narrated-and

Updated: July 28, 2026

The story of the derivation of the famous nom de guerre has often been narrated-and as often erroneously. As the steamboat approaches a sandbank, snag, or other obstruction, the man at the bow heaves the lead and sings out, "By the mark, three," "Mark twain," etc.-meaning three fathoms deep, two fathoms, and so on.

Archibald Henderson - Mark Twain