登陆注册
5380500000021

第21章

There had been no secretary work for him to do, and no provision for payment.He found his profit in studying human nature and in prospecting native resources.He was not interested in mining not yet.With a boy named John Kinney he made an excursion to Lake Bigler--now Tahoe--and located a timber claim, really of great value.They were supposed to build a fence around it, but they were too full of the enjoyment of camp-life to complete it.They put in most of their time wandering through the stately forest or drifting over the transparent lake in a boat left there by lumbermen.They built themselves a brush house, but they did not sleep in it.In 'Roughing It' he writes, "It never occurred to us, for one thing;and, besides, it was built to hold the ground, and that was enough.

We did not wish to strain it."

They were having a glorious time, when their camp-fire got away from them and burned up their claim.His next letter, of which the beginning is missing, describes the fire.

Fragment of a letter to Mrs.Jane Clemens and Mrs.Moffett, in St.Louis:

.....The level ranks of flame were relieved at intervals by the standard-bearers, as we called the tall dead trees, wrapped in fire, and waving their blazing banners a hundred feet in the air.Then we could turn from this scene to the Lake, and see every branch, and leaf, and cataract of flame upon its bank perfectly reflected as in a gleaming, fiery mirror.

The mighty roaring of the conflagration, together with our solitary and somewhat unsafe position (for there was no one within six miles of us,)rendered the scene very impressive.Occasionally, one of us would remove his pipe from his mouth and say, "Superb! magnificent! Beautiful! but-by the Lord God Almighty, if we attempt to sleep in this little patch tonight, we'll never live till morning! for if we don't burn up, we'll certainly suffocate." But he was persuaded to sit up until we felt pretty safe as far as the fire was concerned, and then we turned in, with many misgivings.When we got up in the morning, we found that the fire had burned small pieces of drift wood within six feet of our boat, and had made its way to within 4 or 5 steps of us on the South side.We looked like lava men, covered as we were with ashes, and begrimed with smoke.We were very black in the face, but we soon washed ourselves white again.

John D.Kinney, a Cincinnati boy, and a first-rate fellow, too, who came out with judge Turner, was my comrade.We staid at the Lake four days--I had plenty of fun, for John constantly reminded me of Sam Bowen when we were on our campaign in Missouri.But first and foremost, for Annie's, Mollies, and Pamela's comfort, be it known that I have never been guilty of profane language since I have been in this Territory, and Kinney hardly ever swears.--But sometimes human nature gets the better of him.

On the second day we started to go by land to the lower camp, a distance of three miles, over the mountains, each carrying an axe.I don't think we got lost exactly, but we wandered four hours over the steepest, rockiest and most dangerous piece of country in the world.I couldn't keep from laughing at Kinney's distress, so I kept behind, so that he could not see me.After he would get over a dangerous place, with infinite labor and constant apprehension, he would stop, lean on his axe, and look around, then behind, then ahead, and then drop his head and ruminate awhile.--Then he would draw a long sigh, and say: "Well--could any Billygoat have scaled that place without breaking his --- ---- neck?"And I would reply, "No,--I don't think he could." "No--you don't think he could--" (mimicking me,) "Why don't you curse the infernal place?

You know you want to.--I do, and will curse the --- ---- thieving country as long as I live." Then we would toil on in silence for awhile.

Finally I told him--"Well, John, what if we don't find our way out of this today--we'll know all about the country when we do get out." "Oh stuff--I know enough--and too much about the d---d villainous locality already." Finally, we reached the camp.But as we brought no provisions with us, the first subject that presented itself to us was, how to get back.John swore he wouldn't walk back, so we rolled a drift log apiece into the Lake, and set about making paddles, intending to straddle the logs and paddle ourselves back home sometime or other.But the Lake objected--got stormy, and we had to give it up.So we set out for the only house on this side of the Lake--three miles from there, down the shore.We found the way without any trouble, reached there before sundown, played three games of cribbage, borrowed a dug-out and pulled back six miles to the upper camp.As we had eaten nothing since sunrise, we did not waste time in cooking our supper or in eating it, either.

After supper we got out our pipes--built a rousing camp fire in the open air-established a faro bank (an institution of this country,) on our huge flat granite dining table, and bet white beans till one o'clock, when John went to bed.We were up before the sun the next morning, went out on the Lake and caught a fine trout for breakfast.But unfortunately, Ispoilt part of the breakfast.We had coffee and tea boiling on the fire, in coffee-pots and fearing they might not be strong enough, I added more ground coffee, and more tea, but--you know mistakes will happen.--I put the tea in the coffee-pot, and the coffee in the teapot--and if you imagine that they were not villainous mixtures, just try the effect once.

And so Bella is to be married on the 1st of Oct.Well, I send her and her husband my very best wishes, and--I may not be here--but wherever Iam on that night, we'll have a rousing camp-fire and a jollification in honor of the event.

In a day or two we shall probably go to the Lake and build another cabin and fence, and get everything into satisfactory trim before our trip to Esmeralda about the first of November.

