BEFORE the first streak1 of dawn I was up and off to hunt forthe horses and mules2, which were now allowed to roam insearch of feed. On my return, the men were afoot, taking iteasy as usual. Some artemisia bushes were ablaze4 for themorning's coffee. No one but Fred had a suspicion of thecoming crisis. I waited till each one had lighted his pipe;then quietly requested the lot to gather the provision packstogether, as it was desirable to take stock, and make someestimate of demand and supply. Nothing loth, the men obeyed.
'Now,' said I, 'turn all the hams out of their bags, and letus see how long they will last.' When done: 'What!' Iexclaimed, with well - feigned5 dismay, 'that's not all,surely? There are not enough here to last a fortnight.
Where are the rest? No more? Why, we shall starve.' Themen's faces fell; but never a murmur6, nor a sound. 'Turn outthe biscuit bags. Here, spread these empty ham sacks, andpour the biscuit on to them. Don't lose any of the dust. Weshall want every crumb7, mouldy or not.' The gloomy facesgrew gloomier. What's to be done?' Silence. 'The firstthing, as I think all will agree, is to divide what is leftinto nine equal shares - that's our number now - and let eachone take his ninth part, to do what he likes with. Youyourselves shall portion out the shares, and then draw lotsfor choice.'
This presentation of the inevitable8 compelled submission9.
The whole, amounting to twelve light mule3 packs (it had beenfifteen fairly heavy ones after our purchases at FortLaramie), was still a goodly bulk to look at. The ninepeddling dividends10, when seen singly, were not quite what theshareholders had anticipated.
Why were they still silent? Why did they not rebel, andvisit their wrath11 upon the directors? Because they knew intheir hearts that we had again and again predicted thecatastrophe. They knew we had warned them scores and scoresof times of the consequences of their wilful12 and recklessimprovidence. They were stupefied, aghast, at the ruin theyhad brought upon themselves. To turn upon us, to murder us,and divide our three portions between them, would have beensuicidal. In the first place, our situation was as desperateas theirs. We should fight for our lives; and it was notcertain, in fact it was improbable, that either Jacob orWilliam would side against us. Without our aid - they hadnot a compass among them - they were helpless. The instinctof self-preservation bade them trust to our good will.
So far, then, the game was won. Almost humbly13 they askedwhat we advised them to do. The answer was prompt anddecisive: 'Get back to Fort Laramie as fast as you can.'
'But how? Were they to walk? They couldn't carry theirpacks.' 'Certainly not; we were English gentlemen, and wouldbehave as such. Each man should have his own mule; each,into the bargain, should receive his pay according toagreement.' They were agreeably surprised. I then verystrongly counselled them not to travel together. Pastexperience proved how dangerous this must be. To avoid thetemptation, even the chance, of this happening, the surestand safest plan would be for each party to start separately,and not leave till the last was out of sight. For my part Ihad resolved to go alone.
It was a melancholy14 day for everyone. And to fill the cup ofwretchedness to overflowing15, the rain, beginning with adrizzle, ended with a downpour. Consultations16 took placebetween men who had not spoken to one another for weeks.
Fred offered to go on, at all events to Salt Lake City, ifNelson the Canadian and Jacob would go with him. Botheagerly closed with the offer. They would be so much nearerto the 'diggings,' and were, moreover, fond of their leader.
Louis would go back to Fort Laramie. Potter and Morris wouldcross the mountains, and strike south for the Mormon city iftheir provisions and mules threatened to give out. Williamwould try his luck alone in the same way. And there remainedno one but Samson, undecided and unprovided for. The strongweak man sat on the ground in the steady rain, smoking pipeafter pipe; watching first the preparations, then thedepartures, one after the other, at intervals17 of an hour orso. First the singles, then the pair; then, late in theafternoon, Fred and his two henchmen.
It is needless to depict18 our separation. I do not thinkeither expected ever to see the other again. Yet we partedafter the manner of trueborn Britons, as if we should meetagain in a day or two. 'Well, good-bye, old fellow. Goodluck. What a beastly day, isn't it?' But emotions are onlypartially suppressed by subduing20 their expression. Thehearts of both were full.
