SoⒶemendation I started for town, in the wagon, and when I was half wayⒶhistorical collation I see a wagon coming, and sure enough it was Tom Sawyer, and I stopped and waited till he come along. I saysⒶalteration in the MS “Hold on!Ⓐemendation” and it stopped alongside, and his mouth opened upⒶemendation like a trunkⒶemendation, and staid so; and he swallowed two or three times,Ⓐhistorical collation like a person that’s got a dry throat, and then says:
“I hain’t ever done you no harm. You know that. So then, what you want to come back and ha’nt me, for?”
I says:
“I hain’t come backⒶalteration in the MS—I hain’t been gone.”
When he heard my voice, it rightedⒶalteration in the MS him up,Ⓐhistorical collation some, but he warn’t quite satisfied,Ⓐhistorical collation yet. He says:
“Don’t you play nothing on me, because I wouldn’t on you. Honest injun, now, you ain’t a ghost?”
“Honest injun, I ain’t,” I says.Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Well—I—I—well, that ought to settle it, of course; but I can’t somehow seem to understand it,Ⓐhistorical collation no way. LookyhereⒶhistorical collation, warn’t you ever murdered at all?”
“No. I warn’t ever murdered at all—I played it on them. You come in here and feel of me if you don’t believe me.”
So he done it; and it satisfied him; and he was that glad to see me again, he didn’t know what to do. And he wanted to know all about it, right off; because it was a grand adventure, and mysterious, and so it hit him where he lived. But I said, leave it alone till by and byⒶhistorical collation; [begin page 284] and told his driver to wait, and we drove off a little piece, and I told him the kind of a fix I was in, and what did he reckon we better do? He said, let him alone a minute, and don’t disturb him. So he thought andⒶalteration in the MS thought, and pretty soon he says:
“It’s all right, I’ve got it. Take my trunk in your wagon, and let on it’s your’nⒶemendation; and you turn back and fool along slow, so as to get to the house about the time you ought to; and I’ll go towards town a piece, and take a fresh start, and get there a quarter or a half an hour after you; and you needn’t let on to know me, at first.”
I says:Ⓐalteration in the MS
“All right; but wait a minute. There’sⒶalteration in the MS one more thing—a thing that nobody don’t know but me. And that is, there’s a nigger here that I’m a trying to steal out of slavery—and his name is Jim Ⓐemendation—old Miss Watson’s Jim.Ⓐalteration in the MS”
He says:Ⓐalteration in the MS
“What! Why Jim is—Ⓐhistorical collation”
He stopped,Ⓐhistorical collation and went to studying. I says:
“I know what you’ll say. You’llⒶalteration in the MS say it’s dirty low-down business; but what if it is?—Ⓐalteration in the MS I’m low-downⒶhistorical collation; and I’m agoing to steal him, and I want you to keep mum and not let on. Will you?”
His eye lit up, and he says:
“I’ll help you steal him!”
Well, I let go all holts,Ⓐhistorical collation then, like I was shot. It was the most astonishing speech I ever heardⒶemendation—and I’m bound to say Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. Only I couldn’t believeⒶemendation it. Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer!
“Oh, shucks,” I says, “you’reⒶemendation joking.”
“I ain’t joking, either.”
“Well, then,” I says, “joking or no joking, if you hear anything said about a runaway nigger, don’t forget to remember that you don’t know nothing about him, and I don’t know nothing about him.Ⓐalteration in the MS”
Then weⒶalteration in the MS took the trunkⒶalteration in the MS and put it in my wagon, and he drove off his way, and I drove mine. But of course I forgot all about driving slow, on accounts of being glad and full of thinking; so I got home a heapⒶalteration in the MS too quickⒶalteration in the MS for that length of a trip. The old gentleman was at the door, and he says:
“Why, this is wonderful. Who ever would a thought it was in that [begin page 285] mare to do it. I wish we’d a timed her. And she hain’t sweated a hair—not a hair. It’s wonderful. Why, I wouldn’t take a hunderdⒶemendation dollars for that horse now; I wouldn’t, honest; and yet I’d a sold her for fifteen,Ⓐhistorical collation before, and thought ’twas all she was worth.”Ⓐalteration in the MS
That’s all he said. He was the innocentestⒶhistorical collation best old soul I ever see. But it warn’t surprising; because he warn’t only just a farmer, he was a preacher, too, and had a little one-horse log church down back of the plantation, which he built it himself at his own expense, for a church and school houseⒶhistorical collation, and never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too.Ⓐalteration in the MS There was plenty other farmer-preachers like that, and done the same way, down South.
