roughing it-第25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！


Indians　of　California；　inferior　to　all　races　of　savages　on　our　continent；
inferior　to　even　the　Terra　del　Fuegans；　inferior　to　the　Hottentots；　and
actually　inferior　in　some　respects　to　the　Kytches　of　Africa。　　Indeed；　I
have　been　obliged　to　look　the　bulky　volumes　of　Wood's　〃Uncivilized　Races
of　Men〃　clear　through　in　order　to　find　a　savage　tribe　degraded　enough　to
take　rank　with　the　Goshoots。　　I　find　but　one　people　fairly　open　to　that
shameful　verdict。　　It　is　the　Bosjesmans　（Bushmen）　of　South　Africa。　　Such
of　the　Goshoots　as　we　saw；　along　the　road　and　hanging　about　the　stations；
were　small；　lean；　〃scrawny〃　creatures；　in　complexion　a　dull　black　like
the　ordinary　American　negro；　their　faces　and　hands　bearing　dirt　which
they　had　been　hoarding　and　accumulating　for　months；　years；　and　even
generations；　according　to　the　age　of　the　proprietor；　a　silent；　sneaking；
treacherous　looking　race；　taking　note　of　everything；　covertly；　like　all
the　other　〃Noble　Red　Men〃　that　we　（do　not）　read　about；　and　betraying　no
sign　in　their　countenances；　indolent；　everlastingly　patient　and　tireless；
like　all　other　Indians；　prideless　beggarsfor　if　the　beggar　instinct
were　left　out　of　an　Indian　he　would　not　〃go；〃　any　more　than　a　clock
without　a　pendulum；　hungry；　always　hungry；　and　yet　never　refusing
anything　that　a　hog　would　eat；　though　often　eating　what　a　hog　would
decline；　hunters；　but　having　no　higher　ambition　than　to　kill　and　eat
jack…ass　rabbits；　　crickets　and　grasshoppers；　and　embezzle　carrion　from
the　buzzards　and　cayotes；　savages　who；　when　asked　if　they　have　the　common
Indian　belief　in　a　Great　Spirit　show　a　something　which　almost　amounts　to
emotion；　thinking　whiskey　is　referred　to；　a　thin；　scattering　race　of
almost　naked　black　children；　these　Goshoots　are；　who　produce　nothing　at
all；　and　have　no　villages；　and　no　gatherings　together　into　strictly
defined　tribal　communitiesa　people　whose　only　shelter　is　a　rag　cast　on
a　bush　to　keep　off　a　portion　of　the　snow；　and　yet　who　inhabit　one　of　the
most　rocky；　wintry；　repulsive　wastes　that　our　country　or　any　other　can
exhibit。

The　Bushmen　and　our　Goshoots　are　manifestly　descended　from　the　self…same
gorilla；　or　kangaroo；　or　Norway　rat；　which…ever　animalAdam　the
Darwinians　trace　them　to。

One　would　as　soon　expect　the　rabbits　to　fight　as　the　Goshoots；　and　yet
they　used　to　live　off　the　offal　and　refuse　of　the　stations　a　few　months
and　then　come　some　dark　night　when　no　mischief　was　expected；　and　burn
down　the　buildings　and　kill　the　men　from　ambush　as　they　rushed　out。
And　once；　in　the　night；　they　attacked　the　stage…coach　when　a　District
Judge；　of　Nevada　Territory；　was　the　only　passenger；　and　with　their　first
volley　of　arrows　（and　a　bullet　or　two）　they　riddled　the　stage　curtains；
wounded　a　horse　or　two　and　mortally　wounded　the　driver。　　The　latter　was
full　of　pluck；　and　so　was　his　passenger。　　At　the　driver's　call　Judge　Mott
swung　himself　out；　clambered　to　the　box　and　seized　the　reins　of　the　team；
and　away　they　plunged；　through　the　racing　mob　of　skeletons　and　under　a
hurtling　storm　of　missiles。　　The　stricken　driver　had　sunk　down　on　the
boot　as　soon　as　he　was　wounded；　but　had　held　on　to　the　reins　and　said　he
would　manage　to　keep　hold　of　them　until　relieved。

