| Share page |
|
106 THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. |
||
|
they don't git off mighty quick ! Why, how in the nation did they ever git into such a scrape ? "
" Easy enough. Miss Hooker was a-visiting, up there to the town------"
"Yes, Booth's Landing—go on."
" She was a-visiting, there at Booth's Landing, and just in the edge of the evening she started over with her nigger woman in the horse-ferry, to stay all night at her friend's house, Miss What-you-may-call-her, I disremember her name, and they lost their steering-oar, and swung around and went a-floating down, stern-first, about two mile, and saddle-baggsed on the wreck, and the ferry man and the nigger woman and the horses was all lost, but Miss Hooker she made a grab and got aboard the wreck. Well, about an hour after dark, we come along down in our trading-scow, and it was so dark we didn't notice the wreck till we was right on it; and so we saddle-baggsed ; but all of us was saved but Bill Whipple—and oh, he was the best cretur ! —I most wish't it had been me, I do."
" My George ! It's the beatenest thing I ever struck. And then what did you all do ? "
"Well, we hollered and took on, but it's so wide there, we couldn't make nobody hear. So pap said somebody got to get ashore and get help somehow. I was the only one that could swim, so I made a dash for it, and Miss Hooker she said if I didn't strike help sooner, come here and hunt up her uncle, and he'd fix the thing. I made the land about a mile below, and been fooling along ever since, trying to get people to do something, but they said, ' What, in such a night and such a current ? there ain't no sense in it; go for the steam-ferry.' Now if you'll go, and------"
" By Jackson, I'd like to, and blame it I don't know but I will; but who in the dingnation's agoin' to pay for it ? Do you reckon your pap------"
"Why that's all right. Miss Hooker she told me, particular^ that her uncle Hornback------"
" Great guns ! is he her uncle ? Looky here, you break for that light over yonder-way, and turn out west when you git there, and about a quarter of a mile out you'll come to the tavern ; tell 'em to dart you out to Jim Horn-back's and he'll foot the bill. And don't you fool around any, because he'll |
||