roughing it-第30章

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with　a　shaft　till　we　came　to　where　it　was　richsay　a　hundred　feet　or　so
or　else　we　must　go　down　into　the　valley　and　bore　a　long　tunnel　into　the
mountain　side　and　tap　the　ledge　far　under　the　earth。　　To　do　either　was
plainly　the　labor　of　months；　for　we　could　blast　and　bore　only　a　few　feet
a　daysome　five　or　six。　　But　this　was　not　all。　　He　said　that　after　we
got　the　ore　out　it　must　be　hauled　in　wagons　to　a　distant　silver…mill；
ground　up；　and　the　silver　extracted　by　a　tedious　and　costly　process。　　Our
fortune　seemed　a　century　away！

But　we　went　to　work。　　We　decided　to　sink　a　shaft。　　So；　for　a　week　we
climbed　the　mountain；　laden　with　picks；　drills；　gads；　crowbars；　shovels；
cans　of　blasting　powder　and　coils　of　fuse　and　strove　with　might　and　main。
At　first　the　rock　was　broken　and　loose　and　we　dug　it　up　with　picks　and
threw　it　out　with　shovels；　and　the　hole　progressed　very　well。　　But　the
rock　became　more　compact；　presently；　and　gads　and　crowbars　came　into
play。　　But　shortly　nothing　could　make　an　impression　but　blasting　powder。

That　was　the　weariest　work！　　One　of　us　held　the　iron　drill　in　its　place
and　another　would　strike　with　an　eight…pound　sledgeit　was　like　driving
nails　on　a　large　scale。　　In　the　course　of　an　hour　or　two　the　drill　would
reach　a　depth　of　two　or　three　feet；　making　a　hole　a　couple　of　inches　in
diameter。　　We　would　put　in　a　charge　of　powder；　insert　half　a　yard　of
fuse；　pour　in　sand　and　gravel　and　ram　it　down；　then　light　the　fuse　and
run。　　When　the　explosion　came　and　the　rocks　and　smoke　shot　into　the　air；
we　would　go　back　and　find　about　a　bushel　of　that　hard；　rebellious　quartz
jolted　out。　　Nothing　more。　　One　week　of　this　satisfied　me。　　I　resigned。
Clagget　and　Oliphant　followed。　　Our　shaft　was　only　twelve　feet　deep。　　We
decided　that　a　tunnel　was　the　thing　we　wanted。

So　we　went　down　the　mountain　side　and　worked　a　week；　at　the　end　of　which
time　we　had　blasted　a　tunnel　about　deep　enough　to　hide　a　hogshead　in；　and
judged　that　about　nine　hundred　feet　more　of　it　would　reach　the　ledge。
I　resigned　again；　and　the　other　boys　only　held　out　one　day　longer。
We　decided　that　a　tunnel　was　not　what　we　wanted。　　We　wanted　a　ledge　that
was　already　〃developed。〃　　There　were　none　in　the　camp。

We　dropped　the　〃Monarch〃　for　the　time　being。

Meantime　the　camp　was　filling　up　with　people；　and　there　was　a　constantly
growing　excitement　about　our　Humboldt　mines。　　We　fell　victims　to　the
epidemic　and　strained　every　nerve　to　acquire　more　〃feet。〃　　We　prospected
and　took　up　new　claims；　put　〃notices〃　on　them　and　gave　them　grandiloquent
names。　　We　traded　some　of　our　〃feet〃　for　〃feet〃　in　other　people's　claims。
In　a　little　while　we　owned　largely　in　the　〃Gray　Eagle；〃　the　〃Columbiana；〃
the　〃Branch　Mint；〃　the　〃Maria　Jane；〃　the　〃Universe；〃　the　〃Root…Hog…or…
Die；〃　the　〃Samson　and　Delilah；〃　the　〃Treasure　Trove；〃　the　〃Golconda；〃　the
〃Sultana；〃　the　〃Boomerang；〃　the　〃Great　Republic；〃　the　〃Grand　Mogul；〃　and
fifty　other　〃mines〃　that　had　never　been　molested　by　a　shovel　or　scratched
with　a　pick。　　We　had　not　less　than　thirty　thousand　〃feet〃　apiece　in　the
〃richest　mines　on　earth〃　as　the　frenzied　cant　phrased　itand　were　in
debt　to　the　butcher。　　We　were　stark　mad　with　excitementdrunk　with
happinesssmothered　under　mountains　of　prospective　wealtharrogantly
compassionate　toward　the　plodding　millions　who　knew　not　our　marvellous
canyonbut　our　credit　was　not　good　at　the　grocer's。

