"MD@^R)Produced by David Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOST of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own, the rest those of boys who were schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combina characteristics of threem I knew, and therefore belongs to<"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched upon A allalent among children and slavese West atbperiodis story--that isay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myis intended mainly fornentertainmentand girls, I hope it will not be shunn1menVwomen on account, for par\my plan has been to tr y to pleasantly remind adults of what they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}what queerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles dowlooked ovebam abou room; then she pAm up:cut und?. She seldom or never+THROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pair,pride ofRheartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8Aaid,fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to hear: "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,"byTAtimewVnding punching undD bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seI beat of!qwent to open door and stood in iR ut among the tomato vines6"jimpson" weedspconstitute garden. No Tom. S lifted up voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m5'a'closet. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--tjeit is. Forty>s I've said if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.a hoverair--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!XrwhirledTnatch kirts out oS f danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappeared over it. Hisc Pollysurprised a moment,then broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anything? Ain't he playericks enough lik1forAo beq1ing0rfor him6!is? But old fools is0biggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to " w1comHe 'pears!just how long  n torment me before I gedander uphe knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againI1hita lick. I afcmy dut!at&the Lord's truth,bb. Sparx1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's fullG(e Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor pI ain't(A gotAhear lash him, somehow. EveryR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-well, man  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, nish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanB els I've GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideAd a +AgoodmA. Heback home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already thrAwithDpart2work (piGcking up chips),ra quiet-and had noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>L7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s"ntxAtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkmysterious diplomacy0qhe lovecontemplate her*transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'Didn't you wanSgo in a-swimmNTom?" A bia scare sh%Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolWBnotho he said: "No'm-y2notAmuch!helady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ! n hough." And it flatteredato reflects2adiscov'pthat th0ey1dryout anybody knowingGVHas wU!intmind. Butpite of her knew where the wind lay, nowZforestalledcrmight b3next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlookedv circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He open]s@b. His 4as securelyQ. "B! Well, go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, assaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Ss half sorrysagacitymiscarried ,3gla?Tom had stumbled\obedient conduconce. But SidneyIDif I52you{Pith white t+hread, but it's black." "Why,Or sew itwhite! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiudoor heSiddy, I'll lic1forh5." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust\ the lapels1d t bound abouTm--on^  21andSotherH' Hhe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Withinminutes, or even less, forgotten alls. Not becauseV1oneP heavy and bitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%AdrovmS!of1min0time--just as mefn's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negrohGsuffering to practise it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it, if!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFt#ee3hisfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFAwithEboy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyustle. A strangerbefore him-- a shader'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curioZ"si the poor little shabby villLf St. Petersburg boy was well dress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabouew and natty"sohis pantaloons. He had shoes on--and iGonly FriHe even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher haed up ose at his finerqhabbier(1ier)own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, circle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd  o see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(rcan't, 2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"of business, maybe." "Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0Well why don't youhI\ say much, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I could with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY aI WILLTyou fool~1 meYOh yes--I've seen whole familiesDsame fix5qSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll takeb!re suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+ ; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>@? It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3, and morea eyingAsidl round each  Presently they were shoulder to . Tom said: "Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo 4 ei81So ybstood,,with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.1ellRig brohe can thrash!thlittle finger.make him do it, toRI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Bothasimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#soAit sTom drew a lineBdust1hisi"to{ qFstepZAlick5't stand up. Ateal sheep." The new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's see$." "Don'tcrowd me now;better look ou0QWell,HSAIDhS--why|d?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLu." Thetook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t! g0. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb in the dirt, gritogether like cats;1for.space of a minuteRtuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3Qscratc's noscovered themselves:'ry*confusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!"B he. boy onlyggled to fre self. He was crying--mainl{rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a sm bed "'N1let!upa2Now8ll learn yZou. BnA who_re foolingnext time3ff brushingAfrom5Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying back and shakQs hea threatenhat he woulato Tom"next time he caugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feather! as soon aswas turneVn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetweeshouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homthus foundwhere he livedna position at`AgatebAsomehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4pperson O!ofeaunt; gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handledcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet/ . Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. Sigh)he dippedpassed it3C alotopmost plank; repeat AoperA; diagain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Brkwater from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remember~Eat tup$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysCgirlTb waiti!irqs, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'F op foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'z Tom gwine to ax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w/ talks. Gimme the bucket--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!licks anybody--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$1cryggive you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiRHe puC hisstook th$a&nt$tobsorbing iVnterest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flying downbstreetm and a tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompafield a slipper in her hxnd triumpheye. But Tom's energy did not lastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. Soo(free boys  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea rCtoys. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upbrush and went 5tranquilly. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodA&whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}bspeed,the middlU, leaned far over to starboarrounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginer standing Cs own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he qup slowsAward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8down his si1desZaet herW2 onz1tab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rhand, meantime, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe ?top&Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanthat stage, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2yBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchyan artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result%, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him 's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenlypJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bit,Rat do1all$?"IETHATTom resumC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comQdon'ta to le{you LIKE it?" ycontinued to moveike it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling2a sweptdaintilyU!anDqth--steI"ba<Anote\effect--addxAhere4there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlyBaid:ia, Tom,)MEgvlittle.sidered, was abouconsent;P"alnqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;-be done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o 5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&happen to it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!asful. Now leZ2mmegQSay---give youcore of my app!"W+rhere--N24, n.bafeardWALL of it!qgave upp brush with reluctance in c2aceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist sat on a barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysded alo :; they came to jeerHQremaiowA. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides4s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece ofY! blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cann2 key that wouldn't unlock any, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiCcoups adpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four pieces of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2 all. He had discoveO great law of human action,sout kno--namely, in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<Play consist_" <not obligedo. And  help him to underst!hyatructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line, insummer, becausprivilege costs them derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "yresign. Theqmused aiC oveaubstantial changch had taken place in hldly circumstancescthen w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1shepnoddingKbher kn --for sheFno company}cthe caL!itKasleep in her lap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Sz thought that of course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power againis intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4Dfindper cent. of Tom's stat true. When she fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak addthe ground,astonishmenlmost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never!a's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liby adding, "But it'sful seldom yohWu're aRI'm bsro say. go 'longlQplay;]%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokcome by the splendor of his achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself'it came without sin through virtuous effort. And whiled:3 a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skie#ou saw Sid just starting upoutside stairwayllcrooms second floor. Clodhandy and the airfull of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiescsally @%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1Tom4$thand gonerqa gate,=eneral thing h&too crowdeP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)he had setT$tlH"SiTcalling attention to his black thread21getnrouble. Tom skirted9ablock,6a muddy alleyaled byEback unt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyon{ reach of capand punishmentahasten1war9 public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two gcommanders did not condescend to fight i--that being better suir still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminencevQcondu,ield operations by or0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a and hard-fought battln"dead were counted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagre d7ythe day fo" necessary3ed;QwhichR fell1lin marched away, and UTom turned home alone. As he was passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4without fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished outQheartAleft;even a memory( erself behind. He had thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePCd hion as ado;behold itonly a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d g like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discovered him; then h1teneeAknow\z, Abegaw#"show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish ways, in 1ordHA winSBadmi%rkept up*grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while0Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asideM4the/girl was wend way towarX. Tom cameof and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a moment oQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1sharis eyeschis haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH2. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backaPQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally >his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomynot hypercritical, anyway. He returned, now2hung abouLtill nightfall, "showing off," as U6"th" never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ Bhopesad been>window, meantime%aware ofattentions. Final  strode home reluctantly,#[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got in child." He took a good scolclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(qe least tried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,*C Sid/torment a body tyP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." Presently she stezrkitchenX happy in his immunity, reach2thez1-bowl--a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledRtonguwas silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief; JK1teldd therabe not"soEiworld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultati hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASainstanQprawl#n or! The potent palmdupliftQBrikeTom cried out: /"Hold on, now, what 'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ she got herQgain,only said: "Umf! W_you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckonQ been some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beo4tru!a confesstshe hadBrongdiscipline forbadhA. SohBkeptf"ce2w2bouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woBknew!ineheart Rwas oAknee2him s morosely gratified by the ousness of i<hang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelsick unto deatho=bending over him beseeching one littl giving word%turn his face toQ1allB die Athat@ unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$t home frompriver, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how CearsBfallr( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of watich overflowedthe wink`ran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUo1pet7gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacr/rcontact7so, presently,is cousin Ma1ry danced in,!Ealive joy of seeinglagain after an age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&ar accustomed haunts of boyssought desolate placesin harmonyb spirit. A log raft in the  invited himfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingg$uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thY+aflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8#ApityC knew? Wrshe crym3wiss1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}2she#!coBawayall the hollrld? This picturan agonpleasurable worked it'1 ovd in his minoset it up in new4varied lights, till he wore it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle was cast dull glow 9the curtain of a second-story window. Wassacred presencre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  alookedDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposingupon his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~R coldRyno shelter  omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-dampsR1row8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sE outvp glad m]Dorni4oh!Ahe drop one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The# went up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profan" holy calm,6 a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Tswas a whiz astmissileair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aH shivering glass followedsmall, vague formFAthe >shot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by+tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of makiny "references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD1eldpeace, fodanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun 5on a tranquiland beamed downD'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Polly had family worship: it bega# a built from  ground up of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xusummit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.a girdehis loinsto speakto work to "get@verses."qhad lea?N esson days before. Tom bentehis energies to^memorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spiritPit; b j:$ i/, for they--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh,   shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-heaRhing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must goblearn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll give7something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;" And he did ""*under the doublje pressure of curiosityprospective gainZit with such spiritD he accomplished a shining success.{" gave him a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelvea half cents; the convulsion of deligh swept his system shookx!tofoundations. True, the uld not cut any but it was a "sure-enough" ,re was inconceivable grandeur in5--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it )rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setM n a little bench there; tb dippeBsoape"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipe his face diliDZtowel behiS door. ButAremo,1and said: "Now ain't you ashamed, Tom. You mustn't be so bad. Wwon't hurt you." TomTtrifle dis8urted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpresboth eyes sh8d groping forH.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT1romHBfaceKqemerged#>,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short aX2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in front`1acka*Cneckqt!ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brotherout distinct|b colorYtAatur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daintsymmetrical general effect. [He privat)ely smoothed outq[ labor and difficultyplastere Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]a to beaminateS his own A3lifhbitterness.] Thenr1gota suit ofFclothing had been used onSundays dutwo years--they were simply caQ"otheqthes"--Bo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "put him to rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,s1offRcrown#speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly imprand uncomfortable6was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessgm. He hopedMary would forgetSes, b"2hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losRtempeEsaidp lways being made to do everyphe didn<r't want C. Bu7said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he got into6shoes snarling.was soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hd aheart;1Sid ere fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedificWmall, plain affaira sort of pine board tree-box on topxa steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibitedyesatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleys for threASe reds, and some trifle oro9forSblue ones. He waylaid, boys as they came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteb, now,a swarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to hisqnd starO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned~Rmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"got a new reprimand.4his. Tom's b classof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However,worried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,q passagScripture on it;(;pay for two of the recitation.X. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be exchanged^1it;rCyellow one;/3ten .{the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would haveindustryapplication to memorizeTthousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five3onced threeout stopping; butstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 helittle better th{b idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}L3ickair tedlong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofse prizes wa#s a rareAnoteAy circumstance;successfuls?conspicuous for  "onGQpot escholar's heartQQfiredh a fresh ambih#hat often lasted a couple of weeks. It is possible4cTom's qstomachnever really hunger!onU: prizes, but unquestionablyentire beingWfor many a%lothe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due course< stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i#inevitable sheeRmusic@aof a s who standDwardplatformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sa referAo bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creaturirty-five, with a siandy goateqshort shair; he wore a stiff!ing-collar w  upper edge almost reacheEQ ears;-sharp points curv]qqabreast corners of his mouth--a fenccompelledraight lookout ahead,ya turning of\whole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a spreading cravat which(as broad}s long as a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%earnest of mienSsincehonest at;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intona(wholly absen week-days. He began after this ": "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just E&asand pretty as11can7qgive meAyour attenfor a minute or two. There --that is it. T the way good littoy girls should do. I see one+girl who isting outwindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in oneR trees making a speech to. irds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, cleanmfaces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9!wa1a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresump of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,}q subsidof Mr. WalterKs' voice the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an"t which !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading a child. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momence next qs "show2ff"=1all^might --cuffingBpullh3ir, faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate aiqand winae. His exaltQ!ut5Ralloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and Qrecorsuas fast]out, underkwaves of ha-rppinessGwere sweepRver it now. TheO)given the highest seabhonor,s soon as Mr. Walters' speechqinished]introduced them tobaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one tha county judge--altogetherymost august crethese childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. Hearom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled1seea world"se1Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attestthe impressivex2ce #qe ranks1taryes. ThisKthe great Judge)1brocir ownOe. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "eaQps: "Lo$ok at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake handshim--he IS shaking! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A felQ"showBff,"tall sortofficial bustlingsFactivities, givBrders, delive judgments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere+ld find a targetlibrarianed off"--runn&iQ with his arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJ#fu insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bendingtly over pupils|l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemen$small scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobipline ,th sexes, found bus\Qup atN$y,qpulpit;!it6that frequently had Bdoneagain two or three; times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wads e murmur of scuff. And above it allEgreat man sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@Rhousewarmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[too. Theronly one thing wanto make ' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Severalhad a few yellow tickets, but none had enough had been arRamong#%tainquiring. He w have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandja. Thisa thunderbolt out of a clear sky was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten yea(ars. Bubsbno getQBit--1ereBcertified checky$Dgoodoir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`$ost stunning surprise of the decad=qso profCR sensa}it liftenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inof one. ThApall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake Rgrass !4was;"as%effusion  superintendent cpump up circumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him *a mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse< thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozen would strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrenceproud and glad, sQiAmakesee it in he--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--nheart broks jealouRangry`Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). introduchis tongu0Qtied,qbreath  hardly comequaked--partly becau awful greatnesg1an,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall downorship him, if%erBAdark phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?p. The b-oy stammered, gaspe)got it out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay,Wyou'll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyfellow. TwoLverses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry fow you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Amen;U3man yourself, some day+_look back;It's all owo precious Sunday-school privilegmy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mT over gave me a beautifu l Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upq is wha$R will{!2--a wouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeeE1now[mind tellingnd this ladyB!ofs"veed--no, I know o--for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknoww2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, nowzhis eyes f4Mr.7' heart sank within himH_bto himETpossible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Ad'--don't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E$me\1thewO. "TF twoeDAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us drawf the curtain of charity ov<Drestscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tenUracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyBepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. The Sunday-school children distributeKmselves aboutkAhous occupied pews/ their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly came1Tom'1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordamCe as far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upX"s: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOejusticRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace it9e most hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivitie St. Petersburg could boastAbentxvenerablJSe Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule sucking cane-heads, a circling wa! o and simpering admirers, tilast girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7#to, 1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?his pocket behind, as usual ons--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. Ycongregationfully assembled, nowArang once, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Cthe <Qwhich&vbroken by 3the tittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleCmuchZaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down8spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would lift<3han let them fall helplessly in ,Blapsc"wall"CCeyes1hak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." Afterhymn had been sung Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meetings}societie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle childrenUurch;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailoM rs, tossed by stormy sea` oppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismcsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far islandAsea; closed with a supplicationwords he was aboutpeak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he#dirmuch. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. In$ the mid4/ a fly had lit ee backWew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwras soreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed 3did $Qwhileu on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forwardCthe ra"Amen"r!he prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aBpby and &bynod --and y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstone andnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom count_aages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utherema, but JAldom2B anyelse abou discourse. However, this time he8really interested for a little). * a grand and moving pictureassembling2world's hosts atllennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie&#a Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost up_oy; he onSought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pAface#wiroirhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHp him of a tre8Aasur"haNgot it out. IP a large black bee"ith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmdid was to take!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZthe aisllit on its back,the hurtpR wentthe boy's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;iqsafe ou!hiTch. Other people uncisermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urvrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenrhis lipqade a gly snatch, just miss_;/nother, and ano ther; began to enjo diversion; subsided to his stomachW between$Bpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz There was a sharp yelp, a flirT'  fell a couple of yards away, S once more. The neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveQaces behind fanI handkerchiefs1TomLentirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt soas resentmB tooBda cravAreveBSo h a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himself with a fly but found no relief; follow ant around,Qnose afloor,quickly wearied& at; yawned, sighed, forgo kIsat downy&n La wild yelp of agonysailing up the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;yranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe2. AAfrantic sur sheereddits course,Nsprang intowmaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of imiveness beinGg at an end; for evegravest sentiments were consta@being receivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a rarely facetious thing. It0a genuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,king to himself thabre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!henaink it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morningfQmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazQt beg1othek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hX!ha intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; then Ahe cBstayGfromUvague possibilityRcanvassed his system. No ailmen found, and he investigated. This time he detect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feebleRpSAdiedbly awa reflected further. Suddenlys!edaOne of%upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groana "starter," as7alled it,"if.me into court7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So"ol=tooth in reservefCthe ~WUseek g!NoN offered3'alittleA8q then h@1emb-1heathe doctor tellSa certain claid up a patientrtwo or three weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But nowknow the ne cessary ;&. However, it seemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconscious. Tomed louderr fancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid]was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimselfnd fetched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work56Tom\Sid yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathAbegastare at Tom. Tom wen~2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" AH(looked iface anxiouslylmkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful. How long "you been way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't you wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoeverything. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dy^!arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catwaone eythat new girl tB com2owntell her}rhad snahis clothespAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidQMary r heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached tdside she gasped out: "You, TomX's the matter1you`Oh, auntie, I'm,!"WS4.--Q}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorecuand sheP, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rceasethe pain vanished fromrtoe. The boy felt foolish, it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 IS!bu 're not going to die aboutc . Mary, get me a silk threadva chunk of firee kitchenom said:dfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I may- never stir if it does. P_@e2. I want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing? tI love you so,+ eem to try every wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endeA fasRTom's:aa loop2tieQotherhe bedpostpn2eiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:b's facJ hung dangling by}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition;1one) had cut his fingS had been a centre of fascin9EahomageDo this tim` found himselfJout an adherent'shorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- he said $a disdain which he did not feelit wasn't anyth o spit like Tom Sawyer; b1boyk, "Sour grapes!"ae wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by 1e msU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and84allkhildren s delighhis forbidden societR wishEqy dared1eQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast cond;aas undrict orders no8BplaySo he played9he got a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown meAthey  in perennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruina wide crescent lHopped ouuits brim;Kcoat, when he wore one, hung nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged low~containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. Rand wt$own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weathey in empty hogsheads in wet;have to go-chool or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchosestay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,  goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic outca st: "Hello, Huckleberry!" yourself ee how you like it." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzI got atslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(`I neverv WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way as!! @Qthat S a-goVado any2. YV to go all bymiddle ofcwoods,p2yout[Gs a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe way done." "No, sir,xscan betn't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`always got considerable many warts. SomeI take 'em}1wit1eanAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuR!soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'acrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyBbean"se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZ1 toooa helpsh!to[A the.pretty soon she comes %--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;jq no morbBme!'better. T:`the wa+y Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead cats2Why_cyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about w5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or three, butan't see 'emcan only hearthing likeCGwindY''em talk; they're takingfeller awaym#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,i,Acat, I'm Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t(a, Huck"No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Bthey say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axone day,ahe seeUawas a-ing him,K!e up a rock9i!hardodged,azRher. that very nigh rolled off'n a shed wher'  layin drunk, and broke his arm"that's awful. How diOknowLord, pap can tGeasyKbkeep looa; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifLcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-.sll comeold Hoss Williams t8q" "But him Saturday. Di9get1howQtalk!could their charms work till -?--and THEN it's Sun|evils dolosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought of2. Tdso. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went "hr&rocks at mesays 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meow that night, becuz auntie was watching me, but I'll8!is. Say--w#th1Not:but a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gd know.U2 wa`sell himuAAll 4. It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dowbbelongem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meu1ShoAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toOWell, why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyear,!--BAgivemy tooth Less see iTom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewQ wist-. The temptation very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?AliftQs lipQshoweN vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap box5had lately been the pinchbug'|s prison,9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$all honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacrit master, throned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, luby the drowsy hum of study. The interrupArousXm. "Thomas Sawyer!{Bknew2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usualwas about ake refuge in a lie,e saw two ; ails of yellow hair hangingoba backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE o girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered i8f this foolhardy boy had lost his min=You--you did what?" "Stopped!lk@ Huckleberry Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confession I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_offence. Take off your jacket  's arm performed until it[tired anQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV"si! And letbe a warnWTo youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abaszboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolead pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hQd heraway from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but 4satAwitharms upon the, low deskOB himAseemAbook. Byby attention ceas%edDthe accustomed school murmur rose]dull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave the backe space of a minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled onslate, "Please take it--I got" The girlduno sign. Now draw something *!hik his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice;4tuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betrayhAawarit. At last!inhesitatinglybLet me see it." T(dom parvered a dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten#up;Aworkqshe forgot everya4els it was finished, she gazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man." The artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monstera beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moontraw limbR armeIQspreaefingerGportentous fan6saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/Oh, will you??" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick m!e by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<began to scrawl sometslate, hi!ds U. Butnot backward this time. She beggedqee. Tom Oh, it ain't any Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou treat me sbAWILLw3" Akput her small hand his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom preteno resist in earnut letting his_ slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifAimpu"InSwise borne acraoss the housedeposited ic" own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hohool. Then master stood over him duMa few awful moments,finally moved away to throne without saying a word3 although Tom's ear tingled,Bheart was jubilant. As quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1A reaQclass } botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldmp. The aHir was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysF drowsing murmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul likeBpell$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifts soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of hbtintedthe purple of distance; birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pa dreary time. His handR intoBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, he did not know iten furtively!Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him o` long flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,#is,2it !emd:x1wheQstartankfully to travel off, him asidp a pin /and made him take a new direction. Tom's bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad been, and now headeeply^RgrateU&  entertainment in an instaniwas Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gett.e fullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour qyou canb!upMqI'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGPback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,Poqwould look one"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeDAoverS1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and abideJoe. The tick tried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to spearfingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offkeep possessionWQTom cstand it nozemptation was toocqreachedFand lent a hand/!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_ ~3Blame it, I3YgoinglAmuch-L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the." "Loo0Rk her Harper, whose is tick?" "I don't care$_he ism you sha'n't touch himWell, I'll, bet I will, though. He's my7/do what I bNSpleashim, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;#fol1pactwo minute dust continued to fly from qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy itnhad been tooS]anoticeBhushhad stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing&the roomstood over them. He hadQempla good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{1lipT turnVrough the lancome back.!go@Q1way%!itcame way." So the one$ went off with one group of scholagaith ant. In a little :Qet atdbottom#la -they reacheghad it althemselves< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave the pencil and held2hanis, guiding itDbso cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!M do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing rouar head a string"No[1for much, anyway. WA likIchewing-guSOh, Ila say sAwishd some nowv? I've got1letAchewAB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweCabouRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" saic. "Yesmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'm good." "I been tf three or four times--lot . Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! ill be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. AnQy getA1her"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! bmarrie!NoQWould&C!to<I reckonCknowqQis itu/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyzawon't have anybodyZQhim, 2, aVn>Ckissat's all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--well[y always do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember what I wrote obqYe--yesWBas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but J`" "NoQ, nowBNo, not now--to-morrOh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, *so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consentpassed his arm about her waisteT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added: "Now0a it to me-- he same." She resisted,ra whilethen saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" T3he sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge@orner at last2er little white apro"he.]qclaspedneck and pleaSWa, it'skdone--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--?#llPe, Becky." And he tugged aD a?hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/E.calwaysQthis,Bknow ain't ever to love0m"me+Xxo marry,B me,nOand forever. Will]) u{*t Zyou--"to- QitherCertainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^!'rKBwalkh2me,/Rtherevlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRhearda beforB"Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs#'vDbeen3 to" child beganr to cryQ9Oh, don't cry54, Iqare forTany m 1Yes1 do$--Rs." Tom tri put his arm abou)Qneck,she pushed him awagq turned1facK"llwent on cryingvaagain,u soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was Erodeutside. He stood, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancing aBdoorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com%find him. Buttdid note began to feel badls fear th1 wa.trong. Itea hard2himke new advances, mbR nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not kn exactly how to proce hen he said hesitatingly: "Y---\ ." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. Ywon't you sqay some?" MoreDTom got is chiefest jewel, a brass knob fromtop of an andiron2apassedBroun"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleasepQwon't9take it?" ScQuck ithe floorTom marched!ofQhouse over the hilly far away, to return to school noday. Presently 32buspectr1; h-7in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereULalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. SoGqsat dow82cryfpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideRgriefher brokw1artoA!upj cross of a long, dreary, ac afternoo$ none among?strangers to exchange sorrows`. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack ofing schoCBlars.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$ disappearing behi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableq off indvalleyhim. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 ed songsbirds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vqby no sH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadingssense of|more profound) boy's soulQsteep melancholy;feelings were in happy accord with'1surAings<1sat<#elbows on1BkneeOn] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at best,JT and lthan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream forevb ever,the wind whispbthroug$trcaressing the gras5the flowers ovRgrave<Anoth6bo both grieve about, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willk"go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowamed mysteriously??Awent!--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! Howshe feel then!+ The idea of beingown recurred to himqto fill with disgust. For frivolityDBjokewspotted tights were an offense, ?they intrude mselves upon a spirit thahTexalt  the vague august realm ofromantic. No, a soldierreturn afterIyears, all war-worn and illust. No--better stil3#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristfeathers, hideousBpain]r prance ,(rowsy summer morninga bloodcurdsar-whoop2seaqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there wasgaudier even than thisAbe a pirate! Twit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz cmake people shudder1glo&lygo plowing t*he dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer,8SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAt the fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Rstalkjchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger[ Spanish Main!" Yes, itlqettled;acareerdeterminedn2runfrom homeaenter 'it/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to ge 'dyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck woodsounded hollow)"puuthere an/2d uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, ! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapedsthe dirrexposed a pine shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed air,~1aidEBell,beats anything+Atosse5pettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa superstiMqhad faiqwhich h@A allrcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP he had just used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had gath"emselves  , meantime, no matterwidely they had been separated. Buf,~ actually<unquestionably Rwhole"tu"fas shaken to its foundBs. H"many a tihard ofsucceeding but naof itsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding- s afterward. He puzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided that$Qwitchainterfand broken-Qcharmothought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-Bd deon in itElaidAdownF1putamouth F2 toG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5* began to workpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dtell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futilityQrying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight as wellb have brble h1thrAway,Ather he wentmade a patient]ait. Bu"otuit. NowH back to his treasure-houseccarefully $asbeen stanwhen he tosseRaway; ok another"Q fromRpockeHBit iQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stoppedfYkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>@qtwice mvThe last repetition wasRssful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, rakedbrush behinrotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment$Bseizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirtL7hal great elm, blew an answH@began to tiptoe look warily out, this way a)agsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." Now appeared Joe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comesSherwood Fmq out my pass?" "Guy of Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou that--" "Dares to hold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds1I, indeed! I am Robin Hood, as thy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've goQ hang=it lively!" So"," panting and peArspiT work. By and bBhoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're gettingworst of it.""y,ain't anything. I can'tv;#the way it is in 3. T says, 'one back-handed stroke he slew poor $.'to turn arounklet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, soturned, receivedQwhack?Sfell.&"4U Joe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iA boo"Well, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonUq lam me| a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~niZbecamz2gaiballowed by#treacherous nun to bleed his strength away throughneglected wouUnd. And at last}& representing a whole tribe of weeping outlaws, draggwm sadly forth, gavesbow into feeble hands(1TomA, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." qhe shot"Tdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gai a corpse. boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement went off grieva"re<$noz any moreFRwonde hat modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensate foPir loss. TheyS they-rather be year in SherForest than Presid(United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past ninenight, ToB Sid sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb!im! it must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves deCGmandwas afraid he might qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. EverythingDsdismall<A. Bypeby, ouY-ness, little, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking aH8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirf a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,JQ. NexV ghastly?Sdeathwatch in| wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. A satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$Aspit2himself;Jchimed eleven, oqdid not2 itt%re came, mingloith his half-formeKd dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T rais neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!"the crashn empty bottle againsu#back of his aunt's woodshed brought him wide awakea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongDroof"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"o caution once or twice, as1entn jumped *g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\qdisappea gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6bon a hnbout a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which leaned inwarbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upr,nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,M not a tombstone on the p alace; -topped, worm-eaten s staggered!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-So had been painted on them#=it could no longer have7Sread,5!ofA, now, even i&renlight. A faint wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littlonly undir breath,q[r2theR perv}solemnityAsilew#pp[ay foun sharp new heaprseekingensconce4Amsel3ith4bprotecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The&ay waitfor what seemed a 1ime hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refld1ivemust force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do&abelievkpeople like iZ us to be here?" Huck.tleberryZed: "I wisht I knowed. It's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis.""re3 considerable pause, whilboys canvassed this matter inwardlyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom#isbdamperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA can in the dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boI us. We ain't doing any harm. If we keep perfectly still, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all of a shiver5rListen! boys benir heads 1and scarcely breathed. A muffled sound of voices floated up fromhRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"M& devil-fire. Cis i." Some vague figures approachQroughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. MHuckKa shudder1t'ss enough. Three of 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is4 beAa it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBausual,ly--blamed 1old rip!" "All right, . Now they're stuck. Can't findHere they come again8hot. Cold4Hot Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say, Huck, I know another o' themqs; it's Injun JoThat's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druU#was a dern s+What kin be up to?whisper died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 2tooin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saidathird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrow with a rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astAload9AbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closIcould have tou1himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightv out at any moment." They growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating soun6spades dischargingfreight of m2anddl. It was very monotonous. Finally aX struck upopc coffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goB!dyBdump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!as3rea2Qrpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "yB cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she staysthe talk!.. "Look<A, wh "esSmean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that, approach r doctor, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchen one night, when I c0so ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any good;Wswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiforget? The^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5rsuddenl{sstretch1|ruffianPotter dropped{exclaimeHere, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg'gmight and main, trampF"asDtearP_lir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/Vcreeping, catlikBstoor[Cand #bo[combatants, seeking an opportunity.1 All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboard of Williams' gravcfelled to the earthJit--and insame instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82histhe cloud)AttedFXreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeK!indark. Presently>the moon emerged ag5wasQ overOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal2in 's open mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, pushin=gabody from himLJ gaz]baround&confusedly? eyes met Joe's. "Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joe.out moving. "What did you do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kintalk won't wash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'n when we started#. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anything of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old r--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh,b awfulrhim so and promising."!y,2two?cuffling he fetcheAone 02 anQflat;!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR into.wjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til nowOh, I didn't know what I was a-3doing. I wish I may die minute if B1. Ion account of-qwhiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;s. They'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say you're an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijS+on a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alookfter him. He mutterTed: "If he's as much stunnedPd1ick Xfuddlqrum as xlook of being, he Z1hinthe knife tillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seem "maan enemywmade them catcir breath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=ld tannery!wek down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can't stand i.t longer." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repnzRixed saeyes oS goal*ir hopes94benir work to win it. ained steadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedt sheltering shadows beyond. By3#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whiln he saiWho'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happened>Injun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAi)fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently/E, n't know it. How can he tell's the reaso 8'rBecauseeqgot tha:vck whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him overhead with a church)2youn't phase hi1say wn self. So iBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bouteadidn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twjAe goEdo--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. It's tOahe besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forg's good enoughlittle rubbishy common s--speciallygals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark r awful;Aour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing it. He picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." HuckleberrydTfilledmiration of Tom's faci1lit, and the sublimitylanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA might have verdigrease on i ""W\?" "It's p'ison. T$what it is. Yswaller some of i --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!Qiniti9using the ~QingerAa pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close toRwall,dismal ceremonieaincantffetters b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end o ruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whispr, "doesjrkeep us`EVER t&elling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~y difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'ddown dead--QYOU knowYes, I reckon's so." They continuCtime. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl just outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agon+QfrighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. YBull Harb`" * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named Bullb wouldspoken of him as "Dl!,"Ca son or_!atZn"]tgood--I tell you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogbhowledl~W' hearts sankOSmore.1my! ain't no'I HuckleberrBay. "DO(!" Tom, quaking with fear, yielded, and put his eye torDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! This comes of playing hookeyadoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but noouldn't, o. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-schools!" An began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reld pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before.he did. BuH3t Ia fool, never thought7is bully, you know. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped. Tom pr1 up ears. "Sh! What's that?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW"it#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$gs, but laws bless you, he just lifts things'!HEes. Besides,hever coming backAis tbny morhe spirit of adventure rose inboys' souls once=by, do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joet quailedpresentlytemptationup strong again7the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would to their heels if~^Sy went tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. WheoQy had!to,in five steps o!erped on a stickit broke wiAth a sharp snap. man moaned, writhed a littleBhis face came int moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4aheartsstood still\Vopes too,t2ved)fears passed away CTheypd out, throughjbroken weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both boys, in a breath!ay!--31say~ray dog comaround Johnny Miller's house,A mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill comand lit onTbanisters4Bsung|very same eveningU  ain't anyB1deaare yetDWell, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX#Ye@she ain'tAR DEADwhat's more, she's getbetter, tooAll right, you wait see. She's a goner, just asSsure  ,)a's wha niggers say:Mall about these kind of things, Huck." They separated, cogitating. When Tom creptt his bedroom wind was almost spent. He undrel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidBawak had been so for an hour. eawoke,=1andC"reY late look  ,Asensnthe atmospherstartled. Whyqhe not called--persecuted till h~!upausual?Ethought filled himbodings. W%five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were at table finishedQkfastAIno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;: silence!anAof solemnity that, struck a chill to the culprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidp4Tomb!en| the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go onEruin&Qand bher gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. ThisAwors"n a thousand whippgcA was sorer n4"anL1odycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefyAprestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retre Qroughback gat unnecessary. He mA#opchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to trifles. Then he bemself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9rs handsqstared ]be wallthe stony " of suffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of%as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from maBman,QgroupCrouphouse to , little less9jic speed. Of course0R the master gave holiday forafternoon;5town would have thought strangely of him if he had not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedaand itHbeen recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--sYstory ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning cYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallXa which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiAatte_sifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down allAroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe capturedQ nighkSas drRtowargraveyard. Tom'break vanished she joinqprocess1cau~sand times r go anywhere e/2lseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+rmed his small qthroughmBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age since c there. Somebody pincharm. He turnedheyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked elsewhD2wonaif any!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly " them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungRThis to be a lesson to  robbers!" "6'll hang if they catch him!" This ift of remark; qhe minibsaid, "Iza judgment; His hs here." Now Tom shivfrom hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming #!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look outturning! D'on't let:get away!" People  branches o trees over Tom's`Csaidrn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7perplexed. "Infernal impudence!"aa bystander; "wantAcomeHtake a quieti1 atwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, nowthe Sheriff came, ostentatiously leading Potter byarm. The p1's xwas haggarRshowe|fear thaupon him. When 6od B murAman,"hook as with a palsyRhe pu4qface in@Qhandscburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. 8shocarry home.xClifte1andqed aroum thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#idthrust4himM3. ewould have fallen 4iy had not caughqand easm to the gO!aibSomethle't if Abackaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestursaid, "Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1useCmoren HuckleberryTom stood dumbstaring, Ahears stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they_ing every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningmpbwonder see how longe stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath8Asavebetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 vaway, for plainly this miscreant sold himself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power ast. "Whyyou leave? What diU want| here for?" somebody saidAcoulohelp it--$,"moaned. "Ided to runGbut ?seem to co?qme anywbut here."he fell to sobbing again. Injun Joe repeatjust as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devil. Hnow become,!m most balefully interesting objecHever looked upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9 face. They inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body of1mur" mv put it in a wagonrremoval!it{whispered throug ing crowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of Muffit done itom's fearful secret and gnawing consci;ence disturbAleepvas much as a week R thisat breakfastmorning Sid saiTom, you pitch arand talk in yourx1so tyou keep me awake hal9Ctime blancheTSdroppQeyes.H's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "WzRgot o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook soahe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. TrQis no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2rqwithouting it. She8: "Sho! W3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMary she had been affected8e same way. Sid seeme+d satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothacheBa week,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc!'sYress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If !re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTAthus1ingUdtroublqs mind.rnoticed4Tom{as coroner ase inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVa,itness--hat was strange:RSid d overlookBfact4Tom even showed a marked aversion toPests,8 and always avoid5em when he Umarvelled, but sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5stortureconscience. Every day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowsmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atRedge s villagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occup2off greatly help3eas T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,ubody-snyo formidableMhis character?Snobod be found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ droppedyhad been careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<pe case [rcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE _reasons whyAminddrifted away from its secret troubles was,!it7Ba necsweightyp to interest itself about. Becky ThatcherL!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few days2tri"whistle her dow6q wind,"Cfailbegan to find himhanging arq her father's house, nightz1feemiserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distraction qthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor piracy. The charm of liflCgoneD wasdreariness lef}put his hoop awaythis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatu6patent medicines*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tthings. When someb fresh'is line came out$ s9n a fever, right{to try it; noterself, for?never ailing, bu*anybody elsecame handy subscriberTall the "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to go to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2Aframgto keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-hearOnd honest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQqd toget-er quackydthus armed death, went.!onX'pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell follow!fter." Butqsuspect7ad an angel of hD1ealE$ balm of Gilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmentonew, nowTom's low condition&qa windfrhad him out at daylevery morn stood him up in the woodshedadrowne#D a delug$Bcold; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so broughtto; thenCrollJAa we!et"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsiV1 th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,Nboy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMb calcuhis capacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all- om had become indifferenqpersecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation. (GThisice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas with gratitude. I9 simply fire in a liquid formmqdropped {2andthing els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchzdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,at peace again; i"$1ce"4*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life mbe romantic enough, inblighted E, bucqgettingave too little sentidand too much distrac61var1aboS. So he thover various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by tel1him elp himself2quit bothering her. If iteen Sid,w# had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boyAmendlth of a crack insitting-room floor with it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga(.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anCmean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: .Sprang a couple of yard9"irthen delivwar-whoopkset off r3and the room, ban st furniture, upseDtting flower-potsw making general havoc. Nexrose on his hind feetpranced a , in a frenzy of enjoyment,<Aead overOshoulderN$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tearingahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction ipath. Aunt Polly ent#in time to see him throw a few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrastonishA pee1er glasses; Tom lay oAexpi0Klaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails@cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspi. "Why, I neveria. What~him act sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeBtonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" Swas bdown, Tom wa0ctchingwi*st emphasized by anxiety. Too late he divined her "drift.s handle telltale teaspoon visible undered-valanceUtook it, held it up.vbwincedqdropped)IeyesBAraism by the usu ndle--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>"puAthe h hnew light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes wa a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: "IAmeano-st, Tom. And , it DID dogood." Tom look(ed up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through]gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIx Peter. It done HIM good, lI never seepget around so since--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou neeUtake medicine}reached school ahead of time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as !of, he hung aboutr5gatyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he saihe looked it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,the giddy lad Bcoul/3aitd and wat"ched, hop"heIa frisking frock cam$hating the owner of it as soon asBw sh"noright one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoQdumpsentered the emptyEQhousefBsat o suffer. Then one more passed in a3gatheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumAoverfence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, standqhead--d1allZqheroic PQ conceive ofk a furtive eyeKawhile,t5ing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(D1. CiBposs"haTjR awar there? He carhis exploits to immediate vicinity; war-whoG{D, snl boy's cap, hurl qroof ofJYhouse, brokeugh a group of StumblBm in directionpfell spK2raw['himself, under Becky's nose, almost upsetting her--andjturned, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopleUk they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks b1. HThered2 upAneaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mind was made up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody lovQ; wheEy found out wh{ y had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry Qhad tSto dosand get along, butAnot let him; since no!rdo them8rid of him,;w1so;!le`m blame HIM fo consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,had forcX1 todR: he +blead a+of crimer no choice. By this time2farFMeadow Lanthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2think he !,Q hear old famil%iar sound any more--itvery hard0vout into the cold world must submit--but he forgave.X sobs came thickfast. Just atkApoinHm s soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyed,{Qevidefba greadismal purp1hisJt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wiping his eye1leeve, began<lubber outgabout a resolutio,escape from hard usagelack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joe1notRm. BLtranspired26was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\Tknew #; IRplain1she\t Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvfor him but succumbpoped shEe would be happy0 regret having driven her poor boyxunfeelingto sufferdie. Astwo boys walked sorrowgAlongy made a new compact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'qplans.  being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cave'r dying,Otime, of2wannbgrief;6fter listen he conced~1somspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente%be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at awthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow barQe heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8P matt?"erdid not occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bank two,vtvillagefavorite hour--whichrmidnighcsmall log raft tChich1eancapture. EachJring hookRlines<such provision as he csteal inH+most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagAenjo sweet glory of spreadbAhe f~hat pretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrvague hint!acautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at 3Tomed a moment,no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low, d5istinct whistlanswered fromH3 d twice more; these signalsK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"esO?" "Tom Sawyer,eBlack Avenger ofSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIalitera "'Tis well. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding  : "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ovUlet himself down after it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforF an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacoAad a}Tworn -2outygetting it.Fstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobaccoso brought a fBew corn-cobmake pipes. But non3thes smoked or "chewed" bu  said it would never do2tar"2out+ fire. That was a wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde1uporeat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveohilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughu1theCsmenW#ll village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2Aical" khoved off, presently,fin command, Joar and Joe forward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browed, and with folded armsgave hisa low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se" were given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head right?then lay oisHnot high, so more than a two ree mile cuKrrent. Hardly a word was said duthe next three-quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimmen!lights showed where it lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger still wit7 7"looking7last" upon the scenhis former joyhis later suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toBdooma grim smile onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshotrvillageRso he["edZa brokenqsatisfi\2art7other pirateblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett9Qhe cu\Q drif)mArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock in th-ce mornugrounde+1bar8hundred yards aboveDheadwaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isg1sprver a nook inQbusheiA a to shelterprovisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againsA sida great log twenty or thirty stepssombre depthdforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glordsport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginjunexplored ninhabited island, far fromQhaunt5men!y Rnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Bfacethrew its ruddy glarepillared tree-trunk}temple, and:varnished foliageafestoovines. Wh"elast crisp slice of was gone,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretcheBCout grass, filled with contentmentO1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and hery can't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t'sthe life[$meX3Youto get up, sy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE hasrprayingbderabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,'s so," s , "but I hadn't thought mbout it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they used to in old times 's always respected. And a a's got DleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do'A( that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Naget ar!itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDnld slouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl now he fitted a weed stemt, loaded it)tobacco, and was pressing a coal toachargeAblow! cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The opirates envied him this majestic vice secretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:QuBhaveu?" Tom,AOh, H#just a bullyK--take ships'!urm get the money!y it in awful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Qdon'tv5RNo," assente 2g--they're too noble}Tbeautiful, too.aAwear[bulliest }es! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#MB." oAcannRs owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice;ain't got Fqnone bu1rse." B boys tolbe finees would come fast enough, afte{Ay sh$0Dbeguadventures. They madeunderstaat his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Qstart; a proper wardrobe. Graduatalk died out.drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-frethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!nouthority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afrro proceU such lengths as that, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of~1--b intruder cameq, now, Pnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fearJ[been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meat then the real torture cam2triargue itg by reminding purloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So $ resolvedso long as 'Arema"bub", 4piraciesU2not~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a trucese curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefu' CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhere as. He sat up and rubbed 2eyelooked around. TheMn he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<arepose" ideep pervading calm%asilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ! s.obtruded upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes covtsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far a bird called; another answered; presentlyhammering woodpecker8heard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itself marvel of2 shoff sleeA goi work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then procee--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone, with ^his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him or seemed inclined to go elsewhere;when at last it considGa painful moment with its curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladthat meant that he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQaS bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on  children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrshe had practised ud!po simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,it shut its againsH1odyNpretend to be|. The birds were fairly rioting byA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitX1 ofneighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almos!inboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersconsuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s the wild things had probably nevein a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage faBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. TomQed upfother pir8Aatesthey all cldsed awayb shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJaeach oe1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob5inglittle village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~ . A vagrant current or a sCriseW river had carried ofir raft, but~ only gratifinm, sincegoing was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz}. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to holKQy steDto a promiGInookkQ-bankpSthrewir lines;immediate"lyhad reward.rhad not ime to get impatient before>3werKSagain\ ome handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1 had ever seemed so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-%he is caught5betTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay arou3de,w"haCoke,Aen w)rHthe woods on an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g with a drooE regalia of grape-vines. NowiQcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersCr plenty1ing!beghted with, b7Qut no#X to b 5 atscoveredisland was about three miles longa quarter of a1 wi'nMshore it lay closest to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the midd#thnoon whe!y got back to campptoo hungry to stop td1, b<ey fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves down iQ shadrtalk. B_ talk soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded pGQ sensbloneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysby fell[inking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedqeir weayC none was brave to speaksthought. ForNb, now,71oysbeen dully- consciouna peculiar sound<distance, just ~ecqtimes i>the ticka clock which kkes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recognition-started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sileAprof0and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevBspraVAfeet%QhurrijRtowaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankM!pe1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakTabout1belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith people. There were a great many skiffs row&oruQstreaJthe neighborhoodQ, butboys could not determine what the mencm doing. Presently !jewhite smoke burst fromnc's sidPas it expandeArose lazy cloud, that same dull throb of swas borne0 ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaveBbreaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll =Q righZ"re\top." "I've heardDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYit beforeb it ouu#Bu2>say anythPXqHuck. "seen 'em and 8'SQWell,'s funny. "But maybSay itmselves. Of COURSERdo. A! m<The otheraagreedwas reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe)to act very intelligcOset upon an erransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I wasT, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJDTstillsszwatched+revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,Che exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroesUn instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak ir account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3the talkFwhole townwthe envyC the boys,= as far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twildrew on, the ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanityir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atthe villagAthinand saying abou*%m;pictures o public distress  Vqgratify ao lookc--from%Apoinview. But the shadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing into,Bire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomFJoe Ckeepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew l#unhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By and b^y Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r.now, but-- Tomrered hi % derision! Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom&the waverer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet ouRcrapeUas little tachicken-heartedsickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest fo{s moment.#he=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneesBsearQ3amoW7graRflickreflections flung bycamp-fire. Hkinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\2finhose two which seem^ suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollBpput in Vhis jacket pocket he put in Joe's hat and removed it to adistance fromwowner. And he alsoQto the hat certain schoolboy treasuret almost inestimable value--)m a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that #s drhearingstraightway broke=a keen run ink2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more},#so he struck8aconfidi"wiremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!AdrifQlong uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Pocket,Nhis piecbark safeSthen P through the woods, followingr, with 3#ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came oXto an openroppositBbvillagA saw|ferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. Everything was quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watcEqith alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againse swella voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Atea long twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangppossibl;!e stragglers. He flew along unfrequented alleyssFfoun> at his aunt's back fencehover, approachen"ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lifblatch;ihe pressed gwHyielded a;6 ontinued pushing cautiousl1qua'every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze1 onknees; so he pu), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,Qoor's, I believe. "of course it is. No strange s now. Go 'and shut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" himselfDa*CAto whe could almost touchnfoot. "But as Isaying," sa4 B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Z any more responsible than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:bwas"--eJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to rkind ofief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,ink I wed whippe\!tB tha#m,:once recollectAat Iwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPto see him againhis worldv!, ! p2bus!" And Mrs.ba sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter offis," saidB"butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare ofold lady's eye, thoughynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G, I don't know how to give him up!!!"Heuch a comfort to&altormented my oldM!of.'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it's so hard--Oh,!.last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker right under my noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over 9rI'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/. No longer agouQyeste(Snoon, took and fille5catPain-kille*3didthe creturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dThead sthimbleY3boy 1dea."ball his H!s "An'rwords I7Bhear^1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$bo much6Droke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himselfmore in pity anybody else. He?C cou Mary cryXand putting in a kindly word forfrom time to. He began to have a nobler opinionR thanHbefore. Still, h]fficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]qthe bed?overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousness ofthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!oys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage shq"hear someQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidkgone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shore five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be, else huhave drive3n them home by nightfall if not sooner. It wa3ievU the search foNBodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tora. ThisWednesday 2. Icontinued until Sunday, all_be given over,the funeralsqbe prea:at morning. Tom shuddered. Mrs. Harper g?Dsobb-j2urn go. Then with a mutual impuly two bereaved women flungselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cryn parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyondwqont, in Rto SiMary. Sid snuffled a bi<#ff!llUheart. knelt downAaprayedTom so touchingly, so 6ith such measureDlove3worher old tremb/bvoice,cwelterctears again, longB sheKbhrough9!haBkeepP` long Uafter sheqto bed,she kept making broken-) ed ejaculations from time to, tossing unrestfull1 tu. But at last"as, only moaning a littl:! sleep. Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by%edside, shade candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamore scroll]placed itsomethingbto himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9qhe bentBkissQ! f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYay backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff M stern, slipped z$its soon rowfautiously upstream. W:hen he had pulled a mile aboveFvillage, qQquartXq acrosshimself stoutlyas work!hi1 onfother side neatlyn! t<as a familiar bit ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&ed a shipfore legitimate prea pirate, but a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`a long rest, tortur meanwhilkeep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before he. fairly abreas! island barrested againl81sun bwell u1gilthe great riverits splendor*he plunged into\tream. A dAlatepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrace to a pi<4andpoo proudfaat sorXthing. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ours, anyway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_ writing says they are if heO back herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiqaway inady nookleep till noons got read and explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggsK 2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft placGNeir knees2dugOhands. Sometimetake fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle sm aller than an English walnuthad a famous fried-egg feast Rnightanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingyA bar` chased eachZ2and , shedding clothes awent, until |sre nakethen continue frolic far!upshoal water ofAgaine stiff currxwYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timand great^1cre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;# avertedGqto avoi strangl\AprayQd finW1griG and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall `Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. WG|well exhausted1run1and&#wl  dry, hot!lipru1covemselves up wit/3h iby and by1 foq Qagain"go throughoriginal performance once more. FQit ocBd to%Rtheirn( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring i  circus--with three clowns infor none would yield this proudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stale}Bn JoBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kick_ff his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his anklehe wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protectionP is mysterious charm. He diqs he hadB2theR boysCtire@eady to res#waapart, dro"in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossSqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "CiBECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgc`not help it. He eraszA)then tookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKqjoining. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as-ready to tell, yetMif this mutinous dEsion<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates onisland befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused onlnt enthusiasm,Rfaded}no reply. Tomone or twopseducti Qons; !heb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat poking up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wan go home. It's so lonesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, wRhere tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, wlQ cry-INA to w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|A?" "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll: speak to you again as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice pirate.3m[aies. W V,4? Let himAf heUs to. we can get a{him, per'aps." But Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on withUAing.Bthenv!s Qmfort+eying Joe's preparation(wistfullyCkeep ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. TomQ6art9sink. He glanccould not bearkBlookqdropped4eyes. ThenYIgA getILa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&qAstay2dTom, I!gog&--who's hendering you.+P began to pick upscattered clothesjVsaid:twisht you'd come . Now you think it over. Z wait for you when we get to5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{Q, andostood looking afterDa strong desire tugg(trto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome very lonelcT . He made one final struggle-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocwSthey were, heunfoldingesecrety listen|cdat lasv!awr"point"bs drivOn et up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"y3qhad tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be fear thaGt not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand soAmean1hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatter!lltime about Tom's stupendous plan`Aadmi6the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,he wanted to learLsmoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSBlike to tryKrSo HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrily slender confidence. The an unpleasant tastgagged a littlehy, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowQis way,t long ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^Q I'veed at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I could do that;I1tI couldTom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :that way--haven't you7I'll leave i.Sif I .." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects it9I bleeve^/Apipe4day! dq feel sick." "Neither do>} ]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !--I wishJ see a tackl_s" "Oh,)I!" said Joe.! " Ian't any moreis than nothingone little sni? would fetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~aus now?!So ay--boysqsay any! a it, and some timeKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want aQ.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1anoAone,my tobacker e very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!hes!weright upras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifl grow disjointed. The silences widened;eexpectoration marvellously increased. Every poOre inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of allch"domsudden retchings followed everyb. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might and main said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=(Bunt r by the sprB!No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCn he fou lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepAsome informed him! if they had had any troublyagot riQVit. not talkative adt supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal and waspare theirs,D3 no>not feel_fwell--ate at dinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokeecalled!re a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode N4S huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intq$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{Bfire:swas swaSQup inQblackPaof dar . Presentl3re naAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyyaby anotcame, actstronge&7n a faint moan sighing thrqbrancheQorestxt felt a fleeting A upo:#irywshudder fancy tha?sSpirit pNight had gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned ninto daybshowed+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew afeet. And it[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealunder went rol:and tumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r4(distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allTRleavenBsnow e flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit upFNan instant crash fop#retree-tops r#ovboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast ro trees, making) sAs it. One blindingyE #ndnf deafenQunder. And! now a drenchinv poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets along.aground cried out to each other, but2roaring windt;'om-Cs drowne# ir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4X"wibaway oN1. Tys seizedrs' handGRfled,dEmanyb bruisof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was aQst. U-the ceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skiesSbelowout in clean-cuashadowlRness:e:the billowy , with foam-,7 driving spray of spume-flakIhe dim outlines oShigh bluffsfside, glimpsQrough+drifting cloud-rack]1lanveil of rain. Every li hile some giant tree yieldjbe figh+fell cras younger growth;xunflagg[peals camein ear-splitting explosive bursts, keeRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up,! igree-tops, blow it away, and deafen eycreature in it, all at>$he same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c headse. Butaqas donerforces retired weaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her sway back to camp, a good deal awedrhey four1m stillSthank, becaussycamore tir beds,a ruin, now, blasted by!w`s, and they were not under it when0catastrophe happened. |t@!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYaAhad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardRsepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the V2sid#qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As the su?n began to steal in upo boys, drowsiness came ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a little homesick once aom sawRsigns4fell to chee@up the pirates as he could. But#cared nofor marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1qthem of~imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+1las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansdqa changOHattractedis idea; sonlong beforedstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF*Awood%attack an English settlement. Bnto three hostile tribedupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopAakilled}xscalpedHousands. I a gory day. Consequentlyan extremely satisfactory one. rassembl\camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not bread of hospitality together,out first mak3eacwas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE!reF"no process that eLy had heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showqheerful"asRcmustera@!foook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into"rya" gAsome";1fouanow smoke having to goBhunt lost knife^!di get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1 practised cautiously, aft-2er R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.were prouderappier innew acquirement thay would have been3w1ingOskinningSix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at present. CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilaritylittle townsame tranquil Saturday afternoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth!itordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%Salkedsighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69!noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquTized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked back a sob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that-- it for the whole worldb he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered away rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood lookQ"ve paling fence and tal"in rever!onc how Tom did so-and-+ last timy saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as they could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"a then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this way--and MGthenQseemeQbgo allme, like--R, you knowbIwhat it meant, of course, but I can Anow!en there dispute about who sawyBdead.qin life many claimedismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDthe departedqexchangea wordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by the rest. One poor chap,{ had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i rance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me oncBut that bid for glory)failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4loitered zstill recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. I"t`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses asSwomentheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle church had be full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep black2 whole congregamthe old minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|ers wererthe front pew$ncommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceedclergyman drew such pictures of the graces1win6wayA rarZCmise6 lost lads that e4!oure, thinke recognizRse pi, felt a pang in 1ingY1 herpersist blinded himselfrm always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYcflaws `poor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous%Q peop>uld easi, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes wej"edRgrieft!atx1timy occurrcy had  rank rascalities, well de.the cowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin" w <in a choruuanguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. aSthe gallery!nobody noticed;QlaterUdoor creaked;minister@Q rais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+ stood transfixed! First onthen another pair ofVs followgminister'then almostrone impulsg 2rosnstared whil' three dead boys came mar!upaisle, Tomead, Joe nextHuck, a ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! lir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threw themselves uponSrestored ones, smmsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1aba and uncomfortable, not know^ xactly what to do or where )de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizm and said: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pAlessqg!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesthing capablmhim more u1 he was before. SuddenlyU shouted atatop ofvoice: "PBQ God /whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters aSawyerPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! t his was the proudest moment?life. Asj"sold"Utroop!ey Twould)sbe will; be made ridiculous againZ:earUung liker once m1Tommore cuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe !gratefulnNBo Gozaffection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homechis brI Batte &s. paddled over to&9Missouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles )QbelowSvillage;2had slept id woodsedge of the town till nearly dayligh`1 ha n crept through back lana alley finishe6ir sleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,SMary were very loving to Tom,"1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donGR" sai; "and I believe you OiAough!itfW.1youR?Rg, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'Twould 'a' spoiledQthing8aI hopeg loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared en$to THINKst, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit'sTom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\he never thinks of anyUaMore'sXpity. Sid1\. Andand DONEBtoo.you'll lookC,E day, when too late wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^1you:rsittingthere by the bed8+P by the woodbox$Mary next to him." "Well, so we did. S do. I'm glars could take   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehseems tothe wind-- blowed the--" "Trhder, Tom! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believe$door--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Pm do?T" "Yb1hime--Oh, yahim sh for the land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dtell ME there ain't anything in%s,. Sereny  shall knowiis beforean hour older. I'd^0to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'bout superstition.2Oh,;all getting {s bright as dayVF Nex! I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs.I sheersaid Jotthe same, and6Rwishe hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSI said anytbhing,"*Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom! What dyq?" "Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheregone to, but ifDbeen0sometimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharpI lay I did! Tmust 'a'an angel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scaringda firecrackerH you7QPeter the Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lo3alkdraggingriver for ud%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happenedY!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. TomAcoul`!itY.if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and Iwhear every wor2aid 1youT to b+pI was sKqo sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou looked so good, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "Di, DID you! I;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even" i~a--dream," Sid soliloquized jVudiblup, Sid! A body doesthe sameV+ as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!if1was found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us allgot you back> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His1,ness knowsunworthy of itDthe nes got His blessingQ1hadjhand to help them  the rough places, there's_q few enwould smile I"oruenter intodqrest whde! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,ithe old lady to call on Mrs. Harpervanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_g2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger X1ame rate who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seemee the looks or hearsremarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys C2 drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretended no>t to knowaway at all; bu6consumingenvy, nevertheless. T- ould have given anythingi2aveswarthy suntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpart either for a circus. At'3Dmade so muchmdbof Joe$delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyes,qthe two"esnot long ini sufferably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventures]ungry listeners--3onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally,ry got oOir pipesawent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrAhe c!beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh (as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. Tom pretendedto see hermoved awayjoined a group of boysBgirl alk. Soon he observas tripping gayly backORforthiflushed facerdancingL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter whena captureh(icbalways/Cher 1s in his vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified apous vanitywB himso, insteawinning him, it onaet him up"j2morxiqdiligen7avoid betrayhat he knewYwas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyBQ, sig<once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistful1war(4. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrencany one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at onc=2tri1!goa, but 2eet8t3roucarried hQer toA sai=a girl almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba !, why didn't you come to Sunday-school?" "I did '--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(IMiss Peters' class, w3Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny 1n'tyou. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,z1ill's for ma<qanybodyAr I wantA you]Teo nice. When is itbBAby. Maybe vacationT Oh, won't it be fun! YouM r1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycapatree "o flinders" whil@Ae he"standing within three feet of itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on, clapping of joyful haAill had begged for invitNAs bu and Amyn Tom turned coolly away, still talkingtook Amy him. Becky's lips trembledbthe tears caher eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatterbHlife had gone ounR, nowything else1got as soonrhe coul)hid herself and had what her sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride,the bell rang roused upra vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied h>%erra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed were theytheir heads so close together overbook, that< did not seem to be conscious of an!in@Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily alosNwalked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever she paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !toDrear?, again and , to searseyeball1the!Qful s!clry not help itit maddenaAe, athought he- saw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless; qhe knew was winning her fight, toosas glad him suffer asB3haded. Amy's happy pra came intolerable. Tom hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}Athour"Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioher?" At last he1bthose 9he said artlesslyqshe wou "around"Ss let oueqhe hasteaway, ha1herit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" c6wenEthe motionsZrashing an imaginar= --pummelling tEbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!" And so the flogging was finishe+his satisfaction. Tom fled home at noon. His conscience cnot endure any more ofgrateful Rinesshis jealousyHtbear noAdistress. 'resumed her picture in'with Alfred, but asRminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"pr!upear at a footstep1 ita false hope;.she grew entirely miswsbdn't carried itar. When poori1see!haswas losQr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"E{1pat at last[Csaiddon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearbgot up3alkq2. d dropped <alongside+As goQo try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering whave done--forC"ha,a she wiYs all throughFnooning--an%qon, cryCThen went mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guessed his waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurrbmGZAtherT someg3boy);rouble without much risk to himself. Tom's spelling-book fell under his ey]uhis opportunitZrly open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. , glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendAfindand tell him;be thankfultheir troubles wou:%healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, shechanged her mind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's account,g"torhim for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodahe first this aunt saiqim show3m tQhad bt7sorrows to an unpromi+market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie,oQave Ih?" "Well, you'~3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expec6I'm_Amake&sbelieveat rubbage *bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtqQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a9will act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinklet me go\ Yake such a fool of myself and never say a word." Thisa new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniouserely looked meanshabby now. He huAhead!"no5ke!nyA1 tofor a momentn he said:I wish I hadn't it--but I di." "Oh, child1 nezhink. Y but your own selfishness6fA to 81all7way from Jackson's Island in+ to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie$m;Fn't to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Ayou &tWhat dime for, thenIqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndelB wouviankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad asta thought as thatY2youwy did--and!it." "Indeed' , auntie--53mayBstirH!OhT, don't lie-- Qdo itonly makesG gs a hundred times worsePIt ain'ta; it'struth. I wanted to keep:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run offracted so bad. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall fullqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT: wrote oSwe'd gone piratr, now, waked up8qI kissee--I doLe hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDkiss me, Tom?" "W hy, yes,x 1Are-#su 1did 2D--certain surmR1didMzF forLBecause I lov2 soyou laid there moan$I was so sorry8words sounded likThe old lady E not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!!bexAwithto schoolh bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom hae in. Trtopped,!itjrer hands{o herself: "No&dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWLord will forrchim, b`isuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lielook." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her han)1takA gar(:refrained. Once morSpventure*d1rhis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve me." SosMpocket. AQlater-&was reading Tom's piece of bark through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREasometh bout Aunt Polly's manner,?kissed Tom, that swep his low spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&0 luck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,6I'm eever, ever do that wayas long as #I live--please make up,S you?>Dgirl looked him scornfully inAface'll thankkeep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIR!toE"ea!paon. Tom was so stucBnnedhe had not even presenHqmind enG!to say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" until the right?6!itegone by. So he saiyhing. Buwas in a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were a bo*imagining how he would trounce her if\1ereitly encounter_Qdeliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachCcomplete. It seemed to A, inAhot btment,3shehardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6aflogge&n injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering no of exposing Alfred Temple, offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,dOQ know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle agean unsatisfied ambitihahe dar!of#desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every daAy he took a mysterious book out k and absorbed himself iyas when no classes) reciting2kept thateunder loc` key. Therot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+ came. Every boy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing bycdesk, which stood]BdoorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; found herFalon next instant s92theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon aomely engraved&colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%AsnatVbook to close it hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intoAturnyt{QburstTcrying with shand vexF. " , you are just as mean ascan be, to sneak up on a personXlBt why're look." "How could I know]7was( anything?" "You oqto be ad of you&, ;QZc're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbICwas 3." Then$astampe little fokd said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. YouAwaityou'll see! Hateful, h A!"--he flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld. Presentltsaid to: "What a cu&1kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-heart"ed. Well,  I ain'ttell old Dobbins on  l, because there's o@ ways of getting even on her,m<C; bu|of it? Ox&will ask who it was tore his book. Nobody'll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first oneqthen t'6when he comes b rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facese=mygiy backbonTq'll get vit's a htplace for Becky7c p1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"4joi0mob of skylar scholars outside. In a fewsmaster arrivschool "took indid not feel a strong interest in~ studies. Every time he stollance atgirls' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Consider"llds, he pR pity`and yet it%A was8uld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyname. Presently the sp-book discowas madeJTom's mindentirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distressshowed good the proceedings. S_aexpectt/*4his by denying1rhe spil2inkCe himself;eS  denial only seemed to makm R wors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"atrshe triYrbelieve44as /1it,sshe fou71wascertain. W3!heQt camtQorst,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C an effort and forced herself to keep still--R, sai,2, "Oabout me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,Toughtpossible that3 [unknowingly upsey , in some skylarking bout--he hadQed itform's sakehbcustombhad stuck toprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5master s(dding in<bthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlocked|Bdeskqreachedhis book, but  undecided whether to take iHqr leave Most of the pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfinger#aband settl<Achairead! Tom shot a2 atB. He7een a huntedhelpless rabbit look asYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--something must be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! He" would runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chance was lost--Ropene'volume. If Tom only!th<ted opportunity back again! Too late. Tas no help for now, he said* next momen}-3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil while one might count ten =was gatheringXQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One c,have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;MCBseardace afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew mor #sethe slow torturse proceedings4canranks of boys--consid(a!ur3girls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Graci0e Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlBecky ThatcherMtrembling froms to fooaexcitenqand a sa!of:hopeless!of/situatiouRebeccaz" [Tom glanced at hfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]--no, look me inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning a brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAoq punishthe surpris gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of po's eyes seemed pay enfor a hundred floggInspired byplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbinsever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commanipremain stwo hours afterhould be dismissed--for he knew who w$Qwait kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. Tom went to bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Qshamearepent5hl!ldqall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longingW give way, soon0pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at las's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rjmore exactrn ever,9ae wanteto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, he had only d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he seemed vindictive)ure in puniXB shortcomingsconsequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX&"irz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to do: a mischief. But`ept aheadJ"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. Athey consp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iRsign-painter's boy,CchemBaskerhelp. H|1hisqreasons being deldtboardedfather's f]qand hadboy ample caushate hims's wife=Qgo on!si2thery in a few da~yqbe nothQo interfeqre withcQplan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominithe proper condion ExaminaEvening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righthhurried to school. I1ful"of4Athe testing Hc arriv0ed!inUeqoolhous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliageSlowers1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blackq behind" HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front of him were occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, back@ citizens,Da spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoDpartvexercis ; of small boys, waOAsheddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky big boys; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuously cons,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood upsheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanyainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine m"used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,. got a fine round of applauseD he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceitedM confidence and soaredunquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speech,yAfurynSfrant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him, his legs quaked under him|he was liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathys b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+Bletei disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, hel anuscript (ti dainty ribbon), a[nd proceedeqCreadlabored attention to "expressionapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalentY!se\a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opuegush of "language"; <tendency to lug in ears pararly prQwordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markBmarrlmthe inveterat tolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one [m. No matter wh6subject m be, a brain-racking effo4rt was made to squirm it into some aspect or the mora" rus mind could contemplate with edificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#the young ladies do not feel obligwAclos.!iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous and fleast girl in < is alwayt longestAXQrelenhly pious. But enoug"this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us returnA"Exaion." The first was read9one entitled "Is this(n, Life?" P reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walkRlife,delightful emot2doeHyouthful9look forwarvsome anticip scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rUose-tinted picturejoy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observed of2rs.' Her graceful form, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentranceqe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-like does everything appear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}a*last. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior,is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFAwastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awaythe convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyulongingsoul!" And so forrso on. owas a buzz of_ gratificaBfrom1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe had closed j a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comeRpillsndigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recollesng my brhFor I have wandHay flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eye 'Tis from no stranger land Igmust p`'Tis to no U0s left I yielse sighs.[Welcome and home were mine within this StateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbgetBeart (teoen, dear b! theyBQ e!" Thervery few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <9satisfactory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began toin a measured, solemn tone: mbVISIONNADark tempestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep inton*the heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;s]errific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic s, and blust_e}bout as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so reary, for human sympathy my 1pirit sighq instea}Rreof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'R to my side. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So soft was0qstep, iq failed to make even a sound[1butDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf 1 sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements withourbade me)Qmplatuthe two"resented.~i; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermon so destruOActiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondleg experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCu|Dy haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =2to 8!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorted5 them more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, now, as if determined not put down byQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^1continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; sa rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i<absorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&3 in"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXl=did blaze abroadx's bald paiqte--forZ!sign-painter's boy had GILDED it! That broke up5rmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl patternQhenceEmuch happierVany mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." Hmised to abstai^Q smok9!ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he fthing--namely,$to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself torment desire to drink and swear;Rgrew so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplayi8red sash kept himwithdrawing fromorder. F9 ourth of July was coming;"he3gavQup --it up before he had worshackles over forty-eight hours--and fixed hiss upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw61hav ig public funeral, since heso high an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!q's condhungry for new it. Sometimes his hopes ran$--1thaRventujqget outJ and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuabAt lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedBsignHtat onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTqa fine Cpara a style calculated to killClateR envyb!re[Q, howd--ther`methinLAg inFcQdrinkvswear, now--but founhis surprishe did not want tosimple facth# hga, tookdesire away,xthe charm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginning to hang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diary!no happened dso he abandonedhe first of anegro minstrel shows came to townQmade a sensand Joe Harper go~a band of performersYwere happm1twoa. Eve Glorious Fwas in somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento actual United States Senator, prov overwhelming disappointment--for not twenty-five feeto, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys played8for@afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls--an6cd thenxving was. A phrenologist-a mesmerizer--and went again&left the village dullerdrearier than ever. T=BwereU boys-and-girls' parties, buYy,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hostay with her par }J--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9Bpaingn~measles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dea}qand its]aeningsR1wasT ill,finterested inR. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had come ove!ryl every creaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion,"{Bdult 4"thILbout, hopingZqst hopeQthe s7of one blessed sinful face, but disQappointment cro(Ahim Qwherefound Joe Harper study Testament,turned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionprecious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5hisAon; hen, in desperation, he flew for refuge bosom of Huckleberry Finewas received+Scriptural quotjis heart brokehe crept!anbed realiz at he alone of all the town]lost, forev b. AndnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxe forbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu322hat1was result. It might have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batteryrtillery, bubnothing incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. By"by7empest spent itself #diQout accomplists object. The boy's first impulseto be gratefulreform. His secoto wait--for5 not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his845timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor"wadrifted listlessly downastreetp41 ac| as judge in a juvenile courKr1catamurderCreseher victim, a birdgand Huckup an alley ea stolen melon. MPoor lads! they--Tom--had suffered a . CHAPTER XXIII AT las sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:R trial came on4k!be*the absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern6to  sent a shudder toaheart,his troubled consciGand fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowing any9-zdVstillF2 comfortablridst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimeBtookSto a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealatongue a little while; to divide)burden of distressdnotherr. Moreover, he wantUassurCHuck- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^a word?"solitary word, so help me. What makes you askWell, I was afeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#got found out. YOUtTom felt more . After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO. They ain't no diIbnt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma!t,tant, so'sde som'ersT{$jurame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always-- *account;then he h Fdoneto hurt anybody . Just fishes a little, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderablel-!wedo that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we get himop5My!&8n't)W. And besides, 'tw*ado any=;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=dy talk1at,1the.that if he was,Dfree^2lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughm1. A# twilight drew on3themselv*es hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhaps with an undefinpe that something;Q happAat mclear away their difficulties. But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~often done%--went t cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. Hhe ground floorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/Qgifts!alEAsmott!irciences --it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and t!outhe last degreaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.EmendSboys'aBings:AshowAwherT0Zin' places wa0rbefrienbwhat IO2now ave allot old Muff"!'s5rou92TomIQHuck b--THEYP)P 'and%!them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a= time--that'. only way I accounT it--AI go:Qswingiit's right. RighBEST, too, I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't talk5at."wamake YOU feel bad; yQed mez<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime comfor?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of RtfD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llqthrough-bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more iy." Tom home miseraWhis dreamb nightfull of horrorse next day2the fter, he hucourt-room, drawn by an almost Sirresistible impulse to go in, bucing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experience y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village bwas to2(ffect that Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. as out late,u"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before heU sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeabout equally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed nd took their places; shortly afterward,TR, palAhaggQtimidhopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/all the curious eyes cstare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM!an<b pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoqlawyers|Agath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospof prepar was as impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredtimmediately sneak some fur`}counsel forEarosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a momentzQdropp%rem agai6 his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. CPor th #,"#'s replied. A thirdNswore he had often se%inO possession.Potter declined tME The faces)audience began to betray annoyance. Did this attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior when c!toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-)bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyardwhich all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath-citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we have faste7$newful crime, beyondossibility of a, uponunhappy prisoner atbar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,she put his face in hands and rockedbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.Rmovedmany women's compa testifixtears. rthe def1osesaid: "Your honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proa$ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We have changmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Thev lerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". eye faste*with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"`, wher5eCyou Cseventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron"antongue failm audience liVbreathless, b~& words refused to come. After a few moments, however,uoy got a little of{strength backb manag^3puts of it into8voice to make part~e house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q4contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "Wanywhere near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neveq mentioy ompanion's name. We will 6D himproper time. Did you carry anything you." To, m hesitated and looked conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. What dBtake Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )the skeleton!atdD Now, tell us ever4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at firstas he warmthis subject his flowed morJ easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbEDhung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as light$alf-breed sprang for a window, toreay through all opposers1gone! CHAPTE5R XXIV TOMa glittering hero onceH--the pet ofAold, Aenvyhe young. His namZ n went into immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some}believedould be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreasowworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;afore i'not well to find fault_it. Tom's days: of splendor and exult@r to himdhis nights v?horror. Qinfes(ll his dreamswith doom in$eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysafraid DhareAbusiumight ldnotwithstanding_A's f4!saim the suff:of testifying ilrt. The poor fellowD1gotqattornepromise secrecy-qwhat of? Since }harassed conscience[managed to drive himc c's house byjQand waad tale from lipsPhad been sealedthe dismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidJhuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Hal2timZ3wasawould never be capturedV other hal,@h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewards*been offerelvcountryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZb craft ly achieve. That is to say,MQ he "! a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murderso afterogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure as hbefore. nslow days drifted oneach left behind it a slightly ened weighDpprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinRed-Handed." Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedN1matbdo him kbtially`*AwillElway2 ake a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, moyJ." "Why, is it hid allep?" "No5r, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests undAe env a limb of an old dead tree,shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it?)Wrobbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendents?" "I don't know. If 'twas mine I Cide it; I'd spend have a good time"So;1 I.l"dolway. Theyf and leave it t"ADon'y0ay moreNo, they think BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it laysr a long]and gets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,1seemean any-AHave4cgot onUem papers, Tom|!No0Well then,you going#63wanJarksesbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can tagain some timeS ' -1 upzStill-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'em'Is,ll of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Z one to go forG _1'emIWhy, Tom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf!fihbrass pot with a hundred dollar1it,^Agray2 fudi'monds. HowaHuck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTI:Dthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits or a dollar." "No! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellso. Hain'ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckonCdon'i!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^Do they hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o Yto hop for?--but IRQAjustVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`iy like it-Rbight; )kG"begD,Xa niggersay--where you dig firs%zknow. S'#we tacklj  on the hill t'\side ofjrI'm agreed." So 9got a crippled pick and a shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingEthrew themselves down in the sha a neighboring elm to resQa smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I$2SayQwe fitreasure hereFyou o with your shar2'll1pieaa glassoda every dayI'll go to Scircufcomes along. I betaa gay tinsL2f igrSave itrhy, so  something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daRget his claws on iIurry up,Ijhe'd clea3out pretty quick.tsn$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrieM b!" "TiTom, you--why ]!inw3 miAWaitvq'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_my mother. Fight! Why,"used to fight all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b1cko%Ay'reQalikeMAy'llcomb a body. Now you better think 'bouta awhilAtell-Byou /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's aI/Fsame;  says gal, irl--both's right, like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only ifbe more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith meBstirVfUnd we% digging." ^aworkedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2. Not generally.we haven't got theQ placS|Schose#spTbegan again labor dragged a little, but sthey made progress:By pe4way in silenceVRsome rFinally leaned on his shovel, swabbed( beaded drops from his brow8bleeve,rQWhereCSgoing next, after we ge1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hill back qwidow'sdDll be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her landd9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever findQse hiasures, it belongs to him. It drmake any difference wzaland i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. Byb4Blame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVCt isn curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfer @s_the trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is! What a blamed lot of fools we are! You got toa out w]the shadowlimb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"edall thisfor nothing. Now hang!llBcome.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _!an)go for itBI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonelyran hourXsolemn by o aditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks, deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answepulchral notMq subdueDthesRitiesctalkedvvjudged that twelve had;"marked we shadow &Bfellbbegan to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris ir interest grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+/a stone or a chunk. At last Tom said: "It ain't any use, Huckre wrong again}but we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another o?that?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough i&too late or too early." Huck dropped his shovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroubleEAgiveq one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of ',L%rtime ofwitches and2 a-flutteringZso. I feel aslbehind mee; and I'm afearTCturnS)suz maybe1's front a-<# fance. I been creepll over, ever since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to look outiLordy!" "Yes2do.uh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolRFwherPpeople. A body's bounget intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull and say  DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better" What'll it be?" Tom consid|awhile;dKThe ha'nted houp!itQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud,3younoticing[peep over your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way ap does. I couldn't stOuch a thas that--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUonly at nightwon't heus from digging tin the daytimItso. But you knowcy wellgo about fA norr pmostly becauRato go  a man's%A mur, anyway--buqhing's obeen seenBthat except !-- some blue lights slipping by windows--no regular ghostsPyou see one of them[qflicker, you can beuEre'shy close behind it. Irreason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em pECcometime, so w@athe usaour beffeard?a. We'll tackl9 1 if#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonLlit valley belowQstood%""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorsteps,k chimney crumbled to ruin -sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gazed awhile, half expectSwo see a flit past a{; then talQin a 1one, as befitte8rtime an circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Runtedde berth,aook their way homeward through[Qwoodsc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< ffN ir tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dow2whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveCdaysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookam-- "My! I nonce thought of iE!\AI diqneitherkr all at@it popped onto me t8 hat it was Friday." "BlamedVa body can't be too careful, Huck. We might 'a' got into an awful scrape, tackling such a thing on a z+MIGHT! Better say we WOULD! There's some lucky days, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't reckon YOU7the firstfound it ounRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rats|No! Sure signprouble. DiTy fight?" "No4that's good!hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England-- best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopl,Rkingssuch like. But he !boQ poorloved 'em.H He always divided up with 'em perfectly square9bhe musbeen a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;jhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedL all the afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink athe weey took their way homeward athwar| long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbadead tree ag43ainThad a smokeUa chaashade,dug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom saiW1re "so many cases where people had given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it a single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledhcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!betausines)Z-hunting. Whery reach twas some so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/baking sun,{ bSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDBdoor'2ookmbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase; and here+,ReveryWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tensQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwQy gav a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextanted to look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off]P!go^daring each otherof coursre could beone result--LSthrewtools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ Lo go down and begin work when-- "Sh!"Tom. "W>ds it?"ed Huck, blanching>rfright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep Ostill! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." The boys stretch2mselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a, unkempt creature very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Xa low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardP0words more distinct as ceeded: "No,"eqhe, "I'ought it all over, and 1I dlike it. It's dangerous*D!" grunte"e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~Q made<gasp and quake. ItInjun Joe's re was silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPdifferent. Away up!riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w.  9]daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any @Qplaceandy after6 fool of a job.Int to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse trydo stir%hethose infernalA pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a da6y. They wishedir hearts[ had waited a year. The two men gotJ]Afoodpa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,ALook, lad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you from me. I'll tak]chances on dropping inis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'^'7 I've spied around a little5think thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together;was satisfactory. Both presently fell to yawningp I'm dead for sleep! your turn to watch." He curled downWa weedssoon bega7snore. HiDrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispereXNow's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die if\ke." