roughing it-第45节

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away　off　the　usual　routes　of　travel　and　besides　is　so　difficult　to　get　at
that　only　men　content　to　endure　the　roughest　life　will　consent　to　take
upon　themselves　the　discomforts　of　such　a　trip。　　On　the　morning　of　our
second　day；　we　traveled　around　to　a　remote　and　particularly　wild　spot　on
the　borders　of　the　Lake；　where　a　stream　of　fresh；　ice…cold　water　entered
it　from　the　mountain　side；　and　then　we　went　regularly　into　camp。　　We
hired　a　large　boat　and　two　shot…guns　from　a　lonely　ranchman　who　lived
some　ten　miles　further　on；　and　made　ready　for　comfort　and　recreation。
We　soon　got　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the　Lake　and　all　its
peculiarities。




CHAPTER　XXXVIII。

Mono　Lake　lies　in　a　lifeless；　treeless；　hideous　desert；　eight　thousand
feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea；　and　is　guarded　by　mountains　two　thousand
feet　higher；　whose　summits　are　always　clothed　in　clouds。　　This　solemn；
silent；　sail…less　seathis　lonely　tenant　of　the　loneliest　spot　on　earth
is　little　graced　with　the　picturesque。　　It　is　an　unpretending　expanse
of　grayish　water；　about　a　hundred　miles　in　circumference；　with　two
islands　in　its　centre；　mere　upheavals　of　rent　and　scorched　and　blistered
lava；　snowed　over　with　gray　banks　and　drifts　of　pumice…stone　and　ashes；
the　winding　sheet　of　the　dead　volcano；　whose　vast　crater　the　lake　has
seized　upon　and　occupied。

The　lake　is　two　hundred　feet　deep；　and　its　sluggish　waters　are　so　strong
with　alkali　that　if　you　only　dip　the　most　hopelessly　soiled　garment　into
them　once　or　twice；　and　wring　it　out；　it　will　be　found　as　clean　as　if　it
had　been　through　the　ablest　of　washerwomen's　hands。　　While　we　camped
there　our　laundry　work　was　easy。　　We　tied　the　week's　washing　astern　of
our　boat；　and　sailed　a　quarter　of　a　mile；　and　the　job　was　complete；　all
to　the　wringing　out。　　If　we　threw　the　water　on　our　heads　and　gave　them　a
rub　or　so；　the　white　lather　would　pile　up　three　inches　high。　　This　water
is　not　good　for　bruised　places　and　abrasions　of　the　skin。　　We　had　a
valuable　dog。　　He　had　raw　places　on　him。　　He　had　more　raw　places　on　him
than　sound　ones。　　He　was　the　rawest　dog　I　almost　ever　saw。　　He　jumped
overboard　one　day　to　get　away　from　the　flies。　　But　it　was　bad　judgment。
In　his　condition；　it　would　have　been　just　as　comfortable　to　jump　into　the
fire。

The　alkali　water　nipped　him　in　all　the　raw　places　simultaneously；　and　he
struck　out　for　the　shore　with　considerable　interest。　　He　yelped　and
barked　and　howled　as　he　wentand　by　the　time　he　got　to　the　shore　there
was　no　bark　to　himfor　he　had　barked　the　bark　all　out　of　his　inside；　and
the　alkali　water　had　cleaned　the　bark　all　off　his　outside；　and　he
probably　wished　he　had　never　embarked　in　any　such　enterprise。　　He　ran
round　and　round　in　a　circle；　and　pawed　　the　earth　and　clawed　the　air；　and
threw　double　somersaults；　sometimes　backward　and　sometimes　forward；　in
the　most　extraordinary　manner。　　He　was　not　a　demonstrative　dog；　as　a
general　thing；　but　rather　of　a　grave　and　serious　turn　of　mind；　and　I
never　saw　him　take　so　much　interest　in　anything　before。　　He　finally
struck　out　over　the　mountains；　at　a　gait　which　we　estimated　at　about　two
hundred　and　fifty　miles　an　hour；　and　he　is　going　yet。　　This　was　about
nine　years　ago。　　We　look　for　what　is　left　of　him　along　here　every　day。

