第3章

“Wonderiftheprofessor’sthereyet？“saidLin，andhewentacrosstherailroadtracks。Thebartendernoddedtohimashepassedthroughintothebackroom。Inthatplaceweremanytables，andtheflatclickingandrattleofivorycounterssoundedpleasantlythroughthemusic。Lindidnotjointhestud-pokergame。Hestoodoveratableatwhichsatadealerandaplayer，verysilent，oppositeeachother，andwhereonwerepaintedsundrycards，numerals，andthecolorsredandblackinsquares。Thelegend“Jackspay“wasalsoclearlypainted。Theplayerplacedchipsonwhicheverinsigniaoffortunehechose，andthedealerslidcards(quitefairly)fromthetopofapackthatlayheldwithinaskeletoncasemadewithsomeclampedbandsoftin。Sometimestheplayer’spileofchipsrosehigh，andsometimeshissumptuouspillarofgoldpieceswaslessenedbyone。Itwasveryinterestingandprettytosee；Linhadmuchbetterhavejoinedthegameofstud-poker。Presentlytheeyeofthedealermettheeyeoftheplayer。Afterthatslightincidenttheplayer’schippilebegantorise，androsesteadily，tillthedealermadeadmiringcommentsonsucharunofluck。Thentheplayerstopped，cashedin，andsaidgood-night，havingnearlydoubledthenumberofhisgoldpieces。

“Fivedollars’worth，“saidLin，sittingdowninthevacantseat。Thechipswerecountedouttohim。Heplayedwithunimportantshiftingsoffortuneuntilashortwhilebeforehistrainwasdue，andthen，singularlyenough，hediscoveredhewasonehundredandfiftydollarsbehindthegame。

“IguessI’llleavethetraingowithoutme，“saidLin，buyingfivedollars“worthmoreofivorycounters。Sothattraincameandwent，removingeastwardMr。McLean’strunk。

Duringthehourthatfollowedhisvoicegrewdoggedandhisremarksbriefer，ashecontinuallypurchasedmorechipsfromthenowsurprisedandsympatheticdealer。ItwasreallywonderfulhowsteadilyLinlost——

justassteadilyashispredecessorhadwonafterthatmeetingofeyesearlyintheevening。

WhenLinwasthreehundreddollarsout，hisvoicebegantoclearofitshuskinessandaslighthumorrevolvedandsparkledinhiseye。Whenhissevenhundreddollarshadgonetosaferhandsandhehadnothingleftatallbutsomesilverfractionsofadollar，hisrobustcheerfulnesswasallbackagain。Hewalkedoutandstoodamongtherailroadtrackswithhishandsinhispockets，andlaughedathimselfinthedark。ThenhisfingerscameonthecheckforOmaha，andhelaughedloudly。ThetrunkbythishourmustbenearingRawlins；itwasgoingeastanyhow。

“I’mfollowingit，youbet，“hedeclared，kickingtherail。“Notyetthough。NorI’llnotgotoWashakietohave’emjoshme。AndyonderlaysBoston。“Hestretchedhisarmandpointedeastward。Hadheseenanothermangoingoninthisfashionaloneinthedark，amongside-trackedfreightcars，hewouldhavepitiedthepoorfool。“AndIguessBoston’llhavetogetalongwithoutmeforaspell，too，“continuedLin。“Amandon’twanttoshowupplumbbrokelikethatyoungersondidaftereatin’

withthehogsthebishoptoldabout。HisfatherwasaJim-dandy，thathogchap’s。Hustledaroundandset’emupwhenhecomebackhome。Frank，he’dsaytome’Howdoyoudo，brother？’andhe’dbewearin’agoodsuito’

clothesand——no，sir，youbet!“

LinnowwatchedthegreatheadlightofafreighttrainbearingslowlydownintoGreenRiverfromthewilderness。GreenRiveristheendofadivision，anepochineverytrain’sjourney。Lanternsswungsignals，thegreatdimthingslowedtoitsstandstillbythecoalchute，itslocomotivemovedawayforaturnofrepose，thesuccessorbackedsteamingtoitsplacetotackleanight’swork。Carswereshifted，heavilybumpingandparting。

“Hello，Lin!“Afacewaslookingfromthewindowofthecaboose。

“Hello!“respondedMr。McLean，perceivingabovehisheadHoneyWiggin，agoodfriendofhis。Theyhadnotmetforthreeyears。

“Theyclaimedyougotkilledsomewheres。Iwassorrytohearit。“Honeyofferedhiscondolencequitesincerely。

“Bruckmyleg，“correctedLin，“ifthat’swhattheymeant。“

“Iexpectthat’sit，“saidHoney。“You’vehadnoothertrouble？“

“Beenboomin’，“saidLin。

Fromthemereundertoneintheirvoicesitwasplaintheyweregoodfriends，carefullyhidingtheirpleasureatmeeting。

