Explanatory Notes
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Apparatus Notes
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Chapter XXI.
[begin page 177]
practicing.emendation
Click the thumbnail to see the illustrated chapter heading
Chapter XXI.emendation

It was after sun-up,historical collation now, but we went right on, and didn’t tie up. The king and the duke turned out,historical collation by and byhistorical collation, looking pretty rusty; but after they’demendation jumped overboard and took a swimhistorical collation it chippered them up a good deal. After breakfast the king heemendation took a seat on a corner of the raft, and pulled off his boots and rolled up his britches, and letalteration in the MS his legs dangle in the water, so as to be comfortable, and lit his pipe,alteration in the MS and went to getting his Romeo and Juliethistorical collation by heart. When he had got it pretty good, him and the duke begun to practice it togetherhistorical collation. The duke had to learn him over and over again, how to say every speech; and hehistorical collation made him sigh, and put his hand on his heart;historical collation and after ahistorical collation while he said he done it pretty well; “only,” he says, “you mustn’t historical collation bellow out ROMEO!historical collation that way, like a bullemendation—you must say it soft, and sick, and languishyemendation, so—R–o–o–meoemendation!—that isemendation the idea—historical collationfor Juliet’s a dear sweet mere child of a girl, you know,alteration in the MS and she don’t bray like a jackassemendation.”

Well, next they got out a couple of long swords that the duke madeemendation out of oak laths, and begun to practice the sword-fight—the duke called himself Richard IIIhistorical collation; and the way they laid on,historical collation and pranced around the raft was grand to see. But by and byhistorical collation the king tripped and fell overboard, and after that they took a rest, and had a talk about all kinds of adventures they’demendation had in other times along the river.

After dinner, the duke says—historical collation

[begin page 178] “Well, Capetexplanatory note, we’ll want to make this a first classhistorical collation show, you know, so I guess we’ll add a little more to it. We want a little something to answer encores with, anyway.”

“What’s onkores, Bilgewater?”

The duke told him;historical collation andemendation then saysalteration in the MShistorical collation

“I’ll answer by doing the Highland Flinghistorical collation or the Sailor’s Hornpipehistorical collation; and you—wellhistorical collation let me see—Ohistorical collation, I’ve got it—you can do Hamlet’s Soliloquyhistorical collation.”

“Hamlet’s which?”

“Hamlet’s Soliloquyhistorical collation, you know; the most celebrated thing in Shakspearehistorical collation. Ah, it’semendation sublime,emendation sublime! Always fetches the house. I haven’temendation got it in the book—I’ve only got one volume—but I reckon I can piece it out from memory. I’ll just walk up and down,historical collation a minute, and see if I can call it back from recollection’s vaults.”

hamlet’s soliloquy.

So he went to marching up and down, thinking—historical collationand frowning, horrible,historical collation every now and then; then he wouldalteration in the MS hoist upemendation his eyebrowsemendation; next he would squeezeemendation his hand on his forehead and stagger back [begin page 179] and kind of moanemendation; next healteration in the MS would sigh, and next he’demendation let on to drop a tear. It was beautiful to see him. By and byhistorical collation he got it. He told us to give attention. Then he strikes a most noble attitude, with one leg shoved forwardsemendation, and his armsalteration in the MS stretched awayalteration in the MS up,alteration in the MS and his head tilted back, lookingemendation up at the sky—historical collationand then he beginsalteration in the MS to rip and rave and grit his teeth—historical collationand after that, all through his speech he howled, and spread around, and swelled up his chest, and just knocked the spots out of any acting ever I see before. This is the speech—I learned it, easy enough, while he was learning it to the king:alteration in the MS

To be, or not to be:historical collation that is the bare bodkin
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would fardels bear, till Birnam woodhistorical collation do come to Dunsinane,
But that the fear of something after death
Murders the innocent sleep,
Great nature’s second course,
And makes us rather sling the arrows of outrageous fortune
Than fly to others that we know not of.
There’s the respect must give us pause:
Wakeemendation Duncan with thy knocking!alteration in the MS I would thou couldst;emendation
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The law’s delay, and the quietus which his pangs might takealteration in the MS emendation,
In the dead waste and middle of the night, when churchyards yawn
In customary suits of solemn black,
But that the undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns,
Breathes forth contagion on the world,
And thus the native hue of resolution, like the poor cat i’ the adage,
Is sicklied o’eremendation alteration in the MS with care,
And all the clouds that lowered o’er our housetopsemendation,
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.
’Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. But soft you, the fairalteration in the MS Ophelia:
Ope not thy ponderous and marble jaws,
But get thee to a nunnery—go!alteration in the MS emendation explanatory note

Well, the old man he liked that speech, and he mighty soon got it so he could do it first rate. It seemed like he was just born for it; and [begin page 180] when he had his hand in,historical collation and was excited, it was perfectly lovely the way he would rip and tear and rair up behind when he was getting it offhistorical collation.

The first chance we got, the duke heemendation had some show billshistorical collation printed; and after that, for two or three days,historical collation as we floated along, the raft was a mostemendation uncommon lively place, for there warn’t nothingemendation butalteration in the MS sword-fighting and rehearsingalteration in the MS—as the duke called it—going on,historical collation all the time. One morning, when we was pretty well down the State of Arkansaw, we come in sight of a little one-horse town in a big bendemendation explanatory note; so we tied up about three-quarters of a mile above it, in the mouth of a crickalteration in the MS which was shut inalteration in the MS like a tunnel by the cypress treeshistorical collation, and all of us but Jim took the canoe and went down there to see if there was any chance in that place for our show.

We struck it mighty lucky:historical collation there was going to be a circus there that afternoonemendation, and the country people was already beginning to come in, in all kinds of old shackly wagons, and on horses. The circus would leave before night, so our show would have a pretty good chance. The duke heemendation hired the court househistorical collation, and we went around and stuck up our bills. They read like this:emendation

SHAKSPEREAN REVIVALhistorical collation!!!alteration in the MS
Wonderful Attraction! historical collation

For One Night Only! historical collation

The World-renowned Tragedians,historical collation
David Garrick the Younger,
of Drury Lane Theatre, London,
and historical collation
Edmund Kean the Elder,
of the Royal alteration in the MS Haymarket alteration in the MS Theatre explanatory note,emendation Whitechapel emendation,
Pudding Lane, Piccadilly, London, and the
Royal Continental Theatres, emendation
In their sublime Shaksperean Spectacle entitled emendation
The Balcony Scene historical collation
in
ROMEO AND JULIEThistorical collation!!!
Romeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Garrick.
Juliet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Kean.
Assisted by the whole strength of the Company! emendation
New Costumes, New Scenery, New Appointments! alteration in the MS emendation

