TheⒶemendation old man was up town again, before breakfast, but couldn’t get no track of Tom; and both of them set at the table, thinking, and not saying nothing, and looking mournful, and their coffeeⒶalteration in the MS getting cold, and not eating anything. And by and byⒶhistorical collation the old man says:
“Did I give you the letter?”
“What letter?”
“The one I got yesterday,Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation out of the postofficeⒶhistorical collation.”
“No, you didn’t give me no letter.”
“Well, I must a forgot it.”
So he rummaged his pockets, and then went off somewheres whereⒶalteration in the MS he had laidⒶalteration in the MS it down, and fetched it, and give it to her. She says:
“Why, it’s from St.Ⓐemendation Petersburg—it’s from Sis.”Ⓐalteration in the MS
I allowed another walk would do me good; but I couldn’t stir. But before she could break it open, she dropped it and run—for she see something. And so did I. It was Tom Sawyer on a mattrassⒶhistorical collation; and that old doctor; and Jim, in her Ⓐemendation calico dress, with his hands tied behind him;Ⓐalteration in the MS and a lot of people. I hid the letter behind the first thing that come handy, and rushed. She flung herself atⒶalteration in the MS Tom, cryingⒶalteration in the MS, and says:
“OⒶhistorical collation, he’s dead, he’s dead, IⒶalteration in the MS know he’s dead!”
And Tom he turned his head a little, and muttered something or other, which showed he warn’t in his right mind; then she flung up her hands, and says:
“He’s alive, thank God! And that’s enough!” and she snatched a [begin page 352] kiss of him, and flew for the house,Ⓐhistorical collation to get the bed ready, and scatteringⒶalteration in the MS orders right and leftⒶalteration in the MS at the niggers and everybody else, as fast as her tongue could go, every jump of the way.
I followed the men to see what they was going to do with Jim; and the old doctor and uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas followed after Tom into the house. The men was veryⒶalteration in the MS huffy, and some of them wanted to hang Jim, for an exampleⒶalteration in the MS to all the other niggers around there, so they wouldn’t be trying to run away, like Jim done, and making such a raft of trouble, and keeping a whole family scared most to death for days and nights. But the others said, don’t do it, it wouldn’t answer at all, he ain’t our nigger, and his ownerⒶalteration in the MS would turn up and make us pay for him, sure. So that cooledⒶalteration in the MS them down a little, because the people that’s always the most anxious for to hang a nigger that hain’t done just right, is always the very ones that ain’t the most anxious to pay for him when they’ve got their satisfaction out of him.
They cussed Jim considerbleⒶemendation, though, and give him a cuff or two, side the head, once in a while, but Jim never said nothing, and he never let on to know me, and they took him to the same cabin, and put his own clothes on him, and chained him again, and not to no bed-leg, this time, but to a big staple drove into the bottom log, and chained his hands, too, and both legs, and said he warn’t to have nothing but bread and water to eat, after this, till his owner come or he wasⒶalteration in the MS sold at auctionⒶhistorical collation because he didn’t come in a certain length of time, and filled up our hole, and saidⒶalteration in the MS a couple of farmers with guns mustⒶalteration in the MS stand watch around about the cabinⒶalteration in the MS every night, and a bulldogⒶhistorical collation tied to the door in the daytime,Ⓐhistorical collation and about this time they was through with the jobⒶalteration in the MS and was tapering off with aⒶalteration in the MS kind of generlⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation goodbyeⒶhistorical collation cussing, and then the old doctor comes,Ⓐhistorical collation and takes a look, and says:
