“Yes，“ourfriendShortymurmuredpregnantly，withhiseyeuponthequietVirginian，“he’ssurestudyinghisrevenge。“
“Studyingyourpussy-cat，“saidScipio。“Heknowswhathe’lldo。
Thetime’ain’tarrived。“Thiswasthewaytheyfeltaboutit；
andnotunnaturallythiswasthewaytheymademe，theinexperiencedEasterner，feelaboutit。ThatTrampasalsofeltsomethingaboutitwaseasytoknow。Liketheleavenwhichleavensthewholelump，onespotofsulkinessincampwillspreaditsdullflavorthroughanycompanythatsitsnearit；andwehadtositnearTrampasatmealsforninedays。
Hissullennesswasnotwonderful。Tofeelhimselfforsakenbyhisrecentadherents，toseethemgoneovertohisenemy，couldnothavemadehisreflectionspleasant。Whyhedidnottakehimselfofftootherclimes——“pullhisfreightcasual，“asScipiosaid——I
canexplainonlythus:paywasduehim——“time，“asitwascalledincow-land；ifhewouldhavethismoney，hemuststayundertheVirginian’scommanduntiltheJudge’sranchonSunkCreekshouldbereached；meanwhile，eachday’sworkaddedtothewagesinstoreforhim；andfinally，onceatSunkCreek，itwouldbenomoretheVirginianwhocommandedhim；itwouldbetherealranchforeman。AttheranchhewouldbetheVirginian’sequalagain，bothofthemtakingordersfromtheirofficiallyrecognizedsuperior，thisforeman。Shorty’swordabout“revenge“seemedtomelikeputtingthethingbackwards。Revenge，asItoldScipio，waswhatIshouldbethinkingaboutifIwereTrampas。
“Hedassent，“wasScipio’simmediateview。“Nottillhe’sgotstrongagain。Hegotlaughedplumbsickbythebystanders，andwhateverspirithehadwasbrokeinthepresenceofusall。He’llhavetorecuperate。“ScipiothenspokeoftheVirginian’sattitude。“Mayberevengeain’tjusttherightwordforwherethisaffairhasgottonowwithhim。Whenyu’beatanothermanathisowngamelikehedonetoTrampas，why，yu’vehadalltherevengeyu’canwant，unlessyou’reahog。Andhe’snohog。ButhehasgotitinforTrampas。They’venotreckonedtoafinish。Wouldyouletamantrysuchspiteworkonyouandquitthinkin’abouthimjustbecauseyu’dheadedhimoff？“TothisIofferedhisownnotionabouthogsandbeingsatisfied。“Hogs！“wentonScipio，inawaythatdashedmysuggestiontopieces；“hogsain’tinthecase。He’sgottodealwithTrampassomehow——mantoman。Trampasandhimcan’tstaythiswaywhentheygetbackandgoworkin’
sameastheyworkedbefore。No，sir；I’veseenhiseyetwice，andIknowhe’sgoin’toreckontoafinish。“
Istillmust，inScipio’sopinion，havebeenslowtounderstand，whenontheafternoonfollowingthistalkIinvitedhimtotellmewhatsortof“finish“hewanted，aftersuchafinishingashadbeendealtTrampasalready。Getting“laughedplumbsickbythebystanders“(Iborrowedhisownnotoverstatedexpression)seemedtomeahighlyfinalfinishing。WhileIwasrunningmynotionsofftohim，Scipiorose，and，withthefrying-panhehadbeenwashing，walkedslowlyatme。
“Idobelieveyou’doughtn’ttobelettravelalonethewayyoudo。“Heputhisfaceclosetomine。Hislongnosegreweloquentinitsshrewdness，whilethefireinhisbleachedblueeyeburnedwithamiablesatire。“Whathascomeandgonebetweenthemtwohasonlysettledtheonepointhewasaimin’tomake。Hewasappointedbossofthisoutfitintheabsenceoftheregularforeman。Sincethenallhehasbeenplayin’foristohandbackhismentotheranchinasgoodshapeasthey’dbeenhandedtohim，andwithoutlosinganyontheroadthroughdesertionorshootingorwhatnot。Hehadtokickhiscookokthetrainthatday，andthelossmadehimsorrowful，Icouldsee。ButI’dhappenedtocomealong，andhejumpedmeintothevacancy，andI
expectheisprettynearconsoled。AndasbossoftheoutfithebeatTrampas，whowassettin’upforoppositionboss。Andtheoutfitisbetterthansatisfieditcomeoutthatway，andthey’restayin’withhim；andhe’llhandthemallbackingoodcondition，barrin’thatlostcook。Soforthepresenthispointismade，yu’
