按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Twenty…seven！〃 I shouted； in a frenzy。
〃And sold！〃 said the auctioneer； and passed over the Genuine Mexican Plug
to me。
I could scarcely contain my exultation。 I paid the money； and put the
animal in a neighboring livery…stable to dine and rest himself。
In the afternoon I brought the creature into the plaza； and certain
citizens held him by the head； and others by the tail； while I mounted
him。 As soon as they let go； he placed all his feet in a bunch together；
lowered his back； and then suddenly arched it upward； and shot me
straight into the air a matter of three or four feet！ I came as straight
down again； lit in the saddle； went instantly up again； came down almost
on the high pommel； shot up again； and came down on the horse's neckall
in the space of three or four seconds。 Then he rose and stood almost
straight up on his hind feet； and I； clasping his lean neck desperately；
slid back into the saddle and held on。 He came down； and immediately
hoisted his heels into the air； delivering a vicious kick at the sky； and
stood on his forefeet。 And then down he came once more； and began the
original exercise of shooting me straight up again。 The third time I
went up I heard a stranger say：
〃Oh； don't he buck； though！〃
While I was up； somebody struck the horse a sounding thwack with a
leathern strap； and when I arrived again the Genuine Mexican Plug was not
there。 A California youth chased him up and caught him； and asked if he
might have a ride。 I granted him that luxury。 He mounted the Genuine；
got lifted into the air once； but sent his spurs home as he descended；
and the horse darted away like a telegram。 He soared over three fences
like a bird； and disappeared down the road toward the Washoe Valley。
I sat down on a stone； with a sigh； and by a natural impulse one of my
hands sought my forehead； and the other the base of my stomach。 I
believe I never appreciated； till then； the poverty of the human
machineryfor I still needed a hand or two to place elsewhere。 Pen
cannot describe how I was jolted up。 Imagination cannot conceive how
disjointed I washow internally； externally and universally I was
unsettled； mixed up and ruptured。 There was a sympathetic crowd around
me； though。
One elderly…looking comforter said：
〃Stranger； you've been taken in。 Everybody in this camp knows that
horse。 Any child； any Injun； could have told you that he'd buck； he is
the very worst devil to buck on the continent of America。 You hear me。
I'm Curry。 Old Curry。 Old Abe Curry。 And moreover； he is a simon…pure；
out…and…out； genuine dd Mexican plug； and an uncommon mean one at that；
too。 Why； you turnip； if you had laid low and kept dark； there's chances
to buy an American horse for mighty little more than you paid for that
bloody old foreign relic。〃
I gave no sign； but I made up my mind that if the auctioneer's brother's
funeral took place while I was in the Territory I would postpone all
other recreations and attend it。
After a gallop of sixteen miles the Californian youth and the Genuine
Mexican Plug came tearing into town again； shedding foam…flakes like the
spume…spray that drives before a typhoon； and； with one final skip over a
wheelbarrow and a Chinaman； cast anchor in front of the 〃ranch。〃
Such panting and blowing！ Such spreading and contracting of the red
equine nostrils； and glaring of the wild equine eye！ But was the
imperial beast subjugated？ Indeed he was not。
His lordship the Speaker of the House thought he was； and mounted him to
go down to the Capitol； but the first dash the creature made was over a
pile of telegraph poles half as high as a church； and his time to the
Capitolone mile and three quartersremains unbeaten to this day。 But
then he took an advantagehe left out the mile； and only did the three
quarters。 That is to say； he made a straight cut across lots； preferring
fences and ditches to a crooked road； and when the Speaker got to the
Capitol he said he had been in the air so much he felt as if he had made
the trip on a comet。
In the evening the Speaker came home afoot for exercise； and got the
Genuine towed back behind a quartz wagon。 The next day I loaned the
animal to the Clerk of the House to go down to the Dana silver mine； six
miles； and he walked back for exercise； and got the horse towed。
Everybody I loaned him to always walked back； they never could get enough
exercise any other way。
Still； I continued to loan him to anybody who was willing to borrow him；
my idea being to get him crippled； and throw him on the borrower's hands；
