On Lake Superior; S. S. Northwest. Major Pond was on deck early and found the smoke all gone. In its place was bright sunshine, but so cold all day that few of the other passengers were on deck. The ship was running eight hours late. They landed in Duluth at just 9 p.m. Mr. Briggs, the correspondent, met them at the wharf with a carriage.

As the boat neared land Briggs shouted:

"Hello, Major Pond!"

"Hello, Briggs!"

"Is Mark Twain all right?"

"Yes; he is ready to go to the hall; he will be the first passenger off the ship."

"Good. We have a big audience waiting for him," said Mr. Briggs.

"We'll have them convulsed in ten minutes," said I.

"Mark" was the first passenger to land. Mr. Briggs hurried him to the church, which was packed with twelve hundred and fifty warm friends (100 degrees in the shade) to meet and greet him. It was a big audience. He got through at 10:50 and we were all on board the train for Minneapolis at 11:20.

Pond wrote:

It was my busy night.

The train for Minneapolis was to start at twelve o'clock.

The agents in New York who had fitted me out with transportation and promised that everything should be in readiness on our arrival in Duluth, had forgotten us, and no arrangements for sleeper or transfer of baggage had been made.

I had all this to attend to, besides looking after the business part of the lecture, which was on sharing terms with a church society.

Everything was mixed up, as the door-tender and finance committee were bound to hear the lecture.

I could get no statement, but took all the money in sight, and was on board the train as it was starting for Minneapolis [Eccentricities of Genius 205].