We judged that three nightsⒶalteration in the MS more would fetch us to CairoⒺexplanatory note, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio riverⒶhistorical collation comes in, and that was what we was after. We would sell the raft and get on a steamboatⒶemendation and go wayⒶemendation up the Ohio amongst the free StatesⒺexplanatory note, and then be out of trouble.
Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a tow-head to tie to, for it wouldn’tⒶemendation do to try to run in fog,Ⓐhistorical collation but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line, to make fast, there warn’t anything but little saplings to tie to. I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, butⒶalteration in the MS there was a stiff currentⒶhistorical collation and the raft come booming down so livelyⒶalteration in the MS she tore it out by the roots and away she went. I see the fog closing downⒶhistorical collation and it made me so sick and scaredⒶalteration in the MS I couldn’t budge for mostⒶalteration in the MS a half a minute it seemed to meⒶalteration in the MS—and then there warn’t noⒶemendation raft in sight; you couldn’t see twenty yards. I jumped into the canoe and run back to the stern and grabbed the paddle and set her back a stroke. But she didn’t come. I was in such a hurry I hadn’t untied her. I got up and triedⒶemendation to untie her, but I was so excitedⒶemendation my hands shook so I couldn’tⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation hardly do anything with them.Ⓐemendation
As soon as I got started I took out after the raft, hot and heavy, right down the tow-head. That was all right,Ⓐhistorical collation as far as it went, but the tow-head warn’t sixty yards long, and the minute I flew by the foot of it I shot out into the solidⒶemendation white fogⒶemendation and hadn’t no more idea which way I was going thanⒶalteration in the MS a dead man.
Thinks I, it won’t do to paddle; first I know I’ll run into the bank [begin page 100] or a tow-head or something; IⒶalteration in the MS got to set still and float, and yet it’s mighty fidgety businessⒶemendation to haveⒶemendation to hold your hands still at such a time. I whooped,Ⓐhistorical collation and listened. Away down there, somewheresⒶemendation, I hearsⒶemendation a small whoopⒶhistorical collation and up comes my spirits. I went tearing after it, listening sharp to hear it again. The next time it come, I see I warn’t heading for it but heading away to the right of it. And the next time, I was heading away to the left of it—and not gaining on it much, either, for I was flying around, this way and that and t’otherⒶemendation, but it was going straight ahead all the time.
I did wish the fool would think to beat a tin pan, and beat it all the time, but he never did, and it was the still places between the whoops that was making the trouble for me. Well, I fought along, and directly I hearsⒶemendation the whoop behind me. I was tangled good, now. That was somebodyⒶemendation else’s whoop, or else I was turned around.
I throwed the paddle down. I heard the whoop again; it was behind me yet, but in a different place; it kept coming, and kept changing itsⒶemendation place, and I kept answering, till by and byⒶhistorical collation it was in front of me again and I knowed the current had swung the canoe’s head down stream and I was all right, if that was Jim and not some other raftsman hollering. I couldn’t tell nothing about voices in a fog, for nothing don’t lookⒶalteration in the MS natural nor sound natural in a fog.
The whooping went on, and in about a minute I come a boomingⒶemendation down on a cut bank with smokyⒶemendation ghosts ofⒶalteration in the MS big trees on itⒶhistorical collation and the current throwed me off to the left and shotⒶemendation by, amongst a lot of snags that fairly roared, the current was tearing by them so swiftⒶemendation.
In another second or two it was solid white and stillⒶalteration in the MS againⒶemendation. I set perfectly stillⒶhistorical collation then, listening to my heart thump, and I reckon I didn’t drawⒶalteration in the MS a breath while it thumped a hundred.
I just give upⒶemendation, then. I knowed what the matter was. ThatⒶemendation cut bank was an islandⒶhistorical collation and Jim had gone down t’otherⒶemendation side of it. It warn’t no tow-head, that you could float by in ten minutes. It had the big timber of a regular island; it might be five or six mile long and more than a halfⒶalteration in the MS a mile wide.
I kept quiet, with my ears cocked, aboutⒶemendation fifteen minutes, I reckon. I was floating along, of course, four or five mile an hour; but you don’t ever think of that. No, you feel likeⒶemendation you are laying dead still on the water; and if a little glimpse of a snagⒶalteration in the MS slipsⒶemendation by, you don’t think to yourself how fast you’re going, but you catch your breath and [begin page 101] think, MyⒶhistorical collation! how that snag’s tearing along. If you think it ain’t dismal and lonesome out in a fog that way, by yourself, in the night, you try it once— you’llⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS see.
