was　an　exchange　of　letters　agreeing　to　the　terms；　but　no　joint
  document　was　drawn　until　October　16　（1868）。＇　　My　percentage　is　to
  be　a　fourth　more　than　they　have　ever　paid　any　author　except　Greeley。
  Beecher　will　be　surprised；　I　guess；　when　he　hears　this。
  These　publishers　get　off　the　most　tremendous　editions　of　their　books
  you　can　imagine。　　I　shall　write　to　the　Enterprise　and　Alta　every
  week；　as　usual；　I　guess；　and　to　the　Herald　twice　a　week；
  occasionally　to　the　Tribune　and　the　magazines　（I　have　a　stupid
  article　in　the　Galaxy；　just　issued）；　but　I　am　not　going　to　write　to
  this　and　that　and　the　other　paper　any　more。
  I　have　had　a　tiptop　time　here　for　a　few　days　（guest　of　Mr。　Jno。
  Hooker's　familyBeecher's　relativesin　a　general　way　of　Mr。　Bliss
  also；　who　is　head　of　the　publishing　firm）。　　Puritans　are　mighty
  straight…laced；　and　they　won't　let　me　smoke　in　the　parlor；　but　the
  Almighty　don't　make　any　better　people。
  I　have　to　make　a　speech　at　the　annual　Herald　dinner　on　the　6th　of
  May。
  So　the　book；　which　would　establish　his　claim　to　a　peerage　in　the　literary
  land；　was　arranged　for；　and　it　remained　only　to　prepare　the　manuscript；　a
  task　which　he　regarded　as　not　difficult。　　He　had　only　to　collate　the　Alta
  and　Tribune　letters；　edit　them；　and　write　such　new　matter　as　would　be
  required　for　completeness。
  Returning　to　Washington；　he　plunged　into　work　with　his　usual　terrific
  energy；　preparing　the　copyin　the　mean　time　writing　newspaper
  correspondence　and　sketches　that　would　bring　immediate　return。　　In
  addition　to　his　regular　contributions；　he　entered　into　a　syndicate
  arrangement　with　John　Swinton　（brother　of　William　Swinton；　the　historian）
  to　supply　letters　to　a　list　of　newspapers。
  〃I　have　written　seven　long　newspaper　letters　and　a　short　magazine　article
  in　less　than　two　days；〃　he　wrote　home；　and　by　the　end　of　January　he　had
  also　prepared　several　chapters　of　his　book。
  The　San　Francisco　post…mastership　was　suggested　to　him　again；　but　he　put
  the　temptation　behind　him。　　He　refers　to　this　more　than　once　in　his　home
  letters；　and　it　is　clear　that　he　wavered。
  Judge　Field　said　if　I　wanted　the　place　he　could　pledge　me　the
  President's　appointment；　and　Senator　Corners　said　he　would　guarantee
  me　the　Senate's　confirmation。　　It　was　a　great　temptation；　but　it
  would　render　it　impossible　to　fill　my　book　contract；　and　I　had　to
  drop　the　idea。。。。
  And　besides　I　did　not　want　the　office。
  He　made　this　final　decision　when　he　heard　that　the　chief　editor　of　the
  Alta　wanted　the　place；　and　he　now　threw　his　influence　in　that　quarter。
  〃I　would　not　take　ten　thousand　dollars　out　of　a　friend's　pocket；〃　he
  said。
  But　then　suddenly　came　the　news　from　Goodman　that　the　Alta　publishers　had
  copyrighted　his　Quaker　City　letters　and　proposed　getting　them　out　in　a
  book；　to　reimburse　themselves　still　further　on　their　investment。　　This
  was　sharper　than　a　serpent's　tooth。　　Clemens　got　confirmation　of　the
  report　by　telegraph。　　By　the　same　medium　he　protested；　but　to　no　purpose。
  Then　he　wrote　a　letter　and　sat　down　to　wait。　　He　reported　his　troubles　to
  Orion：
  I　have　made　a　superb　contract　for　a　book；　and　have　prepared　the
  first　ten　chapters　of　the　sixty　or　eighty；　but　I　will　bet　it　never
  sees　the　light。　　Don't　you　let　the　folks　at　home　hear　that。　　That
  thieving　Alta　copyrighted　the　letters；　and　now　shows　no　disposition
  to　let　me　use　them。　　I　have　done　all　I　can　by　telegraph；　and　now
  await　the　final　result　by　mail。　　I　only　charged　them　for　50　letters
  what　（even　in）　greenbacks　would　amount　to　less　than　two　thousand
  dollars；　intending　to　write　a　good　deal　for　high…priced　Eastern
  papers；　and　now　they　want　to　publish　my　letters　in　book　form
  themselves　to　get　back　that　pitiful　sum。
  Orion　was　by　this　time　back　from　Nevada；　setting　type　in　St。　Louis。　　He
  was　full　of　schemes；　as　usual；　and　his　brother　counsels　him　freely。　　Then
  he　says：
  We　chase　phantoms　half　the　days　of　our　lives。　　It　is　well　if　we
  learn　wisdom　even　then；　and　save　the　other　half。
  I　am　in　for　it。　　I　must　go　on　chasing　them；　until　I　marry；　then　I　am
  done　with　literature　and　all　other　boshthat　is；　literature
  wherewith　to　please　the　general　public。
  I　shall　write　to　please　myself　then。
  He　closes　by　saying　that　he　rather　expects　to　go　with　Anson　Burlingame　on
  the　Chinese　embassy。　　Clearly　he　was　pretty　hopeless　as　to　his　book
  prospects。
  His　first　meeting　with　General　Grant　occurred　just　at　this　time。　　In　one
  of　his　home　letters　he　mentions；　rather　airily；　that　he　will　drop　in