It　was　the　strangest　phase　of　life　one　can　imagine。　　It　was　a　beggars'
revel。　　There　was　nothing　doing　in　the　districtno　miningno　milling
no　productive　effortno　incomeand　not　enough　money　in　the　entire　camp
to　buy　a　corner　lot　in　an　eastern　village；　hardly；　and　yet　a　stranger
would　have　supposed　he　was　walking　among　bloated　millionaires。
Prospecting　parties　swarmed　out　of　town　with　the　first　flush　of　dawn；　and
swarmed　in　again　at　nightfall　laden　with　spoilrocks。　　Nothing　but
rocks。　　Every　man's　pockets　were　full　of　them；　the　floor　of　his　cabin　was
littered　with　them；　they　were　disposed　in　labeled　rows　on　his　shelves。




CHAPTER　XXX。

I　met　men　at　every　turn　who　owned　from　one　thousand　to　thirty　thousand
〃feet〃　in　undeveloped　silver　mines；　every　single　foot　of　which　they
believed　would　shortly　be　worth　from　fifty　to　a　thousand　dollarsand　as
often　as　any　other　way　they　were　men　who　had　not　twenty…five　dollars　in
the　world。　　Every　man　you　met　had　his　new　mine　to　boast　of；　and　his
〃specimens〃　ready；　and　if　the　opportunity　offered；　he　would　infallibly
back　you　into　a　corner　and　offer　as　a　favor　to　you；　not　to　him；　to　part
with　just　a　few　feet　in　the　〃Golden　Age；〃　or　the　〃Sarah　Jane；〃　or　some
other　unknown　stack　of　croppings；　for　money　enough　to　get　a　〃square　meal〃
with；　as　the　phrase　went。　　And　you　were　never　to　reveal　that　he　had　made
you　the　offer　at　such　a　ruinous　price；　for　it　was　only　out　of　friendship
for　you　that　he　was　willing　to　make　the　sacrifice。　　Then　he　would　fish　a
piece　of　rock　out　of　his　pocket；　and　after　looking　mysteriously　around　as
if　he　feared　he　might　be　waylaid　and　robbed　if　caught　with　such　wealth　in
his　possession；　he　would　dab　the　rock　against　his　tongue；　clap　an
eyeglass　to　it；　and　exclaim：

〃Look　at　that！　　Right　there　in　that　red　dirt！　　See　it？　　See　the　specks　of
gold？　　And　the　streak　of　silver？　　That's　from　the　Uncle　Abe。　　There's　a
hundred　thousand　tons　like　that　in　sight！　　Right　in　sight；　mind　you！
And　when　we　get　down　on　it　and　the　ledge　comes　in　solid；　it　will　be　the
richest　thing　in　the　world！　　Look　at　the　assay！　　I　don't　want　you　to
believe　melook　at　the　assay！〃

Then　he　would　get　out　a　greasy　sheet　of　paper　which　showed　that　the
portion　of　rock　assayed　had　given　evidence　of　containing　silver　and　gold
in　the　proportion　of　so　many　hundreds　or　thousands　of　dollars　to　the　ton。


I　little　knew；　then；　that　the　custom　was　to　hunt　out　the　richest　piece　of
rock　and　get　it　assayed！　　Very　often；　that　piece；　the　size　of　a　filbert；
was　the　only　fragment　in　a　ton　that　had　a　particle　of　metal　in　itand
yet　the　assay　made　it　pretend　to　represent　the　average　value　of　the　ton
of　rubbish　it　came　from！

On　such　a　system　of　assaying　as　that；　the　Humboldt　world　had　gone　crazy。
On　the　authority　of　such　assays　its　newspaper　correspondents　were
frothing　about　rock　worth　four　and　seven　thousand　dollars　a　ton！

And　does　the　reader　remember；　a　few　pages　back；　the　calculations；　of　a
quoted　correspondent；　whereby　the　ore　is　to　be　mined　and　shipped　all　the
way　to　England；　the　metals　extracted；　and　the　gold　and　silver　contents
received　back　by　the　miners　as　clear　profit；　the　copper；　antimony　and
other　things　in　the　ore　being　sufficient　to　pay　all　the　expenses
incurred？　　Everybody's　head　was　full　of　such　〃calculations〃　as　those
such　raving　insanity；　rather。　　Few　people　took　work　into　their
calculationsor　outlay　of　money　either；　except　the　work　and　expenditures
of　other　people。

We　never　touched　our　tunnel　or　our　shaft　again。　　Why？　　Because　we　judged
that　we　had　learned　the　real　secret　of　success　in　silver　miningwhich
was；　not　to　mine　the　silver　ourselves　by　the　sweat　of　our　brows　and　the
labor　of　our　hands；　but　to　sell　the　ledges　to　the　dull　slaves　of　toil　and
let　them　do　the　mining！

