第7章

"What’stherowthere？Who’sbanging？Whatdoyouwant？"

"Letmein——quick！I’lltelleverything。"

"Why，whoareyou？"

"HuckleberryFinn——quick，letmein！"

"HuckleberryFinn，indeed！Itain’tanametoopenmanydoors，Ijudge！Butlethimin，lads，andlet’sseewhat’sthetrouble。"

"Pleasedon’tevertellItoldyou，"wereHuck’sfirstwordswhenhegotin。"Pleasedon’t——I’dbekilled，sure——butthewidow’sbeengoodfriendstomesometimes，andIwanttotell——Iwilltellifyou’llpromiseyouwon’teversayitwasme。"

"ByGeorge，hehasgotsomethingtotell，orhewouldn’tactso！"exclaimedtheoldman；"outwithitandnobodyhere’llevertell，lad。"

Threeminuteslatertheoldmanandhissons，wellarmed，wereupthehill，andjustenteringthesumachpathontiptoe，theirweaponsintheirhands。Huckaccompaniedthemnofurther。Hehidbehindagreatbowlderandfelltolistening。Therewasalagging，anxioussilence，andthenallofasuddentherewasanexplosionoffirearmsandacry。

Huckwaitedfornoparticulars。Hesprangawayandspeddownthehillasfastashislegscouldcarryhim。

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer：Chapter30CHAPTERXXXAStheearliestsuspicionofdawnappearedonSundaymorning，HuckcamegropingupthehillandrappedgentlyattheoldWelshman’sdoor。Theinmateswereasleep，butitwasasleepthatwassetonahair—trigger，onaccountoftheexcitingepisodeofthenight。Acallcamefromawindow：

"Who’sthere！"

Huck’sscaredvoiceansweredinalowtone：

"Pleaseletmein！It’sonlyHuckFinn！"

"It’sanamethatcanopenthisdoornightorday，lad！——andwelcome！"

Thesewerestrangewordstothevagabondboy’sears，andthepleasantesthehadeverheard。Hecouldnotrecollectthattheclosingwordhadeverbeenappliedinhiscasebefore。Thedoorwasquicklyunlocked，andheentered。Huckwasgivenaseatandtheoldmanandhisbraceoftallsonsspeedilydressedthemselves。

"Now，myboy，Ihopeyou’regoodandhungry，becausebreakfastwillbereadyassoonasthesun’sup，andwe’llhaveapipinghotone，too——makeyourselfeasyaboutthat！Iandtheboyshopedyou’dturnupandstopherelastnight。"

"Iwasawfulscared，"saidHuck，"andIrun。Itookoutwhenthepistolswentoff，andIdidn’tstopforthreemile。I’vecomenowbecuzIwantedtoknowaboutit，youknow；andIcomebeforedaylightbecuzI

didn’twanttorunacrossthemdevils，eveniftheywasdead。"

"Well，poorchap，youdolookasifyou’dhadahardnightofit——butthere’sabedhereforyouwhenyou’vehadyourbreakfast。No，theyain’tdead，lad——wearesorryenoughforthat。Youseeweknewrightwheretoputourhandsonthem，byyourdescription；sowecreptalongontiptoetillwegotwithinfifteenfeetofthem——darkasacellarthatsumachpathwas——andjustthenIfoundIwasgoingtosneeze。Itwasthemeanestkindofluck！Itriedtokeepitback，butnouse——’twasboundtocome，anditdidcome！Iwasintheleadwithmypistolraised，andwhenthesneezestartedthosescoundrelsa—rustlingtogetoutofthepath，Isungout，’Fireboys！’andblazedawayattheplacewheretherustlingwas。Sodidtheboys。Buttheywereoffinajiffy，thosevillains，andweafterthem，downthroughthewoods。Ijudgewenevertouchedthem。Theyfiredashotapieceastheystarted，buttheirbulletswhizzedbyanddidn’tdousanyharm。Assoonaswelostthesoundoftheirfeetwequitchasing，andwentdownandstirreduptheconstables。Theygotapossetogether，andwentofftoguardtheriverbank，andassoonasitislightthesheriffandagangaregoingtobeatupthewoods。Myboyswillbewiththempresently。

Iwishwehadsomesortofdescriptionofthoserascals——’twouldhelpagooddeal。Butyoucouldn’tseewhattheywerelike，inthedark，lad，Isuppose？"

"Ohyes；Isawthemdown—townandfolleredthem。"

"Splendid！Describethem——describethem，myboy！"

"One’stheolddeafanddumbSpaniardthat’sbenaroundhereonceortwice，andt’other’samean—looking，ragged——"

"That’senough，lad，weknowthemen！Happenedontheminthewoodsbackofthewidow’soneday，andtheyslunkaway。Offwithyou，boys，andtellthesheriff——getyourbreakfastto—morrowmorning！"

TheWelshman’ssonsdepartedatonce。AstheywereleavingtheroomHucksprangupandexclaimed：

"Oh，pleasedon’ttellANYbodyitwasmethatblowedonthem！

Oh，please！"

"Allrightifyousayit，Huck，butyououghttohavethecreditofwhatyoudid。"

"Ohno，no！Pleasedon’ttell！"

Whentheyoungmenweregone，theoldWelshmansaid：

"Theywon’ttell——andIwon’t。Butwhydon’tyouwantitknown？"

Huckwouldnotexplain，furtherthantosaythathealreadyknewtoomuchaboutoneofthosemenandwouldnothavethemanknowthatheknewanythingagainsthimforthewholeworld——hewouldbekilledforknowingit，sure。

Theoldmanpromisedsecrecyoncemore，andsaid：

"Howdidyoucometofollowthesefellows，lad？Weretheylookingsuspicious？"

Huckwassilentwhileheframedadulycautiousreply。Thenhesaid：

"Well，yousee，I’makindofahardlot，——leasteverybodysaysso，andIdon’tseenothingaginit——andsometimesIcan’tsleepmuch，onaccountofthinkingaboutitandsortoftryingtostrikeoutanewwayofdoing。Thatwasthewayofitlastnight。Icouldn’tsleep，andsoIcomealongup—street’boutmidnight，a—turningitallover，andwhenIgottothatoldshacklybrickstorebytheTemperanceTavern，Ibackedupaginthewalltohaveanotherthink。Well，justthenalongcomesthesetwochapsslippingalongclosebyme，withsomethingundertheirarm，andIreckonedthey’dstoleit。Onewasa—smoking，andt’otheronewantedalight；sotheystoppedrightbeforemeandthecigarslituptheirfacesandIseethatthebigonewasthedeafanddumbSpaniard，byhiswhitewhiskersandthepatchonhiseye，andt’otheronewasarusty，ragged—lookingdevil。"

"Couldyouseetheragsbythelightofthecigars？"

ThisstaggeredHuckforamoment。Thenhesaid：

"Well，Idon’tknow——butsomehowitseemsasifIdid。"

"Thentheywenton，andyou——"

"Follered’em——yes。Thatwasit。Iwantedtoseewhatwasup——theysneakedalongso。Idogged’emtothewidder’sstile，andstoodinthedarkandheardtheraggedonebegforthewidder，andtheSpaniardswearhe’dspileherlooksjustasItoldyouandyourtwo——"

"What！TheDEAFANDDUMBmansaidallthat！"

Huckhadmadeanotherterriblemistake！HewastryinghisbesttokeeptheoldmanfromgettingthefaintesthintofwhotheSpaniardmightbe，andyethistongueseemeddeterminedtogethimintotroubleinspiteofallhecoulddo。Hemadeseveraleffortstocreepoutofhisscrape，buttheoldman’seyewasuponhimandhemadeblunderafterblunder。

PresentlytheWelshmansaid：

"Myboy，don’tbeafraidofme。Iwouldn’thurtahairofyourheadforalltheworld。No——I’dprotectyou——I’dprotectyou。ThisSpaniardisnotdeafanddumb；you’veletthatslipwithoutintendingit；

youcan’tcoverthatupnow。YouknowsomethingaboutthatSpaniardthatyouwanttokeepdark。Nowtrustme——tellmewhatitis，andtrustme——Iwon’tbetrayyou。"

Hucklookedintotheoldman’shonesteyesamoment，thenbentoverandwhisperedinhisear：

"’Tain’taSpaniard——it’sInjunJoe！"

TheWelshmanalmostjumpedoutofhischair。Inamomenthesaid：

"It’sallplainenough，now。WhenyoutalkedaboutnotchingearsandslittingnosesIjudgedthatthatwasyourownembellishment，becausewhitemendon’ttakethatsortofrevenge。ButanInjun！That’sadifferentmatteraltogether。"

Duringbreakfastthetalkwenton，andinthecourseofittheoldmansaidthatthelastthingwhichheandhissonshaddone，beforegoingtobed，wastogetalanternandexaminethestileanditsvicinityformarksofblood。Theyfoundnone，butcapturedabulkybundleof——

"OfWHAT？"

IfthewordshadbeenlightningtheycouldnothaveleapedwithamorestunningsuddennessfromHuck’sblanchedlips。Hiseyeswerestaringwide，now，andhisbreathsuspended——waitingfortheanswer。TheWelshmanstarted——staredinreturn——threeseconds——fiveseconds——ten——

thenreplied：

"Ofburglar’stools。Why，what’stheMATTERwithyou？"

Hucksankback，pantinggently，butdeeply，unutterablygrateful。

TheWelshmaneyedhimgravely，curiously——andpresentlysaid：

"Yes，burglar’stools。Thatappearstorelieveyouagooddeal。

Butwhatdidgiveyouthatturn？WhatwereYOUexpectingwe’dfound？"

Huckwasinacloseplace——theinquiringeyewasuponhim——

hewouldhavegivenanythingformaterialforaplausibleanswer——nothingsuggesteditself——theinquiringeyewasboringdeeperanddeeper——asenselessreplyoffered——therewasnotimetoweighit，soataventureheutteredit——feebly：

"Sunday—schoolbooks，maybe。"

