“Wonderiftheprofessor’sthereyet？“saidLin，andhewentacrosstherailroadtracks。Thebartendernoddedtohimashepassedthroughintothebackroom。Inthatplaceweremanytables，andtheflatclickingandrattleofivorycounterssoundedpleasantlythroughthemusic。Lindidnotjointhestud-pokergame。Hestoodoveratableatwhichsatadealerandaplayer，verysilent，oppositeeachother，andwhereonwerepaintedsundrycards，numerals，andthecolorsredandblackinsquares。Thelegend“Jackspay“wasalsoclearlypainted。Theplayerplacedchipsonwhicheverinsigniaoffortunehechose，andthedealerslidcardsquitefairlyfromthetopofapackthatlayheldwithinaskeletoncasemadewithsomeclampedbandsoftin。Sometimestheplayer’spileofchipsrosehigh，andsometimeshissumptuouspillarofgoldpieceswaslessenedbyone。Itwasveryinterestingandprettytosee；Linhadmuchbetterhavejoinedthegameofstud-poker。Presentlytheeyeofthedealermettheeyeoftheplayer。Afterthatslightincidenttheplayer’schippilebegantorise，androsesteadily，tillthedealermadeadmiringcommentsonsucharunofluck。Thentheplayerstopped，cashedin，andsaidgood-night，havingnearlydoubledthenumberofhisgoldpieces。
“Fivedollars’worth，“saidLin，sittingdowninthevacantseat。Thechipswerecountedouttohim。Heplayedwithunimportantshiftingsoffortuneuntilashortwhilebeforehistrainwasdue，andthen，singularlyenough，hediscoveredhewasonehundredandfiftydollarsbehindthegame。
“IguessI’llleavethetraingowithoutme，“saidLin，buyingfivedollars“worthmoreofivorycounters。Sothattraincameandwent，removingeastwardMr。McLean’strunk。
Duringthehourthatfollowedhisvoicegrewdoggedandhisremarksbriefer，ashecontinuallypurchasedmorechipsfromthenowsurprisedandsympatheticdealer。ItwasreallywonderfulhowsteadilyLinlost——
justassteadilyashispredecessorhadwonafterthatmeetingofeyesearlyintheevening。
WhenLinwasthreehundreddollarsout，hisvoicebegantoclearofitshuskinessandaslighthumorrevolvedandsparkledinhiseye。Whenhissevenhundreddollarshadgonetosaferhandsandhehadnothingleftatallbutsomesilverfractionsofadollar，hisrobustcheerfulnesswasallbackagain。Hewalkedoutandstoodamongtherailroadtrackswithhishandsinhispockets，andlaughedathimselfinthedark。ThenhisfingerscameonthecheckforOmaha，andhelaughedloudly。ThetrunkbythishourmustbenearingRawlins；itwasgoingeastanyhow。
“I’mfollowingit，youbet，“hedeclared，kickingtherail。“Notyetthough。NorI’llnotgotoWashakietohave’emjoshme。AndyonderlaysBoston。“Hestretchedhisarmandpointedeastward。Hadheseenanothermangoingoninthisfashionaloneinthedark，amongside-trackedfreightcars，hewouldhavepitiedthepoorfool。“AndIguessBoston’llhavetogetalongwithoutmeforaspell，too，“continuedLin。“Amandon’twanttoshowupplumbbrokelikethatyoungersondidaftereatin’
withthehogsthebishoptoldabout。HisfatherwasaJim-dandy，thathogchap’s。Hustledaroundandset’emupwhenhecomebackhome。Frank，he’dsaytome’Howdoyoudo，brother？’andhe’dbewearin’agoodsuito’
clothesand——no，sir，youbet!“
LinnowwatchedthegreatheadlightofafreighttrainbearingslowlydownintoGreenRiverfromthewilderness。GreenRiveristheendofadivision，anepochineverytrain’sjourney。Lanternsswungsignals，thegreatdimthingslowedtoitsstandstillbythecoalchute，itslocomotivemovedawayforaturnofrepose，thesuccessorbackedsteamingtoitsplacetotackleanight’swork。Carswereshifted，heavilybumpingandparting。
“Hello，Lin!“Afacewaslookingfromthewindowofthecaboose。
“Hello!“respondedMr。McLean，perceivingabovehisheadHoneyWiggin，agoodfriendofhis。Theyhadnotmetforthreeyears。
“Theyclaimedyougotkilledsomewheres。Iwassorrytohearit。“Honeyofferedhiscondolencequitesincerely。
“Bruckmyleg，“correctedLin，“ifthat’swhattheymeant。“
“Iexpectthat’sit，“saidHoney。“You’vehadnoothertrouble？“
“Beenboomin’，“saidLin。
