CHAPTER V.
THE VOYAGE.
Browning and Sedgwick reached New York and took passage on the firstoutgoing Cunarder. When the ship steamed out of the harbor, it entered atonce into a lively sea, and the great craft grew strangely unsteady.Browning was a good sailor, but Sedgwick found it was all he could do tomaintain his equanimity. "Jack," he said at last, "this is worse exercisethen riding a Texas steer." "Did you ever ride a Texas steer?" askedBrowning. "Indeed I have," said Sedgwick. "The cowboys have a gameof that kind. When a lot of steers are corraled, they climb up on thecross-bar over the gate; the gate is opened, the steers are turned outwith a rush, and the science is to drop from the cross-bar upon a steerand ride him. If you miss, you are liable to be trodden to death. If youstrike fairly, then the trick is to see how long you can hold on. It isrough exercise, but I believe it is preferable to this perpetual rising,falling and rolling. The infernal thing seems to work like an Ingersolldrill. It turns a quarter of a circle on one's stomach with every blow itstrikes."
They had sailed into an expiring storm that was fast losing its strength;the waves were breaking down, and by the time night came on the ship wasrunning nearly on an even keel, only gently rolling as it sweptmagnificently on its voyage.
The two miners walked the deck, or sat by the rail, until far into thenight, admiring the glorified structure on which they rode; watching thestars and the sea, and saw with other things the beautiful spectacle ofanother ship as grand as their own, that swept close by them on its wayto New York. Its whole 500 feet of length was a blaze of light, and asthe Titans whistled hoarsely to each other a greeting without abatingtheir speed, it seemed to the two landsmen as though two stars had met inspace, saluted and passed on, each in its own sublime orbit.
Sedgwick and Browning soon made the acquaintance of several passengers.A day or two later an animated conversation sprang up in the smokingroom. An American was declaring that his country was the greatest onearth because it could feed the world from its mighty food area.
An Englishman disputed the claim, because the profits of themanufacturers of little England were more than all the profits fromall the lands of the United States.
A Frenchman claimed the palm for France, because in France the peoplewere artists; from a little basis, from material well-nigh worthless initself, the Frenchman could, by infusing French brain into it, create athing of beauty for which the world was glad to exchange gold and gems.
Then Browning said: "You are all right, looking from a present horizon;all wrong, when the years are taken into account. The great country ofthe world is to be the country that produces the metals in the greatestquantity and variety, and whose people acquire the art of turning them tothe best account. This ship that we are on, a few months ago, was butunsightly ore in the ground. Look at it now! Tried by fire and fused withlabor, it has grown into this marvelous structure. England's greatnessand wealth are due, primarily, all to her mining. Her civilization can bemeasured by her progress in reducing metals. She will begin to fallbehind soon, for America has, in addition to such mines as Englandpossesses, endless mines of gold and silver, and, after all, the preciousmetals rule the nations and measure their civilization. It has alwaysbeen so and always will be. Those mines in America will build up greatermanufactures than England possesses; they will create artists moreskilled than even beautiful France can boast of. A hundred years hence,all other nations will be second-class by comparison."
The next day the conversation was resumed and carried on with muchspirit, until Sedgwick, who had been reading through it all, laid downhis book, and in a brief pause of the talk said:
"Neither fruitful fields, rich mines, nor skilled artisans, nor allcombined, are enough to make great nations. A hundred nations existedwhen Rome was founded. They had as fair prospects as did Rome, but ninetyof the hundred are forgotten; the other ten are remembered but asinferior nations. It was the stock of men and women that made Rome'sgrandeur and terror. For five hundred years an unfaithful wife was neverknown in Rome. The result was Rome had to be great and grand.
"I stood once on the crest of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. Neartogether were two springs, out of each of which the water flowed awayin a creek. One follows the mountains down to the eastward, the otherto the west. One finds its final home in the Gulf of Mexico, the otherin the Pacific. The one takes on other streams, its volume steadilyswells; before it flows far its channel is hewed through fertile fields;gaining in power, the argosies of commerce find a home upon its broadbosom, and it is a recognized power in the world, a mighty factor in thecalculations of merchants and shippers.
