It Ⓐemendation must a been close onto one o’clock when we got belowⒶalteration in the MS the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow. If a boat was to come alongⒶhistorical collation we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn’t come, for we hadn’t ever thought to put the gun intoⒶemendation the canoe, or a fishing-lineⒶhistorical collation, or anything to eat. We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things. It warn’t good judgment to put everything on the raftⒶemendation.
If the men went to the island, I just expect they found the camp fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come. Anyways, they stayed away from us, and ifⒶalteration in the MS my building the fire never fooled them it warn’t no fault of mine. IⒶemendation played it as low-down on them as I could.
WhenⒶemendation the first streak of day begunⒶemendation to show, we tied up to a tow-head in aⒶalteration in the MS big bend on the Illinois side, and hacked off cottonwoodⒶhistorical collation branches with the hatchet and covered up the raft with them so she looked like there had been a cave-inⒶemendation in the bank there. A tow-head is a sand-bar that has cottonwoodsⒶhistorical collation on it as thick as harrow-teeth.
We had mountains on the Missouri shore and heavy timber on the Illinois side, and the channel was downⒶalteration in the MS the Missouri shoreⒶalteration in the MS at that place, so we warn’t afraid of anybody running across us. We laid there all day and watched the rafts and steamboatsⒶemendation spin down the Missouri shore, and up-bound steamboats fight the big river in the middle. I told Jim all about the time I had jabbering with that [begin page 78] woman; and Jim said she was a smart one, and if she was to start after us herself she wouldn’t set down and watch a camp fire—no, sir, she’d fetch a dog. Well, then, I said, why couldn’t she tell her husband to fetch a dog? Jim said he bet she did think of it by the time the men was ready to start, and he believed they must a gone up town to get a dog and so they lost all that time, or else we wouldn’t be here on a tow-head sixteen or seventeen mile below the village—noⒶhistorical collation indeedy, we would be in that same old town again. So I said I didn’t care what was the reason they didn’t get us, as long as they didn’t.
WhenⒶemendation it was beginning to come on darkⒶhistorical collation we poked our heads out of the cottonwood thicket and lookedⒶalteration in the MS up, and down, and across; nothing in sight; so Jim took up some of the top planks of the raft and built a snug wigwam to get under in blazing weather and rainy, and to keep the things dry. Jim made a floor for the wigwamⒶhistorical collation and raised it a foot or more above the level of the raft, so now the blankets and all the traps was out of the reach of steamboatⒶemendation waves. Right in the middle of the wigwam we made a layer of dirt about five or sixⒶemendation inches deep with a frame around it for to hold it to its place; this was to build a fireⒶalteration in the MS on in sloppy weather or chilly; the wigwam would keep it from being seen. We made an extra steering oar, too, because one of the others might get broke, on a snag or something. We fixed up a shortⒶalteration in the MS forked stick to hang the old lantern on; becauseⒶalteration in the MS we mustⒶalteration in the MS always lightⒶalteration in the MS the lantern whenever we see a steamboat coming down stream, to keep from getting run over; but we wouldn’t have toⒶalteration in the MS light it for up-streamⒶhistorical collation boats unless we see we was in what they call a “crossing;” for the river was pretty high,Ⓐhistorical collation yet, very low banks being still a little under water; so up-boundⒶemendation boats didn’t always run the channel, but hunted easy water.Ⓔexplanatory note
This second night we run between seven and eight hours, with a current that was making over four mile an hourⒺexplanatory note. We catched fish, and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn’t ever feel like talking loud, and it warn’t often that we laughed, only a little kind of a low chuckle. We had mighty good weather, as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all, that night, norⒶalteration in the MS the nextⒶhistorical collation nor the next.
[begin page 79] EveryⒶemendation night we passed towns, some of them away up on black hill sidesⒶhistorical collation, nothing but just a shiny bed of lights, not a house could you see. The fifth night we passed St.Ⓐemendation LouisⒺexplanatory note, and it was like the whole world lit up. In St.Ⓐemendation Petersburg they used to say there was twenty or thirtyⒶalteration in the MS thousand people in St.Ⓐemendation Louis, but I never believed it till I see that wonderful spread of lights at two o’clockⒶemendation that still night. There warn’t a sound there; everybody was asleep.
