roughing it-第49节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



But　he　had　never　seen　my　note　till　this　moment；　and　this　moment　was　the
first　time　he　had　been　in　the　cabin　since　the　day　he　had　seen　me　last。
He；　also；　had　left　a　note　for　me；　on　that　same　fatal　afternoonhad
ridden　up　on　horseback；　and　looked　through　the　window；　and　being　in　a
hurry　and　not　seeing　me；　had　tossed　the　note　into　the　cabin　through　a
broken　pane。　　Here　it　was；　on　the　floor；　where　it　had　remained
undisturbed　for　nine　days：

　　　　　　〃Don't　fail　to　do　the　work　before　the　ten　days　expire。　　W。
　　　　　　has　passed　through　and　given　me　notice。　　I　am　to　join　him　at
　　　　　　Mono　Lake；　and　we　shall　go　on　from　there　to…night。　　He　says
　　　　　　he　will　find　it　this　time；　sure。　　CAL。〃

〃W。〃　　meant　Whiteman；　of　course。　　That　thrice　accursed　〃cement！〃

That　was　the　way　of　it。　　An　old　miner；　like　Higbie；　could　no　more
withstand　the　fascination　of　a　mysterious　mining　excitement　like　this
〃cement〃　foolishness；　than　he　could　refrain　from　eating　when　he　was
famishing。　　Higbie　had　been　dreaming　about　the　marvelous　cement　for
months；　and　now；　against　his　better　judgment；　he　had　gone　off　and　〃taken
the　chances〃　on　my　keeping　secure　a　mine　worth　a　million　undiscovered
cement　veins。　　They　had　not　been　followed　this　time。　　His　riding　out　of
town　in　broad　daylight　was　such　a　common…place　thing　to　do　that　it　had
not　attracted　any　attention。　　He　said　they　prosecuted　their　search　in　the
fastnesses　of　the　mountains　during　nine　days；　without　success；　they　could
not　find　the　cement。　　Then　a　ghastly　fear　came　over　him　that　something
might　have　happened　to　prevent　the　doing　of　the　necessary　work　to　hold
the　blind　lead　（though　indeed　he　thought　such　a　thing　hardly　possible）；
and　forthwith　he　started　home　with　all　speed。　　He　would　have　reached
Esmeralda　in　time；　but　his　horse　broke　down　and　he　had　to　walk　a　great
part　of　the　distance。　　And　so　it　happened　that　as　he　came　into　Esmeralda
by　one　road；　I　entered　it　by　another。　　His　was　the　superior　energy；
however；　for　he　went　straight　to　the　Wide　West；　instead　of　turning　aside
as　I　had　doneand　he　arrived　there　about　five　or　ten　minutes　too　late！
The　〃notice〃　was　already　up；　the　〃relocation〃　of　our　mine　completed
beyond　recall；　and　the　crowd　rapidly　dispersing。　　He　learned　some　facts
before　he　left　the　ground。　　The　foreman　had　not　been　seen　about　the
streets　since　the　night　we　had　located　the　minea　telegram　had　called
him　to　California　on　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　it　was　said。　　At　any
rate　he　had　done　no　work　and　the　watchful　eyes　of　the　community　were
taking　note　of　the　fact。　　At　midnight　of　this　woful　tenth　day；　the　ledge
would　be　〃relocatable；〃　and　by　eleven　o'clock　the　hill　was　black　with　men
prepared　to　do　the　relocating。　　That　was　the　crowd　I　had　seen　when　I
fancied　a　new　〃strike〃　had　been　madeidiot　that　I　was。

