roughing it-第42节

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it　to　a　position　more　eligible　and　more　advantageous　for　its　owner；　it
ill　becomes　us；　insects　as　we　are；　to　question　the　legality　of　the　act　or
inquire　into　the　reasons　that　prompted　it。　　NoHeaven　created　the
ranches　and　it　is　Heaven's　prerogative　to　rearrange　them；　to　experiment
with　them　around　at　its　pleasure。　　It　is　for　us　to　submit；　without
repining。

I　warn　you　that　this　thing　which　has　happened　is　a　thing　with　which　the
sacrilegious　hands　and　brains　and　tongues　of　men　must　not　meddle。
Gentlemen；　it　is　the　verdict　of　this　court　that　the　plaintiff；　Richard
Hyde；　has　been　deprived　of　his　ranch　by　the　visitation　of　God！　　And　from
this　decision　there　is　no　appeal。〃

Buncombe　seized　his　cargo　of　law…books　and　plunged　out　of　the　court…room
frantic　with　indignation。　　He　pronounced　Roop　to　be　a　miraculous　fool；　an
inspired　idiot。　　In　all　good　faith　he　returned　at　night　and　remonstrated
with　Roop　upon　his　extravagant　decision；　and　implored　him　to　walk　the
floor　and　think　for　half　an　hour；　and　see　if　he　could　not　figure　out　some
sort　of　modification　of　the　verdict。　　Roop　yielded　at　last　and　got　up　to
walk。　　He　walked　two　hours　and　a　half；　and　at　last　his　face　lit　up
happily　and　he　told　Buncombe　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　the　ranch
underneath　the　new　Morgan　ranch　still　belonged　to　Hyde；　that　his　title　to
the　ground　was　just　as　good　as　it　had　ever　been；　and　therefore　he　was　of
opinion　that　Hyde　had　a　right　to　dig　it　out　from　under　there　and

The　General　never　waited　to　hear　the　end　of　it。　　He　was　always　an
impatient　and　irascible　man；　that　way。　　At　the　end　of　two　months　the　fact
that　he　had　been　played　upon　with　a　joke　had　managed　to　bore　itself；　like
another　Hoosac　Tunnel；　through　the　solid　adamant　of　his　understanding。