Every night, now, I used to slip ashoreⒶhistorical collation towards ten o’clockⒶhistorical collation at some little villageⒶhistorical collation and buy ten or fifteen cents’Ⓐemendation worth of meal or bacon or other stuff to eat; and sometimes I lifted a chicken that warn’t roosting comfortable, and took him along. Pap always said, take a chicken when you get a chance, because if you don’t want him yourself you can easy find somebody that does, and a good deed ain’t ever forgot. I never see papⒶemendation when he didn’t want the chicken himself, but that is what he used to say, anyway.
Mornings, before daylightⒶemendation, I slipped into corn-fieldsⒶemendation and borrowed aⒶalteration in the MS watermelonⒶemendation, or a mushmelonⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation, or a punkin, or some new [begin page 80] corn,Ⓐalteration in the MS or things of that kind. PapⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation always said it warn’t no harm to borrow things, if you was meaning to pay them back, sometime,Ⓐhistorical collation but the widow said it warn’t anything but a soft name for stealingⒶhistorical collation and no decent body would do it. Jim said he reckoned the widow was partly right and papⒶemendation was partly right; so the best way would be for us to pick out two or threeⒶemendation things from the list and say we wouldn’t borrow them any more—then he reckoned it wouldn’t be no harm to borrow the others. So we talked it over all one night, drifting along down the river, trying to makeⒶalteration in the MS up our minds whether to drop the watermelonsⒶemendation, or the cantelopes, or the mushmelonsⒶalteration in the MS, or what. But towards daylightⒶhistorical collation we got it all settled satisfactory, and concluded to drop crabapplesⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐtextual note and p’simmonsⒶalteration in the MS. WeⒶalteration in the MS warn’t feeling just right, before that, but it was all comfortable now. I was glad the way it come out, too, because crabapples ain’t ever good,Ⓐalteration in the MS and the p’simmonsⒶalteration in the MS wouldn’t be ripe for two or three months yet.
We shot a water-fowl, now and then, that got up too early in the morning or didn’t go to bed early enough in the evening. Take it all around, we lived pretty high.
The fifth night below St.Ⓐemendation Louis we had a big storm after midnight, with a power of thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in a solid sheet. We staidⒶhistorical collation in the wigwam and let the raft take care of itself. When the lightning glared out we could see a big straight river ahead, and high rocky bluffs on both sides. By and by says I, “Hel-lo, Jim, looky yonder!” It wasⒶemendation a steamboat that had killed herself on a rockⒺexplanatory note. We was drifting straight down for her.Ⓐemendation The lightning showed her very distinct. She was leaning over, with part of her upper deck above water, and you could see every little chimblyguyⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation clean and clear, and a chair by the big bell, with an old slouch hat hanging on the back of itⒺexplanatory note when the flashes comeⒶemendation.
Well,Ⓔexplanatory note it being away in the night, and stormy, and all so mysterious-likeⒶemendation, I felt justⒶalteration in the MS the way any other boy would a felt,Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS when I see that wreck laying there so mournful and lonesome in the middle of the river.Ⓐemendation I wanted to get aboard of her and slinkⒶalteration in the MS around a little, and see what there was there. So I says:
“Le’sⒶemendation land on her, Jim.”
But Jim was dead against it, at first. He says:
“I doanⒶhistorical collation want to go fool’n’long er no wrack. We’s doin’ blame’ well,Ⓐalteration in the MS en we better let blame’ wellⒶalteration in the MS alone, as de good book says. Like as not dey’s a watchman on dat wrack.”
[begin page 81] “Watchman your grandmotherⒶemendation,” I says; “there ain’t nothing to watch but the texas and the pilot houseⒶhistorical collation; and do you reckon anybody’s going to resk his lifeⒶalteration in the MS for a texas and a pilot houseⒶhistorical collation suchⒶalteration in the MS a night as this, when it’s likely to break up and wash off down the riverⒶalteration in the MS any minute?” Jim couldn’t say nothing to that, so he didn’t try. “And besides,” I says, “we might borrow something worth having, out of the captain’s stateroom. Seegars, I Ⓐemendation bet youⒶemendation—and cost five cents apiece, solid cash. Steamboat captains is always rich, and get sixty dollars a month, and they don’t care a cent what a thing costs, you know, longⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS asⒶtextual note they want it. Stick a candle in your pocket; I can’t rest, Jim, till weⒶemendation give her a rummaging. Do you reckon Tom Sawyer would ever go by this thing? Not for pie, he wouldn’t. He’d call it an adventure—that’s what he’d call it; and he’d land on that wreck if it was his last act. And wouldn’t he throw style into it?—wouldn’t he spread himself, nor nothing? Why, you’d think it was Christopher C’lumbusⒶemendation discovering Kingdom-Come. I wish Tom Sawyer was here.Ⓐalteration in the MS”
Jim he grumbled a little, but give in. He said we mustn’t talk any more than we could help, and then talk mighty low. The lightning showed us the wreck again, just in time, and we fetchedⒶalteration in the MS the starboard derrick, and made fast there.
