English
WEstoppedtalking,andgottothinking.ByandbyTomsays:
“Lookyhere,Huck,whatfoolswearetonotthinkofitbefore!IbetIknowwhereJimis.”
“No!Where?”
“Inthathutdownbytheash-hopper.Why,lookyhere.Whenwewasatdinner,didn’tyouseeaniggermangointherewithsomevittles?”
“Yes.”
“Whatdidyouthinkthevittleswasfor?”
“Foradog.”
“So‘dI.Well,itwasn’tforadog.”
“Why?”
“Becausepartofitwaswatermelon.”
“Soitwas–Inoticedit.Well,itdoesbeatallthatIneverthoughtaboutadognoteatingwatermelon.Itshowshowabodycanseeanddon’tseeatthesametime.”
“Well,theniggerunlockedthepadlockwhenhewentin,andhelockeditagainwhenhecameout.
Hefetcheduncleakeyaboutthetimewegotupfromtable–samekey,Ibet.
Watermelonshowsman,lockshowsprisoner;anditain’tlikelythere’stwoprisonersonsuchalittleplantation,andwherethepeople’sallsokindandgood.Jim’stheprisoner.
Allright–I’mgladwefounditoutdetectivefashion;Iwouldn’tgiveshucksforanyotherway.
Nowyouworkyourmind,andstudyoutaplantostealJim,andIwillstudyoutone,too;andwe’lltaketheonewelikethebest.”
Whataheadforjustaboytohave!IfIhadTomSawyer’sheadIwouldn’ttradeitofftobeaduke,normateofasteamboat,norclowninacircus,nornothingIcanthinkof.
Iwenttothinkingoutaplan,butonlyjusttobedoingsomething;Iknowedverywellwheretherightplanwasgoingtocomefrom.PrettysoonTomsays:
“Ready?”
“Yes,”Isays.
“Allright–bringitout.”
“Myplanisthis,”Isays.“Wecaneasyfindoutifit’sJiminthere.
Thengetupmycanoeto-morrownight,andfetchmyraftoverfromtheisland.
Thenthefirstdarknightthatcomesstealthekeyoutoftheoldman’sbritchesafterhegoestobed,andshoveoffdowntheriverontheraftwithJim,hidingdaytimesandrunningnights,thewaymeandJimusedtodobefore.Wouldn’tthatplanwork?”
“WORK?Why,cert’nlyitwouldwork,likeratsa-fighting.
Butit’stooblame’simple;thereain’tnothingTOit.
What’sthegoodofaplanthatain’tnomoretroublethanthat?It’sasmildasgoose-milk.
Why,Huck,itwouldn’tmakenomoretalkthanbreakingintoasoapfactory.”
Ineversaidnothing,becauseIwarn’texpectingnothingdifferent;butIknowedmightywellthatwheneverhegotHISplanreadyitwouldn’thavenoneofthemobjectionstoit.
Anditdidn’t.Hetoldmewhatitwas,andIseeinaminuteitwasworthfifteenofmineforstyle,andwouldmakeJimjustasfreeamanasminewould,andmaybegetusallkilledbesides.
SoIwassatisfied,andsaidwewouldwaltzinonit.
Ineedn’ttellwhatitwashere,becauseIknoweditwouldn’tstaytheway,itwas.
Iknowedhewouldbechangingitaroundeverywhichwayaswewentalong,andheavinginnewbullinesseswhereverhegotachance.Andthatiswhathedone.
Well,onethingwasdeadsure,andthatwasthatTomSawyerwasinearnest,andwasactulygoingtohelpstealthatniggeroutofslavery.
Thatwasthethingthatwastoomanyforme.
Herewasaboythatwasrespectableandwellbrungup;andhadacharactertolose;andfolksathomethathadcharacters;andhewasbrightandnotleather-headed;andknowingandnotignorant;andnotmean,butkind;andyetherehewas,withoutanymorepride,orrightness,orfeeling,thantostooptothisbusiness,andmakehimselfashame,andhisfamilyashame,beforeeverybody.ICOULDN’Tunderstanditnowayatall.
Itwasoutrageous,andIknowedIoughttojustupandtellhimso;andsobehistruefriend,andlethimquitthethingrightwherehewasandsavehimself.
