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though there were only four or five Irishmen among all the Governor's
retainers。
His good…natured Excellency was much annoyed at the gossip his henchmen
createdespecially when there arose a rumor that they were paid
assassins of his； brought along to quietly reduce the democratic vote
when desirable！
Mrs。 O'Flannigan was boarding and lodging them at ten dollars a week
apiece； and they were cheerfully giving their notes for it。 They were
perfectly satisfied； but Bridget presently found that notes that could
not be discounted were but a feeble constitution for a Carson boarding…
house。 So she began to harry the Governor to find employment for the
〃Brigade。〃 Her importunities and theirs together drove him to a gentle
desperation at last； and he finally summoned the Brigade to the presence。
Then； said he：
〃Gentlemen； I have planned a lucrative and useful service for youa
service which will provide you with recreation amid noble landscapes； and
afford you never ceasing opportunities for enriching your minds by
observation and study。 I want you to survey a railroad from Carson City
westward to a certain point！ When the legislature meets I will have the
necessary bill passed and the remuneration arranged。〃
〃What； a railroad over the Sierra Nevada Mountains？〃
〃Well； then； survey it eastward to a certain point！〃
He converted them into surveyors； chain…bearers and so on； and turned
them loose in the desert。 It was 〃recreation〃 with a vengeance！
Recreation on foot； lugging chains through sand and sage…brush； under a
sultry sun and among cattle bones； cayotes and tarantulas。
〃Romantic adventure〃 could go no further。 They surveyed very slowly；
very deliberately； very carefully。 They returned every night during the
first week； dusty； footsore； tired； and hungry； but very jolly。 They
brought in great store of prodigious hairy spiderstarantulasand
imprisoned them in covered tumblers up stairs in the 〃ranch。〃 After the
first week； they had to camp on the field； for they were getting well
eastward。 They made a good many inquiries as to the location of that
indefinite 〃certain point；〃 but got no information。 At last； to a
peculiarly urgent inquiry of 〃How far eastward？〃 Governor Nye
telegraphed back：
〃To the Atlantic Ocean； blast you！and then bridge it and go on！〃
This brought back the dusty toilers； who sent in a report and ceased from
their labors。 The Governor was always comfortable about it； he said Mrs。
O'Flannigan would hold him for the Brigade's board anyhow； and he
intended to get what entertainment he could out of the boys； he said；
with his old…time pleasant twinkle； that he meant to survey them into
Utah and then telegraph Brigham to hang them for trespass！
The surveyors brought back more tarantulas with them； and so we had quite
a menagerie arranged along the shelves of the room。 Some of these
spiders could straddle over a common saucer with their hairy； muscular
legs； and when their feelings were hurt； or their dignity offended； they
were the wickedest…looking desperadoes the animal world can furnish。
If their glass prison…houses were touched ever so lightly they were up
and spoiling for a fight in a minute。 Starchy？proud？ Indeed； they
would take up a straw and pick their teeth like a member of Congress。
There was as usual a furious 〃zephyr〃 blowing the first night of the
brigade's return； and about midnight the roof of an adjoining stable blew
off； and a corner of it came crashing through the side of our ranch。
There was a simultaneous awakening； and a tumultuous muster of the
brigade in the dark； and a general tumbling and sprawling over each other
in the narrow aisle between the bedrows。 In the midst of the turmoil；
Bob H sprung up out of a sound sleep； and knocked down a shelf with
his head。 Instantly he shouted：
〃Turn out； boysthe tarantulas is loose！〃
No warning ever sounded so dreadful。 Nobody tried； any longer； to leave
the room； lest he might step on a tarantula。 Every man groped for a
trunk or a bed； and jumped on it。 Then followed the strangest silencea
silence of grisly suspense it was； toowaiting； expectancy； fear。 It
was as dark as pitch； and one had to imagine the spectacle of those
fourteen scant…clad men roosting gingerly on trunks and beds； for not a
thing could be seen。 Then came occasional little interruptions of the
silence； and one could recognize a man and tell his locality by his
voice； or locate any other sound a sufferer made by his gropings or
changes of position。 The occasional voices were not given to much
