122 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



your comrades are the sort of men required in Trini- 

 dad, but if Mr. Smyth is resentful you will have one 

 enemy the more, and an influential one against you." 

 I don't think Mr. Smyth bore any of the others any 

 grudge for the episode ; on the contrary, I believe 

 when he calmed down he appreciated the act as 

 typical of his countrymen. He never alluded to it to 

 any of us, but I believe when he reached Trinidad, 

 one day ahead of us, he spoke of it in the Club but 

 not to our disparagement. Anyway he for a long 

 time was not as friendly with me as he often was 

 with the others. 



I know that sometime afterwards he successfully 

 fought the battle of one of my comrades, when an 

 injustice was about to be done him. I would like to 

 relate the incident, but as it would, even at this pre- 

 sent day, be a serious reflection on the conduct of 

 a man then holding a highly responsible position, 

 and again stir up a subject that is better left 

 untouched ; I refrain from giving the particulars, 

 especially as I was — in a remote way — concerned in 

 the after results, and years afterwards, more directly 

 benefitted. I have, however, to render this meed of 

 praise to Captain the Honourable John Bell-Smyth 

 that some years afterwards and so long as he re- 

 mained dn the colony he was a good friend to me. 



When we arrived at Barbados we parted with 

 our gay Lothario. He may have gone on to Jamaica, 

 he may have landed at Barbados, he may have gone 

 to the Northern Islands, or he may have gone to 

 Demerara ; but anyhow from the day of the incident 



