With so strong a helper, the business was speedily
transacted. Soon the assayer's office was thronged with our
belongings, piled higgledy-piggledy, and upside down, about the
floor. There were our boxes, indeed, but my wife had left her keys
in Calistoga. There was the stove, but, alas! our carriers had
forgot the chimney, and lost one of the plates along the road. The
Silverado problem was scarce solved.
Rufe himself was grave and good-natured over his share of blame; he
even, if I remember right, expressed regret. But his crew, to my
astonishment and anger, grinned from ear to ear, and laughed aloud
at our distress. They thought it "real funny" about the stove-pipe
they had forgotten; "real funny" that they should have lost a
plate. As for hay, the whole party refused to bring us any till
they should have supped. See how late they were! Never had there
been such a job as coming up that grade! Nor often, I suspect,
such a game of poker as that before they started. But about nine,
as a particular favour, we should have some hay.
So they took their departure, leaving me still staring, and we
resigned ourselves to wait for their return. The fire in the forge
had been suffered to go out, and we were one and all too weary to
kindle another. We dined, or, not to take that word in vain, we
ate after a fashion, in the nightmare disorder of the assayer's
office, perched among boxes.
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