roughing it-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


things；　and　I　noticed　that　my　comrade　never　led　the　conversation　himself
or　shaped　it；　but　simply　followed　Eckert's　lead；　and　betrayed　no
solicitude　and　no　anxiety　about　anything。　　The　effect　was　shortly
perceptible。　　Eckert　began　to　grow　communicative；　he　grew　more　and　more
at　his　ease；　and　more　and　more　talkative　and　sociable。　　Another　hour
passed　in　the　same　way；　and　then　all　of　a　sudden　Eckert　said：

〃Oh；　by　the　way！　　I　came　near　forgetting。　　I　have　got　a　thing　here　to
astonish　you。　　Such　a　thing　as　neither　you　nor　any　other　man　ever　heard
ofI've　got　a　cat　that　will　eat　cocoanut！　　Common　green　cocoanutand
not　only　eat　the　meat；　but　drink　the　milk。　　It　is　soI'll　swear　to　it。〃

A　quick　glance　from　Bascoma　glance　that　I　understoodthen：

〃Why；　bless　my　soul；　I　never　heard　of　such　a　thing。　　Man；　it　is
impossible。〃

〃I　knew　you　would　say　it。　　I'll　fetch　the　cat。〃

He　went　in　the　house。　　Bascom　said：

〃Therewhat　did　I　tell　you？　　Now；　that　is　the　way　to　handle　Eckert。　　You
see；　I　have　petted　him　along　patiently；　and　put　his　suspicions　to　sleep。
I　am　glad　we　came。　　You　tell　the　boys　about　it　when　you　go　back。　　Cat　eat
a　cocoanutoh；　my！　　Now；　that　is　just　his　way；　exactlyhe　will　tell　the
absurdest　lie；　and　trust　to　luck　to　get　out　of　it　again。

Cat　eat　a　cocoanutthe　innocent　fool！〃

Eckert　approached　with　his　cat；　sure　enough。

Bascom　smiled。　　Said　he：

〃I'll　hold　the　catyou　bring　a　cocoanut。〃

Eckert　split　one　open；　and　chopped　up　some　pieces。　　Bascom　smuggled　a
wink　to　me；　and　proffered　a　slice　of　the　fruit　to　puss。　　She　snatched　it；
swallowed　it　ravenously；　and　asked　for　more！

We　rode　our　two　miles　in　silence；　and　wide　apart。　　At　least　I　was　silent；
though　Bascom　cuffed　his　horse　and　cursed　him　a　good　deal；
notwithstanding　the　horse　was　behaving　well　enough。　　When　I　branched　off
homeward；　Bascom　said：

〃Keep　the　horse　till　morning。　　Andyou　need　not　speak　of　this
foolishness　to　the　boys。〃




CHAPTER　VIII。

In　a　little　while　all　interest　was　taken　up　in　stretching　our　necks　and
watching　for　the　〃pony…rider〃the　fleet　messenger　who　sped　across　the
continent　from　St。　Joe　to　Sacramento；　carrying　letters　nineteen　hundred
miles　in　eight　days！　　Think　of　that　for　perishable　horse　and　human　flesh
and　blood　to　do！　　The　pony…rider　was　usually　a　little　bit　of　a　man；
brimful　of　spirit　and　endurance。　　No　matter　what　time　of　the　day　or　night
his　watch　came　on；　and　no　matter　whether　it　was　winter　or　summer；
raining；　snowing；　hailing；　or　sleeting；　or　whether　his　〃beat〃　was　a　level
straight　road　or　a　crazy　trail　over　mountain　crags　and　precipices；　or
whether　it　led　through　peaceful　regions　or　regions　that　swarmed　with
hostile　Indians；　he　must　be　always　ready　to　leap　into　the　saddle　and　be
off　like　the　wind！　　There　was　no　idling…time　for　a　pony…rider　on　duty。
He　rode　fifty　miles　without　stopping；　by　daylight；　moonlight；　starlight；
or　through　the　blackness　of　darknessjust　as　it　happened。　　He　rode　a
splendid　horse　that　was　born　for　a　racer　and　fed　and　lodged　like　a
gentleman；　kept　him　at　his　utmost　speed　for　ten　miles；　and　then；　as　he
came　crashing　up　to　the　station　where　stood　two　men　holding　fast　a　fresh；
impatient　steed；　the　transfer　of　rider　and　mail…bag　was　made　in　the
twinkling　of　an　eye；　and　away　flew　the　eager　pair　and　were　out　of　sight
before　the　spectator　could　get　hardly　the　ghost　of　a　look。　　Both　rider
and　horse　went　〃flying　light。〃　The　rider's　dress　was　thin；　and　fitted
close；　he　wore　a　〃round…about；〃　and　a　skull…cap；　and　tucked　his
pantaloons　into　his　boot…tops　like　a　race…rider。　　He　carried　no　armshe
carried　nothing　that　was　not　absolutely　necessary；　for　even　the　postage
on　his　literary　freight　was　worth　five　dollars　a　letter。