Next,Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS for about aⒶemendation half an hour, I whoopsⒶemendation now and then; at last I hearsⒶemendation the answer a long ways off, and triesⒶemendation to follow it, but I couldn’t do it, and directly I judged I’dⒶemendation got into a nest of tow-heads, for I had little dim glimpses of them on both sides of me, sometimes,Ⓐhistorical collation just a narrow channel between; and some that I couldn’t see, I knowed was there, because I’d hearⒶemendation the wash of the current against the old dead brush and trash that hung over the banks. Well, I warn’t long losing the whoopsⒶhistorical collation down amongst the tow-headsⒶhistorical collation and I onlyⒶalteration in the MS tried to chase them a little while, anyway, because it was worse than chasing a jack-o-lanternⒶhistorical collation. You never knowed a sound dodge around so, and swap places so quick and so much.
I had to claw away from the bank pretty lively, four or five times,Ⓐemendation to keep from knocking the islands out of the river,Ⓐhistorical collation and so I judged the raft must be butting into the bank every now and then, or else it would get further ahead and clear out of hearing—it was floating a little faster than whatⒶemendation I was.
Well, I seemed to be in the open river again, by and byⒶhistorical collation, but I couldn’t hear no sign ofⒶemendation a whoop nowheres. I reckoned Jim had [begin page 102] fetched up on a snag, maybe,Ⓐemendation and it was all up with him. I was good and tired, so I laid down in the canoe and said I wouldn’t bother no more. I didn’t want to go to sleep, of course; but I was so sleepy I couldn’t helpⒶemendation it; so I thought I would take just one little cat-nap.
But I reckon it was more than a cat napⒶhistorical collation, for when I waked up the stars was shining bright, the fog was all goneⒶhistorical collation and I was spinning down a big bend stern first. First I didn’t know where I was; I thought I was dreaming; and when things begun to come back to me, they seemed to come up dim out of last week.
It was a monstrous big river here, with the tallest and the thickest kind of timber on both banks; just a solid wall, as well as I could see, by the stars. I looked away down stream, and seenⒶemendation aⒶalteration in the MS black speck on the water. I took out after it; but when I got to it it warn’t nothingⒶemendation but a couple of saw-logs made fast together. Then I seeⒶemendation another speck, and chased that; then another, and this time I was rightⒶemendation. It was the raft.
When I got to it Jim was setting there with his head down between his knees, asleep, with his right arm hanging over the steering oar. TheⒶemendation other oar was smashed off, and the raft was littered up with leaves and branches and dirt. So she’dⒶemendation had a rough time.
[begin page 103] I made fast and laid down under Jim’s nose on the raft, and begun to gap, and stretch my fists out against Jim, and says:
“Hello, Jim, have I been asleep? Why didn’t you stir me up?”
“Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? EnⒶalteration in the MS you ain’Ⓐemendation dead—you ain’Ⓐemendation drownded—you’s back aginⒶalteration in the MS? It’s too good for true, honey, it’s too good for true. Lemme look at you, chile, lemme feel o’Ⓐalteration in the MS you. No, you ain’ dead!Ⓐemendation you’s back agin, ’liveⒶhistorical collation enⒶalteration in the MS soun’, jis’Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS de same ole Huck—Ⓐemendation Ⓐtextual notede same oleⒶemendation Huck, thanksⒶemendation to goodness!”
“What’sⒶemendation the matter with you, Jim? You been a drinking?”
“Drinkin’Ⓐalteration in the MS? Has I benⒶemendation a drinkin’? Has I had a chanceⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐtextual note to be a drinkin’?”
“WellⒶalteration in the MS, then, what makes you talk so wild?”
“How does I talk wild?”
“How? WhyⒶhistorical collation, hain’t you been talking about myⒶemendation coming back, and all that stuff, as if I’d been gone away?”
“Huck—Huck Finn, you look me in de eye; look me in de eye. Hain’t Ⓐemendation you ben gone away?”
“Gone away? WhyⒶhistorical collation what in the nation do you mean? I hain’t been gone anywheresⒶemendation. Where would I go to?”
“Well, looky-hereⒶhistorical collation, boss, dey’s sumf’nⒶemendation wrong, dey is. Is I me,Ⓐalteration in the MS or who is I? Is I heahⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS, or whah is I? Now dat’s what I wants to know.Ⓐemendation”
“WellⒶhistorical collation I think you’re hereⒶemendation, plain enough, but I think you’re a tangle-headedⒶemendation old fool, Jim.”
“I is, is I? Well you answer me dis. Didn’t you tote out de line in de canoe, ferⒶemendation to make fas’ to de tow-head?”
“No, I didn’t. What tow-head? I hain’t seen no tow-head.”
“You hain’t seen no tow-head? Looky-hereⒶhistorical collation—didn’t de line pull loose enⒶalteration in the MS de raf’ go a hummin’ down de riverⒶemendation, en leaveⒶalteration in the MS you enⒶalteration in the MS de canoe behineⒶemendation in de fog?”
“WhatⒶemendation fog?”
