English
WHENTomawokeinthemorning,hewonderedwherehewas.
Hesatupandrubbedhiseyesandlookedaround.Thenhecomprehended.
Itwasthecoolgraydawn,andtherewasadelicioussenseofreposeandpeaceinthedeeppervadingcalmandsilenceofthewoods.
Notaleafstirred;notasoundobtrudedupongreatNature'smeditation.
Beadeddewdropsstoodupontheleavesandgrasses.
Awhitelayerofashescoveredthefire,andathinbluebreathofsmokerosestraightintotheair.JoeandHuckstillslept.
Now,farawayinthewoodsabirdcalled;anotheranswered;presentlythehammeringofawoodpeckerwasheard.
Graduallythecooldimgrayofthemorningwhitened,andasgraduallysoundsmultipliedandlifemanifesteditself.
ThemarvelofNatureshakingoffsleepandgoingtoworkunfoldeditselftothemusingboy.
Alittlegreenwormcamecrawlingoveradewyleaf,liftingtwo–thirdsofhisbodyintotheairfromtimetotimeand"sniffingaround,"thenproceedingagain—forhewasmeasuring,Tomsaid;andwhenthewormapproachedhim,ofitsownaccord,hesatasstillasastone,withhishopesrisingandfalling,byturns,asthecreaturestillcametowardhimorseemedinclinedtogoelsewhere;andwhenatlastitconsideredapainfulmomentwithitscurvedbodyintheairandthencamedecisivelydownuponTom'slegandbeganajourneyoverhim,hiswholeheartwasglad—forthatmeantthathewasgoingtohaveanewsuitofclothes—withouttheshadowofadoubtagaudypiraticaluniform.
Nowaprocessionofantsappeared,fromnowhereinparticular,andwentabouttheirlabors;onestruggledmanfullybywithadeadspiderfivetimesasbigasitselfinitsarms,andluggeditstraightupatree–trunk.
Abrownspottedlady–bugclimbedthedizzyheightofagrassblade,andTombentdownclosetoitandsaid,"Lady–bug,lady–bug,flyawayhome,yourhouseisonfire,yourchildren'salone,"andshetookwingandwentofftoseeaboutit—whichdidnotsurprisetheboy,forheknewofoldthatthisinsectwascredulousaboutconflagrations,andhehadpractiseduponitssimplicitymorethanonce.
Atumblebugcamenext,heavingsturdilyatitsball,andTomtouchedthecreature,toseeitshutitslegsagainstitsbodyandpretendtobedead.
Thebirdswerefairlyriotingbythistime.
Acatbird,theNorthernmocker,litinatreeoverTom'shead,andtrilledoutherimitationsofherneighborsinaraptureofenjoyment;thenashrilljaysweptdown,aflashofblueflame,andstoppedonatwigalmostwithintheboy'sreach,cockedhisheadtoonesideandeyedthestrangerswithaconsumingcuriosity;agraysquirrelandabigfellowofthe"fox"kindcameskurryingalong,sittingupatintervalstoinspectandchatterattheboys,forthewildthingshadprobablyneverseenahumanbeingbeforeandscarcelyknewwhethertobeafraidornot.
AllNaturewaswideawakeandstirring,now;longlancesofsunlightpierceddownthroughthedensefoliagefarandnear,andafewbutterfliescameflutteringuponthescene.
Tomstirreduptheotherpiratesandtheyallclatteredawaywithashout,andinaminuteortwowerestrippedandchasingafterandtumblingovereachotherintheshallowlimpidwaterofthewhitesandbar.
Theyfeltnolongingforthelittlevillagesleepinginthedistancebeyondthemajesticwasteofwater.
Avagrantcurrentoraslightriseintheriverhadcarriedofftheirraft,butthisonlygratifiedthem,sinceitsgoingwassomethinglikeburningthebridgebetweenthemandcivilization.
Theycamebacktocampwonderfullyrefreshed,glad–hearted,andravenous;andtheysoonhadthecamp–fireblazingupagain.
Huckfoundaspringofclearcoldwatercloseby,andtheboysmadecupsofbroadoakorhickoryleaves,andfeltthatwater,sweetenedwithsuchawildwoodcharmasthat,wouldbeagoodenoughsubstituteforcoffee.
