Major Abbott, "did you ever deceive anybody, Mitchie?"

Mitchie tugged with his hands, and said, "Yes, sir."

"You ran away to Havana and deceived your father, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"You told him you were going out to a farm to see your chum?"

"Yes, sir--and I did."

"But you were really on your way to Havana to run away to St. Louis, and
see Tom Sawyer?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you did deceive your father?"

"Lookin' at it that way, I did."

"And don't you know that there is and never was such a boy as Tom
Sawyer?"

"I know there is."

"How do you know that?"

"I got a letter from him."

"How do you know he wrote it?"

"It was signed with his name."

"Don't you think somebody might deceive you by signing his name to a
letter?"

"Maybe."

"You never saw Tom Sawyer and never saw him write?"

"No, sir."

"And isn't it true that you don't know a thing about it?"

"I can't believe anybody would sign his name to a letter. Besides I
wrote him one and it reached him, because this letter was his answer."

"And are these your reasons for believing that Tom Sawyer lives and
wrote to you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you ever have dreams, Mitchie?"

"Lots."

"Didn't you dream about being up in this tree?"

"No, sir."

"Do you sometimes see dreams when you're not asleep--when it's day?"

"Sometimes."

"Didn't you pass the house of Joe Rainey the next morning after he was
killed?"

"I believe I did."

"And wasn't it then that you picked up this pistol?"

"No, sir."

"Did you know what it means, if it was true, to see a pistol put down by
a woman by this porch?"

"I think so."

"Tell me."

"Well, I thought it meant that somebody wanted to make it appear that
Joe Rainey had it."

"Well, then you knew it was your duty as a good boy to tell the
authorities--to tell the State's Attorney?"

"Yes, sir, I know it now."

"Didn't you know it then?"

"In a kind of way, but I was so taken up with the treasure and going to
see Tom Sawyer; and I had been subpoenaed in the Doc Lyon case and I
was afraid I would be subpoenaed in this case and kept here so I couldn't
go away."

"Your father is a preacher, isn't he?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you have been raised to tell the truth and do your duty?"

"Yes, sir--but the flesh is weak."

"And the flesh pots are tempting," said Major Abbott right quick, "and
you love treasure and love to live over the life of Tom Sawyer, a boy
who never lived?"

"I