“Wher’reyu’bound？“inquiredHoney。

“East，“saidLin。

“Betterjumpinhere，then。We’regoin’west。“

“Thatjustsuitsme，“saidLin。

Thebusylanternswaggedamongtheswitches，thesteadylightsofthesaloonsshonealongthetown’swoodenfacade。FromthebluffsthatwallGreenRiverthesweet，cleansage-brushwindblewdownincurrentsfreshlythroughthecoal-smoke。Awrenchpassedthroughthetrainfromlocomotivetocaboose，eachfetteredcarinturnstrainedintomotionandslowlyrolledoverthebridgeandintosilencefromthesteamandthebellsoftherailroadyard。Throughtheopenwindowsofthecaboosegreatdull-redcindersrattledin，andthewhistlesofdistantUnionPacificlocomotivessoundedovertheopenplainsominousandlong，likeshipsatsea。

HoneyandLinsatforawhile，makingfewobservationsandfarbetween，astheirwayisbetweenwhomflowsastreamofold-timeunderstanding。

Mutualwhiskeyandsilencecanexpressmuchfriendship，andeloquently。

“Whatareyu’doingatpresent？“Lininquired。

“Prospectin’。“

Nowprospectingmeanshuntinggold，excepttosuchspiritsastheboyLin。Totheseitmeansfindinggold。SoLinMcLeanlistenedtothetalkofhisfriendHoneyWigginasthecaboosetrundledthroughthenight。Hesawhimselfinavisionofthenearfutureenterabankandthumpdownabagofgold-dust。Thenhesawthenew，cleanmoneythemanwouldhandhiminexchange，billswithroundzeroeshalfcoveredbybeingfoldedover，andheavy，satisfactorygoldpieces。AndthenhesawthebluewaterthattwinklesbeneathBoston。Hisfingerscameagainonhistrunkcheck。Hehadhisticket，too。Andasdawnnowrevealedthegraycountrytohim，hiseyefellcasuallyuponamile-post：“Omaha，876。“Hebegantowatchforthem：——877，878。ButthetrunkwouldreallygettoOmaha。

“Whatareyu’laughin’about？“askedHoney。

“Oh，thewheels。“

“Wheels？“

“Don’tyu’hear’em？“saidLin。“’Variety，’theykeepa-sayin’。’Variety，variety。’“

“Huh!“saidHoney，withscorn。“’Ker-chunka-chunk’’sallImakeit。“

“You’renopoet，“observedMr。McLean。

AsthetrainmovedintoEvanstoninthesunlight，agleamofdismayshotoverLin’sface，andheduckedhisheadoutofsightofthewindow，butimmediatelyraiseditagain。Thenheleanedout，wavinghisarmwithacertaindefiantvigor。Butthebishopontheplatformfailedtonoticethisperformance，thoughitwasdoneforhissolebenefit，norwouldLinexplaintotheinquisitiveWigginwhatthematterwas。Therefore，verynaturally，Honeydrewaconclusionforhimself，lookedquicklyoutofthewindow，and，beingdisappointedinwhatheexpectedtoseeremarked，sulkily，“Doyu’figureIcarewhatsortofalookin’girlisstuckonyu’inEvanston？“AnduponthisyoungLinlaughedsoloudlythathisfriendtoldhimhehadneverseenamangetsofoolishinthreeyears。

By-and-bytheywereinUtah，and，inthecompanyofOgdenfriends，forgotprospecting。LatertheyresumedfreighttrainsandjourneyednorthInIdahotheysaidgood-byetothetrainhandsinthecaboose，andcametoLittleCamas，andsoamongthemountainsnearFeatherCreek。Heretheberrieswereofseveralsorts，andgrowingripereachday，andthebearsinthetimberaboveknewthis，andcamedownpunctuallywiththeseason，makingvarietyintheotherwiseevenlifeoftheprospectors。ItwasnowAugust，andLinsatonawethillmakingmud-piesforsixtydays。Butthephilosopher’sstonewasnotinthewashatthatplacer，nordidLingathergold-dustsufficienttocoverthenailofhisthumb。ThentheyheardofanexcitementatObo，Nevada，and，hurryingtoObo，theymadesomemoremud-pies。

Nowandthen，eatingtheirfatbaconatnoon，Honeywouldsay，“Lin，wher’reyu’goin’？“

AndLinalwaysreplied，“East。“Thisbecameasignalfordrinks。

Forbeautyandpromise，Nevadaisanameamongnames。Nevada!Pronouncethewordaloud。Doesitnotevokemountainsandclearair，heightsofuntroddensnowandvalleysaromaticwiththepineandmusicalwithfallingwaters？Nevada!Butthenameisall。Abominationofdesolationpresidesovernine-tenthsoftheplace。Thesunbeatsdownasonaroofofzinc，fierceanddull。Notadropofwatertoamileofsand。Themeanash-dumplandscapestretchesonfromnowheretonowhere，aspotofmange。

