mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第21部分

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learning　the　river　was　no　light　task　Sam　Clemens　very　well　knew。
Nevertheless；　as　the　little　boat　made　its　drowsy　way　down　the　river　into
lands　that　grew　ever　pleasanter　with　advancing　spring；　the　old　〃permanent
ambition〃　of　boyhood　stirred　again；　and　the　call　of　the　far…away　Amazon；
with　its　coca　and　its　variegated　zoology；　grew　faint。

Horace　Bixby；　pilot　of　the　Paul　Jones；　then　a　man　of　thirty…two；　still
living　（1910）　and　at　the　wheel；　＇The　writer　of　this　memoir　interviewed
Mr。　Bixby　personally；　and　has　followed　his　phrasing　throughout。＇　was
looking　out　over　the　bow　at　the　head　of　Island　No。　35　when　he　heard　a
slow；　pleasant　voice　say：

〃Good　morning。〃

Bixby　was　a　clean…cut；　direct；　courteous　man。

〃Good　morning；　sir；〃　he　said；　briskly；　without　looking　around。

As　a　rule　Mr。　Bixby　did　not　care　for　visitors　in　the　pilot…house。　　This
one　presently　came　up　and　stood　a　little　behind　him。

〃How　would　you　like　a　young　man　to　learn　the　river？〃　he　said。

The　pilot　glanced　over　his　shoulder　and　saw　a　rather　slender；　loose…
limbed　young　fellow　with　a　fair；　girlish　complexion　and　a　great　tangle　of
auburn　hair。

〃I　wouldn't　like　it。　　Cub　pilots　are　more　trouble　than　they're　worth。
A　great　deal　more　trouble　than　profit。〃

The　applicant　was　not　discouraged。

〃I　am　a　printer　by　trade；〃　he　went　on；　in　his　easy；　deliberate　way。
〃It　doesn't　agree　with　me。　　I　thought　I'd　go　to　South　America。〃

Bixby　kept　his　eye　on　the　river；　but　a　note　of　interest　crept　into　his
voice。

〃What　makes　you　pull　your　words　that　way？〃　（〃pulling〃　being　the　river
term　for　drawling）；　he　asked。

The　young　man　had　taken　a　seat　on　the　visitors'　bench。

〃You'll　have　to　ask　my　mother；〃　he　said；　more　slowly　than　ever。　　〃She
pulls　hers；　too。〃

Pilot　Bixby　woke　up　and　laughed；　he　had　a　keen　sense　of　humor；　and　the
manner　of　the　reply　amused　him。　　His　guest　made　another　advance。

〃Do　you　know　the　Bowen　boys？〃　he　asked〃pilots　in　the　St。　Louis　and　New
Orleans　trade？〃

〃I　know　them　wellall　three　of　them。　　William　Bowen　did　his　first
steering　for　me；　a　mighty　good　boy；　too。　　Had　a　Testament　in　his　pocket
when　he　came　aboard；　in　a　week's　time　he　had　swapped　it　for　a　pack　of
cards。　　I　know　Sam；　too；　and　Bart。〃

〃Old　schoolmates　of　mine　in　Hannibal。　　Sam　and　Will　especially　were　my
chums。〃

〃Come　over　and　stand　by　the　side　of　me；〃　he　said。　　〃What　is　your　name？〃

The　applicant　told　him；　and　the　two　stood　looking　at　the　sunlit　water。

〃Do　you　drink？〃

〃No。〃

〃Do　you　gamble？〃

〃No；　Sir。〃

〃Do　you　swear？〃

〃Not　for　amusement；　only　under　pressure。〃

〃Do　you　chew？〃

〃No；　sir；　never；　but　I　must　smoke。〃

〃Did　you　ever　do　any　steering？〃　was　Bixby's　next　question。

〃I　have　steered　everything　on　the　river　but　a　steamboat；　I　guess。〃

〃Very　well；　take　the　wheel　and　see　what　you　can　do　with　a　steamboat。
Keep　her　as　she　istoward　that　lower　cottonwood；　snag。〃

Bixby　had　a　sore　foot　and　was　glad　of　a　little　relief。　　He　sat　down　on
the　bench　and　kept　a　careful　eye　on　the　course。　　By　and　by　he　said：

〃There　is　just　one　way　that　I　would　take　a　young　man　to　learn　the　river：
that　is；　for　money。〃

