第8章

CHAPTERXLVII。 Somebodyhassaidthatinordertoknowacommunity，onemustobservethestyleofitsfuneralsandknowwhatmannerofmentheyburywithmostceremony。Icannotsaywhichclassweburiedwithmosteclatinour“flushtimes，“thedistinguishedpublicbenefactororthedistinguishedrough——possiblythetwochiefgradesorgranddivisionsofsocietyhonoredtheirillustriousdeadaboutequally；andhence，nodoubtthephilosopherIhavequotedfromwouldhaveneededtoseetworepresentativefuneralsinVirginiabeforeforminghisestimateofthepeople。 TherewasagrandtimeoverBuckFanshawwhenhedied。Hewasarepresentativecitizen。Hehad“killedhisman“——notinhisownquarrel，itistrue，butindefenceofastrangerunfairlybesetbynumbers。 Hehadkeptasumptuoussaloon。Hehadbeentheproprietorofadashinghelpmeetwhomhecouldhavediscardedwithouttheformalityofadivorce。 HehadheldahighpositioninthefiredepartmentandbeenaveryWarwickinpolitics。Whenhediedtherewasgreatlamentationthroughoutthetown，butespeciallyinthevastbottom-stratumofsociety。 OntheinquestitwasshownthatBuckFanshaw，inthedeliriumofawastingtyphoidfever，hadtakenarsenic，shothimselfthroughthebody，cuthisthroat，andjumpedoutofafour-storywindowandbrokenhisneck——andafterduedeliberation，thejury，sadandtearful，butwithintelligenceunblindedbyitssorrow，broughtinaverdictofdeath“bythevisitationofGod。”Whatcouldtheworlddowithoutjuries? Prodigiouspreparationsweremadeforthefuneral。Allthevehiclesintownwerehired，allthesaloonsputinmourning，allthemunicipalandfire-companyflagshungathalf-mast，andallthefiremenorderedtomusterinuniformandbringtheirmachinesdulydrapedinblack。Now—— letusremarkinparenthesis——asallthepeoplesoftheearthhadrepresentativeadventurersintheSilverland，andaseachadventurerhadbroughttheslangofhisnationorhislocalitywithhim，thecombinationmadetheslangofNevadatherichestandthemostinfinitelyvariedandcopiousthathadeverexistedanywhereintheworld，perhaps，exceptintheminesofCaliforniainthe“earlydays。”SlangwasthelanguageofNevada。Itwashardtopreachasermonwithoutit，andbeunderstood。 Suchphrasesas“Youbet！““Oh，no，Ireckonnot！““NoIrishneedapply，“andahundredothers，becamesocommonastofallfromthelipsofaspeakerunconsciously——andveryoftenwhentheydidnottouchthesubjectunderdiscussionandconsequentlyfailedtomeananything。 AfterBuckFanshaw\'sinquest，ameetingoftheshort-hairedbrotherhoodwasheld，fornothingcanbedoneonthePacificcoastwithoutapublicmeetingandanexpressionofsentiment。Regretfulresolutionswerepassedandvariouscommitteesappointed；amongothers，acommitteeofonewasdeputedtocallontheminister，afragile，gentle，spiritualnewfledglingfromanEasterntheologicalseminary，andasyetunacquaintedwiththewaysofthemines。Thecommitteeman，“Scotty“Briggs，madehisvisit；andinafterdaysitwasworthsomethingtoheartheministertellaboutit。Scottywasastalwartrough，whosecustomarysuit，whenonweightyofficialbusiness，likecommitteework，wasafirehelmet，flamingredflannelshirt，patentleatherbeltwithspannerandrevolverattached，coathungoverarm，andpantsstuffedintoboottops。 Heformedsomethingofacontrasttothepaletheologicalstudent。ItisfairtosayofScotty，however，inpassing，thathehadawarmheart，andastrongloveforhisfriends，andneverenteredintoaquarrelwhenhecouldreasonablykeepoutofit。Indeed，itwascommonlysaidthatwheneveroneofScotty\'sfightswasinvestigated，italwaysturnedoutthatithadoriginallybeennoaffairofhis，butthatoutofnativegood-heartednesshehaddroppedinofhisownaccordtohelpthemanwhowasgettingtheworstofit。HeandBuckFanshawwerebosomfriends，foryears，andhadoftentakenadventurous“pot-luck“together。Ononeoccasion，theyhadthrownofftheircoatsandtakentheweakersideinafightamongstrangers，andaftergainingahard-earnedvictory，turnedandfoundthatthementheywerehelpinghaddesertedearly，andnotonlythat，buthadstolentheircoatsandmadeoffwiththem！ButtoreturntoScotty\'svisittotheminister。Hewasonasorrowfulmission，now，andhisfacewasthepictureofwoe。Beingadmittedtothepresencehesatdownbeforetheclergyman，placedhisfire-hatonanunfinishedmanuscriptsermonundertheminister\'snose，tookfromitaredsilkhandkerchief，wipedhisbrowandheavedasighofdismalimpressiveness，explanatoryofhisbusiness。 Hechoked，andevenshedtears；butwithanefforthemasteredhisvoiceandsaidinlugubrioustones: “Areyoutheduckthatrunsthegospel-millnextdoor?“ “AmIthe——pardonme，IbelieveIdonotunderstand?“ Withanothersighandahalf-sob，Scottyrejoined: “Whyyouseeweareinabitoftrouble，andtheboysthoughtmaybeyouwouldgiveusalift，ifwe\'dtackleyou——thatis，ifI\'vegottherightsofitandyouaretheheadclerkofthedoxology-worksnextdoor。” “Iamtheshepherdinchargeoftheflockwhosefoldisnextdoor。” “Thewhich?“ “Thespiritualadviserofthelittlecompanyofbelieverswhosesanctuaryadjoinsthesepremises。” Scottyscratchedhishead，reflectedamoment，andthensaid: “Yourutherholdoverme，pard。IreckonIcan\'tcallthathand。Anteandpassthebuck。” “How?Ibegpardon。WhatdidIunderstandyoutosay?“ “Well，you\'veruthergotthebulgeonme。Ormaybewe\'vebothgotthebulge，somehow。Youdon\'tsmokemeandIdon\'tsmokeyou。Yousee，oneoftheboyshaspassedinhischecksandwewanttogivehimagoodsend- off，andsothethingI\'monnowistoroustoutsomebodytojerkalittlechin-musicforusandwaltzhimthroughhandsome。” “Myfriend，Iseemtogrowmoreandmorebewildered。Yourobservationsarewhollyincomprehensibletome。Cannotyousimplifytheminsomeway? AtfirstIthoughtperhapsIunderstoodyou，butIgropenow。Woulditnotexpeditemattersifyourestrictedyourselftocategoricalstatementsoffactunencumberedwithobstructingaccumulationsofmetaphorandallegory?“ Anotherpause，andmorereflection。Then，saidScotty: “I\'llhavetopass，Ijudge。” “How?“ “You\'veraisedmeout，pard。” “Istillfailtocatchyourmeaning。” “Why，thatlastleadofyournistoomanyforme——that\'stheidea。I can\'tneither-trumpnorfollowsuit。” Theclergymansankbackinhischairperplexed。Scottyleanedhisheadonhishandandgavehimselfuptothought。 Presentlyhisfacecameup，sorrowfulbutconfident。 “I\'vegotitnow，so\'syoucansavvy，“hesaid。“Whatwewantisagospel-sharp。See?“ “Awhat?“ “Gospel-sharp。Parson。” “Oh！Whydidyounotsaysobefore?Iamaclergyman——aparson。” “Nowyoutalk！Youseemyblindandstraddleitlikeaman。Putitthere！“——extendingabrawnypaw，whichclosedovertheminister\'ssmallhandandgaveitashakeindicativeoffraternalsympathyandferventgratification。 “Nowwe\'reallright，pard。Let\'sstartfresh。Don\'tyoumindmysnufflingalittle——becuzwe\'reinapoweroftrouble。Yousee，oneoftheboyshasgoneuptheflume——“ “Gonewhere?“ “Uptheflume——throwedupthesponge，youunderstand。” “Thrownupthesponge?“ “Yes——kickedthebucket——“ “Ah——hasdepartedtothatmysteriouscountryfromwhosebournenotravelerreturns。” “Return！Ireckonnot。Whypard，he\'sdead！“ “Yes，Iunderstand。” “Oh，youdo?WellIthoughtmaybeyoumightbegettingtangledsomemore。Yes，youseehe\'sdeadagain——“ “Again?Why，hasheeverbeendeadbefore?“ “Deadbefore?No！Doyoureckonamanhasgotasmanylivesasacat? Butyoubetyouhe\'sawfuldeadnow，pooroldboy，andIwishI\'dneverseenthisday。Idon\'twantnobetterfriendthanBuckFanshaw。 Iknowedhimbytheback；andwhenIknowamanandlikehim，Ifreezetohim——youhearme。Takehimallround，pard，thereneverwasabulliermaninthemines。NomaneverknowedBuckFanshawtogobackonafriend。Butit\'sallup，youknow，it\'sallup。Itain\'tnouse。 They\'vescoopedhim。” “Scoopedhim?“ “Yes——deathhas。Well，well，well，we\'vegottogivehimup。Yesindeed。It\'sakindofahardworld，afterall，ain\'tit?Butpard，hewasarustler！Yououghttoseenhimgetstartedonce。Hewasabullyboywithaglasseye！Justspitinhisfaceandgivehimroomaccordingtohisstrength，anditwasjustbeautifultoseehimpeelandgoin。 Hewastheworstsonofathiefthateverdrawedbreath。Pard，hewasonit！HewasonitbiggerthananInjun！“ “Onit?Onwhat?