I watched the gradual disappearance21 of my dear friend, andthought with a sigh of my loss in Jacob and Nelson, the twobest men of the band. It was a comfort to reflect that theyhad joined Fred. Jacob especially was full of resource;Nelson of energy and determination. And the courage and cooljudgment of Fred, and his presence of mind in emergencies,were all pledges for the safety of the trio.
As they vanished behind a distant bluff22, I turned to thesodden wreck23 of the deserted24 camp, and began actively25 to packmy mules. Samson seemed paralysed by imbecility.
'What had I better do?' he presently asked, gazing with dulleyes at his two mules and two horses.
'I don't care what you do. It is nothing to me. You hadbetter pack your mules before it is dark, or you may losethem.'
'I may as well go with you, I think. I don't care much aboutgoing back to Laramie.'
He looked miserable26. I was so. I had held out under a longand heavy strain. Parting with Fred had, for the moment,staggered my resolution. I was sick at heart. The thoughtof packing two mules twice a day, single-handed, weakened asI was by illness, appalled27 me. And though ashamed of theperversity which had led me to fling away the better andaccept the worse, I yielded.
'Very well then. Make haste. Get your traps together. I'lllook after the horses.'
It took more than an hour before the four mules were ready.
Like a fool, I left Samson to tie the led horses in a string,while I did the same with the mules. He started, leading thehorses. I followed with the mule train some minutes later.
Our troubles soon began. The two spare horses were nearly aswild as the mules. I had not got far when I discernedthrough the rain a kicking and plunging28 and generalentanglement of the lot ahead of me. Samson had fastened thehorses together with slip knots; and they were all doingtheir best to strangle one another and themselves. To leavethe mules was dangerous, yet two men were required to releasethe maddened horses. At last the labour was accomplished;and once more the van pushed on with distinct instructions asto the line of march, it being now nearly dark. The muleshad naturally vanished in the gloom; and by the time I wasagain in my saddle, Samson was - I knew not where. On and onI travelled, far into the night. But failing to overtake mycompanion, and taking for granted that he had missed his way,I halted when I reached a stream, threw off the packs, letthe animals loose, rolled myself in my blanket, and shut myeyes upon a trying day.
Nothing happens but the unexpected. Daylight woke me.
Samson, still in his rugs, was but a couple of hundred yardsfurther up the stream. In the afternoon of the third day wefell in with William. He had cut himself a long willow29 wandand was fishing for trout30, of which he had caught several inthe upper reaches of the Sweetwater. He threw down his rod,hastened to welcome our arrival, and at once begged leave tojoin us. He was already sick of solitude31. He had comeacross Potter and Morris, who had left him that morning.
They had been visited by wolves in the night, (I too had beenawakened by their howlings,) and poor William did not relishthe thought of the mountains alone, with his one little whitemule - which he called 'Cream.' He promised to do his utmostto help with the packing, and 'not cost us a cent.' I didnot tell him how my heart yearned32 towards him, and howmiserably my courage had oozed33 away since we parted, but madea favour of his request, and granted it. The gain, so longas it lasted, was incalculable.
The summit of the South Pass is between 8000 and 9000 feetabove the level of the Gulf34 of Mexico. The Pass itself ismany miles broad, undulating on the surface, but notabruptly. The peaks of the Wind River Chain, immediately tothe north, are covered with snow; and as we gradually gotinto the misty35 atmosphere we felt the cold severely36. Thelariats - made of raw hide - became rods of ice; and the pooranimals, whose backs were masses of festering raws, sufferedterribly from exposure. It was interesting to come uponproofs of the 'divide' within a mile of the most elevatedpoint in the pass. From the Hudson to this spot, all watershad flowed eastward37; now suddenly every little rivulet38 wasmaking for the Pacific.
The descent is as gradual as the rise. On the first day ofit we lost two animals, a mule and Samson's spare horse. Thelatter, never equal to the heavy weight of its owner, couldgo no further; and the dreadful state of the mule's backrendered packing a brutality39. Morris and Potter, who passedus a few days later, told us they had seen the horse dead,and partially19 eaten by wolves; the mule they had shot to putit out of its misery40.
In due course we reached Fort Hall, a trading post of theHudson's Bay Company, some 200 miles to the north-west of theSouth Pass. Sir George Simpson, Chairman of that Company,had given me letters, which ensured the assistance of itsservants. It was indeed a rest and a luxury to spend acouple of idle days here, and revive one's dim recollectionof fresh eggs and milk. But we were already in September.
