English
CLOSEuponthehourofnoonthewholevillagewassuddenlyelectrifiedwiththeghastlynews.
Noneedoftheasyetundreamed–oftelegraph;thetaleflewfrommantoman,fromgrouptogroup,fromhousetohouse,withlittlelessthantelegraphicspeed.
Ofcoursetheschoolmastergaveholidayforthatafternoon;thetownwouldhavethoughtstrangelyofhimifhehadnot.
Agoryknifehadbeenfoundclosetothemurderedman,andithadbeenrecognizedbysomebodyasbelongingtoMuffPotter—sothestoryran.
AnditwassaidthatabelatedcitizenhadcomeuponPotterwashinghimselfinthe"branch"aboutoneortwoo'clockinthemorning,andthatPotterhadatoncesneakedoff—suspiciouscircumstances,especiallythewashingwhichwasnotahabitwithPotter.
Itwasalsosaidthatthetownhadbeenransackedforthis"murderer"(thepublicarenotslowinthematterofsiftingevidenceandarrivingataverdict),butthathecouldnotbefound.
Horsemenhaddeparteddownalltheroadsineverydirection,andtheSheriff"wasconfident"thathewouldbecapturedbeforenight.
Allthetownwasdriftingtowardthegraveyard.
Tom'sheartbreakvanishedandhejoinedtheprocession,notbecausehewouldnotathousandtimesrathergoanywhereelse,butbecauseanawful,unaccountablefascinationdrewhimon.
Arrivedatthedreadfulplace,hewormedhissmallbodythroughthecrowdandsawthedismalspectacle.
Itseemedtohimanagesincehewastherebefore.Somebodypinchedhisarm.
Heturned,andhiseyesmetHuckleberry's.
Thenbothlookedelsewhereatonce,andwonderedifanybodyhadnoticedanythingintheirmutualglance.
Buteverybodywastalking,andintentuponthegrislyspectaclebeforethem.
"Poorfellow!""Pooryoungfellow!"
"Thisoughttobealessontograverobbers!"
"MuffPotter'llhangforthisiftheycatchhim!"
Thiswasthedriftofremark;andtheministersaid,"Itwasajudgment;Hishandishere."
NowTomshiveredfromheadtoheel;forhiseyefelluponthestolidfaceofInjunJoe.
Atthismomentthecrowdbegantoswayandstruggle,andvoicesshouted,"It'shim!it'shim!he'scominghimself!"
"Who?Who?"fromtwentyvoices.
"MuffPotter!"
"Hallo,he'sstopped!—Lookout,he'sturning!Don'tlethimgetaway!"
PeopleinthebranchesofthetreesoverTom'sheadsaidhewasn'ttryingtogetaway—heonlylookeddoubtfulandperplexed.
"Infernalimpudence!"saidabystander;"wantedtocomeandtakeaquietlookathiswork,Ireckon—didn'texpectanycompany."
Thecrowdfellapart,now,andtheSheriffcamethrough,ostentatiouslyleadingPotterbythearm.
Thepoorfellow'sfacewashaggard,andhiseyesshowedthefearthatwasuponhim.
Whenhestoodbeforethemurderedman,heshookaswithapalsy,andheputhisfaceinhishandsandburstintotears.
"Ididn'tdoit,friends,"hesobbed;"'ponmywordandhonorIneverdoneit."
"Who'saccusedyou?"shoutedavoice.
Thisshotseemedtocarryhome.Potterliftedhisfaceandlookedaroundhimwithapathetichopelessnessinhiseyes.HesawInjunJoe,andexclaimed:
"Oh,InjunJoe,youpromisedmeyou'dnever—"
"Isthatyourknife?"anditwasthrustbeforehimbytheSheriff.
Potterwouldhavefalleniftheyhadnotcaughthimandeasedhimtotheground.Thenhesaid:
"Somethingtoldme'tifIdidn'tcomebackandget—"Heshuddered;thenwavedhisnervelesshandwithavanquishedgestureandsaid,"Tell'em,Joe,tell'em—itain'tanyuseanymore."
ThenHuckleberryandTomstooddumbandstaring,andheardthestony–heartedliarreeloffhisserenestatement,theyexpectingeverymomentthattheclearskywoulddeliverGod'slightningsuponhishead,andwonderingtoseehowlongthestrokewasdelayed.
Andwhenhehadfinishedandstillstoodaliveandwhole,theirwaveringimpulsetobreaktheiroathandsavethepoorbetrayedprisoner'slifefadedandvanishedaway,forplainlythismiscreanthadsoldhimselftoSatananditwouldbefataltomeddlewiththepropertyofsuchapowerasthat.
