Project Gutenberg 2004-07-10 Public domain in the USA. 137 Twain, Mark 1835 1910 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne Twain, Mark (Samuel Clemens) Life on the Mississippi, Part 8. Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_the_Mississippi Produced by David Widger "Life on the Mississippi, Part 8" by Mark Twain is a historical account written during the late 19th century. This segment of Twain's work provides insight into the lives and experiences along the Mississippi River, particularly focusing on the culture, people, and various events that unfolded during this period. The narrative captures a sense of time and place, illustrating the social dynamics and economic activities in this pivotal region of America. In this part, Twain shares a story about a young land-surveyor, who reminisces about his journey to California, where he meets a cattle-raiser named John Backus on a steamboat. Their conversations reveal Backus's enthusiasm for cattle and his naive attempts to engage in dishonest dealings with professional gamblers. The plot unfolds as Backus, despite some initial wisdom in avoiding gambles, is ultimately seduced into a dangerous betting game. Twain effectively captures the essence of human folly and greed, culminating in a twist that reveals the true character of the seemingly simple farmer. This segment not only illustrates Twain's witty storytelling style but also comments on the broader themes of deception and the lure of wealth during this transformative era. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 66.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Mississippi River -- Description and travel Mississippi River Valley -- Social life and customs -- 19th century Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography Pilots and pilotage -- Mississippi River Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 -- Travel -- Mississippi River PS Text Category: Novels Category: American Literature 85452 2025-08-04T06:06:58.183287 text/html 75183 2020-12-26T17:45:23 text/html 1496724 2025-08-04T06:07:00.541294 application/epub+zip 1496251 2025-08-04T06:06:58.656285 application/epub+zip 93277 2025-08-04T06:06:58.383295 application/epub+zip 1536276 2025-08-04T06:07:02.143284 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1522169 2025-08-04T06:07:00.247344 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 120830 2022-09-04T10:36:04.849618 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 68342 2025-08-04T06:06:57.942307 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 68275 2020-12-26T17:45:23 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19515 2025-08-04T06:07:02.309273 application/rdf+xml 16435 2025-08-04T06:06:58.468327 image/jpeg 2601 2025-08-04T06:06:58.424284 image/jpeg 1480156 2020-12-26T17:45:24 application/octet-stream application/zip 28616 2020-12-26T17:45:24 application/octet-stream application/zip 1464257 2025-08-04T06:06:58.242292 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia