Mark Twain

“ So he laughed again; and so did everybody else, except three or four, or maybe half a dozen. One of these was that doctor; another one was a sharp looking gentleman, with a carpet-bag of the old-fashioned kind made out of carpet-stuff, that had just come off of the steamboat and was talking to him in a low voice, and glancing towards the king now and then and nodding their heads—it was Levi Bell, the lawyer that was gone up to Louisville; and another one was a big rough husky that come along and listened to all the old gentleman said, and was listening to the king now. ”

“ I don't wish to be too hard on these two men, but I think they're frauds, and they may have complices that we don't know nothing about. If they have, won't the complices get away with that bag of gold Peter Wilks left? It ain't unlikely. If these men ain't frauds, they won't object to sending for that money and letting us keep it till they prove they're all right—ain't that so? ”

“ A body can't hardly believe it, but he didn't. I reckon he thought he'd keep the thing up till he tired them people out, so they'd thin out, and him and the duke could break loose and get away. Anyway, he set there, and pretty soon he begun to smile, and says:
"Mf! It's a very tough question, ain't it! Yes, sir, I k'n tell you what's tatooed on his breast. It's jest a small, thin, blue arrow—that's what it is; and if you don't look clost, you can't see it. ”

“ I am Peter Wilks's brother Harvey, and this is his brother William, which can't hear nor speak—and can't even make signs to amount to much, now 't he's only got one hand to work them with. We are who we say we are ”

“ THE DUKE WROTE. The new old gentleman says:
"If you please, let me explain. Nobody can read my hand but my brother there—so he copies for me. It's his hand you've got there, not mine."
"Well!" says the lawyer, "this is a state of things. I've got some of William's letters too; so if you'll get him to write a line or so we can com——"
"He can't write with his left hand," says the old gentleman. "If he conld use his right hand, you would see that he wrote his own letters and mine too. Look at both, please—they're by the same hand." ”