[begin page 181]
Also:historical collation
The thrilling, masterly and blood-curdling historical collation
BROAD-SWORD CONFLICThistorical collation
in Richard III.historical collation!!!
Richard III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mr. Garrick.
Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Kean.
Also:historical collation
(By Special Request,)historical collation
HAMLET’S IMMORTAL SOLILOQUY!!!historical collation
By the Illustrious Kean!
Done by him 300 Consecutive Nights in Paris! historical collation

For One Night Only!historical collation
On account of imperative Europeanemendation Engagements!historical collation

Admission 25 cents; children and servants 10 cents. explanatory note
emendation

Then we went loafing around the town. The stores and houses was most all old shacklyhistorical collation dried-up frame concerns that hadn’t ever been painted; they was set up threealteration in the MS or four foot aboveemendation ground on stilts, so as to be out of reach of the water when the river wasemendation overflowed. The houses had little gardens around them, but they didn’t seem to raise hardly anything in them but jimpson weeds, and sunflowersemendation, and ash-piles, and oldalteration in the MS curled-up boots and shoes, and pieces of bottles, and rags, and played-outalteration in the MS tin-ware. The fences was made of different kinds of boards, nailed on at different times; and they leaned every-which-wayemendation, and had gates that didn’t generlyemendation have but one hinge—a leather one. Some of the fences had been whitewashedemendation, some time or another, but the duke said it was in Clumbus’s time, like enough. There was generlyemendation hogs in the garden, and people driving them out.historical collation

All the stores was along one street. They had white domestichistorical collation awnings in front, and the country people hitched their horses to the awning postshistorical collation. There was empty dry-goods boxes under the awnings, and loafersalteration in the MS roosting on them all day long, whittling them with their Barlowemendation knives;historical collation and chawing tobacco, and gaping and yawning and stretching—a mighty ornery lot. They generlyemendation had on yellow straw hats most as wide as an umbrella, but didn’t wearemendation no coats noremendation waistcoatsalteration in the MS; they called one another Bill, and Buck, and Hank, and Johistorical collation, and Andy, and talked lazy and drawly, and used considerable many cuss-words. There was as many as one loafer leaning up [begin page 182] against every awning postalteration in the MS historical collation, and he mostemendation always had his hands in his britches pockets, except when he fetched them out to lend a chaw of tobacco or scratchemendation. What a body was hearing amongst them, all the time, was,historical collation

“Gimme a chaw ’vemendation tobacker, Hank.”

“Cain’t—alteration in the MSI hain’temendationgot but one chaw left. Ask Bill.”

Maybe Bill heemendation gives him a chaw; maybe he lies and says he ain’t got noneemendation. Some of thememendation kinds of loafers never has a cent in the world, nor a chaw of tobacco of their own. They get all their chawing by borrowing—they say to a fellow, “I wisht you’d len’alteration in the MS emendation me a chawalteration in the MS, Jack, I jist thisalteration in the MS minute give Ben Thompson the last chaw I had”—which isalteration in the MS a lie, pretty much every timeemendation; it don’t fool nobodyemendation butemendation a stranger; but Jack ain’t noemendation stranger, soemendation he says—

gimme a chaw.

You give him a chaw, did you? Sohistorical collation did your sister’s cat’s grandmotheremendation. You pay me back the chaws you’ve awreadyemendation borry’d off’nalteration in the MS me, Lafe Buckner, then I’ll loanalteration in the MS you one or two ton of it, and won’t charge you no back-intrustemendation, nuther.”

“Well, I did pay you back some of it wunst.”

[begin page 183] “Yes, you didemendation—’bout six chawsalteration in the MS. You borry’d store tobacker and paid back nigger-head.”

Store tobacco is flat,historical collation black plug, but these fellows mostly chawsemendation the natural leaf twistedalteration in the MS. When they borrow a chaw, they don’t generlyemendation cut it off with a knife, but theyemendation set the plug in between their teeth, and gnaw with their teeth and tug at the plug with their hands till they get it in two—then sometimes the one that ownsemendation the tobacco looks mournful at it when it’s handed backemendation, and says, sarcastic—

“Here, gimmeemendation the chaw, and you take the plug explanatory note.”

All the streets and lanes was justalteration in the MS mud, they warn’temendation nothing else but mudemendation—mud as black as tar, and nighemendation about a foot deep,historical collation in some places; and two or three inches deep in all theemendation places. The hogs loafed and grunted around, everywheres. You’d see a muddy sow and a litteralteration in the MS of pigs come lazying along the street and whollop herself right down in the way, where folks had to walk aroundemendation her, and she’dalteration in the MS emendation stretch outemendation and shutalteration in the MS her eyes, and wave her ears, whilst the pigs was milking heremendation, and look as happy as if she was on salaryemendation. And pretty soon you’d hear a loafer sing out, “Hi! so boy! sick him, Tige!” and away theemendation sow would go, squealing mostalteration in the MS horrible, with a dog or two swinging to each ear, and three or four dozen more a-comingemendation; and then you would see all the loafers get up and watch the thing out of sight, and laugh at the fun and look grateful for the noise. Then they’d settle back again,historical collation alteration in the MS till there was a dog-fight. There couldn’t anything wake them up all over, and make them happy all over, like a dog-fightemendation—unless it might be putting turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and seeingtextual note historical collation him run himself to death.historical collation

Onalteration in the MS the river front some of the houses was sticking out over the bank, and they was bowed and bent, and aboutemendation ready to tumble in. The people had moved out of them. The bankalteration in the MS wasemendation caved away under oneemendation corner of some others, and that corner was hanging over. Peopleemendation lived in them,historical collation yet, but it was dangersomeemendation, because sometimes a stripalteration in the MS of land as wide as a house caves in at a time.emendation Sometimes a beltalteration in the MS of land a quarter of a mile deep will start in and cave along and cave along till it all cavesemendation into the river in one summer.historical collation Such a town as that has to be always moving back, and back, and back, becauseemendation the river’s always gnawing at itexplanatory note.

The nearer it got to noon,historical collation that day, the thicker and thicker was [begin page 184] the wagons and horses in the streets, and more coming,historical collation all the time. Families fetched their dinners with them,historical collation from the country, and eat them in the wagons. Thereemendation was considerable whisky drinkinghistorical collation going on, and I seenalteration in the MS emendation three fights. By and by somebody sings out,—

“Here comes old Boggs!—in from the country for his little old monthly drunk—here he comes, boys!”

All the loafers looked glad—I reckoned they was used to having fun out of Boggs. One of them says—

“Wonder who he’s a gwyne to chaw up this time. If he’d a chawed up all the men he’s ben a gwyneemendation to chaw up in the last twenty year, he’d have considerbleemendation alteration in the MS ruputationalteration in the MS, now.”

Another oneemendation says, “I wisht old Boggs ’d threaten me—historical collation ’cuzalteration in the MS then I’d knowemendation I warn’t gwyne to die for a thousan’ year.”

