The doctor was an old man;Ⓐemendation a very nice, kind lookingⒶhistorical collation old man, when I got him up. I told him me and my brother was over on Spanish islandⒶhistorical collation hunting, yesterday after noonⒶhistorical collation, and camped on a piece of a raft we found, and about midnight he must a kicked his gunⒶalteration in the MS in his dreams, for it went off and shot him in the leg;Ⓐhistorical collation and we wanted him to go over there and fix it and not say nothing about it, nor let anybody know, because we wanted to come home this evening, and surprise the folks.
“Who is your folks?” he says.
“The Phelpses, down yonder.”
“Oh,” he says. And after a minute, he says: “How’d you say he got shot?”
“He had a dream,” I says, “and it shot him.”
“Singular dream,” he says.
So he lit up his lantern, and got his saddlebagsⒶhistorical collation, and we started. But when he see the canoe, he didn’t like the look of her—said she was big enough for one, but didn’t look pretty safe for two. I says:
“OⒶhistorical collation, you needn’t be afeard,Ⓐalteration in the MS sir, she carried the three of us, easy enough.Ⓐemendation”
“What three?”
“Why, me and Sid, and—and—and the guns; that’s what I mean.”
“Oh,” he says.
But he put his foot on the gunnel, and rocked her; and shook his head, and saidⒶalteration in the MS he reckoned he’dⒶemendation look around for a bigger one. But they was all locked and chained; so he took my canoe, and said for [begin page 344] me to wait till he come back, or I could hunt around further, or maybe I better go down home and get them ready for the surprise, if I wanted to. But I said I didn’t; soⒶemendation I told him just how to find the raft, and then he started.
I struck an idea, pretty soon. I says to myself, spos’nⒶalteration in the MS he can’t fix that leg just in three shakes of a sheep’s tail, as the saying is? spos’n it takes him three or four days? What are weⒶemendation going to do?—lay around there till he lets the cat out of the bag? No, sir, I know what I’ll Ⓐhistorical collation do.Ⓐemendation I’ll wait, and when he comes back, if he says he’s got to go any more, I’ll get down there, too, if I swim; and we’ll take andⒶemendation tie him, and keep him, and shove out down the river; and when Tom’s done with him, weⒶemendation’ll give him what it’s worth, or all we got, and then let him get ashoreⒶhistorical collation.
So then I crept into a lumber pile to get some sleep; and next time I waked up the sun was away up over my headⒶtextual note Ⓐemendation! I shot out,Ⓐemendation and went for the doctor’s house, but they told me he’d gone away in the night, some time or other, and warn’t back yet. Well, thinks I, that looks [begin page 345] powerful bad for Tom, and I’ll dig out for the island, right off. So away I shoved, and turned the corner, and nearly rammed my headⒶalteration in the MS into uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas’s stomach! He says:
“Why, Tom!Ⓐalteration in the MS Where you been, all this time, you rascalⒶalteration in the MS?Ⓐemendation”
“I hain’t been nowheres,” I says, “only just hunting for the runaway nigger—me and Sid.”
“Why, where ever did you go?” he says. “Your aunt’s been mighty uneasy.”
“She needn’t,” I says, “because we was all right. We followed the men and the dogs, but they outrunⒶhistorical collation us, and we lost them; but we thought we heard them on the water, so we got a canoe and took out after them, and crossed over,Ⓐhistorical collation but couldn’t find nothing of them; so we cruised along up shoreⒶhistorical collation till we got kind of tired and beat out; and tied up the canoe and went to sleep, and never waked up till about an hour ago, then we paddled over here to hear the news, and Sid’sⒶalteration in the MS at the postofficeⒶhistorical collation to see what he can hear, and I’m a-branchingⒶhistorical collation out to get something to eat for us, and then we’re going home.”
SoⒶalteration in the MS then we went to the postofficeⒶhistorical collation to get ‘Sid’Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS; but,Ⓐemendation just as I suspicioned, he warn’t there; so the old man he got a letter out of the office, and we waited a while longer,Ⓐhistorical collation but SidⒶalteration in the MS didn’t come; so the old man said come along, letⒶalteration in the MS Sid foot itⒶalteration in the MS home, or canoe-it, when he got done fooling around—but we would ride. I couldn’t get him to let me stay and wait for Sid; and heⒶemendation said there warn’t no use in it, and I must come along, and let auntⒶhistorical collation Sally see we was all right.
