They Ⓐemendation was fetching a very nice lookingⒶhistorical collation old gentleman along, and a nice lookingⒶhistorical collation younger one, with his right arm in a sling. And my souls, how the people yelled, and laughed, and kept it up.Ⓐhistorical collation But IⒶemendation didn’t see no joke about it, and I judged it would strain the duke and the king some,Ⓐhistorical collation toⒶalteration in the MS see any. I reckoned they’dⒶalteration in the MS turn pale. But noⒶemendation, nary a pale did they turnⒶemendation. The duke he neverⒶalteration in the MS let on heⒶemendation suspicioned what was up, but just went a goo-gooing around, happy and satisfiedⒶemendation, like a jug that’s googling out buttermilk; and as for the king, he just gazed and gazed down sorrowfulⒶalteration in the MS on them newcomersⒶemendation like it give him the stomach-ache in his very heart to think there could be such frauds and rascals in the world. OⒶhistorical collation, he done it admirable. Lots of the principal people gethered around the king, to let him see they was on his side. That old gentleman that had just come,Ⓐhistorical collation looked all puzzled to death. Pretty soon he begun to speak, and I see, straight off,Ⓐemendation he pronounced like an Englishman;Ⓐhistorical collation not the king’s way, though the king’s was pretty good, for an imitation. I can’t give the old gent’s words, nor I can’t imitate him; but he turned aroundⒶemendation to the crowd, and says, about like this:
“This is a surprise to me which I wasn’t looking for; and I’ll acknowledge, candid and frank,Ⓐemendation I ain’t very well fixed to meet it and answer it; for my brother and me has had misfortunes:Ⓐhistorical collation he’s broke his arm, and our baggage got put off at a town above here, last night in the night,Ⓐhistorical collation by a mistakeⒶemendation. I am Peter Wilks’s brother Harvey, and this is his brother William, which can’t hear nor speak—and can’t [begin page 250] even make signs to amount to much, now’t he’s only got one hand to work them with. We are who we say we are; and in a day or two, when I get the baggage, I can prove it. But, upⒶemendation till then, I won’t say nothing more, but go to the hotel and wait.”
So him and the new dummy started off; and the king he laughs, and blethers out:
“Broke his arm—very likely,Ⓐhistorical collation ain’t it?—and very convenient, too, for a fraud that’s got to make signs, and hain’t learnt how. Lost their baggage! That’s mighty good!—andⒶalteration in the MS mighty ingenious—under the circumstances!”
So he laughed again; and so did everybody else, except three or four, or maybe half a dozen. One of these was that doctor; another one was a sharp looking gentleman,Ⓐemendation with a carpet bag of the old-fashioned kind made out of carpet-stuff,Ⓐemendation that had just come off ofⒶalteration in the MS the steamboat and was talking to him in a low voice, and glancingⒶalteration in the MS towards the king now and then and nodding their heads—it was Levi Bell, the lawyer that was gone up to Louisville; and another one was a big rough husky that come along and listened to all the old gentlemanⒶemendation said, and was listening to the king,Ⓐhistorical collation now. And when the king got done, this husky up and says:
“Say, looky-hereⒶhistorical collation; if you are Harvey Wilks, when’dⒶemendation you come to this town?”
“The day before the funeral, friend,” says the king.
“But what time o’ day?”
“In the evenin’—’bout an hour erⒶemendation two before sundown.”
“How’d you come?”
“I come down on the Susan PowellⒶhistorical collation, from Cincinnati.Ⓐemendation”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Well, then, how’d you come to be up at the PintⒶemendation in the mornin’—in a canoe?”
“I warn’t up at the PintⒶemendation in the mornin’Ⓐalteration in the MS.”
“It’s a lie.”
Several of them jumped for him and begged him not to talk that wayⒶemendation to an old man and a preacher.
“Preacher be hanged, he’s a fraud and a liar. He was up at the PintⒶemendation that mornin’. I live up there, don’t I? Well, I was up there, and he was up there. I see him there. He come in a canoe, along with Tim Collins and a boy.”
The doctor heⒶalteration in the MS up and says:
[begin page 251] “Would you know the boy again if you was to see him, Hines?”
“I reckon I would, but I don’t know. Why, yonder he is, now. I know him perfectly easy.”