PoorHuckwastoodistressedtosmile，buttheoldmanlaughedloudandjoyously，shookupthedetailsofhisanatomyfromheadtofoot，andendedbysayingthatsuchalaughwasmoneyina—man’spocket，becauseitcutdownthedoctor’sbilllikeeverything。Thenheadded：

"Pooroldchap，you’rewhiteandjaded——youain’twellabit——nowonderyou’realittleflightyandoffyourbalance。Butyou’llcomeoutofit。Restandsleepwillfetchyououtallright，Ihope。"

Huckwasirritatedtothinkhehadbeensuchagooseandbetrayedsuchasuspiciousexcitement，forhehaddroppedtheideathattheparcelbroughtfromthetavernwasthetreasure，assoonashehadheardthetalkatthewidow’sstile。Hehadonlythoughtitwasnotthetreasure，however——hehadnotknownthatitwasn’t——andsothesuggestionofacapturedbundlewastoomuchforhisself—possession。Butonthewholehefeltgladthelittleepisodehadhappened，fornowheknewbeyondallquestionthatthatbundlewasnotTHEbundle，andsohismindwasatrestandexceedinglycomfortable。Infact，everythingseemedtobedriftingjustintherightdirection，now；thetreasuremustbestillinNo。2，themenwouldbecapturedandjailedthatday，andheandTomcouldseizethegoldthatnightwithoutanytroubleoranyfearofinterruption。

Justasbreakfastwascompletedtherewasaknockatthedoor。

Huckjumpedforahiding—place，forhehadnomindtobeconnectedevenremotelywiththelateevent。TheWelshmanadmittedseveralladiesandgentlemen，amongthemtheWidowDouglas，andnoticedthatgroupsofcitizenswereclimbingupthehill——tostareatthestile。Sothenewshadspread。

TheWelshmanhadtotellthestoryofthenighttothevisitors。Thewidow’sgratitudeforherpreservationwasoutspoken。

"Don’tsayawordaboutit，madam。There’sanotherthatyou’remorebeholdentothanyouaretomeandmyboys，maybe，buthedon’tallowmetotellhisname。Wewouldn’thavebeentherebutforhim。"

Ofcoursethisexcitedacuriositysovastthatitalmostbelittledthemainmatter——buttheWelshmanallowedittoeatintothevitalsofhisvisitors，andthroughthembetransmittedtothewholetown，forherefusedtopartwithhissecret。Whenallelsehadbeenlearned，thewidowsaid：

"Iwenttosleepreadinginbedandsleptstraightthroughallthatnoise。Whydidn’tyoucomeandwakeme？"

"Wejudgeditwarn’tworthwhile。Thosefellowswarn’tlikelytocomeagain——theyhadn’tanytoolslefttoworkwith，andwhatwastheuseofwakingyouupandscaringyoutodeath？Mythreenegromenstoodguardatyourhousealltherestofthenight。They’vejustcomeback。"

Morevisitorscame，andthestoryhadtobetoldandretoldforacoupleofhoursmore。

TherewasnoSabbath—schoolduringday—schoolvacation，buteverybodywasearlyatchurch。Thestirringeventwaswellcanvassed。Newscamethatnotasignofthetwovillainshadbeenyetdiscovered。Whenthesermonwasfinished，JudgeThatcher’swifedroppedalongsideofMrs。Harperasshemoveddowntheaislewiththecrowdandsaid：

"IsmyBeckygoingtosleepallday？Ijustexpectedshewouldbetiredtodeath。"

"YourBecky？"

"Yes，"withastartledlook——"didn’tshestaywithyoulastnight？"

"Why，no。"

Mrs。Thatcherturnedpale，andsankintoapew，justasAuntPolly，talkingbrisklywithafriend，passedby。AuntPollysaid：

"Good—morning，Mrs。Thatcher。Good—morning，Mrs。Harper。I’vegotaboythat’sturnedupmissing。IreckonmyTomstayedatyourhouselastnight——oneofyou。Andnowhe’safraidtocometochurch。I’vegottosettlewithhim。"

Mrs。Thatchershookherheadfeeblyandturnedpalerthanever。

"Hedidn’tstaywithus，"saidMrs。Harper，beginningtolookuneasy。AmarkedanxietycameintoAuntPolly’sface。

"JoeHarper，haveyouseenmyTomthismorning？"

"No’m。"

"Whendidyouseehimlast？"

Joetriedtoremember，butwasnotsurehecouldsay。Thepeoplehadstoppedmovingoutofchurch。Whisperspassedalong，andabodinguneasinesstookpossessionofeverycountenance。Childrenwereanxiouslyquestioned，andyoungteachers。TheyallsaidtheyhadnotnoticedwhetherTomandBeckywereonboardtheferryboatonthehomewardtrip；itwasdark；noonethoughtofinquiringifanyonewasmissing。Oneyoungmanfinallyblurtedouthisfearthattheywerestillinthecave！Mrs。Thatcherswoonedaway。AuntPollyfelltocryingandwringingherhands。

Thealarmsweptfromliptolip，fromgrouptogroup，fromstreettostreet，andwithinfiveminutesthebellswerewildlyclangingandthewholetownwasup！TheCardiffHillepisodesankintoinstantinsignificance，theburglarswereforgotten，horsesweresaddled，skiffsweremanned，theferryboatorderedout，andbeforethehorrorwashalfanhourold，twohundredmenwerepouringdownhighroadandrivertowardthecave。

Allthelongafternoonthevillageseemedemptyanddead。ManywomenvisitedAuntPollyandMrs。Thatcherandtriedtocomfortthem。Theycriedwiththem，too，andthatwasstillbetterthanwords。Allthetediousnightthetownwaitedfornews；butwhenthemorningdawnedatlast，allthewordthatcamewas，"Sendmorecandles——andsendfood。"Mrs。Thatcherwasalmostcrazed；andAuntPolly，also。JudgeThatchersentmessagesofhopeandencouragementfromthecave，buttheyconveyednorealcheer。

TheoldWelshmancamehometowarddaylight，spatteredwithcandle—grease，smearedwithclay，andalmostwornout。HefoundHuckstillinthebedthathadbeenprovidedforhim，anddeliriouswithfever。Thephysicianswereallatthecave，sotheWidowDouglascameandtookchargeofthepatient。Shesaidshewoulddoherbestbyhim，because，whetherhewasgood，bad，orindifferent，hewastheLord’s，andnothingthatwastheLord’swasathingtobeneglected。TheWelshmansaidHuckhadgoodspotsinhim，andthewidowsaid：

"Youcandependonit。That’stheLord’smark。Hedon’tleaveitoff。Heneverdoes。Putsitsomewhereoneverycreaturethatcomesfromhishands。"

Earlyintheforenoonpartiesofjadedmenbegantostraggleintothevillage，butthestrongestofthecitizenscontinuedsearching。Allthenewsthatcouldbegainedwasthatremotenessesofthecavernwerebeingransackedthathadneverbeenvisitedbefore；thateverycornerandcrevicewasgoingtobethoroughlysearched；thatwhereveronewanderedthroughthemazeofpassages，lightsweretobeseenflittinghitherandthitherinthedistance，andshoutingsandpistol—shotssenttheirhollowreverberationstotheeardownthesombreaisles。Inoneplace，farfromthesectionusuallytraversedbytourists，thenames"BECKY&；TOM"

hadbeenfoundtracedupontherockywallwithcandle—smoke，andnearathandagrease—soiledbitofribbon。Mrs。Thatcherrecognizedtheribbonandcriedoverit。Shesaiditwasthelastrelicsheshouldeverhaveofherchild；andthatnoothermemorialofhercouldeverbesoprecious，becausethisonepartedlatestfromthelivingbodybeforetheawfuldeathcame。Somesaidthatnowandthen，inthecave，afar—awayspeckoflightwouldglimmer，andthenagloriousshoutwouldburstforthandascoreofmengotroopingdowntheechoingaisle——andthenasickeningdisappointmentalwaysfollowed；thechildrenwerenotthere；itwasonlyasearcher’slight。

Threedreadfuldaysandnightsdraggedtheirtedioushoursalong，andthevillagesankintoahopelessstupor。Noonehadheartforanything。

Theaccidentaldiscovery，justmade，thattheproprietoroftheTemperanceTavernkeptliquoronhispremises，scarcelyflutteredthepublicpulse，tremendousasthefactwas。Inalucidinterval，Huckfeeblyleduptothesubjectoftaverns，andfinallyasked——dimlydreadingtheworst——

ifanythinghadbeendiscoveredattheTemperanceTavernsincehehadbeenill。

"Yes，"saidthewidow。

Huckstartedupinbed，wild—eyed：

"What？Whatwasit？"

"Liquor！——andtheplacehasbeenshutup。Liedown，child——

whataturnyoudidgiveme！"

"Onlytellmejustonething——onlyjustone——please！WasitTomSawyerthatfoundit？"

Thewidowburstintotears。"Hush，hush，child，hush！I’vetoldyoubefore，youmustnottalk。Youarevery，verysick！"

Thennothingbutliquorhadbeenfound；therewouldhavebeenagreatpowwowifithadbeenthegold。Sothetreasurewasgoneforever——goneforever！Butwhatcouldshebecryingabout？Curiousthatsheshouldcry。

ThesethoughtsworkedtheirdimwaythroughHuck’smind，andunderthewearinesstheygavehimhefellasleep。Thewidowsaidtoherself：

"There——he’sasleep，poorwreck。TomSawyerfindit！PitybutsomebodycouldfindTomSawyer！Ah，thereain’tmanyleft，now，that’sgothopeenough，orstrengthenough，either，togoonsearching。"

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer：Chapter31CHAPTERXXXINOWtoreturntoTomandBecky’sshareinthepicnic。Theytrippedalongthemurkyaisleswiththerestofthecompany，visitingthefamiliarwondersofthecave——wondersdubbedwithratherover—descriptivenames，suchas"TheDrawing—Room，""TheCathedral，""Aladdin’sPalace，"andsoon。

