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knowed what he was about, and we never had no trouble. And the boy being in

a kind of a flighty sleep, too, we muffled the oars and hitched the raft on, and

towed her over very nice and quiet, and the nigger never made the least row nor

said a word, from the start.' He ain't no bad nigger, gentlemen; that's what I

think about him." ssssssssss

Somebody says: ssssssssss

"Well, it sounds very good, doctor, I'm obleeged to say."

Then the others softened up a little, too, and I was mighty thankful to that

old doctor for doing Jim that good turn; and I was glad it was according to my

judgment of him, too; because I thought he had a good heart in him and was a

good man, the first time I see him. Then they all agreed that Jim had acted

very well, and was deserving to have some notice took of it, and reward. So

every one of them promised, right out and hearty, that they wouldn't cuss him

no more. ssssssssss

Then they come out and locked him up. I hoped they was going to say

he could have one or two of the chains took off, because they was rotten

heavy, or could have meat and greens with his bread and water, but they

didn't think of it, and I reckoned it warn't best for me to mix in, but I

judged I'd get the doctor's yarn to Aunt Sally, somehow or other, as soon as I'd

got through the breakers that was laying just ahead of me. Explanations, I mean,

of how I forgot to mention about Sid being shot, when I was telling how him

and me put in that dratted night paddling around hunting the runaway nigger.

But I had plenty time. Aunt Sally she stuck to the sick-room all day and all

night; and every time I see Uncle Silas mooning around, I dodged him.

Next morning I heard Tom was a good deal better, and they said Aunt Sally

was gone to get a nap. So I slips to the sick-room, and if I found him awake I

reckoned we could put up a yarn for the family that would wash. But he was

sleeping, and sleeping very peaceful, too; and pale, not fire-faced the way he was

when he come. So I set down and laid for him to wake. In about a half an

hour, Aunt Sally comes gliding in, and there I was, up a stump again! She mo-

tioned me to be still, and set down by me, and begun to whisper, and said we

could all be joyful now, because all the symptoms was first rate, and he'd been

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