  someday　on　the　General　for　an　interview；　and　at　last；　through　Mrs。　Grant；
  an　appointment　was　made　for　a　Sunday　evening　when　the　General　would　be　at
  home。　　He　was　elated　with　the　prospect　of　an　interview；　but　when　he
  looked　into　the　imperturbable；　square；　smileless　face　of　the　soldier　he
  found　himself；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　without　anything
  particular　to　say。　　Grant　nodded　slightly　and　waited。　　His　caller　wished
  something　would　happen。　　It　did。　　His　inspiration　returned。
  〃General；〃　he　said；　〃I　seem　to　be　a　little　embarrassed。　　Are　you？〃
  That　broke　the　ice。　　There　were　no　further　difficulties。　　＇Mark　Twain
  has　variously　related　this　incident。　　It　is　given　here　in　accordance　with
  the　letters　of　the　period。＇
  LXVI
  BACK　TO　SAN　FRANCISCO
  Reply　came　from　the　Alta；　but　it　was　not　promising。　　It　spoke　rather
  vaguely　of　prior　arrangements　and　future　possibilities。　　Clemens　gathered
  that　under　certain　conditions　he　might　share　in　the　profits　of　the
  venture。　　There　was　but　one　thing　to　do；　he　knew　those　peoplesome　of
  themColonel　McComb　and　a　Mr。　McCrellish　intimately。　　He　must　confer
  with　them　in　person。
  He　was　weary　of　Washington；　anyway。　　The　whole　pitiful　machinery　of
  politics　disgusted　him。　　In　his　notebook　he　wrote：
  Whiskey　is　taken　into　the　committee　rooms　in　demijohns　and　carried
  out　in　demagogues。
  And　in　a　letter：
  This　is　a　place　to　get　a　poor　opinion　of　everybody　in。　　There　are
  some　pitiful　intellects　in　this　Congress！　　There　isn't　one　man　in
  Washington　in　civil　office　who　has　the　brains　of　Anson　Burlingame；
  and　I　suppose　if　China　had　not　seized　and　saved　his　great　talents　to
  the　world　this　government　would　have　discarded　him　when　his　time　was
  up。　　＇Anson　Burlingame　had　by　this　time　become　China's　special
  ambassador　to　the　nations。＇
  Furthermore；　he　was　down　on　the　climate　of　Washington。　　He　decided　to　go
  to　San　Francisco　and　see　〃those　Alta　thieves　face　to　face。〃　　Then；　if　a
  book　resulted；　he　could　prepare　it　there　among　friends。　　Also；　he　could
  lecture。
  He　had　been　anxious　to　visit　his　people　before　sailing；　but　matters　were
  too　urgent　to　permit　delay。　　He　obtained　from　Bliss　an　advance　of　royalty
  and　took　passage；　by　way　of　Aspinwall；　on　the　sidewheel　steamer　Henry
  Chauncey；　a　fine　vessel　for　those　days。　　The　name　of　Mark　Twain　was
  already　known　on　the　isthmus；　and　when　it　was　learned　he　had　arrived　on
  the　Chauncey　a　delegation　welcomed　him　on　the　wharf；　and　provided　him
  with　refreshments　and　entertainment。　　Mr。　Tracy　Robinson；　a　poet；　long　a
  resident　of　that　southern　land；　was　one　of　the　group。　　Beyond　the　isthmus
  Clemens　fell　in　again　with　his　old　captain；　Ned　Wakeman；　who　during　the
  trip　told　him　the　amazing　dream　that　in　due　time　would　become　Captain
  Stormfield's　Visit　to　Heaven。　　He　made　the　first　draft　of　this　story　soon
  after　his　arrival　in　San　Francisco；　as　a　sort　of　travesty　of　Elizabeth
  Stuart　Phelps's　Gates　Ajar；　then　very　popular。　　Clemens；　then　and　later；
  had　a　high　opinion　of　Capt。　Ned　Wakeman's　dream；　but　his　story　of　it
  would　pass　through　several　stages　before　finally　reaching　the　light　of
  publication。　　＇Mr。　John　P。　　Vollmer；　now　of　Lewiston；　Idaho；　a
  companion　of　that　voyage；　writes　of　a　card　game　which　took　place　beyond
  the　isthmus。　　The　notorious　crippled　gambler；　〃Smithy；〃　figured　in　it；
  and　it　would　seem　to　have　furnished　the　inspiration　for　the　exciting
  story　in　Chapter　XXXVI　of　the　Mississippi　book。＇
  In　San　Francisco　matters　turned　out　as　he　had　hoped。　　Colonel　McComb　was
  his　stanch　friend；　McCrellish　and　Woodward；　the　proprietors；　presently
  conceded　that　they　had　already　received　good　value　for　the　money　paid。
  The　author　agreed　to　make　proper　acknowledgments　to　the　Alta　in　his
  preface；　and　the　matter　was　settled　with　friendliness　all　around。
  The　way　was　now　clear；　the　book　assured。　　First；　however；　he　must　provide
  himself　with　funds。　　He　delivered　a　lecture；　with　the　Quaker　City
  excursion　as　his　subject。　　On　the　5th　of　May　he　wrote　to　Bliss：
  I　lectured　here　on　the　trip　the　other　night；　over　1；600　in　gold　in　the
  house；　every　seat　taken　and　paid　for　before　night。
  He　reports　that　he　is　steadily　at　work；　and　expects　to　start　East　with
  the　completed　manuscript　about　the　middle　of　June。
  But　this　was　a　miscalculation。　　Clemens　found　that　the　letters　needed
  more　preparation　than　he　had　thought。　　His　literary　vision　and　equipment
  had　vastly　altered　since　the　beginning　of　that　correspondence。　　Some　of
  the　chapte