English
GITup!Whatyou‘bout?”
Iopenedmyeyesandlookedaround,tryingtomakeoutwhereIwas.Itwasaftersun-up,andIhadbeensoundasleep.Papwasstandingovermelookingsourandsick,too.Hesays:
“Whatyoudoin’withthisgun?”
Ijudgedhedidn’tknownothingaboutwhathehadbeendoing,soIsays:
“Somebodytriedtogetin,soIwaslayingforhim.”
“Whydidn’tyouroustmeout?”
“Well,Itriedto,butIcouldn’t;Icouldn’tbudgeyou.”
“Well,allright.Don’tstandtherepalaveringallday,butoutwithyouandseeifthere’safishonthelinesforbreakfast.I’llbealonginaminute.”
Heunlockedthedoor,andIclearedoutuptheriver-bank.
Inoticedsomepiecesoflimbsandsuchthingsfloatingdown,andasprinklingofbark;soIknowedtheriverhadbeguntorise.
IreckonedIwouldhavegreattimesnowifIwasoveratthetown.
TheJuneriseusedtobealwaysluckforme;becauseassoonasthatrisebeginsherecomescordwoodfloatingdown,andpiecesoflografts–sometimesadozenlogstogether;soallyouhavetodoistocatchthemandsellthemtothewood-yardsandthesawmill.
Iwentalongupthebankwithoneeyeoutforpapandt’otheroneoutforwhattherisemightfetchalong.
Well,allatonceherecomesacanoe;justabeauty,too,aboutthirteenorfourteenfootlong,ridinghighlikeaduck.
Ishothead-firstoffofthebanklikeafrog,clothesandallon,andstruckoutforthecanoe.
Ijustexpectedthere’dbesomebodylayingdowninit,becausepeopleoftendonethattofoolfolks,andwhenachaphadpulledaskiffoutmosttoitthey’draiseupandlaughathim.Butitwarn’tsothistime.
Itwasadrift-canoesureenough,andIclumbinandpaddledherashore.
ThinksI,theoldmanwillbegladwhenheseesthis–she’sworthtendollars.
ButwhenIgottoshorepapwasn’tinsightyet,andasIwasrunningherintoalittlecreeklikeagully,allhungoverwithvinesandwillows,Istruckanotheridea:IjudgedI’dhidehergood,andthen,‘steadoftakingtothewoodswhenIrunoff,I’dgodowntheriveraboutfiftymileandcampinoneplaceforgood,andnothavesucharoughtimetrampingonfoot.
Itwasprettyclosetotheshanty,andIthoughtIheardtheoldmancomingallthetime;butIgotherhid;andthenIoutandlookedaroundabunchofwillows,andtherewastheoldmandownthepathapiecejustdrawingabeadonabirdwithhisgun.Sohehadn’tseenanything.
WhenhegotalongIwashardatittakingupa“trot”line.
Heabusedmealittleforbeingsoslow;butItoldhimIfellintheriver,andthatwaswhatmademesolong.
IknowedhewouldseeIwaswet,andthenhewouldbeaskingquestions.
Wegotfivecatfishoffthelinesandwenthome.
Whilewelaidoffafterbreakfasttosleepup,bothofusbeingaboutworeout,IgottothinkingthatifIcouldfixupsomewaytokeeppapandthewidowfromtryingtofollowme,itwouldbeacertainerthingthantrustingtolucktogetfarenoughoffbeforetheymissedme;yousee,allkindsofthingsmighthappen.
Well,Ididn’tseenowayforawhile,butbyandbypapraisedupaminutetodrinkanotherbarrelofwater,andhesays:
“Anothertimeamancomesa-prowlingroundhereyouroustmeout,youhear?Thatmanwarn’therefornogood.I’dashothim.Nexttimeyouroustmeout,youhear?”
Thenhedroppeddownandwenttosleepagain;butwhathehadbeensayinggivemetheveryideaIwanted.Isaystomyself,Icanfixitnowsonobodywon’tthinkoffollowingme.
Abouttwelveo’clockweturnedoutandwentalongupthebank.
Theriverwascomingupprettyfast,andlotsofdriftwoodgoingbyontherise.
Byandbyalongcomespartofalograft–ninelogsfasttogether.
Wewentoutwiththeskiffandtoweditashore.Thenwehaddinner.
Anybodybutpapwouldawaitedandseenthedaythrough,soastocatchmorestuff;butthatwarn’tpap’sstyle.
Ninelogswasenoughforonetime;hemustshoverightovertotownandsell.
Sohelockedmeinandtooktheskiff,andstartedofftowingtheraftabouthalfpastthree.
Ijudgedhewouldn’tcomebackthatnight.
IwaitedtillIreckonedhehadgotagoodstart;thenIoutwithmysaw,andwenttoworkonthatlogagain.
