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that ever befell me。 Not on account of the wagesfor that is a
secondary consideration…but from the fact that the City of Memphis
is the largest boat in the trade； and the hardest to pilot； and
consequently I can get a reputation on her； which is a thing I never
could accomplish on a transient boat。 I can 〃bank〃 in the
neighborhood of 100 a month on her； and that will satisfy me for
the present （principally because the other youngsters are sucking
their fingers）。 Bless me！ what a pleasure there is in revenge！and
what vast respect Prosperity commands！ Why； six months ago； I could
enter the 〃Rooms；〃 and receive only the customary fraternal greeting
now they say； 〃Why； how are you； old fellowwhen did you get in？〃
And the young pilots who use to tell me； patronizingly； that I could
never learn the river cannot keep from showing a little of their
chagrin at seeing me so far ahead of them。 Permit me to 〃blow my
horn；〃 for I derive a living pleasure from these things； and I must
confess that when I go to pay my dues； I rather like to let the
d…d rascals get a glimpse of a hundred…dollar bill peeping out
from amongst notes of smaller dimensions whose face I do not
exhibit！ You will despise this egotism； but I tell you there is a
〃stern joy〃 in it。
We are dwelling on this period of Mark Twain's life； for it was a period
that perhaps more than any other influenced his future years。 He became
completely saturated with the river its terms； its memories； its
influence remained a definite factor in his personality to the end of his
days。 Moreover； it was his first period of great triumph。 Where before
he had been a subaltern not always even a wage…earnernow all in a
moment he had been transformed into a high chief。 The fullest ambition
of his childhood had been realizedmore than realized； for in that day
he had never dreamed of a boat or of an income of such stately
proportions。 Of great personal popularity； and regarded as a safe pilot；
he had been given one of the largest； most difficult of boats。 Single…
handed and alone he had fought his way into the company of kings。
And we may pardon his vanity。 He could hardly fail to feel his glory and
revel in it and wear it as a halo； perhaps； a little now and then in the
Association Rooms。 To this day he is remembered as a figure there；
though we may believe； regardless of his own statement； that it was not
entirely because of his success。 As the boys of Hannibal had gathered
around to listen when Sam Clemens began to speak； so we may be certain
that the pilots at St。 Louis and New Orleans laid aside other things when
he had an observation to make or a tale to tell。
He was much given to spinning yarns ＇writes one associate of those
days＇ so funny that his hearers were convulsed； and yet all the
time his own face was perfectly sober。 If he laughed at all； it
must have been inside。 It would have killed his hearers to do that。
Occasionally some of his droll yarns would get into the papers。 He
may have written them himself。
Another riverman of those days has recalled a story he heard Sam Clemens
tell：
We were speaking of presence of mind in accidentswe were always
talking of such things； then he said：
〃Boys； I had great presence of mind once。 It was at a fire。 An old
man leaned out of a four…story building calling for help。 Everybody
in the crowd below looked up； but nobody did anything。 The ladders
weren't long enough。 Nobody had any presence of mindnobody but
me。 I came to the rescue。 I yelled for a rope。 When it came I
threw the old man the end of it。 He caught it and I told him to tie
it around his waist。 He did so； and I pulled him down。〃
This was one of the stories that got into print and traveled far。
Perhaps； as the old pilot suggests； he wrote some of them himself； for
Horace Bixby remembers that 〃Sam was always scribbling when not at the
wheel。〃
But if he published any work in those river…days he did not acknowledge
it laterwith one exception。 The exception was not intended for
publication； either。 It was a burlesque written for the amusement of his
immediate friends。 He has told the story himself； more than once； but it
belongs here for the reason that some where out of the general
circumstance of it there originated a pseudonym； one day to become the
best…known in the hemispheres the name Mark Twain。
That terse； positive； peremptory； dynamic pen…name was first used by an
old pilot named Isaiah Sellersa sort of 〃oldest inhabitant〃 of the
river； who made the other pilots weary with the scope and antiquity of
his reminiscent knowledge。 He contributed paragraphs of general
information and Nestorian opinions to the New Orleans Picayune； and
signed them 〃Mark Twain。〃 They were quaintly egotistical in tone；
usually beginning： 〃My opinion for the benefit of the citizens of New
Orleans；〃 and reciting incidents and comparisons dating as far back as
1811。
Captain Sellers naturally was regarded as fair game by the young pilots；
who amused themselves by imitating his manner and general attitude of
speech。 But Clemens went further； he wrote at considerable length a
broadly burlesque imitation signed 〃Sergeant Fathom；〃 with an
introduction which referred to the said Fathom as 〃one of the oldest cub
pilots on the river。〃 The letter that followed related a perfectly
impossible trip； supposed to have been made in 1763 by the steamer 〃the
old first Jubilee〃 with a 〃Chinese captain and a Choctaw crew。〃 It is a
gem of its kind； and will bear reprint in full today。 ＇See Appendix B；
at the end of the last volume。＇
The burlesque delighted Bart Bowen； who was Clemens's pilot partner on
the Edward J。 Gay at the time。 He insisted on showing it to others and
finally upon printing it。 Clemens was reluctant； but consented。 It
appeared in the True Delta （May 8 or 9； 1859）； and was widely and
boisterously enjoyed。
It broke Captain Sellers's literary heart。 He never contributed another
paragraph。 Mark Twain always regretted the whole matter deeply； and his
own revival of the name was a sort of tribute to the old man he had
thoughtlessly wounded。 If Captain Sellers has knowledge of material
matters now； he is probably satisfied； for these things brought to him；
and to the name he had chosen； what he could never himself have achieved
immortality。
XXVIII
PILOTING AND PROPHECY
Those who knew Samuel Clemens best in those days say that he was a
slender； fine…looking man； well dressedeven dandifiedgiven to patent
leathers； blue serge； white duck； and fancy striped shirts。 Old for his
years； he heightened his appearance at times by wearing his beard in the
atrocious mutton…chop fashion； then popular； but becoming to no one；
least of all to him。 The pilots regarded him as a great reader
a student of history； travels； literature； and the sciencesa young man
whom it was an education as well as an entertainment to know。 When not
at the wheel； he was likely to be reading or