roughing it-第31节

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〃Twenty…seven！〃　I　shouted；　in　a　frenzy。

〃And　sold！〃　said　the　auctioneer；　and　passed　over　the　Genuine　Mexican　Plug
to　me。

I　could　scarcely　contain　my　exultation。　　I　paid　the　money；　and　put　the
animal　in　a　neighboring　livery…stable　to　dine　and　rest　himself。

In　the　afternoon　I　brought　the　creature　into　the　plaza；　and　certain
citizens　held　him　by　the　head；　and　others　by　the　tail；　while　I　mounted
him。　　As　soon　as　they　let　go；　he　placed　all　his　feet　in　a　bunch　together；
lowered　his　back；　and　then　suddenly　arched　it　upward；　and　shot　me
straight　into　the　air　a　matter　of　three　or　four　feet！　　I　came　as　straight
down　again；　lit　in　the　saddle；　went　instantly　up　again；　came　down　almost
on　the　high　pommel；　shot　up　again；　and　came　down　on　the　horse's　neckall
in　the　space　of　three　or　four　seconds。　　Then　he　rose　and　stood　almost
straight　up　on　his　hind　feet；　and　I；　clasping　his　lean　neck　desperately；
slid　back　into　the　saddle　and　held　on。　　He　came　down；　and　immediately
hoisted　his　heels　into　the　air；　delivering　a　vicious　kick　at　the　sky；　and
stood　on　his　forefeet。　　And　then　down　he　came　once　more；　and　began　the
original　exercise　of　shooting　me　straight　up　again。　　The　third　time　I
went　up　I　heard　a　stranger　say：

〃Oh；　don't　he　buck；　though！〃

While　I　was　up；　somebody　struck　the　horse　a　sounding　thwack　with　a
leathern　strap；　and　when　I　arrived　again　the　Genuine　Mexican　Plug　was　not
there。　　A　California　youth　chased　him　up　and　caught　him；　and　asked　if　he
might　have　a　ride。　　I　granted　him　that　luxury。　　He　mounted　the　Genuine；
got　lifted　into　the　air　once；　but　sent　his　spurs　home　as　he　descended；
and　the　horse　darted　away　like　a　telegram。　　He　soared　over　three　fences
like　a　bird；　and　disappeared　down　the　road　toward　the　Washoe　Valley。

I　sat　down　on　a　stone；　with　a　sigh；　and　by　a　natural　impulse　one　of　my
hands　sought　my　forehead；　and　the　other　the　base　of　my　stomach。　　I
believe　I　never　appreciated；　till　then；　the　poverty　of　the　human
machineryfor　I　still　needed　a　hand　or　two　to　place　elsewhere。　　Pen
cannot　describe　how　I　was　jolted　up。　　Imagination　cannot　conceive　how
disjointed　I　washow　internally；　externally　and　universally　I　was
unsettled；　mixed　up　and　ruptured。　　There　was　a　sympathetic　crowd　around
me；　though。

One　elderly…looking　comforter　said：

〃Stranger；　you've　been　taken　in。　　Everybody　in　this　camp　knows　that
horse。　　Any　child；　any　Injun；　could　have　told　you　that　he'd　buck；　he　is
the　very　worst　devil　to　buck　on　the　continent　of　America。　　You　hear　me。
I'm　Curry。　　Old　Curry。　　Old　Abe　Curry。　　And　moreover；　he　is　a　simon…pure；
out…and…out；　genuine　dd　Mexican　plug；　and　an　uncommon　mean　one　at　that；
too。　　Why；　you　turnip；　if　you　had　laid　low　and　kept　dark；　there's　chances
to　buy　an　American　horse　for　mighty　little　more　than　you　paid　for　that
bloody　old　foreign　relic。〃

I　gave　no　sign；　but　I　made　up　my　mind　that　if　the　auctioneer's　brother's
funeral　took　place　while　I　was　in　the　Territory　I　would　postpone　all
other　recreations　and　attend　it。