"But in the meantime it becomes tainted, until at last when it finds itsgrave in the Gulf, so foul are its waters that they discolor for milesthe deep blue of the sea.
"The other starts with a babble as joyous as the carols of childhood;when it reaches the valley it begins its struggle through a lava-blasteddesert; when the desert is passed, it has to grind its channel throughrugged mountains that tear its waters into foam, and at last in mightythroes, on the stormy bar it finds its grave in the roaring ocean. Itsexistence is one long, mighty struggle; there are awful chasms in itspath into which it is hurled; the thirsty desert encroaches upon itscurrent; mountains block its way; at the very last furious seas seek tobeat it back, but to the end it holds itself pure as when it starts onits way from the mountain spring.
"These rivers are typical of men and of nations. Some meet noobstruction; they glide on, gaining in wealth and power; at last, theybecome in one way a blessing, in another a terror; but in the meantime,they grow corrupt because of the world's contact; and so pass, gross anddiscolored, into eternity.
"Others have lives that are one long struggle unheard-of obstacles areever rising in their paths, but they fight on and on, and when at lasttheir course is run, those who trace them through their careers, withuncovered heads are bound to say that they kept their integrity to thelast, and that all the world's discouragements could not disarm theirpower, break their courage, or dim the clear mirror of their purity."
Sedgwick ceased speaking, but after a moment, looking up, he added: "Notvery far from the sources of these two streams, there is another fountainin the hills, out of which flows another stream as large and fair aseither of the others. It, too, goes tumbling down the mountain gorge,increasing in volume, until it strikes the valley, then grows less andless in size, until a few miles below it disappears in the sands.
"This, too, is typical of men and nations. They begin life buoyant andbrave; they rush on exultingly at first, but the quicksands of vice orcrime or disease are before them, and they sink and leave no name.
"The man or nation that is to be great must be born great. Those whosucceed are those who are guided into channels which make successpossible.
"The strength of the modern world rests on the modern home. That did notcome of rich mines or fields, but of the sovereign genius of the men ofnorthern Europe; and the glory was worked out amid poverty, hardships andsorrows."
But the voyage was over at last, and the two miners hastened to take thetrain for the home of Browning in Devonshire. They arrived at the villageat midnight and went to a hotel, or, as Sedgwick said: "This, Jack, ishan Hinglish Hinn, is it?"
Next day was Sunday and Browning was up early. He said to Sedgwick: "Waituntil I go and prospect the croppings about here a little. It is a goodwhile since I was on this lead, and I want to see how it has been workedsince I went away."
He came back in half an hour a good deal worked up. "Do you know, Jim,"he said, "by Jove, they are all gone! That old step-father has 'gonepards with old Jenvie, and they have all moved to London, and are runninga banking and brokerage establishment. I have their address and we willchase them up to-morrow, but I do not like the look of things at all.Why, Rose Jenvie in one season in London would blossom out and shine likea gold bar."
"Stuff," answered Sedgwick. "In Texas we always noticed that if we everturned out a blood mare she was sure to pick u
p the sorriest old mustangon the range for a running mate. Your Rose would be more apt to pick up ahusband here than in London for the first two or three years she might bethere."
Said Browning: "I say, Jim, did you mean that mustang story to go for anexcuse for Miss Rose calling me 'Jack?'"
"O, no!" said Sedgwick, "when she called you Jack, she was just a sillycolt that could not discriminate."
"I see," said Browning, "but I say, Jim, you ought to have been herethen. By Jove, she might have even fancied you."
"Don't you dare to talk that way," said Sedgwick, "or I will try to cutyou out when we see her, unless, as is quite possible, she has alreadybeen some happy man's wife for two or three years."
"Jim, I say, stop that!" said Browning. "It will be time to face thatinfernal possibility when I cannot help it. Bless my soul, but thethought of it makes me sea-sick."