Fromthemereundertoneintheirvoicesitwasplaintheyweregoodfriends，carefullyhidingtheirpleasureatmeeting。
“Wher’reyu’bound？“inquiredHoney。
“East，“saidLin。
“Betterjumpinhere，then。We’regoin’west。“
“Thatjustsuitsme，“saidLin。
Thebusylanternswaggedamongtheswitches，thesteadylightsofthesaloonsshonealongthetown’swoodenfacade。FromthebluffsthatwallGreenRiverthesweet，cleansage-brushwindblewdownincurrentsfreshlythroughthecoal-smoke。Awrenchpassedthroughthetrainfromlocomotivetocaboose，eachfetteredcarinturnstrainedintomotionandslowlyrolledoverthebridgeandintosilencefromthesteamandthebellsoftherailroadyard。Throughtheopenwindowsofthecaboosegreatdull-redcindersrattledin，andthewhistlesofdistantUnionPacificlocomotivessoundedovertheopenplainsominousandlong，likeshipsatsea。
HoneyandLinsatforawhile，makingfewobservationsandfarbetween，astheirwayisbetweenwhomflowsastreamofold-timeunderstanding。
Mutualwhiskeyandsilencecanexpressmuchfriendship，andeloquently。
“Whatareyu’doingatpresent？“Lininquired。
“Prospectin’。“
Nowprospectingmeanshuntinggold，excepttosuchspiritsastheboyLin。Totheseitmeansfindinggold。SoLinMcLeanlistenedtothetalkofhisfriendHoneyWigginasthecaboosetrundledthroughthenight。Hesawhimselfinavisionofthenearfutureenterabankandthumpdownabagofgold-dust。Thenhesawthenew，cleanmoneythemanwouldhandhiminexchange，billswithroundzeroeshalfcoveredbybeingfoldedover，andheavy，satisfactorygoldpieces。AndthenhesawthebluewaterthattwinklesbeneathBoston。Hisfingerscameagainonhistrunkcheck。Hehadhisticket，too。Andasdawnnowrevealedthegraycountrytohim，hiseyefellcasuallyuponamile-post：“Omaha，876。“Hebegantowatchforthem：——877，878。ButthetrunkwouldreallygettoOmaha。
“Whatareyu’laughin’about？“askedHoney。
“Oh，thewheels。“
“Wheels？“
“Don’tyu’hear’em？“saidLin。“’Variety，’theykeepa-sayin’。’Variety，variety。’“
“Huh!“saidHoney，withscorn。“’Ker-chunka-chunk’’sallImakeit。“
“You’renopoet，“observedMr。McLean。
AsthetrainmovedintoEvanstoninthesunlight，agleamofdismayshotoverLin’sface，andheduckedhisheadoutofsightofthewindow，butimmediatelyraiseditagain。Thenheleanedout，wavinghisarmwithacertaindefiantvigor。Butthebishopontheplatformfailedtonoticethisperformance，thoughitwasdoneforhissolebenefit，norwouldLinexplaintotheinquisitiveWigginwhatthematterwas。Therefore，verynaturally，Honeydrewaconclusionforhimself，lookedquicklyoutofthewindow，and，beingdisappointedinwhatheexpectedtoseeremarked，sulkily，“Doyu’figureIcarewhatsortofalookin’girlisstuckonyu’inEvanston？“AnduponthisyoungLinlaughedsoloudlythathisfriendtoldhimhehadneverseenamangetsofoolishinthreeyears。
By-and-bytheywereinUtah，and，inthecompanyofOgdenfriends，forgotprospecting。LatertheyresumedfreighttrainsandjourneyednorthInIdahotheysaidgood-byetothetrainhandsinthecaboose，andcametoLittleCamas，andsoamongthemountainsnearFeatherCreek。Heretheberrieswereofseveralsorts，andgrowingripereachday，andthebearsinthetimberaboveknewthis，andcamedownpunctuallywiththeseason，makingvarietyintheotherwiseevenlifeoftheprospectors。ItwasnowAugust，andLinsatonawethillmakingmud-piesforsixtydays。Butthephilosopher’sstonewasnotinthewashatthatplacer，nordidLingathergold-dustsufficienttocoverthenailofhisthumb。ThentheyheardofanexcitementatObo，Nevada，and，hurryingtoObo，theymadesomemoremud-pies。
Nowandthen，eatingtheirfatbaconatnoon，Honeywouldsay，“Lin，wher’reyu’goin’？“
AndLinalwaysreplied，“East。“Thisbecameasignalfordrinks。
Forbeautyandpromise，Nevadaisanameamongnames。Nevada!Pronouncethewordaloud。Doesitnotevokemountainsandclearair，heightsofuntroddensnowandvalleysaromaticwiththepineandmusicalwithfallingwaters？Nevada!Butthenameisall。Abominationofdesolationpresidesovernine-tenthsoftheplace。Thesunbeatsdownasonaroofofzinc，fierceanddull。Notadropofwatertoamileofsand。Themeanash-dumplandscapestretchesonfromnowheretonowhere，aspotofmange。
