mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第24部分

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this　vivid　dream：

He　saw　Henry；　a　corpse；　lying　in　a　metallic　burial　case　in　the　sitting…
room；　supported　on　two　chairs。　　On　his　breast　lay　a　bouquet　of　flowers；
white；　with　a　single　crimson　bloom　in　the　center。

When　he　awoke；　it　was　morning；　but　the　dream　was　so　vivid　that　he
believed　it　real。　　Perhaps　something　of　the　old　hypnotic　condition　was
upon　him；　for　he　rose　and　dressed；　thinking　he　would　go　in　and　look　at
his　dead　brother。　　Instead；　he　went　out　on　the　street　in　the　early
morning　and　had　walked　to　the　middle　of　the　block　before　it　suddenly
flashed　upon　him　that　it　was　only　a　dream。　　He　bounded　back；　rushed　to
the　sitting…room；　and　felt　a　great　trembling　revulsion　of　joy　when　he
found　it　really　empty。　　He　told　Pamela　the　dream；　then　put　it　out　of　his
mind　as　quickly　as　he　could。　　The　Pennsylvania　sailed　from　St。　Louis　as
usual；　and　made　a　safe　trip　to　New　Orleans。

A　safe　trip；　but　an　eventful　one；　on　it　occurred　that　last　interview　with
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　Pennsylvania's　boilers　had　suddenly　exploded　with
fearful　results。　　All　the　forward　end　of　the　boat　had　been　blown　out。
Many　persons　had　been　killed　outright；　many　more　had　been　scalded　and
crippled　and　would　die。　　It　was　one　of　those　hopeless；　wholesale
steamboat　slaughters　which　for　more　than　a　generation　had　made　the
Mississippi　a　river　of　death　and　tears。

Samuel　Clemens　found　his　brother　stretched　upon　a　mattress　on　the　floor
of　an　improvised　hospitala　public　hallsurrounded　by　more　than　thirty
others　more　or　less　desperately　injured。　　He　was　told　that　Henry　had
inhaled　steam　and　that　his　body　was　badly　scalded。　　His　case　was
considered　hopeless。

Henry　was　one　of　those　who　had　been　blown　into　the　river　by　the
explosion。　　He　had　started　to　swim　for　the　shore；　only　a　few　hundred
yards　away；　but　presently；　feeling　no　pain　and　believing　himself　unhurt；
he　had　turned　back　to　assist　in　the　rescue　of　the　others。　　What　he　did
after　that　could　not　be　clearly　learned。　　The　vessel　had　taken　fire；　the
rescued　were　being　carried　aboard　the　big　wood…boat　still　attached　to　the
wreck。　　The　fire　soon　raged　so　that　the　rescuers　and　all　who　could　be
saved　were　driven　into　the　wood…flat；　which　was　then　cut　adrift　and
landed。　　There　the　sufferers　had　to　lie　in　the　burning　sun　many　hours
until　help　could　come。　　Henry　was　among　those　who　were　insensible　by　that
time。　　Perhaps　he　had　really　been　uninjured　at　first　and　had　been　scalded
in　his　work　of　rescue；　it　will　never　be　known。

His　brother；　hearing　these　things；　was　thrown　into　the　deepest　agony　and
remorse。　　He　held　himself　to　blame　for　everything；　for　Henry's　presence
on　the　boat；　for　his　advice　concerning　safety　of　others；　for　his　own
absence　when　he　might　have　been　there　to　help　and　protect　the　boy。　　He
wanted　to　telegraph　at　once　to　his　mother　and　sister　to　come；　but　the
doctors　persuaded　him　to　waitjust　why；　he　never　knew。　　He　sent　word　of
the　disaster　to　Orion；　who　by　this　time　had　sold　out　in　Keokuk　and　was　in
East　Tennessee　studying　law；　then　he　set　himself　to　the　all　but　hopele