“My boy, don’t be afraid of me. I wouldn’t hurt a hair of your head for all the world. No⁠—I’d protect you⁠—I’d protect you. This Spaniard is not deaf and dumb; you’ve let that slip without intending it; you can’t cover that up now. You know something about that Spaniard that you want to keep dark. Now trust me⁠—tell me what it is, and trust me⁠—I won’t betray you.”

Huck looked into the old man’s honest eyes a moment, then bent over and whispered in his ear:

“ ’Tain’t a Spaniard⁠—it’s Injun Joe!”

The Welshman almost jumped out of his chair. In a moment he said:

“It’s all plain enough, now. When you talked about notching ears and slitting noses I judged that that was your own embellishment, because white men don’t take that sort of revenge. But an Injun! That’s a different matter altogether.”