Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the forty-second chapter of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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Today we'll be continuing Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

Chapter 42 the old man was up town again before breakfast, but couldn't get no track of Tom, and both of them sat at the table thinking and not saying nothing and looking mournful and their coffee getting cold and not eating anything, and by and by the old man says, did I give you the letter?

What letter?

The one I got yesterday out of the post office.

No, you didn't give me no letter.

Well, I must have forgot it.

So he rummaged in his pockets and then went off somewhere where he had laid it down and fetched it and give it to her.

She says, why, it's from St.

Petersburg.

It's from CIS.

I allowed another walk would do me.

Good, but I couldn't stir.

But before she could break it open, she dropped it and run, for she see something and so did I.

It was Tom Sawyer on a mattress and that old doctor and Jim in her calico dress with his hands tied behind him and a lot of people.

I had the letter behind the first thing that come handy and rushed.

She flung herself at Tom crying and says, oh, he's dead, he's dead, I know he's dead.

And Tommy turned his head a little and muttered something or other which showed he weren't in his right mind then she flung up her hands and says.

He'S alive, thank God, and that's enough.

And she snatched a kiss of him and flew for the house to get the bed ready and scattering orders right and left at the servants and everybody else as fast as her tongue could go.

Every jump of the way I followed the men to see what they was going to do with Jim.

And the old doctor and Uncle Silas followed after Tom into the house.

The men was very huffy and some of them wanted to hang Jim for an example to all the other servants around here so they wouldn't be trying to run away like Jim done and making such a raft of trouble and keeping a whole family scared most to death for days and nights.

But the others said, don't do it.

It wouldn't answer at all.

He ain't our servant and his owner would turn up and make us pay for him sure.

So that cooled them down a little because the people that's always the most anxious for to hang a servant that ain't done just right is always the very ones that ain't the most anxious to pay for him.

When they've got their satisfaction out of him.

They cussed Jim considerable, though, and give him a cuff or two side to head once in a while.

But Jim never said nothing and he never let on to know me.

And they took him to the same cabin and put his own clothes on him and chained him again and not to know bedlake this time, but to a big staple, drove him to the bottom log and chained his hands too, in both legs and said he weren't to have nothing but bread and water to eat after this till his owner come or he was sold at auction because he didn't come in a certain length of time.

And filled up our hole and said a couple of farmers with guns must stand watch around the cabin every night and a bulldog tied to the door in the daytime.

And about this time they went through with the job and was tapering off with a kind of general goodbye cussing.

And then the old doctor comes and takes a look and says don't be.

No rougher on him than you're obliged to because he ain't a bad servant.

When I got to where I found the boy, I see I couldn't cut the bullet out without some help and he weren't in no condition for me to leave to go and get help.

And he got a little worse and a little worse.

And after a long time he went out of his head and wouldn't let me come anna him anymore and said if I chalked his raft he'd kill me in no end of wild foolishness like that.

And I see I couldn't do anything.

At all with him.

So I says I got to have help somehow.

And the minute I says it out.

Calls his servant from somewheres and says.

He'Ll help and he done it too, and done it very well.

Of course I judged he must be a runaway servant and there I was and there I had to stick right straight along all the rest of the.

Day and all night.

It was a fix, I tell you.

I had a couple of patience with the chills and of course I'd like.

To run up to town and see.

Them but I dastant because a servant.

Might get away and then I'd be to blame and yet never esciff come.

Close enough for me to hail.

So there I had to stick plum.

Until daylight this morning and I never see a servant that was a better nuss or faithfuler and yet he was risking his freedom to do it and.

Was all tired out too.

And I see plain enough he'd been worked main hard lately.

I liked the servant for that.

I tell you, gentlemen, a servant like.

That is worth a kind treatment too.

I had everything I needed and the boy was doing as well there as he would have done at home better maybe, because it was so quiet but.

There I was with both of them on my hands and there I had to stick till about dawn this morning.

Then some men in a skiff come.

By and his good luck would have it, the servant was setting by the.

Pallet with his head propped on his knees, sound asleep, so I motioned them.