It was me he pointed at. The doctor says:
“Neighbors, I don’t know whether the new couple is frauds or not; but if these two ain’t frauds, I amⒶemendation an idiot, that’s all. I thinkⒶalteration in the MS it’s our duty to see that they don’t get away from here till we’ve looked into this thing. Come along, Hines; come along, the rest of you. We’ll take these fellows to the tavern and affrontⒶalteration in the MS themⒶemendation with t’other couple, and I reckon we’ll find out something before we get through.”
It was nuts for the crowd, though maybe not for the king’s friends; so we all started. It was about sundown.Ⓐalteration in the MS The doctor he led me along by the hand, and was plenty kind enough, but he never let go my hand.
We all got in a big room in the hotel, and lit up some candles,Ⓐalteration in the MS and fetched in the new coupleⒶalteration in the MS.
[begin page 252] FirstⒶhistorical collation, the doctor says:
“I don’t wish to be too hard on these two men, but I think they’re frauds, and they may have complices that we don’t know nothing about. If they have, won’t the complices get away with that bag of gold Peter Wilks left? It ain’t unlikely. If these men ain’t frauds, they won’t objectⒶalteration in the MS to sending for that money and letting us keep it till they prove they’re all right—Ⓐalteration in the MSain’t that so?”
Everybody agreed to that. So I judged they had our gang in a pretty tight place, right at the outstart. But the kingⒶalteration in the MS he only looked sorrowful, and says:
“Gentlemen, I wish the money was there, for I ain’tⒶalteration in the MS got no disposition to throw anything in the way of a fair, open, out-and-out investigation o’Ⓐemendation this misableⒶemendation business; but alas, the money ain’t there; you k’nⒶemendation send and see, if you want to.”
“Where is it, then?”
“Well, whenⒶalteration in the MS my niece give it to me to keepⒶalteration in the MS for her, I took and hid it inside o’ theⒶemendation straw tick o’ myⒶemendation bed, notⒶalteration in the MS wishin’Ⓐemendation to bank it for the fewⒶalteration in the MS days we’d be here, and considerin’ the bed aⒶalteration in the MS safe place, we not bein’ used to niggers, and suppos’n’Ⓐemendation ’em honest, like servants in England.Ⓐalteration in the MS The niggers stole it the very next mornin’,Ⓐemendation after I had went down stairs; and when I sold ’emⒶemendation, I hadn’t missed the money yitⒶemendation, so they got clean away with it. My servant here k’nⒶemendation tell you ’boutⒶemendation it,Ⓐhistorical collation gentlemen.”
The doctor and several said “Shucks!” and I seeⒶalteration in the MS nobody didn’t altogether believe him. One man asked me if I see the niggers steal it. I said no, but I see them sneaking out of the room and hustling away, and I never thought nothing, only I reckoned they was afraid they had waked up my master and was trying to get away before he made trouble with them. That was all they asked me. Then the doctor whirlsⒶalteration in the MS on me and says:
“Are you English,Ⓐhistorical collation too?”
IⒶalteration in the MS saysⒶemendation yes; and him and some others laughed, and said, “StuffⒶemendation!”
Well, then they sailed in on the generalⒶalteration in the MS investigation, and there we had it, up and down, hour in, hour out, and nobodyⒶalteration in the MS neverⒶemendation said a word about supper, nor ever seemed to think about it—and so theyⒶalteration in the MS kept it up, and kept it up; and it was the worst mixed-up thing you ever see. They made the king tell his yarn, and they made the old gentlemanⒶemendation tell his’n; and anybody but a lot of prejudiced chuckleheads would a seen that the old gentlemanⒶemendation was spinning truth and [begin page 253] t’other one lies. And by and byⒶhistorical collation they had me up to tell what I knowed. The king he give me a left-handed look out of the corner of his eye, and so I knowed enough to talk on the right side. I begunⒶemendation to tellⒶemendation about Sheffield, and how we lived there, and all about the English WilksesⒶalteration in the MS, and so on; but I didn’t get pretty furⒶemendation till the doctor begun to laugh; andⒶalteration in the MS Levi Bell, the lawyer, says:
“Set down, my boy, I wouldn’t strain myself, if I was you. I reckon you ain’t usedⒶalteration in the MS to lying, it don’t seem to come handy; what you want is practice. You do it pretty awkward.”
I didn’t care nothing for the compliment, but I was glad to be let off, any wayⒶhistorical collation.
The doctor heⒶemendation started to say something, and turns and says:
“If you’d been in town at first, Levi Bell—Ⓐhistorical collation”
The king broke in and reached out his handⒶhistorical collation and says:
“Why, is this my poor dead brother’s old friend that he’s wrote so often about?”
