English
THEtwoboysflewonandon,towardthevillage,speechlesswithhorror.
Theyglancedbackwardovertheirshouldersfromtimetotime,apprehensively,asiftheyfearedtheymightbefollowed.
Everystumpthatstartedupintheirpathseemedamanandanenemy,andmadethemcatchtheirbreath;andastheyspedbysomeoutlyingcottagesthatlaynearthevillage,thebarkingofthearousedwatch–dogsseemedtogivewingstotheirfeet.
"Ifwecanonlygettotheoldtannerybeforewebreakdown!"whisperedTom,inshortcatchesbetweenbreaths."Ican'tstanditmuchlonger."
Huckleberry'shardpantingswerehisonlyreply,andtheboysfixedtheireyesonthegoaloftheirhopesandbenttotheirworktowinit.
Theygainedsteadilyonit,andatlast,breasttobreast,theyburstthroughtheopendoorandfellgratefulandexhaustedintheshelteringshadowsbeyond.
Byandbytheirpulsessloweddown,andTomwhispered:
"Huckleberry,whatdoyoureckon'llcomeofthis?"
"IfDoctorRobinsondies,Ireckonhanging'llcomeofit."
"Doyouthough?"
"Why,IKNOWit,Tom."
Tomthoughtawhile,thenhesaid:
"Who'lltell?We?"
"Whatareyoutalkingabout?S'posesomethinghappenedandInjunJoeDIDN'Thang?Why,he'dkillussometimeorother,justasdeadsureaswe'realayinghere."
"That'sjustwhatIwasthinkingtomyself,Huck."
"Ifanybodytells,letMuffPotterdoit,ifhe'sfoolenough.He'sgenerallydrunkenough."
Tomsaidnothing—wentonthinking.Presentlyhewhispered:
"Huck,MuffPotterdon'tknowit.Howcanhetell?"
"What'sthereasonhedon'tknowit?"
"Becausehe'djustgotthatwhackwhenInjunJoedoneit.D'youreckonhecouldseeanything?D'youreckonheknowedanything?"
"Byhokey,that'sso,Tom!"
"Andbesides,look–a–here—maybethatwhackdoneforHIM!"
"No,'taintlikely,Tom.Hehadliquorinhim;Icouldseethat;andbesides,healwayshas.
Well,whenpap'sfull,youmighttakeandbelthimovertheheadwithachurchandyoucouldn'tphasehim.Hesaysso,hisownself.
Soit'sthesamewithMuffPotter,ofcourse.
Butifamanwasdeadsober,Ireckonmaybethatwhackmightfetchhim;Idono."
Afteranotherreflectivesilence,Tomsaid:
"Hucky,yousureyoucankeepmum?"
"Tom,weGOTtokeepmum.Youknowthat.
ThatInjundevilwouldn'tmakeanymoreofdrowndingusthanacoupleofcats,ifwewastosqueak'boutthisandtheydidn'thanghim.
Now,look–a–here,Tom,lesstakeandsweartooneanother—that'swhatwegottodo—sweartokeepmum."
"I'magreed.It'sthebestthing.Wouldyoujustholdhandsandswearthatwe—"
"Ohno,thatwouldn'tdoforthis.That'sgoodenoughforlittlerubbishycommonthings—speciallywithgals,cuzTHEYgobackonyouanyway,andblabiftheygetinahuff—butthereorterbewriting'boutabigthinglikethis.Andblood."
Tom'swholebeingapplaudedthisidea.Itwasdeep,anddark,andawful;thehour,thecircumstances,thesurroundings,wereinkeepingwithit.
Hepickedupacleanpineshinglethatlayinthemoonlight,tookalittlefragmentof"redkeel"outofhispocket,gotthemoononhiswork,andpainfullyscrawledtheselines,emphasizingeachslowdown–strokebyclampinghistonguebetweenhisteeth,andlettingupthepressureontheup–strokes.[Seenextpage.]
"HuckFinnandTomSawyerswearstheywillkeepmumaboutThisandTheywishTheymayDropdowndeadinTheirTracksifTheyeverTellandRot."
HuckleberrywasfilledwithadmirationofTom'sfacilityinwriting,andthesublimityofhislanguage.Heatoncetookapinfromhislapelandwasgoingtoprickhisflesh,butTomsaid:
"Holdon!Don'tdothat.Apin'sbrass.Itmighthaveverdigreaseonit."