Presentlythehide—and—seekfrolickingbegan，andTomandBeckyengagedinitwithzealuntiltheexertionbegantogrowatriflewearisome；thentheywandereddownasinuousavenueholdingtheircandlesaloftandreadingthetangledweb—workofnames，dates，post—officeaddresses，andmottoeswithwhichtherockywallshadbeenfrescoed（incandle—smoke）。Stilldriftingalongandtalking，theyscarcelynoticedthattheywerenowinapartofthecavewhosewallswerenotfrescoed。Theysmokedtheirownnamesunderanoverhangingshelfandmovedon。Presentlytheycametoaplacewherealittlestreamofwater，tricklingoveraledgeandcarryingalimestonesedimentwithit，had，intheslow—draggingages，formedalacedandruffledNiagaraingleamingandimperishablestone。TomsqueezedhissmallbodybehinditinordertoilluminateitforBecky’sgratification。Hefoundthatitcurtainedasortofsteepnaturalstairwaywhichwasenclosedbetweennarrowwalls，andatoncetheambitiontobeadiscovererseizedhim。Beckyrespondedtohiscall，andtheymadeasmoke—markforfutureguidance，andstartedupontheirquest。Theywoundthiswayandthat，fardownintothesecretdepthsofthecave，madeanothermark，andbranchedoffinsearchofnoveltiestotelltheupperworldabout。Inoneplacetheyfoundaspaciouscavern，fromwhoseceilingdependedamultitudeofshiningstalactitesofthelengthandcircumferenceofaman’sleg；theywalkedallaboutit，wonderingandadmiring，andpresentlyleftitbyoneofthenumerouspassagesthatopenedintoit。Thisshortlybroughtthemtoabewitchingspring，whosebasinwasincrustedwithafrostworkofglitteringcrystals；itwasinthemidstofacavernwhosewallsweresupportedbymanyfantasticpillarswhichhadbeenformedbythejoiningofgreatstalactitesandstalagmitestogether，theresultoftheceaselesswater—dripofcenturies。Undertheroofvastknotsofbatshadpackedthemselvestogether，thousandsinabunch；thelightsdisturbedthecreaturesandtheycameflockingdownbyhundreds，squeakinganddartingfuriouslyatthecandles。Tomknewtheirwaysandthedangerofthissortofconduct。HeseizedBecky’shandandhurriedherintothefirstcorridorthatoffered；andnonetoosoon，forabatstruckBecky’slightoutwithitswingwhileshewaspassingoutofthecavern。Thebatschasedthechildrenagooddistance；butthefugitivesplungedintoeverynewpassagethatoffered，andatlastgotridoftheperilousthings。Tomfoundasubterraneanlake，shortly，whichstretcheditsdimlengthawayuntilitsshapewaslostintheshadows。Hewantedtoexploreitsborders，butconcludedthatitwouldbebesttositdownandrestawhile，first。Now，forthefirsttime，thedeepstillnessoftheplacelaidaclammyhanduponthespiritsofthechildren。Beckysaid：

"Why，Ididn’tnotice，butitseemseversolongsinceIheardanyoftheothers。"

"Cometothink，Becky，weareawaydownbelowthem——andIdon’tknowhowfarawaynorth，orsouth，oreast，orwhicheveritis。Wecouldn’thearthemhere。"

Beckygrewapprehensive。

"Iwonderhowlongwe’vebeendownhere，Tom？Webetterstartback。"

"Yes，Ireckonwebetter。P’rapswebetter。"

"Canyoufindtheway，Tom？It’sallamixed—upcrookednesstome。"

"IreckonIcouldfindit——butthenthebats。Iftheyputourcandlesoutitwillbeanawfulfix。Let’strysomeotherway，soasnottogothroughthere。"

"Well。ButIhopewewon’tgetlost。Itwouldbesoawful！"andthegirlshudderedatthethoughtofthedreadfulpossibilities。

Theystartedthroughacorridor，andtraverseditinsilencealongway，glancingateachnewopening，toseeiftherewasanythingfamiliaraboutthelookofit；buttheywereallstrange。EverytimeTommadeanexamination，Beckywouldwatchhisfaceforanencouragingsign，andhewouldsaycheerily：

"Oh，it’sallright。Thisain’ttheone，butwe’llcometoitrightaway！"

Buthefeltlessandlesshopefulwitheachfailure，andpresentlybegantoturnoffintodivergingavenuesatsheerrandom，indesperatehopeoffindingtheonethatwaswanted。Hestillsaiditwas"allright，"

buttherewassuchaleadendreadathisheartthatthewordshadlosttheirringandsoundedjustasifhehadsaid，"Allislost！"Beckyclungtohissideinananguishoffear，andtriedhardtokeepbackthetears，buttheywouldcome。Atlastshesaid：

"Oh，Tom，nevermindthebats，let’sgobackthatway！Weseemtogetworseandworseoffallthetime。"

"Listen！"saidhe。

Profoundsilence；silencesodeepthateventheirbreathingswereconspicuousinthehush。Tomshouted。Thecallwentechoingdowntheemptyaislesanddiedoutinthedistanceinafaintsoundthatresembledarippleofmockinglaughter。

"Oh，don’tdoitagain，Tom，itistoohorrid，"saidBecky。

"Itishorrid，butIbetter，Becky；theymighthearus，youknow，"

andheshoutedagain。

The"might"wasevenachillierhorrorthantheghostlylaughter，itsoconfessedaperishinghope。Thechildrenstoodstillandlistened；

buttherewasnoresult。Tomturneduponthebacktrackatonce，andhurriedhissteps。ItwasbutalittlewhilebeforeacertainindecisioninhismannerrevealedanotherfearfulfacttoBecky——hecouldnotfindhiswayback！

"Oh，Tom，youdidn’tmakeanymarks！"

"Becky，Iwassuchafool！Suchafool！Ineverthoughtwemightwanttocomeback！No——Ican’tfindtheway。It’sallmixedup。"

"Tom，Tom，we’relost！we’relost！Wenevercangetoutofthisawfulplace！Oh，whyDIDweeverleavetheothers！"

ShesanktothegroundandburstintosuchafrenzyofcryingthatTomwasappalledwiththeideathatshemightdie，orloseherreason。

Hesatdownbyherandputhisarmsaroundher；sheburiedherfaceinhisbosom，sheclungtohim，shepouredoutherterrors，herunavailingregrets，andthefarechoesturnedthemalltojeeringlaughter。Tombeggedhertopluckuphopeagain，andshesaidshecouldnot。Hefelltoblamingandabusinghimselfforgettingherintothismiserablesituation；thishadabettereffect。Shesaidshewouldtrytohopeagain，shewouldgetupandfollowwhereverhemightleadifonlyhewouldnottalklikethatanymore。Forhewasnomoretoblamethanshe，shesaid。

Sotheymovedonagain——aimlessly——simplyatrandom——alltheycoulddowastomove，keepmoving。Foralittlewhile，hopemadeashowofreviving——notwithanyreasontobackit，butonlybecauseitisitsnaturetorevivewhenthespringhasnotbeentakenoutofitbyageandfamiliaritywithfailure。

By—and—byTomtookBecky’scandleandblewitout。Thiseconomymeantsomuch！Wordswerenotneeded。Beckyunderstood，andherhopediedagain。SheknewthatTomhadawholecandleandthreeorfourpiecesinhispockets——yethemusteconomize。

By—and—by，fatiguebegantoassertitsclaims；thechildrentriedtopayattention，foritwasdreadfultothinkofsittingdownwhentimewasgrowntobesoprecious，moving，insomedirection，inanydirection，wasatleastprogressandmightbearfruit；buttositdownwastoinvitedeathandshortenitspursuit。

AtlastBecky’sfraillimbsrefusedtocarryherfarther。Shesatdown。Tomrestedwithher，andtheytalkedofhome，andthefriendsthere，andthecomfortablebedsand，aboveall，thelight！Beckycried，andTomtriedtothinkofsomewayofcomfortingher，butallhisencouragementsweregrownthreadbarewithuse，andsoundedlikesarcasms。FatigueboresoheavilyuponBeckythatshedrowsedofftosleep。Tomwasgrateful。

Hesatlookingintoherdrawnfaceandsawitgrowsmoothandnaturalundertheinfluenceofpleasantdreams；andby—and—byasmiledawnedandrestedthere。Thepeacefulfacereflectedsomewhatofpeaceandhealingintohisownspirit，andhisthoughtswanderedawaytobygonetimesanddreamymemories。

Whilehewasdeepinhismusings，Beckywokeupwithabreezylittlelaugh——butitwasstrickendeaduponherlips，andagroanfollowedit。

"Oh，howcould！Isleep！IwishInever，neverhadwaked！

No！No，Idon’t，Tom！Don’tlookso！Iwon’tsayitagain。"

"I’mgladyou’veslept，Becky；you’llfeelrested，now，andwe’llfindthewayout。"

"Wecantry，Tom；butI’veseensuchabeautifulcountryinmydream。Ireckonwearegoingthere。"

"Maybenot，maybenot。Cheerup，Becky，andlet’sgoontrying。"

Theyroseupandwanderedalong，handinhandandhopeless。Theytriedtoestimatehowlongtheyhadbeeninthecave，butalltheyknewwasthatitseemeddaysandweeks，andyetitwasplainthatthiscouldnotbe，fortheircandleswerenotgoneyet。Alongtimeafterthis——

theycouldnottellhowlong——Tomsaidtheymustgosoftlyandlistenfordrippingwater——theymustfindaspring。Theyfoundonepresently，andTomsaiditwastimetorestagain。Bothwerecruellytired，yetBeckysaidshethoughtshecouldgoalittlefarther。ShewassurprisedtohearTomdissent。Shecouldnotunderstandit。Theysatdown，andTomfastenedhiscandletothewallinfrontofthemwithsomeclay。Thoughtwassoonbusy；nothingwassaidforsometime。ThenBeckybrokethesilence：

"Tom，Iamsohungry！"

Tomtooksomethingoutofhispocket。

"Doyourememberthis？"saidhe。

Beckyalmostsmiled。

"It’sourwedding—cake，Tom。"

"Yes——Iwishitwasasbigasabarrel，forit’sallwe’vegot。"

