     ,,! ,,>RE/ ,,( ,,UNCLE ,,SILAS

  ,!M AW;L ^WS FROZE U SOLID4 ,WE CDN'T
MOVE H& OR FOOT = Z M* Z HALF A M9UTE4
,!N WE K9D ( -E TO1 & LIFT$ ! OLD MAN UP
& GOT HM 96HIS *AIR1 & ,B5NY PETT$ HM &
KISS$ HM & TRI$ 6-=T HM1 & POOR OLD
,AUNT ,S,Y %E D"O ! SAME2 B1 POOR ?+S1
!Y 0 S BROKE UP & SC>$ & KNOCK$ \ ( _!
"R M9DS T !Y DIDN'T H>DLY "K :AT !Y 0
AB4 ,) ,TOM X 0 AW;L2 X 'MO/ PETRIFI$ HM
6?9K MAYBE HE _H GOT 8 UNCLE 96A ?\S&
"TS M TR\# ?AN "E1 & MAYBE X WDN'T "E
HAPP5$ IF HE _HN'T BE5 S AMBITI\S 6GET
CELEBRAT$1 & LET ! CORPSE AL"O ! WAY !
O!RS D"O4 ,B PRETTY SOON HE SORT ( -E
6HMF AG & SAYS3
  8,UNCLE ,SILAS1 DON'T Y SAY ANO!R ^W L
T4 ,X'S DANG]\S1 & "! A9'T A %A4] ( TRU?
9 X40
  ,AUNT ,S,Y & ,B5NY 0 ?ANK;L 6HE> HM
SAY T1 & !Y SD ! SAME2 B ! OLD MAN HE
WA7$ 8 H1D SORR[;L & HOPE.S1 &! TE>S RUN
D[N 8 FACE1 & HE SAYS2
  8,NO--,I D"O X2 POOR ,JUBIT]1 ,I D"O
X60
  ,X 0 DR1D;L 6HE> HM SAY X4 ,!N HE W5T
ON & TOLD AB X1 & SD X HAPP5$ ! "D ME &
,TOM -E--AL;G AB SUND[N4 ,HE SD ,JUBIT]
PE/]$ HM & A7RAVAT$ HM TILL HE 0 S MAD
HE J SORT ( LO/ 8 M9D & GRA2$ UP A /ICK
& HIT HM OV] ! H1D ) ALL 8 MI<T1 &
,JUBIT] DROPP$ 9 8 TRACKS4 ,!N HE 0 SC>$
& SORRY1 & GOT D[N ON 8 KNEES & LIFT$ 8
H1D UP1 & BE7$ HM 6SP1K & SAY HE WASN'T
D1D2 & 2F L;G HE -E TO1 & :5 HE SEE :O X
0 HOLD+ 8 H1D1 HE JUMP$ L HE 0 'MO/ SC>$
6D1?1 & CLE>$ ! F;E & TORE 96! WOODS1 &
0 G"O4 ,S HE HOP$ HE WASN'T HURT BAD4
  8,B LAWS10 HE SAYS1 8X 0 ONLY J FE> T
GAVE HM T LA/ LL SPURT ( /R5G?1 &( C\RSE
X SOON PLAY$ \ & HE LAID D[N 9 ! BU%1 &
"! WASN'T ANYBODY 6HELP HM1 & HE DI$40
  ,!N ! OLD MAN CRI$ & GRIEV$1 & SD HE 0
A MURD]] &! M>K ( ,CA9 0 ON HM1 & HE _H
4GRAC$ 8 FAMILY & 0 GO+ 6BE F.D \ &
HUNG4 ,B ,TOM SD3
  8,NO1 Y A9'T GO+ 6BE F.D \4 ,Y
,,DIDN'T KILL HM4 ,,"O LICK WDN'T KILL
HM4 ,"SBODY ELSE D"O X40
  8,OH1 YES10 HE SAYS1 8,I D"O X--NOBODY
ELSE4 ,:O ELSE _H ANY?+ AG/ HM8 ,:O ELSE
,,CD H ANY?+ AG/ HM80
  ,HE LOOK$ UP K9D ( L HE HOP$ "S ( U CD
M5;N "SBODY T CD H A GRUDGE AG/ T H>M.S
NO-A3.T1 B ( C\RSE X W>N'T NO USE--HE
,,_H U2 WE CDN'T SAY A ^W4 ,HE NOTIC$ T1
& HE SA45$ D[N AG1 & ,I N"E SEE A FACE S
MIS]A# & S PITI;L 6SEE4 ,TOM _H A SU45
IDEA1 & SAYS3
  8,B HOLD ON6--"SBODY ,,BURI$ HM4 ,N[
:O--0
  ,HE %UT (F SU454 ,I "K$ ! R1SON4 ,X
GIVE ME ! COLD %U4]S :5 HE SD !M ^WS1 2C
"R AWAY ,I REMEMB]$ AB U SEE+ ,UNCLE
