"Swimming's no good. I don't seem to care for it, somehow, when there ain't anybody to say I sha'n't go in. I mean to go home."

     "Oh, shucks! Baby! You want to see your mother, I reckon."

     "Yes, I do want to see my mother--and you would, too, if you had one. I ain't any more baby than you are." And Joe snuffled a little.

     "Well, we'll let the crybaby go home to his mother, won't we, Huck? Poor thing--does it want to see its mother? And so it shall. You like it here, don't you, Huck? We'll stay, won't we?"

     Huck said, "Y-e-s"--without any heart in it.

     "I'll never speak to you again as long as I live," said Joe, rising. "There now!" And he moved moodily away and began to dress himself.

     "Who cares!" said Tom. "Nobody wants you to. Go 'long home and get laughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate. Huck and me ain't crybabies. We'll stay, won't we, Huck? Let him go if he wants to. I reckon we can get along without him, per'aps."