Tom lay upon a sofa with an eager auditory about him and told the history of the wonderful adventure, putting in many striking additions to adorn it withal; and closed with a description of how he left Becky and went on an exploring expedition; how he followed two avenues as far as his kite-line would reach; how he followed a third to the fullest stretch of the kite-line, and was about to turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; dropped the line and groped toward it, pushed his head and shoulders through a small hole, and saw the broad Mississippi rolling by!
Hozzátette, hogy ha véletlenül nem nappal, hanem éjszaka lett volna, sohase fedezte volna fel a távoli fényt, és sohase ment volna tovább a folyosón. Majd folytatta az elbeszélést, hogy ment vissza Beckyhez az örömhírrel, de a kislány kijelentette, hogy ne tartsa bolonddá ilyen ostobaságokkal, mert fáradt, és tudja, hogy meghal, és meg is akar halni.