"Isaveditfromthepicnicforustodreamon，Tom，thewaygrown—uppeopledowithwedding—cake——butit’llbeour——"

Shedroppedthesentencewhereitwas。TomdividedthecakeandBeckyatewithgoodappetite，whileTomnibbledathismoiety。Therewasabundanceofcoldwatertofinishthefeastwith。By—and—byBeckysuggestedthattheymoveonagain。Tomwassilentamoment。Thenhesaid：

"Becky，canyoubearitifItellyousomething？"

Becky’sfacepaled，butshethoughtshecould。

"Well，then，Becky，wemuststayhere，wherethere’swatertodrink。Thatlittlepieceisourlastcandle！"

Beckygaveloosetotearsandwailings。Tomdidwhathecouldtocomforther，butwithlittleeffect。AtlengthBeckysaid：

"Tom！"

"Well，Becky？"

"They’llmissusandhuntforus！"

"Yes，theywill！Certainlytheywill！"

"Maybethey’rehuntingforusnow，Tom。"

"Why，Ireckonmaybetheyare。Ihopetheyare。"

"Whenwouldtheymissus，Tom？"

"Whentheygetbacktotheboat，Ireckon。"

"Tom，itmightbedarkthen——wouldtheynoticewehadn’tcome？"

"Idon’tknow。Butanyway，yourmotherwouldmissyouassoonastheygothome。"

AfrightenedlookinBecky’sfacebroughtTomtohissensesandhesawthathehadmadeablunder。Beckywasnottohavegonehomethatnight！Thechildrenbecamesilentandthoughtful。InamomentanewburstofgrieffromBeckyshowedTomthatthethinginhismindhadstruckhersalso——thattheSabbathmorningmightbehalfspentbeforeMrs。ThatcherdiscoveredthatBeckywasnotatMrs。Harper’s。

Thechildrenfastenedtheireyesupontheirbitofcandleandwatcheditmeltslowlyandpitilesslyaway；sawthehalfinchofwickstandaloneatlast；sawthefeebleflameriseandfall，climbthethincolumnofsmoke，lingeratitstopamoment，andthen——thehorrorofutterdarknessreigned！

HowlongafterwarditwasthatBeckycametoaslowconsciousnessthatshewascryinginTom’sarms，neithercouldtell。Allthattheyknewwas，thatafterwhatseemedamightystretchoftime，bothawokeoutofadeadstuporofsleepandresumedtheirmiseriesoncemore。TomsaiditmightbeSunday，now——maybeMonday。HetriedtogetBeckytotalk，buthersorrowsweretoooppressive，allherhopesweregone。Tomsaidthattheymusthavebeenmissedlongago，andnodoubtthesearchwasgoingon。Hewouldshoutandmaybesomeonewouldcome。Hetriedit；butinthedarknessthedistantechoessoundedsohideouslythathetrieditnomore。

Thehourswastedaway，andhungercametotormentthecaptivesagain。AportionofTom’shalfofthecakewasleft；theydividedandateit。Buttheyseemedhungrierthanbefore。Thepoormorseloffoodonlywhetteddesire。

By—and—byTomsaid：

"Sh！Didyouhearthat？"

Bothheldtheirbreathandlistened。Therewasasoundlikethefaintest，far—offshout。InstantlyTomansweredit，andleadingBeckybythehand，startedgropingdownthecorridorinitsdirection。Presentlyhelistenedagain；againthesoundwasheard，andapparentlyalittlenearer。

"It’sthem！"saidTom；"they’recoming！Comealong，Becky——we’reallrightnow！"

Thejoyoftheprisonerswasalmostoverwhelming。Theirspeedwasslow，however，becausepitfallsweresomewhatcommon，andhadtobeguardedagainst。Theyshortlycametooneandhadtostop。Itmightbethreefeetdeep，itmightbeahundred——therewasnopassingitatanyrate。Tomgotdownonhisbreastandreachedasfardownashecould。Nobottom。Theymuststaythereandwaituntilthesearcherscame。Theylistened；

evidentlythedistantshoutingsweregrowingmoredistant！amomentortwomoreandtheyhadgonealtogether。Theheart—sinkingmiseryofit！

Tomwhoopeduntilhewashoarse，butitwasofnouse。HetalkedhopefullytoBecky；butanageofanxiouswaitingpassedandnosoundscameagain。

Thechildrengropedtheirwaybacktothespring。Thewearytimedraggedon；theysleptagain，andawokefamishedandwoe—stricken。TombelieveditmustbeTuesdaybythistime。

Nowanideastruckhim。Thereweresomesidepassagesnearathand。Itwouldbebettertoexploresomeofthesethanbeartheweightoftheheavytimeinidleness。Hetookakite—linefromhispocket，tiedittoaprojection，andheandBeckystarted，Tominthelead，unwindingthelineashegropedalong。Attheendoftwentystepsthecorridorendedina"jumping—offplace。"Tomgotdownonhiskneesandfeltbelow，andthenasfararoundthecornerashecouldreachwithhishandsconveniently；

hemadeanefforttostretchyetalittlefarthertotheright，andatthatmoment，nottwentyyardsaway，ahumanhand，holdingacandle，appearedfrombehindarock！Tomliftedupagloriousshout，andinstantlythathandwasfollowedbythebodyitbelongedto——InjunJoe’s！Tomwasparalyzed；

hecouldnotmove。Hewasvastlygratifiedthenextmoment，toseethe"Spaniard"taketohisheelsandgethimselfoutofsight。TomwonderedthatJoehadnotrecognizedhisvoiceandcomeoverandkilledhimfortestifyingincourt。Buttheechoesmusthavedisguisedthevoice。Withoutdoubt，thatwasit，hereasoned。Tom’sfrightweakenedeverymuscleinhisbody。Hesaidtohimselfthatifhehadstrengthenoughtogetbacktothespringhewouldstaythere，andnothingshouldtempthimtoruntheriskofmeetingInjunJoeagain。HewascarefultokeepfromBeckywhatitwashehadseen。Hetoldherhehadonlyshouted"forluck。"

Buthungerandwretchednessrisesuperiortofearsinthelongrun。Anothertediouswaitatthespringandanotherlongsleepbroughtchanges。Thechildrenawoketorturedwitharaginghunger。TombelievedthatitmustbeWednesdayorThursdayorevenFridayorSaturday，now，andthatthesearchhadbeengivenover。Heproposedtoexploreanotherpassage。HefeltwillingtoriskInjunJoeandallotherterrors。ButBeckywasveryweak。Shehadsunkintoadrearyapathyandwouldnotberoused。

Shesaidshewouldwait，now，whereshewas，anddie——itwouldnotbelong。ShetoldTomtogowiththekite—lineandexploreifhechose；butsheimploredhimtocomebackeverylittlewhileandspeaktoher；andshemadehimpromisethatwhentheawfultimecame，hewouldstaybyherandholdherhanduntilallwasover。

Tomkissedher，withachokingsensationinhisthroat，andmadeashowofbeingconfidentoffindingthesearchersoranescapefromthecave；thenhetookthekite—lineinhishandandwentgropingdownoneofthepassagesonhishandsandknees，distressedwithhungerandsickwithbodingsofcomingdoom。

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer：Chapter32CHAPTERXXXIITUESDAYafternooncame，andwanedtothetwilight。ThevillageofSt。Petersburgstillmourned。Thelostchildrenhadnotbeenfound。Publicprayershadbeenofferedupforthem，andmanyandmanyaprivateprayerthathadthepetitioner’swholeheartinit；butstillnogoodnewscamefromthecave。

Themajorityofthesearchershadgivenupthequestandgonebacktotheirdailyavocations，sayingthatitwasplainthechildrencouldneverbefound。Mrs。Thatcherwasveryill，andagreatpartofthetimedelirious。

Peoplesaiditwasheartbreakingtohearhercallherchild，andraiseherheadandlistenawholeminuteatatime，thenlayitwearilydownagainwithamoan。AuntPollyhaddroopedintoasettledmelancholy，andhergrayhairhadgrownalmostwhite。ThevillagewenttoitsrestonTuesdaynight，sadandforlorn。

Awayinthemiddleofthenightawildpealburstfromthevillagebells，andinamomentthestreetswereswarmingwithfrantichalf—cladpeople，whoshouted，"Turnout！turnout！they’refound！they’refound！"

Tinpansandhornswereaddedtothedin，thepopulationmasseditselfandmovedtowardtheriver，metthechildrencominginanopencarriagedrawnbyshoutingcitizens，throngedaroundit，joineditshomewardmarch，andsweptmagnificentlyupthemainstreetroaringhuzzahafterhuzzah！

Thevillagewasilluminated；nobodywenttobedagain；itwasthegreatestnightthelittletownhadeverseen。Duringthefirsthalf—houraprocessionofvillagersfiledthroughJudgeThatcher’shouse，seizedthesavedonesandkissedthem，squeezedMrs。Thatcher’shand，triedtospeakbutcouldn’t——anddriftedoutrainingtearsallovertheplace。

AuntPolly’shappinesswascomplete，andMrs。Thatcher’snearlyso。Itwouldbecomplete，however，assoonasthemessengerdispatchedwiththegreatnewstothecaveshouldgetthewordtoherhusband。Tomlayuponasofawithaneagerauditoryabouthimandtoldthehistoryofthewonderfuladventure，puttinginmanystrikingadditionstoadornitwithal；andclosedwithadescriptionofhowheleftBeckyandwentonanexploringexpedition；howhefollowedtwoavenuesasfarashiskite—linewouldreach；howhefollowedathirdtothefulleststretchofthekite—line，andwasabouttoturnbackwhenheglimpsedafar—offspeckthatlookedlikedaylight；droppedthelineandgropedtowardit，pushedhisheadandshouldersthroughasmallhole，andsawthebroadMississippirollingby！

