IS SHAKESPEARE DEAD?
of the life-years of Shakespeare number—there are still findable two or three river-pilots who saw me do creditable things in those ancient days; and several white-headed engineers; and several roustabouts and mates; and several deck-hands who used to heave the lead for me and send up on the still night air the "six—feet—scant!" that made me shudder, and the "M-a-r-k—twain!" that took the shudder away, and presently the darling "By the d-e-e-p—four!" that lifted me to heaven for joy.[1] They know about me, and can tell. And so do printers, from St. Louis to New York; and so do newspaper reporters, from Nevada to San Francisco. And so do the police. If Shakespeare had really been celebrated, like me, Stratford could have told things about him; and if my experience goes for anything, they'd have done it.
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- ↑ Four fathoms—twenty-four feet.
