roughing it-第102节

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therefore；　felt　unwilling　to　go　down　with　me　until　he　had　first　called　on
Mr。　Winters　alone。　　He　therefore　paid　him　a　visit。　　From　that　interview
he　assured　me　that　he　gathered　the　impression　that　he　did　not　believe　I
would　have　any　difficulty　with　Mr。　Winters；　and　that　he　（Winters）　would
call　on　me　at　four　o'clock　in　my　own　office。

MY　OWN　PRECAUTIONS。
As　Sheriff　Cummings　was　in　Gold　Hill　that　afternoon；　and　as　I　desired　to
converse　with　him　about　the　previous　assault；　I　invited　him　to　my　office；
and　he　came。　　Although　a　half　hour　had　passed　beyond　four　o'clock；　Mr。
Winters　had　not　called；　and　we　both　of　us　began　preparing　to　go　home。
Just　then；　Philip　Lynch；　Publisher　of　the　Gold　Hill　News；　came　in　and
said；　blandly　and　cheerily；　as　if　bringing　good　news：

〃Hello；　John　B。　Winters　wants　to　see　you。〃

I　replied；　〃Indeed！　　Why　he　sent　me　word　that　he　would　call　on　me　here
this　afternoon　at　four　o'clock！〃

〃O；　well；　it　don't　do　to　be　too　ceremonious　just　now；　he's　in　my　office；
and　that　will　do　as　wellcome　on　in；　Winters　wants　to　consult　with　you
alone。　　He's　got　something　to　say　to　you。〃

Though　slightly　uneasy　at　this　change　of　programme；　yet　believing　that　in
an　editor's　house　I　ought　to　be　safe；　and　anyhow　that　I　would　be　within
hail　of　the　street；　I　hurriedly；　and　but　partially　whispered　my　dim
apprehensions　to　Mr。　Cummings；　and　asked　him　if　he　would　not　keep　near
enough　to　hear　my　voice　in　case　I　should　call。　　He　consented　to　do　so
while　waiting　for　some　other　parties；　and　to　come　in　if　he　heard　my　voice
or　thought　I　had　need　of　protection。

On　reaching　the　editorial　part　of　the　News　office；　which　viewed　from　the
street　is　dark；　I　did　not　see　Mr。　Winters；　and　again　my　misgivings　arose。
Had　I　paused　long　enough　to　consider　the　case；　I　should　have　invited
Sheriff　Cummings　in；　but　as　Lynch　went　down　stairs；　he　said：　〃This　way；
Wiegandit's　best　to　be　private；〃　or　some　such　remark。

＇I　do　not　desire　to　strain　the　reader's　fancy；　hurtfully；　and　yet　it
would　be　a　favor　to　me　if　he　would　try　to　fancy　this　lamb　in　battle；　or
the　duelling　ground　or　at　the　head　of　a　vigilance　committeeM。　　T。：＇

I　followed；　and　without　Mr。　Cummings；　and　without　arms；　which　I　never　do
or　will　carry；　unless　as　a　soldier　in　war；　or　unless　I　should　yet　come　to
feel　I　must　fight　a　duel；　or　to　join　and　aid　in　the　ranks　of　a　necessary
Vigilance　Committee。　　But　by　following　I　made　a　fatal　mistake。　　Following
was　entering　a　trap；　and　whatever　animal　suffers　itself　to　be　caught
should　expect　the　common　fate　of　a　caged　rat；　as　I　fear　events　to　come
will　prove。