Boggsalteration in the MS comesemendation a-tearing along on his horse, whooping and yelling like an Injun, and singing out—

Cleremendation the track, thar.emendation I’m on the wawalteration in the MS pathhistorical collation, and the price uvemendation coffins is a gwyne to raise.emendation

He was drunk, and weaving about in his saddle; he was over fifty yearemendation old, and had a very red face. Everybody yelled at him, and laughed at him, and sassed him, and he sassed back, and said he’demendation attend to them and lay them out in their regular turns, but he couldn’t wait,historical collation now, because he’d come to town to kill old Colonel Sherburn, and hisalteration in the MS motto was, “meat first, and spoon-vittlesemendation to top off on.”

He seeemendation me, and rode up and says—

“Whar’d you come f’memendation, boy? Youalteration in the MS prepared to die?”

Then he rode on. Iemendation was scaredemendation; but a man says—

Heemendation don’t mean nothing; he’s always a carryin’emendation on like that, when he’s drunk.alteration in the MS He’s the best-naturedest old fool in Arkansaw—never hurt nobodyemendation, drunk noremendation sober.”

Boggs rode up before the biggest store in town and bent his head down so he could see under the curtain of the awning, and yells—

“Come out here, Sherburn!—comehistorical collation out and meet the man you’ve swindled. You’re the houn’alteration in the MS I’m after, and I’m a gwyne to haveemendation you, too!”

a little monthly drunk.

And so he went on, calling Sherburn everything he could lay his tongue to, and the whole street packed with people listening and [begin page 185] laughing and going onemendation. By and byhistorical collation a proud lookinghistorical collation man aboutemendation fifty-five,historical collation—and he was a heap the best dressed man in that town, too—steps out of the store, and the crowd drops back on each side to let him come. He says to Boggs, mighty ca’memendation and slow—he says:emendation

I’memendation tired of this; but I’llemendation endure it tillemendation one o’clock. Till one o’clock, mind—no longer. If you open your mouth against me only once, after that time, you can’temendation travel so far but I will find you.”

Then he turns and goes in. The crowd looked mighty sober; nobody stirred, and there warn’t noemendation more laughing. Boggs rode off blackguarding Sherburn as loud as he could yell, all down the street;alteration in the MS and pretty soonemendation back he comes and stops before the store, still keeping it up. Some men crowded around him and tried to get him to shutalteration in the MS up, but he wouldn’t; they told himalteration in the MS it would be one o’clock in about fifteen minutes, and soemendation he must go home—he must go right away. But it didn’t do noemendation good. He cussed away, with all his might, and throwedemendation his hat down in the mud and rode over it,alteration in the MS and pretty soon away he went a-raging down the street againhistorical collation with his gray hair a flyinghistorical collation.alteration in the MS Everybody that could get a chance at him tried their bestemendation to coax him off ofemendation his horse soalteration in the MS they could lock him up and get him sober; but it warn’t noemendation use—up the street he would tear again, and give Sherburn another cussing. By and by,historical collation somebody says—

“Go for his daughter!—quick, go for his daughter; sometimes he’ll listen to her. If anybody can persuade him, she can.”

[begin page 186] So somebody started on a run. I walked down street a waysalteration in the MS, and stopped. In about five or tenalteration in the MS minutes, here comes Boggs again—but not on his horse. He was a-reeling across the street towards me, bareheaded,alteration in the MS withalteration in the MS a friend on both sidesemendation of him a-holthistorical collation of his arms and hurrying him along. He was quiet, and looked uneasyalteration in the MS; and he warn’temendation hanging back,historical collation any, but was doing some of the hurrying,historical collation himself. Somebody singsemendation out—historical collation

“Boggs!”

I looked over there to see who saidemendation it, and it was that Colonel Sherburn. He was standing perfectly still, in the street, and had a pistol raised,historical collation in his right hand,historical collation—not aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky. The same second,historical collation I seeemendation a young girl coming on the run, and two men with her. Boggs and the men turned roundemendation, to see who called him, and when they seeemendation the pistol the men jumped toalteration in the MS one side, and the pistol barrel come down slow and steady to a level—bothhistorical collation barrels cocked.emendation Boggsalteration in the MS throws up both ofemendation his handshistorical collation and says, “O Lord, don’t shoot!” Bang!emendation goes the first shotexplanatory note, and he staggers back,historical collation clawing at the air—bang!emendation goes the second oneemendation, and he tumbles backwards ontoemendation the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. That young girl screamed out, and comes rushing, and down she throws herself on her father, crying, and saying, “Ohistorical collation, he’s killed him, he’s killed him!” The crowd closed up around them, and shouldered and jammed one another, with their necks stretched, trying to see, and people on the inside trying toalteration in the MS shovealteration in the MS them back, and shouting, “Back, back! give him air, give him air!”

Colonel Sherburn he tossed his pistol onto the groundhistorical collation and turned around on his heelhistorical collation and walked off.

the death of boggs.

They took Boggs to a little drug store—historical collation thealteration in the MS crowd pressing around, just the same, and the whole town following, and I rushed and got a good place at the window, where I was close to him and could see in. They laid him on the floor, and put one large Bible under his head, and opened another one and spread it on his breast—but they tore open his shirt,historical collation first, and I seenemendation where one of the bullets went in. He made about a dozen long gasps, his breast lifting the Bible up when he drawed in his breath, and letting it down again when he breathed it out—and after that he laid still; he was dead. Then they pulled his daughter away from him, screamingalteration in the MS and [begin page 187] crying, and took her off. She was about sixteen, and very sweet and gentle-lookingemendation, but awful pale and scared.

Well, pretty soon the whole town was there, squirming and scrouging and pushing and shoving to get at the window and have a look, but people that had the places wouldn’t give them up, and folks behind thememendation was saying all the time, “Say, now, you’ve looked enough, you fellows; ’tain’temendation right,historical collation and ’tain’t fairemendation, for you to stay thar all the time, and neveralteration in the MS give nobodyemendation a chance; other folks has their rights,historical collation as well as you.”

There was considerable jawing back, so I slid out, thinking maybe there was going to be trouble. The streets was full, and everybody was excitedemendation. Everybody that seen the shooting was telling how it happened, and there was a big crowd packed around each oneemendation of these fellows, stretching their necks and listening. One long lanky manhistorical collation with long hair and a big white fur stove-pipeemendation hat on the back of his headhistorical collation and a crooked-handled cane, marked out the places on the [begin page 188] ground where Boggs stood, and where Sherburn stood—historical collation and theemendation people following him around from one place to t’other and watching everything he done, and bobbing their heads to show they understood, and stoopinghistorical collation a little and resting their hands on their thighs to watch him mark the places on the ground with his cane; and then he stood upalteration in the MS straight and stiff where Sherburnemendation had stood, frowning,historical collation and having his hat brimhistorical collation down over his eyes, and sung out, “Boggs!” and then fetched his cane down slow,historical collation to a level, and says “Bang!”alteration in the MS staggered backwards, says “Bang!” again, and fell down flat onemendation his back. The people that had seen the thingemendation said he done it perfectexplanatory note; said it was just exactly the way it all happened. Then as much as a dozen people got out their bottles and treated him.