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowly andAq softlyQ star lone. But the first step he wrung such a hideous creak Dthe crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<with fright. He neveria second attempo!lare countingdragging moments it seemed "emtime must be donGeternity growing gray;Cthen6ererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly uponcomrade, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his footaHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All , though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. NearlyQfor ube moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we'veAleftrI don't know--leave itN3 as2aalways, I reckon. No use to rit awayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omex<No--but I'd say come Hib night2 usdo--it's betterDYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge chance atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea," sai / walked across=room, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonestook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty / irty dollars for himselfgas much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s < corner, now, diggingRhis bowie-knife. forgot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloa1eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--Splendor of it was bey%ll imagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozencrich! Hereftreasure-hpunder theiest auspicesre would nobany bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent nudge3s and easilyastood,,they simply meant--"Oh,you glad NOW we're !" Joe's knife struck upon something. "Hello!phe. "What is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box, I believe.--bear a handQsee wo1t's for. Never mind, I've broke a hole." He reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinemhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.Q: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#R5sidAfirea--I sa5a minute agoh!anbbrough2Rboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. Iu not very larg!was iron bou had been+dstrong5the slow years+Qinjurmen contemplated the trGeasure awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of dollsCere,Injun Jo<#'Twas always said that Murrel's gang used to be arhere one summer,".stranger observ"I know it-; "and this looks like it, I should say." "Now you won't ne"doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Leasall abouta1 'T@ robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"sa wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillGhear from me`Well--ifqsay so;e'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a moment.] What business has a^{G?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAare they gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Qleave{q to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n . We'll ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|ought of6 before. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--under!cross. The other place is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to #cautiously peeping out. Presently he said: "Who cose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsook&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[Aturn\1war 1way Q e closet, but their strength was gone= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring foo 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi!amMe debris of th*e ruinedVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc Now what's the use of all|? If it's8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get- trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes --nfollow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoqhings inu1 ca1a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yedJoe grumbled awhile;bhe agreed withAfrie!at daylight was left q to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredB thrhe chinks betweE log%1. FAqthey. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovp hill.  They did not talk much. were too much absorb#haemselves-- ill luckS made!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. Butthat, Injun Joe n+would have suspected Chiddk8sil gold to waitWQ till"revenge" was satisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&1 thk"ls#brNbhere! Rresol keep a looko9 Spaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wher m!beLbn a gh@!thq occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked ittBover"as1BentewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 4qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Comp7Bany be a palpable improvement, he. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure of the day ily tormented Tom's dreams night. Four times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6rit wast7nothingness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4a"ba hard reality ofR1. AQlay i, smorning recallingincidentsJVgreatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued0 far away--somewhat as if ;had happenanother world, or in a time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo be3had1qseen as as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sums reallyA exieRnever@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 63wasqfound in actual moneycny one's possession. IPanotionuhidden had been analyzed, would havey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras Q. Bugrew sensibly sharperclearer under Qattri193ink&am over so he presentlyA himk1leae!toRBimprZ2 G not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sittinge gunwalB a flatboat, listlessly dangFqhis fee3aand looB very melancholy. Tom conclud$2letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itws1be 2Vd to Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tool2s adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't." "Whatwb?" "Oh,ing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8seen how much  Qa! I've s enough all night--withpatch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /Swe'llXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--and lost. I'd feel mighty shakysee him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's it8B'bou. But I can't make no[!ouAit. do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, Sziv, s one-horse town. They ain'Ct noqas here,!so. Lemme6 a minute. Here-- room--in a tavern,Aknowtrick! Theys3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I comTom was off at oncA did91carahave Huck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fou!inEbestQNo. 2Blongoccupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery. The -keeper'srson said  kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not know any particular reasonthis state o1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9AmadewV#e & by entertaining himself be idea"ro` "ha'nted"etnoticed*"er9da ligh r before. "TBwhatOY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're afterU." "/it is, Tom. Nowcyou going to do?" "Ethought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doork"at" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old ratrap of a brick storeet hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWqa chancget his revenge. If you see himjust follow him;_if he don't|>a ain't:Lordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself+Why, it'll b%R, surmightn't everyou--and ifa, maybe he'd think anything1if bpretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkhB 'a' out he couldh xbe going ri3ght afteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooSuntilnine, one watch2he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobody entere*For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bight remained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead  welve. Tuesday the boys had same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itCq. He hi <` in HuMck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }. Everytwas auspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.bavern."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The!re#a of waiting anxiety$weighed "Hui2pirke a mountainh to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8r to the all9ey; fearrll sortreadful 5s] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much to,, for heonly able to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itout, the tbeating. Suddenly n"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUrenough;was making thirty or forty miles arepetitionAutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I tooUk holknob, and open come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyere, sound asleep onRfloor4old patch on1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.1anyy but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhI reckon! mWtso. Who'd8qsuch a `u? But stnow's agood time to get&ifq's drunk%aIt is,*! You try iHuck shuddered.Dno--A notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doThere was a long pause for reflectiothen Tom said:32oky3less notCB anyatill wwc 3notre. It's too scary. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU,x"lly 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*#'mW,ORthrow:gravel atrwindow @at'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's over, andObgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5 you?" "I I would, TomI(Cha'n#wtavern  for a year!sleep all dayi&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it.  !ik\, becuz I dover act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wan|bsteadye$ift!indaytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sec's up,, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first8heard on FridayZ morning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had ack to towS before. Both Injun Joethe treasure sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhausting goodBplaying "hi-spy"%"gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's dewas boundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!he:Ahope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having to astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came thatDC. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_everything was reada start. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.picnics spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast d Mrs. 6A sai[, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay allA somthe girls that live neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt!s tripped along, Tom1: "Say-- tell you what we'll do. 'Stead of going to Joe2's *climb right2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!"  Becky reflected a momentaid: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'A go F if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting baiand Tom's persusScarriqday. So i adecide;bsay no]anybody R's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgivehasignal ;took a deal of'pirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolx fun at~Pas'. XAnd why sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so T it be any more likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweighuncertain treasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinL"not allow himself to think of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below townferryboat stopped(mouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9the different way1get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructioJQ goodgs began. AfterAfeas#re|refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomefashouteXWho's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \tprocureFtraightwaUre was a genera l scamper upBhillOx' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. Iromantic mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=qsun. Buaa impre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offromping d againcment aRlight.general rushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingeep descent!main avenue,pflickering raVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wallrock almostBreir poip2jun sixty feet overhead. This1not@a than r or ten?pwide. Every few steps other#and still narrower crevices branched from it on ei=hand--for McDougal's cave was&a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights togethrough its intricate tangle of rift: chasms,Fsever fit4end Qcave;h!goY? jthe earth*i2jusesame--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a portion of inot customary to venmuch beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3z"asine. T moved along"some three-quarterRa mil> then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s o?t joinedParties were able to elude each o&ther forFAspac half an hour without goinga the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame stragglOCack gmouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely delight"the success ofday. Then theyMstonishea y had been taking no not[Ftimem was about at handna clang%ell had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild freQ!pu#instream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w%--he dropped h1Qer ourhis minput his attentionLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock came4theK f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,village betook itself to its slumbers2lefRsmall>er alone/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernvre put out; darkness everywhere, now. iThat seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it up/turn in? AFfell22ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must bewbox! Soto removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heV stick to0 their wakfollow them;.d trust_for security from discovery. So communinghimself,stepped out and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGriver street three blocks, then turnthe left up a cross-8y went straightEr, until!came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookfthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. Bu8y1stoa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetumach bushes were at once hiddeothe gloomUd shortenedrdistancR, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether=; listened; no sound; none, savesrhe seem1hea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everything lost! HQ abou!spqwith wiwhen a man clearathroatfour feethim! Huck's R shot`lroat, buwallowed it again; and he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weakzhe must surely fallground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,1, l;4em there; it won't be harFfind. Nxr a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--}'s lights, latet is." "I can'tany." This2thadnger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill!to:oS--thiZthe "revenge" job! Hiswwas, to fl3n he remembere-d-:the had been kinvqhim mor&n uEthese men were going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himchis and !inbmomentelapsed betwee 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. Well, 4 IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you mayc1it.her husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. Aqat ain'Q5. I millionth part of iz!haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town loo#Kon! `!dounderstand? He took adv6Qantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM ifR here!noQ. Whe? want to get revenge on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--Isn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's goV!be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--thA ere's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was going to ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoun$8murderous talk; so he held his breath and stepped gingerly back; plante.foot carefully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sid `!onRother. He took ana, with+same elaborationr risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)6! HH1sto#and he listenedr no sound--tillnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass2ere=p'uly but cautiouslyrghe emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reacheWelshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "WAQhat'sI[row there? Who's banging? What do you want?" "Let me in--quick! I'll tell everything." "Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG4, lY!'+, indeed! It ain't a name to open many doors, I judge! ButYhim in, lads[let's see w  trouble." "Please don't tell I told you,"ccHuck'swords when he got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promiseasay itmBy George, he HAS gotthtell, or he wouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!it0nobody here';." Three minutes laterSE1his, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in qhands. accompanim no fur hid behind a great bowldsfell to7ing a lagging, anxrA, an?n all of a suddR an explosion ofI firearms0a cry. waited for no particulars. He sprang away;sped dowl. hill as fast as his legs could carry him. CHAPTER XXX AS|#earliest suspicion of dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingrapped gently aTold Welshman's&. The inmates3asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,ccount ofxciting episodenight. A callfrom a window: "rthere!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone:O It's only2FindFrhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseBstrange worthe vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlQheardRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]R brac1all speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop1'rehungry, because breakfast will cbe ready as soon aA sun's upwe'll have a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boysd you'd turn up and stop here lastFa." "IsSawfulq," saide , "and I run. I took out whey pistols wekfI didn't stop!three mile. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even iyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but +'s a bedx1for:Ryou'v^Fyour=. No, they ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right wto put our hands oRm, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it backCno use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my ` raise d:3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B< ey were off in a jiffy, villainsse after4down throughqwoods. I judge we never touche| m. They fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. AkRwe loVB sou$Twe quit chasing"ntand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&bit is Eaheriffaa gangS beat}"Myrwill be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. ButBcoulRee whdrlike, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!f1ne' 1 olfdumb Spaniat's ben around h)ere once or twicet'other's a mean-lookQragged--" "TPcenoughawe kno men! Happened o)m1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge)r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huckgyou ought to havecredit of you did.@h no, no! Pq!" Whe young menhQgone,]5oldFA saiwr--and I3whyyou want itCBn?" Xnot explain, furthan to say< he already knew too much abSne of1men`+1manU Manything against him foB whole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morW1Howyou come to follese fellows, lad? Wer%eI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heRWell,ee, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Tha ay of it last night. I could,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#!an4". just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me,;1unddreir armI reckoned'd stole it. OneCa-sm one wantlight; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#eyp`ua rustyo devil." "C3youpe rags ?" This staggered Huck for a momentknow--but somehow ims as if I didthey went onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhear!raFqone beg"-K5the swear he'd sp;rr looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMB man saidthat!" whad maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keeA olddfrom gett he faintest hiG"whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$m into trouble in spite"Rll heFr do. He several efforts to creepof his scrape, but'd?!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh : "My boy, don't be afraitme. I w  hurt a hair of your head v!llworld. No--I'd protect+ . This Sp2aniard is not deaf dumb; you've let that slip without intending it+ can't cover0up now. You knowthing abob%at4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes , then bent over and whispw!inear: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!? almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It'splain enough,pWhen you talmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasJtalka cours i* rRthe lIing which heons had done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineZ,its vicinity for marks of blood1y found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightning >they could not haaped withc&re stunning suddenness from Huck's blanched lips. His-were staring wide1his th suspended--waiting foraanswer WelshmanRted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTER you?" Huck sank back, panbgently deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and pres[NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven anyfor materiala plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." PoorP%too distressed to smileWQ laugz1oud1joy6, shook up th; e details of his anatomy1heacQfoot,E by sayingbsuch ar9money in a-man's pocket, because it cut down the doctor's bill like evern he addold chap, you're white!ja5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little flightyCoff your balance2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hop+#brritatthink he had beenaBgoosbetrayed! a)icious excitement,HqdroppednBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however "ha"kn/a82n't!soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact, everything 5Bseem^be drifting just i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%men would be yand jailybat dayhQTom c6QseizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompled2herea knocdoor. Huck jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt% Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, amoteWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spreadh(AtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's another(more beholden1an -rre to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't havev2butim." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almod the main mat5ter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis Mrthroughqbe trans?whole townb refus"2par secret. When all else had qlearnedO  said: "I wensleep reading in bed and slept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth while. Those fellows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8By'veback." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hours more. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villainsyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsidMrs. Harper as she moved down the Qaisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa5rs.  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy that'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--onyou. And now he's afraid%totto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "HeBAus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A markQxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"o4did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he c2sayWQpeopl2 stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio2An ofz"y countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teachebey allthey had not noticed whether Tom Dwere on boar9 ferryboat on the homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughinquiring if any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!Thatcher swooned awa fell to cryingwringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutesQbells wildly clahe whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episodeEinstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8down highroa river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited9;andY6andPcomfort them51y clm, too, an$Rd tha1Qbetten words. tedious nigh]for news; but whemorning dawqt last, 1thed1cam, "Send more candles--and send food." Xwas almost crazed;CAunt Polly, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman1hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because,'h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  AHuckgood spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark"don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewh0every creature #that comes from his hands." Early-forenoon partijaded men began to straggle intv villag strongest citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be gainedremotenessrn were being ransack71visrbefore;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hitherS distance,shoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear dowsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over ii7 relic she sh1havher chilAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this oneed latest from th+e living bodyv awful death came. Some saiw and then,  cave, a far-away speck of! wrglimmerthen a glorious)burst forthbaa scor'men go troopingA echx&--cq sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>air tedhours alongS the #R sank9 a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0Q anyt' The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, scarcely flutte public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lbsubjec3s?A finYasked--dimly he worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes,"*e widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a t9urn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer that foundTinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveIa great powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone ! But what cshe be crying about? CuM1she ald cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind under the wearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck.1 fia! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's shareapicnic*y tripped alongRmurkyas with2reshe company, visit familiar wonders.Tave--bdubbedXrather over-dLescriptive names, such as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wandered down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles aloft4rea  tangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesrmottoesQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPKan overhanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. HeUit curtained 3Ba sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambition to be a discoverer sei"m. responded to his call, andbmade aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir quest1wouUais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off in search of novelties to tel upper world about. In onefa spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactites ofalength circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked all it, wonderQadmir_Uand pleft it by numerous passagesAopenAto iis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrustedXsa frosta glitt crystals;]:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?b "joof great Batalagmatogethhe resuleaseless water0 -drip of centuries. Under;oof vast knot bats had packed themselvwousands in a bunch( lights disturbe creaturcame flockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously a candles. Tom knew their waymr danger%isconduct. HeBecky's handhurried herthe first corridorqffered;6none too soon,a bat struck g- out with its wing while she was passing(<q cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wantLqexplore8borders,aconclur!hawould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesT$thlaid a clammygb spiriDthe *said: "Why, I didn't notice, H!bu/seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to1k, , we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wo2howwe've beenhere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try som so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyas traversed it in silence a  way, glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face/ n encouraging sign, and 8#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~one, but we'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!ofAing ne that was wanted. He still saiwas "all !,"such a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<#!"clung tooqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back RtearsAould. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goway! We seem.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deeps"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shou The call went echoingthe empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter. deSagain too horrid,*Becky. "TIt isI better, Becky;might hear us, you know," and he~. The "6"Bpa chilliersbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing hopehildren stoodand listened; !reno resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps. I"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact toa--he cv1notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "1, I rfool! S Ithought we  1 to| No--I can'Tay. I)1mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8Aof ti wful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherS!nk,Qhe gr$and burst8renzy of cryat Tom was appalledthe idea4 sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byband pubarms aAher;S"bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"poured out her& terrors,Eunavailing regrets, afar echoesthem all to jeeringEa begge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamingAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. wWatry to Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. So they moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--3heyq!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyback itRbecause iqits natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.Sa under,Vhrpe diedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole(three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must econom-)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tried to pay attention,~it was dreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any Qwas aist progressjmight bear fruit;wto sit downto invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refus! carry her farthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_\all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful>sat looking intodrawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasantms; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFheal is own spirit, and his tJhoughts wandered away to bygone|#y memories. While heeep in his musings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never, had waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRknew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not betheir candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presently, and Tom s53aida!to Both were cruelly tired, yet Rshe t4C she8Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'.qunderst8tsat down, Tom fastened 1 to#wall in front of them{some clay. Toon busy; nothp!s 2for7Atimena brokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" Tom tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?""he. Becky almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MSYes--d as big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do 'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, wTom nibbled atQamoietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move onMyilent a mom"qThen heA: "R,!you bear it if I t1ellEk#?"8's face paled, bu . "Well"n,, we must stay herBere there'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClast! gave loosAearsuwailingud what {to comfort herDwithzeffect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#ySBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[you as soon as got homrA frighclook iqbrought@!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.was not to have gone < night! The children became$ndMuful. In a new burst of griefKra showentgaing inmind had struck h(ers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discovered~"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; sawinch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame rise^fall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,Fthe horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward it wjFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. Allqknew wa"atIseemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke oua dead stupa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2to talk, bu sorrows woo oppressive, all her>#8gon*AbeenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;in the dark2Anessdistant echoes sounded so hideously4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!of2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier thanG. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-by Tom said: "SH! Did you hear#?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. InlAanswY"itmrleadingd1 by8 hand, started groping dowE corridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'y1m!"N Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl"on28stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred'Bqno passUany rate. Tom 2gotaon his!streached as far&1as uld. No bottommust sta]rwait untilearchers came8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingb$a! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether} heart-sinking miser+1it!swhoopedh%hoarse, but it was of no use. He talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on*Rslept`awoke famisnd woe-stricken. Tom believedust be Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}$sevAe we=+R heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumpingplace." Tom got :Qkneesfelt belowA thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni"; he made an effort to stretch yet a little farththe right at that T, not yards away, a human, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!lifted up a glorx, and instafollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot move was vastly gratified the nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNat Joe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bur echoes21havAguis!e c. Without doubt, was it, he reasonedA's f9 weakened everScle iody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 he,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of mee+}Qagainwas careful to keepkwhat it was he had see;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superior to fears ilong run. Ano!ed@Bwaite springa'9sleep brought changes. The children awobrturedua ragingq believ'Rat it`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKQearch`been givenQpropoo explore passage(sqwilling 8isktnd all JQrrors8 qas very4. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NR longLm!To"gothe kite-linek chose; butk!im9d'aCback0BwhilNspeak to her;`swhim promise:"he!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ show of being confidenAfind)pers or an escape from the cave; then he took7Ahand+ went groping down one of76s o6s7knees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonand waned totwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mourned-FlostW$ha en found. Public prayers offered up for them, and manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority !upQquest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuFwas plain tcould never beB!Mrfatcher2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,9lay it wearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitvillage went to its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away insQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCNb bellsin a momentRstreets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn by"ing citizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah* F! Twilluminated; nobodybto bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved one!kiqsqueezedt'Q, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all ove place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7%be5P, how"eas soon  messenger dispatched with news toAcaveCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=1tol~A his!of'wonderful adventure, putting in many striking additionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasT"to9back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his he6shouldersa small hol1saw[(broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it had only happen$ b~hUa not h2een%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew going to die, and wantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >way out at the*1 anbn help2 ou? they sat trgladness+some men came alo@qa skiffgTom hail!emtheir situa0qir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at first, "because," saiv y, "you are five miles down"river belnavalleycave is in" --then tookaboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thandful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clhey had strung behi[!m,informed ofAA. T2dayanights*oil and huP be shaken off at once"Tojqdiscovered. TheyJp bedrid<aden alWednesdayThursdayseemed to grow mo Qtired5Qworn,Pthe time. Tom got abYa little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as whole as ever Saturday; butdid not leaveroom until SunUshe looked as ifphad passq a wasting illness. Tom learnHuck's sickneswent to see him obut coulbe admitl.bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or 6wasHSdailyFAthattb was wto keep still  his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-%been found ;AnearYferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. AbWQ fortiTom's rescue froDhe start0f to visit Huck, whoNgrown plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD5would interFqest himthought. Judge Thatcher's house&#onw2opp2seet J~friends setto talking%one asked him ironically if he wouldn't likezocave again_said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are others jusuyou, Tom, I've noleast doubt. But we have taken cLfA. Nowill get lost !atA anyH." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--andgbkeys."!tujite as a sheet.Aat'sE0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The gbbt:!thCinto|face. "A you're all riAWhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fillpassengers, soon followed. Tom S-3awy[deR bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%!of,fplace.x lay stretched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`A, as4is longing eyebeen fixed,>latest moment,5he cheer free world outsidey was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wBuffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefN security, now, which revealhim in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him sinceXday he lifted%Cvoic"st bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade broken!wo great foundation-beamO1chiand hackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn material th"e Qhad wt no effect;jonly damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have5 Rstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMRdoor,xcit. So "ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on1 fiRlf a dozen bits of candle stuck ahe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneAsearrthem ou 2eatBm. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In on_ , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly growW from}ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad oe#!mpd a stone, w(dhereinARscoop hallow ho2to the precious drop rfell onevery three minutes wit=!drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellthe foundation0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror create British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willI be 2all6 squnk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand yearsready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^hapless half-bree1out#Ustone>Qprice8bdrops,o this day 7qthe toustares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4buried nearBQmouthg;people flocked there in boats"wagons from<BtowncQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfesscaey had almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcould2hade hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[ahing--5!et)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings Bheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail  cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/elieved toakilled citizens o'fvillage, but whatat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklings ready to scribblir names to a-drip a tear on itLir permanently impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck rivate placeG an important talk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshman the Widow Douglas, by this}Tom said he reckons6was?had not told him;"thsThe waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevrund anybut whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f businessed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dl!gome some way or oAand m"mewaif you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#on`avern-keeper. YOUF ]avern was all righSaturday I went to'picnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch therenight?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCNI follered Injun Jothe widder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukeep mum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on me doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenkwho had only %oa's parfit before. "Well,"{a, presy, coming ba)main question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom ;G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itA>neyG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ,--just as# ver I waomy life. Will tre withhelp get it ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe can our way to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkU&--Ayou ?wait till wef!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jingA#--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRqnow, ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five;2 ineO anybody but me would go,^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.U,B takG^in a skiff.&2flo] , I'll pull it back7 again all by myself. You needn'tturn your hand over." "Less start1offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`of these new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's the timelshed I hagFwhenf before." A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  Bdownthe cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yok 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSaashore." TheyG2ed.,qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]bout ofa fishing-pole. See#4can1." ? searchediCabou2fouQhing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%ndAHereare! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9 just keep mum it. All along I'vewanting to be a robber, but I knew I'rto havebng liko run across it waabother!vecit now=it quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or elsQ woulibe any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "itBdoes And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$lynd kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully sca2redgtir watches5fthingss take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'll see that inbbook. =qomen geloving youEthey,9a week or two y stop cryingTyou cmwhem to leave. If$ro!ouy'd turn right around!come back. It's soc books"y,Dreal bullyI believe better'n a pirateF3YesF& in some ways, it's close to home ccircusat." By time every%1 wa!dyys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggle and exp.tire. Tbegan to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnesd gloomplace oppressspirits. They wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor until they rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUS fact`tnot really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do K? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!jtreasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is bre, certain."2 it6, n. It would ha'nx he died--awaypat the /Tmouthcave--five mile from#, l y#ngthe money. I knowrways ofsyAso dv." TomiBfear was right. Misgivings gathered in his mind. But7 an idea occurred to him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves! ain't a going to come|awhere 's a cross!"_Bpoin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"atthat's so. It's luck1us,L { is. I reckon we'll climband have a huntGthat box first, cutting rude steps inas he descended.. Four avenues opened!ofI small cavern which the greatstood inI boys examinj2ree0"emno result. ysfound aiUrecesone neares^4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,Vthe well-gnawed bones1wo sree fowlsere was no money-2boxlads searched_%rethis place, but in vaOom said: "He a UNDERVr. Well,DVcomes0o being under3It can't beP itself, because! sOolid on the ground6heyReveryzonce moreORn satdiscourag1cou ggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintsesome candle-gre= about one sidX!is 3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet you; ISbU. I'mH dig4Thano bad notion "!"ith animation.'s "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he struck wood.y!--you h-2?" UH2digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed6y concealed a natural chasm reckon it's not much of "a (t now. El knows --a, too,all she tro let onW.(was bound Huck should be here--couldn't get along with 3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberst.)7 wacmake atime oversurpriser!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.J2id,Jly one person in\town mean:R to d XI72had!in 's place you'd 'a' sneakedQ hilltold anybody0S. You%ado anyQmean sKbear to seeTpraised for doing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxBdoorseveral kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJ ll catch it!" Some minute!qs later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, affashion ofqcountryobday. AbproperlMr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedthe honor3wasqhimselfhis sons,G3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprung{a's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog`he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targe$ ec's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to giveM a home unde3r her rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancBcome aid: "Huck don't need it.'s rich." Nothingya heavy strainthe goodsEe company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe youbelieve it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly at:, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{easacks,2 diafinishMsentenceCpourU1masyellow coQ the C^qThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sP'hmine!" The >spectacle tookeneral breath aAll gazed, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explanation  Mquld fur5"itWahe did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasion2it amount to anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allowwas counte[3sumt!edvover twelve thousand dollars. It!mo%anSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz#in#ty. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA4andAwindfall made a jQtir iT poor/9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, until the reasFqon of mf the citizens tottered underQstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house inA andTneighboring# s was dissected, plank by Aound0s dug upWQransacked for hidden treasure--and not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, some+mrT4q appear8!eyQ couradmired, st#a+1abl|arememb~at their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lostpower of doing and commonplace !s;past histor1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originality5o paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcher di same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now,was simply prodiFgious--a dollar for week-day inAyearChalf Sundays. I[just whaminister got --no, i(#&he was promised--he generally couldn't collect it. A and a quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him1forG matter.   had conceived a great opiniRTom. He sahat no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in orHro shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--a^was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth aboutx 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallpso superb as whq walked_BflooOqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/itAoped"ee+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traineqthe bes  qcountry[ be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fac#now undeQ&Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into societyWdragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost morQn he  bear. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushedthey beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properlyspeech was becQ#ome insipid in his mouth; whithersoever he turned,Abarsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eight hourswidow hunteeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyPpoking among old empty hogsheads down behiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque;5day was freq happy.Croutvout, toldroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't talk about it, Tom. I've triedand it don't work;T work6t ain't for me; Iused to it:widder's good to ml friendly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!atA smo?1 me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;dthey're so rotten nice=et down, nor lay qroll ar!anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE --well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to churca sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's awful tied up so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no comfort--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died@h wouldBAmokeu y=she5Bgapeqstretch Q scra Abefore folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritation and injury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN"thX! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-(THAT, Tom. Looky her, being richwhat it's crack. It's jus!ry$Rworry 2a-w you was dead X<. Now theseBsuitis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. Tom2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not many , becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"met." "Oh, Huck,8know I can't do . 'Tain't fair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stic'em, too. BlamBall!Sas we3gun_ba cave\2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness has" k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CB Ckeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnest?" "Just as de$a as I'm sittingS. But#we let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C#let me ina Didn'p!go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 7 is more high-toned than what a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul !sh"R out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goawidderaqa month6Ctacknd see if ! co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All rightb, it'sz! Come along, old chap!P'll ask the widow toqAup oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe2goi.Vstartand turns?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys togetherAhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tellgang's secrets, even 're chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his familyCa hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest,|est place you can find--a ha'nted house i! b:-Z23up od, anyw{(sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOXsomething LIKE!fqmillions bullier thJ an pirating. I'll stick to=widder till I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverG talking 'bout it, I reckon be proud she snaked me in oute;wet." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here; 'could not go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersrperformais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whilqtake upzyounger ones again[see what sor"mewomen they turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveauRat pactheir lives at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER /P  /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combinaYistics of threem I knewStbelongs"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atdbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=psometimes engag>4. z!THE AUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876. \ %T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles downulooked ovebam abou room; then she pIm up:cut und?. She seldom or nevereTHROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seI beat of3!went to the open door and stood in it ut among the tomato vines&"jimpson" weedspconstitute garden. No Tom. S lifted upm voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m'a' thought of-loset. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISwa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--tjwhat it is. Forty>s I've said if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.a hoverair--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!XrwhirledTnatch Qkirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappearTit. Hisc Pollysurprised9P thenA broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha# boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he playericks enough lik1forAo beq1ing$rfor him6!is? But old fools is0biggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to " w1comHe 'pears!just how long he can torment me before I gedander up,=he knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I afcmy dut/the Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's fullG(e Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sQpoor 1gotAhear lash him, somehow. EveryR I lef off, my conscience does hur"so_e=!myumost breaks. Well -a-well, man  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *B[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, nish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanS else%'ve GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideiAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already thrAwithDpart2work (pick{qchips),ra quiet-(Uad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>L stealing sugar as opportunitMy offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s"ntxAtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkmysterious diplomacy0qhe love#contemplate her most transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'Didn't you want to go in a-swimmNTom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolWBnotho he said: "No'm-y2notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ! n hough." And it flatteredato reflects2adiscov'"2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestal,2ledcrmight b3next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He open]s@b. His 4as securelyQ. "B! Well, go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Ss half sorrysagacity harcarried ,3gla?Tom had stumbled\obedient conduconce. But SidneyIDif I52you{E hisith white thread, 's blackBWhy,OA sew8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll l$"ic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapels ofd bound abouTm--on^  DA andSotherH5 HeShe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet you I'll lam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Withinminutes, or even less, forgotten alls. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%AdrovmS1min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,ojust acquired firom a negrohGsuffering to practise it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it, if!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFt#eeF3hisfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFAwithEboy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyustle. A strangerbefore him-- a shader'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day< was simply astounding. HisOB cap' dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabouew and natty"sohis pantaloons. He had shoes on--and iGonly FriHe even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher hed up his nose at=Rfinerqhabbier(1ier)own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, circle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd  o see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(rcan't, 2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pausen What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I could with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole families insame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll takeb!re suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3/QeyingAsidl R each. Presently twere shoulder# .Get away from here"GoyourselfI won't." "I won't ei81So ybstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.ell my big brohe can thrash!thlittle finger.I'll make him do it, toRI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#so2Ait sTom drew a lineBdust1hisi"to{ said: "qFstepZAlick5't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seDrowd me now;Jbetter look out." "Wel!l,HSAIDhS--why|d?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derision.rRtruck#t ground. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb in the dirt, gri together like cats; and for.space of a minuteRtuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3Qscratc's noscovered themselves:ry. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to freself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a sm bed "'N1let!upQ2Now8qll lear:. BnA who_%olnext tim3ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionall5y looking back and shaqhis hea threatenhat he would do tothe "next time he caugh out." To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feather! as soon as'was turne1newI#sn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetweeshouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homthus foundwhere he livedna position atAgatebAsomehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4dpersonQaunt;gswQstate were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity ard labor became adamantinRe in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`Qyoung{music issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brushcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet/ . Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching continent of unwh;e2satQ$on a tree-box discouraged. Jim came skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Brkwater from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remember~Eat tup$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysgirls wereTb waitiir turns, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+ to de whitewashin'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w/ talks. Gimme the bucket--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$1cryggive you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiRHe puC histook the;Fbent$tobsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingothe streetmJgling rear,jAwas washing Vwith vigorAunt Pollyretiring fromafield 7a slipper in her hand|ttriumpheye. But Tom's energy did not lastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. Soo(free boys + come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea rCtoys. At rk and hopeless7an inspira burst upon him! Nothing 3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranqui. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gaitthe hop-skip-a2nd-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodA&whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, Rfor hcperson steamboat. As he drew near, he slack}bspeed,the middlthe street, leaned far over to starboarrounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginerr standi.his own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he up slowly toward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW mAstab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesCit was reapresenfa forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe 2top &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanthat stage, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2yBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchyan artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him 's mouth watered for the (1butqtuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenlypJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bit,Rat doall work?"IETHAT1TommC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comdon't meG!le{you LIKE it?" ycontinued to moveike it? IYsee why I oughtn't to l- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily backforth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. P!lyBaid:i, Tom, let MEglittle." Tom considered, was abouconsent; but he altqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;!go(be done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&happen to it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgll give youcore of myS+FN2.bafeardWALL of itgave up the brushu with reluctance in c2aceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist sat on a barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along eblittle; they came to jeerHQremaio whitewash. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B key(eunlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin so72ldiCcoups adpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If dn't run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2 all. He had discoveO great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obligedo. And elp him to understh\tructing ficial flowers or performing'tread-mill isTb work, rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line, insummer, becausprivilege costs them derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "yresign. Thermused at3oveaubstantial chang ch had taken place in hisly circumstancescthen w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for s 4 noT}cthe caLasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. ShKe thought that of course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power againis intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." 'd small trust in such evidence. She went out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4Dfindper cent. of Tom's stat true. When she fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonishment.almost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never!a's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longl3plat%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokcome by the seplendor of his achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself'it came without sin through virtuous effort. And whiled:; a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skipped out saw Sid just starting upoutside stairwayllcrooms second floor. Clods were handy and the air9full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiescsally @%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)h2TsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+n1rou Tom skipthe block,ha muddy alley that `aled byQ unt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyon{ reach of capand punishmentahasten1war9 public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two gcommanders did not condescend to fight i --that being better suit> still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminencevQcondu the field operations by or0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a and hard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagre d7yrthe dayhe necessary3ed;QwhichR fell1lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived_saw a new girl e garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creaKture with yellow hair plaited1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4+without firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished outQheartAleft;even a memory( erself behind. He had thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePCd hion as ado; behold it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d g like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discovered him; then h1teneeAknow\4was, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnasti c performances, he glanced asideMCthe girl was wend way towarXhouse. Tom cameqo the f and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a moment oQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1sharis eyeschis haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH. Presentlyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally his bareArest(liant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the corner only for a mLqinute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblhe was not much po in anatomynot hypercritical, anyway. He returned, now2hung abouLtill nightfall, "showing off," as U3; b8&girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ Bhopesad been> some window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,#[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got in child." He took a good scolclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/1torsa body tyP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." sezkitchen, and Sid;, happy in his immunity, reach2thezl-bowl--a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh unbearable. But Sid's fingers slipped and the bowl dropped and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledtongue and was silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief;tJKtCand therabe not"soEiworld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultati hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" AFzainstanQprawl#n or! The potent palmdupliftQBrike Tom cried out: "Hold on1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 1shesher tong+u , she only said: "Umf! W_:you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckon. You been into some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beoRtrueda confesstshe had the wrongdiscipline forbadefA. SohBkeptf"ce2went about 1ffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woAknewe5rt Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of i<hang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelsick unto deatho=Ebend him beseeching one littl cgiving*%2tur2rface toQ1allB die sword unsaid. Ah, how she feel then? And he pic# b$t home frompriver, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how herBfallCrain( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of watich overflowedhe winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofnose. And such a luxuryUoApett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently,is cousin Mary danced ull alive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movx clouds and darkn.ess out atKqdoor asAsongEsunshine in at the other. He wande&ar accustomed haunts of boys%sought desolate placesin harmonyb spirit. A log raft in the  invited himfche sea^Qon itaer edg contempl+"thPrry vast4i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingg$uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8ApityC knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turnrly awayall the hollow? This picturan agonpleasurable !itCoveri 2minoset it up in new0qvaried s, till re it threadbare. At last he rose up sighideparted in the d*arkness. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came aloAdeseQstreet to whereAdored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle was cast dull glow 9the curtain of a second-story window. Wassacred presencre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  looked up aDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposingupon his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~mRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-dampsR1row8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sE outv glad morntand oh!A7op one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely blihghted, so untimely cut down? The# went up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profan" holy calm a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Tswas a whiz asmissile iair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aH shivering glass followedsmall, vague formF!ov!e >Mshot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments byRlight+tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of makiny "references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD2eldAeace, for tdanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;XuQsummiSthis she delivered a grim chapter xMosaic LawKaSinai. girded up+Qloinsto speak to work to "get his verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs is kingdom of heaven. Blessy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, # fb shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-heaRhing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must goblearn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll give7something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knRife worth twelvea half cents; the convulsion of deligh swept his system shookx!to foundations. True, the knuld not cut anybut it was a "sure-enough" Barlow,re was inconceivable grandeur in--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it )rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setM n a little bench there; tb dippeBsoape"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But&Q remo,and said: "Now ain'Sashamsmustn'tVbad. Water won't hurt you." TomTtrifle dis8urted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpreswith both eyes sh8d groping forH.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romKqemerged#>,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short aX2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in front`1acka*Rneck.t!ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brotherout distinct|b colorYtAatur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses3Qhead;&rhe held]aminate  his ownA 3lifhbitterness.] Thengot out a suit of his clothing had been used only on Sundays dutwo years--they were simply caQ"othethes"--and so bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "put him to rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crown9speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable6was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessgm. He hopedMary would forgetqes, but2hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want 1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9the three# children se3for-school--a placeQTom hd aheart;1Sid)fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!three hundredAons;cedificWmall, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibitedsatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue onesRylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyoss of various co#lors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteV, nowmwarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to hisqnd starO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned~Rmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"got a new reprimand.4his. Tom's S clasWof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;rCyellow one;#en .the superintenden9%t gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty centsose easy times) toQpupil many of my readers would hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand], even for a Dore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it wapatient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five3onced threeout stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 helittle better th{b idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}L3ickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstancer successfuls?conspicuous for  o|aspot escholar'st was fired( with a fresh ambiti?"at often lasted a couple of weeks. It is possible4cTom's qstomach never really hungered for.o., but unquestionablyentire beingW2forPaClongWthe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due cours stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i inevitable sheeRmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th|why, is a mystery:>Qneithen sa referAo bysufferer. ThisNa slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvward abrea1ast corners of his mouth--a fenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning of\whole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a spreading cravat which(as broad}s long as a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%very earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intona(wholly absent on -days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAFyoura minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy`girls 2should do. I see one+girl who isting outwindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in oneR trees making a speech to. irds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, cleanmfaces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9!wa1a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresumpF of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,}q subsid(ofY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasioned by an evSent which  ore or less rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompania very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified ladywas doubtless`'s wife.  dy was leading a child. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:Q"show2ff"=1all^might --cuffingBpullh3ir, faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate aiqand winae. His exaltQ!ut5Ralloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and Qrecorsuas fast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seabhonor,s soon as Mr. Walters'was finished, he intro8duced them tobaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one than\ county judge--altogethermost august crethese childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. He rom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled1seea world"se1Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attestthe impressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge)1broof their ownOe. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands1him6rIS shakU! By jings, don't you wish you wa s@?" Mr. Walters fel"showing off,"tall sortofficial bustlingsFactivities, givBrders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere that ld find a targetlibrarianed off"--runn&iQ with his arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJAfuss insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilf|l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemen$small scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobipline ,th sexes, found business up atN$y,qpulpit;!it6gfrequently had Bdone again two or three times (Qmuch seeming vexd). TheJgirlq in var=Qways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&pthe airA was thick+paper wads e murmur of scuff. And above it allEgreat man sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@Rhousewarmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[too. Theronly one thing wanto make ' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several"had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough --hqbeen arRamong#%tainquiring. He w have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandja. Thisa thunderbolt out of a clear sky was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BuVsRno geEBit--e certified checky$~oir face.Qerefore elevated to a place with; the Judgthe other electD#1new< announcedheadquarters. It`$ost stunning surprise of the decad=qso profCR sensa}it liftenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gaztqin placone. The boyspall eaten up envy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake Rgrass !4was;oas much effusion e superintendent cpump up circumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him t mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boyAware) thousand sheav4-es of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozen would strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrencproud and glad, sQiAmake see it in her face--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--nheart brok jealousRangry `Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). Tomsintroduchis tongu0Qtied,qbreath  hardly comequaked--partly becau awful greatnesg1an,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall downorship him, if%erBAdark phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. IS more to it, maybe. That's v/ery well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?ell the gentleman your Ubname, !," said Walters, "and say sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sirT#! a good boy. Fine t, manlyfellow. TwoLsand verses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry forw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+_look back;It's all owoprecious Sunday-school privilegmy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU<  ood superintendent, who encouraged mT over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will say, Thomas2--a wouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeedE9now mind tellingnd this ladyB!ofs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknoww2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, nowzhis eyes f4Mr.7' heart sank within himH_bto himit is not possible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Ad'--don't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E$me\1thewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringppresent\!lyepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. The Sunday-school children distributeKmselves aboutkAhous occupied pews/ their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly came1Tom'1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordaBmigh`s far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upXraisles: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOejusticRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivitie St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a trooprawn-cla.ribbon-d=ecked young p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule suckingcane-heads, a circling wall of o and simpering admirers, tilast girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7to church1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?his pocket behind, as usual ons--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. Ycongregationfully assembled, nowAbell rang once, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Bthe a which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adp choir HAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleCmuchZaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down!from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would lift<3han let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\4ir u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." Afterhymn had been sung Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meetings}societie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n this age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle children church;7=#es& village' itself; fo{y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as have the liJDght good tiding2yet-not eyes to see nor earhear withalRheath)the far islandAsea; closed with a supplicationwords he was aboutpeak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he#dirmuch. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/a a fly=Alit 2e bpew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embracing its heah3armbpolishD so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5ody slender thread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwas; forr2oreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed did such a $Rwhile`3ray on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forwardCthe ra"Amen"8!he prisoner of war. His aunt qthe actomade him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstonSthinnpredestined elect dowaso small 2as to be hardly wor saving. Tom count_aages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utherema, but JAldom2B anyelse abou discourse. However, this time he8really interested`r little). * a grand and moving pictureassembling togeththe world's hosts at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie[ Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he onSought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMoirhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHpQ him qtreasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beeith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he call>". N in a percussion-cap box`first !thmQdid wQ take!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZthe aislelit on its backthe hurtpR went's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;iqsafe ou!hiTQch. Opeople unci>sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1andquiet, weary of captivity, sig"for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urvrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenrhis lipqade a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, and then indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz[. There was a sharp yelp, a flirT' fell a couple of yards away, S once more neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveQaces behind fanI handkerchiefs1TomLentirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt soas resentmB tooBda cravAreveBSo h a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ;s an ant,8his noseCflooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgo beetle #k,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony8sailing up the ais!he<s continu4Rso diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;.ranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe. At lasfrantic sur sheereddits course,Nsprang intowmaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; for evegravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm,ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-ba(ck, as ipoor pars7said a rarely facetious thing. It0a genuine relief to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,king to himself tha"bre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!he2not1 it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazt began anothek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; thenAstay:UXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen,e investigated3. TZPe he detect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feebleRpSAdiedbly awa reflected further. Suddenlyscovered One of his upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groana "starter," as7alled it,"if.me into court7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So he]z92hol= tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tellSa certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upQinspe. But nowAknowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconscious. %2Tomed louderbfancieT feel pain -. No result9Sid. Tom was panthis exertions by this7took a resoF1sweMqhimselfnd fetched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work56Tomq again.yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathAbegastare at Tom. o!en~2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" And he(looked iface anxiouslymkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^qwake me;1er?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoeverything. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dy^!arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catw one eye to that new girlb's com2owntell her1Butrhad snahis clothespAgone,suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidQMary r heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached tdside she gasp2YouUX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ, child?" "OhXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish) it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +R"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 IS1but re not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasepull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}"Ohyou? So all row was because you tho/ught you'd7i i>go a-fishing? tI love you so,+ eem to try every waycan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endA fasRTom's:aa loop2tieQotherhe bedpostpn2eiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:q's faceU hung dangling by}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition;1one) had cut his fingS had been a centre of fascin9EahomageDo this timQ founEselfJout an adherent'shorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- 3 $a disdain which henot feelit wasn't aAnyth o spit like Tom Sawyer; b boy said, "Sour grapes!"ae wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by allmsU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and8]ir children s delighhis forbidden societR wishEqy dared1eQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast cond; as under strict orders no8BplaySo he played9he got a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown meAthey  in perennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenA!or},nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspe`upport>!edVtrousers;Sseat i bagged low~contained no+,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. and went, at$own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weatheyin empty hogsheads in wet; he di have to go-chool or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchosestay as long as it suitm; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,t goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy&1ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzI got atslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipp3s ha rotten stump where trhe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainlith his face to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way a!! @Qthat S a-goVado anyQ. Youto go all by yourself,middle ofwoods, wi2yout[Gs a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayB donNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&he!haEwart on him if he'dUed how to workYPter. I've took off thousands of wartsQof my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so much`aalways"considerable many gb. SomeI take 'em}1wit1eanAYes,!'s.dAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuR!soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'acrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyBbean"se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZS to i!soa helpsh!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;jq no morbBme!'better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everys. But say--how do:"urdead catsyyour cat and1 go4get?graveyard 'long about w5somebodywas wicked haqburied;]3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or three, butan't see 'emcan only hearthing likeCGwindY''em talk; they're takingfeller awaym#he<r cat afteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,-,Acat, I'm Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axone day,Cahe seeUawas a-ing him,K!e up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd azRher. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How diOknowLord, pap can tGeasyKb1looat you right stiddyDyou. Specially ifcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-.sll comeold Hoss Williams t8q" "But him Saturday. Di69get1howQtalk!could their charms work till -?--and THEN it's Sun|evils dolosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought ofR. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went "hr&rocks at mesays 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti #wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#th"Nobut a tick." "Where'd3{%Ouwoods." "Wha:#t'take for2Gd know.U2 wa`sell himuSAll r~t's a mighty small, anyway0!Ohbody can runC dowbbelongem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meu1ShoAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toOWell, why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyear,!--BAgivemy tooth Less see iTom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewQ wist-b. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?" Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQatick i? percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,?9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly, _Awith0manner ofQwho had comeNall honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacrit master, throned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, lu!bydrowsy hum of study. The interruparoused "Thomas Sawyer!{Bknew2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was about ake refuge in a lie,e saw two ; ails of yellow hair hangingoba backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE oT girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min= You--you did what?" "StoppbQ talk@ Finn." Therno mistaking the <]words,!isomost astounding confession I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_offence. Take off your jacket  's arm performed until it[tired andQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV"si_! And letbe a warning to youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolthe dread pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hQd heraway from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom satAwitharms upon the, low desk before himAseemAbook. Byby atten$Dthe accustomed murmur rosedull air once. Presentlboy beganeal furtive glances atLgirl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave the backe space of a minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layier. She thrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled onslate, "Please take it--I got" The girlduno sign. Now draw something *!hik his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice;4tuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betray!he%Aawarit. At last!inhesitatinglybLet me see idom par!ve dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyXc's inter5estt fasten#up;Aworkqshe forgot everya4els!it;finished, she gazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man." The artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monster,)a beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonkstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan6saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/Oh, will you??" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'mAwhen good. You call me " "Yes." Now<N  !dsP. But, not backward this time. She begged to see. Tom Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou treat me sbAWILLw3" Akput her small hand his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretento resist in earnut letting his_ slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifAimpu"InSwise Aborne acrosa housedeposited ic" own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhoolnmaster stooahim duMa few awfTul moments,finally moved away to.throne without saying a word. But although Tom's ear tingled,Bheart was jubilant. As quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1A reaQclass } botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly deadrQa breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholaFrs soothed.soul likeBpell$is_bees. Away off .flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides th[ a shimmering veil of heat, tintedthe purple of distance; a few birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingXvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pasdreary time. His handBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, he did not know iten furtively!Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him o` long flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,#is,2it !emd:x1wheQstartankfully to travel off, him asida a pin"!ake a new direction. bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{Rgrateinterested "in entertainment q instaniwas Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on Saturdays.^took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisrexercise prisoner. The sporZFw in[ly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gettfullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stir him up and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,P would look onest as stro2ng,ywo heads bowed togeAoverS1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and abideJoe. The tick tried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timgain just: have victory infvery grasp, so to speaTom's fingersbe twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offkeep possessionWQTom cstand it noz emptation was too strongcqreachedFand lent a hand!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look hera, whos\Athat?" "I don't care$m you sha'n't touch himWell, I'll just 4 bet I will, though. He's my7I'll do what I bNSpleashim, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;#fol2pac\wo minute dust continued to fly from qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy itnhad been too absorb]anoticeAhush had stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing&the roomstood over them. Hencontempla good part"he performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res1'emAslipT turnVrough the lancome back.!go@Q1way%!itcame way." S6ne went off+one group of scholagaith antE. In :two met atdbottom#la -DtheyP the 01hey;it all tqmselves< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave zncil and held2hanis, guiding itDbso cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!!" "Well, I do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing roundQ head a string.q[n't care for much, anyway. W like is chewing-gumGSOh, Ila say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letschew itB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweCabouadangle(ir legs againsench in excess ofntment. "Wasever at a circus?" saic. "Yesmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms8I)f three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on all the tiBme. be a clown inW when I grow upOh, are you! ill be niceqy're so1ly,CtspottedFLthat's so. AnQy getA1her"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoQWould&C!to<I reckonCknowqQis itu/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyzawon't have anybodyZQhim, 2, aVn>Ckissat's all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--wthey always do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember what I wrote obqYe--yesRwas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but 65No, t now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consentpassed his arm about her waisteT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added: "Now0a it to me--Rhe saP She resisted, for a whilethen saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" T3he sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge@orner at last2er little white apron9!fa?om claspedneck and pleaSWa, it'skdone--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--A at ( !."he tugged aD u hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Bface7rglowingy the struggle, came up and submittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EcalwaysQthis,Bknow ain't ever to love0m"me+Xxo marry,B me,nOand forever. Will]CI'll) u{*t Zyou--"to- "ither." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^!'rKBwalkh2me,/Rtherevlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRheardq before-2Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs#'vDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 do3 kndo." Tom triD put about her 'Qneck,she pushed him away and turned her facK"llwent on cryingvaagain,u soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was up/Erodeutside. He stood about, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancing aBdoorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com% find him. But she did note to feel badls fear that F.trong. It was a hard struggle withto make new advances, m!buTBnervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not ing exactly how to proce hen he said hesitatingly: "Y---\ ." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YQwon'tsay some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromtop of an andironapassedBroun"so:she could see i)t3said: "Please, take it?" ScQuck ithe floorTom marched!ofQhouse over the hilly far away, to return to school no moreday. Presently 32buspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereULAalle<Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. SoGqsat dow82cryfpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideRgriefher brokw!arBA!upj cross of a long, dreary, ac afternoo$ none among?strangers to exchange sorrows`. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of1ingBlars.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)to cross watLer baffled pursuit. Half an hour laterdisappearing behi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill"ol was hardly distinguishableq off indvalleyhim. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr="it.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 ed songsbirds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vby no soundH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckerthis seeme!rethe pervadssense of|profound) boy's soulQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at besG Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to liSslumbdream forevp ever, BAwithwind whispbthroug$trcaressing the gras5the flowers ovRgrave<Anoth6bo both grieve about, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-school rehe could be willk"go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowamed mysteriously??Awent!--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, when they #qintrude mselves upon a spirit thahTexalt  the vague august realm ofromantic. No, a soldierreturn afterIyears, all war-worn and illust. No--better stilld#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Rgo ondarpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousBpain]r prance ,(rowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoop2seaqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there wasgaudier even than thisAa pirate! Twit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ctmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer,8SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAtfore! And at the zenith of his fam$fe, howsuddenly rIold village8Rstalkjchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,5[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger[ Spanish Main!" Yes, itlqettled;acareerdeterminedn2runfrom homeaenter 'it/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to ge 'dyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck woodsounded hollow)"puuand utter<&is incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, ! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapeV`#irrexposed a pine sRhingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were of sds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed air,~1aidEBell,beats anything+AtossepettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa supersti"ofaad faiqwhich hA all'rcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP1 hejust used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  , meantime, no matterwidely they had been separated. Buf,~ actually<unquestionably Rwhole"tu"faqs shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtpit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding- s afterward. He puzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided that$Qwitchinterfered1broIhe charmothought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so he sear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-d depression in itElaidAdown1putamouth F2 toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave  A thr#waCAther he went*made a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowHback to his t8reasure-houseccarefully Y$as been standing when he tosseq marble; ok another"Q fromRpockeHQit inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stopped,YkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>%tried twice more. The last repetition was successful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, rakedbrush behinrotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment$Bseizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirtL7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoelook warily out,Qway a)a5said cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep2# hid till I blow." Now appeared Joe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comesSherwood Forestq out my pass?" "Guy of Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou that--" "Dares to hold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've goQ hang=it lively!" So"q," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutQFall!K! Why don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're getthe worst "qof it.""y,ain't anything. I can'tv;#the way it is in 3. T says, 'one back-handed stroke he slew poor $.'to turn arounklet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, soturned, receivedQwhackSfell.&"4U Joe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iA boo"Well, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonUq lam me| a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~niZbecamz2gaiballowed #treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gaves2bow(his feeble hands(, "Where> this arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." qhe shot"Tdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gaily for a corpse. boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement went off grieving`<$noz any moreFwondering what modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensateloss. They;Cthey-rather be year in SherForest than Presid(United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past ninenight, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear^ clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!asynerves demwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Ever~Dsdismall<A. Bypeby, ouPstill^-ness, little, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking aH8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirping of a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,JR. Nextghastly?Sdeathwatch in| wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, oqdid notq it. Anre came, minglith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T raisH neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bo@ttle againsuBbacks aunt's woodshed brought him wide awakea single minute laterCdresS out and cree8QalongDroof*"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"o caution once or twice, as1entn jumped tog3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\disappeareda gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which lean 1warbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-So had been painted on them#=it could no longer have been read,51 mo}A, now, even if2had7light. A faint wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at being disturbedxtalked littlonly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilew#pp[ay foun sharp new heaprseekingensconce4AmselAithir protecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay waitfor what seemed a 1ime hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refld1ivemust force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" Zed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l\canvassed t%his matter inwardlyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, may1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen!bent theirf heads ;and scarcely breathed. A muffled sound of voices floated up from the far e&the graveyard. "Look! See there!"M& It's devil-fire. is is awfu Some vague figures approached throughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder1t'ss enough. Three of 'em!1y, we're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, .#tstuck. Can't findHere they come 8hot. Col2D Hot(Red hot! They3're p'inted?time. Say,0another o' themqs; it's Injun JoThat's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druU#was a dern s+What kin'be up to?" The3 died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 2tooyin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saidathird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir load9AbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closI boys could have tou1himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating s^6spades discharfreight of mould and gravel. It was very monotonous. Finally aX struck upopc coffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goB!dyBdump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!as3rea2Qrpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she staysthe talk!.. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@p to eatWa warn'!!re2any good;*Wswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiforget? The^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowvGOT yougot to SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5rsuddenl{sstretch1|ruffianPotter dropped{exclaimeHere, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg'gmight and main, trampF"asDtearP_lir heels. !Joaang toQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstoor[Cand Bboutombatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboar{Williams' cfelled" t(RearthJit--and i$same ins1tant the half-breed sawNRchancAdrovb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82histhe cloud)AttedFXreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeqaway indark. Presently,the moon emerged agwas stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplat!m.!murmured inarticulately, gave a long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal2in 's open mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly met Joe's. "Lord, how isT, Joe?" he . "It's a dirty businesB1s," B Joe.out moving. "What did you do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kind of talk won't wash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.0no business to drink to-night. But it's in my head yet--worse'nwe started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old feller--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh, awful--aUB so and promising."!y,2two?cuffling he fetcheAone 0eadboard anQflat;!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account0he whiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life bef%"or. I've fUS, butO;s. They'llsay that.dtell! Say you Atellu--that's a good . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 Joe?" A/poor creature dropped on his knees beforemstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say you're an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cenough of#This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijSon a trot quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedAlick fL2rum2 halook of bel#he1AthinBtillzgone so far hUeqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 5ree minutes later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump thatSup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=ld tannerywe break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it , r." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repzRixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. ained steadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedt sheltering shadows beyond. By3#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whil n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happened>Injun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any? D'you recko An he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him over the head with a church)2youn't phase hi1say his own self. So it'sUBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bouteadidn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we goEdo--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forgs's good little rubbishy common thingSs--speciallygals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing a big thingBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing it. He picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres o#upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." HuckleberrydTfilledmiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! D' on't do that. A pin's brassA might have verdigrease on i x"What's?" "It's p'ison. T$what it is. You just swaller some of i --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!Qiniti9using the ~inger for a pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall,dismal ceremonieslaincantfqfettersJ$ b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end o ruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whispr, "doesjrkeep usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~ y difference WHAT happenxu got tob. We'd"--QYOU knowp?" "Yes, I reckon's so." They continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agony of frighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. YBull Harb`" * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named Bullb wouldspoken of him as "Dl," but a son 2dog!atZn"]tqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my! ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eytrDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A STRAY DH!OGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedm*Dad fetch it! This comes of playing hookey and doing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-schools!" An began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reld pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thoughtis bully, you. NOW who canw howling stopped. Tom pr1 up ears. "Sh! What's that?>F" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW"it#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$%gs, but laws bless you, he just lifts things when HEes. Besides,hever coming back tobny mor$he spirit of adventure rose in the boys' souls once=by, do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again7the boys agreC tryJthe understanding that they would to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. WheoQy had!to,in five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokeF a sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came inGe moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4sstood still, and th1eir hopes too,_2vedfears passed away nowlypd out, throughjn weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubrious howlon the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both, in a breath!ay!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house,A mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU  ain't anyB1deaare yetDWell, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX#Ye@sBDEADwhat's mohe's getbetter, tooAll right,Awaitsee. She's a goner, "asSsure  ,. That's P1wha niggers say:Mall about these kind of things, Huck." They separated, cogitating. When Tom creptt his bedroom wind was almost spent. He undrel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidQawakeA had been so for an hour. eawoke,=1andC"reY late look " lSsense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled himbodings. W%five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table finishedQkfastAIno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;: silence!anAof solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed in8to "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidp4Tombrightened in the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go onU ruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. ThisAwors"1n a^sand whippgcA was sorer n4"anL1odycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefyAprestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retre Qroughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosePwas bP2usy)heavier woeswholly dead to trifles. Then he bemself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9rs handsqstared ]be wallthe stony " of suffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of%as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from maBman,QgroupCrouphouse to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found close to )the murderedeand it1 recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--sostory ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning cYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallya which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiAatte_sifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down all Aroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowargraveyard. Tom'break vanished she joinqprocessecause ~sand times r go anywhere elseQC'an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivdreadful place,+#rmJasmall qthroughmcrowd and saw the dismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t. Somebody pincharm. He turnedh his eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>D2wonaif any!ha!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungThis ought to be a lesson to  robbers!" "6'll hang if they catch him!" This "he of remark; he ministerlB, "Iza judgment; His hs here." Now Tom shivfrom hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming #!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look out!tuM! Don't let:get away!" PeopleAes o trees overQd saiwasn't tryXY--he only 4doubtful7perplexed . "Infernal impudence!"aa bystander; "wantAcomeHtake a quieti1 atwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, now+the Sheriff came through, ostentatiously leading Potter byarm. The p1's xwas haggarRshowe|fear thaupon him. When 2od r2murAman,"hook as with a palsyRhe pu4qface in@Qhandscburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. 8shocarry home.xClifte1andqed aroum thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#idthrust4himM3. ewould have fallenz1 ca1himb1easm to the gO!aiASomeA tole't if come backXaget--"-1hud; then wave>dVAnerveT handvanquished gestursaid, "Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1useCmoren HuckleberryTom stood dumbstaring, Ahears stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they_ing every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningbs headpbwonder see how long stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwholebir wavqimpulse to break Aoath8Asavebetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 va1way, for plainly this miscreant had sold himself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power ast. "Whyyou leave? What didEwant| here for?" somebody saidAcoulohelp it--$,"moaned. "I C runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, under<a oath;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devil. Hnow become,!m most balefully interesting objecyever looked upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9#face. They inwardly resolved to watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremoval!it{Qwhisp<bthrougCshuddcrowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of Muffit done it%om's fearful secret and gnawing conscience disturbedFQsleepvAas ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid: "Tom,pitch ar and talk in your sleep so m32uchyou keep me awake hal9Ctime blancheTSdroppQeyes.H's a bad sign," said Aunt Polly, gravely. "WzRgot o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook sohe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2rqwithouting it. She8: "Sho! W`3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMaryA she:been affected trme way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausiblU, andat he complained of toothacheBS weeki his jaws e. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listening a good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc's distress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTAthus1ingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVaas a witness--anwas strange;zRSid d overlookFfacteven showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he UmarvelledD"saHowever,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5torture Tom'Cs conscience. Eday or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tomed his opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" as he 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atqedge of cvillagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occupiedsm greatly helpBease  T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,ubody-snbut so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inYmatter, so/ droppedyhad been careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyhad drifted away from its secret Ss wasLa new anYd weightyp to interest itself about. Becky Thatcherd!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few days,2tri"whistle her dow wind," but failbegan to find himhanging arq her father's house, nightz1feemiserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor eve? piracy. The charm of liflCgone was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop awaythis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatu6patent medicines1*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tYs. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyUBelsewWhandy subscriber for a#ll the "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to go to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2!frf mind to keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQqd toget-er quackydthus armed death, went.!onX'pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell follow!fter." Bqsuspect7anot an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmeenew, nowTom's low condigQwas afall to h="erhad him out at dayligh*Q mornstood him up incwoodsh adrowne#D a deluge2old; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so broughtto; thenaCrollJAa we!ety"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsit came th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,Nboy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMb calcuhis capacity aswould a jug's(fiaevery q3ith3cure-all- om had become indifferenqpersecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconstern;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted i`was fi*Alled gratitude. It was simply fire in a liquid formmqdropped treatmendthing els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchzdeepest anxiety result. Her troubles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""!*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life mbe romantic enough, inblighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61var1aboS. So he thover various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him elp himself2quit bother'Qer. Ieqen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinely. She fo62und=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boyAmendhe health of a crack insitting-room floors it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga taste.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anCmean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off round the room, ban st furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind fee,pranced aa frenzy of enjoyment,<his headFhis shoul<1der$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tearingahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction ipath. Aunt Polly ent#in time to see him throw a few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrwith astonishA pee1er glasses; Tom lay oAexpi0Klaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails@cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspi. "Why, I neveria. What~him act sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeBtonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" Swas bQdown,watchingwist emphasized by anxiety. Too latevined her "drift.R handthe telltale was visible undered-valance. Utook it, held it up.Rinceddropped his eyesAraism by the usual!--5ar--and crack.s head soundly=AimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anr"a human!" felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her2 wa a little, and/p< on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID dogood." ooked uprer facejust a percepttwinkle peeping through]gravity.AknowlSauntyoIx`Peter.% It done HIM good, lI never seepget around so since--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou neeUtake medicine}reached school aVof time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as of late, he hung about the gate of yard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he sai$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,iddy lad Bcoul3ait= Q, hop"heIqa friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswight one. At lastes ceased t7o appear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumpsentered the emptyEQhousefBsat o suffer. Then one more passed in a^#atheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumAoverfence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, stand1 hiAd--d1allZqheroic PQ conceive of1keea furtive eyeKawhile,t5icing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cipossible'snot awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoG{B, sn` a boy's cap, hurleCroofY Yq, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andj,91her51 in0&aiheard her say: "Mf! some people think th9ey're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks burned. He gad2 upAneaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mind was made up nownwas gloomyedesperate+a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; wheEy found out wh{ y had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry Qhad tto do rightget along, butArnot letsince nob"doj8rid of him,;w1so;k!le`m blame HIM fo consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,had forcX to it at last: he +blead a+of crimer no choice. By this time2farFMeadow Lanthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2think he !,R hearold familiar sound anyA--itvery hard0v6outocold world, he must submit--bu1forthem. The3An ths came thickfast. JuskApoinHm s soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyed,{with evidefba greadismal purpose in hisJt. Plainly ere "twosUbut a single thought." Tom, wiping his eye1leeve, began<lubber out somegabout a resolutio,escape from hard usagelack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joenot forgRm. BLtranspired2was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\Tknew #; IRplain1she\t Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvfor him but succumbAopedIbe happy0 regret having ;er poor boyxAintobunfeel!rl3asufferdie. As+two boys walkedrowing alongJ, they made a new compact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relieva em of their troubles. Thekyj3lay'qplans. !asCbeing a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cave'r dying,Otime, of col=2wannbgrief;6fter listen he conced$at2ere_conspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente%be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at awthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ widea long, narrow, wooded island,\a shallow bar A heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whovubjectspiracies:sa matte"di{boccur m!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferent4. They presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bank two,vtvillagefavorite hour--whichmidnightcsmall log rafIChich1eancapture. Each would bring hookRlines<such provision as he c6qsteal iw, most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon2donCQy hadRmanagAenjo sweet glory of spreadbAhe f~hat pretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrvague hint!acautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighvery stillMr mighty lay like an ocean at 3Tomed a moment,no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalsK same wayn a guarded voice saiad: "W es there?" "Tom Sawyer,eBlack Avenger ofSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe HarperVTerro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIalitera "'Tis well. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding  : "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ovUlet himself down after it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforF an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacon8,}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes. But non3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it never doL to star"2out+ fire. That was a wise th} ; matches were hardly know"recaat dayy saw a fire smouldeupon a great raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvsa chunk made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveohilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughu1theBsmen3all village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse foir conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, Joar and Joe forward.> stood amidships, gloomy-browolded armsAgavea low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-Pdy it6 is/Let her go off a point1Point it0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se"Zgiven only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head right?then lay oisHnot high, so more than a two ree mile current. Ha word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8qwas pas2befe distanWHn. Tglimmering li7ghts showed where it lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger )still with folded arms, "looking his last" upon the scenhis former joy0ter sufferingwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toBdooma grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshotrvillageRso he["edZa brokenqsatisfi\2art7other pirateblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett93he \Q drif)mArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornAgrout\A bar8hundred yards abwaded back5forth until had landpir frei4ght. ParRlittl's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook iAusheiA a to shelterprovisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againsA sida great log twenty or thirty stepssombre depthdforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glordsport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunt5menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Bfacethrew its ruddy glarepillared tree-trunk}temple, and:varnished foliageafestoovines. Whelast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretche=4outrgrass, filled with contentmentO1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and herecan't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE hasrprayingbderabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! m bout it, you know. I'd aadeal r& bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "people dobn't go}#on'sQ!adlike they used to in old times 's always respected. And a a's got qleep onrhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand CY1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do'A( that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Naget ar!itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl now he fitted a weed stem t, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing Qal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smokj full bloom of luxurious c other+s envied him t his majestic vice secretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:QuBhaveu?" Tom,AOh, H#just a bullyK--take ships1burm get the money!y it in awful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Qdon'tv5RNo," assented Tom,2g--they're too noble}Tbeautiful, too.Awear[bulliest }es! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#B." oacanned2owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot nonethese." boys told himLBfine"es come fast enough, afte{y should0Dbegu adventures. They made him u@qndersta!at1poor ragsdo to begin, though it was customary for wealthy7-Qstart; a proper wardrobe. Graduatalk died out.drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids of:little waif pipe dropped frob4ger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-freethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!nouthority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afrro proceU such lengths as that, lesy might call a suddenspecial thunderboltq heaven6cn at o y reached?uhovered^ imminent verge of~1--b intruder came, now, Pwnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wro run away; and nex0thought of the stolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema"bubq, theirucies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a trucese curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefu' CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhere as. He sat up and rubbed 2eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<RreposK" ideep pervading calmasilenc;the woodsP. Not a leaf stirred; ns.obtruded upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes covtsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far!woods a bird called; another answered; presentlyhammering woodpecker8heard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 shoff slee going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him orAinclto go else;when at last iidered a paOinful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladthat meant that he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQaS bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on  children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrshe had practisits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ball,Tom touch%,it shut its againstRH1odyGpretend to be|. The birds were fairly rioting byA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitX1 ofneighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almos!inboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersconsuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s #the wild things had probably never seen a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage faBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfo@!esthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeachshallow limJpid water@white sandbary felt nob5inglittle village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~ . A vagrant current or a sCriseW river had carried ofir raft, but~ only gratifin m, since its going was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz} again. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to holKQy steDto a promiGInookkQ-bankpSthrewir lines;immediatelyhad reward.rhad notime to get impatient%>3werK\ ome handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEa small catf ish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1 had ever seemed so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-%after he is caught5betTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay around*s shade,w"haCoke,Aen w)rHthe woods on an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g with a drooE regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersCr plenty1ing!be$ghRe!no#X to b 5 atscoveredaisland1aboree miles longca quara1 wi'ashore it lay clD osest to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so itCclosYthe middlePnoon whe!y got back to campp were too hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously cold ham 1rew themselves downaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded GQ sens(bloneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedJair weayC none was brave to speaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully consof a peculiar sdistance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this m%ysterious " became more pronounced, and forced a recognition-started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sileAprof0and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%Qhurri1sho2waraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakka mile beloQ villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplre were a great many skiffs rowbruQstreaJthe neighborhoo could not determine what theC menTm doing. Presently !jewhite smoke burst fromc's sidPas it expandeArose lazy cloud, that same dull throb of was borneJ ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaves of breaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll = right tand stop." "I've heardDthatUJoe. & w2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchWI reckon it's mostly c72SAYait befhtart it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep r@SQWell,'s funnyBBut maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<2The] boys agre;!edwas reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lumpq$, uninstructed by an incantation, could not be expe)to act very intelligcOset upon an erranduch gravity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJboys stillsszwatched+revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,he exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroesUn instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak 1ir account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3the talk ofwhole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth whilbe a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew onwPat we)nt back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1 jubilant with vanity overnew grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atthe villagAthinand saying abou*%m;pictures theyo public distress  Vqgratify ao lookc--from%Apoinview. But the shadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing intoRfire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomFJoe Ckeepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew lunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. Byby Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_aiviliz>q--not r. now, but-- Tom withered h[i % derision! Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joined in2Tom&the waverer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet ouRcrapeUas little tachicken-heartedsickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny was effectlaid to rest fo{ moment. As}=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneeswent searQ3amoW7graRflickreflections flung bycamp-fire. Hkinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\2finhose two which seem^ suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollB put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance  owner. And he alsoQE hatpschoolb?oy treasuret almost inestimable value--)m a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that #s drhearingstraightway broke=a keen run in2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck8aconfidi1wimSremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!AdrifQlong uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safSthen Pthrough )1oodDllow,35ing. Shortly before ten o'clock he came o#utcn openroppositBbvillagA sawferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. Everything was quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watcEqith alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Atea long twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,(Bdangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenl3leys$]aT aunt's back fencehoRapprothe "ell," and look<red in asitting-room windowba lighburning there. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryfJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themNR doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lif latch; then he pressed gw^Hyielded a; he continued pushing cautiousl1qua2every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through onknees; so he pu), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,Qoor's, I believe. "of course it is. No strange s now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*CAto wuld almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Zany more responothan a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to rkind ofief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped him for t that cream,:once recollectAat Iwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPato seexQagainhis worldv!, ! p2bus!" And Mrs.ba sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter off$isB"butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare ofold lady's eye, thynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The Lordtthe Lord h1athn away--Bles+e{name of tE! But it's so hard--Oh,5! Only last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker right under my noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/ . No longer ago than yeste(Snoon, took and filled5catPain-kille*3didthe creturAtearChouse down. qGod forbme, I dThead sthimbleY3boy 1dea."ball his HRs nowy2the'rwords I7Bhear^1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$bo much6Droke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himselfmore in pity anybody else. He Rhear Mary cryXqand put in a kindlyA forfrom time|"imS=have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still;B, heufficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush outqthe bed?overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousness ofthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!oys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage should "rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidkgone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. IcbelievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX ing must hEave occurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers, otherwise have escaped tor. This was Wednesday 2. Icontinued until Sunday, all_Abe g\Qover,the funeralsqbe prea:$at morning. Tom shuddered. Mrs. Harper gave a sobb-j2urngo. Then a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cryn parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyondwqont, in Rto SiMary. Sid snuffled a biCMary<ff crying!llUheart. knelt downAprayed for Tom so touchingly, so 6ith such measureDlove3worher old tremb/bvoice,weltering in tears again, long bef1"heKbhrough9!haBkeepP3after shZqto bed,she kept m broken-)ed ejaculations<time to timunrestfull1 tu over. But at last she was G still, only moaning a littl:! sleep. Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by%edside, shade} candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His %full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itsomethingbto himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9qhe bentBkissQ! f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYay backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarR boatrhe knewas tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped z$its soon rowf autiously upstream. When hpulled a mile abov7village, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutlyas work"hi!e ,p side n+Qeatlyn! t<as a familiar bit ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&ed a shipfore legitimate prea pirate, but a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enrevelations. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`a long rest, tortur meanwhile to keep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before he. fairly abreas! island barrested againl1sun bwell u1gilthe great riverits splendor*he plunged Gt&#A dAlatepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorX\. He's up torraI wonder what?" "Well,Fs is ouryway, ain't they?": "Pretty nearKrnot yet_ writing says they are if heO back herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiqaway inady nookleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2nt about pokDRticks#anya soft plFNeiir knees2dugOhands. Sometimetake fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly round whitea trifle smaller than an English walnut2hadNous fried-egg fy"atanother on Friday morning. Afterswhooping and pr bancingyA bar` chased each92and, shedding clothes as, until |sre nakethen continue frolic far"uphoal water ofagainststiff current, wYlatter trippcir legs from und"em1timand great^1cre the fun. And now^rstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;# avertedGqto avoi strangl\QpraysA finW1griG and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall `Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh asping foth at onthe same time. WG|well exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotalie thcnd covBselves up"itby and by3the $aggo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit oc"d 4m%n skin re8 presented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring i had a circus--with three clowns in it,Rnone o yield this proudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stale. Then JoLBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kick_ff his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his ankle]he wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protectionP is mysterious charm. He diqs he had2imether boysCtire@eady to resty#waapart, dro"in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it , nevertheless; he could Tnot help it. He eraszrnce morthen tookz1outQemptaby driving togethertjoining them. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhe could hardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as-ready to tell, yetM if this mutinous depression<broken up soon,  qve to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates onisland befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused onlnt enthusiasm,Rfaded}no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0 It was discouraging work.Masat po&up=qa stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, boys, let's give it up. I wan go home. It's so lonesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, wRhere tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INA to w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|A?" "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2Tdressjth)s!h!Nowants you tqo. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice pirate.3m[aies. W V,4? Let himAf heUs to. we can get a{him, per'aps." But Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on withUAing.Bthenvs discomfort+eying Joe's preparation(wistfullykeeping up ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. TomQ6art9sink. He glanccould not bear the lookqdropped4eyes. Then heQ: "Ig!It1getILa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&qAstay2dTom, I!gog&--who's hendering you.+qpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come. Now youk it over.wait for youqQwe ge" "Well,E you3a blame T!timhat's allstarted sorrow% aTom stood ing afterDa strong desire tugg(trto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned on/Dthatbecome very lonely andT . He made one final struggle,6-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocQwhere% were, heunfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!awr"point"bs drivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"\3qhad tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofmoAmean1hol in reserve as a seduction. The ladIs came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatter!lltime about Tom's stupendous plan`Aadmi6the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,he wanted to learn to smoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSB like to try, too. So HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrilyslender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a little1aidhy, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowQis way,!t ago." "So1I,"e Joe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^Q I'veed at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cL!do ;I1%Tom. "TPrthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk <at way--haven't you, Huck? I'll leave it tSif I .." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sl er-house. Don't you rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I toldmaTom. "recollects it9I bleeve/Apipe4day! dqfeel sickLNeither do>}]$itV. But I be 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,)2I!"G@ I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,Say--I wish tBrhe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boyssay anything a it, and some timeKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want aGQ.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1anoqone, bu"tobacker ain't very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!hes!weright upras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifl grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inundat? ion; little overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of allcould dom sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might and main said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go that way=(Bunt r by the spring. No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCn he fou lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepAsome informed him! if they had had any troublyagot riQVit. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal andpare their!eyD no, they were not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokecalled the!re a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves together)asoughtfriendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intentDwait$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{Bfire:swas swaSQup inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyaby anotcame, actstronge&7n a faint moan came sighing thrqbrancheBoresbr felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d'shgrass-blade, separnd distinct,grew about th&eir feet. And it[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealunder went rol:and tumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r4(distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allRleavenBsnow  e flaky ashes broadcast a(cire. Afierce glare lit upFNan instant crash fop#retree-tops rAoverboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roarA trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloe ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring windt;'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, one bythey straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRQsometito be grateful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4X"wibaway oN1. Tys seizedrs' handGRfled,dEmanyb bruisof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was aQst. U-the ceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy ,<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]planting+ veil of rain. Every li hile some giant tree yieldjbe figh+fell crasY younger growth;xunflagg['peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keenRRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up,1 it3!he7-tops, blow it away, and deafen eycreature in it, all at>$he same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c headse. Butaqas donerforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her sway back to camp, a good deal awedrhey four1m stillSthank, becaussycamore tir beds,a ruin, now, blasted by!w AwereBr it whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads, likegenerationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYaAhad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardQBepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the sides of qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upoR boys Ssines!ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<by and by9,8drearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustyJstiff-jointeda little homesick once bom saw#Bigns4fell to chee@up the pirates as well as he could. But#cared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1qthem of~imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+1las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansqa changOHattractedis idea; so itlong beforedstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF*Awood%attack an English settlement. By"bynto three hostile tribedupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopAk}xscalpedHousands. Ia gory day. Conse$lyan extremelisfactory one. rassembl\camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not bread of hospitality together,out first mak3eacwas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofEs. There process that everhad heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulnesaRDmustacalled1pe ook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into"ryaRhad gAsome";H1fouanow smoke having to goAhunta lost knife^!di get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu1, a R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have4S been3 scalpingOskinningSix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we have no further use >m at present. CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilaritylittle townsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth!itordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%Salkedsighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr61 noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backEsob. PresentlGy)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixright here. to do over, I wouldn't say that-- it for the whole worldb he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downshe wandered away rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood lookQ"ve paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-sklast timy saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as they could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"a then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDIwhat it meant, of course, but I can Anow!#enpwas a dSispute about who sawyBdead.qin life many claimedismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDthe departed lastqexchangQwordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by the rest. One poor chap,{ had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me oncBut that bid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4loitered zstill recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers gather, loitering a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses asSwomen!eduheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle church had been so full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep black2 whole congregamthe old minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|ers wererthe front pew$>"ancommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a padng in 1ingY1 herpersist blinded himself to them always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYcflaws `poor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous nathe peop>uld easily see, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes wejed with grieft!atx1timy occurry had seemed rank rascalities, well de.the cowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling82cryKpulpit. aSthe gallery!nobody noticed;QlaterUdoor creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'pthen al*Bmostrone impulsg 2rosnstared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tomead, Joe next#Huck, a ruin of drooping rags, sneaking sheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! lir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threwselves uponSrestored ones, smothemsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1abaand uncomfortablat know^ xactly what to do or where )de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizm and said: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesL capable of m2him. " hd . SuddenlyUushoutedQop ofvoice: "PBQ God whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put you<r hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters aSawyerPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! t his was the proudest moment?life. Asj"sold"Utroop!ey would al)sbe will; be made ridiculous againZ:earUung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe gratefulnNBo Gozaffection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI Batte &s. paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;2had sleptTwoods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh`1 ha n crept through back lan alleys and finAishe6ir sleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,SMary were very loving to Tom,"1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. I8a coursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donGR" sai; "and I believe you OiAough!itfW.1youR?Rg, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing81I h<you loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "Ithave been s1ome cared enough to THINKst, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit'sTom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\he never thinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONEBtoo.you'll look back,day, when too late wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^1you:rsittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$next to him."Tso we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake   troublel!usfAnd I dreaJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowQ ell, try to recollect--can'lIRSomehseems to methe wind-- blowed the--" "Trhder, Tom! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on!" "And you said, 'I believ?<or--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh  !foP land's sake! IBhearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dtell ME there ain't anything in%s,. Sereny  shall knowiis beforean hour older. I'd^0to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'bout superstition.2Oh,;all getting {s bright as dayVF Nex" I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum,!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs.I sheersaid Jotthe same, and6Rwishe hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped I was better off where I+gone to, but ifDbeen0sometimes THERE, d'you hear that! Ihis very wordsG1Andshut him up sharpI lay I did! Tmust 'a'an angel there.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scaringda firecrackerH you7QPeterthe Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthenwa whole lot of talk dragging the river for ud%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happenedY!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`!itY.if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and Iwevery wor2aid 1youT to b+9so sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&candle; and;hyou looked so good, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "Di,DID you! I;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembraceAmadeLfeel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even" i~a--dream," Sid soliloquized judibly. "Shut up, Sid! A body doesthe sameV+ as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!ifRwas e.und again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us allgot you back> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His1,ness knowsunworthy of itDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them oough places,'s few enwould smile Io= enter intodcrest w! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered me MClong." The children lefw,the old lady to call on Mrs. Harpervanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_g2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger Xame a pirate who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seem2ee eoks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys Ce drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given an1to 1swasuntanned ski0n? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpart either for a circus. At'3Dmade so muchmdbof Joe$delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyes,qthe two"esAnot "in ing insufferably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventuresungry listeners--buSy onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally, whry got oir pipesawent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh ,as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. qsee herAawayjoined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observSas trYPgayly%Q backjRforthiflushed facerdancingL Hbe busy chasingRmates screaming with laughter 2shea capture; bupXnoticbalways/Cher 1s in his vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified apous vanitywB himso, insteawinning him, it"set him up"j2morx!hi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyB, sighing once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistful1war(4. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrence thany one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1go away, but 2eet8tBrous:1car7aher to[A saia almost at Tom's elbow--)sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunda y-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(Id in Miss Peters' class, w3Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,zeill. T's for m<qanybodyAr I wantQR" "Teo nice. When is itb!Byby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM RgirlsV1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycapatree "o flinders" while heB"stawithin three feet of itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&, too?" said\ Susy Harper. "And Jo[And so on, with clapping of joyful haAill he group had begged for invitNAs bu1Amyn Tom turned coolly away, still talkingtook Amy him. Becky's lips trembledb the tears came to her eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatterbHAlifeqgone ounR, nowything else1got as soonrhe coul hid herself and had what sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused up a vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sitcosily on a little bench behindhouse look t a picture-book with Alf#red Temple--a absorbed were theytheir heads so close together overbook, that< did not seem to be conscious of an!in@2world besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He beganqate him for throw 1wayhcchance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily alosNwalked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever(!paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !toDrear?, again and , to searseyeball1the!Qful s!clry not help itit maddenaAe, abthough aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sT`winnin(g her fight, toosas glad him suffer asj3had$ed. Amy's happy prattle became intolerable. Tom hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, han, ain't I ever goZaget rioher?" At las1bthose 9he said artlessly!ou "around"S school let oueqhe hasteaway, hatiit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" c6wenEthe motionsZrashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was fiNQnishe+his satisfaction. Tom fled home at noon. His conscience cnot endure any more ofgrateful Rinesshis jealousyHtbear noAR the distress. Becky resumed her picture inspes with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"pr!upear at a footstep it was a false hope;.she grew entirely miswsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeaswas losr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"E{1pat at last[Csaiddon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearbgot up3alkq2. dd droppPCside+%s 81try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering what/$ hhave done--forC"ha,a she wiYs all throughFnooning--an%on, crying. Then went mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guessed his waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurrbmGZAtherT some2get=3boy)arouble)out much risk to himself. Tom's spelling-book fell under%!ey]uhis opportunitZrly open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. , glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^discover\qShe staUhomeward, now, intendao findand tell him;be thankfulctheir s&be healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, sheSchangAmind-6ftreatment"erb she was talking about her pD icnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's account,gqto hateD2for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodahe first this aunt saiqim showmQbtsorrows to an unpromi0market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie, whatfIh?" "Well, you'~3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expeccI'm goAmake&sbelieveat rubbage abou`bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a boywill act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkcet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myselfnever say a word." Tss a new aspechHis smartnessAmornrad seemoTom a good joke bK very ingenious. It merely looked meanshabby now. He huAhead!"no5ke!nyA1 to for a moment. Then he said:I wish I hadn't it--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 81all7way from Jackson's Island in+ to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie \$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Gyou dhat dime for, thenIqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel! w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad asta thought asqY2youwy did--and!it." "Indeed' ,Eie--53mayBstirH!OhT, don't rlie--dog it. It only makes s a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanted to keep:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run offracted so bad. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall full ofjqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT: wrote oSwe'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BI loved you so, 1andlaid there moan$I was so sorry8words sounded likThe old lady E not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!--and bexAwithto schoolh bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom hae in. Trtopped,!itjrer handns{o herself: "No, I dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWMLord will forrchim, b`isuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lielook." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her han)1takA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iaet it #!e !SosMPpocke8Dt. AQlater-&was reading Tom's piece of bark through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREasometh bout Aunt Polly's manner,?kissed Tom, that swep his low spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&0 luck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,6I'm eever, ever do that wayas long as #I live--please make up,S you?>Dgirl looked him scornfully inAface'll thankkeep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIR!toE"ea!pason. Tom stunned!henot even presenHqmind enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilxRright?6!itegone by. So 6 nothing. Bu`#t in a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were a and imagining howlould trounce her if\1ereitly encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seem A, inAhot btment,3shehardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6aflogge&n injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering no of exposing Alfred Temple, offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,dOQ know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar!of#desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!shRbe noRahigherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbaself iyasno classes) reciting2kept thateunder lock and key. CTherot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing bycdesk, which stood the doorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; founFalon next instant 2theBands-title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon a9omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%AsnatVbook to close "anythe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustfvolumejAturnyt{QburstTcrying wiQth shand vexF. " , you are just as mean ascan be, to sneak up on a personXlook at why're look." "How could I know]7was( anything?" "You oqto be ad of yourself, ;QZc're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbICwas 3." Then$astampe little fokd said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. YouAwaityou'll see! Hateful, h A!"--he flung7house with a new explosion of crying. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld. Presently he  to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@Gways even on her,m<P; but0|of it? Ox&will ask who it was tore his book. Nobody'll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first oneqthen t'6 when he comes to the rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facesean themygiy backbone. Sd1get vit's a htplace for Becky7c p1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"Qjoinel mob of skylar scholars outside. In a fews the master arrivschool "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at the)ts' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Consider"llds, he pR pity`tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultdwas really worthyGname r the sp-book discowas made, and Tom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after.6 roused up from her lethargy of distressshowed good the proceedingsj_aexpectt/*4his by denying1rhe spilAink Ue himself;eS  denial only seemed to makeBwors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"at%rshe triYrbelieve44as /it, but she fou71wascertain. W3he worst camtQorst,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C an effort and forced herself to keep still--R, sai,2, "Oabout me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,~Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upsey , in somePbout--he hadQed itform's sak.hpcustom, K1andstuck toprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5master s(dding in<bthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study. Byby, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlocked|BdeskHqreachedhis book, 5 undecided whether to take iHr leave it. Most of the pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfingerbook absently and settl<Achairead! Tom shot a2 atB. He7een a huntedhelpless rabbit lsYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--someimust be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chanclost--the masterb opene'volume. If Tom only!th<ted opportunity back again! Too late. Tas no helpwBecky now, he said* next momen}-3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvthat in it which smote even the innocent/Afear1sil while one might count ten =was gatheringXQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;MCBseardace afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more #sethe slow torturse proceedings4canranks of boys--consid(a!ur3girls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlN!ThrMtrembling from to footD with excitenqand a sa!of:hopeless!of/situatiouRebeccaz" [Tom glanced at hfA--itRwhite}terror] --"]--no, look me inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning through brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAoq punishthe surpris gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of poorv's eyes seemed pay enOfor a hundred floggInspired byplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbinsever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed--for he knew who w$Awaitkside tillcaptivityIQdone,%nohe tedious time asi loss, either. Tom went to bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Qshamearepent5rAtold7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longing!hasgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at last's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rjmore exactn ever, TAwantto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongsmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feebleJMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to the surface; he seeme*t vindictive)ure in puniXf shortcomingsconsequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX&"irz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to do: a mischief. But he kept aheadJ"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. Athey consp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iRsign-painter's boy,CchemBaskerhelp. H1hisqreasons being deldtboardedFfather's f]and had give boy ample cause to hate him's wife would go on!sithe country in a few da~<qbe nothQ!o !fqith the; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by  pretty well fuddl, boy saipwhen the dominiareacheM proper condion ExaminaEvening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righthhurried to school. Ifulness of4Athe testing Hc arriv0ed!inUeqoolhous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliageSlowers1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blackq behind" HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front of him were occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, backh citizens,Da spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoDpartvexercis ; of small1hedRdress6Tan inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|muslin and conspTicuously cons,"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboLLir hair. All!esEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood upsheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanyimself withpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine m"used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,./got a fine round of applause when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceited confidencQ soar!tounquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4iculation, Sand brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him, his legs quaked under him|he was liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathys b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+Bletei disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, hel anuscript (tis dainty)1 proceedeqCread labored attention to "exprepunctuation4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasiog2ns 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalentY!se\a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opue gush of "fine language"; <tendency to lug in ears particularly prQwordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markBmarrlmthe inveterateOintolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one [m. No matter wh6subject mbe, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or the mora" rus mind could contemplate with edific glaring insincerity of t3Rhese "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish  fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#the young ladies do not feel obliged1los.!iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous and fleast girl in < is alwayt longestAXQrelenhly pious. But enoug"this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us returnr"Examin=" The first was read9one entitled "Is this(n, Life?" P reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walkRlife, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forwarsome anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturd joy. In fancy voluptuous votaryoTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4all`rs.' HO,er graceful form, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ughAmaze~the joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicious2 ies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentrance intoe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}a*last. But after a$s1nds{aeneath goodly exterior,#is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFwith wastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awaythe convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyulongingsoul!" And so forrso on. owas a buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquen So true!" etc., and afterHR the had closed j a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comeRpillsndigestion, read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recollesng my brhFor I have wandHay flowSoods;Have roameda near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[W|and home were mineis StateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fastme AXrnd coldbgetBeart (teoen, dear b! theyBQ e!" Thervery few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <9satisfactory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began towin a measured, solemn tone: mbVISIONNDark and tempestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep intonationT heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;s]errific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic s$Qblust?about as if to enhanceQir aiQ wildr scene. At such a time, so areary,Khuman sympathy my 1`pirit dCsighq instea}Rreof,k1'My est friend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'R to my side. She moved like f ose bright beings picturPthe sunny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So soft was0qstep, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements withourbade me)dmplateg5two"resented.~i; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be th;inest effort1evening. TheHd mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he said was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,the numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCu|Dy haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =2to 8!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not put down by5 the mirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^%continued; it even manifestly increased. And well itb. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; sa rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofCabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&3 in"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXl=did blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke upLrmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD"composijtions" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl patternQhenceEmuch happier than any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." He promised to abstai^Q smok9!ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he fthing--namely,$to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself torment desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb3gavQup --it up before he had worshacklesqforty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old !Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw61hav ig public funeral, since heso high an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo! 's conditionhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--sthat heRventujsget out and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuating. At las as pronounced upon the mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedRsigna`dt onceqAat nqAthe  suffered a relapBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fineT. TheCpara a style calculated to killClateR envybrree boyQ, howd--ther"meQ!atFL swear, now1 toSssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookaway, andD the charm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginning to hang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diary"no7happened d,so he abandonedhe first of anegro minstrel shows came to townQmade a sensand Joe Harper got up a band of performerswere happm1twoa. Eve Glorious Fourthsin somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento actual United States Senator, prov overwhelming disappointment--for@as not twenty-five feeto, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys played8for@afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls#enxs. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everpre were(Uboys-and-' parties, buYy were so fewWso delightfulthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hostay with her par }J--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9Bpaingnimeasles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dea}qand its]enings. Hevery ill,finterested inR. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had comea everyl  creaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thIL bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwhere:fou9Qstudy Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogeA"rsKvhim visitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionprecious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refuge bosom of Huckleberry Finn3was received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept!anbed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, foreverW b. AndnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu22hat1wasTaresultmight have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryypthere sMbnothing incongruouut the getup such an expensive' is to knockturf from ! insect like himself. By"by7empest spent itself #diQout accomplists object. The boy's first impulseto be gratefulreform. His secoto wait--for& not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his845timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor"wadrifted listlessly downastreetp41 ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catamurderCreseher victim, a birdsoe HarpBHuckup an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATkhe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:3 trial cameE4 on4. It became1&absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern6to  sent a shudder toaheart,his troubled consciGand fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowi"ny9-z, but stillF2 comfortablridst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealatongue a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedEssur- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be altwo days i#got found out. YOUtTom felt more . After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO. They ain't no difaRt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma!t,tant, so'sde som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always-- *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and su rch like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meMI was ouAluck:mended kitesg"me, and knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we get himop5My!&8n't), Tom. And besides, 'tw*ado any=;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=dy talk4at,9.that if he was,Dfree^2lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughum littl1. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhapsan undefinpe that something;Q happAat m!cloway their" difficulties. But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~often done%--went t cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. HQhe grQfloorEA werguards. HislAtudePtheir giftsalways smottir consciences --it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and treacherouthe last degreaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.EmendSboys'aBings:AshowAwherT0Zin' places wa0rbefrienbwhat IO2now ave allot old Muff"!'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYP)> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac}Dit--AI go:pswing f5!orand it's right. RighBEST, too, I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't talk about that.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yQed mez<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soS1it; a prime comfor?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of R]fD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llqthrough-bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,qweak--b ey've helpel a power2(d' him more if." Tom home miseraWhis dreamb nightfull of horrorse next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experG y studiously avoided each . Each wandere;d away, from timBtimed dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntered out oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village bwas to2Bffec Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. !asVRlate,eu"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexehequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as ever. Tbwas another pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amongqlawyers|Agath!Q togeof papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospof prepar :Qs impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredtimmediately sneake some fur`}counsel forqprosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a momentzQdropp%rem agai6 his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C$ #,"#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often seen the kni Ufe inO possession.Potter declined tME The faces)audience began to betray annoyance. Did this attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior when brought toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-)bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyard upon$which all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped ppoor Po0Qtter,she put his face in hands and rockedbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.Rmovedmany women's compa testifixtears. rthe def1osesaid: "Your honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proa$ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We oSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Thev lerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereAyou oEe seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron"antongue failb UPe lis%tened breathless, b~( words refused to come. After a few moments, however, tIgot a littlhis strength backb manag^3puts of it intovoice to make part~e house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q.contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neveq mentioByour/nion's name. We will 6D himproper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffidentbtruth is always respectable. WhaGyou takeOnly a--a--dea+d cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )the skeleton!atdD Now, tell us ever4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +vsbegan--}ingly at firstas he warmtubject his flowed more an easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbEaudience hung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asdoctor fet<%aard ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as light$alf-breed sprang for a window, toreay through all opposers1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOM1a gring hero onceH--the pe2old-Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper0 magnified himre were some}believed)ould be President, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreasowworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is too's credit; ther>! i'not well to find fault_1it.Nr's days: of splendorQexult@r to himdhis nights v?horror. infestedqhis dreamsalways with doom in his eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat day ofRtrialysafraid DhareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattornepromise secrecyqwhat of? Since }harassed conscad managed +to drive himc c's house byjQand waad tale from lipsPhad been sealedthe dismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidenchuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Halm"imZ3wasawould never be capturedV other hal,@h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewardsbeen offeredvcountryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZb craftly achieve. Tha7say, he " a clew."nyou can't a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure as hOebefore. The slow days drifted oneach left behind it a slightly ened weighDpprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinRed-Handed." Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedNmatter to him kbtially`0AwillElway2 ake a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, moyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!envaa limbn old dead tree, just 2shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I !n'e it; I'd spend have a good time"So;t I. Butl"doIway. Theyf and leave it t"DAtheya after-qny more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycAbodys an old yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go Afindm#6want any esbury it~as or on a", or und ser a deAone limb sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's Island a little, and we can tagain some timeS 'C -1 up Still-House branch,=qlots of-qtrees--Aload1'em'Is,ll of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Zto go forG _1'emITom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^! gray, or rotten chest fudi'monds. HowaHuck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits oHvaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings slathers of them." S_"no5I reckonCdon'i!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^Do they hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o want to hop for?--but IRQAjustVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`iay likeMa"; )kG"begBhaveD,Xa niggersay--where you dig firs tzA. S'#we tacklj  on the hill t'\side ofjrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovelsset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hotFrpantingEQthrewselves down inLpshade o f a neighboring elm to resQa smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I$Say, Huckwe find a treasure hereFyou o with your sharBI'll1pie a glass of soda every day1bgo to bcircusOcomes along. I bet0aa gay tiKain'sL2f igrSave itrhy, so dsomething to liA, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daRget his claws on iIurry up,aI tellJhe'd clea3out pretty quick.t)n$1buy{bw drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M b!" "Tiyou--why ]!inw right miAWaitvq'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! Why,Qused to f1all I remember, mighty wellT(. The girl  }marry won'tgA1om,bAckon're all alike. They'l comb a body. Now you betterak 'bouqs awhilVByou /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's a girI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's , like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now\2AllY!--6ll do. Only if?be more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith mestir out `is and we% digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Dos always bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2. Not generally.we haven't got theQ placS|Schose2spobegan again labor dragged a little, but sthey made progress:By pe4way in silenceVqFinallyB leaned onshovel, swabbed(beaded drops  from his browhis sleeve,rQWhereCSgoing next, after we.1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hill backe widow'sdDll be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her landd9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever findQse hiasures, it belongs to him. It drmake any difference wzaland i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. Byb4Blame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVRthinkt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfer @s_the trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadowlimb falls at midnight  dig!" "Then consound it, !Qwe've"ed2allfor nothing. Now hang!llgot to come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _5and)go for itBI'llaaround%Emaow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonelyan hour made solemn by o aditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks, deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answepulchral notMq subdueDthesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holmened and stil"l, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+Ba stone or a chunk. At last Tom said: "It ain't any use, Huck, we're wrong againbut we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another W?that?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough i&too late or too early." Huck dropped his shovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroubleEAgiveq one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of ',L%rtime ofqwitches;2 a-flutteringZso. I feel aslbehind mee; and I'm afearTCturnS)suz maybe1's front a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much soAHucky most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to loaok outiLordy!" "Yes2do.uh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolRFwherPpeople. A body's bounget intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull and say  DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better"ull it be?" Tom consid|awhile;dKThe ha'nted house. GQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud,3younoticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way a does. I couldn't stORuch a " a--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveU9"at4won't heus from diggQing tin the daytimIWell, that's so. But you knowcy wellgo about: fA norrBnigh0 pmostly becauRato go  a man's been mur, anyway--buhing's ever*T seenBthat except !-- some blue lights slipping bywindows--no regular syou see one of them[vflicker, you can beuEre'shy close behind it. Irreason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em pEDcomebP`b, so w@athe usaour beffeard?7a. We'll tackl9 1 if#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood%""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorstep chimney crQumbled to ruin, -sashes vacant, a corner# roof caved in. The boys gazed awhile, half expectSwo see a flit past a{; then talQin a 1one, as befitte8rtime an circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Runtedde berth,aook their way homeward through=Aoodsc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< ffN ir tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dow2whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveCdaysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled look[m-- "My! I n once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a zPMIGHT&! Better say we WOULD! There's some lucky days, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't reckon YOU7the firstfound it ounRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rats|No! Sure signprouble. DiTy fight?" "No4that's good!hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England-- best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopl,Rkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly square9he must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaOp ever wMuas. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;jhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedL all the afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink int1 weey took their way homeward athwar| long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in hole, not]great hopr merely because Tomthere were 4"so many cases where people had given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it upa single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whery reach twas some so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/baking sun,{ bSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircaser#erReveryWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, tal in whispers, ears alert to =Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenseTQready'instant retreat. In a little while familiarity modifiUBir f"nd1gav a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnesslQwonde"Aat iJro. Next~wanted to look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off2, bAy godaring each otherof coursre could be@one result--bthrew tools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blanching>rfright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." TDtretmselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes in the plaHRnking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.whisper anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men entered. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a ragged, unkempt creature, with very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whecy came in, " Ctalka low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedXords more distinct as ceeded: "No,"eqhe, "I'ought it all ov1I dit. It's dangerous*Db!" grueDhe "e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~p made t&Q gaspquake. ItInjun Joe's! < was silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPdifferent. Away up%!riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w. q here i% daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any @Qplaceandy after6 fool of a job.Int to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse trydo stir%hethose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayyQheartzQy hadTbed a yESThe t1gotJ]2foomade a luncheon. Aa3nd Cful p, InjunJ ALook, lad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear from me. I'll take chances on dropping intortown just once$,Ua look. We'll do'dangerous'7 I've spied around a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together!" This!satisfactory. Both men presently fell to yawningpJ .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downNQweedssoon bega7snore. HiDrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispereXNow's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftly started alone first step he wrung such a hideous creak Dthe crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<with fright. He BRneveria second attempo!lare countingdragging moments it seemed "emtime must be donGeternity growing gray;Cthen6ererto noteVapthe sun was setting. Now oneD ceased.[t up, star--smiled grimly uponcomrade, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his footyHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All right, though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave itN3 as2aalways, I reckon. No use to rit awayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omex<No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's betterDYes: but lf; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidents might K!B; 'tSin such a verye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea," sai / walked across= room, knelt down, raised"of$earward hearth-stonestook out a bagP jingled pleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or thirty dollars for himself and as much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diggingRhis bowie-knife. forgot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloa1eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--Splendor of it was bey%ll imagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozencrich! Hereftreasure-hpunder theiest auspicesre would nobany bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilystood, fWey simply meant--}6but glad NOW we'rb !" Joe's knife struck upon . "Hello!phe. "Wha t is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box, I believe.--bear a h2nd see what<Kfor. Never mind, I've broke a hole." He reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinemhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.Q: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#R5sidAfirea--I sa5a minute agoh!anqbroughtMRboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. IuB notslarge; iron bound_had been+strong before:slow years had injurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silence. "Pard, tthousands of[Shere,p. "'Twas always?at Murrel's gang ulo be arou."nduone summer,"stranger observ"I know it?; "and this looks like it, I should say." "Now you won't need to do that job.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Least]all abouta"thing. 'Tain't robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"a wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inBWhenfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillhear from me`Well--ifqsay so;e'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [ProfMdistress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a moment.] What business has a^{?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se5 gr_urbed? Not exactly--n . We'll '!ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|ought of6 before. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--under!cross. The other place is bad--to"moAll right. It's+dark enough to start." Injun Joe got up 3entwindow to #cautiously peeping out. Presently he said: "Who cose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsookj&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[Aturn\1war 1way Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring foo 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi2amiAUdebriQruineVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Nows the use of all|B? If<8Ithey're up there, let) them STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get- trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes --An leFm follow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{ever hoveqhings inu1 ca1a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'Rrunning yed^rumbled awhile;bhe agreed withAfrie!at daylight was left q to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredB thrhe chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk much1wer much absorb#haemselves-- ill luckS made!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. But f-!or:, Injun Joe n+ would have suspected. He Chiddk8sil gold to wait BQ till"revenge" was satisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&1 thk"ls#brNbhere! Rresol keep a lookoutMSpaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wherm!beLbn a gh@!thq occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it all"as1BentewPyBto bpossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company  be a palpable improvement, hught. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure2day ily tormented Tom's dreams !niWFour times he,A hadjhands on+rich treasure and f6rit wast7nothingness inKfingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4a back the hard reality ofR. As he lay i, smorning recallingMincidentsJVgreatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued  ar away--somewhat as if ;P appened in another world, or time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo be3had1 seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, at he imaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsaly exieB@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's posse"ssion. IPanotionuhidden had been analyzed, would havey to consist of a handful of a dimesbqa bushevague, splendid, ungraspable Q. Buadventure grew sensibly sharperpclearer under Qattri1of think&am over so he presently`1himk1leae!toRQimpreZ2Yg might not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sittinge gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangFqhis fee3aand looB very melancholy. Tom conclud$2letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don"'t." "Whatwb?" "Oh,ing yesterday. I7hal"i " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8seen how much  Q! I've had s enough all night--withpatch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /we'll neverXhim. A feller don'~one chance for such a pile--andone's lost. I'd feel1y shaky if Ito see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's it8Q'bout. But I can't make no[!ouAit. do you reckon it is I dono. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,s one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. LemmkK Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowtrick! They ai2n'ts3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I com1Tomvoff at oncA did91carahave Huck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fou!inEbestQNo. 2Blongoccupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not any particular reasonthis state o1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade1mosCthe & by entertaining himself ae idea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%Bther9da ligh r before. "TBwhatOY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E. Now whatqQto doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back door of that Nbo. 2 iAthat5as out Jlose alley betwee*the old ratrap of a brick storeyou get hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWqa chancis revenge. If see him, just follow him;_if he don't|,Aain' :Lordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%R, surmightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkhB 'a' out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't.) " CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooSuntilnine, one watching the Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobody entere*For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, Qas to"maow," whereupon he would slip out(1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had the same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itCq. He hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (Mnly ones d"s)put out. No SpaQniardfbeen seen+Dhad / }. Everytwas auspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.bavern."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The!re#a of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartBurst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful 5s] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much to@,, for heonly able to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itout, the tbeating. Suddenly tnof lightccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUrenough;was making thirty or forty miles anq beforerepetitionAutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offB, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyere, sound asleep onRfloor4old patch on1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,ddid you do? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is,p! You tAry iHuck shuddered.Eno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. If'd been three, h  -&cI'd doThere was a long pause for reflection,8then Tom said:32oky3less not try%B anytill we knowc 3notre. It's too scary. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU@%y 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*#'mW,ORthrow:qgravel e window and'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"hours. Y 3 ba4Qlong,5A youeITawill. I'll #Qha'nt tavern  for a year! sleep all dayi&st2all2aThat's2wbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it. r mightyB!ik\, becuz I dover act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wan|bsteady0e$iftin the daytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sec's up,, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on FridaBning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"owS before. Both Injun Joethe trea)sunk into secondaIry importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhaustingplaying "hi-spy"%"gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned in a peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!heAhope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having to astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*FC. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_thing was MBreada start. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.picnics spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboat was chartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himk last thing Mrs. Thatcher sai[, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay allS someb girlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt!s tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *qclimb r2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!"  Becky reflected a momentaid: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mind,k reluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a' go there if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting baiand Tom's persusScarriqday. So i adecide;bsay no]anybody Rnight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgivehasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sure fb#un evening outweighuncertain treasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinL"not allow himself to think of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below townferryboat stopped atmouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9the different way1get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructioJQ goodgs began. AfterAfeas#re|refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomefashouteXWho's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \tprocureFtraightwaU re was a general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op9shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within wa.s a small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. Iromantic mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=qsun. Buaa impre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offromping b againmoment aRlight. Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingeep descent!main avenue,pflickering raVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wallrock almostBreir poip2jun sixty feet overhead. Thisnot more than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other"till narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`but a vast labyrincrooked aisles that ran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights togethrough its intricate tangle of rift: chasms,Fsever fit4end Qcave;h!goY? Rstillthe earth*i2jusesame--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venmuch beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%ofy one. T moved along1"some three-quarterRa mil> then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?t joined Parties were able to elud^2for1pachalf an hourbout go6yond the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCback mouth of !(the cave, panting, hilarious, smeared from head to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely delight" uccess ofday. Then theyMstonishea y had been taking no not[Ftimem was about at handnb clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild freQ!puBintoVtream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w%--he dropped!ourhis minput his attenLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/Kf vehicles ceased5q, scattbegan to wink out, all straggot-passengers disapp,pvillage betook itself to its slumbers2lefRsmall>er alone/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernvre put out; darkness everywhere, now. iThat seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it up/turn in? AFfell~2ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must beabox! S1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security^discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glided along0S behi>men, cat-like,Jbare feeowing them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGriver street three blocks, then turnthe left up a cross-8y went straightE , until they came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookfthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. Bu8y1stoa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetumach bushes were at once hiddeothe gloomUd shortenedrdistancR, for le to see him. He trotted3g awhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy! But noF footsteps. Heavens, was everything lost! HQ abou!spqwith wiwhen a man clearathroat four feet from him! Huck'sbt shot`lroat, buwallowed it again; and he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weak tha}zhe must surely fall ground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,1, l;4em there; it won't be harFfind. Now&a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisstranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill!to:oS--thiZthe "revenge" job! Hiswwas, to fl3n he remembered-:the had been kZo him mornuEAthes}1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to warn her; b8uzq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcall this and !inbmomentelapsed betwee 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. Well,$IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you maycQit. Br husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. Aqat ain'Q5. I millionth part of iz!haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town loo#Kon! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Do o that!" "Kill? Who said an killing? I would kill HIM H#if here; but not her. Whe? want to get revenge on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--Isn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to^2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's goV!be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, firstknow. No--we'll wait tie lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck fela silence was goo ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and 0stepped gingerly back; plante.(foot carefully and firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sidei`!on!ot}He took anQ stepa, with+same elaborationL same risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself as#s 2ere=p'uly but cautiouslyrghe emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reache/ Welshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's banging? What doE?" "Let--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinGP, let> me in!'=, indeed! It ain't a name to open many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads,let's see w qtroublePlease don't everI told you,"ccHuck'swords when he got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI want to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gottDhingh, or he wouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!itnobody here'; , lad." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hillLjust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no fur hid behind a great bowldsfell to7ing a lagging, anxsilence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang aBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cL im. CHAPTER XXX AS tNhe earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingXrapped gently aTold Welshman's&. The inmates3asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,ccount of]exciting episodenight. A callfrom a window: "Who's there!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone:3letO It's only2FindFrhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseBstrange worthe vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlheard. HeRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenquickly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop1'reZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy aboQat! Ithe boys 'd turn up and stop hKere lastFa." "IsSawfulq," saide, "and I run. I took out when0istols wekf3I didn't stop for three mile. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even iyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but +'s a bed here2you:Ryou'v^Fyour=. No, they ain't dead--we are sorry enoughVthat. You see we knew right w|to put our hands oRm, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it backCno use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T raisQ starhose scoundrels a-rustleget oupath, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed awaMTplacePhe ruaqwas. So"thGA. Bumy were off in a jiffy, villainswe after4 down through the woods. I judge we never touche| m. They fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. As soon as we loVB sou$Twe quit chasing"ntand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&abit is the sheriffaa gangS beat}My boys will be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. ButBcoulaee whadTlike,JAdarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!f1ne' 1 olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>h,nce or twiceqt'othermean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1R backe widow's o/cne dayClunk away. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge1r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons departed at aeavingproom Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huckgyou ought to havecredit of you did.@h no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung menhQgone,]5oldFA saiwr--and I3whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, furthan to say<he already knew too much about one1men`+1manU Manything against him foB whole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~old man promised secrecy once morW1Howyou come to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heRWell,ee, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least eAveryrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thathe way of it last night. I could,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me,;1undreir armI reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'qone wan light; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered0a momentknow--but somehow ims as if IQpthey we Rnt onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnbstood Q darkBhearu1beg"-K5the swear he'd spile her looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMB man saidthat!" Huck had maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keeA olddfrom gett he faintest hiG"whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite of"heFr do. He several efforts to creepof his scrape, but'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I w  hurt a hair of your head forXorld. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've let thatout intendh+ DRcover0up now. You knowaV that you 55wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA"'s honest eyes a moment, then bent over and whispw!inear: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!" T almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It'splain enough,pWhen you talmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judged2wasmown embellishbecause white menBtakeC1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wa cours i* Rthe lIing which heqis sons done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineZ,its vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide3reath suspended--wait0qing foraanswer WelshmanRted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTERyou?" Huck sank back, panting gently deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and pres[NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven anyfor materiala plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he  --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." Poor U!wa distressed to smileWQ laugz1oud1joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Eended by say(at such armoney in a-)pocket,  it cut dowdoctor's bill )like evern he addold chap, you're whitejaded--you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little flightyCoff your balance2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hoprirritatthink he had beenaBgoosbetrayed a suspicious excitement,HqdroppedBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a82n't!soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be yand jailyat day, and he an,d Tom could seizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompled2herea knocdoor. Huck jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt+ Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow Douglas1Tnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's another(more beholden1an -rre to mf my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't havev2butim." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almo d the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis M!thqbe trans?"T townb refus"ppart wi<!th secret. When all else had learned, the  said: "I wensleep reading in bed and slept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth while. Those fellows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8y've just back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hours more. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villainsyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? I2exp#shr be tira." "YourS(RYes,"`a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa5rs.  turned palhsank into a pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy that'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--on you. And now he's afraidntto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "HeBAus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A markQxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"o4did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he could sayWQpeopl2 stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio countenance. Children were anxiously questioH!anng teache!eys? not noticed whether3andDwere on board the ferryboat on the homeward trip; iCdark; no one thoughinquiring if any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!Thatcher swooned awa fell to crying wringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutesfQbells wildly clahe whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episodeEinstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited9;andY!anefort them51y cAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzswords. tediousEfor news;"heA dawqt last, sthe worcame was, 1"Send more candles--and send food." Xwas almost crazed;CAunt Polly, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman came hom5ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #bechad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,vnothing!H o be neglected  Huck had spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes"Bhis T" EarlyAforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongeswthe citizens continu3 ed searching. All the newscould be gainedremoteness] avern were being ransack7visited before;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hiSand t distancepshoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear downsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,Unames "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over i!itthe last relic she sh1havher chilAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then,  cave, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a glorious sho:u)burst forthbaa scor'men go troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>ir tedious hours alongvillage sank into a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0Q anyt' The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor( Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, scarcely flutte public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lqsubjects?A finYasked--dimly he worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer Tinto tears. "Hush, husXh*, hush! I've told you before, you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveIa great powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone a! But could she be crying about? Cur Mshe should cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind under the wearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alongRmurkyas with2reshe company, visit familiar wonderst cave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-Room,"Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace,"yso on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking began, and Tom a@C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wandered down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles aloft4rea  tangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesgrmottoesQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. Heit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responded to 5his call, aey made aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir quest1wouUais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off in search of novelties to tel upper world about. In onea spaciousrn, from 1ceiadependmultitude of shinbtalactites ofalength circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked all it, wonderQadmir_ and presently left it by numerous passagesAopenAto iis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrustedXsa frosta glitt crystals;]:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot2batfpacked themselvwrousands Qbunch( lights disturbTe creatures and thBey came flockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously a candles. Tom knew their way7the dangerais sor.conduct. He seized Becky's handhurried herthe first corridorqffered;6none too soon,a bat struck g- out with its wing while she was passing(<q cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesT$thlaid a clammygb spiri5. said: "Why, I didn't noticeit seems ever so long since I heard anyothers." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=Qw howKaway north,= or south, or east Qwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wonder howwe've beenhere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fi_3wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try som way, so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyastraversed i silence a  glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face/n encouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less rhopefuleach failu$"represently began to turn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of4ing that was wanted. He still saiwas "all 3," Xsuch a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<#!"clung tooqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goway! We seem.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deeps"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shou  The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagain too horrid,*QBeckyDt isI<; they might 5us, you know,4 he~[! "6"Bpa chilliJrror thaghostly laughter, it so confessperishing hopehildren stoodand listened; no resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps. I"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact to--he could notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Irfool! S Ithought wewant to com-! No--I can'ay. It's all mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherS!nk,Qhe gr$and burst8renzy of cry at Tom was appalled withMAidea4 sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byband pubarms aAher;S"bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"Cpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regretsahe far!esUemato jeeQbegge to pluck up_sid she cou1. He fell to blaming and abusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-had a better effect. iwWatry tob againWaget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. So they moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--all6@!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle$blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words wererneeded.Sa under,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tHtkto pay attention,~iqdreadfuthink of siCdownime was -Agrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any Qwas aist progressjmight bear fruit;wto sit downinvite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carry her farthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_\all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful>sat looking intodrawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasant dreams; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awabygone time#y memories. While he was deepWmo#s,rwoke upa breezy little laugh--but it was str+icken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never, had waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRknew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sqtime to Both were cruelly tired, ye 4she4\Dgo a was surpri hear Tom disse0Unt. SFnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastened 1 to#wall in front of them with some clay. Thoughsoon busy; nothp!s 2for7Atimen Becky brokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?"Rhe. {almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MSYes--as big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where. Tom divid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled atQamoietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move onMyilent a momenn he said: "R,!you bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paledF. "Welln"westay herB2ereQ&'sdrink. That little piece iClast! gave loosAearsuwailingud what 5to comfort her little effect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#ySBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[Dyou !as got homrA frighrlook in"braTom toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was notCave gone < night! The children becameBnd tXuful. In a new burst of griefKra showentaing in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. fastened th'eir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; sawinch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame rise^fall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,Fthe horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward itljFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew wa"atIseemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2to talk, bu sorrows were too oppressive, all her>#8gonBmustAbeenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideousw N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormencaptives again. A porti0Son of!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than bef+Che poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-by Tom said: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breathlistened. Theraq like the faintest, far-offA. Inlanswered itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'y1m!"N Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl"on28stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred'Bqno passt at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&Ras he. No bottom1sta]rwait untilers came8 @; evident%lB1 di3ingjgrowing mor$! a moment or two!anhqy had g^ltogether}t-sinking miser+1it!swhoopedh%hoarse, but it was of no use. He talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childreneir way back tol$pr weary time dragged on*Rslept`awoke famisnd woe-stricken. Tom believedust be Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}$se!ar!we=+R heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumpingqplace." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet aA little farththe right at that T, not yards away, a human, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorshout, and in"lyAhandfollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Uqnot movD_vastly gratifieF nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNaat Joe5not recognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bu echoes must havAguis!e c. Without doubt,{was it, he reasonedA's f9 weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 he1sta1re,qnothingld tempt him to rurisk of mee+}Qagainwas careful to keepk4wha "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hung wretchedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@wait at the springa'long sleep brought changes. The children awortured with a ragingq believ'`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKthe searchbeen givenQpropoo explore passage(felt willing 8isktnd all JQrrors8 qas very4. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!To"gothe kite-lin4k chose; butk!im9d'aCback0BwhilNspeak to her;she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ a show of being confidenAfind)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7ent groping down one of72s o9BhandGknees, distrewith hung7Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonqaned totwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mourned-FlostW$ha en found. Public prayersoffered up for them,o2manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuFwas plain tcould never beB!Mrfatcher2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,9lay it wearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitwent to its rest on Tunight, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl the night a wild peal burstCxb bellsin a momphe streets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin pansChorn6addBdin,iAopul massed itself>1mov32warriver, met=children in an open carriage drawn by"ing citizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificently main street roaring huzzah* F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all ove place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad with #Cld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol5history of'wonderful adventure, putting in many striking additionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasT"to9back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw[(broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it had only happen3 beVhU not have seen%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labUher and convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually saw, the blueG he >way out at92holst"lp2 ou? they sat trgladness+some men came alo@qa skiff Tom hail!emtheir situa0!anqir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at first, "because," sai] y, "you are five miles down"river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatct_ndful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behi!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as Tojqsoon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursdayseemed to grow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.2gotM, a little, on ewas down-town.E Fri{nearly as ws ever Saturday; butdid not leave her room until SunUshe looked as if s)ad passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sickneswent to see him onbut coulbe admittbedroom; neither .Uhe onB or . He wasHSdailyFAthatt#wto keep still about his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found Anearferry-landing; he had7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. A.aa fortiTom's rescue froDhe start0f to visit Huck, whogrown plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD5wcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seet v#an~friends setto talkingpsome onJe asked him ironicRif hen't like to gocave again._said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are others jusuyou, Tom, I've noleast doubt. But we have taken cLfA. Nowill get lost !at any more." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--andgbkeys."!tujite as a sheet.Aat'sE0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The gbb!t hCinto|face. "A you're all right. WhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[deR bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%of the plac.&e.x lay stretched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`, as if his longing eyebeen fixed,>latest moment,e cheer offree world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wBuffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity, now, which revealed to him in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him sinceKday he lifted%Cvoic"st bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade broken!wo great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXB=. But if no stony obstructir have be4en RstilliDh]wholly cut away could not have squeez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So at place in orDqo be doDomething-- pass the weary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half a dozen bits of candle stuck ahe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneAsearrthem ou eaten them. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly growW from}ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to Athe ous drop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellthe foundation0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror create British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willI be 2all6 squnk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand yearsready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^qhaplessV-bree1out#>Qprice8bdrops,"o 3af stares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave.'s cup s2tands first) list ofScavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. Injun Joe was buried near the mouth ofOQcave;people flocked there in boats"wagons from<BtowncQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfesscaey had almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcould2hade hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni--the pet)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings Bheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail  cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/believed toakilledr citizethe village2whahat? If hSatan himselfw$!plmof weaklingsRto scribblir names pardon-pet>Citiodrip a tear on itLir permanently impairedkleaky water-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG an important talk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshman the Widow Douglas, by this}Tom said he reckons6was?had not told him;a The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f businessed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand m"mewaif you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#on-keeper. YOUF ] was all riU Saturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch  night?" "Oh yes! Why, itc seemsa year ago. I>BveryCI follered Injun Jothe widder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukeep mum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on me doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenkwho had only %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{a, presyQ, comaPmain question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom +G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itA>neyG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or srEarnest;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withqhelp gepout?" "I bet I will!2 ifwCRe can our way to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkU&--Ayou ?wait till wef!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jingAll right--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRRightg!ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a*, three or four days, now, but I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five;2 in!reway anybodyume would go,Qthere^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.S,B takGin a skiff.&2flo] , I'll pull itjby myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start)A offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes, a3%nd bag or two(1two kite-strings`of these new-fangledsy"call lucifer matches. I tell you, many's the timelshed I hagwhen I wasMre before." A trifle after noo boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  Bdownthe cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yo 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|U're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]out of with a fishing-pole. See#4can1." ? searchediCabou2fouQhing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd#Heare! Look at it;athe snugges!in/ country9keep mumll along I've been wanting to be a robber, but I knew I'rto havebng liko run across itvAther!vecit now=it quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els wouldn't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "it does, Tom. And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$ly." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm+ -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcrns take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'll see that i*nbbook. =qomen geloving youthey've been9a week or two y stop crying2thabcmwhem to leave. If$ro!ouy'd turn right around!come back. It's so inc booksy, it's real bullyI believe better'n a pirateF3YesF& in some ways, hclose to home circuses- at." By this time everya!wa!dy2ys entereAhole! imS lead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to A dowwhispers,!foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently en"and foll:qTom's ocorridor until they rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUR factit was not really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do 1see? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!jtreasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is bre, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from3, il y#ngthe money. I knowrways ofsyAso d." Tom began= to fearright. Misgivings gath%in his mind. But presently an idea occurred to him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|awhere 's a cross!" The poin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"at that's so. It's luck for us,L { is. I reckon we'll climb downhave a huntG4boxwent first, cutting rude steps iLas he descended.. Four avenues opened!ofA small cavern which the greatstood in.boys examined three0"emno result. They found aiUrecesone nearest4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,the well-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsBere B-boxlads seareand reBthis8Qin vaO%om^!He  Yross. Well,DVcomes0o being under the cross. It can't beP itself, because! sOolid on the ground6heyReveryzonce moreORn satdiscourag1cou ggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintssome candle-gre= clay about one sidX!is A, bu1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet youmoney ISbU. I'mH dig." "Thano bad notion, Tom!"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow"out at oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfood. "Hey!--you h-2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm2was%i(#ndO`ys took it up tocross rock. "Now less w!4gunEaings," 4 Hu2--leave them tsThey'reOicks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepNB allD2imerw(hold our orgieCsre, too 2ful2place for 0." "What!?"dono. But4ers6;of course we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beeqhere a Btime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`eTse skiff6ay pres emerged inlump of sumach bushesed warily out, foudcoast clearBwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towarahorizoAy pu"ougot under wayqskimmedhe shore througiwilight, chai cheerilyZalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id  loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up*Q morn count it and divide, and ?Sthen !una4outQsAit wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )dand wa(stuff till I run;hook Benny Taylor's little wagon; I won't be gone a minute." He disappearreturned#thSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old rags on totarted off, dragging his cargo behind him. Whe boys reache Welshman's house, they stoS restgay9Aabouqmove on: PA steB said: "Hallo, who's thatAHuckTom SawyerWGood!O1me,,,are keeping everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--2hauoyou. Why, it's not as  as it might be. Got b;in it?--orQmetalOATom.judged so;ris townatake m&Rroublfool away1imeN ing up six bits' worth of!irNS sellh foundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human nature-xwalong, T!" TQwantenknow wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we gethe Widow Douglas'suck saidapprehension--for s long usbeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we have0en doing nothing. laughed. "Well, I dlknow, Huck, my boy. ;a. Ain'1 an! wgood friendsRYes. ishe's ben&e, anyway}All rightn. What dov1wanjbe afraid for?is question wa?a entir<nswered inq's slow before  himself pushdwith Tom,5EMrs. drawing-room. V leftQ nearAdoorzafollow3Thewas grandly'ndiAthatof any consequencebvillagNthere. The ThatchersQk Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)?all dressqtheir bTGr receiv+r as heartily as any one /could well 4 two such lookingDs_y1cov Aclay[candle-grease. 1 bl crimson8humiliationqfrownedLshook her head at Tom. Nobody suffhalf as much boys did, however. Mr. A sai-Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled on2andm at my doorGjust brought them Bin aX!nd2did3S!," r. "ComeA1me,." She tookcto a bedchambe'Now washgI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,S- complet(Cy're+--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. B6 ey'll fit both of you. GetN them. We'll wait--come downe1youslicked up enoughQn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCK1: "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundrShucks!D dvQ kind of a crowd. I can't s'tand it.8b goingathere,a" "Oh, b{B! It2 an. I don't miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appeared.vhe, "auntie has beenring for!ll,afternoon. Mary gott Sundayb readyeverybody'\ fretting about you. Say--LRthis qclay, o;ra"?"E, Mr. Siddy,jist 'tend toown business. What'sis blow-out, anyway`It's one of tDdow's parties1sheO ways having. This time it'sFthe Welshmanhis sons, on accountjat scrape they helped#ou# night. And say--IAtellAsome21, i want to knowQWell,Why, oldX2is to try to spring_1 on"people here to-,overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's notle(t now. ElEs --a, too,1allf!trro let ozWwas boundE1 shbe here--n't get along wi2th 3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirobbers to.)7 wacmake atime oversurpriser!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.J2id,Jly one person in\town mean:a to do XI72had!in 's place you'd 'a' sneakedQ hillqtold an 0. You can't do anyQmean s&bear to seeTpraised for doing good ones. Tn1nkse says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxdoor with several kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, efashion of5 countryobday. AbproperlMr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedsthe honor sheFqhimselfhis sons,G3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprungHuck's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog`he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to giveMt a homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa Tom's chancYcome. He F said: "Huck don't need it.'s rich." Nothingya heavy strainthe good s of the company kept baQe dueE:ary laugh at this pleasant joke. ButDsileanawkward. Tom broke itb's gotE. Maybe youbelieve it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly aQ, whoO0tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{easacks,2 diafinishMsentenceCpourU1masyellow coa the tSDand qThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sXand hbmine!"spectacle took general breath away. Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call9an explan  he could f6!ur5"itWahe did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasion2it amount to anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allow"heSdccounte[3sumt!edvover twelve thousand dollars. ItKmore thanSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz#in#ty. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poor/9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of m citizens tottered under2*'e unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house inA andTneighboring villageE s was dissected, plank by oundations dugPSnd ransacked for hidden treasure--and not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, somAthemrT4q appear8!eyQ couradmired, st#a+1abl|arememb~at their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lostpower of doing and commonplace !s;past historyV1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originality paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcher di same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, was simply prodigious--ae week-day AyearChalfv Sundayjust whaminister got --no, i#hqpromised--he gener7ally couldn't collect it. A dolla quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him1forG matter.  had conceived a great opinion of Tom. He sahat no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, a generous, a magnanimous lie--a^was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whR walkR flooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s/it"opsee Tom a gr:eat lawyer or.soldier some day0he meant to look to i1C Tom# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traineqthe bes  qcountry[Dhat  be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fachunow undeQ1Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost morQn he  bear. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushedthey beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han foot. He bravely bore hiDs miseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eight hours tga hunte everywhere in great distressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebdy. Eae third morningS wisely went poking among old empty hogsheads down behiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque days whenW1freq happy.Croutvout, toldroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6qt ain'tSme; I"usA"it:widder's good to mlfriendly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!at smothers me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Show; y're so rotten nicel=!et, nor lay roll around anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE --well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to churca sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dwrtalk soit wasn't no comfort--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died, TomnXwouldBAmokeu yLshe Bgapeqstretch Q scra Abefore folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritation and injury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN"thX! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-(aTHAT, Looky her, being rich what it's crack); just worry$  2a-w you was dead <. Now theseBsuitis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@Ralongvyour'n, and gim#me a ten-center sometimes--not many  , becuz I don't give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"me the widder." "Oh, Huck,8know I can't do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. BlamBall!Sas we3gun_ba cave\2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness has" k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CB Ckeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. But#we let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "Can't let m&Be ina Didn'p let me go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 7 is more high-toned than what a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always ben friendly to me? You woul !shR out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goaqa month6Ctacknd see if ! co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All rightb, it'sz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow,qet up oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKs, I'll smoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe2goi.Ustart4NCturns?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys together@AhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tellgang's secrets, evenN re chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his familyCa hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest,|est place you can find--a ha'nted house i! b:-Z2gup nowod, anyw'{(sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOXsomething LIKE!fqmillions bullier'll stickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon she'll be proud she snaked me in oute;wet." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;G'could not go much furwithout becoming the^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersrperformais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zyounger ones again[see what sor"mewomen they turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveauRat pactheir lives at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E BMOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combinaYistics of threem I knewSbelongs to"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876TT O M S A W Y$ E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles downulooked ovebam abou room; then she pIm up:cut und?. She seldom or nevereTHROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA bea!Awenthe open door 1tooLiRuthe tomato vineG "jimpson" weedswconstitute garden. No Tom.#" S lifted upm voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m'a' thoughcloset. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--tjwhat it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!XrwhirledTnatch Qkirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappearTit. Hisc Pollysurprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Hadcan't 5learn anyQ? Ain't he playecricks y3lik1for2o b1ing$pfor him66!is? But old fools is the biggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to " wcoming? He 'pears!just how long he can torment me before I gedander up, ve knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaIhit him a lick. I afcmy dut!at&the Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahear lash him, somehow. EveryR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-wAman  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *: and [* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, nish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenf!oyrhaving holiday)he hatesB more than1anyS else%'ve GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideiAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already through withDpart2work (pick{qchips),ba quieJehad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s1nte;AtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many othR er simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkbmysterious diplomacy0bhe lov#contemplate her most transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'!Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolW!no. So he said: "No'm--well, notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ! n hough." And it flatteredato reflect s2adiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcAmigh1theA mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink  had overlooked that bit 5 of circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He opened his@b. His 4as securely. "Bother! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Shehalf sorrysagacity harcarried ,3glagTom had stumbled into obedient conduconce. But SidneyIDif I52you{ith white thread, 's blackBWhy,OA sew8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapd bound about them--1$on^  DA andSotherH5 HeShe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was no Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Within minutes, or even less, heforgotten all$s. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove qhis min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negroh!suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consist: a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchinXg Qtonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it, if!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFt#eeF@full of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFwith the boy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyse. A strangerbefore him-- a shade larger'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons. Hshoes on#iGonly Fri:1day)even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher he turned up his nose at his finerhabbier and his own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe o--but only sidewise, inrcle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd likE see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(rcan't, 2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pausen What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I couldone hand tied behind meI wanted to DO it? You SAY  WILL, if you fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole families insame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-Rhat iit. I dar o knock it off--and anybodyG'll take a5will suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3,/QeyingAsidl round each. Presently twere shoulder to .|Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B"Sobstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingand main&q glowertgother wit h hate. But neither could gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainwatchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.ell my big br! ohe can thrash!thlittle finger. I'll make him do it, tooI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#so2Ait sTom drew a lineBdust1hisi"to{ qFstepZAlick5you can't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seQDon't8crowd me now;better look ouQWell,HSAIDh*--Wb?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofpocket and held them out derision.rRtruck# to the ground. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb !inAdirt, gri together like cats; and for. space of a minute they tuggetore at each ^q's hairHclothes, punch3Qscrat 53noscovered themselvesand glory. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to freself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a smbed "'N1let!up8qll lear:. BnA who_Rolingnext tim3ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying backBshakQs hea threatenhat he wcQdo tothe "next time 2ugh \To which0respondedjeers, and8 startedin high feather as soon as hiswas turne1newI#sn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetweeshouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homthus foundere he livednheld a position atgate for somehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. There4pa song Cin every heart;obif the,Qyoung{music issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brushcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet/ . Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping!atvwith a tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Br`water Befrom the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remember~at theregp$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysgirls wereTb waitiir turns, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalthonly a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK water under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w talks. Gimme the!--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE won't eveer know_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$Gcry.give you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiHe put down his pail, took th$a&nt3toebsorbing interest whilRandag>being unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetma tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompafield a slipper in her hanHttriumpheye. ButwUnergyeAlastqbegan toQ think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys + come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble/ trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, but not half7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea r"thD. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranqui. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodAwhoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, Rfor hcperson steamboat. As he drew near, he slack}bspeed,the middl_the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, s!hatimaginerr standi.his own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he up slowly toward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW mAstab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toep. "Stop 2Sto&Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeOQ thatk-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanstage, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2yBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchyan artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouth watfor the apple, butqtuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? Bu t of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bit,HRat do1all$?"IETHAT1TommC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comdon't meaQ!le{you LIKE it?" Thecontinued to move. "Like it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily backforth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlyBaid:i, Tom, let MEgvlittle.sidered, was_o consent;P"alnqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl/n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular aborut thisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ; it's gobe done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&Qhappe+ it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgQSay---give youcore of myS+FN2.bafeardWALL of itqgave uppwith reluct|!inBfaceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZ1swe\in the sun,retired artist sa|t on a barrel in&shade close by, dangledlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along eblittle; they came to jeerHQremaio whitewash. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B keywouldn't unlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collarsno dog--the hana knife, four p7ieces of orange-peel>a dilapidated old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all while--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2% all. He had discovered a great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obligedo. And elp him to understh\tructing artificial flowers or performing'tread-mill is work, ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement 3are2y gentlemen in Englo drive four-horse passenger-coaches<2 tw}r thirty miles daily line, insummer, becausprivilege costs them derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "yresign. Thermused at3oveaubstantial changch had taken place in hldly circumstancescthen w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for s 4 noT}cthe caLasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szrthoughturse Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power again is intrepid way. He saidQ: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4Dfind per cent. of Tom's statem,rue. When she fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonish1was almost unspeakable. She said: "Well, I never! There's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longl3plat%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook himthe closetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture upo`nBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself)it came without sin through virtuous effort. And while sd:; a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skipped out saw Sid just starting upoutside stairway that lrrooms o,second floor. Clods were handy and the air was full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiesTsally%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+n1rou Tom skirablock,hinto a muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of captur$puahasten2war5public square okfvillage, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two gcommanders did not condescend to fight i!--being better suio% still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminencevaconducH he field operations by orelivered0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a longhard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagreement bd uponyrthe dayhe necessary3ed;Qwhich fell into lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived_saw a new girl e garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creatur yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4yfiring a shot.A" A certain Amy Lawrence vanished out of his heartAleft;even a memory( erself behind. He had thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePdton as ado; behold it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d g like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discohim; then he preteneeAknow\was present, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidM4the/girl was wend way towarXQ camef and leaned on it, grievi#ngcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a moment oQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1shais eyes with#haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH2. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexXF--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomy,[" and not hypercritical, anyway. He returned, nowung aboutence till nightfall, "showing off," as U3; b8&girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$v littleBhopesad been> some window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got intov hild." He took a good scoldiclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.V!ri steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/1torsaa body3wayP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." sezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez-bowl--a sort of glogTom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliand the bow/l dropped and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledatongueGwas silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who didmischief;tJKtCand therabe not"soE!inLworld as to sefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultationRcould hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" AF next instanas sprawling on the floor! The potent palm,dupliftQBrike Tom cried out: "Hold on1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 1shes5hershe onlyRUmf! you didn't getck amiss, I reckonWsome other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." T r conscience reproached hershe yearnqay someQ kind"qloving;she judgedBthis1 beoRtrueda confesstshe had the wrongdiscipline forbadh. So she keptf"ce2went abouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woBknewQin he5rt Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of i<hang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelying sick unto deatho=sbendingim beseeching one littl cgiving*%2tur2rface toQ1allB die word unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$bt homeOthe river, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how he,rfall like rainjlips pray God to giveback her boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichflowed wxr winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUoApett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently,is cousin Mary danced ull alive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&araccustomed hauntBboys%sought desolate placesBR thatin harmony withRspirit. A log raft in the river invited himfche seaself on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, ld only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingguncomfortable routine devised by nature. T2 thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8wApityC knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turnrly awayall the hollow? This picturan agonpleasurable !itCover!in2minoset it up in new0qvaried s, till re it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to w the Adored Unknown lived; used a moment; no sound fell 2upolistening ear; a candle was cast dull glow 9the curtain of a second-story window. Wassacred presencre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  looked up aDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposingupon his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~mRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-damps fromCAbrow8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sE outv glad morntand oh!A7op one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The went up, a maid-servant'cordant voice profan" holy cal[ a deluge of water drench.p prone nmartyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Thera whiz asmissile iair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, a soundH shivering glass followeda small, vague formF!ov!e >Mshot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by+tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of makiny "references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD1eldpeace, for tdanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xjthe summit of thiselivered a grim chapter of the Mosaic LawKaSinai. girded up+loins, so to speakwent to work to "get his verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL Oh, SHALL!# fb shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?" "Oh, Tom, youthick-headed thing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must go an it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll giveAsome. ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelveaacents;tZnvulsion of deligha sweptsystem shAm toTfoundTrue, the uld not cut an;y but it was a "sure-enough" ,re was inconceivable grandeur in--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it )rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setM n a little bench there; tQ dipp eae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But&Q remo,and said: "Now ain'Sashamsmustn'tVabad. Wwhurt you." TomTStriflncerted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over itwhile, gathering resolution; took in a bigv breathG2. Wn nCpreswith both eyes shutFgroping forH.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudsIwas dripT5romKqemerged#>,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short att2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in froncAbacka*Rneck.took him ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brother out distinction of colorYhis satur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]aminate  his own ABlifebitterness.] Then1gota suit ofFclothing had been used on As dutwo years--they were simply cal>Q"othethes"--and so bylwe know the siz his wardrobe. The girl "putgto rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crownJpeckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee bliness2galm. He hopedMary would forgetqes, but2hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want 1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hdBhis aheart;1Sid)fond of it. Sabbath` hours were from n#!inFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedific ut a small, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibitedsatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue onesrwaylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteV, nowmwarm of bnoisy !ndVs, proceeded nd started a q<buarrel\the first boy thaty teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned hisRmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!" got a new reprimand from. Tom's whole class wera pattern--restless,troublesome. WQy camrecite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpUll along. However, torried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,with a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;r) Cyellow one;#en .the superintendent gave a very1ly bound Bible (worth forty centsose easy times) toQpupil many of my readerA hav industryapplicatio.n to memorizeTthousand], even for a Dore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it wapatient work of3years--and aj!of German parentage had won four or five. He onced threeout stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 he little better than an idiot0d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}and stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstancer successfuls?conspicuous for  o|aspot escholar'stQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasa couple of weeks. It is possiblel9 qstomachnever really hungerose prize+s, but unquestionablyentire beingWfor many a day longWthe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due courseA stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i inevitable sheeYmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sa referAo bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqbabreas=corners of his mouCfenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning ofCwhole body wside viewA"ret; his chi^npropped on a spreading cravat which(as broad}s as a bank-note,qhad fri Qends;boot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%very earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intonation(!wholly absent on week-days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAFyoura minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy girls should do. I see one+girl who isaing ouZindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps#one trees ma5king a speech to th birds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assembled in athis, learning to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9was of a p-2doeREvarymii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresumpF of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended far>wide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,} subsidencY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an" !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani`+afeebleaged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged geNrntlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified lady who was doubtless`'s wife. !dy*leading a child. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:"showing off"=1all^might --cuffingBpullhir, making faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate a girl1winae. His exaltQut one alloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and QrecorAsandEfast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. Walters'was finished]introduced themaschool  man turned ou5be a prodigious personage--no,a one thacounty judge--altogethe most augus/Rt crethese childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. He rom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled1seea world1se Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attested byimpressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge Thatcher, bro of their own lawyer. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands1him6RIS shH ! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A fel,Asortofficial bustlactivities, giorders, delivments, discharging di rkRhere,, everywhere that ld find a targetlibrarianed off"--running hiQ with his arms full of booksm`Qa deathe spluttJAfuss insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilf|l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemensmall scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobiplineCmost ,th sexes, found business up at$y,qpulpit;!it6g frequently had to be done again two or three times (Qmuch seeming vexd). TheJgirl in various ways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wadsmurmur of scuff. And above it allEman sat and beamed a majestic juda smile@phouse, >and warmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for heing off," too. Theronly one thing wanto make Mr. Walters' ecstasy completeqaQa chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several"had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough --hqbeen arRamong#%tainquiring. He w have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandja. Thisa thunderbolt out of a clear sky was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEBit--e certified checky$~oir face.Q2was  fore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`2the|#stFsurprisec decad=so profound OR sensa}it liftenew hero up tojudicial one's altituathe school5 two marvels to gaze upon inof one. The boyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)Qsuffehe bitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake Rgrass !4was;as much effusion - superintendent cpump up circumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him tas a mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on5premises--a dozenb strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy LawrencQproudQglad, sQied to make ETom see it in her face--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--annheart brokewas jealousRangry `Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). Tomsintroducre Judgehis tongua tied,breath w.hardly comequaked--partly becaus the awful greatnesgthe man,^Gmain6her parent. H have likfall downorship him, if%erBAdark # phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, "and s ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyfellow. TwoLsand verses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry forw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+_look back;It's all owoprecious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mT over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!~ouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeeE1nown't mind tellingis lady some of t91he s"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknowz2nam^1alltwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, now,'"his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within himHsaid to himit is not possible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Adgentlemandon't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E"llCme,"!hewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe rest+scene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. Thechildren distributemselves aboutkAhous occupied pewsp their V(parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly came1Tom1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordaBmigh`s far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upXraisles: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOtjusticegRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivitie St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a trooprawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakern#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule suctheir cane-heads, a circling walOal of o and simpering admirers, till^last girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcame:Model Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7to church1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?*his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. ongregationfully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Bthe a which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,d$I can scarcely remember anything about it, but I thC3inkgq in someign countryminister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleCmuchZdaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down!from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would lift<3han let them fall helplessly(eir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOOb for trtal earth." AfterAhymnBsungRev. Mr. Sprague turn`self into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting\`ocietie1 thbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away hereis age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle children church;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning und eel of European monarchi  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far islB seaZaclosedp a suppAlicationwords he was about to speak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he#dirmuch. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit 2e bpew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor eo almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck was exposed to view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itUperfectly safe. As indeQwas; forr2oreEDTom'Bitchgrab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed did such a $Rwhile`3ray on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forward;Cthe ra"Amen"8!he prisoner of war. His aunt qthe act\made him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstonSthinnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom couDagessermon; after church he always2how:tmseldom knew 42anyelse abou discourse. However, this time he8really interested`r little). * a grand and moving pictureassembling togeththe world's hosts at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie[ Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he only thought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMo, id to himselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHp"him of a treasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beeith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he call>". N in a percussion-cap boxSfirsttmdid was to tak)!byfinger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZ2islblit onvack, and thce hurtpR wentoy's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unAto turn over. Tom ey:cClongait; buwas safe ou!hiTQch. Opeople unci>sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopail liftebwagged:1urvnrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenrhis lipqade a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedlh$byrhis chin descendStouch enemy, who seized it. There `sharp yelp, a flirT'eetle fell a couple of yards away,alit onback once more neighboring spectators shook~a gentle inward joy, several faces behind fanI handkerchiefsTom was entirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt soas resentmB tooBda cravAreveRSo heKSBand a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ; followC ant,8his noseCflooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgok,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony811saidup the ais!he<swo did the dog; 1he crosseZhouse in fro<the altar; he flewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;.ranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modilaorbit Pthe gleamK2spe. At las frantic sufferer sheereddits course,Nsprang intomaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"it2lamhalting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; for evegravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a ravfacetious thing. It0CuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?and the bened&iction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,king to himself tha"bre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJwas will dog should playhis pinchbugshe did not1 it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazt began anothek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; then he cAstay:UXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen, and he investigated5. TZ$hedetect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feeblqL died whollyB awa reflected further. Suddenlyscovered!th One of his upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groan, as a "starter," as7alled it,"if.me into court7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So1old tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tellSa certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upQinspe. But nowAknowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconsced louderbfancieT feel pain -. No result9$Siwas panthis exertions by tx. He took&a a resoF1sweMqhimselfnd fetched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravatedXsaid, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work5Tom begaq again.yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathdstare at Tom. !en aid: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" And he(looked iface anxiouslytmkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoQevery. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"PTom, you ain't dying, arr? 4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catw one eye to that new girlb's com2owntell her1Butrhad snahis clothespAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gasp2YouUX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairBlaug`blittle cried a  did both together. This rest2orec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish) it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 ISbut you're not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was becaus thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing?yI love you"1andAseem"ry\A waycan to break myDheart with yJour outrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. TheYlady made one endA fasRTom's: with a loop2tieQotherhe bedpostpn2eiz* n uddenly thrust it almost inRoy's faceU hung dangling by+}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition;1one) had cut his fingS had been a centre of fascin9EahomageDo this timQ founEselfJout an adherent'shorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- 3 disdain which henot feelit wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b boy said, "Sour grapes!"ae wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile par 4iahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by allmsU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and8]ir children "socdelighhis forbidden society(R wishEy dared to beQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast cond; as under strict orders no8BplaySo he played9he got a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown meAthey  in perennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenA!or},nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged low~containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4_a dirt not rolled up. Py camJebwent, at$own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weathey in empty hogsheads in wet; = have to go to school or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimmingand wherRchosestay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,athing goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzItslaughter-house." , "8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped ha rotten stumpLthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^1fac Atump3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3I don't reckQon heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c* such a blame fool way as!! @Qthat S a-goVado any. You got to go all by yourself,middle ofEcwoods,p2youthere's a Bjust as it's midnighback up agains qand jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayQ doneNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&heahave aj on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`aalways"considerable many . Sometimes I take 'em}1wit1eanGAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "You dand spliBbeanm"cuqwart soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbean{ dig a holbury it 'acrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyBbean"se3" t+it will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZS to i!sog helpsh!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh wb're bu#it say 'DownV;hQwart;j no more to bBme!'better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead catsyyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long8 w5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or three, butan't see 'emcan only hearthing likeCGwindY''em talk; they're takingfeller awaym#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,it, wartscat, I'm Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axone day,ahe seeUawas a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How diOknowLord, pap can tGeasyKb1looa; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Sayy, when yo Au go:oqthe cat1To-.sll comeold Hoss Williams t8q" "But buried him Saturday. Di69get1howQtalk!could their charms work till mid?--and THEN it's Sun|evils dolosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought ofR. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went "hr&rocks at mesays 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti #wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#th"Nobut a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gd know.U2 wa`sell himu4All^It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3run` down V3thaer belongem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meuaSho, tss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toOWell, whyayou? B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyearSay, Huck--BAgivemy tooth Less see iTom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it.nleberry viewQ wist-b. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?" Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,?9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,* the manner of one who had$with all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(Aseatt business-like alacrity. The _ master, throned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, lu!bydrowsy hum of study. The interrup roused him. "Thomas Sawyer!{Bknew2wheAname{pronounced in full, it meant trouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was about ake refuge in a lie,e saw two ;ails of yellow hair hanging down a backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINN2he Y's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min= You--you did what?" "StoppbQ talk@ Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe" Iever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_ offence. Take off your ja4Ccketarm performed until it[tired andQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV2sit]Athe ! And letbe a warnWTo youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolthe dread pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hd herself away from himc a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom satAwitharms upon the, low desk before himAseemAbook. Byby atten$Dthe accustomed murmur rosedull air once. Presentlboy beganeal furtive glances atL&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave 2theae spaca minute. When she cautiously fac peach lay befobre herthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its place. Tit remainscrawled onslate, "Please take it--I got" The girldRwordsno sign. Now draw something *ahidingBwork his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice; buttuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptiblesW boy workAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betray!he%Aawarit. At last!inhesitatinglybLet me see idom par!ve dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyXc's interestdfasten)and she forgot everya4els`f6,2QgazedAment, then ,It's nice--make  a man." The artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monster,a beautiful man--now make me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonkstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan1saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/)Oh, will you? When?" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky ThatcR%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'mAwhen good. You call me " "Yes." Now<@N  !dsA. Buackward this(Bbegg1see Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX" "Yes I Ddo, indeed I do. Please let me^ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%D3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou treat me sbWILL see." AndjYput her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but lettingQhand slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa housedeposited i!own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhoolnmaster stooahim duMa few aw_bomentsfinally moved away toathroneUqout sayR word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. Asp quieteMad downmade an hoeffort to study the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1 reading class} botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul lik=$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hilled its soft green sides through Ha shimmering veil of heat, tintedthe purple of distance; a few birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. Tom's heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pasdreary time. His handR intoBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, thougdid not know iten furtively/Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him o` long flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,is moment,2it !emd:x1wheQstartankfully to travel off, him asideb1pin"!ake a new direction. * bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instan:was Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on Saturda1ys.^took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisrexercise prisoner. The sport grew inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gettfullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stir him up and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,P would look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeAoverS1souls dead to Aings. At last luck seemX settle and ab Joe. The tick tried this,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious as1boy mselves,3timrgain ju"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to speakTom's fingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offTkeep possessionWQTom cstand it no er. The temptation was toocqreachedFand lent a hand!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look her Harper, whos\Athat?" "I don't care$Btickm you sha'n't touch himaWell, , bet I will, though. He's my7/do what I bNdpleasem, or die!" A tremendous whack cam#onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;1forOBspac\wo minute dust continued to fly from the/qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy it#had been too absorb]anoticeAhush had stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing dowAroomstood over them. Hencontempla good part"he performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res1'emAslipT turnVrough the lancome back.!go@Q1way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith antE. In :two met atdbottom#la -Ethey!haQall t< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave zncil and held>.p, guidi<Rng itDbso cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimming in blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!!" "Well, I do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing roundQ head a string.q[n't care for much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gumGOh, I should say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letschew itB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweCabouRdanglir legs againsench in excess ofntment. "Wasever at a circus?" sai. "Yes,smy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms8I)f three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! will be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. And they get slather+money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoW2youC!to<I reckon so.n't knowqQis it2/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyawon't have anybodyZQhim, Athen>Akissws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--walways do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember wrwrote oQslatebqYe--yesRwas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but JNo, not now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper so easy."  hesitating, Tom took silenc cconsen,passed his arm F her waistQT talez softly,his mouth close toIdear. Ayqhe adde1Now you  to me--Rhe saP She resisted, for a while1saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I will. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]Q? Now$, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" Then she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9Qface.]qclaspedneck and pleaSW , it's all done--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--A at ( !."he tugged ata hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EHthis2you$"tome, and +Xto marry\ but me,Qneverforever. Will]CI'll) uY*t you--andain't to- "ither." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^'re to walk o2me,/Sthere}vlookingchoose meLIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRhearda befor3"Ohso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs2'veDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 do3 knNdo." Tom tri put his arm,she pushm XF1 toBwallwent on cryingvRagain soothing words inSmouthGas repulse:.xhis pride was up/Erodeutside. He stood, restless and uneasy,\a while, glancing atBdoorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1compfind him. B^tdid note to feel badlyCfear that F.Qrong. It was a hard struggle him to make new advances, nowrhe nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not ing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\but you." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YAwon'? say some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromtop of an andiron,'apassedQround>"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" ScQuck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouseover the hilly far away, to = return to school no moreday. Presently 32buspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereLalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencC loneliness. So she sat dow82cry,pupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideZRgriefher broken2andA!upj cross of a long, dreary, achhfternoon6 none among?strangers about)to exchange sorrows with. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of 1ingBlars.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hM disappear1ehi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hillwas hardly d8 istinguishable away off indvalleyhim. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr="it.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 e songs of4birds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vby no soundH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckerthis seeme!rethe pervadssense of|profound) boy's soulQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at besG Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to liSslumbdream forevS ever0the wind whispdthe trrcaressiYR gras5the flowers ovRgrave<1notUto boDbgrieve, ever any mOore. If he only had a clean Sunday-school rehe could be willBo go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowa disappeared mysteriously??Awent!--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and n1Qcame any more! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves upbspiritwas exalt the vague august realm romantic. No, ta soldi<return after long year" s, all war-worn and illust. No--better stilld#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousBpain]r prance ,(rowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoopsear the eyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there was thing gaudier even than thisAa pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ctmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer, the SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAtfyAnd at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Cstalchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkps greatH jack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger ofDSpanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeenter up/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to get readyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapeV`#irrexposed a pine shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishment was boundless! Htched his heada perplexed air,~1aidEBell,beats anything+AtossepettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa supersti"ofaad faiqwhich hA all'rcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP1 hejust used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actually<unquestionably Rwhole"tu"faqs shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwarpuzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1pme witchinterfered1broI he charm. He thought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so he sear6around till he  a small sandy spota little funnel-shaped depression in itElaidAdown1putmouth close toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a witchdone it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave  A thr#waCAther he went*made a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowH back to his treasure-housa carefully Y$asbeen stanw  ; ok anotherBQ frompocket aQqnd toss1 inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stopped,PYkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>%tried twice more. The last repetition was successful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung offRjacke| trousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, raked some brush behi rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment$Qseizelse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirtL7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoelook warily out,Qway a)aLsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." NowJoe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom ! Who comesSherwood Forest wit#!hout my pass?" "Guy of Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou that--" "Dares to hold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "bybook," from memory. "~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've goQ hang=it lively!" So"q," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutQFall!K! Why don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get} Q it.""y,ain't any . I can'tv;#Gay it is in a2ookbook says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor  $.'to turn aroundZlet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, so Joebed, receivedQwhackqSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iYell, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonU lam me with a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~n Tom becamz2gaiballowed #treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tbury poorAunde greenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a ne<#ttsprang up too gaily for a corpse. boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement went off grieving`<$noz any moreFwondering what modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensateloss. They say-rather be year in SherForest than Presid)United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past nine,night, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awakewaited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Everythyas dismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,]!, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking aH8bbitself notice. Old beams began ]to crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirping of a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in' wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T raisH neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bo;Again be back s aunt's woodshed brought;Bwidea single minute laterlGand jand creeping alon8gqroof of "ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"o caution once or twice, as1entn jumped to[g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\disappeareda gloomqthe endalf an hour they wading thtall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which lean 1warbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedm#="it no longer have7Sread,5m, now, even ir7light. A wind moP the 4treSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at being disturbedxtalked littleRrnly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilewqppresse<3ir ay foun sharp new heaprseekingrensconcNAmselQithinbprotecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay wait for what seemed a long time hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refld1ivemust force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" Zed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l\Scanvauis matter inwardlyZn TomASay,3y--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit does." $Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, may1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcelyed. A muffled tof voices floated up from the far e& the graveyard. "Look! SewFre!"M Tom. "WhIt's devil-fire. is is awfu Some vague figures approached throughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder1t'ss enough. Three of 'em!1y, we're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqB so,jI bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, .#tstuck. Can't findHere they come 8hot. Col2D Hot(Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say,0"anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo(+That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druther they was9 devils a dern s+What kin be up to?" The3 died wholly out, now, for4t men had ree grave and stooyin a few feet ofCboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," said,athird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTB ropqa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir loadnAbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closewboys could have tou1himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating s^6spades discharfreight of m2anddl. It was very monotonous. Finally aX struck upopc coffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoyphoisteda it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goBQthe bnd dumped it rudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!asQready62Qrpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she stays." "That'shStalk!.. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than thatInjun Joe, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any goodWswore I'd get eveQyou iuaa hundcgears, Rme jailed for a vagranBt. Dta thinkiforget? The^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5b strucrsuddenlsstretch1|ruffianPotter dropped{exclaimed: "Here, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg'gmight and main, trampF"asDtearP_lir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstoor[Cand About combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboar{Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthJit--and i$same instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, flooding him wit7hthe cloud)Stted  dreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeqaway indark. Presently, whe moon emerged agwas stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal2in 's open mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly met Joe's. "Lord, how isT, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joeout moving. "What d]do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kinatalk weswash." c tremb P grew0a white thought I'd got sober.%no% to drink to-night. But it's in my head yet--worse'nwe started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old feller--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh, awful--aU so young\promising."ay, youC?cuffling he fetched&one with thegboard anfell flat;k!up:Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now'Oh, I didn't know what I was a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account ofMqwhiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always liked y0!ou/ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 Joe?" A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say2Joere an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijC." +on a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedAlick fL2rum2 halook of bel3he Z1hinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpse,K the lidbcoffinthe open grave were uno inspection butDamoon's stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror~y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=ld tannerywe break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it longer." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repzRixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug 2doofell gratefulexhaustedt sheltering shadows beyond. By3#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whileJ n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happened>Injun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW. He had liqu or in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him over the head with a church)2youn't phase hi1say his own self. So it'sUBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'boutthey didn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we got to do--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forgs's goodlittle rubbishy common s--specigals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway>rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigPAnd bGlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing it. He picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." HuckleberrydTfilledmiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA8have verdigrease on i ""Wbp'isonat it is  just swaller some of it o$nce --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread4one>needles,Aboy T ball.Qthumb+squeezedla drop of bv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!initials, using the ~inger for a pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall, withdismal ceremonieslaincantffetters that b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end ofqruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whispr, "doesjrkeep usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~ y difference WHAT happenxu got tob. We'd"--QYOU knowYes, I reck!soLhey continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agony of frighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. It's Bull Harbison." * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named: would have spoken of him as "Dl," but a son 2dog!atZn"]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my!, ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eytrDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i`ere ai[Umistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedm*Dad fetch it! This comes of playing hookey and doing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if|c I get off this time, I lay I'll just WALLER in Sunday-schools!" And Tom began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!" an7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reold pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand eBLooky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thoughtis bully, you. NOW who can The howling stopped.!pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW#I bleeve Qdown at E'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep there,Stimesvt$ gs, but laws bless you, he Flifts things when HEes. Besides, I reckoQain't coming back toown any mor$he spirit of adventure rose in the boys' souls once=1 ", do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again1the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. Wheo]!goKwithin five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokera sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came inGe moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4s had stood still\Vopes too,_2ved)fears passed away nowlypd out, throughjn weather-board!anspped atPle diA.stance to exchange a parting word. That long, lugubrious howlon the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feeSwherehx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both, in a breath. "Say!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house, 'bout mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU =anybody deare yet." "Well, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX#Ye@sBDEADwhat's mohe's getbetter, tooAll right,Awaitsee. She's a goner, "asSsure  ,)C's wX niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom window >!htH=almost spent. He undressed with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidAwakeA had been so for an hour. When Tom awoke,=1and1. Twas a late look " lSsense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled him bodings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finishedQkfastArno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;:qsilence!anAof solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en|r3hop>he was goi=ng to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go onU ruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. This:Awors"1n a^sand whippings4TomA was sorer now than his bodycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  that he_1wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to triflessn he beoNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9s hands, and stXQared ]be wall the stony stare of suffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressingst some hard substance. After a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,QgroupCrouphouse to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifIbeen found clobmurderedaand itzbeen recognized bybody as belongi~Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizen had co""me.O washing himself iH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning cYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especially;a which1not a habi`Valso 5ownp ransackedCis "r" (the public are notiAatte_sifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemedeparted down all Aroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowargraveyard. Tom'break vanished she joinqprocessecause ~sand times r go anywhere elseQC'an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivdreadful place,+#rmJasmall qthroughmBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t3. SA pinPqhis armHturn`eyes met Huckleberry's. Then bot/h looked4> wondered if any!ha!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungThis ought to be a lesson to  robbers!" "Muff"'ll hang if they catch him!" This "he of remark; he minister said, "Ita judgment; His hand is here." Now Tom shivxfrom hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming #!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look out!tuM! Don't let:get away!" PeopleAes o trees overQd saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7 perplexed. "Infernal impu"!"aa bystander; "want2com take a quieti' at his work, I reckon--didn't expect any company." T`fell apart, now!the Sheriff came through, ostentatiously leading!1 byarm. The p1's xwas haggardlD"we|fear thaupon him. When 6od B murAman,"hook as with a palsyqBe pu4qface in@Qhandsburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. shot seemecarry home.xRlifteKe1anded around thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#idthrust4himM . Potter would have fallenz1 ca1himb1easm to the gO!aiASomeA tole't if come backXaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestur Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1use"moThen Huckleberry,tood dumb a7nd staring, Ahears stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they expecting every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningbs headpbwonder see how longe stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfaill stood alivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath82savybetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 va1way, for plainly this miscreant had sold himself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power ast. "Whyyou leave? What didrwant to here for?" somebody saidcouldn't help it--$," moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward onzinquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devil. He was noYw become,!m most balefully interesQobjecyever looked upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9 face. They inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremoval!itQwhisp<bthrougCshuddcrowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of MuffGit done it." Tom's fearful secret and gnawing conscience disturbed his sleep for as ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid saiATom,pitch arand talk in yourxrso muchyou keep me awake hal9Ctimer blanchc droppAeyes6t's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "you got on your mi,nd, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook sohe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2areliefs1outing it. She8: "Sho! It's `3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMaryA she:been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausiblU, andat he complained of toothache7i his jawsa. He n BknewcSid la0"ly1ingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean(elbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc's distress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTthus keepingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVaas a witness--anwas strange;zRSid d overlookFfacteven showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he UmarvelledD"saHowever, went out of vogue at lastBceas5Rtortu's conscience. day or two, during this{ of sorrowt, opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such 2small comforts thr%J"murderer" as he 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atqedge of cvillagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occupiedsm greatly helpBease  T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,body-snatching, but so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inYmatter, so/ dropped. Hebeen careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyhad drifted away from its secret Ss wasLa-Sightypnterest itself about. Becky Thatcher!stA com9olM had stryQhis pia few dayaried to "whXistle her dowq wind,"|Cfailbegan to find himhanging arq her father's house, nightz1feevery miserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor eve? piracy. The charm of liflCgone was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop away, a1qs bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatuat6patent medicines*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tYs. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyUBelsewWhandy subscriber forathe "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;h the solemn ignorance theyFinflwas breather nostrils. A "rot" they contained about ventilationow to go to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2!frf mind to keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everythey had recommend`e<1befas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQd together her quackyd thus armed with death, went.!onX'pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell follow!fter." Bqsuspect7anot an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmeenew, nowTom's low condigQwas a4fale!haqat dayle1ornstood him upe woodsh adrowne#D a delugBcoldn she scrubb3`down w&8towel like a filw so brought him to; thenaCrollJAa we!ety"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsit came th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,boy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMu calculncapacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all- om had become indifferenqpersecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconstern;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. Ity fire in a liquid formmQdropp {8andP3els1pin er faith toPer. S(qhe gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchdeepest anxiety result. Her troubles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""!*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life might be romantic enough, inblighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61var1aboS. So he thover various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanc his aunt ended by tellingZ help himself2quit bother'Qer. Ieqen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyRfound=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diQoccur&erC1boy"metlth of a crack in sitting-room floor with @it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, ey%%heH avariciouslygqbegginga taste.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifie}hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anything mean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, ban st furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind feeCpranced a a frenzy of enjoyment, withA2eadFhis shoulder$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tea?Chous spreading chaosrdestruction^path. Au/nt Polly ent#in time to see him throw a few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrastonishA pee1er glasses; Tom lay o floor expi0Klaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails tht?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspie boy. "Why, I neveri. What diaact sogZDeed l$Au; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeBtonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" qwas benQdown,watchingwist emphasized by anxiety. Too latevined her "drift.R handthe telltale teaspoon visible undered-valance.Q tookheld it upbwincedSdropptIeyesBAraism by the usundle--his ear--and.soundly wi!thathimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"do iqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anra human!" felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes wa a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID dogood." ooked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through his gravity.AknowlSauntyoIx!PeIt done HIMH!, lhim get around so since--" "Oh, go 'lon3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryee if yo1u can't be aA boyR onceqyou neeUtake medicine}reached school ahead of time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as usual of late, he hung about the gate#heyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he said$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,iddy lad could seebait. Tom w= Q, hophenever a friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswright one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumps!enE the emptyQhousefBsat o suffer. Then oneh rock passed in at the gat?eheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumAoverfence at risk"iflimb, throwing handsprings, stand1 hiAd--d1allZqheroic PQ conceive of1keea furtive eyeKawhile,tRee ificing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cipossible'snot awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoGaround, snl boy's cap, hurleroof of the q, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andja, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopink they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks bn-!gad2 up+neaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'4S mind was made up nownwas gloomyedesperate+a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; wheEy found out what# had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry; he had tto do rightget along, buaArnot letsince nob"doj8rid of him,;w1so;k!le`m blame HIM fo consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,*BforcX to it at last: he blead a+of crimer no choice. By this timefar down Meadow Lanthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound any more--itvery hard0vcout incold world, he must submit--bu1forAthemXQ sobs.a thickfast. Jusk2poi7ms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefand dismal pu+rpose in hisJt. Plainly ere "twosUbut a single thought." Tom, wiping his eye1leeve, began<lubber out somegabout a resolutio,escape from hard usageback of sympathy at home by roaming abroadagreat Fto returnended by hoping`3Joenot forgRm. BLtranspired2was a request whichhad just been gohQo makNand had come to hun1 up_qthat pu. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc cream. q tasted\Tknew #; IRplain1she\t Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvfor him but succumbAopedIbe happy0 regret having ;er poor boyxbunfeel!rl3asufferdie. As the two boys walked sorrowgTBthey7Qa newact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyjPto laHy'qplans. !asCbeing a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cave'r dying,Otime, of col=want and grief;6fter listen he conced$at2ere_conspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente-be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at a point wthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow bar A heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8c matte"di{occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bankMBabovAvill favorite hour--Armidnigh`re wasK a small log rafB1re 5 they meant to capture. Each would bring hooksRlines<such provision as he c6steal inHmost darkAmysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagAenjo sweet glory of spreadbB"ctWpretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrqvague here cautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at 3Tomed a moment,no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalsK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"es?" "Tom Sawyer Black Avenger ofzSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe Harpe Terror of& the Seas." Tom had furnishhse titles,5his favorite litera "'Tis well. Giv countersign." Two hoarsJspers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding night: "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ovUlet himself down4 it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforre was an easy, comfortable path along~Cshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate.f TerroR1eas brought a side of bacon8,}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes. But non3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it never do2tar"2out+fire. Thata wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde!upgreat raft a huBndred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveohilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughuthe raftsmen were all village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, HuckJoar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedolded armsAgavea low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilyrmonoton3droG raft toward mid-stream i doubt un"2derT`$se"`given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head right?then lay onLAoarsHtt high, so more than a two ree mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8qwas pas2befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed wherlay, peacefully sleepj"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happeni)ng. The Black Avenger )still with folded arms, "looking his last" upon the scenhis former joy0ter suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toBdooma grim s=!onqlips. I but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island teyeshotrvillageRso he["edZa brokenqsatisfi\2art7other pirateblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett93he \Q drif)mArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornAgrout\A bar8hundred yards abovewaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook iAusheiA a to shelter[`provis5Qions;themselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againskA sida great log twenty or thirty stepssombre depths0dforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfYcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glorious sport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunt5menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Bfacethrew its ruddy glarepillared tree-trunkvtemple, and:varnished foliageafestoovines. Whelast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretche=4outrgrass, filledcontentmeny have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gBay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and herecan't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! m bout it, you know. I'd aadeal r& bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adQlike X^to in old times 's always respected. And a Q's goWhhardest place he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do%'d:do that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Nget around itY6I+Wv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl(now he fitted a weed stem to it, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smokjfull bloom of luxurious contentment. The other+s envied himW majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently:Quu?" Tom,"Oh^ have just a bully time--take ships1burm\get the money!y it in awful place6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "And they carryTwomenaJoe; "0Qdon'tv5RNo," assented Tom,2g --they're too noble. AndT'beautiful, too.Awear[bulliest }es! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#." Huck scannRs owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bcse." boys tolbe fine"es come fast enough, afte{y shouldSDbeguadventures. Theyhim under^his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduapheir ta0lk died out.drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-freethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!no authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afr o proceed to such lengths asQ, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of~1--b intruder came, now, thatnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples s,cores of times;t to be appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema"bub, their piracies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a truce"se curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefullyleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<RreposK" ideep pervading calmasilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ns!ob great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes A1covtsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far awayO a bird called; another answered; presently the hammering of a woodpecker was heard. GraduallyB2dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 sh2off going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him orAinclto go else;when at last iia painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartFglad--forO that meant 2 he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQa grass bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on  children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagratio1nd d practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,it shut itssH1odyGpretend to be|birds were fairly riotyA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilVled out her imitX1 ofneighborsKrapture of enjoyment; then a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almost!inboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersK a consuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s the wild things had probably never seehuman beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage farSnear,_few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfo@!esbthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~. A vagrant cuIrrent or a sCriseW river had carried ofir raft, but this only gratifin m, since its going was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz} again. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to holKQy steDto a promiGInookkQ-bankSthrewir lines;immediatelyhad reward.rhad notime to get impatient%>3werK\ome handsome bass,01uplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1Dhad  med so delicious before. %rThey diAknow$ the quicker a 4b-water[%after he is caught5betT'reflected little upon what a sauce open-air sleeping, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay around iQs shade,w"haCoke,Aen w)rHthe woods on an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g with a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersC plenty of !be$ghRe!no#X to b 3 atHdiscoveredaisland1aboree miles longa quarter of a1 wi'ashore it layst to wa separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so itY`the mi7BddlePenoon wgot back to campp were too hungry to stop to they fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves downaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded GQ sens(bloneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedJair weayC none was brave enqo speaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully consciouna peculiar sdistance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe of#is myster became more pronounced,forced a recogn boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumNlistening attitudeb. TheracQ sileAprof0and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%Qhurri1sho2waraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakabout a mile beloQ villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplere were a great many skiffs row&oruQstreaJthe neighborhoocould not determine what the mem1 doP !jewhite smoke burst fromc's sidPas it expand rose lazy cloud, that same dull throb of swas borneJ! lers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaves of breaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody t !, they'll = right tand stop." "I've heardDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYait befhtart it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funnyBBut maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<The otherAagre=AQreaso(1Tom , because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe)to act very intelHligentlyOset upon an erranduch gravity. "By jings, I wish I wasT, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJboys stillsswatched. Pres a revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,he exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroes i?instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak n their account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3 the talk of the whole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth whilbe a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew on ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanity oQir new grandeur aBqillustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked supperate it, n fell to gues5qat whatqvillagemAthinand saying abou*!m;^the pictures theyo public distress  Vqgratify ao lookc--from=Apoinview. But whenshadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing intoXRfire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomJoe could not keepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew lunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. Byby Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r.now, but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom& averer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrape withe as little tachicken-heartedsickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutinybeffectlaid to rest formmoment. As=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneeswent searQ3amoWQgrassthe flickreflections flung bycamp-fire. HkDinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\1finchose two which seemeR suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon each"se his "red keel"; one he rollB put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance  owner. And he alsoQE hatschoolboy treasof almost inestimable value--m a lump of ch India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD at kind of marbles known as5 a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that heout of hearingstraightway broke=a keen run in2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck out confidi1wimSremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safSthen Pthrough the woodDllow,q35ing . Shortly before ten o'clockQame oto an openroppositBbvillagA sawferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet under the !blinking star%$crbank, watching1alleyes, slippedCater, swam three or four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern Elaiddown unde thwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or_o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Ataend ofng twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleyss$]aT aunt's back fencehoRapprothe "ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talking.7 They were byb 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lif latch; then he pressed gw^Hyielded a; he continued pushing cautiousl1qua2every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through onknees; so he pu), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,oor's open, I believe. "of course it is. No strange things now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*CAto wuld almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full of his deviQlmentr up to rkind ofief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped him for t that cream,:once recollectingIwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPato seexQagainhis worldv!, ! p2bus !" And Mrs. Harper sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter off$isSid, "butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare ofold lady's eye, thynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it'sKard--Oh,! last Saturday my Joe bust Afireer rightPmy no#seRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/ . No longer ago than yeste(Snoon, took and fillecat full of Pain-kille*3didthe creturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dhead with my thimbleY3boy dead boy."ball his HRs nowy2the'words I ev^1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$bo much6Dshe broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himselfmore in pity of anybody else. He Rhear Mary cryXqand put in a kindlyA forfrom time|"imSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still,sufficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]BundeI7 nd overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousness 8!ofthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resistlay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!the boys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage should "rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidk gone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. IcbelievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tor. This was Wednesday 2. Ibodies contAdinued until Sunday, all_Abe g\Qover,the funeralsbe preached!morning. Tom shuddered. Mrs. Harper gave a sobb-j2urn go. Then with a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cry(n parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyond her wont, in Rto Si)Mary. Sid snuffled a biCMary<ff crying!llUheart. knelt downAprayed for Tom so touchingly, so 6ith such measureDlove3worher old tremb/bvoice,!heweltering in tears again, long bef1"heKbhrough9!haBkeepP3after shZqto bed,she kept m broken-) ed ejaculations from time toB, tounrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moan|Tlittl: sleep. Nboy stole out, rose gradually byedside, shae candle-lighthis hand,stood reg8arding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itsomething occurre2himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9qhe bentSkisse[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYhis way backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped z$its soon rowf autiously upstream. When hpulled a mile aboveFvillage, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutly toAwork"hi!e , side neatlyn" ts a familiaraof wor1himYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&Ashipfore legiti?mate prea pirate, but a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enrevelations. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`a long rest, tortur meanwhile to keep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before he. fairly abreas! island barrested againl1sunfbwell u1gilthe great riverits splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripp]2upothreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorX\. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ouryway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_writing s7hey are if heO 1herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic e)bffect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiaway in a shady nookleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNeiir knees2dugOhands. SometimesBtake fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg fy"atanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingy2 ba| chased each92anda, shedclothes aNBent,  |sre nakecontinue frolic far"uphoal water ofagainststiff currxwhich latter trippcir legs from und"emrtime toand great^1cre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;,4 avertedGqto avoi strangl\Rprays81finW1griG and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0!meC. WG|well exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotalie thcnd covBselves up2 itby and by#he $aggo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit ocd2hem%n skin represeflesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sy drew a ring i  circus--with three clowns i-for none oyield this pr"oudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stale. Then JoLBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kicking off his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his ankle]he wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protectionP is mysterious charm. He diq until he had2imether boys were tiredready to resty#waapart, dro1int "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgcnot help it. He er&itA5ookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKqjoining. But Joe's spirits hZad gone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsvery near*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as- to tell, yetM if this mutinous depression<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates onisland befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0 It was discouraging work.Masat po*up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wango home. It'sqesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfishat's here." "I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, whent tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckonYes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INA to w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|A?" "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a niceTand m[Ries.  V Let himfnts to. I we can get a{him, per'aps." But Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on withUAing.Bthenvs discomfortingK+eying Joe's preparations so wistfullykeeping up ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. Tom'sAsink. He glanccould not bear the lookqdropped4eyes. Then he said:BwantgqTom. It1getIso lones3ywa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&qAstay2Tom, I better gog&--who's hendering you.+Qqpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come. Now youk it over.wait for youqQwe gej"5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{Q, andoQstood ing afterDa strong desire tugg(t his hea&rByiel>Qpride^#gotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome very!lyT . He made one final struggle-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocQwhere% were, h5unfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!aw"point" heBdrivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"f he had tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand so#me11hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatt1alltime about:stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Afte9r a dainty egg and fish dinner,<nted to learn to smoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSB like to try, too. So HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrily with slender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a littlehy, it's just as easy! If I'd a know!is/Call,t long ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^ I've looked at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cLdo that;I1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :hway--haven't you7I'll leave iAif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the !sler-house. Do rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'bout me saying that?,E's s  day after I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects iI bleeve/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,))I!N I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boys!saH! a it, and someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'JoeL, got a pipe? I want aGQ.' An'll say, kind of careless like, as if#arX,= =q'Yes, Iramy OLDw1anoqone, bu"tobacker ain't very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!heswe'll light upras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifl grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of "dom sudden retchings followed etime. Bothhwere looking *1ale and miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might 1ain said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=( unt around by the spring. No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCan he fwit lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepAsome informed him! if they had had any troublyagot riQVit. not talkative at supp}Snight\q humble}2henLaprepar1aftJe meal andpare their!eyDA no,>not feeling ,fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awo]nd callepra brooding opp6ressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves togethersought the friendly companionship of ire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intentDwait$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{fire everywas swallowed up inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sighing thrqbrancheBoresbt felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d!sh+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew a feet. AW[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealRunder1rol:and tumbling dowNr heavenlost itself in sullen# r4(distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allRleavenBsnow e flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit upFNan instant crash fop#retree-tops rAoverboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roar trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it in sheets aloe ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring wind'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, sacared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRQsometito be grateful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4rwent wiqaway on%. gseizedrs' handGRfled,dTmany  bruises, to\of a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was atst. UndeOceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lanqveil of. Every li hile some giant tree yieldj1e f2andBcrasYZ younger growth;aunflag-peals ca+me now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keenRRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up, drow tree-tops, blow it away, and deafen ey creature in it, all at oneame moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c heads. But at lastv}Adoneforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her swayR boysback to camp, a good deal awedrhey four1m stillSthank, becausegreat sycamore their beds,c ruin, now, blasted byKw they wereBubit whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent i!ndistresspresently discoverYaAhad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardlRsepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the sides of qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upoR boys siness came ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a littlefsick once bom saw#igns, an<d fell to chee@up the pirates as well as he could. But#cared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1qthem of~imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+1las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansqa changO1ey qattractedis idea; so itlong before<dstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF!thAwood%attack an English settlement. B nto three hostile tribes,1dupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopACkillrxscalpedHousands. Ia gory day. Consequan extremelisfactory one. rassembl\qcamp tosupper-time, hungrRhappyL now a difficulty arose--!drB not  of hospitality together,out first makingS peacwas a simple nAsibiI@smoking a pipe ofEs. There process that everhad heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulness asRDmust!ca@!fo ook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into"rya" gAsome";1fouanow smoke a little having to godBhunt lost knife^!di get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w-nd skinning Six Nations. We will leave$tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at pre sent. CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilarity?Btownsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth!itordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%SalkedC; busighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69!noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backEsob. Presently)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that--" ithe whole world. WBut he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered away rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood looking? the paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-sklast time they saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as\ could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"av then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDI what it meant, of course,QI can Anow!#enwas a disputewho saw the dead.qin life Qclaim1at dismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!with by the wJqitness;=qwhen itv ultimately decided who DIDparted lastqexchangQwordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by&the rest. One poor chap, who had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me onc2Butbid for gloryya failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4loitered zstill recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,next morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. Iba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; only_funereal rustling of dr esses as$Swomen!eduheir seats disturbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle churchdbeen so full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary72y b$Harper family, all in deep black2 whole congregationold minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|ers wererthe front pew$>"ancommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa5!herpersist blinded himself to  always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYSflaws poor boys8. T1relamany a touchidcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous nathe peop>uld easily see, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes weped with grief1 atx1timy occurry had seemed rank rascalities, well de$ng.bcowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling82cryKpulpit. a rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUdoor creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg  and stared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe nextHuck, a rFuin of drooping rags, sneaking sheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused listening toown funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threw themselves uponSrestored ones, smothems kisses and poured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1abaand uncomfortablat know^ xactly what to do or where )de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizmsaid: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesL capable of m2him. " hdbefore. SuddenlyUushoutedQop ofvoice: "PBQ God whom all blessings flow--SING!--Y ut your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters CSawyPirate looked around up/, envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! t his was the proudest moment?life. As "sold" congregation troopcey saiwould almost be will; be made ridiculous againZ:earUung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe gratefulnNBo GozQaffecBfor himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI Batte &s. paddled over to&MMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village; tTsleptTwoods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh`1 ha n crept through back lan:b alley2finTsleep{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,;1and)2very loving to Tom,uBvery1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. I8a coursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donG"; Mary; "and I believe you OiAough!itfW.1youR?R, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing81I h<you loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKst, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\he never thinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONEBtoo.you'll look back,E day, when too late wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^1you:rsittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him."Tso we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. B's so dim, nowQtry to recollect--cana't youIRSomehseems to methe wind-- blowed the --" "Try harder, Tom! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believ?<or--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh  !foP land's sake! IBhearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEC2 in%s,. Sereny b shalliis beforean hour older.^!to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'bout superstition.Oh, it'sgetting { s bright as day, now. Nex" I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum,!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs. eesaid Joetthe same, and sC2she hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheresgone tofDbeen0sometimes THERE, d'you hear that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharp." "I lay I did! Tmust 'a'an angel there.$5WAS ,dxtold aboutqscaringdwith a firecrackerH you7QPeterthe Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lot of talk ' dragging the river for us%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried31entLIt happenedY!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`!itY like if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and IwE seeevery wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou lookehgood, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "DiR, DIDI just forT2givqhQthingthat!" And she seize boy in a crus0rembracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains.2waskind, even" i~a--dream," Sid soliloquized judibly. "Shut up, Sid! A body does4the sameV+ as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!ifRwas e.und again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His word,ness knowsunworthy of it, but ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them oough places,'s few enwould smile Io= enter intodcrest w! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children left`,the old lady to call on#vanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous. Sid had beA tter judgment than to utt_athoughsin his mindthe house. I)this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger Xame a pirate who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seem2ee eoks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys q had bee drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given an1to that swasuntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpartaeithera circus. At3Dbrso muchm and of Jo,e$delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyes,qthe two"esnot long ini sufferably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventuresungry listeners--buSy onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally, whry got oir pipeswent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh ,as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. qsee herAawayjoined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observSas trYgayly backjRforthiflushed facedL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter 2shea capture; b6upXnoticbalways/rher caprin his vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified apous vanitywQ him;:so, instead of winning him, it"set him up"j2morx!hi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyB, sighing once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistfulward Tom. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrence thany one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1go away, but her feet8tBrous:1car7aher to[A saia7 almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(Idin Miss Peters' classuDre Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnic." "Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,zeill. T's for m<qanybodyAr I wantQR" "Teo nice. When is itb!Byby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM RgirlsV1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycapatree "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on,a clappf joyful ha5illhad begged for invitNAs bu1Amyn Tom tugrned coolly away, still talkingtook Amy him. Becky's lips trembledb the tears came to her eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatterbHlife had gone ounR, nowything else1got as soonrhe coul hid herself and had what sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused up with a vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recess Tom continued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sitcosily on a little bench behindschoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together over book, that they did nom to be conscious of anin the wor/ld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He beganqate him for throw 1waycchancehad offered for a reconciliation. He callcWba foolahard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily alosNwalked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever(!paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !toDrear?, again and , to searseyeball1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaAe, abthough aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heqeven inCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, toosas glad him suffer^3haded. Amy's happy pra<intolerable.!hi1ing&hl attend #4to;that must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioher?" At lascattend1bthose $--xsaid artlessly!ou "around"S school let oueqhe hasteaway, hatit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" c6wenEthe motionsprashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was finishehis satisfaq Tom f ome at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?BnessThis jcould bear24 noAR the distress. Becky resumed her picture inspes with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd nocame to suffer,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three times she pr up her ear at a footstep1 ita false hope;. she grew entirely miserabl" wsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeaswas losr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"{1pat at last[Csaiddon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearagot upCwalkq2. dd droppPCside+%s 81try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wcW2hav2Q--forC"ha, }iYsqthroughFvnooningqon, cryCThenC!mu into the5 deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guessed his waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurred to himGZAtherT some2get=3boyaroubleout much riskTself. Tom's spelling-book fell under%!ey]uhis opportunitZgratefully open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. , glancing inwindow behinde moment, sawgact, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendao findand tell him;w'be thankfulctheir s%healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, sheSchangAmind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's accounx"tohim forePCver, he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary mood,the first this aunt saiqim showmQhe had brkhis sorrows to an unpromising market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie, what have I done?" "Well, you've3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expeccI'm goAmake&believe allrubbage *`bdream,Q!loWabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtqQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a boywill act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkclet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myselfnever say a word." Tss a new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniouserely looked mea shabby now%#hu2heaA"no5ke!nyA1 toSfor an he said:I I hadn't done it--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 8We way from Jackson's Island in to laugh at our troubles,yo o*me with a lie \$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Gyou dhat dime for, then?" "Iqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel! w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad astBa th!asqY2youwy did--and!it.Qndeed' ,Eie--53mayBstirH!OhT", !Rlie-- Qdo itAonlysns a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanteBAkeep:grieving--that washat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run offracted so bad. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall full ofjqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT:I had wrote oSwe'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BRI lov2 soyou laid tDmoan$Iso sorry8words sounded likThe old lady not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "Kiss me again!--and bexAwithbto schoolhdon't botherERny mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom e in. Trtopped,!itjrer hands{o herself: "No, I dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWMLord will forrchim, b`!itZsuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lieon't look." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her han)1takA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve !SosM4. AQlater-qwas reaTom's piece of through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion si9 ns!" CHAPTER XX THEREDQometh bout Aunt Polly's manner, whkissed Tom, that swep his low spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&deluck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,I'm so sorrylever, ever do that wayas long as #I live--please make up,S you?Dgirl looked him scornfully in`Aface'll thankkeep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIR!toE"ea!pason. Tom stunned!henot even presenHqmind enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilxRright?6!itegone by. So he=!no(Oin a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohKyard wiswshe were azand imagining how he would trounceN"if\ere. He pr[esently encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seem A, inAhot btment,Qshe chardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6qfloggedA the injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering noof exposing Alfred Temple, Tom's offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,did not know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar!of#desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbaself iyasno classesc recitingkept thateunder loc`A key#rot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theorypthe nat/!urS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting afacts in ase. Now, as |passing by the desk, which stood the doorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; founFalon next instant 2theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon a9omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepped inAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%AsnatVbook to close "anythe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intoAturnyt{QburstTacrying'1 shand vexF. " , you are just as mean asacan be4sneak up on a personXlBt why're look." "How could I Aknow]7was( anything?" "You oqto be ad of yourself, ;QZ're going to tell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbqI never in school." Then$astampe little foot0said: "BE soni want to! IAsome5's happen. You2wai^you'll see! Hateful, h !"--and she flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld%. Presently he said to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Nbeen lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@Gwaysq even o,m<&|of it? Oxwill ask who itore his book. No ll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first ontthen t'oth,"er6when he comeshe rightjit, without anying. Girls' facesean themygiy backbone. Sd1get vit's a htplace for Becky7Kcherp1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment longthen added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"Qjoinel mob of skylarking scholars outside. In a fews the master arriv "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at the)ts' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Considering allds, he pa pity tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyGname r the sp-book discoswas madTom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distresshowed good P the proceedingsj_aexpectt/*4his by denying1rhe spilAink U!e !himself;eS  denial only seemed to makeBwors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"at%rshe triYrbelieve44as /it, but she fou71wascertain. Whe worst cam,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C* an effort and forced herself to keep still--because, sai,2, "Oabout me tealthe picture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,~Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upsey , in somePbout--he hadQed itform's sakehpbcustombhad stuck toprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5s(Tddingbthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study.S2 By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlockedBdeskqreachedhis book, 5 undecided whether to take iH$r leave it. Most of the pupils glanced up languidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfingerabsently for a whileand settl<Achairead! Tom shot a at Becky. Hseen a huntedhelpless rabbit look asYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--someimust be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chancqlost--tster opene'volume. If Tom onlyasted opportunityagain! Too laterkqno helpw now, he said* next momen}`masterC facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvthat in it which smote even the innocent/Afearr1sil% one might count ten =was gatheringXQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcF?" xnNsound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;MBsearace after $for signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more #sethe slow torturse proceedings4canranks of boys--consid( !ur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie MillerQ samer. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlN!ThrMtrembling froms to fooQexcitGf1a sa hopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccazc" [TomhfA--itRwhitelterror] --"did you] tear--no, look me inyface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning through brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a moment, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAo punishment the surprise,gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of poorv's eyes seemed pay enOfor a hundred floggInspired bysplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed--for he knew who w$Qwait kside tillcaptivityIQdone,%nohe tedious time as loss, either. Tom w Ro bednAplanvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Bshamarepent5rAtoldall, not forgetU ting her own treachery; buthe longing!hasgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at last's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rmore exactn,9ae wantto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongsmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he Ato t vindictive)!ur?Ie shortcomThe consequenc,bqboys spYheir days in terroBsuffX&ir nightAplotqrevengezy threw away no opportunity to d: a mischief. But he kept aheadJ"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. AAtheylp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iR sign-painter's boy, told himISschemBaskerhelp. H1hisreasons for being deldtboardedfather's f]and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<bbe not!o !fith the plan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominiroper condi7on  Evening#q"manage" while he nappa chairn?have him awakened aa righthhurried to school. Ifulness of4Athe !esHc arriv0ed!inUeoolhousebrilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliagehlowers! s1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blacka behin2. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front ofwere occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, backh citizens,a spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoato taktvexercis ; of small1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuousl,"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All thWQe resEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood upsheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect onQmy agspeak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanying himself withpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine mhave used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,./got a fine round of applause when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYafidencQ soar!tounquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly "-fbseized him,gs quaked under him|hP!iktchoke. True, hetpnifest Nsympathy b.'s silence, too,  was even worse than its Y1. Tpster frownAthis+Bletei disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, hel anuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backn Crusades. "Friendship" wac6s one; "Memories of Other Days"; "Religion in History"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalent)!se\a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opue gush of "fine language"; <tendency to lug in ears particularly prized wordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markBmarrlmthe inveterateOintolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one [m. No matter wh6subject might be, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or the mora" rus mind could contemplate with edificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will be sufficieZnt whileP world stands, perhaps. There]s in all our land w#the young ladies do not feel obliged1los.!iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous andfleast girl in < is alwayt longestAXrelentlessly pious. But enoug%this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us return tor"Examin=" The first was read9one entitled "Is this, then, Life?" Pg reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walkRlife, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forwarsome anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturd joy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observers.' Her gracform, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is est in tIhe gay assembly.such delicious2 ies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentrance intoe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}alast. But after a$s1nds{aeneath goodly exterior,#is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFwith wastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awaythe convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyqlongingIthe soul!" And so forrso on. owas a buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe 2had!d ja peculiarly afflictingrapplaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8the "int7eresting" palenesQ comeQpillsindigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recolles throng my brhFor I have wandHthrough thy flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0 s left I yield these sighs.[W|and home were mine"inTStateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbget9eoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few there who knew what "tete" mehant, but the poem was <9satisfactory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young lady,Apaus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began toin a measured, solemn tone: mbVISIONNCDarkr mpestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep intonationT heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;%sterrific lightRvellengry moodde cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic /Qblust?about as if to enhanceQir aiQ wildr scene. At such a time, so areary,Khuman sympathy mymspirit sigha insteQbereof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,' came to m my side. She moved like f ose bright beings picturPthe sunny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So soft was0qstep, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)dmplateg5two"resented." Thi; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayorvillage, in delivering{R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing @he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCunsteady haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =2to 8!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not uput dowQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^continued; it manifestly increase: d. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouhaunches by a string; sa rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofYabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&Q into"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXl=did blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke uprmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD"" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, aWestergLady"--bu y are exactlqyprecisely aftere schoolgirl patternQhencemuch happier than any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM joinenew order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." He promised to abstai^ smoking, ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he f new thing--namely, that to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery {. Tom soon himself torment desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb3gavQup --it up before he had worshacklesqforty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|rdeathbeiw61hav ig public funeral, since h!so1 an official. During three days  was deeply concerned about`'s conditionZhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--#heRventujsget out and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuating. At lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedRsigna`dt onceqAat nqAthe  suffered a relapsesBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fineT. TheCpara a style calculated to killCClate with envybrree boyQ, howq--thereBsomeQ!atFL swear, now--but1 toSssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookBaway1thenm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginningang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diarJy"no7happened during so he abandonedhe first of anegro minstrel shows came to townQmade a sensand Joe Harper got up a band of performerswere happm1twoa. Eve Glorious Fourth.sin somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento= actual United States Senator, proved an overwhelming disappointment--for henot twenty-five feeto, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys played7for9 afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls#enxs. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, by,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher waas gon}her Constantinople hostay with her par 1vacJ--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murdera chronic misery. Itvery cancerpermanency9BpaingnZeasles. Dwo long weeklay a prisoner, deadqand its]enings. Hevery ill,finterested inR. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had come ove!ryl ercreaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thIL bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwhere:fou9Qstudy Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visit7be poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionAprec0ing of his late m< as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5hison; and when, in desper, he flew for refuget# bosom of Huckleberry Finn3was received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept!anbed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, foreverW b. AndBnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvwers above extremity of endu22hat1wasTaresultmight have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryyb incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. By and byW empest spent itself#diQout accomplishing its object. Ty's first impulseto be grateful,Wreform. His secoto wait--for5 not be any more)s. The next daydoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his845timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor1wasPdrifted listlessly down!astreetfound Jim Hollis ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catamurderCreseher victim, a birdsoe HarpBHuckup an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATkhe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:3e trial4k!bethe absorbWopic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from itQrefern!to sent a shu7qdder toaheart,his troubled consciGand fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowi1nytyAabou}, but stillF2 comfortablthe midst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealatongue a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedssure himBthat- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt. After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet motell? Why, if#4 I hat half-breed devil to drownd me z) gO. They ain't no different way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma!t,tant, so'sde som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always-- *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@1kingood--he give me half a, once, wheyre warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by me when I was 1 ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we4himoQtherep5My!&8n't), Tom. And besides, 'tw*do any good;'d ketch himbcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickensEhe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=dy talk4at,9.that if he was,Dfree^2lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughm little comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhapsan undefinpe that something;Q happAat m!clo4!irAicul+r But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~often done%--went t cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. HQhe grQfloorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/Qgiftsalways smottir consciences --it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and treacherouthe last degreeaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.EmendSboys'aBings:AshowAwherT0 fishin' places wa0rbefrienbwhat IO2now ave allot old Muff@Ahe'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYP> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac}Dit--AI go:Sswingit's right. RighABEST , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't 4at.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; you've bef;riended me. But<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime comfor?Aee fws"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of R]fD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llqthrough-bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if." Tom home miseraWhis dreamb nightfull of horrorse next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experG y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from9>i same dismal fascinationbmP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntout of th4 Kinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtXQend o[q secondthe village tal"to2(ffect that Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. as out late,u"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM2b pauseKdge arrivethe sheriff proclaimdeing of thi usual whisperings amongqlawyers|Agath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospof preparation was as impy!ve fascinating. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredt immediately sneaked awaysome fur`}counsel forqprosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a momentQdropp%em again when his ownsI have no+&task himSR provb findingknife neacorpse. C$ #,"#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often see(%inO possession.r declinE The faces);b begantray annoyance. Di!d this attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior@brought toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-.bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyard upon$which all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,sahe putKqface in hands and rocklbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign3 th-room. Many men.`moved,= and many women's compassion testifitears. Counsel for2def1oseTsaid: "Your honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proa3 difearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We oSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Then clerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough,5he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereAyou oIe seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron fachis tongue failm audience libreathles"th!s refused to come. After a few moments, however,^boy got a little of{strength back\b manag^put enough of it into8voice to make part~e house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q.contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neveq mentioByour/nion's name. We will 6D himproper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. WhaGyou take Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )rkeleton!atdD Now, tell us 4at occurXQred--"eown waEskippe, and +vsbegan--}ingly at first, but as he warmed ^subject his words flowed more an easily; in a little while  sound ceased buPB own;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbERbreataudience hung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asMdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as light$alf-breed sprang for a window, tore ay through all opposers,was gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOMPgring hero onceH--the peAold,Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified him!reQ some believedould be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreaskworld took Muff P#otter to its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit; ther>! i'not well to find fault_1it.Nr's days: of splendorQexult@Kmdhis nights were s?horror. infestedqhis dreamsalways with doom in his eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat day ofRtrialysfraid thajTshareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattornepromise secrecyqwhat of? Since }harassed conscad managdrive himc c's house byjQand waadQ fromkPhad been sealndismalesI most formidable of oaths, Hu?ck's confidenchuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily Muff Pottgratitude madr glad hspoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Halm"imZ3wasawould never be capturedV other half h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewardsbeen offered,'VuntryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. Tha7say, he " a clew."nyou can't hang a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure asH#as,!. nBslowdrifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we")of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a time in ePbvery rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinnuRed-Handed. Huck Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedNmatter to him kbtially`0AwillElway to take a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!enva limb of an oldRtree,2 shadow falls at midnightw mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I !n'e it; I'd spennd have a good time"So;t I. Butl"doIway. Theyf and leave it t"Dthey come after0ay more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>things, you<,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go Afindm#61wan^ esbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can taagain BtimeS 's the old ha'nted house up qStill-Hqbranch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'em'Is,ll of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Zto go forG _1'emIWhy, Tom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^Agrayrotten chest fudi'monds. How's?" Huck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits or aCRNo! I=1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings slathers<S_2 no5Iai!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^"Dohop?" "Hop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_o they want to hop for?--but IRQAjustVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. LikeT old humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name He didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`Aon'tiay likeMa"; )kG"begBhaveD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firstzknow. S'#we tacklj  on the hill t'\side ofjpI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrivt8rpantingEQthrewselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQa smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2Say$wetreasure here6you`do with your shar2'll1pie a glass of soda every dayI'll go to bcircusOcomes along. I betaa gay tiKain'sL2f igrSave it" "Why, so as6ave something to liA, by!byI2Oh,|any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer townb2 daR get his claws on it if Iurry up,aI tellJhe'd clea3out pretty quick.t)xRo witn$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M b!" "Tiyou--why ]!inw right minQ"Waitvq'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! ![used to f1all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"cky're all alikeM!y'l comb a body. Nowzabetterak 'bouqs awhilVP you /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's aI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's , like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only if?be more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith mestir out `is and we% digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2. Not generally.!weqn't got theQ placS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progress:By pe4way in silenceVRsome rFinally leaned onshovel, swabbed( beaded drops from his browhis sleeveNrQWhereCdig next, after we."on"bmaybe Aatackleold tree that's ov er yonder on Cardiff Hill backe widow'sd-be a good one. Butr:Q take22way"us on her landd9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever findQse hi*asures, it belongs to him. It don't make any difference wzland it's onat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be in5BrongbWhat dVQthinknIt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfere@s_the trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,^!so"id3#invat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadowlimb falls at midnight;you dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"ed2allfor nothingQ hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I w+aill. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _5and)go for itBI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouIappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonely)an hour made solemn by old traditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks,deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answwith his sepulchral notM subdued by thesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+a stone o!9r a chunk. At last Tom said: "It ain't any use, Huck, we're wrong again}but we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another o?that?". "Why, weguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck droppedhovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroubleEgive this one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of 'bawful,L%rtime ofwitches and2 a-flutteringZso. I feel aslbehind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS)suz maybe1's front a-<2 foance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much soAHucky most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGLordy!" "YeRy do.uh7"ha  Tom, I don't like to foolRPpeople. A body's bound to get intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull vand sayG DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bi7QSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better"What'll it be?" Tom considered awhile;dKThe ha'nted house. GQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud,3younoticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way a does. I couldn't stORuch a " a--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUronly at4won't heus from digging! ir daytimI tso. But youcy wellgo about that fA nor&BnighWell, that's mostly becauRato go  a man's been mur, anyway--buhing's ever*T seenBthat except !-- some blue lights slipping by windows--no regular ghostsPyou see one of them[vflicker, you can beuEre'shclose behind it. Irreason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em=YespEDcomebP`q, so whathe usaour beffeard?7a. We'll tacklex df#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorstep e chimney crumbled to ruinindow-sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gaz*, half expectSAo se. flit past a windowN; then talQin a 1one, as befitte8rtime an circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Runted a wide berth,aook their way homeward throughRwoods6SadornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< f3for tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dowknow whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveS daysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookam-- "My! I n once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!"'sQluckywq, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the firstfound it out, AHuckRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rats|No! Sure signprouble. DiTy fight?" "No4that's good!hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England-- best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopl,Rkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly square9he must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;jhEtake his yew bow and p[lug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowIZ2know. It's some kind of a bow, of course. And if he hit that dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedL all the afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink intA wesWy took their way homeward athwar% long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tomathere so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it up1 with a single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledcfortunehad fulfillep requirements,1 beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whery reach 2 wa so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/baking sun, andbSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1her2andWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwy gave the pla.ce a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextanted to look up-{s. ThisMlike cutting off2, bAy go^daring each otheruof courcould be@one result--bthrew tools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag4aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blanching>rfright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." TDtretmselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooPI wisA1h Iout of this!" Two men entered. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a ragged, unkempt creature, with very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Ctalka low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedXords more distinct as ceeded: "No,"e he, "I've thought it all ov1I dit. It's dangerous*Db!" grueDhe "e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but nothing's come of itTPdifferent. Away up%!ribnot anRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w. qcoming 9i% daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any other placeandy after6 fool of a job.Int to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse trydo stir%hethose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayby wishQheartz y had waited a year. The t1gotJ]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,ALook, lad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear9me. I'll takechances on dropppto thisT town just once more, fook. We'll do'dangerous' job I've spied around a littleathink Qs look wellf!itn for Texas!r=leg it together!" This was satisfactory. Both men presently fell to yawningp .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downWa weedssoon bega7snore. HiDrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispered: "Now's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starElone first step hewrung such a hideous creak from6razy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp1 lare counthe dragging moments rit seemBthemtime must be donGeternity growing gray-;1thefy wererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.[ [t up, star--smiled grimly uponcomrade, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his foot1saiHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All , though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave it M#as2aalways , I reckon. No use to tak7Bawayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omex<No--but I'd say(jRnight2 usdo--it's betterDYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; wDfQregulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"M/ walked across the rooSm, knelt down, raised!ofCrearward hearth-stonestook out a bagP jingled pleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or thirty dollars for himself and as much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diggingR his bowie-knife. The boygot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloating eyesWatched emovement. Luck!--S plendor of it was beyondwimagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozenrich! Hereftreasure-hununder theiest auspicesre would not9ny bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilystood, fWey simply meant--}6but glad NOW we'rb!" Joe's  struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box,4alieve.--bear a h2nd 2see<K for. Never mind, I've brok-e a hole." Hx2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinedwhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.comrade said: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#5sidfireplace--I sa5a minute agoh!anqbroughtMRboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. Iu not very large; iron bound_had been+strong before:slow years had injurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of[Shere,p. "'Twas always said Murrel's gang uloruone summer,"stranger observ"I know it; "and this looks like it, I shRsay." "Now you won't need to do that job'.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Least]all about"thing. 'Tain't robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"a wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillhear from m"Well--if say so; what'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a moment.] What business has a^Sand aa here?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n ". Y!ta to my denBWhy,urse! Might h|#at. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--undxBcrosplace is +qbad--to"moAll right. It's+dark enough to start." Injun Joe got up 3entwindow to 'cautiously peeping out. Presently he said: "Who couldose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsookj&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[turned towar way. The Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring for the 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi2amiAUdebriQruineVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Nows the use of allB? If<8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes plet them follow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{ever hoveqhings inu caught a sight of u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yed^rumbled awhile;he agreed withafriend daylight was left o to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredB thrhe chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk much1wer much absorb#haemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,/n+would have suspected Chiddk8silQ gold)2aitWQ till"revenge"QssatisfiP then-* hga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&1 thk"lsbIBre! Rresol keep a looko9 Spaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wherathat m!beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it allas they entewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company % be a palpable improvement, hught. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure2day ily tormented Tom's dreams !niWFour times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6ilt7!no2nes5is fingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4aback the har-d reality ofR1. AQlay i, smorning recalling the incidentsJVgreatD, he noticed'seemed curiously subdued and far away--somewhat as if ;had happened in another world, or time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo be2. H%n seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsly existt1rld@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. IPanotionuhidden had been analyzed,wBhavey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungraspable Q. Buadventure grew sensibly sharperclearer under Qattri1of think&am over so he presently`1himk1leae!toRBimprZ2Yg might not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sitting e gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangFqhis fee3aand looBvery melancholy. Tom concluded to letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ `Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don'ta." "Wwbu?" "Ohing yesterday. I7hal"i " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8Pseen how much  Q! I've had s enough all night--with[patch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /we'll neverXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--andone's lost. I'd feel1ry shakywas to see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's it8Q'bout. But I can't make no[aout of@do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,is one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. LemmkK Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I com1Tom-off at onc1carasHuck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fouee bestQNo. 2long been occupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-A. In>less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not any particular reasonthis state of1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade?1mosCthe & by entertaining himself ae idea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%Bther9da ligh r before. "TBwhatOY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E. Now what youqQto doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeet hold of all the door-key can find, and 1nipof auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWa chance tois revenge. If see him, just follow him;_if he don't,Aain' :Lordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%a, suremmightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkhB 'a' out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooob until nine, one wat!ch9he alley at a distand the othLPdoor. Nobody entere*For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosedwatch and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys ha same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itC!hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (nly ones d"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }b. EverrauspiciousBblac5of reigned, perfect stillness was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$ xwo adventurers crepPgloom towar.."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The"reZ of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful things] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heQonly Y to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itAout,Ct beating. Suddenly there wasInof lightccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUrenough;was making thirty or forty miles anq beforerepetitionAutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offB(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyaere, s asleep ob floor4old patch on his eye 1and arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aunt me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottlera tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrels@lots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALL2Temperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is,! You try iQshuddEno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside or ain't :1. Ire'd been three, he'd be  -&cI'd doThere was a long pause for reflection,8then Tom said:3rokyhere, less notCB anytill we knowcR Joe'5in there. It's too scary. Nowwe watch every night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU@%y 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*'m asleep,ORthrow:gravel atwindow and 'll fetch mehqas whea*"ethe storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeITa]! t for a year! E all dayiF&st2all2Tawing to sleep?" "I=n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it. r mightyB!ik\, becuz I don'[q act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wan|bsteadyAe$ift( daytime,q"ley. n't come bothering around. Agyou sed's up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on FridaBning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"ow before. Both Injun Joethe trea)sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky took chief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhaustingplaying "hi-spy" an@'d "gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedcrowned in a peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!heAhope1heaHuck's "maow,"4of having to astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*C. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was rofor a start. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.!s spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough under thJae wingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast  Mrs. Thatcher sai[Becky, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay allS someb girlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *qclimb r2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!" Becky reflecO1 mo1and7s: "But2ill say?" "How'lQl sheb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mind,-aid reluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? Al wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'go there if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting bait. I Tom's persusScarriqday. So itOadecide;bsay no]anybody Rnight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgivehasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweigh3unc1rtreasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinLnot allow himto thinkh of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below townferryboat stopped atmouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9 the different ways of get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHQgood s began. AfterAfeas!re-a refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomef shouted: "Who's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \tprocureFtraightwaU re was a general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJmysterious (to stand deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=qsun. Buaa impre#DnessUQsituaquickly wore offromping b againmoment aalighte Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingthe steep descent!main avenue,pflickering rank ofVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wall rock almost to their poipAjunc sixty feet overhead. Thisnot more than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other"till narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`but a vast labyrincrooked aislesran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander daynAtogeu its intricate tangle of Arift: chasms, and never fit4end Qcave;dthat h!goY? Rstillthe earth*!it2jusesame--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venture much beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%of2 asine. T moved along1"some three-quarterba mile<then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?t joined Parties were able to elud^2forpace of half an hour without go6yond the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely de" 7uccVPday. Then theyMstonishea y had been taking no not[FtimeBnigh about at hand. The clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild fre!puBintoVtream, nobody csixpence forMbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w1--a8en he dropped!ourhis minput his attenLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,pvillage betook itself to its slumber2lefsmall watche5r alone qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernvre put out; darkness everywhere, now. $itPseemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it upturn in? AFfell~2ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must beabox! S1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLRg beh!, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGQriveret three blo$cks, then turn the left up a cross-streey went straightE , until they came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Atookby passthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. But1stoa &3on,d summiQplunged inbnarrow7bbetweetall sumach bushes were at once hiddeothe gloomUd shortenedrdistancR, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy! no footsteps. Heavens, waiqlost! HQ abou!spqwith wiwhen a man clearQthroa four feethim! Huck's heart%R shot`lroat, buwallowed it again; and he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weak%hezhe must surely fall ground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,A, le$m there; it won't be harFfind. Now&a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisstranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill!to:!'sact--thiZthe "revenge" job! Hiswas, to fl3n he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mornuEthese men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1E1y mAcomeLcatch himco2allAand !inbmomentyelapsed 's remark and I?Qnjun E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. Well,$IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you maycQit. B:r husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. Aqat ain'Q5. I millionth part of it! Heme HORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town loo#Kon! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anyth2bou:ing? I woulds HIM if rbut not.1Whe? want to get  on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrils--you notchY her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieoto the bed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help me in --for MY sake --that's why7re here--I mightn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's goV!be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was goo ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and stegingerly back; plante.2fooQfully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^`on one%Q sidei`!onRother. He took ana, with+same elaborationL same risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass if he were=p'uly but cautiouslyrg. When he emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reache/ Welshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's banging? What do you want?" "Let--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y- ', indeedain't a namopen many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads[Vsee w qtroublePlease dAon't everI told you,"cHuck's first words wd got in. "Please don't--I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gottDhinghA, orAouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!it0nobody here';." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no fur hid behind a great bowldsfell to7ing a lagging, anxious silence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang awayBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingr g77olds&. The inmates werLe asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,ccount ofxciting episodenight. A callfrom a window: "Who's there!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone: klet me in! It's onlyFinn!" "ba nameacan opOi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseusstrange!to vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlheard. HeRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenwas quickly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop1'reZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy aboQat! Ithe boys 'd turn up and stop BlastF.tFSawfulq," saide, "and I run. I took :he pistols wekfAI diAstopt>le. I've come now Cbecuz I wanted to knowqit, you;TI com: daylight F3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even iyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but +'s a bedx1forAwhenBv^Fyour=. No, they ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right w to put our hands on them, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it backCno use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T rais3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustleget oupath, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B<"ey"2offrjiffy, svillainwe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we never touched them.  They fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. As soon as we loVB sou$Twe quit chasingBwentand stirred up the constables. got a posse togetherHoff to guar~river bank&abit is Eaheriffaa gangS beat}My boys will be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. Butcouldn'thdrlike, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tqfollereNmSplendid! D!be8"--1, m!f1ne' 1 olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>here once or twiceqt'othermean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons depat once. +A_aeavingproom Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huckgyou ought to havecredit of wha%1didsOh no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung men were gone,]5oldFA saiRwr--and I. But whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, further than to say<he already knew too much about\"me`+1manU M anything against him forwhole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thathe way of it last night. I could,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@, a-turn all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me, with;1undreir armI reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'one wantlight; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered0a momentknow--butQhow ims as if IQ1Rnt onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnPstood ! iQ darkBhearu1beg"-K5the swear he'd spile her looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMB man saidthat!" Huck had maderrible mistake! HQryingn1besA1keeA olddfrom getting?faintest hint of whN might bQ1yetbtongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite of"heFr do. He several efforts to creep ouhis scrape, but'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I w  hurt a hair of your head forXorld. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've let thatout intendh+ can't cover0up now. You knowaV4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes, then b@ent over and whisperFear: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!" T almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It'splain enough,pWhen you talkedmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wna cours i* rRthe lIing which heqis sons done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineZBstilWits vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide1histh suspended--wai'aanswer )tarted--stam return--three seconds--fivten --then replied:/burglar's tools. Why, w`the MA-BTTER you?" Huck sank back, panbgently deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and pres[NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven any for material for a plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless1y o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he  --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." Poor U!wa distressed to smileWQ laugz1oud1joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such ar money in a-man's pocket,  it cut dowdoctor's bill like evernq"ddold chap, you're Zaand ja5Byou awell a bit--no wonder8a little fyoff your balanceQ. But2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetc out all right, I hoprirritatthink he had beenaBgoosbetrayed a suspicious excitement,HqdroppedBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a82n't!soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be y!ilybat dayhTom could seizeJBgoldQnight\Bny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompledda knocP door.. Huck jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!toonnected even remotelyAlate1t. The Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's anotheryou're more beholdenan you are to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't havev2butim." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almolittled the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis M!thqbe trans?"T townb refus"2parsecret. When2els>AlearBAthe  said: "I wen`reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn't4s you cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth while. Those fellows"likely toU again--they hadn't any tools lefAworkpwhat wasuse of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard qr house}the rest8y've just back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hoursA. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;-Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? I2exp#shr be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"didayou last nightEqWhy, noa  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0briskly with a friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy that'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--on you. And now he's afraidntto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "He Aus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A marked anxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"When did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he could sayWpeople had stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teache!eys? not noticed whether3andDwere on boarferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughQinqui!ifone was .!Onng man finally blurtedfhis fear thatqstill ib cave!Thatcher swooned awa fell to crying wringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutes the bells wildly cla$he whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episode sankginstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited9;andY6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzswords. tedious $for news;"heA dawqt last, athe wo"atwas, "Send more candles--and send food." Xwas almost crazed;C, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragement fromQcave,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman came hom5ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  Huck had spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes"Bhis T" EarlyAforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongest citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be gainedremoteness!rn being ransack7W; that eve-ry corner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly2ed;ver one wand!th/1mazpassages, [`seen flitting hiSand t distancepshoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear downsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,Unames "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over ii7 last relic she sh1havher child;UAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a gloK)burst forth aa scor'men go troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e ren were no@t there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>ir tedious hours alongvillage sank into a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0 anything. The accidental discovery, just made,Gthe proprietor of the Temperance Tavern kept liquor on his premises, scarcely fluttere public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lqsubjects?A finYasked--dimly he worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer Tinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;ghave been a g^reat powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone a! But could she be crying about? Cur Mshe should cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind Qunderwearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alongmurky aisles with2reshe company, visit familiar wonderst cave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged inFith zeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wand down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles 9Qaloft4rea  tangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesTmottoQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in candle-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. He founit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responde#is call, aey made aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw !isbrat, farAintoqsecret depths*D of ,nother mark|branched off in search of novelties to tellb upper world about. In onea spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactites ofalengthcircumferenc7a man's leg;walked all it, wonderQadmir_ and presently left it by numerous passagesbopenediis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrustedsa frosta glitt crystals; it:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot2batfpacked themselvwrousands Qbunch( lights disturbTe creaturOflockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously sFknew their waymr danger%isconduct. He sei=zed Becky's handhurried herthe first corridorqffered;6none too soon, for a bat struck g- out with its wing while she was passing(< cavern. TheBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesT$thlaid a clammyg3upoBpiri5. said: "Why, I didn't noticeit seems ever so long since I heard anyothers." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I B howRwe'veahere, Tom? We bett?er start backYes, I reckon we better. P'raps,an you find3wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our candles owill be an awful fix. Let's try som way, so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyas traversed it in silence a  glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face/n encouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less rhopefulPrfailurepresently beganRrurn off>adivergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ingo\1hatQ. He r said it waqs "all 3," Xsuch a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their rnd sounded just as if he had said, "All is<!" Becky clung tooqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goway! We seem.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deeps"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too horrid,*!Q. "I!I<; they might hear us, you know,4 he~[! "6"Bpa chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing.hildren stoodand listened; no resultturned uporack at once, and h"ur"is steps. It"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact to--he could not findE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Irfool! S Ithought wewant to com-! No--I can'ay. It's all mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherSQnk to!gr$and burst intorenzy of crying Tom was appalled withMBidea$$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byband pubarms aher; she bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"Cpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regretsahe far$esAthemato jeeQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-had a better effect. wWtry to hop2re againWget up and follow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@awas no +Rn shesaid. Sy moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--all theyq!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been takenit by age amiliarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle$blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words wererneeded.S understood,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tkto pay attention,~iqdreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any |ist progressjmight bear fruit;wRto siito invite death7 and shortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carry her farthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_2ing but all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful. Hs looking intodrawn facsaw it grow smooth"alDinfluence of pleasant dreams; and bVa smile dawnedQ. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awayzQygone|#y memories. While he was deepWmusings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipssa groanC1ed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don'  so! I won't say it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can tryq; but I`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRknew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sa!to Both were cruelly tired, ye 4she4\Dgo a was surpriQ hearrdissentFnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastenee wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothi"ngraid for7Atimen Becky brokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" AtookKthing ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?"Rhe. {almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MYes--I wishas big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic"us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled at his moietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move onM0ilent a mom"qThen heA: "R,!you bear it if In6youk#?"8's face paledF. "Welln"westay herB2ereQ&'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClastY! gave loos3eareailingud what 5to comfort herDwithz effect. At length Becky sa!#id%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#ySBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[you as soon as got homA frightened look inTqbrought@!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.Nnot to have gone < night! The children becameQnd thuful. In a new burst of griefKrr showed1hat)!in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouQir biRcandlwwd it melt slowly@pitilessly away; saw inch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame'B risyfall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,the horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward itljFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew wa"at what seemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more.2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2"to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all%Chope#8gonBmustAbeenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideouswdat he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than". The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byc: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breathlistenedraq like the faintest, far-offA. Inlanswered itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'ym!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl"on28stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred'Bqno passt at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&Ras he. No bottom1sta]rwait untilers came8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether}t-sinking :+1it!whooped un0Rtil h%hoarse, but it was of no use. He talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waiting!edno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on;Rslept`awoke famis nd woe-stricken. Tom believbbe Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}se than bvAe we=of the heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumpingqplace." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet Rfarth2the at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a$Q glorshout, and instantlyAhandfollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly gratifieF nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNat Joe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bur echoes9have disguis!e c. Without doubt,{was it, he reasonedQ's fr weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 hestay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of mee+}Qagainwas careful to keepk4wha "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@Bwaita' long sleep brought changes. torturedua raging # t`Abe Wday or Thursday or even FriSaturday, nowKQearchbeen givenQpropoo explorer passagfelt willing 8isktnd all JQrrors8 as very weak. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!Toqgo withkite-linek chose; butk!im9d'aCbacklittle whilNspeak to her;`she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ a show of being confidenAfind)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7ent groping down one of72s o9BhandGknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoon!anKCtwilhe village of St. Petersburg still moRurned-lost children en found. Public prayers#offered up for them,o2manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in ittill no good news camR cavemajority up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuQat itsplain the@could never beBMrs. Thatcher;2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,91laybearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitwent to its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCNb bellsin a momhe streets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin panChornadded to th+ae din,Qpopul massed itselfmoved towarriver, met= !co in an open carriage drawn by"ing citizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah after F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all ove place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad with #Cld grword to  usband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol51his!ofwonderful adventure, putting inAstri1add adorn it withal;hCclos a description of how he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasTAto turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw[(broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it had only happen3 beVhU not have seen%of/at passage any more! He&c7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >1way4a$2holst"lp2 ou? they sat tfor gladness+some men c<ame along in a skiff and Tom hail!emtheir situationAfami3con  men didn't believwild tale at first, "because," saivy, "you are five miles down the river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after darkn broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatct_ndful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behik!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as Tojqsoon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursdayQseemeBrgrow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.2gotM, a little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as ws ever Saturday; bu`"diQleaveroom until SunU4sheQas ifphad passqp a wast#ing illnesom learnHuck's sickneswent to see him obut coulbe admittbthe bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or . He wasHSdailyFAthatt#wto keep still about his adventu introduce no exciting topicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found Anearferry-landing; d7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. A.aa fortiTom's rescue froDhe start02f to visit Huck, who had grown plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seec v#an~friends setto talkingone asked him ironicRif hen't like to goRagain_3he >qmind it said: "Well, there are othersBC jusuyou, Tom, I've noleast doubt. But we have taken care ofA. Nowill get lost !at any more." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--andgbkeys."!tuas white as a sheet.Aat'sE0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The g!br hCinto|face. "A you're all right. WhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[deR bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%e place.x1 laetched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`, as if his longing eyeTixed,>platest +vmoment,e cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr $had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding senssareliefNsecurity, now, which revealed to him in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him since<day he lifted%voice against bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade brokenwo. The great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructirb wouldTbeen Rstill!ifh]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So` only %at place in orDqo be doDomething-- pass the weary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half a dozen bits of candle stuck aroundhe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneasearchRem ou eaten them. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leavingtheir claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly grow from the gjfor ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to Athe ous drop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellFthe 0Rome were l03aid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror creat British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it will still be 2all6 s have sunk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand yearsready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^qhaplessV-bree1out#>Qprice8bdrops,"o 3af stares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4bburiedthe mouthg; and peopl e flocked there in boatswagons from<BtowncQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfesscaey had almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcould2hade hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni--the pet)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings Bheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail  cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/elieved toakilled citizensrvillage2whahat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklingsRto scribblir names-drip a tear on itLir perman impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private place t4G an important talk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshman the Widow Douglas, by this}Tom said he reckons6was?had not told him;a The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f business;ed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand m1me aif you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUF ] was all riU Saturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch night?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCI folleredwidder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukum. I reckon In jun Joe's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on mea doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidence tokwho had only %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{, presently, comaPmain question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom +G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom,got on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itATG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or srEarnest;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withqhelp ge"ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe canA our^!to n get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little bitrouble in the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkURF's--Ayou ?wait till we!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jingsAll right--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRRightg!ifsay it. Aretrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a*, three or four days, now, but I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five; into thereway anybodyume would go,1^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.S,B takGin a skiff.&2flo] , I'll pull itjby myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start)A offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`se new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's`ime I (wished I hagwhen I wasMre before." A trifle after noo boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got underct oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  Bdownthe cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yo 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]out of with a fishing-pole. See#4can1." ? searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd#Heare! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9keep mumdll alowanting to be a robberrknew I'rto havebng likto run acros]"waabotherand we'll keep it quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els wouldn't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "it does, Tom. And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$ly." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm+ -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcr1nd 4s take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'llMQat inUbook.cto lovX,Ethey,m9a week or two y stop cryingHacouldn't ge;to leave. If$ro!ou%y'd turn right around!come back. It's soc booksy, it's real bullyI believe better'n3apirateF3YesF& in some ways, hclose to home circuses at." By this time every%1 wa!dy2ys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to A dowwhispers, now, foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor unti,Qy rea9the "jumping-offA." T,ndles reveaUR fact!itnot really a precipice,q but onasteep hill twenty irty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held his!a aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do 1see? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!jtreasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is bre, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from3, il y#ngthe money. I knowrways ofsyAso dv." TomiAfear. MisgivAgath-in his mind. But7 an idea occurYso him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of $ourselves!  a going to come|awhere 's a cross!" The pointwell takenhad its effect.I didn't think"at that's so. It's luck for us,L { is. I reckon we'll climb downhave a huntGthat boxwent first, cutting rude steps iLas he descended.followed. Four avenues opened!ofA small cavern which the greatstood in. The boys examined three0"emno result. They found aiUrecesone nearest4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind%the well-gnawed bones"wo\ree fowlsere was noB-boxlads searched%reBthis8,Qin vaO%om^!He  Yross. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, becaus! sOSolid g96heyReveryzonce mortdiscouraged. HuckA cou ggest nothing. By-and-by Lookyhere, Huck,>'s footprintsesome candle-gre= clay about one sidX!is 3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet youmoney ISbU. I'mH dig." "Thano bad notion, Tom!"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow"out at oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfood. "Heyp!--you hea2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm2was%i(#ndOys took it upcross rock. "Now less w82gunthings," I2--leave them`3'reOicks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepNB allD2imerw(hold our orgies|S, too 2ful2place for 0." "What!?"dono. But4ers6;of course we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beeqhere a Btime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`$etSskiff6ay pres emerged in lump of sumach bushes, looarily out, fthe coast clearBwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towar[ahorizoAy pu"ou got under way. Tom skimmedhe shore througiwilight, chai cheerilyZalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id  loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up*Q morncount it and dividSthen !una4outQsAit wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )dand wa(stuff till I runhook Benny TayloB+r's little wagon; I won't be gone a minute." He disappearreturned#thSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old rags on totarted off, dragging his cargo behind him. Whe boys reache Welshman's house, they stoS restgay9Aabouqmove on: PA steB said: "Hallo, who's thatAHuckTom SawyerWGood!O1me,,,are keeping everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--2hauoyou. Why, it's not as  as it might be. Got bri it?--orQmetalOa," sai.judged so;ris townatake m&Rroublfool away1imeN ing up six bits' worth of!irNS selly foundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human natuxralong,  T!" TAwantQ know wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we gethe Widow Douglas'." Huck sa"idapprehension--for he was long usbeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we have0en doing nothing. laughed. "Well, I dlknow, Huck, my boy. ;. Ain't you an! wgood friendsRYes. ishe's ben&e, anyway}All rightn. What dov1wanjbe afraid for?is questionJnot entir<nswered inq's slow before  himself pushdwith Tom,5EMrs. drawing-room. V leftQ nearAdoorzafollowThe plac rgrandly'ndiAthatof any consequence iNr villagNthere. The ThatchersQk Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)?all dressqtheir bTGr receiv+r as heartily as any one c/Swell 4 two such lookingDs_C1cov Aclay[candle-grease. 1 bl crimson humiliationfrowned a1nd shook her head at Tom. Nobody suffhalf as much boys did, however. Mr. A sai-Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled onand Huckm at my doorGjust brought them in a hurr!nd2did3" r. "ComeA1me,." She tookcto a bedchamberNow washI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,S- complet(Cy're+--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. B6 ey'll fit both of you. GetNthem. We'll wait--come down when youslicked up enoughQn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCK1: "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundShucks! wdvQkind of a crowd. I can't stand it.8b goingathere,a" "Oh, b{B! It2 an!miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appear=p" said he, "auntie has beenring for!ll,afternoon. Mary gott Sundayb readyeverybody'\ fretting about you. Say--Lthis greasqclay, o;ra"?"E, Mr. Siddy,jist 'tend toown business. What'sis blow-out, anyway`It's one of tDdow's parties1sheO ways having. This time it'sFthe Welshman^his sons, on accountjat scrape they helped#ou# night. And say--kQ tellAsome21, i want to knowQWell,Why, oldX2is to try to spring_1 on"people here to-,overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's notle(t now. ElEs --a, too,1allf!trro let ozQdon'twas boundE should be here--couldn't get along3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirobbers s.) was goin7g to make atime overturpriser!be. it will drop pretty flat." Sid chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never mind who it was. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.Jid, therely one person in\town mean:a to do XI72had!in's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hillqtold an 0. You can't do anyQmean s% y&bear to seeTqpraiseddoing good ones. Tn1nkse says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxdoor with several kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, eufashion!ryobday. Aaproper  Mr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedsZAonor3washimself a!ndYQsons,G3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthso on. He sprungdecret aboutSshare? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to give6t a homerer roof;ave him educated;fAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa Tom's chancBcome aid: "Huck don't need it.a's ric!Noya heavy strain2the s of the company kept baQe dueE:Pntary@ laugh at this pleasant joke. ButDsilea little awkward. Tom broke itb's gotE. Maybe youbelieve it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly a:, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{easacks,2 diafinishMsentenceapouredt1masyellow coa the tS5andqThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sXand hbmine!"spectacle took general breath away. Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5iA did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsc scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. WhUen he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasionit don't amount to anything now. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allow"heSdccounte[3sumt!edvover twelve thousand dollars. ItKmore thanSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz,in property. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poor/9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house in2 anneighboring# s was dissected, plank by Uits found0s dug upWransacked for hidden treasurec#not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic menJ, too, somthem. Wher1Tom{Huck appear8!eyQ couradmired, st#"atfAboys+ not able to rememb~at their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` drepeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lost:power of doing and commonplace !s;past historyV1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originalityto paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcher di same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, was simply prodigious--ae week-day AyearChalfv Sundayjust whaminister got --no, i#!hepromised--he generally couldn't collect it. A Ha quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe hiwash him, t%1oo,rmatter.  had conceived a great opinion of Tom. He sahat no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;when she pleaded grace-e mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--awas worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whR walkR flooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s/it"op2see+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward tra:1ineqthe bes  qcountry[Dhat  be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fache was now under1Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurlr it--an  sufferings were almost morcn he cvar. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushed,they beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properlyaspeech'become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shui1bou#Qm han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow huntebeverywhere in cdistresspublic wE ere profoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. EaIe third morning Tom Sawyer wisely went poking among some old empty hogsheads down behind abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque days whenW1freq happy.Croutvout, toldQdroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6qt ain'tSme; I1use"it:widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stan$m ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0won't let me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed clothes that smothers me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Show; y're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay  roll around anywher's; I hslid on a cellar-doo --well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to churca sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no(#--. uattic and rip out cawhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died, Tomnwouldn't letBAmokeu yLshe Bgapeqstretch Q scra Abefore folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritation and injury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN#the time! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-stand THAT, Looky her, being rich what it's crack); just worry$  2a-w you was dead <. Now theseBsuitis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not manyXs, becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg offpme with! the widder." "Oh, Huck,8know I can't do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. Blame it all!as we'd got gun_ba cave\2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness hasP1to k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CB Ckeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. But#welet you intoqgang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C#"ina Didn'p!go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than what a N is--as a general thing. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always ben friendly to me? You woul shet me out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goaqa month6Ctacknd see if ! co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All rightb, it'sz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow,qet up oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe4Vstart1and5$s?@q off. W"ge7boys togeth!erAhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tell'gang's secrets, even if you're chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his family that hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt[lonesomest,|est place you can find--a ha'nted house i! b:2but!re'!ri2gup nowod, anyw'xYes, sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOXsomething LIKE!fqmillion s bullier than pirating.TstickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in oute!we4 CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here; the s tory could not go much furtherout becoming the^MAN. When one writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is,| a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersrperformais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the !thnger ones again[Qsee w!or"meQwomenq turned@3; thereforeYwawisestto reveauRat pactheir lives at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred;For two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmates of m,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combina>Yistics of threem I knewSbelongs to"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's g42ithboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spec:tacles downulooked ovebam abou room; then she pIm up:cut und?. She seldom or nevereTHROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pair,pride of her heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA bea!Awenthe open door tood in iRuthe tomato vineG "jimpson" weedswconstitute garden. No Tom. S AliftW voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behindlhe turned just&2 into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m'a' thoughcloset. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--that's what it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!Xold lady whirledbnatche0askirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappearTit. Hisc Pollysurprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anyQ? Ain't he playecricks y3lik1for2o b1ing$rfor him6E? But old fools isbiggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heplays them< alike, two days, and how is a body to 's coming? He 'pears!just how long he can torment me before I gedander up, ve knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I afcmy dut!at&the Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahearlash him, somehow. EverR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-wAman  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow,nish himIYy har= work Saturdays, @Awhen the boys is having holiday)he hatesB more than1anyS else%'ve GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideiAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already through withDpart2work (pick{qchips),ba quieJehad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s1nte;AtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, ither pet vanitFbelieve she was endowed with a talentqAdarkbmysterious diplomacy0bhe lovcontempla;te her most transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'!Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolW!no. So he said: "No'm--well, notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ now, though." And it flatteredato reflect s2adiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcTmight)next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencmissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou d1hav$undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to% pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!trouble vanis#offace. He opened his@b. His 4as securely. "Bother! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Shehalf sorrysagacity harcarried,3gla?-Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once. But SidneyIDif I52you{ith white thread, 's blackBWhy,Ow sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapd bound abouTm--on^  Dthe otherH' H he'd never noticed if it hafor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews it witDh& & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Within minutes, or even less, he hagotten all$s. Not becauseV1one|Pa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove qhis min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negroh!suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consist: a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it.s ever been aa boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFteet withfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFwith the boy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyse. A strangerbefore him--a boy a shade larger'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons. Hshoes on#iGonly Fri"He2worcktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom statsplendid bmarvelhigher he turned up his nose atRfinerhabbier and his own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, inrcle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd likE see you try it." "Well, 8$do!No(rcan't, /2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I couldl one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole familiesDsame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+You can lump that hatit. I dar o knock it off--and anybodyG'll take a5will suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mejU moreBsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3,/QeyingAsidl round each. Presently twere shoulder to .XGet away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B"Sobstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusheqrelaxedyastrainx watchful caution, and Tom sBaid:'re a cowardca pup.ell my big brohe can thrash!thlittle finger. I'll make him do it, tooI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#so2Ait s Tom drew a line in the dust1hisi"to{# s qFstepZAlick5you can't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seQDon't8crowd me now;better look ouQWell,HSAIDh*--Wb?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t! g0. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb ;irt, gritogetherpcats; aand fori space of a minute they tuggetore at each ^ 's hair and clothes, punch3Qscrat 53noscovered themselvesand glory. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to freself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a smbed "'Nand Tom let8up Q2Now8qll lear:. BnA who_Rolingnext tim3ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying backBshakQs hea threatenhat he woul!to the "next time 2ugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feath as soon as'was turneVn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetwee4shoulders and then/\1ail(ran like an antelope.Cchastraitor homthus foundere he livedthen held a position atgate for somehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{wi climbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. There4a song in every heart;obif the,3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-trees wZQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brushcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping!atvwith a tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Br;water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, beforq now itJnot strikeoremember~upny at the pump. White, mulatto/negro boysgirls werethere waitiir turns, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth2theAwas only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me IAn' g<s3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w talks. Gimme the--I won't be goner a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em over ?#thUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn% awful, but6! d hurt--anyways it!if$Gcry.give you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiHe put down his pail, took th$aqnt over2toeabsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingjbstreetma tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompbfield  slipper in her hanHttriumph eye. But Tom's energy didAlastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonF1reet  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious exp<editionspb they Jmake a world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea r"thD. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranquilly. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gi a long, melodious whoop, at vals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}Wspeedmiddle of _the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, s!hatimaginer standing Cs own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he qup slowsAward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW2 onz1tab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe "to &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W` Chow-;ow-ow! GeOQ thatk-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stand by*age, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2 eamboat. Ben stared a momentthen said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE up aa, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchye of an artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouth watfor the apple, but dauck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a biRat do1all$?"ain't TH%AT1TommC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comdon't meaQ!le{you LIKE it?" Thecontinued to move. "Like it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new ligh stopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily back=forth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlyBaid:i, Tom, let MEgvlittle.sidered, was_o consent;P"alnqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's Pbout ; it's gobe done very careful; A onein a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, if youJ!meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wJim wantJ ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&Qhappe+ it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgQSay---give youcore of my"FN2.bafeardWALL of it!qgave uppwith reluct|!inBfaceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist saa barrel in&shade close by, danglQlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial;{S boysed along eblittle; they came to jeerHQremaio whitewash. Bytime Ben\fagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swing it with--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken6the morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B keywouldn't unlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fence had thrCee coats of on it! If run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2% all. He had discovered a great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQBwritthis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obligedo. And elp him to understh\9tructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are2y gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily linthe summer, becausprivilege cost!m derable money; but iQy were offwages for the sLcerviceturn it intoI and theyresign. Thermused atCoverbstantial change which had taken place in hldly circumstances,w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open window in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,Trestful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for s  no company}cthe caLasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szrthoughtof course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power again in intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I goplay now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lieg e--I can't bear it." "I aKBin't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4find twenty per cent. of Tom's statem,rue. When she fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonish was almost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never! There's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longlQplay;]you get back some time; week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook himthe closetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture upoBvaluNflavor a treat took to itselfit came without sOrough virtuous effBAnd Tsd: a happy Scriptural fl`%ourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skipped out saw Sid just starting upoutside stairway that lcrooms ,second floor. Clods were handy and the air was full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiesTsally%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,=eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+n1rou Tom skirablock,hinto a muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of capdand puahasten2war5public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G of one of these armiess, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheru&se two great commanders did not condescend to fight i!--being better suio#still smaller fry--but sat together on an eminencevaconducH he field operations by orelivered through aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a longhard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagreement bd uponyrthe dayhe necessary3ed;Qwhicharmies fell into lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived_saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4without fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanish+QheartAleft;a memory(erself behind. H|"thn!he#d to distraction; he had re7garded hion as ado; behold it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sh confessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayshere in one instant]Qime sfnd gonelike a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discohim; then he preteneeAknow\was present, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidM4the/girl was wend way towarXQ camef and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a mooQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as she put her fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin aQr twohe flowerY 1shais eyes with#haWlook down street as if u [ something of interest gon\at direction. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally his bareArest(liant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomy not hypercritical, anywayreturned, now2hung abouLnightfall,ing off," as U6"th never exhibited heErself again, though Tom comforted him$v littleBhopesAbeen> some window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got intov hild." He took a good scoldiclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/torment a body3wayP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." sezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez-bowl--a sort of glogTom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controllrs tonguwas silen5 tonhe would not *speak a word,^came in, but would sit perfectly still she asked who dimischief; JKtCand therabe not"soE"inPqorld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultationRchardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASnext instanas sprawling on the floor! The potent palm,dupliftQBrikeTom cried out: "Hold on, now, 1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 1shes5hershe onlyRUmf! you didn't getck amiss, I reckonWsome other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay'B kinFqloving;she judgedCthis!beo4tru!Pa conEfesstshe had the wrongdiscipline forbadh. So she kept silence2went abouaffairs with a troubled heart. Tom sulk a cornerqexalted#woBknewQin he5rt Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the aousnes!ithang out no signals, htake notice of none<aing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelying sick unto deatho=sbendingim beseeching one littl cgiving*%Aturnrface toQ1allB die Athat@ unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$bt homeOthe river, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how CearsBfallCrain( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there co2!ldKQwhite m--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichflowed when he winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUthis pett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently,is cousin Mary danced ull alive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&araccustomed hauntBboys%sought desolate placesin harmonybspirit. A log rafAthe R invimfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPry vastn?!esthe stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingguncomfortable routine devised by nature. T2 thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8wpity him knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rto put her arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turn coBawayall the hollow1? T_Wicturan agonpleasurable !itCoveri 2minoset it up in new0qvaried ss, tillZe it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; used a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle1casa dull glowthe curtain of a second-story window. Wascre? He climbed the fen 3ce,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  looked up aDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposing himself his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--outeBcoldRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-damps fromCAbrow8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sA out\glad morntand oh!Ahe drop one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The went up, a maid-servant'cordant voice profaned the holy calm a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snortra whiz aa missileair, mingledMthe murmur of a cuurse, a soundH shivering glass followedsmall, vague formF!ovqe fenceMshot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments byk of a tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of making any "references to allusions," he thought better of itAheldpeace, for tdanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1out added vexation of prayers,mSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xjthe summit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.Q gird+Qloinsto speakto work to "get@verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, y shall-- *Y/ I 5a--shall4 WHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you want to be so mean for?Tom, youthick-headed thing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must go and learn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll giveAsome. ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelveaacents;tZnvulsion of deligha sweptsystem shAm toTfoundTrue, the uld not cut anyabut itJa "sure-enough" there was inconceivable grandeur in"--l! w1the Western boys1gotAidea6 such a '0weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it was arrangingcagin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dress for Sunday-school. Ltin basi Qwater'a piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setMn a little bench2; tQ dipp eae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But&Q remo,and said: "Now ain'Sashamsmustn'tVabad. Wwhurt you." TomTStriflncerted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpreswith both eyes sh8d groping foyt.his hands, an honor&testimony of sud&swas dripT5romKqemerged# ,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short att2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soil that spread downward in front`1acka*Rneck.took him ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brother out distinction of colorYhis satur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]aminate  his own ABlifebitterness.] Then1gota suit ofFclothing had been used on As du two years--they were simplychis "otheqthes"--Bo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "putgto rights" afte-"ad ed himself; she buttoned his!a neat about upzchin, turn vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crownJpeckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessBgall. He hopedMary would forgetes, but the hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want 1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9\hree children se3for-school--a placeQTom hdBhis aheart;1Sid)fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for< stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushioned pews4sea!~Qhundr$arsons;cedific ut a small, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted adressed comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgivePiece of lickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibited. Thesatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue onesrwaylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteV, nowmwarm of bnoisy nd girls, proceeded qnd starO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGnyRmomenaTom pua boy's hair i:nnext benchd as absorbed in his book wj he boy turned around; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!" got a new reprimand from. Tom's whole class wera pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,with a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;r) Cyellow one;#en .the superintendent gave a very1*ly bound Bible (worth forty cents in those easy times) toQpupil many of my readerA hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and"Q a boGerman parentage had won four or five. He onced three without stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 he little better than an idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}and stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstance;successfuls?conspicuous for  o|aspot escholar'stQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasa couple of weeks. It is possible49 qstomachnever really hungero. unquestionablyentire beingW2forPaClongWthe glory,the eclatit. In due course Pt sto-od up in front of(qpulpit,G a closed hymn-book iAhand!hiefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makes4!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as isinevitable sheeYmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sr referr!bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqbabreas=corners of his mouCfenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning whole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a ing cravat which(ras broaH"asas a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8ly up, in the_ fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%very earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;he held sacred th nd places in such reverence^%so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intonation(wholly absent on week-days. He began after t$: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAFyoura minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy girls should do. I see one+girl who isaing ouZindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps#one trees making axe to th birds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assemb/led in athis, learning to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9was of a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresumpF of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,} subsidencY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an"t !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair^a dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading aV. Tom*2resGand full oNaf chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:"showing off"=1all^might --cuffingBpullhir, making faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate a girl91winapplause. His exaltQut one alloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and QrecorAsandEfast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. Walters'finished]introduced themaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one thacounty judge--altogethe most august  these childre!evoked upoey wondered what kinmaterial tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roar, and we'!re' afraid heB. He rom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled2see+Qworld1se Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attested byimpressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge Thatcher, bro of their own lawyer. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands1him6RIS shH ! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A fel,Asortofficial bustlactivities, giorders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere+find a targetlibrarian!ed--running hiQ with his arms full of books and m`Qa deathe spluttJAfuss insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilfr were l/being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boys patting good ones lovinglygentlemensmall scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion toipline--and most ,th sexes, found business up at$y,qpulpit;!it6that frequently had to be done again two or three times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wadsmurmur of scuff. And above it allEman sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@warmed himself isun of his own grandeur--for hetoo. Theronly one thing wyg to make ' ecstasy comp03letwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several"had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough --hqbeen arQamong5stainquiring. He would have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redand ten blueq demandja. This(a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEBit--1ereBcertified checky$~oir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`2the|AstunQsurprisec decad=bso proR sensa}!itenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inof one. The boyUspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribut.t hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth /*amassed in selling whitewashing privileges. These despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake in/grass. The !4was;2Tomoas much effusion  superintendent cpump up kcircumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him t mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHs1boywarehouse0 thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozenb strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy LawrencQproudQglad, sQiAmakesee it in hes--but hn't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicionb and went--came again; she w0atched; a furtive glance told her worlds--annheart brokewas jealousRangry `Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). as introducre Judgehis tongua tied,breath w.hardly comequaked--partly because$awful greatnesgthe man,^Gmain6her parent. H have likfall down>worship him, if%erBAdark # phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?h boy stammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyQ. TwoLpsand verses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry for'trouble you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+1the'll look back;It's all owoprecious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mwT over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!~ouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeeE1nown't mind tellingris ladyBs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknowz2nam^atwelve disLciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, now,'"his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within himHsaid to himit is not possible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DID Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up V: "Adgentlemandon't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E"llCme,"!hewO. "T two dis--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. Thechildren distributemselves aboutkAhous occupied pews their parents, so as to be under{vision. Aunt Polly cav1Tom1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordat he migSh`s far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upXraisles: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wife--for they7a#there, among other unnecessarieOtjusticegRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartsforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivities St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule suc cane-heads, a circling wa! oimpering admirers, qst girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful B1carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7to church1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?*his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. ongregation being fully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Bthe a which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister ga9e3hymread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleadmired inH+1par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down!from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toeT,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeKAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would liftAheir let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOOb for trtal earth." AfterAhymnBsungRev. Mr. Sprague turn`self into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting?societie sbseemedothe list qstretchx crack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kep in America, even in cities, away hereis age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And nowminister prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle children church;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far island2seaZaclosed a supplicationwords he was abqspeak m:find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yieldingime a grateful harvest 5!of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoyr, he only endured it--if he even9that much. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. Ij midst/ a fly had lit ee back(ew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as i~ibeen coat-w; goingtoilet as &tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwas; for as soreEDTom' itched to grab for it theynot dare--he believedsoul would be instantly destroyed did such a $Qwhileu on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forward;Cthe ra"Amen"r!ouwas a prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstone andnpredestined elect dowa so small as to be hardly wor saving. Tom couthe pages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:tmaseldom2B anytelse ab discourse. However,qtime he8qreally Rested`E*a grand and moving picture of th+e assembling togeththe world's hosts at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie[ little child,!eaAmRthos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he only thought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMo, irhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHp"him of a treasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beetleVformidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmQdid wB tak)!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZ2isllit on its backthe hurtpR went's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clongit; but it )was safe ouhis reach. Opeople uninterestN:sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urvrize; walked around it; smelt a qfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenhis lip and made a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedlh$byrhis chin descendStouchenemy, who seizr There sharp yelp, a flirT'  fell a couple of yards away, SA once. The neighboring spectators shook with #a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind fanI handkerchiefsTom was entirely happydog looked foolish4 probably felt so; but thereLresentment iB tooBda cravAreveRSo he!tod a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightinghis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, making even #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ; followC ant,8his noseCflooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgo k,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony811saidup the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,BflewQthe o]sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;Fanguish g65rew progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit the gleamK2spe. At las frantic sufferer sheereddits course,Nsprang intowmaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voice of distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itClame lting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; forgravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedqAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a ravfacetious thing. It0CuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,%toc1tha"bre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evicere was a b i_rvarietyA. He_but one marring thoughtJwas will dog should playhis pinchbugshe did not1 it3 upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--because it began anothek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; then he cBstayGfromr4 a vague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen,e investigated5. TZ$hedetect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feeblqL !wh2awa reflected further. Sudden;vCsome!On~his upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groan, as a "starter," as7alled it, when"if.me into court7;argument, his aunt w/ApullV"utRthat hurt. So1old tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tell[a certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But nowAknowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sfell to groaespirit. But Sid slept on unconscGed louderbfancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid*was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimself ched a succession of admi"As. nored onaggravated~ said, "Sid, Sid!" and shook him. Thissse work5Tom beganq again.yawned, str, then brought!onRelbow athdstare at Tom. Tom wen2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" And he shook himlooked iface anxiously. Tom mkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustli4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoQevery. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dying, arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sash andr my catw one eye to that new girlb's com2owntell her1Buthad snatchedqclothesAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his *s had gathered quite a genuine tone. Sid flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gasp2YouUX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little cried a did both together,rrestorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rceasethe pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish) it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 ISbut you're not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing?yI love you s 1eemry every wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endA fasa loop andWQ tiedyQotherhe bedpostpn she seiz* nand suddenly thrust it almost inRoy's faceU  hung dangling by+}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascinationhomage upbis timQ founEselfJout an adherent,Lshorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- 3 $a disdain which he didAfeel it wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b boy said, "Sour grapes!"qhe wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame upo juvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by 1e msU, because h eK2idllawless and vulga+bad--and4allkhildren "socdelighhis forbidden society(R wishEy dared to beQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast conditionas under strict orders not to playQSo he%ed9time he got a chance.was always dress-the cast-off clothefull-grown methey werWperennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenAore one,nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dowBbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged los containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. Rand wtown free willslept on doorsteps in fine weatheyin empty hogsheX wet;have to gochool or to church, 'or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchose9stay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,athing goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello, 5$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzItslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hpGood for? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool w7athat! @S a-goVdo any good. You got to go all by yourself,middle ofcwoods,p2youthere's a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustesounds like a good way;!wthe wayQ doneNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&heahave aj on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so much`aalways"considerable many b. SomeI take 'em}1wit1eanGAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU?,"'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuwart so as to get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'boutacrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyBbean"se3" t+it will keep drawing R, tryhA fetre otherZS to i!sog helpsh!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;j no more to bBme!'better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead cats2Why_cyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about S5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or,J't see 'emcan only hearRthingu7indY''em talk;|they're tahat feaway, you Hheav<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,it, wartscat, I'm doneQye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axtone day&A seeUawas a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How did he knowLord, pap can tGeasyKlooking a; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifcmumble d$b're sa he Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kbyou go qthe cat1To-."ll~old Hoss Williams t8R" "B|y him Saturday. Diget him Sat Curdahow you talk!could their charms work till mid?--and THEN it's Sun|evils don't slosh around much of a,2, I' L I never thought of that. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowAays went to thr&rocks at me zqs 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti #wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#thNothing but a tick." "Where'd35getQOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gn.U2 wa`sell himu4All^It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dow!be1em.satisfiediwgood enoughv"ShAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if Id wanted toWell, why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early, I reckonthe first one I've seenAyearSay, Huck--BAgivemy tooth  Less see it." Tom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it.nleberry viewQ wist-5. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?alifted1lipQshoweN vacancy.a!,"YB, "iTtradecenclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$ all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacritqmaster,hned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, luby the drowsy hum of study. The interrupArousXm. "Thomas SaISwyer!{Bknew2wheAname{pronounced in full, it meant trouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was about to take refuge in a lie,(e saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min= You--you did what?" "StoppbQ talk@ Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_ offence. Take off your jackejarm performed until it[tired anQstock witches notably diminish`A ordQlloweWlgo and sit w-1ith! And letbe a warnWSo youxr titter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGBesul-caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idol1dread pleasuredRlay ihigh good fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hd herself away from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom satAwitharms upon the, low desk before himAseem his book. Byby attentionDthe accustomed murmur rose]dull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave 2theae spaca minute. When she cautiously fac peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its place. Then s%!heit remainscrawled oslate, "Please take it--I got" The girldRwordsno sign. Now draw something *ahidingBwork his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice; buttuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betrayhe was awarit. At last!inhesitatinglybed: "Let me see itdom parvered a dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten)and she forgot everya4elsiffinished,2QgazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man4he artist erectHAan i front yard,aresemb4 derrick. He could have stepped ovgektPwas not hypercritic1al;was satisfiedhe monster,a beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonkstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan1saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/)Oh, will you? When?" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<@N  !dsA. Buackward this. She begg1see Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed #. Slet m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long aFsU2liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!aw thatbtreat me sbWILL see." AndjYput her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but lettingQhand slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,$reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa housedeposited i!own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhooln master stood over him duMa few aw_bomentsfinally moved away toathroneUqout sayR word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. As quieted downBmadeRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1 Qclass}p botch Kof it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul lik=$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill ed its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of hbtintedthe purple of distance; birds floateblazy w$ghair; no other livAhingvisible bu@t some cowthey were a. Tom's heart acT o be free, or else to haveOi of interest to do to pasdreary time. His hand into his pockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, thougdid not know iten furtively/Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him onElong flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,is moment, but it !emd:xwhen he startankfully to travel off, him asideb1pinBmade!ake a new direction. * bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instan:was Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaidthey were 0}oeach otherneither gett#fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stirup and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,P~ would look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeAoverS1souls dead to Aings. At last luck seemX settle and ab dJoe. TQtried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: wvictory in his very grasp, so to speakTom's fingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offTkeep possessionWQTom cstand it no!erK temptation was toocreached out8lent a hand/!hiDangry in a moment. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look her Harper, whos\Athat?" "I don't care$Btickm you sha'n't touch himaWell, , bet I will, though. He's my/do what I bNbpleasehim, or die!" A tremendous whack cam#onshouldersits duplic ;#fol1pactwo minute dust continued to fly?wo jacketsP!thWle school to enjoy it#had been too babsorb]anoticeBhushhad stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing dowAroomstood over them. He hademplated a good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{1lipT turnVrough the lane|come back.!go@other way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith antE. In :Qet atdbottom#la -Ethey!ha!althemselves< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave the pencil and held>., guidingand so cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmn bliss. He said: 9 "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!!" "Well, I do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing roundQ head a string.q[n't care for much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gumGOh, I should say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letschew itB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweaabout,uRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" sair. "Yesqsmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms." "I been tf three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! will be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. Anyqslather"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! married." 1"NoW2youC!to<I reckonCknowqQis it2/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyawon't have anybodyZQhim, Athen>Akiss0ws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--walways do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember wwrote onQslatebqYe--yesW]iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but JNo, not now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silenc cconsen,passed his arm F her waistQT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added:w0a2 it"--Rhe sa She resisted,wa while1saiW2Youyour face awncan't se;I~pyou musBtn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" Then she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9Qface.]qclaspedneck and pleaSW , it's all done--all overthe kiss. Don'tbe afraid of that--A at ( ." And he tugged ata?hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EHthis2you$"to"me+Xto marry\r but me! nand forever. Wi]) u{*t anybody b+*--"to- "ither." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^'re to walk o2me,/Sthere}pvlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRheardq before-2Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I* the firs2'veDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 doS knows." Tom tri put his arm,she pushm XF1 toBwallwent on cryingvRagain soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was Erodeutside. He stood, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancoor, every no wthen, hoping she would repent"1compfind him. B^tdid note to feel badlyCfear that F.Qrong. It was a hard struggle him to make new advances, nowrhe nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not ing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\b." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YQwon't{say some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromltop of an andiron,'apassedQround>"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" ScQuck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouseover the hilly far away, to retur1 noday. Presently 3buspectr;8not in sight; she flew/play-yard; he w:7there. ThenLalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. Soqsat dow8cry againpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideZRgriefher broken2andA!upjcross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon6 none among?strangers about)to exchange sorrows with. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of5ingD.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappear1ehi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableS off Cdvalley a dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot =under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 e songs of4birds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vby no soundH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadssense of|more profound) boy's soulOQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at bestE Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to liSslumbdream forevS ever0the wind whispdthe trrcaressiYR gras5the flowers ovQgraveA notUto boDbgrieve#, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willBo go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h3? Nothing. G!HeBmeanBqbest inTworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowa disappeared mysteriously??went away--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves uponBiritwas exalt the vague august realm romantic. No, ta soldi<return afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--bette4l3#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain ranges and the( trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristlingfeathers, hideousBpain]r pranceSunday-school,(rowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoopAsearqeyeballas!anions with unappeasable envy. But no, there wasthing gaudier even than this. Hbe a pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor.shis namz ctmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inlong, low, black-hulled racer, the SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAt fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Cstalchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Z ith waving plumes, his blF2ackcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger ofDSpanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeenter up/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to get readyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapeV`#irrqexposed9ne shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed airAsaidEBell,beats anyZ+Atossepettishly, and stood cogitat truth wasfa supersti"ofaad faiqwhich hA all'rcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls% left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP1 hejust used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actuallyunquestionably Rwhole"tu2faia shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwarpuzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1mL!chainterfqand broIhe charmQthought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spot with a little funnel-shaped depression in itElaidAdownF1putmouth close toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contend"st_2es, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave  A thrAway,Ather he wentmade a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowH back to his treasure-housa carefully Y$asbeen stanwhen he tosscRaway; ok another"Q fromRpockeHQit inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stoppedfYk_AIit must have falg len short or gone too far;!& tried twice more. The last repetition was successful$3two s lay with oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, raked some brush behi rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment had seizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirt. He7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoelook warily out,Qway a)aLsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." NowJoe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom ! Who comesSherwood Fore_hout my pass?" "GuGuisbornes no man's).^art thou that--" "Daresold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talkeQd "bybook," from memory. "~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have at+!" They took theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've go hang, go it lively!" So they "wentq," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get} Q it.""y,ain't any . I can'tv;#Gay it is in a2ookbook says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor $.'!toNb arounklet me hiiD back." T!wa>the authorities, so Joebed, received the 4QwhackSfell.&"4U Joe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iY ell, it's blamed mean--tW2allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonU lam me with a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"meis was satisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~n Tom becamz2gaiballowed #treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gaily for a corpse. boys dress>mselves, hiir accoutrement off grieving`<no outlaws anRby moreFwondering what modern civilization cclaim toone to compensateloss. They;Cthey-rather be  a year in Sher Forest than President of)United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past nine,night, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear^ clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Everythyas dismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,]!, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking ]H8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now<! t resome chirping of a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in' wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T raisH neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle again be back s aunt's woodshed brought;Bwidea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongDroof"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"o1cauKonce or twicepae wentn jumped *g3nce to the g3round. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\disappeareda gloomqthe end alf an hour they were wadi&.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which lean 1warbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacred memory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedSm onc="it no longer have7Sread,5of them, now, even ir7light. A wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littleRrnly undir breath, for t#[rR perv}solemnitysilence oppresse<3ir ay foun sharp new heaprseekingrensconcNAmselQithinprotectionree great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay wait for what seemed a long time hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refldive. He must force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" Zed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l\Scanvauis matter inwardlyZn TomASay,3y--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar how th%!ey 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,'re coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcely breathed. A muffled t of voices floated up fromRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"M& devil-fire. Cis i." Some vague figures approached throughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that fQrecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder:2thes enough. Three of 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, .#tstuck. Can't findHere they come 8hot. Col2D Hot(Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say,0"anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo("That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd drutherdevils a dern s+ky be up t4The3'wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 12tooyin a few feet+ of the boys' hiding-place. "Here it is," said,athird ;\the owner of it hel lantern up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir load9AbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5Qcame and sarwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closew boys could have touched himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating s^6spades dischargingfreight of m2anddQl. Ita very monotonous. Finally aX struck uponHScoffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoFyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goB!dyBdump]rrudely  `drifted from behind the cloudsLaexpose pallid facP!as3reathe corpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she stays." "That'shStalk!.. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than thatInjun Joe, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any goodWswore I'd get eveQyou iuaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiqforget?,^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threatening the ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5b strucsuddenlysstretch1ruffian on the groundqdropped{exclaimed: "Here, now, don't?hit my pard!"wthe next moment he had grappled04two wereg' with might and main, trampFthe grasCtear lir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstooy About combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboar{Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthJit--and iD same instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reeled*fell partly upon, floodi 82his`qblottedthe dreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeK!indark. PresenEtly, whe moon emerged agwas stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplatm murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or two_u2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal5in ^Qopen mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly met Joe's. "Lord, how isT, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joeout moving. "What diddo it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kinatalk weswash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'nwe started . I'm all in a muddle; can 't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old feller--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh, awful--aU so young\promising."!y,2two?cuffling he fetcheone with thegboard anfell flat;k!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account ofMqwhiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmpstolid :murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say2Joere an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijC." Rstart(a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedAlick Xfuddl2rum2 halook of bel3he Z1hinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys fl:Qew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=+ld tannery before we break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it , r." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repn boys fixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug 2doofell gratefulexhaustedta shelt shadows beyond. B#bypulses sETom G: "c, what doreckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies3, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whileJ n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happenedqInjun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4u1I w !into myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; IAthat? |he always has. Well,pap's full,Atakebelt himW head with a church)you couldn't phase hi1say his own self. So it's t"meU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After an reflective silencepLRHucky#1youkeep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatdevil wouldn't myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bout thisthey didn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we got to do--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forgs's goodlittle rubbishy common s--specigals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sAhour3 circumstancesasurrouxs, were iing with @it. He picked up a clean pine shingleq lay invmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." Huckleberrydbfilledadmiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA8have verdigrease on i ""Wbp'isonat it is just swaller somi --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop of blood. I1n time, after many2!s,managed to sig!initials, using the ~inger for a pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall,dismal ceremonieslaincantffetters that b#ir8s were consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end ofqruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whisp, "does this"usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~y difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'd"--QYOU knowYes, I reckso." They continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agon+QfrighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peeppugh the cr ack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- q DO it,!aPlease1re 'tis again" Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. It's Bull Harbison." * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named: would have spoken of him as "Dl," but a son 2dog!atZn"]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my!, ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eyt!crrDHis zwas hardly audible wCaid:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! Thies of playing hookeydoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to doPQ. I maxgood, like Sid, if tried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if|c I get off this time, I lay I'll just WALLER in Sunday-schools!" And Tom began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!" an7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reold pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thoughtis bully, you. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped.!pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$1gs,}laws bless<1he Falifts s'!HEpes. Bes8ides, I reckoQain't coming back tobny mor$he spirit of adventure rose in the boys' souls once=1 ", do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again and the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would take to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. Wheo]!goKwithin five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokera sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came inGe moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4s had stood still\Vopes too,_ved, but)fears passed away nowlypd out, throughjn weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the n"ir!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  `a few O1feeSwherehx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both, in a breath. "Say!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house, 'bout mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU! tY=anybody deare yet." "Well, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX2Yes#$shBDEADwhat's more, she's getbetter, tooAll right,Await see. She's a goner, just asSsure  ,)C's wX niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom windwas almost spent. H!rel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not 4Raware3the gently-snoring SidQawakeA had been so for an hour. When Tom awoke,=1and1. T late look " lSsense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled him bodings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finishedQkfastArno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;:qsilencean air of solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en| the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go on, 9and ruin himselfL1ingLgray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. This:Awors"1n a^sand whippingsTD TomA# was sorer now than his body. He cried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and Bgain{then receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectYcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy3sad4&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to triflestn he be!toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9cs handqstared ]be wallthe stony "IQufferIas reachea limitocan no further go. HNpressingst some hard substanQce. After a time he slowlly changtpositioook up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,group to house to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedeand it1 recognized bybody as belongfo Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing IiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorningZYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumsta!nces, especially; which was not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public areoEslowAatte_!sifting evidence and arriving at a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down all Aroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowarfgraveyard. Tom'break vanished he joine7qprocessecause ~sand times r go anywhere elseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+#rmJasmall qthroughBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t. Somebody pinch1armHturn`eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>B wonaif any!ha!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisl2%y "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungThis ought to be a lesson to  robbers!" "Muff"'ll hang if they catch him!" This ift of remark; he minister said, "It*a judgment; His hand is here." Now Tom shivered from hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming himself!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look outturning! Don't let:get away!" Peoplebranches o trees overQd saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7 perplexed. "Infernal impu"!"aa bystander; "want2com take a quieti' at his work, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, now Dcame , ostentatiously leading!" btarm. The p1's xwas haggardlDw`fear t+"haupon him. When 6od Q murdAman,"hook as with a palsyqBe pu4qface in@Qhandsburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. shot seemecarry home.xRlifteKe1anded around thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd --" "Is that your knife?"#idthrust4himMSheriff. Potter would have fallenhad not ca1himb1easm to the gO!aibSomethle't if AbackXaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestur Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1use"moThen Huckleberry,tood dumbstaring, Ahear stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement,_ing every A!atclear skydeliver God's lightn*5ingbs headpbwonder see how longZ stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath82savypoor betrayed prisoner's life fad}4 vaway, for plainly this miscreant had solself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power at. "Whyyou leave? What didrwant to here for?" somebody saidcouldn't help it--$," moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward onzinquest, unde;the boys, seeq lightnCwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devilwas now become,!m most balefully interesting objecHCeverDR upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9face. TheSy inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremoval!itQwhisp<bthrougCshuddcrowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughtthis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of MuffGit done it." Tom's fearful secret and gnawing conscience disturbed his sleep for as ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid saiATom,pitch arand talk in yourxrso muchyou keep me awake hal9Ctimer blanchc droppAeyes6t's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "you got o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hrhook sohe spillcoffee. "An"doTustuff,"U. "Last ni7"gh said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2areliefs1outing it. She8: "Sho! It's `3ful1. IRm abomost every| myself. Sometimes4#meZAMary she had been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothache7,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0"ly1ingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc!'sYress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksome and wa(s discarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTthus keepingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVaas a witness--anwas strange;RSid d overlookFfacteven showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he UmarvelledD"sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5Rtortu's conscience. day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" 8 get hold ofQ jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atedge of the v7billageLno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occupiedbse off greatly helpBease  RThe v!rs4a strong desirey!ar-and-feather Injun Joe and ride him on a rail,body-snatching, but so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ dropped. Hebeen careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyQ minddrifted away from its secret Ss wasLa-Sightyp to interest itself about. Becky Thatcher!stA com9ol. Tom had stryQhis pia few daya"ri"whistle her dowq wind,"|CfailAbegaSf  hanging arqQher f's house, nigh{1feevery miserable. Shpill. WhA at if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor eve? piracy. The charm of liflCgone was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop awayhis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatuat6patent medicines andh&new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tYs. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyUBelsewWhandy subscriber for-athe "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;h the solemn ignorance theyFinflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to godqet up, hat to eat$Rdrinkhow much exercisk what fr!am mind to keep one's self i`sort of clto wear,Lall gospel 3sheobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befSas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQd together her quackyd thus armed with death, went.!onX4pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell following after." Bqsuspect7ad an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. Tter treatmeenew, nowTom's low condigwas a windfaleqhad himqat daylAevernstood him upe woodsh adrowne#D a delug$Bcoldn she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filwa so br(!tonaCrollJAa we!etymY under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean2 and "the yellow stainsit came th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,boy grew moret melancholy andqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Tyremained as dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMu calculncapacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all-om had become indifferent to persecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. Ity fire in a liquid formmQdropp {8andP3els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,soul at peace again; for the """!*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built arunder himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life might be romantic enough, inblighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61var1aboS. So he thought over various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him elp himself2quit bother'Qer. Ieqen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boy"metlth of a crack insitting-room floor!it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2whecaunt'su2 cal along, purring, ey%%heH avariciouslygbegging for La taste.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifie}hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anything mean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, banging against furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind feeCpranced aa frenzy of enjoyment,<his headFhis shoulder$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tea?ahouse  spreading chaosrdestruction^path. Aunt Polly edime to seeVhrow a few double summersets, 2naly hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr P rest! of the Zm old lady stood petrwith astonishA pee1over her glasses;GQlay o floor expi0K;laughter. "Tom, what on earth ails that cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspie boy. "Why, I neveri. What diaact sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're hav?Q good." "They do, do they?" There2omeiIR tonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" qwas benQdown,watchingwist emphasized by anxiety. Too latevined her "drift.R handthe telltale teaspoon visible undered-valanceUAtookheld it upbwincedSdropptIeyesBAraism by the usu ndle--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sir"diZto treatpoor dumb beast so, forout of pity for him--Zdny aunt." ,*"H!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Because if he'd had one s a burnt him out herself! Sc roast;abowels(!of3 'thout any more feeling thanra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes watered a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: was meaning-!stQ. And , it DID do you." Tom looked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through his gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIx!PeIt done HIM!, lhim get around so since--" "Oh, go 'lon3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou nee|Utake medicine}reached school ahead of2" IQnotic2is strange thing h1ad been occurring every day latterlynow, as usual of late, he hung about the gate#heyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he said$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,iddy lad Bcoulait. Tom w= Q, hophenever a friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswight one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumps!enE the emptyQhousefBsat o suffer. Then onehrock passed in `heart gavreat boundO next instant#ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumover the Bfence at risk"iflimb, throwing handsprings, stand1 hiAd--d1allWheroic thingQ conceive of1keea furtive eyeKawhile,tRee ificing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cit be possible thaTjR awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoGaround, snl boy's cap, hurleroof of the q, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andja, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopink they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks bn-!gad2 up1neaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mindJmade up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody loved him; wDhey found o{`y had 4driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry; he had tto do rightget along, butuArnot letsince nob"doj8rid of him,;w1so;k!le`m blame HIM for] consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Whqght hadQto complain? Yes,had forcX to it at last: he blead a+of crime. Ther no choice. By this time h far down Meadow Lanemthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound any more--itvery hard0vcout incold world, he must submit--but he forgave.X"Asobs.a thickfast. JuskApoinHms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefba greadismal purprt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wipkcis eye1leeve, began<lubber outthing about a resolutio,escape from hard usageback of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joe1notRm. BLtranspired2was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc cream. q tasted\Tknew sabout; IRplainst Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvmfor him but succumbAopedIbe happy0 regret having ;er poor boyxbunfeel!rl3asufferdie. Astwo boys walkedr!owgTthey made a newact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'qplans.  being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cavr dying,Otime, of col=2wannagrief;kafter listeniIang to he conced$at2ere_conspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente-be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at a point wthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island, with a shallow bar A heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8c matte"di{occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bank two,vAvill favorite hour--Armidnighcsmall log rafB#re1eancapture. EachJring hookRlines<such provision as he could steal e most dark and mystBerious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagQenjoy sweet glory of spreadingBfactWpretty soonCtown"hear something." All who gotrqvague here cautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, topped inundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlightvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"es?" "Tom Sawyer Black Avenger of`Spanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandedJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIaliteraq "'TisEC. Gi countersign." Two hoarsJspers delivthe same# awful word simultaneously to1roonight: "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ov and let himself down4 it, tearing both skin1clothes to some extentb efforre was an easy, comfortable path aloUCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacon8,}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes1. B@n3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it would never do2tar"2out+fire. Thata wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde!upgreat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurv it, saying, "Hist!" every noAwc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1 orders in dismal whispersX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveo/hilt," because "dead men tell no tales." They knew well enoughu1thesmen were all village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, HuckJoar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedolded armsAgavea low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilyrmonotonQdrove)toward mid-stream i doubt underTTthese"`given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&$particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses,$s tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocmiddle ofQiver; ed her head right?then lay onLtoars. THtt high, so more than a two ree mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed wher lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger 7 7"looking7last" upon the scenhis former joyhis later suffwishing "she" ' could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toQdoom (a grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshot3rvillageRso he["edZq brokensatisfied7other pirates were blast, too;Ethey all&eBlongcame near lett93he \Q drif)m1angQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornugrounde+1bar8hundred yards abovewaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook i:a busheiA a to shelter[provisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws.!y built a fire againsA sida great log twenty o+r thirty stepssombre depths0dforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfYcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glorious sport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunt5menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Qfaces threw its ruddy glare upopillared tree-trunkvtemple, and:varnished foliageoafestoovines. Whellast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,Pboys stretche=4outrgrass, filledcontentmentO"y  have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just die here--hey, Hucky!" "I reck con so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and herecan't comopick at a fellerbullyrag him so."H^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! mbout it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they^to in old times 's always respected. And a Q's goWTsleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inqui"re. "I dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do%'d:do that if you was aDern'd if I wouldWell, what G1do??an't do%`Why, Huck, yHAVE to. How'Nget around itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl(now he fitted a weed stem to it, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The o+s envied himW majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently4i said:Quu?" Tom,2Oh,#CaK--take ships1burm\get the money!y it in awful?6ir island w!re's ghostb|s to watch it, and kill everybody--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenJoe; "they don'tv5RNo," assented Tom,2g --they're too noble. AndT'beautiful, too.Awear[bulliest clothes! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#M." Huck scannRs owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bcse." boys tolbe fine#escome fast enough, afte{y should0Dbeguadventures. Theyhim under^his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduallir talk diedknd drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 (Dhe slept the&d sleepaconscience-freethe weary. The Terror1DSeas& Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, since there!noith authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afr o proceed to such lengths asS, lesqmight call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of~--but an intruder came, now, thatnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no Raround thIe stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simple stealing--a command again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema business, their piracies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a truce"se curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefullyleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyelooked aroundn he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<RreposK" ideep pervading calmasilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; nsound ob'd upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white laysashes cPsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose stra"in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far a bird called; an7=other answered; presently the hammering of a woodpecker was heard. GraduallyB2dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 sh2off going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurTom said;2wheapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him or seemed inclto go elseat last itJia painful momentits curvedz1airSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis wholetBgladBmean72 he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudytical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeara2ed,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; one struggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyaarms, 3ugged it straight up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heCgrass bladeTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],g, fly away home, your house is on fire, children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne2oldrthis insec credulous]conflagratio1nd d practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,it shut itssH1odyGpretend to be|birds were fairly rioty this timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitXer neighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almost Fawithinboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersconsuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aQfellothe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter ats athe wiings had probably never seen a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage farBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfoqpiratesbthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~. A vagrant currRr a sW river had carried@raft, buQonly "finm, sincegoing was some like burningbridge b3Qetweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz} again. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to hold oK;_!teDto a promiGCnookkQ-bankpSthrew ir lines; almost immediately`had reward.rhad notime to get impatient%3werK some handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1Dhad med so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-Ais o he is caughA!beTreflectedupon what a sauce% open-air sleeping, exercise, bathand a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay around icshade,w"haCoke,en went off thrHthe wood$an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersC plenty of !be$ghR, but no#X to b 5 atscoveredaislandabout three miles longa quarter ofQle wi'ashore it lay st to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the midd#thrnoon whOYy got6ptoo hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~1ham 1rew them?selves downaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded G sense of loneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedqeir weayC none was brave enqo speaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully consciouna peculiar sdistance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recogn boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sile2pro_and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe, und!er*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%Qhurrishore towaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakabout a mile belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplere were a great many skiffs row&oruQstreaJthe neighborhoo3, b[could not determine what the mem1 doP !jewhite smoke burst fromc's sidPas it expand rose lazy cloud, that same throb of zCorneJ ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they done that last summer, when Bill Turner gotV!; ;shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaves of breaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!,A'll = right tand stop." "I've heardDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYait befhhey start it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funnyBBut maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<The otherAagre=re was reaso(1Tom , because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe) to act very intelligentlyOset upon an erransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd gips to know Nwho it isJDstill listeneswatched. Pres a revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,he exclaimed: "Boy7who--it's us!y felt like heroes i?instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak n their account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnessse poor lost ladI!ri;"up)aunavai\qregrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3 the talk of the whole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew on ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanity oQir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atbthe villagthinking aGnd saying abou*%m;pictures theyo public distress  Vqgratify o look upon--from=Apoinview. But whenbshadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing intoXRfire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemengone, nowl1Tom<Joe could not keepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew lunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. Byby Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r._but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom averer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrapeUas little tachicken-hethomesickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest formmoment. As the nicght deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aknees, and went searQ3amoWQgrassthe flickreflections flung bycamp-fire. HkDinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\1finchose two which seemeR suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollY put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance  owner. And he alsoQE hatschoolboy treasof almost inestimable value--m a lump of ch India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that hedrhearing straightway broke into a ke*en run in2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck out confidi1wimSremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safSthen Pthrough the woodDllowr, with 3#ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came oto an openroppositBbvillagA sawferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet unde blinking star%$crGbank1alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7skiff tha$t did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun.felt happy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Ataend ofng twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleyss$]aT aunt's back fencehoRapprothe "ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'abetwee`mthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lifQlatchn he pressed gently and<Hyielded a; he continued pushing cautiouslRquaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through on his knees; so he put hi), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said I hurried up. "Why, that door's open, I believe. "of course it is. No strange things now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im1layG"breathed" 7Qfor a*then crep)wuld almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to "kiief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped him for! t ccream,:once recollectingIwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPto see him againhis worldv!,  poor abus !" And Mrs. Harper sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom's better off$isSid, "butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom felt8glare of old lady's eye, thynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it'sKard--Oh,! last Saturday my Joe bust Afireer rightsmy noseknocked him sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over 9rI'd hugK#ndhim for i9Yes, yes, yes, 'IAjustiyou feeljust exactly/ . No longer ago than yeste(Snoon, took and fillecat full of Pain-kille*did thinkccreturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dhead with my thimbleY3boy dead boy."ball his HRs nowy2the'words I evA sayto reproach22ButTmemor$ao much6Dshe broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himself--and more in pity of anybody else. He c:hear Mary cryXqand put in a kindlyA forfrom time toSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still, h]fficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]Bundec7 nd overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousnessthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;Bendsit was co*njectured at first!the boys had got drowned while tak swim; thenmsmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage shq"rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidk gone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodged againe Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. It wa3ievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tora. ThisWednesday A. Ifscontinued until Sunday,3opexAbe g\$ovthe funerals&Q prea:at morning shuddered. Mrs. Harper gave a sobbE-Bturn go. Then with a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cry,*hen parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyond her wont, in ato SidUMary. Sid snuffled a biMary wentccrying!llUheart. knelt downaprayed for Tom so touchingly, so appeal6ith such measureDloveCword3er old tremb/bvoice,!heweltering in tears 9, long bef1"heKhrough. Heto keep still3after sheqto bed,she kept m broken-) ed ejaculations from time toB, tounrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moan|Tlittl: sleep. Nboy stole out, rose gradually byedside, shae candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itto him, and he li:angeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9Ahe bM1verakissed=f[AlipsA straightway madeNstealthy exit, latIAdoor behind himAthreYhis way backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped z$its soon rowf autiously upstream. When hpulled a mile aboveFvillage, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutlyas work"hi1 onf, side neatlyn! t<as a familiar!ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&Ashipfore legitimate prea pirate, bu a thorough search would be Cfor z!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entered the woD2odsqsat dowM took a long rest, torturing meanwhile to keep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before hefairly abreas! island barrested againl81sun bwell uBgilde great riverits splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorXthing. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ouryway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_writing s7hey are if heO 1herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted  (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiaway in a shady nookleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNeiir knees and dugOhands. SometimesB ould take fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg fy"atanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingy2 ba| chased each92anda, shedclothes aNBent,  |sre nakecontinue frolic far!upqshoal wBgain stiff currxwYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timAand ly increasun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;,4 avertedGqto avoi strangl\Rprays81finWDgrip b strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. WG|well exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotalie thand covemselves up2 itby and by#he $aggo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit oc"d 4m%n( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring i  circus--with three clowns infor none oyield this proudest pos9`a. Nexybmarble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stan Joe and(R Huckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kicking off his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his ankle]he wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protection ofmysterious charm. He diuntil he had2imether boys were tiredready to rest. T#waapart, dropY "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgcnot help it. He eraszA5ookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKjoining them. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface. Huck wBas melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as- to tell, yetMi}utinous depression<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates on this island befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat po*up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wango home. It'sqesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. pseem toit, somehow, whent tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! You see your mother, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INs to his1, wwe, Huck? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|?" Huck, "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselft!ho)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice.3m[Ries.  V,4? Let himfunts to. we can get a{him, per'aps.\runeasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on2hisUing. And t2henvs discomfortingK+eying Joe's preparations so wistfullykeeping up such an ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxQword,wade off toward the Illinois shore. Tom's9sink. He glanccould not bearWBlookqdroppedeyes. Then he9U: "I#gogTom. It was getIso lones3ywa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&CwantgqAstay2Tom, I better gog&--who's hendering you.+Qqpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come(. Now youk it over.wait for youqwe get to"5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{, and Tom stood looking after with a strong desire tugg(t;rto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeBboys stop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome ve-!ry!lyT . He made one final strugglebthen d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p1pedturned around. W!gocQwhere% were, h5unfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!aw"point" heBdrivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"f he had tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep them m any very great length ofdand so"meA hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatt1alltime about:stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,< nted to learn to smoke, now.TcaughQ ideaSBlike to tryKSo Huck made pi.1pes7RfilleC. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsPof grape-vinthey "bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrily with slender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a little, hy, it's just as easy! If I'd a know!is/Call,t long ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^ I've looked at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cLdo that;I1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :hway--haven't you7I'll leave iAif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob Tanner!thand Johnny Miller Jeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'bout me saying that?,E's s  day after I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects iI bleeve/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,))I!N I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boys!saHR abouqand someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a>Q.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDwanother one,K1 bu"tobacker ain't very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!heswe'll light upras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifle'grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of "doF sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "pale and miserable, now. Joe'dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumps baili-ng with might 1ain said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=(-unt around by the spring. No, you needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCan he fwit lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepsomething informed him! if they had had any troublygot rid of it. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal andpare their!eyDA no,>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokBQcallepr a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, though 9the dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intentDwait$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{fire everywas swallowed up inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sigathroug brancheBoresbt felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d!sh+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew a feet. AW[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealRunder1rol:and tumbling dowNr heavenlost itself in sullen r42distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling all the leavenCsnow flaky ashes broadcast. Another fi)erce glare lit up the Nan instant crash fopseemed to retree-tops rAoverboys' heads,y clung toge'in terror, iUthick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick! boys, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roar trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloq ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring wind'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful fo8y could not talk, old sail flapped so furiously, even ifHotnoises wLehave a"emQtempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4rwent wibaway o%. gseizedrs' handGRfled,dTmany  bruises, toof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was atst. UndeOceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lanqveil of. Every li hile some giant tree yieldj1e f2andAcras younger growth;aunflag'-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keeRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely #bto teaisland to pieces, burn it up, drow tree-tops, blow it away, and deafen ey creature in it, all at one7same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#} heads to be. But at lastv}Adoneforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her swayR boysback to camp, a good deal awed; buRy four1 still somethankful for, becausegreat sycamore their beds,c ruin, now, blasted byKw they were not ubit whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads, likrir gene0had made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtress discoverYa Ahad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwa7!rdlseparated itself from Zbound),a handbreadth or so ofu escaped wetting; sopatiently w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the Vsides of qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upoR boys siness came ov1em,XAwent:qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a littlefsick once bom saw#2ign fell to chee@up the pirates as he could. Bcared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1them of t!he imposing secreQraiseRay of. While it las he got them interes.n a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansqa changO1ey qattractedis idea; so itlong before<dstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--all of chiefs, of course--2 teF!th Awood%attack an English settlement. B?nto three hostile tribedupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopACkillrxscalpedHousands. Ia gory day. Consequan extremelisfactory one. assembled in camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not  of hospitality together,out first makewas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE processyeLheard of. Twthe savag$es almost wished 7had remained. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulness asRcmustera@!fo ook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into savagerya" gsomething;1fouanow smoke a little having to goBhunt lost knife^"diaget sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w1ingOskinning{ Six Nations. We will leave$tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at pres CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilarity?Btownsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~ Aunt Polly's family, were being putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, althit was ordinarily8all consciencIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%SalkedC; busighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69no heartir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backErsob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that--" ithe whole worldbBhe'sRnow; I'll n%A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered rolling down her cheekTs. Then quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood looking? the paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-sklast time they saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as\ could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"av then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDI what it meant, of course,QI can Anow!#enwas a disputewho saw the dead.qin life Qclaim1at dismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDparted lastqexchangCwordathem, ucky parties took upon themselBves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by&the rest. One poor chap, who had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me once." Butbid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4 loitered away, still recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keepingUmusing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses +c womentheir seatsZ3urbJ1silr. None "er8ittle churchd!be full before. There was finally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, followSid and Mary72y b$Harper family, all in deep black2 whole congregationold minister as well, rose reverentlystood untileourners wererthe front pew. Therencommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa5!herpersist blinded himselfrm always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYSflawsQ boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous% people could easi, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes weremembered with grief1 atxtime they occurry had seemed rank rascalities, well de$ng.qcowhideO  became mor moved, apathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. t rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUchurch door creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg  and stared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe next!Hu ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! l3ing ir own funeral sermon! Py, Ma5"rythe Harpers threw themselves uponSrestored ones, smothems kisses and poured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1aba and uncomfortable, not know^ xactly what to do or where )de from so many unwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizmsaid: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And soshall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesL capable of m2him.  he was before. SuddenlyUushoutedQop ofvoice: "PBQ God whom all blessings flow--SING!--Y ut your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters CSawyPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! this was coudest?life. Asj"sold"trooped out @they saiwould almost be willingmade ridiculous againZ:earUung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe gratefulnNBo Gozaffection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI Batteir own funerals. They had paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;had slept id woods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh` then crept through back lana alley B finTsleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,;and Mary2Dverykqto Tom,u1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(ittWell, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-hearted as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donG"; Mary; "and I believe you Oihad thought|tfW.1youR?R, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing8aI hopeg loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKWc, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,ain't any harm," pleadeBit's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\Qhe nehinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONE it, to"o.you'll look back,E day, when too late, and wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know I do`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^you was sittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him." "W*so we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. B's so dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehAseem"methe wind-- blowed the--" "Trh1der3! T92 di3p . Come!" Tom pressed his fingers on his forehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believ?<or--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh !foP land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEC1any2 in%s,. Sereny b shalliis beforean hour older.^to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'superstition.2Oh,;ball geu{As br"asbnow. Nex) I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum, and not responsibl32n--I think it was a colt, or someecAnd so'"! goodness gracio you began to cryU"So&&. Not the first time, neither. OThen Mrs. ee,said Joetthe same, and she wishe hadn't whipped' aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfom! The sperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheresgone tofDbeen0BimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharpTI layTmust 'a'G2gel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scar`a firecrQackerH you7QPeterthe PainkillerJust as true as I liveBthena whole lot of talk 'draggingriver for us%4hav#funeral Sunday%m1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happened!so , as sur'm a-sitting in thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`it more like if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and IwE seehear every wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'a lookehgood, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "DiR, DIDI;bforgivqh;" And she seize boy in a crushing embracpt made him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, evR#enr it was~ a--dream," Sid soliloquized audibly. "Shut up, Sid! A body doesthe sameV2 as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've been s7forq!if1was found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His word,ness knowsunworthy of it, but ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them the rough places,'s few enwould smile Io= enter intodcrest w! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,the old lady to call on Mrs. vanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mi@Qstakekit!" What a hero Tombecome, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger Xame a pirate who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seem2ee eoks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys Ce drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given anythi1swasuntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpartAeithr a circus. At'3Dmade so muchbof Joe!delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyT1two"esnot long ini Wably "stuck-up."Xbegan to tell their adventuresungry listeners--3onlB;c6!a q likelyDave an end,aimaginbs likerfurnish materialfinally, whry got oir pipeswent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_live for|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh ,as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. qsee herAawayjoined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observSas trYgayly backjRforthiflushed facedL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter 2shea captureh(icbalways/Cher 1As in^vicinitywAeemecast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:poo. It >gratified alliFr vanitywQ him;:!so, instead of winning him, it only "set him up"Y2morx6him diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyB, sighing once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistfulward Tom. T 1now1wasing more particularI Amy Lawrence than ny one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1 go away, but her feet were tBrous:1car7aher to[A saia7 almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(Idin Miss Peters' classuDre Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give UMy maPto leat me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,zeill. T's for m<qanybodyAr I wantQR" "Teo nice. When is itb!Byby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM RgirlsV1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycaatree "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on,a clappf joyful ha5illhad begged for invitNAs bu1Amynturned coollyPcstill Atook him. Becky's lips tremblthe tears caher eyes;Y!hi$se signsa forced gayetpywent on chatteringtthe life had gone outR, nowything else1got as soonhe could)hid herself and had what her sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused upua vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveplaited tails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together over book, thay did not seem to be conscious of ani`Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chancehad offeredaa reconciliation. Hae callcWba foolahard names think of. He wanCo crvexation. Amy Ad happily along, as they walked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever she paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !to^Drear?, again and , to seareyeballs1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaehe though aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, toosas glad him suffer^3haded. Amy's happy pracame intolerable.!hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZget rid of h+er?" At las1bthose $--xsaid artlesslyould be "around"S school let oueqhe hasteaway, hat for it. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" cwent throughrmotionsprashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was finishehis satisfaq Tom f ome at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?Bnesshis jealousyG bear noAB the distress. 'qresumedpicture in'with Alfred, but  minutes dragged2>!no#to, her tr,iumph began to cloud6 she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three times she pr up her ear at a footstep1 ita false hope;. she grew entirely miserabl" wsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeaswas losr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"{1pat at last[Rsaid,Mdon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearagot upCwalkq2. dd droppPCside+As goQo try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wahave done--forC"ha, }iYsvnooningqon, cryCThenC!mu Zhe desertedhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guesseE!waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to vent her6 spite upon Tom Sawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurred to himGZAtherT some2get=3boy) rouble without much riskTself. Tom's spelling-book fell under his ey]uhis opportunitZgratefully open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. Becky, glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendAfindand tell him;would be thankfulctheir s%healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, shechanged 1ind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abouN picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's accounx"torhim for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodthe firs !ngaunt saiqim showmQ brought 9khis sorrows to an unpromising market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie, what have I done?" "Well, you've3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expeccI'm goAmake&believe allrubbage *`bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardter we hadQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a boy9will act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkclet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myself never say a word." Thisa new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniouserely looked mea shabby now. He huAhead"no5kenything toSfor an he said:I I hadn'tit--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 8Lover here Jackson's Island in the to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie \aY;An't IA to pity us`qsave us9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Ayou -&tWhat dime for, then?" "Iqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel! w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad asta thought asqY2youwy did--and!it.Qndeed' 1, a%--53mayBstirH!OhT", !Rlie-- Qdo itAonlysns a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanteBAkeepfrom grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run off and acted so bad. But it reasonable;nS, whytme, childAWhy,see, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall full ofjqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT:I had wrote oS you we'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BRI lov2 soyou laid tDmoan$Iso sorry8words sounded likThe old lady not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!!bex1youRchoolh bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closgot out the rui n of a jawhich Tom e in. Trtopped,!itjrer hands{o herself: "No, I dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie, 's such a comfort come fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWM Lord will forgive him, b`!itZsuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lieon't look." ShexCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her hand!akA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve me." SosM4. AQlater-qwas reaTom's piece of through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREDQometh bout Aunt Polly's manner"4sheTom, that sweplow spirit1mad lighthearted andXq happy q. He st to school1hadeluck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati C ranD said: "I acted mighty me'R-day,I'm so sorrylever, ever do that way , as long as #I live--please make up, you?" The girl looked him scornfully in`Aface 'll thank you to keep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIRBtossaand pason. Tom stunned!henot even presenHqmind enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilxRright?6!itegone by. So he=!no(Oin a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohyard wiswshe were azand imagining how he would trounceN"if\1ereitly encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breach complete. It seemed to Becky:A, inAhot btment,Qshe chardly wait forto "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6qfloggedA the injured spelling-book. I;"ha`any lingering noof exposing Alfred Temple, Tom's offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor,did not know2fasqwas neaatroublQself.bmaster}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar*of his desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbaself iyas when no classes) reciting2kept thateunder loc`A key#rot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalikeaof getting;facts in ase. Nowl|passing bydesk, wh*ich stood the doorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ" a precious moment. She glanced around; found herFalon next instant 2theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon a9omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepped inAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%Asnatbook to close "anythe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intodesk, turnyt{QburstTacrying'1 shand vexF. " , you are just as mean asacan be4sneak up on a personXlBt why're look." "HowI1you*( anything?" "You od of you;wyou're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do, w ! I'll be whippedbqI never in school." Then$astampe little foot0said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. You2wai^you'll see! Hateful, h !"--and she flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flustered by this onsld%. Presently he said to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Nbeen lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@ways of getting even o,m<C; bu|of it? Oxwill ask who itore his book. No ll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first ontqthen t'6when he comes b rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facese=mygiy backbonTp'll get.vit's a htplace for Becky7Kcherp1any#ou." Tom coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"Qjoinel mob of skylarking scholars outside. In a fews the master arriv "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at the)ts' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Considering allds, he pa pity tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyGname r the sp-book discowas madeTom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distresshowed good the proceedings. S_aexpectt/*4his by deny he spil2inkCe2;eS. The de$ nial only seemed to makeBwors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"atrshe triYrbelieve44as /it, but she fou71wascertain. WheJworst cam,Yhad an impuls!y and tell on Alfred Temple}C* an effort and forced herself to keep still--because, sai,, "he'llu about me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,~Eoughpossible[unknowingly upsey himself, in somePbout--he had denied itform's sakehpbcustombhad stuck tobdenialprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5s(Tddingbthrone&air was drowsy with>1hum,tudy. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlockbs deskqreachedhis book, 5undecided whether to take it ouK't or leave it. Most of the pupils glanced up languidly there were two among themQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfinger book absently for a whileQit oua settl<\Achairead! Tom shot a at Becky. He7een a huntedhelpless rabbit lsYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--someimust be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! He run and snatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i)the chancqlost--tster opene'volume. If Tom onlyasted opportunityagain! Too late. TbQ helpw now, he said* next momen}3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil% one might couynt ten =was gathering his wrathRnpoke: "Who tore tH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued; searched face afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more #sethe slow torturse proceedingsFDscanranks of boys--consid( !ur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlN!ThrMtrembling froms to fooQexcitGf1a sa hopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccazc" [TomhfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]a--no, Qme inyface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thoughtlike lightni`aQbrainpsprang gto his fee%shouted--"I done it! school stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a moment, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardA"o punishment the surprise,gratitudQ adorA tha1ne upon him out of poorv 's eyes seemed pay enoughXa hundred floggInspired bysplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed--for he knew who w$Await8kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. Tom w Ro bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Bshamarepent5rAtold7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longinghgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at lasp's latePst words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rmore exactn#, TAwantto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he Ato t vindictive)cure inIe shortcomThe consequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX8Bheirz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to d: a mischief. But`ept ahead all the t"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. At las>ylp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore in( sign-painter's boy, told him!CchemBaskerhelp. Hhis own reasons for being deldtboardedfather's f]and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<bbe not!o !fith the plan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominiroper condi7on  Evening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened a right time!hul to school. I1ful"of4Athe !esHc arriv0+1 inUechoolhousebrilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonbfoliagxflowers! s1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blacka behin2. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front ofwere occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, back@ citizens,a spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoato taktvexercis ; of small1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuousl,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEthe housDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very littlstood upsheepishly recia"You'd scarcSe expect onQmy ag/speak in public on the stage," etc.--accompanying himself withpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine might have used--supposing'to be a trifle ou\)order. But he got through safely, though cruelly scared,. got a fine round of applahen he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lisped, "Mary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYafidencQ soar!tounquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him,gs quaked under him|h1liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathy b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY ETfrownAthis+#le disastenr. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy StoodC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class recQhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, held upRmanuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Compand Contra3sted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalent)8se a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opue gush of "fine language"; <tendency to lug in ears particularly prized wordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markQmarreEmthe inveterateOintolerable sermonT wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one zm. No matter wh6subject might be, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or tbAmora" r us mind could contemplateAgedificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bex,!th1 ld stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#  do not feel obligwAclos.!ir; with a Z%2youUfind #most frivolous anv least girl in < is alwayt longestAXrelentlessly pious. But enoug%this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us return tor"Examin=" The firstNas read9one entitled "Is this, then, Life?" Pg reader can endure an extractNit: "I  common walks of life, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forward  anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturejoy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4allrs.' Her gracform, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is 3est gay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentranceqe Elysian world, ofW which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}alast. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior, all is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFwith wastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awayFnvicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyqlongingthe soul!" And so forso on. Therea buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe had closed j a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comeRpillsndigestion`a "poem." Two stanza9it will do+ "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA 1 "Alabama,% -bye! I love thee well! But yet fozdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recolles throng my brhFor I have wandHthrough thy flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CT-ide Aurora's beam. "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[ Welcome and home were mine"inTStateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbget9(teoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <| actory, nevertheless. Next/ed a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressoive moment, assu tragic expression8 began toin a measured, solemn tone: "A VISIONCDarkr mpestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep intonationT heavy thunder constantly vibrated up ear; whils]errific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic sa blust?about as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so areary,Khuman sympathy mymspirit sigha insteQbereof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,Aseco!is[in joy,'RQto my. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ, a queen of beauty m unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So softher step, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, a=ther unobtrusive beauties, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)dmplateg5two"resented." Thi; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehPions L2in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America onblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCunsteady haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =Ato r@!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not put down byQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^continued; it manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended around the F#haunches by a string; she had a rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofCabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&Q into"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXldid blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke uprmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, aWestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl pnQhenceEmuch happian any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jopthe newg order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." He promised to abstai^ smoking, ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he found  new thing--namely, that to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery {. Tom soon himself tormentedq a desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb3gavQup --it up before A2worshackles over forty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|rdeathbeiw61hav ig public funeral, since he!so1 an official. During three days was deeply concerned 62theq's condZhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--#he`venture to get, and practiseathe lo-glass. B1 haost discouraging@of fluctuating. At lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedsignation at onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapsesBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fineT. TheCpara a style calculated to killClate^Benvybrree boyQ, howd--ther"meQ!atFc swear, now--but1 toWssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookBaway1thenm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginningang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diaryhappened dso he abandonedhe firstnegro minstrellQs camBtownQmade a sensation. TomD and Joe Harper got up a band of performers+were happy for two days. Eve Glorious Fourthsin somea failure,Eit rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tarld (as Tom supposed), Mr. Bento= actual United States Senator, proved an overwhelming disappointment--for henot twenty-five feet high, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys playedAhree afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOQboys,for girls#enxs. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, by,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hoBstay~qher par }J--so!br|1sidaElifeP dreadful secret of th8ce murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9Bpaingn the measles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dead tqand its]enings. Hevery ill,finterested in nothing. When he got upon hisSat lam#feebly down-town, a melancholy change had come ove!ryl ercreaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thI.L bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwhere:fou9Qstudy Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlrhe poorLqa baskeRtractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionAprec0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encouQd addJrother tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refugeF`bosom ?of Huckleberry Finn3was received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept homto bed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, foreverW b. AndBnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu2ax1wasTaresultmight have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryyb incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. Bbtempest spent itself#diQout accomplishingaobject boy's first impulseL gratefulreform. His secoto wait--Y3for5 not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his85timan entire age. When he got abroad at last hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor1wasPdrifted listlessly down"astreetfound Jim Hollis ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catmurder, iiSpreseher victim, a birdsoe HarpBHuckup an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATthe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:Re trial4k!bethe absorbWopic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern!to sent a shudder toBheartroubled consciG and fears almost persuadHmthese remarkr!pu Ath iKl's "feelers"; he did n*aot see-ld be suspected of knowBAnyth 1bou}, but stillF2 comfortablthe midst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealQongueQ a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedssure himself- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt. After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO$y ain't no diIbnt way>that's all rightn. I reckon we're 1safe as long as we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s mat, constant, so's to hide som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always--m *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@1kingood--he give me half a, once, wheyre warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish w"geoQtherep5My!&n't get "), Tom. And besides, 'twouldn't do any good;'d ketch himbcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoOAYes, T talk4at,9.that if he was,AfreeQb'd lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughm little comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhapsan undefinpe that something;Q happAat m!clo4ir difficul+r But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~Roften,%B--we  the cell grating and gave some tobaccomatches. HBhe gQfloorEA werguards. Hisltude for /Qgiftsalways smottir consciences it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and treacherouthe last degree Potter said: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.Emendboys' kitesks:AshowAwherT0 fishin' places wa0rbefrienwhat I couldO2now ave allot old Muff@Ahe'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYPeet him> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac} for it--I got to swingit's right. RighABEST , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't 4at.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yed me. But<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li%furder west--soSit; it's a pri@me comfor?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of R]tD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llthrough the bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if ." Tom went home miseraWhis dream night were full of horrorse next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experG y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascinationb+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endsecond d<ay the village tal"to2(ffect that Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvrw0 jury's verdict would be. as out late,u"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waijury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM2b pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoblawyerAgath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospAhereRreparation was as impressive fascinating. Now a witneseAcallo testifiat he found Muff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredt immediately sneaked awaysome fur`}counsel forEarosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a moment, but dropp%em again when his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C$ #,"#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often se%inO possession.Potter declinE The faces;b begantray annoyance. Did attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed conce* guilty behavior@brought toTscene8. They were allow AleavQ stanbeing cross-.Every detailbQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyard upon$0which all present remembered so well was brought out by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexity and dissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmurs=Qprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,6ahe putKqface in AhandWS rocklbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.4movbmany women's compa xtears. rthe def1oseXYour honor, in2tremarksREopenPis tr<1ialforeshadour purpose to proa lient did this fearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsq delirium produced by drinkoSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Then t clerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven excepting}B's. 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereAyou oIe seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron fachis tongue failm audience libreathles"th!s refused to come. After a few moments, however,boy got a little of{strength back\b manag^3puts of it into8voice to make parthear: "IYd!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You8--"QPaveya1rd.contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I!hia"WhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neve mentioning your companion's name. We will 6a him ai proper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. WhaGyou take Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )rkeleton!atdD Now, tell us 4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at first, butBwarmthis subject his wordsv flowed more an easily; in a little while  sound ceased but his own voice;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbERbreataudience hung>s words, taking no note of time, rapt inghastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and astdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as light7the half-breed sprang for a window, tore his way through all opposers,was gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOMPgring hero onceH--the pet%Aold,Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some believed he would be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreaskworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;fore it is not we ll to find fault_it. Tom's days: of splendorQexult@ to him, rnights v?horror. infestedqhis dreamsalways with doom inVeye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayatrial,hsfraid thabTshareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattornepromise secrecy-qwhat of? Since }harassed conscad managed to drive himc c's house byjQand waadQ fromkPhad been sealndismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidenchuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wished he hadO up his tongue. Half2timZ3wasawould never be captured; the other half h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead1eencorpse. Rewards*been offered,'VuntryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moused around, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. That  say, he "! a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure asH#as,!. nBslowdrifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we"of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyUon Tom one d`!ayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinnuRed-Handed. Huck Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedN matter to him confidentially`0AwillElway to take a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!enva limb of an oldRtree,2shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I Cide it; I'd spend have a good time"So; I. But robCbersl"doIway. Theyf and leave it t"Dthey come after0ay more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go Afindm#61wan^ esbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can taagain BtimeS ' -1 up Still-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'emI all of theHtalk! No!" " NThenQknow Zto go forG _ 'em!" "Why, Tom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^Agrayrotten chest fudi'monds. Howat?" Huck's eyes glowed. "T1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right. But I beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckoni!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^"Do1hopHop?--your granny! No#eqhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o want to ho p for?--ba1meaq'd justVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`Aon't2"ifAlikeMa"; )kwant to beRg andD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firs%zknow. S'#we tackljdead-limb tree on the hill t'\ side of Still-House branchrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingE threw themselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQ a smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2Say$wetreasure here6you"doyour sharZBI'll1pieaa glasAsodaRy day1go to every circufcomes along.0aa gay time." "Wellk, ain'sL2f igrSave it" "Why, so as tod something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daR get his claws on it if Iurry up,I tell you he'd clea3out pretty quick.t)xn$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M b!" "Tiyou--why in your right min"Wait--you'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! !1thead to f1all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"cky're all alikeM!y'l comb a body. Nowzabetterak 'bouqs awhilVByou /BHaname oCB gal8a gal aa--it'srI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's right, like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now\2AllY!--6ll do. Only if? T be more lonesomer than everT!No82. Y2andRrwith mestir out `is and we'll go to digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2. Not generally.!weqn't got the AplacS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progress:By pe4way in silenceVrFinally leaned onshovel, swabbed beaded drops from his browhis sleeveNrQWhereCdig next, after we.1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree's over yonder on Cardiff Hille widow'sd-be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her land." I"SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever find Qse hi*asures, it belongs to him. It don't make any difference wzland it's onat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVRthinkt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfere@s_the trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadow * limb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"ed2allfor nothingQ hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minutee)go for itAWell, I'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tbbushese boys wer)4at 2bouIappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonely)an hour made solemn by old traditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks,deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answwith his sepulchral notM subdued by thesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+a stone or a chunk. At last Tomv#Itrany use-rxrbut we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a dopI know "itFthen there's another  What's that?". "Why, weguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck droppedhovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroublegot to give this one upBcan'Q telly besides< kind of 'sawful, !is<2 ofwitches and2 a-flutteringZso. I feel as if n's behind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS, becuz maybe's otherfront a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGRfor iLordy!" "YeRy do.uh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolRPpeople. A body's bto get intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posA oneuto stick.Akull vand sayG!" "Don't Tom! It'sit just is. Huckcomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better"ull it be?" Tom considered awhile;dQsaid:4e ha'nted house. GBlame it 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,lyocome slidmin a shroud,you ain't noticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way a does. I couldn't stORuch a " a--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUronly at4won't heus from digging! ir daytimItso. But you knowcy wellgo about  fA nor&Bnigh0 pmostly becauRato go a a manaen mur, anyway--bubhing'sobeen seenBthat except night--just some blue lights slipping by windows--no regular ghostsyou see one of them[vflicker, you can beuEre'shy close behind it. Irs to reason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em=YespEDcomebP`b, so wZathe usaour beffeard?7a. We'll tacklex dfbsay so#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorstep e chimney crumbled to ruinindow-sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gaz*, half expectSAo se. flit past a{;]1tal1one, as befitte8Atimeqqircumsty struck far off to the right, toHVe haude berth, aInd took their way homeward throughRwoods6SadornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< f3for tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dowknow whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveS daysd week,n quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookam-- "My! I never once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!"'sQluckywq, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the first1fou|3 ounRsaid I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rat"No! Sure sign of trouble. Did they fight?-that's good!hey: it's only a sign # t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England--anb best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopleRkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly squarehe must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;NhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. It"kind of a bow, of course. And if he hit that dimeHoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." SoagplayedL all the afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7 remark about the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink intA wesWy took their way homeward athwar% long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom sa1re so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned itngle thrusa shovel. TheQailed however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling jt`not tr(Rifledhcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whery reach twas something so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/1bakOzun, andbSdepreb loneland desolation ofbplace,w[afraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1herand everyWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fQy gav [ a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextato look up-s. This was AMlike cutting offC, buP!go^daring each otherof coursre could be@one result--bthrew tools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery was a fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blancwith fright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." The boys stretmselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately1--never saw t'man before." "T" a ragged, unkempt creature,Z very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Ctalka low voice; @2satground, facingCdoorbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedX his words more distinct as ceeded: "No,"e he, "I've thought it all ov1I dit. It's dangerous*D!" grunte"e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPadifferaAway u1 riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe know we tried, anyway, long as we didn't succeedrWell, w. qcoming 9i% daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any other placeandy after6 fool of a job. I want to quit this shanty ed to yesterday, only ituquse tryo stir out ofose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayby wishahearts[ had waited a year. The two m\tJ]2fooa luncheon. AaCand Cful ,CLooklad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear9me. I'll takechances on droppis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'-'7I've spied a< a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas! W?$e'll leg it together!" This was satisfactory. Bothpresently fell<bawningp .