ention of war or of any special excitement in New Orleans
--no forebodings as to national conditions.

Such things came soon enough: President Lincoln was inaugurated on the
4th of March, and six weeks later Fort Sumter was fired upon. Men began
to speak out then and to take sides.

It was a momentous time in the Association Rooms. There were pilots who
would go with the Union; there were others who would go with the
Confederacy. Horace Bixby was one of the former, and in due time became
chief of the Union River Service. Another pilot named Montgomery (Samuel
Clemens had once steered for him) declared for the South, and later
commanded the Confederate Mississippi fleet. They were all good friends,
and their discussions, though warm, were not always acrimonious; but they
took sides.

A good many were not very clear as to their opinions. Living both North
and South as they did, they saw various phases of the question and
divided their sympathies. Some were of one conviction one day and of
another the next. Samuel Clemens was of the less radical element. He
knew there was a good deal to be said for either cause; furthermore, he
was not then bloodthirsty. A pilot-house with its elevated position and
transparency seemed a poor place to be in when fighting was going on.

"I'll think about it," he said. "I'm not very anxious to get up into a
glass perch and be shot at by either side. I'll go home and reflect on
the matter."

He did not realize it, but he had made his last trip as a pilot. It is
rather curious that his final brief note-book entry should begin with his
future nom de plume--a memorandum of soundings--"mark twain," and should
end with the words "no lead."

He went up the river as a passenger on a steamer named the Uncle Sam. Zeb
Leavenworth was one of the pilots, and Sam Clemens usually stood watch
with him. They heard war-talk all the way and saw preparations, but they
were not molested, though at Memphis they basely escaped the blockade.
At Cairo, Illinois, they saw soldiers drilling--troops later commanded by
Grant. The Uncle Sam came steaming up toward St. Louis, those on board
congratulating themselves on having come through unscathed. They were
not quite through, however. Abreast of Jefferson Barracks they suddenly
heard the boom of a cannon and saw a great whorl of smoke drifting in
their direction. They did not realize that it was a signal--a thunderous
halt--and kept straight on. Less than a minute