the story of a mine-第8部分

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not　prepared　to　deny；but〃



〃Look　ye；　Mr。　Sappy　Wood；　it's　the　'appale'　I　want；　and　the　grant

I'll　have；　more　betoken　as　the　old　woman's　har…rut　and　me　own　is

set　on　it　entoirely。　　Get　me　the　land　and　I'll　give　ye　the　half　of

it；and　it's　a　bargain！〃



〃But　my　dear　sir；　there　are　some　rules　in　our　profession；

technical　though　they　may　be〃



〃The　divel　fly　away　wid　yer　profession。　　Sure　is　it　better　nor　me

own？　　If　I've　risked　me　provisions　and　me　whisky；　that　cost　me

solid　goold　in　Frisco；　on　that　thafe　Garcia's　claim；　bedad！　the

loikes　of　ye　can　risk　yer　law。〃



〃Well；〃　said　Wood；　with　an　awkward　smile；　〃I　suppose　that　a　deed

for　one　half；　on　the　consideration　of　friendship；　my　dear　sir；　and

a　dollar　in　hand　paid　by　me；　might　be　reconcilable。〃



〃Now　it's　talkin'　ye　are。　　But　who's　the　felly　we're　foighten；

that's　got　the　Ring？〃



〃Ah；　my　dear　sir；　it's　the　United　States；〃　said　the　lawyer　with

gravity。



〃The　States！　the　Government　is　it？　　And　is't　that　ye're　afeared　of？

Sure　it's　the　Government　that　I　fought　in　me　own　counthree；　it　was

the　Government　that　druv　me　to　Ameriky；　and　is　it　now　that　I'm

going　back　on　me　principles？〃



〃Your　political　sentiments　do　you　great　credit；〃　began　Mr。　Wood。



〃But　fwhot's　the　Government　to　do　wid　the　appale？〃



〃The　Government；〃　said　Mr。　Wood　significantly；　〃will　be　represented

by　the　District　Attorney。〃



〃And　who's　the　spalpeen？〃



〃It　is　rumored；〃　said　Mr。　Wood；　slowly；　〃that　a　new　one　is　to　be

appointed。　　I；　myself；　have　had　some　ambition　that　way。〃



His　client　bent　a　pair　of　cunning　but　not　over…wise　grey　eyes　on

his　American　lawyer。　　But　he　only　said；　〃Ye　have；　eh？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Wood；　answering　the　look　boldly；　〃and　if　I　had　the

