"Now, then, before I go on, I want to ask you if you've ever noticed
this: that people, when they're thinking deep, or when they're worried,
are most always doing something with their hands, and they don't know it,
and don't notice what it is their hands are doing, some stroke their
chins; some stroke their noses; some stroke up UNDER their chin with
their hand; some twirl a chain, some fumble a button, then there's some
that draws a figure or a letter with their finger on their cheek, or
under their chin or on their under lip. That's MY way. When I'm
restless, or worried, or thinking hard, I draw capital V's on my cheek or
on my under lip or under my chin, and never anything BUT capital V's--and
half the time I don't notice it and don't know I'm doing it."

That was odd. That is just what I do; only I make an O. And I could see
people nodding to one another, same as they do when they mean "THAT's
so."

"Now, then, I'll go on. That same Saturday--no, it was the night
before--there was a steamboat laying at Flagler's Landing, forty miles
above here, and it was raining and storming like the nation. And there
was a thief aboard, and he had them two big di'monds that's advertised
out here on this courthouse door; and he slipped ashore with his hand-bag
and struck out into the dark and the storm, and he was a-hoping he could
get to this town all right and be safe. But he had two pals aboard the
boat, hiding, and he knowed they was going to kill him the first chance
they got and take the di'monds; because all three stole them, and then
this fellow he got hold of them and skipped.

"Well, he hadn't been gone more'n ten minutes before his pals found it
out, and they jumped ashore and lit out after him. Prob'ly they burnt