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WEjudgedthatthreenightsmorewouldfetchustoCairo,atthebottomofIllinois,wheretheOhioRivercomesin,andthatwaswhatwewasafter.
WewouldselltheraftandgetonasteamboatandgowayuptheOhioamongstthefreeStates,andthenbeoutoftrouble.
Well,thesecondnightafogbeguntocomeon,andwemadeforatowheadtotieto,foritwouldn’tdototrytoruninafog;butwhenIpaddledaheadinthecanoe,withthelinetomakefast,therewarn’tanythingbutlittlesaplingstotieto.
Ipassedthelinearoundoneofthemrightontheedgeofthecutbank,buttherewasastiffcurrent,andtheraftcomeboomingdownsolivelyshetoreitoutbytherootsandawayshewent.
Iseethefogclosingdown,anditmademesosickandscaredIcouldn’tbudgeformostahalfaminuteitseemedtome–andthentherewarn’tnoraftinsight;youcouldn’tseetwentyyards.
Ijumpedintothecanoeandrunbacktothestern,andgrabbedthepaddleandsetherbackastroke.Butshedidn’tcome.
IwasinsuchahurryIhadn’tuntiedher.
Igotupandtriedtountieher,butIwassoexcitedmyhandsshooksoIcouldn’thardlydoanythingwiththem.
AssoonasIgotstartedItookoutaftertheraft,hotandheavy,rightdownthetowhead.
Thatwasallrightasfarasitwent,butthetowheadwarn’tsixtyyardslong,andtheminuteIflewbythefootofitIshotoutintothesolidwhitefog,andhadn’tnomoreideawhichwayIwasgoingthanadeadman.
ThinksI,itwon’tdotopaddle;firstIknowI’llrunintothebankoratowheadorsomething;Igottosetstillandfloat,andyetit’smightyfidgetybusinesstohavetoholdyourhandsstillatsuchatime.Iwhoopedandlistened.
AwaydowntheresomewheresIhearsasmallwhoop,andupcomesmyspirits.
Iwenttearingafterit,listeningsharptohearitagain.
ThenexttimeitcomeIseeIwarn’theadingforit,butheadingawaytotherightofit.
AndthenexttimeIwasheadingawaytotheleftofit–andnotgainingonitmucheither,forIwasflyingaround,thiswayandthatandt’other,butitwasgoingstraightaheadallthetime.
Ididwishthefoolwouldthinktobeatatinpan,andbeatitallthetime,butheneverdid,anditwasthestillplacesbetweenthewhoopsthatwasmakingthetroubleforme.
Well,Ifoughtalong,anddirectlyIhearsthewhoopBEHINDme.Iwastangledgoodnow.
Thatwassomebodyelse’swhoop,orelseIwasturnedaround.
Ithrowedthepaddledown.Iheardthewhoopagain;itwasbehindmeyet,butinadifferentplace;itkeptcoming,andkeptchangingitsplace,andIkeptanswering,tillbyandbyitwasinfrontofmeagain,andIknowedthecurrenthadswungthecanoe’sheaddown-stream,andIwasallrightifthatwasJimandnotsomeotherraftsmanhollering.
Icouldn’ttellnothingaboutvoicesinafog,fornothingdon’tlooknaturalnorsoundnaturalinafog.
Thewhoopingwenton,andinaboutaminuteIcomea-boomingdownonacutbankwithsmokyghostsofbigtreesonit,andthecurrentthrowedmeofftotheleftandshotby,amongstalotofsnagsthatfairlyroared,thecurrrentwastearingbythemsoswift.
Inanothersecondortwoitwassolidwhiteandstillagain.Isetperfectlystillthen,listeningtomyheartthump,andIreckonIdidn’tdrawabreathwhileitthumpedahundred.
Ijustgiveupthen.Iknowedwhatthematterwas.
Thatcutbankwasanisland,andJimhadgonedownt’othersideofit.
Itwarn’tnotowheadthatyoucouldfloatbyintenminutes.
Ithadthebigtimberofaregularisland;itmightbefiveorsixmileslongandmorethanhalfamilewide.
Ikeptquiet,withmyearscocked,aboutfifteenminutes,Ireckon.
Iwasfloatingalong,ofcourse,fourorfivemilesanhour;butyoudon’teverthinkofthat.
No,youFEELlikeyouarelayingdeadstillonthewater;andifalittleglimpseofasnagslipsbyyoudon’tthinktoyourselfhowfastYOU’REgoing,butyoucatchyourbreathandthink,my!howthatsnag’stearingalong.
Ifyouthinkitain’tdismalandlonesomeoutinafogthatwaybyyourselfinthenight,youtryitonce–you’llsee.
