IHADshutthedoorto.ThenIturnedaround.andtherehewas. Iusedtobescaredofhimallthetime,hetannedmesomuch. IreckonedIwasscarednow,too;butinaminuteIseeIwasmistaken–thatis,afterthefirstjolt,asyoumaysay,whenmybreathsortofhitched,hebeingsounexpected;butrightawayafterIseeIwarn’tscaredofhimworthbothringabout. Hewasmostfifty,andhelookedit.Hishairwaslongandtangledandgreasy,andhungdown,andyoucouldseehiseyesshiningthroughlikehewasbehindvines. Itwasallblack,nogray;sowashislong,mixed-upwhiskers. Therewarn’tnocolorinhisface,wherehisfaceshowed;itwaswhite;notlikeanotherman’swhite,butawhitetomakeabodysick,awhitetomakeabody’sfleshcrawl–atree-toadwhite,afish-bellywhite. Asforhisclothes–justrags,thatwasall. Hehadoneanklerestingont’otherknee;thebootonthatfootwasbusted,andtwoofhistoesstuckthrough,andheworkedthemnowandthen. Hishatwaslayingonthefloor–anoldblackslouchwiththetopcavedin,likealid. Istooda-lookingathim;hesettherea-lookingatme,withhischairtiltedbackalittle.Isetthecandledown. Inoticedthewindowwasup;sohehadclumbinbytheshed.Hekepta-lookingmeallover.Byandbyhesays: “Starchyclothes–very.Youthinkyou’reagooddealofabig-bug,DON’Tyou?” “MaybeIam,maybeIain’t,”Isays. “Don’tyougivemenoneo’yourlip,”sayshe. “You’veputonconsiderablemanyfrillssinceIbeenaway. I’lltakeyoudownapegbeforeIgetdonewithyou. You’reeducated,too,theysay–canreadandwrite. Youthinkyou’rebetter’nyourfather,now,don’tyou,becausehecan’t?I’LLtakeitoutofyou. Whotoldyouyoumightmeddlewithsuchhifalut’nfoolishness,hey?–whotoldyouyoucould?” “Thewidow,hey?–andwhotoldthewidowshecouldputinhershovelaboutathingthatain’tnoneofherbusiness?” “Well,I’lllearnherhowtomeddle.Andlookyhere–youdropthatschool,youhear? I’lllearnpeopletobringupaboytoputonairsoverhisownfatherandletontobebetter’nwhatHEis. Youlemmecatchyoufoolingaroundthatschoolagain,youhear? Yourmothercouldn’tread,andshecouldn’twrite,nuther,beforeshedied. Noneofthefamilycouldn’tbeforeTHEYdied. Ican’t;andhereyou’rea-swellingyourselfuplikethis.Iain’tthemantostandit–youhear?Say,lemmehearyouread.” ItookupabookandbegunsomethingaboutGeneralWashingtonandthewars.WhenI’dreadaboutahalfaminute,hefetchedthebookawhackwithhishandandknockeditacrossthehouse.Hesays: “It’sso.Youcandoit.Ihadmydoubtswhenyoutoldme. Nowlookyhere;youstopthatputtingonfrills.Iwon’thaveit. I’lllayforyou,mysmarty;andifIcatchyouaboutthatschoolI’lltanyougood. Firstyouknowyou’llgetreligion,too.Ineverseesuchason. Hetookupalittleblueandyallerpictureofsomecowsandaboy,andsays: “It’ssomethingtheygivemeforlearningmylessonsgood.” “I’llgiveyousomethingbetter–I’llgiveyouacowhide. Hesettherea-mumblinganda-growlingaminute,andthenhesays: “AIN’Tyouasweet-scenteddandy,though? Abed;andbedclothes;andalook’n’-glass;andapieceofcarpetonthefloor–andyourownfathergottosleepwiththehogsinthetanyard.Ineverseesuchason. IbetI’lltakesomeo’thesefrillsouto’youbeforeI’mdonewithyou. Why,thereain’tnoendtoyourairs–theysayyou’rerich.Hey?