AndIDIDstarttotellhim;butheshutmeup,andsays:
“Don’tyoureckonIknowwhatI’mabout?Don’tIgenerlyknowwhatI’mabout?”
“Yes.”
“Didn’tISAYIwasgoingtohelpstealthenigger?”
“Yes.”
“WELL,then.”
That’sallhesaid,andthat’sallIsaid.
Itwarn’tnousetosayanymore;becausewhenhesaidhe’ddoathing,healwaysdoneit.
ButIcouldn’tmakeouthowhewaswillingtogointothisthing;soIjustletitgo,andneverbotherednomoreaboutit.
Ifhewasboundtohaveitso,Icouldn’thelpit.
Whenwegothomethehousewasalldarkandstill;sowewentondowntothehutbytheash-hopperfortoexamineit.
Wewentthroughtheyardsoastoseewhatthehoundswoulddo.
Theyknowedus,anddidn’tmakenomorenoisethancountrydogsisalwaysdoingwhenanythingcomesbyinthenight.
Whenwegottothecabinwetookalookatthefrontandthetwosides;andonthesideIwarn’tacquaintedwith–whichwasthenorthside–wefoundasquarewindowhole,uptolerablehigh,withjustonestoutboardnailedacrossit.Isays:
“Here’stheticket.Thishole’sbigenoughforJimtogetthroughifwewrenchofftheboard.”
Tomsays:
“It’sassimpleastit-tat-toe,three-in-a-row,andaseasyasplayinghooky.IshouldHOPEwecanfindawaythat’salittlemorecomplicatedthanTHAT,HuckFinn.”
“Well,then,”Isays,“how‘llitdotosawhimout,thewayIdonebeforeIwasmurderedthattime?”
“That’smoreLIKE,”hesays.“It’srealmysterious,andtroublesome,andgood,”hesays;“butIbetwecanfindawaythat’stwiceaslong.Thereain’tnohurry;le’skeeponlookingaround.”
Betwixtthehutandthefence,onthebackside,wasalean-tothatjoinedthehutattheeaves,andwasmadeoutofplank.
Itwasaslongasthehut,butnarrow–onlyaboutsixfootwide.
Thedoortoitwasatthesouthend,andwaspadlocked.
Tomhewenttothesoap-kettleandsearchedaround,andfetchedbacktheironthingtheyliftthelidwith;sohetookitandprizedoutoneofthestaples.
Thechainfelldown,andweopenedthedoorandwentin,andshutit,andstruckamatch,andseetheshedwasonlybuiltagainstacabinandhadn’tnoconnectionwithit;andtherewarn’tnofloortotheshed,nornothinginitbutsomeoldrustyplayed-outhoesandspadesandpicksandacrippledplow.
Thematchwentout,andsodidwe,andshovedinthestapleagain,andthedoorwaslockedasgoodasever.Tomwasjoyful.Hesays;
“Nowwe’reallright.We’llDIGhimout.It‘lltakeaboutaweek!”
Thenwestartedforthehouse,andIwentinthebackdoor–youonlyhavetopullabuckskinlatchstring,theydon’tfastenthedoors–butthatwarn’tromanticalenoughforTomSawyer;nowaywoulddohimbuthemustclimbupthelightning-rod.
Butafterhegotuphalfwayaboutthreetimes,andmissedfireandfelleverytime,andthelasttimemostbustedhisbrainsout,hethoughthe’dgottogiveitup;butafterhewasrestedheallowedhewouldgiveheronemoreturnforluck,andthistimehemadethetrip.
Inthemorningwewasupatbreakofday,anddowntotheniggercabinstopetthedogsandmakefriendswiththeniggerthatfedJim–ifitWASJimthatwasbeingfed.
Theniggerswasjustgettingthroughbreakfastandstartingforthefields;andJim’sniggerwaspilingupatinpanwithbreadandmeatandthings;andwhilsttheotherswasleaving,thekeycomefromthehouse.
Thisniggerhadagood-natured,chuckle-headedface,andhiswoolwasalltiedupinlittlebuncheswiththread.Thatwastokeepwitchesoff.
Hesaidthewitcheswaspesteringhimawfulthesenights,andmakinghimseeallkindsofstrangethings,andhearallkindsofstrangewordsandnoises,andhedidn’tbelievehewaseverwitchedsolongbeforeinhislife.
