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Abe Curry〃and if the colonel happened to be away； he would talk with
Mrs。 Curry； a motherly soul （still alive at ninety…three； in 1910）； and
tell her of his Hannibal boyhood or his river and his mining adventures；
and keep her laughing until the tears ran。
He was a great pedestrian in those days。 Sometimes he walked from
Virginia to Carson； stopping at Colonel Curry's as he came in for rest
and refreshment。
〃Mrs。 Curry；〃 he said once； 〃I have seen tireder men than I am； and
lazier men； but they were dead men。〃 He liked the home feeling there
the peace and motherly interest。 Deep down； he was lonely and homesick；
he was always so away from his own kindred。
Clemens returned now to Virginia City； and； like all other men who ever
met her； became briefly fascinated by the charms of Adah Isaacs Menken；
who was playing Mazeppa at the Virginia Opera House。 All menkings；
poets； priests； prize…fightersfell under Menken's spell。 Dan de Quille
and Mark Twain entered into a daily contest as to who could lavish the
most fervid praise on her in the Enterprise。 The latter carried her his
literary work to criticize。 He confesses this in one of his home
letters； perhaps with a sort of pride。
I took it over to show to Miss Menken the actress； Orpheus C。 Ken's wife。
She is a literary cuss herself。
She has a beautiful white hand； but her handwriting is infamous； she
writes fast and her chirography is of the door…plate orderher letters
are immense。 I gave her a conundrum； thus：
〃My dear madam； why ought your hand to retain its present grace and
beauty always？ Because you fool away devilish little of it on your
manuscript。〃
But Menken was gone presently； and when he saw her again； somewhat later；
in San Francisco； his 〃madness〃 would have seemed to have been allayed。
XLV
A COMSTOCK DUEL
The successsuch as it wasof his occasional contributions to the New
York Sunday Mercury stirred Mark Twain's ambition for a wider field of
labor。 Circumstance； always ready to meet his wishes； offered
assistance； though in an unexpected form。
Goodman； temporarily absent； had left Clemens in editorial charge。 As in
that earlier day； when Orion had visited Tennessee and returned to find
his paper in a hot personal warfare with certain injured citizens； so the
Enterprise； under the same management； had stirred up trouble。 It was
just at the time of the 〃Flour Sack Sanitary Fund；〃 the story of which is
related at length in 'Roughing It'。 In the general hilarity of this
occasion； certain Enterprise paragraphs of criticism or ridicule had
incurred the displeasure of various individuals whose cause naturally
enough had been espoused by a rival paper； the Chronicle。 Very soon the
original grievance； whatever it was； was lost sight of in the fireworks
and vitriol…throwing of personal recrimination between Mark Twain and the
Chronicle editor； then a Mr。 Laird。
A point had been reached at length when only a call for bloodsheda
challengecould satisfy either the staff or the readers of the two
papers。 Men were killed every week for milder things than the editors
had spoken each of the other。 Joe Goodman himself； not so long before；
had fought a duel with a Union editorTom Fitchand shot him in the
leg； so making of him a friend； and a lame man； for life。 In Joe's
absence the prestige of the paper must be maintained。
Mark Twain himself has told in burlesque the story of his duel； keeping
somewhat nearer to the fact than was his custom in such writing； as may
be seen by comparing it with the account of his abettor and secondof
course； Steve Gillis。 The account is from Mr。 Gillis's own hand：
When Joe went away； he left Sam in editorial charge of the paper。
That was a dangerous thing to do。 Nobody could ever tell what Sam
was going to write。 Something he said stirred up Mr。 Laird； of the
Chronicle； who wrote a reply of a very severe kind。 He said some
things that we told Mark could only be wiped out with blood。 Those
were the days when almost every man in Virginia City had fought with
pistols either impromptu or premeditated duels。 I had been in
several； but then mine didn't count。 Most of them were of the
impromptu kind。 Mark hadn't had any yet； and we thought it about
time that his baptism took place。
He was not eager for it； he was averse to violence； but we finally
prevailed upon him to send Laird a challenge； and when Laird did not
send a reply at once we insisted on Mark sending him another
challenge； by which time he had made himself believe that he really
wanted to fight； as much as we wanted him to do。 Laird concluded to
fight； at last。 I helped Mark get up some of the letters； and a man
who would not fight after such letters did not belong in Virginia
Cityin those days。
Laird's acceptance of Mark's challenge came along about midnight； I
think； after the papers had gone to press。 The meeting was to take
place next morning at sunrise。
Of course I was selected as Mark's second； and at daybreak I had him
up and out for some lessons in pistol practice before meeting Laird。
I didn't have to wake him。 He had not been asleep。 We had been
talking since midnight over the duel that was coming。 I had been
telling him of the different duels in which I had taken part； either
as principal or second； and how many men I had helped to kill and
bury； and how it was a good plan to make a will； even if one had not
much to leave。 It always looked well； I told him； and seemed to be
a proper thing to do before going into a duel。 So Mark made a will
with a sort of gloomy satisfaction； and as soon as it was light
enough to see； we went out to a little ravine near the meeting…
place； and I set up a board for him to shoot at。 He would step out；
raise that big pistol； and when I would count three he would shut
his eyes and pull the trigger。 Of course he didn't hit anything； he
did not come anywhere near hitting anything。 Just then we heard
somebody shooting over in the next ravine。 Sam said：
〃What's that； Steve？〃
〃Why；〃 I said； 〃that's Laud。 His seconds are practising him over
there。〃
It didn't make my principal any more cheerful to hear that pistol go
off every few seconds over there。 Just then I saw a little mud…hen
light on some sage…brush about thirty yards away。
〃Mark；〃 I said； 〃let me have that pistol。 I'll show you how to
shoot。〃
He handed it to me； and I let go at the bird and shot its head off；
clean。 About that time Laird and his second came over the ridge to
meet us。 I saw them coming and handed Mark back the pistol。 We
were looking at the bird when they came up。
〃Who did that？〃 asked Laird's second。
〃Sam；〃 I said。
〃How far off was it？〃
〃Oh； about thirty yards。〃
〃Can he do it again？〃
〃Of course；〃 I said； 〃every time。 He could do it twice that far。〃
Laud's second turned to his principal。
〃Laird；〃 h