After　a　gallop　of　sixteen　miles　the　Californian　youth　and　the　Genuine
Mexican　Plug　came　tearing　into　town　again；　shedding　foam…flakes　like　the
spume…spray　that　drives　before　a　typhoon；　and；　with　one　final　skip　over　a
wheelbarrow　and　a　Chinaman；　cast　anchor　in　front　of　the　〃ranch。〃

Such　panting　and　blowing！　　Such　spreading　and　contracting　of　the　red
equine　nostrils；　and　glaring　of　the　wild　equine　eye！　　But　was　the
imperial　beast　subjugated？　　Indeed　he　was　not。

His　lordship　the　Speaker　of　the　House　thought　he　was；　and　mounted　him　to
go　down　to　the　Capitol；　but　the　first　dash　the　creature　made　was　over　a
pile　of　telegraph　poles　half　as　high　as　a　church；　and　his　time　to　the
Capitolone　mile　and　three　quartersremains　unbeaten　to　this　day。　　But
then　he　took　an　advantagehe　left　out　the　mile；　and　only　did　the　three
quarters。　　That　is　to　say；　he　made　a　straight　cut　across　lots；　preferring
fences　and　ditches　to　a　crooked　road；　and　when　the　Speaker　got　to　the
Capitol　he　said　he　had　been　in　the　air　so　much　he　felt　as　if　he　had　made
the　trip　on　a　comet。

In　the　evening　the　Speaker　came　home　afoot　for　exercise；　and　got　the
Genuine　towed　back　behind　a　quartz　wagon。　　The　next　day　I　loaned　the
animal　to　the　Clerk　of　the　House　to　go　down　to　the　Dana　silver　mine；　six
miles；　and　he　walked　back　for　exercise；　and　got　the　horse　towed。
Everybody　I　loaned　him　to　always　walked　back；　they　never　could　get　enough
exercise　any　other　way。

Still；　I　continued　to　loan　him　to　anybody　who　was　willing　to　borrow　him；
my　idea　being　to　get　him　crippled；　and　throw　him　on　the　borrower's　hands；
or　killed；　and　make　the　borrower　pay　for　him。　　But　somehow　nothing　ever
happened　to　him。　　He　took　chances　that　no　other　horse　ever　took　and
survived；　but　he　always　came　out　safe。　　It　was　his　daily　habit　to　try
experiments　that　had　always　before　been　considered　impossible；　but　he
always　got　through。　　Sometimes　he　miscalculated　a　little；　and　did　not　get
his　rider　through　intact；　but　he　always　got　through　himself。　　Of　course　I
had　tried　to　sell　him；　but　that　was　a　stretch　of　simplicity　which　met
with　little　sympathy。　　The　auctioneer　stormed　up　and　down　the　streets　on
him　for　four　days；　dispersing　the　populace；　interrupting　business；　and
destroying　children；　and　never　got　a　bidat　least　never　any　but　the
eighteen…dollar　one　he　hired　a　notoriously　substanceless　bummer　to　make。
The　people　only　smiled　pleasantly；　and　restrained　their　desire　to　buy；　if
they　had　any。　　Then　the　auctioneer　brought　in　his　bill；　and　I　withdrew
the　horse　from　the　market。　　We　tried　to　trade　him　off　at　private　vendue
next；　offering　him　at　a　sacrifice　for　second…hand　tombstones；　old　iron；
temperance　tractsany　kind　of　property。　　But　holders　were　stiff；　and　we
retired　from　the　market　again。　　I　never　tried　to　ride　the　horse　any　more。
Walking　was　good　enough　exercise　for　a　man　like　me；　that　had　nothing　the
matter　with　him　except　ruptures；　internal　injuries；　and　such　things。
Finally　I　tried　to　give　him　away。　　But　it　was　a　failure。　　Parties　said
earthquakes　were　handy　enough　on　the　Pacific　coastthey　did　not　wish　to
own　one。　　As　a　last　resort　I　offered　him　to　the　Governor　for　the　use　of
the　〃Brigade。〃　　His　face　lit　up　eagerly　at　first；　but　toned　down　again；
and　he　said　the　thing　would　be　too　palpable。

