The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

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Twain, Mark

"The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn"

The average man don't like trouble and danger. You don't like trouble and danger. But if only half a man- like Buck Harkness, there- shouts 'Lynch him, lynch him!' you're afraid to back down- afraid you'll be found out to be what you are- cowards- and so you raise a yell, and hang yourselves onto that half-a-man's coat tail, and come raging up here, swearing what big things you're going to do. The pitifulest thing out is a mob; that's what an army is- a mob; they don't fight with courage that's born in them, but with courage that's borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any man at the head of it, is beneath pitifulness. Now the thing for you to do, is to droop your tails and go home and crawl in a hole. If any real lynching's going to be done, it will be done in the dark, Southern fashion; and when they come they'll bring their masks, and fetch a man along. Now leave- and take your half-a-man with you"- tossing his gun up across his left arm and cocking it, when he says this.

? ? ? ? The crowd washed back sudden, and then broke all apart and went tearing off every which way, and Buck Harkness he heeled it after them, looking tolerable cheap.

Pages:
239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263

Volume 3, part 2: Martin Van Buren (page 193) A Source Book of Australian History (page 236) Captain Fracasse (page 313)

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Twain, Mark

"The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn"