the complete writings-4-第34章

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〃I　should　be　delighted　to。〃

〃Well；　I　guess　there　ain't　so　much　money　in　it。　　You　can　count　it　＇handing　it　over＇；　there　hain't　been　nothing　taken　out。　　I　can't　read；　but　my　friend　here　counted　it　over；　and　he　says　there　ain't　as　much　as　that。〃

Intense　interest　in　the　result　of　the　counting。　　One　hundred　and　ten　dollars！　　The　Friend　selected　one　of　the　best　engraved　of　the　notes；　and　appealed　to　the　crowd　if　they　thought　that　was　the　square　thing　to　do。　　They　did　so　think；　and　David　Thomas　said　it　was　abundant。　And　then　said　the　Friend　：

〃I'm　exceedingly　grateful　to　you　besides。　　Washington's　hair　is　getting　scarce；　and　I　did　not　want　to　lose　these　few　hairs；　gray　as　they　are。　　You've　done　the　honest　thing；　Mr。　Thomas；　as　was　expected　of　you。　　You　might　have　kept　the　whole。　　But　I　reckon　if　there　had　been　five　hundred　dollars　in　the　book　and　you　had　kept　it；　it　wouldn't　have　done　you　half　as　much　good　as　giving　it　up　has　done；　and　your　reputation　as　an　honest　man　is　worth　a　good　deal　more　than　this　pocket…book。　　＇The　Professor　was　delighted　with　this　sentiment；　because　it　reminded　him　of　a　Sunday…school。＇　　I　shall　go　away　with　a　high　opinion　of　the　honesty　of　Mitchell　County。〃

〃Oh；　he　lives　in　Yancey；〃　cried　two　or　three　voices。　　At　which　there　was　a　great　laugh。

〃Well；　I　wondered　where　he　came　from。〃　　And　the　Mitchell　County　people　laughed　again　at　their　own　expense；　and　the　levee　broke　up。　It　was　exceedingly　gratifying；　as　we　spread　the　news　of　the　recovered　property　that　afternoon　at　every　house　on　our　way　to　the　Toe；　to　see　what　pleasure　it　gave。　　Every　man　appeared　to　feel　that　the　honor　of　the　region　had　been　on　trialand　had　stood　the　test。

The　eighteen　miles　to　Burnsville　had　now　to　be　added　to　the　morning　excursion；　but　the　travelers　were　in　high　spirits；　feeling　the　truth　of　the　adage　that　it　is　better　to　have　loved　and　lost；　than　never　to　have　lost　at　all。　　They　decided；　on　reflection；　to　join　company　with　the　mail…rider；　who　was　going　to　Burnsville　by　the　shorter　route；　and　could　pilot　them　over　the　dangerous　ford　of　the　Toe。

The　mail…rider　was　a　lean；　sallow；　sinewy　man；　mounted　on　a　sorry　sorrel　nag；　who　proved；　however；　to　have　blood　in　her；　and　to　be　a　fast　walker　and　full　of　endurance。　　The　mail…rider　was　taciturn；　a　natural　habit　for　a　man　who　rides　alone　the　year　round；　over　a　lonely　road；　and　has　nothing　whatever　to　think　of。　　He　had　been　in　the　war　sixteen　months；　in　Hugh　White's　regiment；reckon　you've　heerd　of　him？

〃Confederate？〃

〃Which？〃

〃Was　he　on　the　Union　or　Confederate　side？〃

〃Oh；　Union。〃

〃Were　you　in　any　engagements？〃

〃Which？〃

〃Did　you　have　any　fighting？〃

〃Not　reg'lar。〃

〃What　did　you　do？〃

〃Which？〃

〃What　did　you　do　in　Hugh　White's　regiment？〃

〃Oh；　just　cavorted　round　the　mountains。〃

〃You　lived　on　the　country？〃

〃Which？〃

〃Picked　up　what　you　could　find；　corn；　bacon；　horses？〃

〃That's　about　so。　　Did　n't　make　much　difference　which　side　was　round；　the　country　got　cleaned　out。〃

〃Plunder　seems　to　have　been　the　object？〃

〃Which？〃

〃You　got　a　living　out　of　the　farmers？〃

〃You　bet。〃

Our　friend　and　guide　seemed　to　have　been　a　jayhawker　and　mountain　marauderon　the　right　side。　　His　attachment　to　the　word　〃which〃　prevented　any　lively　flow　of　conversation；　and　there　seemed　to　be　only　two　trains　of　ideas　running　in　his　mind：　one　was　the　subject　of　horses　and　saddles；　and　the　other　was　the　danger　of　the　ford　we　were　coming　to；　and　he　exhibited　a　good　deal　of　ingenuity　in　endeavoring　to　excite　our　alarm。　　He　returned　to　the　ford　from　every　other　conversational　excursion；　and　after　every　silence。

I　do'　know's　there　's　any　great　danger；　not　if　you　know　the　ford。　Folks　is　carried　away　there。　　The　Toe　gits　up　sudden。　　There's　been　right　smart　rain　lately。

If　you're　afraid；　you　can　git　set　over　in　a　dugout；　and　I'll　take　your　horses　across。　　Mebbe　you're　used　to　fording？　　It's　a　pretty　bad　ford　for　them　as　don't　know　it。　　But　you'll　get　along　if　you　mind　your　eye。　　There's　some　rocks　you'll　have　to　look　out　for。　　But　you'll　be　all　right　if　you　follow　me。〃