Before　leaving　Carson；　the　Secretary　and　I　had　purchased　〃feet〃　from
various　Esmeralda　stragglers。　　We　had　expected　immediate　returns　of
bullion；　but　were　only　afflicted　with　regular　and　constant　〃assessments〃
insteaddemands　for　money　wherewith　to　develop　the　said　mines。　　These
assessments　had　grown　so　oppressive　that　it　seemed　necessary　to　look　into
the　matter　personally。　　Therefore　I　projected　a　pilgrimage　to　Carson　and
thence　to　Esmeralda。　　I　bought　a　horse　and　started；　in　company　with
Mr。　Ballou　and　a　gentleman　named　Ollendorff；　a　Prussiannot　the　party
who　has　inflicted　so　much　suffering　on　the　world　with　his　wretched
foreign　grammars；　with　their　interminable　repetitions　of　questions　which
never　have　occurred　and　are　never　likely　to　occur　in　any　conversation
among　human　beings。　　We　rode　through　a　snow…storm　for　two　or　three　days；
and　arrived　at　〃Honey　Lake　Smith's；〃　a　sort　of　isolated　inn　on　the　Carson
river。　　It　was　a　two…story　log　house　situated　on　a　small　knoll　in　the
midst　of　the　vast　basin　or　desert　through　which　the　sickly　Carson　winds
its　melancholy　way。　　Close　to　the　house　were　the　Overland　stage　stables；
built　of　sun…dried　bricks。　　There　was　not　another　building　within　several
leagues　of　the　place。　　Towards　sunset　about　twenty　hay…wagons　arrived　and
camped　around　the　house　and　all　the　teamsters　came　in　to　suppera　very；
very　rough　set。　　There　were　one　or　two　Overland　stage　drivers　there；
also；　and　half　a　dozen　vagabonds　and　stragglers；　consequently　the　house
was　well　crowded。

We　walked　out；　after　supper；　and　visited　a　small　Indian　camp　in　the
vicinity。　　The　Indians　were　in　a　great　hurry　about　something；　and　were
packing　up　and　getting　away　as　fast　as　they　could。　　In　their　broken
English　they　said；　〃By'm…by；　heap　water！〃　and　by　the　help　of　signs　made
us　understand　that　in　their　opinion　a　flood　was　coming。　　The　weather　was
perfectly　clear；　and　this　was　not　the　rainy　season。　　There　was　about　a
foot　of　water　in　the　insignificant　riveror　maybe　two　feet；　the　stream
was　not　wider　than　a　back　alley　in　a　village；　and　its　banks　were　scarcely
higher　than　a　man's　head。

So；　where　was　the　flood　to　come　from？　　We　canvassed　the　subject　awhile
and　then　concluded　it　was　a　ruse；　and　that　the　Indians　had　some　better
reason　for　leaving　in　a　hurry　than　fears　of　a　flood　in　such　an
exceedingly　dry　time。

At　seven　in　the　evening　we　went　to　bed　in　the　second　storywith　our
clothes　on；　as　usual；　and　all　three　in　the　same　bed；　for　every　available
space　on　the　floors；　chairs；　etc。；　was　in　request；　and　even　then　there
was　barely　room　for　the　housing　of　the　inn's　guests。　　An　hour　later　we
were　awakened　by　a　great　turmoil；　and　springing　out　of　bed　we　picked　our
way　nimbly　among　the　ranks　of　snoring　teamsters　on　the　floor　and　got　to
the　front　windows　of　the　long　room。　　A　glance　revealed　a　strange
spectacle；　under　the　moonlight。　　The　crooked　Carson　was　full　to　the　brim；
and　its　waters　were　raging　and　foaming　in　the　wildest　waysweeping
around　the　sharp　bends　at　a　furious　speed；　and　bearing　on　their　surface　a
chaos　of　logs；　brush　and　all　sorts　of　rubbish。　　A　depression；　where　its
bed　had　once　been；　in　other　times；　was　already　filling；　and　in　one　or　two
places　the　water　was　beginning　to　wash　over　the　main　bank。　　Men　were
flying　hither　and　thither；　bringing　cattle　and　wagons　close　up　to　the
house；　for　the　spot　of　high　ground　on　which　it　stood　extended　only　some
thirty　feet　in　front　and　about　a　hundred　in　the　rear。　　Close　to　the　old
river　bed　just　spoken　of；　stood　a　little　log　stable；　and　in　this　our
horses　were　lodged。

While　we　looked；　the　waters　increased　so　fast　in　this　place　that　in　a　few
minutes　a　torrent　was　roaring　by　the　little　stable　and　its　margin
encroaching　steadily　on　the　logs。　　We　suddenly　realized　that　this　flood
was　not　a　mere　holiday　spectacle；　but　meant　damageand　not　only　to　the
small　log　stable　but　to　the　Overland　buildings　close　to　the　main　river；
for　the　waves　had　now　come　ashore　and　were　creeping　about　the　foundations
and　invading　the　great　hay…corral　adjoining。　　We　ra