roughing it-第26章

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　　　　　　pass　that　when　they　had　all　fallen　by　the　sword；　save　it　were
　　　　　　Coriantumr　and　Shiz；　behold　Shiz　had　fainted　with　loss　of　blood。
　　　　　　And　it　came　to　pass　that　when　Coriantumr　had　leaned　upon　his　sword；
　　　　　　that　he　rested　a　little；　he　smote　off　the　head　of　Shiz。　　And　it　came
　　　　　　to　pass　that　after　he　had　smote　off　the　head　of　Shiz；　that　Shiz
　　　　　　raised　upon　his　hands　and　fell；　and　after　that　he　had　struggled　for
　　　　　　breath；　he　died。　　And　it　came　to　pass　that　Coriantumr　fell　to　the
　　　　　　earth；　and　became　as　if　he　had　no　life。　　And　the　Lord　spake　unto
　　　　　　Ether；　and　said　unto　him；　go　forth。　　And　he　went　forth；　and　beheld
　　　　　　that　the　words　of　the　Lord　had　all　been　fulfilled；　and　he　finished
　　　　　　his　record；　and　the　hundredth　part　I　have　not　written。

It　seems　a　pity　he　did　not　finish；　for　after　all　his　dreary　former
chapters　of　commonplace；　he　stopped　just　as　he　was　in　danger　of　becoming
interesting。

The　Mormon　Bible　is　rather　stupid　and　tiresome　to　read；　but　there　is
nothing　vicious　in　its　teachings。　　Its　code　of　morals　is　unobjectionable…
…it　is　〃smouched〃　＇Milton＇　from　the　New　Testament　and　no　credit　given。




CHAPTER　XVII。

At　the　end　of　our　two　days'　sojourn；　we　left　Great　Salt　Lake　City　hearty
and　well　fed　and　happyphysically　superb　but　not　so　very　much　wiser；　as
regards　the　〃Mormon　question；〃　than　we　were　when　we　arrived；　perhaps。
We　had　a　deal　more　〃information〃　than　we　had　before；　of　course；　but　we
did　not　know　what　portion　of　it　was　reliable　and　what　was　notfor　it　all
came　from　acquaintances　of　a　daystrangers；　strictly　speaking。　　We　were
told；　for　instance；　that　the　dreadful　〃Mountain　Meadows　Massacre〃　was　the
work　of　the　Indians　entirely；　and　that　the　Gentiles　had　meanly　tried　to
fasten　it　upon　the　Mormons；　we　were　told；　likewise；　that　the　Indians　were
to　blame；　partly；　and　partly　the　Mormons；　and　we　were　told；　likewise；　and
just　as　positively；　that　the　Mormons　were　almost　if　not　wholly　and
completely　responsible　for　that　most　treacherous　and　pitiless　butchery。
We　got　the　story　in　all　these　different　shapes；　but　it　was　not　till
several　years　afterward　that　Mrs。　Waite's　book；　〃The　Mormon　Prophet；〃
came　out　with　Judge　Cradlebaugh's　trial　of　the　accused　parties　in　it　and
revealed　the　truth　that　the　latter　version　was　the　correct　one　and　that
the　Mormons　were　the　assassins。　　All　our　〃information〃　had　three　sides　to
it；　and　so　I　gave　up　the　idea　that　I　could　settle　the　〃Mormon　question〃
in　two　days。　　Still　I　have　seen　newspaper　correspondents　do　it　in　one。

I　left　Great　Salt　Lake　a　good　deal　confused　as　to　what　state　of　things
existed　thereand　sometimes　even　questioning　in　my　own　mind　whether　a
state　of　things　existed　there　at　all　or　not。　　But　presently　I　remembered
with　a　lightening　sense　of　relief　that　we　had　learned　two　or　three
trivial　things　there　which　we　could　be　certain　of；　and　so　the　two　days
were　not　wholly　lost。　　For　instance；　we　had　learned　that　we　were　at　last
in　a　pioneer　land；　in　absolute　and　tangible　reality。

The　high　prices　charged　for　trifles　were　eloquent　of　high　freights　and
bewildering　distances　of　freightage。　　In　the　east；　in　those　days；　the
smallest　moneyed　denomination　was　a　penny　and　it　represented　the　smallest
purchasable　quantity　of　any　commodity。　　West　of　Cincinnati　the　smallest
coin　in　use　was　the　silver　five…cent　piece　and　no　smaller　quantity　of　an
article　could　be　bought　than　〃five　cents'　worth。〃　　In　Overland　City　the
lowest　coin　appeared　to　be　the　ten…cent　piece；　but　in　Salt　Lake　there　did
not　seem　to　be　any　money　in　circulation　smaller　than　a　quarter；　or　any
smaller　quantity　purchasable　of　any　commodity　than　twenty…five　cents'
worth。　　We　had　always　been　used　to　half　dimes　and　〃five　cents'　worth〃　as
the　minimum　of　financial　negotiations；　but　in　Salt　Lake　if　one　wanted　a
cigar；　it　was　a　quarter；　if　he　wanted　a　chalk　pipe；　it　was　a　quarter；　if
he　wanted　a　peach；　or　a　candle；　or　a　newspaper；　or　a　shave；　or　a　little
Gentile　whiskey　to　rub　on　his　corns　to　arrest　indigestion　and　keep　him
from　having　the　toothache；　twenty…five　cents　was　the　price；　every　time。
When　we　looked　at　the　shot…bag　of　silver；　now　and　then；　we　seemed　to　be
wasting　our　substance　in　riotous　living；　but　if　we　referred　to　the
expense　account　we　could　see　that　we　had　not　been　doing　anything　of　the
kind。

