"
"It was murder," said Harry, at last finding strength to speak.
"Murder!" exclaimed the man and boy together.
"Yes, murder, that is, an attempt at it. A man set upon me to kill me,
and in the struggle we fell in the river, which, with your help, saved
my life. Look here!"
He tore open his coat and shirt, revealing his chest, which looked like
pounded beef.
"Somebody has shorely been gettin' in good hard licks on you," said the
man sympathetically, "an' I reckon you're tellin' nothin' but the truth,
these bein' such times as this country never heard of before. My name's
Sam Jarvis, an' I came with this raft from the mountains. This lunkhead
here is my nephew, Ike Simmons. We was driftin' along into Frankfort as
peaceful as you please, an' a singin' with joy 'cause our work was about
over. I hears a splash an' says I to Ike, 'What's that?' Says he to me,
'I dunno.' Says I to Ike ag'in, 'Was it a big fish?' Says he to me
ag'in, 'I dunno.' He's gittin' a repytation for bein' real smart
'cause he's always sayin, 'I dunno,' an' he's never wrong. Then I sees
somethin' with hair on top of it floatin' on the water. Says I, 'Is
that a man's head?' Says he, 'I dunno.
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