Although the importance placed on the tall tale in Roughing It chronicles somewhat an aspect of the 'Urban Legend' that is not merely just a chroniclization thereof. The telling of these tails is well illustrated to be a major part of keeping the travelors sane during their long journeys and quite possibly plays a larger role, such as a defining aspect of an undeveloped culture composed of such a myriad of other cultures. Things such as a the buffalo that could climb a tree, the tail of Tom Quartz the miner's cat, the repeated and repeated and repeated yarn about Horace Greeley, etc. I find this to be an interesting topic merely because Twain embodies many of the aspects of the courier of Urban Legends (as is idealized as the pinnicle of Rouging It's meagre plot when Twain becomes a lecturer in a similar manner as Garrison Keelior (sp) became with his lecture legends.)... Micah