"What'sverdigrease?"
"It'sp'ison.That'swhatitis.Youjustswallersomeofitonce—you'llsee."
SoTomunwoundthethreadfromoneofhisneedles,andeachboyprickedtheballofhisthumbandsqueezedoutadropofblood.
Intime,aftermanysqueezes,Tommanagedtosignhisinitials,usingtheballofhislittlefingerforapen.
ThenheshowedHuckleberryhowtomakeanHandanF,andtheoathwascomplete.
Theyburiedtheshingleclosetothewall,withsomedismalceremoniesandincantations,andthefettersthatboundtheirtongueswereconsideredtobelockedandthekeythrownaway.
Afigurecreptstealthilythroughabreakintheotherendoftheruinedbuilding,now,buttheydidnotnoticeit.
"Tom,"whisperedHuckleberry,"doesthiskeepusfromEVERtelling—ALWAYS?"
"Ofcourseitdoes.Itdon'tmakeanydifferenceWHAThappens,wegottokeepmum.We'ddropdowndead—don'tYOUknowthat?"
"Yes,Ireckonthat'sso."
Theycontinuedtowhisperforsomelittletime.Presentlyadogsetupalong,lugubrioushowljustoutside—withintenfeetofthem.Theboysclaspedeachothersuddenly,inanagonyoffright.
"Whichofusdoeshemean?"gaspedHuckleberry.
"Idono—peepthroughthecrack.Quick!"
"No,YOU,Tom!"
"Ican't—Ican'tDOit,Huck!"
"Please,Tom.There'tisagain!"
"Oh,lordy,I'mthankful!"whisperedTom."Iknowhisvoice.It'sBullHarbison."*
[*IfMr.HarbisonownedaslavenamedBull,Tomwouldhavespokenofhimas"Harbison'sBull,"butasonoradogofthatnamewas"BullHarbison."]
"Oh,that'sgood—Itellyou,Tom,Iwasmostscaredtodeath;I'dabetanythingitwasaSTRAYdog."
Thedoghowledagain.Theboys'heartssankoncemore.
"Oh,my!thatain'tnoBullHarbison!"whisperedHuckleberry."DO,Tom!"
Tom,quakingwithfear,yielded,andputhiseyetothecrack.Hiswhisperwashardlyaudiblewhenhesaid:
"Oh,Huck,ITSASTRAYDOG!"
"Quick,Tom,quick!Whodoeshemean?"
"Huck,hemustmeanusboth—we'rerighttogether."
"Oh,Tom,Ireckonwe'regoners.Ireckonthereain'tnomistake'boutwhereI'LLgoto.Ibeensowicked."
"Dadfetchit!Thiscomesofplayinghookeyanddoingeverythingafeller'stoldNOTtodo.
Imightabeengood,likeSid,ifI'datried—butno,Iwouldn't,ofcourse.
ButifeverIgetoffthistime,IlayI'lljustWALLERinSunday–schools!"AndTombegantosnufflealittle.
"YOUbad!"andHuckleberrybegantosnuffletoo."Consoundit,TomSawyer,you'rejustoldpie,'longsideo'whatIam.Oh,LORDY,lordy,lordy,IwishtIonlyhadhalfyourchance."
Tomchokedoffandwhispered:
"Look,Hucky,look!He'sgothisBACKtous!"
Huckylooked,withjoyinhisheart.
"Well,hehas,byjingoes!Didhebefore?"
"Yes,hedid.ButI,likeafool,neverthought.Oh,thisisbully,youknow.NOWwhocanhemean?"
Thehowlingstopped.Tomprickeduphisears.
"Sh!What'sthat?"hewhispered.
"Soundslike—likehogsgrunting.No—it'ssomebodysnoring,Tom."
"ThatISit!Where'boutsisit,Huck?"
"Ibleeveit'sdownat'totherend.Soundsso,anyway.
Papusedtosleepthere,sometimes,'longwiththehogs,butlawsblessyou,hejustliftsthingswhenHEsnores.
Besides,Ireckonheain'tevercomingbacktothistownanymore."
Thespiritofadventureroseintheboys'soulsoncemore.
"Hucky,doyoudas'ttogoifIlead?"
"Idon'tliketo,much.Tom,s'poseit'sInjunJoe!"