Noportionoftheearthismorelacqueredwithpaltry，unimportantugliness。
ThereisgoldinNevada，butLinandHoneydidnotfindit。Prospectingofthesorttheydid，besidesprovingunfruitful，isnotcomfortable。Nowandagain，losingpatience，Linwouldleavehisworkandstalkaboutandgazedownatthescatteredmenwhostoopedorkneltinthewater。Passingeachbusyprospector，Linwouldreadoneverybroad，upturnedpairofoverallsthesamelabel，“LeviStrauss，No。2，“withapictureoftwolustyhorseshitchedtooneofthesegarmentsandvainlystrugglingtosplitthemasunder。Linrememberedhewaswearingalabeljustlikethattoo，andwhenheconsideredallthingshelaughedtohimself。Then，havingstretchedtheacheoutofhislonglegs，hewouldreturntohisditch。Asautumnworeon，hisfeetgrewcoldinthemushygraveltheyweresunkin。Hebeatoffthesandthathadstiffenedonhisboots，andhatedObo，Nevada。Butheheldhimselfreadytosay“East“wheneverhesawHoneycomingalongwiththebottle。Thecoldweatherputanendtothisadventure。Theditchesfrozeandfilledwithsnow，throughwhichthesordidgravelheapsshowedinadrearyfashion；sothetwofriendsdriftedsouthward。
NearthesmallnewtownofMesa，Arizona，theysatdownagaininthedirt。Itwasmilderhere，and，whenthesunshone，neverquitefroze。ButthispartofArizonaisscarcelymoregratefultotheeyethanNevada。
Moreover，LinandHoneyfoundnogoldatall。Somemennearthemfoundalittle。TheninJanuary，eventhoughthesunshone，itquitefrozeoneday。
“We’reseein’thecountry，anyway，“saidHoney。
“Seein’hell，“saidLin，“andthere’smoreofitabovegroundthanI
thought。“
“What’llwedo？“Honeyinquired。
“Havetowalkforajob——agood-payin’job，“respondedthehopefulcow-puncher。AndheandHoneywenttotown。
Linfoundajobintwenty-fiveminutes，becomingassistanttotheapothecaryinMesa。Establishedatthedrug-store，hemadeupthesimplerprescriptions。HehadstudiedpracticalpharmacyinBostonbetweentheagesofthirteenandfifteen，and，besidesthisqualification，theapothecaryhadseenhimwhenhefirstcameintoMesa，andlikedhim。Linmadenomistakesthatheoranyoneeverknewof；and，asthemildweatherbegan，hemateriallyincreasedtheapothecary’sbusinessbypersuadinghimtosendEastforasoda-waterfountain。Theladiesofthetownclusteredaroundthisentertainingnovelty，andwhilesippingvanillaandlemonboughtknickknacks。Andthegentlemenofthetowndiscoveredthatwhiskeywithsodaandstrawberrysyrupwasdelicious，andproducedjustascompetenteffects。Agroupofthemweregenerallystandingintheshopandshakingdicetodecidewhoshouldpayforthenext，whileLinadministeredtoeachglassthenecessaryingredients。
Thusmoneybegantocometohimalittlemoresteadilythanhadbeenitswont，andhedividedwiththepennilessHoney。
ButHoneyfoundfortunequickly，too。Throughexcellentcard-playinghewonapintofromasmallMexicanhorse-thiefwhocameintotownfromtheSouth，andwhocriedbitterlywhenhedelivereduphispetponytothenewowner。Thenewowner，beingamanoftheworldandagileonhisfeet，wasonlyslightlystabbedthateveningashewalkedtothedance-hallattheedgeofthetown。TheMexicanwasburiedonthenextdaybutone。
Theponystoodthirteentwo，andwasaslongasasteamboat。Hehadwhiteeyelashes，pinknostrils，andoneeyewasbrightblue。Ifyouspokepleasantlytohim，heroseinstantlyonhishind-legsandtriedtobeatyourface。Hedidnotlookasifhecouldrun，andthatwaswhatmadehimsovaluable。Honeytravelledthroughthecountrywithhim，andeverygentlemanwhosawthepintoandheardHoneybecameanxioustogetuparace。LinalwayssentmoneyforWiggintoplace，andhesoonopenedabankaccount，whileHoney，besideshisracing-bridle，boughtasilver-inlaidone，apairofforty-dollarspurs，andabeautifulsaddlerichlystamped。EverydaywheninMesaHoneywouldstepintothedrug-storeandinquire，“Lin，wher’reyu’goin’？“