adventures and letters-第16章

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。　　It　was　all　raw　and　mean；　and　greedy　for　money　and　a　man　is　much　better　off　in　every　way　in　a　tenement　on　Second　Avenue　than　the　〃owner　of　his　own　home〃　in　one　of　these　mushroom　cities　So　I　think。　　I　went　to　Fort　Reno　by　stage　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　was　really　in　the　West　for　the　first　time　The　rest　has　been　as　much　like　the　oil　towns　around　Pittsburgh　　as　anything　else。　　But　here　there　are　rolling　prairie　lands　with　millions　of　prairie　dogs　and　deep　canons　and　bluffs　of　red　clay　that　stand　out　as　clear　as　a　razor　hollowed　and　carved　away　by　the　water　long　ago。　　And　the　grass　is　as　high　as　a　stirrup　and　the　trees　very　plentiful　after　the　plains　of　Texas。　　The　men　at　Fort　Reno　were　the　best　I　have　met；　indeed　I　am　just　a　little　tired　of　trying　to　talk　of　things　of　interest　to　the　Second　Lieutenant's　intellect。　　But　I　had　to　leave　there　because　I　had　missed　the　beef　issue　and　had　to　see　it　and　as　it　was　due　here　I　pushed　on。　　This　post　is　very　beautiful　but　the　men　are　very　young　and　civil　appointments　mainly；　which　means　that　they　have　not　been　to　West　Point　but　had　fathers　and　have　friends　with　influence　and　they　are　fresh。　　But　the　scenery　around　the　post　is　delightfully　wild　and　big　and　there　is　an　Indian　camp　at　the　foot　of　the　hill　on　which　the　fort　is　stuck。　　Mother；　instead　of　going　to　Europe；　should　come　here　and　see　her　Indians。　　Only　if　she　did　she　would　bring　a　dozen　or　more　of　the　children　back　with　her。　　They　are　the　brightest　spot　in　my　trip　and　I　spend　the　mornings　and　afternoons　trying　to　get　them　to　play　with　me。　　They　are　very　shy　and　pretty　and　beautifully　barbaric　and　wear　the　most　gorgeous　trappings。　　The　women；　the　older　ones；　are　the　ugliest　women　I　ever　saw。　　But　the　men　are　fine。　　I　never　saw　such　color　as　they　give　to　the　landscape　and　one　always　thinks　they　have　dressed　up　just　to　please　you。　　I　have　spent　most　of　my　time　and　money　in　buying　things　from　them　but　they　are　very　dear　because　the　Indians　take　long　to　make　them　and　do　not　like　to　part　with　them。　　I　have　had　rough　times　lately　but　I　think　I　would　be　content　to　remain　in　the　west　six　months　if　I　could。　　It　is　the　necessity　of　leaving　places　I　like　and　pushing　on　to　places　I　don't；　I　dislike。　　Reno　was　fine　with　a　band　and　lots　of　fine　fellows。　　This　post　is　not　so　queer　but　they　are　so　young　It　makes　a　great　bit　of　color　though　with　the　yellow　capes　of　the　cavalry　and　the　soldiers　wigwaging　red　and　white　flags　at　other　soldiers　eight　miles　away　on　other　mountains　and　the　Indians　in　yellow　buckskin　and　blankets　and　their　faces　painted　too。　　I　went　to　the　beef　issue　to…dayit　was　not　a　pretty　sight　and　most　barbarous　and　cruel。　　I　also　went　to　a　council　at　which　the　chiefs　were　protesting　against　the　cutting　down　of　their　rations　which　is　Commissioner　Morgan's　doing　and　which　it　is　expected　will　lead　to　war　We　went　in　out　of　curiosity　and　without　knowing　it　was　a　Council　and　were　very　much　ashamed　when　one　of　the　Chiefs　rose　and　said　he　was　glad　to　see　the　officers　present　as　they　were　the　best　friends　the　Indians　had　and　the　only　men　they　could　respect　in　times　of　peace　as　a　friend；　or　in　times　of　war　as　an　enemy。　　At　which　we　took　off　our　hats　and　sat　it　through。　　Mother's　blood　would　rise　if　she　could　hear　the　stories　they　tell；　and　they　are　so　dignified　and　polite。　　They　have　an　Indian　troop　here；　like　the　one　described　in　The　Weekly；　which　you　should　read　and　the　Captain　told　them　I　was　a　great　Chief　from　the　East；　whereat　all　the　soldiers　who　were　of　noble　lineage　claimed　their　privilege　of　shaking　hands　with　me；　which　had　a　demoralizing　effect　upon　the　formation　and　the　white　privates　were　either　convulsed　with　mirth　or　red　with　indignation。　　But　you　cannot　treat　them　like　white　men　who　do　not　know　their　ancestors　Dad's　letter　was　the　best　I　have　ever　got　from　him　and　he　had　always　better　write　when　he　is　tired。　　I　will　always　keep　it。