CHAPTER　XXXV。

When　we　finally　left　for　Esmeralda；　horseback；　we　had　an　addition　to　the
company　in　the　person　of　Capt。　John　Nye；　the　Governor's　brother。　　He　had
a　good　memory；　and　a　tongue　hung　in　the　middle。　　This　is　a　combination
which　gives　immortality　to　conversation。　　Capt。　John　never　suffered　the
talk　to　flag　or　falter　once　during　the　hundred　and　twenty　miles　of　the
journey。　　In　addition　to　his　conversational　powers；　he　had　one　or　two
other　endowments　of　a　marked　character。　　One　was　a　singular　〃handiness〃
about　doing　anything　and　everything；　from　laying　out　a　railroad　or
organizing　a　political　party；　down　to　sewing　on　buttons；　shoeing　a　horse；
or　setting　a　broken　leg；　or　a　hen。　　Another　was　a　spirit　of　accommodation
that　prompted　him　to　take　the　needs；　difficulties　and　perplexities　of
anybody　and　everybody　upon　his　own　shoulders　at　any　and　all　times；　and
dispose　of　them　with　admirable　facility　and　alacrityhence　he　always
managed　to　find　vacant　beds　in　crowded　inns；　and　plenty　to　eat　in　the
emptiest　larders。　　And　finally；　wherever　he　met　a　man；　woman　or　child；　in
camp；　inn　or　desert；　he　either　knew　such　parties　personally　or　had　been
acquainted　with　a　relative　of　the　same。　　Such　another　traveling　comrade
was　never　seen　before。　　I　cannot　forbear　giving　a　specimen　of　the　way　in
which　he　overcame　difficulties。　　On　the　second　day　out；　we　arrived；　very
tired　and　hungry；　at　a　poor　little　inn　in　the　desert；　and　were　told　that
the　house　was　full；　no　provisions　on　hand；　and　neither　hay　nor　barley　to
spare　for　the　horsesmust　move　on。　　The　rest　of　us　wanted　to　hurry　on
while　it　was　yet　light；　but　Capt。　John　insisted　on　stopping　awhile。
We　dismounted　and　entered。　　There　was　no　welcome　for　us　on　any　face。
Capt。　John　began　his　blandishments；　and　within　twenty　minutes　he　had
accomplished　the　following　things；　viz。：　found　old　acquaintances　in　three
teamsters；　discovered　that　he　used　to　go　to　school　with　the　landlord's
mother；　recognized　his　wife　as　a　lady　whose　life　he　had　saved　once　in
California；　by　stopping　her　runaway　horse；　mended　a　child's　broken　toy
and　won　the　favor　of　its　mother；　a　guest　of　the　inn；　helped　the　hostler
bleed　a　horse；　and　prescribed　for　another　horse　that　had　the　〃heaves〃；
treated　the　entire　party　three　times　at　the　landlord's　bar；　produced　a
later　paper　than　anybody　had　seen　for　a　week　and　sat　himself　down　to　read
the　news　to　a　deeply　interested　audience。　　The　result；　summed　up；　was　as
follows：　The　hostler　found　plenty　of　feed　for　our　horses；　we　had　a　trout
supper；　an　exceedingly　sociable　time　after　it；　good　beds　to　sleep　in；　and
a　surprising　breakfast　in　the　morningand　when　we　left；　we　left　lamented
by　all！　　Capt。　John　had　some　bad　traits；　but　he　had　some　uncommonly
valuable　ones　to　offset　them　with。

Esmeralda　was　in　many　respects　another　Humboldt；　but　in　a　little　more
forward　state。　　The　claims　we　had　been　paying　assessments　on　were
entirely　worthless；　and　we　threw　them　away。　　The　principal　one　cropped
out　of　the　top　of　a　knoll　that　was　fourteen　feet　high；　and　the　inspired
Board　of　Directors　were　running　a　tunnel　under　that　knoll　to　strike　the
ledge。　　The　tunnel　would　have　to　be　seventy　feet　long；　and　would　then
strike　the　ledge　at　the　same　dept　that　a　shaft　twelve　feet　deep　would
have　reached！　　The　Board　were　living　on　the　〃assessments。〃　　＇N。B。This
hint　comes　too　late　for　the　enlightenment　of　New　York　silver　miners；　they
have　already　learned　all　about　this　neat　trick　by　experience。＇　　The　Board
had　no　desire　to　strike　the　ledge；　knowing　that　it　was　as　barren　of
silver　as　a　curbstone。　　This　reminiscence　calls　to　mind　Jim　Townsend's
tunnel。　　He　had　paid　assessments　on　a　mine　called　the　〃Daley〃　till　he　was
well…nigh　penniless。　　Finally　an　assessment　was　levied　to　run　a　tunnel
two　hundred　and　fifty　feet　on　the　Daley；　and　Townsend　went　up　on　the　hill
to　look　into　matters。

He　found　the　Daley　cropping　out　of　the　apex　of　an　exceedingly　sharp…
pointed　peak；　and　a　couple　of　men　up　there　〃facing〃　the　proposed　tunnel。
Townsend　made　a　calculation。　　Then　he　said　to　the　men：

〃So　you　have　taken　a　contract　to　run　a　tunnel　into　this　hill　two　hundred
and　fifty　feet　to　strike　this　ledge？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Well；　do　you　know　that　you　have　got　one　of　the　most　expensive　and
arduous　undertakings　before　you　that　was　ever　conceived　by　man？〃