In quiet, and they slipped up on him and grabbed him and tied him.

Before he 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 told her over, very nice and quiet.

And the servant never made the least.

Row, nor said a word from the start.

He ain't no bad servant, gentlemen that's what I think about him.

Somebody says, well, it sounds very good, doctor, but I'm obliged to say then the other 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 in reward.

So every one of them promised right out in Hardy that they wouldn't cuss him no more.

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 it 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 weren'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 dreaded night paddling around hunting the runaway servant.

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 slipped 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 Firefaced the way he was when he come.

So I sat down and laid for him to wake.

In about half an hour, Aunt Sally comes gliding in and there I was, up a stump again.

She motioned me to be still and sat 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 sleeping like that for ever so long and looking better and peacefuler all the time.

And ten to one he'd wake up in his right mind.

So he sat there watching, and by and by he stirs a bit and opens his eyes very natural and takes a look and says, hello.

Why, I'm at home.

How's that?

Where's the raft?

It's all right, I says.

And Jim?

The same, I says, but couldn't say.

It pretty brash, but he never noticed but says, Good.

Splendid.

Now we're all right and safe.

Did you tell Auntie?

I was going to say yes, but she chipped in and says, about what?

Sid?

Why, about the way the whole thing was done.

What whole thing?

Why, the whole thing.

There ain't but one.

How we set the runaway servant free, me and Tom.

Good land set the run.

What is the child talking about?

Dear, dear.

Out of his head again?

No, I ain't out of my head.

I know all what I'm talking about.

We did set him free, me and Tom.

We laid out to do it and we'd done it and we've done it elegant, too.

He got a start and she never checked him up.

Just set and stared and stared and let him clip along.

And I see it weren't no use for me to put in.

Why, Auntie, it cost us a power of work, weeks of it.

Hours and hours every night whilst you was all asleep.

And we had to steal candles and the sheet and the shirt and your dress and spoons and tin plates and case knives and the warming pan and the grindstone and flour and just no end of things.

And you can't think what work it was to make the saws and pens and inscriptions and one thing or another.

And you can't think half the fun it was.

And we had to make up the pictures of coffins and things and nonanimous letters from the robbers and get up and down the lightning rod and dig the hole into the cabin and made the rope ladder and send it in a cooked up in a pie and send in spoons and things to work within your apron pocket.

Mercy's sakes.

And load up the cabin with rats and snakes and so on for company for Jim.

And then you kept Tom here for so long with the butter in his hat that you come near spilling the whole business because the men come before he was out of the cabin and we had to rush and they hurt us and let drive at us.

And I got my share and we dogged out of the path and let them go by.

And when the dogs come, they weren't interested in us but went for the most noise and we got our canoe and made for the raft and was all safe and Jim was a free man and we done it all by ourselves.

And wasn't it bully auntie?

Well, I never heard the likes of it at all my born days.

So it was you little rap scallions that's been making all this trouble and turned everybody's wits clean inside out and.

Scared us almost to death.

I've as good a notion as ever I had in my life to take it out of you this very minute to think here I've been night after night.

You just get well once, you young scamp.

And I lay I'll tan the old.

Harry out of both of ye.

But Tommy was so proud and joyful he just couldn't hold it in and his tongue just went it.

She at chipping in and spitting fire all along and both of them going at once like a cat convention.

And she says, well, you get all the enjoyment you can out of it now, for mind, I tell you, if I catch you meddling with him again meddling with who?

Tom says, dropping a smile and looking surprised.

With who?

Why, the runaway servant, of course.

Who would you reckon?

Tom looks at me very grave and says tom, didn't you just tell me he was all right?

Hasn't he got away him?

Says Aunt Sally, the runaway servant?

Indeed he hasn't.

They've got him back safe and sound.

And he's in that cabin again on bread and water and loaded down with chains till he's claimed or sold.

Tom Rose Square up in bed with his eyes hot and his nostrils opening and shutting like gills and things out to me.

They ain't no right to shut him up.

Shove, and don't you lose a minute.

Turn him loose.

He ain't no slave he's as free as any creature that walks this earth.

