“Yes，“ourfriendShortymurmuredpregnantly，withhiseyeuponthequietVirginian，“he’ssurestudyinghisrevenge。“
　　“Studyingyourpussy-cat，“saidScipio。“Heknowswhathe’lldo。
　　Thetime’ain’tarrived。“Thiswasthewaytheyfeltaboutit；
　　andnotunnaturallythiswasthewaytheymademe，theinexperiencedEasterner，feelaboutit。ThatTrampasalsofeltsomethingaboutitwaseasytoknow。Liketheleavenwhichleavensthewholelump，onespotofsulkinessincampwillspreaditsdullflavorthroughanycompanythatsitsnearit；andwehadtositnearTrampasatmealsforninedays。
　　Hissullennesswasnotwonderful。Tofeelhimselfforsakenbyhisrecentadherents，toseethemgoneovertohisenemy，couldnothavemadehisreflectionspleasant。Whyhedidnottakehimselfofftootherclimes——“pullhisfreightcasual，“asScipiosaid——I
　　canexplainonlythus:paywasduehim——“time，“asitwascalledincow-land；ifhewouldhavethismoney，hemuststayundertheVirginian’scommanduntiltheJudge’sranchonSunkCreekshouldbereached；meanwhile，eachday’sworkaddedtothewagesinstoreforhim；andfinally，onceatSunkCreek，itwouldbenomoretheVirginianwhocommandedhim；itwouldbetherealranchforeman。AttheranchhewouldbetheVirginian’sequalagain，bothofthemtakingordersfromtheirofficiallyrecognizedsuperior，thisforeman。Shorty’swordabout“revenge“seemedtomelikeputtingthethingbackwards。Revenge，asItoldScipio，waswhatIshouldbethinkingaboutifIwereTrampas。
　　“Hedassent，“wasScipio’simmediateview。“Nottillhe’sgotstrongagain。Hegotlaughedplumbsickbythebystanders，andwhateverspirithehadwasbrokeinthepresenceofusall。He’llhavetorecuperate。“ScipiothenspokeoftheVirginian’sattitude。“Mayberevengeain’tjusttherightwordforwherethisaffairhasgottonowwithhim。Whenyu’beatanothermanathisowngamelikehedonetoTrampas，why，yu’vehadalltherevengeyu’canwant，unlessyou’reahog。Andhe’snohog。ButhehasgotitinforTrampas。They’venotreckonedtoafinish。Wouldyouletamantrysuchspiteworkonyouandquitthinkin’abouthimjustbecauseyu’dheadedhimoff？“TothisIofferedhisownnotionabouthogsandbeingsatisfied。“Hogs！“wentonScipio，inawaythatdashedmysuggestiontopieces；“hogsain’tinthecase。He’sgottodealwithTrampassomehow——mantoman。Trampasandhimcan’tstaythiswaywhentheygetbackandgoworkin’
　　sameastheyworkedbefore。No，sir；I’veseenhiseyetwice，andIknowhe’sgoin’toreckontoafinish。“
　　Istillmust，inScipio’sopinion，havebeenslowtounderstand，whenontheafternoonfollowingthistalkIinvitedhimtotellmewhatsortof“finish“hewanted，aftersuchafinishingashadbeendealtTrampasalready。Getting“laughedplumbsickbythebystanders“Iborrowedhisownnotoverstatedexpressionseemedtomeahighlyfinalfinishing。WhileIwasrunningmynotionsofftohim，Scipiorose，and，withthefrying-panhehadbeenwashing，walkedslowlyatme。
　　“Idobelieveyou’doughtn’ttobelettravelalonethewayyoudo。“Heputhisfaceclosetomine。Hislongnosegreweloquentinitsshrewdness，whilethefireinhisbleachedblueeyeburnedwithamiablesatire。“Whathascomeandgonebetweenthemtwohasonlysettledtheonepointhewasaimin’tomake。Hewasappointedbossofthisoutfitintheabsenceoftheregularforeman。Sincethenallhehasbeenplayin’foristohandbackhismentotheranchinasgoodshapeasthey’dbeenhandedtohim，andwithoutlosinganyontheroadthroughdesertionorshootingorwhatnot。Hehadtokickhiscookokthetrainthatday，andthelossmadehimsorrowful，Icouldsee。ButI’dhappenedtocomealong，andhejumpedmeintothevacancy，andI
　　expectheisprettynearconsoled。AndasbossoftheoutfithebeatTrampas，whowassettin’upforoppositionboss。Andtheoutfitisbetterthansatisfieditcomeoutthatway，andthey’restayin’withhim；andhe’llhandthemallbackingoodcondition，barrin’thatlostcook。Soforthepresenthispointismade，yu’
