Thereisanotherletterwrittenjustatthistimewhichofalllettersmustnotbeomittedhere。OnlyfiveyearsearlierMarkTwain，poor，andcomparativelyunknown，hadbeencarryingwaterwhileJimGillisandDickStokerwashedoutthepansofdirtinsearchofthegoldpocketwhichtheydidnotfind。ClemensmusthavereceivedaletterfromGillisreferringtosomeparticularoccasion，butithasdisappeared；thereply，however，alwaysremainedoneofJamesGillis”streasuredpossessions。
ToJamesGillis，inhiscabinonJackassHill，TuolumneCo。，California：
ELMIRA，N。Y。Jan。26，”70。
DEARJIM，——Irememberthatoldnightjustaswell！AndsomewhereamongmyrelicsIhaveyourremembrancestoredaway。Itmakesmyheartacheyettocalltomindsomeofthosedays。Still，itshouldn”t——forrightinthedepthsoftheirpovertyandtheirpocket-huntingvagabondagelaythegermofmycominggoodfortune。YouremembertheonegleamofjollitythatshotacrossourdismalsojournintherainandmudofAngels”CampImeanthatdaywesataroundthetavernstoveandheardthatchaptellaboutthefrogandhowtheyfilledhimwithshot。Andyourememberhowwequotedfromtheyarnandlaughedoverit，outthereonthehillsidewhileyouanddearoldStokerpannedandwashed。Ijottedthestorydowninmynote-bookthatday，andwouldhavebeengladtogettenorfifteendollarsforit——Iwasjustthatblind。Butthenweweresohardup！
Ipublishedthatstory，anditbecamewidelyknowninAmerica，India，China，England——andthereputationitmadeformehaspaidmethousandsandthousandsofdollarssince。FourorfivemonthsagoIboughtintotheExpressIhaveordereditsenttoyouaslongasyoulive——andifthebookkeepersendsyouanybills，youletmehearofit。Iwentheavilyindebtnevercouldhavedaredtodothat，Jim，ifwehadn”theardthejumpingFrogstorythatday。