When he heard his name called by some one, Clemens called out:
"Pass the gentleman into my den. The noble animal is here."
The noble animal proved to be "a young man, strongly built, ruddy in
complexion, his hair of a sunny hue, his eyes light and twinkling, in
manner hearty, and nothing of the student about him--one who looked as
if he could take his own part in a quarrel, strike a smart blow as
readily as he could say a telling thing, bluffly jolly, brusquely
cordial, off-handedly good-natured." The picture is detailed and vivid:
"Let it be borne in mind that from the windows of the newspaper
office the American desert was visible; that within a radius of ten
miles Indians were encamping amongst the sage--brush; that the
whole city was populated with miners, adventurers, Jew traders,
gamblers, and all the rough-and-tumble class which a mining town in
a new territory collects together, and it will be readily
understood that a reporter for a daily paper in such a place must
neither go about his duties wearing light kid gloves, nor be
fastidious about having gilt edges to his note-books.
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