lin mclean-第5章

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certain　defiant　vigor。　But　the　bishop　on　the　platform　failed　to　notice

this　performance；　though　it　was　done　for　his　sole　benefit；　nor　would　Lin

explain　to　the　inquisitive　Wiggin　what　the　matter　was。　Therefore；　very

naturally；　Honey　drew　a　conclusion　for　himself；　looked　quickly　out　of　the

window；　and；　being　disappointed　in　what　he　expected　to　see　remarked；

sulkily；　〃Do　yu'　figure　I　care　what　sort　of　a　lookin'　girl　is　stuck　on

yu'　in　Evanston？〃　And　upon　this　young　Lin　laughed　so　loudly　that　his

friend　told　him　he　had　never　seen　a　man　get　so　foolish　in　three　years。



By…and…by　they　were　in　Utah；　and；　in　the　company　of　Ogden　friends；　forgot

prospecting。　Later　they　resumed　freight　trains　and　journeyed　north　In

Idaho　they　said　good…bye　to　the　train　hands　in　the　caboose；　and　came　to

Little　Camas；　and　so　among　the　mountains　near　Feather　Creek。　Here　the

berries　were　of　several　sorts；　and　growing　riper　each　day；　and　the　bears

in　the　timber　above　knew　this；　and　came　down　punctually　with　the　season；

making　variety　in　the　otherwise　even　life　of　the　prospectors。　It　was　now

August；　and　Lin　sat　on　a　wet　hill　making　mud…pies　for　sixty　days。　But　the

philosopher's　stone　was　not　in　the　wash　at　that　placer；　nor　did　Lin

gather　gold…dust　sufficient　to　cover　the　nail　of　his　thumb。　Then　they

heard　of　an　excitement　at　Obo；　Nevada；　and；　hurrying　to　Obo；　they　made

some　more　mud…pies。



Now　and　then；　eating　their　fat　bacon　at　noon；　Honey　would　say；　〃Lin；

wher're　yu'　goin'？〃



And　Lin　always　replied；　〃East。〃　This　became　a　signal　for　drinks。



For　beauty　and　promise；　Nevada　is　a　name　among　names。　Nevada！　Pronounce

the　word　aloud。　Does　it　not　evoke　mountains　and　clear　air；　heights　of

untrodden　snow　and　valleys　aromatic　with　the　pine　and　musical　with

falling　waters？　Nevada！　But　the　name　is　all。　Abomination　of　desolation

presides　over　nine…tenths　of　the　place。　The　sun　beats　down　as　on　a　roof

of　zinc；　fierce　and　dull。　Not　a　drop　of　water　to　a　mile　of　sand。　The　mean

ash…dump　landscape　stretches　on　from　nowhere　to　nowhere；　a　spot　of　mange。

No　portion　of　the　earth　is　more　lacquered　with　paltry；　unimportant

ugliness。



There　is　gold　in　Nevada；　but　Lin　and　Honey　did　not　find　it。　Prospecting

of　the　sort　they　did；　besides　proving　unfruitful；　is　not　comfortable。　Now

and　again；　losing　patience；　Lin　would　leave　his　work　and　stalk　about　and

gaze　down　at　the　scattered　men　who　stooped　or　knelt　in　the　water。　Passing

each　busy　prospector；　Lin　would　read　on　every　broad；　upturned　pair　of

overalls　the　same　label；　〃Levi　Strauss；　No。　2；〃　with　a　picture　of　two

lusty　horses　hitched　to　one　of　these　garments　and　vainly　struggling　to

split　them　asunder。　Lin　remembered　he　was　wearing　a　label　just　like　that

too；　and　when　he　considered　all　things　he　laughed　to　himself。　Then；

having　stretched　the　ache　out　of　his　long　legs；　he　would　return　to　his

ditch。　As　autumn　wore　on；　his　feet　grew　cold　in　the　mushy　gravel　they

were　sunk　in。　He　beat　off　the　sand　that　had　stiffened　on　his　boots；　and

hated　Obo；　Nevada。　But　he　held　himself　ready　to　say　〃East〃　whenever　he

saw　Honey　coming　along　with　the　bottle。　The　cold　weather　put　an　end　to

this　adventure。　The　ditches　froze　and　filled　with　snow；　through　which　the

sordid　gravel　heaps　showed　in　a　dreary　fashion；　so　the　two　friends

drifted　southward。



Near　the　small　new　town　of　Mesa；　Arizona；　they　sat　down　again　in　the

dirt。　It　was　milder　here；　and；　when　the　sun　shone；　never　quite　froze。　But

this　part　of　Arizona　is　scarcely　more　grateful　to　the　eye　than　Nevada。

Moreover；　Lin　and　Honey　found　no　gold　at　all。　Some　men　near　them　found　a

little。　Then　in　January；　even　though　the　sun　shone；　it　quite　froze　one

day。



〃We're　seein'　the　country；　anyway；〃　said　Honey。



〃Seein'　hell；〃　said　Lin；　〃and　there's　more　of　it　above　ground　than　I

thought。〃



〃What'll　we　do？〃　Honey　inquired。



〃Have　to　walk　for　a　joba　good…payin'　job；〃　responded　the　hopeful

cow…puncher。　And　he　and　Honey　went　to　town。



