English
IWANTEDtogoandlookataplacerightaboutthemiddleoftheislandthatI’dfoundwhenIwasexploring;sowestartedandsoongottoit,becausetheislandwasonlythreemileslongandaquarterofamilewide.
Thisplacewasatolerablelong,steephillorridgeaboutfortyfoothigh.
Wehadaroughtimegettingtothetop,thesideswassosteepandthebushessothick.
Wetrampedandclumbaroundalloverit,andbyandbyfoundagoodbigcavernintherock,mostuptothetoponthesidetowardsIllinois.
Thecavernwasasbigastwoorthreeroomsbunchedtogether,andJimcouldstandupstraightinit.Itwascoolinthere.
Jimwasforputtingourtrapsinthererightaway,butIsaidwedidn’twanttobeclimbingupanddownthereallthetime.
Jimsaidifwehadthecanoehidinagoodplace,andhadallthetrapsinthecavern,wecouldrushthereifanybodywastocometotheisland,andtheywouldneverfinduswithoutdogs.
And,besides,hesaidthemlittlebirdshadsaiditwasgoingtorain,anddidIwantthethingstogetwet?
Sowewentbackandgotthecanoe,andpaddledupabreastthecavern,andluggedallthetrapsupthere.
Thenwehuntedupaplaceclosebytohidethecanoein,amongstthethickwillows.
Wetooksomefishoffofthelinesandsetthemagain,andbeguntogetreadyfordinner.
Thedoorofthecavernwasbigenoughtorollahogsheadin,andononesideofthedoorthefloorstuckoutalittlebit,andwasflatandagoodplacetobuildafireon.Sowebuiltitthereandcookeddinner.
Wespreadtheblanketsinsideforacarpet,andeatourdinnerinthere.
Weputalltheotherthingshandyatthebackofthecavern.
Prettysoonitdarkenedup,andbeguntothunderandlighten;sothebirdswasrightaboutit.
Directlyitbeguntorain,anditrainedlikeallfury,too,andIneverseethewindblowso.
Itwasoneoftheseregularsummerstorms.
Itwouldgetsodarkthatitlookedallblue-blackoutside,andlovely;andtherainwouldthrashalongbysothickthatthetreesoffalittlewayslookeddimandspiderwebby;andherewouldcomeablastofwindthatwouldbendthetreesdownandturnupthepaleundersideoftheleaves;andthenaperfectripperofagustwouldfollowalongandsetthebranchestotossingtheirarmsasiftheywasjustwild;andnext,whenitwasjustaboutthebluestandblackest–FST!
itwasasbrightasglory,andyou’dhavealittleglimpseoftreetopsa-plungingaboutawayoffyonderinthestorm,hundredsofyardsfurtherthanyoucouldseebefore;darkassinagaininasecond,andnowyou’dhearthethunderletgowithanawfulcrash,andthengorumbling,grumbling,tumbling,downtheskytowardstheundersideoftheworld,likerollingemptybarrelsdownstairs–whereit’slongstairsandtheybounceagooddeal,youknow.
“Jim,thisisnice,”Isays.“Iwouldn’twanttobenowhereelsebuthere.Passmealonganotherhunkoffishandsomehotcorn-bread.”
“Well,youwouldn’tabenhere‘fithadn’tabenforJim.
You’dabendowndahindewoodswidoutanydinner,engittn’mos’drownded,too;datyouwould,honey.
Chickensknowswhenit’sgwynetorain,ensododebirds,chile.”
Theriverwentonraisingandraisingfortenortwelvedays,tillatlastitwasoverthebanks.
ThewaterwasthreeorfourfootdeepontheislandinthelowplacesandontheIllinoisbottom.
Onthatsideitwasagoodmanymileswide,butontheMissourisideitwasthesameolddistanceacross–ahalfamile–becausetheMissourishorewasjustawallofhighbluffs.
Daytimeswepaddledallovertheislandinthecanoe,Itwasmightycoolandshadyinthedeepwoods,evenifthesunwasblazingoutside.
Wewentwindinginandoutamongstthetrees,andsometimesthevineshungsothickwehadtobackawayandgosomeotherway.
Well,oneveryoldbroken-downtreeyoucouldseerabbitsandsnakesandsuchthings;andwhentheislandhadbeenoverflowedadayortwotheygotsotame,onaccountofbeinghungry,thatyoucouldpaddlerightupandputyourhandonthemifyouwantedto;butnotthesnakesandturtles–theywouldslideoffinthewater.
