roughing it-第9章

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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　called　a　〃division。〃　He　purchased　horses；
mules　harness；　and　food　for　men　and　beasts；　and　distributed　these　things
among　his　stage　stations；　from　time　to　time；　according　to　his　judgment　of
what　each　station　needed。　　He　erected　station　buildings　and　dug　wells。
He　attended　to　the　paying　of　the　station…keepers；　hostlers；　drivers　and
blacksmiths；　and　discharged　them　whenever　he　chose。　　He　was　a　very；　very
great　man　in　his　〃division〃a　kind　of　Grand　Mogul；　a　Sultan　of　the
Indies；　in　whose　presence　common　men　were　modest　of　speech　and　manner；
and　in　the　glare　of　whose　greatness　even　the　dazzling　stage…driver
dwindled　to　a　penny　dip。　　There　were　about　eight　of　these　kings；　all
told；　on　the　overland　route。

Next　in　rank　and　importance　to　the　division…agent　came　the　〃conductor。〃
His　beat　was　the　same　length　as　the　agent'stwo　hundred　and　fifty　miles。
He　sat　with　the　driver；　and　（when　necessary）　rode　that　fearful　distance；
night　and　day；　without　other　rest　or　sleep　than　what　he　could　get　perched
thus　on　top　of　the　flying　vehicle。　　Think　of　it！　　He　had　absolute　charge
of　the　mails；　express　matter；　passengers　and　stage；　coach；　until　he
delivered　them　to　the　next　conductor；　and　got　his　receipt　for　them。

Consequently　he　had　to　be　a　man　of　intelligence；　decision　and
considerable　executive　ability。　　He　was　usually　a　quiet；　pleasant　man；
who　attended　closely　to　his　duties；　and　was　a　good　deal　of　a　gentleman。
It　was　not　absolutely　necessary　that　the　division…agent　should　be　a
gentleman；　and　occasionally　he　wasn't。　　But　he　was　always　a　general　in
administrative　ability；　and　a　bull…dog　in　courage　and　determination
otherwise　the　chieftainship　over　the　lawless　underlings　of　the　overland
service　would　never　in　any　instance　have　been　to　him　anything　but　an
equivalent　for　a　month　of　insolence　and　distress　and　a　bullet　and　a
coffin　at　the　end　of　it。　　There　were　about　sixteen　or　eighteen　conductors
on　the　overland；　for　there　was　a　daily　stage　each　way；　and　a　conductor　on
every　stage。

Next　in　real　and　official　r