was most about starved.  Then when we had got pretty well stuffed, we laid off and lazied.  By and by Jim says: “But looky here, Huck, who wuz it dat 'uz killed in dat shanty ef it warn't you?” Then I told him the whole thing, and he said it was smart.  He said Tom Sawyer couldn't get up no better plan than what I had.  Then I says: “How do you come to be here, Jim, and how'd you get here?” He looked pretty uneasy, and didn't say nothing for a minute.  Then he says: “Maybe I better not tell.” “Why, Jim?” “Well, dey's reasons.  But you wouldn' tell on me ef I uz to tell you, would you, Huck?” “Blamed if I would, Jim.” “Well, I b'lieve you, Huck.  I--_I run off_.” “Jim!” “But mind, you said you wouldn' tell--you know you said you wouldn' tell, Huck.” “Well, I did.  I said I wouldn't, and I'll stick to it.  Honest _injun_, I will.  People would call me a low-down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum--but that don't make no difference.  I ain't a-going to tell, and I ain't a-going back there, anyways.  So, now, le's know all about it.” “Well, you see, it 'uz dis way.  Ole missus--dat's Miss Watson--she pecks on me all de time, en treats me pooty rough, but she awluz said she wouldn' sell me down to Orleans.  But I noticed dey wuz a nigger trader roun' de place considable lately, en I begin to git oneasy.  Well, one night I creeps to de do' pooty late, en de do' warn't quite shet, en I hear old missus tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans, but she didn' want to, but she could git eight hund'd dollars for me, en it 'uz sich a big stack o' money she couldn' resis'.  De widder she try to git her to say she wouldn' do it, but I never waited to hear de res'.  I lit out mighty quick, I tell you. “I tuck out en shin down de hill, en 'spec to steal a skift 'long de sho' som'ers 'bove de town, but dey wuz people a-stirring yit, so I hid in de ole tumble-down cooper-shop on de bank to wait for everybody to go 'way. Well, I wuz dah all night.  De