responsibility my surroundings suggested. For this purpose the Panama
served me excellently, and in scanning the horizon for hostile fleets
or a pirate flag I was as conscientious as was the lookout in the bow.
At the Academy I had often sat in my room with maps spread out before
me planning attacks on the enemy, considering my lines of
communication, telegraphing wildly for reinforcements, and despatching
my aides with a clearly written, comprehensive order to where my
advance column was engaged. I believe this "play-acting," as my room-
mate used to call it, helped me to think quickly, to give an
intelligent command intelligently, and made me rich in resources.

For the first few days I was so enchanted with my new surroundings
that the sinister purpose of my journey South lost its full value. And
when, as we approached Honduras, it was recalled to me, I was
surprised to find that I had heard no one on board discuss the war,
nor refer to it in any way. When I considered this, I was the more
surprised because Porto Cortez was one of the chief ports at which we
touched, and I was annoyed to find that I had travelled so far for the
sake of a cause in which those directly interested felt so little
concern. I set about with great caution to discover the reason for
this lack of interest. The passengers of the Panama came from widely
different parts of Central America. They were coffee planters and
mining engineers, concession hunters, and promoters of mining
companies. I sounded each of them separately as to the condition of
affairs in Honduras, and gave as my reason for inquiring the fact that
I had thoughts of investing my money there. I talked rather largely of
my money. But this information, instead of inducing them to speak of
Honduras, only made each of them more eloquent in praising the
particular republic in which his own money was invested, and each
begged me to place mine with his. In the course of one day I was