speakingyou simply heard a gentle ejaculation of 〃Ow！〃 followed by a
solid thump； and you knew the gentleman had felt a hairy blanket or
something touch his bare skin and had skipped from a bed to the floor。
Another silence。 Presently you would hear a gasping voice say：
〃Sususomething's crawling up the back of my neck！〃
Every now and then you could hear a little subdued scramble and a
sorrowful 〃O Lord！〃 and then you knew that somebody was getting away from
something he took for a tarantula； and not losing any time about it；
either。 Directly a voice in the corner rang out wild and clear：
〃I've got him！ I've got him！〃 ＇Pause； and probable change of
circumstances。＇ 〃No； he's got me！ Oh； ain't they never going to fetch a
lantern！〃
The lantern came at that moment； in the hands of Mrs。 O'Flannigan； whose
anxiety to know the amount of damage done by the assaulting roof had not
prevented her waiting a judicious interval； after getting out of bed and
lighting up； to see if the wind was done； now； up stairs； or had a larger
contract。
The landscape presented when the lantern flashed into the room was
picturesque； and might have been funny to some people； but was not to us。
Although we were perched so strangely upon boxes； trunks and beds； and so
strangely attired； too； we were too earnestly distressed and too
genuinely miserable to see any fun about it； and there was not the
semblance of a smile anywhere visible。 I know I am not capable of
suffering more than I did during those few minutes of suspense in the
dark； surrounded by those creeping； bloody…minded tarantulas。 I had
skipped from bed to bed and from box to box in a cold agony； and every
time I touched anything that was furzy I fancied I felt the fangs。 I had
rather go to war than live that episode over again。 Nobody was hurt。
The man who thought a tarantula had 〃got him〃 was mistakenonly a crack
in a box had caught his finger。 Not one of those escaped tarantulas was
ever seen again。 There were ten or twelve of them。 We took candles and
hunted the place high and low for them； but with no success。 Did we go
back to bed then？ We did nothing of the kind。 Money could not have
persuaded us to do it。 We sat up the rest of the night playing cribbage
and keeping a sharp lookout for the enemy。
CHAPTER XXII。
It was the end of August； and the skies were cloudless and the weather
superb。 In two or three weeks I had grown wonderfully fascinated with
the curious new country and concluded to put off my return to 〃the
States〃 awhile。 I had grown well accustomed to wearing a damaged slouch
hat； blue woolen shirt； and pants crammed into boot…tops； and gloried in
the absence of coat； vest and braces。 I felt rowdyish and 〃bully；〃 （as
the historian Josephus phrases it； in his fine chapter upon the
destruction of the Temple）。 It seemed to me that nothing could be so
fine and so romantic。 I had become an officer of the government； but
that was for mere sublimity。 The office was an unique sinecure。 I had
nothing to do and no salary。 I was private Secretary to his majesty the
Secretary and there was not yet writing enough for two of us。 So Johnny
K and I devoted our time to amusement。 He was the young son of an
Ohio nabob and was out there for recreation。 He got it。 We had heard a
world of talk about the marvellous beauty of Lake Tahoe； and finally
curiosity drove us thither to see it。 Three or four members of the
Brigade had been there and located some timber lands on its shores and
stored up a quantity of provisions in their camp。 We strapped a couple
of blankets on our shoulders and took an axe apiece and startedfor we
intended to take up a wood ranch or so ourselves and become wealthy。
We were on foot。 The reader will find it advantageous to go horseback。
We were told that the distance was eleven miles。 We tramped a long time
on level ground； and then toiled laboriously up a mountain about a
thousand miles high and looked over。 No lake there。 We descended on the
other side； crossed the valley and toiled up another mountain three or
four thousand miles high； apparently； and looked over again。 No lake
yet。 We sat down tired and perspiring； and hired a couple of Chinamen to
curse those people who had beguiled us。 Thus refreshed； we presently
resumed the march with renewed vigor and determination。 We plodded on；
two or three hours longer； and at last the Lake burst upon usa noble
sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the
level of the sea； and walled in by a rim of snow…clad mountain peaks that
towered aloft full three thousa