Part 19 (1/2)

After breakfast they hooping and prancing out on the bar, and chased each other round and round, shedding clothes as they went, until they were naked, and then continued the frolic far away up the shoal water of the bar, against the stiff current, which latter tripped their legs froreatly increased the fun

And now and then they stooped in a group and splashed water in each other's faces with their pal each other, with averted faces to avoid the strangling sprays, and finally gripping and struggling till the best hbor, and then they all went under in a tangle of white legs and ar for breath at one and the same time

When they ell exhausted, they would run out and sprawl on the dry, hot sand, and lie there and cover theain and go through the original performance once more Finally it occurred to thehts” very fairly; so they drew a ring in the sand and had a circus--with three clowns in it, for none would yield this proudest post to his neighbor

Next they got their taw” and ”keeps” till that arew stale Then Joe and Huck had another swi off his trousers he had kicked his string of rattlesnake rattles off his ankle, and he wondered how he had escaped cra without the protection of this ain until he had found it, and by that tiradually wandered apart, dropped into the ”duly across the wide river to where the village lay drowsing in the sun To toe; he scratched it out, and was angry with hiain, nevertheless; he could not help it He erased it oncethe other boys together and joining theone down almost beyond resurrection He was so homesick that he could hardly endure the misery of it The tears lay very near the surface Huck was melancholy, too Tom was downhearted, but tried hard not to show it He had a secret which he was not ready to tell, yet, but if this mutinous depression was not broken up soon, he would have to bring it out He said, with a great show of cheerfulness:

”I bet there's been pirates on this island before, boys We'll explore it again They've hid treasures here soold and silver--hey?”

But it roused only faint enthusiasm, which faded out, with no reply

Tom tried one or two other seductions; but they failed, too It was discouraging work Joe sat poking up the sand with a stick and looking very glooive it up I want to go home It's so lonesome”

”Oh no, Joe, you'll feel better by and by,” said To that's here”

”I don't care for fishi+ng I want to go ho-place anywhere”

”Swiood I don't seem to care for it, soo in I o home”

”Oh, shucks! Baby! You want to see your mother, I reckon”

”Yes, I _do_ want to see my mother--and you would, too, if you had one I ain't any more baby than you are” And Joe snuffled a little

”Well, we'll let the crybaby go ho--does it want to see its mother? And so it shall You like it here, don't you, Huck? We'll stay, won't we?”

Huck said, ”Y-e-s”--without any heart in it

”I'll never speak to you again as long as I live,” said Joe, rising

”There now!” And he an to dress himself

”Who cares!” said Tohed at Oh, you're a nice pirate Huck and o if he wants to I reckon we can get along without him, per'aps”

But Too sullenly on with his dressing And then it was disco Joe's preparations so wistfully, and keeping up such an o word, Joe began to wade off toward the Illinois shore Tolanced at Huck Huck could not bear the look, and dropped his eyes Then he said:

”I want to go, too, To so lonesoo, too, Too, if you want to I --who's hendering you”

Huck began to pick up his scattered clothes He said:

”Tom, I wisht you'd coet to shore”

”Well, you'll wait a bla time, that's all”