“Imindthelasttimehewashome；thedayheleft，whentheoldmanwasouttothebarnhelpin’hishandhitchuptotakeHarvetothetrain，andCalMootswaspatchin’upthefence，Harve，hecomeoutonthestepandsingsout，inhisladylikevoice:’CalMoots，CalMoots！pleasecomecordmytrunk。’“
“That’sHarveforyou，“approvedtheGrandArmymangleefully。“Ikinhearhimhowlin’yetwhenhewasabigfellerinlongpantsandhismotherusedtowhalehimwitharawhideinthebarnforlettin’thecowsgitfounderedinthecornfieldwhenhewasdrivin’’emhomefrompasture。Hekilledacowofminethat-a-wayonc’t——apureJerseyandthebestmilkerIhad，an’
theolemanhadtoputupforher。Harve，hewaswatchin’thesunsetacros’tthemarsheswhentheanamilegotaway；hearguedthatsunsetwasoncommonfine。“
“WheretheoldmanmadehismistakewasinsendingtheboyEasttoschool，“saidPhelps，strokinghisgoateeandspeakinginadeliberate，judicialtone。“TherewaswherehegothisheadfulloftraipsingtoParisandallsuchfolly。WhatHarveneeded，ofallpeople，wasacourseinsomefirst-classKansasCitybusinesscollege。“
TheletterswereswimmingbeforeSteavens’seyes。Wasitpossiblethatthesemendidnotunderstand，thatthepalmonthecoffinmeantnothingtothem？TheverynameoftheirtownwouldhaveremainedforeverburiedinthepostalguidehaditnotbeennowandagainmentionedintheworldinconnectionwithHarveyMerrick’s。Herememberedwhathismasterhadsaidtohimonthedayofhisdeath，afterthecongestionofbothlungshadshutoffanyprobabilityofrecovery，andthesculptorhadaskedhispupiltosendhisbodyhome。“It’snotapleasantplacetobelyingwhiletheworldismovinganddoingandbettering，“hehadsaidwithafeeblesmile，“butitratherseemsasthoughweoughttogobacktotheplacewecamefromintheend。Thetownspeoplewillcomeinforalookatme；andaftertheyhavehadtheirsayIshan’thavemuchtofearfromthejudgmentofGod。ThewingsoftheVictory，inthere“——withaweakgesturetowardhisstudio——
willnotshelterme。“
Thecattlemantookupthecomment。“Forty’syoungforaMerricktocashin；theyusuallyhangonprettywell。Probablyhehelpeditalongwithwhisky。“
“Hismother’speoplewerenotlong-lived，andHarveyneverhadarobustconstitution，“saidtheministermildly。Hewouldhavelikedtosaymore。Hehadbeentheboy’sSunday-schoolteacher，andhadbeenfondofhim；buthefeltthathewasnotinapositiontospeak。Hisownsonshadturnedoutbadly，anditwasnotayearsinceoneofthemhadmadehislasttriphomeintheexpresscar，shotinagamblinghouseintheBlackHills。
“Nevertheless，thereisnodisputin’thatHarvefrequentlylookeduponthewinewhenitwasred，alsovariegated，anditshoremadeanoncommonfoolofhim，“moralizedthecattleman。
Justthenthedoorleadingintotheparlorrattledloudly，andeveryonestartedinvoluntarily，lookingrelievedwhenonlyJimLairdcameout。Hisredfacewasconvulsedwithanger，andtheGrandArmymanduckedhisheadwhenhesawthesparkinhisblue，bloodshoteye。TheywereallafraidofJim；hewasadrunkard，buthecouldtwistthelawtosuithisclient’sneedsasnoothermaninallwesternKansascoulddo；andthereweremanywhotried。Thelawyerclosedthedoorgentlybehindhim，leanedbackagainstitandfoldedhisarms，cockinghisheadalittletooneside。Whenheassumedthisattitudeinthecourtroom，earswerealwaysprickedup，asitusuallyforetoldafloodofwitheringsarcasm。