“ “Ontheshoot。Ontheshoulder。Onthefight，youunderstand。 Hedidn\'tgiveacontinentalforanybody。Begyourpardon，friend，forcomingsonearsayingacuss-word——butyouseeI\'monanawfulstrain，inthispalaver，onaccountofhavingtocrampdownanddraweverythingsomild。Butwe\'vegottogivehimup。Thereain\'tanygettingaroundthat，Idon\'treckon。Nowifwecangetyoutohelpplanthim——“ “Preachthefuneraldiscourse?Assistattheobsequies?“ “Obs\'quiesisgood。Yes。That\'sit——that\'sourlittlegame。Wearegoingtogetthethingupregardless，youknow。Hewasalwaysniftyhimself，andsoyoubetyouhisfuneralain\'tgoingtobenoslouch—— solidsilverdoor-plateonhiscoffin，sixplumesonthehearse，andaniggerontheboxinabiledshirtandaplughat——how\'sthatforhigh? Andwe\'lltakecareofyou，pard。We\'llfixyouallright。There\'llbeakerridgeforyou；andwhateveryouwant，youjust\'scapeoutandwe\'ll\'tendtoit。We\'vegotashebangfixedupforyoutostandbehind，inNo。1\'shouse，anddon\'tyoubeafraid。Justgoinandtootyourhorn，ifyoudon\'tsellaclam。PutBuckthroughasbullyasyoucan，pard，foranybodythatknowedhimwilltellyouthathewasoneofthewhitestmenthatwaseverinthemines。Youcan\'tdrawittoostrong。Henevercouldstandittoseethingsgoingwrong。He\'sdonemoretomakethistownquietandpeaceablethananymaninit。I\'veseenhimlickfourGreasersinelevenminutes，myself。Ifathingwantedregulating，hewarn\'tamantogobrowsingaroundaftersomebodytodoit，buthewouldpranceinandregulateithimself。Hewarn\'taCatholic。Scasely。Hewasdownon\'em。Hiswordwas，\'NoIrishneedapply！\'Butitdidn\'tmakenodifferenceaboutthatwhenitcamedowntowhataman\'srightswas——andso，whensomeroughsjumpedtheCatholicbone-yardandstartedintostakeouttown-lotsinithewentfor\'em！Andhecleaned\'em，too！Iwasthere，pard，andIseenitmyself。” “Thatwasverywellindeed——atleasttheimpulsewas——whethertheactwasstrictlydefensibleornot。Haddeceasedanyreligiousconvictions? Thatistosay，didhefeeladependenceupon，oracknowledgeallegiancetoahigherpower?\' Morereflection。 “Ireckonyou\'vestumpedmeagain，pard。Couldyousayitoveroncemore，andsayitslow?“ “Well，tosimplifyitsomewhat，washe，orratherhadheeverbeenconnectedwithanyorganizationsequesteredfromsecularconcernsanddevotedtoself-sacrificeintheinterestsofmorality?“ “Alldownbutnine——set\'emupontheotheralley，pard。” “WhatdidIunderstandyoutosay?“ “Why，you\'remosttoomanyforme，youknow。WhenyougetinwithyourleftIhuntgrasseverytime。Everytimeyoudraw，youfill；butIdon\'tseemtohaveanyluck。Letshaveanewdeal。” “How?Beginagain?“ “That\'sit。” “Verywell。Washeagoodman，and——“ “There——Iseethat；don\'tputupanotherchiptillIlookatmyhand。 Agoodman，saysyou?Pard，itain\'tnonameforit。Hewasthebestmanthatever——pard，youwouldhavedotedonthatman。HecouldlamanygalootofhisinchesinAmerica。Itwashimthatputdowntheriotlastelectionbeforeitgotastart；andeverybodysaidhewastheonlymanthatcouldhavedoneit。Hewaltzedinwithaspannerinonehandandatrumpetintheother，andsentfourteenmenhomeonashutterinlessthanthreeminutes。Hehadthatriotallbrokeupandpreventednicebeforeanybodyevergotachancetostrikeablow。Hewasalwaysforpeace，andhewouldhavepeace——hecouldnotstanddisturbances。Pard，hewasagreatlosstothistown。Itwouldpleasetheboysifyoucouldchipinsomethinglikethatanddohimjustice。HereoncewhentheMicksgottothrowingstonesthroughtheMethodis\'Sundayschoolwindows，BuckFanshaw，allofhisownnotion，shutuphissaloonandtookacoupleofsix-shootersandmountedguardovertheSundayschool。Sayshe，\'NoIrishneedapply！\'Andtheydidn\'t。Hewasthebulliestmaninthemountains，pard！Hecouldrunfaster，jumphigher，hitharder，andholdmoretangle-footwhiskywithoutspillingitthananymaninseventeencounties。Putthatin，pard——it\'llpleasetheboysmorethananythingyoucouldsay。Andyoucansay，pard，thathenevershookhismother。” “Nevershookhismother?“ “That\'sit——anyoftheboyswilltellyouso。” “Well，butwhyshouldheshakeher?“ “That\'swhatIsay——butsomepeopledoes。” “Notpeopleofanyrepute?“ “Well，somethataveragesprettyso-so。” “Inmyopinionthemanthatwouldofferpersonalviolencetohisownmother，oughtto——“ “Cheeseit，pard；you\'vebankedyourballcleanoutsidethestring。 WhatIwasadrivin\'at，was，thatheneverthrowedoffonhismother—— don\'tyousee?Noindeedy。Hegiveherahousetolivein，andtownlots，andplentyofmoney；andhelookedafterherandtookcareofherallthetime；andwhenshewasdownwiththesmall-poxI\'md——difhedidn\'tsetupnightsandnussherhimself！Begyourpardonforsayingit，butithoppedouttooquickforyourstruly。 You\'vetreatedmelikeagentleman，pard，andIain\'tthemantohurtyourfeelingsintentional。Ithinkyou\'rewhite。Ithinkyou\'reasquareman，pard。Ilikeyou，andI\'lllickanymanthatdon\'t。I\'lllickhimtillhecan\'ttellhimselffromalastyear\'scorpse！Putitthere！“[Anotherfraternalhand-shake——andexit。] Theobsequieswereallthat“theboys“coulddesire。SuchamarveloffuneralpomphadneverbeenseeninVirginia。Theplumedhearse，thedirge-breathingbrassbands，theclosedmartsofbusiness，theflagsdroopingathalfmast，thelong，ploddingprocessionofuniformedsecretsocieties，militarybattalionsandfirecompanies，drapedengines，carriagesofofficials，andcitizensinvehiclesandonfoot，attractedmultitudesofspectatorstothesidewalks，roofsandwindows；andforyearsafterward，thedegreeofgrandeurattainedbyanycivicdisplayinVirginiawasdeterminedbycomparisonwithBuckFanshaw\'sfuneral。 ScottyBriggs，asapall-bearerandamourner，occupiedaprominentplaceatthefuneral，andwhenthesermonwasfinishedandthelastsentenceoftheprayerforthedeadman\'ssoulascended，heresponded，inalowvoice，butwithfeelings: “AMEN。NoIrishneedapply。” Asthebulkoftheresponsewaswithoutapparentrelevancy，itwasprobablynothingmorethanahumbletributetothememoryofthefriendthatwasgone；for，asScottyhadoncesaid，itwas“hisword。” ScottyBriggs，inafterdays，achievedthedistinctionofbecomingtheonlyconverttoreligionthatwasevergatheredfromtheVirginiaroughs； andittranspiredthatthemanwhohaditinhimtoespousethequarreloftheweakoutofinbornnobilityofspiritwasnomeantimberwhereoftoconstructaChristian。Themakinghimonedidnotwarphisgenerosityordiminishhiscourage；onthecontraryitgaveintelligentdirectiontotheoneandabroaderfieldtotheother。 IfhisSunday-schoolclassprogressedfasterthantheotherclasses，wasitmatterforwonder?Ithinknot。Hetalkedtohispioneersmall-fryinalanguagetheyunderstood！Itwasmylargeprivilege，amonthbeforehedied，tohearhimtellthebeautifulstoryofJosephandhisbrethrentohisclass“withoutlookingatthebook。”Ileaveittothereadertofancywhatitwaslike，asitfell，riddledwithslang，fromthelipsofthatgrave，earnestteacher，andwaslistenedtobyhislittlelearnerswithaconsuminginterestthatshowedthattheywereasunconsciousashewasthatanyviolencewasbeingdonetothesacredproprieties！ CHAPTERXLVIII。 Thefirsttwenty-sixgravesintheVirginiacemeterywereoccupiedbymurderedmen。Soeverybodysaid，soeverybodybelieved，andsotheywillalwayssayandbelieve。Thereasonwhytherewassomuchslaughteringdone，was，thatinanewminingdistricttheroughelementpredominates，andapersonisnotrespecteduntilhehas“killedhisman。”Thatwastheveryexpressionused。 Ifanunknownindividualarrived，theydidnotinquireifhewascapable，honest，industrious，but——hadhekilledhisman?Ifhehadnot，hegravitatedtohisnaturalandproperposition，thatofamanofsmallconsequence；ifhehad，thecordialityofhisreceptionwasgraduatedaccordingtothenumberofhisdead。Itwastediousworkstrugglinguptoapositionofinfluencewithbloodlesshands；butwhenamancamewiththebloodofhalfadozenmenonhissoul，hisworthwasrecognizedatonceandhisacquaintancesought。 InNevada，foratime，thelawyer，theeditor，thebanker，thechiefdesperado，thechiefgambler，andthesaloonkeeper，occupiedthesamelevelinsociety，anditwasthehighest。