theodore roosevelt-第11章

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m　of　seeming　perfunctorily　to　uphold　Blaine。



CHAPTER　IV。　NATURE　THE　HEALER

A　perfect　biography　would　show　definitely　the　interaction　between　mind　and　body。　At　present　we　can　only　guess　what　this　interaction　may　be。　In　some　cases　the　relations　are　evident；　but　in　most　they　are　vague　and　often　unsuspected。　The　psychologists；　whose　pretensions　are　so　great　and　whose　actual　results　are　still　so　small；　may　perhaps　lead；　an　age　or　two　hence；　to　the　desired　knowledge。　But　the　biographer　of　today　must　beware　of　adopting　the　unripe　formulas　of　any　immature　science。　Nevertheless；　he　must　watch；　study；　and　record　all　the　facts　pertaining　to　his　subject；　although　he　cannot　explain　them。　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　a　wonderful　example　of　the　partnership　of　mind　and　body；　and　any　one　who　writes　his　biography　in　detail　will　do　well　to　pay　great　heed　to　this　intricate　interlocking。　I　can　do　no　more　than　allude　to　it　here。　We　have　seen　that　Roosevelt　from　his　earliest　days　had　a　quick　mind；　happily　not　precocious；　and　a　weak　body　which　prevented　him　from　taking　part　in　normal　physical　activity　and　the　play　and　sport　of　boyhood。　So　his　intellectual　life　grew　out　of　scale　to　his　physical。　Then　he　set　to　work　by　the　deliberate　application　of　will…power　to　develop　his　body；　and　when　he　entered　Harvard　he　was　above　the　average　youth　in　strength。　Before　he　graduated；　those　who　saw　him　box　or　wrestle　beheld　a　fellow　somewhat　slim　and　light；　but　unusually　well　set　up。　During　the　succeeding　four　years　he　never　allowed　his　duties　as　Assemblyman　to　encroach　upon　his　exercise；　on　the　contrary；　he　played　regularly　and　he　played　hard；　adding　new　kinds　of　sport　to　develop　new　faculties　and　to　give　the　spice　of　variety。　He　rode　to　hounds　with　the　Meadowbrook　Hunt；　he　took　up　polo；　and　he　boxed　and　wrestled　as　in　his　college　days。

In　a　few　years　Roosevelt　became　physically　a　very　powerful　man。　I　recall　my　astonishment　the　first　time　I　saw　him；　after　the　lapse　of　several　years；　to　find　him　with　the　neck　of　a　Titan　and　with　broad　shoulders　and　stalwart　chest；　instead　of　the　city…bred；　slight　young　friend　I　had　known　earlier。　His　body　was　now　equal　to　any　burden　or　strain　which　his　mind　might　have　to　endure；　and　hence　forth　it　is　no　idle　fancy　that　suggests　a　perpetual　competition　between　the　two。　Thanks　to　his　extraordinary　will；　however；　he　never　allowed　his　body　to　get　control；　but；　as　appetite　comes　with　eating；　so　his　strong　and　healthy　muscles　craved　more　and　more　exercise　as　he　used　them。　And　now　he　took　a　novel　way　to　gratify　them。