Hegotsoworkedup,andgottorunningonsoabouthistroubles,heforgotallaboutwhathe’dbeena-goingtodo.SoTomsays:
“What’sthevittlesfor?Goingtofeedthedogs?”
Theniggerkindofsmiledaroundgradulyoverhisface,likewhenyouheaveabrickbatinamud-puddle,andhesays:
“Yes,MarsSid,Adog.Cur’usdog,too.Doesyouwanttogoenlookat‘im?”
“Yes.”
IhunchedTom,andwhispers:
“Yougoing,righthereinthedaybreak?THATwarn’ttheplan.”
“No,itwarn’t;butit’stheplanNOW.”
So,drathim,wewentalong,butIdidn’tlikeitmuch.Whenwegotinwecouldn’thardlyseeanything,itwassodark;butJimwasthere,sureenough,andcouldseeus;andhesingsout:
“Why,HUCK!EngoodLAN’!ain’datMistoTom?”
Ijustknowedhowitwouldbe;Ijustexpectedit.Ididn’tknownothingtodo;andifIhadIcouldn’tadoneit,becausethatniggerbustedinandsays:
“Why,degracioussakes!doheknowyougenlmen?”
Wecouldseeprettywellnow.Tomhelookedatthenigger,steadyandkindofwondering,andsays:
“DoesWHOknowus?”
“Why,dis-yerrunawaynigger.”
“Idon’treckonhedoes;butwhatputthatintoyourhead?”
“WhatPUTitdar?Didn’hejis’disminutesingoutlikeheknowedyou?”
Tomsays,inapuzzled-upkindofway:
“Well,that’smightycurious.WHOsungout?WHENdidhesingout?WHATdidhesingout?”Andturnstome,perfectlyca’m,andsays,“DidYOUhearanybodysingout?”
Ofcoursetherewarn’tnothingtobesaidbuttheonething;soIsays:
“No;Iain’theardnobodysaynothing.”
ThenheturnstoJim,andlookshimoverlikeheneverseehimbefore,andsays:
“Didyousingout?”
“No,sah,”saysJim;”Ihain’tsaidnothing,sah.”
“Notaword?”
“No,sah,Ihain’tsaidaword.”
“Didyoueverseeusbefore?”
“No,sah;notasIknowson.”
SoTomturnstothenigger,whichwaslookingwildanddistressed,andsays,kindofsevere:
“Whatdoyoureckon’sthematterwithyou,anyway?Whatmadeyouthinksomebodysungout?”
“Oh,it’sdedad-blame’witches,sah,enIwishtIwasdead,Ido.
Dey’sawluzatit,sah,endeydomos’killme,deysk’yersmeso.
Pleasetodon’ttellnobody‘boutitsah,eroleMarsSilashe’llscoleme;‘kasehesaydeyAIN’Tnowitches.
Ijis’wishtogoodnesshewasheahnow–DENwhatwouldhesay!
Ijis’bethecouldn’finenowaytogitaroun’itDIStime.
Butit’sawluzjis’so;peopledat’sSOT,stayssot;deywon’tlookintonoth’n’enfineitoutf’rdeyselves,enwhenYOUfineitoutentellum‘boutit,deydoan’b’lieveyou.”
Tomgivehimadime,andsaidwewouldn’ttellnobody;andtoldhimtobuysomemorethreadtotieuphiswoolwith;andthenlooksatJim,andsays:
“IwonderifUncleSilasisgoingtohangthisnigger.
IfIwastocatchaniggerthatwasungratefulenoughtorunaway,Iwouldn’tgivehimup,I’dhanghim.”
Andwhilsttheniggersteppedtothedoortolookatthedimeandbiteittoseeifitwasgood,hewhisperstoJimandsays:
“Don’teverletontoknowus.Andifyouhearanydigginggoingonnights,it’sus;we’regoingtosetyoufree.”
Jimonlyhadtimetograbusbythehandandsqueezeit;thentheniggercomeback,andwesaidwe’dcomeagainsometimeiftheniggerwantedusto;andhesaidhewould,moreparticularifitwasdark,becausethewitcheswentforhimmostlyinthedark,anditwasgoodtohavefolksaroundthen.
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