“Tell me again how it is.”
The Virginian answered very drowsily: “Oh, just don’t let your arm or
your laig touch me if I go to jumpin’ around. I’m dreamin’ of Indians
when I do that. And if anything touches me then, I’m liable to grab my
knife right in my sleep.”
“Oh, I understand,” said the drummer, clearing his throat. “Yes.”
Steve was whispering delighted oaths to himself, and in his joy applying
to the Virginian one unprintable name after another.
We listened again, but now no further words came. Listening very hard,
I could half make out the progress of a heavy breathing, and a restless
turning I could clearly detect. This was the wretched drummer. He was
waiting. But he did not wait long. Again there was a light creak, and
after it a light step. He was not even going to put his boots on in
the fatal neighborhood of the dreamer. By a happy thought Medicine Bow
formed into two lines, making an avenue from the door. And then the
commercial traveller forgot his Consumption Killer. He fell heavily over
it.
Immediately from the bed the Virginian gave forth a dreadful howl.
And then everything happened at once; and how shall mere words narrate
it? The door burst open, and out flew the commercial traveller in his
stockings. One hand held a lump of coat and trousers with suspenders
dangling, his boots were clutched in the other. The sight of us stopped
his flight short. He gazed, the boots fell from his hand; and at his
profane explosion, Medicine Bow set up a united, unearthly noise and
began to play Virginia reel with him. The other occupants of the beds
had already sprung out of them, clothed chiefly with their pistols, and
ready for war. “What is it?” they demanded. “What is it?”
“Why, I reckon it’s drinks on Steve,” said the Virginian from his bed.
And he gave the first broad grin that I had seen from him.
“I’ll set ’em up all night!” Steve shouted, as the reel went on
regardless. The drummer was bawling to be allowed to put at least his
boots on. “This way, Pard,” was the answer; and another man whirled him
round. “This way, Beau!” they called to him; “This way, Budd!” and
he was passed like a shuttle-cock down the line. Suddenly the leaders
bounded into the sleeping-room. “Feed the machine!” they said. “Feed
her!” And seizing the German drummer who sold jewellery, they flung him
into the trough of the reel. I saw him go bouncing like an ear of corn
to be shelled, and the dance ingulfed him. I saw a Jew sent rattling
after him; and next they threw in the railroad employee, and the other
Jew; and while I stood mesmerized, my own feet left the earth. I shot
from the room and sped like a bobbing cork into this mill race, whirling
my turn in the wake of the others amid cries of, “Here comes the Prince
of Wales!” There was soon not much English left about my raiment.
They were now shouting for music. Medicine Bow swept in like a cloud of
dust to where a fiddler sat playing in a hall; and gathering up fiddler
and dancers, swept out again, a larger Medicine Bow, growing all
the while. Steve offered us the freedom of the house, everywhere. He
implored us to call for whatever pleased us, and as many times as we
should please. He ordered the town to be searched for more citizens to
come and help him pay his bet. But changing his mind, kegs and bottles
were now carried along with us. We had found three fiddlers, and these
played busily for us; and thus we set out to visit all cabins and houses
where people might still by some miracle be asleep. The first man put
out his head to decline. But such a possibility had been foreseen by
the proprietor of the store. This seemingly respectable man now came
dragging some sort of apparatus from his place, helped by the Virginian.
The cow-boys cheered, for they knew what this was. The man in his window
likewise recognized it, and uttering a groan, came immediately out and
joined us. What it was, I also learned in a few minutes. For we found
a house where the people made no sign at either our fiddlers or our
knocking. And then the infernal machine was set to work. Its parts
seemed to be no more than an empty keg and a plank. Some citizen
informed me that I should soon have a new idea of noise; and I nerved
myself for something severe in the way of gunpowder. But the Virginian
and the proprietor now sat on the ground holding the keg braced, and two
others got down apparently to play see-saw over the top of it with the
plank. But the keg and plank had been rubbed with rosin, and they drew
the plank back and forth over the keg. Do you know the sound made in
a narrow street by a dray loaded with strips of iron? That noise is a
lullaby compared with the staggering, blinding bellow which rose from
the keg. If you were to try it in your native town, you would not merely
be arrested, you would be hanged, and everybody would be glad, and the
clergyman would not bury you. My head, my teeth, the whole system of my
bones leaped and chattered at the din, and out of the house like drops
squirted from a lemon came a man and his wife. No time was given them.
They were swept along with the rest; and having been routed from their
own bed, they now became most furious in assailing the remaining homes
of Medicine Bow. Everybody was to come out. Many were now riding horses
at top speed out into the plains and back, while the procession of the
plank and keg continued its work, and the fiddlers played incessantly.
Suddenly there was a quiet. I did not see who brought the message; but
the word ran among us that there was a woman--the engineer’s woman
down by the water-tank--very sick. The doctor had been to see her from
Laramie. Everybody liked the engineer. Plank and keg were heard no more.
The horsemen found it out and restrained their gambols. Medicine Bow
went gradually home. I saw doors shutting, and lights go out; I saw
a late few reassemble at the card tables, and the drummers gathered
themselves together for sleep; the proprietor of the store (you could
not see a more respectable-looking person) hoped that I would be
comfortable on the quilts; and I heard Steve urging the Virginian to
take one more glass.
“We’ve not met for so long,” he said.
But the Virginian, the black-headed guy who had set all this nonsense
going, said No to Steve. “I have got to stay responsible,” was his
excuse to his friend. And the friend looked at me. Therefore I surmised
that the Judge’s trustworthy man found me an embarrassment to his
holiday. But if he did, he never showed it to me. He had been sent to
meet a stranger and drive him to Sunk Creek in safety, and this charge
he would allow no temptation to imperil. He nodded good night to me. “If
there’s anything I can do for yu’, you’ll tell me.”