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at a critical hour; great events in its history were about to 

happen … did happen; as I am led to believe; nay; and it will 

be seen that I played a part in that revolution myself。  And 

yet from first to last I never had a glimmer of an idea what 

was going on; and even now; after full reflection; profess 

myself at sea。  That there was some obscure intrigue of the 

cigar…box order; and that I; in the character of a wooden 

puppet; set pen to paper in the interest of somebody; so 

much; and no more; is certain。



Silverado; then under my immediate sway; belonged to one whom 

I will call a Mr。 Ronalds。  I only knew him through the 

extraordinarily distorting medium of local gossip; now as a 

momentous jobber; now as a dupe to point an adage; and again; 

and much more probably; as an ordinary Christian gentleman 

like you or me; who had opened a mine and worked it for a 

while with better and worse fortune。  So; through a defective 

window…pane; you may see the passer…by shoot up into a 

hunchbacked giant or dwindle into a potbellied dwarf。



To Ronalds; at least; the mine belonged; but the notice by 

which he held it would ran out upon the 30th of June … or 

rather; as I suppose; it had run out already; and the month 

of grace would expire upon that day; after which any American 

citizen might post a notice of his own; and make Silverado 

his。  This; with a sort of quiet slyness; Rufe told me at an 

early period of our acquaintance。  There was no silver; of 

course; the mine 〃wasn't worth nothing; Mr。 Stevens;〃 but 

there was a deal of old iron and wood around; and to gain 

possession of this old wood and iron; and get a right to the 

water; Rufe proposed; if I had no objections; to 〃jump the 

claim。〃



Of course; I had no objection。  But I was filled with wonder。  

If all he wanted was the wood and iron; what; in the name of 

fortune; was to prevent him taking them?  〃His right there 

was none to dispute。〃  He might lay hands on all to…morrow; 

as the wild cats had laid hands upon our knives and hatchet。  

Besides; was this mass of heavy mining plant worth 

transportation?  If it was; why had not the rightful owners 

carted it away?  If it was; would they not preserve their 

title to these movables; even after they had lost their title 

to the mine?  And if it were not; what the better was Rufe?  

Nothing would grow at Silverado; there was even no wood to 

cut; beyond a sense of property; there was nothing to be 

gained。  Lastly; was it at all credible that Ronalds would 

forget what Rufe remembered?  The days of grace were not yet 

over:  any fine morning he might appear; paper in hand; and 

enter for another year on his inheritance。  However; it was 

none of my business; all seemed legal; Rufe or Ronalds; all 

was one to me。



On the morning of the 27th; Mrs。 Hanson appeared with the 

milk as usual; in her sun…bonnet。  The time would be out on 

Tuesday; she reminded us; and bade me be in readiness to play 

my part; though I had no idea what it was to be。  And suppose 

Ronalds came? we asked。  She received the idea with derision; 

laughing aloud with all her fine teeth。  He could not find 

the mine to save his life; it appeared; without Rufe to guide 

him。  Last year; when he came; they heard him 〃up and down 

the road a hollerin' and a raisin' Cain。〃  And at last he had 

to come to the Hansons in despair; and bid Rufe; 〃Jump into 

your pants and shoes; and show me where this old mine is; 

