roughing it-第57节

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He　was　the　worst　son　of　a　thief　that　ever　drawed　breath。　　Pard；　he　was　on
it！　　He　was　on　it　bigger　than　an　Injun！〃

〃On　it？　　On　what？〃

〃On　the　shoot。　　On　the　shoulder。　　On　the　fight；　you　understand。
He　didn't　give　a　continental　for　any　body。　　Beg　your　pardon；　friend；　for
coming　so　near　saying　a　cuss…wordbut　you　see　I'm　on　an　awful　strain；　in
this　palaver；　on　account　of　having　to　cramp　down　and　draw　everything　so
mild。　　But　we've　got　to　give　him　up。　　There　ain't　any　getting　around
that；　I　don't　reckon。　　Now　if　we　can　get　you　to　help　plant　him〃

〃Preach　the　funeral　discourse？　　Assist　at　the　obsequies？〃

〃Obs'quies　is　good。　　Yes。　　That's　itthat's　our　little　game。　　We　are
going　to　get　the　thing　up　regardless；　you　know。　　He　was　always　nifty
himself；　and　so　you　bet　you　his　funeral　ain't　going　to　be　no　slouch
solid　silver　door…plate　on　his　coffin；　six　plumes　on　the　hearse；　and　a
nigger　on　the　box　in　a　biled　shirt　and　a　plug　hathow's　that　for　high？
And　we'll　take　care　of　you；　pard。　　We'll　fix　you　all　right。　　There'll　be
a　kerridge　for　you；　and　whatever　you　want；　you　just　'scape　out　and　we'll
'tend　to　it。　　We've　got　a　shebang　fixed　up　for　you　to　stand　behind；　in
No。　1's　house；　and　don't　you　be　afraid。　　Just　go　in　and　toot　your　horn；
if　you　don't　sell　a　clam。　　Put　Buck　through　as　bully　as　you　can；　pard；
for　anybody　that　knowed　him　will　tell　you　that　he　was　one　of　the　whitest
men　that　was　ever　in　the　mines。　　You　can't　draw　it　too　strong。　　He　never
could　stand　it　to　see　things　going　wrong。　　He's　done　more　to　make　this
town　quiet　and　peaceable　than　any　man　in　it。　　I've　seen　him　lick　four
Greasers　in　eleven　minutes；　myself。　　If　a　thing　wanted　regulating；　he
warn't　a　man　to　go　browsing　around　after　somebody　to　do　it；　but　he　would
prance　in　and　regulate　it　himself。　　He　warn't　a　Catholic。　　Scasely。　　He
was　down　on　'em。　　His　word　was；　'No　Irish　need　apply！'　　But　it　didn't
make　no　difference　about　that　when　it　came　down　to　what　a　man's　rights
wasand　so；　when　some　roughs　jumped　the　Catholic　bone…yard　and　started
in　to　stake　out　town…lots　in　it　he　went　for　'em！　　And　he　cleaned　'em；
too！　　I　was　there；　pard；　and　I　seen　it　myself。〃

〃That　was　very　well　indeedat　least　the　impulse　waswhether　the　act　was
strictly　defensible　or　not。　　Had　deceased　any　religious　convictions？
That　is　to　say；　did　he　feel　a　dependence　upon；　or　acknowledge　allegiance
to　a　higher　power？'

More　reflection。

〃I　reckon　you've　stumped　me　again；　pard。　　Could　you　say　it　over　once
more；　and　say　it　slow？〃

〃Well；　to　simplify　it　somewhat；　was　he；　or　rather　had　he　ever　been
connected　with　any　organization　sequestered　from　secular　concerns　and
devoted　to　self…sacrifice　in　the　interests　of　morality？〃

〃All　down　but　nineset　'em　up　on　the　other　alley；　pard。〃

〃What　did　I　understand　you　to　say？〃

〃Why；　you're　most　too　many　for　me；　you　know。　　When　you　get　in　with　your
left　I　hunt　grass　every　time。　　Every　time　you　draw；　you　fill；　but　I　don't
seem　to　have　any　luck。　　Lets　have　a　new　deal。〃

