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The hooting of an owl came over the hill-ominous sound! But no footsteps.

Heavens, was everything lost! He was about to spring with winged feet, when a man cleared his throat not four feet from him! Huck's heart shot into his throat, but he swallowed it again; and then he stood there shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge of him at once, and so weak that he thought he must surely fall to the ground.

He knew where he was.

He knew he was within five steps of the stile leading into Widow Douglas' grounds.

Very well, he thought, let them bury it there; it won't be hard to find.

Now there was a voice-a very low voice-Injun Joe's:

"Damn her, maybe she's got company-there's lights, late as it is."

"I can't see any."

This was that stranger's voice-the stranger of the haunted house.

A deadly chill went to Huck's heart-this, then, was the "revenge" job! His thought was, to fly.

Then he remembered that the Widow Douglas had been kind to him more than once, and maybe these men were going to murder her.

He wished he dared venture to warn her; but he knew he didn't dare-they might come and catch him.

He thought all this and more in the moment that elapsed between the stranger's remark and Injun Joe's next-which was-

"Because the bush is in your way. Now-this way-now you see, don't you?"

"Yes. Well, there is company there, I reckon. Better give it up."

"Give it up, and I just leaving this country forever! Give it up and maybe never have another chance.

I tell you again, as I've told you before, I don't care for her swag-you may have it.

But her husband was rough on me-many times he was rough on me-and mainly he was the justice of the peace that jugged me for a vagrant.

And that ain't all.

It ain't a millionth part of it! He had me horsewhipped!-horsewhipped in front of the jail, like a nigger!-with all the town looking on! Horsewhipped!-do you understand? He took advantage of me and died.

But I'll take it out of her."

"Oh, don't kill her! Don't do that!"

"Kill? Who said anything about killing? I would kill him if he was here; but not her. When you want to get revenge on a woman you don't kill her-bosh! you go for her looks. You slit her nostrils-you notch her ears like a sow!"

"By God, that's-"

"Keep your opinion to yourself! It will be safest for you.

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