When we got home, auntⒶhistorical collation Sally was that glad to see me she laughed and cried both, and hugged me, and give me one of them lickings of hern that don’t amount to shucks, and said she’d serve Sid the same when he come.
And the place was plumb full of farmers and farmers’ wives, to dinner; and such another clack a body never heard. Old Mrs. Hotchkiss was the worst; her tongue was agoing all the time. She says:
“Well, sisterⒶhistorical collation PhelpsⒺexplanatory note, I’ve ransacked that-air cabin over,Ⓐhistorical collation an’ IⒶemendation b’lieve the nigger was crazy. I says so to sisterⒶhistorical collation Damrell—didn’t I, sisterⒶhistorical collation Damrell?—s’I,Ⓐemendation he’s crazy, s’I—them’s the very words I said. You all hearnⒶalteration in the MS me: he’s crazy, s’I; everything shows it, s’I. Look at that-air grindstone, s’I:Ⓐhistorical collation want to tell me ’tⒶemendation any cretur ’ts in his right mind ’s agoin’ to scrabble all them crazy things onto a grindstoneⒶemendation, s’I? Here sich ’n’ sichⒶalteration in the MS a person busted his heart; ’n’ here so ’n’ so [begin page 346] pegged along for thirty-seven year, ’n’Ⓐemendation all that—natcherl son o’Ⓐalteration in the MS Louis somebody, ’n’ sich everlast’nⒶemendation rubbageⒶemendation. He’s plumb crazy, s’I; it’s what I says in the fust place, it’s what I says in the middle, ’n’ it’sⒶemendation what I says last ’n’Ⓐemendation all the time—the nigger’s crazy—crazy’sⒶemendation NebokoodneezerⒶalteration in the MS Ⓔexplanatory note, s’I.”
“An’Ⓐemendation look at that-air ladder made out’n rags, sisterⒶhistorical collation Hotchkiss,” says old Mrs. Damrell, “whatⒶemendation in the name o’Ⓐemendation goodness could he ever want of—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“The very words I was a-sayin’ no longer ago th’nⒶalteration in the MS this minute to sisterⒶhistorical collation UtterbackⒺexplanatory note, ’n’ she’ll tell you so herself. Sh-she, look at that-airⒶemendation rag ladder, sh-she; ’n’ s’I, yes, look at it, s’I—what could he a wanted of it, s’I. Sh-sheⒶalteration in the MS, sisterⒶhistorical collation Hotchkiss, sh-she—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“But how in the nation’d they ever git that grindstone in Ⓐemendation there, anywayⒶhistorical collation? ’n’Ⓐalteration in the MS who dug that-air hole? ’n’ who—”Ⓐemendation
“My very words, Brer Penrod! I was a-sayin’—pass that-air sasser o’ m’lasses, won’t ye?—I was a-sayin’ to sisterⒶhistorical collation Dunlap, jist this minute, how did they git that grindstone in there, s’I. Without help, mind you—’thoutⒶalteration in the MS help! Thar’s wher’Ⓐalteration in the MS ’tis. Don’t tell me, s’I; there wuz help, s’I; ’n’ ther’ wuzⒶemendation a plenty Ⓐemendation help, too, s’I; ther’sⒶalteration in the MS ben a dozen a-helpin’ that nigger, ’n’Ⓐemendation I lay I’d skin every last nigger on this place, but I’dⒶhistorical collation find out who done it, s’I; ’n’ moreover, s’I—Ⓐhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS”
“A dozen,Ⓐhistorical collation says you!—forty couldn’t a done everything that’s beenⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation done. Look at them caseknifeⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation saws and things, how tedious they’ve beenⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS made; look at that bed-leg sawed off with ’m, a week’s work [begin page 347] for six men; look at that nigger made out’n straw on the bed;Ⓐalteration in the MS andⒶemendation look at—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“You may well say it, Brer Hightower! It’s jist as I was a-sayin’Ⓐalteration in the MS to Brer Phelps, his own self. S’e, what do you think of it, sisterⒶhistorical collation HotchkissⒶalteration in the MS, s’e; thinkⒶhistorical collation o’ what, Brer Phelps, s’I;Ⓐhistorical collation think o’ that bed-leg sawed off that aⒶemendation way, s’e;Ⓐtextual note Ⓐhistorical collation think of it? s’I;Ⓐhistorical collation I lay it never sawed itself off, s’I—somebody sawed Ⓐalteration in the MS it, s’I; that’s my opinion, take it or leave it, it mayn’t be no ’countⒶalteration in the MS, s’I, but sich as ’tⒶemendation is, it’s my opinion, s’I, ’n’ if anybody k’nⒶemendation start a better one, s’I, let him do it, s’I, that’s all. I says to sisterⒶhistorical collation Dunlap, s’I—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“Why, dog my cats, they must a ben a house-full o’ niggers in there every night for four weeks, to a done all that work, sisterⒶhistorical collation Phelps. Look at that shirt—every last inch of it kivered overⒶalteration in the MS with secret African writ’n,Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation done with blood! Must a ben a raft uv ’m at it right along, all the time, amost. Why, I’d give two dollars to have it read to me; ’n’ as forⒶalteration in the MS the niggers that wrote it, I ’low I’d take ’n’ lash ’m t’ll—Ⓐemendation”
“People to help him, Brother Marples! Well, I reckon you’d think so, if you’d a been in this house for a while back. Why, they’ve stole everything they could lay their hands on—and we a watching, all the time, mind you. They stole that shirt right off o’Ⓐalteration in the MS the line! and as for that sheet they made the rag ladder out of,Ⓐhistorical collation ther’Ⓐalteration in the MS ain’t no telling how many times they didn’t steal that; and flour, and candles, and candlesticks, and spoons, and the oldⒶalteration in the MS warming panⒶemendation, and most a thousand things that I disremember, now, and my new calico dress; and me, and Silas, and my Sid and Tom on the constant watch day and Ⓐalteration in the MS night, as I was a-tellingⒶhistorical collation you, and not a oneⒶalteration in the MS of us could catch hide nor hair, nor sight nor sound of them; and here at the last minute, lo and behold you, they slides right in underⒶalteration in the MS our noses, and fools us, and not only fools us but the Injun Territory robbers too, and actulyⒶalteration in the MS gets away with that nigger, safe and sound, and that with sixteen men and twenty-two dogs right on their very heels at that very time! I tell you, it justⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation bangs anything I ever heard of. Why, sperits couldn’t a done better, and been no smarter. And I reckon they must a been speritsⒺexplanatory note—because, you know our dogs, and ther’Ⓐalteration in the MS ain’t no better:Ⓐhistorical collation well, them dogs never even got on the track of ’m, once! You explain that to me, if you can!—any of youⒶemendation!”
“Well, it does beat—Ⓐhistorical collation”
[begin page 348] “ LawsⒶemendation aliveⒶtextual note, I never—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“So help me, I wouldn’t a be—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“House-thieves as well as—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“Goodnessgracioussakes, I’d a benⒶalteration in the MS afeardⒶalteration in the MS to live in sich a—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“ ’Fraid to live!—why, I was that scared I dasn’t hardly go to bed, or get up, or lay down, or set down, sisterⒶhistorical collation Ridgeway. Why, they’dⒶalteration in the MS steal the very—why, goodness sakes, you can guess what kind of a flusterⒶalteration in the MS I was in by the time midnight come, last night.Ⓐemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS I hope to gracious if I warn’t afraid they’d steal some o’Ⓐalteration in the MS the family! I was just to that pass, I didn’t have no reasoningⒶemendation faculties no more. It looks foolish enough, now, in the daytimeⒶemendation; but I says to myself, there’s myⒶalteration in the MS two poorⒶalteration in the MS boys asleepⒶemendation, ’way up stairs in that lonesome room, and I declare to goodness I was that uneasy ’tⒶemendation I crep’ up there and locked ’em in! I did. And anybody would. Because, you know, when you get scared, that way, and it keeps running on, and getting worse and worse, all the time, and your wits gets to addling, and you get to doingⒶemendation all sorts o’Ⓐalteration in the MS wild things, and by and byⒶhistorical collation you think to yourself, spos’n I was a boy, and was away up there, and the door ain’t locked, and you—Ⓐhistorical collation” She stopped, looking kind of wondering, and then she turned her head around slow, and when her eye lit on me—I got up and took a walk.