〃Why　nohow　is　that？〃

〃Because　this　hill　is　only　twenty…five　feet　through　from　side　to　side；
and　so　you　have　got　to　build　two　hundred　and　twenty…five　feet　of　your
tunnel　on　trestle…work！〃

The　ways　of　silver　mining　Boards　are　exceedingly　dark　and　sinuous。

We　took　up　various　claims；　and　commenced　shafts　and　tunnels　on　them；　but
never　finished　any　of　them。　　We　had　to　do　a　certain　amount　of　work　on
each　to　〃hold〃　it；　else　other　parties　could　seize　our　property　after　the
expiration　of　ten　days。　　We　were　always　hunting　up　new　claims　and　doing　a
little　work　on　them　and　then　waiting　for　a　buyerwho　never　came。　　We
never　found　any　ore　that　would　yield　more　than　fifty　dollars　a　ton；　and
as　the　mills　charged　fifty　dollars　a　ton　for　working　ore　and　extracting
the　silver；　our　pocket…money　melted　steadily　away　and　none　returned　to
take　its　place。　　We　lived　in　a　little　cabin　and　cooked　for　ourselves；　and
altogether　it　was　a　hard　life；　though　a　hopeful　onefor　we　never　ceased
to　expect　fortune　and　a　customer　to　burst　upon　us　some　day。

At　last；　when　flour　reached　a　dollar　a　pound；　and　money　could　not　be
borrowed　on　the　best　security　at　less　than　eight　per　cent　a　month　（I
being　without　the　security；　too）；　I　abandoned　mining　and　went　to　milling。
That　is　to　say；　I　went　to　work　as　a　common　laborer　in　a　quartz　mill；　at
ten　dollars　a　week　and　board。




CHAPTER　XXXVI。

I　had　already　learned　how　hard　and　long　and　dismal　a　task　it　is　to　burrow
down　into　the　bowels　of　the　earth　and　get　out　the　coveted　ore；　and　now　I
learned　that　the　burrowing　was　only　half　the　work；　and　that　to　get　the
silver　out　of　the　ore　was　the　dreary　and　laborious　other　half　of　it。
We　had　to　turn　out　at　six　in　the　morning　and　keep　at　it　till　dark。
This　mill　was　a　six…stamp　affair；　driven　by　steam。　　Six　tall；　upright
rods　of　iron；　as　large　as　a　man's　ankle；　and　heavily　shod　with　a　mass　of
iron　and　steel　at　their　lower　ends；　were　framed　together　like　a　gate；　and
these　rose　and　fell；　one　after　the　other；　in　a　ponderous　dance；　in　an
iron　box　called　a　〃battery。〃　　Each　of　these　rods　or　stamps　weighed　six
hundred　pounds。　　One　of　us　stood　by　the　battery　all　day　long；　breaking　up
masses　of　silver…bearing　rock　with　a　sledge　and　shoveling　it　into　the
battery。　　The　ceaseless　dance　of　the　stamps　pulverized　the　rock　to
powder；　and　a　stream　of　water　that　trickled　into　the　battery　turned　it　to
a　creamy　paste。　　The　minutest　particles　were　driven　through　a　fine　wire
screen　which　fitted　close　around　the　battery；　and　were　washed　into　great
tubs　warmed　by　super…heated　steamamalgamating　pans；　they　are　called。
The　mass　of　pulp　in　the　pans　was　kept　constantly　stirred　up　by　revolving
〃mullers。〃　　A　quantity　of　quicksilver　was　kept　always　in　the　battery；　and
this　seized　some　of　the　liberated　gold　and　silver　particles　and　held　on
to　them；　quicksilver　was　shaken　in　a　fine　shower　into　the　pans；　also；
about　every　half　hour；　through　a　buckskin　sack。　　Quantities　of　coarse
salt　and　sulphate　of　copper　were　added；　from　time　to　time　to　assist　the
amalgamation　by　destroying　base　metals　which　coated　the　gold　and　silver
and　would