Tomquailed.Butpresentlythetemptationroseupstrongagainandtheboysagreedtotry,withtheunderstandingthattheywouldtaketotheirheelsifthesnoringstopped.
Sotheywenttiptoeingstealthilydown,theonebehindtheother.
Whentheyhadgottowithinfivestepsofthesnorer,Tomsteppedonastick,anditbrokewithasharpsnap.
Themanmoaned,writhedalittle,andhisfacecameintothemoonlight.ItwasMuffPotter.
Theboys'heartshadstoodstill,andtheirhopestoo,whenthemanmoved,buttheirfearspassedawaynow.
Theytiptoedout,throughthebrokenweather–boarding,andstoppedatalittledistancetoexchangeapartingword.
Thatlong,lugubrioushowlroseonthenightairagain!
TheyturnedandsawthestrangedogstandingwithinafewfeetofwherePotterwaslying,andFACINGPotter,withhisnosepointingheavenward.
"Oh,geeminy,it'sHIM!"exclaimedbothboys,inabreath.
"Say,Tom—theysayastraydogcomehowlingaroundJohnnyMiller'shouse,'boutmidnight,asmuchastwoweeksago;andawhippoorwillcomeinandlitonthebanistersandsung,theverysameevening;andthereain'tanybodydeadthereyet."
"Well,Iknowthat.Andsupposethereain't.Didn'tGracieMillerfallinthekitchenfireandburnherselfterribletheverynextSaturday?"
"Yes,butsheain'tDEAD.Andwhat'smore,she'sgettingbetter,too."
"Allright,youwaitandsee.She'sagoner,justasdeadsureasMuffPotter'sagoner.That'swhattheniggerssay,andtheyknowallaboutthesekindofthings,Huck."
Thentheyseparated,cogitating.WhenTomcreptinathisbedroomwindowthenightwasalmostspent.
Heundressedwithexcessivecaution,andfellasleepcongratulatinghimselfthatnobodyknewofhisescapade.
Hewasnotawarethatthegently–snoringSidwasawake,andhadbeensoforanhour.
WhenTomawoke,Sidwasdressedandgone.
Therewasalatelookinthelight,alatesenseintheatmosphere.Hewasstartled.
Whyhadhenotbeencalled—persecutedtillhewasup,asusual?Thethoughtfilledhimwithbodings.
Withinfiveminuteshewasdressedanddown–stairs,feelingsoreanddrowsy.
Thefamilywerestillattable,buttheyhadfinishedbreakfast.
Therewasnovoiceofrebuke;buttherewereavertedeyes;therewasasilenceandanairofsolemnitythatstruckachilltotheculprit'sheart.
Hesatdownandtriedtoseemgay,butitwasup–hillwork;itrousednosmile,noresponse,andhelapsedintosilenceandlethisheartsinkdowntothedepths.
Afterbreakfasthisaunttookhimaside,andTomalmostbrightenedinthehopethathewasgoingtobeflogged;butitwasnotso.
Hisauntweptoverhimandaskedhimhowhecouldgoandbreakheroldheartso;andfinallytoldhimtogoon,andruinhimselfandbringhergrayhairswithsorrowtothegrave,foritwasnouseforhertotryanymore.
Thiswasworsethanathousandwhippings,andTom'sheartwassorernowthanhisbody.
Hecried,hepleadedforforgiveness,promisedtoreformoverandoveragain,andthenreceivedhisdismissal,feelingthathehadwonbutanimperfectforgivenessandestablishedbutafeebleconfidence.
HeleftthepresencetoomiserabletoevenfeelrevengefultowardSid;andsothelatter'spromptretreatthroughthebackgatewasunnecessary.
Hemopedtoschoolgloomyandsad,andtookhisflogging,alongwithJoeHarper,forplayinghookeythedaybefore,withtheairofonewhoseheartwasbusywithheavierwoesandwhollydeadtotrifles.
Thenhebetookhimselftohisseat,restedhiselbowsonhisdeskandhisjawsinhishands,andstaredatthewallwiththestonystareofsufferingthathasreachedthelimitandcannofurthergo.
Hiselbowwaspressingagainstsomehardsubstance.
Afteralongtimeheslowlyandsadlychangedhisposition,andtookupthisobjectwithasigh.Itwasinapaper.Heunrolledit.
Along,lingering,colossalsighfollowed,andhisheartbroke.Itwashisbrassandironknob!
Thisfinalfeatherbrokethecamel'sback.
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