support　of　a　number　of　your　prominent　countrymen；　who　are　so

powerful　with　ALL　parties；men　like　YOU；　my　dear　sir；why；　I

think　you　might　in　time　become　a　conservative；　at　least　more

resigned　to　the　Government。〃



Then　the　lesser　and　the　greater　scamp　looked　at　each　other；　and　for

a　moment　or　two　felt　a　warm；　sympathetic；　friendly　emotion　for　each

other；　and　quietly　shook　hands。



Depend　upon　it　there　is　a　great　deal　more　kindly　human　sympathy

between　two　openly…confessed　scamps　than　there　is　in　that　calm；

respectable　recognition　that　you　and　I；　dear　reader；　exhibit　when

we　happen　to　oppose　each　other　with　our　respective　virtues。



〃And　ye'll　get　the　appale？〃



〃I　will。〃



And　he　DID！　　And　by　a　singular　coincidence　got　the　District

Attorneyship　also。　　And　with　a　deed　for　one　half　of　the　〃Red…Rock

Rancho〃　in　his　pocket；　sent　a　brother　lawyer　in　court　to　appear　for

his　client；　the　United　States；　as　against　HIMSELF；　Roscommon；

Garcia；　et　al。　　Wild　horses　could　not　have　torn　him　from　this　noble

resolution。　　There　is　an　indescribable　delicacy　in　the　legal

profession　which　we　literary　folk　ought　to　imitate。



The　United　States　lost！　　Which　meant　ruin　and　destruction　to　the

〃Blue　Mass　Company；〃　who　had　bought　from　a　paternal　and　beneficent

Government　lands　which　didn't　belong　to　it。　　The　Mexican　grant；　of

course；　antedated　the　occupation　of　the　mine　by　Concho；　Wiles；

Pedro；　et　al。；　as　well　as　by　the　〃Blue　Mass　Company；〃　and　the

solitary　partners；　Biggs　and　Thatcher。　　More　than　that；　it　swallowed

up　their　improvements。　　It　made　Biggs　and　Thatcher　responsible　to

Garcia　for　all　the　money　the　Grand　Master　of　Avarice　had　made　out　of

it。　　Mr。　District　Attorney　was　apparently　distressed；　but　resigned。

Messrs。　Biggs　and　Thatcher　were　really　distressed　and　combative。



And　then；　to　advance　a　few　years　in　this　chronicle；　began　real

litigation　with　earnestness；　vigor；　courage；　zeal；　and　belief　on

the　part　of　Biggs　and　Thatcher；　and　technicalities；　delay；

equivocation；　and　a　general　Fabian…like　policy　on　the　part　of

Garcia；　Roscommon；　et　al。　　Of　all　these　tedious　processes　I　note

but　one；　which　for　originality　and　audacity　of　conception　appears

to　me　to　indicate　more　clearly　the　temper　and　civilization　of　the

epoch。　　A　subordinate　officer　of　the　District　Court　refused　to　obey

the　mandate　ordering　a　transcript　of　the　record　to　be　sent　up　to

the　United　States　Supreme　Court。　　It　is　to　be　regretted　that　the

name　of　this　Ephesian　youth；　who　thus　fired　the　dome　of　our

constitutional　liberties；　should　have　been　otherwise　so　unimportant

as　to　be　confined　to　the　dusty　records　of　that　doubtful　court　of

which　he　was　a　doubtful　servitor；　and　that　his　claim　to　immortality

ceased　with　his　double…feed　service。　　But　there　still　stands　on

record　a　letter　by　this　young　gentleman；　arraigning　the　legal

wisdom　of　the　land；　which　is　not　entirely　devoid　of　amusement　or

even　instruction　to　young　men　desirous　of　obtaining　publicity　and

capital。　　Howbeit；　the　Supreme　Court　was　obliged　to　protect　itself

by　procuring　the　legislation　of　his　functions　out　of　his　local

fingers　into　the　larger　palm　of　its　own　attorney。



These　various　processes　of　law　and　equity；　which；　when　exercised

practically　in　the　affairs　of　ordinary　business；　might　have

occupied　a　few　months'　time；　dragged；　clung；　retrograded；　or

advanced　slowly　during　a　period　of　eight　or　nine　years。　　But　the

strong　arms　of　Biggs　and　Thatcher　held　POSSESSION；　and　possibly；　by

the　same　tactics　employed　on　the　other　side；　arrested　or　delayed

ejectment；　and　so　made　and　sold　quicksilver；　while　their　opponents

were　spending　gold；　until　Biggs；　sorely　hit　in　the　interlacings　of

his　armor；　fell　in　the　lists；　his　cheek　growing　waxen　and　his

strong　arm　feeble；　and　finding　himself　in　this　sore　condition；　and

passing；　as　it　were；　made　over　his　share　in　trust　to　his　comrade；

and　died。　　Whereat；　from　that　time　henceforward；　Royal　Thatcher

reigned　in　his　stead。



And　so；　having　anticipated　the　legal　record；　we　will　go　back　to　the

various　human　interests　that　helped　to　make　it　up。



