roughing it-第16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！


　　　　　　but　who　were　personally　attached　to　the　condemned。　　On　hearing　of
　　　　　　his　sentence；　one　of　them；　a　stout…hearted　man；　pulled　out　his
　　　　　　handkerchief　and　walked　away；　weeping　like　a　child。　　Slade　still
　　　　　　begged　to　see　his　wife；　most　piteously；　and　it　seemed　hard　to　deny
　　　　　　his　request；　but　the　bloody　consequences　that　were　sure　to　follow
　　　　　　the　inevitable　attempt　at　a　rescue；　that　her　presence　and　entreaties
　　　　　　would　have　certainly　incited；　forbade　the　granting　of　his　request。
　　　　　　Several　gentlemen　were　sent　for　to　see　him；　in　his　last　moments；　one
　　　　　　of　whom　（Judge　Davis）　made　a　short　address　to　the　people；　but　in
　　　　　　such　low　tones　as　to　be　inaudible；　save　to　a　few　in　his　immediate
　　　　　　vicinity。　　One　of　his　friends；　after　exhausting　his　powers　of
　　　　　　entreaty；　threw　off　his　coat　and　declared　that　the　prisoner　could
　　　　　　not　be　hanged　until　he　himself　was　killed。　　A　hundred　guns　were
　　　　　　instantly　leveled　at　him；　whereupon　he　turned　and　fled；　but；　being
　　　　　　brought　back；　he　was　compelled　to　resume　his　coat；　and　to　give　a
　　　　　　promise　of　future　peaceable　demeanor。

　　　　　　Scarcely　a　leading　man　in　Virginia　could　be　found；　though　numbers　of
　　　　　　the　citizens　joined　the　ranks　of　the　guard　when　the　arrest　was　made。
　　　　　　All　lamented　the　stern　necessity　which　dictated　the　execution。

　　　　　　Everything　being　ready；　the　command　was　given；　〃Men；　do　your　duty；〃
　　　　　　and　the　box　being　instantly　slipped　from　beneath　his　feet；　he　died
　　　　　　almost　instantaneously。

　　　　　　The　body　was　cut　down　and　carried　to　the　Virginia　Hotel；　where；　in　a
　　　　　　darkened　room；　it　was　scarcely　laid　out；　when　the　unfortunate　and
　　　　　　bereaved　companion　of　the　deceased　arrived；　at　headlong　speed；　to
　　　　　　find　that　all　was　over；　and　that　she　was　a　widow。　　Her　grief　and
　　　　　　heart…piercing　cries　were　terrible　evidences　of　the　depth　of　her
　　　　　　attachment　for　her　lost　husband；　and　a　considerable　period　elapsed
　　　　　　before　she　could　regain　the　command　of　her　excited　feelings。

There　is　something　about　the　desperado…nature　that　is　wholly
unaccountableat　least　it　looks　unaccountable。　　It　is　this。　　The　true
desperado　is　gifted　with　splendid　courage；　and　yet　he　will　take　the　most
infamous　advantage　of　his　enemy；　armed　and　free；　he　will　stand　up　before
a　host　and　fight　until　he　is　shot　all　to　pieces；　and　yet　when　he　is　under
the　gallows　and　helpless　he　will　cry　and　plead　like　a　child。　　Words　are
cheap；　and　it　is　easy　to　call　Slade　a　coward　（all　executed　men　who　do　not
〃die　game〃　are　promptly　called　cowards　by　unreflecting　people）；　and　when
we　read　of　Slade　that　he　〃had　so　exhausted　himself　by　tears；　prayers　and
lamentations；　that　he　had　scarcely　strength　left　to　stand　under　the　fatal
beam；〃　the　disgraceful　word　suggests　itself　in　a　momentyet　in
frequently　defying　and　inviting　the　vengeance　of　banded　Rocky　Mountain
cut…throats　by　shooting　down　their　comrades　and　leaders；　and　never
offering　to　hide　or　fly；　Slade　showed　that　he　was　a　man　of　peerless
bravery。　　No　coward　would　dare　that。　　Many　a　notorious　coward；　many　a
chicken…livered　poltroon；　coarse；　brutal；　degraded；　has　made　his　dying
speech　without　a　quaver　in　his　voice　and　been　swung　into　eternity　with
what　looked　liked　the　calmest　fortitude；　and　so　we　are　justified　in
believing；　from　the　low　intellect　of　such　a　creature；　that　it　was　not
moral　courage　that　enabled　him　to　do　it。　　Then；　if　moral　courage　is　not
the　requisite　quality；　what　could　it　have　been　that　this　stout…hearted
Slade　lacked？this　bloody；　desperate；　kindly…mannered；　urbane　gentleman；
who　never　hesitated　to　warn　his　most　ruffianly　enemies　that　he　would　kill
them　whenever　or　wherever　he　came　across　them　next！　　I　think　it　is　a
conundrum　worth　investigating。