“I’vebeenwithyougentlemenbefore，“hebeganinadry，eventone，“whenyou’vesatbythecoffinsofboysbornandraisedinthistown；and，ifIrememberrightly，youwereneveranytoowellsatisfiedwhenyoucheckedthemup。What’sthematter，anyhow？WhyisitthatreputableyoungmenareasscarceasmillionairesinSandCity？Itmightalmostseemtoastrangerthattherewassomewaysomethingthematterwithyourprogressivetown。WhydidRubenSayer，thebrightestyounglawyeryoueverturnedout，afterhehadcomehomefromtheuniversityasstraightasadie，taketodrinkingandforgeacheckandshoothimself？WhydidBillMerrit’ssondieoftheshakesinasalooninOmaha？WhywasMr。Thomas’sson，here，shotinagamblinghouse？WhydidyoungAdamsburnhismilltobeattheinsurancecompaniesandgotothepen？“
Thelawyerpausedandunfoldedhisarms，layingoneclenchedfistquietlyonthetable。“I’lltellyouwhy。Becauseyoudrummednothingbutmoneyandknaveryintotheirearsfromthetimetheyworeknickerbockers；becauseyoucarpedawayatthemasyou’vebeencarpingheretonight，holdingourfriendsPhelpsandElderuptothemfortheirmodels，asourgrandfathersheldupGeorgeWashingtonandJohnAdams。Buttheboys，worseluck，wereyoungandrawatthebusinessyouputthemto；andhowcouldtheymatchcopperswithsuchartistsasPhelpsandElder？Youwantedthemtobesuccessfulrascals；theywereonlyunsuccessfulones——
that’sallthedifference。Therewasonlyoneboyeverraisedinthisborderlandbetweenruffianismandcivilizationwhodidn’tcometogrief，andyouhatedHarveyMerrickmoreforwinningoutthanyouhatedalltheotherboyswhogotunderthewheels。
Lord，Lord，howyoudidhatehim！Phelps，here，isfondofsayingthathecouldbuyandsellusalloutanytimehe’samindto；
butheknewHarvewouldn’thavegivenatinker’sdamnforhisbankandallhiscattlefarmsputtogether；andalackofappreciation，thatway，goeshardwithPhelps。
“OldNimrod，here，thinksHarvedranktoomuch；andthisfromsuchasNimrodandme！“
“BrotherEldersaysHarvewastoofreewiththeoldman’smoney——fellshortinfilialconsideration，maybe。Well，wecanallremembertheverytoneinwhichbrotherEldersworehisownfatherwasaliar，inthecountycourt；andweallknowthattheoldmancameoutofthatpartnershipwithhissonasbareasashearedlamb。ButmaybeI’mgettingpersonal，andI’dbetterbedrivingaheadatwhatIwanttosay。“
Thelawyerpausedamoment，squaredhisheavyshoulders，andwenton:“HarveyMerrickandIwenttoschooltogether，backEast。Weweredeadinearnest，andwewantedyoualltobeproudofussomeday。Wemeanttobegreatmen。Even1，andIhaven’tlostmysenseofhumor，gentlemen，Imeanttobeagreatman。I
camebackheretopractice，andIfoundyoudidn’tintheleastwantmetobeagreatman。Youwantedmetobeashrewdlawyer——
oh，yes！Ourveteranherewantedmetogethimanincreaseofpension，becausehehaddyspepsia；PhelpswantedanewcountysurveythatwouldputthewidowWilson’slittlebottomfarminsidehissouthline；Elderwantedtolendmoneyat5percentamonthandgetitcollected；oldStarkherewantedtowheedleoldwomenupinVermontintoinvestingtheirannuitiesinrealestatemortgagesthatarenotworththepapertheyarewrittenon。Oh，youneededmehardenough，andyou’llgoonneedingme；andthat’swhyI’mnotafraidtoplugthetruthhometoyouthisonce。
“Well，Icamebackhereandbecamethedamnedshysteryouwantedmetobe。Youpretendtohavesomesortofrespectforme；andyetyou’llstandupandthrowmudatHarveyMerrick，whosesoulyoucouldn’tdirtyandwhosehandsyoucouldn’ttie。
Oh，you’readiscriminatinglotofChristians！TherehavebeentimeswhenthesightofHarvey’snameinsomeEasternpaperhasmademehangmyheadlikeawhippeddog；and，again，timeswhenI
