10 CHOICE BITS FROM MARK TWAIN.
and it is with pride that we call to mind the fact
that he was the first white person who ever
interested himself in the work of elevating and
civilizing our Indians. He built a commodious
jail, and put up a gallows, and to his dying day he
claimed with satisfaction that he had had a more
restraining and elevating influence on the Indians
than any other reformer that ever laboured among
them. At this point the chronicle becomes less
frank and chatty, and closes abruptly 'by saying
that the old voyager went to see his gallows
perform on the first white man ever hanged in
America, and while there received injuries which
terminated in his death.
The great grandson of the "Reformer" flourished
in sixteen hundred and something, and was known
in our annals as " the old Admiral," though in
history he had other titles. He was long in
command of fleets of swift vessels, well armed and
manned, and did great service in hurrying up
merchantmen. Vessels which he followed and
kept his eagle eye on always made good fair time
across the ocean. But if a ship still loitered in
spite of all he could do his indignation would grow
till he could contain himself no longer—and then
he would take that ship home where he lived and
keep it there carefully, expecting the owners to
come for it but they never did. And he would try
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