In about halfⒶemendation an hour Tom’s wagon droveⒶalteration in the MS up to the front stile, andⒶalteration in the MS auntⒶhistorical collation Sally she see it through the window—Ⓐhistorical collationbecause it was only about fifty yards—Ⓐhistorical collationand says:
“Why, there’s somebody come! I wonder who ’tis? Why, I do believe it’s a stranger. Jimmy,Ⓐhistorical collation” (that’s one of the children,)Ⓐhistorical collation “runⒶalteration in the MS and tell Lize to put on another plate for dinner.”
Everybody made a rush for the front door—Ⓐhistorical collationbecause, of course, a stranger don’t comeⒶalteration in the MS every year, and so he laysⒶalteration in the MS over the yaller fever, for interest, when he does come. Tom was over the stile and starting for the house; the wagon was spinning up the road for the village, and we was all bunched in the front door. Tom had his store clothes on, and an audience—and that was always nuts for Tom Sawyer. In them circumstances it warn’t no trouble to him to throwⒶalteration in the MS in an amount of style that was suitable. He warn’t a boy to meeky along up that yard like a sheep; no, he come ca’mⒶemendation and important, like the ram. When he got afront of us, he liftsⒶemendation his hat ever so gracious and dainty, like it was the lid of a box that had butterflies asleep in it and he didn’t want to disturb them, and says:
“Mr. Archibald Nichols, I presume?”
“No, my boy,” says the old gentleman, “I’mⒶalteration in the MS sorry to say ’t your driver has deceived you; Nichols’s place is down a matter of three mile more. Come in, come in.Ⓐalteration in the MS”
Tom he took a look back over his shoulder, andⒶalteration in the MS says, “Too late—heⒶemendation’s out of sight.”
“Yes, he’s gone, my son, and you must come in and eat your dinner with us; and then we’ll hitch up and take you down to Nichols’s.”Ⓐalteration in the MS
[begin page 286]
“Oh, I can’t make you so much trouble,Ⓐhistorical collation I couldn’t think of it. I’ll walk—I don’t mind the distance.”
“But we won’t let you walk—it wouldn’t be southernⒶhistorical collation hospitality to do it. Come right in.”
“Oh, do,” says auntⒶhistorical collation Sally; “it ain’t a bit of trouble to us, not a bit in the world. You must stay. It’s a long, dusty three mile, and we can’t let you walk. And besides, I’ve alreadyⒶalteration in the MS told ’em to put on another plate, when I see you coming; so you mustn’t disappoint us. Come right in, and make yourself at home.”
So Tom he thanked them very hearty and handsome, and let himself be persuaded, and come in; and when he was in, he said he was a stranger from Hicksville, OhioⒺexplanatory note, and his name was William Thompson—and he made another bow.Ⓐalteration in the MS
WellⒶemendation, he run on, and on, and on, making up stuff about Hicksville and everybody in itⒶemendation he could invent, and I getting a little nerviousⒶemendation, and wondering how this was going to help me out of my scrape; and at last, still talking along, he reached over and kissed auntⒶhistorical collation Sally [begin page 287] rightⒶalteration in the MS on the mouth, and then settled back again,Ⓐhistorical collation in his chair, comfortable, and was going on talking; but she jumped up and wiped it off with the back of her hand, and says:
“You owdacious puppy!”
He looked kind of hurtⒶemendation,Ⓐalteration in the MS and says:
“I’mⒶalteration in the MS surprised at you, m’am.”
