lin mclean-第4节

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just　as　steadily　as　his　predecessor　had　won　after　that　meeting　of　eyes

early　in　the　evening。



When　Lin　was　three　hundred　dollars　out；　his　voice　began　to　clear　of　its

huskiness　and　a　slight　humor　revolved　and　sparkled　in　his　eye。　When　his

seven　hundred　dollars　had　gone　to　safer　hands　and　he　had　nothing　left　at

all　but　some　silver　fractions　of　a　dollar；　his　robust　cheerfulness　was

all　back　again。　He　walked　out　and　stood　among　the　railroad　tracks　with

his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　laughed　at　himself　in　the　dark。　Then　his

fingers　came　on　the　check　for　Omaha；　and　he　laughed　loudly。　The　trunk　by

this　hour　must　be　nearing　Rawlins；　it　was　going　east　anyhow。



〃I'm　following　it；　you　bet；〃　he　declared；　kicking　the　rail。　〃Not　yet

though。　Nor　I'll　not　go　to　Washakie　to　have　'em　josh　me。　And　yonder　lays

Boston。〃　He　stretched　his　arm　and　pointed　eastward。　Had　he　seen　another

man　going　on　in　this　fashion　alone　in　the　dark；　among　side…tracked

freight　cars；　he　would　have　pitied　the　poor　fool。　〃And　I　guess　Boston'll

have　to　get　along　without　me　for　a　spell；　too；〃　continued　Lin。　〃A　man

don't　want　to　show　up　plumb　broke　like　that　younger　son　did　after　eatin'

with　the　hogs　the　bishop　told　about。　His　father　was　a　Jim…dandy；　that　hog

chap's。　Hustled　around　and　set　'em　up　when　he　come　back　home。　Frank；　he'd

say　to　me　'How　do　you　do；　brother？'　and　he'd　be　wearin'　a　good　suit　o'