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downWa weedssoon bega7snore. His comrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispered: "Now's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die if\ke." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starElone first step hewrung such a hideous creak from6razy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp1 lare counthe dragging moments rit seemBthemtime must be donGeternity growing gray;1thefy wererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly upon hiMr, whose2wasing uponwknees--B2 up|his foot1saiHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All 7, though--nothing's happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, partly. NearlyQfor ube moving)d. What'll we dowhat little swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave it M#as2aalways , I reckon. No use to tak7Bawayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omeonce mor"No--but I'd say(jRnight2 usdo--it's betterYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; wjust regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"MH/ walked acrossroom, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonetook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty /irty dollars foOr himselfGas much for Injun Joe,1pas"heo latter, (s corner, now, diggingR#his bowie-knife. The boys forgot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloating eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--the splendor of it was beyondwimagination!qdollars0money enough to make half a dozenrich! Here6treasure-hununder theiest auspicesre would not9ny bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilyastood,,they simply meant--}6but glad NOW we'rb !" Joe's knife struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?i4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box,4alieve.--bear a hand and 2see<Kfor. Never mind, I've broke a hol4aHe reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinedwhandful of coinswere goldj above w:ere as excitethemselves,as delighted.comrade said: "Wquick work of thire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#BsideWe fireplace--I sa5a minute agoh!anqbroughtMRboys'and shovel.Q took*pick, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxsoon unearthed. Iu not very large; iron bou had been+strong before:slow years+Qinjurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of Shere,K. "'Twas always said that Murrel's gang uloruone summer,"stranger observ"I know ita; "and looks like it, I shRsay." "Now you won't need to doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Least]all abouta(thing. 'Tain't robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!" and a( wicked  flamed in his eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyour kidMstand by tillhear from me`Well--if say so; what'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! [ys were sickerror in a moment.] What business has a^Sand aa here?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n ". Y!ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|#at. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--undxBcross is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to cautiously peeping out. Pres$ ently he said: "Who couldose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?" ' breath forsookj&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[turned towar way. The Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring for the 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi2amiAUdebriQruineVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Now s the use of all that? If<8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes follow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoqhings inu caught a sAof u took us for ghosts or devils or sRomethu'<Rrunning yet." Joe grumbled awhile;he agreed withafriend daylight was left o to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredq througc chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk much1wer much absorb#haemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,/n+would have suspected Chiddk8sil gold to waitWQ till"revenge"Qtsatisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&!RtoolsAere!]y=ved to k=eep a looko9 Spaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobWf him to "Number Two," wherthat might beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it allas they entewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company be a palpable improvement, he. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure2day ily tormented Tom's dreams night. Four times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6ilt7!noqness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4bBt ba hard reality ofR1. AClay |smorning recalle incidenthis greatD, he noticedseemed curiously subdued and far away--somewhat as if ;had happened in another world, or time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo be2. H%n seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsly exist2the@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. Ianotionuhidden had been analyzed,wBhavey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras Q. Bugrew sen qsharperclearer under the attri193ink&mPnd so$ he presently`1himkAlean5oRBimprZ2 thing might not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sitting e gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangling his fee3aand looBvery melancholy. Tom concluded to letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ `Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don'ta." "Wwbu?" "Ohing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8)2how Q! I've hads enoughnight--with[patch-eyed Spanish devil goingm*1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_prot hima. FINDu Track /we'll neverXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--andone's lost. I'd feel1ry shakywas to see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's itQ'bout. But I can't make no[aout of@do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,is one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. Lemme6K Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I com1Tom-off at onc1carasHuck's company in public placesas gone half an hour4fouee bestQNo. 2BlongQoccupy a young lawyer, andmsso occupied. In>less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said it5kept locked alllBtime2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at night; he did not any particular reason for this state of1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade1mosCthe & by entertaining himself with5Aidea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%QthereZda ligh !reS before. "Twhat I'vY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E . Now what you going to doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeet hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first darkf"goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownspy around once moreWa chance tois revenge. If see him, just follow him;_if he don't go ,Aain'a placeLordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%, sure. He mightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkh 'a' found out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooRuntil nine, one watch2he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. NoQenterFor left it; n%sresembln Spaniard`$ed3P the  e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had the same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itC!hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }b. EverrauspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towel`the tw"o adventurers crepPgloom towar ."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The"reZ of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful things] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heQonly Y to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itAout,Ctbeating. Suddenln"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUqenough;making tShirty or forty miles anq beforerepetition?AutteThe boys never stopped till they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!as"go]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn ia lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holBknobopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&lying there, s asleep oARfloor4old patch oP1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jstarted!" "I#'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aunt me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRI didn't wait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALL2Temperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is,! You try iHuck shuddEno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doQThere a long pause for reflectiothen TomzRLooky3less notCthing any m ore till we knowcR Joe'5in there. It's too scary. Nowwe watch every night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor other,C!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeUj%y 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*'m asleep,ORthrow:gravel atwindow and 'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeITa]! t for a year! E all dayiF&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 toc any time I G ask him he gives me a littleL#th eat if he can spare it. r mightyB!ik\, becuz I don'[q act as was abov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wanas a steadyAe$ift( daytime,q"le.n't come bothering around. Any gyou sed's up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on Friday morning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"ow before. Both Injun Joethe trea)sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky took chief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhaustingplaying "hi-spy"%"gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:Qeasedmother to a,ppoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown4a fever of preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!heAhope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having histo astonish&kers with,Q; butras disa ed. No signal came*C. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was ro1for|qart. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.!s spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladireightee# #gentlemenwenty-three sreabout1oldqm ferryboatQchartfor the occ^casion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast  Mrs. Thatcher sai[Becky, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay all some ofBirlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *qclimb r2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!" Becky reflected a mo1and7s: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedNidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother won't knowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a' go there if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting bait. I Tom's persusScarriqday. So itOadecide;bsay no]anybody abounight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgiveasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweigh3unc1rtreasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinLnot allow him!to k of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below town>boat stoymouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmTed ashore3soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9 the different ways of get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHAgoodgs began. AfterAfeas!re-a refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomef shouted: "Who's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \procuredstraightwaU re was a general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJmysterious to stand deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi("Sun. B_Qimpre#DnessUBsituquickly wore off, and the romping d againcment aalighte Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence followed, busoon knocked down or bl !utlad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingthe steep descent!main avenue,lickering rank ofVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wall rock almost to their poip2jun sixty feet overhead. Thisnot more than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other#and still narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`*but a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander daynAtogeuits intricate tanglArift:b chasmC never fiD end Qcave;h!goY,Qdown,jAintoS4eari"juyp same--D! u_!nocto anym. No man "knew"icave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venture much beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%of2 asine. T moved along1"some three-quarterba mile<ySgroupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?t joined Parties were able to elud^2for1pachalf an hour without go6yond the " " ground. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely de" uccess of1day"yMstonisheat they had been taking no not[2tim.mabout at hanre clangtqll had Tcalling for . However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romantic aserefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild freight puBintoVtream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedAstill as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w#--n he dropped!ourhis minput his attenLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,pvillage betook itself to its slumber2lefRsmall>!ere/qthe sil ghosts. Eleven ftavernv re put out; darkness everys, now. $itseemed aGE weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? "reA Why]give it upturn in? AFfell~2ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;one seemrhave someCQunderDarm. It must be tAx! Sy1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGQriveret three blocks, t+2urn the left up a cross-streey? straightE, until they1 to!paBat lCardiff Hill; this they took.# Bpassthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. But1stoa &3on,d summiQplunged inbnarrow7bbetweetall sumach bushesat once hiddeothe gloom.d shorteneddistance, now, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everyiqlost! HQ abou!spqwith wifeet, when a man clearQthroa four feethim! Huck'sbt shot`lBroat@he swallowed itY;sthen he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weak th+a}zhe must surely fall ground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,A, le$m there; it won't be hard to find. Now&a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisthat stranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill wenob--thisthe "revenge" job! HiswAwas,6l3n he remembered:the had been kinvqhim mornuEthese men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to warA; buzq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcall this and !in1momXhat elapsed 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. WellTre IS, I reckon4. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tellagain, as I've told you before, I care fo swag--you maycQit. Br husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justiceyApeact jugged ma vagrant. AnAain'Q5. I millionth part of it! He haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town looking on! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM if rbut not.1Whe?2 waCget  on a woma#@q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!to bed. If she bleeds to deatNQh, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help me in --for MY sake --that's why7re here--I mightn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB her then I reckon nobody'll know muchnwho done businessWell, if it's got to be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was goo ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and stegingerly back; plante.2fooQfully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sid `!onRfother.:n!, the same elaborationr risks;\94andRpwig snapped u)Ander>vfoot! HHqstoppedehe listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass if he were=p'uly but cautiouslyrg. When he emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsTflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reacheWelshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's banging? What do you want?" "Let--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y!' , indeed! It ain't a namopen many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads[Vsee w qtroubleQPleas"'t+tell I told you,"ccHuck'srwords wd got in. M--I'd beed, sure--buwidow's been good s to me somet33imeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itm By George, he HAS got somehA, orAouldct so!" exclaim; "out with it0nobody here';." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hilljust enteringJzpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no further hid behind a great bowldersfell to7ing a lagging, anxious silence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang awayBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came groping!rag77olds&. The inmate,asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,sccount exciting episodenight. A calla:o's therI2e!"Q's sc,voice answered in a low tone: "Please let me in! It's onlyFinn!" "ba nameacan opOi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseustrange words,he vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he had ever heardLRnot recollectthe closing word=1beeG"li!his case beforenwas quickly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop're goodZungry, because break will be ready as soon as}sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boysded turn up and stop BlastF.tFSawfulq," saide, "and I run. I took :he pistols wekfAI diAstopt> le. I've come now becuz 7ed to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xrun acros~m devils, even if they"dep"Well, :poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but there's a bedx1forAwhenBv^Fyour=Q. No, ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right w to put our hands on them, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar that sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it back, but no use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T rais3the started those scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B<"ey"2offrjiffy, svillainwe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we n4Qtouch!emy fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. AkRwe loVB sou$Twe quit rchasingBwentand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar~river bank&ait is ligh sheriffaa gangS beat}My boys will be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. Butcouldn'thdrlike, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!fAne's!olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>here once or twiceqt'othermean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don'tANYbody it was me NFblow1b! Oh, =All right i,fsay it, Huck, b!ouxao havecredit of whaQ did.@h no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung men were gone,]5oldFA saiT-r--and I. But whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, further than to say<he already knew too much about\1men`+1manU M anything against him forwhole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thaay of it last night. I,Sleep,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all over, and when I got to old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me, with;1undreir arm'I reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'one wantlight; soG stopped right before methe cigars lit up a faces"RI seeoqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered0a momentknow--butQhow ims as if IQtbent onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT*e widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhearu1beg"K5the swear he'd sp;rr looks?as I tollyour two What! The  DEAF AND DUMB man said all!" Huck had maderrible mistake! HQryingn1besA1keeA olddfrom getting?faintest hint of whR might bQ1yetbtongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite ofAhe cbdo. He several efforts to creep ouhis scrape, but'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh;: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I wouldn't hurt a hair of your head forXorld. No--I'd protect+ !. mz is not; you've let6out intending it+ can't cover0up now. You know1abob&at that you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes,bent over andpwiar: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!? almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It's aIll plain enough,pWhen you talkedmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an *! That's a different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wn!inQcours i* rRthe lIing which heqis sons done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineBstilWits vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide1histh suspended--wai'1foraanswer )tarted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTERDyou?4sank back, pang deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and p5said: "Ye,.s,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven any for material for a plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he  --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." Poor Mtoo distressed to smileWQ laugzoud and joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such ar money in a-man's pocket,  it cut dowdoctor's bill like evernq"ddold chap, you're Za5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little fyoff your balancyou'll come ouit. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hoprirritatthink heSaBgoosbetrayed such a suspicious excitement,HqdroppedBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a8n't--and soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possession" oAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be y!ilybat dayhTom could seizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompledea knocQdoor.lq jumped&a hiding-V"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt Welshman admitted several ladies and gent6lemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's anotheryou're more beholdenan you are to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't have beee!reD for him." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almolittled the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis M!thqbe trans?"T townb refus"2parsecret. When all els> AlearBAthe  said: "I wensleep reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth whAThosDlows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAwork, and whaat wasuse of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8y've just back." More!T came&bbe tol!re for a couple of hoursA. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;-Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boyk$'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--on you. And now he's afraid to%totto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "He Aus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A marked anxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhaveSseen K1thiQAningY1No'"When did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he c2sayWpeople had stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teache!eys?"henot noticed whether3andDwere on boardtferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughQinquiaif any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!]swooned awa fell to crying wringing'Bands alarm swept from lip to lip, from g1roubgroup,&Rstree within five minutesfQbells wildly cla$he whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episode sankginstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited Y6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzswords. tedious $for news;"heA dawqt last, athe wo"atwas, "Send more candles--and send food." was almost crazed;$3, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real che The old Welshman came hom5ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay`almost worn out. He found Huck i#behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  Huck had spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes his hands." Early-AforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongest citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be gainedremoteness!rn being ransack7W;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting h5iband th distancepshoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear dow9sombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wallcandle-smoknear at hand a grease-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over ii7 last relic she sh1havher child;UAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then,  cave, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a gloK)burst forth aa scor'men go troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>ir tedious hours alongvillage sank9a hopeless stup3or. No oneAhear0 anything. The accidental discovery, just made,Gthe proprietor of the Temperance Tavern kept liquor on his premises, scarcely fluttere public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lqsubjects?A finYasked--dimly 1ingsworst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer ?Tinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveI t powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone fo's--gone a! But she be crying about? CuMP cry.Z These thoughts worke`ir dim way through.r's mind Qunderwearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, now's got hope enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alo^murky aisles with12reshe company, visit familiar wonderst cave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wand down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles alofttangled web-work of I dates, post-office addresand mottoQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in candle-sm>oke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged carrying a limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. He founit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responde#is call, aey made aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw !isbrat, farAintoqsecret depths of A,nother mark|branched off i( of novelties to tel upper world about. In onea spacious cavern, fr42om 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactites ofalengthcircumferenc7a man's leg;walked all it, wonderQadmir_ and presently left it by numerous passagesbopenediis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrusted with a frostwork of glitt crystals; it:Amidsa#rn|Rwalls+Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot bats had packed themselvwrousands Qbunch( lights disturbTe creaturOflockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously  candlesFknew their waymr danger%isqconduct'Becky's han hurried herthe first corridorqffered;Onone too soon) a bat struck g-5 ouus wing while she Bwas passing(< cavern. TheBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thing found a subterranean lake,, stretched i<$m way untilshape was lost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest awhile, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesTthe place laid a clammyg3upoBpiri5!. / said: "Why, I didn't notice2it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I B howRwe'veahere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC waybBIt's" mixed-up crooked Ato m"npI couldHNCit--qbats. Iy put our candles owill be an awful fix. Let's try som so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we w1get|7. I8"sozB!" a girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theya corridor traversed it in silence a  way, glancing at eachopening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face for/ncouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ing_#on3wasQ. He rA saiwas "all !,"such a leaden1 atRhearttnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is lost!" B+ecky clung tooqside innguish of feaied hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mindHqbats, l23go `at way! We seem.et worse 1offime." "Listen!"{ he. Profound; so deept"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too h,*Becky. "I!I better<; they might hear us, you know,4 he~[! "6R" waspa chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing.hildren stoodand listened; yno resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps!as5a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanother]!ac9 --he could not find his w!ayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Isuch a fool! S Ithought wewant to com-! No--I can'the way. It's all mixewe're lost! #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveqQotherSQnk to!gr$and burst intorenzy of crying Tom was appalled withMBidea$$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byqand putbarms aher; she bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"Cpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regrets,jqthe far$esAthemyto jeerQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamingAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. wW1try*Aope Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +n she, she sTqaid. Sy moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--all theyq!do!toF, keep movinga little while, made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarityfailure. By-and-by Tom took 's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.S understood,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tk to pay attention, for it7qdreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any |ist progressjmight bear fruit;wRto siito invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carrrfarthersat down.tDrest,Aher,wtalked of home, and 4the friends there0 comfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_2ing but all his encouragementhreadbarez#us sounded like sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful. Hs looking into her drawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasant dreams; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit  his thoughts wandered awayzQygone|#y memories. While he was deepWmusings,rwoke upa breezylaugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFbsay it0 ." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFy9" "We can tryI`een such a bea$utiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRthey knew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sqtime to Both were cruelly tired, yet 4she4\Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'Fnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastenee wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothps2forAtime^Qbrokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembPp?" said8 he. Becky almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake, Tom." "Yes--I wishas big as a barrelit's all we've gotBaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled at his moiety!re\abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move on againyilent a mom"qThen heA: "RQ, can/bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paledF. "Welln"westay herB2ereQ&'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClastY! gave loos3earrailings did what 5to comfort herDwithzeffect. At length%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainlyithey're huntingI now, Tom." "W7hy, I reckon m8 are. I hophen woul#yBWhenget backavhe boatn Tom, it might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[you as soon as got homA frightened look inqbrought!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was not to have gone < night! The children becameQnd thuful. In a new burst of griefKrr showed1hat1 in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; saw inch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame risfall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,the horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward it wa"sjFAto a  consciousLthat she crying in Tom's arms, neiWcell. Allcthey knew was, what seemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more.2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2"to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all%Chope#8gonDby mustAbeenO#ed"goqno doub\ search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideously4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakRleft;{qdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byc: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. Inply Tom answered itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor in its direction. Presently he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'ym!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl1one 8stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred--tBqno passt at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&Ras he. No bottom1sta]rwait untilers came8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether}t-sinking :+1it!swhoopedh hoarse, but it was of no usW talked hopefull9aBecky;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.children g+rtway back to?4spr weary time dragged on;Rslept`awoke famis nd woe-stricken. Tom believbbe Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}se than bear!we=of the heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*Tr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUgalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumping-off place." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet Rfarth2the at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorx, and insta#hafollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly graatifieF nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsight wonderedqbJoe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bur echoes9have disguis!e c. Without doubt,was it, he reasonedQ's fr weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 hestay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of meeting +B Joewas careful to keepkawhat i "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@Bwaita'long sleep brought changes. The childrentorturedua raging # t`Abe Wday or Thuror even FriSaturday, nowKQearchbeen givenkQpropo (sqwilling isk Injun Joe and all JQrrors8 as very weak. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!Toqgo withkite-linerexplorek chose; butk!imd'aCbacklittle whilNspeak to her;`she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ a show of being confidenAfind)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7hd nd went groping down one of72s o9BhandGknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonand waned toCtwilhe village of St. Petersburg still mour#vhe lostWfound. Public prayers1offup for them, and manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority  had given up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuQat itsplain the@could never beBMrs. Thatcher;2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraiseAheadlisten ayminute at a,91laybearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCNS bellin a momentstreets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF U!" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself 1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn byitizens, thronged arou"nd it, joined its home{Rmarchswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah after F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little townseen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all overNvlace. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad with #Cld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol51his!ofwonderful adventure, putting in many striadditionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachAa third to the fullest4tchM3wasTAto turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw[broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it(only happen3 beVhU not have seen%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >1way4a$2holst"lp2 ou? they sat tfor gladness+some men came alo@a skiff and Tom haI!emtheir situa0!anqir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at firs?t, "because," sai]y, "you are five miles down the river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, row/ a house, gam supper, madm rest till two or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatct_ndful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behi!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as Toj Becky soon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursdayseemed to grow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.2gotM, a little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as ws ever Saturday; but1"diQleaveroom until SunU4sheQas ifphad passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sicknesato seeobut coulbe admitl.bedroom; neither .She onPay or . He wasHSdailyFAthatt#wto keep still about his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found AnearYferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. A.aa fortiTom's rescue fromsDhe start0 f to visit Huck, who had^n plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seet v#an~friends setto talkingone asked him ironicRif hen't likezoRagain_3he >qmind it said: "Well, there!ot3jusuyou, Tom, I'v| he least doubt. But we hAcareqhat. Nowill get lost#at!nyH." "Why?" "B I had iBlatest moment,e cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity, now, which revealed to him in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him since<day he lifted%voice against bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade brokenwo. The great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have5 Rstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So "ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily one could fi.nd half a dozen bits of candle stuck aroundhe crevices of%vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneasearchaem outWeaten them. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly grow from the gjfor ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to Athe ous drop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfour9twenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellFthe 0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror creat British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It is:now; it will still be  2all6r things have sunk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit& patiently during five thousand years to be ready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter. It is many and a since^qhaplessV-bree1out# 1ice8bdrops,o"daf stares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4bburiedthe mouthg;people flocked there in boats"bwagonsthe townDfromcQ farm hamlets for sSmiles|; they broughir childreS`all so!rtSprovisionspconfesseMhad had almost as satisfactory a timee funeral asRcouldDT hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni!--!et)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed;Nqtearfuleloquent meet<Bheld8 a committee of sappy womenappointed to go in deep mourningjwail arou)cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/Relievakilled citizensrvillage2whahat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklingsRto scribblir names-drip a tear on itLir perman impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG7 anRtalk.3!hawArnedabout Tom's adventure Welshmanthe Widow Douglas, by3timTom said he reckoned ?Bther?had not told him;a0The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'Sthat f business;ed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand mme even if you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUFC hisA wasBrighSaturday I went to icnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch night?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCI folleredwidder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukum. I reckonS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on mea doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now, al." Then-his entire adventure in confidence tokwho had only %!ofWelshman's parfit before. "Well,"{, presently, comaPmain question, "whoever nipped#"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom +G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!incave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itATG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withqhelp ge"ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe canA our^!to n get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkURF's--2youwait till wef!re#we11finI'll agrepgive you my drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jings#Al0#--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRight now, ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five; into there way anybody but me would go,1^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.S, I'll takGin a skiff.&2flo] A dowZ1re, Krpull itj all by myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start)A offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`se new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's1imelshed I hagFwhen" A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got under way %sat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  _the cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButOee that white place up yonder wk 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'll get ashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]out of with a fishing-pole. See#can find it." ? searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd#Heare! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9 just keep mumdll alowanting to be a robberrknew I'rto havebng liko run acros]"waabotherQand wit quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els>n't be any styl it. Tom Sqawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "it does, Tom. And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$ly." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcr1nd 4s take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'llMQat inUbook.cto lovX,Ethey,9a week or two y stop cryingHa2n'twhem to leave. If$ro!ouy'd turn right arand come back. It's soc books"y,Dreal bullyI believe it'sL better'n to be a pirateF3YesF& in some ways, becausehclose to home circuses at." By this time every%1 wa!dy2ys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor unti,Qy rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUR fact!itnot really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftDsaid: "Look as far aroun corner as]qcan. Do 1see? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? Rightt1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!Aleav] treasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is Aaboure, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nBx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from3, il y#ngthe money. I know}rways ofsyAso dv." TomiAfearright. MisgivAgath-in his mind. But7 an idea occurYo him-- "LookymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|Awhera cross!"_Bpoin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think1 of% that's so. It's luck for us,' { is. I reckon we'll climb down Shave a huntGthat boxwent first, cutting rude steps iL clay hill as he descended.followed. Four avenues openede small cavern which the greatstood in. The boys examined three0"emno result. They f+aiUrecesone neares^4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,the well-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsere was noB-boxlads searched_%rethis place, but in vaOom said: "He  2ther. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, becaus! sOSolid g96heyReveryzonce mortdiscouragcH suggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintsesome candle-gre= sone sidXpck, but*C not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet you the; ISb. I'm going to dig." "That ain't no bad notion, Tom!"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfAood.y, Huck!--you hea2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm2was%"inB("nd oys took it upcross rock. "Now less w82gunthings," 2--leave them there3'reOicks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepNB allD#imw(hold our orgieCsre, too 2ful2place for 0." "What?" "I donoQ. But4ers6;of course we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beehere a l2ime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`$etSskiff6ay pres emerged in lump of sumach bushes, looarily out, fthe coast clearBwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towar[ahorizoAy pu"ou got under way. Tom skimmedhe shore througiwilight, chai cheerilyZalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id c money loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up6Amorncount it and dividSthen !una4outQsAit wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )dand wa(stuff till I runhook Benny Taylor's wagon; I won't be gone a minute." He disappearQretur"itSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old Crags on totarted off, dragging his cargo behind him. Whe boys reache Welshman's house, they stoS restgay9Aabouqmove on: PA steBsaid: "Hallo, who's that?" "HuckTom Sawyer." "Good!O1me,,,are keeping everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--Ahaulo you. Why, it's not as lighAit m be. Got bri it?--or old metalO. "I judged so;yris town1tak_e troublfool away1imeN ing up six bits' worth of!irNS selly foundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human natuxralong,  T!" TAwantQ know wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we gethe Widow Douglas'uck saidGspprehension--for he was"usbeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we have0en doing nothing. laughed. "Well,0 I don't, Huck, my boy. ;. Ain't you an! wgood friendsYes. Well, she's ben&e, anyway}All rightn. What dov1wanjbe afraid for?is questionJnot entir<nswered inq's slow before  himself pushed,;Tom, into Mrs. drawing-room. q left tgon nearAdoorzfollowed.Bplac rgrandly'ndiAthatof any consequence iNr villagNthere. The ThatchersQk Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)?all dressqtheir bTGr receiv+r as heartily as any one c/Swell 4 two such lookingDs_C1cov with clay[candle-grease. 1 bl crimson humiliationqfrownedL shook her head at Tom. No$Asuffhalf as muchboys did, however. Mr. Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but1 I stumbled onand Huckm at my doorGjust brought them in a hurr!nd2did3" r. "ComeA1me,." She tookcto a bedchamberRaid: "Now washI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,Sthing complet(Cy're+--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. B6 ey'll fit both of you. GetNthem. We'll wait--come down when youslicked up enough.":Qn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCKD! "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundShucks! wd" IQ used toW kind of a crowd. I can't stand it.8b goingathere,a" "Oh, b{C! Itg"an!miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appear=he, "auntie has beenring for!ll,afternoon. Mary go@r Sundayb readyeverybody7en fretting you. Say--ain't this !Rgreasqclay, o;ra"?"E, Mr. Siddy,jist 'ten your own business. What'sis blow-out, anyway`It's one of tDdow's parties1sheO ways having. This time it'sFthe Welshman^his sons, on accountj at scrape they helped her ou# night. And say--kQ tellAsome21, i want to knowAwhatWhy, oldXJones is to try to spring_1 on"people here to-, but I overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's not muc"a (t now. ElEs --a, too,1allf!trro let ozgdon't.was boundE should be here--couldn't get alonghis grand withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberst6's.)7 wacmake aAtimeturpriser!be it will drop pretty flatWchuckledMvery contented satisfied way. "Sid, was it-B youH2tolOh, never mind whoas. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.Jid, therely one person in town mean:a to doc, and Xbyou. I7qhad beeEHuck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hilltold anybody0. You can't do anyQmean s-&bear to seeTqpraiseddoing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears$imxdoor with several kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes laterguests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, afufashion!ryobday. Aaproper  Mr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedZAonor3wasqhimself[sbut sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprung{a's share? adventure)} e finest dramatic manner master ofthe surprise it occasioned was largelyaerfeitnot as clamorou effusive as it might haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a pretty fair show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to give Huck a homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancBcomeqaid: "don't need it.a's ric!Noa heavy strain2the s of the company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe believe it#he0`lots o2f it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T13looked at each other with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly atQ, whoWLtongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well, there ain't ever any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{eRsacksa2 diafinishMsentenceapouredt1masyellow coa the tS1and: "There--  did I tell you? Half of it'sP'hbmine!"spectacle tookgeneral breath a1Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5iA did^B tal\Blongbrimful of _,r)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upJ2for3P2it Bamou2anynow. This one makPes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allowhe moneydqcounted/C sumtVed toover twelve thousand dollars. ItKmore thanSqpresent seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz,in property. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poor9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house in2 anneighboring# s was dissected, plank by UAound0s dug upWransacked for hidden treasurec-not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, somAthemrT4c appeayQ courCadmiB#a+Q not to rememb~at their remarks had Cpossessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d, epeated; everything they didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lost:power of doing and commonplace ~!s;past historraked up sQiscovar marks of conspicuous originalityo paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas putJout at six per cent.Judge Thatcherjthe same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, was simply prodigious--aB for week-day AyearChalfv Sundayjust whaminister got --no, i#!he promised--he generally couldn't collect it. A Ha quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himcwash him1forG matter.   had conceived a great opiniRTom. He sai?8no 3boy@qhave go daughter out of th/Ie cave. When Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom had taken her whipping6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--athat was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tall so superb as when he walke\Bflooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/it"op2see+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traine!es  qcountry[ be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fache was n<row undeQ1Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurlr it--an  sufferings were almost morNcvar. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushed,they beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend'Co eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shui1bou#Qm han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow huntebeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyPpoking amonBg some old empty hogsheads down behiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque;days when he01freq happy.Croutvout, toldQdroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6t ain't for me; IQused :widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wea[m blamed cloth!atA smo?1 me8']1see any air git through 'em,6how; and they're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay  roll around anywher's; I h&slid on a cellar-door for--well, it 'pears to be yearA go to church and sweat and --I hate[ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no(#--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died@h wouldBAmokeu y:she5Pme ga"peqstretch Q scra )before folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritationinjury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN#the time! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove--I just had tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI- stand THAT, Tom. Looky her, being rich what it's crack); Qworry$  2a-w you was dead < . Now these clothes suits meEthis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not manyXs, becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"metv"Oh,8Eknowd!do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like it." 3"Like it! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. Blame it all!as we'd got gun_Sa cav2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness hasP1to k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CBOHuckCkeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. Butwe can't let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C]Rme ina Didn'pxQme go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than what a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch"1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul shet me out, would youP *!do, now, WOULD+B" "I\want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Clike}`Zasilent*3some time, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goawidderaqa month6Ctacknd see if I can co stand it,4Q'll lt b'longcAgang." "All right, it's a whiz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow toqAup oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe4Vstart1and5s?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys together2havinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(2It'uFwearby one another, and 2never tell#'s secrets, even if you're chopped all to flindersUkill anybody and all his family[a hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest, awfulest place youj find--a ha'nted house is@b:2but!re'!ri2gup nowod, anyw'xYes, sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOANow,'s something LIKE!fqmillion s bullier than pirating.TstickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in oute;wet." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;'cAnot go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwherepop--thaQt is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersj performais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zyounger ones again[see what sor"meQwomenq turned@3breforeYwwisest nZQreveauRat pacAtheir lives at present. Produced by David Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencqmy own,rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--hJa combinaYistics of threem I knew,G andbelongs to"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atbperiod1is --that isay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselves'qof how &CfeltCough aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's goneRboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles dow*looked ovebam abouQ room.rn she pAm up:cut und?. She seldom or never+THROUGH themso small8 a thing as a boywy<her state pair,pride ofRheartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely, but still loud enyfurniture to hear: "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA bea!Awenthe open door tood in iRuthe tomato vineG "jimpson" weedsconstitute garden. No Tom. S AliftW voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize a small boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m5'a'closet. What you;`doing 3in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--that's what it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!Xold lady whirledbnatche0askirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappeared over it. Hisc Pollysurprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anyQ? Ain't he playecricks y3lik1for2o b1ing$rfor him6E? But old fools isbiggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/ m alike, two days, and how iLQdy to 's coming? He 'pears!just how long n torment me beforemy dander up,she knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I adoing my duty!at&the Lord's truth,b knows. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahearlash him, somehow. EverR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-wAman  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow,nish himmighty har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanB elsGOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbe the ruaainatio." Tom dideAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlings before supper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already through withDpart2work (pick{qchips),ba quieJehad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s1nte;AtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkbmysterious diplomacy0bhe lovcontemplate her*transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmR!chool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful warm, wa#'!Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolWBnoth o he said: "No'm--well, notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't too{now, though." And it flatteredato reflect s2adiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcrmight b3next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou d1hav$undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/Qhead,3you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#of2facNAopen]s@b. His 4as securely sewe"d. "Bother! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Shehalf sorrysagacity harcarried ,3gla?-Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once. But SidneyIDif I53you5hisith white thread, 's black." "Why,Ow sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapelsd bound abouTm--on^  Dthe otherH& H She'd never noticed if it hafor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'emsR I beI'll lam SZ!idSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcvillage. He knewm&boy very well though--and loathed him. Within minutes, or even less, he hagotten alltroubles. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove 4out1min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negroh!suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consist: a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it.!s +a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFCtree3hisfull of harmonhis soul full of gratitZ"ud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFwith the boy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyse. A strangerbefore him-- a shade larger'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons:had shoes on#iGonly Fri"He2worcktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher haed up aose atRfinerhabbier and his own outfit seemed  to grow. N]boy spoke. If one 1movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, inrcle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd likE see you try it." "Well, 8$do!No(ccan't,L/2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I couldone hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole familiesDsame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll takeb!re suck eggsYda liar're another."%fighting.q and dafQit upVAAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mejU moreBsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'"An\3,/QeyingAsidl round each. Presently twere shoulder to .XGet away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B"Sobstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg6with hate. But nei"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainwatchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.1ellRig brohe can thrash!thlittle finger. make him do it, too." "What do I care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he is--and wmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR saso don'tit so." Tom drew a line in the dust1hisi"to{ said: "I dar46tepZAlick5 you can't stand up. Anybody4^will steal sheeFThe new boyw2pedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seD,rowd me now;Jbetter look ouQWell,HSAIDh*--Wd?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t! g0. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb ;irt, gripped together like cats; and foriAspaca minute RtuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3QscratT's no,covered themselves w 2ithand glory. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!"B he. boy only1ggl{" free himself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a sm bed "'N1and1let8up Q5Nowlearn you. BnA who_Rolingnext tim$ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying back 2hakQs hea threatenhat he woul!to the "next time 2ugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feather! as soon as'was turneVn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetwee4shouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homsthus foundwhere he livedna position at2gat`some t/ime, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay" forn boy. Hehome pretty late#Rnight{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r , he uncovan ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay ju^st far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brush. He survey Rfencexall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollowexistence^a burden. Sighingadippedpassed it alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Br;water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, beforq now itJnot strikeoremember~up$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysCgirlthere waiti!irqs, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. n And hAalth was only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me IAn' g<s3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w talks. Gimme the--I won't be goner a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%1 awP1but6! d hurt--any#it!if$cry. Jim, I'Ell give you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "W%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiHe put down his pail, took th$;,Fbent2toeabsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetma tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompbfield  slipper in her hanHttriumph eye. But Tom's energy didAlastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very rt of it burnt5like fireqgot outcly wealth and# examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea r"thD. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upQbrushtwent tranquilly. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodAwhoop, at vals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}WspeedQmiddlU, leaned faro starboardrounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri, and considerLQmself e drawing nine feet of water1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginer standing Cs own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almost ou+1he qup slowsAward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW2 onz1tab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe "to &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMthe bight of i5t! Stand by*age, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentiothe steamboat. Ben stared a momentthen said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE up aa, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchye of an artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweepcthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouthed for the apple, but 2auck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenlyJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bi"rWhat do1all$?"IETHAT1TommCbned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$ it suits Tom Sawyer." "OhB comdon't meaQ!le{1tha  LIKE it?" Thecontinued to move. "Like it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new ligh stopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily backforth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlySay, Tom, let MEgvlittle.sidered, was abouconsent;P1althis mind: "No--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TI!miUd SHE. Yes, she's ;-be done very careful; v"onmin a thousandFtwo can do i8wayyP be d!on"is6fso? Oh--lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, if youJ!meJ." "Ben, I'dto, honest injun; but--well, Jim wantJ ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&Qhappe+ it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ3as lgQSay---give youcore of myB" "PFN2.bafeardWALL of it!qgave uppwith reluct|!inBfaceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workedweated in the sun,retired artist saa barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along :; they camBjeerHQremaiA. Bytime Ben\fagged outd had tradnext chances to Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swing it with--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B keywouldn't unlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of whitewash on it! If run out ) have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself it was noNt such a hollow world,2% all. He had discovered a great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQBwritthis book,~1now comprehendedUWork consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,OPlay< not obligedo. And  help him to understh\9tructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are2y gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily linthe summer, becausprivilege cost!m derable money; but iQy were offwages forsserviceturn it intoI1they&resign. Theqmused aiC oveaubstantial chang!chx taken place in his worldFly circumstances,wSoward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented himself before Aunt Polly, who was sit|by an open window in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for sheFno company}cthe caL!itKasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szrthoughtof course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power again in intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I goplay now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't liege--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trusxevidencezqwent ouasee foQself;AAouldcontent to fin\*d twenty per cent. of Tom's statement true. When she foun entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonish was almost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never! There's no ges^A it,can work when you're a mind to, Tom." A!bdilute#acompliAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longlQplay;]you get back some time; week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itselfit came without sin through virtuous effAnd whiled:3 a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skie#ousaw Sid just star!upoutside stairwayllcrooms second flooX!r. Clods were handy and the air was full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-storm;before Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiescsally @%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,=eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+n1rou Tom skirablock,a muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of capdand puahasten2war5public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two gcommanders di1condescentfight i--that being better suited to theb$ still smaller fry--but sat together on an eminencevdconduc3field operations by orelivered through aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a longhard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagreement bd uponyrthe dayhe necessary3ed;Qwhich fell into lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4without fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished outQheartleft not a memory(erself behind. H|"thn!he#dto distraction; h,!rePCd hion as adoqhold itonly a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hardly6 a week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayshere in one instan|atime sfnd gonelike a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye, that she had discohim; then he pretenQe did*Aknow\was present, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidIM4the/girl was wend way towarXQ cameof and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a mooQsteps XmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. Butface lit up, rightqhe tosscpansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran arou!nd1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1shais eyes with#haWlook down street as if u [ something of interest gon\at direction. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar back;KSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearerC ; finally his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9B rouq cornerQ only3a minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomy not hypercritical, anywayreturned, now2hung abouLnightfall,ing off," as U6"th never exhibiteself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ BhopeAbeen>window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FinaCl  strode home reluctantly,#[2oor full of visions. All thrasupperlspirits were so high7his aunt wondered "what had got into the child." He took a good scoldiclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/torment a body3wayP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." qshe stezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez-bowl--a sort of glogover Tom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledRtonguwas silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief|u! tCre would @abe not"soE"inPqorld as"eepet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultation; he could hardly hold himself the old lady back and stood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASnext instanprawling on the floor! The potent palmdupliftQrike againTom cried out: "Hold on, now, 1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 1shes5hergain, she onlyRUmf! you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckonQ been some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." T5r conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beo4tru!a confess1she the wrongdiscipline forbadhA. SohBkeptf"ce2w2bouraffairsqa troubeart. Tom sulked in a cornerexalted BknewQin hert his auntoAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of itwng out no signals, htake notice of none<aing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears,he refused recognivpicturelying sick unto deatho=sbendingim beseeching one littl giving word%Aturnrface toQ1allB die Athat@ unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$bt homeOthe river, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow her and how CearsBfallr( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso workedsAwith pathos of these dreams, t:!ha!hakeep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichflowed when he winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUthis pett97sorrows,Ahe c@not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently, is cousin Mary danced in,!Ealive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&araccustomed hauntBboys%sought desolate placesin harmonybspirit. A log rafAthe R invimfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+the dreary vast*i stream, wishPthe while, t{only be drownedQt oncs5 un6ithout undergoingg uncomfortable routine dev/ised by nature. T2 thYbflower. Hit out, rumpledAwiltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8wpity him knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rto put her arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turn coBawayall the hollow1? T_Wicturan agonpleasurable suffer~Qworke<!ovd"i 2minoset it up in newqvaried ss, tillZe it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle1casa dull glowthe curtain of a second-story window. Wascre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  alookedDlongth emotion; tlaid him down onqgbit, disposing himself his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJrs poor <And thusuld die--outeBcoldRyno shelter  omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-damps fromCAbrow8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!ee6sA out\lad morni4oh!Ahe drop one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The went up, a maid-servant'cordant voice profan" holy calm,6 a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snortra whiz astmissileair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aHBshivqglass f%$edsmall, vague formFAthe >Bshotvgloom. No after, as Tom, all undn ressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by.tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of making"references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD1eldpeace, fodanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1out added vexation of prayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xjthe summit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.Q gird+Qloinsto speakto work to "get@verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bent allDenergies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hour vague general, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is hands were busy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy that mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, y shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-heaRhing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do @that. You must go and learn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll give7something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;" And he did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelveaacents; the convulsion of deligha sweptsystem shAm toTfoundTrue, the uld not cut anyabut itJa "sure-enough" there was inconceivable grandeur in"--l! w1the Western boys1gotAidea6|a weapon could possibly be counterfeit\its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboardQ with-2and)rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dress for Sunday-school. Ltin basi Qwater'a piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setMn a little bench2; ta dippeae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But _Aremo,and said: "Now ain'Sashammustn't be so bad. Wwhurt you." Tom+c triflncerted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpresboth eyes sh8d groping foyt.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romKqemerged#>x,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short at his+B chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soil that spread downward in front`1acka*Rneck.took him ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brother out distinction of colorYhis satur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daintyt ymmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]aminate  his own ABlifebitterness.] Then1gota suit ofFclothing had been used on As du two years--they were simplychis "otheqthes"--mBo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "putgto rights" afte-"aded himself; she buttonQneat about upzTchin,=his vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,s1offPRcrownpeckled straw hat. H('e now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. Hfully as c as heSOa restraint Rwhole"esleanlinessBgall. He hopedMary would forgetes, but the hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Qm out2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want C. Bu1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hdBhis aheart;1Sid) ere fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedificW mall, plain affair, withS a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted adressed comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgivePiece of lickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibited. Theyesatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue ones~rwaylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteb, now,@a swarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to1eat!AstarO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGan turnasRmomenaTom pua boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inabook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!" an/dVnew reprimand from. Tom's whole classof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througAeach his reward--in[Dblue,,with a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;r) Cyellow one;#en .{the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would haveindustryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five3onc#ed out stopping; bujstrain upon$mental faculties was1 too great1 he little better than an idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}and stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofse prizesaa rareAnoteAy circumstance;successful=s?conspicuous for  "onGQpot escholar's heartQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasa couple of weeks. It is possible49 qstomachnever really hungero. unquestionablyentire beingWfor many aClongWthe glory,the eclatit. In due cours stood up in fronthe pulpit,G a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded atten0When a Sun"Bday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as isinevitable sheeYmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sr referr!bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqqabreastcorners of his mouCfenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning of\whole body whenqde viewArequired;1hinpropped o2ing cravat which(as broad}sas a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting= against a YAwall hours together. Mr. Walters%very earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^%so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsc#to himselG Sunvoice had ac> a peculiar intonation(!wholly absent on week-days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAyour atten for a minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy girls should do. I see one+girl who isaing ouZindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in one trees making axe to th birds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. IFnot ?to set dow$4rest1 or. It was Jaof a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marred byaresump of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si! Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly, withsubsidencY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an"t !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair^a dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading aV. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; ence-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Law's eye, &% not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this smaCll new-comer his soulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:"showing off"=1all^might --cuffingBpullhir, making faces--in a word, usqry art aseemeduly to fascinate a girl91winapplause. His exaltQut one alloymemory of!hu in this angel's garden--and record in sandEfast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. Walters'finished]introduced themaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one thacounty judge--altogethe most august  these childre!evoked upoey wondered what kinmaterial tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. He rom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled2see+Qworld"se1Aeyes3looked upon. Vcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attested byimpressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge Thatcher, bro of their own lawyer. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-I$9the whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake handshim--he IS shH ! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A fel,Asortofficial bustlingsFactivities, givrders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere+ld find a targetlibrarian!ed--running hiQ Qwith rms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJ#fu insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending tly over pupils that wer#2e l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemensmall scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion toipline--and most ,th sexes, found business up at$y,qpulpit;!it6that frequently had to be done again two or three times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wadsmurmur of scuff. And above it allEman sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@warmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[too. Theronly one thing wanto make ' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Severalhad a few yellow tickets, but none had enough phad bee"An arRamong#4tarYinquiring. He would have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redand ten blueq demandja. This(a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEBit--1ereBcertified checky$~oir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`2the|AstunQsurprisec decad=bso proR sensa}!itenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inbof oneBboyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontributed to Ythis hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth he amassed in selling whitewashing privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake in/grass. The priz2livEas much effusion  superintendent cpump up kcircumstances; buXacked somewha the true gush,<poor fellow's instinct taught him tas a mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousH1boywarehouse0 thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozenb strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrencproud and glad, sQiQ makesee it in hes--but hn't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicionband went--came again;Otched; a furtive glance told her !--ser heart broks jealouRangry`Fears3sheeverybody. Tom m3!osQall (Hhought). Tomsintroduced toNRJudgehis tongu0Qtied,breath w.hardly comequaked--partly because$awful greatnesgthe man,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall down>worship him, if%erBAdark # phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?h boy stammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellQgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyQ. TwoLverses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorryw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anytChingAis i< world; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+1the'll look back;It's all owqprecious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mewatched over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!2--a n't take any money|~those t--no indeedE9now mind tellingnd this ladyBathings"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknow2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /a`appointed?"l1tugat a button-hollooking sheepishblushed, now, aA%nd his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within himHsaid to himit is not possible3hB! cAswer simplest question--why DID Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up V: "Adgentlemandon't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E"llCme,"!hewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. Thechildren distributemselves aboutkAhous occupied pews their parents, so as to be under{vision. Aunt Polly cav1Tom'1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordamCe as far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upX"s: "geneedy postmasJter, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wife--for they7a#there, among other unnecessarieOtjusticegRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartsforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitabloBmuchost lavish>matter of festivities St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule sucking cane-heads, a circling wa! oimpering admirers, qst girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if sheQ cut 2always brought his 7#to1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, heHq was so0. And besides, he)been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?*his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked upon'as snobs. The congregation being fully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell the church which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister gavesthe hymread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleZaat partyHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasiTs topmost wortplunged down as if from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe the skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeKAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" h= #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would liftAheir let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." AfterAhymnBsung Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting?societie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now the minister prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMr ttle children of the church;7=#es& village' itself; e county(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far island2seaZ closed with a supplicationwords he was aboutapeak m:find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dA 1tan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didnjoy the pr=ayer, he only endured it--if he even9that much. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallySr, unconsciously --fornot listening, butZdnew thzr of old3lergyman's regular route overand when axtrifle of new matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered additSunfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit ee backWew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-w; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it( perfectly safe. As indeQwras soreEDTom' itched to grab for it theynot dare--he believed his soul would be instantly destroyed did such a $Qwhileu~ on. Buthosing sentence6hand began to curvesteal forward;Cthe ra"Amen"r!ouwas a prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go. The minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstone andnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom couaages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utheremaseldom2B anytelse ab discourse. However, this time he8qreally ested for). * a grand and moving pictureassembling2world's hosts at the millenniumthe lionc aamb sh4lie&a little child,ead them.'# Bqpathos,Eblesson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he only thought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMo,id to himselfYhe wishe"c;"be$E, ifQB tamt. Now he lapsed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHThe be"him of a treasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beetleVformidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmdid was to tak)!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZ2isllit on its backthe hurtpR went's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;9B saf!ofreach. Other people unci>sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. Wa vagrant poodle dog c<qame idl long, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urv#ze; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenhis lip and made a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenmBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz There was a sharp yelp, a flirTboodle'  fell a couple of yards away, SA once. The neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveQaces behind fanI handkerchiefs1TomLentirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt so; but QthereLresentment iB tooBda cravAreveRSo he(toSBand a wary att:WQ jumpfevery poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, making even #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himself a fly but fno relief; followC ant,8his noseCflooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgotk,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony811saidup the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;FranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe2. AAfrantic sufferCer sheered from[qcourse,Nsprang intomaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voice of distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd suffocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"it2lamhalting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; forgravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a rarely facetious thing. It0a genuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,%toc1thabre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marring thoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!henaink itupright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--because it began anothek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made the goicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkQPresewit occurredTCshed sick; then he cBstayUXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen, and he investigated5. TZ$hedetect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feeblqL awholly  reflected further. Suddenlys!ed!On~his upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groana "starter," as7alled it,"if.1me _Rcourt7;argument, his aunt w/pull it outthat would hurt. So9Ahold tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tell[a certain cthat laid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But nowd not knowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconsced louderufanciedto feel pain -. No result93Sid*was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimself ched a succession of admiAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work56TomV\Sid yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathbegan to s'tare at Tom. Tom wen~2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" And he(looked iface anxiously. Tom mkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I must call aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexFanybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoQevery. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dying, arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catwaone eythat new girl tB com2owntell her}had snatchedbclotheAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his *s had gathered quite a genuine tone. Sid flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gasp2YouUX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish) it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I ed my tooth at all." "YAour , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awful." "TherAre, e2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 ISbut you're not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing?yI love you s eem to try every wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endA fasaa loop2tieQotherApostpBseiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:!'sdU  hung dangling by the bPaedpostsb. Butrials br'heir compensations. As Tom wended_Pb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascinationhomage upbis timQ founEselfJout an adherent,Lshorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- he said $a disdain which he didAfeel it wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b1boyk, "Sour grapes!"qhe wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame upo juvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded byAhe msU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and84allkhildren s delighhis forbidden societ7ed they dar6ed to beQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast conditionas under strict orders not to playQSo he%ed91timfgot a chance.was always dress-the cast-off clothefull-grown methey werWperennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenAore one, hung nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dowBbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged los containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. Rand wtown free willslept on doorsteps in fine weatheyin empty hogsheX wet;have to go( or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchose9stay as long as it suim; nobody forbade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e spring anv1lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,athing goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello, 5$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzItslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure wartsHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 8You wouldn't, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way as!! @S a-goVado any2. YV to go all bymiddle ofcwoods,p2yout[Gs a just as it's midnighback up agai!ns {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, Spunk,Qq, swallese warts,' and then wway quick, eleven steps, witheyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayQ doneNo, sir,xscan betlbecuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&heahave am on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`always got considerable many #b. SomeI take 'em}aa beanGAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuqwart soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol1 buU! 'acrossroads in the dark of the mooqburn upMqrest of Jr You se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing R, tryhA fetre otherZS to i!sob helpsqlood to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;j no more to bme!' it's better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead cats2Why_cyour cat"go"etM e graveyard 'long about w5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or,J't see 'emcan only hearRthingu7indY''em talk;|they're tahat feBawaym#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,i,Acat, I'm/Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7." "Sounds right. D'youA tryPAHuck"No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. She,ed pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axtone day&she was a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How did he know/Lord, pap can tGeasyKlooking a;! rastiddyDyou. Specially iy mumble db're sa he Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kbyou go qthe cat1To-."ll~old Hoss Williams t8a" "Buy him Saturday. Di9get1howeQtalk!could their charms work till -?--and THEN2Sun|evils don't slosh around much of a,`, I do Bn't L I never thought of that. Tha. Lemme go with youOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowAays went to thr&rocks at me andJa 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--butA you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti#wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#thNothing but a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2In$. "wa`sell himuAAll 4. It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dow!beem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv"ShAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted to3why'Cyou?1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty earlyVthe first one I've seen this yep!arSay, Huck--BAgivemy tooth  Less see it." Tom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it.nleberry viewQ wist-5. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?alifted1lipshowed the vacancy.a!,"YB, "iTtradecenclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$ all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacritqmaster,hned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, lu!bydrowsy hum of study. The interrupArousXm. "Thomas Sawyer!{3kne2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy ar late again, as usual?" T7!omtabout to take refuge in a lie,(e saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a backe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min=You--you did what?" "Stopped!lk@ Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_ offence. Take off your jackejarm performed until ittired anQstock witches notably diminish`A ordQlloweWl!goVs! And letbe a warnWSo youxr titter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGesult was "-caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idolthe dread pleasuredalay inJhigh good fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hd herself away from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom sat!hiIs upon the, low desk before himAseem his book. Byby attentionDthe accustomed murmur rosekdull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave 2theae spaca minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled oslate, "Please`it--I got3" Tduno sign. NowP draw1 something *ahidingBwork his left hand. For a timegirl ref:to notice;4tuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betrayhe was awarit. At last!inhesitatinglybed: "Let me see it." Tom parvered a dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten)and she forgot everya4els!it;finished,2QgazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man4he artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monstera beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moon and straw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan1saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/)Oh, will you? When?" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<@ scrawl  !dsA. Buackward this. She beggsee. Tom Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou trea#bWILL see." Akput her sma^)ll hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretento resist in earnest but lettingQhand slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing CS ear,Hsteady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa houseIdeposited i!own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhooln master stood over him duMa few awful momentsfinally moved away to throne without saying a word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. As quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1 Qclass} botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contintill chaos was come again; the_Uspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul lik=$isR_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill ed its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of hbtintedthe purple of distance; birds floateblazy w$gh air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pa dreary time. His hand wander4ed into his pockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, thougdid not know iten furtively/Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him onElong flat deskh creature probablyed with aAamou&to2oo,is moment,2it !emd:xwhen he startankfully to travel off,urned him asideb1pinBmade!!ake a new direction. Tom's bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instan:was Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gett.e fullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from top to bottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stirup and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[, you're to leavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlya!edqequator{Q haraRwhile2t'goG.back again. This change of base occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,oqwould look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeDAoverS1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and ab dJoe. TQtried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to spearfingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly"ffkeep posse9WP Tom cstand it no!erK temptation was too. So he reached out8lent a hand with1pinD2ang a moment. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he's of the liLook her Harper, whos\ that tick?" "I don't care$Btickm you sha'n't touch himaWell, , bet I will, though. He's my/do what I bNdpleasem, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;#fol1pactwo minute dust continued to fly qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy it#had been tooS]anoticeAhush had stolen upon_Q befoebmastertiptoeing&the room stood over them. He had contemplated a good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{1lipT turnVrough the lane|come back.!go@other way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith antE. In :Qet atdbottom#la -Ethey!ha!althemselves< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave the pencil and held>in his, guidingand so cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmn bliss. He said: "DoLlove rats?" "No! I hat!M do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead,qwing rouar head a stringNo, I don't c-qare for much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gumGOh, I should say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letchew it aB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweaabout,uRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" Tom. "Yesqsmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms." "I been tf three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! will be nicey're so lovely,xtspottedFLthat's so. Anyqslather"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoW2youC!to<I reckonI don't knowqQis it2/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boywon't ever have anybodyZBhim,Athen>Akiss0ws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3&do=1for2Rthat,now, is to--well,always do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in> with each other. z remember wwrote onQslatebqYe--yesW]iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but Ju" "No, t now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silenc cconsen,passed his arm F her waistQT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added:$w0a2 it"--Rhe sa She resisted,#a Ga*nr: "Youyour face awncan't se;I2. B mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" T3he sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9Qface.]qclaspedneck and pleaSW , it's all done--all overthe kiss. Don'tbe afraid of that--it ain't anything at ( ." And he tugged at hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EHthis2you$ h"to"me+Xto marry\r but me! nOand forever. Wi]) u{*t Zyou--"to- i| " "Certainly. Of course. TPART of itIcoming to school or when we're goiqng home^'re to walk o2me,/Sthere}vlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"doo engaged." "It's so nice. IRheardq before-2Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I* the firs2'veDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 doS knows." Tom tri put his arm,she pushmS turn;1facK"llwent on cryingvRagainB soowords inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was Erodeutside. He stood, restlesquneasy,\a while, glanc2oorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com%find him. Buttdid note to feel badlAfearA F.trong. It was a hard struggle him to make new advances, nowrhe nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He#tod moment, not ing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\but you." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YAwon'? say some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromntop of an andiron,japassedBroun"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" ScQuck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouseover the hilly far away, to returschool noday. Presently 3 to suspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereLalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrL was no answerhad no companions pRilencCplonelinLess. So she sat dow8cry againpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsL1gaty3gai[ashe ha#AhideRgriefher broken2andA!upjcross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon6 none among?strangers about)to exchange sorrows with. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of5ingDVthen fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappear1ehi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableS off Cdvalley a dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 ed songsbirds; nature lay in a trance thEsat was Vby no sound butv occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadailence"sense of lonelinesszmore profound) boy's soulO.steeped in melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2him?2lif1butouble, at bestE Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lialumberdream forevS ever0the wind whispdthe trrcaressiYR gras5the flowers ovQgraveA notUto boDbgrieve#, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willBo go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NA. HeBmeanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 to. Ah, if he Dc?%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concerns ofy7qagain. iturned hisAR, nowa disappeared mysteriously??went away--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves upon a spiritwas exalt the vague august realme romantic. No, ta soldi<return afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--better stil3#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaite Far WPPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousCpain,prance into2 Sunday-school, some drowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoopDsear the eyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there wasthing gaudier even than this. Hbe a pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ct2rldKmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer, the Ssse Stormhis grisly flag flyAt fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Cstalchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iJ[Aswelaqecstasywhisperings, "It's-RSawyewP--the Black Aveng4Qer ofDSpanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminednrun away from homeenter up/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to get readyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scraped`#irrqexposed9ne shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed airAsaidEBell,beats anyZ+Atosse5pettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa superstiMqhad faiqwhich h -Brade0always looked]as infalli7pIf you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP he had just used, you would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actuallyunquestionably Rwhole"tu2faia shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwarpuzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1mL!chainterfqand broIhe charmQthought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-Bd deon in itElaidAdownFamouth F2 toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d P tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave  A thrAway,Ather he wentmade a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowH back to his treasure-houseccarefully Y$asbeen stanwhen he tosscRaway; ok another" from his pockeHQit inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stoppedfYkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>@qtwice mvThe last repetition wasRssful$3two Qs layWoot of each other. Just here thPae blas$ a toy tin trumpet came fai2dowIgreen aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, raked some brush behi rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment had seizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirt. He7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoe look warily out, this way a)aLsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." NowJoe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comes vnto Sherwood Fore_hout my pass?" "GuGuisbornes no man's).^art thou that--" "Daresold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall know." "ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with theeFpass3wood. Have at+Q!" T ook theirqs, dumpeir other traps osound, struck a fencttitude, foot to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've go hang, go it lively!" SoV"wentq," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get} Q it.""y,ain't any . I can'tv;#Gay it is in 3. T says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor $.'!toNb arounklet me hiiD back." TR!wa>the authorities, so Joebed, receivedQwhackSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iA boo"Well, it's Eblamed mean--tW2allVell, say, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonU lam me with a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamyou be Robin Hood a little whileV"meis was satisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~n Tom becamz2gaiballowed by#treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gaily for a corpse. boys dress>mselves, hiir accoutrement off grieving`<$noz any moreFRwonde hat modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensateRloss. "say-!ra &bep year iRan Sher Forest than President of)United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past nine,night, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. EverythingDsdismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,]!, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking ]H8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirf a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in'wall at the bed's he?qad made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; heY to doze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling4Drais neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle again be back s aunt's woodshed brought;Bwidea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongDroof"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"ocaution once or twicepae wentn jumped *g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\qdisappea gloomqthe endalf an hour they wading thQrough.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village< had a crazy board fence aK it, which leaned inwarbplacesY1out#the rest of the time, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportlfinding none. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedm#=it could no longer have7Sread,5of them, now, even ir7light. A wind mo'th$reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littleRrnly undir breath,q[ra pervasolemnityAsilew#pp[Sy fousharp new heaprseekingensconced@ themselQithinprotectionree great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay waitfor what seemed a long hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl/ dead stillness. Tom's refldive. He must force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" HuckleberryZed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l boys canvassed this matter O!lyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqatalk 'these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:aid: "Sh!"  "What is it~R?" Antwo clung together beatingts. "Sh! CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're comingf, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectlya, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcely breathed. A muffled t of voices floated up fromRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"M& devil-fire. Cis i." Some vague figures approachQroughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lanternTfreckabground7innumerable little spangles of light. Kra shudd^MAvils enough. Three ofQ 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8*" AHuckHUMANS! One of 'em is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamedrip!" "All right, astill.#tstuck. Can't findHere they come again8hot. Cold4Hot Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say,0"anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo("That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druther3 was a dern s+ky be up t4The. died wholly out, now, fo^ three men had re!e 2tooin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saiSQhird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac young Doctor RobinsRon. 8 were carrying a handbarrow with a rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir load9Abegaopen the Fr. The dput the aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closew boys could have touched himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating soun6spades dischargingfreight of m2andQl. Ita very monotonous. Finally aX struck uponHScoffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoFyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goBQthe brnd dump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid face P!asQready6the corpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its7 with the crope. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she stays." "That'shtalk!" sai. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that,mInjun Joe, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any good;Wswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiqforget?,^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten,qhis fisy qace, bywC timrsuddenlQstretathe ruffian Potter dropped his knife, a&nd exclaimed: "Here, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg' with might and main, trampFthe grassE4earPVgrounlir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up1's went creeping, catlikBstooCand About combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizeheavy headboard of Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthit--and insame instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2the3`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82histhe cloud)AttedFXreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeK!indark. Presently>the moon emerged ag5wasQ overOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gaspKq or twoDu2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal5in ^Qopen mC hansat down oI$dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly9met Joe's. "Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joeout moving. "What diddo it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kinatalk weswash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'n when we started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST`Aold r--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I never meant1 tolzc1Oh, awful--aU so young\promising."!y,2two?cuffling he fetcheone with thegboard anfell flat;k!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account ofMqwhiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vesbeen fanSsquarme, Muff`I<go back on There, now, thaKct's asXs a man can say2Joere an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> Potter began to cry. "CSnow, benoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Movn3andyleave any tracks behijC." Rstartaa trot quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alookfter him. He muttered: "If hemuch stunnedAlickXfuddl2rum2 halook of bel3he Z1hinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensivelymif they fe31arey might be followed. Every stump thatSup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they sped by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=+ld tannery before we break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_nd it much , r." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repnzRixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedta shelt shadows beyond. B#bypulses sETom G: "c, what doreckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>!it?D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whiln he saiWho'll tell? WePat are you t !alabout? S'poseething happenedqInjun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@ time or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4u1I w !into myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; IAthat? |he always has. Well,pap's full,Atakebelt him oveZhead with a church)2youn't phase hi1say wn self. So it's t"meU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ Wpmight f6Detch)dono." After an reflective silencep said: "Hucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bout thisthey didn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we got to do--0 keep mum." "I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forgs's goodlittle rubbishy common s--specigals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing e picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took aa fragmUf "red keel" out of his pocket,kK on his work, an)d painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenQteethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may Dropdown dead in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." Huckleberrydqfilled admiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguage. He at once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA might have verdigrease on i ""Wbp'isonat it is just swaller somi --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, a/Dmany2!s,managed to sig!Qiniti9using the ~QingerAa pe3en he showed phow to make AAan HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi shingle close to the wall,dismal ceremonieslaincantffetters that b#ir8s were consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break inother end ofqruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whisp, "does this"usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~make any difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'd"--QYOU knowYes, I reckso." They continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agon+QfrighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh= crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qTom. "I know his voice. It's Bull Harbison." * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named: would have spoken of him as "Dl," but a son or!atZn"]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my!, ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eytrDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! Thies of playing hookeydoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but noouldn't, o. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-sc>'hools!" And Tom began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "Consound it9 Sawyer, you're just old pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY, lordy,  I wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thought0is bully, you know. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped.!pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW"it#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$1gs,}laws bless<1he alifts s'!HEes. Besides,hever coming back to"ny#spirit of adventure rose in tfZsouls`, do you das't to1 go if I leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again7the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would take to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. WheoQy had!to,in five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokeF a sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came inGe moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4sstood still\Vopes too,_ved, but)fears passed away CTheypd out, throughjn weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both boys, in a breath. "SU!ay!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house, 'bout mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU! tYain't anybody deare yet." "Well, I know/. And supF. Didn't Gracier fall ikitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX2Yes#$shBDEADwhat's more, she's getbetter, tooAll right, you wait see. She's a goner, just asSsure  ,)C's wX niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom windwas almost spent. H!rel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3Qthe g-snoring SidQawakeA had been so for an hour. OTom awoke,=1andC"reY late look in the lig04ht,csense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled him bodings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finished breakfastAIno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;: silencean air of solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en| the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could go her olduB so;inally tim to go onU ruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. ThisAwors"1n a^sand whippin5"gs4TomA# was sorer now than his body. He cried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to triflessn he bemself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9cs handqstared ]be wallthe stony "IAuffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~p, lingeD ring, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,group to house to , little less9j ic speed. Of course the master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedeand it1 recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorningZYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallXa which1not a habi`Valso "owsransackg"r" (the public are, not slowAatte_!sifting evidence and arriving at a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down allF roads in every directionw"Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowarfgraveyard. Tom'break vanished he joine7qprocessecause ~sand times r go anywhere elseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+rmed his small qthroughBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t. Somebody pincharm. He turn`eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>52wonaif any!ha!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" Wyoung'qto be aaon to  robbers!" "6'll hang is if they cat8ch him!" This ift of remark; he minister said, "It*a judgment; His hand is here." Now Tom shivered from hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming himself!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look outturning! Don't let:get away!" Peoplebranches oftrees overQd saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7 perplexed. "Infernal impu"!"aa bystander; "want2com take a quieti1 atfwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, now Dcame , ostentatiously leading Po!byAarm. The p1's xwas haggardlDwfear thaupon him. When 2od r2murAman,"hook as with a palsyqBe pu4qface in@Qhandsburst into tears didn't *do it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" aa. Thiqt seemecarry home.xRlifteKe1anded around thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#isthrust 4himMSheriff. ewould have fallen iy had not caughtqand easm to the gO!aibSomethl't if I MAbackaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestur Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1use"moThen Huckleberry,tood dumbstaring, Ahear stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they_ing every A!atclear skydeliver God's lightningspbwonder see how longZastroke6delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irpring im(pulse to break Aoath8Asavepoor betrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 vaway, for plainly this miscreant1solself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power at. "Whyyou leave? What didrwant to!here for?" somebody said. "I couldn't help it--$," moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devilwas now become,!m most balefully interesting objecHCeverDR upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9#faey inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer,q of geta glimpse odread masterhelped to raX!is body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremovalit was whisp<bthrougshuddering crowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughtthis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of Muff!when it done it." Tom's fearful secret and gnawonscience disturbedFQsleepvAas ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid saiATom,pitch arand talk in yourx1so tyou keep me awake hal9Ctimer blanchc droppAeyes6t's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "you got o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook soahe spillcoffee. "An"doTustuff,"Ur. "LastZ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y!", 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? Wh,at is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2areliefs1outing it. She8: "Sho! It'sdreadful. I dream abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMary she had been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothacheBa week,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen leanelbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc!'sYress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andj}Q mutt!s, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTthus keepingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; hel, too,aas a witness--anwas strange;RSid d overlookFfact[even showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he UmarvelledD"sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5Rtortu's conscience. day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" 8 get hold ofQ jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atSedge cvillagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occup2off greatly helpBease TPers hAad a strong desirey!ar-and-feather Injun Joe and ride him on a rail,body-snatching, but so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ dropped. He careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededthereforeeemed wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyQ minddrifted away from its secret Ss wasLa-Sightyp to interest itself about. Becky Thatcher!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few daya"ri"whistle her dowq wind,"|CfailAbegaSf!imhanging arqQher f's house, nigh{1feevery miserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractiontqno longbdok an g in war, nor piracy. The charm of liflgone; the?re was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop away, andQbat; cno joym any more. His aunt&concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatuatPth patent medicines*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in these Ys. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyU!el"atwWhandy subscriber forathe "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to godqet up, hat to eat$Rdrinkhow much exercis!ke 2!frfgto keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,&all gospe1herhobserved`Bher -journals of the c,1urr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befSas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoDeasy vict!gaQd together her quackydthus armed death, went.!onX4pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell following after." Bqsuspect7ad an angel of[E$ balm of Gilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. Tter treatmeenew, nowTom's low conditiona windfaleqhad himqat daylAevernstood him upe woodsh adrowne#D a delugBcold; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so brought!tonaCrollJAa we!etymY under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stains of iV1 th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstabhis, the boy grewGtmore melancholypale and A dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Tyremained as dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMu calculncapacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all-om had become indifferent to persecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. Ity fire in a liquid formmQdropp {8andP3els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""!*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that it was time@ to wake up;5sort of life might be romantic enough, in his blighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61varabout it. So he thought over various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him elp himself2quit bother'er. If iteen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boyAmendlth of a crack insitting-room floor!it. One day4was4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga(.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L was sure.6 "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anything mean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, banagainst furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind feeCpranced aa frenzy of enjoyment,<his headFhis shoulder$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went teaahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction^path. Aunt Polly entin time to seeVhrow a few double summersets, " ay hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrwith astonish2 peher glasses;GAlay eAexpiaKlaughter. "2 "Tom, what on earth ails that cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspeboy. "Why, I neveri. What diaact sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There was someiIR tonemade Tom apprehensive. "Yes'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" qwas benQdown,watchingwi*st emphasized by anxiety. Too late he divined her "drift.R handthe telltale teaspoon visible under the bed-valanceUAtookheld it up.RincedSdropptIeyesBAraism by the usu ndle--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sir"diZ1wanRtreatpoor dumb beast so, for!oupity for him--Zdn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. BRif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! S roasted hi+s bowelshim 'thoumore feeling thanra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. Sgan to soften; shesorry. Her eyes watered a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID do you." Tom looked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through his gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIxPeter. It done HIM!, lhim get around so since--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou nee|Utake medicine}reached school ahead of2" IQnotic2is strange been occurring every day latterly5"s !of, he hung aboutr5gatyard instTplayiYhis comrades. He wa1s sick, he said$hepit. He tried5eem to b" where but whither he really3-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive} accosted him;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,the giddy lad Bcoulait. Tom w= Q, hophenever a friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswight one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumps!enE the emptyEQhousefBsat o suffer. Then onehrock passed in `heart gavreat boundO next instant#ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jum2ovefence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, standqhead--d1allWbheroicQ conceive ofk a furtive e0#yeKawhile,tRee ificing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cit be possible thaTjR awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoGaround, snl boy's cap, hurleroof of the q, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in every directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsether--andja, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopink they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks bn-!gaIrself up1neaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mindJmade up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody lovwDhey found o{ y had driven him to, perhap1y w!bey Ehad H#dosand get along:Arnot letsince nothb"dojbut to be@ rid of him,;w1so;1let1 blame HIM for the consequences--why shouldn'3sy? What1hadQto complain? Yes,>had forcX to it at last: he + lead a life of crime. Ther no choice. By this time h far down Meadow Lanemthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly uponj!arFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound any more--itBhard0vcout incold world, he must submit--but he forgaveX"Asobs.a thickfast. JuskApoinHms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefba greadismal purp1hisJt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wiping #ye1 leeve, began to blubber outgabout a resolutio,escape from hard usageback of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping th!atm=1notRm. BLtranspiredwas a request whichK had just been going to makN and had come to hunt him up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\wknew no#; IRplainst Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvlfor him to do but succumb; he hopedIbe happy0 regret having driven her poor boyxunfeelingto sufferdie. Astwo boys walked sorrowgAlongy made a newact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'plans. Joefor being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cavr dying,OQtime,J"ol=2wannagrief;after listen 1ceda~1somspicuous advantages. #soVQsentebe a pirate. Three miles below St. K Petersburg, at a point wthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island, with a shallow bar A heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a dense and almoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8c matte"di{occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bank two,vtvillagefavorite hour--Armidnighcsmall log rafIv1eancapture. EachJring hookRlines<such provision as he could steal e most dark3mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCyall managAenjo sweet glory of spreadbAhe f~+retty sooAnCtown"hear something." All who gotrqvague here cautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewKs, and stopped inundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlightvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalK same way n a guarded voice said: "Wes there?" "Tom Sawyer Black Avenger of`Spanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandedJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIaliteraq "'TisEC. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivame awful word simultaneously to1roo : "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!isQUlet himself down4 it, teaboth skin  and clothes to some extentb efforre was an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. had brought a side of bacon8Qhad a}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes1. B@n3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it would never do2tar"2out+ fire. That was a wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde!upgreat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" e&1nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalXif "the fMoe" stirred, to "leQ haveo/hilt," because "dead men tell no tales." They knew well enoughu1thesmen were all down  village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9y shoved off, presently, Tom in command, Huck after oar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedolded armsgave hisa low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se"`given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se  r'yals up! Lay out aloft,_,$! a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowPr!" .a"Shakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocmiddle ofQiver; ed her head right?then lay onLtoars. THtt high, so theremore than a two ree mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed w it lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger 7 7"looking7last" upon the scenhis former joyhis later suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toQdoom (a grim s=!onlips. It was but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshot3rvillageRso he["edZq brokensatisfied7other pirates were blast, too;Ethey all&eBlongcame near lett93he \Q drif)m1angQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornugrounde+1bar8hundred yards abovewaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook i:a busheiA a to shelter[provisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws.!y built a fire againsA sida great log twentyirty stepssombre depthXforesCcme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" s?Btockwhad brouIt seemed glorious sport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunt4men+cey saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Qfaces threw its ruddy glare upopillared tree-trunkvtemple, and:varnished foliageoafestoovines. Whellast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,Pboys stretche=Cout grass, filledcontentmentO1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and hery can't comopick at a fellerbullyrag him so.2t's^ife for meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! mbout it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adQlike used to in old times 's always respected. And a Q's goWTsleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do'A( that if you was aDern'd if IHuck. "Well,)R what G1do??an't do%`Why, Huck, yHAVE to. How'Nget around itY6I+Wv"itTrun a R a! Wellkb WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noq%onse, being better employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl(now he fitted a weed stem to it, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The o+s envied him this majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently4i said:Qudo?" Tom,AOh, H#bjust aK--take ships1burm\get the money!y it in awful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Akill5RNo," asse"nted Tom,2g --they're too noble. AndT 's always beautiful, too.Awear[bulliest clothes! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#M." Huck scannRs owning forlornly. "I reckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bu1rse." B boys tolbe fine#escome fast enough, afte{y should0Dbeguadventures. Theyhim under that his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduallir talk diedknd drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 (qhe slepd sleepaconscience-frethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting to sleep1saiir prayers inwardlylying down, since therednobodyith authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud; in truey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afr o proceed to such lengths asQ, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of --but an intruder came, now, Pwnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wrong to run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che end RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--are was a Hcommand again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema business, their piracies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a truce"se curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefullyleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawnta delicious sens<arepose" ideep pervading calm%asilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ns!ob'd upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes cPsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose stra"in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, farq a bird1ed; another answered; presentlyhammering woodpeckerheard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<ps multi>pW and life manifested itselfy marvel ofR shakf going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawlaver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him or seemed inclto go else;when at last itJia painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladQmeantu2 he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudytical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled man"byta dead spider fiveqs as bim1 inyarms, anc7d lugged it straight up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbed,dizzy heCof a grass bladeTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],g, fly away home, your house is on fire, children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrationd he had practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touche%,it shut itssH1odyGpretend to be|birds were fairly riotyA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitXer neighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almosiboy's reach, cocked1hea<rone sid#eystrangersconsuming curiosity;_y squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" RBkind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s #the wild things had probably never seen a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage farBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfoqpiratesbthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water ofwhite sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~. A vagrant currRr a sWa riverErcarriedheir raft, but~a only "finm, sincegoing was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blazing up a"gain. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To asked him to hold oK;_!teDto a promiGCnookkb-bank 23rew ir lines; almost immediately`had reward.rhad notime to get impatient%3werKSagain\ ome handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1Dhad med so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-%he is caught!beTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay arou?Shade,while Huc4k6a smoke,en went off thrHthe woodsqn exploexpeditiony tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersC plenty of !be$ghR, but no#X to b 2 ate discoveredaislandabout three miles longa quarter ofQle wi'ashore it lay st to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the midd#thnoon whe!y got back to campptoo hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~1ham 1rew themselves down iaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded pGPe senQse of loneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedqeir weayC none was brave enqo speaksthought. For some time, now,OAboyslbeen dully consciouna peculiar sound<distance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recogn boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sile2pro_and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r)breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't th+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!i. "ListeQn--doaalk." T1ait[time that seenWn ageQthe suffled boom trouble solemn husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%Qhurrishore towaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakabout a mile belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplere were a great many skiffs row&oruQstreaJthe neighborhooQ, butcould not determine what the mencm1 doP !jewhite smoke burst fromnc's sidPas it expand rose lazy cloud, 1ame throb of zCorneJ ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,!ey loaves of b 2reaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll =Q righZ"re\top." "I've heardSthat,VJoe. "I wonderthe bread doROh, it ai#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYait befhtart it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funnyBTom. "But maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<The otherAagre=re was reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lump of, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe) to act very intelligentlyOset upon an erransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, nowc2Joecdo tooHuck "I'd giRps toEwho it isDTstillsszwatched+revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,Che exclaimed: "Boys, who's drKownded--it's us!y felt like heroes i?instant. Ha gorgeous triumph;K were missed qourned;"tsQbreak n their account; tear&eing shed; accusing memories of unkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3the talk ofgwhole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew on ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanity oQir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~ym[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atbthe villagAthinand saying abou*%m;bpicturyo public distress  qgratify ao lookc--from=Apoinview. But ZAwhenbashadow/nQcloseH2m iy gradually ceaqo talk,sat gazing intoXRfire,minds evidently wandering elsewhere excitemengone, nowl1TomtJoe could not keepahoughtcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx. Misgivings camec grew ldunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By1by Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r._but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tomthe waverer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrapeUas little tachicken-hethomesickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest formcmoment.#he=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingtwo intentaly. At last he got up cautiously, aknees, and went searQ3amoWQgrassthe flickreflections flung bycamp-fire. He pickDinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\1finchose two which seemeR suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollY put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance fromwowner. And he alsoQE hatschoolboy treasuret almost inestimable value--m a lump of ch India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that #s drhearingstraightway brokea keen run i@2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal w_ bar, wading towar(Illinois shore. B/Qeforedepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck8confidently to swiremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safSthen P through the woods, followishore, with 3#ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came oto an openroppositBbvillagA saw$ferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watc1alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=ahe cra!qbell taavoice gav*e)!or:o "cast off." A minutbtwo la(r's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagC& begun. Tom felt happy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Ataend ofng twelvsfifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<of danger of possible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleyss$]aT aunt's back fencehoRapprothe "ell," and look" asitting-room windowba ligh1burthere. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lifQlatchn he pressed gwHyielded a;6 ontinued pushing cautiousI1quaevery time it creaked, Zjudged he might squeeze1 onpknees; &so he pu), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said I hurried up. "Why, that door's open, I believe. "of course it is. No strange things now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared un Ajust"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*then crep)whe could almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyRgiddyharum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharma best-hearted boy:was"--and s|J!