Ever　since　his　first　taste　of　camp　life；　when　he　went　into　the　Maine　Woods　under　the　guidance　of　Bill　Sewall　and　Will　Dow；　Roosevelt　felt　the　lure　of　wild　nature；　and　on　many　successive　seasons　he　repeated　these　trips。　Gradually；　fishing　and　hunting　in　the　wilderness　of　Maine　or　the　Adirondacks　did　not　afford　him　enough　scope　for　his　brimming　vigor。　He　decided　to　go　West；　to　the　real　West；　where　great　game　and　Indians　still　survived；　and　the　conditions　of　the　few　white　men　were　almost　as　primitive　as　in　the　days　of　the　earliest　explorers。　When　the　session　of　1883　adjourned；　he　started　for　North　Dakota；　then　a　territory　with　a　few　settlers；　and　among　the　Bad　Lands　on　the　Little　Missouri　he　bought　an　interest　in　two　cattle　ranches；　the　Chimney　Butte　and　the　Elkhorn。　The　following　year；　after　the　Presidential　campaign　which　placed　Cleveland　in　the　White　House；　Roosevelt　determined；　as　we　saw　in　the　letters　I　have　quoted；　to　abandon　the　East　for　a　time　and　to　devote　himself　to　a　ranchman's　life。　He　was　still　in　deep　grief　at　the　loss　of　his　wife　and　of　his　mother；　there　was　no　immediate　prospect　of　usefulness　for　him　in　politics；　the　conventions　of　civilization；　as　he　knew　them　in　New　York　City；　palled　upon　him；　a　sure　instinct　whispered　to　him　that　he　must　break　away　and　seek　health　of　body　and　heart　and　soul　among　the　re　mote；　unspoiled　haunts　of　primeval　Nature。　For　nearly　two　years；　with　occasional　intervals　spent　in　the　East；　the　Elkhorn　Ranch　at　Medora　was　his　home；　and　he　has　described　the　life　of　the　ranchman　and　cow…puncher　in　pages　which　are　sure　to　be　read　as　long　as　posterity　takes　any　interest　in　knowing　about　the　transition　of　the　American　West　from　wilderness　to　civilization。　He　shared　in　all　the　work　of　the　ranch。　He　took　with　a　〃frolic　welcome〃　the　humdrum　of　its　routine　as　well　as　its　excitements　and　dangers。　He　says　that　he　does　not　believe　that　there　was　ever　any　more　attractive　life　for　a　vigorous　young　fellow　than　this；　and　assuredly　no　one　else　has　glorified　it　as　Roosevelt　did　with　his　pen。　At　one　time　or　another　he　performed　all　the　duties　of　a　ranchman。　He　went　on　long　rides　after　the　cattle；　he　rounded　them　up；　he　helped　to　brand　them　and　to　cut　out　the　beeves　destined　for　the　Eastern　market。　He　followed　the　herd　when　it　stampeded　during　a　terrific　thunderstorm。　In　winter　there　was　often　need　to　save　the　wandering　cattle　from　a　sudden　and　deadly　blizzard。　The　log　cabin　or　〃shack〃　in　which　he　dwelt　was　rough；　and　so　was　the　fare；　comforts　were　few。　He　chopped　the　cottonwood　which　they　used　for　fuel；　he　knew　how　to　care　for　the　ponies；　and　once　at　least　he　passed　more　than　twenty…four　hours　in　the　saddle　without　sleep。　According　to　the　best　standards；　he　says；　he　was　not　a　fine　horseman；　but　it　is　clear　that　he　could　do　everything　with　a　horse　which　had　to　be　done；　and　that　he　never　stopped　from　fatigue。　When　they　needed　fresh　meat；　he　would　shoot　it。　In　short；　he　held　his　own　under　all　the　hardships　and　requirements　demanded　of　a　cowboy　or　ranchman。　To　adapt　himself　to　these　wild　conditions　of　nature　and　work　was；　however；　only　a　part　of　his　experience。　Even　more　dangerous　than　pursuing　a　stampeding　herd　at　night　over　the　plains；　and　plunging　into　the　Little　Missouri　after　it；　was　intercourse　with　some　of　the　lawless　nomads　of　that　pioneer　region。　Nomads　they　were；　though　they　might　settle　down　to　work　for　a　while　on　one　ranch；　and　then　pass　on　to　another；　the　sort　of　creatures　who　loafed　in　the　saloons　of　the　little　villages　and　amused　them　selves　by　running　amuck　and　shooting　up　the　town。　These　men；　and　indeed　nearly　all　of　the　pioneers；　held　the　man　from　the　civilized　East；　the　〃tenderfoot；〃　in　scorn。　They　took　it　for　granted　that　he　was　a　weakling；　that　he　had　soft　ideas　of　life　and　was　stuck…up　or　affected。　Now　Roosevelt　saw　that　in　order　to　win　their　trust　and　respect；　he　must　show　himself　equal　to　their　tasks；　a　true　comrade；　who　accepted　their　code　of　courage　and　honor。　The　fact　that　he　wore　spectacles　was　against　him　at　the　outset；　because　they　associated　spectacles　with　Eastern　schoolmasters　and　incompetence。　They　called　him　〃Four　Eyes；〃　at　first　with　derision；　but　they　soon　discovered　that　in　him　they　had　no　〃tenderfoot〃　to　deal　with。　He　shot　as　well　as　the　best　of　them；　he　rode　as　far；　he　never　complained　of　food　or　tasks　or　hardship；　he　met　every　one　on　equal　terms。　Above　all；　he　left　no　doubt　as　to　his　courage。　He　would　not　pick　a　quarrel　nor　would　he　avoid　one。　Many　stories　of　his　prowess　circulated；　mere　heckling；　or　a　practical　joke；　he　took　with　a　laugh；　as　when　some　of　the　men　changed　the　saddle　from　his　pony　to　a　bucking　broncho。

But　he　knew　where　to　draw　the　line。　At　Medora；　for　instance；　the　Marquis　de　Mores；　a　French　settler；　assumed　the　attitude　of　a　feudal　proprietor。　Having　been　the　first　to　squat　in　that　region　he　regarded　those　who　came　later　as　interlopers；　and　he　and　his　men　acted　very　sullenly。　They　even　carried　their　ill…will　and　intimidation　to　the　point　of　shooting。　In　due　time　the　Marquis　discovered　cause　for　grievance　against　Roosevelt；　and　he　sent　him　a　letter　warning　the　newcomer　that　if　the　cause　were　not　removed　the　Marquis　knew　how　one　gentleman　settles　a　dispute　with　another。　Roosevelt　despised　dueling　as　a　silly　practice；　which　would　not　determine　justice　between　disputants；　but　he　knew　that　in　Cowboy　Land　the　duel；　being　regarded　as　a　test　of　courage；　must　not　be　ignored　by　him。　Any　man　who　declined　a　challenge　lost　caste　and　had　better　leave　the　country　at　once。　So　Roosevelt　within　an　hour　dispatched　a　reply　to　the　surly　Marquis　saying　that　he　was　ready　to　meet　him　at　any　time　and　naming　the　rifle；　at　twelve　paces'　distance；　as　the　weapon　that　he　preferred