Mary Jane was so sweet that I didn't want to tell her I had put the money in her uncle's coffin.
So I said to her, "I'll write it on a piece of paper.
After I leave town, you can read it. Then you'll know where to look."
Mary Jane gave me some paper and I scribbled:
"I was behind the door and I saw you crying. I felt very sorry for you. I put it in the coffin."
Then I folded up the paper and gave it to her.
I didn't think it would be safe for me and Jim to travel on the river in daylight.
I wanted to wait until dark to get away.
But Mary Jane was such an honest person that I knew she would not be able to hide her feelings all day.
The expression on her face would tell the king and the duke that she knew the truth.
I asked Mary Jane if she could leave the house until evening.
She agreed to visit her friend Hannah Proctor.
She left quickly before the king and the duke woke up.
At breakfast, I told everyone that Hannah Proctor had the mumps and explained that Mary Jane had gone to look after her.
In the afternoon, I watched the auction in the town square.
By late in the day, almost everything belonging to Peter Wilks had been sold.
But I knew that no money would be paid on the day of the auction.
The duke and the king would have to stay for another day to collect it.
Before that could happen, Mary Jane would come back.
She would tell the truth, and the two scoundrels would be arrested.
By then, I would be safe on the river again with Jim.
I was quite proud of myself and thought I had arranged things very well.
Then I heard loud voices coming toward the center of town.
I turned and saw a well-dressed older gentleman and a nice-looking younger one with his right arm in a sling.
Some townspeople were with them, and one of them called out, "Here are two more men who say they are Harvey Wilks and his brother William!"
Wouldn't you think that the king and the duke would give up when they saw the real Englishmen?
Well, they didn't! The king said in an angry voice, "These men are liars trying to steal our property. Don't listen to them!"
I could see that some townspeople believed the king, but Doctor Robinson and some others looked pleased to see the newcomers.
They had never believed that the duke and the king were honest men.
The two new arrivals were very confused by the uproar.
Harvey Wilks, the older gentleman, told their story:
They had come all the way from England to see their dying brother, but they had been delayed when poor William broke his arm.
The king demanded to see written proof of who they were.
Harvey replied that this was impossible because their bags had been lost on the journey.
So it went on for a while with both pairs of men claiming they were the true relatives.
I knew the truth, but if I told it, I'd be in trouble too.
Then I wouldn’t be able to get away and help Jim.
Finally, Harvey Wilks said that Peter, his brother, had a small tattoo on his chest.
He challenged the king to describe it. "Why, yes," said the king, "he has a small lightning bolt on his chest."
"No," said the old gentleman. "It is his initials: P and W."
By now, most of the townspeople were so confused that they did not know what to believe.
Doctor Robinson jumped up onto the table that had been used for the auction.
"There's only one way to settle this," he shouted.
"Let's all go to the cemetery and dig up the corpse.
Grab the four men and the boy and make them come with us."
I was very scared, but a townsman was holding me so hard that I couldn't escape.
"If we don't find the tattoo those two scoundrels described, we'll hang you along with them!" he growled at me.
It was dark and windy in the cemetery, and lightning flashed in the sky.
So many men were helping that it did not take long to dig up the grave.
Then they pulled out the coffin and opened the lid.
A huge lightning bolt lit up the night, and someone yelled, "Look at that—there's a big bag of gold on his chest!"
Everyone became so excited that they rushed toward the coffin.
The townsman forgot to hold my wrist, and I ran away at once, down the road as fast as I could.
I ran right through town without seeing anyone.
When I got to the riverbank, a lightning flash showed me a canoe that was pulled up on shore.
I jumped in and paddled until I came to the raft where Jim was waiting.
I had never been so glad to see anyone in my whole life.
"Cut the rope loose and let's go, Jim!" I yelled, climbing aboard.
"We're finally free of those scoundrels."
In seconds, we were out on the river again.
I felt so relieved that I began to jump and dance on the raft.
Then I heard the sound of paddling behind the raft.
The next lightning flash revealed the truth.
It was the duke and the king in a rowboat, catching up with us.