or killed； and make the borrower pay for him。 But somehow nothing ever
happened to him。 He took chances that no other horse ever took and
survived； but he always came out safe。 It was his daily habit to try
experiments that had always before been considered impossible； but he
always got through。 Sometimes he miscalculated a little； and did not get
his rider through intact； but he always got through himself。 Of course I
had tried to sell him； but that was a stretch of simplicity which met
with little sympathy。 The auctioneer stormed up and down the streets on
him for four days； dispersing the populace； interrupting business； and
destroying children； and never got a bidat least never any but the
eighteen…dollar one he hired a notoriously substanceless bummer to make。
The people only smiled pleasantly； and restrained their desire to buy； if
they had any。 Then the auctioneer brought in his bill； and I withdrew
the horse from the market。 We tried to trade him off at private vendue
next； offering him at a sacrifice for second…hand tombstones； old iron；
temperance tractsany kind of property。 But holders were stiff； and we
retired from the market again。 I never tried to ride the horse any more。
Walking was good enough exercise for a man like me； that had nothing the
matter with him except ruptures； internal injuries； and such things。
Finally I tried to give him away。 But it was a failure。 Parties said
earthquakes were handy enough on the Pacific coastthey did not wish to
own one。 As a last resort I offered him to the Governor for the use of
the 〃Brigade。〃 His face lit up eagerly at first； but toned down again；
and he said the thing would be too palpable。
Just then the livery stable man brought in his bill for six weeks'
keepingstall…room for the horse； fifteen dollars； hay for the horse；
two hundred and fifty！ The Genuine Mexican Plug had eaten a ton of the
article； and the man said he would have eaten a hundred if he had let
him。
I will remark here； in all seriousness； that the regular price of hay
during that year and a part of the next was really two hundred and fifty
dollars a ton。 During a part of the previous year it had sold at five
hundred a ton； in gold； and during the winter before that there was such
scarcity of the article that in several instances small quantities had
brought eight hundred dollars a ton in coin！ The consequence might be
guessed without my telling it： peopled turned their stock loose to
starve； and before the spring arrived Carson and Eagle valleys were
almost literally carpeted with their carcases！ Any old settler there
will verify these statements。
I managed to pay the livery bill； and that same day I gave the Genuine
Mexican Plug to a passing Arkansas emigrant whom fortune delivered into
my hand。 If this ever meets his eye； he will doubtless remember the
donation。
Now whoever has had the luck to ride a real Mexican plug will recognize
the animal depicted in this chapter； and hardly consider him exaggerated
but the uninitiated will feel justified in regarding his portrait as a
fancy sketch； perhaps。
CHAPTER XXV。
Originally； Nevada was a part of Utah and was called Carson county； and a
pretty large county it was； too。 Certain of its valleys produced no end
of hay； and this attracted small colonies of Mormon stock…raisers and
farmers to them。 A few orthodox Americans straggled in from California；
but no love was lost between the two classes of colonists。 There was
little or no friendly intercourse； each party staid to itself。 The
Mormons were largely in the majority； and had the additional advantage of
being peculiarly under the protection of the Mormon government of the
Territory。 Therefore they could afford to be distant； and even
peremptory toward their neighbors。 One of the traditions of Carson
Valley illustrates the condition of things that prevailed at the time I
speak of。 The hired girl of one of the American families was Irish； and
a Catholic； yet it was noted with surprise that she was the only person
outside of the Mormon ring who could get favors from the Mormons。 She
asked kindnesses of them often； and always got them。 It was a mystery to
everybody。 But one day as she was passing out at the door； a large bowie
knife dropped from under her apron； and when her mistress asked for an
explanation she observed that she was going out to 〃borry a wash…tub from
the Mormons！〃
In 1858 silver lodes were discovered in 〃Carson County；〃 and then the
aspect of things changed。 Californians began to flock in； and the
American element was soon in the