The lawyer and him shook hands, and the lawyer smiled,Ⓐhistorical collation and looked pleased, and they talked right along,Ⓐhistorical collation a while, and then got to one side and talked low; and at last the lawyer speaksⒶemendation up and says:
“That’ll fix it. I’ll take the order and send it,Ⓐalteration in the MS along with your brother’s, and then they’ll know it’s all right.”
So they got some paper and a pen, and the king he set down and twisted his head to one side, and chawed his tongue, and scrawled off something; and then they give the pen to the duke—and then for the first time, the duke looked sick. But he took the pen and wrote. So then the lawyerⒶalteration in the MS turns to the new old gentleman and says:
[begin page 254] “You and your brother please write a line or two and sign your names.”
The old gentleman wrote, but nobody couldn’t read it. The lawyer lookedⒶalteration in the MS powerful astonished, and says:Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Well, it beats me”—and snaked a lot of old letters out of his pocket, and examined them, and then examinedⒶemendation the old man’s writing, and then them Ⓐemendation again; and then says: “These old letters is from Harvey Wilks; and here’s these two’s handwritings, and anybody can see they didn’t write them” (the king and the duke looked sold and foolish, I tell you, to see how the lawyer had took them in),Ⓐemendation “and here’s this old gentleman’s handwriting, and anybody can tell, easy enough, he didn’t write them—fact is, the scratches he makes ain’t properly writing, at all. Now here’s some letters from—Ⓐhistorical collation”
The new old gentleman says:
“If you please, let me explain. Nobody can read my hand but my brother there—so heⒶemendation copiesⒶalteration in the MS for me. It’s his hand you’ve got there, not mine.”
“Well!” says the lawyer, “this is a state of things. I’ve got some of William’s letters,Ⓐhistorical collation tooⒶalteration in the MS; so if you’ll get him to write a line orⒶemendation so we can com—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“He can’t write with his left hand,” says the old gentleman. “If he could use his right hand, you would see that he wrote his own letters and mine too. Look at both, please—they’re by the same hand.”
The lawyer done it, and says:
“IⒶalteration in the MS believe it’s so—and if it ain’t soⒶhistorical collation there’s a heapⒶalteration in the MS stronger resemblance than I’d noticed before, anyway. Well, well, well! I thought we was right on the track of a slutionⒶemendation, but it’s gone to grass, partly. But anyway, one thing isⒶemendation proved—these two ain’t either of ’emⒶalteration in the MS Wilkses”—and he wagged his head towards the king and the duke.
WellⒶalteration in the MS, what do you think?—that muleheaded old fool wouldn’t give in then! Indeed he wouldn’t. Said it warn’t no fair test. Said his brother William was the cussedest joker in the world, and hadn’t tried to write—he see William was going to play one of his jokes the minute he put the pen to paper. And so he warmed up and wentⒶemendation warbling and warbling right along, till he was actulyⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS beginning to believe what he was saying, himself—but pretty soon the new old gentleman brokeⒶalteration in the MS inⒶhistorical collation and says:
[begin page 255] “I’ve thought of something. Is there anybody here that helped to lay outⒶalteration in the MS my br—Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendationhelped to lay out the late Peter Wilks for burying?”
“YesⒶhistorical collation” says somebody, “me and Ab Turner done it. We’reⒶalteration in the MS both here.”
Then the old man turns towards the kingⒶhistorical collation and says:
“PerapsⒶalteration in the MS this gentleman can tell me what was tattooedⒶhistorical collation on his breast?”
BlamedⒶemendation if the king didn’t have to brace up mighty quick, or he’d a squshed down like a bluff bank that the river has cut underⒶemendation, it took him so sudden—and mind youⒶhistorical collation it was a thing that was calculated to make most anybody sqush,Ⓐemendation to get fetched such a solid oneⒶemendation as that without any notice—because how was he going to know what was tattooedⒶemendation on the man? He whitened a little; he couldn’t help it; and it was mighty still,Ⓐhistorical collation in there, and everybody bending a little forwardsⒶemendation and gazing at him. Says I to myself, Now he’ll throw up the sponge—there ain’t no more use. Well, did he? A body can’t hardly believe it, but he didn’t.Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation I reckon he thought he’d keep the thing up till he tired them people out, so they’d thin outⒶhistorical collation and him and the duke could break loose and get away. Anyway, he set there, and pretty soon he begun to smile, and says:
“Mf!Ⓐalteration in the MS It’sⒶemendation a very tough question, ain’t it! Yes Ⓐemendation, sir, I k’nⒶemendation tell you what’s tattooedⒶhistorical collation on his breast. It’s jestⒶemendation a small, thin, blue arrow—that’s what it is; and if you don’t look clostⒶalteration in the MS, you can’t see it. Now what do you sayⒶemendation—hey?”
