English
THEadventureofthedaymightilytormentedTom'sdreamsthatnight.
Fourtimeshehadhishandsonthatrichtreasureandfourtimesitwastedtonothingnessinhisfingersassleepforsookhimandwakefulnessbroughtbackthehardrealityofhismisfortune.
Ashelayintheearlymorningrecallingtheincidentsofhisgreatadventure,henoticedthattheyseemedcuriouslysubduedandfaraway—somewhatasiftheyhadhappenedinanotherworld,orinatimelonggoneby.
Thenitoccurredtohimthatthegreatadventureitselfmustbeadream!
Therewasoneverystrongargumentinfavorofthisidea—namely,thatthequantityofcoinhehadseenwastoovasttobereal.
Hehadneverseenasmuchasfiftydollarsinonemassbefore,andhewaslikeallboysofhisageandstationinlife,inthatheimaginedthatallreferencesto"hundreds"and"thousands"weremerefancifulformsofspeech,andthatnosuchsumsreallyexistedintheworld.
Heneverhadsupposedforamomentthatsolargeasumasahundreddollarswastobefoundinactualmoneyinanyone'spossession.
Ifhisnotionsofhiddentreasurehadbeenanalyzed,theywouldhavebeenfoundtoconsistofahandfulofrealdimesandabushelofvague,splendid,ungraspabledollars.
Buttheincidentsofhisadventuregrewsensiblysharperandclearerundertheattritionofthinkingthemover,andsohepresentlyfoundhimselfleaningtotheimpressionthatthethingmightnothavebeenadream,afterall.Thisuncertaintymustbesweptaway.
HewouldsnatchahurriedbreakfastandgoandfindHuck.
Huckwassittingonthegunwaleofaflatboat,listlesslydanglinghisfeetinthewaterandlookingverymelancholy.
TomconcludedtoletHuckleaduptothesubject.
Ifhedidnotdoit,thentheadventurewouldbeprovedtohavebeenonlyadream.
"Hello,Huck!"
"Hello,yourself."
Silence,foraminute.
"Tom,ifwe'd'a'lefttheblametoolsatthedeadtree,we'd'a'gotthemoney.Oh,ain'titawful!"
"'Tain'tadream,then,'tain'tadream!SomehowImostwishitwas.Dog'difIdon't,Huck."
"Whatain'tadream?"
"Oh,thatthingyesterday.Ibeenhalfthinkingitwas."
"Dream!Ifthemstairshadn'tbrokedownyou'd'a'seenhowmuchdreamitwas!I'vehaddreamsenoughallnight—withthatpatch–eyedSpanishdevilgoingformeallthrough'em—rothim!"
"No,notrothim.FINDhim!Trackthemoney!"
"Tom,we'llneverfindhim.Afellerdon'thaveonlyonechanceforsuchapile—andthatone'slost.I'dfeelmightyshakyifIwastoseehim,anyway."
"Well,so'dI;butI'dliketoseehim,anyway—andtrackhimout—tohisNumberTwo."
"NumberTwo—yes,that'sit.Ibeenthinking'boutthat.ButIcan'tmakenothingoutofit.Whatdoyoureckonitis?"
"Idono.It'stoodeep.Say,Huck—maybeit'sthenumberofahouse!"
"Goody!...No,Tom,thatain'tit.Ifitis,itain'tinthisone–horsetown.Theyain'tnonumbershere."
"Well,that'sso.Lemmethinkaminute.Here—it'sthenumberofaroom—inatavern,youknow!"
"Oh,that'sthetrick!Theyain'tonlytwotaverns.Wecanfindoutquick."
"Youstayhere,Huck,tillIcome."
Tomwasoffatonce.HedidnotcaretohaveHuck'scompanyinpublicplaces.Hewasgonehalfanhour.
Hefoundthatinthebesttavern,No.2hadlongbeenoccupiedbyayounglawyer,andwasstillsooccupied.
Inthelessostentatioushouse,No.2wasamystery.
Thetavern–keeper'syoungsonsaiditwaskeptlockedallthetime,andheneversawanybodygointoitorcomeoutofitexceptatnight;hedidnotknowanyparticularreasonforthisstateofthings;hadhadsomelittlecuriosity,butitwasratherfeeble;hadmadethemostofthemysterybyentertaininghimselfwiththeideathatthatroomwas"ha'nted";hadnoticedthattherewasalightintherethenightbefore.
"That'swhatI'vefoundout,Huck.Ireckonthat'stheveryNo.2we'reafter."
"Ireckonitis,Tom.Nowwhatyougoingtodo?"
"Lemmethink."
Tomthoughtalongtime.Thenhesaid:
"I'lltellyou.ThebackdoorofthatNo.2isthedoorthatcomesoutintothatlittleclosealleybetweenthetavernandtheoldrattletrapofabrickstore.
Nowyougetholdofallthedoor–keysyoucanfind,andI'llnipallofauntie's,andthefirstdarknightwe'llgothereandtry'em.
Andmindyou,keepalookoutforInjunJoe,becausehesaidhewasgoingtodropintotownandspyaroundoncemoreforachancetogethisrevenge.
Ifyouseehim,youjustfollowhim;andifhedon'tgotothatNo.2,thatain'ttheplace."
"Lordy,Idon'twanttofollerhimbymyself!"
"Why,it'llbenight,sure.Hemightn'teverseeyou—andifhedid,maybehe'dneverthinkanything."
"Well,ifit'sprettydarkIreckonI'lltrackhim.Idono—Idono.I'lltry."
"YoubetI'llfollowhim,ifit'sdark,Huck.Why,hemight'a'foundouthecouldn'tgethisrevenge,andbegoingrightafterthatmoney."
"It'sso,Tom,it'sso.I'llfollerhim;Iwill,byjingoes!"
"Nowyou'reTALKING!Don'tyoueverweaken,Huck,andIwon't."
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