If we had known what Tom had passed through during the last few hours, perhaps we should not have been so surprised at the sight. Had we been in his situation, it is probable that we would have been frightened, too.
Tom Mason was the nephew and ward of the richest man in that part of Mississippi, and the most unpopular boy in the settlement. He was so overbearing, and so dishonest and untruthful, that no one who had the least respect for himself could associate with him.
He cordially hated our fellows, because we would not invite him to accompany us on our hunting and fishing excursions, and never allowed an opportunity to do us an injury to pass unimproved. I shall have more to say about him presently.
“You fellows act as though you thought yourselves something grand,” continued Tom, “and I supposed you were above associating with a thief.”
“Now, I’ll tell you what’s the truth,” said Sandy, shutting one eye and wrinkling up his nose, as he always did when he was very much in earnest, “Jerry ain’t no more of a thief than I be.”
“He is in jail, isn’t he?” demanded Tom. “That is enough to disgrace him forever. Those who visit him and sympathize with him are no better than he is.”
“Thar ain’t no disgrace whar thar ain’t no guilt,” replied Sandy, half inclined to get angry. “An’ another thing, what’s the use of a fellow’s havin’ friends if they go back on him the minute he gets into trouble? Jerry will find that we’ll stick to him now same as we did afore. Now I’ll tell you what’s the truth, Tom Mason: He don’t know no more about them thar eight thousand dollars than you do.”
“Nor half as much,” said Mark, decidedly. “Fellows,” he added, as we left Tom and went clattering down the road again, “if the general has really lost any money, that boy knows where it is.”
We reached the village in a few minutes, and without any delay were conducted to the cell in which Jerry was confined.
I shall never forget the thrill of horror that ran through me as the heavy iron door clanged behind us, or the despairing, woe-begone expression on the face of the prisoner. A few hours had made a great change in that jolly, wide-awake boy. He sat on his narrow bed with his face hidden in his hands, and when he looked up, I saw that his eyes were red and swollen with weeping.