And　after　they　were　taken　from　his　relaxing　grasp；　he　lay　with　his　head
between　Judge　Mott's　feet；　and　tranquilly　gave　directions　about　the　road；
he　said　he　believed　he　could　live　till　the　miscreants　were　outrun　and
left　behind；　and　that　if　he　managed　that；　the　main　difficulty　would　be　at
an　end；　and　then　if　the　Judge　drove　so　and　so　（giving　directions　about
bad　places　in　the　road；　and　general　course）　he　would　reach　the　next
station　without　trouble。　　The　Judge　distanced　the　enemy　and　at　last
rattled　up　to　the　station　and　knew　that　the　night's　perils　were　done；　but
there　was　no　comrade…in…arms　for　him　to　rejoice　with；　for　the　soldierly
driver　was　dead。

Let　us　forget　that　we　have　been　saying　harsh　things　about　the　Overland
drivers；　now。　　The　disgust　which　the　Goshoots　gave　me；　a　disciple　of
Cooper　and　a　worshipper　of　the　Red　Maneven　of　the　scholarly　savages　in
the　〃Last　of　the　Mohicans〃　who　are　fittingly　associated　with　backwoodsmen
who　divide　each　sentence　into　two　equal　parts：　one　part　critically
grammatical；　refined　and　choice　of　language；　and　the　other　part　just　such
an　attempt　to　talk　like　a　hunter　or　a　mountaineer；　as　a　Broadway　clerk
might　make　after　eating　an　edition　of　Emerson　Bennett's　works　and
studying　frontier　life　at　the　Bowery　Theatre　a　couple　of　weeksI　say
that　the　nausea　which　the　Goshoots　gave　me；　an　Indian　worshipper；　set　me
to　examining　authorities；　to　see　if　perchance　I　had　been　over…estimating
the　Red　Man　while　viewing　him　through　the　mellow　moonshine　of　romance。
The　revelations　that　came　were　disenchanting。　　It　was　curious　to　see　how
quickly　the　paint　and　tinsel　fell　away　from　him　and　left　him　treacherous；
filthy　and　repulsiveand　how　quickly　the　evidences　accumulated　that
wherever　one　finds　an　Indian　tribe　he　has　only　found　Goshoots　more　or
less　modified　by　circumstances　and　surroundingsbut　Goshoots；　after　all。
They　deserve　pity；　poor　creatures；　and　they　can　have　mineat　this
distance。　　Nearer　by；　they　never　get　anybody's。

There　is　an　impression　abroad　that　the　Baltimore　and　Washington　Railroad
Company　and　many　of　its　employees　are　Goshoots；　but　it　is　an　error。
There　is　only　a　plausible　resemblance；　which；　while　it　is　apt　enough　to
mislead　the　ignorant；　cannot　deceive　parties　who　have　contemplated　both
tribes。　　But　seriously；　it　was　not　only　poor　wit；　but　very　wrong　to　start
the　report　referred　to　above；　for　however　innocent　the　motive　may　have
been；　the　necessary　effect　was　to　injure　the　reputation　of　a　class　who
have　a　hard　enough　time　of　it　in　the　pitiless　deserts　of　the　Rocky
Mountains；　Heaven　knows！　　If　we　cannot　find　it　in　our　hearts　to　give
those　poor　naked　creatures　our　Christian　sympathy　and　compassion；　in
God's　name　let　us　at　least　not　throw　mud　at　them。




CHAPTER　XX。

On　the　seventeenth　day　we　passed　the　highest　mountain　peaks　we　had　yet
seen；　and　although　the　day　was　very　warm　the　night　that　followed　upon　its
heels　was　wintry　cold　and　blankets　were　next　to　useless。

