{"id":"01KG2TSH2D3GYPC8KFXYAP3DZ1","cid":"bafkreieghvzilfmddwc5koktzgit5qs56nyfnkedwdf7sybfxnssnykhry","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":3429,"extracted_at":"2026-01-28T17:35:34.194Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG2T4RHC4E1XKJ12BJRXE8E8","start_line":3350,"text":"CHAPTER XI\r\n\r\n\r\nClose upon the hour of noon the whole village was suddenly electrified\r\nwith the ghastly news. No need of the as yet un-dreamed-of telegraph;\r\nthe tale flew from man to man, from group to group, from house to house,\r\nwith little less than telegraphic speed. Of course the schoolmaster gave\r\nholiday for that afternoon; the town would have thought strangely of\r\nhim if he had not.\r\n\r\nA gory knife had been found close to the murdered man, and it had been\r\nrecognized by somebody as belonging to Muff Potter—so the story ran. And\r\nit was said that a belated citizen had come upon Potter washing himself\r\nin the “branch” about one or two o’clock in the morning, and that Potter\r\nhad at once sneaked off—suspicious circumstances, especially the washing\r\nwhich was not a habit with Potter. It was also said that the town had\r\nbeen ransacked for this “murderer” (the public are not slow in the\r\nmatter of sifting evidence and arriving at a verdict), but that he\r\ncould not be found. Horsemen had departed down all the roads in every\r\ndirection, and the Sheriff “was confident” that he would be captured\r\nbefore night.\r\n\r\nAll the town was drifting toward the graveyard. Tom’s heartbreak\r\nvanished and he joined the procession, not because he would not\r\na thousand times rather go anywhere else, but because an awful,\r\nunaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrived at the dreadful place, he\r\nwormed his small body through the crowd and saw the dismal spectacle.\r\nIt seemed to him an age since he was there before. Somebody pinched\r\nhis arm. He turned, and his eyes met Huckleberry’s. Then both looked\r\nelsewhere at once, and wondered if anybody had noticed anything in their\r\nmutual glance. But everybody was talking, and intent upon the grisly\r\nspectacle before them.\r\n\r\n“Poor fellow!” “Poor young fellow!” “This ought to be a lesson to grave\r\nrobbers!” “Muff Potter’ll hang for this if they catch him!” This was the\r\ndrift of remark; and the minister said, “It was a judgment; His hand is\r\nhere.”\r\n\r\nNow Tom shivered from head to heel; for his eye fell upon the stolid\r\nface of Injun Joe. At this moment the crowd began to sway and struggle,\r\nand voices shouted, “It’s him! it’s him! he’s coming himself!”\r\n\r\n“Who? Who?” from twenty voices.\r\n\r\n“Muff Potter!”\r\n\r\n“Hallo, he’s stopped!—Look out, he’s turning! Don’t let him get away!”\r\n\r\nPeople in the branches of the trees over Tom’s head said he wasn’t\r\ntrying to get away—he only looked doubtful and perplexed.\r\n\r\n“Infernal impudence!” said a bystander; “wanted to come and take a quiet\r\nlook at his work, I reckon—didn’t expect any company.”\r\n\r\nThe crowd fell apart, now, and the Sheriff came through, ostentatiously\r\nleading Potter by the arm. The poor fellow’s face was haggard, and\r\nhis eyes showed the fear that was upon him. When he stood before the\r\nmurdered man, he shook as with a palsy, and he put his face in his hands\r\nand burst into tears.\r\n\r\n“I didn’t do it, friends,” he sobbed; “’pon my word and honor I never\r\ndone it.”\r\n\r\n“Who’s accused you?” shouted a voice.\r\n\r\nThis shot seemed to carry home. Potter lifted his face and looked around\r\nhim with a pathetic hopelessness in his eyes. He saw Injun Joe, and\r\nexclaimed:\r\n\r\n“Oh, Injun Joe, you promised me you’d never—”\r\n\r\n“Is that your knife?” and it was thrust before him by the Sheriff.\r\n\r\nPotter would have fallen if they had not caught him and eased him to the\r\nground. Then he said:\r\n\r\n“Something told me ’t if I didn’t come back and get—” He shuddered; then\r\nwaved his nerveless hand with a vanquished gesture and said, “Tell ’em,\r\nJoe, tell ’em—it ain’t any use any more.”\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG2TRBF4CDQNKWVXZAFYJ82M","peer_label":"CHAPTER XI","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG2T4RHC4E1XKJ12BJRXE8E8","peer_label":"tom_sawyer.txt","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG2T49K0H5GDRB0G4YDTPG8H","peer_label":"Test Collection","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG2TSH3KR06WRRZF0EFW0X9Q","peer_label":"Chunk 2","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-28T17:35:34.805Z","ts":"2026-01-28T17:35:35.696Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}