“Why de fog. De fog dat’s ben aroun’Ⓐalteration in the MS all night.Ⓐalteration in the MS EnⒶalteration in the MS didn’t you whoop, en didn’tⒶalteration in the MS I whoop, tell we got mix’ up in de islands en oneⒶalteration in the MS unⒶemendation us got los’ enⒶalteration in the MS t’otherⒶemendation one was jis’Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS as good as los’, ’kaseⒶemendation he didn’Ⓐemendation know whah he wuzⒶemendation? EnⒶalteration in the MS didn’t I bust up agin a lot erⒶalteration in the MS dem islands enⒶalteration in the MS haveⒶemendation a turribleⒶalteration in the MS time enⒶalteration in the MS mos’Ⓐalteration in the MS git drownded? Now ain’Ⓐemendation dat so, boss—ain’t it so? You answer me dat.”
“WellⒶhistorical collation this is too many for me, Jim. I hain’t seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troublesⒶemendation, nor nothing. I beenⒶalteration in the MS setting here talking with [begin page 104] you all night till you went to sleep about ten minutes ago, andⒶalteration in the MS I reckon I done the same. You couldn’t a got drunk in that time, so of course you’veⒶemendation been dreaming.”
“Dad fetch it, how is I gwyne to dream all dat in ten minutes?”
“Well, hang it all, you did dream it, because there didn’t any of it happen.”
“But Huck, it’s all jis’Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS as plain to me as—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“It don’t make no difference how plain it is, there ain’t nothing in it. I know, because I’veⒶemendation been here all the time.”
Jim didn’t say nothingⒶemendation for about five minutes, but set there studying over it. Then he says:
“Well, den, I reck’nⒶhistorical collation I did dream it, Huck,Ⓐemendation but dog my cats efⒶemendation it ain’t de powerfullest dream I ever seeⒺexplanatory note. EnⒶalteration in the MS I hain’t ever had no dream b’fo’Ⓐemendation dat’s tired me like dis one.”
“OⒶhistorical collation, well, that’s all right, because a dream doesⒶemendation tire a body like everythingⒶhistorical collation sometimes. But this one was a staving dream—tell me all about itⒶhistorical collation Jim.”
So Jim went to work and told me the whole thing right through, just as it happened, only he painted it up considerable. Then he said he must start in and “ ’terpret” it, because it was sent for a warning. He said the first tow-head stoodⒶalteration in the MS for a man that would try to do us some good, but the current was another man that would get us away from him. The whoops was warnings that would come to us every now and then, and if we didn’t try hard to makeⒶemendation out to understand them they’d just take us into bad luck, ’steadⒶemendation of keeping us out of it. The lot of tow-heads was troubles we was going to get into with quarrelsome people and all kinds of mean folks, but if we minded our business and didn’t talk back and aggravate them, we would pull through and get out of the fog and into the big clear river, which was the free States, and wouldn’t have no more trouble.
It had clouded up pretty darkⒶalteration in the MS just after I got onto the raft, but it was clearing up again, now.
“OⒶhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS, well, that’s all interpreted well enough, as far as it goes, Jim,” I says,Ⓐhistorical collation “but what does these things stand for?”
It was the leaves and rubbish on the raft, and the smashed oar. You could see them first rate, now.
Jim looked at the trash, and then looked at me, and back at the trash again. He had got the dream fixed so strong in his head that he [begin page 105] couldn’t seem to shake it loose and get the facts back into its placeⒶalteration in the MS again, right away. But when he did getⒶalteration in the MS the thing straightened around, he looked at me steady, without ever smiling, andⒶalteration in the MS says:
“What do dey stan’Ⓐalteration in the MS for? I’s gwyne to tell you.Ⓐalteration in the MS When I got all wore out,Ⓐhistorical collation wid work, en wid de callin’ for you, enⒶalteration in the MS went to sleep, my heart wuz mos’Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS broke bekaseⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS you wuz los’Ⓐemendation, enⒶalteration in the MS I didn’ k’yerⒶemendation no mo’ what become erⒶhistorical collation me enⒶalteration in the MS de raf’. EnⒶalteration in the MS when I wake’Ⓐemendation up en fineⒶalteration in the MS you back aginⒶemendation, all safe en soun’Ⓐalteration in the MS, de tears come enⒶalteration in the MS I could a got down on my knees enⒶalteration in the MS kiss’ yo’Ⓐhistorical collation foot I’sⒶalteration in the MS so thankful. EnⒶalteration in the MS all you wuzⒶemendation thinkin’Ⓐemendation ’boutⒶemendation, wuzⒶemendation how you could make a fool uvⒶemendation ole Jim wid a lie. Dat truck dah is trash; enⒶalteration in the MS trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head erⒶalteration in the MS dey fren’s enⒶalteration in the MS makes ’em ashamed.”
Then he got up,Ⓐhistorical collation slow, and walked to the wigwam, and went in there, without saying anything but that. But that was enough. It made me feel so mean I could almostⒶemendation kissed his foot to get him to take it back.
It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to goⒶalteration in the MS and humbleⒶalteration in the MS myself to a nigger—but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d aⒶemendation knowed it would make him feel that way.