"Whydidn'tyouleave?Whatdidyouwanttocomeherefor?"somebodysaid.
"Icouldn'thelpit—Icouldn'thelpit,"Pottermoaned."Iwantedtorunaway,butIcouldn'tseemtocomeanywherebuthere."Andhefelltosobbingagain.
InjunJoerepeatedhisstatement,justascalmly,afewminutesafterwardontheinquest,underoath;andtheboys,seeingthatthelightningswerestillwithheld,wereconfirmedintheirbeliefthatJoehadsoldhimselftothedevil.
Hewasnowbecome,tothem,themostbalefullyinterestingobjecttheyhadeverlookedupon,andtheycouldnottaketheirfascinatedeyesfromhisface.
Theyinwardlyresolvedtowatchhimnights,whenopportunityshouldoffer,inthehopeofgettingaglimpseofhisdreadmaster.
InjunJoehelpedtoraisethebodyofthemurderedmanandputitinawagonforremoval;anditwaswhisperedthroughtheshudderingcrowdthatthewoundbledalittle!
Theboysthoughtthatthishappycircumstancewouldturnsuspicionintherightdirection;buttheyweredisappointed,formorethanonevillagerremarked:
"ItwaswithinthreefeetofMuffPotterwhenitdoneit."
Tom'sfearfulsecretandgnawingconsciencedisturbedhissleepforasmuchasaweekafterthis;andatbreakfastonemorningSidsaid:
"Tom,youpitcharoundandtalkinyoursleepsomuchthatyoukeepmeawakehalfthetime."
Tomblanchedanddroppedhiseyes.
"It'sabadsign,"saidAuntPolly,gravely."Whatyougotonyourmind,Tom?"
"Nothing.Nothing'tIknowof."Buttheboy'shandshooksothathespilledhiscoffee.
"Andyoudotalksuchstuff,"Sidsaid."Lastnightyousaid,'It'sblood,it'sblood,that'swhatitis!'Yousaidthatoverandover.
Andyousaid,'Don'ttormentmeso—I'lltell!'TellWHAT?Whatisityou'lltell?"
EverythingwasswimmingbeforeTom.Thereisnotellingwhatmighthavehappened,now,butluckilytheconcernpassedoutofAuntPolly'sfaceandshecametoTom'sreliefwithoutknowingit.Shesaid:
"Sho!It'sthatdreadfulmurder.Idreamaboutitmosteverynightmyself.SometimesIdreamit'smethatdoneit."
Marysaidshehadbeenaffectedmuchthesameway.Sidseemedsatisfied.
Tomgotoutofthepresenceasquickasheplausiblycould,andafterthathecomplainedoftoothacheforaweek,andtieduphisjawseverynight.
HeneverknewthatSidlaynightlywatching,andfrequentlyslippedthebandagefreeandthenleanedonhiselbowlisteningagoodwhileatatime,andafterwardslippedthebandagebacktoitsplaceagain.
Tom'sdistressofmindworeoffgraduallyandthetoothachegrewirksomeandwasdiscarded.
IfSidreallymanagedtomakeanythingoutofTom'sdisjointedmutterings,hekeptittohimself.
ItseemedtoTomthathisschoolmatesneverwouldgetdoneholdinginquestsondeadcats,andthuskeepinghistroublepresenttohismind.
SidnoticedthatTomneverwascoroneratoneoftheseinquiries,thoughithadbeenhishabittotaketheleadinallnewenterprises;henoticed,too,thatTomneveractedasawitness—andthatwasstrange;andSiddidnotoverlookthefactthatTomevenshowedamarkedaversiontotheseinquests,andalwaysavoidedthemwhenhecould.Sidmarvelled,butsaidnothing.
However,eveninquestswentoutofvogueatlast,andceasedtotortureTom'sconscience.
Everydayortwo,duringthistimeofsorrow,Tomwatchedhisopportunityandwenttothelittlegratedjail–windowandsmuggledsuchsmallcomfortsthroughtothe"murderer"ashecouldgetholdof.
Thejailwasatriflinglittlebrickdenthatstoodinamarshattheedgeofthevillage,andnoguardswereaffordedforit;indeed,itwasseldomoccupied.
TheseofferingsgreatlyhelpedtoeaseTom'sconscience.
Thevillagershadastrongdesiretotar–and–featherInjunJoeandridehimonarail,forbody–snatching,butsoformidablewashischaracterthatnobodycouldbefoundwhowaswillingtotaketheleadinthematter,soitwasdropped.
Hehadbeencarefultobeginbothofhisinquest–statementswiththefight,withoutconfessingthegrave–robberythatprecededit;thereforeitwasdeemedwisestnottotrythecaseinthecourtsatpresent.
Share this article to
FINISH