'll tell yu' one thing
for your consolation: when I got to the middle of the frawgs I 'most
believed it myself." And he laughed out the first laugh I had heard him
give.

The enthusiast came up and shook hands. That led off, and the rest
followed, with Trampas at the end. The tide was too strong for him. He
was not a graceful loser; but he got through this, and the Virginian
eased him down by treating him precisely like the others--apparently.
Possibly the supreme--the most American--moment of all was when word
came that the bridge was open, and the Pullman trains, with noise and
triumph, began to move westward at last. Every one waved farewell to
every one, craning from steps and windows, so that the cars twinkled
with hilarity; and in twenty minutes the whole procession in front had
moved, and our turn came.

"Last chance for Rawhide," said the Virginian.

"Last chance for Sunk Creek," said a reconstructed mutineer, and all
sprang aboard. There was no question who had won his spurs now.

Our caboose trundled on to Billings along the shingly cotton-wooded
Yellowstone; and as the plains and bluffs and the distant snow began to
grow well known, even to me, we turned to our baggage that was to come
off, since camp would begin in the morning. Thus I saw the Virginian
carefully rewrapping Kenilworth, that he might bring it to its owner
unharmed; and I said, "Don't you think you could have played poker with
Queen Elizabeth?"

"No; I expaict she'd have beat me," he replied. "She was a lady."

It was at Billings, on this day, that I made those reflections about
equality. For the Virginian had been equal to the occasion: that is the
only kind of equality which I recognize.

XVII. SCIPIO MORALIZES

Into what mood was it that the Virginian now fell? Being less busy,
did he begin to "grieve" about the girl on Bear Creek? I only know
that after talking so lengthily he fell into a nine days' silence. The
talking part of him deeply and unbrokenly slept.

Official words of course came from him as we rode southward from the
railroad, gathering the Judge's stray cattle. During the many weeks
since the spring round-up, some of these animals had as usual got
very far off their range, and getting them on again became the present
business of our party.

Directions and commands--whatever communications to his subordinates
were needful to the forwarding of this--he duly gave. But routine has
never at any time of the world