|
We had Jim out of the chains in no time, and when Aunt Polly and Uncle Silas
and Aunt Sally found out how good he helped the doctor nurse Tom, they made a
heap of fuss over him, and fixed him up prime, and give him all he wanted to
eat, and a good time, and nothing to do. And we had him up to the sick-room,
and had a high talk; and Tom give Jim forty dollars for being prisoner for us
so patient, and doing it up so good, and Jim was pleased most to death, and
busted out, and says:
"DAH, now, Huck, what I tell you? -- what I tell you up dah on Jackson
islan'? I TOLE you I got a hairy breas', en what's de sign un it; en I TOLE you
I ben rich wunst, en gwineter to be rich AGIN; en it's come true; en heah she
is! DAH, now! doan' talk to ME -- signs is SIGNS, mine I tell you; en I knowed
jis' 's well 'at I 'uz gwineter be rich agin as I's astannin' heah dis
minute!"
And then Tom he talked along and talked along, and says, le's all three
slide out of here one of these nights and get an outfit, and go for howling
adventures amongst the Injuns, over in the Territory, for a couple of weeks or
two; and I says, all right, that suits me, but I ain't got no money for to buy
the outfit, and I reckon I couldn't get none from home, because it's likely
pap's been back before now, and got it all away from Judge Thatcher and drunk
it up.
"No, he hain't," Tom says; "it's all there yet -- six
thousand dollars and more; and your pap hain't ever been back since. Hadn't
when I come away, anyhow."
Jim says, kind of solemn:
"He ain't a-comin' back no mo', Huck."
I says:
"Why, Jim?"
"Nemmine why, Huck -- but he ain't comin' back no mo."
But I kept at him; so at last he says:
"Doan' you 'member de house dat was float'n down de river, en dey wuz a
man in dah, kivered up, en I went in en unkivered him and didn' let you come
in? Well, den, you kin git yo' money when you wants it, kase dat wuz him."
Tom's most well now, and got his bullet around his neck on a watch-guard for
a watch, and is always seeing what time it is, and so there ain't nothing more
to write about, and I am rotten glad of it, because if I'd a knowed what a
trouble it was to make a book I wouldn't a tackled it, and ain't a-going to no
more. But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because
Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I
been there before.
THE END
|