Thecheapestandeasiestwaytobecomeaninfluentialmanandbelookeduptobythecommunityatlarge，wastostandbehindabar，wearacluster-diamondpin，andsellwhisky。Iamnotsurebutthatthesaloon-keeperheldashadehigherrankthananyothermemberofsociety。Hisopinionhadweight。Itwashisprivilegetosayhowtheelectionsshouldgo。Nogreatmovementcouldsucceedwithoutthecountenanceanddirectionofthesaloon- keepers。Itwasahighfavorwhenthechiefsaloon-keeperconsentedtoserveinthelegislatureortheboardofaldermen。 Youthfulambitionhardlyaspiredsomuchtothehonorsofthelaw，orthearmyandnavyastothedignityofproprietorshipinasaloon。 Tobeasaloon-keeperandkillamanwastobeillustrious。HencethereaderwillnotbesurprisedtolearnthatmorethanonemanwaskilledinNevadaunderhardlythepretextofprovocation，soimpatientwastheslayertoachievereputationandthrowoffthegallingsenseofbeingheldinindifferentreputebyhisassociates。Iknewtwoyouthswhotriedto“killtheirmen“fornootherreason——andgotkilledthemselvesfortheirpains。“TheregoesthemanthatkilledBillAdams“washigherpraiseandasweetersoundintheearsofthissortofpeoplethananyotherspeechthatadmiringlipscouldutter。 ThemenwhomurderedVirginia\'soriginaltwenty-sixcemetery-occupantswereneverpunished。Why?BecauseAlfredtheGreat，whenheinventedtrialbyjuryandknewthathehadadmirablyframedittosecurejusticeinhisageoftheworld，wasnotawarethatinthenineteenthcenturytheconditionofthingswouldbesoentirelychangedthatunlessherosefromthegraveandalteredthejuryplantomeettheemergency，itwouldprovethemostingeniousandinfallibleagencyfordefeatingjusticethathumanwisdomcouldcontrive。Forhowcouldheimaginethatwesimpletonswouldgoonusinghisjuryplanaftercircumstanceshadstrippeditofitsusefulness，anymorethanhecouldimaginethatwewouldgoonusinghiscandle-clockafterwehadinventedchronometers?Inhisdaynewscouldnottravelfast，andhencehecouldeasilyfindajuryofhonest，intelligentmenwhohadnotheardofthecasetheywerecalledtotry—— butinourdayoftelegraphsandnewspapershisplancompelsustoswearinjuriescomposedoffoolsandrascals，becausethesystemrigidlyexcludeshonestmenandmenofbrains。 Irememberoneofthosesorrowfulfarces，inVirginia，whichwecallajurytrial。AnoteddesperadokilledMr。B。，agoodcitizen，inthemostwantonandcold-bloodedway。Ofcoursethepaperswerefullofit，andallmencapableofreading，readaboutit。Andofcourseallmennotdeafanddumbandidiotic，talkedaboutit。Ajury-listwasmadeout，andMr。B。L。，aprominentbankerandavaluedcitizen，wasquestionedpreciselyashewouldhavebeenquestionedinanycourtinAmerica: “Haveyouheardofthishomicide?“ “Yes。” “Haveyouheldconversationsuponthesubject?“ “Yes。” “Haveyouformedorexpressedopinionsaboutit?“ “Yes。” “Haveyoureadthenewspaperaccountsofit?“ “Yes。” “Wedonotwantyou。” Aminister，intelligent，esteemed，andgreatlyrespected；amerchantofhighcharacterandknownprobity；aminingsuperintendentofintelligenceandunblemishedreputation；aquartzmillownerofexcellentstanding，wereallquestionedinthesameway，andallsetaside。Eachsaidthepublictalkandthenewspaperreportshadnotsobiasedhismindbutthatsworntestimonywouldoverthrowhispreviouslyformedopinionsandenablehimtorenderaverdictwithoutprejudiceandinaccordancewiththefacts。Butofcoursesuchmencouldnotbetrustedwiththecase。 Ignoramusesalonecouldmeteoutunsulliedjustice。 Whentheperemptorychallengeswereallexhausted，ajuryoftwelvemenwasimpaneled——ajurywhosworetheyhadneitherheard，read，talkedaboutnorexpressedanopinionconcerningamurderwhichtheverycattleinthecorrals，theIndiansinthesage-brushandthestonesinthestreetswerecognizantof！Itwasajurycomposedoftwodesperadoes，twolowbeer-housepoliticians，threebar-keepers，tworanchmenwhocouldnotread，andthreedull，stupid，humandonkeys！Itactuallycameoutafterward，thatoneoftheselatterthoughtthatincestandarsonwerethesamething。 Theverdictrenderedbythisjurywas，NotGuilty。Whatelsecouldoneexpect? Thejurysystemputsabanuponintelligenceandhonesty，andapremiumuponignorance，stupidityandperjury。Itisashamethatwemustcontinuetouseaworthlesssystembecauseitwasgoodathousandyearsago。Inthisage，whenagentlemanofhighsocialstanding，intelligenceandprobity，swearsthattestimonygivenundersolemnoathwilloutweigh，withhim，streettalkandnewspaperreportsbaseduponmerehearsay，heisworthahundredjurymenwhowillsweartotheirownignoranceandstupidity，andjusticewouldbefarsaferinhishandsthanintheirs。 Whycouldnotthejurylawbesoalteredastogivemenofbrainsandhonestyandequalchancewithfoolsandmiscreants?Isitrighttoshowthepresentfavoritismtooneclassofmenandinflictadisabilityonanother，inalandwhoseboastisthatallitscitizensarefreeandequal?Iamacandidateforthelegislature。Idesiretotamperwiththejurylaw。Iwishtosoalteritastoputapremiumonintelligenceandcharacter，andclosethejuryboxagainstidiots，blacklegs，andpeoplewhodonotreadnewspapers。ButnodoubtIshallbedefeated—— everyeffortImaketosavethecountry“missesfire。” Myidea，whenIbeganthischapter，wastosaysomethingaboutdesperadoisminthe“flushtimes“ofNevada。Toattemptaportrayalofthateraandthatland，andleaveoutthebloodandcarnage，wouldbelikeportrayingMormondomandleavingoutpolygamy。Thedesperadostalkedthestreetswithaswaggergradedaccordingtothenumberofhishomicides，andanodofrecognitionfromhimwassufficienttomakeahumbleadmirerhappyfortherestoftheday。Thedeferencethatwaspaidtoadesperadoofwidereputation，andwho“kepthisprivategraveyard，“asthephrasewent，wasmarked，andcheerfullyaccorded。 Whenhemovedalongthesidewalkinhisexcessivelylong-tailedfrock- coat，shinystump-toedboots，andwithdaintylittleslouchhattippedoverlefteye，thesmall-fryroughsmaderoomforhismajesty；whenheenteredtherestaurant，thewaitersdesertedbankersandmerchantstooverwhelmhimwithobsequiousservice；whenheshoulderedhiswaytoabar，theshoulderedpartieswheeledindignantly，recognizedhim，and—— apologized。 Theygotalookinreturnthatfrozetheirmarrow，andbythattimeacurledandbreast-pinnedbarkeeperwasbeamingoverthecounter，proudoftheestablishedacquaintanceshipthatpermittedsuchafamiliarformofspeechas: “How\'reye，Billy，oldfel?Gladtoseeyou。What\'llyoutake——theoldthing?“ The“oldthing“meanthiscustomarydrink，ofcourse。 ThebestknownnamesintheTerritoryofNevadawerethosebelongingtotheselong-tailedheroesoftherevolver。Orators，Governors，capitalistsandleadersofthelegislatureenjoyedadegreeoffame，butitseemedlocalandmeagrewhencontrastedwiththefameofsuchmenasSamBrown，JackWilliams，BillyMulligan，FarmerPease，SugarfootMike，PockMarkedJake，ElDoradoJohnny，JackMcNabb，JoeMcGee，JackHarris，Six-fingeredPete，etc。，etc。Therewasalonglistofthem。Theywerebrave，recklessmen，andtraveledwiththeirlivesintheirhands。Togivethemtheirdue，theydidtheirkillingprincipallyamongthemselves，andseldommolestedpeaceablecitizens，fortheyconsidereditsmallcredittoaddtotheirtrophiessocheapabaubleasthedeathofamanwhowas“notontheshoot，“astheyphrasedit。Theykilledeachotheronslightprovocation，andhopedandexpectedtobekilledthemselves—— fortheyhelditalmostshametodieotherwisethan“withtheirbootson，“astheyexpressedit。 Irememberaninstanceofadesperado\'scontemptforsuchsmallgameasaprivatecitizen\'slife。Iwastakingalatesupperinarestaurantonenight，withtworeportersandalittleprinternamed——Brown，forinstance——anynamewilldo。Presentlyastrangerwithalong-tailedcoatoncamein，andnotnoticingBrown\'shat，whichwaslyinginachair，satdownonit。LittleBrownsprangupandbecameabusiveinamoment。Thestrangersmiled，smoothedoutthehat，andofferedittoBrownwithprofuseapologiescouchedincausticsarcasm，andbeggedBrownnottodestroyhim。Brownthrewoffhiscoatandchallengedthemantofight—— abusedhim，threatenedhim，impeachedhiscourage，andurgedandevenimploredhimtofight；andinthemeantimethesmilingstrangerplacedhimselfunderourprotectioninmockdistress。