Andifithadonlyhappenedtobenighthewouldnothaveseenthatspeckofdaylightandwouldnothaveexploredthatpassageanymore！HetoldhowhewentbackforBeckyandbrokethegoodnewsandshetoldhimnottofretherwithsuchstuff，forshewastired，andknewshewasgoingtodie，andwantedto。Hedescribedhowhelaboredwithherandconvincedher；andhowshealmostdiedforjoywhenshehadgropedtowheresheactuallysawthebluespeckofdaylight；howhepushedhiswayoutattheholeandthenhelpedherout；howtheysatthereandcriedforgladness；howsomemencamealonginaskiffandTomhailedthemandtoldthemtheirsituationandtheirfamishedcondition；howthemendidn’tbelievethewildtaleatfirst，"because，"saidthey，"youarefivemilesdowntheriverbelowthevalleythecaveisin"——thentookthemaboard，rowedtoahouse，gavethemsupper，madethemresttilltwoorthreehoursafterdarkandthenbroughtthemhome。

Beforeday—dawn，JudgeThatcherandthehandfulofsearcherswithhimweretrackedout，inthecave，bythetwineclewstheyhadstrungbehindthem，andinformedofthegreatnews。

Threedaysandnightsoftoilandhungerinthecavewerenottobeshakenoffatonce，asTomandBeckysoondiscovered。TheywerebedriddenallofWednesdayandThursday，andseemedtogrowmoreandmoretiredandworn，allthetime。Tomgotabout，alittle，onThursday，wasdown—townFriday，andnearlyaswholeaseverSaturday；butBeckydidnotleaveherroomuntilSunday，andthenshelookedasifshehadpassedthroughawastingillness。

TomlearnedofHuck’ssicknessandwenttoseehimonFriday，butcouldnotbeadmittedtothebedroom；neithercouldheonSaturdayorSunday。Hewasadmitteddailyafterthat，butwaswarnedtokeepstillabouthisadventureandintroducenoexcitingtopic。TheWidowDouglasstayedbytoseethatheobeyed。AthomeTomlearnedoftheCardiffHillevent；alsothatthe"raggedman’s"bodyhadeventuallybeenfoundintheriverneartheferrylanding；hehadbeendrownedwhiletryingtoescape，perhaps。

AboutafortnightafterTom’srescuefromthecave，hestartedofftovisitHuck，whohadgrownplentystrongenough，now，tohearexcitingtalk，andTomhadsomethatwouldinteresthim，hethought。JudgeThatcher’shousewasonTom’sway，andhestoppedtoseeBecky。TheJudgeandsomefriendssetTomtotalking，andsomeoneaskedhimironicallyifhewouldn’tliketogotothecaveagain。Tomsaidhethoughthewouldn’tmindit。

TheJudgesaid：

"Well，thereareothersjustlikeyou，Tom，I’venottheleastdoubt。Butwehavetakencareofthat。Nobodywillgetlostinthatcaveanymore。"

"Why？"

"BecauseIhaditsbigdoorsheathedwithboilerirontwoweeksago，andtriple—locked——andI’vegotthekeys。"

Tomturnedaswhiteasasheet。

"What’sthematter，boy！Here，run，somebody！Fetchaglassofwater！"

ThewaterwasbroughtandthrownintoTom’sface。

"Ah，nowyou’reallright。Whatwasthematterwithyou，Tom？"

"Oh，Judge，InjunJoe’sinthecave！"

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer：Chapter33CHAPTERXXXIIIWITHINafewminutesthenewshadspread，andadozenskiff—loadsofmenwereontheirwaytoMcDougal’scave，andtheferry—boat，wellfilledwithpassengers，soonfollowed。TomSawyerwasintheskiffthatboreJudgeThatcher。

Whenthecavedoorwasunlocked，asorrowfulsightpresenteditselfinthedimtwilightoftheplace。InjunJoelaystretchedupontheground，dead，withhisfaceclosetothecrackofthedoor，asifhislongingeyeshadbeenfixed，tothelatestmoment，uponthelightandthecheerofthefreeworldoutside。Tomwastouched，forheknewbyhisownexperiencehowthiswretchhadsuffered。Hispitywasmoved，butneverthelesshefeltanaboundingsenseofreliefandsecurity，now，whichrevealedtohiminadegreewhichhehadnotfullyappreciatedbeforehowvastaweightofdreadhadbeenlyinguponhimsincethedayheliftedhisvoiceagainstthisbloody—mindedoutcast。

InjunJoe’sbowie—knifelaycloseby，itsbladebrokenintwo。

Thegreatfoundation—beamofthedoorhadbeenchippedandhackedthrough，withtediouslabor；uselesslabor，too，itwas，forthenativerockformedasilloutsideit，anduponthatstubbornmaterialtheknifehadwroughtnoeffect；theonlydamagedonewastotheknifeitself。Butiftherehadbeennostonyobstructiontherethelaborwouldhavebeenuselessstill，forifthebeamhadbeenwhollycutawayInjunJoecouldnothavesqueezedhisbodyunderthedoor，andheknewit。Sohehadonlyhackedthatplaceinordertobedoingsomething——inordertopassthewearytime——inordertoemployhistorturedfaculties。Ordinarilyonecouldfindhalfadozenbitsofcandlestuckaroundinthecrevicesofthisvestibule，lefttherebytourists；buttherewerenonenow。Theprisonerhadsearchedthemoutandeatenthem。Hehadalsocontrivedtocatchafewbats，andthese，also，hehadeaten，leavingonlytheirclaws。Thepoorunfortunatehadstarvedtodeath。Inoneplace，nearathand，astalagmitehadbeenslowlygrowingupfromthegroundforages，buildedbythewater—dripfromastalactiteoverhead。Thecaptivehadbrokenoffthestalagmite，anduponthestumphadplacedastone，whereinhehadscoopedashallowhollowtocatchthepreciousdropthatfellonceineverythreeminuteswiththedrearyregularityofaclock—tick——adessertspoonfulonceinfourandtwentyhours。ThatdropwasfallingwhenthePyramidswerenew；whenTroyfell；whenthefoundationsofRomewerelaidwhenChristwascrucified；

whentheConquerorcreatedtheBritishempire；whenColumbussailed；whenthemassacreatLexingtonwas"news。"Itisfallingnow；itwillstillbefallingwhenallthesethingsshallhavesunkdowntheafternoonofhistory，andthetwilightoftradition，andbeenswallowedupinthethicknightofoblivion。Haseverythingapurposeandamission？Didthisdropfallpatientlyduringfivethousandyearstobereadyforthisflittinghumaninsect’sneed？andhasitanotherimportantobjecttoaccomplishtenthousandyearstocome？Nomatter。Itismanyandmanyayearsincethehaplesshalf—breedscoopedoutthestonetocatchthepricelessdrops，buttothisdaythetouriststareslongestatthatpatheticstoneandthatslow—droppingwaterwhenhecomestoseethewondersofMcDougal’scave。

InjunJoe’scupstandsfirstinthelistofthecavern’smarvels；even"Aladdin’sPalace"cannotrivalit。

InjunJoewasburiednearthemouthofthecave；andpeopleflockedthereinboatsandwagonsfromthetownsandfromallthefarmsandhamletsforsevenmilesaround；theybroughttheirchildren，andallsortsofprovisions，andconfessedthattheyhadhadalmostassatisfactoryatimeatthefuneralastheycouldhavehadatthehanging。

Thisfuneralstoppedthefurthergrowthofonething——thepetitiontothegovernorforInjunJoe’spardon。Thepetitionhadbeenlargelysigned；

manytearfulandeloquentmeetingshadbeenheld，andacommitteeofsappywomenbeenappointedtogoindeepmourningandwailaroundthegovernor，andimplorehimtobeamercifulassandtramplehisdutyunderfoot。InjunJoewasbelievedtohavekilledfivecitizensofthevillage，butwhatofthat？IfhehadbeenSatanhimselftherewouldhavebeenplentyofweaklingsreadytoscribbletheirnamestoapardon—petition，anddripatearonitfromtheirpermanentlyimpairedandleakywater—works。

ThemorningafterthefuneralTomtookHucktoaprivateplacetohaveanimportanttalk。HuckhadlearnedallaboutTom’sadventurefromtheWelshmanandtheWidowDouglas，bythistime，butTomsaidhereckonedtherewasonethingtheyhadnottoldhim；thatthingwaswhathewantedtotalkaboutnow。Huck’sfacesaddened。Hesaid：

"Iknowwhatitis。YougotintoNo。2andneverfoundanythingbutwhiskey。Nobodytoldmeitwasyou；butIjustknoweditmust’a’benyou，soonasIheard’boutthatwhiskeybusiness；andIknowedyouhadn’tgotthemoneybecuzyou’d’a’gotatmesomewayorotherandtoldmeevenifyouwasmumtoeverybodyelse。Tom，something’salwaystoldmewe’dnevergetholtofthatswag。"

"Why，Huck，Inevertoldonthattavern—keeper。YOUknowhistavernwasallrighttheSaturdayIwenttothepicnic。Don’tyourememberyouwastowatchtherethatnight？"

"Ohyes！Why，itseems’boutayearago。ItwasthatverynightthatIfolleredInjunJoetothewidder’s。"

"YOUfollowedhim？"

"Yes——butyoukeepmum。IreckonInjunJoe’sleftfriendsbehindhim，andIdon’twant’emsouringonmeanddoingmemeantricks。Ifithadn’tbenformehe’dbedowninTexasnow，allright。"

ThenHucktoldhisentireadventureinconfidencetoTom，whohadonlyheardoftheWelshman’spartofitbefore。

"Well，"saidHuck，presently，comingbacktothemainquestion，"whoevernippedthewhiskeyinNo。2，nippedthemoney，too，Ireckon——

anywaysit’sagonerforus，Tom。"

"Huck，thatmoneywasn’teverinNo。2！"

"What！"Hucksearchedhiscomrade’sfacekeenly。"Tom，haveyougotonthetrackofthatmoneyagain？"

"Huck，it’sinthecave！"

Huck’seyesblazed。

"Sayitagain，Tom。"

"Themoney’sinthecave！"

"Tom——honestinjun，now——isitfun，orearnest？"

"Earnest，Huck——justasearnestaseverIwasinmylife。Willyougointherewithmeandhelpgetitout？"

