MINERVA

od. But after he got up half way about three times, and missed fire and fell every time, and the last time most busted his brains out, he thought he’d got to give it up; but after he was rested he allowed he would give her one more turn for luck, and this time he made the trip. In the morning we was up at break of day, and down to the nigger cabins to pet the dogs and make friends with the nigger that fed Jim—if it _was_ Jim that was being fed. The niggers was just getting through breakfast and starting for the fields; and Jim’s nigger was piling up a tin pan with bread and meat and things; and whilst the others was leaving, the key come from the house. This nigger had a good-natured, chuckle-headed face, and his wool was all tied up in little bunches with thread. That was to keep witches off. He said the witches was pestering him awful these nights, and making him see all kinds of strange things, and hear all kinds of strange words and noises, and he didn’t believe he was ever witched so long before in his life. He got so worked up, and got to running on so about his troubles, he forgot all about what he’d been a-going to do. So Tom says: “What’s the vittles for? Going to feed the dogs?” The nigger kind of smiled around gradually over his face, like when you heave a brickbat in a mud-puddle, and he says: “Yes, Mars Sid, _a_ dog. Cur’us dog, too. Does you want to go en look at ’im?” “Yes.” I hunched Tom, and whispers: “You going, right here in the daybreak? _That_ warn’t the plan.” “No, it warn’t; but it’s the plan _now_.” So, drat him, we went along, but I didn’t like it much. When we got in we couldn’t hardly see anything, it was so dark; but Jim was there, sure enough, and could see us; and he sings out: “Why, _Huck!_ En good _lan_’! ain’ dat Misto Tom?” I just knowed how it would be; I just expected it. _I_ didn’t know nothing to do; and if I had I couldn’t a done it, because that nigger busted in and says: “Why, de gracious sakes! do he know you genlmen?” We could see pretty well now. Tom he looked at the nigger, steady and kind of wondering, and says: “Does _who_ know us?” “Why, dis-yer runaway nigger.” “I don’t reckon he does; but what put that into your head?” “What _put_ it dar? Didn’ he jis’ dis minute sing out like he knowed you?” Tom says, in a puzzled-up kind of way: “Well, that’s mighty curious. _Who_ sung out? _When_ did he sing out? _what_ did he sing out?” And turns to me, perfectly ca’m, and says, “Did _you_ hear anybody sing out?” Of course there warn’t nothing to be said but the one thing; so I says: “No; _I_ ain’t heard nobody say nothing.” Then he turns to Jim, and looks him over like he never see him before, and says: “Did you sing out?” “No, sah,” says Jim; “_I_ hain’t said nothing, sah.” “Not a word?” “No, sah, I hain’t said a word.” “Did you ever see us before?” “No, sah; not as _I_ knows on.” So Tom turns to the nigger, which was looking wild and distressed, and says, kind of severe: “What do you reckon’s the matter with you, anyway? What made you think somebody sung out?” “Oh, it’s de dad-blame’ witches, sah, en I wisht I was dead, I do. Dey’s awluz at it, sah, en dey do mos’ kill me, dey sk’yers me so. Please to don’t tell nobody ’bout it sah, er ole Mars Silas he’ll scole me; ’kase he say dey _ain’t_ no witches. I jis’ wish to goodness he was heah now—_den_ what would he say! I ji