{{huckfp204.jpg}}

Sick Arab -- but harmless when not out of his head.

And he nailed that shingle to a lath, and stood the lath up four or five foot in

front of the wigwam. Jim was satisfied. He said it was a sight better than

laying tied a couple of years every day and trembling all over every time there

was a sound. The duke told him to make himself free and easy, and if any-

body ever come meddling around, he must hop out of the wigwam, and carry on

a little, and fetch a howl or two like a wild beast, and he reckoned they would

light out and leave him alone. Which was sound enough judgment; but you

take the average man, and he wouldn't wait for him to howl. Why, he didn't

only look like he was dead, he looked considerable more than that.

These rapscallions wanted to try the Nonesuch again, because there was so

much money in it, but they judged it wouldn't be safe, because maybe the news

might a worked along down by this time. They couldn't hit no project that

suited, exactly; so at last the duke said he reckoned he'd lay off and work his

brains an hour or two and see if he couldn't put up something on the Arkansaw

village; and the king he allowed he would drop over to t'other village, without any

plan, but just trust in Providence to lead him the profitable way -- meaning the

devil, I reckon. We had all bought store clothes where we stopped last; and now

the king put his'n on, and he told me to put mine on. I done it, of course. The

king's duds was all black, and he did look real swell and starchy. I never knowed

how clothes could change a body before. Why, before, he looked like the

orneriest old rip that ever was; but now, when he'd take off his new white beaver

and make a bow and do a smile, he looked that grand and good and pious that

you'd say he had walked right out of the ark, and maybe was old Leviticus

himself. Jim cleaned up the canoe, and I got my paddle ready. There

was a big steamboat laying at the shore away up under the point, about three

mile above town -- been there a couple of hours, taking on freight. Says the

king:

"Seem' how I'm dressed, I reckon maybe I better arrive down from St. Louis

or Cincinnati, or some other big place. Go for the steamboat, Huckleberry;

we'll come down to the village on her." ssssssssss

I didn't have to be ordered twice, to go and take a steamboat ride. I fetched

 [204]