Butpresentlyheassumedaserioustone，andsaid: “Verywell，gentlemen，ifwemustfight，wemust，Isuppose。Butdon\'trushintodangerandthensayIgaveyounowarning。IammorethanamatchforallofyouwhenIgetstarted。Iwillgiveyouproofs，andthenifmyfriendherestillinsists，Iwilltrytoaccommodatehim。” Thetableweweresittingatwasaboutfivefeetlong，andunusuallycumbersomeandheavy。Heaskedustoputourhandsonthedishesandholdthemintheirplacesamoment——oneofthemwasalargeovaldishwithaportlyroastonit。Thenhesatdown，tilteduponeendofthetable，settwoofthelegsonhisknees，tooktheendofthetablebetweenhisteeth，tookhishandsaway，andpulleddownwithhisteethtillthetablecameuptoalevelposition，dishesandall！Hesaidhecouldliftakegofnailswithhisteeth。Hepickedupacommonglasstumblerandbitasemi-circleoutofit。Thenheopenedhisbosomandshowedusanet-workofknifeandbulletscars；showedusmoreonhisarmsandface，andsaidhebelievedhehadbulletsenoughinhisbodytomakeapigoflead。Hewasarmedtotheteeth。HeclosedwiththeremarkthathewasMr——ofCariboo——acelebratednamewhereatweshookinourshoes。Iwouldpublishthename，butforthesuspicionthathemightcomeandcarveme。HefinallyinquiredifBrownstillthirstedforblood。Brownturnedthethingoverinhismindamoment，andthen——askedhimtosupper。 Withthepermissionofthereader，Iwillgrouptogether，inthenextchapter，somesamplesoflifeinoursmallmountainvillageintheolddaysofdesperadoism。Iwasthereatthetime。Thereaderwillobservepeculiaritiesinourofficialsociety；andhewillobservealso，aninstanceofhow，innewcountries，murdersbreedmurders。 CHAPTERXLIX。 Anextractortwofromthenewspapersofthedaywillfurnishaphotographthatcanneednoembellishment: FATALSHOOTINGAFFRAY——Anaffrayoccurred，lastevening，inabilliardsaloononCstreet，betweenDeputyMarshalJackWilliamsandWm。Brown，whichresultedintheimmediatedeathofthelatter。 Therehadbeensomedifficultybetweenthepartiesforseveralmonths。 Aninquestwasimmediatelyheld，andthefollowingtestimonyadduced: OfficerGEO。BIRDSALL，sworn，says:——IwastoldWm。BrownwasdrunkandwaslookingforJackWilliams；sosoonasIheardthatIstartedforthepartiestopreventacollision；wentintothebilliardsaloon；sawBillyBrownrunningaround，sayingifanybodyhadanythingagainsthimtoshowcause；hewastalkinginaboisterousmanner，andofficerPerrytookhimtotheotherendoftheroomtotalktohim；Browncamebacktome；remarkedtomethathethoughthewasasgoodasanybody，andknewhowtotakecareofhimself；hepassedbymeandwenttothebar；don\'tknowwhetherhedrankornot；Williamswasattheendofthebilliard-table，nexttothestairway；Brown，aftergoingtothebar，camebackandsaidhewasasgoodasanymanintheworld；hehadthenwalkedouttotheendofthefirstbilliard-tablefromthebar；Imovedclosertothem，supposingtherewouldbeafight；asBrowndrewhispistolIcaughtholdofit；hehadfiredoneshotatWilliams；don\'tknowtheeffectofit；caughtholdofhimwithonehand，andtookholdofthepistolandturneditup；thinkhefiredonceafterIcaughtholdofthepistol；Iwrenchedthepistolfromhim；walkedtotheendofthebilliard-tableandtoldapartythatIhadBrown\'spistol，andtostopshooting；Ithinkfourshotswerefiredinall；afterwalkingout，Mr。FosterremarkedthatBrownwasshotdead。 Oh，therewasnoexcitementaboutit——hemerely“remarked“thesmallcircumstance！ Fourmonthslaterthefollowingitemappearedinthesamepaper(theEnterprise)。Inthisitemthenameofoneofthecityofficersabovereferredto(DeputyMarshalJackWilliams)occursagain: ROBBERYANDDESPERATEAFFRAY——OnTuesdaynight，aGermannamedCharlesHurtzal，engineerinamillatSilverCity，cametothisplace，andvisitedthehurdy-gurdyhouseonBstreet。Themusic，dancingandTeutonicmaidensawakenedmemoriesofFaderlanduntilourGermanfriendwascarriedawaywithrapture。Heevidentlyhadmoney，andwasspendingiffreely。LateintheeveningJackWilliamsandAndyBlessingtoninvitedhimdownstairstotakeacupofcoffee。Williamsproposedagameofcardsandwentupstairstoprocureadeck，butnotfindinganyreturned。OnthestairwayhemettheGerman，anddrawinghispistolknockedhimdownandrifledhispocketsofsomeseventydollars。Hurtzaldaredgivenoalarm，ashewastold，withapistolathishead，ifhemadeanynoiseorexposedthem，theywouldblowhisbrainsout。Soeffectuallywashefrightenedthathemadenocomplaint，untilhisfriendsforcedhim。 Yesterdayawarrantwasissued，buttheculpritshaddisappeared。 Thisefficientcityofficer，JackWilliams，hadthecommonreputationofbeingaburglar，ahighwaymanandadesperado。ItwassaidthathehadseveraltimesdrawnhisrevolverandleviedmoneycontributionsoncitizensatdeadofnightinthepublicstreetsofVirginia。 Fivemonthsaftertheaboveitemappeared，Williamswasassassinatedwhilesittingatacardtableonenight；agunwasthrustthroughthecrackofthedoorandWilliamsdroppedfromhischairriddledwithballs。 Itwassaid，atthetime，thatWilliamshadbeenforsometimeawarethatapartyofhisownsort(desperadoes)hadswornawayhislife；anditwasgenerallybelievedamongthepeoplethatWilliams\'sfriendsandenemieswouldmaketheassassinationmemorable——anduseful，too——byawholesaledestructionofeachother。 Itdidnotsohappen，butstill，timeswerenotdullduringthenexttwenty-fourhours，forwithinthattimeawomanwaskilledbyapistolshot，amanwasbrainedwithaslungshot，andamannamedReederwasalsodisposedofpermanently。SomemattersintheEnterpriseaccountofthekillingofReederareworthnothing——especiallytheaccommodatingcomplaisanceofaVirginiajusticeofthepeace。Theitalicsinthefollowingnarrativearemine: MORECUTTINGANDSHOOTING——Thedevilseemstohaveagainbrokenlooseinourtown。Pistolsandgunsexplodeandknivesgleaminourstreetsasinearlytimes。Whentherehasbeenalongseasonofquiet，peopleareslowtowettheirhandsinblood；butoncebloodisspilled，cuttingandshootingcomeeasy。NightbeforelastJackWilliamswasassassinated，andyesterdayforenoonwehadmorebloodywork，growingoutofthekillingofWilliams，andonthesamestreetinwhichhemethisdeath。ItappearsthatTomReeder，afriendofWilliams，andGeorgeGumbertweretalking，atthemeatmarketofthelatter，aboutthekillingofWilliamsthepreviousnight，whenReedersaiditwasamostcowardlyacttoshootamaninsuchaway，givinghim“noshow。”GumbertsaidthatWilliamshad“asgoodashowashegaveBillyBrown，“meaningthemankilledbyWilliamslastMarch。Reedersaiditwasad——dlie，thatWilliamshadnoshowatall。Atthis，GumbertdrewaknifeandstabbedReeder，cuttinghimintwoplacesintheback。OnestrokeoftheknifecutintothesleeveofReeder\'scoatandpasseddownwardinaslantingdirectionthroughhisclothing，andenteredhisbodyatthesmalloftheback；anotherblowstruckmoresquarely，andmadeamuchmoredangerouswound。Gumbertgavehimselfuptotheofficersofjustice，andwasshortlyafterdischargedbyJusticeAtwill，onhisownrecognizance，toappearfortrialatsixo\'clockintheevening。 InthemeantimeReederhadbeentakenintotheofficeofDr。Owens，wherehiswoundswereproperlydressed。Oneofhiswoundswasconsideredquitedangerous，anditwasthoughtbymanythatitwouldprovefatal。Butbeingconsiderablyundertheinfluenceofliquor，Reederdidnotfeelhiswoundsasheotherwisewould，andhegotupandwentintothestreet。HewenttothemeatmarketandrenewedhisquarrelwithGumbert，threateninghislife。Friendstriedtointerferetoputastoptothequarrelandgetthepartiesawayfromeachother。IntheFashionSaloonReedermadethreatsagainstthelifeofGumbert，sayinghewouldkillhim，anditissaidthatherequestedtheofficersnottoarrestGumbert，asheintendedtokillhim。AfterthesethreatsGumbertwentoffandprocuredadouble- barreledshotgun，loadedwithbuck-shotorrevolverballs，andwentafterReeder。Twoorthreepersonswereassistinghimalongthestreet，tryingtogethimhome，andhadhimjustinfrontofthestoreofKlopstock&Harris，whenGumbertcameacrosstowardhimfromtheoppositesideofthestreetwithhisgun。HecameupwithinabouttenorfifteenfeetofReeder，andcalledouttothosewithhimto“lookout！getoutoftheway！“andtheyhadonlytimetoheedthewarning，whenhefired。