What does the child mean?

I mean every word I say, Aunt Sally.

And if somebody don't go, I'll go.

I've known him all his life and so is Tom.

There old Miss Watson died two months ago and she was ashamed she was ever going to sell him down the river and said so.

And she set him free in her will.

Then what on earth did you want to set him free for?

Saying he was already free?

Well, that is a question, I must say.

And just like women, why, I wanted the adventure of it.

And I'd awaited neck deep in blood too.

Goodness alive, Aunt Polly, if she weren't standing right there just inside the door looking as sweet and contented as an angel half full of pie.

I wish I may never aunt Sally jumped for her and most hugged to the head off of her and cried over her.

And I found a good enough place for me under the bed for it was getting pretty sultry for us, seemed to me.

And I peeped out.

And in a little while Tom's aunt Polly shook herself loose and stood there looking across at Tom over her spectacles.

Kind of grinding him into the earth, you know.

And then she says yes, you better turn your head away if I was you.

Tom.

Oh, dear.

Me says Aunt Sally.

Is he changed so?

Why, that ain't Tom.

It sid tom's.

Tom's?

Why?

Where is Tom?

He was here a minute ago.

You mean where's?

Huck Finn.

That's what you mean.

I reckon I hate ray.

Such a scamp as my Tom all these years not to know him when I see him.

That would be a pretty howdy do come out from under that bed, Huck Finn.

So I done it, but not feeling brash.

And Sally, she was one of the mixed upst looking persons I ever see except one.

And that was Uncle Silas when he come in and they told it all to him.

It kind of made him drunk, as you may say.

And he didn't know nothing at all the rest of the day and preached a prayer meeting sermon that night that gave him a rattling reputation because the oldest man in the world couldn't understood it.

So Tom's Aunt Polly, she told all about who I was and what and I had to up and tell how I was in such a tight place that when Mrs.

Phelps took me for Tom Sawyer, she chipped in and says.

Oh, go on and call me Aunt Sally.

I'm used to it now.

And taint no need to change that.

When Aunt Sally took me for Tom Sawyer, I had to stand it.

There weren't no other way.

And I knowed he wouldn't mind because I would be nuts for him being a mystery.

And he'd made an adventure out of it and be perfectly satisfied.

And so it turned out.

And he let on to be Sid and made things as soft as he could for me and his Aunt Polly.

She said Tom was right about old Miss Watson setting Jim free in her will.

And so, sure enough, Tom Sawyer had gone and took all that trouble and bothered to set a free servant free.

And I couldn't ever understand before until that minute in that talk how he could help a body set a servant free with his bringing up.

Well, Aunt Polly, she said that when Aunt Sally wrote to her that Tom and Sid had come all right and safe she says to herself, look at that.

Now.

I might have expected it, letting him go off that way without anybody to watch him.

So now I got to go and traips all the way down river 1100 miles and find out what that creature's up to.

This time, as long as I couldn't seem to get any answer out of.

You about it, why, never heard nothing.

From you, says Aunt Sally.

Well, I wonder why, I wrote you twice to ask what you could mean by Sid being here.

Well, I never got him, SIS.

Aunt Polly, she turns around slow and.

Severe and says, You Tom.

Well, what?

He says.

Kind of pettish.

Don't you what me, you impudent thing.

Hand out them letters.

What letters?

Them letters.

I'd be bound if I have to take a hold of you all.

They're in the trunk.

They're now.

And they're just the same as they was when I got them out of the office.

I ain't looked into them.

I ain't touched them, but I know they'd make trouble.

And I thought if you weren't in.

No hurry, I'd well, you do need skinning, there ain't no mistake about it.

And I wrote another one to tell you I was coming and I suppose he no, it come yesterday.

I ain't read it yet, but it's all right.

I've got that one.

I wanted to offer to bet $2 she hadn't, but I reckoned maybe it was just as safe as to not to, so I never said nothing.

Thank you for joining Bite at a Time books today while we read a.

Bite of one of your favorite classics.

Again, my name is Brie Carlyle and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next bite of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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