〃What　do　you　charge？〃

〃Five　hundred　dollars；　and　I　to　be　at　no　expense　whatever。〃

In　those　days　pilots　were　allowed　to　carry　a　learner；　or　〃cub；〃　board
free。　　Mr。　Bixby　meant　that　he　was　to　be　at　no　expense　in　port；　or　for
incidentals。　　His　terms　looked　rather　discouraging。

〃I　haven't　got　five　hundred　dollars　in　money；〃　Sam　said；　〃I've　got　a　lot
of　Tennessee　land　worth　twenty…five　cents　an　acre；　I'll　give　you　two
thousand　acres　of　that。〃

Bixby　dissented。

〃No；　I　don't　want　any　unimproved　real　estate。　　I　have　too　much　already。〃

Sam　reflected　upon　the　amount　he　could　probably　borrow　from　Pamela's
husband　without　straining　his　credit。

〃Well；　then；　I'll　give　you　one　hundred　dollars　cash　and　the　rest　when　I
earn　it。〃

Something　about　this　young　man　had　won　Horace　Bixby's　heart。　　His　slow；
pleasant　speech；　his　unhurried；　quiet　manner　with　the　wheel；　his　evident
sincerity　of　purposethese　were　externals；　but　beneath　them　the　pilot
felt　something　of　that　quality　of　mind　or　heart　which　later　made　the
world　love　Mark　Twain。　　The　terms　proposed　were　agreed　upon。　　The
deferred　payments　were　to　begin　when　the　pupil　had　learned　the　river　and
was　receiving　pilot's　wages。　　During　Mr。　Bixby's　daylight　watches　his
pupil　was　often　at　the　wheel；　that　trip；　while　the　pilot　sat　directing
him　and　nursing　his　sore　foot。　　Any　literary　ambitions　Samuel　Clemens　may
have　had　grew　dim；　by　the　time　they　had　reached　New　Orleans　he　had　almost
forgotten　he　had　been　a　printer；　and　when　he　learned　that　no　ship　would
be　sailing　to　the　Amazon　for　an　indefinite　period　the　feeling　grew　that　a
directing　hand　had　taken　charge　of　his　affairs。

》From　New　Orleans　his　chief　did　not　return　to　Cincinnati；　but　went　to　St。
Louis；　taking　with　him　his　new　cub；　who　thought　it　fine；　indeed；　to　come
steaming　up　to　that　great　city　with　its　thronging　water…front；　its　levee
fairly　packed　with　trucks；　drays；　and　piles　of　freight；　the　whole　flanked
with　a　solid　mile　of　steamboats　lying　side　by　side；　bow　a　little　up…
stream；　their　belching　stacks　reared　high　against　the　bluea　towering
front　of　trade。　　It　was　glorious　to　nose　one's　way　to　a　place　in　that
stately　line；　to　become　a　unit；　however　small；　of　that　imposing　fleet。
At　St。　Louis　Sam　borrowed　from　Mr。　Moffett　the　funds　necessary　to　make　up
his　first　payment；　and　so　concluded　his　contract。　　Then；　when　he　suddenly
found　himself　on　a　fine　big　boat；　in　a　pilot…house　so　far　above　the　water
that　he　seemed　perched　on　a　mountaina　〃sumptuous　temple〃his　happiness
seemed　complete。




XXIII

THE　SUPREME　SCIENCE

In　his　Mississippi　book　Mark　Twain　has　given　us　a　marvelous　exposition　of
the　science　of　river…piloting；　and　of　the　colossal　task　of　acquiring　and
keeping　a　knowledge　requisite　for　that　work。　　He　has　not　exaggerated　this
part　of　the　story　of　developments　in　any　detail；　he　has　set　down　a　simple
confession。

Serenely　enough　he　undertook　the　task　of　learning　twelve　hundred　miles　of
the　great　changing；　shifting　river　as　exactly　and　as　surely　by　daylight
or　darkness　as　one　knows　the　way　to　his　own　features。　　As　already
suggested；　he　had　at　least　an　inkling　of　what　that　undertaking　meant。
His　statement　that　he　〃supposed　all　that　a　pilot　had　to　do　was　to　keep
his　boat　in　the　river〃　is　not　to　be　accepted　literally。　　Still　he　could
hardly　have　realized　the　full　majesty　of　his　task；　nobody　could　do　that
not　until　afterward。

Horace　Bixby　was　a　〃lightning〃　pilot　with　a　method　of　instruction　as
direct　and　forcible　as　it　was　effective。　　He　was　a　small　man；　hot　and
quick…firing；　though　kindly；　too；　and　gentle　when　he　had　blown　off。
After　one　rather　pyrotechnic　misunderstanding　as　to　the　manner　of
imparting　and　acquiring　information　he　said：