clothes　andno；　sir；　you　bet！〃



Lin　now　watched　the　great　headlight　of　a　freight　train　bearing　slowly

down　into　Green　River　from　the　wilderness。　Green　River　is　the　end　of　a

division；　an　epoch　in　every　train's　journey。　Lanterns　swung　signals；　the

great　dim　thing　slowed　to　its　standstill　by　the　coal　chute；　its

locomotive　moved　away　for　a　turn　of　repose；　the　successor　backed　steaming

to　its　place　to　tackle　a　night's　work。　Cars　were　shifted；　heavily　bumping

and　parting。



〃Hello；　Lin！〃　A　face　was　looking　from　the　window　of　the　caboose。



〃Hello！〃　responded　Mr。　McLean；　perceiving　above　his　head　Honey　Wiggin；　a

good　friend　of　his。　They　had　not　met　for　three　years。



〃They　claimed　you　got　killed　somewheres。　I　was　sorry　to　hear　it。〃　Honey

offered　his　condolence　quite　sincerely。



〃Bruck　my　leg；〃　corrected　Lin；　〃if　that's　what　they　meant。〃



〃I　expect　that's　it；〃　said　Honey。　〃You've　had　no　other　trouble？〃



〃Been　boomin'；〃　said　Lin。



From　the　mere　undertone　in　their　voices　it　was　plain　they　were　good

friends；　carefully　hiding　their　pleasure　at　meeting。



〃Wher're　yu'　bound？〃　inquired　Honey。



〃East；〃　said　Lin。



〃Better　jump　in　here；　then。　We're　goin'　west。〃



〃That　just　suits　me；〃　said　Lin。



The　busy　lanterns　wagged　among　the　switches；　the　steady　lights　of　the

saloons　shone　along　the　town's　wooden　facade。　From　the　bluffs　that　wall

Green　River　the　sweet；　clean　sage…brush　wind　blew　down　in　currents

freshly　through　the　coal…smoke。　A　wrench　passed　through　the　train　from

locomotive　to　caboose；　each　fettered　car　in　turn　strained　into　motion　and

slowly　rolled　over　the　bridge　and　into　silence　from　the　steam　and　the

bells　of　the　railroad　yard。　Through　the　open　windows　of　the　caboose　great

dull…red　cinders　rattled　in；　and　the　whistles　of　distant　Union　Pacific

locomotives　sounded　over　the　open　plains　ominous　and　long；　like　ships　at

sea。



Honey　and　Lin　sat　for　a　while；　making　few　observations　and　far　between；

as　their　way　is　between　whom　flows　a　stream　of　old…time　understanding。

Mutual　whiskey　and　silence　can　express　much　friendship；　and　eloquently。



〃What　are　yu'　doing　at　present？〃　Lin　inquired。



〃Prospectin'。〃



Now　prospecting　means　hunting　gold；　except　to　such　spirits　as　the　boy

Lin。　To　these　it　means　finding　gold。　So　Lin　McLean　listened　to　the　talk

of　his　friend　Honey　Wiggin　as　the　caboose　trundled　through　the　night。　He

saw　himself　in　a　vision　of　the　near　future　enter　a　bank　and　thump　down　a

bag　of　gold…dust。　Then　he　saw　the　new；　clean　money　the　man　would　hand　him

in　exchange；　bills　with　round　zeroes　half　covered　by　being　folded　over；

and　heavy；　satisfactory　gold　pieces。　And　then　he　saw　the　blue　water　that

twinkles　beneath　Boston。　His　fingers　came　again　on　his　trunk　check。　He

had　his　ticket；　too。　And　as　dawn　now　revealed　the　gray　country　to　him；

his　eye　fell　casually　upon　a　mile…post：　〃Omaha；　876。〃　He　began　to　watch

for　them：877；　878。　But　the　trunk　would　really　get　to　Omaha。



〃What　are　yu'　laughin'　about？〃　asked　Honey。



〃Oh；　the　wheels。〃



〃Wheels？〃



〃Don't　yu'　hear　'em？〃　said　Lin。　〃'Variety；'　they　keep　a…sayin'。　'Variety；

variety。'　〃



〃Huh！〃　said　Honey；　with　scorn。　〃'Ker…chunka…chunk'　's　all　I　make　it。〃



〃You're　no　poet；〃　observed　Mr。　McLean。



As　the　train　moved　into　Evanston　in　the　sunlight；　a　gleam　of　dismay　shot

over　Lin's　face；　and　he　ducked　his　head　out　of　sight　of　the　window；　but

immediately　raised　it　again。　Then　he　leaned　out；　waving　his　arm　with　a

certain　defiant　vigor。　But　the　bishop　on　the　platform　failed　to　notice

this　performance；　though　it　was　done　for　his　sole　benefit；　nor　would　Lin

explain　to　the　inquisitive　Wiggin　what　the　matter　was。　Therefore；　very

naturally；　Honey　drew　a　conclusion　for　himself；　looked　quickly　out　of　the