To　begin　with　Roscommon：　To　do　justice　to　his　later　conduct　and

expressions；　it　must　be　remembered　that　when　he　accepted　the　claim

for　the　〃Red…Rock　Rancho；〃　yet　unquestioned；　from　the　hands　of

Garcia；　he　was　careless；　or　at　least　unsuspicious　of　fraud。　　It　was

not　until　he　had　experienced　the　intoxication　of　litigation　that　he

felt；　somehow；　that　he　was　a　wronged　and　defrauded　man；　but　with

the　obstinacy　of　defrauded　men；　preferred　to　arraign　some　one　fact

or　individual　as　the　impelling　cause　of　his　wrong；　rather　than　the

various　circumstances　that　led　to　it。　　To　his　simple　mind　it　was

made　patent　that　the　〃Blue　Mass　Company〃　were　making　money　out　of　a

mine　which　he　claimed；　and　which　was　not　yet　adjudged　to　them。

Every　dollar　they　took　out　was　a　fresh　count　in　this　general

indictment。　　Every　delay　towards　this　adjustment　of　rights

although　made　by　his　own　lawyerwas　a　personal　wrong。　　The　mere

fact　that　there　never　was　nor　had　been　any　quid　pro　quo　for　this

immense　propertythat　it　had　fallen　to　him　for　a　mere　songonly

added　zest　to　his　struggle。　　The　possibility　of　his　losing　this

mere　speculation　affected　him　more　strongly　than　if　he　had　already

paid　down　the　million　he　expected　to　get　from　the　mine。　　I　don't

know　that　I　have　indicated　as　plainly　as　I　might　that　universal

preference　on　the　part　of　mankind　to　get　something　from　nothing；

and　to　acquire　the　largest　return　for　the　least　possible　expenditure；

but　I　question　my　right　to　say　that　Roscommon　was　much　more

reprehensible　than　his　fellows。



But　it　told　upon　him　as　it　did　upon　all　over　whom　the　spirit　of　the

murdered　Concho　brooded；upon　all　whom　avarice　alternately

flattered　and　tortured。　　From　his　quiet　gains　in　his　legitimate

business；　from　the　little　capital　accumulated　through　industry　and

economy；　he　lavished　thousands　on　this　chimera　of　his　fancy。　　He

grew　grizzled　and　worn　over　his　self…imposed　delusion；　he　no　longer

jested　with　his　customers；　regardless　of　quality　or　station　or

importance；　he　had　cliques　to　mollify；　enemies　to　placate；　friends

to　reward。　　The　grocery　suffered；　through　giving　food　and　lodgment

to　clouds　of　unimpeachable　witnesses　before　the　Land　Commission　and

the　District　Court；　〃Mrs。　Ros。〃　found　herself　losing　money。　　Even

the　bar　failed；　there　was　a　party　of　〃Blue　Mass〃　employees　who

drank　at　the　opposite　fonda；　and　cursed　the　Roscommon　claim　over

the　liquor。　　The　calm；　mechanical　indifference　with　which　Roscommon

had　served　his　customers　was　gone。　　The　towel　was　no　longer　used

after　its　perfunctory　fashion；　the　counter　remained　unwiped；　the

disks　of　countless　glasses　marked　its　surface；　and　indicated　other

preoccupation　on　the　part　of　the　proprietor。　　The　keen　grey　eyes　of

the　claimant　of　the　〃Red…Rock　Rancho〃　were　always　on　the　lookout

for　friend　or　enemy。



Garcia　comes　next。　　That　gentleman's　inborn　talent　for　historic

misrepresentation　culminated　unpleasantly　through　a　defective

memory；　a　year　or　two　after　he　had　sworn　in　his　application　for　the

〃Rancho；〃　being　engaged　in　another　case；　some　trifling　inconsistency

was　discovered　in　his　statements；　which　had　the　effect　of　throwing

the　weight　of　evidence　to　the　party　who　had　paid　him　most；　but　was

instantly　detected　by　the　weaker　party。　　Garcia's　preeminence　as　a

witness；　an　expert　and　general　historian　began　to　decline。　　He　was

obliged　to　be　corroborated；　and　this　required　a　liberal　outlay　of

his　fee。　　With　the　loss　of　his　credibility　as　a　witness　bad　habits

supervened。　　He　was　frequently　drunk；　he　lost　his　position；　he　lost

his　house；　and　Carmen；　removed　to　San　Francisco；　supported　him　with

her　brush。



And　this　brings　us　once　more　to　that　pretty　painter　and　innocent

forger　whose　unconscious　act　bore　such　baleful　fruit　on　the　barren

hill…sides　of　the　〃Red…Rock　Rancho；〃　and　also　to　a　later　blossom　of

her　life；　that　opened；　however；　in　kindlier　sunshine。





CHAPTER　IX



WHAT　THE　FAIR　HAD　TO　DO　ABOUT　IT





The　house　that　Royal　Thatcher　so　informally　quitted　in　his　exodus

to　the　promised　land　of　Biggs　was　one　of　those　oversized；