SIGHT-SEEING IN HAVANA
The boys watched the entrance into the harbor of Havana with interest,
and as they approached the shore Professor Strong pointed out the
various objects to which he wished to draw their attention.
“As you doubtless remember,” he said, “during the War with Spain, in
1898, the city of Havana and several other cities in this neighborhood
were blockaded for many months, so that it was next to impossible for
the Spaniards to get any supplies from outside or to send any goods
away from these ports. A number of vessels tried to run the blockade
but nearly every one was captured, so that when the war was over our
sailors had quite a lot of prize money coming to them.”
“Is that Morro Castle?” asked Mark, pointing to a high fortification to
the left of the harbor entrance.
“Yes, that is old Morro, and over on the right is Punta Castle, and
beyond that is the Queen’s battery, a long fortification, which,
as you can see, shelters the city itself from the sea. It was these
fortifications, Morro, Punta, and the batteries to the west, that kept
our ships at a distance during the blockade.”
“I should like to visit Morro Castle,” came from Sam.
“I think there will be no difficulty, although, you must remember, the
American troops have now been withdrawn from the city and all of Cuba
is now in the sole possession of the Cubans.”
“Well, I guess they have a friendly feeling towards Yankees,” came
from Frank. “At least, they ought to have--we did so much to help them
establish their freedom.”
“The entrance to the harbor is about a mile from the harbor itself,”
went on Professor Strong, “and the city lies entirely on the west
shore. Roughly speaking it is about a mile and a quarter square and
contains about two hundred and forty thousand inhabitants. It is
divided into the old city and the new, the former being within the old
walls and being very much cluttered-up, and the latter being on the
outskirts, where there are many fine buildings and summer residences.
The harbor of Havana is a place that no real American is likely to
forget. Can you tell me why?”
“Because the battleship _Maine_ was blown up here,” came from one and
another.
“Exactly, lads, and the blowing up of the _Maine_ hastened on the war
which resulted in Cuban liberty. I think we shall be able to see the
spot where she sank, although the wreckage has been cleared away.”
“I will show you the place,” said one of the other passengers, and he
pointed it out, not many rods from the shore. “I was here at the time,”
he went on. “The explosion was a very terrifying one, and broke a good
deal of the glassware in the hotel at which I was stopping.”
It was not until several hours later that they were allowed to land,
after a Cuban Custom House official had passed their baggage. Professor
Strong knew exactly where he wished to go, so there was no hesitation
on that score.
“What narrow streets!” exclaimed Frank, as they passed along, the boys
having elected to walk, in order to see the sights more fully. “Why
they are no better than alleyways. This sidewalk is barely two feet
wide.”
“That is the way they used to build the streets,” answered the
professor with a laugh. “They know better now, and the new part of the
city has some very broad and well-shaded highways, and also a great
number of beautiful fountains.”
“I don’t see how wagons can pass each other--especially those long
things they call _volantes_,” came from Hockley.
“There used to be a regulation that carriages and carts could only pass
through a street in one direction. I presume that is still in force in
the old part of the town.”
It was not long before they came to the main thoroughfare of Havana,
with its quaint Spanish name of _Isabel Segunde_. Here, as the
professor had said, were broad walks with numerous trees, and many
fountains. Here was also located the hotel for which they were bound, a
large three-storied affair, with broad verandas upon all sides, and the
usual courtyard, or _patio_, in the center.
“This is quite like home,” declared Darry, as he looked around. “I have
heard half a dozen folks speaking English. It’s a good deal different
from Caracas.”
“The war made the difference, Dartworth. Before that time Havana was
as foreign a town as one could find on this side of the Atlantic, and
that too although it is but a short journey from Florida.”
The walk to the hotel had tired the party, and all of the boys,
especially Hockley, were glad to rest in the _patio_, with its easy
chairs and its cooling fountain. From a distance came the sounds of a
band playing some popular air and the effect was most soothing.
“This is what I want,” was the tall youth’s comment. “Beats walking in
the hot sun all to pieces.”
“Tell you what, Glummy, the next time you walk you had better ride,”
said Frank, with a yawn.
There was a laugh at this “bull” and Hockley’s face grew sour at once.
“How many times must I tell you not to call me ‘Glummy’? I don’t want
it and I won’t stand it.”
“All right then, sit down--it’s what we are here for,” returned Frank.
“But I’ll try to remember,” he added, as he saw that Hockley’s anger
was rising.
