passed for conversation. His utterances,
such as, "We'll work Willo' Creek to-morro' mawnin'," or, "I want the
wagon to be at the fawks o' Stinkin' Water by Thursday," though on some
occasions numerous enough to sound like discourse, never once broke the
man's true silence. Seeming to keep easy company with the camp, he yet
kept altogether to himself. That talking part of him--the mood which
brings out for you your friend's spirit and mind as a free gift or as an
exchange--was down in some dark cave of his nature, hidden away. Perhaps
it had been dreaming; perhaps completely reposing. The Virginian was one
of those rare ones who are able to refresh themselves in sections. To
have a thing on his mind did not keep his body from resting. During our
recent journey--it felt years ago now!--while our caboose on the freight
train had trundled endlessly westward, and the men were on the ragged
edge, the very jumping-off place, of mutiny and possible murder, I had
seen him sleep like a child. He snatched the moments not necessary for
vigil. I had also seen him sit all night watching his responsibility,
ready to spring on it and fasten his teeth in it. And now that he had
confounded them with their own attempted weapon of ridicule, his powers
seemed to be profoundly dormant. That final pitched battle of wits had
made the men his captives and admirers--all save Trampas. And of him the
Virginian did not seem to be aware.

But Scipio le Moyne would say to me now and then, "If I was Trampas, I'd
pull my freight." And once he added, "Pull it kind of casual, yu' know,
like I wasn't noticing myself do it."

"Yes," our friend Shorty murmured pregnantly, with his eye upon the
quiet Virginian, "he's sure studying his revenge."

"Studying your pussy-cat," said Scipio. "He knows what he'll do. The
time 'ain't arrived." This was the way they felt about it; and not
unnaturally this was the way they made me, the inexperienced Easterner,
feel about it. That Trampas also felt something about it was easy
to know. Like the leaven which leavens the whole lump, one spot of
sulkiness in camp will spread its dull flavor through any company that
sits near it; and we had to sit near Trampas at meals for nine days.

His sullenness was not wonderful. To feel himself forsaken by his recent
adherents, to see them gone over to his enemy, could not have made
his reflections pleasant. Why he did not take himself off to other
climes--"pull his freight casual