“Well，mygracious！“saidthefourth，beatinghisknee。
“Why，yes，“observedtheVirginian，unexpectedly；“theytellmethataiggsthereain’tliabletobesorottenasyu’llstrike’eminthiscountry。“
Noneofthemhadareplyforthis，andNewYorkwasabandoned。
ForsomereasonIfeltmuchbetter。
Itwasanewlinetheyadoptednext，ledoffbyTrampas。
“Goingtotheexcitement？“heinquired，selectingShorty。
“Excitement？“saidShorty，lookingup。
“GoingtoRawhide？“Trampasrepeated。AndallwatchedShorty。
“Why，I’malladriftmissin’thatexpress，“saidShorty。
“MaybeIcangiveyouemployment，“suggestedtheVirginian。“Iamtakinganoutfitacrossthebasin。“
“You’llfindmostfolksgoingtoRawhide，ifyourelookingforcompany，“pursuedTrampas，fishingforarecruit。“
“HowaboutRawhide，anyway？“saidScipio，skillfullydeflectingthismissionarywork。“Aretheytakingmuchmineralout？Haveyu’
seenanyoftherock？“
“Rock？“brokeintheenthusiastwhohadbeatenhisknee。“There！“
Andhebroughtsomefromhispocket。
“You’realwaysshowingyourrock，“saidTrampas，sulkily；forScipionowheldtheconversation，andShortyreturnedsafelytohisdozing“H’m！“wentScipioattherock。Heturneditbackandforthinhishand，lookingitover；hechuckedandcaughtitslightinglyintheair，andhandeditback。“Porphyry，Isee。“Thatwashisonlywordaboutit。Hesaiditcheerily。Heleftnoroomfordiscussion。Youcouldnotdamnathingworse。“EverbeeninSantaRita？“pursuedScipio，whiletheenthusiastslowlypushedhisrockbackintohispocket。“That’sdowninNewMexico。EverbeentoGlobe，Arizona？“AndScipiotalkedawayaboutthemineshehadknown。TherewasnogettingatShortyanymorethatevening。
Trampaswasfoiledofhisfish，oroflearninghowthefish’sheartlay。AndbymorningShortyhadbeencarefullyinstructedtochangehismindaboutonceanhour。Thisisapttodiscourageallbutverysuperiormissionaries。AndItooescapedfortherestofthisnight。AtGlendivewehadadimsupper，andIboughtsomeblankets；andafterthatitwaslate，andsleepoccupiedtheattentionofusall。
Welayalongtheshelvesofthecaboose，apeacefulsightI
shouldthink，inthatsmoothlytrundlingcradle。Isleptalmostimmediately，sotiredthatnotevenourstopsoranythingelsewakedme，saveonce，whentheairIwasbreathinggrewsuddenlypure，andIroused。SittinginthedoorwasthelonelyfigureoftheVirginian。Heleanedinsilentcontemplationoftheoccasionalmoon，andbeneathittheYellowstone’sswiftripples。
Onthecabooseshelvestheotherssleptsoundandstill，eachstretchedorcoiledashehadfirstputhimself。Theywerenotuntrustworthytolookat，itseemedtome——exceptTrampas。Youwouldhavesaidtherestofthatyounghumanitywasaverageroughmaleblood，merelyneedingtobetoldtheproperthingsattherighttime；andonebigbunchystockingoftheenthusiaststuckoutofhisblanket，solemnandinnocent，andIlaughedatit。
Therewasalightsoundbythedoor，andIfoundtheVirginian’seyeonme。Findingwhoitwas，henoddedandmotionedwithhishandtogotosleep。AndthisIdidwithhiminmysight，stillleaningintheopendoor，throughwhichcametheinterruptedmoonandtheswimmingreachesoftheYellowstone。
