English
ASsoonaswereckonedeverybodywasasleepthatnightwewentdownthelightning-rod,andshutourselvesupinthelean-to,andgotoutourpileoffox-fire,andwenttowork.
Weclearedeverythingoutoftheway,aboutfourorfivefootalongthemiddleofthebottomlog.
TomsaidwewasrightbehindJim’sbednow,andwe’ddiginunderit,andwhenwegotthroughtherecouldn’tnobodyinthecabineverknowtherewasanyholethere,becauseJim’scounterpinhungdownmosttotheground,andyou’dhavetoraiseitupandlookundertoseethehole.
Soweduganddugwiththecase-knivestillmostmidnight;andthenwewasdog-tired,andourhandswasblistered,andyetyoucouldn’tseewe’ddoneanythinghardly.AtlastIsays:
“Thisain’tnothirty-sevenyearjob;thisisathirty-eightyearjob,TomSawyer.”
Heneversaidnothing.Buthesighed,andprettysoonhestoppeddigging,andthenforagoodlittlewhileIknowedthathewasthinking.Thenhesays:
“Itain’tnouse,Huck,itain’ta-goingtowork.
Ifwewasprisonersitwould,becausethenwe’dhaveasmanyyearsaswewanted,andnohurry;andwewouldn’tgetbutafewminutestodig,everyday,whiletheywaschangingwatches,andsoourhandswouldn’tgetblistered,andwecouldkeepituprightalong,yearinandyearout,anddoitright,andthewayitoughttobedone.
ButWEcan’tfoolalong;wegottorush;weain’tgotnotimetospare.
Ifwewastoputinanothernightthiswaywe’dhavetoknockoffforaweektoletourhandsgetwell–couldn’ttouchacase-knifewiththemsooner.”
“Well,then,whatwegoingtodo,Tom?”
“I’lltellyou.Itain’tright,anditain’tmoral,.andIwouldn’tlikeittogetout;butthereain’tonlyjusttheoneway:wegottodighimoutwiththepicks,andLETONit’scase-knives.”
“NOWyou’reTALKING!”Isays;“yourheadgetslevelerandlevelerallthetime,TomSawyer,”Isays.
“Picksisthething,moralornomoral;andasforme,Idon’tcareshucksforthemoralityofit,nohow.
WhenIstartintostealanigger,orawatermelon,oraSunday-schoolbook,Iain’tnowaysparticularhowit’sdonesoit’sdone.
WhatIwantismynigger;orwhatIwantismywatermelon;orwhatIwantismySunday-schoolbook;andifapick’sthehandiestthing,that’sthethingI’ma-goingtodigthatniggerorthatwatermelonorthatSunday-schoolbookoutwith;andIdon’tgiveadeadratwhattheauthoritiesthinksaboutitnuther.”
“Well,”hesays,“there’sexcuseforpicksandletting-oninacaselikethis;ifitwarn’tso,Iwouldn’tapproveofit,norIwouldn’tstandbyandseetherulesbroke–becauserightisright,andwrongiswrong,andabodyain’tgotnobusinessdoingwrongwhenheain’tignorantandknowsbetter.
ItmightanswerforYOUtodigJimoutwithapick,WITHOUTanylettingon,becauseyoudon’tknownobetter;butitwouldn’tforme,becauseIdoknowbetter.Gimmeacase-knife.”
Hehadhisownbyhim,butIhandedhimmine.Heflungitdown,andsays:
“GimmeaCASE-KNIFE.”
Ididn’tknowjustwhattodo–butthenIthought.Iscratchedaroundamongsttheoldtools,andgotapickaxeandgiveittohim,andhetookitandwenttowork,andneversaidaword.
Hewasalwaysjustthatparticular.Fullofprinciple.
SothenIgotashovel,andthenwepickedandshoveled,turnabout,andmadethefurfly.
Westucktoitaboutahalfanhour,whichwasaslongaswecouldstandup;butwehadagooddealofaholetoshowforit.
