Mr. Royal Thatcher was too old and experienced a mountaineer to do aught
but accept patiently and cynically his brother Californian's method of
increasing his profits. As it was generally understood that any one
who came from California by that route had some dark design, the victim
received little sympathy. Thatcher's equable temperament and indomitable
will stood him in good stead, and helped him cheerfully in this
emergency. He ate his scant meals, and otherwise took care of the
functions of his weak human nature, when and where he could, without
grumbling, and at times earned even the praise of his driver by his
ability to "rough it." Which "roughing it," by the way, meant the
ability of the passengers to accept the incompetency of the Company.
It is true there were times when he regretted that he had not taken the
steamer; but then he reflected that he was one of a Vigilance Committee,
sworn to hang that admirable man, the late Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbilt, for certain practices and cruelties done upon the bodies of
certain steerage passengers by his line, and for divers irregularities
in their transportation.
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