English
TOMdodgedhitherandthitherthroughlanesuntilhewaswelloutofthetrackofreturningscholars,andthenfellintoamoodyjog.
Hecrossedasmall"branch"twoorthreetimes,becauseofaprevailingjuvenilesuperstitionthattocrosswaterbaffledpursuit.
HalfanhourlaterhewasdisappearingbehindtheDouglasmansiononthesummitofCardiffHill,andtheschoolhousewashardlydistinguishableawayoffinthevalleybehindhim.
Heenteredadensewood,pickedhispathlesswaytothecentreofit,andsatdownonamossyspotunderaspreadingoak.
Therewasnotevenazephyrstirring;thedeadnoondayheathadevenstilledthesongsofthebirds;naturelayinatrancethatwasbrokenbynosoundbuttheoccasionalfar–offhammeringofawoodpecker,andthisseemedtorenderthepervadingsilenceandsenseoflonelinessthemoreprofound.
Theboy'ssoulwassteepedinmelancholy;hisfeelingswereinhappyaccordwithhissurroundings.
Hesatlongwithhiselbowsonhiskneesandhischininhishands,meditating.
Itseemedtohimthatlifewasbutatrouble,atbest,andhemorethanhalfenviedJimmyHodges,solatelyreleased;itmustbeverypeaceful,hethought,tolieandslumberanddreamforeverandever,withthewindwhisperingthroughthetreesandcaressingthegrassandtheflowersoverthegrave,andnothingtobotherandgrieveabout,everanymore.
IfheonlyhadacleanSunday–schoolrecordhecouldbewillingtogo,andbedonewithitall.Nowastothisgirl.Whathadhedone?Nothing.
Hehadmeantthebestintheworld,andbeentreatedlikeadog—likeaverydog.
Shewouldbesorrysomeday—maybewhenitwastoolate.Ah,ifhecouldonlydieTEMPORARILY!
Buttheelasticheartofyouthcannotbecompressedintooneconstrainedshapelongatatime.
Tompresentlybegantodriftinsensiblybackintotheconcernsofthislifeagain.
Whatifheturnedhisback,now,anddisappearedmysteriously?
Whatifhewentaway—eversofaraway,intounknowncountriesbeyondtheseas—andnevercamebackanymore!Howwouldshefeelthen!
Theideaofbeingaclownrecurredtohimnow,onlytofillhimwithdisgust.
Forfrivolityandjokesandspottedtightswereanoffense,whentheyintrudedthemselvesuponaspiritthatwasexaltedintothevagueaugustrealmoftheromantic.
No,hewouldbeasoldier,andreturnafterlongyears,allwar–wornandillustrious.
No—betterstill,hewouldjointheIndians,andhuntbuffaloesandgoonthewarpathinthemountainrangesandthetracklessgreatplainsoftheFarWest,andawayinthefuturecomebackagreatchief,bristlingwithfeathers,hideouswithpaint,andpranceintoSunday–school,somedrowsysummermorning,withabloodcurdlingwar–whoop,andseartheeyeballsofallhiscompanionswithunappeasableenvy.
Butno,therewassomethinggaudiereventhanthis.Hewouldbeapirate!Thatwasit!
NOWhisfuturelayplainbeforehim,andglowingwithunimaginablesplendor.
Howhisnamewouldfilltheworld,andmakepeopleshudder!
Howgloriouslyhewouldgoplowingthedancingseas,inhislong,low,black–hulledracer,theSpiritoftheStorm,withhisgrislyflagflyingatthefore!
Andatthezenithofhisfame,howhewouldsuddenlyappearattheoldvillageandstalkintochurch,brownandweather–beaten,inhisblackvelvetdoubletandtrunks,hisgreatjack–boots,hiscrimsonsash,hisbeltbristlingwithhorse–pistols,hiscrime–rustedcutlassathisside,hisslouchhatwithwavingplumes,hisblackflagunfurled,withtheskullandcrossbonesonit,andhearwithswellingecstasythewhisperings,"It'sTomSawyerthePirate!
—theBlackAvengeroftheSpanishMain!"
Yes,itwassettled;hiscareerwasdetermined.
Hewouldrunawayfromhomeandenteruponit.Hewouldstarttheverynextmorning.
Thereforehemustnowbegintogetready.
Hewouldcollecthisresourcestogether.
HewenttoarottenlognearathandandbegantodigunderoneendofitwithhisBarlowknife.
Hesoonstruckwoodthatsoundedhollow.
Heputhishandthereandutteredthisincantationimpressively:
"Whathasn'tcomehere,come!What'shere,stayhere!"
Thenhescrapedawaythedirt,andexposedapineshingle.
Hetookitupanddisclosedashapelylittletreasure–housewhosebottomandsideswereofshingles.Initlayamarble.Tom'sastonishmentwasboundless!
Hescratchedhisheadwithaperplexedair,andsaid:
"Well,thatbeatsanything!"
Thenhetossedthemarbleawaypettishly,andstoodcogitating.
Thetruthwas,thatasuperstitionofhishadfailed,here,whichheandallhiscomradeshadalwayslookeduponasinfallible.
Ifyouburiedamarblewithcertainnecessaryincantations,andleftitaloneafortnight,andthenopenedtheplacewiththeincantationhehadjustused,youwouldfindthatallthemarblesyouhadeverlosthadgatheredthemselvestogetherthere,meantime,nomatterhowwidelytheyhadbeenseparated.