　　see。Butlookaheadalittle。Itmaynotbesoveryfaraheadyu’llhavetolook。Wegetbacktotheranch。He’snotbossthereanymore。Hisresponsibilityisover。Heisjustoneofusagain，takingordersfromaforemantheytellmehasshowedpartialitytoTrampasmore’nafewtimes。Partiality！That’swhatTrampasisplainlytrustingto。Trustingitwillfixhimallrightandfixhisenemyallwrong。He’dnototherwisedaretokeepsourlikehe’sdoing。Partiality！D’yu’thinkit’llscareofftheenemy？“
　　ScipiolookedacrossalittlecreektowheretheVirginianwashelpingthrewthegatheredcattleonthebedground。“Whatodds“——hepointedthefrying-panattheSoutherner——“d’yu’figureTrampas’sbeingunderanyforeman’swingwillmaketoamanlikehim？He’sgoingtorememberMr。Trampasandhisspite-workifhe’sgottotearhimoutfromunderthewing，andmaybetearoffthewingintheoperation。AndIamgoin’toadviseyourfolks，“
　　endedthecompleteScipio，“nottoleaveyoutravelsomuchalone——nottillyou’velearnedmorelife。“
　　Hehadmademefeelmyinexperience，convincedmeofinnocence，undoubtedly；andduringthefinaldaysofourjourneyInolongerinvokedhisaidtomyreflectionsuponthisespecialtopic:WhatwouldtheVirginiandotoTrampas？Woulditbeanotherintellectualcrushingofhim，likethefrogstory，orwouldtherebesomethingthistimemorematerial——saymuscle，orpossiblygunpowder——init？AndwasScipio，afterall，infallible？Ididn’tpretendtounderstandtheVirginian；afterseveralyears’
　　knowledgeofhimheremainedutterlybeyondme。Scipio’sexperiencewasnotyetthreeweekslong。SoIlethimaloneastoallthis，discussingwithhimmostotherthingsgoodandevilintheworld，andbeingconvincedofmuchfurtherinnocence；forScipio’stwentyoddyearswereindeedalibraryoflife。Ihavenevermetabetterheart，ashrewderwit，andloosermorals，withyetanativesenseofdecencyanddutysomewherehardandfastenshrined。
　　ButallthewhileIwaswonderingabouttheVirginian:eatingwithhim，sleepingwithhimonlynotsosoundashedid，andridingbesidehimoftenformanyhours。
　　ExperimentsinconversationIdidmake——andfailed。Onedayparticularlywhile，afterasuddenstormofhailhadchilledtheearthnumbandwhitelikewinterinfifteenminutes，wesatdryingandwarmingourselvesbyafirethatwebuilt，ItoucheduponthatthemeofequalityonwhichIknewhimtoholdopinionsasstrongasmine。“Oh，“hewouldreply，and“Cert’nly“；andwhenIaskedhimwhatitwasinamanthatmadehimaleaderofmen，heshookhisheadandpuffedhispipe。Sothen，noticinghowthesunhadbroughttheearthinhalfanhourbackfromwintertosummeragain，IspokeofourAmericanclimate。
　　Itwasapotentdrug，Isaid，formillionstobeswallowingeveryday。
　　“Yes，“saidhe，wipingthedampfromhisWinchesterrifle。
　　OurAmericanclimate，Isaid，hadworkedremarkablechanges，atleast。
　　“Yes，“hesaid；anddidnotaskwhattheywere。
　　SoIhadtotellhim。“IthasmadesuccessfulpolitciansoftheIrish。That’sone。Andithasgivenourwholeracethehabitofpoker。“
　　BangwenthisWinchester。Thebulletstruckclosetomyleft。I
　　satupangrily。
　　“That’sthefirstfoolishthingIeversawyoudo！Isaid。
　　“Yes，“hedrawledslowly，“I’doughttohavedoneitsooner。Hewasprettynearlivelyagain。“Andthenhepickeduparattlesnakesixfeetbehindme。Ithadbeennumbedbythehail，partrevivedbythesun，andhehadshotitsheadoff。
　　AfterthisIgaveupmyexperimentsinconversation。Sothatbythefinalafternoonofourjourney，withSunkCreekactuallyinsight，andthegreatgrasshoppersslattingtheirdrysongoverthesage-brush，andthetimeathandwhentheVirginianandTrampaswouldbe“mantoman，“mythoughtsrosetoaconsiderablepitchofspeculation。
　　AndnowthattalkingpartoftheVirginian，whichhadbeenninedaysasleep，gaveitsfirstyawnandstretchofwaking。Withoutpreface，hesuddenlyaskedme，“Wouldyoubeaparson？“