Theridgeourcavernwasinwasfullofthem.
Wecouldahadpetsenoughifwe’dwantedthem.
Onenightwecatchedalittlesectionofalumberraft–nicepineplanks.
Itwastwelvefootwideandaboutfifteenorsixteenfootlong,andthetopstoodabovewatersixorseveninches–asolid,levelfloor.
Wecouldseesaw-logsgobyinthedaylightsometimes,butweletthemgo;wedidn’tshowourselvesindaylight.
Anothernightwhenwewasupattheheadoftheisland,justbeforedaylight,herecomesaframe-housedown,onthewestside.
Shewasatwo-story,andtiltedoverconsiderable.
Wepaddledoutandgotaboard–clumbinatanupstairswindow.
Butitwastoodarktoseeyet,sowemadethecanoefastandsetinhertowaitfordaylight.
Thelightbeguntocomebeforewegottothefootoftheisland.Thenwelookedinatthewindow.
Wecouldmakeoutabed,andatable,andtwooldchairs,andlotsofthingsaroundaboutonthefloor,andtherewasclotheshangingagainstthewall.
Therewassomethinglayingonthefloorinthefarcornerthatlookedlikeaman.SoJimsays:
“Hello,you!”
Butitdidn’tbudge.SoIholleredagain,andthenJimsays:
“Demanain’tasleep–he’sdead.Youholdstill–I’llgoensee.”
Hewent,andbentdownandlooked,andsays:
“It’sadeadman.Yes,indeedy;naked,too.He’sbenshotindeback.Ireck’nhe’sbendeadtwoerthreedays.Comein,Huck,butdoan’lookathisface–it’stoogashly.”
Ididn’tlookathimatall.Jimthrowedsomeoldragsoverhim,butheneedn’tdoneit;Ididn’twanttoseehim.
Therewasheapsofoldgreasycardsscatteredaroundoverthefloor,andoldwhiskybottles,andacoupleofmasksmadeoutofblackcloth;andalloverthewallswastheignorantestkindofwordsandpicturesmadewithcharcoal.
Therewastwoolddirtycalicodresses,andasun-bonnet,andsomewomen’sunderclotheshangingagainstthewall,andsomemen’sclothing,too.
Weputthelotintothecanoe–itmightcomegood.
Therewasaboy’soldspeckledstrawhatonthefloor;Itookthat,too.
Andtherewasabottlethathadhadmilkinit,andithadaragstopperforababytosuck.
Wewouldatookthebottle,butitwasbroke.
Therewasaseedyoldchest,andanoldhairtrunkwiththehingesbroke.
Theystoodopen,buttherewarn’tnothingleftinthemthatwasanyaccount.
Thewaythingswasscatteredaboutwereckonedthepeopleleftinahurry,andwarn’tfixedsoastocarryoffmostoftheirstuff.
Wegotanoldtinlantern,andabutcher-knifewithoutanyhandle,andabran-newBarlowknifeworthtwobitsinanystore,andalotoftallowcandles,andatincandlestick,andagourd,andatincup,andarattyoldbedquiltoffthebed,andareticulewithneedlesandpinsandbeeswaxandbuttonsandthreadandallsuchtruckinit,andahatchetandsomenails,andafishlineasthickasmylittlefingerwithsomemonstroushooksonit,andarollofbuckskin,andaleatherdog-collar,andahorseshoe,andsomevialsofmedicinethatdidn’thavenolabelonthem;andjustaswewasleavingIfoundatolerablegoodcurry-comb,andJimhefoundarattyoldfiddle-bow,andawoodenleg.
Thestrapswasbrokeoffofit,but,barringthat,itwasagoodenoughleg,thoughitwastoolongformeandnotlongenoughforJim,andwecouldn’tfindtheotherone,thoughwehuntedallaround.
Andso,takeitallaround,wemadeagoodhaul.
Whenwewasreadytoshoveoffwewasaquarterofamilebelowtheisland,anditwasprettybroadday;soImadeJimlaydowninthecanoeandcoverupwiththequilt,becauseifhesetuppeoplecouldtellhewasaniggeragoodwaysoff.
IpaddledovertotheIllinoisshore,anddrifteddownmostahalfamiledoingit.
Icreptupthedeadwaterunderthebank,andhadn’tnoaccidentsanddidn’tseenobody.Wegothomeallsafe.
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