Traps　commonly　are　not　set　for　benevolence。
＇His　body…guard　is　shut　out：＇

THE　TRAP　INSIDE。
I　followed　Lynch　down　stairs。　　At　their　foot　a　door　to　the　left　opened
into　a　small　room。　　From　that　room　another　door　opened　into　yet　another
room；　and　once　entered　I　found　myself　inveigled　into　what　many　will　ever
henceforth　regard　as　a　private　subterranean　Gold　Hill　den；　admirably
adapted　in　proper　hands　to　the　purposes　of　murder；　raw　or　disguised；　for
from　it；　with　both　or　even　one　door　closed；　when　too　late；　I　saw　that　I
could　not　be　heard　by　Sheriff　Cummings；　and　from　it；　BY　VIOLENCE　AND　BY
FORCE；　I　was　prevented　from　making　a　peaceable　exit；　when　I　thought　I　saw
the　studious　object　of　this　〃consultation〃　was　no　other　than　to　compass
my　killing；　in　the　presence　of　Philip　Lynch　as　a　witness；　as　soon　as　by
insult　a　proverbially　excitable　man　should　be　exasperated　to　the　point　of
assailing　Mr。　Winters；　so　that　Mr。　Lynch；　by　his　conscience　and　by　his
well　known　tenderness　of　heart　toward　the　rich　and　potent　would　be
compelled　to　testify　that　he　saw　Gen。　John　B。　Winters　kill　Conrad　Wiegand
in　〃self…defence。〃　　But　I　am　going　too　fast。

OUR　HOST。
Mr。　Lynch　was　present　during　the　most　of　the　time　（say　a　little　short　of
an　hour）；　but　three　times　he　left　the　room。　　His　testimony；　therefore；
would　be　available　only　as　to　the　bulk　of　what　transpired。　　On　entering
this　carpeted　den　I　was　invited　to　a　seat　near　one　corner　of　the　room。
Mr。　Lynch　took　a　seat　near　the　window。　　J。　B。　Winters　sat　（at　first）　near
the　door；　and　began　his　remarks　essentially　as　follows：

〃I　have　come　here　to　exact　of　you　a　retraction；　in　black　and　white；　of
those　damnably　false　charges　which　you　have　preferred　against　me　in　that…
infamous　lying　sheet　of　yours；　and　you　must　declare　yourself　their
author；　that　you　published　them　knowing　them　to　be　false；　and　that　your
motives　were　malicious。〃

〃Hold；　Mr。　Winters。　　Your　language　is　insulting　and　your　demand　an
enormity。　　I　trust　I　was　not　invited　here　either　to　be　insulted　or
coerced。　　I　supposed　myself　here　by　invitation　of　Mr。　Lynch；　at　your
request。〃

〃Nor　did　I　come　here　to　insult　you。　　I　have　already　told　you　that　I　am
here　for　a　very　different　purpose。〃

〃Yet　your　language　has　been　offensive；　and　even　now　shows　strong
excitement。　　If　insult　is　repeated　I　shall　either　leave　the　room　or　call
in　Sheriff　Cummings；　whom　I　just　left　standing　and　waiting　for　me　outside
the　door。〃

〃No；　you　won't；　sir。　　You　may　just　as　well　understand　it　at　once　as　not。
Here　you　are　my　man；　and　I'll　tell　you　why！　　Months　ago　you　put　your
property　out　of　your　hands；　boasting　that　you　did　so　to　escape　losing　it
on　prosecution　for　libel。〃

〃It　is　true　that　I　did　convert　all　my　immovable　property　into　personal
property；　such　as　I　could　trust　safely　to　others；　and　chiefly　to　escape
ruin　through　possible　libel　suits。〃

〃Very　good；　sir。　　Having　placed　yourself　beyond　the　pale　of　the　law；　may
God　help　your　soul　if　you　DON'T　make　precisely　such　a　retraction　as　I
have　demanded。　　I've　got　you　now；　and　bybefore　you　can　get　out　of　this
room　you've　got　to　both　write　and　sign　precisely　the　retraction　I　have
demanded；　and　before　you　go；　anyhowyou…low…livedlying…；　I'll
teach　you　what　personal　responsibility　is　outside　of　the　law；　and；　by；
Sheriff　Cummings　and　all　the　friends　you've　got　in　the　world　besides；
can't　save　you；　you…；　etc。！　　No；　sir。　　I'm　alone　now；　and　I'm　prepared
to　be　shot　down　just　here　and　now　rather　than　be　villified　by　you　as　I
have　been；　and　suffer　you　to　escape　me　after　publishing　those　charges；
not　only　here　where　I　am　known　and　universally　respected；　but　where　I　am
not　personally　known　and　may　be　injured。〃

