AFTERbreakfastIwantedtotalkaboutthedeadmanandguessouthowhecometobekilled,butJimdidn’twantto. Hesaiditwouldfetchbadluck;andbesides,hesaid,hemightcomeandha’ntus;hesaidamanthatwarn’tburiedwasmorelikelytogoaha’ntingaroundthanonethatwasplantedandcomfortable. Thatsoundedprettyreasonable,soIdidn’tsaynomore;butIcouldn’tkeepfromstudyingoveritandwishingIknowedwhoshottheman,andwhattheydoneitfor. Werummagedtheclotheswe’dgot,andfoundeightdollarsinsilversewedupintheliningofanoldblanketovercoat. Jimsaidhereckonedthepeopleinthathousestolethecoat,becauseifthey’daknowedthemoneywastheretheywouldn’taleftit. IsaidIreckonedtheykilledhim,too;butJimdidn’twanttotalkaboutthat.Isays: “Nowyouthinkit’sbadluck;butwhatdidyousaywhenIfetchedinthesnake-skinthatIfoundonthetopoftheridgedaybeforeyesterday? Yousaiditwastheworstbadluckintheworldtotouchasnake-skinwithmyhands.Well,here’syourbadluck! We’verakedinallthistruckandeightdollarsbesides. Iwishwecouldhavesomebadlucklikethiseveryday,Jim.” “Neveryoumind,honey,neveryoumind.Don’tyougittoopeart.It’sa-comin’.MindItellyou,it’sa-comin’.” Itdidcome,too.ItwasaTuesdaythatwehadthattalk. Well,afterdinnerFridaywewaslayingaroundinthegrassattheupperendoftheridge,andgotoutoftobacco. Iwenttothecaverntogetsome,andfoundarattlesnakeinthere. Ikilledhim,andcurledhimuponthefootofJim’sblanket,eversonatural,thinkingthere’dbesomefunwhenJimfoundhimthere. Well,bynightIforgotallaboutthesnake,andwhenJimflunghimselfdownontheblanketwhileIstruckalightthesnake’smatewasthere,andbithim. Hejumpedupyelling,andthefirstthingthelightshowedwasthevarmintcurledupandreadyforanotherspring. Ilaidhimoutinasecondwithastick,andJimgrabbedpap’swhisky-jugandbeguntopouritdown. Hewasbarefooted,andthesnakebithimrightontheheel. Thatallcomesofmybeingsuchafoolastonotrememberthatwhereveryouleaveadeadsnakeitsmatealwayscomesthereandcurlsaroundit. Jimtoldmetochopoffthesnake’sheadandthrowitaway,andthenskinthebodyandroastapieceofit. Idoneit,andheeatitandsaiditwouldhelpcurehim. Hemademetakeofftherattlesandtiethemaroundhiswrist,too.Hesaidthatthatwouldhelp. ThenIslidoutquietandthrowedthesnakesclearawayamongstthebushes;forIwarn’tgoingtoletJimfindoutitwasallmyfault,notifIcouldhelpit. Jimsuckedandsuckedatthejug,andnowandthenhegotoutofhisheadandpitchedaroundandyelled;buteverytimehecometohimselfhewenttosuckingatthejugagain. Hisfootswelledupprettybig,andsodidhisleg;butbyandbythedrunkbeguntocome,andsoIjudgedhewasallright;butI’ddrutherbeenbitwithasnakethanpap’swhisky. Jimwaslaidupforfourdaysandnights. Thentheswellingwasallgoneandhewasaroundagain. ImadeupmymindIwouldn’tevertakea-holtofasnake-skinagainwithmyhands,nowthatIseewhathadcomeofit. JimsaidhereckonedIwouldbelievehimnexttime. Andhesaidthathandlingasnakeskinwassuchawfulbadluckthatmaybewehadn’tgottotheendofityet. Hesaidhedrutherseethenewmoonoverhisleftshoulderasmuchasathousandtimesthantakeupasnake-skininhishand. Well,Iwasgettingtofeelthatwaymyself,thoughI’vealwaysreckonedthatlookingatthenewmoonoveryourleftshoulderisoneofthecarelessestandfoolishestthingsabodycando. OldHankBunkerdoneitonce,andbraggedaboutit;andinlessthantwoyearshegotdrunkandfelloffoftheshot-tower,andspreadhimselfoutsothathewasjustakindofalayer,asyoumaysay;andtheyslidhimedgewaysbetweentwobarndoorsforacoffin,andburiedhimso,sotheysay,butIdidn’tseeit.Paptoldme. Butanywayitallcomeoflookingatthemoonthatway,likeafool. Well,thedayswentalong,andtheriverwentdownbetweenitsbanksagain;andaboutthefirstthingwedonewastobaitoneofthebighookswithaskinnedrabbitandsetitandcatchacatfishthatwasasbigasaman,beingsixfoottwoincheslong,andweighedovertwohundredpounds. Wecouldn’thandlehim,ofcourse;hewouldaflungusintoIllinois. Wejustsetthereandwatchedhimripandteararoundtillhedrownded. Wefoundabrassbuttoninhisstomachandaroundball,andlotsofrubbage. Wesplittheballopenwiththehatchet,andtherewasaspoolinit. Jimsaidhe’dhadittherealongtime,tocoatitoversoandmakeaballofit. ItwasasbigafishaswasevercatchedintheMississippi,Ireckon. Jimsaidhehadn’teverseenabiggerone. Hewouldabeenworthagooddealoveratthevillage. Theypeddleoutsuchafishasthatbythepoundinthemarkethousethere;everybodybuyssomeofhim;hismeat’saswhiteassnowandmakesagoodfry. NextmorningIsaiditwasgettingslowanddull,andIwantedtogetastirringupsomeway. IsaidIreckonedIwouldslipovertheriverandfindoutwhatwasgoingon. Jimlikedthatnotion;buthesaidImustgointhedarkandlooksharp. Thenhestudieditoverandsaid,couldn’tIputonsomeofthemoldthingsanddressuplikeagirl?Thatwasagoodnotion,too. Soweshorteneduponeofthecalicogowns,andIturnedupmytrouser-legstomykneesandgotintoit. Jimhitcheditbehindwiththehooks,anditwasafairfit. Iputonthesun-bonnetandtieditundermychin,andthenforabodytolookinandseemyfacewaslikelookingdownajointofstovepipe. Jimsaidnobodywouldknowme,eveninthedaytime,hardly. Ipracticedaroundalldaytogetthehangofthethings,andbyandbyIcoulddoprettywellinthem,onlyJimsaidIdidn’twalklikeagirl;andhesaidImustquitpullingupmygowntogetatmybritches-pocket.Itooknotice,anddonebetter. IstarteduptheIllinoisshoreinthecanoejustafterdark. Istartedacrosstothetownfromalittlebelowtheferry-landing,andthedriftofthecurrentfetchedmeinatthebottomofthetown.Itiedupandstartedalongthebank. Therewasalightburninginalittleshantythathadn’tbeenlivedinforalongtime,andIwonderedwhohadtookupquartersthere. Islippedupandpeepedinatthewindow. Therewasawomanaboutfortyyearoldinthereknittingbyacandlethatwasonapinetable. Ididn’tknowherface;shewasastranger,foryoucouldn’tstartafaceinthattownthatIdidn’tknow. Nowthiswaslucky,becauseIwasweakening;IwasgettingafraidIhadcome;peoplemightknowmyvoiceandfindmeout. ButifthiswomanhadbeeninsuchalittletowntwodaysshecouldtellmeallIwantedtoknow;soIknockedatthedoor,andmadeupmymindIwouldn’tforgetIwasagirl. 
