LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, Part 8
BY MARK TWAIN
Click on the Image to Enlarge
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXXVI. CHAPTER XXXVII. CHAPTER XXXVIII. CHAPTER XXXIX. CHAPTER XL. |
Chapter 36
The Professor's Yarn
IT was in the early days. I was not a college professor then.I was a humble-minded young land-surveyor, with the world beforeme—to survey, in case anybody wanted it done. I had a contractto survey a route for a great mining-ditch in California, and Iwas on my way thither, by sea—a three or four weeks' voyage.There were a good many passengers, but I had very little to sayto them; reading and dreaming were my passions, and I avoidedconversation in order to indulge these appetites. There werethree professional gamblers on board—rough, repulsive fellows. Inever had any talk with them, yet I could not help seeing themwith some frequency, for they gambled in an upper-deck stateroomevery day and night, and in my promenades I often had glimpses ofthem through their door, which stood a little ajar to let out thesurplus tobacco smoke and profanity. They were an evil andhateful presence, but I had to put up with it, of course,
There was one other passenger who fell under my eye a gooddeal, for he seemed determined to be friendly with me, and Icould not have gotte