On　the　eighteenth　day　we　encountered　the　eastward…bound　telegraph…
constructors　at　Reese　River　station　and　sent　a　message　to　his　Excellency
Gov。　Nye　at　Carson　City　（distant　one　hundred　and　fifty…six　miles）。

On　the　nineteenth　day　we　crossed　the　Great　American　Desertforty
memorable　miles　of　bottomless　sand；　into　which　the　coach　wheels　sunk　from
six　inches　to　a　foot。　　We　worked　our　passage　most　of　the　way　across。
That　is　to　say；　we　got　out　and　walked。　　It　was　a　dreary　pull　and　a　long
and　thirsty　one；　for　we　had　no　water。　　From　one　extremity　of　this　desert
to　the　other；　the　road　was　white　with　the　bones　of　oxen　and　horses。
It　would　hardly　be　an　exaggeration　to　say　that　we　could　have　walked　the
forty　miles　and　set　our　feet　on　a　bone　at　every　step！　　The　desert　was　one
prodigious　graveyard。　　And　the　log…chains；　wagon　tyres；　and　rotting
wrecks　of　vehicles　were　almost　as　thick　as　the　bones。　　I　think　we　saw
log…chains　enough　rusting　there　in　the　desert；　to　reach　across　any　State
in　the　Union。　　Do　not　these　relics　suggest　something　of　an　idea　of　the
fearful　suffering　and　privation　the　early　emigrants　to　California
endured？

At　the　border　of　the　Desert　lies　Carson　Lake；　or　The　〃Sink〃　of　the
Carson；　a　shallow；　melancholy　sheet　of　water　some　eighty　or　a　hundred
miles　in　circumference。　　Carson　River　empties　into　it　and　is　lostsinks
mysteriously　into　the　earth　and　never　appears　in　the　light　of　the　sun
againfor　the　lake　has　no　outlet　whatever。

There　are　several　rivers　in　Nevada；　and　they　all　have　this　mysterious
fate。　　They　end　in　various　lakes　or　〃sinks；〃　and　that　is　the　last　of
them。　　Carson　Lake；　Humboldt　Lake；　Walker　Lake；　Mono　Lake；　are　all　great
sheets　of　water　without　any　visible　outlet。　　Water　is　always　flowing　into
them；　none　is　ever　seen　to　flow　out　of　them；　and　yet　they　remain　always
level　full；　neither　receding　nor　overflowing。　　What　they　do　with　their
surplus　is　only　known　to　the　Creator。

On　the　western　verge　of　the　Desert　we　halted　a　moment　at　Ragtown。　　It
consisted　of　one　log　house　and　is　not　set　down　on　the　map。

This　reminds　me　of　a　circumstance。　　Just　after　we　left　Julesburg；　on　the
Platte；　I　was　sitting　with　the　driver；　and　he　said：

〃I　can　tell　you　a　most　laughable　thing　indeed；　if　you　would　like　to
listen　to　it。　　Horace　Greeley　went　over　this　road　once。　　When　he　was
leaving　Carson　City　he　told　the　driver；　Hank　Monk；　that　he　had　an
engagement　to　lecture　at　Placerville　and　was　very　anxious　to　go　through
quick。　　Hank　Monk　cracked　his　whip　and　started　off　at　an　awful　pace。
The　coach　bounced　up　and　down　in　such　a　terrific　way　that　it　jolted　the
buttons　all　off　of　Horace's　coat；　and　finally　shot　his　head　clean　through
the　roof　of　the　stage；　and　then　he　yelled　at　Hank　Monk　and　begged　him　to
go　easiersaid　he　warn't　in　as　much　of　a　hurry　as　he　was　awhile　ago。
But　Hank　Monk　said；　'Keep　your　seat；　Horace；　and　I'll　get　you　there　on
time'and　you　bet　you　he　did；　too；　what　was　left　of　him！〃

A　day　or　two　after　that　we　picked　up　a　Denver　man　at