Nascent Drama

[The Dork Lord]

And he said, what he had planned in his head from the start, if we got Jim out all safe, was for us to run him down the river on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth of the river, and then tell him about his being free, and take him back up home on a steamboat, in style, and pay him for his lost time, and write word ahead and get out all the niggers around, and have them waltz him into town with a torchlight procession and a brass-band, and then he would be a hero, and so would we.

 

[The Dork Lord]

But I reckoned it was about as well the way it was.

 

[The Dork Lord]

We had Jim out of the chains in no time, and when Aunt Polly and Uncle Silas and Aunt Sally found out how good he helped the doctor nurse Tom, they made a heap of fuss over him, and fixed him up prime, and give him all he wanted to eat, and a good time, and nothing to do.

 

[The Dork Lord]

And we had him up to the sick-room, and had a high talk; and Tom give Jim forty dollars for being prisoner for us so patient, and doing it up so good, and Jim was pleased most to death, and busted out, and says:

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Dah, now, Huck, what I tell you?

 

[The Dork Lord]

-- what I tell you up dah on Jackson islan'?

 

[The Dork Lord]

I tole you I got a hairy breas', en what's de sign un it; en I tole you I ben rich wunst, en gwineter to be rich agin en it's come true; en heah she is!

 

[The Dork Lord]

Dah, now! doan' talk to me -- signs is signs, mine I tell you; en I knowed jis' 's well 'at I 'uz gwineter be rich agin as I's a-stannin' heah dis minute!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

And then Tom he talked along and talked along, and says, le's all three slide out of here one of these nights and get an outfit,

 

[The Dork Lord]

and go for howling adventures amongst the Injuns,

 

[The Dork Lord]

over in the Territory, for a couple of weeks or two;

 

[The Dork Lord]

and I says, all right, that suits me, but I ain't got no money for to buy the outfit,

 

[The Dork Lord]

and I reckon I couldn't get none from home, because it's likely pap's been back before now,

 

[The Dork Lord]

and got it all away from Judge Thatcher and drunk it up.

 

[The Dork Lord]

"No, he hain't," Tom says;

 

[The Dork Lord]

"it's all there yet -- six thousand dollars and more;

 

[The Dork Lord]

and your pap hain't ever been back since.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Hadn't when I come away, anyhow."

 

[The Dork Lord]

Jim says, kind of solemn:

 

[The Dork Lord]

"He ain't a-comin' back no mo', Huck."