　　IwasmentallysofarawaythatIcouldn’tgetbackintimetocomprehendoranswerbeforehehadrepeated:“Whatwouldyu’taketobeaparson？“
　　Hedrawleditoutinhisgentleway，preciselyasifnoninedaysstoodbetweenitandourlastrealintercourse。
　　“Take？“Iwasstillvaguelymovinginmydistance。“How？“
　　Hisnextquestionbroughtmehome。
　　“IexpectthePope’sisthebiggestofthemparsonjobs？“
　　Itwaswithan“Oh！“thatInowentirelytookhisidea。“Well，yes；decidedlythebiggest。“
　　“BeatstheEnglishone？Archbishop——ain’tit？——ofCanterbury？ThePopecomesaheadofhim？“
　　“HisHolinesswouldsaysoifhisGracedidnot。“
　　TheVirginianturnedhalfinhissaddletoseemyface——Iwas，atthemoment，ridingnotquiteabreastofhim——andIsawthegleamofhisteethbeneathhismustache。ItwasseldomIcouldmakehimsmile，eventothisslightextent。Buthiseyesgrew，withhisnextwords，remoteagainintheirspeculation。
　　“HisHolinessandhisGrace。NowifIwastohear’emnamin’methat-a-wayeverymawnin’，I’dsca’celygetdowntobusiness。“
　　“Oh，you’dgetusedtotheprideofit。“
　　“’Tisn’tthepride。Thelaughiswhatwouldruinme。’Twouldtake’mostallmyattentionkeepingastraightface。TheArchbishop“——herehetookoneofhiswidementalturns——“isapttobeabigmaninthemShakespeareplays。Kingstaketalkfromhimthey’dnotstandfromanybodyelse；andhetalksfine，frequently。Aboutthebees，forinstance，whenHenryisgoingtofightFrance。Hetellshimabeehiveissimilartoakingdom。I
　　learnedthatpiece。“TheVirginiancouldnothaveexpectedtoblushatutteringtheselastwords。HeknewthathissuddencolormusttellmeinwhosebookitwashehadlearnedthepieceWasnothercopyofKenilworthevennowInhischerishingpocket？Sohenow，tocoverhisblush，verydeliberatelyrecitedtometheArchbishop’sdiscourseuponbeesandtheirkingdom:
　　“’Wheresome，likemagistrates，correctathome……
　　Others，likesoldiers，armedintheirstings，Makelootuponthesummer’svelvetbuds；
　　WhichpillagetheywithmerrymarchbringhomeTothetent-royaloftheiremperor:
　　He，busiedinhismajesty，surreysThesingingmasonsbuildingroofsofgold。’
　　“Ain’tthatafinedescriptionofbeesa-workin’？’Thesingingmasonsbuildingroofsofgold！’Puts’emrightbeforeyu’，andispoetrywithoutbein’foolish。HisHolinessandhisGrace。Well，theycouldnothiremeforeithero’thosepositions。Howmanyreligionsarethere？“
　　“Allovertheearth？“
　　“Yu’canbeginwithourselves。RighthyehathomeIknowthere’sRomanists，andEpiscopals——“
　　“Twokinds！“Iputin。“AtleasttwoofEpiscopals。“
　　“That’sthree。ThenMethodistsandBaptists，and——“
　　“ThreeMethodists！“
　　“Well，youdothecountin’。“
　　Iaccordinglydidit，feelingmyrevolvingmemoryslipcogsallthewayround。“Anyhow，therearesafelyfifteen。“
　　“Fifteen。“Heheldthisfactamoment。“Andtheydon’tworshipawholeheapo’differentgodsliketheancientsdid？“
　　“Oh，no！“
　　“It’sjustthesameone？“
　　“Thesameone。“
　　TheVirginianfoldedhishandsoverthehornofhissaddle，andleanedforwarduponthemincontemplationofthewide，beautifullandscape。
　　“OneGodandfifteenreligions，“washisreflection。“That’sarightsmartofreligionsforjustoneGod。“
　　Thiswayofreducingitwas，ifobvioustohim，sonoveltomethatmylaughevidentlystruckhimasalouderandliveliercommentthanwasrequired。HeturnedonmeasifIhadsomehowpervertedthespiritofhiswords。
　　“Iain’treligious。Iknowthat。ButIain’tunreligious。AndI
　　knowthattoo。“
　　“SodoIknowit，myfriend。“
　　“Doyouthinkthereoughttobefifteenvarietiesofgoodpeople？“Hisvoice，whileitnowhadanedgethatcouldcutanythingitcameagainst，wasstillnotraised。“Thereain’tfifteen。Thereain’ttwo。There’sonekind。AndwhenImeetit，I
　　respectit。Itisnotprayingnorpreachingthathasevercaughtmeandmademeashamedofmyself，butoneortwopeopleIhaveknowedthatneversaidasuperiorwordtomeTheythoughtmoreo’