English
ATlastthesleepyatmospherewasstirred—andvigorously:themurdertrialcameoninthecourt.
Itbecametheabsorbingtopicofvillagetalkimmediately.Tomcouldnotgetawayfromit.
Everyreferencetothemurdersentashuddertohisheart,forhistroubledconscienceandfearsalmostpersuadedhimthattheseremarkswereputforthinhishearingas"feelers";hedidnotseehowhecouldbesuspectedofknowinganythingaboutthemurder,butstillhecouldnotbecomfortableinthemidstofthisgossip.
Itkepthiminacoldshiverallthetime.
HetookHucktoalonelyplacetohaveatalkwithhim.
Itwouldbesomerelieftounsealhistongueforalittlewhile;todividehisburdenofdistresswithanothersufferer.
Moreover,hewantedtoassurehimselfthatHuckhadremaineddiscreet.
"Huck,haveyouevertoldanybodyabout—that?"
"'Boutwhat?"
"Youknowwhat."
"Oh—'courseIhaven't."
"Neveraword?"
"Neverasolitaryword,sohelpme.Whatmakesyouask?"
"Well,Iwasafeard."
"Why,TomSawyer,wewouldn'tbealivetwodaysifthatgotfoundout.YOUknowthat."
Tomfeltmorecomfortable.Afterapause:
"Huck,theycouldn'tanybodygetyoutotell,couldthey?"
"Getmetotell?Why,ifIwantedthathalf–breeddeviltodrowndmetheycouldgetmetotell.Theyain'tnodifferentway."
"Well,that'sallright,then.Ireckonwe'resafeaslongaswekeepmum.Butlet'sswearagain,anyway.It'smoresurer."
"I'magreed."
Sotheysworeagainwithdreadsolemnities.
"Whatisthetalkaround,Huck?I'veheardapowerofit."
"Talk?Well,it'sjustMuffPotter,MuffPotter,MuffPotterallthetime.Itkeepsmeinasweat,constant,so'sIwanttohidesom'ers."
"That'sjustthesamewaytheygoonroundme.Ireckonhe'sagoner.Don'tyoufeelsorryforhim,sometimes?"
"Mostalways—mostalways.Heain'tnoaccount;butthenhehain'teverdoneanythingtohurtanybody.
Justfishesalittle,togetmoneytogetdrunkon—andloafsaroundconsiderable;butlord,wealldothat—leastwaysmostofus—preachersandsuchlike.
Buthe'skindofgood—hegivemehalfafish,once,whentherewarn'tenoughfortwo;andlotsoftimeshe'skindofstoodbymewhenIwasoutofluck."
"Well,he'smendedkitesforme,Huck,andknittedhooksontomyline.Iwishwecouldgethimoutofthere."
"My!wecouldn'tgethimout,Tom.Andbesides,'twouldn'tdoanygood;they'dketchhimagain."
"Yes—sotheywould.ButIhatetohear'emabusehimsolikethedickenswhenheneverdone—that."
"Idotoo,Tom.Lord,Ihear'emsayhe'sthebloodiestlookingvillaininthiscountry,andtheywonderhewasn'teverhungbefore."
"Yes,theytalklikethat,allthetime.I'veheard'emsaythatifhewastogetfreethey'dlynchhim."
"Andthey'ddoit,too."
Theboyshadalongtalk,butitbroughtthemlittlecomfort.
Asthetwilightdrewon,theyfoundthemselveshangingabouttheneighborhoodofthelittleisolatedjail,perhapswithanundefinedhopethatsomethingwouldhappenthatmightclearawaytheirdifficulties.
Butnothinghappened;thereseemedtobenoangelsorfairiesinterestedinthislucklesscaptive.
Theboysdidastheyhadoftendonebefore—wenttothecellgratingandgavePottersometobaccoandmatches.Hewasonthegroundfloorandtherewerenoguards.
Hisgratitudefortheirgiftshadalwayssmotetheirconsciencesbefore—itcutdeeperthanever,thistime.TheyfeltcowardlyandtreacheroustothelastdegreewhenPottersaid:
"You'vebeenmightygoodtome,boys—better'nanybodyelseinthistown.AndIdon'tforgetit,Idon't.
