Спрут: Калифорнийская история

           Afterhisgraduation(hestoodalmostattheverytopofhisclass)hehadreturnedandobtainedthedegreeofcivilengineer.Thensuddenlyhehadtakenanotionthatapracticalknowledgeoflawwasindispensabletoamodernfarmer.Ineightmonthshedidtheworkofthreeyears,studyingforhisbarexaminations.Hismethodofstudywascharacteristic.Hereducedallthematerialofhistext-bookstonotes.Tearingouttheleavesofthesenote-books,hepastedthemuponthewallsofhisroom;then,inhisshirt-sleeves,acheapcigarinhisteeth,hishandsinhispockets,hewalkedaroundandaroundtheroom,scowlingfiercelyathisnotes,memorising,devouring,digesting.Atintervals,hedrankgreatcupfulsofunsweetened,blackcoffee.Whenthebarexaminationswereheld,hewasadmittedattheveryheadofalltheapplicants,andwascomplimentedbythejudge.Immediatelyafterwards,hecollapsedwithnervousprostration;hisstomach“gotoutofwhack,”andheallbutdiedinaSacramentoboarding-house,obstinatelyrefusingtohaveanythingtodowithdoctors,whomhevituperatedasarabbleofquacks,dosinghimselfwithapatentmedicineandstuffinghimselfalmosttoburstingwithliverpillsanddriedprunes.

           HehadtakenatriptoEuropeafterthissicknesstoputhimselfcompletelytorights.Heintendedtobegoneayear,butreturnedattheendofsixweeks,fulminatingabuseofEuropeancooking.NearlyhisentiretimehadbeenspentinParis;butofthissojournhehadbroughtbackbuttwosouvenirs,anelectro-platedbill-hookandanemptybirdcagewhichhadtickledhisfancyimmensely.