〃How？　　Begin　again？〃

〃That's　it。〃

〃Very　well。　　Was　he　a　good　man；　and〃

〃ThereI　see　that；　don't　put　up　another　chip　till　I　look　at　my　hand。
A　good　man；　says　you？　　Pard；　it　ain't　no　name　for　it。　　He　was　the　best
man　that　everpard；　you　would　have　doted　on　that　man。　　He　could　lam　any
galoot　of　his　inches　in　America。　　It　was　him　that　put　down　the　riot　last
election　before　it　got　a　start；　and　everybody　said　he　was　the　only　man
that　could　have　done　it。　　He　waltzed　in　with　a　spanner　in　one　hand　and　a
trumpet　in　the　other；　and　sent　fourteen　men　home　on　a　shutter　in　less
than　three　minutes。　　He　had　that　riot　all　broke　up　and　prevented　nice
before　anybody　ever　got　a　chance　to　strike　a　blow。　　He　was　always　for
peace；　and　he　would　have　peacehe　could　not　stand　disturbances。　　Pard；
he　was　a　great　loss　to　this　town。　　It　would　please　the　boys　if　you　could
chip　in　something　like　that　and　do　him　justice。　　Here　once　when　the　Micks
got　to　throwing　stones　through　the　Methodis'　Sunday　school　windows；　Buck
Fanshaw；　all　of　his　own　notion；　shut　up　his　saloon　and　took　a　couple　of
six…shooters　and　mounted　guard　over　the　Sunday　school。　　Says　he；　'No
Irish　need　apply！'　　And　they　didn't。　　He　was　the　bulliest　man　in　the
mountains；　pard！　　He　could　run　faster；　jump　higher；　hit　harder；　and　hold
more　tangle…foot　whisky　without　spilling　it　than　any　man　in　seventeen
counties。　　Put　that　in；　pardit'll　please　the　boys　more　than　anything
you　could　say。　　And　you　can　say；　pard；　that　he　never　shook　his　mother。〃

〃Never　shook　his　mother？〃

〃That's　itany　of　the　boys　will　tell　you　so。〃

〃Well；　but　why　should　he　shake　her？〃

〃That's　what　I　saybut　some　people　does。〃

〃Not　people　of　any　repute？〃

〃Well；　some　that　averages　pretty　so…so。〃

〃In　my　opinion　the　man　that　would　offer　personal　violence　to　his　own
mother；　ought　to〃

〃Cheese　it；　pard；　you've　banked　your　ball　clean　outside　the　string。
What　I　was　a　drivin'　at；　was；　that　he　never　throwed　off　on　his　mother
don't　you　see？　　No　indeedy。　　He　give　her　a　house　to　live　in；　and　town
lots；　and　plenty　of　money；　and　he　looked　after　her　and　took　care　of　her
all　the　time；　and　when　she　was　down　with　the　small…pox　I'm　d…d　if　he
didn't　set　up　nights　and　nuss　her　himself！　　Beg　your　pardon　for　saying
it；　but　it　hopped　out　too　quick　for　yours　truly。

You've　treated　me　like　a　gentleman；　pard；　and　I　ain't　the　man　to　hurt
your　feelings　intentional。　　I　think　you're　white。　　I　think　you're　a
square　man；　pard。　　I　like　you；　and　I'll　lick　any　man　that　don't。　　I'll
lick　him　till　he　can't　tell　himself　from　a　last　year's　corpse！　　Put　it
there！〃　＇Another　fraternal　hand…shakeand　exit。＇

The　obsequies　were　all　that　〃the　boys〃　could　desire。　　Such　a　marvel　of
funeral　pomp　had　never　been　seen　in　Virginia。　　The　plumed　hearse；　the
dirge…breathing　brass　bands；　the　closed　marts　of　business；　the　flags
drooping　at　half　mast；　the　long；　plodding　procession　of　uniformed　secret
societies；　military　battalions　and　fire　companies；　draped　engines；
carriages　of　officials；　and　citizens　in　vehicles　and　on　foot；　attracted
multitudes　of　spectators　to　the　sidewalks；　roofs　and　windows；　and　for
years　afterward；　the　degree　of　grandeur　attained　by　any　civic　display　in
Virginia　was　determined　by　comparison　with　Buck　Fanshaw's　funeral。

