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Roughing It
by Mark Twain
TO
CALVIN H。 HIGBIE;
Of California;
an Honest Man; a Genial Comrade; and a Steadfast Friend。
THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED
By the Author;
In Memory of the Curious Time
When We Two
WERE MILLIONAIRES FOR TEN DAYS。
ROUGHING IT
BY
MARK TWAIN。
(SAMUEL L。 CLEMENS。)
PREFATORY。
This book is merely a personal narrative; and not a pretentious history
or a philosophical dissertation。 It is a record of several years of
variegated vagabondizing; and its object is rather to help the resting
reader while away an idle hour than afflict him with metaphysics; or goad
him with science。 Still; there is information in the volume; information
concerning an interesting episode in the history of the Far West; about
which no books have been written by persons who were on the ground in
person; and saw the happenings of the time with their own eyes。 I allude
to the rise; growth and culmination of the silver…mining fever in Nevada
…a curious episode; in some respects; the only one; of its peculiar kind;
that has occurred in the land; and the only one; indeed; that is likely
to occur in it。
Yes; take it all around; there is quite a good deal of information in the
book。 I regret this very much; but really it could not be helped:
information appears to stew out of me naturally; like the precious ottar
of roses out of the otter。 Sometimes it has seemed to me that I would
give worlds if I could retain my facts; but it cannot be。 The more I calk
up the sources; and the tighter I get; the more I leak wisdom。 Therefore;
I can only claim indulgence at the hands of the reader; not
justification。
THE AUTHOR。
CONTENTS。
CHAPTER I。
My Brother appointed Secretary of NevadaI Envy His Prospective
AdventuresAm Appointed Private Secretary Under HimMy Contentment
CompletePacked in One HourDreams and VisionsOn the Missouri River
A Bully Boat
CHAPTER II。
Arrive at St。 JosephOnly Twenty…five Pounds Baggage AllowedFarewell
to Kid Gloves and Dress CoatsArmed to the TeethThe 〃Allen〃A
Cheerful WeaponPersuaded to Buy a MuleSchedule of LuxuriesWe Leave
the 〃States〃〃Our Coach〃Mails for the IndiansBetween a Wink and an
EarthquakeA Modern Sphynx and How She Entertained UsA Sociable Heifer
CHAPTER III。
〃The Thoroughbrace is Broke〃Mails Delivered ProperlySleeping Under
DifficultiesA Jackass Rabbit Meditating; and on BusinessA Modern
GulliverSage…brushOvercoats as an Article of DietSad Fate of a
CamelWarning to Experimenters
CHAPTER IV。
Making Our BedAssaults by the UnabridgedAt a StationOur Driver a
Great and Shining DignitaryStrange Place for a Frontyard
AccommodationsDouble PortraitsAn HeirloomOur Worthy Landlord
〃Fixings and Things〃An ExileSlumgullionA Well Furnished TableThe
Landlord AstonishedTable EtiquetteWild Mexican MulesStage…coaching
and Railroading
CHAPTER V。
New AcquaintancesThe CayoteA Dog's ExperiencesA Disgusted DogThe
Relatives of the CayoteMeals Taken Away from Home
CHAPTER VI。
The Division SuperintendentThe ConductorThe DriverOne Hundred and
Fifty Miles' Drive Without SleepTeaching a SubordinateOur Old Friend
Jack and a PilgrimBen Holliday Compared to Moses
CHAPTER VII。
Overland CityCrossing the PlatteBemis's Buffalo HuntAssault by a
BuffaloBemis's Horse Goes CrazyAn Impromptu CircusA New Departure
Bemis Finds Refuge in a TreeEscapes Finally by a Wonderful Method
CHAPTER VIII。
The Pony ExpressFifty Miles Without Stopping〃Here he Comes〃Alkali
WaterRiding an AvalancheIndian Massacre
CHAPTER IX。
Among the IndiansAn Unfair AdvantageLaying on our ArmsA Midnight
MurderWrath of OutlawsA Dangerous; yet Valuable Citizen
CHAPTER X。
History of SladeA Proposed Fist…fightEncounter with JulesParadise
of OutlawsSlade as SuperintendentAs ExecutionerA Doomed Whisky
SellerA PrisonerA Wife's BraveryAn Ancient Enemy CapturedEnjoying
a LuxuryHob…nobbing with SladeToo PoliteA Happy Escape
CHAPTER XI。
Slade in Montana〃On a Spree〃In CourtAttack on a JudgeArrest by
the VigilantesTurn out of the MinersExecution of SladeLamentations
of His WifeWas Slade a Coward?
