roughing it-第26节

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A　day　or　two　after　that　we　picked　up　a　Denver　man　at　the　cross　roads；　and
he　told　us　a　good　deal　about　the　country　and　the　Gregory　Diggings。
He　seemed　a　very　entertaining　person　and　a　man　well　posted　in　the　affairs
of　Colorado。　　By　and　by　he　remarked：

〃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！〃

At　Fort　Bridger；　some　days　after　this；　we　took　on　board　a　cavalry
sergeant；　a　very　proper　and　soldierly　person　indeed。　　From　no　other　man
during　the　whole　journey；　did　we　gather　such　a　store　of　concise　and　well…
arranged　military　information。　　It　was　surprising　to　find　in　the　desolate
wilds　of　our　country　a　man　so　thoroughly　acquainted　with　everything
useful　to　know　in　his　line　of　life；　and　yet　of　such　inferior　rank　and
unpretentious　bearing。　　For　as　much　as　three　hours　we　listened　to　him
with　unabated　interest。　　Finally　he　got　upon　the　subject　of　trans…
continental　travel；　and　presently　said：

〃I　can　tell　you　a　very　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！〃

When　we　were　eight　hours　out　from　Salt　Lake　City　a　Mormon　preacher　got　in
with　us　at　a　way　stationa　gentle；　soft…spoken；　kindly　man；　and　one　whom
any　stranger　would　warm　to　at　first　sight。　　I　can　never　forget　the　pathos
that　was　in　his　voice　as　he　told；　in　simple　language；　the　story　of　his
people's　wanderings　and　unpitied　sufferings。　　No　pulpit　eloquence　was
ever　so　moving　and　so　beautiful　as　this　outcast's　picture　of　the　first
Mormon　pilgrimage　across　the　plains；　struggling　sorrowfully　onward　to　the
land　of　its　banishment　and　marking　its　desolate　way　with　graves　and
watering　it　with　tears。　　His　words　so　wrought　upon　us　that　it　was　a
relief　to　us　all　when　the　conversation　drifted　into　a　more　cheerful
channel　and　the　natural　features　of　the　curious　country　we　were　in　came
under　treatment。　　One　matter　after　another　was　pleasantly　discussed；　and
at　length　the　stranger　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　in　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　bet　you　he　did；　too；　what　was　left　of　him！〃

Ten　miles　out　of　Ragtown　we　found　a　poor　wanderer　who　had　lain　down　to
die。　　He　had　walked　as　long　as　he　could；　but　his　limbs　had　failed　him　at
last。　　Hunger　and　fatigue　had　conquered　him。　　It　would　have　been　inhuman
to　leave　him　there。　　We　paid　his　fare　to　Carson　and　lifted　him　into　the
coach。　　It　was　some　little　time　before　he　showed　any　very　decided　signs
of　life；　but　by　dint　of　chafing　him　and　pouring　brandy　between　his　lips
we　finally　brought　him　to　a　languid　consciousness。　　Then　we　fed　him　a
little；　and　by　and　by　he　seemed　to　comprehend　the　situation　and　a
grateful　light　softened　his　eye。　　We　made　his　mail…sack　bed　as
comfortable　as　possible；　and　constructed　a　pillow　for　him　with　our　coats。
He　seemed　very　thankful。　　Then　he　looked　up　in　our　faces；　and　said　in　a
feeble　voice　that　had　a　tremble　of　honest　emotion　in　it：

〃Gentlemen；　I　know　not　who　you　are；　but　you　have　saved　my　life；　and
although　I　can　never　be　able　to　repay　you　for　it；　I　feel　that　I　can　at
least　make　one　hour　of　your　long　journey　lighter。　　I　take　it　you　are
strangers　to　this　great　thorough　fare；　but　I　am　entirely　familiar　with
it。　　In　this　connection　I　can　tell　you　a　most　laughable　thing　indeed；　if
you　would　like　to　listen　to　it。　　Horace　Greeley〃

I　said；　impressively：

〃Suffering　stranger；　proceed　at　your　peril。　　You　see　in　me　the　melancholy
wreck　of　a　once　stalwart　and　magnificent　manhood。　　What　has　brought　me　to
this？　　That　thing　which　you　are　about　to　tell。　　Gradually　but　surely；
that　tiresome　old　anecdote　has　sapped　my　strength；　undermined　my
constitution；　withered　my　life。　　Pity　my　helplessness。　　Spare　me　only
just　this　once；　and　tell　me　about　young　George　Washington　and　his　little
hatchet　for　a　change。〃