同类推荐
  • 洞玄灵宝自然九天生神章经

    洞玄灵宝自然九天生神章经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 醒园录

    醒园录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太清调气经

    太清调气经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 七修类稿

    七修类稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 周易郑康成注

    周易郑康成注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 罗天大醮早朝科

    罗天大醮早朝科

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 快穿之这个女帝有点狂

    快穿之这个女帝有点狂

    无男主,女主属于开挂+黑化,很强势,又霸道的性格。自从遇见了染酒之后,系统感觉自己的三观已被刷新……系统:“宿主,这个位面的大反派追来了!!”染酒:“杀了呗。”系统:“宿主,这是古代世界,你哪来的原子弹!!!!”染酒:“我拿的呗。”系统:“宿主大人,这个位面一定要控制,求你不要再黑化了!!!!”染酒勾唇:“好的呢。”刚到位面,“叮咚叮咚!位面已毁灭!请撤离!!”系统:“…我信你个鬼,你个小仙女坏的狠!!”#论统生的艰难##论宿主总爱黑化,怎么办##论宿主的挂太强,已亮瞎我的卡姿兰大眼睛#
  • 罗什药铺

    罗什药铺

    她一个尸魄,醒来之后便成了开在阴间的罗什药铺的老板娘,做的是渡魂往生的买卖。机缘巧合之下被派到人间做任务,于是开启了一部少女的成长史。情深不寿、不负卿卿……对她来说皆是虎狼之词。渡人渡己渡众生,却弄丢了只渡她的那个人,这怎么可以?
  • 做灵魂有香气的女子:那些民国女神教我的事

    做灵魂有香气的女子:那些民国女神教我的事

    美丽和才华,成为构成民国女子的“基本要素”。当我们怀着“怀旧”的情感,回眸民国红颜,不能不惊叹:原来在我们的世界上曾经生活过如此美丽的精灵!林徽因、张爱玲、孟小冬、周璇、蝴蝶、唐瑛、吕碧城、董竹君……她们美丽的身影永远令人崇慕与怀想,我们在感叹时光无情的同时,更加感怀她们留给我们的精神世界和缤纷绮丽的传奇人生。
  • 明朝作品集

    明朝作品集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 格林童话(语文新课标课外读物)

    格林童话(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 太古主宰帝

    太古主宰帝

    无所畏惧,天下无敌,人族的希望。横扫太古时代,举世无双,主宰之帝
  • 种田之我是农学大师

    种田之我是农学大师

    大学毕业后,周浩回到村里,打算靠学来的本事带大家一起致富。结果却在各种压力下快读蜕变,强势崛起!
  • 妃爱上你:一个王爷两个宝(完本)

    妃爱上你:一个王爷两个宝(完本)

    开新文了,《傲妃不乖:给爷默哀三分钟》支持一下哦~链接:http://m.wkkk.net/a/267158/————————————————————不小心从地府穿了过来,缠上了坏爷和小两宝,会产生什么化学反应?升温?发热?噢不!是逃!逃,往哪逃?最后还不是给坏爷揪了回来道:“娘子这是去哪?该回家带孩子啦。”*天大,地大,宝宝相公最大。她逃,他追。她给他一掌,他回她一吻。他坏坏勾上了她的心,她却发现,他爱着的还有另外一个女人……温馨背后的阴谋,阴谋中时常的欢笑。那是一场无法告人秘密,是乐?是悲?该笑?该泣?为了保护他们,他让她带着两个小宝贝远离,却不知道带离的还有他们的心……*相传,五年前,她是他最受宠的妃,五年后,她却牵着两个小宝贝的手管别人叫爹……他怒,一手搂回了她霸道宣布:“你是我的,你们都是我的。”她却推开了他淡淡道:“我只是你拐回的玩具,他们只是你丢弃的垃圾。”*注:妈是后妈,宝不是亲宝。文文前面的会是轻松搞笑,进行到中间小小虐,结局大喜剧。主要来说,风格还是喜,慢热。****推荐好友文文:《逃婚皇后:本宫不做下堂妻》文/清风馆http://m.wkkk.net/a/250378/《囧女重生:一品王爷三流妃》文/刀小盒http://m.wkkk.net/a/257341/《爱妃不乖,硬上弓》文/筱米糖http://m.wkkk.net/a/260844/粉好看滴,喜欢的话去捧捧场哦。
  • 红颜倾世:娘子好腹黑

    红颜倾世:娘子好腹黑

    步弱,21世纪佣兵界第一人。一张倾城的美貌下藏着一颗千疮百孔的心,冷漠嗜血。虽如此,但此生她没有因为拼杀而死,却因误点自己的笑腰穴而笑死,世人叹怎一个囧字了得?然,不平凡的人怎可能就此平凡?血莲胎记,命中劫,命中难,今生喋血,终究是一朝变,世界颠,倾世容颜惊羡,他怎会是她?高手如云,一手狂澜,巧笑倩兮,前世今生,玩笑之大,她宁愿负了这无情的天下。