that I'd
had consumption the LONGEST while, but my kind of kidney trouble was an
awful SLY kind, and it was lible to jump in without no warning a-tall
and jest natcherally wipe me out QUICK. So I sort o' bet on the
kidney trouble. But I seen I was a goner, and I forgive Hank all his
orneriness, fur a feller don't want to die holding grudges.

Taking it the hull way through, that was about the best medicine show I
ever seen. But they didn't sell much. All the people what had any money
was to the circus agin that night. So they sung some more songs and
closed early and went into the hotel.

CHAPTER IV

Well, the next morning I'm feeling considerable better, and think mebby
I'm going to live after all. I got up earlier'n Hank did, and slipped
out without him seeing me, and didn't go nigh the shop a-tall. Fur now
I've licked Hank oncet I figger he won't rest till he has wiped that
disgrace out, and he won't care a dern what he picks up to do it with,
nuther.

They was a crick about a hundred yards from our house, in the woods,
and I went over there and laid down and watched it run by. I laid awful
still, thinking I wisht I was away from that town. Purty soon a squirrel
comes down and sets on a log and watches me. I throwed an acorn at him,
and he scooted up a tree quicker'n scatt. And then I wisht I hadn't
scared him away, fur it looked like he knowed I was in trouble. Purty
soon I takes a swim, and comes out and lays there some more, spitting
into the water and thinking what shall I do now, and watching birds and
things moving around, and ants working harder'n ever I would agin unless
I got better pray fur it, and these here tumble bugs kicking their loads
along hind end to.

After a while it is getting along toward noon, and I'm feeling hungry.
But I don't want to have no more trouble with Hank, and I jest lays
there. I hearn two men coming through the underbrush. I riz up on my
elbow to look, and one of them was Doctor Kirby and the other was Looey,
only Looey wasn't an Injun this morning.

They sets down on the roots of a big tree a little ways off, with their
backs toward me, and they ain't seen me. So nacherally I listened to
what they was jawing about. They was both kind o' mad at the hull world,
and at our town in pertic'ler, and some at each other, too. The doctor,
he says:

"I haven't had such rotten luck since I played the bloodhound in a Tom
Show--Were you ever an 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' artist, Lo