But　people　easily　get　reconciled　to　big　money　and　big　prices；　and　fond
and　vain　of　bothit　is　a　descent　to　little　coins　and　cheap　prices　that
is　hardest　to　bear　and　slowest　to　take　hold　upon　one's　toleration。　　After
a　month's　acquaintance　with　the　twenty…five　cent　minimum；　the　average
human　being　is　ready　to　blush　every　time　he　thinks　of　his　despicable
five…cent　days。　　How　sunburnt　with　blushes　I　used　to　get　in　gaudy　Nevada；
every　time　I　thought　of　my　first　financial　experience　in　Salt　Lake。
It　was　on　this　wise　（which　is　a　favorite　expression　of　great　authors；　and
a　very　neat　one；　too；　but　I　never　hear　anybody　say　on　this　wise　when　they
are　talking）。　　A　young　half…breed　with　a　complexion　like　a　yellow…jacket
asked　me　if　I　would　have　my　boots　blacked。　　It　was　at　the　Salt　Lake　House
the　morning　after　we　arrived。　　I　said　yes；　and　he　blacked　them。　　Then　I
handed　him　a　silver　five…cent　piece；　with　the　benevolent　air　of　a　person
who　is　conferring　wealth　and　blessedness　upon　poverty　and　suffering。　　The
yellow…jacket　took　it　with　what　I　judged　to　be　suppressed　emotion；　and
laid　it　reverently　down　in　the　middle　of　his　broad　hand。　　Then　he　began
to　contemplate　it；　much　as　a　philosopher　contemplates　a　gnat's　ear　in　the
ample　field　of　his　microscope。　　Several　mountaineers；　teamsters；　stage…
drivers；　etc。；　drew　near　and　dropped　into　the　tableau　and　fell　to
surveying　the　money　with　that　attractive　indifference　to　formality　which
is　noticeable　in　the　hardy　pioneer。　　Presently　the　yellow…jacket　handed
the　half　dime　back　to　me　and　told　me　I　ought　to　keep　my　money　in　my
pocket…book　instead　of　in　my　soul；　and　then　I　wouldn't　get　it　cramped　and
shriveled　up　so！

What　a　roar　of　vulgar　laughter　there　was！　　I　destroyed　the　mongrel
reptile　on　the　spot；　but　I　smiled　and　smiled　all　the　time　I　was　detaching
his　scalp；　for　the　remark　he　made　was　good　for　an　〃Injun。〃

Yes；　we　had　learned　in　Salt　Lake　to　be　charged　great　prices　without
letting　the　inward　shudder　appear　on　the　surfacefor　even　already　we　had
overheard　and　noted　the　tenor　of　conversations　among　drivers；　conductors；
and　hostlers；　and　finally　among　citizens　of　Salt　Lake；　until　we　were　well
aware　that　these　superior　beings　despised　〃emigrants。〃　　We　permitted　no
tell…tale　shudders　and　winces　in　our　countenances；　for　we　wanted　to　seem
pioneers；　or　Mormons；　half…breeds；　teamsters；　stage…drivers；　Mountain
Meadow　assassinsanything　in　the　world　that　the　plains　and　Utah
respected　and　admiredbut　we　were　wretchedly　ashamed　of　being
〃emigrants；〃　and　sorry　enough　that　we　had　white　shirts　and　could　not
swear　in　the　presence　of　ladies　without　looking　the　other　way。

And　many　a　time　in　Nevada；　afterwards；　we　had　occasion　to　remember　with
humiliation　that　we　were　〃emigrants；〃　and　consequently　a　low　and　inferior
sort　of　creatures。　　Perhaps　the　reader　has　visited　Utah；　Nevada；　or
California；　even　in　these　latter　days；　and　while　communing　with　himself
upon　the　sorrowful　banishment　of　these　countries　from　what　he　considers
〃the　world；〃　has　had　his　wings　clipped　by　finding　that　he　is　the　one　to
be　pitied；　and　that　there　are　entire　populations　around　him　ready　and
willing　to　do　it　for　himyea；　who　are　complacently　doing　it　for　him
already；　wherever　he　steps　his　foot。

Poor　thing；　they　are　making　fun　of　his　hat；　and　the　cut　of　his　New　York
coat；　and　his　conscientiousness　about　his　grammar；　and　his　feeble
profanity；　and　his　consumingly　ludicrous　ignorance　of　ores；　shafts；
tunnels；　and　other　things　which　he　never　saw　before；　and　never　felt
enough　interest　in　to　read　about。　　And　all　the　time　that　he　is　thinking
what　a　sad　fate　it　is　to　be　exiled　to　that　far　country；　that　lonely　land；
the　citizens　around　him　are　looking　down　on　him　with　a　blighting
compassion　because　he　is　an　〃emigrant〃　instead　of　that　proudest　and
blessedest　creature　that　exists　on　all　the　earth；　a　〃FORTY…NINE