第69章 THE DAY WE CELEBRATE(2)

"All of a sudden one day me and Liverpool find the trade of committing surgical operations on banana stalks turning to aloes and quinine in our mouths.It's a seizure that often comes upon white men in Latin and geographical countries.We wanted to be addressed again in language and see the smoke of a steamer and read the real estate transfers and gents'

outfitting ads in an old newspaper.Even Soledad seemed like a centre of civilization to us, so that evening we put our thumbs on our nose at Don Jaime's fruit stand and shook his grass burrs off our feet.

"It was only twelve miles to Soledad, but it took me and Liverpool two days to get there.It was banana grove nearly all the way; and we got twisted time and again.It was like paging the palm room of a New York hotel for a man named Smith.

"When we saw the houses of Soledad between the trees all my disinclination toward this Liverpool Sam rose up in me.I stood him while we were two white men against the banana brindles; but now, when there were prospects of my exchanging even cuss words with an American citizen, I put him back in his proper place.And he was a sight, too, with his rum-painted nose and his red whiskers and elephant feet with leather sandals strapped to them.I suppose I looked about the same.

"'It looks to me,' says I, 'like Great Britain ought to be made to keep such gin-swilling, scurvy, unbecoming mud larks as you at home instead of sending 'em over here to degrade and taint foreign lands.We kicked you out of America once and we ought to put on rubber boots and do it again.'

"'Oh, you go to 'ell,' says Liverpool, which was about all the repartee he ever had.

"Well, Soledad, looked fine to me after Don Jaime 's plantation.

Liverpool and me walked into it side by side, from force of habit, past the calabosa and the Hotel Grande, down across the plaza toward Chica's hut, where we hoped that Liverpool, being a husband of hers, might work his luck for a meal.

"As we passed the two-story little frame house occupied by the American Club, we noticed that the balcony had been decorated all around with wreaths of evergreens and flowers, and the flag was flying from the pole on the roof.Stanzey, the consul, and Ark-right, a gold-mine owner, were smoking on the balcony.Me and Liverpool waved our dirty hands toward 'em and smiled real society smiles; but they turned their backs to us and went on talking.And we had played whist once with the two of 'em up to the ti me when Liverpool held all thirteen trumps for four hands in succession.

It was some holiday, we knew; but we didn't know the day nor the year.

"A little further along we saw a reverend man named Pendergast, who had come to Soledad to build a church, standing under a cocoanut palm with his little black alpaca coat and green umbrella.

"'Boys, boys!' says he, through his blue spectacles, 'is it as bad as this? Are you so far reduced?'

"'We're reduced,' says I, 'to very vulgar fractions.'

"'It is indeed sad,' says Pendergast, 'to see my countrymen in such circumstances.'

"'Cut 'arf of that out, old party,' says Liverpool.'Cawn't you tell a member of the British upper classes when you see one?'

"'Shut up,' I told Liverpool.'You're on foreign soil now, or that portion of it that's not on you.'

"'And on this day, too!' goes on Pendergast, grievous -- 'on this most glorious day of the year when we should all be celebrating the dawn of Christian civilization and the downfall of the wicked.'

"'I did notice bunting and bouquets decorating the town, reverend,' says I, 'but I didn't know what it was for.We've been so long out of touch with calendars that we didn't know whether it was summer time or Saturday afternoon.'

"'Here is two dollars,' says Pendergast digging up two Chili silver wheels and handing 'em to me.'Go, my men, and observe the rest of the day in a befitting manner.'

"Me and Liverpool thanked him kindly, and walked away.

"'Shall we eat?' I asks.

"'Oh, 'ell!' says Liverpool.'What's money for?' "'Very well, then,' Isays, 'since you insist upon it, we'll drink.'

"So we pull up in a rum shop and get a quart of it and go down on the beach under a cocoanut tree and celebrate.

"Not having eaten anything but oranges in two days, the rum has immediate effect; and once more I conjure up great repugnance toward the British nation.

"'Stand up here,' I says to Liverpool, 'you scum of a despot limited monarchy, and have another dose of Bunker Hill.That good man, Mr.

Pendergast,' says I, 'said we were to observe the day in a befitting manner, and I'm not going to see his money misapplied.'

"'Oh, you go to 'ell!' says Liverpool, and I started in with a fine left-hander on his right eye.

"Liverpool had been a fighter once, but dissipation and bad company had taken the nerve out of him.In ten minutes I had him lying on the sand waving the white flag.

"'Get up,' says I, kicking him in the ribs, 'and come along with me.'

"Liverpool got up and followed behind me because it was his habit, wiping the red off his face and nose.I led him to Reverend Pendergast's shack and called him out.

"'Look at this, sir,' says I -- 'look at this thing that was once a proud Britisher.You gave us two dollars and told us to celebrate the day.The star-spangled banner still waves.Hurrah for the stars and eagles!'

"'Dear me,' says Pendergast, holding up his hands.'Fighting on this day of all days! On Christmas day, when peace on --'

"'Christmas, hell!' says I.'I thought it was the Fourth of July.'""Merry Christmas!" said the red, white, and blue cockatoo.

"Take him for six dollars," said Hop-along Bibb."He's got his dates and colours mixed."End