‘Yes, that’s Muff Potter’s knife. He always carries it.’
‘Yes, I saw Muff Potter in the village that afternoon.
He had the knife with him then,’
Muff Potter began to look more and more unhappy. Then the judge said: ‘Call Thomas Sawyer!’
St Petersburg sat up. What did young Tom Sawyer know? Everybody looked at him and waited.
‘Thomas Sawyer, where were you on the seventeenth of June, at the hour of midnight?’
‘In the graveyard.’
‘Why?’
‘I went there to see ghosts. With a – a – dead cat.’
St Petersburg laughed and the judge looked angry.
‘And where were you in the graveyard, Thomas?’
‘Behind the trees near Hoss Williams’ grave.’
Injun Joe’s face suddenly went white.
‘Now, my boy,’ said the judge. ‘Tell us your story.’
And so Tom told his story, and St Petersburg sat and listened to him with open mouths.
‘ … and then Muff Potter fell, and Injun Joe jumped with the knife and –‘
Crash! Injun Joe jumped through the window and was out and away in a second.
