bundle of stuff in
t'other, looking as absent-minded as year before last. He went
a-mooning around, first to one rat-hole and then another, till he'd
been to them all. Then he stood about five minutes, picking
tallow-drip off of his candle and thinking. Then he turns off slow and
dreamy towards the stairs, saying:

"Well, for the life of me I can't remember when I done it. I could
show her now that I warn't to blame on account of the rats. But never
mind--let it go. I reckon it wouldn't do no good."

And so he went on a-mumbling up-stairs, and then we left. He was a
mighty nice old man. And always is.

Tom was a good deal bothered about what to do for a spoon, but he said
we'd got to have it; so he took a think. When he had ciphered it out
he told me how we was to do; then we went and waited around the
spoon-basket till we see Aunt Sally coming, and then Tom went to
counting the spoons and laying them out to one side, and I slid one of
them up my sleeve, and Tom says:

"Why, Aunt Sally, there ain't but nine spoons _yet_."

She says:

"Go 'long to your play, and don't bother me. I know better, I counted
'm myself."

"Well, I've counted them twice, Aunty, and _I_ can't make but nine."

She looked out of all patience, but of course she come to
count--anybody would.

"I declare to gracious ther' _ain't_ but nine!" she says. "Why, what
in the world--plague _take_ the things, I'll count 'm again."

So I slipped back the one I had, and when she got done counting, she
says:

"Hang the troublesome rubbage, ther's _ten_ now!" and she looked huffy
and bothered both. But Tom says:

"Why, Aunty, I don't think there's ten."

"You numskull, didn't you see me _count_ 'm?"

"I know, but--"

"Well, I'll count 'm again."

So I smouched one, and they come out nine, same as the other time.
Well, she _was_ in a tearing way--just a-trembling all over, she was
so mad. But she counted and counted till she got that addled she'd
start to count in the basket for a spoon sometimes; and so, three
times they come out right, and three times they come out wrong. Then
she grabbed up the basket and slammed it across the house and knocked
the cat galley-west; and she said cler out and let her have some
peace, and if we come bothering around her again betwixt that and
dinner she'd skin us. So we had the odd spoon, and dropped it in her
apron pocket whilst she was a-giving us our sailing orders, and Jim
got it all right, along with h