〃My　boy；　you　must　get　a　little　memorandum…book；　and　every　time　I　tell　you
a　thing　put　it　down　right　away。　　There's　only　one　way　to　be　a　pilot；　and
that　is　to　get　this　entire　river　by　heart。　　You　have　to　know　it　just　like
A　B　C。〃

So　Sam　Clemens　got　the　little　book；　and　presently　it　〃fairly　bristled〃
with　the　names　of　towns；　points；　bars；　islands；　bends；　and　reaches；　but
it　made　his　heart　ache　to　think　that　he　had　only　half　of　the　river　set
down；　for；　as　the　〃watches〃　were　four　hours　off　and　four　hours　on；　there
were　long　gaps　during　which　he　had　slept。

The　little　note…book　still　existsthin　and　faded；　with　black　water…proof
coversits　neat；　tiny；　penciled　notes　still；　telling；　the　story　of　that
first　trip。　　Most　of　them　are　cryptographic　abbreviations；　not　readily
deciphered　now。　　Here　and　there　is　an　easier　line：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MERIWEATHER'S　BEND

　　　　　1/4　less　3　＇Depth　of　water。　　One…quarter　less　than　three
　　　　　fathoms。＇run　shape　of　upper　bar　and　go　into　the　low　place　in
　　　　　willows　about　200（ft。）　lower　down　than　last　year。

One　simple　little　note　out　of　hundreds　far　more　complicated。　　It　would
take　days　for　the　average　mind　to　remember　even　a　single　page　of　such
statistics。　　And　those　long　four…hour　gaps　where　he　had　been　asleep；　they
are　still　there；　and　somehow；　after　more　than　fifty　years；　the　old　heart…
ache　is　still　in　them。　　He　got　a　new　book；　maybe；　for　the　next　trip；　and
laid　this　one　away。

There　is　but　one　way　to　account　for　the　fact　that　the　man　whom　the　world
knew　as　Mark　Twaindreamy；　unpractical；　and　indifferent　to　detailsever
persisted　in　acquiring　knowledge　like　thatin　the　vast；　the　absolutely
limitless　quantity　necessary　to　Mississippi　piloting。　　It　lies　in　the
fact　that　he　loved　the　river　in　its　every　mood　and　aspect　and　detail；　and
not　only　the　river；　but　a　steam　boat；　and　still　more；　perhaps；　the
freedom　of　the　pilot's　life　and　its　prestige。　　Wherever　he　has　written　of
the　riverand　in　one　way　or　another　he　was　always　writing　of　it　we　feel
the　claim　of　the　old　captivity　and　that　it　still　holds　him。　　In　the
Huckleberry　Finn　book；　during　those　nights　and　days　with　Huck　and　Nigger
Jim　on　the　raftwhether　in　stormlit　blackness；　still　noontide；　or　the
lifting　mists　of　morningwe　can　fairly　〃smell〃　the　river；　as　Huck
himself　would　say；　and　we　know　that　it　is　because　the　writer　loved　it
with　his　heart　of　hearts　and　literally　drank　in　its　environment　and
atmosphere　during　those　halcyon　pilot　days。

So；　in　his　love　lay　the　secret　of　his　marvelous　learning；　and　it　is
recorded　（not　by　himself；　but　by　his　teacher）　that　he　was　an　apt　pupil。
Horace　Bixby　has　more　than　once　declared：

〃Sam　was　always　good…natured；　and　he　had　a　natural　taste　for　the　river。
He　had　a　fine　memory　and　never　forgot　anything　I　told　him。〃

Mark　Twain　himself　records　a　different　opinion　of　his　memory；　with　the
size　of　its　appalling　task。　　It　can　only　be　presented　in　his　own　words。
In　the　pages　quoted　he　had　mastered　somewhat　of　the　problem；　and　had
begun　to　take　on　airs。　　His　chief　was　a　constant　menace　at　such　moments：

　　　　　One　day　he　turned　on　me　suddenly　with　this　settler：

　　　　　〃What　is　the　shape　of　Walnut　Bend？〃

　　　　　He　might　as　well　have　asked　me　my　grandmother's　opinion　of
　　　　　protoplasm。　　I　reflected　respectfully；　and　then　said　I　didn't　know
　　　　　it　had　any　particular　sh