roughing it-第56章

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I　yielded　to　Higbie's　appeals　and　consented　to　try　the　mining　once　more。
We　climbed　far　up　on　the　mountain　side　and　went　to　work　on　a　little
rubbishy　claim　of　ours　that　had　a　shaft　on　it　eight　feet　deep。　　Higbie
descended　into　it　and　worked　bravely　with　his　pick　till　he　had　loosened
up　a　deal　of　rock　and　dirt　and　then　I　went　down　with　a　long…handled
shovel　（the　most　awkward　invention　yet　contrived　by　man）　to　throw　it　out。
You　must　brace　the　shovel　forward　with　the　side　of　your　knee　till　it　is
full；　and　then；　with　a　skilful　toss；　throw　it　backward　over　your　left
shoulder。　　I　made　the　toss；　and　landed　the　mess　just　on　the　edge　of　the
shaft　and　it　all　came　back　on　my　head　and　down　the　back　of　my　neck。
I　never　said　a　word；　but　climbed　out　and　walked　home。　　I　inwardly
resolved　that　I　would　starve　before　I　would　make　a　target　of　myself　and
shoot　rubbish　at　it　with　a　long…handled　shovel。

I　sat　down；　in　the　cabin；　and　gave　myself　up　to　solid　miseryso　to
speak。　　Now　in　pleasanter　days　I　had　amused　myself　with　writing　letters
to　the　chief　paper　of　the　Territory；　the　Virginia　Daily　Territorial
Enterprise；　and　had　always　been　surprised　when　they　appeared　in　print。
My　good　opinion　of　the　editors　had　steadily　declined；　for　it　seemed　to　me
that　they　might　have　found　something　better　to　fill　up　with　than　my
literature。　　I　had　found　a　letter　in　the　post　office　as　I　came　home　from
the　hill　side；　and　finally　I　opened　it。　　Eureka！　　＇I　never　did　know　what
Eureka　meant；　but　it　seems　to　be　as　proper　a　word　to　heave　in　as　any　when
no　other　that　sounds　pretty　offers。＇　It　was　a　deliberate　offer　to　me　of
Twenty…Five　Dollars　a　week　to　come　up　to　Virginia　and　be　city　editor　of
the　Enterprise。

I　would　have　challenged　the　publisher　in　the　〃blind　lead〃　daysI　wanted
to　fall　down　and　worship　him；　now。　　Twenty…Five　Dollars　a　weekit　looked
like　bloated　luxurya　fortune　a　sinful　and　lavish　waste　of　money。
But　my　transports　cooled　when　I　thought　of　my　inexperience　and　consequent
unfitness　for　the　positionand　straightway；　on　top　of　this；　my　long
array　of　failures　rose　up　before　me。　　Yet　if　I　refused　this　place　I　must
presently　become　dependent　upon　somebody　for　my　bread；　a　thing
necessarily　distasteful　to　a　man　who　had　never　experienced　such　a
humiliation　since　he　was　thirteen　years　old。　　Not　much　to　be　proud　of；
since　it　is　so　commonbut　then　it　was　all　I　had　to　be　proud　of。　　So　I
was　scared　into　being　a　city　editor。　　I　would　have　declined；　otherwise。
Necessity　is　the　mother　of　〃taking　chances。〃　　I　do　not　doubt　that　if；　at
that　time；　I　had　been　offered　a　salary　to　translate　the　Talmud　from　the
original　Hebrew；　I　would　have　acceptedalbeit　with　diffidence　and　some
misgivingsand　thrown　as　much　variety　into　it　as　I　could　for　the　money。

I　went　up　to　Virginia　and　entered　upon　my　new　vocation。　　I　was　a　rusty
looking　city　editor；　I　am　free　to　confesscoatless；　slouch　hat；　blue
woolen　shirt；　pantaloons　stuffed　into　boot…tops；　whiskered　half　down　to
the　waist；　and　the　universal　navy　revolver　slung　to　my　belt。　　But　I
secured　a　more　Christian　costume　and　discarded　the　revolver。

I　had　never　had　occasion　to　kill　anybody；　nor　ever　felt　a　desire　to　do
so；　but　had　worn　the　thing　in　deference　to　popular　sentiment；　and　in
order　that　I　might　not；　by　its　absence；　be　offensively　conspicuous；　and　a
subject　of　remark。　　But　the　other　editors；　and　all　the　printers；　carried
revolvers。　　I　asked　the　chief　editor　and　proprietor　（Mr。　Goodman；　I　will
call　him；　since　it　describes　him　as　well　as　any　name　could　do）　for　some
instructions　with　regard　to　my　duties；　and　he　told　me　to　go　all　over　town
and　ask　all　sorts　of　people　all　sorts　of　questions；　make　notes　of　the
information　gained；　and　write　them　out　for　publication。　　And　he　added：

〃Never　say　'We　learn'　so…and…so；　or　'It　is　reported；　or　'It　is　rumored；'
or　'We　understand'　so…and…so；　but　go　to　headquarters　and　get　the　absolute
facts；　and　then　speak　out　and　say　'It　is　so…and…so。〃　　Otherwise；　people
will　not　put　confidence　in　your　news。　　Unassailable　certainly　is　the
thing　that　gives　a　newspaper　the　firmest　and　most　valuable　reputation。〃

