roughing it-第40章

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〃Nothing？　　What　do　you　think　of　the　country？〃

〃Can't　tell；　yet；〃　said　Mr。　Ballou；　who　was　an　old　gold　miner；　and　had
likewise　had　considerable　experience　among　the　silver　mines。

〃Well；　haven't　you　formed　any　sort　of　opinion？〃

〃Yes；　a　sort　of　a　one。　　It's　fair　enough　here；　may　be；　but　overrated。
Seven　thousand　dollar　ledges　are　scarce；　though。

That　Sheba　may　be　rich　enough；　but　we　don't　own　it；　and　besides；　the　rock
is　so　full　of　base　metals　that　all　the　science　in　the　world　can't　work
it。　　We'll　not　starve；　here；　but　we'll　not　get　rich；　I'm　afraid。〃

〃So　you　think　the　prospect　is　pretty　poor？〃

〃No　name　for　it！〃

〃Well；　we'd　better　go　back；　hadn't　we？〃

〃Oh；　not　yetof　course　not。　　We'll　try　it　a　riffle；　first。〃

〃Suppose；　nowthis　is　merely　a　supposition；　you　knowsuppose　you　could
find　a　ledge　that　would　yield；　say；　a　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　a　ton
would　that　satisfy　you？〃

〃Try　us　once！〃　from　the　whole　party。

〃Or　supposemerely　a　supposition；　of　coursesuppose　you　were　to　find　a
ledge　that　would　yield　two　thousand　dollars　a　tonwould　that　satisfy
you？〃

〃Herewhat　do　you　mean？　　What　are　you　coming　at？　　Is　there　some　mystery
behind　all　this？〃

〃Never　mind。　　I　am　not　saying　anything。　　You　know　perfectly　well　there
are　no　rich　mines　hereof　course　you　do。　　Because　you　have　been　around
and　examined　for　yourselves。　　Anybody　would　know　that；　that　had　been
around。　　But　just　for　the　sake　of　argument；　supposein　a　kind　of　general
waysuppose　some　person　were　to　tell　you　that　two…thousand…dollar　ledges
were　simply　contemptiblecontemptible；　understandand　that　right　yonder
in　sight　of　this　very　cabin　there　were　piles　of　pure　gold　and　pure
silveroceans　of　itenough　to　make　you　all　rich　in　twenty…four　hours！
Come！〃

〃I　should　say　he　was　as　crazy　as　a　loon！〃　said　old　Ballou；　but　wild　with
excitement；　nevertheless。

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　I；　〃I　don't　say　anythingI　haven't　been　around；　you
know；　and　of　course　don't　know　anythingbut　all　I　ask　of　you　is　to　cast
your　eye　on　that；　for　instance；　and　tell　me　what　you　think　of　it！〃　and　I
tossed　my　treasure　before　them。

There　was　an　eager　scramble　for　it；　and　a　closing　of　heads　together　over
it　under　the　candle…light。　　Then　old　Ballou　said：

〃Think　of　it？　　I　think　it　is　nothing　but　a　lot　of　granite　rubbish　and
nasty　glittering　mica　that　isn't　worth　ten　cents　an　acre！〃

So　vanished　my　dream。　　So　melted　my　wealth　away。　　So　toppled　my　airy
castle　to　the　earth　and　left　me　stricken　and　forlorn。

Moralizing；　I　observed；　then；　that　〃all　that　glitters　is　not　gold。〃

Mr。　Ballou　said　I　could　go　further　than　that；　and　lay　it　up　among　my
treasures　of　knowledge；　that　nothing　that　glitters　is　gold。　　So　I　learned
then；　once　for　all；　that　gold　in　its　native　state　is　but　dull；
unornamental　stuff；　and　that　only　low…born　metals　excite　the　admiration
of　the　ignorant　with　an　ostentatious　glitter。　　However；　like　the　rest　of
the　world；　I　still　go　on　underrating　men　of　gold　and　glorifying　men　of
mica。　　Commonplace　human　nature　cannot　rise　above　that。




CHAPTER　XXIX。

True　knowledge　of　the　nature　of　silver　mining　came　fast　enough。　　We　went
out　〃prospecting〃　with　Mr。　Ballou。　　We　climbed　the　mountain　sides；　and
clambered　among　sage…brush；　rocks　and　snow　till　we　were　ready　to　drop
with　exhaustion；　but　found　no　silvernor　yet　any　gold。　　Day　after　day　we
did　this。　　Now　and　then　we　came　upon　holes　burrowed　a　few　feet　into　the
declivities　and　apparently　abandoned；　and　now　and　then　we　found　one　or
two　listless　men　still　burrowing。　　But　there　was　no　appearance　of　silver。
These　holes　were　the　beginnings　of　tunnels；　and　the　purpose　was　to　drive
them　hundreds　of　feet　into　the　mountain；　and　some　day　tap　the　hidden
ledge　where　the　silver　was。　　Some　day！　　It　seemed　far　enough　away；　and
very　hopeless　and　dreary。　　Day　after　day　we　toiled；　and　climbed　and
searched；　and　we　younger　partners　grew　sicker　and　still　sicker　of　the
promiseless　toil。　　At　last　we　halted　under　a　beetling　rampart　of　rock
which　projected　from　the　earth　high　upon　the　mountain。　　Mr。　Ballou　broke
off　some　fragments　with　a　hammer；　and　examined　them　long　and　attentively
with　a　small　eye…glass；　threw　them　away　and　broke　off　more；　said　this
rock　was　quartz；　and　quartz　was　the　sort　of　rock　that　contained　silver。
Contained　it！　　I　had　thought　that　at　least　it　would　be　caked　on　the
outside　of　it　like　a　kind　of　veneering。　　He　still　broke　off　pieces　and
critically　examined　them；　now　and　then　wetting　the　piece　with　his　tongue
and　applying　the　glass。　　At　last　he　exclaimed：