Next,foraboutahalfanhour,Iwhoopsnowandthen;atlastIhearstheansweralongwaysoff,andtriestofollowit,butIcouldn’tdoit,anddirectlyIjudgedI’dgotintoanestoftowheads,forIhadlittledimglimpsesofthemonbothsidesofme–sometimesjustanarrowchannelbetween,andsomethatIcouldn’tseeIknowedwastherebecauseI’dhearthewashofthecurrentagainsttheolddeadbrushandtrashthathungoverthebanks.
Well,Iwarn’tlongloosingthewhoopsdownamongstthetowheads;andIonlytriedtochasethemalittlewhile,anyway,becauseitwasworsethanchasingaJack-o’-lantern.
Youneverknowedasounddodgearoundso,andswapplacessoquickandsomuch.
Ihadtoclawawayfromthebankprettylivelyfourorfivetimes,tokeepfromknockingtheislandsoutoftheriver;andsoIjudgedtheraftmustbebuttingintothebankeverynowandthen,orelseitwouldgetfurtheraheadandclearoutofhearing–itwasfloatingalittlefasterthanwhatIwas.
Well,Iseemedtobeintheopenriveragainbyandby,butIcouldn’thearnosignofawhoopnowheres.
IreckonedJimhadfetcheduponasnag,maybe,anditwasallupwithhim.
Iwasgoodandtired,soIlaiddowninthecanoeandsaidIwouldn’tbothernomore.
Ididn’twanttogotosleep,ofcourse;butIwassosleepyIcouldn’thelpit;soIthoughtIwouldtakejestonelittlecat-nap.
ButIreckonitwasmorethanacat-nap,forwhenIwakedupthestarswasshiningbright,thefogwasallgone,andIwasspinningdownabigbendsternfirst.
FirstIdidn’tknowwhereIwas;IthoughtIwasdreaming;andwhenthingsbegantocomebacktometheyseemedtocomeupdimoutoflastweek.
Itwasamonstrousbigriverhere,withthetallestandthethickestkindoftimberonbothbanks;justasolidwall,aswellasIcouldseebythestars.
Ilookedawaydown-stream,andseenablackspeckonthewater.
Itookafterit;butwhenIgottoititwarn’tnothingbutacoupleofsawlogsmadefasttogether.
ThenIseeanotherspeck,andchasedthat;thenanother,andthistimeIwasright.Itwastheraft.
WhenIgottoitJimwassettingtherewithhisheaddownbetweenhisknees,asleep,withhisrightarmhangingoverthesteering-oar.
Theotheroarwassmashedoff,andtheraftwaslitteredupwithleavesandbranchesanddirt.Soshe’dhadaroughtime.
ImadefastandlaiddownunderJim’snoseontheraft,andbegantogap,andstretchmyfistsoutagainstJim,andsays:
“Hello,Jim,haveIbeenasleep?Whydidn’tyoustirmeup?”
“Goodnessgracious,isdatyou,Huck?Enyouain’dead–youain’drownded–you’sbackagin?
It’stoogoodfortrue,honey,it’stoogoodfortrue.
Lemmelookatyouchile,lemmefeelo’you.No,youain’dead!
you’sbackagin,‘liveensoun’,jisdesameoleHuck–desameoleHuck,thankstogoodness!”
“What’sthematterwithyou,Jim?Youbeenadrinking?”
“Drinkin’?HasIbena-drinkin’?HasIhadachancetobea-drinkin’?”
“Well,then,whatmakesyoutalksowild?”
“HowdoesItalkwild?”
“HOW?Why,hain’tyoubeentalkingaboutmycomingback,andallthatstuff,asifI’dbeengoneaway?”
“Huck–HuckFinn,youlookmeindeeye;lookmeindeeye.HAIN’Tyoubengoneaway?”
“Goneaway?Why,whatinthenationdoyoumean?Ihain’tbeengoneanywheres.WherewouldIgoto?”
“Well,lookyhere,boss,dey’ssumf’nwrong,deyis.IsIME,orwhoISI?IsIheah,orwhahISI?Nowdat’swhatIwantstoknow.”
“Well,Ithinkyou’rehere,plainenough,butIthinkyou’reatangle-headedoldfool,Jim.”
“Iis,isI?Well,youanswermedis:Didn’tyoutoteoutdelineindecanoefertomakefas’todetowhead?”
“No,Ididn’t.Whattow-head?Ihain’tseenotow-head.”
“Youhain’tseennotowhead?Lookyhere,didn’tdelinepulllooseenderaf’goa-hummin’downderiver,enleaveyouendecanoebehineindefog?”
