{{huckfp026.jpg}}

their breasts, which was the sign of the band. And nobody that didn't belong

to the band could use that mark, and if he did he must be sued; and if he done

it again he must be killed. And if anybody that belonged to the band told the

secrets, he must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and

the ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with blood,

and never mentioned again by the gang, but have a curse put on it and be forgot,

forever. ssssssssss

Everybody said it was a real beautiful oath, and asked Tom if he got it out

of his own head. He said, some of it, but the rest was out of pirate books, and

robber books, and every gang that was high-toned had it.

Some thought it would be good to kill the families of boys that told the

secrets. Tom said it was a good idea, so he took a pencil and wrote it in. Then

Ben Rogers says: ssssssssss

"Here's Huck Finn, he hain't got no family -- what you going to do 'bout

him?"

"Well, hain't he got a father?" says Tom Sawyer.

"Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him, these days. He used

to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these

parts for a year or more." ssssssssss

They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they said

every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it wouldn't be fair

and square for the others. Well, nobody could think of anything to do -- every-

body was stumped, and set still. I was most ready to cry; but all at once I

thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson -- they could kill her.

Everybody said: ssssssssss

"Oh, she'll do, she'll do. That's all right. Huck can come in."

Then they all stuck a pin in their fingers to get blood to sign with, and I

made my mark on the paper. ssssssssss

"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?"

"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said.

"But who are we going to rob? houses -- or cattle -- or"

"Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery, it's burglary," says

Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are high-

 [26]