He　got　but　little　frivolous　correspondence　to　carryhis　bag　had　business
letters　in　it；　mostly。　　His　horse　was　stripped　of　all　unnecessary　weight；
too。　　He　wore　a　little　wafer　of　a　racing…saddle；　and　no　visible　blanket。
He　wore　light　shoes；　or　none　at　all。　　The　little　flat　mail…pockets
strapped　under　the　rider's　thighs　would　each　hold　about　the　bulk　of　a
child's　primer。　　They　held　many　and　many　an　important　business　chapter
and　newspaper　letter；　but　these　were　written　on　paper　as　airy　and　thin　as
gold…leaf；　nearly；　and　thus　bulk　and　weight　were　economized。　　The　stage…
coach　traveled　about　a　hundred　to　a　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles　a　day
（twenty…four　hours）；　the　pony…rider　about　two　hundred　and　fifty。　　There
were　about　eighty　pony…riders　in　the　saddle　all　the　time；　night　and　day；
stretching　in　a　long；　scattering　procession　from　Missouri　to　California；
forty　flying　eastward；　and　forty　toward　the　west；　and　among　them　making
four　hundred　gallant　horses　earn　a　stirring　livelihood　and　see　a　deal　of
scenery　every　single　day　in　the　year。

We　had　had　a　consuming　desire；　from　the　beginning；　to　see　a　pony…rider；
but　somehow　or　other　all　that　passed　us　and　all　that　met　us　managed　to
streak　by　in　the　night；　and　so　we　heard　only　a　whiz　and　a　hail；　and　the
swift　phantom　of　the　desert　was　gone　before　we　could　get　our　heads　out　of
the　windows。　　But　now　we　were　expecting　one　along　every　moment；　and　would
see　him　in　broad　daylight。　　Presently　the　driver　exclaims：

〃HERE　HE　COMES！〃

Every　neck　is　stretched　further；　and　every　eye　strained　wider。　　Away
across　the　endless　dead　level　of　the　prairie　a　black　speck　appears
against　the　sky；　and　it　is　plain　that　it　moves。　　Well；　I　should　think　so！

In　a　second　or　two　it　becomes　a　horse　and　rider；　rising　and　falling；
rising　and　fallingsweeping　toward　us　nearer　and　nearergrowing　more
and　more　distinct；　more　and　more　sharply　definednearer　and　still
nearer；　and　the　flutter　of　the　hoofs　comes　faintly　to　the　earanother
instant　a　whoop　and　a　hurrah　from　our　upper　deck；　a　wave　of　the　rider's
hand；　but　no　reply；　and　man　and　horse　burst　past　our　excited　faces；　and
go　winging　away　like　a　belated　fragment　of　a　storm！

