What is the author communicating beyond the literal meaning of words on page 39

Which word best describes the author's tone in this excerpt from "that spot" by jack london? i don’t think much of stephen mackaye any more, though i used to swear by him. i know that in those days i loved him more than my own brother. if ever i meet stephen mackaye again, i shall not be responsible for my actions. it passes beyond me that a man with whom i shared food and blanket, and with whom i mushed over the chilcoot trail, should turn out the way he did. i always sized steve up as a square man, a kindly comrade, without an iota of anything vindictive or malicious in his nature. i shall never trust my judgment in men again. why, i nursed that man through typhoid fever; we starved together on the headwaters of the stewart; and he saved my life on the little salmon. and now, after the years we were together, all i can say of stephen mackaye is that he is the meanest man i ever knew. a. excited b. ironic c. indignant d. playful

What is meant by “eternally burning black pipes”? what is this implying about the personality of the firemen?

To celebrate black history month, we will be learning about the lives of some african americans. your assignment is to find biographical (life story) information about one famous african american historical figure. be sure that you find the following information about the person you select: date of birth, country of origin, how he or she (or his/her family) came to the united states, why he/she is famous, and how the person died (if applicable). we will use the information that you gather in the research on an in-class project. be sure to keep track of your sources; your final project will require a works cited page. in an internet search engine, which group of keywords is most appropriate for this assignment? a) black history month, date of birth b) african, american, people, biographies c) famous people, africa, america, project d) african american, people, countries, famous