“Don’t be no rougher on him than you’re obleeged to, because he ain’t a bad niggerⒺexplanatory note. When I got to where I found the boy, I see I couldn’t cut the bullet out without some help, and he warn’t in no condition for meⒶalteration in the MS to leave, to go and get help; andⒶalteration in the MS he got a little worse and a little worse, and after a long time he went out of his head, and wouldn’t let me come anigh him, any more,Ⓐalteration in the MS and said if I chalked his raft he’d kill me, and no end of wild foolishness like that, and I see I couldn’t do anything at all with him; so IⒶalteration in the MS says, I gotⒶalteration in the MS to have help, somehow; and the minute I says it, out crawls this nigger from [begin page 353] somewheres, and says he’ll help;Ⓐhistorical collation and he done it, too, and done it very well.Ⓐalteration in the MS Of course I judged he must be a runaway nigger, and there I was! and there I had to stick, right straight along,Ⓐhistorical collation all the rest of the day, and all night.Ⓐalteration in the MS It was a fix, I tell you! I had a couple of patients with the chills, and of course I’d of liked to run up to town and see them, but I dasn’t, because the nigger might get away, and then I’d be to blame; and yet never a skiff come close enough for me to hail.Ⓐalteration in the MS So there I had to stick, plumb till daylight this morning; and I never see a nigger that was a better nuss or faithfuller,Ⓐalteration in the MS and yet he was resking his freedom to do it, and wasⒶalteration in the MS all tired out, too, and I see plain enough he’dⒶemendation been worked main hard, lately. I liked the nigger for that; I tell you, gentlemen, a nigger like that is worth a thousand dollars—and kind treatment, too. I had everything I needed,Ⓐalteration in the MS and the boy was doing as well there as he would a done at home—better, maybe, because it was so quiet; but there I was, with both of ’m on my hands; and there I had to stick, till about dawn this morning; then some men in a skiff comeⒶalteration in the MS by, and as goodⒶalteration in the MS luck would have it, the nigger was setting by theⒶalteration in the MS pallet with his head proppedⒶalteration in the MS on his [begin page 354] knees, sound asleep; so I motioned them in, quiet, and they slipped up on him and grabbed him and tied him before he knowed what he was about, and we never had no trouble. And the boy being in a kind of a flighty sleep, too, we muffled the oars and hitched the raft on, and towed her over very nice and quiet, and the nigger never made the least row nor said a word, from the start. He ain’t no bad nigger, gentlemen; that’s what I think about him.”Ⓐemendation
Somebody says:
“Well, it sounds very good, doctor, I’m obleeged to say.”
Then the others softened up a little, too, and I was mighty thankful to that oldⒶalteration in the MS doctor for doing Jim that good turn; and I was glad it was according to my judgementⒶhistorical collation of him, too; because I thought he had a good heart inⒶalteration in the MS him and was a good man, the first time I see him. ThenⒶalteration in the MS they all agreed that Jim had acted very well, and was deserving to have some notice tookⒶalteration in the MS of it, and reward. So every one of them promised, right out and hearty, that they wouldn’t cuss him no more.
ThenⒶalteration in the MS they come out and locked him up. I hoped they was going to say he could have one or two of the chains took off, because they was rotten heavy, or could have meat and greens with his bread and water, but they didn’t think of it, and I reckoned it warn’t best for me to mix in, but I judged I’d get the doctor’s yarn to auntⒶhistorical collation Sally, somehow or other, as soon as I’d got through the breakers that was laying just ahead of me. Explanations, I mean,Ⓐalteration in the MS of how I forgot to mention about ‘Sid’Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS being shot, when I was telling how him and me put in that dratted night paddling around hunting the runaway nigger.
ButⒶemendation I had plenty time. Aunt Sally she stuck to the sick roomⒶhistorical collation all day and all night; and every time I see uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas mooning around, I dodged him.
Next morning I heard Tom was a good deal better, and they said auntⒶhistorical collation Sally was gone to getⒶalteration in the MS a nap. So I slips to the sick roomⒶhistorical collation and if I found him awake I reckoned we could put up a yarn for the family that would wash. But he was sleeping, and sleeping very peaceful, too; and pale, not fire-faced the way he was when he come. So I set down and laid for him to wake.Ⓐemendation In about a half an hour, auntⒶhistorical collation Sally comes gliding in, and there I was, upⒶalteration in the MS a stump again! She motioned me to be still, and set down by me, and begun to whisper, and said [begin page 355] we could all be joyful,Ⓐhistorical collation now, because all the symptoms was first rate, and he’dⒶalteration in the MS been sleeping like that for everⒶalteration in the MS so long, and looking better and peacefuller all the time, and ten to one he’d wake up in his right mind.