Reederwasatthetimeattemptingtoscreenhimselfbehindalargecask，whichstoodagainsttheawningpostofKlopstock&Harris\'sstore，butsomeoftheballstookeffectinthelowerpartofhisbreast，andhereeledaroundforwardandfellinfrontofthecask。Gumbertthenraisedhisgunandfiredthesecondbarrel，whichmissedReederandenteredtheground。Atthetimethatthisoccurred，therewereagreatmanypersonsonthestreetinthevicinity，andanumberofthemcalledouttoGumbert，whentheysawhimraisehisgun，to“holdon，“and“don\'tshoot！“Thecuttingtookplaceaboutteno\'clockandtheshootingabouttwelve。Aftertheshootingthestreetwasinstantlycrowdedwiththeinhabitantsofthatpartofthetown，someappearingmuchexcitedandlaughing——declaringthatitlookedlikethe“goodoldtimesof\'60。”MarshalPerryandofficerBirdsallwerenearwhentheshootingoccurred，andGumbertwasimmediatelyarrestedandhisguntakenfromhim，whenhewasmarchedofftojail。Manypersonswhowereattractedtothespotwherethisbloodyworkhadjusttakenplace，lookedbewilderedandseemedtobeaskingthemselveswhatwastohappennext，appearingindoubtastowhetherthekillingmaniahadreacheditsclimax，orwhetherweweretoturninandhaveagrandkillingspell，shootingwhoevermighthavegivenusoffence。Itwaswhisperedaroundthatitwasnotalloveryet—— fiveorsixmoreweretobekilledbeforenight。ReederwastakentotheVirginiaCityHotel，anddoctorscalledintoexaminehiswounds。Theyfoundthattwoorthreeballshadenteredhisrightside；oneofthemappearedtohavepassedthroughthesubstanceofthelungs，whileanotherpassedintotheliver。Twoballswerealsofoundtohavestruckoneofhislegs。Assomeoftheballsstruckthecask，thewoundsinReeder\'slegwereprobablyfromthese，glancingdownwards，thoughtheymighthavebeencausedbythesecondshotfired。Afterbeingshot，Reedersaidwhenhegotonhisfeet—— smilingashespoke——“Itwilltakebettershootingthanthattokillme。”Thedoctorsconsideritalmostimpossibleforhimtorecover，butashehasanexcellentconstitutionhemaysurvive，notwithstandingthenumberanddangerouscharacterofthewoundshehasreceived。Thetownappearstobeperfectlyquietatpresent，asthoughthelatestormytimeshadclearedourmoralatmosphere；butwhocantellinwhatquartercloudsareloweringorplotsripening? Reeder——oratleastwhatwasleftofhim——survivedhiswoundstwodays！ NothingwaseverdonewithGumbert。 Trialbyjuryisthepalladiumofourliberties。Idonotknowwhatapalladiumis，havingneverseenapalladium，butitisagoodthingnodoubtatanyrate。NotlessthanahundredmenhavebeenmurderedinNevada——perhapsIwouldbewithinboundsifIsaidthreehundred——andasfarasIcanlearn，onlytwopersonshavesufferedthedeathpenaltythere。However，fourorfivewhohadnomoneyandnopoliticalinfluencehavebeenpunishedbyimprisonment——onelanguishedinprisonasmuchaseightmonths，Ithink。However，Idonotdesiretobeextravagant——itmayhavebeenless。 However，oneprophecywasverified，atanyrate。Itwasassertedbythedesperadoesthatoneoftheirbrethren(JoeMcGee，aspecialpoliceman) wasknowntobetheconspiratorchosenbylottoassassinateWilliams； andtheyalsoassertedthatdoomhadbeenpronouncedagainstMcGee，andthathewouldbeassassinatedinexactlythesamemannerthathadbeenadoptedforthedestructionofWilliams——aprophecywhichcametrueayearlater。Aftertwelvemonthsofdistress(forMcGeesawafanciedassassinineverymanthatapproachedhim)，hemadethelastofmanyeffortstogetoutofthecountryunwatched。HewenttoCarsonandsatdowninasaloontowaitforthestage——itwouldleaveatfourinthemorning。Butasthenightwanedandthecrowdthinned，hegrewuneasy，andtoldthebar-keeperthatassassinswereonhistrack。Thebar-keepertoldhimtostayinthemiddleoftheroom，then，andnotgonearthedoor，orthewindowbythestove。Butafatalfascinationseducedhimtotheneighborhoodofthestoveeverynowandthen，andrepeatedlythebar- keeperbroughthimbacktothemiddleoftheroomandwarnedhimtoremainthere。Buthecouldnot。Atthreeinthemorningheagainreturnedtothestoveandsatdownbyastranger。Beforethebar-keepercouldgettohimwithanotherwarningwhisper，someoneoutsidefiredthroughthewindowandriddledMcGee\'sbreastwithslugs，killinghimalmostinstantly。BythesamedischargethestrangeratMcGee\'ssidealsoreceivedattentionswhichprovedfatalinthecourseoftwoorthreedays。 CHAPTERL。 Thesemurderandjurystatisticsremindmeofacertainveryextraordinarytrialandexecutionoftwentyyearsago；itisascrapofhistoryfamiliartoalloldCalifornians，andworthytobeknownbyotherpeoplesoftheearththatlovesimple，straightforwardjusticeunencumberedwithnonsense。IwouldapologizeforthisdigressionbutforthefactthattheinformationIamabouttoofferisapologyenoughinitself。AndsinceIdigressconstantlyanyhow，perhapsitisaswelltoeschewapologiesaltogetherandthuspreventtheirgrowingirksome。 Capt。NedBlakely——thatnamewillansweraswellasanyotherfictitiousone(forhewasstillwiththelivingatlastaccounts，andmaynotdesiretobefamous)——sailedshipsoutoftheharborofSanFranciscoformanyyears。Hewasastalwart，warm-hearted，eagle-eyedveteran，whohadbeenasailornearlyfiftyyears——asailorfromearlyboyhood。Hewasarough，honestcreature，fullofpluck，andjustasfullofhard-headedsimplicity，too。Hehatedtriflingconventionalities——“business“wastheword，withhim。Hehadallasailor\'svindictivenessagainstthequipsandquirksofthelaw，andsteadfastlybelievedthatthefirstandlastaimandobjectofthelawandlawyerswastodefeatjustice。 HesailedfortheChinchaIslandsincommandofaguanoship。Hehadafinecrew，buthisnegromatewashispet——onhimhehadforyearslavishedhisadmirationandesteem。ItwasCapt。Ned\'sfirstvoyagetotheChinchas，buthisfamehadgonebeforehim——thefameofbeingamanwhowouldfightatthedroppingofahandkerchief，whenimposedupon，andwouldstandnononsense。Itwasafamewellearned。Arrivedintheislands，hefoundthatthestapleofconversationwastheexploitsofoneBillNoakes，abully，themateofatradingship。Thismanhadcreatedasmallreignofterrorthere。Atnineo\'clockatnight，Capt。Ned，allalone，waspacinghisdeckinthestarlight。Aformascendedtheside，andapproachedhim。Capt。Nedsaid: “Whogoesthere?“ “I\'mBillNoakes，thebestmanintheislands。” “Whatdoyouwantaboardthisship?“ “I\'veheardofCapt。NedBlakely，andoneofusisabettermanthan\'tother——I\'llknowwhich，beforeIgoashore。” “You\'vecometotherightshop——I\'myourman。I\'lllearnyoutocomeaboardthisshipwithoutaninvite。” HeseizedNoakes，backedhimagainstthemainmast，poundedhisfacetoapulp，andthenthrewhimoverboard。 Noakeswasnotconvinced。Hereturnedthenextnight，gotthepulprenewed，andwentoverboardheadfirst，asbefore。 Hewassatisfied。 Aweekafterthis，whileNoakeswascarousingwithasailorcrowdonshore，atnoonday，Capt。Ned\'scoloredmatecamealong，andNoakestriedtopickaquarrelwithhim。Thenegroevadedthetrap，andtriedtogetaway。Noakesfollowedhimup；thenegrobegantorun；Noakesfiredonhimwitharevolverandkilledhim。Halfadozensea-captainswitnessedthewholeaffair。Noakesretreatedtothesmallafter-cabinofhisship，withtwootherbullies，andgaveoutthatdeathwouldbetheportionofanymanthatintrudedthere。Therewasnoattemptmadetofollowthevillains；therewasnodispositiontodoit，andindeedverylittlethoughtofsuchanenterprise。Therewerenocourtsandnoofficers； therewasnogovernment；theislandsbelongedtoPeru，andPeruwasfaraway；shehadnoofficialrepresentativeontheground；andneitherhadanyothernation。 However，Capt。Nedwasnotperplexinghisheadaboutsuchthings。Theyconcernedhimnot。Hewasboilingwithrageandfuriousforjustice。 Atnineo\'clockatnightheloadedadouble-barreledgunwithslugs，fishedoutapairofhandcuffs，gotaship\'slantern，summonedhisquartermaster，andwentashore。Hesaid: “Doyouseethatshipthereatthedock?“ “Ay-ay，sir。” “It\'stheVenus。” “Ay-ay，sir。” “You——youknowme。” “Ay-ay，sir。” “Verywell，then。Takethelantern。Carryitjustunderyourchin。 I\'llwalkbehindyouandrestthisgun-barrelonyourshoulder，p\'intingforward——so。