"It washed because they didn't have me there and try to fetch in this
story. I couldn't a stood cross-questioning a minute. That's why I say I
know what I can do."
Then the woman says: "He's goin' to be tried again and you'd better go
back and be a man. Mrs. Rainey died and it's time Temple Scott was dead
too."
"Listen," says Mitch, "did you hear that--that's Harold Carman. Come."
We got up and walked past 'em--there he was huddled close to a woman,
the moon almost shining in their faces. We heard the orchestra and went
around and found Colonel Lambkin dancing and everybody havin' a
wonderful time. My pa sat there so big and powerful and I was proud to
death of him.
Well, we had wonderful sleeps on board and we all sat at the captain's
table and had the most splendid meals--fish all the time if we wanted
it; and beefsteak, and all kinds of pie and everything. Mitch and me
went into the kitchen; but just to call and say "howdy" to Susie and the
cook.
It was on a morning when we hove in sight of St. Louis. There she was
stretched further than you could see, smoke all over her, rumblin', a
scary looking monster, seemed alive, seemed full of all kinds of
terrible things, but also awful beautiful, too. We got off the boat and
there was two or three policemen there. My pa and Colonel Lambkin
talked to 'em, and then just as Harold Carman came along, the policemen
took him. He scolded and made a fuss at first, but finally went along.
Of course we had told pa what we heard. But pa had seen him on the boat
anyway. So they just shipped him by train back to Petersburg and jailed
him--I think it was for forgin' a note, but anyway it was to testify.
We got over into town, and such a sight--sloughs of people, wagons,
carriages, street cars; sloughs of niggers--an awful noise everywheres.
Everybody in a hurry. And Mitch says: "Tom Sawyer lives near here, and
yet he was never in this town, at least if he was he writes nothing
about it. And look at us. We're here. I told you everything couldn't be
the same with me and you as it was with Tom and Huck. But just look,
Skeet. You could take Petersburg and set it down right here in this
square and nobody could find it. Why, I'll bet you this town is five
miles long, as far as from Petersburg to your grandpa's farm--just
think, five miles of houses." Mitch was terribly excited. And you can't
imagine how funny John Armstrong looked walkin' along in St. Louis. He
seemed out of place and looked strange. But my pa and Colonel Lambkin
was the same as the St. Louis people, and even Mitchie's pa in a general
way.