roughing it- 第7部分

　　　　　You　may　depend　upon　it；　we　all　did　justice　to　the　good　things；　and
　　　　　as　we　washed　them　down　with　bumpers　of　sparkling　Krug；　whilst　we
　　　　　sped　along　at　the　rate　of　thirty　miles　an　hour；　agreed　it　was　the
　　　　　fastest　living　we　had　ever　experienced。　　（We　beat　that；　however；　two
　　　　　days　afterward　when　we　made　twenty…seven　miles　in　twenty…seven
　　　　　minutes；　while　our　Champagne　glasses　filled　to　the　brim　spilled　not
　　　　　a　drop！）　After　dinner　we　repaired　to　our　drawing…room　car；　and；　as
　　　　　it　was　Sabbath　eve；　intoned　some　of　the　grand　old　hymns〃Praise　God
　　　　　from　whom；〃　etc。；　〃Shining　Shore；〃　〃Coronation；〃　etc。the　voices　of
　　　　　the　men　singers　and　of　the　women　singers　blending　sweetly　in　the
　　　　　evening　air；　while　our　train；　with　its　great；　glaring　Polyphemus
　　　　　eye；　lighting　up　long　vistas　of　prairie；　rushed　into　the　night　and
　　　　　the　Wild。　　Then　to　bed　in　luxurious　couches；　where　we　slept　the
　　　　　sleep　of　the　just　and　only　awoke　the　next　morning　（Monday）　at　eight
　　　　　o'clock；　to　find　ourselves　at　the　crossing　of　the　North　Platte；
　　　　　three　hundred　miles　from　Omahafifteen　hours　and　forty　minutes
　　　　　out。〃




CHAPTER　V。

Another　night　of　alternate　tranquillity　and　turmoil。　　But　morning　came；
by　and　by。　　It　was　another　glad　awakening　to　fresh　breezes；　vast　expanses
of　level　greensward；　bright　sunlight；　an　impressive　solitude　utterly
without　visible　human　beings　or　human　habitations；　and　an　atmosphere　of
such　amazing　magnifying　properties　that　trees　that　seemed　close　at　hand
were　more　than　three　mile　away。　　We　resumed　undress　uniform；　climbed
a…top　of　the　flying　coach；　dangled　our　legs　over　the　side；　shouted
occasionally　at　our　frantic　mules；　merely　to　see　them　lay　their　ears　back
and　scamper　faster；　tied　our　hats　on　to　keep　our　hair　from　blowing　away；
and　leveled　an　outlook　over　the　world…wide　carpet　about　us　for　things　new
and　strange　to　gaze　at。　　Even　at　this　day　it　thrills　me　through　and
through　to　think　of　the　life；　the　gladness　and　the　wild　sense　of　freedom
that　used　to　make　the　blood　dance　in　my　veins　on　those　fine　overland
mornings！

Along　about　an　hour　after　breakfast　we　saw　the　first　prairie…dog
villages；　the　first　antelope；　and　the　first　wolf。　　If　I　remember　rightly；
this　latter　was　the　regular　cayote　（pronounced　ky…o…te）　of　the　farther
deserts。　　And　if　it　was；　he　was　not　a　pretty　creature　or　respectable
either；　for　I　got　well　acquainted　with　his　race　afterward；　and　can　speak
with　confidence。　　The　cayote　is　a　long；　slim；　sick　and　sorry…looking
skeleton；　with　a　gray　wolf…skin　stretched　over　it；　a　tolerably　bushy　tail
that　forever　sags　down　with　a　despairing　expression　of　forsakenness　and
misery；　a　furtive　and　evil　eye；　and　a　long；　sharp　face；　with　slightly
lifted　lip　and　exposed　teeth。　　He　has　a　general　slinking　expression　all
over。　　The　cayote　is　a　living；　breathing　allegory　of　Want。　　He　is　always
hungry。

He　is　always　poor；　out　of　luck　and　friendless。　　The　meanest　creatures
despise　him；　and　even　the　fleas　would　desert　him　for　a　velocipede。　　He　is
so　spiritless　and　cowardly　that　even　while　his　exposed　teeth　are
pretending　a　threat；　the　rest　of　his　face　is　apologizing　for　it。　　And　he
is　so　homely！so　scrawny；　and　ribby；　and　coarse…haired；　and　pitiful。
When　he　sees　you　he　lifts　his　lip　and　lets　a　flash　of　his　teeth　out；　and
then　turns　a　little　out　of　the　course　he　was　pursuing；　depresses　his　head
a　bit；　and　strikes　a　long；　soft…footed　trot　through　the　sage…brush；
glancing　over　his　shoulder　at　you；　from　time　to　time；　till　he　is　about
out　of　easy　pistol　range；　and　then　he　stops　and　takes　a　deliberate　survey
of　you；　he　will　trot　fifty　yards　and　stop　againanother　fifty　and　stop
again；　and　finally　the　gray　of　his　gliding　body　blends　with　the　gray　of
the　sage…brush；　and　he　disappears。　　All　this　is　when　you　make　no
demonstration　against　him；　but　if　you　do；　he　develops　a　livelier　interest
in　his　journey；　and　instantly　electrifies　his　heels　and　puts　such　a　deal
of　real　estate　between　himself　and　your　weapon；　that　by　the　time　you　have
raised　the　hammer　you　see　that　you　need　a　minie　rifle；　and　by　the　time
you　have　got　him　in　line　you　need　a　rifled　cannon；　and　by　the　time　you
have　〃drawn　a　bead〃　on　him　you　see　well　enough　that　nothing　but　an
unusually　long…winded　streak　of　lightning　could　reach　him　where　he　is
now。　　But　if　you　start　a　swift…footed　dog　after　him；　you　will　enjoy　it
ever　so　muchespecially　if　it　is　a　dog　that　has　a　good　opinion　of
himself；　and　has　been　brought　up　to　think　he　knows　something　about　speed。

The　cayote　will　go　swinging　gently　off　on　that　deceitful　trot　of　his；　and
every　little　while　he　will　smile　a　fraudful　smile　over　his　shoulder　that
will　fill　that　dog　entirely　full　of　encouragement　and　worldly　ambition；
and　make　him　lay　his　head　still　lower　to　the　ground；　and　stretch　his　neck
further　to　the　front；　and　pant　more　fiercely；　and　stick　his　tail　out
straighter　behind；　and　move　his　furious　legs　with　a　yet　wilder　frenzy；
and　leave　a　broader　and　broader；　and　higher　and　denser　cloud　of　desert
sand　smoking　behind；　and　marking　his　long　wake　across　the　level　plain！
And　all　this　time　the　dog　is　only　a　short　twenty　feet　behind　the　cayote；
and　to　save　the　soul　of　him　he　cannot　understand　why　it　is　that　he　cannot
get　perceptibly　closer；　and　he　begins　to　get　aggravated；　and　it　makes　him
madder　and　madder　to　see　how　gently　the　cayote　glides　along　and　never
pants　or　sweats　or　ceases　to　smile；　and　he　grows　still　more　and　more
incensed　to　see　how　shamefully　he　has　been　taken　in　by　an　entire
stranger；　and　what　an　ignoble　swindle　that　long；　calm；　soft…footed　trot
is；　and　next　he　notices　that　he　is　getting　fagged；　and　that　the　cayote
actually　has　to　slacken　speed　a　little　to　keep　from　running　away　from
himand　then　that　town…dog　is　mad　in　earnest；　and　he　begins　to　strain
and　weep　and　swear；　and　paw　the　sand　higher　than　ever；　and　reach　for　the
cayote　with　concentrated　and　desperate　energy。　　This　〃spurt〃　finds　him
six　feet　behind　the　gliding　enemy；　and　two　miles　from　his　friends。　　And
then；　in　the　instant　that　a　wild　new　hope　is　lighting　up　his　face；　the
cayote　turns　and　smiles　blandly　upon　him　once　more；　and　with　a　something
about　it　which　seems　to　say：　〃Well；　I　shall　have　to　tear　myself　away　from
you；　bubbusiness　is　business；　and　it　will　not　do　for　me　to　be　fooling
along　this　way　all　day〃and　forthwith　there　is　a　rushing　sound；　and　the
sudden　splitting　of　a　long　crack　through　the　atmosphere；　and　behold　that
dog　is　solitary　and　alone　in　the　midst　of　a　vast　solitude！