Butnow,thisthinghadactuallyandunquestionablyfailed.
Tom'swholestructureoffaithwasshakentoitsfoundations.
Hehadmanyatimeheardofthisthingsucceedingbutneverofitsfailingbefore.
Itdidnotoccurtohimthathehadtrieditseveraltimesbefore,himself,butcouldneverfindthehiding–placesafterward.
Hepuzzledoverthemattersometime,andfinallydecidedthatsomewitchhadinterferedandbrokenthecharm.
Hethoughthewouldsatisfyhimselfonthatpoint;sohesearchedaroundtillhefoundasmallsandyspotwithalittlefunnel–shapeddepressioninit.
Helaidhimselfdownandputhismouthclosetothisdepressionandcalled—
"Doodle–bug,doodle–bug,tellmewhatIwanttoknow!Doodle–bug,doodle–bug,tellmewhatIwanttoknow!"
Thesandbegantowork,andpresentlyasmallblackbugappearedforasecondandthendartedunderagaininafright.
"Hedasn'ttell!SoitWASawitchthatdoneit.Ijustknowedit."
Hewellknewthefutilityoftryingtocontendagainstwitches,sohegaveupdiscouraged.
Butitoccurredtohimthathemightaswellhavethemarblehehadjustthrownaway,andthereforehewentandmadeapatientsearchforit.Buthecouldnotfindit.
Nowhewentbacktohistreasure–houseandcarefullyplacedhimselfjustashehadbeenstandingwhenhetossedthemarbleaway;thenhetookanothermarblefromhispocketandtosseditinthesameway,saying:
"Brother,gofindyourbrother!"
Hewatchedwhereitstopped,andwentthereandlooked.
Butitmusthavefallenshortorgonetoofar;sohetriedtwicemore.Thelastrepetitionwassuccessful.
Thetwomarbleslaywithinafootofeachother.
Justheretheblastofatoytintrumpetcamefaintlydownthegreenaislesoftheforest.
Tomflungoffhisjacketandtrousers,turnedasuspenderintoabelt,rakedawaysomebrushbehindtherottenlog,disclosingarudebowandarrow,alathswordandatintrumpet,andinamomenthadseizedthesethingsandboundedaway,barelegged,withflutteringshirt.
Hepresentlyhaltedunderagreatelm,blewanansweringblast,andthenbegantotiptoeandlookwarilyout,thiswayandthat.
Hesaidcautiously—toanimaginarycompany:
"Hold,mymerrymen!KeephidtillIblow."
NowappearedJoeHarper,asairilycladandelaboratelyarmedasTom.Tomcalled:
"Hold!WhocomeshereintoSherwoodForestwithoutmypass?"
"GuyofGuisbornewantsnoman'spass.Whoartthouthat—that—"
"Darestoholdsuchlanguage,"saidTom,prompting—fortheytalked"bythebook,"frommemory.
"Whoartthouthatdarestoholdsuchlanguage?"
"I,indeed!IamRobinHood,asthycaitiffcarcasesoonshallknow."
"Thenartthouindeedthatfamousoutlaw?RightgladlywillIdisputewiththeethepassesofthemerrywood.Haveatthee!"
Theytooktheirlathswords,dumpedtheirothertrapsontheground,struckafencingattitude,foottofoot,andbeganagrave,carefulcombat,"twoupandtwodown."PresentlyTomsaid:
"Now,ifyou'vegotthehang,goitlively!"
Sothey"wentitlively,"pantingandperspiringwiththework.ByandbyTomshouted:
"Fall!fall!Whydon'tyoufall?"
"Isha'n't!Whydon'tyoufallyourself?You'regettingtheworstofit."
"Why,thatain'tanything.Ican'tfall;thatain'tthewayitisinthebook.
Thebooksays,'Thenwithoneback–handedstrokeheslewpoorGuyofGuisborne.'
You'retoturnaroundandletmehityouintheback."
Therewasnogettingaroundtheauthorities,soJoeturned,receivedthewhackandfell.
"Now,"saidJoe,gettingup,"yougottoletmekillYOU.That'sfair."
"Why,Ican'tdothat,itain'tinthebook."
"Well,it'sblamedmean—that'sall."
"Well,say,Joe,youcanbeFriarTuckorMuchthemiller'sson,andlammewithaquarter–staff;orI'llbetheSheriffofNottinghamandyoubeRobinHoodalittlewhileandkillme."
Thiswassatisfactory,andsotheseadventureswerecarriedout.
ThenTombecameRobinHoodagain,andwasallowedbythetreacherousnuntobleedhisstrengthawaythroughhisneglectedwound.
AndatlastJoe,representingawholetribeofweepingoutlaws,draggedhimsadlyforth,gavehisbowintohisfeeblehands,andTomsaid,"Wherethisarrowfalls,thereburypoorRobinHoodunderthegreenwoodtree."
Thenheshotthearrowandfellbackandwouldhavedied,buthelitonanettleandspranguptoogailyforacorpse.
Theboysdressedthemselves,hidtheiraccoutrements,andwentoffgrievingthattherewerenooutlawsanymore,andwonderingwhatmoderncivilizationcouldclaimtohavedonetocompensatefortheirloss.
TheysaidtheywouldratherbeoutlawsayearinSherwoodForestthanPresidentoftheUnitedStatesforever.
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