can explain it
somehow."

He was always just that strict and delicate. He never would tell a lie
himself.

We struck across the big yard, noticing this, that, and t'other thing
that was so familiar, and we so glad to see it again, and when we got to
the roofed big passageway betwixt the double log house and the kitchen
part, there was everything hanging on the wall just as it used to was,
even to Uncle Silas's old faded green baize working-gown with the hood
to it, and raggedy white patch between the shoulders that always looked
like somebody had hit him with a snowball; and then we lifted the latch
and walked in. Aunt Sally she was just a-ripping and a-tearing around,
and the children was huddled in one corner, and the old man he was
huddled in the other and praying for help in time of need. She jumped
for us with joy and tears running down her face and give us a whacking
box on the ear, and then hugged us and kissed us and boxed us again, and
just couldn't seem to get enough of it, she was so glad to see us; and
she says:

"Where HAVE you been a-loafing to, you good-for-nothing trash! I've been
that worried about you I didn't know what to do. Your traps has been
here ever so long, and I've had supper cooked fresh about four times so
as to have it hot and good when you come, till at last my patience is
just plumb wore out, and I declare I--I--why I could skin you alive! You
must be starving, poor things!--set down, set down, everybody; don't lose
no more time."

It was good to be there again behind all that noble corn-pone and
spareribs, and everything that you could ever want in this world. Old
Uncle Silas he peeled off one of his bulliest old-time blessings, with
as many layers to it as an onion, and whilst the angels was hauling in
the slack of it I was trying to study up what to say about what kept
us so long. When our plates was all loadened and we'd got a-going, she
asked me, and I says:

"Well, you see,--er--Mizzes--"

"Huck Finn! Since when am I Mizzes to you? Have I ever been stingy of
cuffs or kisses for you since the day you stood in this room and I took
you for Tom Sawyer and blessed God for sending you to me, though you
told me four thousand lies and I believed every one of them like a
simpleton? Call me Aunt Sally--like you always done."

So I done it. And I says:

"Well, me and Tom allowed we would come along afoot and take a smell of
the woods, and we run across Lem Beebe and Jim Lane, and th