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? ? ? ? I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me. I went along slow then, and I warn't right down certain whether I was glad I started or whether I warn't. When I was fifty yards off, Jim says:

? ? ? ? "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim."

? ? ? ? Well, I just felt sick. But I says, I got to do it- I can't get out of it. Right then, along comes a skiff with two men in it, with guns, and they stopped and I stopped. One of them says:

? ? ? ? "What's that, yonder?"

? ? ? ? "A piece of a raft," I says.

? ? ? ? "So you belong on it?"

? ? ? ? "Yes, sir."

? ? ? ? "Any men on it?"

? ? ? ? "Only one, sir."

? ? ? ? "Well, there's five niggers run off to-night, up yonder above the head of the bend. Is your man white or black?"

? ? ? ? I didn't answer up prompt. I tried to, but the words wouldn't come.


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