A　white　man　cannot　drink　the　water　of　Mono　Lake；　for　it　is　nearly　pure
lye。　　It　is　said　that　the　Indians　in　the　vicinity　drink　it　sometimes；
though。　　It　is　not　improbable；　for　they　are　among　the　purest　liars　I　ever
saw。　　＇There　will　be　no　additional　charge　for　this　joke；　except　to
parties　requiring　an　explanation　of　it。　　This　joke　has　received　high
commendation　from　some　of　the　ablest　minds　of　the　age。＇

There　are　no　fish　in　Mono　Lakeno　frogs；　no　snakes；　no　polliwigs
nothing；　in　fact；　that　goes　to　make　life　desirable。　　Millions　of　wild
ducks　and　sea…gulls　swim　about　the　surface；　but　no　living　thing　exists
under　the　surface；　except　a　white　feathery　sort　of　worm；　one　half　an　inch
long；　which　looks　like　a　bit　of　white　thread　frayed　out　at　the　sides。　　If
you　dip　up　a　gallon　of　water；　you　will　get　about　fifteen　thousand　of
these。　　They　give　to　the　water　a　sort　of　grayish…white　appearance。　　Then
there　is　a　fly；　which　looks　something　like　our　house　fly。　　These　settle
on　the　beach　to　eat　the　worms　that　wash　ashoreand　any　time；　you　can　see
there　a　belt　of　flies　an　inch　deep　and　six　feet　wide；　and　this　belt
extends　clear　around　the　lakea　belt　of　flies　one　hundred　miles　long。
If　you　throw　a　stone　among　them；　they　swarm　up　so　thick　that　they　look
dense；　like　a　cloud。　　You　can　hold　them　under　water　as　long　as　you
pleasethey　do　not　mind　itthey　are　only　proud　of　it。　　When　you　let
them　go；　they　pop　up　to　the　surface　as　dry　as　a　patent　office　report；　and
walk　off　as　unconcernedly　as　if　they　had　been　educated　especially　with　a
view　to　affording　instructive　entertainment　to　man　in　that　particular
way。　　Providence　leaves　nothing　to　go　by　chance。　　All　things　have　their
uses　and　their　part　and　proper　place　in　Nature's　economy：　the　ducks　eat
the　fliesthe　flies　eat　the　wormsthe　Indians　eat　all　threethe　wild
cats　eat　the　Indiansthe　white　folks　eat　the　wild　catsand　thus　all
things　are　lovely。

Mono　Lake　is　a　hundred　miles　in　a　straight　line　from　the　oceanand
between　it　and　the　ocean　are　one　or　two　ranges　of　mountainsyet
thousands　of　sea…gulls　go　there　every　season　to　lay　their　eggs　and　rear
their　young。　　One　would　as　soon　expect　to　find　sea…gulls　in　Kansas。
And　in　this　connection　let　us　observe　another　instance　of　Nature's
wisdom。　　The　islands　in　the　lake　being　merely　huge　masses　of　lava；　coated
over　with　ashes　and　pumice…stone；　and　utterly　innocent　of　vegetation　or
anything　that　would　burn；　and　sea…gull's　eggs　being　entirely　useless　to
anybody　unless　they　be　cooked；　Nature　has　provided　an　unfailing　spring　of
boiling　water　on　the　largest　island；　and　you　can　put　your　eggs　in　there；
and　in　four　minutes　you　can　boil　them　as　hard　as　any　statement　I　have
made　during　the　past　fifteen　years。　　Within　ten　feet　of　the　boiling
spring　is　a　spring　of　pure　cold　water；　sweet　and　wholesome。