So we set there watching, and by and by,Ⓐhistorical collation he stirs a bit, and opensⒶhistorical collation his eyes very natural, and takes a look, and says:
“Hello, why I’m at home! How’s that? Where’s the raft?”
“It’sⒶemendation all right,” I says.
“And Jim?”
“The same,” I says, but couldn’t say itⒶemendation pretty brash. But he never noticed, but says:
“GoodⒶemendation! Splendid! Now we’re all right and safe! Did you tell auntyⒶhistorical collation?”
I was goingⒶemendation to say yes; but she chipped in and says:
“About what, Sid?”
“Why, about the way the whole thing was done.”
“What whole thing?”
“Why, the whole thing—thereⒶhistorical collation ain’t but one:Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation how we set the runaway nigger free—Ⓐalteration in the MSme and Tom.”
“Good land! Set the run—Ⓐalteration in the MSWhatⒶemendation is the child talkingⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation about! Dear, dear, out of his head again!”
“ No Ⓐhistorical collation I ain’t out ofⒶemendation my head,Ⓐemendation I know all what I’m talking about. We did set him free—me and Tom. We laid out to do itⒶhistorical collation and we done it. And we done it elegant, too.” He’dⒶalteration in the MS got a start, and she never checked him up, just set and stared and stared,Ⓐalteration in the MS and let him clip along, and I see it warn’t no use for me to put in. “Why, auntyⒶhistorical collation, it cost us a power of work—weeks of it—hours and hours, every night, whilst you was all asleep. And we had to steal candles, and theⒶalteration in the MS sheetⒶhistorical collation and theⒶalteration in the MS shirt, and your dress, and spoons,Ⓐalteration in the MS and tin plates, and caseknivesⒶhistorical collation, and the warming panⒶhistorical collation, and the grindstone, and flour,Ⓐalteration in the MS and just no end of things, and you can’t think what work it was,Ⓐhistorical collation to make the saws, and pens, and inscriptions, and one thing or another, and you can’t think half the fun it was. And we had to make up the pictures of coffins and things, and nonnamous letters from the robbers, and get up and down the lightning rodⒶhistorical collation, and dig the hole into the cabin, and make the rope-ladder and send it in,Ⓐhistorical collation cooked up in a pie, and send in spoons and things to work with, in your apronⒶalteration in the MS pocket”—Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation
“MercyⒶalteration in the MS sakes!”
[begin page 356] —“andⒶhistorical collation load up the cabin with rats and snakes and so-onⒶhistorical collation, for company for Jim; and thenⒶalteration in the MS you kept Tom here so long with the butter in his hat that you come nearⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation spilingⒶalteration in the MS the whole business, because the men come before we was out of the cabin, and we had to rush, and they heard us and letⒶalteration in the MS drive at us, and I got my share, and we dodged out of the path and let them go by, and when the dogs come they warn’tⒶalteration in the MS interested in us, but went for the most noise, and we got our canoe, and made for the raft, and was all safe, and Jim was a free man, and we done it all by ourselves, and wasn’t it bully, auntyⒶhistorical collation!”
“Well, I never heard the likes of it in all my born days! So it was you, you little rapscallions, that’s been making all this trouble, and turned everybody’s wits cleanⒶalteration in the MS inside out and scared us all most to death. I’ve as good a notion as everⒶalteration in the MS I had in my life, to take itⒶalteration in the MS out o’ youⒶalteration in the MS this very minute. To think,Ⓐalteration in the MS here I’ve been, night after night, a— you Ⓐemendation justⒶemendation get well,Ⓐhistorical collation once, you young scamp, andⒶalteration in the MS I lay I’ll tan the Old Harry out o’ bothⒶalteration in the MS o’ ye!”
