roughing it-第32章

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something　he　took　for　a　tarantula；　and　not　losing　any　time　about　it；
either。　　Directly　a　voice　in　the　corner　rang　out　wild　and　clear：

〃I've　got　him！　　I've　got　him！〃　＇Pause；　and　probable　change　of
circumstances。＇　　〃No；　he's　got　me！　　Oh；　ain't　they　never　going　to　fetch　a
lantern！〃

The　lantern　came　at　that　moment；　in　the　hands　of　Mrs。　O'Flannigan；　whose
anxiety　to　know　the　amount　of　damage　done　by　the　assaulting　roof　had　not
prevented　her　waiting　a　judicious　interval；　after　getting　out　of　bed　and
lighting　up；　to　see　if　the　wind　was　done；　now；　up　stairs；　or　had　a　larger
contract。

The　landscape　presented　when　the　lantern　flashed　into　the　room　was
picturesque；　and　might　have　been　funny　to　some　people；　but　was　not　to　us。
Although　we　were　perched　so　strangely　upon　boxes；　trunks　and　beds；　and　so
strangely　attired；　too；　we　were　too　earnestly　distressed　and　too
genuinely　miserable　to　see　any　fun　about　it；　and　there　was　not　the
semblance　of　a　smile　anywhere　visible。　　I　know　I　am　not　capable　of
suffering　more　than　I　did　during　those　few　minutes　of　suspense　in　the
dark；　surrounded　by　those　creeping；　bloody…minded　tarantulas。　　I　had
skipped　from　bed　to　bed　and　from　box　to　box　in　a　cold　agony；　and　every
time　I　touched　anything　that　was　furzy　I　fancied　I　felt　the　fangs。　　I　had
rather　go　to　war　than　live　that　episode　over　again。　　Nobody　was　hurt。
The　man　who　thought　a　tarantula　had　〃got　him〃　was　mistakenonly　a　crack
in　a　box　had　caught　his　finger。　　Not　one　of　those　escaped　tarantulas　was
ever　seen　again。　　There　were　ten　or　twelve　of　them。　　We　took　candles　and
hunted　the　place　high　and　low　for　them；　but　with　no　success。　　Did　we　go
back　to　bed　then？　　We　did　nothing　of　the　kind。　　Money　could　not　have
persuaded　us　to　do　it。　　We　sat　up　the　rest　of　the　night　playing　cribbage
and　keeping　a　sharp　lookout　for　the　enemy。




CHAPTER　XXII。

It　was　the　end　of　August；　and　the　skies　were　cloudless　and　the　weather
superb。　　In　two　or　three　weeks　I　had　grown　wonderfully　fascinated　with
the　curious　new　country　and　concluded　to　put　off　my　return　to　〃the
States〃　awhile。　　I　had　grown　well　accustomed　to　wearing　a　damaged　slouch
hat；　blue　woolen　shirt；　and　pants　crammed　into　boot…tops；　and　gloried　in
the　absence　of　coat；　vest　and　braces。　　I　felt　rowdyish　and　〃bully；〃　（as
the　historian　Josephus　phrases　it；　in　his　fine　chapter　upon　the
destruction　of　the　Temple）。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　nothing　could　be　so
fine　and　so　romantic。　　I　had　become　an　officer　of　the　government；　but
that　was　for　mere　sublimity。　　The　office　was　an　unique　sinecure。　　I　had
nothing　to　do　and　no　salary。　　I　was　private　Secretary　to　his　majesty　the
Secretary　and　there　was　not　yet　writing　enough　for　two　of　us。　　So　Johnny
K　and　I　devoted　our　time　to　amusement。　　He　was　the　young　son　of　an
Ohio　nabob　and　was　out　there　for　recreation。　　He　got　it。　　We　had　heard　a
world　of　talk　about　the　marvellous　beauty　of　Lake　Tahoe；　and　finally
curiosity　drove　us　thither　to　see　it。　　Three　or　four　members　of　the
Brigade　had　been　there　and　located　some　timber　lands　on　its　shores　and
stored　up　a　quantity　of　provisions　in　their　camp。　　We　strapped　a　couple
of　blankets　on　our　shoulders　and　took　an　axe　apiece　and　startedfor　we
intended　to　take　up　a　wood　ranch　or　so　ourselves　and　become　wealthy。
We　were　on　foot。　　The　reader　will　find　it　advantageous　to　go　horseback。
We　were　told　that　the　distance　was　eleven　miles。　　We　tramped　a　long　time
on　level　ground；　and　then　toiled　laboriously　up　a　mountain　about　a
thousand　miles　high　and　looked　over。　　No　lake　there。　　We　descended　on　the
other　side；　crossed　the　valley　and　toiled　up　another　mountain　three　or
four　thousand　miles　high；　apparently；　and　looked　over　again。　　No　lake
yet。　　We　sat　down　tired　and　perspiring；　and　hired　a　couple　of　Chinamen　to
curse　those　people　who　had　beguiled　us。　　Thus　refreshed；　we　presently
resumed　the　march　with　renewed　vigor　and　determination。　　We　plodded　on；
two　or　three　hours　longer；　and　at　last　the　Lake　burst　upon　usa　noble
sheet　of　blue　water　lifted　six　thousand　three　hundred　feet　above　the
level　of　the　sea；　and　walled　in　by　a　rim　of　snow…clad　mountain　peaks　that
towered　aloft　full　three　thousand　feet　higher　still！　　It　was　a　vast　oval；
and　one　would　have　to　use　up　eighty　or　a　hundred　good　miles　in　traveling
around　it。　　As　it　lay　there　with　the　shadows　of　the　mountains　brilliantly
photographed　upon　its　still　surface　I　thought　it　must　surely　be　the
fairest　picture　the　whole　earth　affords。