OftenIsaystomyself,saysI,'Iusedtomendalltheboys'kitesandthings,andshow'emwherethegoodfishin'placeswas,andbefriend'emwhatIcould,andnowthey'veallforgotoldMuffwhenhe'sintrouble;butTomdon't,andHuckdon't—THEYdon'tforgethim,saysI,'andIdon'tforgetthem.'
Well,boys,Idoneanawfulthing—drunkandcrazyatthetime—that'stheonlywayIaccountforit—andnowIgottoswingforit,andit'sright.
Right,andBEST,too,Ireckon—hopeso,anyway.Well,wewon'ttalkaboutthat.
Idon'twanttomakeYOUfeelbad;you'vebefriendedme.
ButwhatIwanttosay,is,don'tYOUevergetdrunk—thenyouwon'tevergethere.
Standalitterfurderwest—so—that'sit;it'saprimecomforttoseefacesthat'sfriendlywhenabody'sinsuchamuckoftrouble,andtheredon'tnonecomeherebutyourn.
Goodfriendlyfaces—goodfriendlyfaces.
Gitupononeanother'sbacksandletmetouch'em.That'sit.
Shakehands—yourn'llcomethroughthebars,butmine'stoobig.
Littlehands,andweak—butthey'vehelpedMuffPotterapower,andthey'dhelphimmoreiftheycould."
Tomwenthomemiserable,andhisdreamsthatnightwerefullofhorrors.
Thenextdayandthedayafter,hehungaboutthecourt–room,drawnbyanalmostirresistibleimpulsetogoin,butforcinghimselftostayout.Huckwashavingthesameexperience.Theystudiouslyavoidedeachother.
Eachwanderedaway,fromtimetotime,butthesamedismalfascinationalwaysbroughtthembackpresently.
Tomkepthisearsopenwhenidlerssaunteredoutofthecourt–room,butinvariablyhearddistressingnews—thetoilswereclosingmoreandmorerelentlesslyaroundpoorPotter.
AttheendoftheseconddaythevillagetalkwastotheeffectthatInjunJoe'sevidencestoodfirmandunshaken,andthattherewasnottheslightestquestionastowhatthejury'sverdictwouldbe.
Tomwasoutlate,thatnight,andcametobedthroughthewindow.
Hewasinatremendousstateofexcitement.Itwashoursbeforehegottosleep.
Allthevillageflockedtothecourt–housethenextmorning,forthiswastobethegreatday.
Bothsexeswereaboutequallyrepresentedinthepackedaudience.
Afteralongwaitthejuryfiledinandtooktheirplaces;shortlyafterward,Potter,paleandhaggard,timidandhopeless,wasbroughtin,withchainsuponhim,andseatedwhereallthecuriouseyescouldstareathim;nolessconspicuouswasInjunJoe,stolidasever.
Therewasanotherpause,andthenthejudgearrivedandthesheriffproclaimedtheopeningofthecourt.
Theusualwhisperingsamongthelawyersandgatheringtogetherofpapersfollowed.
Thesedetailsandaccompanyingdelaysworkedupanatmosphereofpreparationthatwasasimpressiveasitwasfascinating.
NowawitnesswascalledwhotestifiedthathefoundMuffPotterwashinginthebrook,atanearlyhourofthemorningthatthemurderwasdiscovered,andthatheimmediatelysneakedaway.
Aftersomefurtherquestioning,counselfortheprosecutionsaid:
"Takethewitness."
Theprisonerraisedhiseyesforamoment,butdroppedthemagainwhenhisowncounselsaid:
"Ihavenoquestionstoaskhim."
Thenextwitnessprovedthefindingoftheknifenearthecorpse.Counselfortheprosecutionsaid:
"Takethewitness."
"Ihavenoquestionstoaskhim,"Potter'slawyerreplied.
AthirdwitnesssworehehadoftenseentheknifeinPotter'spossession.
"Takethewitness."
CounselforPotterdeclinedtoquestionhim.Thefacesoftheaudiencebegantobetrayannoyance.Didthisattorneymeantothrowawayhisclient'slifewithoutaneffort?
SeveralwitnessesdeposedconcerningPotter'sguiltybehaviorwhenbroughttothesceneofthemurder.Theywereallowedtoleavethestandwithoutbeingcross–questioned.
Everydetailofthedamagingcircumstancesthatoccurredinthegraveyarduponthatmorningwhichallpresentrememberedsowellwasbroughtoutbycrediblewitnesses,butnoneofthemwerecross–examinedbyPotter'slawyer.
Theperplexityanddissatisfactionofthehouseexpresseditselfinmurmursandprovokedareprooffromthebench.Counselfortheprosecutionnowsaid:
"Bytheoathsofcitizenswhosesimplewordisabovesuspicion,wehavefastenedthisawfulcrime,beyondallpossibilityofquestion,upontheunhappyprisoneratthebar.Werestourcasehere."
AgroanescapedfrompoorPotter,andheputhisfaceinhishandsandrockedhisbodysoftlytoandfro,whileapainfulsilencereignedinthecourt–room.
Manymenweremoved,andmanywomen'scompassiontestifieditselfintears.Counselforthedefenceroseandsaid:
"Yourhonor,inourremarksattheopeningofthistrial,weforeshadowedourpurposetoprovethatourclientdidthisfearfuldeedwhileundertheinfluenceofablindandirresponsibledeliriumproducedbydrink.Wehavechangedourmind.Weshallnotofferthatplea."
[Thentotheclerk:]"CallThomasSawyer!"
Apuzzledamazementawokeineveryfaceinthehouse,notevenexceptingPotter's.
EveryeyefasteneditselfwithwonderinginterestuponTomasheroseandtookhisplaceuponthestand.
Theboylookedwildenough,forhewasbadlyscared.Theoathwasadministered.
"ThomasSawyer,wherewereyouontheseventeenthofJune,aboutthehourofmidnight?"
TomglancedatInjunJoe'sironfaceandhistonguefailedhim.
Theaudiencelistenedbreathless,butthewordsrefusedtocome.
Afterafewmoments,however,theboygotalittleofhisstrengthback,andmanagedtoputenoughofitintohisvoicetomakepartofthehousehear:
"Inthegraveyard!"
"Alittlebitlouder,please.Don'tbeafraid.Youwere—"
"Inthegraveyard."
AcontemptuoussmileflittedacrossInjunJoe'sface.
"WereyouanywherenearHorseWilliams'grave?"
"Yes,sir."
"Speakup—justatriflelouder.Hownearwereyou?"
"NearasIamtoyou."
"Wereyouhidden,ornot?"
"Iwashid."
"Where?"
"Behindtheelmsthat'sontheedgeofthegrave."
InjunJoegaveabarelyperceptiblestart.
"Anyonewithyou?"
"Yes,sir.Iwenttherewith—"
"Wait—waitamoment.Nevermindmentioningyourcompanion'sname.Wewillproducehimatthepropertime.Didyoucarryanythingtherewithyou."
Tomhesitatedandlookedconfused.
"Speakout,myboy—don'tbediffident.Thetruthisalwaysrespectable.Whatdidyoutakethere?"
"Onlya—a—deadcat."
Therewasarippleofmirth,whichthecourtchecked.
"Wewillproducetheskeletonofthatcat.Now,myboy,telluseverythingthatoccurred—tellitinyourownway—don'tskipanything,anddon'tbeafraid."
Tombegan—hesitatinglyatfirst,butashewarmedtohissubjecthiswordsflowedmoreandmoreeasily;inalittlewhileeverysoundceasedbuthisownvoice;everyeyefixeditselfuponhim;withpartedlipsandbatedbreaththeaudiencehunguponhiswords,takingnonoteoftime,raptintheghastlyfascinationsofthetale.
Thestrainuponpentemotionreacheditsclimaxwhentheboysaid:
"—andasthedoctorfetchedtheboardaroundandMuffPotterfell,InjunJoejumpedwiththeknifeand—"
Crash!Quickaslightningthehalf–breedsprangforawindow,torehiswaythroughallopposers,andwasgone!
Share this article to
FINISH