But Tom, he was so proud and joyful, he just couldn’t hold in, and his tongue just went it—she a-chipping in, and spitting fire all along, and both of them going it at once, like a cat-convention; and she says:Ⓐalteration in the MS
“ Well Ⓐemendation, you get all the enjoyment you can out of it now, for mind I tell you if I catch you meddlingⒶemendation with him againⒶalteration in the MS—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“Meddling with who?” Tom says, dropping his smile and lookingⒶalteration in the MS surprised.
“With who? Why, the runaway nigger, of course. Who’d you reckon?”Ⓐalteration in the MS
TomⒶalteration in the MS looks at me very grave, and says:
“Tom, didn’t you justⒶalteration in the MS tell me he wasⒶalteration in the MS all right?Ⓐalteration in the MS Hasn’t he got away?”
“Him?” says auntⒶhistorical collation Sally; “the runaway nigger? ’Deed he hasn’t. They’ve got him back, safe and sound, and he’s in that cabin again, on bread and water, and loaded down with chains, till he’s claimed or sold!”
Tom rose square up in bed, with his eye hot, and his nostrils opening and shutting like gills, and sings outⒶalteration in the MS to me:
“They hain’t no right to shut him up! Shove!—and don’t you lose a minute. Turn him loose! he ain’t no slave,Ⓐhistorical collation he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!”
[begin page 357] “What does the child mean!Ⓐhistorical collation”
“I mean every word I say Ⓐemendation, auntⒶhistorical collation Sally, and if somebody don’t go, I’ll go. I’ve knowed himⒶalteration in the MS all his life, and so has Tom, there. Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was ashamedⒶalteration in the MS she ever was going to sell him down the river, and said so;Ⓐalteration in the MS and she set him free in her will.”
“Then what on earth did you want to set him free for, seeingⒶemendation he was already free?Ⓔexplanatory note”
“WellⒶhistorical collation that is a question,Ⓐemendation I must sayⒶalteration in the MS; and just like women! Why, I wanted the adventure of it; and I’d a waded neck-deepⒶemendation in blood to—goodness alive, aunt Polly Ⓐemendation!”
If she warn’t standing right there, just inside the door, looking as sweet and contentedⒶalteration in the MS as an angel half-fullⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation of pie, I wish I may never!
Aunt Sally jumped for her, and mostⒶemendation hugged the head off of her, and cried over her, and I found a good enough place for me under the bed, for it was getting pretty sultryⒶemendation for us, seemed to me.Ⓐalteration in the MS And I peeped out, and in a little while Tom’s auntⒶhistorical collation Polly shook herselfⒶalteration in the MS loose and stood there looking across at Tom over her spectacles—kind of grinding him into the earth, you know. And then she says:
“Yes, you better Ⓐalteration in the MS turn y’rⒶalteration in the MS headⒶemendation away—I would if I was you, Tom.”
“Oh, deary me!” says auntⒶhistorical collation Sally,Ⓐhistorical collation “is he changed so? Why, that [begin page 358] ain’t Tom, Ⓐhistorical collation it’s Sid; Tom’s—Tom’s—why,Ⓐalteration in the MS where isⒶalteration in the MS Tom? He was here a minute ago.”
“You mean where’s Huck Finn—that’s what you mean! I reckon I hain’t raised such a scamp as my Tom all these years, not to know him when I see him. That would be a prettyⒶalteration in the MS howdy-do. Come out from under that bed, Huck Finn.Ⓐemendation”
So I done it. But not feeling brash.