DICK。


DENVERMarch　7；　1892。　DEAR　FAMILY：

I　arrived　in　Denver　Friday　night　and　realized　that　I　was　　in　a　city　again　where　the　more　you　order　people　about　the　more　they　do　for　you；　being　civilized　and　so　understanding　that　you　mean　to　tip　them。　　I　found　my　first　letter　on　the　newsstand　and　was　very　much　pleased　with　it；　and　with　the　way　they　put　it　out。　　The　proof　was　perfect　and　if　there　had　been　more　pictures　I　would　have　been　entirely　satisfied；　as　it　was　I　was　very　much　pleased。　　My　baggage　had　not　come；　so　covered　with　mud　and　dust　and　straw　from　the　stages　and　generally　disreputable　I　went　to　see　a　burlesque；　and　said　〃Front　row；　end　seat；〃　just　as　naturally　as　though　I　was　in　evening　dress　and　high　hatand　then　I　sank　into　a　beautiful　deep　velvet　chair　and　saw　Amazon　marches　and　ladies　in　tights　and　heard　the　old　old　jokes　and　the　old　old　songs　we　know　so　well　and　sing　so　badly。　　The　next　morning　I　went　for　my　mail　and　the　entire　post　office　came　out　to　see　me　get　it。　　It　took　me　until　seven　in　the　evening　to　finish　it；　and　I　do　not　know　that　it　will　ever　be　answered。　　The　best　of　it　was　that　you　were　all　pleased　with　my　letters。　　That　put　my　mind　at　rest。　　Then　there　was　news　of　deaths　and　marriages　and　engagements　and　the　same　people　doing　the　same　things　they　did　when　I　went　away。　　I　did　not　intend　to　present　any　letters　as　I　was　going　away　that　night　to　Creede；　but　I　found　I　could　not　get　any　money　unless　some　one　identified　me　so　I　presented　one　to　a　Mr。　Jerome　who　all　the　bankers　said　they　would　be　only　too　happy　to　oblige。　　After　one　has　been　variously　taken　for　a　drummer；　photographer　and　has　been　offered　so　much　a　line　to　〃write　up〃　booming　towns；　it　is　a　relief　to　get　back　to　a　place　where　people　know　you。I　told　Mr。　Jerome　I　had　a　letter　of　introduction　and　that　I　was　Mr。　Davis　and　he　shook　hands　and　then　looked　at　the　letter　and　said　〃Good　Heavens　are　you　that　Mr。　Davis〃　and　then　rushed　off　and　brought　back　the　entire　establishment　brokers；　bankers　and　mine　owners　and　they　all　sat　around　and　told　me　funny　stories　and　planned　more　things　for　me　to　do　and　eat　than　I　could　dispose　of　in　a　month。

I　am　now　en　route　to　Creede。　　Creede　when　you　first　see　it　in　print　looks　like　creede　but　after　you　have　been　in　Denver　or　Colorado　even　for　one　day　it　reads　like　C　R　E　E　D　E。　　All　the　men　on　this　car　think　they　are　going　to　make　their　fortunes；　and　toward　that　end　they　have　on　new　boots　and　flannel　shirts；　and　some　of　them　seeing　my　beautiful　clothing　and　careful　array　came　over　and　confided　to　me　that　they　were　really　not　so　tough　as　they　looked　and　had　never　worn　a　flannel　shirt　before。　　This　car　is　typical　of　what　they　told　me　I　would　find　at　Creede。　　There　are　rich　mine　owners　who　are　pointed　out　by　the　conductor　as　the　fifth　part　owner　of　the　〃Pot　Luck〃　mine；　and　dudes　in　astrakan　fur　coats　over　top　boots　and　new　flannel　shirts；　and　hardened　old　timers　with　their　bedding　and　tin　pans；　who　have　prospected　all　over　the　state　and　women　who　are　smoking　and　drinking。

I　feel　awfully　selfish　whenever　I　look　out　of　the　car　window。　　Switzerland　which　I　have　never　seen　is　a　spot　on　the　map　compared　to　this。　　The　mountains　go　up　with　snow　on　one　side　and　black　rows　of　trees　and　rocks　on　the　other；　and　the　clouds　seem　packed　down　between　them。　　The　sun　on　the　snow　and　the　peaks　peering　above　the　clouds　is　all　new　to　me　and　so　very　beautiful　that　I　would　like　to　buy　a　mountain　and　call　it　after　my　best　girl。　　I　will　finish　this　when　I　get　to　Creede。　　I　expect　to　make　my　fortune　there。　DICK。

CREEDE；　March　7。

A　young　man　in　a　sweater　and　top　boots　met　me　at　the　depot　and　said　that　I　was　Mr。　Davis　and　that　he　was　a　young　man　whose　life　I　had　written　in　〃There　was　90　and　9。〃　　He　was　from　Buffalo　and　was　editing　a　paper　in　Creede。　　He　said　I　was　to　stop　with　him　Creede　is　built　of　new　pine　boards　and　lies　between　two　immense　mountains　covered　with　pines　and　snow。　　The　town　is　built　in　the　gulley　and　when　the　spring　freshets　come　will　be　a　second　Johnstown。　　Faber；　the　young　man；　took　me　to　the　Grub　State　Cabin　where　I　found　two　most　amusing　dudes　and　thoroughbred　sports　from　Boston；　Harvard　men　living　in　a　cabin　ten　by　eight　with　four　bunks　and　a　stove；　two　banjos　and　H　O　P　E。　　They　own　numerous　silver　mines；　lots；　and　shares；　but　I　do　not　believe　they　have　five　dollars　in　cash　amongst　them。　　Th