roughing it-第39节

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inn　before　making　another　venture　on　our　journey。

The　next　morning　it　was　still　snowing　furiously　when　we　got　away　with　our
new　stock　of　saddles　and　accoutrements。　　We　mounted　and　started。　　The
snow　lay　so　deep　on　the　ground　that　there　was　no　sign　of　a　road
perceptible；　and　the　snow…fall　was　so　thick　that　we　could　not　see　more
than　a　hundred　yards　ahead；　else　we　could　have　guided　our　course　by　the
mountain　ranges。　　The　case　looked　dubious；　but　Ollendorff　said　his
instinct　was　as　sensitive　as　any　compass；　and　that　he　could　〃strike　a
bee…line〃　for　Carson　city　and　never　diverge　from　it。　　He　said　that　if　he
were　to　straggle　a　single　point　out　of　the　true　line　his　instinct　would
assail　him　like　an　outraged　conscience。　　Consequently　we　dropped　into　his
wake　happy　and　content。　　For　half　an　hour　we　poked　along　warily　enough；
but　at　the　end　of　that　time　we　came　upon　a　fresh　trail；　and　Ollendorff
shouted　proudly：

〃I　knew　I　was　as　dead　certain　as　a　compass；　boys！　　Here　we　are；　right　in
somebody's　tracks　that　will　hunt　the　way　for　us　without　any　trouble。
Let's　hurry　up　and　join　company　with　the　party。〃

So　we　put　the　horses　into　as　much　of　a　trot　as　the　deep　snow　would　allow；
and　before　long　it　was　evident　that　we　were　gaining　on　our　predecessors；
for　the　tracks　grew　more　distinct。　　We　hurried　along；　and　at　the　end　of
an　hour　the　tracks　looked　still　newer　and　fresherbut　what　surprised　us
was；　that　the　number　of　travelers　in　advance　of　us　seemed　to　steadily
increase。　　We　wondered　how　so　large　a　party　came　to　be　traveling　at　such
a　time　and　in　such　a　solitude。　　Somebody　suggested　that　it　must　be　a
company　of　soldiers　from　the　fort；　and　so　we　accepted　that　solution　and
jogged　along　a　little　faster　still；　for　they　could　not　be　far　off　now。
But　the　tracks　still　multiplied；　and　we　began　to　think　the　platoon　of
soldiers　was　miraculously　expanding　into　a　regimentBallou　said　they　had
already　increased　to　five　hundred！　　Presently　he　stopped　his　horse　and
said：

〃Boys；　these　are　our　own　tracks；　and　we've　actually　been　circussing　round
and　round　in　a　circle　for　more　than　two　hours；　out　here　in　this　blind
desert！　　By　George　this　is　perfectly　hydraulic！〃

Then　the　old　man　waxed　wroth　and　abusive。　　He　called　Ollendorff　all
manner　of　hard　namessaid　he　never　saw　such　a　lurid　fool　as　he　was；　and
ended　with　the　peculiarly　venomous　opinion　that　he　〃did　not　know　as　much
as　a　logarythm！〃

We　certainly　had　been　following　our　own　tracks。　　Ollendorff　and　his
〃mental　compass〃　were　in　disgrace　from　that　moment。

After　all　our　hard　travel；　here　we　were　on　the　bank　of　the　stream　again；
with　the　inn　beyond　dimly　outlined　through　the　driving　snow…fall。　　While
we　were　considering　what　to　do；　the　young　Swede　landed　from　the　canoe　and
took　his　pedestrian　way　Carson…wards；　singing　his　same　tiresome　song
about　his　〃sister　and　his　brother〃　and　〃the　child　in　the　grave　with　its
mother；〃　and　in　a　short　minute　faded　and　disappeared　in　the　white
oblivion。　　He　was　never　heard　of　again。　　He　no　doubt　got　bewildered　and
lost；　and　Fatigue　delivered　him　over　to　Sleep　and　Sleep　betrayed　him　to
Death。　　Possibly　he　followed　our　treacherous　tracks　till　he　became
exhausted　and　dropped。

Presently　the　Overland　stage　forded　the　now　fast　receding　stream　and
started　toward　Carson　on　its　first　trip　since　the　flood　came。　　We
hesitated　no　longer；　now；　but　took　up　our　march　in　its　wake；　and　trotted
merrily　along；　for　we　had　good　confidence　in　the　driver's　bump　of
locality。　　But　our　horses　were　no　match　for　the　fresh　stage　team。　　We
were　soon　left　out　of　sight；　but　it　was　no　matter；　for　we　had　the　deep
ruts　the　wheels　made　for　a　guide。　　By　this　time　it　was　three　in　the
afternoon；　and　consequently　it　was　not　very　long　before　night　cameand
not　with　a　lingering　twilight；　but　with　a　sudden　shutting　down　like　a
cellar　door；　as　is　its　habit　in　that　country。　　The　snowfall　was　still　as
thick　as　ever；　and　of　course　we　could　not　see　fifteen　steps　before　us；
but　all　about　us　the　white　glare　of　the　snow…bed　enabled　us　to　discern
the　smooth　sugar…loaf　mounds　made　by　the　covered　sage…bushes；　and　just　in
front　of　us　the　two　faint　grooves　which　we　knew　were　the　steadily　filling
and　slowly　disappearing　wheel…tracks。

