When he was nearly thirteen. my brother .lem got his arm \ badly broken at thc
elbow, When it healed. and Jem`s fears of never \ being able to play football were
assuaged. he was seldom self-conscious \ about his injury. His left arm was
somewhat shorter than his right: when \ he stood or walked. the back of his hand
was at right angles to his \ bodyv his thumb parallel to his thigh. He couldn't have
cared less` so \ long as he could pass and punt.
When enough years had gone by to enable \ us to look back on them` we
sometimes discussed the events leading to \ his accident.l maintain that the Ewells
started it all, bitt Jem` who \ was four years my senior. said it started long before
that. He said it \ began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea
uf \ making Boo Radley come out.
l said if he wanted to take a broad view \ ofthe thingv it really began with Andrew
Jackson. lf General Jackson \ hadn`t run the Creeks up the creek. Simon Finch
would never have.` \ paddled up the Alabama.and where would we be if he \ hadnt!