I had to leave off and jump up and run to school without stopping to
sign my name, for the bell rang. But, now school is done, I will write
another letter to send with that, because you will want to know the end
at the same time you do the beginning.
It was little pebbles that waked me up the next morning,--little pebbles
dropping down on my face. I looked up to find where they came from, and
saw Tom Cush standing in the door. He was throwing them. He made signs
that he wanted to tell me something. So I got up. And while I was
getting up, I saw my overjacket on the back of a chair. I found out
afterwards that Benjie brought it in, and forgot to tell me.
Tom made signs for me to go down stairs with him. He wouldn’t let me put
my shoes on. He had his in his hand, and I carried mine so. So we went
through the long entries in our stocking-feet, and sat down on the
doorstep to put our shoes on. Nobody else had got up. The sky was
growing red. I never got up so early before, except one Fourth of July,
when I didn’t go to bed, but only slept some with my head leaned down on
a window-seat, and jumped up when I heard a gun go off. Tom carried me
to a place a good ways from the house. Our shoes got soaking wet with
dew.
Now I will tell you what he said to me.
He asked me if I saw him anywhere the night before. I said I did.
He asked me where I saw him.
I said I saw him coming out of the hen-house, where Gapper Skyblue kept
his rabbits. He asked me if I was sure, and I said I was sure.
“And did you tell the master?” says he.