“See that you do,” growled the big fellow, and then he dropped into an
easy chair and soon fell asleep.
“He hasn’t got over that affair on the steamer,” whispered Mark. “He
thinks one of us ought to have had that knock-down from Captain Sudlip.”
“Oh, let us forget Captain Sudlip,” said Frank. “I never want to see
him again. He was too mean to live.”
Professor Strong had to attend to several matters, including the
getting of money on his letter of credit, and while he was gone
the boys made themselves at home at the hotel. The quaint hostelry
possessed every comfort and all would have been content to have
remained there a long while.
But this was not to be. It had already been arranged that they should
spend three days in sight-seeing in and around Havana, and then take
side trips to Matanzas, Cardenas and other important cities not far
away. After this they were to journey to Santiago, where they were to
go out on horseback and view El Caney, San Juan, and other battlefields
of the late war.
When the professor came in on the evening of the second day, he had a
treat in store for them.
“I was passing the Tacon, the principal theater of Havana, when I saw
an announcement of a celebrated Spanish dramatic company which is
playing there in a round of standard dramas. I would like you to see
this playhouse, for its size and beauty is known all over the world,
and so I purchased tickets for to-night’s performance.”
“Good!” came from Darry and Frank in a breath.
“I’d like to see a play first rate,” said Mark. “What is it?”
“Othello. I suppose you have all seen this, so you can follow the play
even if it is in Spanish.”
“Oh, pshaw! I thought it was some Spanish variety show,” sighed Hockley.
“I should not care to take you to a variety show, Jacob.”
“But this will be dead slow.”
“If you don’t care to go, you can stay here.”
“I guess I’ll stay here then,” answered Hockley. “I’ve got something of
a headache, anyway. I’ll go to bed early.”
Hockley’s headache was largely imaginary, and his thoughts were on
another novel he had picked up, “Handsome Jack, the Dead Game Sport of
Chicago.” He had left off where Handsome Jack was confronted by four
gamblers who wished to rob him of his fifty thousand dollar diamond
stud, and he was anxious to read on and find out how the “hold-up”
terminated.
“Very well, Jacob,” said Professor Strong. “If you have a headache
I think the best thing you can do is to sleep it off. Probably the
sight-seeing has been too much for your eyes.”
At the proper hour the boys were ready to attend the performance at the
Tacon. They were attired in their best, for at this opera house, people
invariably wear the finest clothing they possess. The professor called
a carriage, and soon they were rolling down the broad highway.
“How foolish Hockley is,” whispered Frank to Mark. “He doesn’t know
what he is missing. Do you think he’ll really go to bed?”
Mark shrugged his shoulders. “It isn’t likely. He’ll read another
trashy novel, I fancy.”
Mark was right, as we already know. But this was not the depth of
Hockley’s shortcomings.
The youth had a strong desire to be considered “mannish.” He wanted
to follow in the footsteps of certain men he had known and others he
had read about. The character of Handsome Jack, “the Dead Game Sport
of Chicago,” appealed strongly to him. Jack played cards, drank, went
to horse races, and always got the best of the many enemies who tried
to “down” him. To poor Hockley, who swallowed these tales and believed
them true, he was more of a hero than even “Gold Nose Hank, the Mine
Discoverer” had been.
Having seen the others off, Hockley strolled over to a cigar counter
in the hotel and invested in a package of cigarettes, one of which he
lit and placed the others in his pocket. Then he entered the café and
called for a glass of liquor, and while it was coming he sat down at a
table in a corner to continue the perusal of his novel.
The fumes of the liquor, and the smoking of several cigarettes, made
the misguided youth far from clear headed. But he kept on reading until
the volume was finished, Handsome Jack having at last killed off all
his enemies in double-quick order. To keep the eyes of the waiter off
of him, Hockley ordered another glass of liquor which he also consumed.
Then he threw the book in a corner, arose and stretched himself.
“Guess I’ll go out and have some sport,” he muttered. “It’s dead slow
hanging around like this. I came to see the sights and I’m going to
see ’em--professor or no professor. There must be lots of sport going
on in a town of this size,--variety shows, gambling, and such--and I’m
going to hunt ’em up, and if I don’t find ’em then my name ain’t Jake
Hockley!”
And paying the amount of his bill he shuffled out of the brilliantly
lighted café and was soon lost to sight in the darkness of the night.