Beforehewast’othersideoftheriverIwasoutofthehole;himandhisraftwasjustaspeckonthewaterawayoffyonder.
Itookthesackofcornmealandtookittowherethecanoewashid,andshovedthevinesandbranchesapartandputitin;thenIdonethesamewiththesideofbacon;thenthewhisky-jug.
Itookallthecoffeeandsugartherewas,andalltheammunition;Itookthewadding;Itookthebucketandgourd;Itookadipperandatincup,andmyoldsawandtwoblankets,andtheskilletandthecoffee-pot.
Itookfish-linesandmatchesandotherthings–everythingthatwasworthacent.Icleanedouttheplace.
Iwantedanaxe,buttherewasn’tany,onlytheoneoutatthewoodpile,andIknowedwhyIwasgoingtoleavethat.
Ifetchedoutthegun,andnowIwasdone.
Ihadworethegroundagooddealcrawlingoutoftheholeanddraggingoutsomanythings.
SoIfixedthatasgoodasIcouldfromtheoutsidebyscatteringdustontheplace,whichcoveredupthesmoothnessandthesawdust.
ThenIfixedthepieceoflogbackintoitsplace,andputtworocksunderitandoneagainstittoholditthere,foritwasbentupatthatplaceanddidn’tquitetouchground.
Ifyoustoodfourorfivefootawayanddidn’tknowitwassawed,youwouldn’tnevernoticeit;andbesides,thiswasthebackofthecabin,anditwarn’tlikelyanybodywouldgofoolingaroundthere.
Itwasallgrasscleartothecanoe,soIhadn’tleftatrack.Ifollowedaroundtosee.
Istoodonthebankandlookedoutovertheriver.Allsafe.
SoItookthegunandwentupapieceintothewoods,andwashuntingaroundforsomebirdswhenIseeawildpig;hogssoonwentwildinthembottomsaftertheyhadgotawayfromtheprairiefarms.
Ishotthisfellowandtookhimintocamp.
Itooktheaxeandsmashedinthedoor.Ibeatitandhackeditconsiderablea-doingit.
Ifetchedthepigin,andtookhimbacknearlytothetableandhackedintohisthroatwiththeaxe,andlaidhimdownonthegroundtobleed;Isaygroundbecauseitwasground–hardpacked,andnoboards.
Well,nextItookanoldsackandputalotofbigrocksinit–allIcoulddrag–andIstarteditfromthepig,anddraggedittothedoorandthroughthewoodsdowntotheriveranddumpeditin,anddownitsunk,outofsight.
Youcouldeasyseethatsomethinghadbeendraggedovertheground.
IdidwishTomSawyerwasthere;Iknowedhewouldtakeaninterestinthiskindofbusiness,andthrowinthefancytouches.
NobodycouldspreadhimselflikeTomSawyerinsuchathingasthat.
Well,lastIpulledoutsomeofmyhair,andbloodedtheaxegood,andstuckitonthebackside,andslungtheaxeinthecorner.
ThenItookupthepigandheldhimtomybreastwithmyjacket(sohecouldn’tdrip)tillIgotagoodpiecebelowthehouseandthendumpedhimintotheriver.NowIthoughtofsomethingelse.
SoIwentandgotthebagofmealandmyoldsawoutofthecanoe,andfetchedthemtothehouse.
Itookthebagtowhereitusedtostand,andrippedaholeinthebottomofitwiththesaw,fortherewarn’tnoknivesandforksontheplace–papdoneeverythingwithhisclasp-knifeaboutthecooking.
ThenIcarriedthesackaboutahundredyardsacrossthegrassandthroughthewillowseastofthehouse,toashallowlakethatwasfivemilewideandfullofrushes–andduckstoo,youmightsay,intheseason.
Therewasasloughoracreekleadingoutofitontheothersidethatwentmilesaway,Idon’tknowwhere,butitdidn’tgototheriver.
Themealsiftedoutandmadealittletrackallthewaytothelake.
Idroppedpap’swhetstonetheretoo,soastolooklikeithadbeendonebyaccident.
ThenItieduptheripinthemealsackwithastring,soitwouldn’tleaknomore,andtookitandmysawtothecanoeagain.
Itwasaboutdarknow;soIdroppedthecanoedowntheriverundersomewillowsthathungoverthebank,andwaitedforthemoontorise.
Imadefasttoawillow;thenItookabitetoeat,andbyandbylaiddowninthecanoetosmokeapipeandlayoutaplan.
Isaystomyself,they’llfollowthetrackofthatsackfulofrockstotheshoreandthendragtheriverforme.
Andthey’llfollowthatmealtracktothelakeandgobrowsingdownthecreekthatleadsoutofittofindtherobbersthatkilledmeandtookthethings.
Theywon’teverhunttheriverforanythingbutmydeadcarcass.
They’llsoongettiredofthat,andwon’tbothernomoreaboutme.