＇We　three　had　the　same　right　to　relocate　the　lead　that　other　people　had；
provided　we　were　quick　enough。＇　As　midnight　was　announced；　fourteen　men；
duly　armed　and　ready　to　back　their　proceedings；　put　up　their　〃notice〃　and
proclaimed　their　ownership　of　the　blind　lead；　under　the　new　name　of　the
〃Johnson。〃　　But　A。　D。　Allen　our　partner　（the　foreman）　put　in　a　sudden
appearance　about　that　time；　with　a　cocked　revolver　in　his　hand；　and　said
his　name　must　be　added　to　the　list；　or　he　would　〃thin　out　the　Johnson
company　some。〃　　He　was　a　manly；　splendid；　determined　fellow；　and　known　to
be　as　good　as　his　word；　and　therefore　a　compromise　was　effected。　　They
put　in　his　name　for　a　hundred　feet；　reserving　to　themselves　the　customary
two　hundred　feet　each。　　Such　was　the　history　of　the　night's　events；　as
Higbie　gathered　from　a　friend　on　the　way　home。

Higbie　and　I　cleared　out　on　a　new　mining　excitement　the　next　morning；
glad　to　get　away　from　the　scene　of　our　sufferings；　and　after　a　month　or
two　of　hardship　and　disappointment；　returned　to　Esmeralda　once　more。
Then　we　learned　that　the　Wide　West　and　the　Johnson　companies　had
consolidated；　that　the　stock；　thus　united；　comprised　five　thousand　feet；
or　shares；　that　the　foreman；　apprehending　tiresome　litigation；　and
considering　such　a　huge　concern　unwieldy；　had　sold　his　hundred　feet　for
ninety　thousand　dollars　in　gold　and　gone　home　to　the　States　to　enjoy　it。
If　the　stock　was　worth　such　a　gallant　figure；　with　five　thousand　shares
in　the　corporation；　it　makes　me　dizzy　to　think　what　it　would　have　been
worth　with　only　our　original　six　hundred　in　it。　　It　was　the　difference
between　six　hundred　men　owning　a　house　and　five　thousand　owning　it。　　We
would　have　been　millionaires　if　we　had　only　worked　with　pick　and　spade
one　little　day　on　our　property　and　so　secured　our　ownership！

It　reads　like　a　wild　fancy　sketch；　but　the　evidence　of　many　witnesses；
and　likewise　that　of　the　official　records　of　Esmeralda　District；　is
easily　obtainable　in　proof　that　it　is　a　true　history。　　I　can　always　have
it　to　say　that　I　was　absolutely　and　unquestionably　worth　a　million
dollars；　once；　for　ten　days。

A　year　ago　my　esteemed　and　in　every　way　estimable　old　millionaire
partner；　Higbie；　wrote　me　from　an　obscure　little　mining　camp　in
California　that　after　nine　or　ten　years　of　buffetings　and　hard　striving；
he　was　at　last　in　a　position　where　he　could　command　twenty…five　hundred
dollars；　and　said　he　meant　to　go　into　the　fruit　business　in　a　modest　way。
How　such　a　thought　would　have　insulted　him　the　night　we　lay　in　our　cabin
planning　European　trips　and　brown　stone　houses　on　Russian　Hill！