Keepyourlanternwellupso\'sIcanseethingsaheadofyougood。I\'mgoingtomarchinonNoakes——andtakehim——andjugtheotherchaps。Ifyouflinch——well，youknowme。” “Ay-ay，sir。” Inthisordertheyfiledaboardsoftly，arrivedatNoakes\'sden，thequartermasterpushedthedooropen，andthelanternrevealedthethreedesperadoessittingonthefloor。Capt。Nedsaid: “I\'mNedBlakely。I\'vegotyouunderfire。Don\'tyoumovewithoutorders——anyofyou。Youtwokneeldowninthecorner；facestothewall——now。BillNoakes，putthesehandcuffson；nowcomeupclose。 Quartermaster，fasten\'em。Allright。Don\'tstir，sir。Quartermaster，putthekeyintheoutsideofthedoor。Now，men，I\'mgoingtolockyoutwoin；andifyoutrytoburstthroughthisdoor——well，you\'veheardofme。BillNoakes，fallinahead，andmarch。Allset。Quartermaster，lockthedoor。” NoakesspentthenightonboardBlakely\'sship，aprisonerunderstrictguard。EarlyinthemorningCapt。Nedcalledinallthesea-captainsintheharborandinvitedthem，withnauticalceremony，tobepresentonboardhisshipatnineo\'clocktowitnessthehangingofNoakesattheyard-arm！ “What！Themanhasnotbeentried。” “Ofcoursehehasn\'t。Butdidn\'thekillthenigger?“ “Certainlyhedid；butyouarenotthinkingofhanginghimwithoutatrial?“ “Trial！WhatdoIwanttotryhimfor，ifhekilledthenigger?“ “Oh，Capt。Ned，thiswillneverdo。Thinkhowitwillsound。” “Soundbehanged！Didn\'thekillthenigger?“ “Certainly，certainly，Capt。Ned，——nobodydeniesthat，——but——“ “ThenI\'mgoingtohanghim，that\'sall。EverybodyI\'vetalkedtotalksjustthesamewayyoudo。Everybodysayshekilledthenigger，everybodyknowshekilledthenigger，andyeteverylubberofyouwantshimtriedforit。Idon\'tunderstandsuchbloodyfoolishnessasthat。Tried！ Mindyou，Idon\'tobjecttotryinghim，ifit\'sgottobedonetogivesatisfaction；andI\'llbethere，andchipinandhelp，too；butputitofftillafternoon——putitofftillafternoon，forI\'llhavemyhandsmiddlingfulltillaftertheburying——“ “Why，whatdoyoumean?Areyougoingtohanghimanyhow——andtryhimafterward?“ “Didn\'tIsayIwasgoingtohanghim?Ineversawsuchpeopleasyou。 What\'sthedifference?Youaskafavor，andthenyouain\'tsatisfiedwhenyougetit。Beforeorafter\'sallone——youknowhowthetrialwillgo。Hekilledthenigger。Say——Imustbegoing。Ifyourmatewouldliketocometothehanging，fetchhimalong。Ilikehim。” Therewasastirinthecamp。ThecaptainscameinabodyandpleadedwithCapt。Nednottodothisrashthing。Theypromisedthattheywouldcreateacourtcomposedofcaptainsofthebestcharacter；theywouldempanelajury；theywouldconducteverythinginawaybecomingtheseriousnatureofthebusinessinhand，andgivethecaseanimpartialhearingandtheaccusedafairtrial。Andtheysaiditwouldbemurder，andpunishablebytheAmericancourtsifhepersistedandhungtheaccusedonhisship。Theypleadedhard。Capt。Nedsaid: “Gentlemen，I\'mnotstubbornandI\'mnotunreasonable。I\'malwayswillingtodojustasnearrightasIcan。Howlongwillittake?“ “Probablyonlyalittlewhile。” “AndcanItakehimuptheshoreandhanghimassoonasyouaredone?“ “Ifheisprovenguiltyheshallbehangedwithoutunnecessarydelay。” “Ifhe\'sprovenguilty。GreatNeptune，ain\'theguilty?Thisbeatsmytime。Whyyouallknowhe\'sguilty。” Butatlasttheysatisfiedhimthattheywereprojectingnothingunderhanded。Thenhesaid: “Well，allright。YougoonandtryhimandI\'llgodownandoverhaulhisconscienceandpreparehimtogo——likeenoughheneedsit，andI don\'twanttosendhimoffwithoutashowforhereafter。” Thiswasanotherobstacle。Theyfinallyconvincedhimthatitwasnecessarytohavetheaccusedincourt。Thentheysaidtheywouldsendaguardtobringhim。 “No，sir，Iprefertofetchhimmyself——hedon\'tgetoutofmyhands。 Besides，I\'vegottogototheshiptogetarope，anyway。” Thecourtassembledwithdueceremony，empaneledajury，andpresentlyCapt。Nedentered，leadingtheprisonerwithonehandandcarryingaBibleandaropeintheother。Heseatedhimselfbythesideofhiscaptiveandtoldthecourtto“upanchorandmakesail。”Thenheturnedasearchingeyeonthejury，anddetectedNoakes\'sfriends，thetwobullies。 Hestrodeoverandsaidtothemconfidentially: “You\'reheretointerfere，yousee。Nowyouvoteright，doyouhear?——orelsethere\'llbeadouble-barreledinquestherewhenthistrial\'soff，andyourremainderswillgohomeinacoupleofbaskets。” Thecautionwasnotwithoutfruit。Thejurywasaunit——theverdict。 “Guilty。” Capt。Nedsprungtohisfeetandsaid: “Comealong——you\'remymeatnow，mylad，anyway。Gentlemenyou\'vedoneyourselvesproud。IinviteyoualltocomeandseethatIdoitallstraight。Followmetothecanyon，amileabovehere。” Thecourtinformedhimthatasheriffhadbeenappointedtodothehanging，and—— Capt。Ned\'spatiencewasatanend。Hiswrathwasboundless。Thesubjectofasheriffwasjudiciouslydropped。 Whenthecrowdarrivedatthecanyon，Capt。Nedclimbedatreeandarrangedthehalter，thencamedownandnoosedhisman。HeopenedhisBible，andlaidasidehishat。Selectingachapteratrandom，hereaditthrough，inadeepbassvoiceandwithsinceresolemnity。Thenhesaid: “Lad，youareabouttogoaloftandgiveanaccountofyourself；andthelighteraman\'smanifestis，asfarassin\'sconcerned，thebetterforhim。Makeacleanbreast，man，andcarryalogwithyouthat\'llbearinspection。Youkilledthenigger?“ Noreply。Alongpause。 Thecaptainreadanotherchapter，pausing，fromtimetotime，toimpresstheeffect。Thenhetalkedanearnest，persuasivesermontohim，andendedbyrepeatingthequestion: “Didyoukillthenigger?“ Noreply——otherthanamalignantscowl。ThecaptainnowreadthefirstandsecondchaptersofGenesis，withdeepfeeling——pausedamoment，closedthebookreverently，andsaidwithaperceptiblesavorofsatisfaction: “There。Fourchapters。There\'sfewthatwouldhavetookthepainswithyouthatIhave。” Thenheswungupthecondemned，andmadetheropefast；stoodbyandtimedhimhalfanhourwithhiswatch，andthendeliveredthebodytothecourt。Alittleafter，ashestoodcontemplatingthemotionlessfigure，adoubtcameintohisface；evidentlyhefeltatwingeofconscience——amisgiving——andhesaidwithasigh: “Well，p\'rapsIoughttoburnthim，maybe。ButIwastryingtodoforthebest。” WhenthehistoryofthisaffairreachedCalifornia(itwasinthe“earlydays“)itmadeadealoftalk，butdidnotdiminishthecaptain\'spopularityinanydegree。Itincreasedit，indeed。Californiahadapopulationthenthat“inflicted“justiceafterafashionthatwassimplicityandprimitivenessitself，andcouldthereforeadmireappreciativelywhenthesamefashionwasfollowedelsewhere。 CHAPTERLI。 Viceflourishedluxuriantlyduringthehey-dayofour“flushtimes。”Thesaloonswereoverburdenedwithcustom；sowerethepolicecourts，thegamblingdens，thebrothelsandthejails——unfailingsignsofhighprosperityinaminingregion——inanyregionforthatmatter。Isitnotso?Acrowdedpolicecourtdocketisthesurestofallsignsthattradeisbriskandmoneyplenty。Still，thereisoneothersign；itcomeslast，butwhenitdoescomeitestablishesbeyondcavilthatthe“flushtimes“areattheflood。Thisisthebirthofthe“literary“paper。 TheWeeklyOccidental，“devotedtoliterature，“madeitsappearanceinVirginia。Alltheliterarypeoplewereengagedtowriteforit。Mr。F。 wastoeditit。Hewasafelicitousskirmisherwithapen，andamanwhocouldsayhappythingsinacrisp，neatway。Once，whileeditoroftheUnion，hehaddisposedofalabored，incoherent，two-columnattackmadeuponhimbyacontemporary，withasingleline，which，atfirstglance，seemedtocontainasolemnandtremendouscompliment——viz。:“THELOGICOF OURADVERSARYRESEMBLESTHEPEACEOFGOD，“——andleftittothereader\'smemoryandafter-thoughttoinvesttheremarkwithanotherand“moredifferent“meaningbysupplyingforhimselfandathisownleisuretherestoftheScripture——“inthatitpassethunderstanding。”Heoncesaidofalittle，half-starved，waysidecommunitythathadnosubsistenceexceptwhattheycouldgetbypreyinguponchancepassengerswhostoppedoverwiththemadaywhentravelingbytheoverlandstage，thatintheirChurchservicetheyhadalteredtheLord\'sPrayertoread:“Giveusthisdayourdailystranger！“ WeexpectedgreatthingsoftheOccidental。