e, it is as I have said, I am he."

He spoke in French, and punctuated with hiccoughs. His friend was
French, too, but spoke in German--using the same system of punctuation,
however. The friend called himself the "Captain of Mont Blanc," and
wanted us to make the ascent with him. He said he had made more ascents
than any other man--forty seven--and his brother had made thirty-seven.
His brother was the best guide in the world, except himself--but he,
yes, observe him well--he was the "Captain of Mont Blanc"--that title
belonged to none other.

The "king" was as good as his word--he overtook that long procession
of tourists and went by it like a hurricane. The result was that we got
choicer rooms at the hotel in Chamonix than we should have done if
his majesty had been a slower artist--or rather, if he hadn't most
providentially got drunk before he left Argentiere.

A TRAMP ABROAD, Part 7.

By Mark Twain

(Samuel L. Clemens)

First published in 1880

Illustrations taken from an 1880 First Edition

* * * * * *

ILLUSTRATIONS:

1. PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR
2. TITIAN'S MOSES
285. STREET IN CHAMONIX
286. THE PROUD GERMAN
287. THE INDIGNANT TOURIST
288. MUSIC OF SWITZERLAND
289. ONLY A MISTAKE
290. A BROAD VIEW
291. PREPARING TO START
292. ASCENT OF MONT BLANC
293. "WE ALL RAISED A TREMENDOUS SHOUT"
294. THE GRANDE MULETS
295. CABIN ON THE GRANDE MULETS
296. KEEPING WARM
297. TAIL PIECE
298. TAKE IT EASY
299. THE MER DE GLACE (MONT BLANC)
300. TAKING TOLL
301. A DESCENDING TOURIST
302. LEAVING BY DILIGENCE
303. THE SATISFIED ENGLISHMAN
301. HIGH PRESSURE
305. NO APOLOGY
307. A LIVELY STREET
308. HAVING HER FULL RIGHTS
309. HOW SHE FOOLED US
310. "YOU'LL TAKE THAT OR NONE"
311. ROBBING A BEGGAR
312. DISHONEST ITALY
313. STOCK IN TRADE
314. STYLE
315. SPECIMENS FROM OLD MASTERS
316. AN OLD MASTER
317. THE LION OF ST MARK
318. OH TO BE AT RRST!
319. THE WORLD'S MASTERPIECE
320. TAIL PIECE
321. AESTHETIC TASTES
322. A PRIVATE FAMILY BREAKFAST
323. EUROPEAN CARVING
323. A TWENTY-FOUR HOUR FIGHT
325. GREAT HEIDELBERG TUN
326. BISMARCK IN PRISON
327. TAIL PIECE 600
328. A COMPLETE WORD

CONTENTS:

CHAPTER