Our animals were in a deplorable condition; and with theexception of a little flour, a small supply of dried meat,and a horse for Samson, Mr. Grant, the trader, had nothing tosell us. He told us, moreover, that before we reached FortBoise, their next station, 300 miles further on, we had totraverse a great rocky desert, where we might travel four-and-twenty hours after leaving water, before we met with itagain. There was nothing for it but to press onwards. Itwas too late now to cross the Sierra Nevada range, which laybetween us and California; and with the miserable equipmentleft to us, it was all we could hope to do to reach Oregonbefore the passage of the Blue Mountains was blocked by thewinter's snow.
Mr. Grant's warnings were verified to the foot of the letter.
Great were our sufferings, and almost worse were those of thepoor animals, from the want of water. Then, too, unlike thedesert of Sahara, where the pebbly41 sand affords a solidfooting, the soil here is the calcined powder of volcanicdebris, so fine that every step in it is up to one's ankles;while clouds of it rose, choking the nostrils42, and coveringone from head to heel. Here is a passage from my journal:
'Road rocky in places, but generally deep in the finestfloury sand. A strong and biting wind blew dead in ourteeth, smothering43 us in dust, which filled every pore.
William presented such a ludicrous appearance that Samson andI went into fits over it. An old felt hat, fastened on by ared cotton handkerchief, tied under his chin, partly hid hislantern-jawed visage; this, naturally of a dolorous44 cast, wasscrewed into wrinkled contortions45 by its efforts to resistthe piercing gale46. The dust, as white as flour, had settledthick upon him, the extremity47 of his nasal organ being theonly rosy48 spot left; its pearly drops lodged49 upon a chinalmost as prominent. His shoulders were shrugged50 to a levelwith his head, and his long legs dangled51 from the back oflittle "Cream" till they nearly touched the ground.'
We laughed at him, it is true, but he was so good-natured, sopatient, so simple-minded, and, now and then, when he and Iwere alone, so sentimental52 and confidential53 about Mary, andthe fortune he meant to bring her back, that I had a sort ofmaternal liking54 for him; and even a vicarious affection forMary herself, the colour of whose eyes and hair - nay55, whoseweight avoirdupois - I was now accurately56 acquainted with.
No, the honest fellow had not quite the grit57 of a'Leatherstocking.'
One night, when we had halted after dark, he went down to agully (we were not then in the desert) to look for water forour tea. Samson, armed with the hatchet58, was chopping wood.
I stayed to arrange the packs, and spread the blankets.
Suddenly I heard a voice from the bottom of the ravine,crying out, 'Bring the guns for God's sake! Make haste!
Bring the guns!' I rushed about in the dark, tumbling overthe saddles, but could nowhere lay my hands on a rifle.
Still the cry was for 'Guns!' My own, a muzzle-loader, wasdischarged, but a rifle none the less. Snatching up this,and one of my pistols, which, by the way, had fallen into theriver a few hours before, I shouted for Samson, and ranheadlong to the rescue. Before I got to the bottom of thehill I heard groans59, which sounded like the last of poorWilliam. I holloaed to know where he was, and was answeredin a voice that discovered nothing worse than terror.
It appeared that he had met a grizzly60 bear drinking at thevery spot where he was about to fill his can; that he hadbolted, and the bear had pursued him; but that he had'cobbled the bar with rocks,' had hit it in the eye, or nose,he was not sure which, and thus narrowly escaped with hislife. I could not help laughing at his story, though anexamination of the place next morning so far verified it,that his footprints and the bear's were clearly intermingledon the muddy shore of the stream. To make up for his fright,he was extremely courageous61 when restored by tea and a pipe.
'If we would follow the trail with him, he'd go right slickin for her anyhow. If his rifle didn't shoot plum, he'd abowie as 'ud rise her hide, and no mistake. He'd be darn'dif he didn't make meat of that bar in the morning.'
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1
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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crumb
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| n.饼屑，面包屑，小量 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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dividends
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| 红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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depict
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| vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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rivulet
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| n.小溪，小河 | |
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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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pebbly
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| 多卵石的，有卵石花纹的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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43
smothering
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的现在分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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dolorous
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| adj.悲伤的；忧愁的 | |
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contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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50
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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51
dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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59
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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60
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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