see。Butlookaheadalittle。Itmaynotbesoveryfaraheadyu’llhavetolook。Wegetbacktotheranch。He’snotbossthereanymore。Hisresponsibilityisover。Heisjustoneofusagain，takingordersfromaforemantheytellmehasshowedpartialitytoTrampasmore’nafewtimes。Partiality！That’swhatTrampasisplainlytrustingto。Trustingitwillfixhimallrightandfixhisenemyallwrong。He’dnototherwisedaretokeepsourlikehe’sdoing。Partiality！D’yu’thinkit’llscareofftheenemy？“
ScipiolookedacrossalittlecreektowheretheVirginianwashelpingthrewthegatheredcattleonthebedground。“Whatodds“——hepointedthefrying-panattheSoutherner——“d’yu’figureTrampas’sbeingunderanyforeman’swingwillmaketoamanlikehim？He’sgoingtorememberMr。Trampasandhisspite-workifhe’sgottotearhimoutfromunderthewing，andmaybetearoffthewingintheoperation。AndIamgoin’toadviseyourfolks，“
endedthecompleteScipio，“nottoleaveyoutravelsomuchalone——nottillyou’velearnedmorelife。“
Hehadmademefeelmyinexperience，convincedmeofinnocence，undoubtedly；andduringthefinaldaysofourjourneyInolongerinvokedhisaidtomyreflectionsuponthisespecialtopic:WhatwouldtheVirginiandotoTrampas？Woulditbeanotherintellectualcrushingofhim，likethefrogstory，orwouldtherebesomethingthistimemorematerial——saymuscle，orpossiblygunpowder——init？AndwasScipio，afterall，infallible？Ididn’tpretendtounderstandtheVirginian；afterseveralyears’
knowledgeofhimheremainedutterlybeyondme。Scipio’sexperiencewasnotyetthreeweekslong。SoIlethimaloneastoallthis，discussingwithhimmostotherthingsgoodandevilintheworld，andbeingconvincedofmuchfurtherinnocence；forScipio’stwentyoddyearswereindeedalibraryoflife。Ihavenevermetabetterheart，ashrewderwit，andloosermorals，withyetanativesenseofdecencyanddutysomewherehardandfastenshrined。
ButallthewhileIwaswonderingabouttheVirginian:eatingwithhim，sleepingwithhim(onlynotsosoundashedid)，andridingbesidehimoftenformanyhours。
ExperimentsinconversationIdidmake——andfailed。Onedayparticularlywhile，afterasuddenstormofhailhadchilledtheearthnumbandwhitelikewinterinfifteenminutes，wesatdryingandwarmingourselvesbyafirethatwebuilt，ItoucheduponthatthemeofequalityonwhichIknewhimtoholdopinionsasstrongasmine。“Oh，“hewouldreply，and“Cert’nly“；andwhenIaskedhimwhatitwasinamanthatmadehimaleaderofmen，heshookhisheadandpuffedhispipe。Sothen，noticinghowthesunhadbroughttheearthinhalfanhourbackfromwintertosummeragain，IspokeofourAmericanclimate。
Itwasapotentdrug，Isaid，formillionstobeswallowingeveryday。
“Yes，“saidhe，wipingthedampfromhisWinchesterrifle。
OurAmericanclimate，Isaid，hadworkedremarkablechanges，atleast。
“Yes，“hesaid；anddidnotaskwhattheywere。
SoIhadtotellhim。“IthasmadesuccessfulpolitciansoftheIrish。That’sone。Andithasgivenourwholeracethehabitofpoker。“
BangwenthisWinchester。Thebulletstruckclosetomyleft。I
satupangrily。
“That’sthefirstfoolishthingIeversawyoudo！Isaid。
“Yes，“hedrawledslowly，“I’doughttohavedoneitsooner。Hewasprettynearlivelyagain。“Andthenhepickeduparattlesnakesixfeetbehindme。Ithadbeennumbedbythehail，partrevivedbythesun，andhehadshotitsheadoff。
AfterthisIgaveupmyexperimentsinconversation。Sothatbythefinalafternoonofourjourney，withSunkCreekactuallyinsight，andthegreatgrasshoppersslattingtheirdrysongoverthesage-brush，andthetimeathandwhentheVirginianandTrampaswouldbe“mantoman，“mythoughtsrosetoaconsiderablepitchofspeculation。
AndnowthattalkingpartoftheVirginian，whichhadbeenninedaysasleep，gaveitsfirstyawnandstretchofwaking。Withoutpreface，hesuddenlyaskedme，“Wouldyoubeaparson？“