“You’reⒶemendation s’rp—WhyⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation, what do you reckon I am? I’ve a good notion to take and—say, what do you mean by kissing me?”
He looked kind of humble, and says:
“I didn’t mean nothing, m’am. I didn’t mean no harm. I—I—thought you’d like it.”
“Why, you born fool!” She took up the spinning-stick, and it looked like it was all she could do to keep from giving him a crack with it. “What made you think I’d like it?”
“Well, I don’t know. Only, they—they—told me you would.”
“They told you I would.Ⓐemendation Whoever told you,Ⓐhistorical collation ’s another lunatic. I never heard the beat of it. Who’s they?”
“Why—everybody. They all said so, m’am.”
It was all she could do to hold in; and her eyes snapped, and her fingers worked like she wanted to scratch him; and she says:
“Who’s ‘everybody?’ Out with their names—or ther’ll be an idiot short.”
He got up and looked distressed, and fumbled his hat, and says:
“I’m sorry, and I warn’t expecting it. They told me to. They all told me to. They all said kiss her; and said,Ⓐhistorical collation she’ll like it. They all said it—every one of them.Ⓐalteration in the MS But I’m sorry, m’am, and I won’t do it no more—I won’t, honest.”
“You won’t, won’t you? Well, I sh’d reckon Ⓐemendation you won’t!”
“No’m, I’m honest about it; I won’t ever do it again. Till you ask me.”
“Till I ask you! Well, I never see the beat of it in my born days! I lay you’ll be the Methusalem-numskullⒶemendation of creation before ever I ask you—or the likes of you.”
“Well,” he says, “it does surprise me so. I can’t make it out, somehow. They said you would, and I thought you would. But—” He stopped,Ⓐhistorical collation and looked around slow, like he wished he could run across a friendly eye, somewheresⒶhistorical collation; and fetched up on the old gentleman’s, and says, “Didn’t you think she’d like me to kiss her, sir?”
[begin page 288] “Why, no, I—I—well, no, I b’lieve I didn’t.”
Then he looks on around, the same way, to me—and says:
“Tom, didn’t you think auntⒶhistorical collation Sally’dⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation open out her arms and say, ‘Sid Sawyer’—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“My land!” she says, breaking in and jumping for him, “you impudent young rascal, to fool a body so—” and was going to hug him, but he fended her off, and says:
“No, not till you’ve asked me, first.”
So she didn’t lose no time, but asked him; and hugged himⒶalteration in the MS and kissed him, over and over again, and then turned him over to the old man, and he took what was left. And after they got a little quiet again, she says:
“WhyⒶhistorical collation dear me, I never see suchⒶemendation a surprise. We warn’t looking for you Ⓐemendation, at all,Ⓐalteration in the MS but only Tom.Ⓐalteration in the MS Sis never wrote to me about anybody coming but him.”
“It’s because it warn’t intended for any of us to come but Tom,Ⓐalteration in the MS” he says; “but I begged and begged, and at the last minute she let me come, too; so, coming down the river, me and Tom thought it would be a first rateⒶhistorical collation surprise for himⒶalteration in the MS to come here to the houseⒶalteration in the MS first, and for me toⒶalteration in the MS by and byⒶhistorical collation tag along andⒶalteration in the MS drop in and let on to be a stranger. But it was a mistake, auntⒶhistorical collation Sally. This ain’tⒶalteration in the MS no healthy place for a stranger to come.”