It　was　the　whole　thing　in　a　nut…shell；　and　to　this　day　when　I　find　a
reporter　commencing　his　article　with　〃We　understand；〃　I　gather　a
suspicion　that　he　has　not　taken　as　much　pains　to　inform　himself　as　he
ought　to　have　done。　　I　moralize　well；　but　I　did　not　always　practise　well
when　I　was　a　city　editor；　I　let　fancy　get　the　upper　hand　of　fact　too
often　when　there　was　a　dearth　of　news。　　I　can　never　forget　my　first　day's
experience　as　a　reporter。　　I　wandered　about　town　questioning　everybody；
boring　everybody；　and　finding　out　that　nobody　knew　anything。　　At　the　end
of　five　hours　my　notebook　was　still　barren。　　I　spoke　to　Mr。　Goodman。　　He
said：

〃Dan　used　to　make　a　good　thing　out　of　the　hay　wagons　in　a　dry　time　when
there　were　no　fires　or　inquests。　　Are　there　no　hay　wagons　in　from　the
Truckee？　　If　there　are；　you　might　speak　of　the　renewed　activity　and　all
that　sort　of　thing；　in　the　hay　business；　you　know。

It　isn't　sensational　or　exciting；　but　it　fills　up　and　looks　business
like。〃

I　canvassed　the　city　again　and　found　one　wretched　old　hay　truck　dragging
in　from　the　country。　　But　I　made　affluent　use　of　it。　　I　multiplied　it　by
sixteen；　brought　it　into　town　from　sixteen　different　directions；　made
sixteen　separate　items　out　of　it；　and　got　up　such　another　sweat　about　hay
as　Virginia　City　had　never　seen　in　the　world　before。

This　was　encouraging。　　Two　nonpareil　columns　had　to　be　filled；　and　I　was
getting　along。　　Presently；　when　things　began　to　look　dismal　again；　a
desperado　killed　a　man　in　a　saloon　and　joy　returned　once　more。　　I　never
was　so　glad　over　any　mere　trifle　before　in　my　life。　　I　said　to　the
murderer：

〃Sir；　you　are　a　stranger　to　me；　but　you　have　done　me　a　kindness　this　day
which　I　can　never　forget。　　If　whole　years　of　gratitude　can　be　to　you　any
slight　compensation；　they　shall　be　yours。　　I　was　in　trouble　and　you　have
relieved　me　nobly　and　at　a　time　when　all　seemed　dark　and　drear。　　Count　me
your　friend　from　this　time　forth；　for　I　am　not　a　man　to　forget　a　favor。〃

If　I　did　not　really　say　that　to　him　I　at　least　felt　a　sort　of　itching
desire　to　do　it。　　I　wrote　up　the　murder　with　a　hungry　attention　to
details；　and　when　it　was　finished　experienced　but　one　regretnamely；
that　they　had　not　hanged　my　benefactor　on　the　spot；　so　that　I　could　work
him　up　too。

Next　I　discovered　some　emigrant　wagons　going　into　camp　on　the　plaza　and
found　that　they　had　lately　come　through　the　hostile　Indian　country　and
had　fared　rather　roughly。　　I　made　the　best　of　the　item　that　the
circumstances　permitted；　and　felt　that　if　I　were　not　confined　within
rigid　limits　by　the　presence　of　the　reporters　of　the　other　papers　I　could
add　particulars　that　would　make　the　article　much　more　interesting。
However；　I　found　one　wagon　that　was　going　on　to　California；　and　made　some
judicious　inquiries　of　the　proprietor。　　When　I　learned；　through　his　short
and　surly　answers　to　my　cross…questioning；　that　he　was　certainly　going　on
and　would　not　be　in　the　city　next　day　to　make　trouble；　I　got　ahead　of　the
other　papers；　for　I　took　down　his　list　of　names　and　added　his　party　to
the　killed　and　wounded。　　Having　more　scope　here；　I　put　this　wagon　through
an　Indian　fight　that　to　this　day　has　no　parallel　in　history。

My　two　columns　were　filled。　　When　I　read　them　over　in　the　morning　I　felt
that　I　had　found　my　legitimate　occupation　at　last。　　I　reasoned　within
myself　that　news；　and　stirring　news；　too；　was　what　a　paper　needed；　and　I
felt　that　I　was　peculiarly　endowed　with　the　ability　to　furnish　it。
Mr。　Goodman　said　that　I　was　as　good　a　reporter　as　Dan。　　I　desired　no
higher　commendation。　　With　encouragement　like　that；　I　felt　that　I　could
take　my　pen　and　murder　all　the　immigrants　on　the　plains　if　need　be　and
the　interests　of　the　paper　demanded　it。




CHAPTER　XLIII。

However；　as　I　grew　better　acquainted　with　the　business　and　learned　the
run　of　the　sources　of　information　I　ceased　to　require　the　aid　of　fancy　to
any　large　extent；　and　became　able　to　fill　my　columns　without　diverging
noticeably　from　the　domain　of　fact。

I　struck　up　friendships　with　the　reporters　o