Well, by and byemendation somebody said Sherburnemendation ought to be lynched. In about a minute everybody was saying it; so away they went, mad and yelling, and snatching down every clothes linehistorical collation they come to, to do the hanging with.emendation explanatory note

Historical Collation Chapter XXI.
  sun-up, (MS1b,A)  ●  sun-up (Cent) 
  out, (MS1b,A)  ●  out  (Cent) 
  by and by (MS1b Cent)  ●  by-and-by (A) 
  swim (MS1b)  ●  swim, (A Cent) 
  Romeo and Juliet (MS1b,A)  ●  “Romeo and Juliet” (Cent) 
  together (MS1b,A)  ●  not in  (Cent) 
  had . . . he (MS1b,A)  ●  not in  (Cent) 
  heart; (MS1b)  ●  heart, (A Cent) 
  a (MS1b Cent)  ●  not in  (A) 
  mustn’t  (MS1b)  ●  mustn’t (A Cent) 
  ROMEO! (MS1b)  ●  Romeo!  (A Cent) 
  idea— (MS1b)  ●  idea; (A Cent) 
  III (MS1b)  ●  III. (A Cent) 
  on, (MS1b,A)  ●  on  (Cent) 
  by and by (MS1b Cent)  ●  by-and-by (A) 
  says— (MS1b)  ●  says: (A) 
  first class (MS1b)  ●  first-class (A) 
  him; (MS1b)  ●  him, (A) 
  says— (MS1b)  ●  says: (A) 
  Fling (MS1b)  ●  fling (A) 
  Sailor’s Hornpipe (MS1b)  ●  sailor’s hornpipe (A) 
  well (MS1b)  ●  well, (A) 
  O (MS1b)  ●  oh (A) 
  Soliloquy (MS1b)  ●  soliloquy (A) 
  Soliloquy (MS1b)  ●  soliloquy (A) 
  Shakspeare (MS1b)  ●  Shakespeare (A) 
  down, (MS1b)  ●  down  (A) 
  thinking— (MS1b)  ●  thinking, (A) 
  frowning, horrible, (MS1b)  ●  frowning horrible  (A) 
  By and by (MS1b)  ●  By-and-by (A) 
  sky— (MS1b)  ●  sky; (A) 
  teeth— (MS1b)  ●  teeth; (A) 
  be: (MS1b)  ●  be; (A) 
  wood (MS1b)  ●  Wood (A) 
  in, (MS1b)  ●  in  (A) 
  rest, and . . . off. (MS1b,A)  ●  rest. (Cent) 
  show bills (MS1b,A)  ●  show-bills (Cent) 
  days, (MS1b Cent)  ●  days  (A) 
  on, (MS1b)  ●  on  (A Cent) 
  cypress trees (MS1b,A)  ●  cypress-trees (Cent) 
  lucky: (MS1b)  ●  lucky; (A Cent) 
  court house (MS1b,A)  ●  court-house (Cent) 
  SHAKSPEREAN REVIVAL (MS1b)  ●  Shaksperean Revival (A Cent) 
  Wonderful Attraction!  |  centered rule  (MS1b)  ●  Wonderful Attraction! (A Cent) 
  For One Night Only! centered rule  (MS1b)  ●  For One Night Only! (A Cent) 
  The World-renowned Tragedians, (MS1b)  ●  The world renowned tragedians, (A)  The world-renowned tragedians, (Cent) 
  David Garrick the Younger,  |  of Drury Lane Theatre, London,  |  and  (MS1b)  ●  David Garrick the Younger, of Drury Lane Theater,  |  London, and David Garrick the younger, of Drury Lane Theatre, London,  |  and (A)  David Garrick the Younger, of Drury Lane Theater,  |  London, and (Cent) 
  The Balcony Scene  (MS1b)  ●  The Balcony Scene (A Cent) 
  ROMEO AND JULIET (MS1b)  ●  Romeo and Juliet (A Cent) 
  Also:  (MS1b)  ●  Also: (A Cent) 
  The thrilling, masterly and blood-curdling  (MS1b)  ●  The thrilling, masterly, and blood-curdling (A Cent) 
  BROAD-SWORD CONFLICT (MS1b)  ●  Broad-sword conflict (A Cent) 
  in Richard III. (MS1b)  ●  In Richard III. (A Cent) 
  Also: (MS1b)  ●  also: (A)  Also (Cent) 
  (By Special Request,) (MS1b)  ●  (by special request,) (A)  (by special request): (Cent) 
  HAMLET’S IMMORTAL SOLILOQUY!!! (MS1b)  ●  Hamlet’s Immortal Soliloquy!! (A Cent) 
  By the Illustrious Kean!  |  Done by him 300 Consecutive Nights in Paris!  |  centered rule  (MS1b)  ●  By the Illustrious Kean!  |  Done by him 300 consecutive nights in Paris! (A Cent) 
  For One Night Only! (MS1b)  ●  For One Night Only, (A Cent) 
  Engagements!  |  centeredrule  (MS1b)  ●  engagements! (A Cent) 
  shackly (MS1b,A)  ●  shackly, (Cent) 
  The . . . out. (MS1b,A)  ●  not in  (Cent) 
  white domestic (MS1b Cent)  ●  white-domestic (A) 
  awning posts (MS1b)  ●  awning-posts (A Cent) 
  knives; (MS1b,A)  ●  knives, (Cent) 
  Jo (MS1b)  ●  Joe (A) 
  awning post (MS1b)  ●  awning-post (A) 
  time, was, (MS1b)  ●  time was  (A) 
  So (MS1b)  ●  so (A) 
  flat, (MS1b)  ●  flat  (A) 
  deep, (MS1b)  ●  deep  (A) 
  again, (MS1b)  ●  again  (A) 
  seeing (MS1b)  ●  see (A) 
  They . . . death. (MS1b,A)  ●  not in  (Cent) 
  them, (MS1b)  ●  them  (A Cent) 
  Sometimes . . . summer. (MS1b,A)  ●  not in  (Cent) 
  noon, (MS1b)  ●  noon  (A Cent) 
  coming, (MS1b)  ●  coming  (A Cent) 
  them, (MS1b,A)  ●  them  (Cent) 
  whisky drinking (MS1b)  ●  whiskey drinking (A)  whisky-drinking (Cent) 
  me— (MS1b)  ●  me, (A) 
  waw path (MS1b)  ●  waw-path (A) 
  wait, (MS1b)  ●  wait  (A) 
  —come (MS1b)  ●  Come (A) 
  By and by (MS1b)  ●  By-and-by (A) 
  proud looking (MS1b)  ●  proud-looking (A) 
  fifty-five, (MS1b)  ●  fifty-five (A) 
  again (MS1b)  ●  again, (A) 
  a flying (MS1b)  ●  a-flying (A) 
  By and by, (MS1b)  ●  By-and-by (A) 
  a-holt (MS1b)  ●  aholt (A) 
  back, (MS1b)  ●  back  (A) 
  hurrying, (MS1b)  ●  hurrying  (A) 
  out,— (MS1b)  ●  out— (A) 
  raised, (MS1b)  ●  raised  (A) 
  hand, (MS1b)  ●  hand  (A) 
  second, (MS1b)  ●  second  (A) 
  both (A)  ●  it had both (MS1b) 
  hands (MS1b)  ●  hands, (A) 
  back, (MS1b)  ●  back  (A) 
  O (MS1b)  ●  Oh (A) 
  ground (MS1b)  ●  ground, (A) 
  heel (MS1b)  ●  heels (A) 
  store— (MS1b)  ●  store, (A) 
  shirt, (MS1b)  ●  shirt  (A) 
  right, (MS1b)  ●  right  (A) 
  rights, (MS1b)  ●  rights  (A) 
  man (MS1b)  ●  man, (A) 
  head (MS1b)  ●  head, (A) 
  stood— (MS1b)  ●  stood, (A) 
  stooping (MS1b,A)  ●  stopping (Pfs1) 
  frowning, (MS1b)  ●  frowning  (A) 
  hat brim (MS1b)  ●  hat-brim (A) 
  slow, (MS1b)  ●  slow  (A) 
  clothes line (MS1b)  ●  clothes-line (A) 
Editorial Emendations Chapter XXI.
  practicing. (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b)  the sword-fight from richard iii. (Cent) 
  Chapter XXI. (A)  ●  not in (MS1b Cent) 
  practicing. (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b)  the sword-fight from richard iii. (Cent) 
  they’d (A Cent)  ●  they had (MS1b) 
  he (A Cent)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  bull (A Cent)  ●  bull-frog (MS1b) 
  languishy (A Cent)  ●  languishing (MS1b) 
  R–o–o–meo (A Cent)  ●  R-o-o- | meo (MS1b) 
  —that is (C)  ●  —that’s (MS1b)  that is (A Cent) 
  jackass (A Cent)  ●  trombone (MS1b) 
  made (A Cent)  ●  had made (MS1b) 
  they’d (A)  ●  they had (MS1b) 
  and (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  it’s (A)  ●  it is (MS1b) 
  sublime, (A)  ●  a sublime, thing, (MS1b) 
  haven’t (A)  ●  havent (MS1b) 
  hoist up (A)  ●  lift (MS1b) 
  eyebrows (C)  ●  eye- | brows (MS1b A) 
  squeeze (A)  ●  press (MS1b) 
  kind of moan (A)  ●  groan (MS1b) 
  he’d (A)  ●  he would (MS1b) 
  shoved forwards (A)  ●  put forward (MS1b) 
  looking (A)  ●  and looking (MS1b) 
  pause:  |  Wake (A)  ●  pause—wake (MS1b) 
  I would thou couldst; (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  take (A)  ●  make/take  (MS1b) 
  o’er (A)  ●  oe’r (MS1b) 
  housetops (A)  ●  house- | tops (MS1b) 
  go! (A)  ●  go. (MS1b) 
