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it will early yield money； for that desirable epoch will begin as
soon as it strikes the first end of the vein。 The tunnel will be
some eight miles long； and will develop astonishing riches。 Cars
will carry the ore through the tunnel and dump it in the mills and
thus do away with the present costly system of double handling and
transportation by mule teams。 The water from the tunnel will
furnish the motive power for the mills。 Mr。 Sutro； the originator
of this prodigious enterprise； is one of the few men in the world
who is gifted with the pluck and perseverance necessary to follow up
and hound such an undertaking to its completion。 He has converted
several obstinate Congresses to a deserved friendliness toward his
important work； and has gone up and down and to and fro in Europe
until he has enlisted a great moneyed interest in it there。
CHAPTER LIII。
Every now and then； in these days； the boys used to tell me I ought to
get one Jim Blaine to tell me the stirring story of his grandfather's old
rambut they always added that I must not mention the matter unless Jim
was drunk at the timejust comfortably and sociably drunk。 They kept
this up until my curiosity was on the rack to hear the story。 I got to
haunting Blaine； but it was of no use； the boys always found fault with
his condition； he was often moderately but never satisfactorily drunk。
I never watched a man's condition with such absorbing interest； such
anxious solicitude； I never so pined to see a man uncompromisingly drunk
before。 At last； one evening I hurried to his cabin； for I learned that
this time his situation was such that even the most fastidious could find
no fault with ithe was tranquilly； serenely； symmetrically drunknot a
hiccup to mar his voice； not a cloud upon his brain thick enough to
obscure his memory。 As I entered； he was sitting upon an empty powder…
keg； with a clay pipe in one hand and the other raised to command
silence。 His face was round； red； and very serious； his throat was bare
and his hair tumbled； in general appearance and costume he was a stalwart
miner of the period。 On the pine table stood a candle； and its dim light
revealed 〃the boys〃 sitting here and there on bunks； candle…boxes；
powder…kegs； etc。 They said：
〃Sh！ Don't speakhe's going to commence。〃
THE STORY OF THE OLD RAM。
I found a seat at once； and Blaine said：
'I don't reckon them times will ever come again。 There never was a more
bullier old ram than what he was。 Grandfather fetched him from Illinois
got him of a man by the name of YatesBill Yatesmaybe you might have
heard of him； his father was a deaconBaptistand he was a rustler；
too； a man had to get up ruther early to get the start of old Thankful
Yates； it was him that put the Greens up to jining teams with my
grandfather when he moved west。
Seth Green was prob'ly the pick of the flock； he married a Wilkerson
Sarah Wilkersongood cretur； she wasone of the likeliest heifers that
was ever raised in old Stoddard； everybody said that knowed her。 She
could heft a bar'l of flour as easy as I can flirt a flapjack。 And spin？
Don't mention it！ Independent？ Humph！ When Sile Hawkins come a
browsing around her； she let him know that for all his tin he couldn't
trot in harness alongside of her。 You see； Sile Hawkins wasno； it
warn't Sile Hawkins； after allit was a galoot by the name of Filkins
I disremember his first name； but he was a stumpcome into pra'r meeting
drunk； one night； hooraying for Nixon； becuz he thought it was a primary；
and old deacon Ferguson up and scooted him through the window and he lit
on old Miss Jefferson's head； poor old filly。 She was a good soulhad a
glass eye and used to lend it to old Miss Wagner； that hadn't any； to
receive company in； it warn't big enough； and when Miss Wagner warn't
noticing； it would get twisted around in the socket； and look up； maybe；
or out to one side； and every which way； while t' other one was looking
as straight ahead as a spy…glass。
Grown people didn't mind it； but it most always made the children cry； it
was so sort of scary。 She tried packing it in raw cotton； but it
wouldn't work； somehowthe cotton would get loose and stick out and look
so kind of awful that the children couldn't stand it no way。 She was
always dropping it out； and turning up her old dead…light on the company
empty； and making them oncomfortable； becuz she never could tell when it
hopped out； being blind on that side； you see。 So somebody would have to
hunch her and say； 〃Your game eye has fetched loose。 Miss Wagner dear〃
and then all of them would have to sit and wait till she jammed it in
againwrong side before； as a general thing； and green as a bird's egg；
being a bashful cretur and easy sot back before company。 But being wrong
side before warn't much difference； anyway； becuz her own eye was sky…
blue and the glass one was yaller on the front side； so whichever way she
turned it it didn't match nohow。
Old Miss Wagner was considerable on the borrow； she was。 When she had a
quilting； or Dorcas S'iety at her house she gen'ally borrowed Miss
Higgins's wooden leg to stump around on； it was considerable shorter than
her other pin； but much she minded that。 She said she couldn't abide
crutches when she had company； becuz they were so slow； said when she had
company and things had to be done； she wanted to get up and hump herself。
She was as bald as a jug； and so she used to borrow Miss Jacops's wig
Miss Jacops was the coffin…peddler's wifea ratty old buzzard； he was；
that used to go roosting around where people was sick； waiting for 'em；
and there that old rip would sit all day； in the shade； on a coffin that
he judged would fit the can'idate； and if it was a slow customer and kind
of uncertain； he'd fetch his rations and a blanket along and sleep in the
coffin nights。 He was anchored out that way； in frosty weather； for
about three weeks； once； before old Robbins's place； waiting for him； and
after that； for as much as two years； Jacops was not on speaking terms
with the old man； on account of his disapp'inting him。 He got one of his
feet froze； and lost money； too； becuz old Robbins took a favorable turn
and got well。 The next time Robbins got sick； Jacops tried to make up
with him； and varnished up the same old coffin and fetched it along； but
old Robbins was too many for him； he had him in； and 'peared to be
powerful weak； he bought the coffin for ten dollars and Jacops was to pay
it back and twenty…five more besides if Robbins didn't like the coffin
after he'd tried it。 And then Robbins died； and at the funeral he
bursted off the lid and riz up in his shroud and told the parson to let
up on the performances； becuz he could not stand such a coffin as that。
You see he had been in a trance once before； when he was young； and he
took the chances on another； cal'lating that if he made the trip it was
money in his pocket； and if he missed fire he couldn't lose a cent。 And
by George he sued Jacops for the rhino and got jedgment； and he set up
the coffin in his back