I　came　to　grief　over　some　hard　object。　It　proved　to　be　a　coffined　corpse　which　was　being　“mailed”　from　one　part　of　the　States　to　another。
Our　return　journey　to　Frontera　was　quite　as　arduous　as　that　of　which　I　have　spoken；　but　in　the　end　we　arrived　without　having　contracted　fever　or　met　with　any　serious　mishap。　Here；　however；　we　fell　victims　to　Mexican　guile。　The　American　steamer；　with　our　wives　and　luggage　on　board；　was　due　to　call　on　the　following　day；　but　some　rascal　at　Frontera　who　was　agent　for　the　line；　and　also　owned　a　tub　that　plied　between　that　port　and　Vera　Cruz；　informed　us　that　this　she　would　not　do　because　of　a　“norther”　that　was　ing　up。　Now　a　“norther”　is　a　very　terrible　gale　which　blows　for　days　at　a　time　in　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　making　it　impossible　for　even　the　finest　ship　to　approach　certain　of　the　ports；　and　the　agent　swore　that　his　telegraphic　information　as　to　its　arrival　was　correct。　This；　of　course；　meant　that　we　might　look　forward　to；　I　think；　another　fortnight　of　the　pleasures　of　Frontera。
However；　the　agent　was　ready　with　a　remedy。　The　tub　I　have　mentioned　was　sailing　for　Vera　Cruz　at　once。　It　would；　he　said；　get　there　before　the　liner　left；　or；　if　not；　it　would　signal　to　the　liner　to　stop　and　take　us　aboard。　Only　we　must　make　up　our　minds　instantly　—　within　five　minutes。　We　fell　into　the　trap；　paid　an　expensive　fare；　and　steamed　off　in　that　dreadful　ship。　During　the　night　we　sighted　the　American　liner　with　our　wives　on　board；　making　straight　for　Frontera！　To　municate　with　her　was　impossible；　indeed；　once　he　had　us　safe　at　sea　the　captain　laughed　at　the　idea。　On　the　following　morning　the　ladies　arrived　at　Frontera；　where　they　expected　to　meet　us；　but　were　told　by　the　consummate　villain　of　an　agent　who　had　shipped　us　off　in　his　own　boat　on　the　previous　day；　that　no　Englishmen　answering　to　our　description　had　been　even　heard　of　at　Frontera。　So　they　were　forced　to　proceed　upon　their　journey　in　a　state　of　some　anxiety。
We　also　had　anxieties；　for　the　machinery　of　our　tub　broke　down。　There　for　one　whole　night　we　rolled　about　off　the　coast　of　Mexico；　sleeping；　or　rather　sitting；　on　the　coils　of　rope　upon　the　deck　and　waiting　for　the　promised　“norther”　which　now　showed　every　sign　of　arrival。　Fortunately；　however；　it　did　not　develop　until　later；　for；　had　it　done　so；　our　ship　in　its　disabled　condition　would　in　all　probability　have　gone　to　the　bottom。　By　the　following　morning　the　engines　were　more　or　less　patched　up；　and　we　crept　into　Vera　Cruz　with　no　baggage　except　the　travel…stained　garments　in　which　we　stood　and　the　sack　of　fern　roots　whereof　I　have　spoken；　for　such　spare　clothes　as　we　possessed　had　been　left　behind。
The　end　of　it　was　that　we　journeyed　back　to　the　City　of　Mexico；　a　place　that　I　had　hoped　never　to　see　again；　where　we　bought　a　few　necessaries　and　took　the　train　to　New　York。
After　five　days　of　arduous　travel；　during　which　I　suffered　much　from　headache；　we　reached　that　city　to　find　that　our　womenkind　had　also　arrived　there　safely。　Two　or　three　things　remain　impressed　upon　my　mind　in　connection　with　this　long　train　journey。　One　is　the　sad　and　desolate　aspect　of　the　sandy　wildernesses　of　Upper　Mexico；　dotted　here　and　there　with　tall　cacti；　as　these　appeared　in　the　light　of　the　full　moon。　Another　is　the　sight　of　a　small　herd　of　bison　which　we　passed　on　the　great　plains　of　Texas；　I　suppose　among　the　last　that　were　left　in　that　country。　These　I　am　very　glad　to　have　seen　in　their　wild　state。　The　third　is　the　view　of　Niagara　as　we　saw　it　in　one　wintry　dawn。　The　train　pulled　up　to　allow　us　to　inspect　the　Falls；　and　for　a　while　we　stood　almost　on　the　brink　of　the　cataract　watching　the　great　ice　boulders　thunder　to　the　depths　below。　It　was　a　mighty　and　majestic　scene；　which　the　loneliness　of　the　hour　did　much　to　enhance。
From　New　York　we　took　ship　for　Liverpool；　where　we　arrived　without　accident　in　due　course。　I　was　not　well　at　the　time；　having　again　been　attacked　by　influenza　on　the　voyage。　Needless　to　say；　our　homeing　was　very　sad。　After；　I　think；　only　one　night　in　London　we　came　to　Ditchingham；　where　I　found　my　two　little　girls　dressed　in　black　and　—　a　grave。
Chapter　15　ANDREW　LANG
Death　of　Andrew　Lang　—　Recent　letters　from　him　—　Suggested　further　collaboration　—　Lecture　tour　in　S。　Africa　proposed　—　Letter　from　Charles　Longman　—　Queen　Taia’s　ring。
The　day　on　which　I　mence　this　chapter　of　my　reminiscences　—　July　22；　1912　—　is　a　sad　one　for　me；　since　the　first　thing　I　saw　on　opening　my　eyes　this　morning　was　the　news　of　the　sudden　death　of　my　dear　friend；　Andrew　Lang。　It　is　odd　that　only　last　Thursday；　when　I　was　in　London；　some　vague　anxiety　concerning　him　prompted　me　to　make　an　effort　to　see　Lang。　Having　an　hour　to　spare　before　my　train　left；　I　took　a　taxi…cab　and　drove　to　his　house　in　Marloes　Road；　to　find　which　his　direction　of　many　years　ago　used　to　be；　“Walk　down　Cromwell　Road　till　you　drop；　then　turn　to　the　right！”
I　found　the　house　shut　up；　and　the　Scotch　girl；　arriving　from　the　lower　regions；　informed　me　that　her　master　had　left　for　Scotland　on　Tuesday。　I　gave　my　card；　asking　her　to　forward　it；　then　called　to　the　girl　as　she　was　shutting　the　door　to　ask　how　Lang　was。　She　replied　that　he　had　been　unwell；　but　was　much　better。　So；　perhaps　for　the　last　time；　I　departed　from　that　house　with　which　I　used　to　be　so　familiar　in　the　old　days；　filled　with　such　sad　thoughts　and　apprehensions　that　on　my　return　home　I　mentioned　them　to　Miss　Hector；　my　secretary。
Perhaps　these　were　due　to　the　drawn；　death…suggesting　blinds；　perhaps　to　the　knowledge　that　Lang　had　suffered　much　from　melancholy　of　late　—　contrary　to　the　general　idea；　his　was　always　a　nature　full　of　sadness　—　perhaps　to　some　more　subtle　reason。　At　any　ra