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Striking it Rich (Again)— Sam's Family—Huck Wants A New Mowawk

Eventually we got Sam's name on the land claim slip and he was so happy I thought he was fit to bust with it.  He found a chicken somewheres and made us this real fine dinner, though spicier than any Cajun I'd had back home.  He said it was named after some general, though I thought a general would be more busy fighting battles and winning women's hearts than cookin' like some woman to make a dish, but I'se eternally thankful to that general for that dish.  Some days later, we was all pannin' in the stream, when Sam let out an almighty whoop and soon after I joined him.  For at the bottom of our pans, was shiny flecks of gold. 

"Rich, we rich!" shouted Sam, "My wife and child come soon, we all be rich.  You both good boys. Good boys! My little lofans. I never may thank you!"

Huck and me both shouted and hollered.  Now I knew I could write Becky Thatcher and she would come and we'd have the prettiest weddin' ever seen in this part of the country.

But then Huck said to me, "Tom, Sam ain't got no fortune, and we already gots one already, so I figures he needs the gold more 'n' we do. So I'm givin' my part to him. Now I wanna go see if I can find that Injun we met and ask him if his tribe made it and for a new tomahawk, since you wrecked mine!"  he said.  He ain't never let me live that down. 

The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with Huck.  We could go and get more money, as we weren't tied down and no one would call us names like they would Sam.  Plus, he got himself a family too.  I thought of Robin Hood and figured, "Aw well, I reckon I can live without a huge fortune and still get Becky Thatcher!"  So Huck and me panned that river for all we was worth.  Sam did too, but mostly he spent his time makin' a house for his family, and a right nice house it were too.  He told us he'd never made a house afore, as he never owned land afore, so he made a house like them ones he'd saw in town.  It were a nice log house too, and Huck and me was just thrilled to see him so proud of it and even more thrilled when we saw his family come and move in. 

His wife was just the sweetest thing ever, always fussing over us, worrying about when we'd get married, until a body would want to scream.  She were too sweet for us to ever get angry at.  At last, one day, Sam, Huck, and me had gotten enough gold to fill up a heap o' grain sacks, which we'd hid in a cave far from the house.  We told Sam we was agoin, and he looked right sorrowful, but accepted we was leavin'.  We went out to the cave and he made ready to split the gold three ways when I stopped him. 

"Sam," I said, "We doan' want none of this gold. You keep it. We gots ourselves lots of money back home already. We want you to keep it and use it for your family".

Sam just kinda stared at us, not believing what I'd said.  "I not understand," he said, after a minute, "Why you come west if not for fortune making?"

"For adventure" said Huck, grinning like a fool at me, "And we'se had adventures enough here.  If you insist on not taking no money, we'll just dump it in the stream again, and you'll just get it back again.  This way'll save you heaps o' work".

Sam just stared some more, then came over and shook our hands. He looked genuinely blissful and I couldn't have felt better in my entire life.  Huck and me was fit to be tied, we was so happy.  Sam's wife made us so much food for our last meal together we was afeared we was going to burst, we ate so much.  She also made us lots of food for the road.  The last we saw of them, they was waving at us as we set off on the horses we'd bought with some gold from Sam.  We smiled at the chinese folks and turned towards the road, towards new adventures.

I was goan to ignore Huck as he told me time and time again, "I don't want no more adventures. I'm done with them."  I told him that just warn't natural, but of course he never listens to the way things should be done.  So, we just headed off together on the open road, pointed in whatever direction the horses went, knowing where we'd been and looking forward to where we'd be.