IwasmentallysofarawaythatIcouldn’tgetbackintimetocomprehendoranswerbeforehehadrepeated:“Whatwouldyu’taketobeaparson？“
Hedrawleditoutinhisgentleway，preciselyasifnoninedaysstoodbetweenitandourlastrealintercourse。
“Take？“Iwasstillvaguelymovinginmydistance。“How？“
Hisnextquestionbroughtmehome。
“IexpectthePope’sisthebiggestofthemparsonjobs？“
Itwaswithan“Oh！“thatInowentirelytookhisidea。“Well，yes；decidedlythebiggest。“
“BeatstheEnglishone？Archbishop——ain’tit？——ofCanterbury？ThePopecomesaheadofhim？“
“HisHolinesswouldsaysoifhisGracedidnot。“
TheVirginianturnedhalfinhissaddletoseemyface——Iwas，atthemoment，ridingnotquiteabreastofhim——andIsawthegleamofhisteethbeneathhismustache。ItwasseldomIcouldmakehimsmile，eventothisslightextent。Buthiseyesgrew，withhisnextwords，remoteagainintheirspeculation。
“HisHolinessandhisGrace。NowifIwastohear’emnamin’methat-a-wayeverymawnin’，I’dsca’celygetdowntobusiness。“
“Oh，you’dgetusedtotheprideofit。“
“’Tisn’tthepride。Thelaughiswhatwouldruinme。’Twouldtake’mostallmyattentionkeepingastraightface。TheArchbishop“——herehetookoneofhiswidementalturns——“isapttobeabigmaninthemShakespeareplays。Kingstaketalkfromhimthey’dnotstandfromanybodyelse；andhetalksfine，frequently。Aboutthebees，forinstance，whenHenryisgoingtofightFrance。Hetellshimabeehiveissimilartoakingdom。I
learnedthatpiece。“TheVirginiancouldnothaveexpectedtoblushatutteringtheselastwords。HeknewthathissuddencolormusttellmeinwhosebookitwashehadlearnedthepieceWasnothercopyofKenilworthevennowInhischerishingpocket？Sohenow，tocoverhisblush，verydeliberatelyrecitedtometheArchbishop’sdiscourseuponbeesandtheirkingdom:
“’Wheresome，likemagistrates，correctathome……
Others，likesoldiers，armedintheirstings，Makelootuponthesummer’svelvetbuds；
WhichpillagetheywithmerrymarchbringhomeTothetent-royaloftheiremperor:
He，busiedinhismajesty，surreysThesingingmasonsbuildingroofsofgold。’
“Ain’tthatafinedescriptionofbeesa-workin’？’Thesingingmasonsbuildingroofsofgold！’Puts’emrightbeforeyu’，andispoetrywithoutbein’foolish。HisHolinessandhisGrace。Well，theycouldnothiremeforeithero’thosepositions。Howmanyreligionsarethere？“
“Allovertheearth？“
“Yu’canbeginwithourselves。RighthyehathomeIknowthere’sRomanists，andEpiscopals——“
“Twokinds！“Iputin。“AtleasttwoofEpiscopals。“
“That’sthree。ThenMethodistsandBaptists，and——“
“ThreeMethodists！“
“Well，youdothecountin’。“
Iaccordinglydidit，feelingmyrevolvingmemoryslipcogsallthewayround。“Anyhow，therearesafelyfifteen。“
“Fifteen。“Heheldthisfactamoment。“Andtheydon’tworshipawholeheapo’differentgodsliketheancientsdid？“
“Oh，no！“
“It’sjustthesameone？“
“Thesameone。“
TheVirginianfoldedhishandsoverthehornofhissaddle，andleanedforwarduponthemincontemplationofthewide，beautifullandscape。
“OneGodandfifteenreligions，“washisreflection。“That’sarightsmartofreligionsforjustoneGod。“
Thiswayofreducingitwas，ifobvioustohim，sonoveltomethatmylaughevidentlystruckhimasalouderandliveliercommentthanwasrequired。HeturnedonmeasifIhadsomehowpervertedthespiritofhiswords。
“Iain’treligious。Iknowthat。ButIain’tunreligious。AndI
knowthattoo。“
“SodoIknowit，myfriend。“
“Doyouthinkthereoughttobefifteenvarietiesofgoodpeople？“Hisvoice，whileitnowhadanedgethatcouldcutanythingitcameagainst，wasstillnotraised。“Thereain’tfifteen。Thereain’ttwo。There’sonekind。AndwhenImeetit，I
respectit。Itisnotprayingnorpreachingthathasevercaughtmeandmademeashamedofmyself，butoneortwopeopleIhaveknowedthatneversaidasuperiorwordtomeTheythoughtmoreo’