Scotty　Briggs；　as　a　pall…bearer　and　a　mourner；　occupied　a　prominent　place
at　the　funeral；　and　when　the　sermon　was　finished　and　the　last　sentence　of
the　prayer　for　the　dead　man's　soul　ascended；　he　responded；　in　a　low
voice；　but　with　feelings：

〃AMEN。　　No　Irish　need　apply。〃

As　the　bulk　of　the　response　was　without　apparent　relevancy；　it　was
probably　nothing　more　than　a　humble　tribute　to　the　memory　of　the　friend
that　was　gone；　for；　as　Scotty　had　once　said；　it　was　〃his　word。〃

Scotty　Briggs；　in　after　days；　achieved　the　distinction　of　becoming　the
only　convert　to　religion　that　was　ever　gathered　from　the　Virginia　roughs；
and　it　transpired　that　the　man　who　had　it　in　him　to　espouse　the　quarrel
of　the　weak　out　of　inborn　nobility　of　spirit　was　no　mean　timber　whereof
to　construct　a　Christian。　　The　making　him　one　did　not　warp　his　generosity
or　diminish　his　courage；　on　the　contrary　it　gave　intelligent　direction　to
the　one　and　a　broader　field　to　the　other。

If　his　Sunday…school　class　progressed　faster　than　the　other　classes；　was
it　matter　for　wonder？　　I　think　not。　　He　talked　to　his　pioneer　small…fry
in　a　language　they　understood！　　It　was　my　large　privilege；　a　month　before
he　died；　to　hear　him　tell　the　beautiful　story　of　Joseph　and　his　brethren
to　his　class　〃without　looking　at　the　book。〃　　I　leave　it　to　the　reader　to
fancy　what　it　was　like；　as　it　fell；　riddled　with　slang；　from　the　lips　of
that　grave；　earnest　teacher；　and　was　listened　to　by　his　little　learners
with　a　consuming　interest　that　showed　that　they　were　as　unconscious　as　he
was　that　any　violence　was　being　done　to　the　sacred　proprieties！




CHAPTER　XLVIII。

The　first　twenty…six　graves　in　the　Virginia　cemetery　were　occupied　by
murdered　men。　　So　everybody　said；　so　everybody　believed；　and　so　they　will
always　say　and　believe。　　The　reason　why　there　was　so　much　slaughtering
done；　was；　that　in　a　new　mining　district　the　rough　element　predominates；
and　a　person　is　not　respected　until　he　has　〃killed　his　man。〃　　That　was
the　very　expression　used。

If　an　unknown　individual　arrived；　they　did　not　inquire　if　he　was　capable；
honest；　industrious；　buthad　he　killed　his　man？　　If　he　had　not；　he
gravitated　to　his　natural　and　proper　position；　that　of　a　man　of　small
consequence；　if　he　had；　the　cordiality　of　his　reception　was　graduated
according　to　the　number　of　his　dead。　　It　was　tedious　work　struggling　up
to　a　position　of　influence　with　bloodless　hands；　but　when　a　man　came　with
the　blood　of　half　a　dozen　men　on　his　soul；　his　worth　was　recognized　at
once　and　his　acquaintance　sought。

In　Nevada；　for　a　time；　the　lawyer；　the　editor；　the　banker；　the　chief
desperado；　the　chief　gambler；　and　the　saloon　keeper；　occupied　the　same
level　in　society；　and　it　was　the　highest。　　The　cheapest　and　easiest　way
to　become　an　influential　man　and　be　looked　up　to　by　the　community　at
large；　was　to　stand　behind　a　bar；　wear　a　cluster…diamond　pin；　and　sell
whisky。　　I　am　not　sure