Noportionoftheearthismorelacqueredwithpaltry，unimportantugliness。

ThereisgoldinNevada，butLinandHoneydidnotfindit。Prospectingofthesorttheydid，besidesprovingunfruitful，isnotcomfortable。Nowandagain，losingpatience，Linwouldleavehisworkandstalkaboutandgazedownatthescatteredmenwhostoopedorkneltinthewater。Passingeachbusyprospector，Linwouldreadoneverybroad，upturnedpairofoverallsthesamelabel，“LeviStrauss，No。2，“withapictureoftwolustyhorseshitchedtooneofthesegarmentsandvainlystrugglingtosplitthemasunder。Linrememberedhewaswearingalabeljustlikethattoo，andwhenheconsideredallthingshelaughedtohimself。Then，havingstretchedtheacheoutofhislonglegs，hewouldreturntohisditch。Asautumnworeon，hisfeetgrewcoldinthemushygraveltheyweresunkin。Hebeatoffthesandthathadstiffenedonhisboots，andhatedObo，Nevada。Butheheldhimselfreadytosay“East“wheneverhesawHoneycomingalongwiththebottle。Thecoldweatherputanendtothisadventure。Theditchesfrozeandfilledwithsnow，throughwhichthesordidgravelheapsshowedinadrearyfashion；sothetwofriendsdriftedsouthward。

NearthesmallnewtownofMesa，Arizona，theysatdownagaininthedirt。Itwasmilderhere，and，whenthesunshone，neverquitefroze。ButthispartofArizonaisscarcelymoregratefultotheeyethanNevada。

Moreover，LinandHoneyfoundnogoldatall。Somemennearthemfoundalittle。TheninJanuary，eventhoughthesunshone，itquitefrozeoneday。

“We’reseein’thecountry，anyway，“saidHoney。

“Seein’hell，“saidLin，“andthere’smoreofitabovegroundthanI

thought。“

“What’llwedo？“Honeyinquired。

“Havetowalkforajob——agood-payin’job，“respondedthehopefulcow-puncher。AndheandHoneywenttotown。

Linfoundajobintwenty-fiveminutes，becomingassistanttotheapothecaryinMesa。Establishedatthedrug-store，hemadeupthesimplerprescriptions。HehadstudiedpracticalpharmacyinBostonbetweentheagesofthirteenandfifteen，and，besidesthisqualification，theapothecaryhadseenhimwhenhefirstcameintoMesa，andlikedhim。Linmadenomistakesthatheoranyoneeverknewof；and，asthemildweatherbegan，hemateriallyincreasedtheapothecary’sbusinessbypersuadinghimtosendEastforasoda-waterfountain。Theladiesofthetownclusteredaroundthisentertainingnovelty，andwhilesippingvanillaandlemonboughtknickknacks。Andthegentlemenofthetowndiscoveredthatwhiskeywithsodaandstrawberrysyrupwasdelicious，andproducedjustascompetenteffects。Agroupofthemweregenerallystandingintheshopandshakingdicetodecidewhoshouldpayforthenext，whileLinadministeredtoeachglassthenecessaryingredients。

Thusmoneybegantocometohimalittlemoresteadilythanhadbeenitswont，andhedividedwiththepennilessHoney。

ButHoneyfoundfortunequickly，too。Throughexcellentcard-playinghewonapintofromasmallMexicanhorse-thiefwhocameintotownfromtheSouth，andwhocriedbitterlywhenhedelivereduphispetponytothenewowner。Thenewowner，beingamanoftheworldandagileonhisfeet，wasonlyslightlystabbedthateveningashewalkedtothedance-hallattheedgeofthetown。TheMexicanwasburiedonthenextdaybutone。

Theponystoodthirteentwo，andwasaslongasasteamboat。Hehadwhiteeyelashes，pinknostrils，andoneeyewasbrightblue。Ifyouspokepleasantlytohim，heroseinstantlyonhishind-legsandtriedtobeatyourface。Hedidnotlookasifhecouldrun，andthatwaswhatmadehimsovaluable。Honeytravelledthroughthecountrywithhim，andeverygentlemanwhosawthepintoandheardHoneybecameanxioustogetuparace。LinalwayssentmoneyforWiggintoplace，andhesoonopenedabankaccount，whileHoney，besideshisracing-bridle，boughtasilver-inlaidone，apairofforty-dollarspurs，andabeautifulsaddlerichlystamped。Everyday(wheninMesa)Honeywouldstepintothedrug-storeandinquire，“Lin，wher’reyu’goin’？“