Well, I never see anything like that old blister,Ⓐemendation for clean out-and-out cheek.
The new oldⒶemendation gentleman turns brisk towards Ab Turner and his pard,Ⓐalteration in the MS and his eye lights up like he judged he’d got the king this time, and says:
“There—you’ve heard what he said! Was there any such mark on Peter Wilks’s breast?”
Both of them spoke up and says:
“We didn’t see no such mark.”
“Good!” says the old gentleman. “NowⒶhistorical collation what you did see on his breastⒶemendation was a small dimⒶalteration in the MS P, and a B,Ⓐhistorical collation (which is an initial he dropped when he was young,)Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation and a W, with dashes between them, so: P—B—W”—and he marked them that way on a piece of paper. “Come—ain’t that what you saw?”
Both of them spoke up again, and says:
[begin page 256] “No, we didn’t. We never seenⒶalteration in the MS anyⒶemendation marks,Ⓐhistorical collation at all.”
Well, everybody was in a state of mind, now;Ⓐemendation and they sings outⒶemendation:
“The whole bilin’ of ’mⒶemendation ’sⒶemendation frauds! Le’sⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation duck ’em! le’sⒶemendation drown ’em! le’sⒶemendation ride ’em on a rail!” and everybody was whooping at onceⒶalteration in the MS, and there was a rattling pow-wow. But the lawyer he jumpsⒶemendation on the table and yells, and says:
“Gentlemen—gentlemen Ⓐemendation! HearⒶalteration in the MS me just a word—just a single word—if you please! There’sⒶemendation oneⒶemendation way,Ⓐhistorical collation yet—let’sⒶalteration in the MS go and dig up the corpse and lookⒶalteration in the MS.Ⓐemendation”
That took them.
“Hooray!” they all shouted, and was starting right off; but the lawyer and the doctor sung out:
“Hold on, hold on! Collar all these four men and the boy, and fetch them along, too!”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“We’ll do it!” they all shouted;Ⓐhistorical collation “and if we don’t find them marks,Ⓐhistorical collation we’ll lynchⒶalteration in the MS the whole gang!”
I was scared, now, I tell you.Ⓐemendation But there warn’t noⒶemendation getting away, you know. They gripped us all, and marched us right along, straight [begin page 257] for the graveyard, which was a mile and a half down the river, and the whole town at our heels, for we made noise enoughⒶemendation, and it was only nineⒶalteration in the MS in the evening.
As we went by our house I wishedⒶemendation I hadn’t sent Mary Jane out of town; because now if I could tip her the wink, she’d light out and save me, and blow on our dead-beats.
WellⒶemendation, we swarmed along down the river road, just carrying on like wild-cats; and to make it more scary, the sky was darking up, and the lightning beginning to wink and flitter, and the windⒶalteration in the MS to shiverⒶemendation amongst the leaves. This was the most awful trouble and most dangersome I ever was in; and I was kinder stunned,Ⓐhistorical collation everything was going so different from what I had allowed for:Ⓐhistorical collation ’steadⒶhistorical collation of being fixed so I could take my own time, if I wanted to, and see all the fun, and have Mary Jane at my back to save me and set me free when the close-fit come, here was nothing in the world betwixt me and sudden deathⒶemendation but just them tattoo-marksⒶemendation. If they didn’t find them—
I couldn’t bear to think about it; and yet, somehow, I couldn’t think about nothing else. It got darker and darker, and it was a beautiful time to give the crowd the slip; but that big husky had me by the wrist—Hines—and a body might as well try to give GoliarⒶemendation the slip. He dragged me right along, he was so excited; and I had to run to keep up.
When they got there they swarmed into the graveyard,Ⓐhistorical collation and washedⒶemendation over it like an overflow. And when they got to the grave, they found they had about a hundred times as many shovelsⒶemendation as they wanted, but nobody hadn’t thought to fetch a lantern. But they sailed in toⒶhistorical collation digging, anyway, by the flicker of the lightning, and sent a man to the nearest house a half a mile off, to borrow one.