"IbetIwill！Iwillifit’swherewecanblazeourwaytoitandnotgetlost。"

"Huck，wecandothatwithouttheleastlittlebitoftroubleintheworld。"

"Goodaswheat！Whatmakesyouthinkthemoney’s——"

"Huck，youjustwaittillwegetinthere。Ifwedon’tfinditI’llagreetogiveyoumydrumandeverythingI’vegotintheworld。I

will，byjings。"

"Allright——it’sawhiz。Whendoyousay？"

"Rightnow，ifyousayit。Areyoustrongenough？"

"Isitfarinthecave？Ibenonmypinsalittle，threeorfourdays，now，butIcan’twalkmore’namile，Tom——leastIdon’tthinkI

could。"

"It’saboutfivemileintotherethewayanybodybutmewouldgo，Huck，butthere’samightyshortcutthattheydon’tanybodybutmeknowabout。Huck，I’lltakeyourighttoitinaskiff。I’llfloattheskiffdownthere，andI’llpullitbackagainallbymyself。Youneedn’teverturnyourhandover。"

"Lessstartrightoff，Tom。"

"Allright。Wewantsomebreadandmeat，andourpipes，andalittlebagortwo，andtwoorthreekite—strings，andsomeofthesenew—fangledthingstheycalllucifermatches。Itellyou，many’sthetimeIwishedIhadsomewhenIwasintherebefore。"

Atrifleafternoontheboysborrowedasmallskifffromacitizenwhowasabsent，andgotunderwayatonce。Whentheywereseveralmilesbelow"CaveHollow，"Tomsaid：

"Nowyouseethisbluffherelooksallalikeallthewaydownfromthecavehollow——nohouses，nowoodyards，bushesallalike。Butdoyouseethatwhiteplaceupyonderwherethere’sbeenalandslide？Well，that’soneofmymarks。We’llgetashore，now。"

Theylanded。

"Now，Huck，wherewe’rea—standingyoucouldtouchthatholeI

gotoutofwithafishing—pole。Seeifyoucanfindit。"

Hucksearchedalltheplaceabout，andfoundnothing。Tomproudlymarchedintoathickclumpofsumachbushesandsaid：

"Hereyouare！Lookatit，Huck；it’sthesnuggestholeinthiscountry。Youjustkeepmumaboutit。AllalongI’vebeenwantingtobearobber，butIknewI’dgottohaveathinglikethis，andwheretorunacrossitwasthebother。We’vegotitnow，andwe’llkeepitquiet，onlywe’llletJoeHarperandBenRogersin——becauseofcoursethere’sgottobeaGang，orelsetherewouldn’tbeanystyleaboutit。TomSawyer’sGang——itsoundssplendid，don’tit，Huck？"

"Well，itjustdoes，Tom。Andwho’llwerob？"

"Oh，mostanybody。Waylaypeople——that’smostlytheway。"

"Andkillthem？"

"No，notalways。Hivetheminthecavetilltheyraisearansom。"

"What’saransom？"

"Money。Youmakethemraisealltheycan，off’ntheirfriends；

andafteryou’vekeptthemayear，ifitain’traisedthenyoukillthem。

That’sthegeneralway。Onlyyoudon’tkillthewomen。Youshutupthewomen，butyoudon’tkillthem。They’realwaysbeautifulandrich，andawfullyscared。Youtaketheirwatchesandthings，butyoualwaystakeyourhatoffandtalkpolite。Theyain’tanybodyaspoliteasrobbers——

you’llseethatinanybook。Well，thewomengettolovingyou，andafterthey’vebeeninthecaveaweekortwoweekstheystopcryingandafterthatyoucouldn’tgetthemtoleave。Ifyoudrovethemoutthey’dturnrightaroundandcomeback。It’ssoinallthebooks。"

"Why，it’srealbully，Tom。Ibelieveit’sbetter’ntobeapirate。"

"Yes，it’sbetterinsomeways，becauseit’sclosetohomeandcircusesandallthat。"

Bythistimeeverythingwasreadyandtheboysenteredthehole，Tominthelead。Theytoiledtheirwaytothefartherendofthetunnel，thenmadetheirsplicedkite—stringsfastandmovedon。Afewstepsbroughtthemtothespring，andTomfeltashudderquiverallthroughhim。HeshowedHuckthefragmentofcandle—wickperchedonalumpofclayagainstthewall，anddescribedhowheandBeckyhadwatchedtheflamestruggleandexpire。

Theboysbegantoquietdowntowhispers，now，forthestillnessandgloomoftheplaceoppressedtheirspirits。Theywenton，andpresentlyenteredandfollowedTom’sothercorridoruntiltheyreachedthe"jumping—offplace。"Thecandlesrevealedthefactthatitwasnotreallyaprecipice，butonlyasteepclayhilltwentyorthirtyfeethigh。Tomwhispered：

"NowI’llshowyousomething，Huck。"

Heheldhiscandlealoftandsaid：

"Lookasfararoundthecornerasyoucan。Doyouseethat？There——onthebigrockoveryonder——donewithcandle—smoke。"

"Tom，it’sacross！"

"NOWwhere’syourNumberTwo？’underthecross，’hey？Rightyonder’swhereIsawInjunJoepokeuphiscandle，Huck！"

Huckstaredatthemysticsignawhile，andthensaidwithashakyvoice：

"Tom，lessgitoutofhere！"

"What！andleavethetreasure？"

"Yes——leaveit。InjunJoe’sghostisroundaboutthere，certain。"

"Noitain’t，Huck，noitain’t。Itwouldha’nttheplacewherehedied——awayoutatthemouthofthecave——fivemilefromhere。"

"No，Tom，itwouldn’t。Itwouldhangroundthemoney。Iknowthewaysofghosts，andsodoyou。"

TombegantofearthatHuckwasright。Misgivingsgatheredinhismind。Butpresentlyanideaoccurredtohim——

"Lookyhere，Huck，whatfoolswe’remakingofourselves！InjunJoe’sghostain’tagoingtocomearoundwherethere’sacross！"

Thepointwaswelltaken。Ithaditseffect。

"Tom，Ididn’tthinkofthat。Butthat’sso。It’sluckforus，thatcrossis。Ireckonwe’llclimbdownthereandhaveahuntforthatbox。"

Tomwentfirst，cuttingrudestepsintheclayhillashedescended。

Huckfollowed。Fouravenuesopenedoutofthesmallcavernwhichthegreatrockstoodin。Theboysexaminedthreeofthemwithnoresult。Theyfoundasmallrecessintheonenearestthebaseoftherock，withapalletofblanketsspreaddowninit；alsoanoldsuspender，somebaconrind，andthewell—gnawedbonesoftwoorthreefowls。Buttherewasnomoney—box。

Theladssearchedandresearchedthisplace，butinvain。Tomsaid：

"Hesaidunderthecross。Well，thiscomesnearesttobeingunderthecross。Itcan’tbeundertherockitself，becausethatsetssolidontheground。"

Theysearchedeverywhereoncemore，andthensatdowndiscouraged。

Huckcouldsuggestnothing。By—and—byTomsaid：

"Lookyhere，Huck，there’sfootprintsandsomecandle—greaseontheclayaboutonesideofthisrock，butnotontheothersides。Now，what’sthatfor？IbetyouthemoneyISundertherock。I’mgoingtodigintheclay。"

"Thatain’tnobadnotion，Tom！"saidHuckwithanimation。

Tom’s"realBarlow"wasoutatonce，andhehadnotdugfourinchesbeforehestruckwood。

"Hey，Huck！——youhearthat？"

Huckbegantodigandscratchnow。Someboardsweresoonuncoveredandremoved。Theyhadconcealedanaturalchasmwhichledundertherock。

Tomgotintothisandheldhiscandleasfarundertherockashecould，butsaidhecouldnotseetotheendoftherift。Heproposedtoexplore。

Hestoopedandpassedunder；thenarrowwaydescendedgradually。Hefolloweditswindingcourse，firsttotheright，thentotheleft，Huckathisheels。

Tomturnedashortcurve，by—and—by，andexclaimed：

"Mygoodness，Huck，lookyhere！"

Itwasthetreasure—box，sureenough，occupyingasnuglittlecavern，alongwithanemptypowder—keg，acoupleofgunsinleathercases，twoorthreepairsofoldmoccasins，aleatherbelt，andsomeotherrubbishwellsoakedwiththewater—drip。

"Gotitatlast！"saidHuck，ploughingamongthetarnishedcoinswithhishand。"My，butwe’rerich，Tom！"

"Huck，Ialwaysreckonedwe’dgetit。It’sjusttoogoodtobelieve，butwehavegotit，sure！Say——let’snotfoolaroundhere。Let’ssnakeitout。LemmeseeifIcanliftthebox。"

Itweighedaboutfiftypounds。Tomcouldliftit，afteranawkwardfashion，butcouldnotcarryitconveniently。

"Ithoughtso，"hesaid；"Theycarrieditlikeitwasheavy，thatdayattheha’ntedhouse。Inoticedthat。IreckonIwasrighttothinkoffetchingthelittlebagsalong。"

Themoneywassooninthebagsandtheboystookituptothecrossrock。

"Nowlessfetchthegunsandthings，"saidHuck。

"No，Huck——leavethemthere。They’rejustthetrickstohavewhenwegotorobbing。We’llkeepthemthereallthetime，andwe’llholdourorgiesthere，too。It’sanawfulsnugplacefororgies。"

"Whatorgies？"

"Idono。Butrobbersalwayshaveorgies，andofcoursewe’vegottohavethem，too。Comealong，Huck，we’vebeeninherealongtime。It’sgettinglate，Ireckon。I’mhungry，too。We’lleatandsmokewhenwegettotheskiff。"

Theypresentlyemergedintotheclumpofsumachbushes，lookedwarilyout，foundthecoastclear，andweresoonlunchingandsmokingintheskiff。Asthesundippedtowardthehorizontheypushedoutandgotunderway。Tomskimmeduptheshorethroughthelongtwilight，chattingcheerilywithHuck，andlandedshortlyafterdark。

