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Brown； already mentioned。 It is recorded in the Mississippi book； but
cannot be omitted here。 Somewhere down the river （it was in Eagle Bend）
Henry appeared on the hurricane deck to bring an order from the captain
for a landing to be made a little lower down。 Brown was somewhat deaf；
but would never confess it。 He may not have understood the order； at all
events he gave no sign of having heard it； and went straight ahead。 He
disliked Henry as he disliked everybody of finer grain than himself； and
in any case was too arrogant to ask for a repetition。 They were passing
the landing when Captain Klinefelter appeared on deck and called to him
to let the boat come around； adding：
〃Didn't Henry tell you to land here？〃
〃No； sir。〃
Captain。 Klinefelter turned to Sam：
〃Didn't you hear him？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
Brown said： 〃Shut your mouth！ You never heard anything of the kind。〃
By and by Henry came into the pilot…house； unaware of any trouble。 Brown
set upon him in his ugliest manner。
〃Here； why didn't you tell me we had got to land at that plantation？〃 he
demanded。
Henry was always polite； always gentle。
〃I did tell you； Mr。 Brown。〃
〃It's a lie。〃
Sam Clemens could stand Brown's abuse of himself； but not of Henry。 He
said： 〃You lie yourself。 He did tell you。〃
Brown was dazed for a moment and then he shouted：
〃I'll attend to your case in half a minute！〃 and ordered Henry out of
the pilot…house。
The boy had started； when Brown suddenly seized him by the collar and
struck him in the face。 ＇In the Mississippi book the writer states
that Brown started to strike Henry with a large piece of coal； but； in a
letter written soon after the occurrence to Mrs。 Orion Clemens； he says：
〃Henry started out of the pilot…house…Brown jumped up and collared him
turned him half…way around and struck him in the face！…and him nearly six
feet high…struck my little brother。 I was wild from that moment。 I left
the boat to steer herself； and avenged the insultand the captain said I
was right。〃＇ Instantly Sam was upon Brown； with a heavy stool； and
stretched him on the floor。 Then all the bitterness and indignation that
had been smoldering for months flamed up； and； leaping upon Brown and
holding him with his knees； he pounded him with his fists until strength
and fury gave out。 Brown struggled free； then； and with pilot instinct
sprang to the wheel； for the vessel had been drifting and might have got
into trouble。 Seeing there was no further danger； he seized a spy…glass
as a weapon。
〃Get out of this here pilot…house；〃 he raged。
But his subordinate was not afraid of him now。
〃You should leave out the 'here；'〃 he drawled； critically。 〃It is
understood； and not considered good English form。〃
〃Don't you give me none of your airs；〃 yelled Brown。 〃I ain't going to
stand nothing more from you。〃
〃You should say； 'Don't give me any of your airs；'〃 Sam said； sweetly；
〃and the last half of your sentence almost defies correction。〃
A group of passengers and white…aproned servants； assembled on the deck
forward； applauded the victor。
Brown turned to the wheel； raging and growling。 Clemens went below；
where he expected Captain Klinefelter to put him in irons； perhaps； for
it was thought to be felony to strike a pilot。 The officer took him into
his private room and closed the door。 At first he looked at the culprit
thoughtfully； then he made some inquiries：
〃Did you strike him first？〃 Captain Klinefelter asked。
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃What with？〃
〃A stool； sir。〃
〃Hard？〃
〃Middling； sir。〃
〃Did it knock him down？〃
〃Hehe fell； sir。〃
〃Did you follow it up？ Did you do anything further？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃What did you do？〃
〃Pounded him； sir。〃
〃Pounded him？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Did you pound him muchthat is； severely？〃
〃One might call it that； sir； maybe。〃
〃I am deuced glad of it！ Hark ye； never mention that I said that。
You have been guilty of a great crime； and don't ever be guilty of
it again on this boat； butlay for him ashore！ Give him a good
sound thrashing； do you hear？ I'll pay the expenses。 ＇〃Life on
the Mississippi。〃＇
Captain Klinefelter told him to clear out； then； and the culprit heard
him enjoying himself as the door closed behind him。 Brown； of course；
forbade him the pilothouse after that； and he spent the rest of the trip
〃an emancipated slave〃 listening to George Ealer's flute and his readings
from Goldsmith and Shakespeare； playing chess with him sometimes； and
learning a trick which he would use himself in the long after…yearsthat
of taking back the last move and running out the game differently when he
saw defeat。
Brown swore that he would leave the boat at New Orleans if Sam Clemens
remained on it； and Captain Klinefelter told Brown to go。 Then when
another pilot could not be obtained to fill his place； the captain
offered to let Clemens himself run the daylight watches； thus showing his
confidence in the knowledge of the young steersman； who had been only a
little more than a year at the wheel。 But Clemens himself had less
confidence and advised the captain to keep Brown back to St。 Louis。 He
would follow up the river by another boat and resume his place as
steersman when Brown was gone。 Without knowing it； he may have saved his
life by that decision。
It is doubtful if he remembered his recent disturbing dream； though some
foreboding would seem to have hung over him the night before the
Pennsylvania sailed。 Henry liked to join in the night…watches on the
levee when he had finished his duties； and the brothers often walked the
round chatting together。 On this particular night the elder spoke of
disaster on the river。 Finally he said：
〃In case of accident； whatever you do； don't lose your headthe
passengers will do that。 Rush for the hurricane deck and to the life…
boat； and obey the mate's orders。 When the boat is launched； help the
women and children into it。 Don't get in yourself。 The river is only a
mile wide。 You can swim ashore easily enough。〃
It was good manly advice； but it yielded a long harvest of sorrow。
XXVI
THE TRAGEDY OF THE 〃PENNSYLVANIA〃
Captain Klinefelter obtained his steersman a pass on the A。 T。 Lacey；
which left two days behind the Pennsylvania。 This was pleasant； for Bart
Bowen had become captain of that fine boat。 The Lacey touched at
Greenville； Mississippi； and a voice from the landing shouted：
〃The Pennsylvania is blown up just below Memphis； at Ship Island！ One
hundred and fifty lives lost！〃
Nothing further could be learned there； but that evening at Napoleon a
Memphis extra reported some of the particulars。 Henry Clemens's name was
mentioned as one of those； who had escaped injury。 Still farther up the
river they got a later extra。 Henry was again mentioned； this time as
being scalded beyond recovery。 By the time they reached Memphis they
knew most of the details： At six o'clock that warm mid…June morning；
while loading wood from a large flat…boat sixty miles below Memphis； four
out of eight of the