roughing it-第34节

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　　　　　　five　hundred　dollars　to　the　ton。　　Such　fecundity　throws　the　Gould
　　　　　　&　Curry；　the　Ophir　and　the　Mexican；　of　your　neighborhood；　in　the
　　　　　　darkest　shadow。　　I　have　given　you　the　estimate　of　the　value　of　a
　　　　　　single　developed　mine。　　Its　richness　is　indexed　by　its　market
　　　　　　valuation。　　The　people　of　Humboldt　county　are　feet　crazy。　　As　I
　　　　　　write；　our　towns　are　near　deserted。　　They　look　as　languid　as　a
　　　　　　consumptive　girl。　　What　has　become　of　our　sinewy　and　athletic
　　　　　　fellow…citizens？　　They　are　coursing　through　ravines　and　over
　　　　　　mountain　tops。　　Their　tracks　are　visible　in　every　direction。
　　　　　　Occasionally　a　horseman　will　dash　among　us。　　His　steed　betrays
　　　　　　hard　usage。　　He　alights　before　his　adobe　dwelling；　hastily
　　　　　　exchanges　courtesies　with　his　townsmen；　hurries　to　an　assay
　　　　　　office　and　from　thence　to　the　District　Recorder's。　　In　the
　　　　　　morning；　having　renewed　his　provisional　supplies；　he　is　off　again
　　　　　　on　his　wild　and　unbeaten　route。　　Why；　the　fellow　numbers　already
　　　　　　his　feet　by　the　thousands。　　He　is　the　horse…leech。　　He　has　the
　　　　　　craving　stomach　of　the　shark　or　anaconda。　　He　would　conquer
　　　　　　metallic　worlds。

This　was　enough。　　The　instant　we　had　finished　reading　the　above　article；
four　of　us　decided　to　go　to　Humboldt。　　We　commenced　getting　ready　at
once。　　And　we　also　commenced　upbraiding　ourselves　for　not　deciding
soonerfor　we　were　in　terror　lest　all　the　rich　mines　would　be　found　and
secured　before　we　got　there；　and　we　might　have　to　put　up　with　ledges　that
would　not　yield　more　than　two　or　three　hundred　dollars　a　ton；　maybe。　　An
hour　before；　I　would　have　felt　opulent　if　I　had　owned　ten　feet　in　a　Gold
Hill　mine　whose　ore　produced　twenty…five　dollars　to　the　ton；　now　I　was
already　annoyed　at　the　prospect　of　having　to　put　up　with　mines　the
poorest　of　which　would　be　a　marvel　in　Gold　Hill。




CHAPTER　XXVII。

Hurry；　was　the　word！　　We　wasted　no　time。　　Our　party　consisted　of　four
personsa　blacksmith　sixty　years　of　age；　two　young　lawyers；　and　myself。
We　bought　a　wagon　and　two　miserable　old　horses。　　We　put　eighteen　hundred
pounds　of　provisions　and　mining　tools　in　the　wagon　and　drove　out　of
Carson　on　a　chilly　December　afternoon。　　The　horses　were　so　weak　and　old
that　we　soon　found　that　it　would　be　better　if　one　or　two　of　us　got　out
and　walked。　　It　was　an　improvement。　　Next；　we　found　that　it　would　be
better　if　a　third　man　got　out。　　That　was　an　improvement　also。　　It　was　at
this　time　that　I　volunteered　to　drive；　although　I　had　never　driven　a
harnessed　horse　before　and　many　a　man　in　such　a　position　would　have　felt
fairly　excused　from　such　a　responsibility。　　But　in　a　little　while　it　was
found　that　it　would　be　a　fine　thing　if　the　drive　got　out　and　walked　also。
It　was　at　this　time　that　I　resigned　the　position　of　driver；　and　never
resumed　it　again。　　Within　the　hour；　we　found　that　it　would　not　only　be
better；　but　was　absolutely　necessary；　that　we　four；　taking　turns；　two　at
a　time；　should　put　our　hands　against　the　end　of　the　wagon　and　push　it
through　the　sand；　leaving　the　feeble　horses　little　to　do　but　keep　out　of
the　way　and　hold　up　the　tongue。　　Perhaps　it　is　well　for　one　to　know　his
fate　at　first；　and　get　reconciled　to　it。　　We　had　learned　ours　in　one
afternoon。　　It　was　plain　that　we　had　to　walk　through　the　sand　and　shove
that　wagon　and　those　horses　two　hundred　miles。　　So　we　accepted　the
situation；　and　from　that　time　forth　we　never　rode。　　More　than　that；　we
stood　regular　and　nearly　constant　watches　pushing　up　behind。