Lin　found　a　job　in　twenty…five　minutes；　becoming　assistant　to　the

apothecary　in　Mesa。　Established　at　the　drug…store；　he　made　up　the　simpler

prescriptions。　He　had　studied　practical　pharmacy　in　Boston　between　the

ages　of　thirteen　and　fifteen；　and；　besides　this　qualification；　the

apothecary　had　seen　him　when　he　first　came　into　Mesa；　and　liked　him。　Lin

made　no　mistakes　that　he　or　any　one　ever　knew　of；　and；　as　the　mild

weather　began；　he　materially　increased　the　apothecary's　business　by

persuading　him　to　send　East　for　a　soda…water　fountain。　The　ladies　of　the

town　clustered　around　this　entertaining　novelty；　and　while　sipping

vanilla　and　lemon　bought　knickknacks。　And　the　gentlemen　of　the　town

discovered　that　whiskey　with　soda　and　strawberry　syrup　was　delicious；　and

produced　just　as　competent　effects。　A　group　of　them　were　generally

standing　in　the　shop　and　shaking　dice　to　decide　who　should　pay　for　the

next；　while　Lin　administered　to　each　glass　the　necessary　ingredients。

Thus　money　began　to　come　to　him　a　little　more　steadily　than　had　been　its

wont；　and　he　divided　with　the　penniless　Honey。



But　Honey　found　fortune　quickly；　too。　Through　excellent　card…playing　he

won　a　pinto　from　a　small　Mexican　horse…thief　who　came　into　town　from　the

South；　and　who　cried　bitterly　when　he　delivered　up　his　pet　pony　to　the

new　owner。　The　new　owner；　being　a　man　of　the　world　and　agile　on　his　feet；

was　only　slightly　stabbed　that　evening　as　he　walked　to　the　dance…hall　at

the　edge　of　the　town。　The　Mexican　was　buried　on　the　next　day　but　one。



The　pony　stood　thirteen　two；　and　was　as　long　as　a　steamboat。　He　had　white

eyelashes；　pink　nostrils；　and　one　eye　was　bright　blue。　If　you　spoke

pleasantly　to　him；　he　rose　instantly　on　his　hind…legs　and　tried　to　beat

your　face。　He　did　not　look　as　if　he　could　run；　and　that　was　what　made　him

so　valuable。　Honey　travelled　through　the　country　with　him；　and　every

gentleman　who　saw　the　pinto　and　heard　Honey　became　anxious　to　get　up　a

race。　Lin　always　sent　money　for　Wiggin　to　place；　and　he　soon　opened　a

bank　account；　while　Honey；　besides　his　racing…bridle；　bought　a

silver…inlaid　one；　a　pair　of　forty…dollar　spurs；　and　a　beautiful　saddle

richly　stamped。　Every　day　（when　in　Mesa）　Honey　would　step　into　the

drug…store　and　inquire；　〃Lin；　wher're　yu'　goin'？〃



But　Lin　never　answered　any　more。　He　merely　came　to　the　soda…water

fountain　with　the　whiskey。　The　passing　of　days　brought　a　choked　season　of

fine　sand　and　hard　blazing　sky。　Heat　rose　up　from　the　ground　and　hung

heavily　over　man　and　beast。　Many　insects　sat　out　in　the　sun　rattling　with

joy；　the　little　tearing　river　grew　clear　from　the　swollen　mud；　and　shrank

to　a　succession　of　standing　pools；　and　the　fat；　squatting　cactus　bloomed

everywhere　into　butter…colored　flowers　big　as　tulips　in　the　sand。　There

were　artesian　wells　in　Mesa；　and　the　water　did　not　taste　very　good；　but

if　you　drank　from　the　standing　pools　where　the　river　had　been；　you

repaired　to　the　drug…store　almost　immediately。　A　troop　of　wandering

players　came　dotting　along　the　railroad；　and；　reaching　Mesa；　played　a

brass…band　up　and　down　the　street；　and　announced　the　powerful　drama　of

〃East　Lynne。〃　Then　Mr。　McLean　thought　of　the　Lynn　marshes　that　lie

between　there　and　Chelsea；　and　of　the　sea　that　must　look　so　cool。　He

forgot　them　while　following　the　painful　fortunes　of　the　Lady　Isabel；　but；

going　to　bed　in　the　back　part　of　the　drug…store；　he　remembered　how　he

used　to　beat　everybody　swimming　in　the　salt　water。



〃I'm　goin'；〃　he　said。　Then　he　got　up；　and；　striking　the　light；　he

inspected　his　bank　account。　〃I'm　sure　goin'；〃　he　repeated；　blowing　the

light　out；　〃and　I　can　buy　the　fatted　calf　myself；　you　bet！〃　for　he　had

often　thought　of　the　bishop's　story。　〃You　bet！〃　he　remarked　once　more　in

a　muffled　voice；　and　was　asleep　in　a　minute。　The　apothecary　was　sorry　to

have　him　go；　and　Honey　was　deeply　grieved。



〃I'd　pull　out　with　yer；〃　he　said；　〃only　I　can　do　business　round　Yuma　and

westward　with　the　pinto。〃



For　thre