So　sudden　is　it　all；　and　so　like　a　flash　of　unreal　fancy；　that　but　for
the　flake　of　white　foam　left　quivering　and　perishing　on　a　mail…sack　after
the　vision　had　flashed　by　and　disappeared；　we　might　have　doubted　whether
we　had　seen　any　actual　horse　and　man　at　all；　maybe。

We　rattled　through　Scott's　Bluffs　Pass；　by　and　by。　　It　was　along　here
somewhere　that　we　first　came　across　genuine　and　unmistakable　alkali　water
in　the　road；　and　we　cordially　hailed　it　as　a　first…class　curiosity；　and　a
thing　to　be　mentioned　with　eclat　in　letters　to　the　ignorant　at　home。
This　water　gave　the　road　a　soapy　appearance；　and　in　many　places　the
ground　looked　as　if　it　had　been　whitewashed。　　I　think　the　strange　alkali
water　excited　us　as　much　as　any　wonder　we　had　come　upon　yet；　and　I　know
we　felt　very　complacent　and　conceited；　and　better　satisfied　with　life
after　we　had　added　it　to　our　list　of　things　which　we　had　seen　and　some
other　people　had　not。　　In　a　small　way　we　were　the　same　sort　of　simpletons
as　those　who　climb　unnecessarily　the　perilous　peaks　of　Mont　Blanc　and　the
Matterhorn；　and　derive　no　pleasure　from　it　except　the　reflection　that　it
isn't　a　common　experience。　　But　once　in　a　while　one　of　those　parties
trips　and　comes　darting　down　the　long　mountain…crags　in　a　sitting
posture；　making　the　crusted　snow　smoke　behind　him；　flitting　from　bench　to
bench；　and　from　terrace　to　terrace；　jarring　the　earth　where　he　strikes；
and　still　glancing　and　flitting　on　again；　sticking　an　iceberg　into
himself　every　now　and　then；　and　tearing　his　clothes；　snatching　at　things
to　save　himself；　taking　hold　of　trees　and　fetching　them　along　with　him；
roots　and　all；　starting　little　rocks　now　and　then；　then　big　boulders；
then　acres　of　ice　and　snow　and　patches　of　forest；　gathering　and　still
gathering　as　he　goes；　adding　and　still　adding　to　his　massed　and　sweeping
grandeur　as　he　nears　a　three　thousand…foot　precipice；　till　at　last　he
waves　his　hat　magnificently　and　rides　into　eternity　on　the　back　of　a
raging　and　tossing　avalanche！

This　is　all　very　fine；　but　let　us　not　be　carried　away　by　excitement；　but
ask　calmly；　how　does　this　person　feel　about　it　in　his　cooler　moments　next
day；　with　six　or　seven　thousand　feet　of　snow　and　stuff　on　top　of　him？

We　crossed　the　sand　hills　near　the　scene　of　the　Indian　mail　robbery　and
massacre　of　1856；　wherein　the　driver　and　conductor　perished；　and　also　all
the　passengers　but　one；　it　was　supposed；　but　this　must　have　been　a
mistake；　for　at　different　times　afterward　on　the　Pacific　coast　I　was
personally　acquainted　with　a　hundred　and　thirty…three　or　four　people　who
were　wounded　during　that　massacre；　and　barely　escaped　with　their　lives。
There　was　no　doubt　of　the　truth　of　itI　had　it　from　their　own　lips。　　One
of　these　parties　told　me　that　he　kept　coming　across　arrow…heads　in　his
system　for　nearly　seven　years　after　the　massacre；　and　another　of　them
told　me　that　he　was　struck　so　literally　full　of　arrows　that　after　the
Indians　were　gone　and　he　could　raise　up　and　examine　himself；　he　could　not
restrain　his　tears；　for　his　clothes　were　completely　ruined。

The　most　trustworthy　tradition　avers；　however；　that　only　one　man；　a
person　named　Babbitt；　survived　the　massacre；　and　he　was　desperately
wounded。　　He　dragged　himself　on　his　hands　and　knee　（for　one　leg　was
broken）　to　a　station