CHAPTER　XLII。

What　to　do　next？

It　was　a　momentous　question。　　I　had　gone　out　into　the　world　to　shift　for
myself；　at　the　age　of　thirteen　（for　my　father　had　endorsed　for　friends；
and　although　he　left　us　a　sumptuous　legacy　of　pride　in　his　fine　Virginian
stock　and　its　national　distinction；　I　presently　found　that　I　could　not
live　on　that　alone　without　occasional　bread　to　wash　it　down　with）。　　I　had
gained　a　livelihood　in　various　vocations；　but　had　not　dazzled　anybody
with　my　successes；　still　the　list　was　before　me；　and　the　amplest　liberty
in　the　matter　of　choosing；　provided　I　wanted　to　workwhich　I　did　not；
after　being　so　wealthy。　　I　had　once　been　a　grocery　clerk；　for　one　day；
but　had　consumed　so　much　sugar　in　that　time　that　I　was　relieved　from
further　duty　by　the　proprietor；　said　he　wanted　me　outside；　so　that　he
could　have　my　custom。　　I　had　studied　law　an　entire　week；　and　then　given
it　up　because　it　was　so　prosy　and　tiresome。　　I　had　engaged　briefly　in　the
study　of　blacksmithing；　but　wasted　so　much　time　trying　to　fix　the　bellows
so　that　it　would　blow　itself；　that　the　master　turned　me　adrift　in
disgrace；　and　told　me　I　would　come　to　no　good。　　I　had　been　a　bookseller's
clerk　for　awhile；　but　the　customers　bothered　me　so　much　I　could　not　read
with　any　comfort；　and　so　the　proprietor　gave　me　a　furlough　and　forgot　to
put　a　limit　to　it。　　I　had　clerked　in　a　drug　store　part　of　a　summer；　but
my　prescriptions　were　unlucky；　and　we　appeared　to　sell　more　stomach　pumps
than　soda　water。　　So　I　had　to　go。　　I　had　made　of　myself　a　tolerable
printer；　under　the　impression　that　I　would　be　another　Franklin　some　day；
but　somehow　had　missed　the　connection　thus　far。　　There　was　no　berth　open
in　the　Esmeralda　Union；　and　besides　I　had　always　been　such　a　slow
compositor　that　I　looked　with　envy　upon　the　achievements　of　apprentices
of　two　years'　standing；　and　when　I　took　a　〃take；〃　foremen　were　in　the
habit　of　suggesting　that　it　would　be　wanted　〃some　time　during　the　year。〃

I　was　a　good　average　St。　Louis　and　New　Orleans　pilot　and　by　no　means
ashamed　of　my　abilities　in　that　line；　wages　were　two　hundred　and　fifty
dollars　a　month　and　no　board　to　pay；　and　I　did　long　to　stand　behind　a
wheel　again　and　never　roam　any　morebut　I　had　been　making　such　an　ass　of
myself　lately　in　grandiloquent　letters　home　about　my　blind　lead　and　my
European　excursion　that　I　did　what　many　and　many　a　poor　disappointed
miner　had　done　before；　said　〃It　is　all　over　with　me　now；　and　I　will　never
go　back　home　to　be　pitiedand　snubbed。〃　　I　had　been　a　private　secretary；
a　silver　miner　and　a　silver　mill　operative；　and　amounted　to　less　than
nothing　in　each；　and　now

What　to　do　next？

I　yielded　to　Higbie's　appeals　and　consented　to　try　the　mining　once　more。
We　climbed　far　up　on　the　mountain　side　and　went　to　work　on　a　little
rubbishy　claim　of　ours　that　had　a　shaft　on　it　eight　feet　deep。　　Higbie
descended　into　it　and　worked　bravely　with　his　pick　till　he　had　loosened
up　a　deal　of　rock　and　dirt　and　then　I　went　down　with　a　long…handled
shovel　（the　most　awkward　invention　yet　contrived　by　man）　to　throw　it　out。
You　must　brace　the　shovel　forward　with　the　side　of　your　knee　till　it　is
full；　and　then；　with　a　skilful　toss；　throw　it　backward　over　your　left
shoulder。　　I　made　the　toss；　and　landed　the　mess　just　on　the　edge　of　the
shaft　and　it　all　came　back　on　my　head　and　down　the　back　of　my　neck。
I　never　said　a　word；　but　climbed　out　and　walked　home。　　I　inwardly
resolved　that　I　would　starve　before　I　would　make　a　target　of　myself　and
shoot　rubbish　at　it　with　a　long…handled　shovel。

I　sat　down；　in　the　cabin；　and　gave　myself　up　to　solid　miseryso　to
speak。　　Now　in　pleasanter　days　I　had　amused　myself　with　writing　letters
to　the　chief　paper　of　the　Territory；　the　Virginia　Daily　Territorial
Enterpri