,SILAS PR[L+ >.D )A L;G-H&L$ %OVEL AWAY
9 ! NI<T T NI<T4 ,& ,I "K$ ,B5NY SE5 HM1
TOO1 2C %E 0 TALK+ AB X "O "D4 ,! M9UTE
,TOM %UT (F HE *ANG$ ! SUBJECT & W5T
6BE7+ ,UNCLE ,SILAS 6KEEP MUM1 &! RE/ (
U D"O ! SAME1 & SD HE ,,M/1 & SD X
WASN'T 8 BUSI;S 6TELL ON HMF1 & IF HE
KEPT MUM NOBODY WD "E "K2 B IF X 0 F.D \
& ANY H>M -E 6HM X WD BR1K ! FAMILY'S
HE>TS & KILL !M1 & YET N"E D ANYBODY ANY
GD4 ,S AT LA/ HE PROMIS$4 ,WE 0 ALL ( U
M -=TA#1 !N1 & W5T 6"W 6*E] UP ! OLD
MAN4 ,WE TOLD HM ALL HE'D GOT 6D 0 6KEEP
/1 & X WDN'T 2 L;G TILL ! :OLE ?+ WD BL[
OV] & 2 =GOT4 ,WE ALL SD "! WDN'T
ANYBODY "E SUSPECT ,UNCLE ,SILAS1 NOR "E
DR1M ( S* A ?+1 HE 2+ S GD & K9D1 & HAV+
S* A GD "*2 & ,TOM SAYS1 CORDIAL &
HE>TY1 HE SAYS3
  8,:Y1 J LOOK AT X A M9UTE2 J 3SID]4
,"H IS ,UNCLE ,SILAS1 ALL ^! YE>S A
PR1*]--AT 8 [N EXP5SE2 ALL ^! YE>S DO+
GD ) ALL 8 MI<T & E WAY HE C ?9K (--AT 8
[N EXP5SE1 ALL ! "T2 ALW BE5 LOV$
0"EYBODY1 & RESPECT$2 ALW BE5 P1CEA# &
M9D+ 8 [N BUSI;S1 ! V LA/ MAN 9 ? :OLE
DEE/RICT 6T\* A P]SON1 & "EYBODY "KS X4
,SUSPECT ,,HM8 ,:Y1 X A9'T ANY M POSSI#
?AN--0
  8,0AU?OR;Y (! ,/ATE ( ,>KANSAW1 ,I
>RE/ Y =! MURD] ( ,JUBIT] ,DUNLAP60 %\TS
! %]IFF AT ! DOOR4
  ,X 0 AW;L4 ,AUNT ,S,Y & ,B5NY FLUNG
!MVS AT ,UNCLE ,SILAS1 SCR1M+ & CRY+1 &
HU7$ HM & HUNG 6HM1 & ,AUNT ,S,Y SD G
AWAY1 %E WDN'T "E GIVE HM UP1 !Y %DN'T H
HM1 &! NI7]S !Y -E CR[D+ & CRY+ 6! DOOR
&--WELL1 ,I CDN'T /& X2 X 0 5 6BR1K A
P]SON'S HE>T2 S ,I GOT \4
  ,!Y TOOK HM UP 6! LL "O-HORSE JAIL 9 !
VILLAGE1 & WE ALL W5T AL;G 6TELL HM GD-
BYE2 & ,TOM 0 FEEL+ ELEGANT1 & SAYS 6ME1
8,WE'LL H A MO/ NO# GD "T & H1PS ( DANG]
"S D>K NI<T GETT+ HM \ ( "!1 ,HUCK1 &
X'LL 2 TALK$ AB "EY":S & WE W 2
CELEBRAT$02 B ! OLD MAN BU/$ T S*EME UP
! M9UTE HE :ISP]$ 6HM AB X4 ,HE SD NO1 X
0 8 DUTY 6/& :AT"E ! LAW D"O 6HM1 & HE
WD /ICK 6! JAIL PLUMB "? 6! 5D1 EV5 IF
"! W>N'T NO DOOR 6X4 ,X 4APPO9T$ ,TOM &
GRAVEL$ HM A GD D1L1 B HE _H 6PUT UP )
X4
  ,B HE FELT RESPONSI# & B.D 6GET 8
UNCLE ,SILAS FREE2 & HE TOLD ,AUNT ,S,Y1
! LA/ ?+1 N 6WORRY1 2C HE 0 GO+ 6TURN 9
& "W NI<T & "D & B1T ? GAME & FET*
,UNCLE ,SILAS \ 9NOC5T2 & %E 0 V LOV+
6HM & ?ANK$ HM & SD %E "K$ HE WD D 8 V
BE/4 ,& %E TOLD U 6HELP ,B5NY TAKE C>E (
! H\SE &! *N1 & !N WE _H A GD-BYE CRY
ALL >.D & W5T BACK 6! F>M1 & LEFT H] "!
6LIVE )! JAIL]'S WIFE A MON? TILL !
TRIAL 9 ,OCTOB]4


