I killed off about a hundred American residents, two
hundred English, because I do not like the English, and a hundred
French. I blew up old Ollypybus and his palace with dynamite, and
shelled the city, destroying some hundred thousand dollars' worth of
property, and then I waited anxiously for your friend to substantiate
what I had said. This he has most unkindly failed to do. I am very
sorry, but much more so for him than for myself, for I, my dear
friend, have cabled on to a man in San Francisco, who is one of the
directors of the Y.C.C. to sell all my stock, which he has done at one
hundred and two, and he is keeping the money until I come. And I leave
Octavia this afternoon to reap my just reward. I am in about twenty
thousand dollars on your little war, and I feel grateful. So much so
that I will inform you that the ship of war _Kaiser_ has arrived
at San Francisco, for which port she sailed directly from Opeki. Her
captain has explained the real situation, and offered to make every
amend for the accidental indignity shown to our flag. He says he aimed
at the cannon, which was trained on his vessel, and which had first
fired on him. But you must know, my dear Stedman, that before his
arrival, war-vessels belonging to the several powers mentioned in my
revised despatches, had started for Opeki at full speed, to revenge
the butchery of the foreign residents. A word, my dear young friend,
to the wise is sufficient. I am indebted to you to the extent of
twenty thousand dollars, and in return I give you this kindly advice.
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