We　made　seven　miles；　and　camped　in　the　desert。　　Young　Clagett　（now　member
of　Congress　from　Montana）　unharnessed　and　fed　and　watered　the　horses；
Oliphant　and　I　cut　sagebrush；　built　the　fire　and　brought　water　to　cook
with；　and　old　Mr。　Ballou　the　blacksmith　did　the　cooking。　　This　division
of　labor；　and　this　appointment；　was　adhered　to　throughout　the　journey。
We　had　no　tent；　and　so　we　slept　under　our　blankets　in　the　open　plain。　　We
were　so　tired　that　we　slept　soundly。

We　were　fifteen　days　making　the　triptwo　hundred　miles；　thirteen；
rather；　for　we　lay　by　a　couple　of　days；　in　one　place；　to　let　the　horses
rest。

We　could　really　have　accomplished　the　journey　in　ten　days　if　we　had　towed
the　horses　behind　the　wagon；　but　we　did　not　think　of　that　until　it　was
too　late；　and　so　went　on　shoving　the　horses　and　the　wagon　too　when　we
might　have　saved　half　the　labor。　　Parties　who　met　us；　occasionally；
advised　us　to　put　the　horses　in　the　wagon；　but　Mr。　Ballou；　through　whose
iron…clad　earnestness　no　sarcasm　could　pierce；　said　that　that　would　not
do；　because　the　provisions　were　exposed　and　would　suffer；　the　horses
being　〃bituminous　from　long　deprivation。〃　　The　reader　will　excuse　me　from
translating。　　What　Mr。　Ballou　customarily　meant；　when　he　used　a　long
word；　was　a　secret　between　himself　and　his　Maker。　　He　was　one　of　the　best
and　kindest　hearted　men　that　ever　graced　a　humble　sphere　of　life。　　He　was
gentleness　and　simplicity　itselfand　unselfishness；　too。　　Although　he
was　more　than　twice　as　old　as　the　eldest　of　us；　he　never　gave　himself　any
airs；　privileges；　or　exemptions　on　that　account。　　He　did　a　young　man's
share　of　the　work；　and　did　his　share　of　conversing　and　entertaining　from
the　general　stand…point　of　any　agenot　from　the　arrogant；　overawing
summit…height　of　sixty　years。　　His　one　striking　peculiarity　was　his
Partingtonian　fashion　of　loving　and　using　big　words　for　their　own　sakes；
and　independent　of　any　bearing　they　might　have　upon　the　thought　he　was
purposing　to　convey。　　He　always　let　his　ponderous　syllables　fall　with　an
easy　unconsciousness　that　left　them　wholly　without　offensiveness。
In　truth　his　air　was　so　natural　and　so　simple　that　one　was　always
catching　himself　accepting　his　stately　sentences　as　meaning　something；
when　they　really　meant　nothing　in　the　world。　　If　a　word　was　long　and
grand　and　resonant；　that　was　sufficient　to　win　the　old　man's　love；　and　he
would　drop　that　word　into　the　most　out…of…the…way　place　in　a　sentence　or
a　subject；　and　be　as　pleased　with　it　as　if　it　were　perfectly　luminous
with　meaning。