The deck was high out, here. We went sneaking down the slope of it to labboardⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation, in the dark, towards the texas,Ⓐalteration in the MS feeling our way slow with our feet, and spreading our hands out to fend off the guys, for it was so dark we couldn’t see no sign ofⒶemendation them. Pretty soon we struck the forward end of the skylight, and clumb ontoⒶalteration in the MS it; and the next step fetched us in front of the captain’s door, which was open;Ⓐhistorical collation and by jimminyⒶhistorical collation, away down through the texas hallⒶhistorical collation we seeⒶemendation a light!Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓔexplanatory note andⒶalteration in the MS all in theⒶalteration in the MS same second we seem to hearⒶemendation low voices in yonder!Ⓐalteration in the MS
Jim whispered and said he was feeling powerful sick;Ⓐhistorical collation and told me to come along. I saysⒶemendation, all right; and was goingⒶemendation to start for the raft; but just then I heard a voice wail out and say:
“OⒶhistorical collation, please don’t, boys; I swear I won’t ever tell!”
Another voice said, pretty loudⒶalteration in the MS:
“It’s a lie, Jim Turner. You’ve acted this way before. You always want more’n your share of the truck, and you’ve always got it, too, because you’ve swore’t if you didn’t you’d tell. But this time you’ve said it jistⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation one time too many. You’re the meanest, treacherousest hound in this country.”
[begin page 82] By this time Jim was gone for the raft. I was just a-biling with curiosity; and I saysⒶemendation to myself, Tom Sawyer wouldn’t back out now, and so IⒶemendation won’t either;Ⓐalteration in the MS I’m agoing to see what’s going onⒶemendation hereⒶemendation. So I dropped on my hands and knees, in the little passage,Ⓐalteration in the MS and crept aft in the dark, till there warn’t butⒶemendation about one stateroom betwixt me andⒶemendation the cross-hall of the texas. Then, in thereⒶalteration in the MS I seeⒶemendation a man stretched on the floor and tied hand and foot, and two men standing over him, and one of them hadⒶalteration in the MS a dim lantern in his hand, andⒶalteration in the MS the other one had a pistolⒶemendation. This one kept pointing the pistol atⒶalteration in the MS the man’s head on the floor and saying,—Ⓐhistorical collation
“I’d like to! And I orter, too, a mean skunk!”
The man on the floor would shrivelⒶalteration in the MS upⒶhistorical collation and say,Ⓐhistorical collation “OⒶhistorical collation, please don’t, Bill—I hain’tⒶemendation ever goin’ to tell.”
And every time he said that, the man with the lantern would laugh, and say:
“ ’Deed you ain’t! You never said no truer thing ’nⒶemendation that, you bet you.” And once he said:Ⓐalteration in the MS “Hear him beg! and yit if we hadn’t got the best of him and tied him, he’d a killed us both. And what for? Jist for noth’n’Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation. JistⒶalteration in the MS because we stood on our rights—that’s what for. But I lay you ain’t agoin’ to threaten nobody any more, Jim Turner. Put up that pistol, Bill.”
[begin page 83] Bill saysⒶemendation:
“I don’t want to, Jake Packard.Ⓐalteration in the MS I’m for killin’ him—and didn’tⒶalteration in the MS he kill old Hatfield jist the same way—and don’t he deserve it?”
“But I don’t want him killed, and I’ve got my reasons for it.”
“Bless yo’ heart for them words, Jake Packard!Ⓐhistorical collation—I’llⒶalteration in the MS never forgit you, long’s I live!” says the man on the floor, sort of blubbering.