Allright;IcanstopanywhereIwantto.
Jackson’sIslandisgoodenoughforme;Iknowthatislandprettywell,andnobodyevercomesthere.
AndthenIcanpaddleovertotownnights,andslinkaroundandpickupthingsIwant.Jackson’sIsland’stheplace.
Iwasprettytired,andthefirstthingIknowedIwasasleep.
WhenIwokeupIdidn’tknowwhereIwasforaminute.
Isetupandlookedaround,alittlescared.ThenIremembered.
Theriverlookedmilesandmilesacross.
ThemoonwassobrightIcouldacountedthedriftlogsthatwenta-slippingalong,blackandstill,hundredsofyardsoutfromshore.
Everythingwasdeadquiet,anditlookedlate,andSMELTlate.
YouknowwhatImean–Idon’tknowthewordstoputitin.
Itookagoodgapandastretch,andwasjustgoingtounhitchandstartwhenIheardasoundawayoverthewater.Ilistened.PrettysoonImadeitout.
Itwasthatdullkindofaregularsoundthatcomesfromoarsworkinginrowlockswhenit’sastillnight.
Ipeepedoutthroughthewillowbranches,andthereitwas–askiff,awayacrossthewater.Icouldn’ttellhowmanywasinit.
Itkepta-coming,andwhenitwasabreastofmeIseetherewarn’tbutonemaninit.
Think’sI,maybeit’spap,thoughIwarn’texpectinghim.
Hedroppedbelowmewiththecurrent,andbyandbyhecamea-swingingupshoreintheeasywater,andhewentbysocloseIcouldareachedoutthegunandtouchedhim.
Well,itWASpap,sureenough–andsober,too,bythewayhelaidhisoars.
Ididn’tlosenotime.ThenextminuteIwasaspinningdownstreamsoftbutquickintheshadeofthebank.
Imadetwomileandahalf,andthenstruckoutaquarterofamileormoretowardsthemiddleoftheriver,becauseprettysoonIwouldbepassingtheferrylanding,andpeoplemightseemeandhailme.
Igotoutamongstthedriftwood,andthenlaiddowninthebottomofthecanoeandletherfloat.
Ilaidthere,andhadagoodrestandasmokeoutofmypipe,lookingawayintothesky;notacloudinit.
Theskylookseversodeepwhenyoulaydownonyourbackinthemoonshine;Ineverknoweditbefore.
Andhowfarabodycanhearonthewatersuchnights!
Iheardpeopletalkingattheferrylanding.
Iheardwhattheysaid,too–everywordofit.
Onemansaiditwasgettingtowardsthelongdaysandtheshortnightsnow.
T’otheronesaidTHISwarn’toneoftheshortones,hereckoned–andthentheylaughed,andhesaiditoveragain,andtheylaughedagain;thentheywakedupanotherfellowandtoldhim,andlaughed,buthedidn’tlaugh;herippedoutsomethingbrisk,andsaidlethimalone.
Thefirstfellowsaidhe‘lowedtotellittohisoldwoman–shewouldthinkitwasprettygood;buthesaidthatwarn’tnothingtosomethingshehadsaidinhistime.
Iheardonemansayitwasnearlythreeo’clock,andhehopeddaylightwouldn’twaitmorethanaboutaweeklonger.
Afterthatthetalkgotfurtherandfurtheraway,andIcouldn’tmakeoutthewordsanymore;butIcouldhearthemumble,andnowandthenalaugh,too,butitseemedalongwaysoff.
Iwasawaybelowtheferrynow.Iroseup,andtherewasJackson’sIsland,abouttwomileandahalfdownstream,heavytimberedandstandingupoutofthemiddleoftheriver,biganddarkandsolid,likeasteamboatwithoutanylights.
Therewarn’tanysignsofthebaratthehead–itwasallunderwaternow.
Itdidn’ttakemelongtogetthere.Ishotpasttheheadatarippingrate,thecurrentwassoswift,andthenIgotintothedeadwaterandlandedonthesidetowardstheIllinoisshore.
IrunthecanoeintoadeepdentinthebankthatIknowedabout;Ihadtopartthewillowbranchestogetin;andwhenImadefastnobodycouldaseenthecanoefromtheoutside.
Iwentupandsetdownonalogattheheadoftheisland,andlookedoutonthebigriverandtheblackdriftwoodandawayovertothetown,threemileaway,wheretherewasthreeorfourlightstwinkling.
Amonstrousbiglumber-raftwasaboutamileupstream,comingalongdown,withalanterninthemiddleofit.
Iwatcheditcomecreepingdown,andwhenitwasmostabreastofwhereIstoodIheardamansay,“Sternoars,there!heaveherheadtostabboard!”
Iheardthatjustasplainasifthemanwasbymyside.
Therewasalittlegrayintheskynow;soIsteppedintothewoods,andlaiddownforanapbeforebreakfast.
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