We　found　the　small　skiff　belonging　to　the　Brigade　boys；　and　without　loss
of　time　set　out　across　a　deep　bend　of　the　lake　toward　the　landmarks　that
signified　the　locality　of　the　camp。　　I　got　Johnny　to　rownot　because　I
mind　exertion　myself；　but　because　it　makes　me　sick　to　ride　backwards　when
I　am　at　work。　　But　I　steered。　　A　three…mile　pull　brought　us　to　the　camp
just　as　the　night　fell；　and　we　stepped　ashore　very　tired　and　wolfishly
hungry。　　In　a　〃cache〃　among　the　rocks　we　found　the　provisions　and　the
cooking　utensils；　and　then；　all　fatigued　as　I　was；　I　sat　down　on　a
boulder　and　superintended　while　Johnny　gathered　wood　and　cooked　supper。
Many　a　man　who　had　gone　through　what　I　had；　would　have　wanted　to　rest。

It　was　a　delicious　supperhot　bread；　fried　bacon；　and　black　coffee。　　It
was　a　delicious　solitude　we　were　in；　too。　　Three　miles　away　was　a　saw…
mill　and　some　workmen；　but　there　were　not　fifteen　other　human　beings
throughout　the　wide　circumference　of　the　lake。　　As　the　darkness　closed
down　and　the　stars　came　out　and　spangled　the　great　mirror　with　jewels；　we
smoked　meditatively　in　the　solemn　hush　and　forgot　our　troubles　and　our
pains。　　In　due　time　we　spread　our　blankets　in　the　warm　sand　between　two
large　boulders　and　soon　feel　asleep；　careless　of　the　procession　of　ants
that　passed　in　through　rents　in　our　clothing　and　explored　our　persons。
Nothing　could　disturb　the　sleep　that　fettered　us；　for　it　had　been　fairly
earned；　and　if　our　consciences　had　any　sins　on　them　they　had　to　adjourn
court　for　that　night；　any　way。　　The　wind　rose　just　as　we　were　losing
consciousness；　and　we　were　lulled　to　sleep　by　the　beating　of　the　surf
upon　the　shore。

It　is　always　very　cold　on　that　lake　shore　in　the　night；　but　we　had　plenty
of　blankets　and　were　warm　enough。　　We　never　moved　a　muscle　all　night；　but
waked　at　early　dawn　in　the　original　positions；　and　got　up　at　once；
thoroughly　refreshed；　free　from　soreness；　and　brim　full　of　friskiness。
There　is　no　end　of　wholesome　medicine　in　such　an　experience。　　That
morning　we　could　have　whipped　ten　such　people　as　we　were　the　day　before
sick　ones　at　any　rate。　　But　the　world　is　slow；　and　people　will　go　to
〃water　cures〃　and　〃movement　cures〃　and　to　foreign　lands　for　health。
Three　months　of　camp　life　on　Lake　Tahoe　would　restore　an　Egyptian　mummy
to　his　pristine　vigor；　and　give　him　an　appetite　like　an　alligator。　　I　do
not　mean　the　oldest　and　driest　mummies；　of　course；　but　the　fresher　ones。
The　air　up　there　in　the　clouds　is　very　pure　and　fine；　bracing　and
delicious。　　And　why　shouldn't　it　be？it　is　the　same　the　angels　breathe。
I　think　that　hardly　any　amount　of　fatigue　can　be　gathered　together　that　a
man　cannot　sleep　off　in　one　night　on　the　sand　by　its　side。　　Not　under　a
roof；　but　under　the　sky；　it　seldom　or　never　rains　there　in　the　summer
time。　　I　know　a　man　who　went　there　to　die。　　But　he　made　a　failure　of　it。
He　was　a　skeleton　when　he　came；　and　could　barely　stand。　　He　had　no
appetite；　and　did　nothing　but　read　tracts　and　reflect　on　the　future。
Three　months　later　he　was　sleeping　out　of　doors　regularly；　eating　all　he
could　hold；　three　times　a　day；　and　chasing　game　over　mountains　three
thousand　feet　high　for　recreation。　　And　he　was　a　skeleton　no　longer；　but
weighed　part　of　a　ton。　　This　is　no　fancy　sketch；　but　the　truth。　　His
disease　was　consumption。　　I　confidently　commend　his　experience　to　other
skeletons。

I　superintended　again；　and　as　soon　as　we　had　eaten　breakfast　we　got　in
the　boat　and　skirted　along　the　lake　shore　about　three　miles　and
disembarked。　　We　liked　the　appearance　of　the　place；　and　so　we　claimed
some　three　hundred　acres　of　it　and　stuck　our　〃notices〃　on　a　tree。　　It　was
yellow　pine　timber　landa　dense　forest　of　trees　a　hundred　feet　high　and
fr