likedtothinkofhimoffthereintheworld，awayfromallthishogwallow，doinghisgreatworkandclimbingthebig，cleanupgradehe’dsetforhimself。
“Andwe？Nowthatwe’vefoughtandliedandsweatedandstolen，andhatedasonlythedisappointedstrugglersinabitter，deadlittleWesterntownknowhowtodo，whathavewegottoshowforit？HarveyMerrickwouldn’thavegivenonesunsetoveryourmarshesforallyou’vegotputtogether，andyouknowit。It’snotformetosaywhy，intheinscrutablewisdomofGod，ageniusshouldeverhavebeencalledfromthisplaceofhatredandbitterwaters；butIwantthisBostonmantoknowthatthedrivelhe’sbeenhearingheretonightistheonlytributeanytrulygreatmancouldeverhavefromsuchalotofsick，side-
tracked，burnt-dog，land-poorsharksasthehere-presentfinanciersofSandCity——uponwhichtownmayGodhavemercy！“
ThelawyerthrustouthishandtoSteavensashepassedhim，caughtuphisovercoatinthehall，andhadleftthehousebeforetheGrandArmymanhadhadtimetolifthisduckedheadandcranehislongneckaboutathisfellows。
NextdayJimLairdwasdrunkandunabletoattendthefuneralservices。Steavenscalledtwiceathisoffice，butwascompelledtostartEastwithoutseeinghim。Hehadapresentimentthathewouldhearfromhimagain，andlefthisaddressonthelawyer’stable；butifLairdfoundit，heneveracknowledgedit。ThethinginhimthatHarveyMerrickhadlovedmusthavegoneundergroundwithHarveyMerrick’scoffin；foritneverspokeagain，andJimgotthecoldhediedofdrivingacrosstheColoradomountainstodefendoneofPhelps’ssons，whohadgotintotroubleouttherebycuttinggovernmenttimber。
End“ADeathintheDesert“
EverettHilgardewasconsciousthatthemanintheseatacrosstheaislewaslookingathimintently。Hewasalarge，floridman，woreaconspicuousdiamondsolitaireuponhisthirdfinger，andEverettjudgedhimtobeatravelingsalesmanofsomesort。Hehadtheairofanadaptablefellowwhohadbeenabouttheworldandwhocouldkeepcoolandcleanunderalmostanycircumstances。
The“HighLineFlyer，“asthistrainwasderisivelycalledamongrailroadmen，wasjerkingalongthroughthehotafternoonoverthemonotonouscountrybetweenHoldridgeandCheyenne。
Besidestheblondmanandhimselftheonlyoccupantsofthecarweretwodusty，bedraggled-lookinggirlswhohadbeentotheExpositionatChicago，andwhowereearnestlydiscussingthecostoftheirfirsttripoutofColorado。Thefouruncomfortablepassengerswerecoveredwithasedimentoffine，yellowdustwhichclungtotheirhairandeyebrowslikegoldpowder。Itblewupincloudsfromthebleak，lifelesscountrythroughwhichtheypassed，untiltheywereonecolorwiththesagebrushandsandhills。Thegray-and-yellowdesertwasvariedonlybyoccasionalruinsofdesertedtowns，andthelittleredboxesofstationhouses，wherethespindlingtreesandsicklyvinesinthebluegrassyardsmadelittlegreenreservesfencedoffinthatconfusingwildernessofsand。
Astheslantingraysofthesunbeatinstrongerandstrongerthroughthecarwindows，theblondgentlemanaskedtheladies’permissiontoremovehiscoat，andsatinhislavenderstripedshirtsleeves，withablacksilkhandkerchieftuckedcarefullyabouthiscollar。HehadseemedinterestedinEverettsincetheyhadboardedthetrainatHoldridge，andkeptglancingathimcuriouslyandthenlookingreflectivelyoutofthewindow，asthoughheweretryingtorecallsomething。ButwhereverEverettwentsomeonewasalmostsuretolookathimwiththatcuriousinterest，andithadceasedtoembarrassorannoyhim。
