roughing it-第34章

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stood　on；　and　he　would　like　to　see　anybody　make　him　vacate。

〃And　when　I　reminded　him；〃　said　Hyde；　weeping；　〃that　it　was　on　top　of　my
ranch　and　that　he　was　trespassing；　he　had　the　infernal　meanness　to　ask　me
why　didn't　I　stay　on　my　ranch　and　hold　possession　when　I　see　him
a…coming！　　Why　didn't　I　stay　on　it；　the　blathering　lunaticby　George；
when　I　heard　that　racket　and　looked　up　that　hill　it　was　just　like　the
whole　world　was　a…ripping　and　a…tearing　down　that　mountain　side
splinters；　and　cord…wood；　thunder　and　lightning；　hail　and　snow；　odds　and
ends　of　hay　stacks；　and　awful　clouds　of　dust！trees　going　end　over　end
in　the　air；　rocks　as　big　as　a　house　jumping　'bout　a　thousand　feet　high
and　busting　into　ten　million　pieces；　cattle　turned　inside　out　and
a…coming　head　on　with　their　tails　hanging　out　between　their　teeth！and
in　the　midst　of　all　that　wrack　and　destruction　sot　that　cussed　Morgan　on
his　gate…post；　a…wondering　why　I　didn't　stay　and　hold　possession！　　Laws
bless　me；　I　just　took　one　glimpse；　General；　and　lit　out'n　the　county　in
three　jumps　exactly。

〃But　what　grinds　me　is　that　that　Morgan　hangs　on　there　and　won't　move
off'n　that　ranchsays　it's　his'n　and　he's　going　to　keep　itlikes　it
better'n　he　did　when　it　was　higher　up　the　hill。　　Mad！　　Well；　I've　been　so
mad　for　two　days　I　couldn't　find　my　way　to　townbeen　wandering　around　in
the　brush　in　a　starving　conditiongot　anything　here　to　drink；　General？
But　I'm　here　now；　and　I'm　a…going　to　law。　　You　hear　me！〃

Never　in　all　the　world；　perhaps；　were　a　man's　feelings　so　outraged　as
were　the　General's。　　He　said　he　had　never　heard　of　such　high…handed
conduct　in　all　his　life　as　this　Morgan's。　　And　he　said　there　was　no　use
in　going　to　lawMorgan　had　no　shadow　of　right　to　remain　where　he　was
nobody　in　the　wide　world　would　uphold　him　in　it；　and　no　lawyer　would　take
his　case　and　no　judge　listen　to　it。　　Hyde　said　that　right　there　was　where
he　was　mistakeneverybody　in　town　sustained　Morgan；　Hal　Brayton；　a　very
smart　lawyer；　had　taken　his　case；　the　courts　being　in　vacation；　it　was　to
be　tried　before　a　referee；　and　ex…Governor　Roop　had　already　been
appointed　to　that　office　and　would　open　his　court　in　a　large　public　hall
near　the　hotel　at　two　that　afternoon。

The　General　was　amazed。　　He　said　he　had　suspected　before　that　the　people
of　that　Territory　were　fools；　and　now　he　knew　it。　　But　he　said　rest　easy；
rest　easy　and　collect　the　witnesses；　for　the　victory　was　just　as　certain
as　if　the　conflict　were　already　over。　　Hyde　wiped　away　his　tears　and
left。

At　two　in　the　afternoon　referee　Roop's　Court　opened　and　Roop　appeared
throned　among　his　sheriffs；　the　witnesses；　and　spectators；　and　wearing
upon　his　face　a　solemnity　so　awe…inspiring　that　some　of　his　fellow…
conspirators　had　misgivings　that　maybe　he　had　not　comprehended；　after
all；　that　this　was　merely　a　joke。　　An　unearthly　stillness　prevailed；　for
at　the　slightest　noise　the　judge　uttered　sternly　the　command：

〃Order　in　the　Court！

And　the　sheriffs　promptly　echoed　it。　　Presently　the　General　elbowed　his
way　through　the　crowd　of　spectators；　with　his　arms　full　of　law…books；　and
on　his　ears　fell　an　order　from　the　judge　which　was　the　first　respectful
recognition　of　his　high　official　dignity　that　had　ever　saluted　them；　and
it　trickled　pleasantly　through　his　whole　system：