  he (A Cent)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  a most (A Cent)  ●  an (MS1b) 
  nothing (A Cent)  ●  anything (MS1b) 
  a big bend (A Cent)  ●  Council Bend (MS1b) 
  afternoon (Cent)  ●  after- | noon (MS1b A) 
  he (A Cent)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  this: extra line space  (A)  ●  this: no extra line space  (MS1b Cent) 
  Edmund Kean the Elder,  |  of the Royal Haymarket Theatre, (C)  ●  Thomas Kean the Elder,  |  of the Royal Haymarket Theatre, (MS1b)  Edmund Kean the elder, of the Royal Haymarket Theatre, (A)  Edmund Kean the Elder, of the Royal Haymarket  |  Theater, (Cent) 
  Whitechapel  (C)  ●  White- | chapel  (MS1b)  White- | chapel (A)  Whitechapel (Cent) 
  Pudding Lane, Piccadilly, London, and the Royal Continental Theatres, (C)  ●  Pudding Lane, Pic- | cadilly, London, and the  |  Royal Continental Theatres, (MS1b)  Pudding Lane, Piccadilly, London, and the | Royal Continental Theaters, (A)  Pudding Lane, Piccadilly, London, | and the Royal Continental | Theatres, (Cent) 
  new line In their sublime Shaksperean Spectacle entitled  (C)  ●  new line in their sublime Shaksperean | Spectacle entitled  (MS1b)  run in in their sublime  |  Shaksperean Spectacle, entitled (A)  run in In their sublime | Shaksperean Spectacle, | entitled (Cent) 
  Assisted by the whole strength of the Company!  (C)  ●  Assisted by the whole strength | of the company!  (MS1b)  Assisted by the whole strength of the Company! (A Cent) 
  New Costumes, New Scenery, New Appointments! centered rule  (C)  ●  New costumes, New scenery, | New appointments!  |  centered rule  (MS1b)  New Costumes, new Scenery, new Appointments! (A Cent) 
  On account of imperative European (A Cent)  ●  On account of imperative  |  European (MS1b) 
  Admission 25 cents; children and servants 10 cents.  |  centered rule extra line space  (C)  ●  Admission 25 cents; children  |  and servants 10 cents.  |  centered rule no extra line space  (MS1b)  Admission 25 cents; children and servants, 10 cents. extra line space  (A Cent) 
  above (A Cent)  ●  from the (MS1b) 
  was (A Cent)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  sunflowers (C)  ●  sun- | flowers (MS1b A) 
  every-which-way (C)  ●  every- | which-way (MS1b)  every which-way (A) 
  generly (A)  ●  generally (MS1b) 
  whitewashed (A)  ●  white- | washed (MS1b) 
  the duke . . . generly (A)  ●  there warn’t a fence in the lot old enough to remember about it. There was generally (MS1b) 
  Barlow (A Cent)  ●  barlow (MS1b) 
  generly (A)  ●  generally (MS1b) 
  but didn’t wear (A)  ●  and (MS1b) 
  nor (A)  ●  or (MS1b) 
  most (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  scratch (A)  ●  borrow one (MS1b) 
  ’v (A)  ●  of (MS1b) 
  hain’t (A)  ●  haint (MS1b) 
  Bill he (A)  ●  Bill (MS1b) 
  and says . . . none (A)  ●  about it and gets off (MS1b) 
  them (A)  ●  those (MS1b) 
  len’ (A)  ●  lend (MS1b) 
  pretty much every time (A)  ●  you see (MS1b) 
  nobody (A)  ●  anybody (MS1b) 
  but (A)  ●  if (MS1b) 
  no (A)  ●  a (MS1b) 
  so (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  grandmother (A)  ●  grand- | mother (MS1b) 
  awready (A)  ●  already (MS1b) 
  back-intrust (C)  ●  back-intrust (MS1b)  back intrust (A) 
  did (A)  ●  did  (MS1b) 
  chaws (A)  ●  chaw (MS1b) 
  generly (A)  ●  generally (MS1b) 
  they (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  one that owns (A)  ●  owner of (MS1b) 
  back (A)  ●  back to him (MS1b) 
  gimme (A)  ●  gimme  (MS1b) 
  they warn’t (A)  ●  and (MS1b) 
  but mud (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  nigh (A)  ●  near (MS1b) 
  the (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  around (A)  ●  out around (MS1b) 
  she’d (A)  ●  she would (MS1b) 
  out (C)  ●  and out (MS1b)  out, (A) 
  milking her (A)  ●  sucking (MS1b) 
  on salary (A)  ●  in the kingdom (MS1b) 
  the (A)  ●  that (MS1b) 
  a-coming (A)  ●  a- | coming (MS1b) 
  dog-fight (A)  ●  dog- | fight (MS1b) 
  about (A Cent)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  was (A Cent)  ●  had (MS1b) 
  one (A Cent)  ●  a (MS1b) 
  over. People (A Cent)  ●  over.— ||  Peopled (MS1b) 
  dangersome (A Cent)  ●  danger- | some (MS1b) 
  time. (A Cent)  ●  time.— |   (MS1b) 
  start . . . caves (A)  ●  cave (MS1b) 
  and back, and back, because (A Cent)  ●  to save itself; (MS1b) 
  wagons. There (A Cent)  ●  wagons.— |  There (MS1b) 
  seen (A Cent)  ●  saw (MS1b) 
  gwyne (A)  ●  gwyne  (MS1b) 
  considerble (A)  ●  considable (MS1b) 
  one (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  know (A)  ●  know  (MS1b) 
  comes (A)  ●  come (MS1b) 
  Cler (A)  ●  Clar (MS1b) 
  thar. (A)  ●  thar! (MS1b) 
  uv (A)  ●  of (MS1b) 
  raise. (A)  ●  rise! (MS1b) 
  year (A)  ●  years (MS1b) 
  he’d (A)  ●  he would (MS1b) 
  spoon-vittles (C)  ●  spoon- | vittles (MS1b)  spoon vittles (A) 
  see (A)  ●  saw (MS1b) 
  f’m (A)  ●  from (MS1b) 
  on. I (A)  ●  on.— |  I (MS1b) 
  scared (A)  ●  most scared to death (MS1b) 
  He (A)  ●  He  (MS1b) 
  carryin’ (A)  ●  carrying (MS1b) 
  hurt nobody (A)  ●  hurts anybody (MS1b) 
  nor (A)  ●  or (MS1b) 
  have (A)  ●  have  (MS1b) 
  and going on (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  about (A)  ●  of about (MS1b) 
  ca’m (A)  ●  calm (MS1b) 
  he says: (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  I’m (A)  ●  I am (MS1b) 
  I’ll (A)  ●  I will (MS1b) 
  till (A)  ●  until (MS1b) 
  can’t (A)  ●  cannot (MS1b) 
  warn’t no (A)  ●  wasn’t any (MS1b) 
  pretty soon (A)  ●  presently (MS1b) 
  so (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  no (A)  ●  any (MS1b) 
  and throwed (A)  ●  throwed (MS1b) 
  their best (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  of (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  no (A)  ●  any (MS1b) 
  both sides (A)  ●  each side (MS1b) 
  warn’t (A)  ●  wasn’t (MS1b) 
  Somebody sings (A)  ●  I heard somebody sing (MS1b) 
  said (A)  ●  it was that said (MS1b) 
  see (A)  ●  saw (MS1b) 
  round (A)  ●  around (MS1b) 
  they see (A)  ●  they saw (MS1b) 
  cocked. (A)  ●  cocked— (MS1b) 
  both of (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  Bang! (A)  ●  —bang (MS1b) 
  bang! (A)  ●  bang  (MS1b) 
  one (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  onto (A)  ●  to (MS1b) 
  seen (A)  ●  saw (MS1b) 
  gentle-looking (A)  ●  gentle-looking and pretty (MS1b) 
  them (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  fellows; ’tain’t (C)  ●  fellows; t’ain’t (MS1b)  fellows; ’taint (A) 
  ’tain’t fair (C)  ●  t’ain’t fair (MS1b)  ’taint fair (A) 
  nobody (A)  ●  anybody else (MS1b) 
  was excited (A)  ●  excited (MS1b) 
  one (A)  ●  not in  (MS1b) 
  stove-pipe (A)  ●  stove- | pipe (MS1b) 
