nail for a chisel and an iron bolt from
the rubbage in the lean-to for a hammer, and told him to work till the
rest of his candle quit on him, and then he could go to bed, and hide
the grindstone under his straw tick and sleep on it. Then we helped
him fix his chain back on the bed-leg, and was ready for bed
ourselves. But Tom thought of something, and says:

"You got any spiders in here, Jim?"

"No, sah, thanks to goodness I hain't, Mars Tom."

"All right, we'll get you some."

"But bless you, honey, I doan' _want_ none. I's afeard un um. I jis'
's soon have rattlesnakes aroun'."

Tom thought a minute or two, and says:

"It's a good idea. And I reckon it's been done. It _must_ 'a' been
done; it stands to reason. Yes, it's a prime good idea. Where could
you keep it?"

"Keep what, Mars Tom?"

"Why, a rattlesnake."

"De goodness gracious alive, Mars Tom! Why, if dey was a rattlesnake
to come in heah I'd take en bust right out thoo dat log wall, I would,
wid my head."

"Why, Jim, you wouldn't be afraid of it after a little. You could tame
it."

"_Tame_ it!"

"Yes--easy enough. Every animal is grateful for kindness and petting,
and they wouldn't _think_ of hurting a person that pets them. Any book
will tell you that. You try--that's all I ask; just try for two or
three days. Why, you can get him so in a little while that he'll love
you; and sleep with you; and won't stay away from you a minute; and
will let you wrap him round your neck and put his head in your mouth."

"_Please_, Tom--_doan_' talk so! I can't _stan'_ it! He'd _let_ me
shove his head in my mouf--fer a favor, hain't it? I lay he'd wait a
pow'ful long time 'fo' I _ast_ him. En mo' en dat, I doan' _want_ him
to sleep wid me."

"Jim, don't act so foolish. A prisoner's _got_ to have some kind of a
dumb pet, and if a rattlesnake hain't ever been tried, why, there's
more glory to be gained in your being the first to ever try it than
any other way you could ever think of to save your life."

"Why, Mars Tom, I doan' _want_ no sich glory. Snake take 'n bite Jim's
chin off, den _whah_ is de glory? No, sah, I doan' want no sich
doin's."

"Blame it, can't you _try?_ I only _want_ you to try--you needn't keep
it up if it don't work."

"But de trouble all _done_ ef de snake bite me while I's a-tryin' him.
Mars Tom, I's willin' to tackle mos' anything 'at ain't onreasonable,
but ef you en Huck fetches a rattlesnake in heah for me to tame, I's
gwyne