famoso Tin Pal Alley de Nueva York. Se trataba de Old Folks at Home, una balada romántica, también conocida como
Swanee River, de ritmo lento, para bailar agarrados en parejas. Había que dar tres pasos hacia la derecha, dos a la izquierda, luego, la pareja (normalmente el hombre) agarraba a su compañera para darle una media vuelta y vuelta a empezar.
Way down upon de Swanee Ribber,
Far, far away,
Dere's wha my heart is turning ebber,
Dere's wha de old folks stay.
All up and down de whole creation
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for de old plantation,
And for de old folks at home.
Tras unos versos, la Teniente Mullen agarró a Amant en un descuido y lo forzó a bailar con ella:
Chorus
All de world am sad and dreary,
Eb-rywhere I roam;
Oh, darkeys, how my heart grows weary,
Far from de old folks at home!
2nd verse
All round de little farm I wandered
When I was young,
Den many happy days I squandered,
Many de songs I sung.
When I was playing wid my brudder
Happy was I;
Oh, take me to my kind old mudder!
Dere let me live and die.
3rd Verse
One little hut among de bushes,
One dat I love
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.
When will I see de bees a-humming
All round de comb?
When will I hear de banjo strumming,
Down in my good old home? Way down upon the Suwannee River,
Far, far away,
There's where my heart is turning ever,
There's where the old folks stay.
All up and down the whole creation,
Sadly I roam,
Still longing for my childhood station,
And for the old folks at home.
Chorus
All the world is sad and dreary
Everywhere I roam.
O dear ones, how my heart grows weary,
Far from the old folks at home.
2nd verse
All ‘round the little farm I wander’d,
When I was young;
Then many happy days I squander’d,
Many the songs I sung.
When I was playing with my brother,
Happy was I.
Oh, take me to my kind old mother,
There let me live and die.
3rd Verse
One little hut among the bushes,
One that I love.
Still sadly to my memory rushes,
No matter where I rove.
When will I see the bees a humming,
All ‘round the comb?
When shall I hear the banjo strumming,
Down in my good old home.
Entre el trasiego de gente, varios oficiales pasaron por delante de ellos, en un momento dado Rojas y Madrigal se acercaron a saludarles, bailando con sus respectivas parejas, el Mayor, quien bebía de un cuenco de ponche en esos momentos los
hizo a los 3 un saludo con la mano a modo de saludo y luego se volvió a alejar tras sonreirlos.
-Good night Jack, I told you you wouldn't regret coming," said Rojas, who was dancing with a young blonde officer much taller than him and who seemed to dominate Rojas in the dance, saluting Amant.
-And the evening has only just begun," said in turn Madrigal--who turned away to the back of the tent with his partner, a beautiful red-haired lieutenant.
-Yes it's the famous Jack Williams---pleased to meet you, Madrigal's dance partner greeted Amant. I'm Lottie Spencer
Ambos se alejaron
El Capitán le entegó de forma disimulada una hoja doblada a Amant, la cual contenía unos símbolos que representaban un mensaje en clave.
-Remember the straight symbols Jack--- he then said cryptically. The birds fly and the fox prowls the pond looking for chickens. Remember the straight symbols, Mr. Williams---the captain finally whispered again to Amant.
-Tonight put your affairs in order and say goodbye to your friends here at the camp. After all we are all humans, I understand that you like Rojas and Madrigal, not all Americans are monsters, many are here out of obligation, and I don't know, tell them that you have been assigned a special mission or something... whatever you prefer, you do it yourself.