  and the (A)  ●  the (MS1b) 
  Sherburn (A)  ●  Sherburne (MS1b) 
  on (A)  ●  of (MS1b) 
  thing (A)  ●  thing all (MS1b) 
  by and by (MS1b)  ●  by-and-by (A) 
  Sherburn (A)  ●  Sherburne (MS1b) 
  with. (A)  ●  with. But they was too late. Sherburn’s friends had got him away, long ago. (MS1b) 
Alterations in the Manuscript Chapter XXI.
 let] written over ‘h’.
 and . . . pipe,] interlined.
 you know,] interlined.
 says] follows ‘he’ canceled in pencil.
 would] followed by canceled ‘ef’ or ‘lf’.
 next he] ‘next’ written over what appears to be partly formed ‘h’.
 and his arms] follows canceled ‘and his aw’.
 away] followed by a canceled comma.
 up,] the comma mended from a period.
 begins] originally ‘bi’; ‘i’ mended to ‘e’ and ‘gins’ added.
 king:] followed by one-half page left blank.
 To . . . go!] the MS reads ‘To . . . go.’ (emended). These four MS pages were originally numbered 1–4 in the upper right corners. Although Mark Twain wrote them on the same paper and in the same ink as the surrounding pages, he probably wrote them first, out of sequence, intending to incorporate them into the MS where appropriate. When he did so, he numbered them 618–21, resuming the story after the end of the soliloquy, near the top of page 621.
 knocking!] originally ‘noise!’; ‘knocking’ interlined and canceled without a caret above canceled ‘noise!’; ‘knocking!’ added on the line.
 take] alternate reading: interlined in pencil without a caret above uncanceled ‘make’ (emended).
 o’er] originally ‘oe’r’; the apostrophe canceled and interlined without a caret following ‘o’.
 fair] written over ‘F’.
 but] written over partly formed ‘v’.
 rehearsing] follows canceled ‘he’.
 crick] followed by a canceled comma.
 in] followed by canceled ‘and dim’.
 SHAKSPEREAN REVIVAL!!!] squeezed in.
  Royal] interlined.
  Haymarket] followed by a canceled comma.
  Appointments!] the following centered rule squeezed in.
 three] follows canceled ‘on’.
 old] follows canceled ‘an’.
 played-out] follows canceled ‘smashed’; originally ‘play-out’; ‘ed’ interlined.
 loafers] follows canceled ‘mangy’.
 waistcoats] originally ‘wait’; ‘s’ mended from ‘t’ and ‘tcoats’ added.
 post] originally ‘posts’; the final ‘s’ canceled.
 “Cain’t—] follows canceled [¶] ‘ “I hain’.
 len’] the MS reads ‘lend’ (emended); interlined above canceled ‘let’.
 a chaw] ‘a’ interlined above canceled ‘have jist one’.
 this] follows canceled ‘this minit’.
 is] followed by canceled ‘gl’.
 off’n] follows canceled ‘off’.
 loan] follows canceled ‘len’.
 chaws] the MS reads ‘chaw’ (emended); followed by canceled ‘twist’.
 twisted] follows canceled ‘th’ or ‘tw’.
 just] follows canceled ‘just’.
 litter] follows canceled ‘littl’ with the second ‘I’ partly formed.
 she’d] the MS reads ‘she would’ (emended); interlined.
 shut] follows canceled ‘shet’ with the ‘t’ partly formed.
 most] interlined.
 again,] the comma mended from a period.
 On] follows canceled [¶] ‘That town’.
 The bank] follows canceled ‘Some’.
 strip] originally ‘strips’; the final ‘s’ canceled.
 belt] originally ‘bet’; ‘1’ mended from ‘t’ and the final ‘t’ added.
 seen] the MS reads ‘saw’ (emended); follows canceled ‘sw’.
 considerble] the MS reads ‘considable’ (emended); originally ‘considerable’; ‘er’ canceled in pencil.
 ruputation] follows canceled ‘rep’, which is written over ‘rup’.
 ’cuz] interlined above canceled ‘ ’case’.
 Boggs] originally ‘Bog’s’; the first ‘g’ added and the apostrophe canceled.
 waw] interlined above canceled ‘war’.
 his] originally ‘he’; ‘is’ mended from ‘e’.
 You] originally ‘Is you’; ‘Is’ canceled and ‘Y’ written over ‘y’.
 that, when he’s drunk.] originally ‘that.’; ‘when he’s drunk.’ interlined and the period following ‘that’ mended to a comma.
 houn’] interlined above canceled ‘man’.
 street;] the semicolon possibly mended from a comma.
 shut] followed by partly formed canceled ‘h’.
 him] interlined.
 throwed . . . it,] interlined.
 again . . . flying.] originally ‘again.’; ‘with his gray hair a-flying.’ interlined, canceled and interlined again without the hyphen; all revisions in pencil; two periods inadvertently left standing.
 so] follows canceled ‘or’.
 a ways] follows canceled ‘a pie’.
 ten] follows canceled ‘tw’.
 bareheaded,] interlined in pencil.
 with] follows ‘bareheaded, and his gray hair blowing in the wind,’ interlined in ink and canceled in pencil.
 and looked uneasy] interlined; the preceding comma added.
 to] follows canceled ‘back’.
 Boggs] the first ‘g’ added.
 trying to] interlined.
 shove] originally ‘shoving’; ‘e’ written over canceled ‘ing’.
 the] originally ‘I’; ‘I’ mended to ‘t’ and ‘he’ added.
 screaming] originally ‘a-screaming’; ‘a-’ canceled.
 never] interlined above canceled ‘nuvver’.
 up] follows canceled ‘where’.
  “Bang!”] originally ‘ “ban’; ‘ “Bang!” ’ follows canceled ‘ “ban’; the closing quotation marks canceled and ‘. . .  . . . Bang!” ’ added; ‘ “Bang!” ’ follows canceled ‘ “Bang! . . .  . . . Bang!” ’.
Textual Notes Chapter XXI.
 seeing] As in the manuscript. The manuscript reads “There couldn’t anything wake them up all over, and make them happy all over, like a dog-fight—unless it might be putting turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and seeing him run himself to death.” While it is conceivable that Mark Twain might have made the change on the typescript from “seeing” to [begin page 827] the first edition’s reading, “see”, it is unlikely that he would have done so without further altering the sentence. The first edition reading is rejected as a corruption.
Explanatory Notes Chapter XXI.
 Capet] Thomas Carlyle, in The French Revolution (one of Clemens’s favorite books), reported that after Louis XVI was dethroned, the Revolutionists referred to him as Citizen Louis Capet. The Capets were a ruling family of medieval France.
 To be . . . go!] Although the duke claims he is reciting the soliloquy from Hamlet, 3:3, he disarranges it, intermingling lines from Macbeth and Richard III. Scrambled Shakespeare was a staple of nineteenth-century comedy and minstrelsy, and Hamlet was the most frequently lampooned Shakespearean play in the popular theater. Charles Mathews (1776–1835), a British comic actor, offered an “irresistibly laughable performance” as Hamlet to London audiences in 1811, and during an 1822–23 trip to America he impersonated a “black tragedian” who tried to recite Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy but similarly mangled it (Blair 1976, 6–7, 8). Dan Rice, an American circus clown whose performance Clemens enjoyed as a youth, also made comic use of Shakespeare (Kirkham, 17–19; Browne, 381–83; Wecter, 192). Mark Twain himself attempted several Shakespearean burlesques, including a fragmentary Hamlet travesty in 1881 (Berret 1985, 198–99; Hirsh, 254–55; S&B , 49–87).
 