So they dug and dug, like everythingⒶemendation; and it got awful dark, and the rain started, and the wind swished and swushed along, and the lightning come brisker and briskerⒶemendation, and the thunder boomed; but them people never took no notice of it, they was so full of this business; and one minute you could see every thingⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation and every face in that bigⒶemendation crowd, and the shovelfuls of dirt sailing up out of the grave, and the next second the dark wipedⒶemendation it all out, and you couldn’t see nothing at all.
At last they got out the coffin, and begun to unscrew the lid, and [begin page 258] then such another crowding, and shoulderingⒶhistorical collation and shoving as there was, to scrouge in and get a sight, you never see; and in the dark, that way, it was awful. Hines heⒶemendation hurt my wrist dreadful, pullingⒶemendation and tugging so, and I reckon he cleanⒶemendation forgot I was in the world, he was soⒶemendation excited and panting.Ⓐalteration in the MS
All of a sudden the lightning let go a perfect sluice of white glare, and somebody sings out:
“By the living jingo, here’s the bag of gold on his breast!”
Hines let out a whoop, like everybody else, and dropped my wrist and give a big surge to bust his way in and get a look, and the way I lit out and shinned for the road in the dark, there ain’t nobody can tellⒶemendation.
I had the road all to myself, and I fairly flew—leastways I had it all to myself except the solidⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS dark, and the now-and-then glares, and the buzzingⒶemendation of the rain, and the thrashing of the wind, and the splittingⒶemendation of the thunder; and sure as you are bornⒶemendation I did clip it along!
When I struck the town, I see there warn’t nobody out in the storm, so I never hunted for no back streets, but humped it straight through the main one; and when I begun to get towards our house I aimedⒶemendation my eye and set it. No light there; the house all dark—which made me feel sorryⒶemendation and disappointed, I didn’t know why. But at last, just as I was sailing by, flash comes the light in Mary Jane’s window!Ⓐalteration in the MS and my heart swelled up sudden, like to bust;Ⓐalteration in the MS and the same second the house and all was behind me in the dark, and wasn’t ever goingⒶemendation to be before me no moreⒶemendation in this world. She was the best girl I ever see,Ⓐemendation and had the most sandⒶemendation.
The minute I was far enough above the town to see I could make the towheadⒶhistorical collation, I begun to look sharp for a boat to borrowⒶalteration in the MS; and the first time the lightning showed me one that wasn’t chained, I snatched it and shoved. It was a canoe, and warn’t fastened with nothing but a rope. The towheadⒶemendation was a rattling big distance off, away out there in the middle of the river, but I didn’t lose no time; and when I struck the raft at last, I was so fagged I would a just laid down to blow and gasp if I could afforded it. But I didn’t. As I sprungⒶemendation aboard I sung out:
“Out with you Jim, and setⒶalteration in the MS her loose! Glory be to goodness, we’re shut of themⒶemendation!”
[begin page 259]
Jim lit out, and was a coming for me with both armsⒶalteration in the MS spread, he was so fullⒶemendation of joy,Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS but when I glimpsed him inⒶemendation the lightning, myⒶalteration in the MS heart shotⒶemendation up in my mouth, and I went overboard backwards; for I forgotⒶemendation he was old King LearⒶemendation and a drowndedⒶemendation A-rab all in oneⒶemendation, and it most scared the livers and lights out of me. But Jim fished me out, and was going to hug me and bless me, and so on, he was so gladⒶemendation I was back and we was shut of the king and the dukeⒶemendation, but I says:
“Not now—have it for breakfast, have it for breakfast! Cut loose and let her slide!”
So, in two seconds, away we went, a sliding down the river, and itⒶalteration in the MS did seem so good to be free again and all by ourselvesⒶemendation on the big river and nobody to bother us.Ⓐemendation I hadⒶemendation to skip around a bit, and jump up and crack my heelsⒶemendation a few times, I couldn’t help it; but about the third crack, I noticed a sound that I knowedⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation mighty well,Ⓐhistorical collation—and held my breath,Ⓐemendation and listened and waited—and sure enough, when the [begin page 260] next flash bustedⒶemendation out over the water, here they come!—and just a laying to their oars and making their skiff hum! It was the king and the duke.
So I wilted right down onto the planks, then, and give upⒶalteration in the MS; and it was all I could do to keep from crying.