WhileJoewasslicingbaconforbreakfast,TomandHuckaskedhimtoholdonaminute;theysteppedtoapromisingnookintheriver–bankandthrewintheirlines;almostimmediatelytheyhadreward.
Joehadnothadtimetogetimpatientbeforetheywerebackagainwithsomehandsomebass,acoupleofsun–perchandasmallcatfish—provisionsenoughforquiteafamily.
Theyfriedthefishwiththebacon,andwereastonished;fornofishhadeverseemedsodeliciousbefore.
Theydidnotknowthatthequickerafresh–waterfishisonthefireafterheiscaughtthebetterheis;andtheyreflectedlittleuponwhatasauceopen–airsleeping,open–airexercise,bathing,andalargeingredientofhungermake,too.
Theylayaroundintheshade,afterbreakfast,whileHuckhadasmoke,andthenwentoffthroughthewoodsonanexploringexpedition.
Theytrampedgaylyalong,overdecayinglogs,throughtangledunderbrush,amongsolemnmonarchsoftheforest,hungfromtheircrownstothegroundwithadroopingregaliaofgrape–vines.
Nowandthentheycameuponsnugnookscarpetedwithgrassandjeweledwithflowers.
Theyfoundplentyofthingstobedelightedwith,butnothingtobeastonishedat.
Theydiscoveredthattheislandwasaboutthreemileslongandaquarterofamilewide,andthattheshoreitlayclosesttowasonlyseparatedfromitbyanarrowchannelhardlytwohundredyardswide.
Theytookaswimabouteveryhour,soitwascloseuponthemiddleoftheafternoonwhentheygotbacktocamp.
Theyweretoohungrytostoptofish,buttheyfaredsumptuouslyuponcoldham,andthenthrewthemselvesdownintheshadetotalk.
Butthetalksoonbegantodrag,andthendied.
Thestillness,thesolemnitythatbroodedinthewoods,andthesenseofloneliness,begantotelluponthespiritsoftheboys.Theyfelltothinking.
Asortofundefinedlongingcreptuponthem.
Thistookdimshape,presently—itwasbuddinghomesickness.
EvenFinntheRed–Handedwasdreamingofhisdoorstepsandemptyhogsheads.
Buttheywereallashamedoftheirweakness,andnonewasbraveenoughtospeakhisthought.
Forsometime,now,theboyshadbeendullyconsciousofapeculiarsoundinthedistance,justasonesometimesisofthetickingofaclockwhichhetakesnodistinctnoteof.
Butnowthismysterioussoundbecamemorepronounced,andforcedarecognition.
Theboysstarted,glancedateachother,andtheneachassumedalisteningattitude.
Therewasalongsilence,profoundandunbroken;thenadeep,sullenboomcamefloatingdownoutofthedistance.
"Whatisit!"exclaimedJoe,underhisbreath.
"Iwonder,"saidTominawhisper.
"'Tain'tthunder,"saidHuckleberry,inanawedtone,"becuzthunder—"
"Hark!"saidTom."Listen—don'ttalk."
Theywaitedatimethatseemedanage,andthenthesamemuffledboomtroubledthesolemnhush.
"Let'sgoandsee."
Theysprangtotheirfeetandhurriedtotheshoretowardthetown.
Theypartedthebushesonthebankandpeeredoutoverthewater.
Thelittlesteamferryboatwasaboutamilebelowthevillage,driftingwiththecurrent.
Herbroaddeckseemedcrowdedwithpeople.
Therewereagreatmanyskiffsrowingaboutorfloatingwiththestreamintheneighborhoodoftheferryboat,buttheboyscouldnotdeterminewhatthemeninthemweredoing.
Presentlyagreatjetofwhitesmokeburstfromtheferryboat'sside,andasitexpandedandroseinalazycloud,thatsamedullthrobofsoundwasbornetothelistenersagain.
"Iknownow!"exclaimedTom;"somebody'sdrownded!"
"That'sit!"saidHuck;"theydonethatlastsummer,whenBillTurnergotdrownded;theyshootacannonoverthewater,andthatmakeshimcomeuptothetop.