Ofcourseitcouldnotgetalongwithoutanoriginalnovel，andsowemadearrangementstohurlintotheworkthefullstrengthofthecompany。Mrs。F。wasanableromancistoftheineffableschool——Iknownoothernametoapplytoaschoolwhoseheroesarealldaintyandallperfect。Shewrotetheopeningchapter，andintroducedalovelyblondesimpletonwhotalkednothingbutpearlsandpoetryandwhowasvirtuoustothevergeofeccentricity。ShealsointroducedayoungFrenchDukeofaggravatedrefinement，inlovewiththeblonde。Mr。F。followednextweek，withabrilliantlawyerwhosetaboutgettingtheDuke\'sestatesintotrouble，andasparklingyoungladyofhighsocietywhofelltofascinatingtheDukeandimpairingtheappetiteoftheblonde。Mr。D。，adarkandbloodyeditorofoneofthedailies，followedMr。F。，thethirdweek，introducingamysteriousRoscicrucianwhotransmutedmetals，heldconsultationswiththedevilinacaveatdeadofnight，andcastthehoroscopeoftheseveralheroesandheroinesinsuchawayastoprovideplentyoftroublefortheirfuturecareersandbreedasolemnandawfulpublicinterestinthenovel。Healsointroducedacloakedandmaskedmelodramaticmiscreant，puthimonasalaryandsethimonthemidnighttrackoftheDukewithapoisoneddagger。HealsocreatedanIrishcoachmanwitharichbrogueandplacedhimintheserviceofthesociety-young-ladywithanulteriormissiontocarrybillet-douxtotheDuke。 AboutthistimetherearrivedinVirginiaadissolutestrangerwithaliteraryturnofmind——ratherseedyhewas，butveryquietandunassuming；almostdiffident，indeed。Hewassogentle，andhismannersweresopleasingandkindly，whetherhewassoberorintoxicated，thathemadefriendsofallwhocameincontactwithhim。Heappliedforliterarywork，offeredconclusiveevidencethathewieldedaneasyandpracticedpen，andsoMr。F。engagedhimatoncetohelpwritethenovel。 HischapterwastofollowMr。D。\'s，andminewastocomenext。Nowwhatdoesthisfellowdobutgooffandgetdrunkandthenproceedtohisquartersandsettoworkwithhisimaginationinastateofchaos，andthatchaosinaconditionofextravagantactivity。Theresultmaybeguessed。Hescannedthechaptersofhispredecessors，foundplentyofheroesandheroinesalreadycreated，andwassatisfiedwiththem；hedecidedtointroducenomore；withalltheconfidencethatwhiskyinspiresandalltheeasycomplacencyitgivestoitsservant，hethenlaunchedhimselflovinglyintohiswork:hemarriedthecoachmantothesociety-young-ladyforthesakeofthescandal；marriedtheDuketotheblonde\'sstepmother，forthesakeofthesensation；stoppedthedesperado\'ssalary；createdamisunderstandingbetweenthedevilandtheRoscicrucian；threwtheDuke\'spropertyintothewickedlawyer\'shands； madethelawyer\'supbraidingconsciencedrivehimtodrink，thencetodeliriumtremens，thencetosuicide；brokethecoachman\'sneck；lethiswidowsuccumbtocontumely，neglect，povertyandconsumption；causedtheblondetodrownherself，leavingherclothesonthebankwiththecustomarynotepinnedtothemforgivingtheDukeandhopinghewouldbehappy；revealedtotheDuke，bymeansoftheusualstrawberrymarkonleftarm，thathehadmarriedhisownlong-lostmotheranddestroyedhislong-lostsister；institutedtheproperandnecessarysuicideoftheDukeandtheDuchessinordertocompasspoeticaljustice；openedtheearthandlettheRoscicrucianthrough，accompaniedwiththeaccustomedsmokeandthunderandsmellofbrimstone，andfinishedwiththepromisethatinthenextchapter，afterholdingageneralinquest，hewouldtakeupthesurvivingcharacterofthenovelandtellwhatbecameofthedevil！ Itreadwithsingularsmoothness，andwitha“dead“earnestnessthatwasfunnyenoughtosuffocateabody。Buttherewaswarwhenitcamein。 Theothernovelistswerefurious。Themildstranger，notyetmorethanhalfsober，stoodthere，underascathingfireofvituperation，meekandbewildered，lookingfromonetoanotherofhisassailants，andwonderingwhathecouldhavedonetoinvokesuchastorm。Whenalullcameatlast，hesaidhissaygentlyandappealingly——saidhedidnotrightlyrememberwhathehadwritten，butwassurehehadtriedtodothebesthecould，andknewhisobjecthadbeentomakethenovelnotonlypleasantandplausiblebutinstructiveand—— Thebombardmentbeganagain。Thenovelistsassailedhisill-chosenadjectivesanddemolishedthemwithastormofdenunciationandridicule。 Andsothesiegewenton。Everytimethestrangertriedtoappeasetheenemyheonlymademattersworse。Finallyheofferedtorewritethechapter。Thisarrestedhostilities。Theindignationgraduallyquieteddown，peacereignedagainandthesuffererretiredinsafetyandgothimtohisowncitadel。 Butonthewaythithertheevilangeltemptedhimandhegotdrunkagain。 Andagainhisimaginationwentmad。Heledtheheroesandheroinesawilderdancethanever；andyetallthroughitranthatsameconvincingairofhonestyandearnestnessthathadmarkedhisfirstwork。Hegotthecharactersintothemostextraordinarysituations，putthemthroughthemostsurprisingperformances，andmadethemtalkthestrangesttalk！ Butthechaptercannotbedescribed。Itwassymmetricallycrazy；itwasartisticallyabsurd；andithadexplanatoryfootnotesthatwerefullyascuriousasthetext。Irememberoneofthe“situations，“andwillofferitasanexampleofthewhole。Healteredthecharacterofthebrilliantlawyer，andmadehimagreat-hearted，splendidfellow；gavehimfameandriches，andsethisageatthirty-threeyears。Thenhemadetheblondediscover，throughthehelpoftheRoscicrucianandthemelodramaticmiscreant，thatwhiletheDukelovedhermoneyardentlyandwantedit，hesecretlyfeltasortofleaningtowardthesociety-young-lady。Stungtothequick，shetoreheraffectionsfromhimandbestowedthemwithtenfoldpoweruponthelawyer，whorespondedwithconsumingzeal。Buttheparentswouldnoneofit。WhattheywantedinthefamilywasaDuke； andaDuketheyweredeterminedtohave；thoughtheyconfessedthatnexttotheDukethelawyerhadtheirpreference。Necessarilytheblondenowwentintoadecline。Theparentswerealarmed。TheypleadedwithhertomarrytheDuke，butshesteadfastlyrefused，andpinedon。Thentheylaidaplan。Theytoldhertowaitayearandaday，andifattheendofthattimeshestillfeltthatshecouldnotmarrytheDuke，shemightmarrythelawyerwiththeirfullconsent。Theresultwasastheyhadforeseen:gladnesscameagain，andtheflushofreturninghealth。Thentheparentstookthenextstepintheirscheme。Theyhadthefamilyphysicianrecommendalongseavoyageandmuchlandtravelforthethoroughrestorationoftheblonde\'sstrength；andtheyinvitedtheDuketobeoftheparty。TheyjudgedthattheDuke\'sconstantpresenceandthelawyer\'sprotractedabsencewoulddotherest——fortheydidnotinvitethelawyer。 SotheysetsailinasteamerforAmerica——andthethirddayout，whentheirsea-sicknesscalledtruceandpermittedthemtotaketheirfirstmealatthepublictable，beholdtheresatthelawyer！TheDukeandpartymadethebestofanawkwardsituation；thevoyageprogressed，andthevesselnearedAmerica。 But，byandby，twohundredmilesoffNewBedford，theshiptookfire； sheburnedtothewater\'sedge；ofallhercrewandpassengers，onlythirtyweresaved。Theyfloatedabouttheseahalfanafternoonandallnightlong。Amongthemwereourfriends。Thelawyer，bysuperhumanexertions，hadsavedtheblondeandherparents，swimmingbackandforthtwohundredyardsandbringingoneeachtime——(thegirlfirst)。TheDukehadsavedhimself。Inthemorningtwowhaleshipsarrivedonthesceneandsenttheirboats。Theweatherwasstormyandtheembarkationwasattendedwithmuchconfusionandexcitement。Thelawyerdidhisdutylikeaman；helpedhisexhaustedandinsensibleblonde，herparentsandsomeothersintoaboat(theDukehelpedhimselfin)；thenachildfelloverboardattheotherendoftheraftandthelawyerrushedthitherandhelpedhalfadozenpeoplefishitout，underthestimulusofitsmother\'sscreams。Thenheranback——afewsecondstoolate——theblonde\'sboatwasunderway。Sohehadtotaketheotherboat，andgototheothership。Thestormincreasedanddrovethevesselsoutofsightofeachother——drovethemwhitheritwould。 Whenitcalmed，attheendofthreedays，theblonde\'sshipwassevenhundredmilesnorthofBostonandtheotheraboutsevenhundredsouthofthatport。