Smith, expecting at the best a canteen
of San Juan River water, said he was a little dry.
The newly-arrived clapped his hands, and, at the summons, a colored
waiter in spotless white duck appeared. "Waitah, take this gentleman's
ordah," said the host. Smith, greatly astonished, asked what could be
had, and was yet more astonished to learn that he could be served with
Canadian or domestic whisky, claret, champagne, or sherry. Much
bewildered, and utterly forgetting the awful dangers of liquor in the
tropics, he called for Canadian Club. When it came, on a
napkin-covered tray, he looked for water, and was about to use some
from a bucket full of ice which he at that moment espied. "Aw! hold
on," exclaimed the host; "we nevah use that, don't y' know, except to
cool the apollinaris. Waitah, bring the gentleman a bottle of
apollinaris to wash down his liquor."
Within half a mile were soldiers and officers lying sick in hospital
on the ground, eating hardtack and bacon, and drinking San Juan
straight, because hospital supplies and rations could not be got to
the front!
It was this same officer who explained that he approached his
headquarters "by rushes," upon his arrival, for fear the enemy would
see him and consider this reinforcement a violation of the truce.
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