“Whatfog?”
“Why,defog!–defogdat’sbeenaroun’allnight.
Endidn’tyouwhoop,endidn’tIwhoop,tellwegotmix’upindeislandsenoneunusgotlos’ent’otheronewasjis’asgoodaslos’,‘kasehedidn’knowwhahhewuz?
Endidn’tIbustupaginaloterdemislandsenhaveaturribletimeenmos’gitdrownded?Nowain’datso,boss–ain’titso?Youanswermedat.”
“Well,thisistoomanyforme,Jim.Ihain’tseennofog,nornoislands,nornotroubles,nornothing.
Ibeensettingheretalkingwithyouallnighttillyouwenttosleepabouttenminutesago,andIreckonIdonethesame.
Youcouldn’tagotdrunkinthattime,soofcourseyou’vebeendreaming.”
“Dadfetchit,howisIgwynetodreamalldatintenminutes?”
“Well,hangitall,youdiddreamit,becausetheredidn’tanyofithappen.”
“But,Huck,it’salljis’asplaintomeas–”
“Itdon’tmakenodifferencehowplainitis;thereain’tnothinginit.Iknow,becauseI’vebeenhereallthetime.”
Jimdidn’tsaynothingforaboutfiveminutes,butsettherestudyingoverit.Thenhesays:
“Well,den,Ireck’nIdiddreamit,Huck;butdogmycatsefitain’tdepowerfullestdreamIeversee.EnIhain’teverhadnodreamb’fo’dat’stiredmelikedisone.”
“Oh,well,that’sallright,becauseadreamdoestireabodylikeeverythingsometimes.Butthisonewasastavingdream;tellmeallaboutit,Jim.”
SoJimwenttoworkandtoldmethewholethingrightthrough,justasithappened,onlyhepainteditupconsiderable.
Thenhesaidhemuststartinand”’terpret”it,becauseitwassentforawarning.
Hesaidthefirsttowheadstoodforamanthatwouldtrytodoussomegood,butthecurrentwasanothermanthatwouldgetusawayfromhim.
Thewhoopswaswarningsthatwouldcometouseverynowandthen,andifwedidn’ttryhardtomakeouttounderstandthemthey’djusttakeusintobadluck,‘steadofkeepingusoutofit.
Thelotoftowheadswastroubleswewasgoingtogetintowithquarrelsomepeopleandallkindsofmeanfolks,butifwemindedourbusinessanddidn’ttalkbackandaggravatethem,wewouldpullthroughandgetoutofthefogandintothebigclearriver,whichwasthefreeStates,andwouldn’thavenomoretrouble.
IthadcloudedupprettydarkjustafterIgotontotheraft,butitwasclearingupagainnow.
“Oh,well,that’sallinterpretedwellenoughasfarasitgoes,Jim,”Isays;“butwhatdoesTHESEthingsstandfor?”
Itwastheleavesandrubbishontheraftandthesmashedoar.Youcouldseethemfirst-ratenow.
Jimlookedatthetrash,andthenlookedatme,andbackatthetrashagain.
Hehadgotthedreamfixedsostronginhisheadthathecouldn’tseemtoshakeitlooseandgetthefactsbackintoitsplaceagainrightaway.
Butwhenhedidgetthethingstraightenedaroundhelookedatmesteadywithouteversmiling,andsays:
“Whatdodeystan’for?I’segwynetotellyou.
WhenIgotallworeoutwidwork,enwiddecallin’foryou,enwenttosleep,myheartwuzmos’brokebekaseyouwuzlos’,enIdidn’k’yerno’mo’whatbecomeermeenderaf’.
EnwhenIwakeupenfineyoubackagin,allsafeensoun’,detearscome,enIcouldagotdownonmykneesenkissyo’foot,I’ssothankful.
Enallyouwuzthinkin’‘boutwuzhowyoucouldmakeafooluvoleJimwidalie.
DattruckdahisTRASH;entrashiswhatpeopleisdatputsdirtondeheaderdeyfren’senmakes‘emashamed.”
Thenhegotupslowandwalkedtothewigwam,andwentintherewithoutsayinganythingbutthat.Butthatwasenough.
ItmademefeelsomeanIcouldalmostkissedHISfoottogethimtotakeitback.
ItwasfifteenminutesbeforeIcouldworkmyselfuptogoandhumblemyselftoanigger;butIdoneit,andIwarn’teversorryforitafterwards,neither.
Ididn’tdohimnomoremeantricks,andIwouldn’tdonethatoneifI’daknoweditwouldmakehimfeelthatway.
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