Yes,andtheytakeloavesofbreadandputquicksilverin'emandset'emafloat,andwhereverthere'sanybodythat'sdrownded,they'llfloatrightthereandstop."
"Yes,I'veheardaboutthat,"saidJoe."Iwonderwhatmakesthebreaddothat."
"Oh,itain'tthebread,somuch,"saidTom;"Ireckonit'smostlywhattheySAYoveritbeforetheystartitout."
"Buttheydon'tsayanythingoverit,"saidHuck."I'veseen'emandtheydon't."
"Well,that'sfunny,"saidTom."Butmaybetheysayittothemselves.OfCOURSEtheydo.Anybodymightknowthat."
TheotherboysagreedthattherewasreasoninwhatTomsaid,becauseanignorantlumpofbread,uninstructedbyanincantation,couldnotbeexpectedtoactveryintelligentlywhensetuponanerrandofsuchgravity.
"Byjings,IwishIwasoverthere,now,"saidJoe.
"Idotoo"saidHuck"I'dgiveheapstoknowwhoitis."
Theboysstilllistenedandwatched.PresentlyarevealingthoughtflashedthroughTom'smind,andheexclaimed:
"Boys,Iknowwho'sdrownded—it'sus!"
Theyfeltlikeheroesinaninstant.Herewasagorgeoustriumph;theyweremissed;theyweremourned;heartswerebreakingontheiraccount;tearswerebeingshed;accusingmemoriesofunkindnesstothesepoorlostladswererisingup,andunavailingregretsandremorsewerebeingindulged;andbestofall,thedepartedwerethetalkofthewholetown,andtheenvyofalltheboys,asfarasthisdazzlingnotorietywasconcerned.
Thiswasfine.
Itwasworthwhiletobeapirate,afterall.
Astwilightdrewon,theferryboatwentbacktoheraccustomedbusinessandtheskiffsdisappeared.Thepiratesreturnedtocamp.
Theywerejubilantwithvanityovertheirnewgrandeurandtheillustrioustroubletheyweremaking.
Theycaughtfish,cookedsupperandateit,andthenfelltoguessingatwhatthevillagewasthinkingandsayingaboutthem;andthepicturestheydrewofthepublicdistressontheiraccountweregratifyingtolookupon—fromtheirpointofview.
Butwhentheshadowsofnightclosedthemin,theygraduallyceasedtotalk,andsatgazingintothefire,withtheirmindsevidentlywanderingelsewhere.
Theexcitementwasgone,now,andTomandJoecouldnotkeepbackthoughtsofcertainpersonsathomewhowerenotenjoyingthisfinefrolicasmuchastheywere.
Misgivingscame;theygrewtroubledandunhappy;asighortwoescaped,unawares.
ByandbyJoetimidlyventureduponaroundabout"feeler"astohowtheothersmightlookuponareturntocivilization—notrightnow,but—
Tomwitheredhimwithderision!Huck,beinguncommittedasyet,joinedinwithTom,andthewavererquickly"explained,"andwasgladtogetoutofthescrapewithaslittletaintofchicken–heartedhomesicknessclingingtohisgarmentsashecould.
Mutinywaseffectuallylaidtorestforthemoment.
Asthenightdeepened,Huckbegantonod,andpresentlytosnore.Joefollowednext.
Tomlayuponhiselbowmotionless,forsometime,watchingthetwointently.
Atlasthegotupcautiously,onhisknees,andwentsearchingamongthegrassandtheflickeringreflectionsflungbythecamp–fire.
Hepickedupandinspectedseverallargesemi–cylindersofthethinwhitebarkofasycamore,andfinallychosetwowhichseemedtosuithim.
Thenhekneltbythefireandpainfullywrotesomethinguponeachofthesewithhis"redkeel";oneherolledupandputinhisjacketpocket,andtheotherheputinJoe'shatandremovedittoalittledistancefromtheowner.
Andhealsoputintothehatcertainschoolboytreasuresofalmostinestimablevalue—amongthemalumpofchalk,anIndia–rubberball,threefishhooks,andoneofthatkindofmarblesknownasa"sure'noughcrystal."
Thenhetiptoedhiswaycautiouslyamongthetreestillhefeltthathewasoutofhearing,andstraightwaybrokeintoakeenruninthedirectionofthesandbar.
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