We　were　saved。　　But　not　so　the　invalid。　　In　trying　to　retain　the　anecdote
in　his　system　he　strained　himself　and　died　in　our　arms。

I　am　aware；　now；　that　I　ought　not　to　have　asked　of　the　sturdiest　citizen
of　all　that　region；　what　I　asked　of　that　mere　shadow　of　a　man；　for；　after
seven　years'　residence　on　the　Pacific　coast；　I　know　that　no　passenger　or
driver　on　the　Overland　ever　corked　that　anecdote　in；　when　a　stranger　was
by；　and　survived。　　Within　a　period　of　six　years　I　crossed　and　recrossed
the　Sierras　between　Nevada　and　California　thirteen　times　by　stage　and
listened　to　that　deathless　incident　four　hundred　and　eighty…one　or
eighty…two　times。　　I　have　the　list　somewhere。　　Drivers　always　told　it；
conductors　told　it；　landlords　told　it；　chance　passengers　told　it；　the
very　Chinamen　and　vagrant　Indians　recounted　it。　　I　have　had　the　same
driver　tell　it　to　me　two　or　three　times　in　the　same　afternoon。　　It　has
come　to　me　in　all　the　multitude　of　tongues　that　Babel　bequeathed　to
earth；　and　flavored　with　whiskey；　brandy；　beer；　cologne；　sozodont；
tobacco；　garlic；　onions；　grasshopperseverything　that　has　a　fragrance　to
it　through　all　the　long　list　of　things　that　are　gorged　or　guzzled　by　the
sons　of　men。　　I　never　have　smelt　any　anecdote　as　often　as　I　have　smelt
that　one；　never　have　smelt　any　anecdote　that　smelt　so　variegated　as　that
one。　　And　you　never　could　learn　to　know　it　by　its　smell；　because　every
time　you　thought　you　had　learned　the　smell　of　it；　it　would　turn　up　with　a
different　smell。　　Bayard　Taylor　has　written　about　this　hoary　anecdote；
Richardson　has　published　it；　so　have　Jones；　Smith；　Johnson；　Ross　Browne；
and　every　other　correspondence…inditing　being　that　ever　set　his　foot　upon
the　great　overland　road　anywhere　between　Julesburg　and　San　Francisco；　and
I　have　heard　that　it　is　in　the　Talmud。　　I　have　seen　it　in　print　in　nine
different　foreign　languages；　I　have　been　told　that　it　is　employed　in　the
inquisition　in　Rome；　and　I　now　learn　with　regret　that　it　is　going　to　be
set　to　music。　　I　do　not　think　that　such　things　are　right。

Stage…coaching　on　the　Overland　is　no　more；　and　stage　drivers　are　a　race
defunct。　　I　wonder　if　they　bequeathed　that　bald…headed　anecdote　to　their
successors；　the　railroad　brakemen　and　conductors；　and　if　these　latter
still　persecute　the　helpless　passenger　with　it　until　he　concludes；　as　did
many　a　tourist　of　other　days；　that　the　real　grandeurs　of　the　Pacific
coast　are　not　Yo　Semite　and　the　Big　Trees；　but　Hank　Monk　and　his
adventure　with　Horace　Greeley。　　＇And　what　makes　that　worn　anecdote　the
more　aggravating；　is；　that　the　adventure　it　celebrates　never　occurred。
If　it　were　a　good　anecdote；　that　seeming　demerit　would　be　its　chiefest
virtue；　for　creative　power　belongs　to　greatness；　but　what　ought　to　be
done　to　a　man　who　would　wantonly　contrive　so　flat　a　one　as　this？　　If　I
were　to　suggest　what　ought　to　be　done　to　him；　I　should　be　called
extravagantbut　what　does　the　sixteenth　chapter　of　Daniel　say？　　Aha！＇




CHAPTER　XXI。

We　were　approaching　the　end　of　our　long　journey。　　It　was　the　morning　of
the　twentieth　day。　　At　noon　we　would　reach　Carson　City；　the　capital　of
Nevada　Territory。　　We　were　not　glad；　but　sorry。　　It　had　been　a　fine
pleasure　trip；　we　had　fed　fat　on　wonders　every　day；　we　were　now　well
accustomed　to　stage　life；　and　very　fond　of　it；　so　the　idea　of　coming　to　a
stand…still　and　settling　down　to　a　humdrum　existence　in　a　village　was　not
agreeable