Aunt Sally she was one of the mixed-upest looking persons I ever see; except one, and that was uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas, when heⒶemendation come in, and they toldⒶalteration in the MS it all to him. It kind of made him drunk, as you may say, and he didn’t know nothing at all the rest of the day, and preached a prayer meetingⒶhistorical collation sermon that night that give him a rattling ruputation, because the oldest man in the world couldn’t a understood it. So Tom’s auntⒶhistorical collation PollyⒶhistorical collation she told all about who I was, and what; andⒶalteration in the MS I had to up and tell how I was in such a tight place that when Mrs. Phelps took me for Tom Sawyer—sheⒶalteration in the MS chippedⒶalteration in the MS in and says, “OⒶhistorical collation, go on and call me auntⒶhistorical collation Sally, I’m used to it, now, and ’t ain’tⒶhistorical collation no need to change”—that when auntⒶhistorical collation Sally took me for Tom Sawyer, I had to stand it—there warn’t no other way, and I knowed heⒶalteration in the MS wouldn’tⒶalteration in the MS mind, because it wouldⒶalteration in the MS be nuts for him, being a mystery, and he’d make an adventure out of it and be perfectly satisfied. And so it turned out, and heⒶalteration in the MS let on to be Sid, and made things as softⒶalteration in the MS as he could for me.
And his auntⒶhistorical collation Polly she said Tom was right about old Miss Watson setting Jim free in her will; and so, sure enough, Tom SawyerⒶalteration in the MS had gone and took all that trouble and bother to set a free nigger free!Ⓐalteration in the MS and I couldn’t ever understand, before, until that minute and that talk, howⒶalteration in the MS he could help a bodyⒶalteration in the MS set a nigger free, with hisⒶalteration in the MS bringing-upⒶalteration in the MS.
Well, aunt PollyⒶhistorical collation sheⒶhistorical collation said that when aunt SallyⒶhistorical collation wrote to her that Tom and Sid had come, all right and safe, she says to herselfⒶemendation:
“Look at that, now! I might haveⒶemendation expected it, letting him go off that way without anybody to watch him. So now I got to go and trapse all the way down the riverⒶhistorical collation eleven hundred mileⒺexplanatory note,Ⓐalteration in the MS and find out what that cretur’sⒶhistorical collation up to, this time; as long asⒶemendation I couldn’t seem to get any answer out ofⒶalteration in the MS you Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐtextual note Ⓐalteration in the MS about it.”
“Why, I never heard nothing from you,” says auntⒶhistorical collation Sally.
“Well, I wonder! Why, I wrote to you twice, to ask you what you could mean by Sid being here.”
[begin page 359] “Well, IⒶalteration in the MS never got ’em,Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation Sis.”
Aunt PollyⒶhistorical collation she turns around slow and severe, and says:
“You, Tom!”
“Well— what? Ⓐalteration in the MS” he says, kind of pettish.Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Don’t you what me, you impudent thing—hand out them letters.”
“What letters?Ⓐalteration in the MS”
“Them letters. I be bound, if I have to take aholt of you I’ll—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“They’re in the trunk. There, now. And they’re just the same as they was when I got them out of the office. I hain’t looked into them, I hain’t touched them. But I knowed they’d make trouble, and I thought if you warn’t in no hurry, I’d—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“Well, you do need skinning, there ain’t no mistake about it. And I wrote another one to tell you I was coming; and I spose he—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“No, it come yesterday; I hain’tⒶalteration in the MS read it yet, but it’s all right, I’ve got thatⒶalteration in the MS one.”
I wanted to offer to betⒶalteration in the MS two dollarsⒶalteration in the MS she hadn’t, but I reckoned maybe it was just as safe to not to. So I never said nothing.
he got . . . well.] added on a new MS page, numbered 752, to replace a canceled passage at the bottom of MS page 751, and at the top and on the verso of MS page 753 (originally 752). The canceled passage is reproduced below. The superior numbers refer to Mark Twain’s revisions, which are listed following the passage: ‘and he got a little worse every hour, and by and by out of his head,1 and when I says this, out crawls this nigger from behind the wigwam or somewheres, and says he’ll help, and the boy was mad, and told him to clear out, and said he wouldn’t have no strange niggers meddling around him, but the nigger helped anyhow, and done it very well, too. Then he pretended to leave the raft, so as to satisfy’2
1. and he . . . head,] interlined; ‘a little’ interlined within the interlineation.
2. Then he . . . satisfy] ‘Then he . . . raft,’ interlined, and ‘so . . . satisfy’ added on the verso of the MS page with instructions to turn over.