I　confess　this　speech；　with　its　terrible　and　but　too　plainly　implied
threat　of　killing　me　if　I　did　not　sign　the　paper　he　demanded；　terrified
me；　especially　as　I　saw　he　was　working　himself　up　to　the　highest　possible
pitch　of　passion；　and　instinct　told　me　that　any　reply　other　than　one　of
seeming　concession　to　his　demands　would　only　be　fuel　to　a　raging　fire；
so　I　replied：

〃Well；　if　I've　got　to　sign；〃　and　then　I　paused　some　time。　　Resuming；
I　said；　〃But；　Mr。　Winters；　you　are　greatly　excited。　　Besides；　I　see　you
are　laboring　under　a　total　misapprehension。　　It　is　your　duty　not　to
inflame　but　to　calm　yourself。　　I　am　prepared　to　show　you；　if　you　will
only　point　out　the　article　that　you　allude　to；　that　you　regard　as
'charges'　what　no　calm　and　logical　mind　has　any　right　to　regard　as　such。
Show　me　the　charges；　and　I　will　try；　at　all　events；　and　if　it　becomes
plain　that　no　charges　have　been　preferred；　then　plainly　there　can　be
nothing　to　retract；　and　no　one　could　rightly　urge　you　to　demand　a
retraction。　　You　should　beware　of　making　so　serious　a　mistake；　for
however　honest　a　man　may　be；　every　one　is　liable　to　misapprehend。
Besides　you　assume　that　I　am　the　author　of　some　certain　article　which　you
have　not　pointed　out。　　It　is　hasty　to　do　so。〃

He　then　pointed　to　some　numbered　paragraphs　in　a　TRIBUNE　article；　headed
〃What's　the　Matter　with　Yellow　Jacket？〃　saying　〃　That's　what　I　refer　to。〃

To　gain　time　for　general　reflection　and　resolution；　I　took　up　the　paper
and　looked　it　over　for　awhile；　he　remaining　silent；　and　as　I　hoped；
cooling。　　I　then　resumed　saying；　〃As　I　supposed。　　I　do　not　admit　having
written　that　article；　nor　have　you　any　right　to　assume　so　important　a
point；　and　then　base　important　action　upon　your　assumption。　　You　might
deeply　regret　it　afterwards。　　In　my　published　Address　to　the　People；　I
notified　the　world　that　no　information　as　to　the　authorship　of　any
article　would　be　given　without　the　consent　of　the　writer。　　I　therefore
cannot　honorably　tell　you　who　wrote　that　article；　nor　can　you　exact　it。〃

〃If　you　are　not　the　author；　then　I　do　demand　to　know　who　is？〃

〃I　must　decline　to　say。〃

〃Then；　by；　I　brand　you　as　its　author；　and　shall　treat　you　accordingly。〃

〃Passing　that　point；　the　most　important　misapprehension　which　I　notice
is；　that　you　regard　them　as　'charges'　at　all；　when　their　context；　both　at
their　beginning　and　end；　show　they　are　not。　　These　words　introduce　them：
'Such　an　investigation　＇just　before　indicated＇；　we　think　MIGHT　result　in
showing　some　of　the　following　points。'　Then　follow　eleven　specifications；
and　the　succeeding　paragraph　shows　that　the　suggested　investigation
'might　EXONERATE　those　who　are　generally　believed　guilty。'　You　see；
therefore；　the　context　proves　they　are　not　preferred　as　charges；　and　this
you　seem　to　have　overlooked。〃

While　making　those　comments；　Mr。　Winters　frequently　interrupted　me　in
such　a　way　as　to　convince　me　that　he