CHAPTER　XII。

Just　beyond　the　breakfast…station　we　overtook　a　Mormon　emigrant　train　of
thirty…three　wagons；　and　tramping　wearily　along　and　driving　their　herd　of
loose　cows；　were　dozens　of　coarse…clad　and　sad…looking　men；　women　and
children；　who　had　walked　as　they　were　walking　now；　day　after　day　for
eight　lingering　weeks；　and　in　that　time　had　compassed　the　distance　our
stage　had　come　in　eight　days　and　three　hoursseven　hundred　and　ninety…
eight　miles！　　They　were　dusty　and　uncombed；　hatless；　bonnetless　and
ragged；　and　they　did　look　so　tired！

After　breakfast；　we　bathed　in　Horse　Creek；　a　（previously）　limpid；
sparkling　streaman　appreciated　luxury；　for　it　was　very　seldom　that　our
furious　coach　halted　long　enough　for　an　indulgence　of　that　kind。　　We
changed　horses　ten　or　twelve　times　in　every　twenty…four　hourschanged
mules；　rathersix　mulesand　did　it　nearly　every　time　in　four　minutes。
It　was　lively　work。　　As　our　coach　rattled　up　to　each　station　six
harnessed　mules　stepped　gayly　from　the　stable；　and　in　the　twinkling　of　an
eye；　almost；　the　old　team　was　out；　and　the　new　one　in　and　we　off　and　away
again。

During　the　afternoon　we　passed　Sweetwater　Creek；　Independence　Rock；
Devil's　Gate　and　the　Devil's　Gap。　　The　latter　were　wild　specimens　of
rugged　scenery；　and　full　of　interestwe　were　in　the　heart　of　the　Rocky
Mountains；　now。　　And　we　also　passed　by　〃Alkali〃　or　〃Soda　Lake；〃　and　we
woke　up　to　the　fact　that　our　journey　had　stretched　a　long　way　across　the
world　when　the　driver　said　that　the　Mormons　often　came　there　from　Great
Salt　Lake　City　to　haul　away　saleratus。　　He　said　that　a　few　days　gone　by
they　had　shoveled　up　enough　pure　saleratus　from　the　ground　（it　was　a　dry
lake）　to　load　two　wagons；　and　that　when　they　got　these　two　wagons…loads
of　a　drug　that　cost　them　nothing；　to　Salt　Lake；　they　could　sell　it　for
twenty…five　cents　a　pound。

In　the　night　we　sailed　by　a　most　notable　curiosity；　and　one　we　had　been
hearing　a　good　deal　about　for　a　day　or　two；　and　were　suffering　to　see。
This　was　what　might　be　called　a　natural　ice…house。　　It　was　August；　now；
and　sweltering　weather　in　the　daytime；　yet　at　one　of　the　stations　the　men
could　scape　the　soil　on　the　hill…side　under　the　lee　of　a　range　of
boulders；　and　at　a　depth　of　six　inches　cut　out　pure　blocks　of　icehard；
compactly　frozen；　and　clear　as　crystal！