WhenIgotupstairsIlookedoutatthewindowandseeTomdoinghislevelbestwiththelightning-rod,buthecouldn’tcomeit,hishandswassosore.Atlasthesays:
“Itain’tnouse,itcan’tbedone.WhatyoureckonIbetterdo?Can’tyouthinkofnoway?”
“Yes,”Isays,“butIreckonitain’tregular.Comeupthestairs,andletonit’salightning-rod.”
Sohedoneit.
NextdayTomstoleapewterspoonandabrasscandlestickinthehouse,fortomakesomepensforJimoutof,andsixtallowcandles;andIhungaroundtheniggercabinsandlaidforachance,andstolethreetinplates.
Tomsaysitwasn’tenough;butIsaidnobodywouldn’teverseetheplatesthatJimthrowedout,becausethey’dfallinthedog-fennelandjimpsonweedsunderthewindow-hole–thenwecouldtotethembackandhecouldusethemoveragain.SoTomwassatisfied.Thenhesays:
“Now,thethingtostudyoutis,howtogetthethingstoJim.”
“Taketheminthroughthehole,”Isays,“whenwegetitdone.”
Heonlyjustlookedscornful,andsaidsomethingaboutnobodyeverheardofsuchanidioticidea,andthenhewenttostudying.
Byandbyhesaidhehadcipheredouttwoorthreeways,buttherewarn’tnoneedtodecideonanyofthemyet.Saidwe’dgottopostJimfirst.
Thatnightwewentdownthelightning-rodalittleafterten,andtookoneofthecandlesalong,andlistenedunderthewindow-hole,andheardJimsnoring;sowepitcheditin,anditdidn’twakehim.
Thenwewhirledinwiththepickandshovel,andinabouttwohoursandahalfthejobwasdone.
WecreptinunderJim’sbedandintothecabin,andpawedaroundandfoundthecandleandlitit,andstoodoverJimawhile,andfoundhimlookingheartyandhealthy,andthenwewokehimupgentleandgradual.
Hewassogladtoseeushemostcried;andcalledushoney,andallthepetnameshecouldthinkof;andwasforhavingushuntupacold-chiseltocutthechainoffofhislegwithrightaway,andclearingoutwithoutlosinganytime.
ButTomheshowedhimhowunregularitwouldbe,andsetdownandtoldhimallaboutourplans,andhowwecouldaltertheminaminuteanytimetherewasanalarm;andnottobetheleastafraid,becausewewouldseehegotaway,SURE.
SoJimhesaiditwasallright,andwesetthereandtalkedoveroldtimesawhile,andthenTomaskedalotofquestions,andwhenJimtoldhimUncleSilascomeineverydayortwotopraywithhim,andAuntSallycomeintoseeifhewascomfortableandhadplentytoeat,andbothofthemwaskindastheycouldbe,Tomsays:
“NOWIknowhowtofixit.We’llsendyousomethingsbythem.”
Isaid,“Don’tdonothingofthekind;it’soneofthemostjackassideasIeverstruck;”butheneverpaidnoattentiontome;wentrighton.Itwashiswaywhenhe’dgothisplansset.
SohetoldJimhowwe’dhavetosmuggleintherope-ladderpieandotherlargethingsbyNat,theniggerthatfedhim,andhemustbeonthelookout,andnotbesurprised,andnotletNatseehimopenthem;andwewouldputsmallthingsinuncle’scoatpocketsandhemuststealthemout;andwewouldtiethingstoaunt’sapron-stringsorputtheminherapron-pocket,ifwegotachance;andtoldhimwhattheywouldbeandwhattheywasfor.
Andtoldhimhowtokeepajournalontheshirtwithhisblood,andallthat.Hetoldhimeverything.
Jimhecouldn’tseenosenseinthemostofit,butheallowedwewaswhitefolksandknowedbetterthanhim;sohewassatisfied,andsaidhewoulddoitalljustasTomsaid.
Jimhadplentycorn-cobpipesandtobacco;sowehadarightdowngoodsociabletime;thenwecrawledoutthroughthehole,andsohometobed,withhandsthatlookedlikethey’dbeenchawed.Tomwasinhighspirits.