Just　then　the　livery　stable　man　brought　in　his　bill　for　six　weeks'
keepingstall…room　for　the　horse；　fifteen　dollars；　hay　for　the　horse；
two　hundred　and　fifty！　　The　Genuine　Mexican　Plug　had　eaten　a　ton　of　the
article；　and　the　man　said　he　would　have　eaten　a　hundred　if　he　had　let
him。

I　will　remark　here；　in　all　seriousness；　that　the　regular　price　of　hay
during　that　year　and　a　part　of　the　next　was　really　two　hundred　and　fifty
dollars　a　ton。　　During　a　part　of　the　previous　year　it　had　sold　at　five
hundred　a　ton；　in　gold；　and　during　the　winter　before　that　there　was　such
scarcity　of　the　article　that　in　several　instances　small　quantities　had
brought　eight　hundred　dollars　a　ton　in　coin！　　The　consequence　might　be
guessed　without　my　telling　it：　peopled　turned　their　stock　loose　to
starve；　and　before　the　spring　arrived　Carson　and　Eagle　valleys　were
almost　literally　carpeted　with　their　carcases！　　Any　old　settler　there
will　verify　these　statements。

I　managed　to　pay　the　livery　bill；　and　that　same　day　I　gave　the　Genuine
Mexican　Plug　to　a　passing　Arkansas　emigrant　whom　fortune　delivered　into
my　hand。　　If　this　ever　meets　his　eye；　he　will　doubtless　remember　the
donation。

Now　whoever　has　had　the　luck　to　ride　a　real　Mexican　plug　will　recognize
the　animal　depicted　in　this　chapter；　and　hardly　consider　him　exaggerated
but　the　uninitiated　will　feel　justified　in　regarding　his　portrait　as　a
fancy　sketch；　perhaps。




CHAPTER　XXV。

Originally；　Nevada　was　a　part　of　Utah　and　was　called　Carson　county；　and　a
pretty　large　county　it　was；　too。　　Certain　of　its　valleys　produced　no　end
of　hay；　and　this　attracted　small　colonies　of　Mormon　stock…raisers　and
farmers　to　them。　　A　few　orthodox　Americans　straggled　in　from　California；
but　no　love　was　lost　between　the　two　classes　of　colonists。　　There　was
little　or　no　friendly　intercourse；　each　party　staid　to　itself。　　The
Mormons　were　largely　in　the　majority；　and　had　the　additional　advantage　of
being　peculiarly　under　the　protection　of　the　Mormon　government　of　the
Territory。　　Therefore　they　could　afford　to　be　distant；　and　even
peremptory　toward　their　neighbors。　　One　of　the　traditions　of　Carson
Valley　illustrates　the　condition　of　things　that　prevailed　at　the　time　I
speak　of。　　The　hired　girl　of　one　of　the　American　families　was　Irish；　and
a　Catholic；　yet　it　was　noted　with　surprise　that　she　was　the　only　person
outside　of　the　Mormon　ring　who　could　get　favors　from　the　Mormons。　　She
asked　kindnesses　of　them　often；　and　always　got　them。　　It　was　a　mystery　to
everybody。　　But　one　day　as　she　was　passing　out　at　the　door；　a　large　bowie
knife　dropped　from　under　her　apron；　and　when　her　mistress　asked　for　an
explanation　she　observed　that　she　was　going　out　to　〃borry　a　wash…tub　from
the　Mormons！〃

In　1858　silver　lodes　were　discovered　in　〃Carson　County；〃　and　then　the
aspect　of　things　changed。　　Californians　began　to　flock　in；　and　the
American　element　was　soon　in　the