It　makes　his　head　swim。　　He　stops；　and　looks　all　around；　climbs　the
nearest　sand…mound；　and　gazes　into　the　distance；　shakes　his　head
reflectively；　and　then；　without　a　word；　he　turns　and　jogs　along　back　to
his　train；　and　takes　up　a　humble　position　under　the　hindmost　wagon；　and
feels　unspeakably　mean；　and　looks　ashamed；　and　hangs　his　tail　at　half…
mast　for　a　week。　　And　for　as　much　as　a　year　after　that；　whenever　there　is
a　great　hue　and　cry　after　a　cayote；　that　dog　will　merely　glance　in　that
direction　without　emotion；　and　apparently　observe　to　himself；　〃I　believe
I　do　not　wish　any　of　the　pie。〃

The　cayote　lives　chiefly　in　the　most　desolate　and　forbidding　desert；
along　with　the　lizard；　the　jackass…rabbit　and　the　raven；　and　gets　an
uncertain　and　precarious　living；　and　earns　it。　　He　seems　to　subsist
almost　wholly　on　the　carcases　of　oxen；　mules　and　horses　that　have　dropped
out　of　emigrant　trains　and　died；　and　upon　windfalls　of　carrion；　and
occasional　legacies　of　offal　bequeathed　to　him　by　white　men　who　have　been
opulent　enough　to　have　something　better　to　butcher　than　condemned　army
bacon。

He　will　eat　anything　in　the　world　that　his　first　cousins；　the　desert…
frequenting　tribes　of　Indians　will；　and　they　will　eat　anything　they　can
bite。　　It　is　a　curious　fact　that　these　latter　are　the　only　creatures
known　to　history　who　will　eat　nitro…glycerine　and　ask　for　more　if　they
survive。

The　cayote　of　the　deserts　beyond　the　Rocky　Mountains　has　a　peculiarly
hard　time　of　it；　owing　to　the　fact　that　his　relations；　the　Indians；　are
just　as　apt　to　be　the　first　to　detect　a　seductive　scent　on　the　desert
breeze；　and　follow　the　fragrance　to　the　late　ox　it　emanated　from；　as　he
is　himself；　and　when　this　occurs　he　has　to　content　himself　with　sitting
off　at　a　little　distance　watching　those　people　strip　off　and　dig　out
everything　edible；　and　walk　off　with　it。　　Then　he　and　the　waiting　ravens
explore　the　skeleton　and　polish　the　bones。　　It　is　considered　that　the
cayote；　and　the　obscene　bird；　and　the　Indian　of　the　desert；　testify　their
blood　kinship　with　each　other　in　that　they　live　together　in　the　waste
places　of　the　earth　on　terms　of　perfect　confidence　and　friendship；　while
hating　all　other　creature　and　yearning　to　assist　at　their　funerals。　　He
does　not　mind　going　a　hundred　miles　to　breakfast；　and　a　hundred　and　fifty
to　dinner；　because　he　is　sure　to　have　three　or　four　days　between　meals；
and　he　can　just　as　well　be　traveling　and　looking　at　the　scenery　as　lying
around　doing　nothing　and　adding　to　the　burdens　of　his　parents。

We　soon　learned　to　recognize　the　sharp；　vicious　bark　of　the　cayote　as　it
came　across　the　murky　plain　at　night　to　disturb　our　dreams　among　the
mail…sacks；　and　remembering　his　forlorn　aspect　and　his　hard　fortune；　made
shift　to　wish　him　the　blessed　novelty　of　a　long　day's　good　luck　and　a
limitless　larder　the　morrow。




CHAPTER　VI。

Our　new　conductor　（just　shipped）　had　been　without　sleep　for　twenty　hours。
Such　a　thing　was　very　frequent。　　From　St。　Joseph；　Missouri；　to
Sacramento；　California；　by　stage…coach；　was　nearly　nineteen　hundred
miles；　and　the　trip　was　often　made　in　fifteen　days　（the　cars　do　it　in
four　and　a　half；　now）；　but　the　time　specified　in　the　mail　contracts；　and
required　by　the　schedule；　was　eighteen　or　nineteen　days；　if　I　remember
rightly。　　This　was　to　make　fair　allowance　for　winter　storms　and　snows；
and　other　unavoidable　causes　of　detention。　　The　stage　company　had
everything　under　strict　discipline　and　good　system。　　Over　each　two
hundred　and　fifty　miles　of　road　they　placed　an　agent　or　superintendent；
and　invested　him　with　great　authority。　　His　beat　or　jurisdiction　of　two
hundred　and　fifty　miles　was　call