"Now，Huck，"saidTom，"we’llhidethemoneyintheloftofthewidow’swoodshed，andI’llcomeupinthemorningandwe’llcountitanddivide，andthenwe’llhuntupaplaceoutinthewoodsforitwhereitwillbesafe。JustyoulayquiethereandwatchthestufftillIrunandhookBennyTaylor’slittlewagon；Iwon’tbegoneaminute。"

Hedisappeared，andpresentlyreturnedwiththewagon，putthetwosmallsacksintoit，threwsomeoldragsontopofthem，andstartedoff，dragginghiscargobehindhim。WhentheboysreachedtheWelshman’shouse，theystoppedtorest。Justastheywereabouttomoveon，theWelshmansteppedoutandsaid：

"Hallo，who’sthat？"

"HuckandTomSawyer。"

"Good！Comealongwithme，boys，youarekeepingeverybodywaiting。

Here——hurryup，trotahead——I’llhaulthewagonforyou。Why，it’snotaslightasitmightbe。Gotbricksinit？——oroldmetal？"

"Oldmetal，"saidTom。

"Ijudgedso；theboysinthistownwilltakemoretroubleandfoolawaymoretimehuntingupsixbits’worthofoldirontoselltothefoundrythantheywouldtomaketwicethemoneyatregularwork。Butthat’shumannature——hurryalong，hurryalong！"

Theboyswantedtoknowwhatthehurrywasabout。

"Nevermind；you’llsee，whenwegettotheWidowDouglas’。"

Hucksaidwithsomeapprehension——forhewaslongusedtobeingfalselyaccused：

"Mr。Jones，wehaven’tbeendoingnothing。"

TheWelshmanlaughed。

"Well，Idon’tknow，Huck，myboy。Idon’tknowaboutthat。Ain’tyouandthewidowgoodfriends？"

"Yes。Well，she’sbengoodfriendstome，anyway。"

"Allright，then。Whatdoyouwanttobeafraidfor？"

ThisquestionwasnotentirelyansweredinHuck’sslowmindbeforehefoundhimselfpushed，alongwithTom，intoMrs。Douglas’drawing—room。

Mr。Jonesleftthewagonnearthedoorandfollowed。

Theplacewasgrandlylighted，andeverybodythatwasofanyconsequenceinthevillagewasthere。TheThatcherswerethere，theHarpers，theRogerses，AuntPolly，Sid，Mary，theminister，theeditor，andagreatmanymore，andalldressedintheirbest。Thewidowreceivedtheboysasheartilyasanyonecouldwellreceivetwosuchlookingbeings。Theywerecoveredwithclayandcandle—grease。AuntPollyblushedcrimsonwithhumiliation，andfrownedandshookherheadatTom。Nobodysufferedhalfasmuchasthetwoboysdid，however。Mr。Jonessaid：

"Tomwasn’tathome，yet，soIgavehimup；butIstumbledonhimandHuckrightatmydoor，andsoIjustbroughtthemalonginahurry。"

"Andyoudidjustright，"saidthewidow。"Comewithme，boys。"

Shetookthemtoabedchamberandsaid：

"Nowwashanddressyourselves。Herearetwonewsuitsofclothes——shirts，socks，everythingcomplete。They’reHuck’s——no，nothanks，Huck——Mr。JonesboughtoneandItheother。Butthey’llfitbothofyou。

Getintothem。We’llwait——comedownwhenyouareslickedupenough。"

Thensheleft。

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer：Chapter34CHAPTERXXXIVHUCKsaid："Tom，wecanslope，ifwecanfindarope。Thewindowain’thighfromtheground。"

"Shucks！whatdoyouwanttoslopefor？"

"Well，Iain’tusedtothatkindofacrowd。Ican’tstandit。

Iain’tgoingdownthere，Tom。"

"Oh，bother！Itain’tanything。Idon’tminditabit。I’lltakecareofyou。"

Sidappeared。

"Tom，"saidhe，"auntiehasbeenwaitingforyoualltheafternoon。

MarygotyourSundayclothesready，andeverybody’sbeenfrettingaboutyou。Say——ain’tthisgreaseandclay，onyourclothes？"

"Now，Mr。Siddy，youjist’tendtoyourownbusiness。What’sallthisblow—outabout，anyway？"

"It’soneofthewidow’spartiesthatshe’salwayshaving。Thistimeit’sfortheWelshmanandhissons，onaccountofthatscrapetheyhelpedheroutoftheothernight。Andsay——Icantellyousomething，ifyouwanttoknow。"

"Well，what？"

"Why，oldMr。Jonesisgoingtotrytospringsomethingonthepeoplehereto—night，butIoverheardhimtellauntieto—dayaboutit，asasecret，butIreckonit’snotmuchofasecretnow。Everybodyknows——thewidow，too，forallshetriestoletonshedon’t。Mr。JoneswasboundHuckshouldbehere——couldn’tgetalongwithhisgrandsecretwithoutHuck，youknow！"

"Secretaboutwhat，Sid？"

"AboutHucktrackingtherobberstothewidow’s。IreckonMr。

Joneswasgoingtomakeagrandtimeoverhissurprise，butIbetyouitwilldropprettyflat。"

Sidchuckledinaverycontentedandsatisfiedway。

"Sid，wasityouthattold？"

"Oh，nevermindwhoitwas。Somebodytold——that’senough。"

"Sid，there’sonlyonepersoninthistownmeanenoughtodothat，andthat’syou。IfyouhadbeeninHuck’splaceyou’d’a’sneakeddownthehillandnevertoldanybodyontherobbers。Youcan’tdoanybutmeanthings，andyoucan’tbeartoseeanybodypraisedfordoinggoodones。

There——nothanks，asthewidowsays"——andTomcuffedSid’searsandhelpedhimtothedoorwithseveralkicks。"Nowgoandtellauntieifyoudare——andto—morrowyou’llcatchit！"

Someminuteslaterthewidow’sguestswereatthesupper—table，andadozenchildrenwereproppedupatlittleside—tablesinthesameroom，afterthefashionofthatcountryandthatday。AtthepropertimeMr。Jonesmadehislittlespeech，inwhichhethankedthewidowforthehonorshewasdoinghimselfandhissons，butsaidthattherewasanotherpersonwhosemodesty——

Andsoforthandsoon。HesprunghissecretaboutHuck’sshareintheadventureinthefinestdramaticmannerhewasmasterof，butthesurpriseitoccasionedwaslargelycounterfeitandnotasclamorousandeffusiveasitmighthavebeenunderhappiercircumstances。However，thewidowmadeaprettyfairshowofastonishment，andheapedsomanycomplimentsandsomuchgratitudeuponHuckthathealmostforgotthenearlyintolerablediscomfortofhisnewclothesintheentirelyintolerablediscomfortofbeingsetupasatargetforeverybody’sgazeandeverybody’slaudations。

ThewidowsaidshemeanttogiveHuckahomeunderherroofandhavehimeducated；andthatwhenshecouldsparethemoneyshewouldstarthiminbusinessinamodestway。Tom’schancewascome。Hesaid：

"Huckdon’tneedit。Huck’srich。"

Nothingbutaheavystrainuponthegoodmannersofthecompanykeptbackthedueandpropercomplimentarylaughatthispleasantjoke。

Butthesilencewasalittleawkward。Tombrokeit：

"Huck’sgotmoney。Maybeyoudon’tbelieveit，buthe’sgotlotsofit。Oh，youneedn’tsmile——IreckonIcanshowyou。Youjustwaitaminute。"

Tomranoutofdoors。Thecompanylookedateachotherwithaperplexedinterest——andinquiringlyatHuck，whowastongue—tied。

"Sid，whatailsTom？"saidAuntPolly。"He——well，thereain’teveranymakingofthatboyout。Inever——"

Tomentered，strugglingwiththeweightofhissacks，andAuntPollydidnotfinishhersentence。Tompouredthemassofyellowcoinuponthetableandsaid：

"There——whatdidItellyou？Halfofit’sHuck’sandhalfofit’smine！"

Thespectacletookthegeneralbreathaway。Allgazed，nobodyspokeforamoment。Thentherewasaunanimouscallforanexplanation。

Tomsaidhecouldfurnishit，andhedid。Thetalewaslong，butbrimfulofinterest。Therewasscarcelyaninterruptionfromanyonetobreakthecharmofitsflow。Whenhehadfinished，Mr。Jonessaid：

"IthoughtIhadfixedupalittlesurpriseforthisoccasion，butitdon’tamounttoanythingnow。Thisonemakesitsingmightysmall，I’mwillingtoallow。"

Themoneywascounted。Thesumamountedtoalittleovertwelvethousanddollars。Itwasmorethananyonepresenthadeverseenatonetimebefore，thoughseveralpersonsweretherewhowereworthconsiderablymorethanthatinproperty。

TheAdventuresofTomSawyer：Chapter35CHAPTERXXXVTHEreadermayrestsatisfiedthatTom’sandHuck’swindfallmadeamightystirinthepoorlittlevillageofSt。Petersburg。Sovastasum，allinactualcash，seemednexttoincredible。Itwastalkedabout，gloatedover，glorified，untilthereasonofmanyofthecitizenstotteredunderthestrainoftheunhealthyexcitement。Every"haunted"houseinSt。Petersburgandtheneighboringvillageswasdissected，plankbyplank，anditsfoundationsdugupandransackedforhiddentreasure——andnotbyboys，butmen——

prettygrave，unromanticmen，too，someofthem。WhereverTomandHuckappearedtheywerecourted，admired，staredat。Theboyswerenotabletorememberthattheirremarkshadpossessedweightbefore；butnowtheirsayingsweretreasuredandrepeated；everythingtheydidseemedsomehowtoberegardedasremarkable；theyhadevidentlylostthepowerofdoingandsayingcommonplacethings；moreover，theirpasthistorywasrakedupanddiscoveredtobearmarksofconspicuousoriginality。Thevillagepaperpublishedbiographicalsketchesoftheboys。