Says I to myself, I can explain better how we come to not be in that room this morning, if I go out to one side and studyⒶalteration in the MS over it a little. So I done it. But I dasn’t go furⒶemendation, or she’d a sent for me. And when it was late in the day, the people all went, and then I come in and told her the noise and shooting waked up me and ‘Sid,’Ⓐalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation and the door was locked, and we wanted to see the fun, so we went down the lightning rodⒶhistorical collation, and both of us got hurt a little, and we didn’t never want to try that no more. And then I went on and told her all what I told uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas before; and then she said she’d forgive us, and maybe it was allⒶemendation right enough,Ⓐhistorical collation anyway, and about what a body might expect of boys, for all boys was a pretty harum-scarum lot, as furⒶemendation as she could see; and so, as long as no harm hadn’t come of it, she judged she better put in her time being grateful we was alive and well and she had us still, stead of fretting over what was past and done. So then she kissed me, and patted me on the head, and dropped into a kind of a brown study; and pretty soon jumps upⒶhistorical collation and says:
“Why, lawsamercy, it’s most night, and Sid not come yet! What has become of that boy?”
[begin page 349] I see my chance; so I skips up and says:
“I’ll run right up to town and get him,” I says.
“No you won’t,” she says. “You’ll stay right wher’Ⓐalteration in the MS you are; one’sⒶalteration in the MS enough to be lost at a time. If he ain’t here to supper, your uncle ’ll go.”
Well, he warn’t there to supper; so right after supper,Ⓐhistorical collation uncle went.
He come back about ten, a little bit uneasy; hadn’t run across Tom’sⒶalteration in the MS track. Aunt Sally was a good deal uneasy; but uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas heⒶalteration in the MS said there warn’t no occasion to be—boys will be boys, he saidⒶalteration in the MS, and you’ll see this one turn up in the morning, all sound and right.Ⓐalteration in the MS So she had to be satisfied. But she said she’d set up for him a while, anyway, and keep a light burning, so he could see it.
And then when I went up to bed,Ⓐhistorical collation she come up with me,Ⓐhistorical collation and fetched her candle, and tucked me in, and mothered me so good I felt meanⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation and like I couldn’t look her in the faceⒶalteration in the MS; and she set down on the bed and talked with me a long time, and said what a splendid boy Sid was, and didn’t seem to want to ever stop talking about him; and kept asking me every now and then, if I reckoned he could a got lost, or hurt, or maybe drownded, and might be laying at this minute, somewheres, suffering or dead, and she not by him to help him;Ⓐhistorical collation and [begin page 350] so the tearsⒶalteration in the MS would drip down, silent, and I would tell her thatⒶemendation Sid was all right, and would be home in the morning, sure; and she would squeeze my hand, or maybe kiss me, and tell me to say it again, and keep on saying it, because it done her good, and she was in so much trouble. And when she was going away, she looked down in my eyes, so steady and gentle, and says:
“The door ain’t going to be locked, Tom; and there’s the window and the rod; but you’ll be good, won’t you? And you won’t go? For my sake.”
Laws knows I wanted Ⓐemendation to go, bad enough, to see about Tom, and was all intending to go; but after thatⒶalteration in the MS, I wouldn’t aⒶemendation went, not for kingdoms.
But she was on my mind, and Tom was on my mind; so I slept very restless. And twice I went down the rod, away in the night, and slipped around front,Ⓐalteration in the MS and see her setting there by her candle in the window with her eyes towards the road and the tears in them; and I wished I could do something for her, but I couldn’t, only to swear thatⒶemendation I wouldn’t never do nothing to grieve her any more. And the third time, I waked up at dawn, and slid down, and she was there yet, and her candle was most out, and her old gray head was resting on her hand, and she was asleep.