Toward　dawn　we　got　under　way　again；　and　presently　as　we　sat　with　raised
curtains　enjoying　our　early…morning　smoke　and　contemplating　the　first
splendor　of　the　rising　sun　as　it　swept　down　the　long　array　of　mountain
peaks；　flushing　and　gilding　crag　after　crag　and　summit　after　summit；　as
if　the　invisible　Creator　reviewed　his　gray　veterans　and　they　saluted　with
a　smile；　we　hove　in　sight　of　South　Pass　City。　　The　hotel…keeper；　the
postmaster；　the　blacksmith；　the　mayor；　the　constable；　the　city　marshal
and　the　principal　citizen　and　property　holder；　all　came　out　and　greeted
us　cheerily；　and　we　gave　him　good　day。　　He　gave　us　a　little　Indian　news；
and　a　little　Rocky　Mountain　news；　and　we　gave　him　some　Plains　information
in　return。　　He　then　retired　to　his　lonely　grandeur　and　we　climbed　on　up
among　the　bristling　peaks　and　the　ragged　clouds。　　South　Pass　City
consisted　of　four　log　cabins；　one　if　which　was　unfinished；　and　the
gentleman　with　all　those　offices　and　titles　was　the　chiefest　of　the　ten
citizens　of　the　place。　　Think　of　hotel…keeper；　postmaster；　blacksmith；
mayor；　constable；　city　marshal　and　principal　citizen　all　condensed　into
one　person　and　crammed　into　one　skin。　　Bemis　said　he　was　〃a　perfect
Allen's　revolver　of　dignities。〃　　And　he　said　that　if　he　were　to　die　as
postmaster；　or　as　blacksmith；　or　as　postmaster　and　blacksmith　both；　the
people　might　stand　it；　but　if　he　were　to　die　all　over；　it　would　be　a
frightful　loss　to　the　community。

Two　miles　beyond　South　Pass　City　we　saw　for　the　first　time　that
mysterious　marvel　which　all　Western　untraveled　boys　have　heard　of　and
fully　believe　in；　but　are　sure　to　be　astounded　at　when　they　see　it　with
their　own　eyes；　neverthelessbanks　of　snow　in　dead　summer　time。　　We　were
now　far　up　toward　the　sky；　and　knew　all　the　time　that　we　must　presently
encounter　lofty　summits　clad　in　the　〃eternal　snow〃　which　was　so　common
place　a　matter　of　mention　in　books；　and　yet　when　I　did　see　it　glittering
in　the　sun　on　stately　domes　in　the　distance　and　knew　the　month　was　August
and　that　my　coat　was　hanging　up　because　it　was　too　warm　to　wear　it；　I　was
full　as　much　amazed　as　if　I　never　had　heard　of　snow　in　August　before。
Truly；　〃seeing　is　believing〃and　many　a　man　lives　a　long　life　through；
thinking　he　believes　certain　universally　received　and　well　established
things；　and　yet　never　suspects　that　if　he　were　confronted　by　those　things
once；　he　would　discover　that　he　did　not　really　believe　them　before；　but
only　thought　he　believed　them。

In　a　little　while　quite　a　number　of　peaks　swung　into　view　with　long　claws
of　glittering　snow　clasping　them；　and　with　here　and　there；　in　the　shade；
down　the　mountain　side；　a　little　solitary　patch　of　snow　looking　no　larger
than　a　lady's　pocket…handkerchief　but　being　in　reality　as　large　as　a
〃public　square。〃

And　now；　at　last；　we　were　fairly　in　the　renowned　SOUTH　PASS；　and　whirling
gayly　along　high　above　the　common　world。　　We　were　perched　upon　the
extreme　summit　of　the　great　range　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　toward　which　we
had　been　climbing；　patiently　climbing；　ceaselessly　climbing；　for　days　and
nights　togetherand　a