At this there was an instantaneous rush. Ten minutes later, in front of the ticket-windows there was a line of citizens buying tickets for Salt Lake as if it had been Madame Bernhardt. Some rock had been smitten, and ready money had flowed forth. The Governor saw us off, sad that his duties should detain him. But Jode went!
“Betting is the fool's argument, gentlemen,” said he to Ogden, McLean, and me, “and it's a weary time since I have had the pleasure.”
“Which way are yu' bettin'?” Lin asked.
“With my principles, sir,” answered the little signal-service officer.
“I expect I ain't got any,” said the puncher. “It's Jim I'm backin' this time.”
“See here,” said I; “I want to talk to you.” We went into another car, and I did.
“And so yu' knowed about Lusk when we was on them board walks?” the puncher said.
“Do you mean I ought to have—”
“Shucks! no. Yu' couldn't. Nobody couldn't. It's a queer world, all the same. Yu' have good friends, and all that.” He looked out of the window. “Laramie already!” he commented, and got out and walked by himself on the platform until we had started again. “Yu' have good friends,” he pursued, settling himself so his long legs were stretched and comfortable, “and they tell yu' things, and you tell them things. And when it don't make no particular matter one way or the other, yu' give 'em your honest opinion and talk straight to 'em, and they'll come to you the same way. So that when yu're ridin' the range alone sometimes, and thinkin' a lot o' things over on top maybe of some dog-goned hill, you'll say to yourself about some fellow yu' know mighty well, 'There's a man is a good friend of mine.' And yu' mean it. And it's so. Yet when matters is serious, as onced in a while they're bound to get, and yu're in a plumb hole, where is the man then—your good friend? Why, he's where yu' want him to be. Standin' off, keepin' his mouth shut, and lettin' yu' find your own trail out. If he tried to show it to yu', yu'd likely hit him. But shucks! Circumstances have showed me the trail this time, you bet!” And the puncher's face, which had been sombre, grew lively, and he laid a friendly hand on my knee.
“The trail's pretty simple,” said I.