roughing it-第43章

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when　he　died。〃

〃Was　that　all　that　you　said？〃

〃Yes；　that　was　all。〃

〃Didn't　say　nothing　but　that？〃

〃Nonothing。〃

Then　an　uncomfortable　silence。

Arkansas　played　with　his　glass　a　moment；　lolling　on　his　elbows　on　the
counter。　　Then　he　meditatively　scratched　his　left　shin　with　his　right
boot；　while　the　awkward　silence　continued。　　But　presently　he　loafed　away
toward　the　stove；　looking　dissatisfied；　roughly　shouldered　two　or　three
men　out　of　a　comfortable　position；　occupied　it　himself；　gave　a　sleeping
dog　a　kick　that　sent　him　howling　under　a　bench；　then　spread　his　long　legs
and　his　blanket…coat　tails　apart　and　proceeded　to　warm　his　back。　　In　a
little　while　he　fell　to　grumbling　to　himself；　and　soon　he　slouched　back
to　the　bar　and　said：

〃Lan'lord；　what's　your　idea　for　rakin'　up　old　personalities　and　blowin'
about　your　father？　　Ain't　this　company　agreeable　to　you？　　Ain't　it？　　If
this　company　ain't　agreeable　to　you；　p'r'aps　we'd　better　leave。　　Is　that
your　idea？　　Is　that　what　you're　coming　at？〃

〃Why　bless　your　soul；　Arkansas；　I　warn't　thinking　of　such　a　thing。　　My
father　and　my　mother〃

〃Lan'lord；　don't　crowd　a　man！　　Don't　do　it。　　If　nothing'll　do　you　but　a
disturbance；　out　with　it　like　a　man　（'ic）but　don't　rake　up　old　bygones
and　fling'em　in　the　teeth　of　a　passel　of　people　that　wants　to　be
peaceable　if　they　could　git　a　chance。　　What's　the　matter　with　you　this
mornin'；　anyway？　　I　never　see　a　man　carry　on　so。〃

〃Arkansas；　I　reely　didn't　mean　no　harm；　and　I　won't　go　on　with　it　if　it's
onpleasant　to　you。　　I　reckon　my　licker's　got　into　my　head；　and　what　with
the　flood；　and　havin'　so　many　to　feed　and　look　out　for〃

〃So　that's　what's　a…ranklin'　in　your　heart；　is　it？　　You　want　us　to　leave
do　you？　　There's　too　many　on　us。　　You　want　us　to　pack　up　and　swim。　　Is
that　it？　　Come！〃

〃Please　be　reasonable；　Arkansas。　　Now　you　know　that　I　ain't　the　man　to〃

〃Are　you　a　threatenin'　me？　　Are　you？　　By　George；　the　man　don't　live　that
can　skeer　me！　　Don't　you　try　to　come　that　game；　my　chicken'cuz　I　can
stand　a　good　deal；　but　I　won't　stand　that。　　Come　out　from　behind　that　bar
till　I　clean　you！　　You　want　to　drive　us　out；　do　you；　you　sneakin'
underhanded　hound！　　Come　out　from　behind　that　bar！　　I'll　learn　you　to
bully　and　badger　and　browbeat　a　gentleman　that's　forever　trying　to
befriend　you　and　keep　you　out　of　trouble！〃

〃Please；　Arkansas；　please　don't　shoot！　　If　there's　got　to　be　bloodshed〃

〃Do　you　hear　that；　gentlemen？　　Do　you　hear　him　talk　about　bloodshed？　　So
it's　blood　you　want；　is　it；　you　ravin'　desperado！　　You'd　made　up　your
mind　to　murder　somebody　this　mornin'I　knowed　it　perfectly　well。　　I'm
the　man；　am　I？　　It's　me　you're　goin'　to　murder；　is　it？　　But　you　can't　do
it　'thout　I　get　one　chance　first；　you　thievin'　black…hearted；　white…
livered　son　of　a　nigger！　　Draw　your　weepon！〃

With　that；　Arkansas　began　to　shoot；　and　the　landlord　to　clamber　over
benches；　men　and　every　sort　of　obstacle　in　a　frantic　desire　to　escape。
In　the　midst　of　the　wild　hubbub　the　landlord　crashed　through　a　glass
door；　and　as　Arkansas　charged　after　him　the　landlord's　wife　suddenly
appeared　in　the　doorway　and　confronted　the　desperado　with　a　pair　of
scissors！　　Her　fury　was　magnificent。　　With　head　erect　and　flashing　eye
she　stood　a　moment　and　then　advanced；　with　her　weapon　raised。　　The
astonished　ruffian　hesitated；　and　then　fell　back　a　step。　　She　followed。
She　backed　him　step　by　step　into　the　middle　of　the　bar…room；　and　then；
while　the　wondering　crowd　closed　up　and　gazed；　she　gave　him　such　another
tongue…lashing　as　never　a　cowed　and　shamefaced　braggart　got　before；
perhaps！　　As　she　finished　and　retired　victorious；　a　roar　of　applause
shook　the　house；　and　every　man　ordered　〃drinks　for　the　crowd〃　in　one　and
the　same　breath。