window；　and；　being　disappointed　in　what　he　expected　to　see　remarked；

sulkily；　〃Do　yu'　figure　I　care　what　sort　of　a　lookin'　girl　is　stuck　on

yu'　in　Evanston？〃　And　upon　this　young　Lin　laughed　so　loudly　that　his

friend　told　him　he　had　never　seen　a　man　get　so　foolish　in　three　years。



By…and…by　they　were　in　Utah；　and；　in　the　company　of　Ogden　friends；　forgot

prospecting。　Later　they　resumed　freight　trains　and　journeyed　north　In

Idaho　they　said　good…bye　to　the　train　hands　in　the　caboose；　and　came　to

Little　Camas；　and　so　among　the　mountains　near　Feather　Creek。　Here　the

berries　were　of　several　sorts；　and　growing　riper　each　day；　and　the　bears

in　the　timber　above　knew　this；　and　came　down　punctually　with　the　season；

making　variety　in　the　otherwise　even　life　of　the　prospectors。　It　was　now

August；　and　Lin　sat　on　a　wet　hill　making　mud…pies　for　sixty　days。　But　the

philosopher's　stone　was　not　in　the　wash　at　that　placer；　nor　did　Lin

gather　gold…dust　sufficient　to　cover　the　nail　of　his　thumb。　Then　they

heard　of　an　excitement　at　Obo；　Nevada；　and；　hurrying　to　Obo；　they　made

some　more　mud…pies。



Now　and　then；　eating　their　fat　bacon　at　noon；　Honey　would　say；　〃Lin；

wher're　yu'　goin'？〃



And　Lin　always　replied；　〃East。〃　This　became　a　signal　for　drinks。



For　beauty　and　promise；　Nevada　is　a　name　among　names。　Nevada！　Pronounce

the　word　aloud。　Does　it　not　evoke　mountains　and　clear　air；　heights　of

untrodden　snow　and　valleys　aromatic　with　the　pine　and　musical　with

falling　waters？　Nevada！　But　the　name　is　all。　Abomination　of　desolation

presides　over　nine…tenths　of　the　place。　The　sun　beats　down　as　on　a　roof

of　zinc；　fierce　and　dull。　Not　a　drop　of　water　to　a　mile　of　sand。　The　mean

ash…dump　landscape　stretches　on　from　nowhere　to　nowhere；　a　spot　of　mange。

No　portion　of　the　earth　is　more　lacquered　with　paltry；　unimportant

ugliness。



There　is　gold　in　Nevada；　but　Lin　and　Honey　did　not　find　it。　Prospecting

of　the　sort　they　did；　besides　proving　unfruitful；　is　not　comfortable。　Now

and　again；　losing　patience；　Lin　would　leave　his　work　and　stalk　about　and

gaze　down　at　the　scattered　men　who　stooped　or　knelt　in　the　water。　Passing

each　busy　prospector；　Lin　would　read　on　every　broad；　upturned　pair　of

overalls　the　same　label；　〃Levi　Strauss；　No。　2；〃　with　a　picture　of　two

lusty　horses　hitched　to　one　of　these　garments　and　vainly　struggling　to

split　them　asunder。　Lin　remembered　he　was　wearing　a　label　just　like　that

too；　and　when　he　considered　all　things　he　laughed　to　himself。　Then；

having　stretched　the　ache　out　of　his　long　legs；　he　would　return　to　his

ditch。　As　autumn　wore　on；　his　feet　grew　cold　in　the　mushy　gravel　they

were　sunk　in。　He　beat　off　the　sand　that　had　stiffened　on　his　boots；　and

hated　Obo；　Nevada。　But　he　held　himself　ready　to　say　〃East〃　whenever　he

saw　Honey　coming　along　with　the　bottle。　The　cold　weather　put　an　end　to

this　adventure。　The　ditches　froze　and　filled　with　snow；　through　which　the

sordid　gravel　heaps　showed　in　a　dreary　fashion；　so　the　two　friends

drifted　southward。



Near　the　small　new　town　of　Mesa；　Arizona；　they　sat　down　again　in　the

dirt。　It　was　milder　here；　and；　when　the　sun　shone；　never　quite　froze。　But

this　part　of　Arizona　is　scarcely　more　grateful　to　the　eye　than　Nevada。

Moreover；　Lin　and　Honey　found　no　gold　at　all。　Some　men　near　them　found　a

little。　Then　in　January；　even　though　the　sun　shone；　it　quite　froze　one

day。



〃We're　seein'　the　country；　anyway；〃　said　Honey。



〃Seein'　hell；〃　said　Lin；　〃and　there's　more　of　it　above　ground　than　I

thought。〃



〃What'll　we　do？〃　Honey　inquired。



〃Have　to　walk　for　a　joba　good…payin'　job；〃　responded　the　hopeful

cow…puncher。　And　he　and　Honey　went　to　town。



Lin　found　a　job　in　twenty…five　minutes；　becoming　assistant　to　the

apothecary　in　Mesa。　Established　at　the　d