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"What, all that time?"

"Yes-indeedy." ssssssssss

"And ain't you had nothing but that kind of rubbage to eat?"

"No, sah -- nuffn else."

"Well, you must be most starved, ain't you? '

"I reck'n I could eat a hoss. I think I could. How long you ben on de

islan'?" ssssssssss

"Since the night I got killed."

"No! W'y, what has you lived on? But you got a gun. Oh, yes, you got a

gun. Dat's good. Now you kill sumfn en I'll make up de fire."

So we went over to where the canoe was, and while lie built a fire in a grassy

open place amongst the trees, I fetched meal and bacon and coffee, and coffee-pot

and frying-pan, and sugar and tin cups, and the nigger was set back consider-

able, because he reckoned it was all done with witchcraft. I catched a good big

cat-fish, too, and Jim cleaned him with his knife, and fried him.

When breakfast was ready, we lolled on the grass and eat it smoking hot.

Jim laid it in with all his might, for he was most about starved. Then when we

had got pretty well stuffed, we laid off and lazied.

By-and-by Jim says:

"But looky here, Huck, who wuz it dat 'uz killed in dat shanty, ef it warn't

you?"

Then I told him the whole thing, and he said it was smart. He said Tom

Sawyer couldn't get up no better plan than what I had. Then I says:

' -- How do you come to be here, Jim, and how'd you get here?"

He looked pretty uneasy, and didn't say nothing for a minute. Then he

says:

"Maybe I better not tell."

"Why, Jim?" ssssssssss

"Well, dey's reasons. But you wouldn' tell on me ef I 'uz to tell you, would

you, Huck?" ssssssssss

"Blamed if I would, Jim."

"Well, I b'lieve you, Huck. I -- I run off."

"Jim!" ssssssssss

ssssssssss

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