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seven years' residence on the Pacific coast； I know that no passenger or
driver on the Overland ever corked that anecdote in； when a stranger was
by； and survived。 Within a period of six years I crossed and recrossed
the Sierras between Nevada and California thirteen times by stage and
listened to that deathless incident four hundred and eighty…one or
eighty…two times。 I have the list somewhere。 Drivers always told it；
conductors told it； landlords told it； chance passengers told it； the
very Chinamen and vagrant Indians recounted it。 I have had the same
driver tell it to me two or three times in the same afternoon。 It has
come to me in all the multitude of tongues that Babel bequeathed to
earth； and flavored with whiskey； brandy； beer； cologne； sozodont；
tobacco； garlic； onions； grasshopperseverything that has a fragrance to
it through all the long list of things that are gorged or guzzled by the
sons of men。 I never have smelt any anecdote as often as I have smelt
that one； never have smelt any anecdote that smelt so variegated as that
one。 And you never could learn to know it by its smell； because every
time you thought you had learned the smell of it； it would turn up with a
different smell。 Bayard Taylor has written about this hoary anecdote；
Richardson has published it； so have Jones； Smith； Johnson； Ross Browne；
and every other correspondence…inditing being that ever set his foot upon
the great overland road anywhere between Julesburg and San Francisco； and
I have heard that it is in the Talmud。 I have seen it in print in nine
different foreign languages； I have been told that it is employed in the
inquisition in Rome； and I now learn with regret that it is going to be
set to music。 I do not think that such things are right。
Stage…coaching on the Overland is no more； and stage drivers are a race
defunct。 I wonder if they bequeathed that bald…headed anecdote to their
successors； the railroad brakemen and conductors； and if these latter
still persecute the helpless passenger with it until he concludes； as did
many a tourist of other days； that the real grandeurs of the Pacific
coast are not Yo Semite and the Big Trees； but Hank Monk and his
adventure with Horace Greeley。 ＇And what makes that worn anecdote the
more aggravating； is； that the adventure it celebrates never occurred。
If it were a good anecdote； that seeming demerit would be its chiefest
virtue； for creative power belongs to greatness； but what ought to be
done to a man who would wantonly contrive so flat a one as this？ If I
were to suggest what ought to be done to him； I should be called
extravagantbut what does the sixteenth chapter of Daniel say？ Aha！＇
CHAPTER XXI。
We were approaching the end of our long journey。 It was the morning of
the twentieth day。 At noon we would reach Carson City； the capital of
Nevada Territory。 We were not glad； but sorry。 It had been a fine
pleasure trip； we had fed fat on wonders every day； we were now well
accustomed to stage life； and very fond of it； so the idea of coming to a
stand…still and settling down to a humdrum existence in a village was not
agreeable； but on the contrary depressing。
Visibly our new home was a desert； walled in by barren； snow…clad
mountains。 There was not a tree in sight。 There was no vegetation but
the endless sage…brush and greasewood。 All nature was gray with it。 We
were plowing through great deeps of powdery alkali dust that rose in
thick clouds and floated across the plain like smoke from a burning
house。
We were coated with it like millers； so were the coach； the mules； the
mail…bags； the driverwe and the sage…brush and the other scenery were
all one monotonous color。 Long trains of freight wagons in the distance
envelope in ascending masses of dust suggested pictures of prairies on
fire。 These teams and their masters were the only life we saw。
Otherwise we moved in the midst of solitude； silence and desolation。
Every twenty steps we passed the skeleton of some dead beast of burthen；
with its dust…coated skin stretched tightly over its empty ribs。
Frequently a solemn raven sat upon the skull or the hips and contemplated
the passing coach with meditative serenity。
By and by Carson City was pointed out to us。 It nestled in the edge of a
great plain and was a sufficient number of miles away to look like an
assemblage of mere white spots in the shadow of a grim range of mountains
overlooking it； whose summits seemed lifted clear out of companionship
and consciousness of earthly things。
We arrived； disembarked； and the stage went on。 It was a 〃wooden〃 town；
its population two thousand souls。 The main street consisted of four or
five blocks of little white frame stores which were too high to sit down
on； but not too high for various other purposes； in fact； hardly high
enough。 They were packed close together； side by side； as if room were
scarce in that mighty plain。
The sidewalk was of boards that were more or less loose and inclined to
rattle when walked upon。 In the middle of the town； opposite the stores；
was the 〃plaza〃 which is native to all towns beyond the Rocky Mountains
a large； unfenced； level vacancy； with a liberty pole in it； and very
useful as a place for public auctions； horse trades； and mass meetings；
and likewise for teamsters to camp in。 Two other sides of the plaza were
faced by stores； offices and stables。
The rest of Carson City was pretty scattering。
We were introduced to several citizens； at the stage…office and on the
way up to the Governor's from the hotelamong others； to a Mr。 Harris；
who was on horseback； he began to say something； but interrupted himself
with the remark：
〃I'll have to get you to excuse me a minute； yonder is the witness that
swore I helped to rob the California coacha piece of impertinent
intermeddling； sir； for I am not even acquainted with the man。〃
Then he rode over and began to rebuke the stranger with a six…shooter；
and the stranger began to explain with another。 When the pistols were
emptied； the stranger resumed his work （mending a whip…lash）； and Mr。
Harris rode by with a polite nod； homeward bound； with a bullet through
one of his lungs； and several in his hips； and from them issued little
rivulets of blood that coursed down the horse's sides and made the animal
look quite picturesque。 I never saw Harris shoot a man after that but it
recalled to mind that first day in Carson。
This was all we saw that day； for it was two o'clock； now； and according
to custom the daily 〃Washoe Zephyr〃 set in； a soaring dust…drift about
the size of the United States set up edgewise came with it； and the
capital of Nevada Territory disappeared from view。
Still； there were sights to be seen which were not wholly uninteresting
to new comers； for the vast dust cloud was thickly freckled with things
strange to the upper airthings living and dead； that flitted hither and
thither； going and coming； appearing and disappearing among the rolling
billows of dusthats； chickens and parasols sailing in the remote
heavens； blankets； tin signs； sage…brush and shingles a shade lower；
door…mats and buffalo robes lower