〃Way　for　the　United　States　Attorney！

The　witnesses　were　calledlegislators；　high　government　officers；
ranchmen；　miners；　Indians；　Chinamen；　negroes。　　Three　fourths　of　them　were
called　by　the　defendant　Morgan；　but　no　matter；　their　testimony　invariably
went　in　favor　of　the　plaintiff　Hyde。　　Each　new　witness　only　added　new
testimony　to　the　absurdity　of　a　man's　claiming　to　own　another　man's
property　because　his　farm　had　slid　down　on　top　of　it。　　Then　the　Morgan
lawyers　made　their　speeches；　and　seemed　to　make　singularly　weak　ones
they　did　really　nothing　to　help　the　Morgan　cause。　　And　now　the　General；
with　exultation　in　his　face；　got　up　and　made　an　impassioned　effort；　he
pounded　the　table；　he　banged　the　law…books；　he　shouted；　and　roared；　and
howled；　he　quoted　from　everything　and　everybody；　poetry；　sarcasm；
statistics；　history；　pathos；　bathos；　blasphemy；　and　wound　up　with　a　grand
war…whoop　for　free　speech；　freedom　of　the　press；　free　schools；　the
Glorious　Bird　of　America　and　the　principles　of　eternal　justice！
＇Applause。＇

When　the　General　sat　down；　he　did　it　with　the　conviction　that　if　there
was　anything　in　good　strong　testimony；　a　great　speech　and　believing　and
admiring　countenances　all　around；　Mr。　Morgan's　case　was　killed。　　Ex…
Governor　Roop　leant　his　head　upon　his　hand　for　some　minutes；　thinking；
and　the　still　audience　waited　for　his　decision。　　Then　he　got　up　and　stood
erect；　with　bended　head；　and　thought　again。　　Then　he　walked　the　floor
with　long；　deliberate　strides；　his　chin　in　his　hand；　and　still　the
audience　waited。　　At　last　he　returned　to　his　throne；　seated　himself；　and
began　impressively：

〃Gentlemen；　I　feel　the　great　responsibility　that　rests　upon　me　this　day。
This　is　no　ordinary　case。　　On　the　contrary　it　is　plain　that　it　is　the
most　solemn　and　awful　that　ever　man　was　called　upon　to　decide。
Gentlemen；　I　have　listened　attentively　to　the　evidence；　and　have
perceived　that　the　weight　of　it；　the　overwhelming　weight　of　it；　is　in
favor　of　the　plaintiff　Hyde。　　I　have　listened　also　to　the　remarks　of
counsel；　with　high　interestand　especially　will　I　commend　the　masterly
and　irrefutable　logic　of　the　distinguished　gentleman　who　represents　the
plaintiff。　　But　gentlemen；　let　us　beware　how　we　allow　mere　human
testimony；　human　ingenuity　in　argument　and　human　ideas　of　equity；　to
influence　us　at　a　moment　so　solemn　as　this。　　Gentlemen；　it　ill　becomes
us；　worms　as　we　are；　to　meddle　with　the　decrees　of　Heaven。　　It　is　plain
to　me　that　Heaven；　in　its　inscrutable　wisdom；　has　seen　fit　to　move　this
defendant's　ranch　for　a　purpose。　　We　are　but　creatures；　and　we　must
submit。　　If　Heaven　has　chosen　to　favor　the　defendant　Morgan　in　this
marked　and　wonderful　manner；　and　if　Heaven；　dissatisfied　with　the
position　of　the　Morgan　ranch　upon　the　mountain　side；　has　chosen　to　remove
it　to　a　position　more　eligible　and　more　advantageous　for　its　owner；　it
ill　becomes　us；　insects　as　we　are；　to　question　the　legality　of　the　act　or
inquire　into　the　reasons　that　prompted　it。　　NoHeaven　created　the
ranches　and　it　is　Heaven's　prerogative　to　rearrange　them；　to　experiment
with　them　around　at　its　pleasure。　　It　is　for　us　to　submit；　without
repining。

I　warn　you　that　this　thing　which　has　happened　is　a　thing　with　which　the
sacrilegious　hands　and　brains　and　tongues　of　men　must　not　meddle。
Gentlemen；　it　is　the　verdict　of　this　court　that　the　plaintiff；　Richard
Hyde；　has　been　deprived　of　his　ranch　by　the　visitation　of　God！　　And　from
this　decision　there　is　no　appeal。〃

Buncombe　seized　his　cargo　of　law…books　and　plunged　out　of　the　court…room
frantic　with　indignation。　　He　pronounced　Roop　to　be　a　miraculous　fool；　an
inspired　idiot。　　In　all　good　faith　he　returned　at　night　and　remonstrated
with　Roop　upon　his　extravagant　decision；　and　implored　him　to　walk　the
floor　and　think　for　half　an　hour；　and　see　if　he　could　not　figure　out　some
sort　of　modification　of　the　verdict。　　Roop　yielded　at　last　and　got　up　to
walk。　　He　walked　two　hours　and　a　half；　and　at　last　his　face　lit　up
happily　and　he　told　Buncombe　it　had　occurred　to　him　that　the　ranch
underneath　the　new　Morgan　ranch　still　belonged　to　Hyde；　that　his　title　to
the　ground　was　just　as　good　as　it　had　ever　been；　and　therefore　he　was　of
opinion　that　Hyde　had　a　right　to　dig　it　out　from　under　there　and