Ithashappenedtoyou，hasitnot，towakeinthemorningandwonderforawhilewhereonearthyouare？ThusIcamehalftolifeinthecaboose，hearingvoices，butnottheactualwordsatfirst。
Butpresently，“Hathaway！“saidsomeonemoreclearly。“Portland1291！“
Thismadenospecialstirinmyintelligence，andIdrowsedoffagaintothepleasantrhythmofthewheels。Ihelittleshockofstoppingnextbroughtmeto，somewhat，withthevoicesstillroundme；andwhenwewereagaininmotion，Iheard:“Rosebud！
Portland1279！“Thesefiguresjarredmeawake，andIsaid，“Itwas1291before，“andsatupinmyblankets。
Thegreetingtheyvouchsafedandthesightofthemclusteringexpressionlessinthecaboosebroughtlastevening’suncomfortablememorybacktome。Ournextstoprevealedhowthingsweregoingto-day。
“Forsythe，“oneofthemreadonthestation。“Portland1266。“
Theywerecountingthelesseningdistancewestward。Thiswastheundercurrentofwar。ItbrokeonmeasIprocuredfreshwateratForsytheandmadesometoiletintheirstolidpresence。WeweredrawingnearertheRawhidestation——thepoint，Imean，whereyoulefttherailwayforthenewmines。NowRawhidestationlaythissideofBillings。Thebroadpathofdesertionwouldopenreadyfortheirfeetwhenthenarrowpathtodutyand’SunkCreekwasstillsomefiftymilesmoretowait。HerewasTrampas’sgreatstrength；heneedmakenomovemeanwhile，butlielowfortheimmediatetemptationtofrontandwaylaythemandwinhisbattleoverthedeputyforeman。ButtheVirginianseemedtofindnothingsaveenjoymentinthissunnySeptembermorning，andatehisbreakfastatForsytheserenely。
Thatmealdoneandthatstationgone，ourcaboosetookupagainitseasytrundlebythebanksoftheYellowstone。Themutineerssatforawhiledigestinginidleness。
“What’syourscar？“inquiredoneatlengthinspectingcasuallytheneckofhisneighbor。
“Foolishness，“theotheranswered。
“Yourn？“
“Mine。“
“Well，Idon’tknowbutIprefertohavemyselftothankforathing，“saidthefirst。
“Iwasdisplayingmyself，“continuedthesecond。“Onedaylastsummeritwas。WecomeonabigsnakebyTorreyCreekcorral。TheboysgotbettingprettylivelythatIdassentmakemywordgoodastodealingwithhim，soIlopedmycayusefulltiltbyMr。
Snake，andswungdownandcatchedhimupbythetailfromtheground，andcrackedhimsameasawhip，andsnappedhisheadoff。
You’vesawitdone？“hesaidtotheaudience。
Theaudiencenoddedwearily。
“Butthelooseheadflewaginme，andthefangscaught。Iwasprettysickforawhile。“
“Itdon’tpaytobeclumsy，“saidthefirstman。“Ifyou’dsnappedthesnakeawayfromyu’insteadoftowardyu’，itsheadwouldhavewhirledoffintothebrush，sameastheydowithme。“
“Howlikeaknife-cutyourscarlooks！“saidI。
“Don’tit？“saidthesnake-snapper。“There’smanythatgetsfooledbyit。“
“Anantelopeknowsasnakeishisenemy，“saidanothertome。
“Everseenabuckcirclingroundandroundarattler？“
“Ihavealwayswantedtoseethat，“saidI，heartily。ForthisI
knewtobearespectablepieceoftruth。
“It’sworthseeing，“themanwenton。“Afterthebuckgetsclosein，hegivesanalmightyjumpupintheair，anddowncomeshisfourhoofsinabunchrightontopofMr。Snake。Cutshimalltohash。Nowyoutellmehowthebuckknowsthat。“
OfcourseIcouldnottellhim。Andagainwesatinsilenceforawhile——friendliersilence，Ithought。
