Roughing It

of projecting ends and corners of magazines, boxes and books). We stirred them up and redisposed them in such a way as to make our bed as level as possible. And we did improve it, too, though after

All things being now ready, we stowed the uneasy Dictionary where it would lie as quiet as possible, and placed the water-canteens and pistols where we could find them in the dark. Then we smoked a final pipe, and swapped a final yarn; after which, we put the pipes, tobacco and bag of coin in snug holes and caves among the mail-bags, and then f

and every time we flew down one bank and scrambled up the other, our party inside got mixed somewhat. First we would all be down in a pile at the forward end of the stage, nearly in a sitting posture, and in a second we would shoot to the other end, and stand on our heads. And we would sprawl and ki

e next trip it hurt me in the stomach, and the third it tilted Bemis's nose up till he could look down his nostrils-he said. The pistols and coin soon settled to the bottom, but the pipes, pipe-ste

cessary. By and by, as the sun rose up and warmed the world, we pulled off our clothes and got ready for breakfast. We were just pleasantly in time, for five minutes afterward the driver sent the weird music of his bugle winding over the grassy solitudes, and presently we detected a low

hich a person of distinction could afford to concern himself with; while, on the contrary, in the eyes of the station-keeper and the hostler, the stage-driver was a hero-a great and shining dignitary, the world's favorite son, the envy of the people, the observed of the nations. When they spoke to him they received his insolent silence meekly, and as being the natural and proper conduct of so great a man; when he opened his lips they all hung on his words with admiration (he never honored a particular individual with a remark, but addressed it with a broad generality to the horses, the stables, the surrounding country and the human underlings); when he discharged a facetious insulting personality at a hostler, that hostle

they bowed down to and worshipped. How admiringly they would gaze up at him in his high seat as he gloved himself with lingering deliberation, while some happy hostler held th

ver seen a man's front yard on top of his house. The building consisted of barns, stable-room for twelve or fifteen horses, and a hut for an eating-room for passengers. This latter had bunks in it for the station-keeper and a hostler or two. You could rest your elbow on its eaves, and you had to bend in order to get in at the door. In place of a window there was a square hole about large enough for a

ot, from a sense of decency; the former would not, because did not choose to encourage the advances of a station- keeper. We had towels-in the valise; they might as well have been in Sodom and Gomorrah. We (and the conductor) used our handkerchiefs, and the driver his pantaloons and sleeves. By the door, inside, was fastened a small old-fashioned looking-glass frame, with two littl

de of the legs were sewed ample additions of buckskin, to do duty in place of leggings, when the man rode horseback-so the pants were half dull blue and half yellow, and unspeakably picturesque. The pants were stuffed into the tops of high boots, the heels whereof were armed with great Spanish spurs, whose little iron

kins had not come-and they were not looking for them, either. A battered tin platter, a knife and fork, and a tin pint cup, were at each man's place, and the driver had a queens-ware saucer that had seen better days. Of course this duke sat at the head of the table. There was one isolated piece of table furniture that

broken-necked thing, with two inches of vinegar in it, and a dozen prese

shape and size of an old-time cheese, and carved some slabs f

States would not feed to its soldiers in the forts, and the stage company had bought it cheap for the sustenance of their passengers and employees. W

k he was not inspired when he named it. It really pretended to be tea, but there was to

ilk-not even a spoon to

ruet, I thought of the anecdote (a very, very old one, even at that day) of the traveler who sat down to a table wh

ng, I should think there was m

n't like

yourself to

ood, anecdote, but there was a dismal plausibility

before us, but o

opped dead still, and glared at me speechless. At last, when he came to, he turne

at don't go clean ah

on further than a single hurried request, now and then, from one employee to another. It was always in the same form, and always gruffly frien

was, in fact, but it is gone from my memory, apparently. However, it is no matter-probably it was too strong for print, anyway. It is

were wild Mexican fellows, and a man had to stand at the head of each of them and hold him fast while the driver gloved and got himself ready. And when at last he grasped the reins and gave the word, the men sprung suddenly away from the mules' heads and the coach shot fr

ough the vast level floor of the Plains came in sight. At 4 P.M. we crossed a branch of the river, and at 5 P.M

railroad follow that route to the Pacific. But the railroad is there, now, and it pictures a thousand odd comparisons and contrasts in my mind to read the fo

THE CO

inued to dine for four days, and had as many breakfasts and suppers, our whole party never ceased to admire the perfection of the arrangements, and the marvelous results achieved. Upon tables covered with snowy linen, and garnished with services of solid silver, Ethiop waiters, flitting about in spotless white, placed as by magic a repast at which Delmonico himself could have had no occasion to blush; and, indeed, in some res

pagne glasses filled to the brim spilled not a drop!) After dinner we repaired to our drawing-room car, and, as it was Sabbath eve, intoned some of the grand old hymns-"Praise God from whom," etc.; "Shining Shore," "Coronation," etc.-the voices of the men singers and of the women singers blending sweetly in the evening air, while our train, with its g