Packard didn’t take no notice of that, but hung up his lantern on a nail, and started towards where I was, there in the dark, and motionedⒶemendation Bill to come. I crawfished as fast as I could, about two yards, but the boat slanted so that I couldn’t make very good time; so,Ⓐhistorical collation to keep from getting run over and catched,Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS I crawled into a stateroom on the upper side. The menⒶhistorical collation come a-pawing along in the dark,Ⓐalteration in the MS and when Packard got to my stateroom, he says:
“Here—come in here.”
And in he come, and Bill after him. But before they got in, I was up in the upper berth, cornered, and sorryⒶemendation I come. Then they stood there, with their hands on the ledge of the berth, and talked. I couldn’t see them, but I could tell where they was, and how close they wasⒶhistorical collation,Ⓐtextual note by the whisky they’dⒶemendation been having. I was glad I didn’t drink whisky; but it wouldn’t made much difference, anyway, because most of the time they couldn’t a treed me,Ⓐhistorical collation becauseⒶalteration in the MS I didn’t breathe. I was too scared. And besides, a body couldn’t breathe, and hear such talk. TheyⒶemendation talked low and earnest. BillⒶemendation wanted to kill Turner. He says:
“He’s said he’llⒶemendation tell, and he will. If we was to give both our shares to him,Ⓐhistorical collation now, it wouldn’t make no difference,Ⓐhistorical collation after the row, and the way we’ve served him. Shore’s you’re born, he’ll turn State’s evidence,Ⓐhistorical collation now you hear me. I’m for putting him out of his troubles.”
“So’m I,” says Packard, very quiet.
“Blame it, I’d sorter begun to think you wasn’t.Ⓐalteration in the MS Well, then, that’s all right. Le’sⒶemendation go and do it.”
“Hold on,Ⓐhistorical collation a minute; I hain’t hadⒶemendation my say,Ⓐhistorical collation yit. You listen to me. Shooting’s good, but there’s quieter ways,Ⓐhistorical collation if the thing’s got to be done. But what I say, is this:Ⓐhistorical collation it ain’t good sense to go court’n around after a halter, if you can gitⒶemendation at what you’re up to in some way that’s jist as good and at the same time don’t bring you into no resks. Ain’t that so?”
“You bet it is. But how you goin’ to manage it this time?”
[begin page 84] “Well, my idea is this:Ⓐemendation we’ll rustle around and gether up whatever pickins we’ve overlookedⒶalteration in the MS in the staterooms, and shove for shore and hide the truck. ThenⒶalteration in the MS we’ll wait. Now IⒶemendation sayⒶalteration in the MS it ain’t agoin’ to be more’nⒶhistorical collation two hours befo’ thisⒶemendation wrack breaksⒶalteration in the MS up and washes off down the river. See? He’ll be drownded, and won’t have nobody to blame for it but his own self. I reckon that’s a considerbleⒶemendation sight better’n killin’ of him. I’m unfavorable toⒶemendation killin’ a man as long as you can git around it; it ain’t good sense, it ain’t good morals. Ain’t I right?”
“Yes—I reck’nⒶemendation you are. But s’pose she don’t break up and wash off?”
“Well, we can wait the two hours, anyway, and see,Ⓐemendation can’t we?Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS”
“All right, then; come alongⒶemendation.”
So they started, and I lit out, all in a cold sweat, and scrambled forward. It was dark as pitch there; but I said,Ⓐhistorical collation in a kind of a coarse whisper, “Jim!” and he answered up, right at my elbow, with a sort of a moan,Ⓐalteration in the MS and I says:
[begin page 85] “Quick, Jim, it ain’t no timeⒶalteration in the MS for fooling around and moaning; there’s a gang of murderersⒶalteration in the MS in yonder, and if we don’t hunt up their boat and set herⒶemendation drifting down the river so these fellows can’t get away fromⒶalteration in the MS the wreck, there’s one of ’em going to be in a bad fix. But if we find their boat we can put all of ’em in a bad fix—for the Sheriff ’ll get ’emⒶemendation. Quick—hurry! I’llⒶalteration in the MS hunt the labboard side, you huntⒶalteration in the MS the stabboard. You start at the raft, and—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“OⒶhistorical collation my lordy, lordyⒶemendation! Raf’Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS? Dey ain’Ⓐemendation no raf’ no mo’,Ⓐemendation Ⓐtextual note sheⒶalteration in the MS done broke loose en goneⒶalteration in the MS!—en hereⒶhistorical collation we is!”