Not　being　very　successful　in　raising　an　interest　in　the　dangers　of　his　ford；　although　he　could　not　forego　indulging　a　malicious　pleasure　in　trying　to　make　the　strangers　uncomfortable；　he　finally　turned　his　attention　to　a　trade。　　〃This　hoss　of　mine；〃　he　said；　〃is　just　the　kind　of　brute…beast　you　want　for　this　country。　　Your　hosses　is　too　heavy。　　How'll　you　swap　for　that　one　o'　yourn？〃　　The　reiterated　assertion　that　the　horses　were　not　ours；　that　they　were　hired；　made　little　impression　on　him。　　All　the　way　to　Burnsville　he　kept　referring　to　the　subject　of　a　trade。　　The　instinct　of　〃swap〃　was　strong　in　him。　　When　we　met　a　yoke　of　steers；　he　turned　round　and　bantered　the　owner　for　a　trade。　　Our　saddles　took　his　fancy。　　They　were　of　the　army　pattern；　and　he　allowed　that　one　of　them　would　just　suit　him。　　He　rode　a　small　flat　English　pad；　across　which　was　flung　the　United　States　mail　pouch；　apparently　empty。　　He　dwelt　upon　the　fact　that　his　saddle　was　new　and　ours　were　old；　and　the　advantages　that　would　accrue　to　us　from　the　exchange。　　He　did　n't　care　if　they　had　been　through　the　war；　as　they　had；　for　he　fancied　an　army　saddle。　The　Friend　answered　for　himself　that　the　saddle　he　rode　belonged　to　a　distinguished　Union　general；　and　had　a　bullet　in　it　that　was　put　there　by　a　careless　Confederate　in　the　first　battle　of　Bull　Run；　and　the　owner　would　not　part　with　it　for　money。　　But　the　mail…rider　said　he　did　n't　mind　that。　　He　would　n't　mind　swapping　his　new　saddle　for　my　old　one　and　the　rubber　coat　and　leggings。　　Long　before　we　reached　the　ford　we　thought　we　would　like　to　swap　the　guide；　even　at　the；　risk　of　drowning。　　The　ford　was　passed；　in　due　time；　with　no　inconvenience　save　that　of　wet　feet；　for　the　stream　was　breast　high　to　the　horses；　but　being　broad　and　swift　and　full　of　sunken　rocks　and　slippery　stones；　and　the　crossing　tortuous；　it　is　not　a　ford　to　be　commended。　　There　is　a　curious　delusion　that　a　rider　has　in　crossing　a　swift　broad　stream。　　It　is　that　he　is　rapidly　drifting　up…stream；　while　in　fact　the　tendency　of　the　horse　is　to　go　with　the　current。

The　road　in　the　afternoon　was　not　unpicturesque；　owing　to　the　streams　and　the　ever　noble　forests；　but　the　prospect　was　always　very　limited。　Agriculturally；　the　country　was　mostly　undeveloped。　　The　travelers　endeavored　to　get　from　the　rider　an　estimate　of　the　price　of　land。　Not　much　sold；　he　said。　　〃There　was　one　sale　of　a　big　piece　last　year；　the　owner　enthorited　Big　Tom　Wilson　to　sell　it；　but　I　d'know　what　he　got　for　it；〃

All　the　way　along；　the　habitations　were　small　log　cabins；　with　one　room；　chinked　with　mud；　and　these　were　far　between；　and　only　occasionally　thereby　a　similar　log　structure；　unchinked；　laid　up　like　a　cob　house；　that　served　for　a　stable。　　Not　much　cultivation；　except　now　and　then　a　little　patch　of　poor　corn　on　a　steep　hillside；　occasionally　a　few　apple…trees；　and　a　peach…tree　without　fruit。　　Here　and　there　was　a　house　that　had　been　half　finished　and　then　abandoned；　or　a　shanty　in　which　a　couple　of　young　married　people　were　just　beginning　life。　　Generally　the　cabins　（confirming　the　accuracy　of　the　census　of　1880　swarmed　with　children；　and　nearly　all　the　women　were　thin　and　sickly。

In　the　day's　ride　we　did　not　see　a　wheeled　vehicle；　and　only　now　and　then　a　horse。　　We　met　on　the　road　small　sleds；　drawn　by　a　steer；　sometimes　by　a　cow；　on　which　a　bag　of　grist　was　being　hauled　to　the　mill；　and　boys　mounted　on　steers　gave　us　good…evening　with　as　much　pride　as　if　they　were　bestriding　fiery　horses。

In　a　house　of　the　better　class；　which　was　a　post…house；　and　where　the　rider　and　the　woman　of　the　house　had　a　long　consultation　over　a　letter　to　be　registered；　we　found　the　rooms　decorated　with　patent…　medicine　pictures；　which　were　often　framed　in　strips　of　mica；　an　evidence　of　culture　that　was　worth　noting。　　Mica　was　the　rage。　　Every　one　with　whom　we　talked；　except　the　rider；　had　more　or　less　the　mineral　fever。　　The　impression　was　general　that　the　mountain　region　of　North　Carolina　was　entering　upon　a　career　of　wonderful　mineral　development；　and　the　most　extravagant　expectations　were　entertained。　Mica　was　the　shining　object　of　most　〃pro