“Askunk’llkillyu’worsethanasnakebite，“saidanother，presently。“No，Idon’tmeanthatway，“headded。ForIhadsmiled。“ThereisabrownskunkdowninArkansaw。Kindofprairie-dogbrown。Littlerthanourvariety，heis。Andheismadthewholeyearround，sameasadoggets。OnlythedoghasaspellanddiesbutthishereArkansawskunkismadrightalong，anditdon’tseemtointerferewithhisbusinessinotherrespects。Well，supposeyou’recampingout，andsupposeit’sahotnight，oryou’reinahurry，andyou’vemadecamplate，oranywayyouhaven’tgotinsideanytent，butyouhavejustbeddeddownintheopen。Skunkcomestravellingalongandwalksonyourblankets。You’rewarm。Helikesthat，sameasacatdoes。Andhetrampswithpleasureandcomfort，sameasacat。Andyoumove。
Yougetbit，that’sall。Andyoudieofhydrophobia。Askanybody。“
“Mostextraordinary！“saidI。“Butdidyoueverseeapersondiefromthis？“
“No，sir。Neverhappenedto。MycousinatBaldKnobdid。“
“Died？“
“No，sir。Sawaman。“
“Buthowdoyouknowthey’renotsickskunks？“
“No，sir！They’rewellskunks。Wellasanything。You’llnotmeetskunksinanystateoftheUnionmorerobustthantheminArkansaw。Andthick。“
“That’sawfultrue，“sighedanother。“Ihaveburiedhundredsofdollars’worthofclothesinArkansaw。“
“Whydidn’tyu’travelinaspongebag？“inquiredScipio。Andthisbroughtaslightsilence。
“Speakin’ofbites，“spokeupanewman，“how’sthat？“Hehelduphisthumb。
“My！“breathedScipio。“Musthavebeenalion。“
Themanworeawoundedlook。“Iwashuntin’owleggsforabotanistfromBoston，“heexplainedtome。
“Chiropodist，weren’the？“saidScipio。“Ormaybeasonnabulator？“
“No，honest，“protestedthemanwiththethumb；sothatIwassorryforhim，andbeggedhimtogoon。
“I’lllistentoyou，“Iassuredhim。AndIwonderedwilythispolitenessofmineshouldthrowoneortwoofthemintostifledmirth。Scipio，ontheotherhand，gavemeadisgustedlookandsatbacksullenlyforamoment，andthentookhimselfoutontheplatform，wheretheVirginianwaslounging。
“Theyoungfellerworeknee-pantsandeversothickspectacleswithahalf-mooncutin’em，“resumedthenarrator，“andhecarriedatinboxstrungtoastrapItookforhislunchtillitflewopenonhimandahorntoadhustledout。ThenIwassurehewasabotanist——orwhateveryu’saythey’recalled。Well，hewouldhaveowleggs——themlittleprairie-owlthatsomeclaimcanturntheirheadcleanaroundandkeepa-watchin’yu’，onlythat’snonsense。Wewasridin’throughthatprairie-dogtown，usedtobeontheflatjustafteryu’crossedthesouthforkofPowderRiverontheBuffalotrail，andIsaidI’ddiganowlnestoutforhimifhewaswillingtocamptillI’ddugit。Iwantedtoknowaboutthemowlssomemyself——iftheydidlivewiththedogsandsnakes，yu’know，“hebrokeoff，appealingtome。“Oh，yes，“Itoldhimeagerly。
“Sowhilethebotanistwentglarin’aroundthetownwithhisglassestoseeifhecouldspotaprairie-dogandanowlusin’
thesamehole，Iwasdiggin’inaholeI’dseenanowlrundown。
Andthat’swhatIgot。“Hehelduphisthumbagain。
“Thesnake！“Iexclaimed。
“Yes，sir。Mr。Rattlerwaskeepin’housethatday。Tookmerightthere。Ihauledhimoutoftheholehangin’tome。Eightrattles。“
“Eight！“saidI。“Abigone。“
“Yes，sir。ThoughtIwasdead。Butthewoman——“
“Thewoman？“saidI。