〃We've　got　it！〃

We　were　full　of　anxiety　in　a　moment。　　The　rock　was　clean　and　white；　where
it　was　broken；　and　across　it　ran　a　ragged　thread　of　blue。　　He　said　that
that　little　thread　had　silver　in　it；　mixed　with　base　metal；　such　as　lead
and　antimony；　and　other　rubbish；　and　that　there　was　a　speck　or　two　of
gold　visible。　　After　a　great　deal　of　effort　we　managed　to　discern　some
little　fine　yellow　specks；　and　judged　that　a　couple　of　tons　of　them
massed　together　might　make　a　gold　dollar；　possibly。　　We　were　not
jubilant；　but　Mr。　Ballou　said　there　were　worse　ledges　in　the　world　than
that。　　He　saved　what　he　called　the　〃richest〃　piece　of　the　rock；　in　order
to　determine　its　value　by　the　process　called　the　〃fire…assay。〃　　Then　we
named　the　mine　〃Monarch　of　the　Mountains〃　（modesty　of　nomenclature　is　not
a　prominent　feature　in　the　mines）；　and　Mr。　Ballou　wrote　out　and　stuck　up
the　following　〃notice；〃　preserving　a　copy　to　be　entered　upon　the　books　in
the　mining　recorder's　office　in　the　town。

　　　　　　〃NOTICE。〃

　　　　　　〃We　the　undersigned　claim　three　claims；　of　three　hundred　feet　each
　　　　　　（and　one　for　discovery）；　on　this　silver…bearing　quartz　lead　or　lode；
　　　　　　extending　north　and　south　from　this　notice；　with　all　its　dips；
　　　　　　spurs；　and　angles；　variations　and　sinuosities；　together　with　fifty
　　　　　　feet　of　ground　on　either　side　for　working　the　same。〃

We　put　our　names　to　it　and　tried　to　feel　that　our　fortunes　were　made。
But　when　we　talked　the　matter　all　over　with　Mr。　Ballou；　we　felt　depressed
and　dubious。　　He　said　that　this　surface　quartz　was　not　all　there　was　of
our　mine；　but　that　the　wall　or　ledge　of　rock　called　the　〃Monarch　of　the
Mountains；〃　extended　down　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　feet　into　the　earth
he　illustrated　by　saying　it　was　like　a　curb…stone；　and　maintained　a
nearly　uniform　thickness…say　twenty　feetaway　down　into　the　bowels　of
the　earth；　and　was　perfectly　distinct　from　the　casing　rock　on　each　side
of　it；　and　that　it　kept　to　itself；　and　maintained　its　distinctive
character　always；　no　matter　how　deep　it　extended　into　the　earth　or　how
far　it　stretched　itself　through　and　across　the　hills　and　valleys。　　He
said　it　might　be　a　mile　deep　and　ten　miles　long；　for　all　we　knew；　and
that　wherever　we　bored　into　it　above　ground　or　below；　we　would　find　gold
and　silver　in　it；　but　no　gold　or　silver　in　the　meaner　rock　it　was　cased
between。　　And　he　said　that　down　in　the　great　depths　of　the　ledge　was　its
richness；　and　the　deeper　it　went　the　richer　it　grew。　　Therefore；　instead
of　working　here　on　the　surface；　we　must　either　bore　down　into　the　rock
with　a　shaft　till　we　came　to　where　it　was　richsay　a　hundred　feet　or　so
or　else　we　must　go　down　into　the　valley　and　bore　a　long　tunnel　into　the
mountain　side　and　tap　the　ledge　far　under　the　earth。　　To　do　either　was
plainly　the　labor　of　months；　for　we　could　blast　and　bore　only　a　few　feet
a　daysome　five　or　six。　　But　this　was　not　all。　　He　said　that　after　we
got　the　ore　out　it　must　be　hauled　in　wagons　to　a　distant　silver…mill；
ground　up；　and　the　silver　extracted　by　a　tedious　and　costly　process。　　Our
fortune　seemed　a　century　away！

But　we　went　to　work。　　We　decided　to　sink　a　shaft。　　So；　for　a　week　we
climbed　the　mountain；　laden　with　picks；　drills；　gads；　crowbars；　shovels；
cans　of　blasting　powder　and　coils　of　fuse　and　strove　with　might　and　main。
At　first　the　rock　was　broken　and　loose　and　we　dug　it　up　with　picks　and
threw　it　out　with　shovels；　and　the　hole　progressed　very　well。　　But　the
rock　became　more　compact；　presently；　and　gads　and　crowbars　came　into
play。　　But　shortly　nothing　could　make　an　impression　but　blasting　powder。

That　was　the　weariest　work！　　One　of　us　held