“No—not impudent whelps, Sid. You ought to had your jaws boxed; I hain’t been so put out sinceⒶemendation I don’t know when.Ⓐalteration in the MS But I don’t care, I don’t mind the terms—I’d be willingⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation to stand a thousandⒶemendation suchⒶemendation jokes to have you here.Ⓐalteration in the MS Well, to think ofⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation that performanceⒶemendation! I don’t denyⒶalteration in the MS it, I wasⒶemendation mostⒶemendation putrefiedⒶhistorical collation with astonishment when you give meⒶemendation that smack.”Ⓐalteration in the MS
We hadⒶalteration in the MS dinner out in that broad open passage betwixtⒶemendation the house and the kitchen; and there was things enough on that table for seven families—and all hot, too; none of your flabby toughⒶemendation meat that’s laid in a cupboardⒶemendation in a damp cellar all night and tastes like a hunk of oldⒶemendation cold cannibalⒶemendation in the morningⒶalteration in the MS. Uncle Silas he asked a pretty long blessing over it, but it was worth it; and it didn’t cool it a bit, neither, the way I’ve seen them kind of interruptions do, lots of times.Ⓐalteration in the MS
ThereⒶemendation was a considerableⒶalteration in the MS good deal of talk, all the afternoon, and me and Tom was on the lookout all the time, but it warn’t noⒶemendation use, [begin page 289] they didn’t happen to say nothing about any runaway nigger, and we was afraid to try to work up to it. But at supper, at night, one of the little boysⒶalteration in the MS says:
“Pa, mayn’t Tom and Sid and me go to the show?”
“No,” says the old man, “I reckon there ain’t going to be any; and you couldn’t go if there was; because the runaway nigger told Burton and me all about that scandalousⒶalteration in the MS show, and Burton said he would tell the people; so I reckon they’veⒶemendation drove the owdacious loafersⒶemendation out of town before this time.”
So there it was!—but I couldn’t help it. Tom and me was to sleep in the same room and bed; so, being tired, we bid good nightⒶhistorical collation and went upⒶalteration in the MS to bed, right after supper, and clumb out of the windowⒶalteration in the MS and down the lightning rodⒶhistorical collation, and shoved for the townⒶemendation; for I didn’t believe anybody was going to give the king and the duke a hint, and soⒶhistorical collation if I didn’t hurry up and give them one they’d get into trouble,Ⓐhistorical collation sure.Ⓐalteration in the MS
On the road Tom heⒶemendation told me all about how it was reckoned I was murdered, and how pap disappeared, pretty soon, and didn’tⒶhistorical collation come back no more, and what a stir there was when Jim run away; and I told Tom all about ourⒶalteration in the MS Royal NonesuchⒶemendation rapscallions, and as much of the raft-voyage as I had time to; and as we struck into the townⒶemendation and up through the middle of itⒶalteration in the MS—it was as much as half afterⒶhistorical collation eight,Ⓐalteration in the MS [begin page 290] then—here comes a raging rush of people, with torches, and an awful whooping and yelling, and bangingⒶemendation tin pans and blowingⒶemendation horns; and we jumped to one side to let them go by; and as they went by, I see they had the king and the duke astraddle of a rail—that is, I knowed it was the king and the duke, though they was all over tar and feathers, and didn’t look like nothing in the world that was human—just looked like a couple of monstrous bigⒶemendation soldier-plumes. Well, it made me sick to see it; and I was sorryⒶemendation for them poor pitiful rascals, itⒶemendation seemed like I couldn’t ever feel any hardness against them any moreⒶalteration in the MS in the world. It was a dreadful thing to see. Human beings can be awful cruel to one another.
We see we was too late—couldn’t do no good. We asked some stragglers about it, and they said everybody went to the show lookingⒶalteration in the MS very innocent; and laid low and kept dark till the poor old king was in the middle of his cavortings on the stage; then somebody give a signal, and the house rose up and went for them.
So weⒶalteration in the MS poked along back home, and I warn’tⒶemendation feeling so brash as I was before, but kind of ornery, and humble, and to blame, somehow—though I hadn’t done nothing. But that’s always the way:Ⓐhistorical collation it don’t make noⒶemendation difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no sense, and just goes for him anyway. If I had a yaller dog that didn’t know no more than a person’s conscience doesⒶemendation, I would pison him. It takes up more room than all the rest ofⒶemendation a person’s insidesⒶemendation, and yetⒶemendation ain’t no good, nohow. Tom Sawyer he says the same.