pretty well down the State of Arkansaw . . . little one-horse town in a big bend] Mark Twain originally located this town, later called “Bricksville” (241.20), “in Council Bend” (MS1, 622), which was about 288 miles below Cairo, on the Arkansas side of the river (Bragg, 80, 86–87; James, 3–4). Eventually, probably on the typescript, he substituted “in a big bend” for “in Council Bend.” (Council Bend may have seemed too far north to be consistent with the raft’s progress, or perhaps Mark Twain again wanted to avoid using real names for places on the river.) He may have modeled Bricksville on Napoleon, Arkansas, 405 miles below Cairo at the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers, a busy commercial center with as many as a thousand inhabitants during the 1840s and 1850s (Bragg, 115). The principal evidence for this identification is Mark Twain’s working note: “The Burning Shame boys give bill of sale of Jim. at Napoleon, Ark.” (Mark Twain’s Working Notes, [begin page 435] working note 2-2, p. 475). Although he planned to locate the “Burning Shame” (the “Royal Nonesuch” of chapters 22 and 23) in Napoleon, he did not ultimately follow his plan to have the king and the duke sell Jim in the same place. In any event, Mark Twain seems to have borrowed some of Napoleon’s features for Bricksville: another working note, “an overflowed Arkansas town,” describes both. Although Napoleon was still extant when he was a river pilot, he undoubtedly knew that by the early 1870s it had been all but destroyed by the river (Mark Twain’s Working Notes, working note 2-7, p. 479; see the note to 183.37–38). His friend Ralph Keeler included an illustration of Napoleon in an article about the Mississippi, one of a series he wrote for Every Saturday in 1871: “You have a faithful representation of what is left of Napoleon, Arkansas. It used to have the reputation of being the wickedest town on the Mississippi; but the streets once vocal with the ‘sharp note of the pistol and the pleasing squeak of the victim’ have all caved into the river” (Keeler, 284). (The same illustration of Napoleon was appropriated for chapter 32 of Life on the Mississippi.) Mark Twain also remembered Napoleon’s reputation for lawlessness, describing it in chapter 32 of Life on the Mississippi as a “good big self-complacent town twenty years ago. . . . town of innumerable fights—an inquest every day” (SLC 1883a, 363; L4 , 485 n. 3; Thorpe 1855, 37; Blair 1960a, 305–6; Howell 1970, 199–202).