TheWidowDouglasputHuck’smoneyoutatsixpercent。，andJudgeThatcherdidthesamewithTom’satAuntPolly’srequest。Eachladhadanincome，now，thatwassimplyprodigious——adollarforeveryweek—dayintheyearandhalfoftheSundays。Itwasjustwhattheministergot——no，itwaswhathewaspromised——hegenerallycouldn’tcollectit。

Adollarandaquarteraweekwouldboard，lodge，andschoolaboyinthoseoldsimpledays——andclothehimandwashhim，too，forthatmatter。

JudgeThatcherhadconceivedagreatopinionofTom。Hesaidthatnocommonplaceboywouldeverhavegothisdaughteroutofthecave。WhenBeckytoldherfather，instrictconfidence，howTomhadtakenherwhippingatschool，theJudgewasvisiblymoved；andwhenshepleadedgraceforthemightyliewhichTomhadtoldinordertoshiftthatwhippingfromhershoulderstohisown，theJudgesaidwithafineoutburstthatitwasanoble，agenerous，amagnanimouslie——aliethatwasworthytoholdupitsheadandmarchdownthroughhistorybreasttobreastwithGeorgeWashington’slaudedTruthaboutthehatchet！Beckythoughtherfatherhadneverlookedsotallandsosuperbaswhenhewalkedthefloorandstampedhisfootandsaidthat。ShewentstraightoffandtoldTomaboutit。

JudgeThatcherhopedtoseeTomagreatlawyeroragreatsoldiersomeday。HesaidhemeanttolooktoitthatTomshouldbeadmittedtotheNationalMilitaryAcademyandafterwardtrainedinthebestlawschoolinthecountry，inorderthathemightbereadyforeithercareerorboth。

HuckFinn’swealthandthefactthathewasnowundertheWidowDouglas’protectionintroducedhimintosociety——no，draggedhimintoit，hurledhimintoit——andhissufferingswerealmostmorethanhecouldbear。Thewidow’sservantskepthimcleanandneat，combedandbrushed，andtheybeddedhimnightlyinunsympatheticsheetsthathadnotonelittlespotorstainwhichhecouldpresstohisheartandknowforafriend。

Hehadtoeatwithaknifeandfork；hehadtousenapkin，cup，andplate；

hehadtolearnhisbook，hehadtogotochurch；hehadtotalksoproperlythatspeechwasbecomeinsipidinhismouth；whithersoeverheturned，thebarsandshacklesofcivilizationshuthiminandboundhimhandandfoot。

Hebravelyborehismiseriesthreeweeks，andthenonedayturnedupmissing。Forforty—eighthoursthewidowhuntedforhimeverywhereingreatdistress。Thepublicwereprofoundlyconcerned；theysearchedhighandlow，theydraggedtheriverforhisbody。EarlythethirdmorningTomSawyerwiselywentpokingamongsomeoldemptyhogsheadsdownbehindtheabandonedslaughter—house，andinoneofthemhefoundtherefugee。Huckhadsleptthere；hehadjustbreakfasteduponsomestolenoddsandendsoffood，andwaslyingoff，now，incomfort，withhispipe。Hewasunkempt，uncombed，andcladinthesameoldruinofragsthathadmadehimpicturesqueinthedayswhenhewasfreeandhappy。Tomroutedhimout，toldhimthetroublehehadbeencausing，andurgedhimtogohome。Huck’sfacelostitstranquilcontent，andtookamelancholycast。Hesaid：

"Don’ttalkaboutit，Tom。I’vetriedit，anditdon’twork；itdon’twork，Tom。Itain’tforme；Iain’tusedtoit。Thewidder’sgoodtome，andfriendly；butIcan’tstandthemways。Shemakesmegetupjustatthesametimeeverymorning；shemakesmewash，theycombmealltothunder；shewon’tletmesleepinthewoodshed；Igottowearthemblamedclothesthatjustsmothersme，Tom；theydon’tseemtoanyairgitthrough’em，somehow；andthey’resorottennicethatIcan’tsetdown，norlaydown，norrollaroundanywher’s；Ihain’tslidonacellar—doorfor——

well，it’pearstobeyears；Igottogotochurchandsweatandsweat——Ihatethemornerysermons！Ican’tketchaflyinthere，Ican’tchaw。

IgottowearshoesallSunday。Thewiddereatsbyabell；shegoestobedbyabell；shegitsupbyabell——everything’ssoawfulreg’larabodycan’tstandit。"

"Well，everybodydoesthatway，Huck。"

"Tom，itdon’tmakenodifference。Iain’teverybody，andIcan’tstandit。It’sawfultobetiedupso。Andgrubcomestooeasy——

Idon’ttakenointerestinvittles，thatway。Igottoasktogoa—fishing；

Igottoasktogoina—swimming——dern’difIhain’tgottoasktodoeverything。Well，I’dgottotalksoniceitwasn’tnocomfort——I’dgottogoupintheatticandripoutawhile，everyday，togitatasteinmymouth，orI’dadied，Tom。Thewidderwouldn’tletmesmoke；shewouldn’tletmeyell，shewouldn’tletmegape，norstretch，norscratch，beforefolks——"[Thenwithaspasmofspecialirritationandinjury]——"Anddadfetchit，sheprayedallthetime！Ineverseesuchawoman！IHAD

toshove，Tom——Ijusthadto。Andbesides，thatschool’sgoingtoopen，andI’dahadtogotoit——well，Iwouldn’tstandTHAT，Tom。Looky—here，Tom，beingrichain’twhatit’scrackeduptobe。It’sjustworryandworry，andsweatandsweat，anda—wishingyouwasdeadallthetime。Nowtheseclothessuitsme，andthisbar’lsuitsme，andIain’tevergoingtoshake’emanymore。Tom，Iwouldn’tevergotintoallthistroubleifithadn’t’a’benforthatmoney；nowyoujusttakemysheerofitalongwithyour’n，andgimmeaten—centersometimes——notmanytimes，becuzIdon’tgiveadernforathing’thoutit’stollablehardtogit——andyougoandbegoffformewiththewidder。"

"Oh，Huck，youknowIcan’tdothat。’Tain’tfair；andbesidesifyou’lltrythisthingjustawhilelongeryou’llcometolikeit。"

"Likeit！Yes——thewayI’dlikeahotstoveifIwastosetonitlongenough。No，Tom，Iwon’tberich，andIwon’tliveinthemcussedsmotheryhouses。Ilikethewoods，andtheriver，andhogsheads，andI’llstickto’em，too。Blameitall！justaswe’dgotguns，andacave，andalljustfixedtorob，herethisdernfoolishnesshasgottocomeupandspileitall！"

Tomsawhisopportunity——

"Lookyhere，Huck，beingrichain’tgoingtokeepmebackfromturningrobber。"

"No！Oh，good—licks；areyouinrealdead—woodearnest，Tom？"

"JustasdeadearnestasI’msittinghere。ButHuck，wecan’tletyouintothegangifyouain’trespectable，youknow。"

Huck’sjoywasquenched。

"Can’tletmein，Tom？Didn’tyouletmegoforapirate？"

"Yes，butthat’sdifferent。Arobberismorehigh—tonedthanwhatapirateis——asageneralthing。Inmostcountriesthey’reawfulhighupinthenobility——dukesandsuch。"

"Now，Tom，hain’tyoualwaysbenfriendlytome？Youwouldn’tshetmeout，wouldyou，Tom？Youwouldn’tdothat，now，wouldyou，Tom？"

"Huck，Iwouldn’twantto，andIdon’twantto——butwhatwouldpeoplesay？Why，they’dsay，’Mph！TomSawyer’sGang！prettylowcharactersinit！’They’dmeanyou，Huck。Youwouldn’tlikethat，andI

wouldn’t。"

Huckwassilentforsometime，engagedinamentalstruggle。Finallyhesaid：

"Well，I’llgobacktothewidderforamonthandtackleitandseeifIcancometostandit，ifyou’llletmeb’longtothegang，Tom。"

"Allright，Huck，it’sawhiz！Comealong，oldchap，andI’llaskthewidowtoletuponyoualittle，Huck。"

"Willyou，Tom——nowwillyou？That’sgood。Ifshe’llletuponsomeoftheroughestthings，I’llsmokeprivateandcussprivate，andcrowdthroughorbust。Whenyougoingtostartthegangandturnrobbers？"

"Oh，rightoff。We’llgettheboystogetherandhavetheinitiationto—night，maybe。"

"Havethewhich？"

"Havetheinitiation。"

"What’sthat？"

"It’stosweartostandbyoneanother，andnevertellthegang’ssecrets，evenifyou’rechoppedalltoflinders，andkillanybodyandallhisfamilythathurtsoneofthegang。"

"That’sgay——that’smightygay，Tom，Itellyou。"

"Well，Ibetitis。Andallthatswearing’sgottobedoneatmidnight，inthelonesomest，awfulestplaceyoucanfind——aha’ntedhouseisthebest，butthey’reallrippedupnow。"

"Well，midnight’sgood，anyway，Tom。"

"Yes，soitis。Andyou’vegottoswearonacoffin，andsignitwithblood。"

"Now，that’ssomethinglike！Why，it’samilliontimesbullierthanpirating。I’llsticktothewiddertillIrot，Tom；andifIgittobeareg’larripperofarobber，andeverybodytalking’boutit，Ireckonshe’llbeproudshesnakedmeinoutofthewet。"

CONCLUSIONSOendeththischronicle。Itbeingstrictlyahistoryofaboy，itmuststophere；thestorycouldnotgomuchfurtherwithoutbecomingthehistoryofaman。Whenonewritesanovelaboutgrownpeople，heknowsexactlywheretostop——thatis，withamarriage；butwhenhewritesofjuveniles，hemuststopwherehebestcan。

Mostofthecharactersthatperforminthisbookstilllive，andareprosperousandhappy。Somedayitmayseemworthwhiletotakeupthestoryoftheyoungeronesagainandseewhatsortofmenandwomentheyturnedouttobe；thereforeitwillbewisestnottorevealanyofthatpartoftheirlivesatpresent。