CHAPTER XII。
A Mormon Emigrant TrainThe Heart of the Rocky MountainsPure
SaleratusA Natural Ice…HouseAn Entire InhabitantIn Sight of
〃Eternal Snow〃The South PassThe Parting StreamsAn Unreliable Letter
CarrierMeeting of Old FriendsA Spoiled WatermelonDown the Mountain…
…A Scene of DesolationLost in the DarkUnnecessary AdviceU。S。 Troops
and IndiansSublime SpectacleAnother Delusion DispelledAmong the
Angels
CHAPTER XIII。
Mormons and GentilesExhilarating Drink; and its Effect on BemisSalt
Lake CityA Great ContrastA Mormon VagrantTalk with a SaintA Visit
to the 〃King〃A Happy Simile
CHAPTER XIV。
Mormon ContractorsHow Mr。 Street Astonished ThemThe Case Before
Brigham Young; and How he Disposed of itPolygamy Viewed from a New
Position
CHAPTER XV。
A Gentile DenPolygamy DiscussedFavorite Wife and D。 4Hennery for
Retired WivesChildren Need MarkingCost of a Gift to No。 6A Penny…
whistle Gift and its EffectsFathering the FoundlingsIt Resembled Him
The Family Bedstead
CHAPTER XVI
The Mormon BibleProofs of its DivinityPlagiarism of its Authors
Story of NephiWonderful BattleKilkenny Cats Outdone
CHAPTER XVII。
Three Sides to all QuestionsEverything 〃A Quarter〃Shriveled Up
Emigrants and White Shirts at a Discount〃Forty…Niners〃Above ParReal
Happiness
CHAPTER XVIII。
Alkali DesertRomance of Crossing DispelledAlkali DustEffect on the
MulesUniversal Thanksgiving
CHAPTER XIX。
The Digger Indians Compared with the Bushmen of AfricaFood; Life and
CharacteristicsCowardly Attack on a Stage CoachA Brave DriverThe
Noble Red Man
CHAPTER XX。
The Great American DesertForty Miles on BonesLakes Without Outlets
Greely's Remarkable RideHank Monk; the Renowned DriverFatal Effects
of 〃Corking〃 a StoryBald…Headed Anecdote
CHAPTER XXI。
Alkali DustDesolation and ContemplationCarson CityOur Journey
EndedWe are Introduced to Several CitizensA Strange RebukeA Washoe
Zephyr at PlayIts Office HoursGovernor's PalaceGovernment Offices
Our French Landlady Bridget O'FlanniganShadow SecretsCause for a
Disturbance at OnceThe Irish BrigadeMrs。 O'Flannigan's BoardersThe
Surveying ExpeditionEscape of the Tarantulas
CHAPTER XXII。
The Son of a NabobStart for Lake TahoeSplendor of the ViewsTrip on
the LakeCamping OutReinvigorating ClimateClearing a Tract of Land
Securing a TitleOuthouse and Fences
CHAPTER XXIII。
A Happy LifeLake Tahoe and its MoodsTransparency of the WatersA
CatastropheFire! Fire!A Magnificent SpectacleHomeless AgainWe
take to the LakeA StormReturn to Carson
CHAPTER XXIV。
Resolve to Buy a HorseHorsemanship in CarsonA TemptationAdvice
Given Me FreelyI Buy the Mexican PlugMy First RideA Good BuckerI
Loan the PlugExperience of BorrowersAttempts to SellExpense of the
ExperimentA Stranger Taken In
CHAPTER XXV。
The Mormons in NevadaHow to Persuade a Loan from ThemEarly History of
the TerritorySilver Mines DiscoveredThe New Territorial GovernmentA
Foreign One and a Poor OneIts Funny Struggles for ExistenceNo Credit;
no CashOld Abe Currey Sustains it and its OfficersInstructions and
VouchersAn Indian's EndorsementToll…Gates
CHAPTER XXVI。
The Silver FeverState of the MarketSilver BricksTales ToldOff for
the Humboldt Mines
CHAPTER XXVII。
Our manner of goingIncidents of the TripA Warm but Too Familiar a
BedfellowMr。 Ballou ObjectsSunshine amid CloudsSafely Arrived
CHAPTER XXVIII。
Arrive at the MountainsBuilding Our CabinMy First Prospecting Tour
My First Gold MinePockets Filled With TreasuresFiltering the News to
My CompanionsThe Bubble PrickedAll Not Gold That Glitters
CHAPTER XXIX。
Out ProspectingA Silver Mine At LastMaking a Fortune With Sledge and
DrillA Hard Road to TravelWe Own in ClaimsA Rocky Country
CHAPTER XXX。
Disinterested FriendsHow 〃Feet〃 Were SoldWe Quit TunnellingA Trip
to EsmeraldaMy CompanionsAn Indian ProphesyA FloodOur Quarters
During It
CHAPTER XXXI。
The Guests at 〃Honey Lake Smith's〃〃Bully Old Arkansas〃〃Our Landlord〃…
…Determined to FightThe Landlord's WifeThe Bully Conquered by Her
Another StartCrossing the CarsonA Narrow EscapeFollowing Our Own
TrackA New GuideLost in the Snow
CHAPTER XXXII。
Desperate SituationAttempts to Make a FireOur Horses leave usWe
Find MatchesOne; Two; Three and the LastNo FireDeath Seems
InevitableWe Mourn Over Our Evil LivesDiscarded VicesWe Forgive
Each OtherAn Affectionate FarewellThe Sleep of Oblivion
CHAPTER XXXIII。
Return of ConsciousnessRidiculous DevelopmentsA Station HouseBitter
FeelingsFruits of RepentanceResurrected Vices
CHAPTER XXXIV。
About CarsonGeneral BuncombeHyde vs。 MorganHow Hyde Lost His Ranch…
…The Great Landslide CaseThe TrialGeneral Buncombe in CourtA
Wonderful DecisionA Serious Afterthought
CHAPTER XXXV。
A New Travelling CompanionAll Full and