 SHAKSPEREAN REVIVAL . . . cents.] Mark Twain carefully marked his manuscript to recreate the eye-catching showbills of the period, with their varied type styles and sizes. Most of his markings for capitals, italics, and small capitals did not survive in the first edition, probably because the manuscript was typed on an all-capitals typewriter. His original styling is here restored. See Manuscript Facsimiles, pp. 572–73.
  Edmund Kean the Elder, of the Royal Haymarket Theatre] Edmund Kean (1787–1833) was a famous British actor who performed primarily at the Haymarket, Drury Lane, and Covent Garden theaters in London. He was sometimes called “the elder Kean” to distinguish him from his son, Charles John Kean (1811?–68), who was also an actor but considered a lesser talent.
 loafers . . . gimme the chaw, and you take the plug] Antebellum travel books and humorous writings were packed with depictions of lazy loafers in sleepy southern towns. Tobacco chewers resembling these occur in an often-reprinted 1844 sketch, “The Mystery Revealed,” by William T. Thompson, a Georgia humorist well-known to Clemens (Thompson, 60–61). The chaw and plug incident evidently derives from a western mining-camp anecdote (Eby, 11).
 because the river’s always gnawing at it] During his piloting years, Clemens undoubtedly saw many towns ravaged by the periodic Mississippi River floods. He wrote two other descriptions of river towns that were being destroyed by cave-ins. The first, dating from the late 1870s, is in a fragment called “Tupperville-Dobbsville”; the second is in the opening chapter of “Indiantown,” an unfinished novel he wrote in 1899 ( Inds , 24–26, 269–70; WWD , 151–55).
 Boggs throws up both of his hands . . . Bang! goes the first shot] The shooting of Boggs by Sherburn was based upon an actual incident that occurred in Hannibal in 1845, when Clemens was nine—the shooting of Sam Smarr by William Owsley. Clemens recalled in 1900, “I can’t ever forget Boggs, because I saw him die, with a family Bible spread open on his breast. . . . Boggs represents Smarr in the book” (SLC to Goodrich-Freer, 11 Jan 1900, ViU, noted by Howard Baetzhold). Smarr, whom one neighbor had called “as honest a man as any in the state” though “a little turbulent” when drunk, had on at least one occasion gone through Hannibal shooting his pistol, and had several times publicly insulted Owsley and also threatened his life. After the incident, an eyewitness recounted to Judge John Marshall Clemens that Owsley had called out, “ ‘You Sam Smar.’ Mr. Smar turned round, seeing Mr. Owsley in the act of drawing a pistol from his pocket, said Mr. Owsley dont fire, or something to that effect. Mr Owsley was within about four paces of Mr. Smar when he drew the pistol and fired twice in succession, after the second fire, Mr Smarr fell, when Mr. Owsley turned on his heel and walked off.” Smarr was carried into Orville Grant’s drugstore, where he died ( Missouri v. Owsley ; Wecter, 106–8; SLC [1900], 14–15).
 The people . . . said he done it perfect] In chapter 23 of A Tramp Abroad, Mark Twain recounts an incident he witnessed in Germany, after the fall of a boy: “All who had seen the catastrophe were describing it at once, and each trying to talk louder than his neighbor; and one youth of a superior genius ran a little way up the hill, called attention, tripped, fell, rolled down among us, and thus triumphantly showed exactly how the thing had been done” (SLC 1880a, 230).
 somebody said Sherburn ought to be lynched . . . to do the hanging with.] Lynching was a common practice in nineteenth-century America, especially in the South during Reconstruction, where it was rationalized as retaliation for alleged crimes, but really was a form of intimidation directed against blacks. Mark Twain had written an editorial in 1869 about the discovery that a young black man who had been lynched for rape was innocent: “A little blunder in the administration of justice by Southern mob-law; but nothing to speak of. Only ‘a nigger’ [begin page 437] killed by mistake—that is all. . . . But mistakes will happen, even in the conduct of the best regulated and most high toned mobs, and surely there is no good reason why Southern gentlemen should worry themselves with useless regrets, so long as only an innocent ‘nigger’ is hanged, or roasted or knouted to death, now and then” (SLC 1869b). When writing Huckleberry Finn, however, Mark Twain was aware that the violence he described was also rooted in genuine frustration with the southern judicial system. In a chapter written for—but excluded from—Life on the Mississippi, he wrote that southern juries “fail to convict, even in the clearest cases. That this is not agreeable to the public, is shown by the fact that very frequently such a miscarriage of justice so rouses the people that they rise, in a passion, and break into the jail, drag out their man and lynch him” (SLC 1944, 414). In 1880, before putting his manuscript aside for three years, Mark Twain ended this chapter with two additional sentences, just after the lynch mob arrives at Sherburn’s house, clothesline in hand: “But they was too late. Sherburn’s friends had got him away, long ago” (MS1, 663; see Manuscript Facsimiles, p. 574). Sometime later, Mark Twain wrote a note to himself, at the bottom of the manuscript page, about taking the episode in a different direction: “No, let them lynch him.” When he resumed writing in 1883, however, he decided to delete the two sentences about the colonel’s escape and instead began the next chapter with Sherburn confronting the mob.