anyway!〃  Seeing that Ronalds had laid out so much money in 

the spot; and that a beaten road led right up to the bottom 

of the clump; I thought this a remarkable example。  The sense 

of locality must be singularly in abeyance in the case of 

Ronalds。



That same evening; supper comfortably over; Joe Strong busy 

at work on a drawing of the dump and the opposite hills; we 

were all out on the platform together; sitting there; under 

the tented heavens; with the same sense of privacy as if we 

had been cabined in a parlour; when the sound of brisk 

footsteps came mounting up the path。  We pricked our ears at 

this; for the tread seemed lighter and firmer than was usual 

with our country neighbours。  And presently; sure enough; two 

town gentlemen; with cigars and kid gloves; came debauching 

past the house。  They looked in that place like a blasphemy。



〃Good evening;〃 they said。  For none of us had stirred; we 

all sat stiff with wonder。



〃Good evening;〃 I returned; and then; to put them at their 

ease; 〃A stiff climb;〃 I added。



〃Yes;〃 replied the leader; 〃but we have to thank you for this 

path。〃



I did not like the man's tone。  None of us liked it。  He did 

not seem embarrassed by the meeting; but threw us his remarks 

like favours; and strode magisterially by us towards the 

shaft and tunnel。



Presently we heard his voice raised to his companion。  〃We 

drifted every sort of way; but couldn't strike the ledge。〃  

Then again:  〃It pinched out here。〃  And once more:  〃Every 

minor that ever worked upon it says there's bound to be a 

ledge somewhere。〃



These were the snatches of his talk that reached us; and they 

had a damning significance。  We; the lords of Silverado; had 

come face to face with our superior。  It is the worst of all 

quaint and of all cheap ways of life that they bring us at 

last to the pinch of some humiliation。  I liked well enough 

to be a squatter when there was none but Hanson by; before 

Ronalds; I will own; I somewhat quailed。  I hastened to do 

him fealty; said I gathered he was the Squattee; and 

apologized。  He threatened me with ejection; in a manner 

grimly pleasant … more pleasant to him; I fancy; than to me; 

and then he passed off into praises of the former state of 

Silverado。  〃It was the busiest little mining town you ever 

saw:〃 a population of between a thousand and fifteen hundred 

souls; the engine in full blast; the mill newly erected; 

nothing going but champagne; and hope the order of the day。  

Ninety thousand dollars came out; a hundred and forty 

thousand were put in; making a net loss of fifty thousand。  

The last days; I gathered; the days of John Stanley; were not 

so bright; the champagne had ceased to flow; the population 

was already moving elsewhere; and Silverado had begun to 

wither in the branch before it was cut at the root。  The last 

shot that was fired knocked over the stove chimney; and made 

that hole in the roof of our barrack; through which the sun 

was wont to visit slug…a…beds towards afternoon。  A noisy; 

last shot; to inaugurate the days of silence。



Throughout this interview; my conscience was a good deal 

exercised; and I was moved to throw myself on my knees and 

own the intended treachery。  But then I had Hanson to 

consider。  I was in much the same position as Old Rowley; 

that royal humourist; whom 〃the rogue had taken into his 

confidence。〃  And again; here was Ronalds on the spot。  He 

must know the day of the month as well as Hanson and I。  If a 

broad hint were necessary; he had the broadest in the world。  

For a large board had been nailed by the crown prince on the 

very front of our house; between the door and window; painted 

in cinnabar … the pigment of the country … with doggrel 

rhymes and contumelious pictures; and announcing; in terms 

unnecessarily figurative; that the trick was already played; 

the claim already jumped; and Master Sam the legitimate 

successor of Mr。 Ronalds。  But no; nothing could save that 

man; QUEM DEUS VULT PERDERE; PRIUS DEMENTAT。  As he came so 

he went; and left his rights depending。



Late at night; by Silverado reckoning; and after we were all 

abed; Mrs。 Hanson returned to give us the newest of her news。  

It was like a scene in a ship's steerage:  all of us abed in 

our different tiers; the single candle struggling with the 

darkness; and this plump; handsome woman; seated on an 

upturned valise beside the bunks; talking and showing her 

fine teeth; and laughing till the rafters rang。  Any ship; to 

be sure; with a hundredth part as many holes in it as our 

barrack; must long ago have gone to her last port。  Up to 

that time I had always imagined Mrs。 Hanson's loquacity to be 

mere incontinence; that she said what was uppermost for the 

pleasure of speaking; and laughed and laughed again as a kind 

of musical accompaniment。  But I now found there was an art 

in it; I found it less communicative than silence itself。  I 

wished to know why Ronalds had come; how he had found his way 

without Rufe; and why; being on the spot; he had not 

refreshed his title。  She talked interminably on; but her 

replies were never answers。  She fled under a cloud of words; 

and when I had made sure that she was purposely eluding me; I 

dropped the subject in my turn; and let her rattle where she 

would。



She had come to tell us that; instead of waiting for Tuesday; 


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