“So do I! And when we tell ’em we learned when we was off pirating, won’t they wish they’d been along?” “Oh, I reckon not! I’ll just _bet_ they will!” So the talk ran on. But presently it began to flag a trifle, and grow disjointed. The silences widened; the expectoration marvelously increased. Every pore inside the boys’ cheeks became a spouting fountain; they could scarcely bail out the cellars under their tongues fast enough to prevent an inundation; little overflowings down their throats occurred in spite of all they could do, and sudden retchings followed every time. Both boys were looking very pale and miserable, now. Joe’s pipe dropped from his nerveless fingers. Tom’s followed. Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with might and main. Joe said feebly: “I’ve lost my knife. I reckon I better go and find it.” Tom said, with quivering lips and halting utterance: “I’ll help you. You go over that way and I’ll hunt around by the spring. No, you needn’t come, Huck—we can find it.” So Huck sat down again, and waited an hour. Then he found it lonesome, and went to find his comrades. They were wide apart in the woods, both very pale, both fast asleep. But something informed him that if they had had any trouble they had got rid of it. They were not talkative at supper that night. They had a humble look, and when Huck prepared his pipe after the meal and was going to prepare theirs, they said no, they were not feeling very well—something they ate at dinner had disagreed with them. _FROM_ “THE STOLEN WHITE ELEPHANT” (1878) DESCRIBING AN ELEPHANT “There are cases in detective history to show that criminals have been detected through peculiarities in their appetites. Now, what does this elephant eat? and how much?” “Well, as to _what_ he eats—he will eat _anything_. He will eat a man, he will eat a Bible—he will eat anything _between_ a man and a Bible.” “Good—very good, indeed, but too general. Details are necessary—details are the only valuable thing in our trade. Very well—as to men: At one meal—or, if you prefer, during one day—how many men will he eat, if fresh?” “He would not care whether they were fresh or not; at a single meal he would eat five ordinary men.” “Very good; five men; we will put that down. What nationalities would he prefer?” “He is indifferent about nationalities. He prefers acquaintances, but is not prejudiced against strangers.” “Very good. Now, as to Bibles. How many Bibles would he eat at a meal?” “He would eat an entire edition.” “Now that is more exact. I will put that down. Very well; he likes men and Bibles; so far, so good. What else will he eat? I want particulars.”