–how’sthat?” “Lookyhere–mindhowyoutalktome;I’mastandingaboutallIcanstandnow–sodon’tgimmenosass. I’vebeenintowntwodays,andIhain’theardnothingbutaboutyoubein’rich. Iheardaboutitawaydowntheriver,too.That’swhyIcome. Yougitmethatmoneyto-morrow–Iwantit.” “It’salie.JudgeThatcher’sgotit.Yougitit.Iwantit.” “Ihain’tgotnomoney,Itellyou.YouaskJudgeThatcher;he’lltellyouthesame.” “Allright.I’llaskhim;andI’llmakehimpungle,too,orI’llknowthereasonwhy.Say,howmuchyougotinyourpocket?Iwantit.” “Ihain’tgotonlyadollar,andIwantthatto–” “Itdon’tmakenodifferencewhatyouwantitfor–youjustshellitout.” Hetookitandbitittoseeifitwasgood,andthenhesaidhewasgoingdowntowntogetsomewhisky;saidhehadn’thadadrinkallday. Whenhehadgotoutontheshedheputhisheadinagain,andcussedmeforputtingonfrillsandtryingtobebetterthanhim;andwhenIreckonedhewasgonehecomebackandputhisheadinagain,andtoldmetomindaboutthatschool,becausehewasgoingtolayformeandlickmeifIdidn’tdropthat. Nextdayhewasdrunk,andhewenttoJudgeThatcher’sandbullyraggedhim,andtriedtomakehimgiveupthemoney;buthecouldn’t,andthenhesworehe’dmakethelawforcehim. Thejudgeandthewidowwenttolawtogetthecourttotakemeawayfromhimandletoneofthembemyguardian;butitwasanewjudgethathadjustcome,andhedidn’tknowtheoldman;sohesaidcourtsmustn’tinterfereandseparatefamiliesiftheycouldhelpit;saidhe’ddruthernottakeachildawayfromitsfather. SoJudgeThatcherandthewidowhadtoquitonthebusiness. Thatpleasedtheoldmantillhecouldn’trest. Hesaidhe’dcowhidemetillIwasblackandblueifIdidn’traisesomemoneyforhim. IborrowedthreedollarsfromJudgeThatcher,andpaptookitandgotdrunk,andwenta-blowingaroundandcussingandwhoopingandcarryingon;andhekeptitupallovertown,withatinpan,tillmostmidnight;thentheyjailedhim,andnextdaytheyhadhimbeforecourt,andjailedhimagainforaweek. ButhesaidHEwassatisfied;saidhewasbossofhisson,andhe’dmakeitwarmforHIM. Whenhegotoutthenewjudgesaidhewasa-goingtomakeamanofhim. Sohetookhimtohisownhouse,anddressedhimupcleanandnice,andhadhimtobreakfastanddinnerandsupperwiththefamily,andwasjustoldpietohim,sotospeak. Andaftersupperhetalkedtohimabouttemperanceandsuchthingstilltheoldmancried,andsaidhe’dbeenafool,andfooledawayhislife;butnowhewasa-goingtoturnoveranewleafandbeamannobodywouldn’tbeashamedof,andhehopedthejudgewouldhelphimandnotlookdownonhim. Thejudgesaidhecouldhughimforthemwords;sohecried,andhiswifeshecriedagain;papsaidhe’dbeenamanthathadalwaysbeenmisunderstoodbefore,andthejudgesaidhebelievedit. Theoldmansaidthatwhatamanwantedthatwasdownwassympathy,andthejudgesaiditwasso;sotheycriedagain. Andwhenitwasbedtimetheoldmanroseupandheldouthishand,andsays: “Lookatit,gentlemenandladiesall;takea-holdofit;shakeit. There’sahandthatwasthehandofahog;butitain’tsonomore;it’sthehandofamanthat’sstartedinonanewlife,and’lldiebeforehe’llgoback. Youmarkthemwords–don’tforgetIsaidthem. It’sacleanhandnow;shakeit–don’tbeafeard.” Sotheyshookit,oneaftertheother,allaround,andcried.Thejudge’swifeshekissedit. Thentheoldmanhesignedapledge–madehismark. Thejudgesaiditwastheholiesttimeonrecord,orsomethinglikethat. Thentheytuckedtheoldmanintoabeautifulroom,whichwasthespareroom,andinthenightsometimehegotpowerfulthirstyandclumboutontotheporch-roofandsliddownastanchionandtradedhisnewcoatforajugofforty-rod,andclumbbackagainandhadagoodoldtime;andtowardsdaylighthecrawledoutagain,drunkasafiddler,androlledofftheporchandbrokehisleftarmintwoplaces,andwasmostfrozetodeathwhensomebodyfoundhimaftersun-up. Andwhentheycometolookatthatspareroomtheyhadtotakesoundingsbeforetheycouldnavigateit. Thejudgehefeltkindofsore.Hesaidhereckonedabodycouldreformtheoldmanwithashotgun,maybe,buthedidn’tknownootherway. 