Hesaiditwasthebestfunheeverhadinhislife,andthemostintellectural;andsaidifheonlycouldseehiswaytoitwewouldkeepitupalltherestofourlivesandleaveJimtoourchildrentogetout;forhebelievedJimwouldcometolikeitbetterandbetterthemorehegotusedtoit.
Hesaidthatinthatwayitcouldbestrungouttoasmuchaseightyyear,andwouldbethebesttimeonrecord.
Andhesaiditwouldmakeusallcelebratedthathadahandinit.
Inthemorningwewentouttothewoodpileandchoppedupthebrasscandlestickintohandysizes,andTomputthemandthepewterspooninhispocket.
Thenwewenttotheniggercabins,andwhileIgotNat’snoticeoff,Tomshovedapieceofcandlestickintothemiddleofacorn-ponethatwasinJim’span,andwewentalongwithNattoseehowitwouldwork,anditjustworkednoble;whenJimbitintoititmostmashedallhisteethout;andtherewarn’teveranythingcouldaworkedbetter.Tomsaidsohimself.
Jimheneverletonbutwhatitwasonlyjustapieceofrockorsomethinglikethatthat’salwaysgettingintobread,youknow;butafterthatheneverbitintonothingbutwhathejabbedhisforkintoitinthreeorfourplacesfirst.
Andwhilstwewasa-standingthereinthedimmishlight,herecomesacoupleofthehoundsbulginginfromunderJim’sbed;andtheykeptonpilingintilltherewaselevenofthem,andtherewarn’thardlyroomintheretogetyourbreath.
Byjings,weforgottofastenthatlean-todoor!
TheniggerNatheonlyjusthollered“Witches”once,andkeeledoverontotheflooramongstthedogs,andbeguntogroanlikehewasdying.
TomjerkedthedooropenandflungoutaslabofJim’smeat,andthedogswentforit,andintwosecondshewasouthimselfandbackagainandshutthedoor,andIknowedhe’dfixedtheotherdoortoo.
Thenhewenttoworkonthenigger,coaxinghimandpettinghim,andaskinghimifhe’dbeenimagininghesawsomethingagain.
Heraisedup,andblinkedhiseyesaround,andsays:
“MarsSid,you’llsayI’safool,butifIdidn’tb’lieveIseemostamilliondogs,erdevils,ersome’n,IwishtImaydierightheahindesetracks.Idid,mos’sholy.
MarsSid,IFELTum–IFELTum,sah;deywasalloverme.
Dadfetchit,Ijis’wishtIcouldgitmyhan’sononeerdemwitchesjis’wunst–on’yjis’wunst–it’sallI’dast.
Butmos’lyIwishtdey’dlemme‘lone,Idoes.”
Tomsays:
“Well,ItellyouwhatIthink.Whatmakesthemcomeherejustatthisrunawaynigger’sbreakfast-time?
It’sbecausethey’rehungry;that’sthereason.
Youmakethemawitchpie;that’sthethingforYOUtodo.”
“Butmylan’,MarsSid,how’sIgwynetomake‘mawitchpie?Idoan’knowhowtomakeit.Ihain’teverhearnersichathingb’fo’.”
“Well,then,I’llhavetomakeitmyself.”
“Willyoudoit,honey?–willyou?I’llwusshupdegroun’und’yo’foot,Iwill!”
“Allright,I’lldoit,seeingit’syou,andyou’vebeengoodtousandshowedustherunawaynigger.Butyougottobemightycareful.
Whenwecomearound,youturnyourback;andthenwhateverwe’veputinthepan,don’tyouletonyouseeitatall.
Anddon’tyoulookwhenJimunloadsthepan–somethingmighthappen,Idon’tknowwhat.
Andaboveall,don’tyouHANDLEthewitch-things.”
“HANNEL‘m,MarsSid?WhatISyoua-talkin’‘bout?Iwouldn’laydeweightermyfingeronum,notf’rtenhund’dthous’nbilliondollars,Iwouldn’t.”
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