Now　those　sage…bushes　were　all　about　the　same　heightthree　or　four　feet；
they　stood　just　about　seven　feet　apart；　all　over　the　vast　desert；　each　of
them　was　a　mere　snow…mound；　now；　in　any　direction　that　you　proceeded　（the
same　as　in　a　well　laid　out　orchard）　you　would　find　yourself　moving　down　a
distinctly　defined　avenue；　with　a　row　of　these　snow…mounds　an　either　side
of　itan　avenue　the　customary　width　of　a　road；　nice　and　level　in　its
breadth；　and　rising　at　the　sides　in　the　most　natural　way；　by　reason　of
the　mounds。　　But　we　had　not　thought　of　this。　　Then　imagine　the　chilly
thrill　that　shot　through　us　when　it　finally　occurred　to　us；　far　in　the
night；　that　since　the　last　faint　trace　of　the　wheel…tracks　had　long　ago
been　buried　from　sight；　we　might　now　be　wandering　down　a　mere　sage…brush
avenue；　miles　away　from　the　road　and　diverging　further　and　further　away
from　it　all　the　time。　　Having　a　cake　of　ice　slipped　down　one's　back　is
placid　comfort　compared　to　it。　　There　was　a　sudden　leap　and　stir　of　blood
that　had　been　asleep　for　an　hour；　and　as　sudden　a　rousing　of　all　the
drowsing　activities　in　our　minds　and　bodies。　　We　were　alive　and　awake　at
onceand　shaking　and　quaking　with　consternation；　too。　　There　was　an
instant　halting　and　dismounting；　a　bending　low　and　an　anxious　scanning　of
the　road…bed。　　Useless；　of　course；　for　if　a　faint　depression　could　not　be
discerned　from　an　altitude　of　four　or　five　feet　above　it；　it　certainly
could　not　with　one's　nose　nearly　against　it。




CHAPTER　XXXII。

We　seemed　to　be　in　a　road；　but　that　was　no　proof。　　We　tested　this　by
walking　off　in　various　directionsthe　regular　snow…mounds　and　the
regular　avenues　between　them　convinced　each　man　that　he　had　found　the
true　road；　and　that　the　others　had　found　only　false　ones。　　Plainly　the
situation　was　desperate。　　We　were　cold　and　stiff　and　the　horses　were
tired。　　We　decided　to　build　a　sage…brush　fire　and　camp　out　till　morning。
This　was　wise；　because　if　we　were　wandering　from　the　right　road　and　the
snow…storm　continued　another　day　our　case　would　be　the　next　thing　to
hopeless　if　we　kept　on。

All　agreed　that　a　camp　fire　was　what　would　come　nearest　to　saving　us；
now；　and　so　we　set　about　building　it。　　We　could　find　no　matches；　and　so
we　tried　to　make　shift　with　the　pistols。　　Not　a　man　in　the　party　had　ever
tried　to　do　such　a　thing　before；　but　not　a　man　in　the　party　doubted　that
it　could　be　done；　and　without　any　troublebecause　every　man　in　the　party
had　read　about　it　in　books　many　a　time　and　had　naturally　come　to　believe
it；　with　trusting　simplicity；　just　as　he　had　long　ago　accepted　and
believed　that　other　common　book…fraud　about　Indians　and　lost　hunters
making　a　fire　by　rubbing　two　dry　sticks　together。

We　huddled　together　on　our　knees　in　the　deep　snow；　and　the　horses　put
their　noses　together　and　bowed　their　patient　heads　over　us；　and　while　the
feathery　flakes　eddied　down　and　turned　us　into　a　group　of　white　statuary；
we　proceeded　with　the　momentous　experiment。　　We　broke　twigs　from　a　sage
bush　and　piled　them　on　a　little　cleared　place　in　the　shelter　of　our
bodies。　　In　the　course　of　ten　or　fifteen　minutes　all　was　ready；　and　then；
while　conversation　ceased　and　our　pulses　beat　low　with　anxious　suspense；
Ollendorff　applied　his　revolver；　pulled　the　trigger　and　blew　the　pile
clear　out　of　the　county！　　It　was　the　flattest　failure　that　ever　was。

This　was　distressing；　but　it　paled　before　a　greater　horrorthe　horses
were　gone！　　I　had　been　appointed　to　hold　the　bridles；　but　in　my　absorbing
anxiety　over　the　pistol　experiment　I　had　unconsciously　dropped　them　and
the　released　animals　had　walked　off　in　the　storm。　　It　was　useless　to　try
to　follow　them；　for　their　footfalls　could　make　no　sound；　and　one　could
pass　within　two　yards　of　the　creatures　and　never　see　them。　　We　gave　them
up　without　an　effort　at　recovering　them；　and　cursed　the　lying　books　that
said　horses　would　stay　by　their　masters　for　protection　and　companionship
in　a　distressful　time　like　ours。

We　were　miserable　enough；　before；　we　felt　still　more　forlorn；　now。
Patiently；　but　with　blighted　hope；　we　broke　more　sticks　and　piled　them；
and　once　more　the　Prussian　shot　them　into　annihilation。　　Plainly；　to
light　a　fire　with　a　pistol　was　an　art　requiring　practice　and　experience；
and　the　middle　of　a　desert　at　midnight　in　a　snow…storm　was　not　a　good
place　or　time　for　the　acquiring　of　the　accomplishment。　　We　gave　it　up　and
tried　the　other。　　Each　man　took　a　couple　of　sticks　and　fell　to　chafing
them　together。　　At　the　end　of　half　an　hour　we　were　thoroughly　chilled；
and　so　were　the　sticks。　　We　bitterly　execrated　the　Indians；　the　hunters
and　the　books　that　had　betrayed　us　with　the　silly　device；　and　wondered
dismally　what　was　next　to　be　done。　　At　this　critical　moment　Mr。　Ballou
fished　out　four　matches　from　the　rubbish　of　an　overlooked　pocket。　　To
have　found　four　gold　bars　would　have　seemed　poor　and　cheap　good　luck
compared　to　this。

One　cannot　think　how　good　a　match　looks　under　such