Theblonde\'scaptainwasboundonawhalingcruiseintheNorthAtlanticandcouldnotgobacksuchadistanceormakeaportwithoutorders；suchbeingnauticallaw。Thelawyer\'scaptainwastocruiseintheNorthPacific，andhecouldnotgobackormakeaportwithoutorders。Allthelawyer\'smoneyandbaggagewereintheblonde\'sboatandwenttotheblonde\'sship——sohiscaptainmadehimworkhispassageasacommonsailor。Whenbothshipshadbeencruisingnearlyayear，theonewasoffthecoastofGreenlandandtheotherinBehring\'sStrait。Theblondehadlongagobeenwell-nighpersuadedthatherlawyerhadbeenwashedoverboardandlostjustbeforethewhaleshipsreachedtheraft，andnow，underthepleadingsofherparentsandtheDukeshewasatlastbeginningtonerveherselfforthedoomofthecovenant，andprepareforthehatedmarriage。 Butshewouldnotyieldadaybeforethedateset。Theweeksdraggedon，thetimenarrowed，ordersweregiventodecktheshipforthewedding——aweddingatseaamongicebergsandwalruses。Fivedaysmoreandallwouldbeover。Sotheblondereflected，withasighandatear。Ohwherewashertruelove——andwhy，whydidhenotcomeandsaveher?AtthatmomenthewasliftinghisharpoontostrikeawhaleinBehring\'sStrait，fivethousandmilesaway，bythewayoftheArcticOcean，ortwentythousandbythewayoftheHorn——thatwasthereason。Hestruck，butnotwithperfectaim——hisfootslippedandhefellinthewhale\'smouthandwentdownhisthroat。Hewasinsensiblefivedays。Thenhecametohimselfandheardvoices；daylightwasstreamingthroughaholecutinthewhale\'sroof。Heclimbedoutandastonishedthesailorswhowerehoistingblubberupaship\'sside。Herecognizedthevessel，flewaboard，surprisedtheweddingpartyatthealtarandexclaimed: “Stoptheproceedings——I\'mhere！Cometomyarms，myown！“ Therewerefoot-notestothisextravagantpieceofliteraturewhereintheauthorendeavoredtoshowthatthewholethingwaswithinthepossibilities；hesaidhegottheincidentofthewhaletravelingfromBehring\'sStraittothecoastofGreenland，fivethousandmilesinfivedays，throughtheArcticOcean，fromCharlesReade\'s“LoveMeLittleLoveMeLong，“andconsideredthatthatestablishedthefactthatthethingcouldbedone；andheinstancedJonah\'sadventureasproofthatamancouldliveinawhale\'sbelly，andaddedthatifapreachercouldstanditthreedaysalawyercouldsurelystanditfive！ Therewasafiercerstormthaneverintheeditorialsanctumnow，andthestrangerwasperemptorilydischarged，andhismanuscriptflungathishead。Buthehadalreadydelayedthingssomuchthattherewasnottimeforsomeoneelsetorewritethechapter，andsothepapercameoutwithoutanynovelinit。Itwasbutafeeble，struggling，stupidjournal，andtheabsenceofthenovelprobablyshookpublicconfidence； atanyrate，beforethefirstsideofthenextissuewenttopress，theWeeklyOccidentaldiedaspeacefullyasaninfant。 Aneffortwasmadetoresurrectit，withtheproposedadvantageofatellingnewtitle，andMr。F。saidthatThePhenixwouldbejustthenameforit，becauseitwouldgivetheideaofaresurrectionfromitsdeadashesinanewandundreamedofconditionofsplendor；butsomelow- pricedsmartyononeofthedailiessuggestedthatwecallittheLazarus；andinasmuchasthepeoplewerenotprofoundinScripturalmattersbutthoughttheresurrectedLazarusandthedilapidatedmendicantthatbeggedintherichman\'sgatewaywereoneandthesameperson，thenamebecamethelaughingstockofthetown，andkilledthepaperforgoodandall。 Iwassorryenough，forIwasveryproudofbeingconnectedwithaliterarypaper——prouderthanIhaveeverbeenofanythingsince，perhaps。 Ihadwrittensomerhymesforit——poetryIconsideredit——anditwasagreatgrieftomethattheproductionwasonthe“firstside“oftheissuethatwasnotcompleted，andhencedidnotseethelight。Buttimebringsitsrevenges——Icanputitinhere；itwillanswerinplaceofateardroppedtothememoryofthelostOccidental。Theidea(notthechiefidea，butthevehiclethatbearsit)wasprobablysuggestedbytheoldsongcalled“TheRagingCanal，“butIcannotremembernow。Idoremember，though，thatatthattimeIthoughtmydoggerelwasoneoftheablestpoemsoftheage: THEAGEDPILOTMAN。 OntheErieCanal，itwas，Allonasummer\'sday，IsailedforthwithmyparentsFarawaytoAlbany。 FromoutthecloudsatnoonthatdayTherecameadreadfulstorm，Thatpiledthebillowshighabout，Andfilleduswithalarm。 Amancamerushingfromahouse，Saying，“SnubupyourboatIpray，[Thecustomarycanaltechnicalityfor“tieup。”] Snubupyourboat，snubup，alas，Snubupwhileyetyoumay。” Ourcaptaincastoneglanceastern，Thenforwardglancedhe，Andsaid，“MywifeandlittleonesInevermoreshallsee。” SaidDollingerthepilotman，Innoblewords，butfew，—— “Fearnot，butleanonDollinger，Andhewillfetchyouthrough。” Theboatdroveon，thefrightenedmulesTorethroughtherainandwind，Andbravelystill，indanger\'spost，Thewhip-boystrodebehind。 “Come\'board，come\'board，“thecaptaincried，“Nortemptsowildastorm；“ Butstilltheragingmulesadvanced，Andstilltheboystrodeon。 Thensaidthecaptaintousall，“Alas，\'tisplaintome，Thegreaterdangerisnotthere，Buthereuponthesea。 Soletusstrive，whileliferemains，Tosaveallsoulsonboard，Andthenifdieatlastwemust，Let……Icannotspeaktheword！“ SaidDollingerthepilotman，Tow\'ringabovethecrew，“Fearnot，buttrustinDollinger，Andhewillfetchyouthrough。” “Lowbridge！lowbridge！“allheadswentdown，Thelaboringbarkspedon； Amillwepassed，wepassedchurch，Hamlets，andfieldsofcorn； Andalltheworldcameouttosee，AndchasedalongtheshoreCrying，“Alas，alas，thesheetedrain，Thewind，thetempest\'sroar！ Alas，thegallantshipandcrew，Cannothinghelpthemmore?“ AndfromourdecksadeyeslookedoutAcrossthestormyscene: Thetossingwakeofbillowsaft，Thebendingforestsgreen，ThechickensshelteredundercartsInleeofbarnthecows，Theskurryingswinewithstrawinmouth，Thewildsprayfromourbows！ “Shebalances！ Shewavers！ Nowlethergoabout！ Ifshemissesstaysandbroachesto，We\'reall“——thenwithashout，] “Huray！huray！ Avast！belay！ Takeinmoresail！ Lord，whatagale！ Ho，boy，haultautonthehindmule\'stail！“ “Ho！lightenship！ho！manthepump！ Ho，hostler，heavethelead！ “Aquarter-three！——\'tisshoalingfast！ Threefeetlarge！——t-h-r-e-efeet！—— Threefeetscant！“Icriedinfright“Oh，istherenoretreat?“ SaidDollinger，thepilotman，Asonthevesselflew，“Fearnot，buttrustinDollinger，Andhewillfetchyouthrough。” Apanicstruckthebravesthearts，Theboldestcheekturnedpale； Forplaintoall，thisshoalingsaidAleakhadbursttheditch\'sbed！ And，straightasboltfromcrossbowsped，Ourshipswepton，withshoalinglead，Beforethefearfulgale！ “Severthetow-line！Cripplethemules！“ Toolate！Therecomesashock！ Anotherlength，andthefatedcraftWouldhaveswuminthesavinglock！ ThengatheredtogethertheshipwreckedcrewAndtookonelastembrace，WhilesorrowfultearsfromdespairingeyesRandowneachhopelessface； AndsomedidthinkoftheirlittleonesWhomtheynevermoremightsee，Andothersofwaitingwivesathome，Andmothersthatgrievedwouldbe。 ButofallthechildrenofmiserythereOnthatpoorsinkingframe，Butonespakewordsofhopeandfaith，AndIworshippedastheycame: SaidDollingerthepilotman，—— (Obraveheart，strongandtrue！)—— “Fearnot，buttrustinDollinger，Forhewillfetchyouthrough。” Lo！scarcethewordshavepassedhislipsThedauntlessprophetsay\'th，WheneverysoulabouthimseethAwondercrownhisfaith！ Andcountyeall，bothgreatandsmall，Asnumberedwiththedead: Formarinerforfortyyear，OnErie，boyandman，Ineveryetsawsuchastorm，Orone\'twithitbegan！“ SooverboardakegofnailsAndanvilsthreewethrew，Likewisefourbalesofgunny-sacks，Twohundredpoundsofglue，Twosacksofcorn，fourdittowheat，Aboxofbooks，acow，Aviolin，LordByron\'sworks，Arip-sawandasow。 Acurve！acurve！thedangersgrow！ “Labbord！——stabbord！——s-t-e-a-d-y！——so！—— Hard-a-port，Dol！——hellum-a-lee！ Hawtheheadmule！——theaftonegee！ Luff！——bringhertothewind！“ Forstraightafarmerbroughtaplank，—— (Mysteriouslyinspired)—— Andlayingituntotheship，Insilentaweretired。 TheneverysuffererstoodamazedThatpilotmanbefore； Amomentstood。Thenwonderingturned，Andspeechlesswalkedashore。