The　lesson　was　entirely　sufficient。　　The　reign　of　terror　was　over；　and
the　Arkansas　domination　broken　for　good。　　During　the　rest　of　the　season
of　island　captivity；　there　was　one　man　who　sat　apart　in　a　state　of
permanent　humiliation；　never　mixing　in　any　quarrel　or　uttering　a　boast；
and　never　resenting　the　insults　the　once　cringing　crew　now　constantly
leveled　at　him；　and　that　man　was　〃Arkansas。〃

By　the　fifth　or　sixth　morning　the　waters　had　subsided　from　the　land；　but
the　stream　in　the　old　river　bed　was　still　high　and　swift　and　there　was　no
possibility　of　crossing　it。　　On　the　eighth　it　was　still　too　high　for　an
entirely　safe　passage；　but　life　in　the　inn　had　become　next　to
insupportable　by　reason　of　the　dirt；　drunkenness；　fighting；　etc。；　and　so
we　made　an　effort　to　get　away。　　In　the　midst　of　a　heavy　snow…storm　we
embarked　in　a　canoe；　taking　our　saddles　aboard　and　towing　our　horses
after　us　by　their　halters。　　The　Prussian；　Ollendorff；　was　in　the　bow；
with　a　paddle；　Ballou　paddled　in　the　middle；　and　I　sat　in　the　stern
holding　the　halters。　　When　the　horses　lost　their　footing　and　began　to
swim；　Ollendorff　got　frightened；　for　there　was　great　danger　that　the
horses　would　make　our　aim　uncertain；　and　it　was　plain　that　if　we　failed
to　land　at　a　certain　spot　the　current　would　throw　us　off　and　almost
surely　cast　us　into　the　main　Carson；　which　was　a　boiling　torrent；　now。
Such　a　catastrophe　would　be　death；　in　all　probability；　for　we　would　be
swept　to　sea　in　the　〃Sink〃　or　overturned　and　drowned。　　We　warned
Ollendorff　to　keep　his　wits　about　him　and　handle　himself　carefully；　but
it　was　useless；　the　moment　the　bow　touched　the　bank；　he　made　a　spring　and
the　canoe　whirled　upside　down　in　ten…foot　water。

Ollendorff　seized　some　brush　and　dragged　himself　ashore；　but　Ballou　and　I
had　to　swim　for　it；　encumbered　with　our　overcoats。　　But　we　held　on　to　the
canoe；　and　although　we　were　washed　down　nearly　to　the　Carson；　we　managed
to　push　the　boat　ashore　and　make　a　safe　landing。　　We　were　cold　and　water…
soaked；　but　safe。　　The　horses　made　a　landing；　too；　but　our　saddles　were
gone；　of　course。　　We　tied　the　animals　in　the　sage…brush　and　there　they
had　to　stay　for　twenty…four　hours。　　We　baled　out　the　canoe　and　ferried
over　some　food　and　blankets　for　them；　but　we　slept　one　more　night　in　the
inn　before　making　another　venture　on　our　journey。

The　next　morning　it　was　still　snowing　furiously　when　we　got　away　with　our
new　stock　of　saddles　and　accoutrements。　　We　mounted　and　started。　　The
snow　lay　so　deep　on　the　ground　that　there　was　no　sign　of　a　road
perceptible；　and　the　snow…fall　was　so　thick　that　we　could　not　see　more
than　a　hundred　yards　ahead；　else　we　could　have　guided　our　course　by　the
mountain　ranges。　　The　case　looked　dubious；　but　Ollendorff　said　his
instinct　was　as　sensitive　as　any　compass；　and　that　he　could　〃strike　a
bee…line〃　for　Carson　city　and　never　diverge　from　it。　　He　said　that　if　he
were　to　straggle　a　single　point　out　of　the　true　line　his　instinct　would
assail　him　like　an　outraged　conscience。　　Consequently　we　dropped　into　his
wake　happy　and　content。　　For　half　an　hour　we　poked　along　warily　enough；
but　at　the　end　of　that　time　we　came　upon　a　fresh　trail；　and　Ollendorff
shouted　proudly：

〃I　knew　I　was　as　dead　certain　as　a　compass；　boys！　　Here　we　are；　right　in
somebody's　tracks　that　will　hunt　the　way　for　us　without　any　trouble。
Let's　hurry　up　and　join　company　with　the　party。〃

So　we　put　the　horses　into　as　much　of　a　trot　as　the　deep　snow　would　allow；
and　before　long　it　was　evident　that　we　were　gaining　on　our　predecessors；
for　the　tracks　grew　more　distinct。　　We　hurried　along；　and　at　the　end　of
an　hour　the　tracks　looked　still　newer　and　fresherbut　what　surprised　us
was；　that　the　number　of　travelers　in　advance　of　us　seemed　to　steadily
increase。　　We　wondered　how　so　large　a　party　came　to　be　traveling　at　such
a　time　and　in　such　a　solitude。　　Somebody　suggested　that　it　must　be　a
company　of　soldiers　from　the　fort；　and　so　we　accepted　that　solution　and
jogged　along　a　little　faster　still；　for　they　could　not　be　far　off　now。
But　the　tracks　still　multiplied；　and　we　began　to　think　the　platoon　of
soldiers　was　miraculously　expanding　into　a　regimentBallou　said　they　had
already　increased　to　five　hundred！　　Presently　he　stopped　his　horse　and
said：

〃Boys；　these　are　our　own　tracks；　and　we've　actually　been　circussing　round
and　round　in　a　circle　for　more　than　two　hours；　out　here　in　this　blind