They breakfasted together, and were smoking their after-breakfastcigars--Nevada-like--when the church bells began to ring.
"When did you attend church last, Browning?" asked Sedgwick.
"I have been a good deal remiss in that," was the reply.
"Suppose we go. It will be a novelty, and you will see more friends therethan in any other place."
"A good thought, old boy," said Browning, "and we shall have time only todress."
A few minutes later they emerged from the hotel, and proceeded to the oldchurch that Browning had attended during all his childhood.
Queerly enough, the sermon was on the return of the Prodigal Son. Thegood clergyman dilated on his theme. He told what a tough citizen theProdigal Son was in his youth, how he was given to boating andsteeple-chasing, and staying out nights and worrying the old father,until finally he ran away. "Photographing you, Jack," whispered Sedgwick.When he came to the part where the Prodigal ate the husks, Sedgwickwhispered again: "He means the hash in that restaurant on the Divide,Jack."
Then the picture of the joy of the father on the return of this son, andthe moral which the parable teaches, were graphically given. At last theservice was over, and as the congregation filed out there was a generalrush for Browning, for the whole congregation recognized him, though thealmost beardless boy that went away had returned in the full flush ofmanhood. He was overwhelmed with greetings and congratulations over hissafe return, and as Sedgwick was introduced as Browning's friend thewelcomes to him were most cordial, though there was many a glance at thefashionably-cut clothing of the young men.
The people were all in Sunday attire, many of the ladies wearing gaycolors. The day was warm and sunny and they lingered on the green,talking joyously, when suddenly a cry of terror arose, and looking, theyoung men saw a two-year old Hereford bull coming at full speed at thecrowd, and with the evident intention of charging direct into it. Everyone was paralyzed; that is, all but one. That one was Sedgwick. Near himwas a woman who had a long red scarf doubled and flung carelessly overher shoulder. In an instant Sedgwick had thrown off his coat, snatchedthe scarf from the woman and dashed out of the crowd directly toward thecoming terror. He shouted and shook the scarf, and the bull, seeing it,rushed directly for it. As he struck the scarf, like a flash Sedgwickcaught the ring in the bull's nose with his left hand, the left horn inhis right hand, and twisting the ring and giving a mighty wrench on thehorn, both man and bull went prone upon the turf. But the man was aboveand the bull below, and clinging to ring and horn and with knee on thebull's throat, Sedgwick bent all his might upon the brute's head and heldhim down.
Browning was at his side in a moment, and at Sedgwick's muffled cry totie his forelegs, Browning seized the scarf, lashed the bull's legstogether, and then both men arose.
Securing his coat quickly, Sedgwick seized Browning's arm, and said, "Letus get out of this, old man. You told me this was a bully place, but Idid not look for it quite in that form."
"Where did you learn that trick?" asked Browning.
"In Texas," said Sedgwick. "It is a game we play with yearlings there,but we never try it on an old stager, because, you see, if one shouldfall he would be in the sump, or in a drift where the air would be bad ina minute. That was a big fellow, but he had a ring in his nose, whichmade me the more sure of him, and then you see there was nothing else todo. I will go to no more churches in England with you without carrying alariat and revolver."
"It was a good job, Jack," said Browning; "by Jove, it was. I am sorry ithappened, but I am glad you did it. I don't believe I could have managedit any better myself."
The feat was the talk of the town, and it grew in size with everyrepetition, and in the next day's paper it was magnified beyond allproportions. Fortunately, the printers got both the names of Browningand Sedgwick spelled wrong, which was all the comfort the young men hadout of it.
On Monday morning the friends went out in the country and looked over theestate that Browning had been hoping to make money enough to purchase.Browning explained his plans for improving it, and the address of theowner in London was obtained.
In the evening they took the train for London. The landlord had had agreat night and day because of callers on Browning and his friend, andwould take nothing of his guests except a five-pound note to hand to thewoman from whose shoulder Sedgwick had caught the scarf.
The Wedge of Gold Page 5