The　General　never　waited　to　hear　the　end　of　it。　　He　was　always　an
impatient　and　irascible　man；　that　way。　　At　the　end　of　two　months　the　fact
that　he　had　been　played　upon　with　a　joke　had　managed　to　bore　itself；　like
another　Hoosac　Tunnel；　through　the　solid　adamant　of　his　understanding。




CHAPTER　XXXV。

When　we　finally　left　for　Esmeralda；　horseback；　we　had　an　addition　to　the
company　in　the　person　of　Capt。　John　Nye；　the　Governor's　brother。　　He　had
a　good　memory；　and　a　tongue　hung　in　the　middle。　　This　is　a　combination
which　gives　immortality　to　conversation。　　Capt。　John　never　suffered　the
talk　to　flag　or　falter　once　during　the　hundred　and　twenty　miles　of　the
journey。　　In　addition　to　his　conversational　powers；　he　had　one　or　two
other　endowments　of　a　marked　character。　　One　was　a　singular　〃handiness〃
about　doing　anything　and　everything；　from　laying　out　a　railroad　or
organizing　a　political　party；　down　to　sewing　on　buttons；　shoeing　a　horse；
or　setting　a　broken　leg；　or　a　hen。　　Another　was　a　spirit　of　accommodation
that　prompted　him　to　take　the　needs；　difficulties　and　perplexities　of
anybody　and　everybody　upon　his　own　shoulders　at　any　and　all　times；　and
dispose　of　them　with　admirable　facility　and　alacrityhence　he　always
managed　to　find　vacant　beds　in　crowded　inns；　and　plenty　to　eat　in　the
emptiest　larders。　　And　finally；　wherever　he　met　a　man；　woman　or　child；　in
camp；　inn　or　desert；　he　either　knew　such　parties　personally　or　had　been
acquainted　with　a　relative　of　the　same。　　Such　another　traveling　comrade
was　never　seen　before。　　I　cannot　forbear　giving　a　specimen　of　the　way　in
which　he　overcame　difficulties。　　On　the　second　day　out；　we　arrived；　very
tired　and　hungry；　at　a　poor　little　inn　in　the　desert；　and　were　told　that
the　house　was　full；　no　provisions　on　hand；　and　neither　hay　nor　barley　to
spare　for　the　horsesmust　move　on。　　The　rest　of　us　wanted　to　hurry　on
while　it　was　yet　light；　but　Capt。　John　insisted　on　stopping　awhile。
We　dismounted　and　entered。　　There　was　no　welcome　for　us　on　any　face。
Capt。　John　began　his　blandishments；　and　within　twenty　minutes　he　had
accomplished　the　following　things；　viz。：　found　old　acquaintances　in　three
teamsters；　discovered　that　he　used　to　go　to　school　with　the　landlord's
mother；　recognized　his　wife　as　a　lady　whose　life　he　had　saved　once　in
California；　by　stopping　her　runaway　horse；　mended　a　child's　broken　toy
and　won　the　favor　of　its　mother；　a　guest　of　the　inn；　helped　the　hostler
bleed　a　horse；　and　prescribed　for　another　horse　that　had　the　〃heaves〃；
treated　the　entire　party　three　times　at　the　landlord's　bar；　produced　a
later　paper　than　anybody　had　seen　for　a　week　and　sat　himself　down　to　read
the　news　to　a　deeply　interested　audience。　　The　result；　summed　up；　was　as
follows：　The　hostler　found　plenty　of　feed　for　our　horses；　we　had　a　trout
supper；　an　exceedingly　sociable　time　after　it；　good　beds　to　sleep　in；　and
a　surprising　breakfast　in　the　morningand　when　we　left；　we　left　lamented
by　all！　　Capt。　John　had　some　bad　traits；　but　he　had　some　uncommonly
valuable　ones　to　offset　them　with。

Esmeralda　was　in　many　respects　another　Humboldt；　but　in　a　little　more
forward　state。　　The　claims　we　had　been　paying　assessments　on　were
entirely　worthless；　and　we　threw　them　away。　　The　principal　one　cropped
out　of　the　top　of　a　knoll　that　was　fourteen　feet　high；　and　the　inspired
Board　of　Directors　were　running　a　tunnel　under　that　knoll　to　strike　the
ledge。　　The　tunnel　would　have　to　be　seventy　feet　long；　and　would　then
strike　the　ledge　at　the　same　dept　that　a　shaft　twelve　feet　deep　would
have　reached！　　The　Board　were　living　on　the　〃assessments。〃　　＇N。B。This
hint　comes