We　four　always　spread　our　common　stock　of　blankets　together　on　the　frozen
ground；　and　slept　side　by　side；　and　finding　that　our　foolish；　long…legged
hound　pup　had　a　deal　of　animal　heat　in　him；　Oliphant　got　to　admitting　him
to　the　bed；　between　himself　and　Mr。　Ballou；　hugging　the　dog's　warm　back
to　his　breast　and　finding　great　comfort　in　it。　　But　in　the　night　the　pup
would　get　stretchy　and　brace　his　feet　against　the　old　man's　back　and
shove；　grunting　complacently　the　while；　and　now　and　then；　being　warm　and
snug；　grateful　and　happy；　he　would　paw　the　old　man's　back　simply　in
excess　of　comfort；　and　at　yet　other　times　he　would　dream　of　the　chase　and
in　his　sleep　tug　at　the　old　man's　back　hair　and　bark　in　his　ear。　　The　old
gentleman　complained　mildly　about　these　familiarities；　at　last；　and　when
he　got　through　with　his　statement　he　said　that　such　a　dog　as　that　was　not
a　proper　animal　to　admit　to　bed　with　tired　men；　because　he　was　〃so
meretricious　in　his　movements　and　so　organic　in　his　emotions。〃　　We　turned
the　dog　out。

It　was　a　hard；　wearing；　toilsome　journey；　but　it　had　its　bright　side；　for
after　each　day　was　done　and　our　wolfish　hunger　appeased　with　a　hot　supper
of　fried　bacon；　bread；　molasses　and　black　coffee；　the　pipe…smoking；　song…
singing　and　yarn…spinning　around　the　evening　camp…fire　in　the　still
solitudes　of　the　desert　was　a　happy；　care…free　sort　of　recreation　that
seemed　the　very　summit　and　culmination　of　earthly　luxury。

It　is　a　kind　of　life　that　has　a　potent　charm　for　all　men；　whether　city　or
country…bred。　　We　are　descended　from　desert…lounging　Arabs；　and　countless
ages　of　growth　toward　perfect　civilization　have　failed　to　root　out　of　us
the　nomadic　instinct。　　We　all　confess　to　a　gratified　thrill　at　the
thought　of　〃camping　out。〃

Once　we　made　twenty…five　miles　in　a　day；　and　once　we　made　forty　miles
（through　the　Great　American　Desert）；　and　ten　miles　beyondfifty　in　all
in　twenty…three　hours；　without　halting　to　eat；　drink　or　rest。　　To　stretch
out　and　go　to　sleep；　even　on　stony　and　frozen　ground；　after　pushing　a
wagon　and　two　horses　fifty　miles；　is　a　delight　so　supreme　that　for　the
moment　it　almost　seems　cheap　at　the　price。

We　camped　two　days　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　〃Sink　of　the　Humboldt。〃
We　tried　to　use　the　strong　alkaline　water　of　the　Sink；　but　it　would　not
answer。　　It　was　like　drinking　lye；　and　not　weak　lye；　either。　　It　left　a
taste　in　the　mouth；　bitter　and　every　way　execrable；　and　a　burning　in　the
stomach　that　was　very　uncomfortable。　　We　put　molasses　in　it；　but　that
helped　it　very　little；　we　added　a　pickle；　yet　the　alkali　was　the
prominent　taste　and　so　it　was　unfit　for　drinking。

The　coffee　we　made　of　this　water　was　the　meanest　compound　man　has　yet
invented。　　It　was　really　viler　to　the　taste　than　the　unameliorated　water
itself。　　Mr。　Ballou；　being　the　architect　and　builder　of　the　beverage　felt
constrained　to　endorse　and　uphold　it；　and　so　drank　half　a　cup；　by　little
sips；　making　shift　to　praise　it　faintly　the　while；　but　finally　threw　out
the　remainder；　and　said　frankly　it　was　〃too　technical　for　him。〃

But　presently　we　found　a　spring　of