So；　in　that　island　you　get　your　board　and　washing　free　of　chargeand　if
nature　had　gone　further　and　furnished　a　nice　American　hotel　clerk　who　was
crusty　and　disobliging；　and　didn't　know　anything　about　the　time　tables；
or　the　railroad　routesoranythingand　was　proud　of　itI　would　not
wish　for　a　more　desirable　boarding…house。

Half　a　dozen　little　mountain　brooks　flow　into　Mono　Lake；　but　not　a　stream
of　any　kind　flows　out　of　it。　　It　neither　rises　nor　falls；　apparently；　and
what　it　does　with　its　surplus　water　is　a　dark　and　bloody　mystery。

There　are　only　two　seasons　in　the　region　round　about　Mono　Lakeand　these
are；　the　breaking　up　of　one　Winter　and　the　beginning　of　the　next。　　More
than　once　（in　Esmeralda）　I　have　seen　a　perfectly　blistering　morning　open
up　with　the　thermometer　at　ninety　degrees　at　eight　o'clock；　and　seen　the
snow　fall　fourteen　inches　deep　and　that　same　identical　thermometer　go
down　to　forty…four　degrees　under　shelter；　before　nine　o'clock　at　night。
Under　favorable　circumstances　it　snows　at　least　once　in　every　single
month　in　the　year；　in　the　little　town　of　Mono。　　So　uncertain　is　the
climate　in　Summer　that　a　lady　who　goes　out　visiting　cannot　hope　to　be
prepared　for　all　emergencies　unless　she　takes　her　fan　under　one　arm　and
her　snow　shoes　under　the　other。　　When　they　have　a　Fourth　of　July
procession　it　generally　snows　on　them；　and　they　do　say　that　as　a　general
thing　when　a　man　calls　for　a　brandy　toddy　there；　the　bar　keeper　chops　it
off　with　a　hatchet　and　wraps　it　up　in　a　paper；　like　maple　sugar。　　And　it
is　further　reported　that　the　old　soakers　haven't　any　teethwore　them　out
eating　gin　cocktails　and　brandy　punches。　　I　do　not　endorse　that
statementI　simply　give　it　for　what　it　is　worthand　it　is　worthwell；
I　should　say；　millions；　to　any　man　who　can　believe　it　without　straining
himself。　　But　I　do　endorse　the　snow　on　the　Fourth　of　Julybecause　I　know
that　to　be　true。




CHAPTER　XXXIX。

About　seven　o'clock　one　blistering　hot　morningfor　it　was　now　dead
summer　timeHigbie　and　I　took　the　boat　and　started　on　a　voyage　of
discovery　to　the　two　islands。　　We　had　often　longed　to　do　this；　but　had
been　deterred　by　the　fear　of　storms；　for　they　were　frequent；　and　severe
enough　to　capsize　an　ordinary　row…boat　like　ours　without　great
difficultyand　once　capsized；　death　would　ensue　in　spite　of　the　bravest
swimming；　for　that　venomous　water　would　eat　a　man's　eyes　out　like　fire；
and　burn　him　out　inside；　too；　if　he　shipped　a　sea。　　It　was　called　twelve
miles；　straight　out　to　the　islandsa　long　pull　and　a　warm　onebut　the
morning　was　so　quiet　and　sunny；　and　the　lake　so　smooth　and　glassy　and
dead；　that　we　could　not　resist　the　temptation。　　So　we　filled　two　large
tin　canteens　with　water　（since　we　were　not　acquainted　with　the　locality
of　the　spring　said　to　exist　on　the　large　island）；　and　started。　　Higbie's
brawny　muscles　gave　the　boat　good　speed；　but　by　the　time　we　reached　our
destination　we　judged　that　we　had　pulled　nearer　fifteen　miles　than
twelve。

We　landed　on　the　big　island　and　went　ashore。　　We　tried　the　water　in　the
canteens；　now；　and　found　that　the　sun　had　spoiled　it；　it