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to "kiief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped hime ccream,:once recollectingIawed itmyself becauMAour,IPato seexXhis worldv`, never poor abus !" And Mrs. Harper sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom's better off$isSid, "butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom feltglare of old lady's eye, thoughynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctRHIM--you trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it's so hard--Oh,! last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker rightsmy noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howWMfeeljust exactly/longer agouQyeste(Snoon, took and fillecat full of PaJin-killer,IQthinkccreturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dhead with my thimbleY3boy dead boy."ball his HRs nowy2the'words I evd1sayto reproach2But this memor$o much fo6she broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himself--and more in pity of anybody else. He c:hear Mary cryXand putting in a kindlyA forfrom time toSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still, h]fficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]Bundec7 nd overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousnessthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;Bends+ conjectured at first!the boys had got drowned while tak swim; thenmsmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]1sai4 missing lads h ad promisedvillage shq"rAsomeQq" soon;wise-head$"pA$anPogether"Sdecidk ;gone off onQand wturn up 1next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodged againe Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,s hungerhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. It wa3ievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tora. ThisWednesday A. Ifscontinued until Sunday,3opexAbe g\$ovthe funerals&Q prea:at morning shuddered. Mrs. Harper g?Dsobb-Bturngo. Then a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling LBcry,hen parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyond hant, in ato SidUMary. Sid snuffled a biMary wentccrying!llUheart. knelt downaprayed for Tom so touchingly, so appeal6ith such measureDloveCword3er old trembling voice,!heweltering in tears 9, long bef1"heKhrough. He hakeep still3after sheqto bed,she kept making broken-) ed ejaculations from time to, tossing unrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moaning a littl: sleep. N"boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shae candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itbto himhe lingered consida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he :e bark hastily in(cpocket9L!ntkissed the fa=ded lips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latIdoor behind himAthrehis way backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boardKBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who always turned iE slept like a graven image. He untiebskiff a stern, slipped into its soon rowing cautiously upstream. When hpulled a mile abovevillage, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutlyas work"hi1 onfother side neatlyn! t<as a familiar!ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&Ashipfore legitimate prea pirate, bu a thorough search would be Cfor z!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entthe woods'sa`arest, tortur meanwhilkeep awak Ethenbwarilythe home-stretch. The nJwas far sNpent. Itbroad dayl%before he. fairly abreas! island barrested againl81sunhbwell uBgilde great river with its splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorXthing. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ouryway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_writing s7hey are if heO 1herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoQ fishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaR boastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hi away in a shady nook to sleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNCdowniir knees and dugOhands. SometimesB ould take fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg fyat nightanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingy2 ba| chased each92anda, shedclothes aNBent,  |sre nakecontinue frolic far!upqshoal wBgain stiff currxwYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timAand ^1cre the fun. And nowDrstooped3grosplashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching; other, wit h avertedGqto avoi strangl\Rprays81finWDgrip b strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall Win a tangle of|rand arm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. Wywell exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotlie theru1covemselves upiby and by#he QagainCgo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit oc"d 4m%n( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring iQ circus--with three clowns in it,Rnone oyield this proudest pos9`a. Nexybmarble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew staBn JoBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fkain kicoff his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake rattles %off his anklehe wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protection ofmysterious charm. He diuntil he had2imether boysQtiredready to rest. TAradu#waapart, dropped in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgcnot help it. He eraszA5ookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKjoining them. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as- to tell, yetMi}utinous dep@uression<broken up soon, uld have to brYRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates on this island before,. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(1s; !heb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat poking up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. Fin 6id: "Oh, let's givup. I wango home. It'sqesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byby," said Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such anodswimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, whent tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon." "Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, wlQ cry-INs to his1, wwe, Huck? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|?" Huck, "Y-e-s"--withou heart in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice.3m[Ries.  V,4? Let himAf he s to. I reckon we can get a{him, per'aps.1Tomruneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on2hisUAing.Bthenv!s Qmfort+eying Joe's preparation(wistfullyCkeep ominous silence. Presently,v parting word ,wade off towar Illinois shore. Tom's9sink. He glanccould not bear the lookqdroppedeyes. Then he9Q: "Ic to gogqTom. It1getIso lones3ywa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mQon't!qcan all&. I mean1tay2Tom, I better gog&--who's hendering you.+Qqpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come(. Now youk it over.wait for you whe2cget to"5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{, and Tom stood ing after with a strong desire tugg(t;rto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeBboys stop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome verylcT . He made one final struggle-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! (tell you somethi1ng!" They presently1pedturned around. W!gocQwhere% were, h5unfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!aw"point" heBdrivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"f he had tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand so"meA hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatt1alltime about:stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,<nted to learmoke, now.TcaughQ ideaSBlike to tryKrSo HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesnever smokj ything before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereDconsidered manly anyway. No]y stretchselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrily with slender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a little, : "Why, it's just as easy! If I'd a know!is/Call,t long ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.~amany a^ I've lort peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cLdo that;I1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :hway--haven't you7I'll leave iAif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob Tanner!thand Johnny Miller Jeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.z There--I told you so," sa[1. "recollects iI bleeveRsmoke/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,))I!N I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boys!saH! a it, and someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a>Q.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1ano#onmy tobacker e very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen}!heswe'll light uJpras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along?8qI recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifle'grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of "doF sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe'dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpso2ingwmight and mainfeebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohCfind1TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranc'eoll help you. You go ovaat way=(-unt around by the spring. No, you needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCan he fwit lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepsomething informed him! if they had had any troublygot rid of it. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal andpare their!eyDA no,>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokBQcallepr a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intq$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;light of the (fire everywas swallowed up inQblackPaof dar . Presently tcame a quivering glowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sig5thrqbrancheQorestxt felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d!sh+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew a feet. Aj[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealRunder1rol:and tumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r42distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling all the leavenCsnow flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit up Nan instant crash fop#retree-tops rq' heads,vy clungin terroBr, iUthick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell patt .. "Quick!A, gothe tent!" exclaimed Tom. They sprang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roar trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloq ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring wind\'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, ttraggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful fo8y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even i3noises wLThave PBthemQtempese higher p] tore loose from its fastenings an d2 wibaway o%. gseizedrs' hand{Rfled,dTmany  bruises, toAof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was atst. UndeOceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lanqveil of. Every li hile some giant tree yieldjbe figh+Acras younger growth;aunflag'-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keeRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up,! igree-tops, blow itBand r creature in it, all at>$moment. I"t-q wild nrfor hom#} heads to be. But at lastY}Adoneforces retiredweaker and threaten grumblingsKpeace resumed her sway boys went back to camp, a good deal awed; buRy four1 still somethankful for, becausegreat sycamore their beds,c ruin, now, blasted byKw they were not ubit whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedQlads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYa Ahad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardRsepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_shreds and bark g91athfrom the Vsides of qed logs+ay coax61rto burnc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamiXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight adventure] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upo boys, drowsiness came ov1em,XAwent:qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a littlefsick once bom saw#2ign fell to chee@up the pirates as he could. But#cared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1Cthem imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+q, he gom interein a new devic is was to knock off being, for a wh"ilS be Indiansqa changO1ey qattractedis idea; so itlong before<dstripp^&head to heel with black mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teFqthrough Awood%attack an English settlement. Bseparated into three hostile tribedupon each otherRbambushdreadful war-whoopACkillrxscalpedHousands. I a gory day. Consequentlyan extremelisfactory one. qassembl camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not bread of hospitality together,out first makewas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE processeLheard of. Two savages almost wish%4remained. However@ }A way\with such showqheerfulayr mustercalled for t'!he ook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladBgone1ry,E!" gsomething;1fou"atw smoke a little having to goAhuntka lost knife^"diaget sick en o be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"sospent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w1ingOskinningSix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use >m at pres CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilarity?Btownsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,being putmourninggreat grieftears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth`ordinarily8, in all co&rnsciencIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%SalkedC; busighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69no heartir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backErsob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9: "It waschere. to do over2, IMn't say that--" ithe whole worldbBhe'sRnow; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood lookQ"ve paling fence and tal"in reverent tonesP of how Tom did so-and-sklast time they saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as\ could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"av then added somelike "and Ia-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDI what it meant, of course,QI can Anow!#enwas a disputewho saw the dead.qin life many claim1at dismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDparted lastqexchangCwordathem, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by&the rest. One poor chap, who had no other grandeur toF,)tolerably> manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me once." Butbid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{- too much. The group loitered away, still recalling memories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringingq usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keepingUmusing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses +c womentheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle churchd!be full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep bl5ack2 whole congregationold minister as well, rose reverentlystood untileourners wererthe front pew$nother communing, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa5!herpersist blinded himselfrm always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYTflawspoor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous%Q peop>uld easi, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes wep"edQgrief1 atx1timy occurrcy had rank rascalities, well de$ng.qcowhideO  became mor moved, apathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. t rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUchurch door creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg  and stared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe next!Hu ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! l3ingir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threw themselves uponSrestored ones, smothemsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huckpabashed( and uncomfortable, not know^xactly what to do or w)de from so many unwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizmsaid: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee ." "And so they shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavorhim wer2oneL capable of m2him.  he was before. Suddenlyshouted atatop ofvoice: "PBQ God /whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters CSawyPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! this was coudest?life. Asj"sold"Utroopcey saiTwould)sbe will; be made ridiculous again ton Uung likeB oncga. Tom?Bcuffkisses that `day--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exprothe most gratefulnNQo God@affection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI Batteir own funerals. They had paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;had slept id woods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh` then crept through back lana alley B finTsleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,;and Mary2Dverykqto Tom,51tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(ittWell, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me suffer so. Ifc8come over to go tr,4have comeand give me a hint s`qay that:warn't deadonly run off." "YeseAdoneDGR" sai; "and I believe you w ihad thought|tfW#1youR?R, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing8aI hopeg loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKWc, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,1 ai$ny harm," pleadeBit's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\Qhe nehinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONE it, too.you'll lookC,E Qwhen too late wish you'd _a little more$me>2cosU2so 2Now, aunt!ie know I do`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,Ltmuch--a cat does2butmqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^you was sittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him." "W*so we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake umuch troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehseems tothe wind-- blowed the--" "Trh1der3! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go onp--go on! you said, 'I believe$door--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh !foP land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEain't any2 in%s,. Sereny b shalliis beforean hour older.^to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'superstition.2Oh,ball geu{As brbas dayVF Nex! I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum!no) responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began ato cry+"So&&. Not the first time, neither. OThen Mrs. e began esaid Joetthe same, and she wishe hadn't whipped'aking cream when she'd throweout her own selfom! The sperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, go onoASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yes you did, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheresgone tofDbeen0sometimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharpTI layTmust 'a'an angel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scar`a firecracker7QPeter the Painkilleras true as I liveBthena whole lo3alkdraggingriver foAr us%4hav#funeral Sunday%m1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happened!so , as sur'm a-sitting in thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`it more like if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and IwE seehear every wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;' looked so good, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "DiR, DIDI;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even" i~ a--dream," Sid soliloquized faudiblup, Sid! A body doeV as he'd do if heawake. Here^'s a big Milum apple I've been s7forq1if !as found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His word,ness knowsunworthy of it, but ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them the rough places, there's few enwould smile Io= enter intodqrest whde! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,the old lady to call on Mrs. vanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakekit!" What a hero Tom8become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger X1ame rate who felt (2thapublic eyeon him. And indeed i+; he trieqto seemee the looks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were fooddrink toSmaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated byss if heC2 drummer & head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given anythi1swasuntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpart!eifor a circus. At'3Dmade so muchbof Joe!delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyT1two"esnot long ini Wably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventuresungry listeners--9B;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materia#lfinally, whry got oir pipeswent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_live for|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh 0as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. Tomqsee hermoved awayjoined a group ofand girl O to talk. Soon he observas tripping gayly backjRforthiflushed facerdancingL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter 2shea captureh(icbalways/Cher 1As in^vicinitywAeemecast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratifiliFr vanitywB himso, instIrwinningQit onaet him up"Y2morx!hidiligent to avo id betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking6 irresolutelyB, sighing once or twi#glafurtiv4 nd wistfully toward Tom. T 1now1was1ing particularI* Amy Lawrence than to any one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1!go, but her feet were t3rou1car71her"he[A saia7 almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(Idin Miss Peters' classuDre Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neRgoody; I hopT1'll2!MEI)Hieill. T!'sm<qanybodyAr I want` you."B "Teo nice. When is itb!Byby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM 2allBirlsV1oysYes, evertfriends to me--orAbe";C2she:4ed Ay1 heed right along  terrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycamo1e "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on,a clappf joyful haAill had begged for invitNAs bu1Amynturned coollyPcstill Atook him. Becky's lips tremblthe tears caher eyes;!hi$se signsa forced gayetwent on chatterbHlife had gone ounR, nowaything1got as soonhe could/hid herselfg and had what her sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused upua vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveplaited tails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together over#book, that they did not seem to be conscious of ani`Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happilyB, asNwalked, for her a heartMrsingingdtongue had lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever she pa+expectantly he could only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !to^qrear of , again and , to seareyeballs1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaehe thoughaw, that ]Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, toosas glad him suffer asj3haded. Amy's happy pracame intolerable.!hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioXher?"1bthose 9he said artlessly!ou "around"Ss let oueqhe hasteaway, hatinNg her for it. "Any .a boy!"pAgratis teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartQthinkdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" cwent throughrmotionsZrashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was finishehis satisfa Tom fled home at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?happinesshis jealousyG bear noAB the distress. 'qresumedpicture in'with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloudt3she/nterest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"prup her ear at a footstep1 ita false hope;. At last she grew entirely miserabl" wshe hadn't carried itar. When poori2seeQat he1los_L2 di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d6s!"{1pat" a[Rsaid,Mdon't bother me! IAcare) them!" and burst into tearagot upwalked away. dd droppPCside+As goQo try<bomfort"busaid: "GoX=leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wahave done--forC"ha, she wouldiYsnooning--an%qon, cryCThenC!mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guesseE!waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer. far from h51Tomless when hought occurrbmGZAtherT someg~pto trouA1hum,tudy. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlockbs deskqreached1hisc, but  undecided whether to take iHqr leaveCMost! pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. `fingerK!ed book absently for a whileand settl<\Achairead! Tom shot a at Becky. He7een a huntedhelpless rabbit lsYBdid, a gun levelled at its head. Instantly he forgotrquarrelAher. Quick--something must be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcbook, spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chance was lost--tster opene'volume. If Tom onlyasted opportunityagain! Too late. Tas no helpw now, he said* next momen}3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil% one might count ten =was gathex.ArathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^p stillness continued;MCsearched face afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more sintensethe slow torturse proceedings4can ranks of boys--considered!ur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(girl wasla Thatc1Tomtrembling froms to fooaexcitenqand a sa!ofhopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccazc" [TomhfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]a--no, Qme inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thoughtlike lightning aQbrainsprang to his fee%shouted--"I:"t! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toHdismembered facultuAies;when he stepped forwardAoq punish the surprise, the gratitudQ adorA tha1ne upon him out of poorv 's eyes seemed pay enoughXa hundred floggInspired bysplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hould be dismissed--for he knew who w$Await8kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. ent to bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Bshamarepent5QBeckyrAtold7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longinghgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at las's latest words lingering dreamily inear-- "Tom, how COULDbe so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching), always severe2, grew severermore exactn#, TAwantY to make a good showing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he Ato t vindictive)cure inIe shortcomThe consequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX8Bheirz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to d: a mischief. But`ept aheadJ"im\ retriburfollowe*!y ful successso sweepmajestic 1retfrom the field badly worsted. At 1lasQylp5ctogethhit upon a plano promised a dazzling victory? swore in( sign-painter's boy, told him!CchemBaskerhelp. Hhis own reasons for being deldtboarded father's family and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<bbe not!o !fith the plan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said#whbdominiroper condi7on  Evening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righth!hul to school. I1ful"of4Athe !esH arrived. At+1 inUe^Ahous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliagehlowers! s1ron,H 2 raised plat,Qform,t his blacka behin2. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front ofwere occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, back@ citizens, was a spacious temporary platform5RwhichBseat scholars whoato taktvexercis ; of small boy1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuousl,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very littlstood upsheepishly recia"You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanyainfully exactspasmodic gesturesa machine mMight have used--supposing the machinbe a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,./got a fine round of applause when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lisped, "Mary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYafidencq soaredunquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him,gs quaked under him|hP!iktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathy b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+#le disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly def<nra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning D]eck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class recQhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in5, now--original "compositions" by the young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, held upRmanuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart LongingspA etcprevalentY!se\ca nurspetted m|p; anoth*#er,wasteful and opue gush of "fine language"; an<tendency to lug in ears particularly prized wordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markamarredthe inveterateOintolerable sermonT wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one zm. No matter wh6subject might be, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or tbAmora" r us mind could contemplateAgedificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#  do not feel obligwAclos.!iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous anv least qgirl in\qs alwayt longestAXprelentllessly pious. But enoug%this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us return tor"Examin=" The firstNas read9one entitled "Is this, then, Life?" Pg reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walks of life, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forward  anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturejoy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4allrs.' Her gracform, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentranceqe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}Phan t`qhe last after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior, all is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4cs; and1astdAalthimbitter!rtshe turns away;the convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyqlongingthe soul!" And so forso on. Therea buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe had closed with a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comepills and indigestion`a "poem." Two stanza9it will do+ "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtX my heart doth swell, ;And burning recolles throng my brhFor I have wandHthrough thy flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warafloods And wooed on CTide Aurora's beam.Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[ Welcome and home were mine"inTStateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbget9(teoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <|3actory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began tobin a mF d, solemn tone: "A VISIONCDarkrmpestuous2night. Around the v e on high not a single star quivered; but Udeep intonations ofheavy thunder constantly vibrated up ear; whils terrific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2qo scornpower exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic /Qblust?about as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so reary, for human sympathy mymspirit sighq instea}Rreof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'RQto my. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So softher step, iqBfailmake even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impacDrtedgenial touch, ather unobtrusive ies, she would have glideaway un-perceived--unsought. A strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)dmplateg5two""resented." This nightmare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wound up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effortevening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellTQow alEAvergeity, put his chair aside, turnedDbacku1audlbegan to draw a map of America onblackboard, to exercisgeography clas. But he 9sad businesX!itCunsteady hanUa smothered titter rippled overhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =Ato r@!it:sponged out lines and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not put down byQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^1continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; had a rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewDslowly desc}she curved upwarLclawed at theT,swung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofCabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbu2wigher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&Q into"in an instan?er trophy still inpossession!1howJldid blaze abroad the master's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke upqrmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken~out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl pnQhenceEmuch happian any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." Hmised to abstai^Q smok9!ch,`ofanitWy as long as he remaa member. Now he found thing--namely, that to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself tormentedq a desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was coming;"he3gavQup --it up before he had worshackles over forty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw61hav ig public funeral, since he!so1 an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!q's condhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--#heRventuj1get,practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuabAt lasas pronounced u1pon~Amend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedsignation at onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapsesBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fine. The Cadets para a style calculated to killClate^Benvybrree boyQ, howd--ther"meQ!atFc swear, now--but1 toWssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookQaway,{the charm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginning to hang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diaryhappened dso he abandonedhe first negro minstrel shows camBtownQmade a sensand Joe Harper go~a band of performersYwere happm1twoa. Eve Gloriouswas in somea failure, for it r hard, tDeno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tarld (as Tom supposed), Mr. Bento= actual United States Senator, proved an overwhelming disappointment--for henot twenty-five feet high, nor even anyw:e neighborhoosrA circu boys playedfor three afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls--knx1ing. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, buYy,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hoBstay~qher par }V--so tQno br|1sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9pn~measles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dead Ctand its happenings. Hevery ill,finterested in nothing. When he got upon hisSat lam#feebly down-town, a melancholy change had come ove!ryl ercreaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thI.L bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwherefound Joe Harper study Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attention precious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encouQd addJrother tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refuge bosom of Huckleberry Finn3was received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he creptand to bed realizat he alonqall the tow@nlost, foreverW b. AndBnthere came on a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notshadow of a doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu22hat1wasT result. It might have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryyb incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. Bybtempest spent itself #diQout accomplishingaobject boy's first impulseL gratefulreform. His secoto wait--"re>be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back;Ihad relapsedthree weeks heU!baOis time seemed Nan entire age. When he got abroad at last hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor1wasPdrifted listlessly down"astreetfound Jim Hollis ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catmurder, iiSpreseher victim, a birdsoe Harp Huck Finn up an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATthe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:Re trial4k!be*the absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern6to sent a shudder to his heartroubled consciG and fears almost persuadHmthese remarkr!pu Tth inqas "feelers"; he di1see-Rld bescted of knowi1nyty<dVstillFnot be comfortabl5BidstEis gossipkept himE in a cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealQongueQ a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedssure himselfhad remained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt more . After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO. They ain't no diIbnt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So 1swo2ain dread solemnities. "What is the talk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!ItBs mepsweat, constant, so's to hide som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always--m *account; buan he h done anything%ur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we get himop5My!&8n't)W. And besides, 'tn't do any=;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hate;ear 'em abus1 so the dicken%s6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjthey wonder he wasver hung befoOAYes, like that,9.that if he was,AfreeQb'd lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had a long,Cit broughm little comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhaps with an undefinp8R somed;Q happAat msclear a4ir difficulties. But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~Roften,%B--we  the cell grating and gave some tobaccomatches. HBhe gQfloorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/QgiftsQ smott!irciences it cut deeper than ,: They felt cowardly and t!outhe last degree when Potter said: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody else town. And I don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.Emendboys' kitesks:show 'em wherT fishin' places wa0rbefrienwhat I couldO2now ave allot old Muff"!'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYPeet him> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac}Dit--I got to swingit's right. RighABEST , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't 5at.4"wamake YOU feel bad; yQed mez<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li%furder west--soSit; it's a prime ?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of R]fDA nonB!e but yourn. Gooda wp--good `"ly. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}%'ll come through the bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if ." Tom went home miseraWhis dream night were full of horrors. The next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experience y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorA. AtX4endasecondthe village !wathe effect tWnjun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvrwhat the. jury's verdict would be. as out late,u"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All^DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waijury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM2b pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoblawyerAgath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked upQtmospof prepar was as impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fwashing in the brook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredt immediately sneaked awaysome fur`rquestiocounsel forErosecution said: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a moment, but dropp%em again when his ownsI have no&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C$ #,"+#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often se%inO possession.Potter declinME The faces{;b begantray annoyance. Did attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed conce* guilty behavior@ctTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-.bEvery bQdamag0ircumstances that occu rred in the graveyard uponwhich all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexity and dissatisfac'house expressed itself in murmurs=Qprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,6ahe putKqface in AhandWS rocklbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.4movbmany women's compa testifixtears. rthe def1oseXYour honor, in2tremarksREopenis trialforeshadowed:purpose to b$ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produ9ced by drink. We oSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Then to clerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2Uevery@,xeven excepting}Q's. E6'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplacere standjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadministered. "r, whereAyou o e seventeenth of June, about$hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's ironc1andtongue failm audience libreathles"th!s refused to come. After a few moments, however,(boy got a little ofstrength back\b manag^3puts of it into8voice to make parthear: "IYd!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q4 contemptuous smile flitted a face. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifle louder. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neve) mentioning your companion's name. We will produce him ai proper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitated andUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. What dBtake Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )rkeleton!atdD Now, tell us 4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at first, butBwarmthis subject his words flowed morJ easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;&&ixBhim;parted lipsbated brea"ataudience hung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt inghastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and astdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as lightthe half-breed sprang for a window, tore ay through all opposers, and1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOMa glittering hero onceH--the pet%Aold,Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some believed he would be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreaskworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;afore i'not well to find fault_1it.r's days: of splendorQexult@r to himdhis nights v?horror. Qinfes(pll his Sdreamsalways with doom in his eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysore afraid thajTshareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattorne promise secrecy, but what of? Since }harassed conscad managed to drive himc c's house byjqa dread from lipsPhad been sealndismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidenchuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Hal2timZ3wasa never be capturedVa othercK@Y. He felt sure he nev_#erdraw a safe breath again until 1man\Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewards*been offered,'VuntryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moused around, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. That  say, he "! a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure asVbefore. nslow days drifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we"of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck Finn thHe Red-Handed. Huck would answer.tm to a private placaopened matter to him confidentially`*Awillwas alway to take a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!enva limb of an oldRtree,2shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I Cide it; I'd spend have a good time"So;1 I.l"do!way. Theyf and leave it t"DAthey0ay more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerallya forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycbody finds<yellow papeat tells how to,Q the 7--a*%'s got to be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go #61wan^ esbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can taagain BtimeS ' -1 upzStill-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'emI all of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Z one to go forG zITom, it'llll summerf2hatat? Supposffind a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^Agrayrotten chest fudi'monds. How at?" Huck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right. But I beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardly, but's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckoni!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^"Do}1hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o Yto hop for?--ba1meaa'd jusVQscatt&, 2in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* ? What's his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`Aon't"ifAlikeM3TomRbight; )kG"beRg andD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firszknow. S'pose we tackljdead-limb tree on the hill t'\ side of Still-House branchrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingE threw themselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQ a smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2Saywe find a treasure here6you"doyour shar2'll1pieaa glasAsodaRy dayI'll go to every circufcomes along.0aa gay tinbsL2f igSave it? What" "Why, so d something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daR get his claws on it if Iurry up,I tell you he'd clea3out pretty quick.n:buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M !" "That's iyou--why ]rin yourA min"Wait--you'll seetYthe foolishest  you could do. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! !1thed to fight all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"ckAy'reQalikeMAy'llcomb a body. Nowzabetterak 'bouqs awhilVByou /BHaname oCB gal8a gal aa--it'srI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's rightce. Anyway, wU&ll.2som--not now\2AllY!--6!llqOnly ifhbe more lon4esomer than everT!No82. Yand live with mestir out `is and we'll go to digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Do always bury it as deep asSometimesd2. Not generally.we haven't got theQ placS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progress:By pe4way in silenceVrFinally leaned onshovel, swabbed beaded drops from his browhis sleeveNrQWhereCdig next, after we ge1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hille widow'sdDll be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her la9SHE41! Mshe'd likeSonce. Whoever findQse hiasures, it belongs to him. It dr make any difference whose lQand i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVRthinkt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfere@s what'strouble now Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadowlimb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"ed2allfor nothingQ hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _!an)go for it4Ir;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouappointed  They sa+t in the AwaitIa lonely)an hour made solemn by old traditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks, deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answ with his sepulchral noteM subdued by thesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+a stone or a chunk. At last Tomv#Itrany use-rxrbut we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another What?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck dropped hi s shovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroublegot to give this one upBcan'Q tellQrighty besides< kind of 'sawful, !is<Q of nJwitches and2 a-fluttering arso. I feel as if n's behind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS, becuz maybeothers in front a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGRfor iLordy!" "YeRy do.uh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolR"people. A body's bto get intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posA oneuto stickAkull vand sayG DTom! It'sit just is. Huckcomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'sp~band trAs else." "All{, I reckon we betterhat'll it be?" Tom considered awhile;dAthen :4e ha'nted house. GBlame it 4s. Why, they're a dern sight worse'n D! mRtalk,Q, butMocome slidmin a shroud,you ain't noticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1grizir teethb way a does. I couldn't stOauch a  as that--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUronly at4won't heus from digging1 inqdaytimeuthat's so. But you knowcy wellago abo9at fA norrpmostly becauRato go a a manaen mur, anyway--bubhing'sobeen seenBthat except !--some blue lights slip!by windows--no regular ghostsyou see one of them[Xflick, you can bet thUere'shy close behind it. Irs to reason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em p bP`b, so wZathe usaour beffeard?2all. We'll tacklex dfbsay so#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorsteps chimney crumbled to ruin -sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gaz*, half expectSwo see a flit past a{;]1tal1one, as befitte8Atimeqthe circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/ude berthCtookway homeward throughBwoodc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNboys arrive4"d  dead tree< come for tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alCsuddenly said: "Lookyhere, Tom, dowknow whait is?" Tom mentally ran ove days ofV3eekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookam-- "My! I never once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!'s some luckywq, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the first1fou|3 ounRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rat"No! Sure signprouble. DiTqy fights'NotEgood!hey: it's only afrthat thp,-. All we got& to do is to y sharp and keep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he1one@he greatest ma ever in England--anb best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopleRkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly squarehe must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;NhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they played Ro?{A allIafternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7 remark about the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink intA wesWy took their way homeward athwar% long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom saiW1re so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it a single thrusa shovel. TheQailed however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling jR1had`rtrifledhcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whey reach P ther1e was something so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/1bakOzun, andbSdepreb loneland desolation ofbplace,wafraid, for a moment, to venture inty creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1herand everyWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwfy gave a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextato look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off]P!go^daring each otherof coursre could beone result--LSthrewtools into a corK"ne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same signs of decay. In one corny found a closetpromised mystery"qa fraudr"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blancwith fright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." The boys stretch2mselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a, unkempt creature very pleasant in his facelwas wrapped in a ser&ape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Ctalka low voice; they satground, facingCdoorbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedX his words more distinct as ceeded: "No,"ehe, "I've thought it all over1I dAlikeIt's dangerous*D!" grunt$ "e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPadifferaAway u1 riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w.  9]daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1. But there warn't any other placeandy after6 fool of a job. I want to quit this shanty ed to yesterday, only it wuquse tryo stir out ofose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a day. They wishedir hearts[ had waited a year. The two m\tJ]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,CLooklad--you go backLwyou belong. Wa.ere till you9me. I'll takechances on droppis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'-'7I've spied a< a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together;was satisfactory. Bothpresently fell<bawningp I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch.-" He curled downWa weedssoon begannore. His comrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. Pthe watcher a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9snore nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispered: "Now's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starlone. Butfirst step hewrung such a hideous creak from7crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp1 lare counthe dragging moments rit seemBthemtime must be donGeternity growing gray;Cthen6ererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now one ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly upon1, wX2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his footaHere! YOU'RE a=man, ain't you! A, though--noR(thing's happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we dowhat little swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave it M#as2aalways , I reckon. No use to tak7Bawayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omeonce mor"No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's betterYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"M/ walked acrossroom, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonetook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty / irty dollars for himselfGas much for8,1pas"he latter, #s <corner, now, diggingR his bowie-knife. The boVygot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloating eyey watched emovement. Luck!--the splendor of it was beyondwimagination!N&was money enough to make half a dozen boys rich! Hereftreasure-hununder theiest auspicesre would not9ny bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilyastood,,they simply meant--}Bbut you glad NOW we'rb!" Joe's  struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box,4alieve.--bear a hand and 2see<Kfor. Never mind, I've broke a hol4aHe reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD!" The two men examinhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.NQ: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weedCAs inBcornBsideWe fireplace--I sa5a minute agoh!anqbroughtXRboys' and shovel. Injun Joe took*pick, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered to himself,then began to use itxsoon unearthed. Iu not very large; iron bou had been+strong before:slow years+Qinjurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of Shere,p!. "'Twas always said that Murrel's gang used toruone summer,"stranger observ"I know it; "and this looks like it, I shR say." "Now you won't ne"doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Leasall aboutathing. 'T@ robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"sa wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinishednn Texas. Go homH<QNanceyyour kidMstand by till "you hear from me`Well--ife say so; what'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishing deoverhead.] NO! by)great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgoqat pickOafresh  on it! [ys were sickerror in a moment.] What business has a^Sand aa here?, , ! oFhm? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Have d anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n . We'll ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|"of6. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--undxRcrossaother s is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to cautiously peeping out. Presently heB: "Who c!osl1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs??breath fors.mCput his han+d on his knife, halted, undecided,then turned towar 1way Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs--the intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring for the 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0Gclandedi2amiAUdebrigruinedVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Nows the use of all|? If it's8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes follow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoqhings in caught a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yedJoe grumbled awhile;he agreed:his friendA day? was left Yto be economized in gdettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstared them througc chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk muchwere too much absorbedaemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,n+would have suspected Chiddk8sil gold to waitWQ till|"revenge"Qtsatisfiga misfortune to fiQmoney up missBitter, b&!RtoolsbIBre! = keep a looko9 Spaniard(he should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobWhim to "Number Two," wherever9 that might beLbn a gh@thought occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it allas they entewPay agre" b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itB to be alondanger! Company be a palpable improvement, he. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure2day ily tormented Tom's dreams night. Four times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6qit wast nothingnessis fingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4aBbackXard reality ofR1. AClay |smorning recalle incidenthis greatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued0 far away--somewhat as if ;had happenanother world, or in a time long gone byi5him Pe itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quantDcoin2Cseen1o vkrreal. HWnever seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimagin all references to "hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsaly exiehad supposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. Ianotionuhidden had been analyzed,would havey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras Q. Bugrew sen qsharperclearer underYQattri193ink&mso he presently`himself leae!toRBimprZ2 G not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away. He #~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sitting e gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangling his fee3aand looBvery melancholy. Tom concluded to letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't." "Whatwbu?" "Ohing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8)2how Q! I've hads enoughnight--with[patch-eyed Spanish devil goingm*1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /Swe'llXhim. A fellerq~one chance for a pile--andlost. I'd feel mighty Rshakywas to see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's itQ'bout. But I can't make no[aout of@do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,s one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. Lemme6K Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I com1Tom-off at onc1carasHuck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fou!inEbestQNo. 2BlongQoccupy a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept lockedthe time2he <saw anybody go into it or}( except at night; he did not any particular reason for this state of1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade1mosCthe & by entertaining himself with5Aidea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%Bther9da ligh !reS before. "Twhat I'vY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E . Now what you going to doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out into:lose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeet hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJBrop 21ownaspy aronce moreWqa chancget his revenge. If j you just follow him; and if he don't,Aain'a placeLordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%, sure. He mightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd n)think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkh 'a' found out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooRuntil nine, one watch2he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobod#For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard`%ed3Cthe e#Th promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home the understand{ at if a considerable degreT darkness came on, Huck wasr to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0closed his and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had the same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itC!hi < in Huck's began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Ohad  }b. Ever was auspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect stillwas interrupted by occasional mutterings ofAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.qavern. ""stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The"reZ of waiting anxiety; that weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c ee a flash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCaburst #q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r ; fearing all sortreadful things] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heonly able to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itAout,Ctbeating. Suddenln"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUqenough;making thirty or forty miles arepetition?!ut) never stobtill they reache)shed of a deserted slaughter-house at th2e lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!as1got]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsR; butto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn in the lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyaere, s asleep oARfloor4(old patch oP1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2seebox?" "Huck, I didn't wait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!owqWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is,! You try iHuck shuddered.Eno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doQThere a long pause for reflectiothen TomzRLookyless notCB anyatill wwc 3notre. It's to9ay. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor other, an C!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU,x"lly 1too3you"the other part oA jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and ifasleep,ORthrow:gravel atwindow and 'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's over3*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeI said I would, Tom(! t  for a year! E all dayi&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any] I ask him he gives me a liBsome to eat if he can spare it.  !ik\, becuz I dover act as if I was aN bove him. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH/1But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wanas a steadyAe$ift!indaytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sed's up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on Friday morning wglad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"ow before. Both Injun Joethe treasure sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhausting&playing "hi-spy" "gully-keeper" with a crowdir school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's dewas boundless;6 Tom's not more moderate.& The invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown4a fever of preparu(!plbable anticip..excitement enabled him to keep awake until a pretty late hour!he:Ahope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having histo astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*C. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was ro1for|qart. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.!s presence2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladireightee# #gentlemenwenty-three sreabout1oldqm ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remainphome toN entertain himkQlast  Mrs. Thatcher sai[Becky, was: "You'll not get back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay all some ofBirlslive neah-landing, child." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *climb right2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!" Becky reflected a mo1and7s: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedNidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'A go F if tthoughtIpwould!"(= T splendid hospitality was a tempting bait. I Tom's persuasions pc carriqday. So itOadecide;bsay no]anybody abounight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mcome this verycUAgiveasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbol!upomfun atAnd why sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweigh3unc1rtreasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinLnot allow him!to k of the box of money any!tiat day. Three miles below townerryboat stoymouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore#oodorest distances craggy heights echoed farshouting6 laughter.9the different way1getphot andB tired were gone through with,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHAgoodgs began. AfterAfeas!re-a refreshing sq of resr chat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomef[ed: "Who's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \procuredstraightwaU2re Fgeneral scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonewas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJ mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=csun. B_Qimpre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offArompegan againmoment aRlight. Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence followed, bu,tusoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamo laughter and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingthe steep descent!main avenue,flickering rank ofVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wall rock almost to their poip2jun sixty feet overhead. This not more than eight or ten? wide. Every few steps other#and still narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`but a vast labyrinth of crooked aislesran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights togeuits intricate tanglArift:b chasmC never fit4end Qcave;dthat h!goY,Qdown,jAintoS4eari"juyu same--D! u_no end to anym. No man "knew"icave. Thafan impos6thing. Mosyoung men knew a portion of it}not customary to venture much beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%of2 asine. T moved alor"some three-quarterba milethen group ouples began to slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?r joined . Parties were able to elud^2for1pac half an hour without goinga the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely de" uccess ofcday. TqyMstonishea y had been taking no not[Atime.mabout at hanre clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild freight p#uBintoVtream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain raft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He heard no noise on board,%young people  subduedAstill as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w1--a8en he dropped!ourhis minput his attentionLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,pvillage betook itself to its slumber2lefRsmall>!ere/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernv re put out; darkness everys, now. $itCseemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was thereVuse? "reA Why]give it upturn in? A noisEfe fell22ear!asUin an instantQ alley door closed softlyBssprang Adcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must be tAx! Sy1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGQriveret three blocks,(Bturn the left up a cross-streey? straightE, until they1 to!paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Atook!y the old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating Qclimbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. But1stoa &3on,d summiQplunged inbnarrow7bbetweetall sumach bushesat once hiddeothe gloom.dup and shorteneddistance, now, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, fearingaas gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everyilost! HeAabou!spqwith wifeet, when a man clearathroatfour feethim! Huck'sbt shot`lroat, buwallowed itY;sthen he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weakS%hez"hensurely fallground. He knew wh?+ within five 4stile leading Widow Douglas' grou4nds. Very well,A, lem bury i re; it won't be hard to find. Now twas a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisvthat stranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill wenob--thisthe "revenge" job! HisAwas,6l3n he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mornuEthese men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcthought all thisii1momXhat elapsed 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. WellTre IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54 have another chance. I tellagain, as I'v<e told you befo care fo swag--you mayc#it. But her husband was rough on me--many times her and mainlythe justiceyApeact jugged ma vagrant. AnAain'Q5. I millionth part of it! He haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town looking on! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM if abut noQ. Whe?2 waCget  on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--Isable aloJ!neyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herthen I reckon nobody'll ever know muchnwho done this businessWell, if it's got to be/A, leet at it. The quicker the better--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was going to ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and stegingerly back; plante.2fooQfully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sid `!onRfother.:n!, the same elaborationr risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned in his+ tracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass if he were=p'uly but cautiously along. When he emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked up`nimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reacheWelshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons%thrust from windows. "What'sI4rowd&Who's banging? What do you want?" "Let me in--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y!' , indeed! It ain't a namopen many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads[Vsee w qtroubleQPleas"'t+tell I told you,"ccHuck'srwords wd got in. M--I'd beed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAStht!orouldn't act :so!" exclaim; "out with it0nobody here';." Three minutes laterSE1his, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no further hid behind a great bowlder fell to listening. Therea lagging, anxious silence, an?n all of a suddR?n explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang awayBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingrapped g77olds&. The inmate,asleep, but!a Q thatset on a hair-trigger,sccount exciting episodenight. A calla:2o's"!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone:O It's only2FindFrhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--Hand welcome!2eseustrange words tovagabond boy's earsthe pleasantest he had ever heardLRnot recollectthe closing word=1beeG"li!his case beforenwas quickly unlocked"he-2ed.7was given a sea]R brac1all speedily dress5selves. "Now, my boy, I hope you're goodhungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boysdd turn up and stop BlastFa." "IFSawfulq," saide, "and I run. I took :h pistols wekfI didn't stopt>le. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even if they"de"Well, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but tGrs a bedx1forAwhenBv^Fyour=A. Noy ain't dead, lad--wAe are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right w to put our hands on them, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar that sumach path was--and jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it back, but no use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T rais3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B<"ey"off in a jiffy, svillainwe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we n4atouche|my fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. AkRwe loVB sou$Twe quit chasingand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&it is light the sheriffaa gangS beat}My boys will bethem presently. I wish we had somNose rascals2ould help a good deal. But you couldn'thdrlike, i!dark, ladppose?" "Oh yes; I sawkt down-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!fAne's!olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>here once or twicet'other's a mean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge)r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don'tANYbody it was me NFblow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huyou ought to havecredit of wha%Adid.@h no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung menhQgone,]old Welshm.aan saiT-r--and I. But whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, further than to say<he already knew too much about\1men`+1manU M anything against him forwhole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it1tryo strike out a new way of doing. Thaay of it last night. I,Sleep,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#!an4". just thencomes these two chaps slippg%lose by me, with;1unddreir armI reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'one wantlight; soG stopped right before methe cigars lit up a faces"RI seeqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered Hucka momentknow--butQhow ims as if I didtbent onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhearu1beg"-K5the swear he'd sp;rr looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMBAsaidTthat!whad maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keewfrom gett he faintest hint Rof whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite ofAhe cbdo. He several efforts to creep out of his scrape, butold man'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlyLTWelsh;: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I wouldn't hurt a hair of your head forXorld. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've letAslipout intending it+ can't cover0up now. You know1abob%at4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes, then bent over andpwiar: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!? almost jumped chair. In5 he<AIt'splain enough,pWhen you talkedmAnotc|"eaHB slinoses I judge2wasm own embellishment, because men don't t?2ake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wn!inQcours i*E sai2e lIing which heis sons had done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineBstilWits vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightning theyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness from Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide1his th suspended--waiting foraanswer )tarted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTER you?" Huck sank back, pang deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and p5NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi#|turn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a cloDse placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven anyfor materiala plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." PoorP%too distressed to smileWQ laugzoud and joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such armoney in a-man's pocket, because it cut dowdoctor's bill like evernq"ddold chap, you're whit?!ja5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little fyoff your balancyou'll come ouit. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hop+#brritatthink heSaBgoosbetrayed{! a)icious excitement,HqdroppedBidearthe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asheard the talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a8n't--and soion of a captured bundltoo much is self-possession. But oAwholfelt gla@.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^be drifting just i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be yx1ailybat dayhTom could seizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompledta knockQdoor.lq jumped&a hiding-V"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt+ Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbinghill--to stare S\news had spread. Th1!haAtellstory of tH visitors#gratitudeqher preservation$outspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's anotheryou're more beholdenan you are to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't have beee!reD%for him." Of course this excited a curiosity so vas0qit almo d the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis Mrthroughqbe trans?"T townb refus"2parsecret. When all els> AlearBAthe  said: "I wensleep reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth whAThosDlows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}2theL8By've`come back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hoursA. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boyk$'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--onyou. And now hAfraid%totto sett'q shook her hea&d feebly andpaler than ever. "He Aus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A marked anxiety~'s face. "JoeVhave you seeK1thiQAningYANo'mWhen did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he c2sayWpeople had stmoving out ofWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teachebey all2thenot noticed whether3andDwere on boar9 ferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughQinquiaif any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!]swooned awa fell to crying wringing her hands alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutesQbells wildly cla$he whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episode sank into instant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited Y6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzswords. tedious nigh]for news;"heA dawqt last, athe wo"atwas, "Send more candles--and send food." was almost crazed;$3, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real che The old Welshman came hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall a, so the Widow  Douglas ook charge ofpatient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  Huck had spots inEAidow : "You can depend on it'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes from his hands." Early-AforeRparti3jad  began to straggle into the  strongest citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be gainedremotenessrn were being ransack7W;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hiSand t Bdist@!houtings~pistol-shots sent their hollow berations B earthe sombre aisles. Inplace, fC"arL*ection usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dfound traced upo rocky wall with candle-smoknear at hand a grease-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over ii7 last relic she!ld|A havher child;UAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then,  cave, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a glorious)burst forth aa scor'men go troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>air tedhours alongvillage sank9 a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0A any. The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, sca+rcely flutter public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&. In a lucid interval, Huck feebly l1 to9qsubjects?A finYasked--dimly 1ing:worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! place hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer Tinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveI t powwow if itthe gold. S}treasure was gone forever--gone a! But she be crying about? CuMA cryUese thouEBwork[ir dim way through.r's mind under the wearinesv y gave him he fell asleep. o herself: "There--CChe's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,+ain't many left, now, that's got hope enough, or strength /either, to go on searching." CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alo^murky aisles witht2reshe company, visit familiar wonders.Tave--bdubbedX+rather over-descriptive names, such as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wand down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles alofttangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressetTmottoQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!Ry scakQnoticy were now in a parvave whose +t1. T^moked theYbir ownP under anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged carrying a limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beh in order to illuminate it fora gratification. He found it curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responded to his call, aey made a Q-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw ais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off i( of novelties to tel upper world about. In onea spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactite" land circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked allR it, Oing and 8admiringpresently left it by!ofenumerous passagesbopenediis shortly brought them bewitching sp}0basin was incrusted with a frostwork of glittering crystals; it:midst of a|walls were suppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot bats had packed themselvwousands in a bunch( lights disturbedscreaturflockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously a candlesFknew their waymr danger%isqconduct'Becky's han hurried herthe first corridorqffered;Xnone too soon) a bat struck g-5 ouu s wing while she was passuq cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9age, and at laEst got rid perilous thing found a subterranean lake,, stretched i<m length away untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesTthe place laid a clammyg3upoBpiriDthe !. / said: "Why, I didn't notice2it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wo2howRwe'veahere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try somso as not to go thV$ tq"Well. BFut I hope we wget lost. I8"sozB!" a girl shuddered atsthought7 dreadful possibilities. Theya corridor,g raversed it in silence a  way, glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar aboulook of it;Kthey werestrange. Every Tom made an examinationczwatch his face for/ncouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'3 on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt lessn hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ingD2one3wasQ. He rA saiwas "all $,"such a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All i#!"clung tooqside innguish of feaied hard to keep back 4teacome. At las^$Tom, never mind the# bats, let's go ` at way! We seem to get worse 1off1the." "Listen!"{ he. Profound; so deeptCevenfAbrease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleqdied ouCthe distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too h,*Becky. "I!I better<; might hear us, you know,4 he~[! "6R" waspa chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing.hildren stoodand listened; no resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps!as5a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact toa--he cv1notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Irfool! S IJ1we  2 toback! No--I can't find the way. It's all mixewe're lost! #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we ever leaveQotherShe sank to!gr$and burst intorenzy of crying Tom was appalled withMBidea$$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byqand putbarms aher; she bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"clung to hiCpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regrets,jqthe far$esAthemyto jeerQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamingAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. wW1try>Aope Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. Sy moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--4yq!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of revivi5rng--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its naturevive when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarityfailure. By-and-by Tom took Becky's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.S understood,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tkto pay attention,~it was dreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any |ist progressjmight bear fruit;wRto siito invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carrrfarthersat down.tDrest,Aher,wAtheyed of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#!om_\pall hisE encouragementhreadbarez#us sounded like sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful. Hs looking into her drawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasantms; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awayzQygone|#y memories. While he4eepWmusings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFy9" "We can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosand wandere0d along, hand inand hopelessy tried to estimate"loyqbeen inR cave, but all they knew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candles wer+ cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sa!toR Bothcruelly tired, yet 4she4\Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'Fnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastene1 to#wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothps2for7Atime^Qbrokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?"he. Becky almost1 d. "It's our wedding-cake9SYes--as big as a barrelAit's\we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony , the way grown-up people do--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled at his moiety!re\abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move on againyilent a mom"qThen heA: "RQ, can/bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paledF. "Well"n,B, westay herBere there'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClastY! gave loos3earrailings did what 5to comfort herDwithzeffect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8q are. I@]3are2qen woul#yS!get backavhe boatnNit might be dark >gthen--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[you as soon as got homA frightened look inqbrought!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was not to have gone < night! The children becameQnd thuful. In a new burst of grief from}bshowed1hat1 in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; saw inch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame risfall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,*the horror of utter darkness reigned! How long afterwardjFAto a  consciousLathat sM s crying in Tom's arms, neiWcell. Allcqknew wa"atIseemed a mig+hty stretg time, both awoke out of a de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more.2sai"ight be Sunday, now--maybe Monday. He tried to ge2"to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all%Chope#8gon*Bmustbeen missed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideously4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQAcake8Rleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byc: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. InlAanswY"itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a. was hear"dQappar= a little nearer. "It'ym!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallsomewhat common!haAqbe guaragainstey shortly1one 8stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred--tB no passing it at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&as he could. No bottom1sta]rwait until1ers8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether}t-sinking :+1it!swhoopedh hoarse, but it was of no usW talked hopefull9aBecky;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childrenway back to?4spr weary time dragged on*Rslept`vQfamisnd woe-strickenM believedust be TuesdayB by thisp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}se than bear!we=of the heav  in idleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a projectie* started, Tom inlead, unwindinghUalong. At41endwenty step corridor ended in a "jumping-off place." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar arou?s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet Rfarth2the at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorx, and instantly1han followede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly gratifieF nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNat Joe ha recognized his voice and$ come overMAkill#,m for testifying in court. But the echoes must have disguise voice. Without doubt,{was it, he reasonedQ's fr weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif h strength enough to get back spring hestay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of meeting +}Qagainwas careful to keepkawhat i "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@Bwait-Sand a'long sleep brought changes. The children awobrtureduQa ragq believ'`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKQearchbeen givenQpropo (sAwillotnd all JQrrors8 as very weak. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwait where she w"asrdie--it, NLm!Togo with the kite-linerexplorek chose; but she imd'atlittle whilNspeak to her;`she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQa show of being confident of find)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7h d went groping down one of72s oQhandsbknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonDanedwtwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mour#vhe lostW$ha en found. Public prayersoffered up for them, 2manc privateBy2hadSetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority !upoQquest3gonRir daily avo-cbs, sayuat it was plain the@could never beBMrs. Thatcher;very ill1a great par2thedelirious. People said)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraiseAheadlisten ayminute at a,91layrbearilyTagain'moan. Aunt Polly had drooped into a settled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCxS bellin a momentstreets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself 1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn byitizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah* F! Tw illuminated; nobody went t Ro bed;bas the3est(the little townseen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all overNvlace. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad withHqnews toAcaveCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol51his!ofwonderful adventure, putting in many striadditionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3,on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasT"toback when he glimpsed a far-off speck looked like daylight; droppepand grop ward it, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw^broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it(only happen3 beVhUa not h2een%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she2gro a whereactually>lueG he >1way4a$qhole anbn help2 ou? they sat tfor gladness+some men came alo@qa skiffgcTom haI!emtheir situa0qir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at, "because," saivy, "you are five miles down the river belnavalleycave is in" --then tookaboard, r4o a"gave them sup8per, madm rest till two or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before day-dawn, Judge Thatct_ndful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behi[!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger be shaken off at once, as TomA Becky soon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesday@Thursdayseemed to grow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.agot abYa little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as ws ever Saturday; but1"diQleaveroom until SunUshe looked as ifphad passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sicknesato seeobut coulbe admitl.bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or 6wasHSdailyFAthattb was wto keep still sradventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed.4 bythat he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found river nearYferry-landing; 7'drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. About a fortiTom's rescue fromsDhe start0 f to visit Huck, who had^n plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seet v#an~friends setto talkingone asked him ironicRif hen't likezocave again_said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are ot3jusuyou, Tom, I'v|he least doubt. But we have tcLfA. Nowill get lost#at!nyH." "Why?" "Because Iits big door sheathedboiler ironHweeks ago, and triple-locked--and"goTbkeys."!tujite as a sheet.Aat'spmatter,=) boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The g!br hrown into|face. "A you're all right. WhatIthe matterM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspreada dozen skiff-loads of men were on their wa McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[R bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%fplace.x1 laetched up ground, dPrwith hiQ closBrack`q, as if/longing eyedfixed,>latest moment,e cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr $had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity8 which revealhim in a deg"not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdreadsRlying\him sinceay he lifted%voice against bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade brokenwo. The great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have5 Rstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So "ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half4bits of candle stuck ahe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now prisoner had sear!chaem outWeaten them. Halso contrived to catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly grow from the gjfor ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpxdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to the precQdrop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfour9twenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellFthe 0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror creat British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willI be !al1se squnk dow afternoon of history,xthe twiltradition`been sJw;qed up iR thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit& patiently during five thousand years to be ready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^hapless half-bree1out# 1ice8drops, but to 3af1toustares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4bburiedthe mouth o7Qcave;people flocked there in boats"bwagonsthe townDfromcQ farm hamlets for sqmiles a; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionqconfessc!eyhad almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcouldD& hanging. This funeral Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[one thing--etition togovernor forpardon. T5 had been largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings<Qheld,% a committee of sappy womenfappointed to go in deep mourningERwail cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/Relievhave killed citizensrvillageBwhatat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklingsRto scribblir names-drip a tear on itLir perman impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG7 anRtalk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshmanthe Widow Douglas, by3timTom said he reckons6was?had not told him;a The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJit is. You g6ot into No. 21nevrund anybut whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'Sthat f business;ed you hadn't gotmoney becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand mme even if you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUFC his was all righSaturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch therenight?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCNI folleredwidder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukSum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on mea doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenk1whoRonly %!ofOfit before. "Well," Huck, presently, coming baPmain question, "whoever nipped#"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom ;G wasn't n!;Bat!"Lsearchedcomrade's face keenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!incave!" Huck's eyes blazed. "Say itATG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withhelp get it ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe canA our^!to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkURF's--2youwait till wef!re#we11finI'll agree to giVqmy drum1  I've goV  I will, by jingA#--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRDnow,say it. Are you s*trong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five; into there way anybody but me would go,1^mighty short cutbCthey NR know. Huck, I'll tak/riin a skiff.&2flo] A dowZ1re, Krpull itj all by myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start1offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`of these new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's1imelshed I hagFwhen before." A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowsee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  _the cave hol;low--no houses, no wood-yards, busheR. But do that white place up yok 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'll get ashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing8a touchr hole I got out of with a fishing-pole. See ifCan find it." ? searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd2Her^are! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9 just keep mum it. All along I'vewanting to be a robberrknew I'rto havebng likto run acros]"waabother!ve1it :Qand wit quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els>n't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "itBdoes And who'll we rob/uOh, mos. Waylay people--that's mostly the way." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4e cave t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<"y can, off'n their friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tthe general Q Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcr1nd 4s take your hat off-alk politeanybody as3 ass --you'll see!inUbook.cto lovX,Ethey,9a week or two y stop cryingHa2n'twhem to leave. I4dro!ouy'd turn right ar and come back. It's so inc books"y,Dreal bullyI believe better'n a pirateF3YesF&q in som4s, it's close to home circuses-av!By time every% was readyK9e boys entered the hole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fast moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tfys began to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor unti,Qy rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUS fact`t was not really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'llAsome,,"." He held hisR alof1saiJLook as farNorner as]qcan. Do K? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW whe"1re'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? Rightt's where I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!3Aleav] treasure?" "Yes--6it.'s ghost is round aboure, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nB 8he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from,Louldy#ngthe money. I know}rways ofsyAso dv." TomiBfearwas right. MisgivAgath-in his mind. But7 an idea occurYso him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|'s a cross!"_Bpoin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"atthat's so. It's luck1us,L { is. I reckon we'll climband have a huntGthat boxfirst, cutting rude steps in clay hill as he descended.followed. Four avenues opened!ofIsmall cavern which the great roood in. The boys examined three0"emno result. They fiUrecesone neares^4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,Vthe well-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsere was noB-boxlads searched_%rethis place, but in vaOom said: "He  2ther. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, because! sOolid on the g96heyReveryzonce mortdiscouragcH suggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintsesome candle-gre= sone sidX"ck3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet you8; ISbU. I'mH dig4Thano bad notion, Tom!+"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfAood.y, Huck!--you hear!2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasmreckon it's not muc"a (t now. ElQs --tdow, too,1allf!tro let onW.was boundE should be here--couldn't get along with 3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberst6's.)7 wacmake aAtimesurpriser!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib62tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--t@ZJly one person in\town meanzR to d`, and &Xbyou. I7qhad beeEHuck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hilltold anybody0. You can't do anyQmean !s,Iy&bear to seeTpraised for doing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxBdoorseveral kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, afufashion!ryobday. Aaproper  Mr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedZAonor3wasqhimself[sbut sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprung{a's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive as it might"R haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a pretty fair show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upogOhe almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. Tshe meant to give Huck a homecer rooave him educated;RAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancBcomeqaid: "don't need it.'s rich." Noa heavy strain2the s of the company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe believe it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1eaYou juRit a ." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each a perplex7ed interest--and inquiringly atV, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well, there ain't ever any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{Aeighhis sacksa did not finishMsentenceapouredt1masyellow co9tS1and: "There--  did I tell you? Half of it'sP'hbmine!"spectacle tookgeneral breath a1Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5iA did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasion2it Bamou2anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allowwas counte[3sumtVed toover twelve thousand dollars. Itmore than aESqpresent seen at one time before,3A sevypersons wereN"howorth considerably mo'"an,in property. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poorHvillage of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed next to incrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house in2 anneighboring# s was dissected, plank by UAound0s dug upWransacked for hidden treasurec-not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, somAthemrT4c appeayQ courCadmiB#a+to rememb~at their remarks had possessed};;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everPthey didv somehow to be regarded asable; they had[ evidently lost:power of doing and  commonplace things;past history was raked up and discov2ar "of conspicuous originality. Th paper published biographical sketcheNt . The Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcherjthe same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now,was simply prodigious--a dollar for week-day AyearChalf Sundaysljust whaminister got --no, i#!hepromised--he generally couldn't collect it. A and a quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him1forG matter.   had conceived a great opiniRTom. He sai?8no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visiFBved;%hen she pleadeda graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--athat was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thoughtLn.looked so tallso superb as whb walke\BflooOqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/it"op2see+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traine!es  qcountry[ be readyeither care both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fac#now undeQ_ _' protection introduced him into societyWdragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost more =than he cvar. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushed,they beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow hunteeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyPpoking among old empty hogsheads ^Rbehiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had sleporjust brea;Qkfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque;days when he01freq happy.Croutvout, toldroublebeen causing, and urg=to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6t ain't for me; I1use"it:widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!atA smo?1 me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;dthey're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay qroll ar!anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE--well, it 'pears to be years; go to church and sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in there,[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dh"soit wasn't no(#--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died@h wouldBAmokeu y=she5Bgapeqstretch Q scra before folks--" [Then a spasm of special irritationinjury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedNime! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove--I just had tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<SQit--w/I-stand THAT, Tom. Looky /Tbeing rich ain't what it's crack); Qworry$  2a-w you was dead < . Now these clothes suits meEthis bar'l# IUever )shake 'em any more.2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not many , becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"metv"Oh,8Eknowd!do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like$L q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovAI waset on itc enough. NoI won't beirlive incussed smothery houbses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. Blame it all!as we'd got gun_Sa cav2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness hasP1to k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CDhere Ckeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sitting. But Huck, we can't let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C]Rme ina Didn'pxQme go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than"a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch"1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul shet me out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why, they'd sa6y, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Alike4n't`Zasilent*3some time, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goawidderaqa month6Ctacknd see if I can co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All right, it's a whiz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow toqAup oh a littloEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe4Vstart1and5s?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys together2havinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one anothnever tell's secrets, even're choppeto flinder kill anybody and allafamily[a hurts%ofrThat's gay-*"-tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest, awfulest place youj find--a ha'nted house is@b:but they're aZ2gup nowod, anyw'xYes, sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOANow,'s something LIKE! Whyqmillion s bullier than pirating.TstickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in oute!we4 CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;'could not go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere1op-OA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgythat performais book still live, and are prosperoushappy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zyounger ones again[see what sor"meQwomenq turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveal anRat pacAtheir lives at present. Produced by David Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTadventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencqmy own,rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--hJa combinaYistics of threem I knew@tbelongs"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slaves in the West atdbperiod1is --that i9say, thirty or forty years ago. Although my book is intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn "1on account, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles dow*looked over them abouQ room.rn she pAm up:cut und?. She seldom or never+rTHROUGHhfor so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built3"style," not service--she could have se+ra pair of s+ tove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely, but still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA beaCboy!Awent he open door and stood in iR ut among the tomato vineG "jimpson" weedswconstitute garden. No Tom. S lifted upm voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m5'a'closet. What you;doing in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--t?hat's what it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!Xold lady whirledbnatche0askirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappeared over it. Hisc Pollysurprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anything? Ain't he playecricks y3lik1for2o b1ing$rfor him6E? But old fools isbiggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to a's comHe 'pears!just how long n torment me beforemy dander up,she knows if he can makeDQto puE1offa minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I afcmy dutat boy, and'7 Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup s suffering for us both, Ir. He's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sQpoor 1got[Ahearlash him, somehow. EverR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-well, man t s born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *B[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, nish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanB elsGOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatiohom dideAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, small colored boy, saw n^ext-day's wo"likindlings before supper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already through withDpart2work (pick{qchips),ra quiet(and had noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>L7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s"ntxAtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkmysterious diplomacy0qhe lovecontemplate her*transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'Didn't you wanSgo in a-swimmNTom?" A bia scare sh&Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searched 2I's face, but it tolWBnothEo he said: "No'm--well, not very much." The old lady reached out her hand and feltSshirta"Buain't tooJ now, though." And it flatteredato reflect 1sheadiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcrmight b3next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 2vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou d1hav$undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He open]s@b. His 4as securelyQ. "B1! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Shehalf sorrysagacityXmiscarried ,3gla?-Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once. But SidneyIDif I52you{E hisith white thread, 's black." "Why,Ow sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot waithe rest. As he went!atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapelsd bound abouTm--on^  DA andSotherH& HShe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&1boyOS well--and loathm. Withinminutes,d or even less, he hagotten alltroubles. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove 4out1min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negroh!suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consist: a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it.!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFCtree3hisfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubqfar as E g, deep, unalloyed pleasure ncerned, the adva_BntagFwith the boy, not. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checke$e. A stranger was before him-- a shade larger'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosi the poor little shabby villLf St. Petersburg boy was well dress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons. Hshoes on--and iGonly Fri"He2worcktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom stasplendid marvel,higher haed up aose atRfinerhabbier and his own outfit seemed  to grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, circle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'Qd likE see you try it." "Well, 8$do!No(ccan't,L/2Yes-'H Y?CCan!'t!" An uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\ say much, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I couldone hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole familiesDsame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll takeb!re suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'n your headoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3,/QeyingAsidl round each  Presently they were shoulder to .Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B1So ybstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But neither"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.1ellRig brbon youhe can thrash!thlittle finger.make him do it, toRI care forj{? I've gottbigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fence[Both brothersimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR saso don'tAit s Tom drew a line in the dust!hi2 to{QI dar46tepZAlick5 you can't stand up. Anybody4ll take a^will steal sheep." The new boyw2pedzpromptly~said: "Nowsaid you'dnow let's seD,rowd me now;Jbetter look ouQWell,HSAIDh*--Wd?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILL took two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t! g0. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb ;irt, gripped together like cats; and forispace of a minuteRtuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3QscratT's no,covered themselves:'ry*confusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding him with  his fists. "Holler 'nuff!"B he.boy only1ggl{" free himself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dA--anA went on. At laststranger gota smothered "'Nand Tom let him up Q5Nowlearn you. BnA who_re foolingnext tim$ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying back 2hakQs hea threatenhat he woul!to the "next time he caugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feather! as soon as'was turneVn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetwee4shouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homsthus found]where he livedna position atAgatebAsomehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's P, andQ called Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar childA ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty lateb night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r , he uncovan ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-ha?ndled brush. He survey Rfencexall gladness leftnd a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet high. Life tolseemed hollowexistence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Brkwater from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remember~up$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysCgirlthere waiti!irqs, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,Qnever3bacK  under an hour--and even t%hen somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll g." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'z Tom gwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w/ talks. Gimme the bucket--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$1cryggive you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay marvel, TI tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to2wasXhuman--this attraction was too muchiHe put down his pail, took th$a&nt2toeabsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetm and a tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompbfield  slipper in her hxnd triumph eye. But Tom's energy didAlastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like fireqgot outcly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of pure &freedom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea r"thD. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranquilly. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodAwhoop, at vals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}WspeedQmiddlU, leaned faro starboarrounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginer standing on#own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almost ou+1he qup slowsAward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW2 onz1tab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe "to &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanthat stage, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'tH'T!" (She gauge-cocks). Tom`on whiE tewashing--paid no attentiothe steamboat. Ben stared a momentthen said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE up aa, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveyedlast touchye of an artist, then !ve7 brush another gentle sweepcthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouth watered for the apple, but 2auck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenlyJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bi"rWhat do1all$?"IETHAT1TommC5whi,4ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comQdon'tr to leta  LIKE it?" ycontinued to moveike it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl-. Does a boy get a chance to# a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new ligh stopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily backforth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlySay, Tom,)MEgvlittle.sidered, was abouconsent;P"alnhis mind: "No--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;-be done very careful; v"onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'd to, honest injun; but Aun--well, Jim wanted to , but shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Now don'tsee how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&happen to it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ3as lgQSay---give youcore of myQ" "W+FN24, n.bafeardWALL of it!qgave uppwith reluct|!inBfaceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist sat on a barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along :; they camBjeerHQremaiA. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradGnext+Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swwt with--and so on,q and so on, hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas;look through, a spool cannon, a key thateunlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupl tadpoles, six fire-crackersQitten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peela dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of whitewash on it! If dn't run out ) have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2 all. He had discoveO great law of human action,sout kno--namely, in order to make a man pboy cov?qet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQBwritthis book,~1now comprehendedUWork consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,OPlay< not obligedo. And would help him to understh\9tructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are2y gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line,summer, becausprivilege cost!m derable money; but iQy were offwages forsserviceturn it intoI1they resign. Theqmused aiC oveaubstantial chang!chxtaken place in hldly circumstancesw,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open ; window in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for sheFno company}cthe caL!itKasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szthought of course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power againis intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't liege--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezqwent ouasee foQself;A2aveaconten4Dfindper cent. of Tom's stat true. When she foun entire fence whitewashed1notelaborately coatedrecoatedY,even a streak added toqground,astonishmenlmost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never! There's no getting ^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!bdilute#acompliAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'long ;]you get back some time; week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself'it came without sin through virtuous effort. And whiled:3 a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skie#ousaw Sid just star!upoutside stairwayllcrooms second floor. Clodhandy and the airRfull m*twinkling y raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collect her surPprised facultiescsally @&rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect,G1TomAover@Bfenc Agonerqa gate,=eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black thread2n1rou Tom skirablock,6a muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of capuahasten2war5public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two great commanders did not condescentfight i--that being better sui still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminence/Qcondu the field operations by or0 aides-de-camp='s army won a grR eat victory, after a long and hard-fought battln#dead were counted, prisoners exchanged, the terms -next disagreement bd uponyrthe dayhe necessary3ed;Qwhich fell into lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4without fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished outQheartAleft;a memory(erself behind. H|"thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePCd hion as ado;behold itonly a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'RworldWshort dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d gut of hi7like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye, tillthat she had discovered him; then he pretenQe did*Aknow\5was present, and began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2ain ordHA winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidIM4the/girl was wend way towarX. Tom cameof and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a mooQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. Butface lit up, rightQhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin aTr twoaflowerY 1sharis eyeschis haWlook down street as if[Psomething of interest gonat direction. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar back;KSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearerC ; finally his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he haway with&qtreasur9 the cornerQ only3a minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexF--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomy not hypercritical, anywayreturned, now2hung abouLnightfall,ing off," as U6"th" never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ Bhopesad been>window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FXtrode home reluctantly,#[2oorqfull ofQons. All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got,R intov hild." He took a good scoldiclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very band goknuckles rappediX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/torment a body3wayP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." qshe stezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez-bowl--a sort of glogover Tom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledRtonguwas silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief|tJKtCand therabe not"soE4e world asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultati hardly hold the old l62ady back and stood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASnext instanprawling on the floor! The potent palmdupliftQrike agaiTom cried out: "Hold on, now, what 'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 2she%ergain, she onlyRUmf! you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckonQ been some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beo4tru!a confesstshe hadZBrongdiscipline forbadhA. SohBkeptf"ce2w2bouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woBknew!in`eheart Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of*1 it would hang out no signals, htake notice of none<aing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears, he refused recognition ofpictured himself lying sick unto deatho=sbendingim beseeching one littl giving word%turn his face toQ1allB die Athat@ unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$bt homeOthe river, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herIand how herBfallr( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso workeds the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichbflowedthe wink`ran down and trickI6led=aend ofQnose.|such a luxury towas this pett97gsorrowc@not bear to haveworldly cheeriness or1graUdelight intrudevait; it,too sacred forrcontact7so, presently, is cousin Mary danced in,!Ealive joy of seeinglagain after an age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&ar accustomed haunts of boyssought desolate placesin harmonyb spirit. A log raft in the  invitedC sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingg$uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#woif she w5ould pityif she knew? Wrshe crymBwishshe had a rto put her arms aroundUAneck> him? Or waturn coldly away like all the hollow1? T_Wicturan agonpleasurable sufferQworke<!ovd !in2minoset it up in newqvaried ss, tillZe it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candley1casa dull glowthe curtain of a second-story window. W>ecre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughDplan Aood  alookedDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposing himself his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thus he would .die--outeBcoldRyno shelter  omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-damps fromCAbrow8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sA out\glad morni4oh!Ahe drop one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The# went up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profan" holy calm,6 a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Tswas a whiz astmissileair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aHBshivqglass f%$edsmall, vague formFAthe >Bshotvgloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments bytallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he hny dim idea of mak@y "references th o allusions," he thought betAf itAheldpeace, fodanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1out added vexation of prayers,mSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtthe ground up of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xjthe summit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.a girdehis loinsto speakto work to "get@verses."qhad lea?N esson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fielupuman thSoughtis handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blessed are the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, y shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-heaRhing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must gobQlearn4qgain. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll givesomething ever so nice. There, no5w, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Neryou minMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;" And he did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelvea half cents; the convulsion of deligha sweptsystem shAm toTfoundTrue, the uld not cut any but it was a "sure-enough" there was inconceivable grandeur in--though w1the Western boys1gotAidea6|a weapon could possibly be counterfeit\its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboardi>)rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi water and a piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setMn a little bench2; ta dippeae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But _Aremo,and said: "Now ain'hashamemustn't be so bad. Wwon't hurt you." TomTtrifle dis8urted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpreswith both eyes sh8d groping foyt.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romKqemerged#>x,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short aX2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in front`ackward a'3rouRneck.took him ino8)Ashe R4onem$Ba maa brother out distinction of colorYhis satur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daintyt ymmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses1 togQhead;&rhe held]a to beaminate  his own A3lifhbitterness.] Then1gota suit ofFclothing had been used onSundays dutwo years--they were simply caQ"otheqthes"--mBo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "putgto rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzTchin,=his vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,s1offPRcrown"peckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly imprand uncomfortable6was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholees and cl5eanlinessgm. He hopedMary would forgetes, but the hope was blighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want C. Bu1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hdBhis aheart;1Sid) ere fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedificWmall, plain affai a sort of pine board tree-box on topxa steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy, gJ ot a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgivePiece of lickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibited. Theyesatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oro9forSblue ones. He waylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteb, now,@a swarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to1eat!AstarO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned~Rmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"7got a new reprimand.4his. Tom's b classof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lessons/, not on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througeach gotdreward--in[Dblue,,with a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;r) Cyellow one;#en .6the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty centsose easy times) toQpupil many of my readers would hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five3onc#ed out stopping; butJstrain uponmental facultiesytoo great1 helittle better th{b idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onp occasions, before company,[ the f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3keep theirand stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstance;successfuls?conspicuous for  "onGQpot escholar's heartQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasa couple of weeks. It is possible4cTom's qstomachnever really hungero. unquestionablyentire beingW2forPaClongWthe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due cours stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded atten0When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i#inevitable sheeRmusicpe hand Gaof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th|why, is a mystery: for neithew"no sr referr!bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshorthair; he wore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqqabreast corners of his mouth--a fenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning of\whole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a ing cravat which(as broad}sas a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting= against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%earnest of mienSsincehonest at;Xhe held sacred thnd places in such revUberence^%so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsc#to himsel Sunday-school voice had ac> a peculiar intonation(!wholly absent on week-days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAyour atten for a minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good littoy girls should do. I see one+girl who isting outwindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in one trees making a speech to th birds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9!wa1a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdawas maaresumpof fights and other rZAecres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGwhisperingsextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si! Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly, withsubsidencMr. Walters' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasione^!an"t !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading aV. Tom*2resGand full of chafing'repinings; ence-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Law's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momence next qs "show2ff"=1all^might --cuffingpulling hair, ma= king faces--in a word, usry art that seemeduly to fascinate a girl1winapplause. His exaltQut one alloymemory ofbhumili1!inD angel's garden--and record in sandSEfast]out, underkQwavesisappineswere sweepRQver iMe. TheO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. ]bspeechqinished]introduced themaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one tha county judge--altogethermost august  these childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. Hearom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled2see+Qworld"se1Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attestthe impressivexce and the r:1ankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge Thatcher, bro of their own lawyer. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be faQr wits1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake handshim--he IS shaH ! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A felQ"showBff,"tall sortofficial bustlingsFactivities, givBrders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhererld find a targetlibrarianed off"--running hiQ his arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJ#fu insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bendingtly over pupils|lbeing boxed, lifting pretty warnc ingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemenP" wit/h small scolduqdisplayD&!ane attention toipline--and most ,th sexes, found business up at tQy, byqpulpit;!it6that frequently had to be done again two or three times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways, such diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wads e murmur of scuff. And above it allman sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@Rhousewarmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[too. Theronly one thing wanto make ' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Severalhad a few yellow tickets, but none had enough 2hadm!arRamong#%tainquiring. He have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a sr mind. And now at this mom.ent, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6reden blue oneq demandja. This(a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecan applic from this sourcunext ten years. Bubsbno getQBit--1ereBcertified checkR they$Dgoodoir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electWhe great new< announcedheadquarters. It`$ost stunning surprisec decad=bso proR sensa}it liftenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inof one. The boyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthemselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseT, as being tXhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake ingrass. The priz2livEas much effusion  superintendent could pump up kcircumstances; buXacked somewha the true gush,<poor fellow's instinct taught him tas a mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse< thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozen would strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrencproud and glad, sQiQ makesee it in he--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicionband went--came again;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--ser heart broks jealouRangry`Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). introduchis tongu0Qtied,qbreath  hardly come quaked--partly because ofawful greatnesgthe man,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall down>worship him, if%erBdark. The Judge phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyQ. TwoLverses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorryw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anything$isp; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+_pyou'll look back;It's all owo precious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mewatched over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!2--a wouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeedE9now mind tellingnd this ladyBs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknowz2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /a` appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepishblushed, now~his eyes f4Mr.7' heart sank within himH_bto himETpossible3cAswer simplest question--why DID t:#he Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up V: "Adgentlemandon't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E"llCme,"!hewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tencracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyBepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. Thechildren distributed themselves aboutkAhous occupied pews their parents, so as to be under{vision. Aunt Polly cav1Tom'1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordamCe as far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upX"s: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOejusticRpeaceiwidow DouYglass, fair, smartsforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitabloBmuchost lavish>matter of festivities St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule sucking cane-heads, a circling wa! oimpering admirers, qst girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if sheQ cut  . He always brought his 7#to1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays-?-accidentally. Tom)noahe looked upon1who1'as snobs. The congregation being fully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell the church which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister gavesthe hymread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleZaat partyHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down8spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toeskies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst ot=hers fight to wRprizeKAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" h= #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would liftAheir let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." AfterAhymnUbeen sung Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting?societie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle childrenurch; for the Sother=#es& village;^ itself; e county(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far island2seaZ closed with a supplicationwords he was abou+qspeak m:find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he#diemuch. 5stive all  it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --for he> was not listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route overand when a little trifle of new matterinterlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered additSunfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit ee backWew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwras soreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed 3did $Qwhileu on. Buthosing sentencez hand began to curve and steal forward;3he ra"Amen"r!ouwas a prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go. The minister gave out2tex8droned along monotonrough an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless fireNrimstone andnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom couaages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utheremaseldom2B anytelse ab discourse. However, this time he8qreally ested for). * a grand and moving pictureassembling2world's hosts atmillenniumthe lionc aamb sh4lie&#a Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,Eblesson moral of the great spectacle were lost up_!oy!onSought conspicuousnesprincipal charact5er beforeon-looking nations;pface lit wiro,id to himselfYhe wishe"c;"be$E, ifQB tamt. Now he lapsed into suffering again,fhe dry was resumed. Presently he be him of a treasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beetle formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmdid was to tak)!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZ2isllit on its backthe hurtpR wentthe boy's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;9B saf!ofreach. Other people uncisermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1andquiet, weary of captivity, sighing,change. He spie;Hpdrooping tail liftebwagged:1urvthe prize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenhis lip and made a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenmBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz There was a sharp yelp, a flirT'  fell a couple of yards away, S once more. The neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveQaces behind fanI handkerchiefs1TomLentirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt sorBentmB tooBda cravAreveBSo h a wary att:WQ jumpt it from e very poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, making even "esBCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa fly but fno relief; followC ant,8his noseCflooquickly wearied& at; yawned, sighed, forgo k,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony8sailing up the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;6ranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe2. AAfrantic sur sheeredits course,Nsprang intowmaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned away and died D!indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of im iveness being at an end; forgravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a rarely facetious thing. It0a genuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,%toc1thabre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marring thoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!henaink it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morningfQmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazQt begother week's Aslowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hX!had no intervening holiday, it made the going in qptivityfetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkQPresewit occurredThe wished sick; then he cBstayGfromUXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmenafound,he investigated5. TZ$hedetect colicky symptomsRo encouragjmbconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feebleRLQ diedbly awa reflected further. Suddenlys!ed One of his upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groana "starter," as7alled it,"if.2me Bourt7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So"ol=tooth in reservefCthe ~WUseek g!NoN offered3'alittle8 remembereQd heathe doctor tell[a certain claid up a patientrtwo or three weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But now d not know the necessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconsced louderr fancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid*was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimselfched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work56TomV\Sid yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathAbegastare at Tom. Tom wen~ aid: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" An(plooked %iface anxiouslytmkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I must call aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexFanybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O( ! It makes my flesh crawl toA you.X I forgiveoQevery. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dying, arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catwaone eythat new girl tB com2owntell her}had snatchedbclotheAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. Andgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gaspYou, TomX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4.--Q}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish)Aunt Polly, it SEEMEDi0it hurt so Ied my tooth at allqQYour , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly" "Ther#reegin that groaning again. Open your mouth. Well--4 ISbut you're not going to die about. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchenom said:bfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing? tI love you s eem to try every wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endA fasaa loop2tieQotherApostpBseiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:q's faceU  hung dangling by}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap Cin his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascinationhomage upqis timeQ founEselfJout an adherent,Lshorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- he said $a disdain which he didAfeel it wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b1boyk, "Sour grapes!"qhe wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame upo juvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by 1e msU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and84allkhildren s delighhis forbidden societ7Eqy dared1eQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast conditionas under strict ordFers not to playQSo he%eda every. he got a chance.was always dress-the cast-off clothefull-grown methey werWperennial bloomflutteringCrags{1at vast ruin# a wide crescent lopped ouuits brim;Kcoat, when he wore one, hung nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dowBbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged los containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. Rand wtown free willslept on doorsteps in fine weatheyin empty hogsheX wet;have to go-chool or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimmB1henAwherBRchose9stay as long as it suim; nobody4adeBfighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume leather in the fall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,thing that goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered, respectablein St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic outcast: "Hello, Huckleberry!" yourself ee how you like it." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzItslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure wartsHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!soWhy, he told Jeff Thatcherohnny Bak im Hollis8"iml2Benca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way as!! @S a-goVado any2. YV to go all bymiddle ofcwoods,p2yout[Gs a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and athen wway quick, eleven steps, witheyes shutthen turn around three times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustedTsounds like aS way;!wthe wayQ doneNNo, sir,xscan betn't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`always got considerable many warts. SomeI take 'em}aa beanGAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuR!soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'acrossroadse dark of3mooqburn upMDrestyJ"se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing ,mP fetchsRotherZS to i!soa helps)h!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;j no more to bme!' it's better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead cats2Why_cyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about w5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or,J't see 'emcan only hearRthingu7indY''em talk; hen they're that fellerm#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,i,Acat, I'm/Qye!' ;ll fetch ANY7b." "Stright. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told mrI recko so, then. Bthey say sra witchay! Why, Tom, I KNOW she is. She,ed pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axtone day&A seeUawas a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How did he know Lord, pap can tell, easyKbkeep looking a; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifs mumble d$'re sayingLord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-."ll~old Hoss Williams t8q" "But him Saturday. Di69get1howeQtalk!could their charms work till -?--and THEN2Sun|evils don't slosh around much of a,2, I' LsI neverAt ofR. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2meow?" A"Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowAays went "hr&rocks at me andJa 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti #wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#thNothing but a tick." "Where'd3Aut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gn.U2 wa`sell himuAAll 4. It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dow!beto them. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meu1ShoAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toO2why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyear,!--BAgivemy tooth ALessi1TomoJ!biQpapercarefully unit. Huckleberry viewed it wistfwNully. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?" Tom lifted his liphowed the vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,?9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$ all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacritqmaster,hned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, lulled bydrowsy hum of study. The interruparoused "Thomas Sawyer!{3kne2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was abouake refuge in a lie,e saw two ; ails of yellow hair hangingoae recognizPelectric sympathy of lo51ve;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min=You--you did what?" "Stopped to talk@ Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_offence. Take off your jacket  's arm performed until it[tired anQstock witches notably diminish`A ordQlloweWl!goV"si! And letbe a warnWTo youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolthe dread pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"up end of the pine bencheagirl hd herself away from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom satAwitharms upon the long, low desk before himAseem his book. Byby attentionDthe accustomed murmur rosedull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave the backae spaca minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled onEslate, "Please take it--I got3" Tduno sign. Now draw something *!hik his left hand. For a timegirl ref:to notice;4tuman curi@% pxp manife0Qst itby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betray that he was awarit. At last!inhesitatinglybed: "Let me see it." Tom parvered a dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten#up;Aworkqshe forgot everya4els!it;finished, she gazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man4he artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monstera beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moontraw limb1 arhe spreaefingerGportentous fan1saisever soI wish IPedraw."+asy," wh)1ispTom, "I'll learn you/)Oh, will you? When?" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<began to scrawl sometslate, hi!ds A. Buackward this time. She beggedqee. Tom Oh, it ain't any Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou trea#bAWILLw3" Akput her small hand his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom preteno resist in earnut letting his_ slip by degrees till thesYwere revealedJ: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just at$juncture the boy felt a slow, fateful grip closing CS ear,Hsteady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa houseIdeposited ic" own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hohool. Then master stood over him duMa few awful momentsfinally moved away to throne without saying a word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. As quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1A reaQclass} botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded uppewter medal wheKich he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE harder Tom tried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul lik=$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill ed its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of hbtintedthe purple of distance; birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pa dreary time. His handR intoBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, he did not know iten furtively/Qpercu2-cap box cam/e out. He releas\ tick and put him onElong flat deskh creature probablyed with aAamou&tooo, at this moment,2it !emd:xwhen he startankfully to travel off,urned him asideb1pinBmade!!ake a new direction. Tom's bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad been, and now headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instan:was Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gett.e fullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour qyou canb!upMqI'll ler alone;.Uf youget away and get on my[, you're to leavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlya!edqequator{Q haraRwhile2trgot awa\Gback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,oqwould look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeDAoverS1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and ab dJoe. TQtried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to spearfingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly"ffkeep possessionWQTom cstand it nozemptation was toocqreachedFand lent a hand!hiD2ang a. Said he: "Tom, yaou letbI onlydAwant:1tir'up a little2 No, sir, it ain't fair; youGeBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he's of the liLook her Harper, whose is tick?" "I don't care$tick he ism you sha'n't touch himWell, I'll bet I will, though. He's my7/do what I bNdpleasem, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;#fol1pactwo minute dust continued to fly qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy itnhad been tooS]anoticeBhushhad stolen upon_Q befoebmastertiptoeing&the roomstood over them. He hadQempla good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher, and whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{2lipZDturnVrough the lane|come back.!go@other way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith antE. In :Qet atdbottom#la -they reacheg1had<lthemselves< sat togethith a slatJBthem`Tom gave the pencil and held2hanis, guidingand so cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "DoLlove rats?" "No! I hat!M do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead,qwing rouer headbQtring"No[1for much, anyway. WA likIchewing-guSOh, Ila say sAwishd some nowv? I've got1letchew it aB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweaabout,uRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" sair. "Yesqsmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'm good." "I been tf three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! ill be nicey're so lovely,xtspottedFLthat's so. Anyqslather"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! bmarrie!NoQWould&C!to<I reckonCknowqQis itu/Like? WhyY2in'A any . You only just tell a boyzawon't have anybodyZQhim, Athen>Akiss0ws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Y`now, is to--well,always do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in> with each other. D remember what I wrote onQslatebqYe--yesWBas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUH--but someJ" "No, nowB t now--to-morrOh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, )so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consen,passed his arm F her waistQT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added:$w0a2 it"--Rhe sa She resisted,#a Ga*nr: "Youyour face away s*can't se;I2. B mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you![en she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, with Tom after herVook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9Qface.]qclaspedneck and pleaSW , it's all done--all over bu\kiss. Don'tbe afraid of that--it ain't anything at all." And he tugged at hands. Bh!byrgave up7!le9+a drop;Qface,glowing withstruggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EQthis,0Bknow $ ever to0m"me+Xto marry\r but me! nOand forever. Wi]) u{*t Zyou--"to- i| " "Certainly. Of course. TPART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^!'rKBwalkh2me,/Rtherevlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe waydo when  engaged." "It's so nice. IRheardq before-2Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence--" The big eyes toldhis blund!he stopped, confused.qTom! Then I*5Afirs2'veDbeenC to!}child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 do$--Rs." Tom tri put his arm,eshe pushed him awagS turn;1facK"llwent on cryingvRagainB soowords inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was Erodeutside. H"od, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancthe doorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com%1finJQ. Buttdid note to feel badlsQ fearA F.trong. It was a hard2himke new advances, mbut he nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7, sobbing, wi?th .'s heart smote him#tod moment, not knowing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\qanybody you." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YAwon'? say some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromntop of an andiron2apassedBroun"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" ScQuck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouse over the hilly far away, to returschool noday. Presently 3 to suspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereLalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. SoGqsat dow82cryfpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsL1gatyQhe ha#AhideRgrief`still Uher broken2andA!upj+cross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon, with none among?strangers aboutto exchange sorrows<. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of5ingD.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappearing behi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableq off indvalleyQenter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2astilled songsbirds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vqby no sH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadssense of lonelineK!ssmore profound) boy's soulO)steeped in melancholy; his feelings were in happy accordhis surroundings<1sat<#elbows onXQkneeshis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at bestE lthan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream forevS ever0the wind whispdthe trrcaressiYR gras5the flowers ovQgraveA notUto boDbgrieve#, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willBo go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NA. HeBmeanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Bselastic] of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?aime. Tom presently began to dr*ift insensibly backXthe concerns ofy7qagain. turned hisAR, nowa disappeared mysteriously??went away--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr8to fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves upon a spiritwas exalt the vague august realme romantic. No, a soldierreturn afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--better stil3#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaite Far WPPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousCpain,bprance ,(rowsy summer morninga bloodcurdsar-whoop2seaqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But n#o, there wasthing gaudier even than this. Hbe a pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ct2rldKmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer, the Ssse Stormhis grisly flag flyAt the fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Cstalchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger[ Spanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeaenter 'it/Qstartvery next9 morning. Ther he must now begin to get readyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scraped`#irrqexposed9ne shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed airAsaidEBell,beats anyZ+Atosse5pettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa superstiMqhad faiqwhich hA allrcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP he had just used, you would fin%7alleshad ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actuallyunquestionably Rwhole"tu2faia shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwardzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1mL!chainterfqand broIhe charmothought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-Bd deon in itElaidAdownFamouth F2 toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I wagknow! 5 5*Bworkpresently"black bug appeared for %ra seconthen darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave " h1thrAway,Ather he wentmade a patientA for!Bu"otPuit. NowH back to his treasure-houseccarefully $asbeen stanwhen he tosseq marble; ok another" from his pockeHQit inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stoppedfYkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>@qtwice mvThe last repetition wasRssful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisleshe forest flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt,Oa raked some brush behinrotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment had seizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirt. He preseD7hal great elm, blew an answ@began to tiptoe look warily out, this way a)agsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." Now appeared Joe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comesSherwood Fore_hout my pass?" "Gu Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou that--" "Daresold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds,I, indeed! I am Robin Hood, as thy caitiff carcase soon shaV"ThenR famous outlaw? Rvgladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook their lathqs, dumpeir other traps onIground, struck a fencttitude, foot to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." P1Tom: "Now, if you've go hang, go it lively!" SoV"wentq," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get}st of it.""y,ain't any . I can'tv;#Gay it is in 3. T says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor $.'to turn a#Zlet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, soturned, receivedQwhackqSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iA boo"Well, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonUq lam me a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff oOAf Noh1hamyou be Robin Hood a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~n Tom becamz2gaiballowed byz#treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weeping outlaws, draggwm sadly forth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gai a corpse. boys dress>mselves, hiir accoutrement off grieving`<$noz any moreFRwonde hat modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensate foPir loss. TheyoS they-!ra &be year in Sher Forest than President of(United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past ninenight, ToB Sid\1senmbed, as usual. E ir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid he might qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. EverythingDsdismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,]!, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking ]H8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirf a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in' wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answera fainter6KRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, minglo+ith his half-formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T rais neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle againsuBback s aunt's woodshed brought;Bwidea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongSroof 3"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"ocaution once or twicepae wentn jumped *g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\qdisappea gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6bon a hnbout a milx" athe vill 1age< had a crazy board fence aK it, which leaned inwarbplacesY1out#the rest of the time, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombstone o !; -topped, worm-eaten s staggered!s,ing for support51finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedm#=it could no longer have7Sread,5m, now, even ifnlight. A faint wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littleRrnly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilew#pp[Sy fousharp new heaprseekingqensconcQemsel3ith4bprotecf three great elms$in a bunch?a few feet C. Tay waitfor what seem>ed a long hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl dead stillness. Tom's refldive. He must force some talk. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" HuckleberryZed: "I wisht I knowed. It's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l boys canvassed this matter O!lyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What isrTom?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"P." "ALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA can in the dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectlya, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcely breathed. A muffled t of voices floated up fromhRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"M& devil-fire. Cis i." Some vague figures approachQroughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lanternaTfreckabground7innumerable little spangles of light. Kra shudd^MAvils enough. Three of 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:BThey! g!to hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'" w"Sh!" a, HuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqH so,9 bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, still. Nowre stuck. Can't findHere they come again8hot. Cold4Hot Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say,0"anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo("That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druther3 was a dern s+bWhat ky be up t4The. died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 2tooin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saidOathird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astAload9Abegaopen the graver. The d1put aDheadR{Qcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closew boys could have touched himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating soun6spades dischargingfreight of m2anddQl. Ita very monotonous. Finally aX struck uponHScoffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoFyhoisted it outhe ground>y pried ofAlid B, goBQthe brnd dump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid face P!asQready6the corpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the.Q took8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "yB cusRing's, Sawbones, and you'bll jusTwith five, or she stays." "That'stalk!" said Injun Joe. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te . "You required your payqdvance,I've pai#2Yes you done more than that,m, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years agohrove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any good;Wswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcQears,j had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiqforget?,^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowvGOT yougot to SETTLE know!" He was threaten,eqhis fisy qace, bywC timrsuddenlQstretaluffianPotter dropped his exclaimeHere, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next  he had grappled04two wereg'gpand main, trampl:RgrassE6ear6ounlir heels. Joe spraQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up9'/went creeping, catlikeBstooCand About combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizeheavy headboard of Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthit--and insame instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^Adrovb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82histhe cloud)Stted  dreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeK!indark. Presently>the moon emerged again,|'Q overOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twowas stillKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damnThen he robbbody. After which he pfatal knife in PC^Qopen mC hansat down oI$dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly9met Joe's. "Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joe.out moving. "What did you do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kintalk won't wash." pd tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'n when we started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old r--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh,b awfulrhim so and promising."!y,2twocufflinga he fe6&Aone pthe headboard an6fell flat;!up:Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. I on account of the whiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vesbeen fanSsquarme, Muff`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say you're an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.>?cry. "Cnow, thaPt's enoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijC." Rstarta trot that quickly increased to a runr half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedPd1ickXfuddl2rum2 halook of being, he Z1hinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensivelymiqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catcir breathas they sped C by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.dwe can only ge=ld tannery before wek down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it longer." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repnzRixed saeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1brethey burst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedta shelt shadows beyond. B#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whiln he saiWho'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happenedqInjun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a lahere." r"That's4uI was thinto myself, Huck:If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him oveZhead with a church)2youn't phase hi1say wn self. So it's t"meU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumwe GOT toQ. You>. That IHnjun devil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bout thisthey didn't hang9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we got to do--0 keep mum." "I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do for#. HCgoodlittle rubbishy common_gs--specigals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing e picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took aa fragmUf "red keel" out of his pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenQteethRQ lettp the pres on the up-s +trokes. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVwill keep mumaTATheywish They may Dropdown dead in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." Huckleberrydqfilled admiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguage. He at once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA might have verdigrease on i ""W?t's p'ison$it is. Yswaller somi --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!Qiniti9using the ~QingerAa pe3en he showed pdhow to"! HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall,dismal ceremonieaincantffetters thJDat b ir tongues were consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break inother end ofqruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whisp, "does this"usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~y difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'd"--QYOU know thatYes, I reckon's so." They continuCtime. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl just outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agon+QfrighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh= crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "I his voice. It's Bull Harb`" * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named:b wouldspoken of him as "Dl!,"Ca son or a dog !ofKZk was "]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogbhowledl~W ' hearts sank once more.2my!ain't no'I IA "DO(!" Tom, quaking with fear, yielded, and put his eye torDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! This comes of playing hookeyadoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but noouldn't, o. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-schools!" An began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "Cons!it Sawyer, you'reld pie, 'longsideG o' what I am. Oh, LORDY, lordy,  I wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thought7is bully, you know. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped. Tom pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW"it#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",times, 'lo@t$gs, but laws bless<he just lifts s'!HEes. Besides,hever coming backAis t"ny# spirit of adventure rose inboys' souls`, do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joets quailepresentlytemptationup strong 7the boys ag9!reC tryJthe understanding} they would take to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behindther. WheoQy had!toin five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokeF a sharp snap.man moan]rithed a littleBhis face came int moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4sstood still\Vopes too,tved, but)fears passed away CTheypd out, through[n weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both boys, in a breath!ay!--31say~ray dog comaround Johnny Miller's house,A mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill co and litJ1 onTbanisters4Bsung|very same eveningU! tYain't anybody deare yet." "Well, I know/. And suppose F. Didn't Gracier fall ikitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext Saturday?" "Yes#$shBDEADwhat's more, she's getbetter, tooAll right, you wait see. She's a goner, just asSsure  ,)C's wX niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom windwas almost spent. H!rel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidBawak had been so for an hour. OTom awoke,=1andC"reY late look  ,Ssense atmospherstartled. Whyqhe not called--persecuted till h~!upausual?E thought filled him with bod- ings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finished breakfastAIno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;: silencean air of solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en| the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could go her olduB so;inally tim to go onEruin&and bring her gray hairs with sorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. This1woran a thousand whippgcA was sorer nL1odycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen received his 4dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to triflessn he bemself toNseat, restjs elbows omQ desk^his jaws 9rs handsqstared ]be wallthe stony "IAuffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE up?!on,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,group to house to , little less thanj ic speed. Of course the master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedeand it1 recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizenvcome uponO washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorningZnat once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallXa which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiifting evQarrivt a verdict),3}Ahe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down allFroads in e;very directionw"Sheriff "was confident" 3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowarfgraveyard. Tom's heartbreak vanished he joine7qprocessecause ~sand times rather go anywhere elseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+rmed his small qthroughBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t. Somebody pincharm. He turnedhis eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>D2wonaif any!ha!ic!yt ir mutual glance. But ever;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungRThis qto be aaon to  robbers!" "6'll hangiy catch him!" This ift of remark; qhe minibsaid, "Iza judgment; His hs here." Now Tom shivfrom hea!Aeel;phis eye3U fell> stolid face of Injun Joe. At this momenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming himself!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look outturning! Don't let:get away!" People  branches o trees overQd saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7perplexed. "Infernal impudence!"aa bystander; "wantAcomeHtake a quieti1 atfwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." T"apart, now Dcame, ostentatiously leading Potter byarm. The p1's xwas haggarCshowfear thaupon him. When 2od rAmurdAman,"hook as with a palsyRhe pu4qface in@Qhandscburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. 8shocarry home. Potter )aliftede1anded around thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#isthrust 4himMSheriff. ewould have fallen iy had not caughtqand easm to the gO!aibSomethle't if Abackaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestursaid, "Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1useCmoren HuckleberryTom stood dumbstaring, Ahear stony-hearted liar reel offXserene statement, they_ing every A!atclear skydeliver God's lightningbs headpbwonder see how longZ stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath8Asavebetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 vaway, for plainlyyiscreantDsold* to Satan an$Cd itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power at. "Whyyou leave? What didrwant to!here for?" somebody said. "I couldn't help it--3,"  moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to sobbing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devilwas now become,!m most balefully interesting objecHCeverDR upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9 face. They inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer,q of geta glimpse odread masterBhelp|Arais body of1mur man and put it in a wagonrremovalwhispered throug ing crowd wbled a little! T\H thoughtthis happy circumstancCld turn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointed,more than one villagearked: "It was withree feet of Muffwhen it done it." Tom's fearful secretaAgnawonscience disturbedFQsleepAas ms a week R thisat breakfastmorning Sid saiATom,pitch arand talk in yourx1so tyou keep me awake hal9Ctime blancheTSdroppAeyes6t's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "you got o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook soahe spillcoffee. "An"doTustuff,"Ur. "LastZ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y!, 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHATis it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. TrQis no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed out of )q's faceshe came to 2areliefs1outing it. She8: "Sho! It'sdreadful murder. I dream aboutmost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMary she had been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. TomuJthe pres as quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothacheBa week,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen leanelbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc!'sYress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andj} mutterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTAthus1ingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one )se inquiries, though it5his habiltake the lead in all new enterprises; hel, too,aas a witness--anwas strange;RSid d overlookFfact[even showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he Umarvelled, but sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5stortureVconscience. Eday or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"3er" 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atRedge s villagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occup2off greatly help3eas T!rs4a strong desir/ tar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,ubody-snyo formidableMhis character?nobody could be -found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ dropped. Hebeen careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededthereforeeemed wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE _reasons whyAminddrifted away from its secret troubles wasLa-Sightyp to interest itself about. Becky Thatcher!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few days2tri"whistle her dowq wind,"CfailAbegaSf!imhanging arqQher f's house, nigh{1feemiserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractiontqno longbdok an g in war, nor piracy. The charm of liflCgoneD wasdreariness lef}2put?oop awaythis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned&p try al; l manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatuatPBth patent medicines and all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending it&an inveterate experimenter in these things. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; noterself, for?never ailing, bu*anybody el"atwVhandy]a subscriberTall the "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to godqet up, hat to eat$Rdrinkhow much exercise| 2!frfgto keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospe1herhobserved`Bher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-hearOnd honest as1dayClongPo she1Deasy vict gathered together her quackydthus armed death, went.!onX4pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell following after." Bqsuspect7a1wasan angel of[E$ balm of Gilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmentZnew, nowTom's low condition&qa windfeqhad himqat daylevery mornstood him upe woodshedadrowne#D a delugBcold; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a fileso broughtQto; tlshe rollJAa we!et"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsiV1 th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstabhis, the boy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assist with a slim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMu calculncapacity aswould a jug's(fiB day53cure-all-om had become indifferent to persecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. I9 simply fire in a liquid formmQdropp {2andthing els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""4*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life mbe romantic enough, inblighted E, bucqgettingave too little sentidand too much dist,1rac61var1aboS. So he thought over various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him  elp himself and quit bother'er. If iteen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boyAmendlth of a crack insitting-room floor!it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga(.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anCmean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't blameN anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, banagainst furniture, upse flower-potsw making general havoc. Nexrose on his hind feetpranced a , in a frenzy of enjoyment,<A2eadFhis shoulderN$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went teaahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction ipath. Aunt Polly entin time to seeVhrow a few double summersets, " a mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrwith astonish2 peher glasses; Tom lay eAexpiaKlaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails@cat?" "I don't know,q," gaspi. "Why, I neveria. What~him act sogpDeed I (l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There was something iIR tonemade Tom apprehensive. "Yes'at is, I believe_1 dowaYou DO19" qwas benQdown,watchingwi*st emphasized by anxiety. Too late he divined her "drift.R handthe telltale teaspoon visible undered-valanceUtook it, held it up.RincedSdropptIeyesBAraism by the usu ndle--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>"puyhing in a new l-ight; what+ cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes watered a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID do good." Tom looked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through his gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIxPeter. It done HIMH!, lI never seepget around so since--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR oncee!eeUtake medicine}reached school ahead of2" Irnoticedthis strange /had been occurring every day latterlynow, as !of, he hung aboutrAgate#heyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he sai$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b"w but whither he reall-R--dow7road. Pres) Jeff Thatche(r hove in sighte lighted; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive} accosted him;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremark Becky, biddy lad Bcoulait. Tom wat`Cand Q, hop"heIqa friskDrock cam$hating the owner of it as soon asw=right one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumps!enE the emptyQhousefBsat o suffer. Then one more passed in aheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jum2ovefence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, standqhead--d1allWqheroic PQ conceive ofk a furtive eyeKawhile,t51 Thring. But3Bseem be unconscioushB allP1. Cipossible thatK# snot aware that there? He carris exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoGaround, snd a boy's cap, hurleqroof ofJq, brokeugh a group of Stumblm in every directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--and>a, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopleUk they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks bnq. He gaIrself up1neaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mindmade up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody lovwDhey found out wh{ y had driven him to, perhap1y w!bey Qhad tSto dosand get along:Arnot letsince nobrdo them8rid of him,;w1so;1let1 blame HIMthe consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Q to complain? Yes, they had @BforcX to it at last: he + lead a life of crime. Ther no choice. By this time h far down Meadow Lanemthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly uponj!arFsobbed, now,!rink he !r never,Q hear old familiar sound any more--itBhard0vaout ine cold world, he must submit--but he forgaveX"Asobs.a thickfast. JuskApoinHms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefba greadismal purp1hisJt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wiping #ye1leeve, began<lubber outgabout a resolutio,escape from hard usageback of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hAthatm=1notRm. BLtranspiredwas a request whichK had just been going to makN1andAcome!unp up for#. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\wknew no#; IRplainstaof himCwishto go; if she felt<bway, tk%asl1forF to do but succumb; he hopedIbe happy0 regret having driven her poor boyxunfeelingto sufferdie. As the two boys walked sorrowgAlongy made a new compact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'plans. Joofor being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cavr dying,OQtime,J"ol=2wannagrief;after listen he conced$at2ere_conspicuous advantages. #soVQsente%be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at awthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wideT"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow bar at the K1heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardGfurther shore, abreast a dense and almost wholly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Islandchosen. Whothe subjectspiracies:a matter-did not occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bankMBabovvillage  favorite hour--whichrmidnighcsmall log rafIChich1eancapture. EachJring hookRlines<such provision as he could steal e most dark3mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon2donCyall managAenjo sweet glory of spreadbBcopretty soonCtown"hear some." All who gotrvague hint!acautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ham andL a few trifles, and stopped inundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlightvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalsK same way n a guarded voice said: "W es there?" "Tom Sawyer,KBlack Avenger ofSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandedJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIaliteraq "'TisEC. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivame awful word simultaneously to1roo: "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumbled his hamUlet himself down after it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforF an easy, comfortable path along(rit lack advantages of diffi Qculty!da/so valued by a pirate. had brought a side of bacon8had about worn -ith getting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes1. B@n3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it would never doAtart2out+ fire. That was a wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde!upgreat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" e&1nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveohilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughu1theCsmenW#ll village1! lC in stores or haa spree,Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9y shoved off, presently, Tom in command, Huck after oar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedolded armsgave hisa low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se" were given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se  r'yals up! Lay out aloft,_,$! a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! StanX2when she come7s! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocmiddle of the river; ed her head right?then lay onLtoars. THtt high, so theremore than a two ree mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed w it lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger 7 7"looking7last" upon the scenhis former joyhis later suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toQdoom (a grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshot3rvillageRso he["edZq brokensatisfied he!2art7other pirates were blast, too;Ethey all&elong thatcame near lett93he \Q drif)Em ouArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornugrounde+1bar8hundred yards abovewaded back5forth until$had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook i:a busheiA a to shelter[provisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws.!y built a fire againsA sida great log twentyirty stepssombre depthXforesCcme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glordsport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginjunexploredninhabited island, f(ar from the haunt4men+cey saiRnever return to civilization. The climbingclit up6Qfaces threw its ruddy glare upopillared tree-trunkvtemple, and:varnished foliageoafestoovines. Whellast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,Pboys stretche={grass, filled with contentmen1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and hery can't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, sy(Pgo tor school$Bwash all that blame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s  Joe, "but I hadn't thought mbout it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adQlike used to in old times 's always respected. And a 's got to sleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do'A( that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Naget ar!itY6I+3n'tvit. I'd ru+4n a "Ru "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noq%onse, being better employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl now he fitted a weed stem t, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toachargeAblow! cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The o+s envied him this majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:QuBhaveu?" Tom,AOh, H#just a bullyK--take ships'!urm\get the money!y it in awful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Akill5RNo," assente 2g--they're too noble}Tbeautiful, too.aAwear[bulliest }es! Oh no! Al*al goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#MB." oAcannRs owning forlornly. "I reckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bu1rse." B boys tolbe finees would come fast enough, afte{Ay sh$0Dbeguadventures. Theyhim understaat his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduatalk diedknd drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 (qhe slepd sleepaconscience-frethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!no authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;ruth, they h ad a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afro proceed to such lengths as that, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of~--but an intruder came, now, Pnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fearJthey had been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by reminding purloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So $ resolvedso long as 'Arema"bub", 4piraciesU2not~ be sullieIad with>crime ofh. Thengranted a truce"se curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefullyleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<arepose" ideep pervading calm%asilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ! s!ob'd upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes cPsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose stra"in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, farq a bird1ed; another answered; presentlyhammering woodpecker8heard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multiplilife manifested itselfy marvel of2 sh#of 1goi work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm camJqe crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then procee again--for he was measurqTom saiworm approachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him or seemed inclined to go else;when at last itJia painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladthat meant that he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy ical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled man"byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQaS bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "Lad],g, fly away home, your house is on fire, children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrationd he had practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,it shut itssH1odyGpretend to be|. The birds were fairly rioting byA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitXer neighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almosiboy's reach, cocked1hea<rone sid#eystrangersconsuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s the wild things had probably nevein a human being befoJrscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakI+tirring, now; long lances of sunlight pierced down throughdense foliage farBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfoqpiratesbthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~. A vagrant currRr a sWa riverErcarriedheir raft, but~a only "finm, sincegoing was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz}. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetened with such a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joelicing bacon(breakfast, To asked him to hold oK;_!teDto a promiGCnookkb-bank 23rew ir lines; almost immediately`had reward.rhad not ime to get impatient before>3werKRagain some handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1 had ever seemed so deliciousj"diAknow$quicker a 4-%he is caught5betTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay arou?Shade,w"ha2okeathen w))ffQwoodsqn exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbru, sh, among solemn monarchs ofqforest,  from their crowns to the g a drooping regalia of grape-vines. NowQcame 2snus carpeteXQgrass7Tjeweltflowersfbplenty1ing!be$ghR, but no#X to b 5 atscoveredaislandabout three miles longa quarter ofQle wi'!atdshore it lay closest to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the midd#th!noue!y got back to campptoo hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves down iaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded pGQ sensAlone]5s, sBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort of undefined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shapeL, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Handedreaming of his doorsteps and empty hogsheads~all ashamedqeir weayC none was brave enough5Apeaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully consciouna peculiar s/distance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recognition- boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sile2pro_and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevsprang to VAfeet%Qhurrishore towaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakabout a mile belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplere were a great many skiffs row&oruQstreaJthe neighborhooQ, butcould not determine what the mencm doing. P !jewhite smoke burst fromnc's sidPas it expand rose lazy cloud, that same throb of zDorne0 ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,!eya loaveBbreaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll =Q righZ"re\top." "pI've he3ardSthat,VJoe. "I wonder2the do thatROh, it ain'r#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly wha:Ry SAYait befhtart it ouu#Bu2don't say anythingAyHuck. "I've seep @QWell,'s funnyBTom. "But maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<The otherAagre=re was reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe) to act very intelligentlyOset upon an erransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, nowc2Joecdo tooHuck "I'd give heaps toEwho it isJDTstillsszwatched+revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,Che exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroesUsn instaa gorgeous triumph were missourned; heartsbreaking on theTir account; tear&eing shed; accusing memories of unkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3 the talk of the whole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twildrew on, ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanity over their new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atbthe villagthinkingsaying abou*!m;the picturyo public distress on Vqgratify ao lookb--from1Q poinview. But wheOq shadow/nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing into,Bire,minds evid wandering elsewhereV. The excitemengone, nowl1Tom<Joe could not keepahoughtcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings came; they grew ldunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By1by Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r._but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom averer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrapeUas little tachicken-hethomesickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest fo{s moment.#he=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneesBsearQ3amoW7graRflickreflections flung bycamp-fire. He picked ubpinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\1finchose two which seemeR suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he roll and put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance fromwowner. And he alsoQto the hatschoolboy treasuret almost inestimable value--)m a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that hedrhearingstraightway broke=a keen run ink2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal w_ bar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over current wPpermit no more}so he struck out confidiwim the remai%'ning hundred yards. He swam quartering upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his hand o Nhis piec3safSthen P through the woods, followingr, with 3#ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came oto an openroppositBbvillagA saw|ferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watc1alleyes, slippedCQater,nor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagC begun. Tom felt $happy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Ataend ofng twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaswam aLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<of danger of possible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleyss$]aT aunt's back fencehoapproache"ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themthe door. Tom went Adoor#began to softly lifblatch;ihe pressed gwHyielded a;6 ontinued pushing cautiousI1quaevery time it creaked, Zjudged he might squeezeB knees; so hc5ead), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,Qoor's, I believe. W'hy, of course it is. No strange things now. Go 'longqshut itF ." Tom disappeared unde bed just"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*Acrep)whe could almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyRgiddyharum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharma best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full of his devilmentr up to "kiief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped hime that cream,:once recollectAat Iswed it out myself becauwas sour,IPato seexQagainhis worldv!, ! p2bus!" And Mrs.ba sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter off$isB"butQ'd been b$etter in some ways--" "SID!" Tom felt the glare of old lady's eye, thoughynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it's so hard--Oh,! last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker rightsmy noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/longer agouQyeste(Snoon, took and fille5catPain-kille*1did)kccreturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dThead sthimbleY3boy dead boy. B9uball his HRs nowy2the'words I everd1sayto reproach2But this memor$o much fo6,she broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himself--and more in pity of anybody else. He cou Mary cryXand putting in a kindlyA forfrom time toSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still, h]fficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]Bundec1bed]overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousnessthing appealed strong his nature, too, b]R resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;Bends+ conjectured at first!the boys had got drowned while tak swim; thenmsmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage shqQ"hear\Qq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidkgone off on 'BthatQand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noo. (found, lodged againe Missouri shore five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,s hungerhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. It wa3ievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tora. ThisWednesday A. Ifscontinued until Sunday,3opexAbe g\Qover,the funerals&Q prea:at morning shuddered. Mrs. Harper g?Dsobb-j2urngo. Then a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cry n parted. Aunt Polly was tefar beyondwqont, in Rto SiMary. Sid red a bi<#ff` with P1allUheart. knelt downAprayed for Tom so touchingly, so appeal6ith such measureDloveCword3er old tremb/bvoice,!heweltering in tears 9, long bef1"heKhrough. He hakeep still3after sheqto bed,she kept making broken-) ed ejaculations from time to, tossing unrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moaning a littl: sleep. N#boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shade candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itsomethingbto himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9L!ntBkissQ! f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYay backmhe ferry landing,Z nobody at large)a there walked boldly on boardKBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who always turned iE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped into its soon rowing cautiously upstream. When hpulled a mile abovevillage, qCquarrRacroshimself stoutlyas work"hi1 onfother side neatlyn! t<as a familiar bit ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&ed a shipfore legitimate prea pirate, bu a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entthe woods'sa`arest, tortur meanwhilkeep awak Ethenbwarilythe home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv#he. fairly abreas! island barbrestedl81sun bwell u1gilthe great riRver with its splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripping, upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorXthing. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ours, anyway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_writing s7hey are if heO back herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoQ fishshortly providedas the boys set toGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaR boastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiqaway inady nookleep till noons got read and explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner alDgang0!ou- hunt for turtle eggs on tahe bary went about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNRdown ir knees and dugOhands. SometimesBould take fifty or sixty eggs ourone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg feastHRnightanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingy2 ba| chased eachZ2and , shedding clothes aNent, until |sre nakecontinue frolic far!upqshoal wAgaine stiff currxwYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timand great^1cre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;# avertedGqto avoi strangl\AprayQd finWg! and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighball went und*a tangle of|rand arm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. Wywell exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotlie theru1covemselves upiby and by1 foq Qagain"go throughoriginal performance once more. FQit oc"d 4m%n( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring iQ circus--with three clowns in it,Rnone o yield this proudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew staBn JoBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fkain kicoff his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his anklehe wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protection ofmysterious charm. He diq` he ha'd2imether boysQtiredready to rest. Tradually waapart, dropped in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgcnot help it. He eraszAt!5ookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKjoining them. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as- to tell, yetMi}utinous dEsion<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been piratesis islan4d before,. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or twoseductions; !heb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat poking up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. Fin 6id: "Oh, let's givup. I wan go home. It's so lonesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byby," said Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, wRhere tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more ban(are." Andnuffled a little. "Well, we'all letAcry-INs to his1, wwe, Huck? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|?" Huck, "Y-e-s"--withou heart in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice pirate.3m[Ries.  V,4? Let himAf heUs to. we can get a{him, per'aps.Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on2hisUAing.Bthenv!s Qmfort+eying Joe's prepara so wistfullyCkeep ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. TomQ6art9sink. He glanccould not bearBlookdropped his eyes.  Then he9Q: "I to go, too, Tom. It1getIso lones3ywa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mQon't!qcan all&dif youb. I me? stay." "Tom, I better gosWell, g&--who's hendering you.+qpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come(Q. Nowthink it over.wait for hen we get to5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{, and Tom stood looking afterDa strong desire tugg(tto yieldCpridotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome verylcT . He made one final struggle-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocwSathey w#heunfoldingesecrety listen|cpat last8vaw the "point" heBdrivOn1 et up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"yf he had tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had beQ fear0s not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand soAmean1hol in reserve as a last seduction. lads came gayly back4awent a'ir sports againa will, chatt1alltime about Tom's stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,<nted to learn to smoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSBlike to tryKrSo HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin$"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbow1uffBrily!sl confidencejan unpleasanct tastgagged a little, : "Why, it's just as easy! If I'd a know!is/Call,t long ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.~amany a^ I've looked at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cL!do;I1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :that way--haven't you7I'll leave i.Aif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects iI bleeve/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do>}psmoke itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over $with two draws. Just let him try it once. HE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl _s" "Oh,))I!N I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boysqsay any! a it, and someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want aPae.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1ano#onmy tobacker e very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!hes!weright upras ca'm!Eqsee 'emBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\"weQed when we ] was off pirating, won't theyMd been along?8qI recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifle'grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of "doF sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpso2ingMmight and mainfeebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You gothat way=(Bunt r by the spring. No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-again, and waited an hourCn he fou lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepsomething informed him! if they had had any troublygot rid of it. not talkative at suppat night\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal and waspare theirs,D3 no>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokBecalled!re a brooding oppressiveness#aiseemed to bode N4S huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intq$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{Bfire:swas swaSQup inQblackPaof dar 5. PtnaAglow  vaguely revea^ foliage for a moment an vanishyyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sig5thrqbrancheQorestxt felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheeks,7wshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?into dayBowed+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew arfeet. Aj[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealRunder1rol:and tumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r4(distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allTRleavenCsnow flaky ashes broadcast3. A fierce glare lit up the Nan instant crash fop"re  tree-tops r#ovboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloo~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed TomPsprang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roar trees, making)tsAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencsrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloq ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring wind'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful fo8y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even i3noises wLehave a"emQtempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4X"wiRaway  %. gseizedrs' handGRfled,dEmanyb bruisAof a great oak that st3cood upriver-bank. Now?battle was atst. Under%ceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skiesbelow stooin clean-cuashadowldistinctness:"be:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$ driving spray of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lanveil of rain. Every li hile some giant tree yieldjbe figh+fell cras younger growth;aunflag'-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keeRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchbeffort@seemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up,! igree-tops, blow itBand r creature in it, all at>$moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c headsout in. Butaqas donerforces retiredAweakd threatening0sgrumblingsKpeace resumed her sway boys went back to camp, a good deal awed; buRy four1 still sometthankful for, becausegreat sycamore sheltertir beds,a ruin, now, blasted byKw they were not ubit whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedQlads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soak and chilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYa had eaten so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardRsepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_RshredGbark gathfrom the V2sid#qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furn61aceF glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamiXa feastNb after]y4satjand expandeglorified midnight adventure] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upo boys, drowsiness came ov1em,went out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a little homesick once bom saw#2ign fell to cheering up the pirates as he could. But#cared nofor marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1Cthem imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+q, he gom interein a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansdqa changOHeattracis idea; so it;not long beforedstripp^head to heel with !black mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anvA teaqthrough Awood%attack an English settlement. Bseparated into three hostile tribed$upon each other from ambush with dreadful war-whoopACkillrxscalpedHousands. I a gory day. Consequentlyan extremelisfactory one. qassembl camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not bread of hospitality together,out first makewas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE processeLy had heard of. Two savages almost wish%4remained. However, t}A way\with such showqheerfulayr muster!ca@!foBook whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladBgone"ryaLRhad gAsome"p; they -1fou#atw smoke a little having to gohunt for a lost knife;N"diaget sick en o be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"sospent a jubilanRning.were prouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w1ingOskinningSix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at pres CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilarity?Btownsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat grieftears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, althit was ordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%Salkedsighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden t8o the childr6y had no heartir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky Thatcher Xherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_ nothing3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backErsob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that--" ithe whole worldb he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood lookQ"ve paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-+ last timy saw him{show Joe"hismall trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as`easilyI1 se!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"a then added somelike "and I was a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthenQseemeQbgo allme, like--R, you knowDIwhat it meant, of course, but I canv#en  disputeqwho sawBdead.qin life many claimedismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDthe departedqexchangea wordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by the rest. One poor chap, who other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride) rance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me oncBat bid for glory failure. Mos2thecould say that, an8Bd soJscheapen{- too much. The group loitered away, still recalling memories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringingq usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush T2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment i vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses asSwomentheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle churchd!be full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep black2 whole congregamthe old minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|ers wererthe front pew$ was another communing, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnjFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrection Life." Aservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa 1ingY1 herpersist blinded himselfrm always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYTflawspoor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous%Q peop>uld easi, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes wej"edRgrieft!atx1timy occurrcy had  rank rascalities, well de.the cowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, ebat las^mpany brok>ae downBjoin weeping mournera chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. Therea rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUchurch door creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+ stood transfixed! First onthen another pair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg 2rosnstared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe nextHuck, a ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! lir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threw themselves uponSrestored ones, smmsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1aba and uncomfortable, not know^xactly what to do or w)de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, but Tom sei zm and said: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavorhim wer2oneL capable of mhim more" hdbefore. Suddenlyshouted atatop ofvoice: "PBQ God /whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqraftersCSawyPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! this was coudest?life. Asj"sold"Utroop!ey Twould)sbe will; be made ridiculous again ton Uung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}R's vatmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe !gratefulnNo God anW#d affection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THAT wa's great secret--the scheme to return homehis brother pI Batteir own funerals. They had paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;2had slept id woods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh` then crept through back lana alley B finTsleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,;and Mary2Dverykqto Tom,u1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(ittWell, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "YeseAdoneDGR" sai; "and I believe you w ihad thought|tfW#1youR?RAunt Polly, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing8aI hopeg loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKWc, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,1 ai$ny harm," pleade'it's only Tom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\Qhe nehinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONE it, too.you'll lookC,E Qwhen too late wish you'd _a little more$me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,Ltmuch--a cat does2butmqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^you was sitting ofere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him." "W*so we did. S do. I'm glars could take   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehseems tothe wind-- blowed the--" "Trh1der3! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! 1you.1, '*door--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--you sas believ2dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9like as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Ybhim--you--Oh, yahim sh for the land's sake! I never hear beat ofin all my days! Dstell MEain't any2 in%s,. Sereny  shall knowiis beforean hour older. I'd^to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'superstition.2Oh,ball geu{As brbas dayVF Nex! I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs.! sRersaid Jotthe same, and she awishedAhadn't whipped'#aking cream when she'd throwed it out her own selfom! The sperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, go onoASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheresgone tofDbeen0sometimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG!Anhim up sharpTI layTmust 'a'an angel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scar`a firecracker, and7QPeter the Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lo3alkdraggingriver for ud%4hav#funeral Sunq and old Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happened!soPjust 3so, as sur'm a-sitting in thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`it more like if you'd 'a' seen it! Dwhat? GI thoughK prayed for me--and IwE seehear every worAaid.r1youT to b+Pso sorryq I took6Cwrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou looked so good, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "DiR, DIDI;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even" i~ a--dream," Sid soliloquized faudiblup, Sid! A body doest"meV as he'd do if heawake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!if1was found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of uXRs all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His word,ness knowsunworthy of it, but if3Dthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them the rough places, thq few enwould smile Io= enter intodqrest whde! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,the old lady to call on Mrs. Harpervanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger X1ame rate who felthe public eyebon him|cindeed; he trieqto seemee the looks orcemarksZpassed along?they were food a1nd drinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated byss if heC2 drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tc ould have given anythingi2ave1swasuntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpart either for a circus. At'( tDmade so muchbof Joe!delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyT1two"esnot long ini Wably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventures]ungry listeners--3onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally,yorir pipe went serenely puffing aroun !e very summit of glory was reached. Tom decided\he could be independen@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she should see ;0as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. Tomqsee hermoved away\joined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observas tripping gayly backjRforthiflushed facerdancingL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter whena captureh(icbalways/Cher 1As in^vicinitywAeemecast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified a1 viFr vanitywB himso, instIrwinning"it"set him up"2morxi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewYwas about gave over skylarking6 irresolutelyBQ, sig<once or twi#glpfurtivel wistfully toward Tom. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrence than ny one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at onc=2tri1!go, but her feet were treacherou1car7aher toA saia7 almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(IMiss Peters' class, w3Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neRgoody; I hopT1'll2!MEI)Hieill. T!'sma<qanybodyAr I wantR" "Teo nice. When is itbB by. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM rPboys?"" "Yes, evertfriends to me--orAbe";yshe glanced furtivel1Tomy1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycamo1e "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on, clapping of joyful haAill had begged for invitNAs bu1Amynturned coollyPcstill Atook him. Becky's lips tremblthe tears caher eyes; she hi$se signsa forced gayetywent on chatteringtthe life had gone ounR, nowaything1got as soonhe could!hi6self and had what her sex call "a good cry."Gsat moodywounded pride,the bell rang roused upua vindictive cast in hePRr eyeAgaveplaited tails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO 'jubilant self-satisfaction. And he kept drifting about2indGlacerate herd erformance. At last he spiera sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together overbook, thay did not seem to be conscious of ani`Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily, as they walked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenZQhe paexpectantly he ponly stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !to^qrear of , again and , to seareyeballs1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaehe thoughaw, that ]Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, toosas glad him suffer asj3haded. Amy's happy pracame intolerable.!hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioXher?"1bthose 9he said artlessly!ou "around"Ss let oueqhe hasteaway, ha1herit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so fineY and is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst day ever saw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%take and--" cwent throughrmotionsZrashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!" And s flogging was finishe(his satisfaction. Tom fled home at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?happinesshis jealousyG bear noAB the distress. 'resumed her picture in'with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"pr!upear at a footstep1 ita false hope;.she grew entirely miswsbdn't carrieso far. When pooriP, see!ing that helosing hL2 di. know how, kept exclaiming: here's a jolly one! look at this!"{1pat at last[Rsaid,Mdon't bother me! Iacare fpem!" and burco tearbgot upalked away. dd droppPCside+As goQo try<bomfort"busaid: "GoX=leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wahave done--forC"ha, she wouldiYsnooning--an%qon, cryCThenC!mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guesseE!waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when thought occurrbmGZAtherT someg3boy)rouble without much risk to himself. Tom's spn-book fell under his ey]uhis opportunitZrly open$on(p aftern>1oon/poured ink6!the page. Becky, glancing in at a window behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendAfindand tell him;be thankfulctheir s&be healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, shechanged 1ind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's accounx"torhim for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodthe firs !ngaunt saiqim showmbhad br his sorrows to an unpromi+market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie,o2avede?" "Well, you'~3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expec6I'm_Amake&sbelieveat rubbage *bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out from Jot you wasAhere?Sheardte" wtqrnight. P don't know1ibecome of a boywill act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkcould let me go\ Y ake such a fool of myself never say a word." Thisa new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniouserely looked mea shabby now. He huAhead"no5kenything toSfor an he said:I wish I hadn't done it--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 81allc7wayfrom Jackson's Island i to laugh at our ,:yo o*!mec a lie$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,come over Gyou " "What dime for, then?" "Iqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel"01I w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ believebhad asta thought asqY2youwy did--and!it.Qndeed' , auntie--53mayBstirH!OhT", !Rlie-- Qdo itAonlysns a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanteBAkeep,:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--it cover up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run ofSacted. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whenagot to3ingthe funeral, I jusqall fulRthe idea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocket and kept 1mumWhat barkT:I had wrote onwe'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kisse--I do, honesQThe hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawned:er eyes. "DIDqkiss meM2es,x "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BRI lov2 soyou laid tDmoan$I was so sorry8words sounded likThe old lady not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!!bexAwithbto school bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom e in. Trtopped,#it0R hands{o herself: "No&on't dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWLord will forr5himQP it wa_ goodheartednesdmuit. Butwant to findy1lielook." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceqput outAhand!akA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve me." SosMpocket. AQlater- was reading Tom's piece of through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREasometh bout Aunt Polly's manner,?Tom, that sweplow spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&0 luck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,6I'm eever, ever do that way again, as` long as #I live--please make up, you?" The girl stoppq looked him scornfully inAface'll thank you to keep yourself TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIRBtossaand pason. Tom stunnedhe had not even presenHqmind enG!to say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" until the right?6!itegone by. So he saiyBhingOin a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were a bo*imagining how he would trounceN"if\1ereitly encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seemed to A, inAhot btment,3shehardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatie1see6aflogge&n injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering noqof expoAlfred Temple, offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor,dO know how fas6tqwas neaatroublQself.bmaster}Dobbins,}$ed middle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar*of his desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbiyas when no classes) reciting2kept thateunder loc`A key#rot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing bycdesk, which stood]BdoorTnotic*bthe keM~qlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; found heFalon next instant s92theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she begaturn the leavescame at once upon a?omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. At that C a shadow fell onApage`Tom Sawyer stepped inAdoor&fcaught2 ofGsicture.%AsnatVbook to close 1andthe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowEathrustvolume intoAturnyt{QburstTacrying'1 shand vexF. " , you are just as mean asacan be4sneak up on a personXlBt why're look." "How cGaI know]7was( anything?" "You od of you&, ;QZc're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbICwas 3." Then$astampe little fokd said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. YouAwaityou'll see! Hateful, h A!"--he flung7Dhousd new explosion of c'rying. Tom stood still, rather flustered by this onsld. Presently he  to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinn hicken-hearted. Well, of c I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@ ways of getting even on her,m<C; bu|of it? Ox&will ask who it was tore his book. Nobody'll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first ontqthen t'6when he comes b rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facese=mygiy backbonTq'll get vit's a htplace for!Thrp1any#ou!."!coCBthe aDlong1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"4joi0mob of skylarscholars outside. In a"C fews the master arrivschool "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at the)s' side ofBroom!'s troubled him. Considering allds, he want to pity`tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyGname r the sp-book discowas madeTom's mindentirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6* roused up from her lethargy of distress and showed good the proceedingsj_aexpectt/*4his by denying1rhe spil2inkCe2;eS  denial only seemed to makm R wors4TomssupposeVould be glaBthatrshe triYrbelieve44as /1it,qshe fouH"not certain. W3!heQt camtQorst,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C an effort and forced herself to keep still--because, saiAo he,, "he'llu about me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,# to save his life!" Tom Qhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upsey himself, in some skylarking bout--he hadQed itform's sakehpbcustombhad stuck toprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5s(Tddingbthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlockbs deskqreachedhis book, but  undecided whether to take iHqr leaveCMost! pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfingerabsently e3ett)AchaiQread!cshot a2 at2. Hseen a hunted and helJpless rabbit look as she did, a gun levelled at its head. Instantly he forgotrquarrelAher. Quick--something must be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyzbinvention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chance was lost--Ropene'volume. If Tom only!th<ted opportunityagain! Too late. Tas no helpwBecky now, he said* next momen}-3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil while one might count ten =was gathex.ArathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^'ness continued;2CBseardace afW-signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did youU A denial. Another pause. "Joseph u HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more sintensethe slow torturse proceedings4can ranks of boys--considered a, then tur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan! do thisZTrnegativ(girl wasNQThatc1Tomtrembling froms to fooaexcitenqand a sa!ofhopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccaz" [Tom glanchfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]a--no, Qme inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning a brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I:"t! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toH his dismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAoq punishthe surpris gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of poorv's eyes seemked pay enough for a hundred floggInspired byplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours afterhould be dismissed--for he knew who w$Await8kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. ent to bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Bshamarepent5hl!ld7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longingW give way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at las's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching7, always severe, grew r Sexactn#, TAwantY to make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodkhis ferule were seldom : idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he seemet vindictive)ure in puniXB shortcomThe consequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX8Bheirz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to do: a mischief. But`ept aheadJ"im\ retributionrfollowe*!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1the1retfrom the field badly worsted. AAtheylrtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iRsign-painter's boy,cheme, and asked his help. Hhis own reasons for being delhd, fortboarded father's family and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<be nothing to !fith the plan; {aprepar)Qmselfoccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominiroper condion ExaminaEvening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righth!hul to school. I1ful"of4Athe testing Hc arriv0+1 inUeqoolhous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliagehlowers! s1ron,H 2 raised platform,t his blackq behind" HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front of him.occupied 0!bydignitarieVthe town and #eparentpupils. Toleft, back@ citizens, was a spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoato tak2t iQvexercis ; of small boy1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuously cons,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very littlstood upsheepishly recia"You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public o  stage," etc.--accompanyainfully exactspasmodic gesturesa machine m"used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,. got a fine round of applauseK when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lisped, "Mary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYfidence and soaredunquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speech,yAfurynSfrant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him,gs quaked under him|!hex1liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathy b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+#le disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly def<nr+a weak attempt at applause, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems"revreading,a spelling fight9 meagre Latin cGlass recQhonor+ prime featurb1theEing was in order, now--original "compositions" by the young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, held upanuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart LongingspA etcprevalentY!se\ca nurspetted m|A; an,wasteful and opuegush of "language"; <tendency to lug in ears pararly prQwordsphrases until they .were worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markamarredthe inveterateOintolerable sermonT wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one zm. No matter wh6Isubject might be, a brain-racking effort was made to squirm it into some aspect or otherthe mora" r us mind could contemplateAgedificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#  do not feel obligwAclos.!iruSith a%2youefind tHmost frivolous anv least qgirl in\qs alwayt longestAXQrelenhly pious. But enoug"this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us returnA"Exaion." The firstwas read9one entitlf ed "Is this, then, Life?" P( reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walks of life, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forward  anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturejoy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4all2rs.' Her graceful form, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentranceqe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}a*last. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior,#is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grates fharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost itcs; and1astdAalthimbitter!rtshe turns away;the convictionq earthl pleasures cannot satisfyulongingsoul!" And so forso on. There was a buzz of gratific Bfrom1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe had closed with a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenessAcomepills and indigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9it will do+ "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burnIaecollesng my brhFor I have wandHay flowSoods;Have roamedranear Tallapoosa's stream; 73listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam.Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eye'Tis from no stranger land I now must p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[ Welcome and home were minein this StateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbget9(teoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <|3actory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began tobin a mF d, solemn tone: "A VISIONCDarkrmpestuous2night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep inton*the heavy thunder constantly vibratedthe ear;s terrqific lightning revellengry moodQroughcloudy chambers ofen, seeming2bo scorpower exerted over its terror by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic /abluste}bout as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so reary, for human sympathy mymspirit sighq instea}Rreof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'RQto my. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So softher step, iqBfailmake even a sound7!utmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru ies, she would have glide away un-perceived--unsouf1 sa rested upon hebr features,icy tears upo0he robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)bmplate'Ue two""resented." This nightmare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wound up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to e7qxercisegeography clas. But he 9sad businesX!itCunsteady hanUa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =Ato r@!it:sponged out lines and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannwring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not put down byQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanhim; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^1ingp-inued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; had a rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewDslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,swung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i<absorbed teajcher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&Q into"in an instan?er trophy still inpossession!1howJldid blaze abroad the master's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke upqrmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken~out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl pnQhenceEmuch happian any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." Hmised to abstai^Q smok9!ch,ofanity as long as hena member. Now he fthing--namely,$to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a bTqody wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself tormentedq a desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was coming;"he3gavQup --it up before he had worshackles over forty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw6have a big public funeral, since heso high an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!q's condhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--1thaRventujsget out and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuabAt lasas pronounc!on~Amend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedis resignHtat onceqAat nqpthe Jud'ge suffered a relapsesBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTqa fine . The Cadets para a style calculated to killlate member^Benvybrree boyQ, howd--ther!me1 inFc swear, now--but1 toessurprishe did not7simple facth# hga, tookQaway,{the charm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginning to hang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diaryhappened dso he abandonedhe first negro minstrel shows camBtownQmade a sensand Joe Harper go~a band of performersYwere happm1twoa. Eve Gloriouswas in somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequence!thQatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento actual United States Senator, proved an ov5erwhelming disappointment--for hnot twenty-five feet high, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys playedfor three afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls--knx2ing. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&left the village dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, buYy,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hoBstay~qher par }J--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9pn~measles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dea}qand its]aeningsR1wasT ill,finterested in no. When he got uponfSat lamoved feebly down-$` melanC choly change had come ove!ryl every creaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thIS. TomL bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwherefound Joe Harper study Testament,turned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionprecious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refuge bosom of Huckleberry Finnwas received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept!anbed realizat he alonqall the town]lost, forev A. A`Aat nRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddheets of ligC"htHe coverC hea!the bedclotheswaited in a horror of suspensehis doom;1notshadow of a doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu22hat1wasT result. It might have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryyb"nodincongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. Bybtempest spent itself #diQ out accomplishing its object boy's first impulseto be gratefulreform. His secoto wait--"re>be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back;Ihad relapsedthree weeks heaon his845timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlyDspared, remembering how lonely>his estate, how companionless anTd forlor1wasPdrifted listlessly down"astreetfound Jim Hollis ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catmurder, iiSpreseher victim, a birdoe Harper Huck Finn up an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa . CHAPTER XXIII AT las sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:R trial came on4k!be*the absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern6to  sent a shudder toaheart,his troubled consciG and fears almost persuadHmthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-Rld bescted of knowi"ny9<dVstillFnot be comfortabl5ridst ofagossip1kep cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealQtongu a little whi3le; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedssure himselfhad remained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help me. What makes you ask:Well, I was afeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt more . After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO. They ain't no diIbnt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma sweat, constant, so's to hide som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him, sometimesqMost always--m F. He*account; buan he h done anything%ur . Just fishes a little, toSoney drunk on--and loafs considerableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we get himop5My!&8n't)W. And besides, 'tw*ado any=;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hate;ear 'em abus1 so the dickens6Ehe nfI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasn't ever3 hung befoOAYes, T talkqat, alltime. I'vedsat if he was,AfreeQb'd lyn^A'd do it, too." The boys had a long,Cit broughm comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhaps with an undefinpe that d;Q happAat msclear a4ir difficulties. But no=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~Roften,%B--we the cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. HBhe gQfloorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/QgiftsQ smott!irciences it cut deeper than ever,: They felt cowardly and t!outhe last degreaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR town1I d+aforget5. Often I saymyself, says I, 'I us.Emendboys' kitesk!s, AshowAwherT fishin' places wa0rbefrienwhat I couldO2now ve all forgot old Muff when he'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYPret him,^I, 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a= time--that'. only way I accounT it--I got to swingiit's right. RighABEST , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't 4at.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yQed mez<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime ?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of RtfD none come but yourn. Gooda w"--"ly. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'll!th-Abars mine's too big. LittlUB,weak--buy've helpelPotter a power2athey'd' him more if ." Tom went home miseraWhis dream night were full of horrors. The next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experience y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village bwas to2qffect tWnjun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. as out late,u"ca9bedwindow. He waa tremendous state of excitement. It was hours before he got to sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thisBto b%Agrea. Both sexeequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed in  ook their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM!an<b pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoqlawyers|Agath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked upQtmospof prepar was as impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fwashing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredtimmediately sneak some fur`}counsel forErosecution said: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a moment, but dropp%em again when his own counselsI have no&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. Ct"fo #,"+#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often se%inO possession.Potter declinME The faces{;b begantray annoyance. Did attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed conce* guilty behavior@c!toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-.bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesboccurrethe graveyardwhich all  remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomcross-exami/fned byX' perplexity and dissatisfac'house expressed itself in murmurs=provoked a reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility ofQ, upo unhappy!atbar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,6ahe putKqface in AhandWS rocklbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.Rmovedmany women's compa testifixtears. rthe def1oseXYour honor, in2tremarksREopenis trialforeshadowed:purpose to 2ur $ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. WeSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Thev lerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awoke in every,@,xeven excepting}'s. Every ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookaplace 'the standjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadministered. "r, whereCyou Cseventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's ironc1andtongue failm audience libreathless, b~!s refused to come. After a few moments, however,uoy got a little ofstrength backb manag^3puts of it into8voice to make parthear: "Igraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q4contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that'sedge of the gr uave."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait a5. Never mind mentioning your companion's name. We will produce him ai proper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitated andUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. What dBtake Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a rippmirth, whichcourt check9We )>rkeleton!atdD Now, tell us ever4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at firstBwarmthis subject his words flowed morJ easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;&&ixBhim;parted lipsbEBhungAhis , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reached its \climax whe[boy said: "--and asdoctor fetchedboard ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as lightthe half-breed sprang for a window, tore ay through all opposers, and1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOMa glittering hero onceH--the pet ofAold, Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some} believed he would be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreaskworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;afore i'not well to find fault_1it.r's days: of splendorQexult@r to himdhis nights v?horror. Qinfes(ll his dreamsbdoom ieye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same state b of wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysore afraid his shareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattorne promise secrecy, but what of? Since }harassed conscience[managed to drive himc c's house byjaad tale from lipsPhad been sealndismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidhuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Hal2timZ3wasa never be capturedVa othercK@Y. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man\2dea,eycorpse. Rewards*been offerelvcountryscoured, but noc Injun Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moused around, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. That  say, he "! a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murderso afterogot through>gone home, Tomjust as insecure asVbefore. nslow days drifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we"of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harper,+failed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinnRed-Handed." Qqanswer.tm to a private placRopeneY1matbdo him kbtially`*Awilllways williMng to take a hand in any enterprisirofferedTtainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests undAe envaa limbn old dead tree,?shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I Cide it; I'd spend have a good time"So;1 I.l"dolway. They alwayeqnd leav t"DAtheyiHQ more2No,$Rthink BwillDQgenerUQforge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it laysq a longgets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells hoAw to,Q the 7--a*'s got to be ciphover about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,Mseem to mean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then, how:i # #63wanJarksesbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can taagain BtimeSy' -1 upzStill-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'emI all of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Z one to go forG zITom, it'llll summerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollar1it,^Agray2 fudi'monds. HowaHuck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. JustAimme Iand &no" "All right. But I beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth twenty 3apiece--XWany, hardly, but's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckoni!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^Do they hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o Yto hop for?--ba1meaa'd jusVQscatt&, 2in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!bCQgivenIN3But`Aon'tiy like it, Tom, all rright; )kG"beRg andD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firstzknow. S'pose we tackljdead-limb tree on the hill t'\ side of Still-House branchpI'm agreeSgot a crippled pick and a shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingE threw themselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQ a smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2SayQwe fitreasure here6youdo with your shar2'll1pieaa glasAsodaRy dayI'll go to every circufcomes along.0aa gay tinbsL2f igrSave it" "Why, so d something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daRget his claws on iIurry up,Ijhe'd clea3out pretty quick.tsgoing to en, Tom:buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M !" "That's itSTom, you--why ]!inw A min"Wait--you'll seeEtYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! !1thed to fight all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"ckAy'reQalikeMAy'llcomb a body. Nowzabetterak 'bouqs awhilAtell-Byou /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's aI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's ce. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only ifbe more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith meBstirVf*u and we% digging." ^aworkedsweated for half an .hour. No result  toiled another half-*vStill n0Huck said: "Do always bury it as deep asSometimesd2. Not generally.we haven't got theQ placS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progress:By pe4way in silenceVRsome rFinally leaned on his shovel, swabbed( beaded drops from his brow8RleeveNrQWhereCdig next, after we ge1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hill back qwidow'sdDll be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her la9SHE41! Mshe'd like to tonce. Whoever findQse hiasures, it belongs to him. It drmake any difference wzaland i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVthink?" "It is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfere@s what'strouble now Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZoa out w]the shadowlimb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"edall thisfor nothing. Now hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2cet outbet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _!an)go for it4BI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonelyran hourXsolemn by o aditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked in0 the murky nooks,deep baying of a hJfloated upof the distan owl answwith his sepulchral notM subdued by thesRitiestalked little. By an0 y judged that twelve had; they marked wf1Legan to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itc deepeneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+a stone or a chunk. At last Tom said: "Itrany use-re wrong again}but we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another ohat?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck droppedahovel.Ait,"+T he. Bthe EAgiveq one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of th Bing'sawful, !is< of nightqwitcheseghosts a-fluttering arso. I feel as if n's behind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS, becuz maybes in front a-waiting fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGRfor iLordy!" "YeRy do.uh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolR"people. A body's bto get intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posA oneu was to stick.Akull vand sayG DTom! It'sit just is. Huckcomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better" What'll it be?" Tom consid|awhile;dKThe ha'nted houpGQBlame Pha'nt4s. Why, they're a dern sight worse'n D! mRtalk,Q, butMwcome slidmin a shroud,you ain't noticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1grizir teethb way a does. I couldn't stOuch a thas that--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUronly at4won't heus from digging in the daytimItso. But you knowcy wellago abo9at /fA norr pmostly becauJ1go a a manaen mur, anyway--buhhBeverODseenBthat except !--some blue lights slip!bywindows--no regular syou see one of them[Xflick, you can beu4hty closeSit. Irreason. Be1any4butmquse 'em anyway t#DcomebP`b, so wZathe usaour beffeard?all right. We'll tacklex dfbsay so I reckon it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorsteps chimney crumbled to ruin -sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gazed awhile, half expectSwo see a flit past a{; then tal1one, as befitte8Atimeqthe circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/4untde berthCtookway homeward throughBwoodc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived Atree< ffN ir tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alCly said: "L,ookyhere, Tom, dowknow whait is?" Tom mentally ran overJDdaysmCweekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookam-- "My! I never once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed a body can't be too careful. We might 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD! 's some lucky days, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the firstfound it ounRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rat"No! Sure signprouble. DiTqy fights'NotEgood!hey:]bonly afcthat t|p,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin H Who's Robin Hood?:" "Why, he1one@he greatest ma ever in England--anb best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOnly sheriffsbbishop rich peopleRkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly squarebhe musbeen a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;NhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play --it's nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedLdthe afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospects and pos3sibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink intA wesWy took their way homeward athwar% long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom saiW1re so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it a single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling jR1had`rtrifledhcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whey reach twas some so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re underxbaking sun,{ bSdepre1bou* loneliness @ and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture inty creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1herand everyWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tensQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwQy gav a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextanted to look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off]P!go^daring each otherof coursre could beone result--LSthrewtools into a corne1madM ascent. Upnvthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"a fraud-R-zsas noth!itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ 1bouN.go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blancwith fright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." The boys stretch2mselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish Iout of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a, unkempt creature very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. WW came in, " ptalking%low voice; they satground, facingCdoorbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedX his words more distinct as he proceeded: "No,"ehe, "I've thought it all over1I dlike it. It's dangerous*D!" grunte"e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~Q made^<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe'sr silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPdifferent. Away up!riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w.  9]daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1d. But 3rn't any @Qplaceandy after6 fool of a job.In&quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse tryo stir out1 ofose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"d again undQ inspiration2is how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a day. They wishedir hearts[ had waited a year. The two men got out]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,CLooklad--you go backLwyou belong. Wa.ere till you from me. I'll tak]chances on dropping inis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'-'7I've spied a< a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together;was satisfactory. Both presently fell to yawningp I'm dead for sleep! your turn to watch." He curled.!inQweedssoon bega7Rsnorecomrade stirred himoor twice?$hequiet. P2the3er aPo nod2 ; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispered: "Now's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starlone. Butfirst step he wrung such a hideous creak Dthe crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp1 lare countingdragging moments it seemed "emtime must be donGeternity growing gray;1thefy wererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly upon1, wX2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his footaHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! A, though--no's happenedMy! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we've Dgot leftrI don't know--leave it Mas we've always , I reckon. No use to tak7Bawayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omeonce mor"No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's betterYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"M/ walked acrossroom, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonestook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty / irty dollars for himselfgas much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diDRhis bowie-knifeforgot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloa1eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--S plendor of it was beyond allA imagination!N&was money enough to make half a dozen boys rich! Hereftreasure-hun under the happiest auspicesre would not9ny bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilyastood,,they simply meant--"Oh,you glad NOW we'rb !" Joe's knife struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box, I believe.--bear a hand and Qsee wo1t's for. Never mind, I've broke a hol4aHe reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD !" The two men examinedwhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.NQ: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#5sidAfirea--I sa5a minute agoh!anbbrough2Rboys'and shovel.Xthe pick, lookRRed itcritically, shookbhead, muttered to himself,then began to use itxsoon unearthed. It was not very large; i iron bou had been+strong before:slow years+Qinjurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of Shere,Injun Jo<'Twas always said that Murrel's gang used torone summer,".stranger observ"I know it; "and this looks like it, I shR say." "Now you won't ne"doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Leasall aboutathing. 'T@ robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"sa wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinishednn Texas. Go homH<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillGhear from me`Well--ifqsay so;e'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO!he great Sachem, no! Q[Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgoqat pickOafresh  on it! [ys were sickerror in a moment.] What business has a^and a shovel here?, ,  on them? Who brought?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n . We'll ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|"of6. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--under!Rcrossother place is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to cautiously peeping out. Presently heB: "Who cose tool1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsookX&. 2putQand oj knife, halted, undecided!Aturn\Award1way Q e closet, buir strength was. The ste#ps came creaking upfs--the intolerablef(ituation woke the stricken resoluRe ladTyto spring foo 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers2uclandedi2amiAUdebrigruinedVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc Now what's the use of all|? If it's8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes Fthenfollow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoqhings in1 ca1a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yedJoe grumbled awhile;he agreed:his friend daylight was left Y to be economized in gettingAread& leaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rrivertheir precious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak but vastly relievedebstared them throughchinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovq hill. idid not talk muchwere too much absorb#haemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,n+would have suspected Chiddk8sil gold to waitW till his "revenge"Qtsatisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&!RtoolsbIBre! = keep a looko9 Spaniard(he should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wherathat m!beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1`talked7q it allas they ente"wnAagre" b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itB to be alone in danger! Company be a palpable improvement, he. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure of2day ily tormented Tom's dreams night. Four times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6qit wast nothingness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4aAbackhard reality ofR1. AQlay i, smorning recallingMincidenthis greatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued0 far away--somewhat as if ;had happenanother world, or in a time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vko be real.#" H%Qnever+ as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimagin all references to "hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsaly exieC. He@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. Ianotionuhidden had been analyzed,would havey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras Q. Bugrew sen qsharperclearer under Qattri193ink&mso he presently`1himk1leae!toRBimprZ2 G not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sittinge gunwalBa flatboat, listlesslyFqhis fee3ater and l!ooBvery melancholy. Tom concluded to letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ qonly a e. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't." "Whatwb?" "Oh,ing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8seen how Q! I've hads enoughnight--withpatch-eyed Spanish devil goingm*1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /Swe'llXhim. A fellerq~one chance for a pile--and lost. I'd feel mighty shakysee him, anywayell, so'd I; butH,2 2z him out--to his Number TwoX--yes, that's 5 itQ'bout. But I can't make no[aout of@do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,s one-horse town. They##noqas here,that's so. Lemme6K Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I comTom was off at onc1carasHuck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fou!inEbestQNo. 2Blongoccupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept lockedthe timehe never saw anybody go into it or}( except at;A not any particular reasonthis state o1gs;E had some little curiosity,=it was rather feeble9Amade1mosCthe & by entertaining himself with5Aidea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%Bther9da ligh !reS before. "Twhat I'vY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E . Now what you going to doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeet hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWqa chancget his revenge. If rsee himjust follow him;_if he don't>Athe :qLordy, 't want to^er him by myself+Why, it'll b%R, surmightn't ever se&e you--and if he did, maybe he'd never think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkh 'a' found out he couldh x#berU1aftrat moneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! Don't,ever weakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooRuntil nine, one watch2he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobod#For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard`%ed3Cthe e#Th promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had the same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itCq. He hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Ohad  }b. EverrauspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.bavern."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The"reZ of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish1 selash fromCR--it 4fen him, buZ`at lea=st tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since&had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybe h)6deais heartCaburst # terror and excitement. In4auneasi Huck found himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful things] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heonly able to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itout, the tbeating. Suddenln"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; onc,qenough;making thirty or forty miles arepetition?!ut) never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]"goin its shelter CCtorm "anrain poured down. As!asJ] id: "Hu4ck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofI could; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn inVck, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn't locked! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel;, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?" "Huck, I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyaere, s asleep oARfloor4old patch oP1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, Ubudged. Drunreckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1box!diwait to look around.>ee box, [cross.1anyy but a bottla tin cu  by Injun Joe; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g(ifa drunk%aIt is,! You try iHuck shuddered.Eno--1notHHAnd . Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doQThere a long pause for reflectiothen Tom said:32oky3less notCB anyatill wwc 3notre. It's to9ay. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU,x"lly 1tooyou'll doB theq part oA jobRAll rI will. All you got toes to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and ifasleep,ORthrow:gravel atrwindow @at'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeI said I would, TomI(! t  for a year! E all dayi&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it.  !ik\, becuz I dover act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry9ouldn't wantJas a steadyARWell,t!indaytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sed's up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on Friday morning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"ow before. Both Injun Joethe treasure sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhausting&playing "hi-spy" "gully-keeper" with a crowdir school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's dewas boundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLn41a fof preparu(pleasurable )qanticip..excitement enabled him to keep awake until a pretty late hour!he:Ahope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having histo astonish&kers with,; but he\3dis ed. No signal came thatC. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was ro1for|qart. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.!s spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreabout1oldqm ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himk%lanTMrs. 6A sai[, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay all some of th5re girlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9behave yourself don't be any trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *climb right2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!" Becky reflected a mo1and7s: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'A go F if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting baiand Tom's persusScarriqday. So i adecide;say nothing aHnybody abounight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mcome this veryUUAgivesignal. The ;took a deal of'pirit ouYhis anticipations. Still he could not bol!upHkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweighuncertain treasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinLnot allow himto think of the box of money any!tiat day. Three miles below townerryboat stoymouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore#oodorest distances craggy heights echoed farshouting6 laughter.9the different way1get!ho tired were gone through with,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestruction of the %Agoodgs began. AfterAfeasre was a refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomef[ed: "Who's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \procuredstraightwaU2re general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonewas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJ mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=csun. B_Qimpre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offromping b againmoment aRlight. Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endlPd-by 3"thession went filingthe steep descentmain avenue,pflickering rank ofVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wall rock almost to their poipjunction sixty feet overhead. This not more than eight or ten? wide. Every few steps other#and still narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`but a vast labyrinth of crooked aislesran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights toge through its intricate tanglArift: chasms,Fsever fit4end Qcave;dthat h!goY? jthe earth*i"juyu same--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venmuch beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3csine. T moved along the"some three-quarterba mile<then group ouples began to slip aside s, fly alongbdismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?r joined . Parties were able to elud^2for1pac half an hour without goinga the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely de" uccess ofday. TheyMstonisheat they had been taking no not[Ftimemabout at hanre clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild frN!puBintoVtream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch wPat's &lights went gliWB pasjwharf. He heard no noise on board,%young people  subduedAstill as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeath wondered what boat it wawhy she did not stop w%--he dropped!ourhis minput his attentionLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,pvillage betook itself to its slumber2lefRsmall>!ere/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven dtavern were put out; darkness everys, now. $itPseemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it upturn in? AFfell22ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment twCo men brushed by him,4onePto have someC under his arm. It must be tx! So they1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1box never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGriver street three blocks, then turnthe left up a cross-8y? straightEr, until!came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookfthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating Qclimbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. Bu8y"stfa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetumach bush#!esat once hiddenagloom.Q clos and shorteneddistance, now, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, fearingaas gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everyilost! HeAabou!spqwith wifeet, when a man clearathroatfour feethim! Huck'sbt shot`lroat, buwallowed itY;sthen he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weakS%hez"hensurely fallground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,1, l;4em there; it won'*1har[find. Nxr a voice--a very lowInjun Joe's: "Damn her, mayb;e she's got company--}'s lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisvthat stranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill wenob--thisthe "revenge" job! Hiswas, to fly. Then he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mornumaybe these men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to warn her;;zq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcthought all this!in1momXhat elapsed betwee 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. WellTre IS , I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54 have another chance. I tell again, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you mayc1it.her husbandrough on me--many times and mainlyP the .tjusticeyApeact jugged ma vagrant. AnAain'Q5. I millionth part of it! He haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town looking on! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM ifR here!noQ. Whe?2 waCget  on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, iYmy fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--Isn't be able aloneyou flinch,D =?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll ever know much about Mwho done this businessWell, if it's got to be/A, leet at it. The quicker the better--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWcompany there? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--l 's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was going to ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and stegingerly back; plante.foot carefully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sid `!onRfother.:n!, the same elaborationr risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass2ere=p'uly but cautiouslyrg. When he9 emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heels flew. Down, down he sped,nhe reacheWelshman's,7banBdoorzpresentl heads ofQold mTdtwo stalwart sons%thrust from windows. "What'sI4rowd;Who's banging? What do you want?" "Let me in--quick! I'll tell everythingWhy, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y!'=, indeed! It ain't a name to open many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads,Vsee w qtroubleQPleas!'tI told you,"ccHuck'swords when he got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HASthtor he wouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!itanobody'; , lad." Three minutes latGSE1his, well armed,up the hN2illLjust enterhe sumach path on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no further hid behind a great bowlder fell to listening. Therea lagging, anxious silence, an?n all of a sudden?n explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang awayBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came groping upPAhillrapped g77olds&. The inmate,asleep, but!a Q that_set on a hair-trigger,sccount exciting episodenight. A calla:oBre!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone:O It's only2FindFrhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseustrange worthe vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlQheardLRnot recollectthe closing woW&rd=1beeG"li!his case beforenwas quickly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a seatn]1manhis bracall sons speedily dress5selves. "Now, my boy, I hope you're goodZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwe'll have a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boysdd turn up and stop BlastFa." "IFSawfulq," saide , "and I run. I took out wh pistols wekfI didn't stop!three mile. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even if theyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but there's a bedx1for:Ryou'v^Fyour=A. Noy ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right wto put ou6^rhem, bydescription; so we crept along  till we got withi"n fifteen feet oTam--dar0#a cellar that sumach path was--and just then I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it back, but no use --'twas bj!toPait did!in the lead with my T rais3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B< ey were off in a jiffy, villainswe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we never touche|my fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. AkRwe loVB sou$Twe quit chasing"ntand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&bit is Eaheriffaa gangS beat}Ms} them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals--'tw"ould help a good deal. But you couldn't see whdrlike, i!dark, ladppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! Describe8"--1, m!fAne's!olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>h,nce or twicet'other's a mean-lookQragged--" "TPcenoughawe kno men! Happened o)m1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. Offyou, boys, and tellfA--ge)r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don'tANYbody it was me NFblow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huyou ought to havecredit of you did.@h no, no! Pq!" Whe young menhQgone,]5oldFA saiT-I3whyyou want itCBn?" Xwnot explain, furth!anK"ay< he already knew too much/a about\of those7and`+1manU M anything against him forwhole world--heVbe killed for knowingRsure.~old man promised secrecy once morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thaay of it last night. I,Sleep,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#!an4". just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me,;1unddreir armI reckony'd stole it. OneCa-sm one wanted a li rght; sostopped right before methe cigars lit up a faces"RI seeqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey"t'{o rusty, ragged- devil." "Coulde ragsl?" This staggered Hucka momentknow--but somehow ims as if I didthey went onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiOawantedDee wup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhearu1beg"-K5the swear he'd sp;rr looks?sas I toRr two What! The DEAF AND DUMBAsaidthat!" whad maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keewfrom gett he faintest hiG"whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$m into trouble in spitball heFr do. Heseveral efforts to cr aeep ouhis scrape, butold man'dq was upum[blunder after . PresentlyLTWelsh;: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I wouldn't hurt a hair of your head for e world. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've let slip without intending it+ can't cover0up now. You knowthing abob%at4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes, then bent over andpwiar: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!? almost jumped chair. In5 he<AIt'splain enough,pWhen you talkedmAnotc|"eaHB slinoses I judge2wasm own embellishment, because 3men3tak1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasJtalka cours i*`old ma@Un sai2e lIing which heis sons had done, before going to bed, to get a lanternAqexamineZBstilWits vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightning they could not haaped withcqre stun0suddenness from Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide1his th suspended--waiting foraanswer )tarted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTER you?" Huck sank back, pang deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and p5NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi#|turn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eye*B--he xgiven anyfor materiala plausib<swer--no- suggesteR8elf|Ping e@|!boadeeper --a senseless reply offeredKr?no time to weigh it, so at a venture he --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." PoorP%too distressed to smileWthe old man laugzoud and joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such armoney in a-man's pocket, because it cut downoctor's bill like evernq"ddold chap, you're whit?!ja5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little fyoff your balance2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hop+#brritatthink heSaBgoosbetrayed{! a)icious excitement,HqdroppednBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Yrwidow's2. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however "ha"kn/a82n't!soion of a Pd bun"dltoo muchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qu4bunsnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^be drifting just i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%men would be yx1ailybat dayhQTom c6QseizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompledea knocQdoor.lq jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt+ Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbinghill--to stareS\news had spreadh(Atellstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it,/a madam^re's anotheryou're more beholdenan you are to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't have beee!reD%for him." Of course this excited a curiosity so vas0qit almolittled the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis Mrthroughqbe trans?"T townb refus"2parsecret. When all els> AlearBAthe  said: "I wensleep reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0 warn't worth while. ThosDlows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}2theL8By'veback." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hoursA. T was no Sabbath-school du4daypvacationeverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discovered0the sermon was finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa5rs.  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boyk$'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--onyou. And now hAfraid%totto sett'q shook her head feebly and2pal=n ever. "HeBAus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A markQxiety~Py's face. "JoeVhave you seeKSthis YANo'mWhen did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he c2sayWpeople had stmoving out ofWhispers}aalong,ea boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teachebey allAtheynot noticed whether3andDwere on boar9 ferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughQinquiaif any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!} swooned awa fell to cryingwringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutesQbells wildly clahe whole towr up! The Cardiff Hill episodeEinstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelphorror !was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed emptydead. Many women visited Aunt Poll( Y6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Qbetten words. tedious nigh]for news;"heA dawqt last, 1thed1cam, "Send more candles--and send food." was almost crazed;L3, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman1hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because,'h- good, bad, or indifferent,"`the LoQrd's,rnothingu1wasbLord'sH o be neglected  Huck had spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark7don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creaturecomes from his hands." Early-AforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongest citizens continued searchinggDnewsuld be gained+remotenessrn were being ransack7Wrbefore;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/l1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hitherS distance,shoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations B earthe sombre aisles. Inplace, farL*ection usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced up-rocky wall#Csmoknear at hAand a grease-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over it. Shei7 last relic she should|A havher child;UAno omemorial )@be so precious, because this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somw and then,  cave, a far-away speck of! wrglimmerthen a glorious)burst forth aa scor'men go troopingA echx&--cq sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>air tedhours alongvillage sank9 a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0A any. The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, scarcely flutt e public pulse, tremendous P1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lbsubjec3s?A finYasked--dQimly 1ingworst--if-DEbeen&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes,"the widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! place hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell me!on4Ang--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer SfoundTinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveI t powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone a! But cshe be crying about? CuMA cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind #under the weariness they gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck.1 fia! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or stre=Tngth /either, to go on searching." CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alo^murky aisles with1qrest of company, visit familiar wonders.Tave--bdubbedX+rather over-descriptive names, such as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle AsomenAwand down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles alofttangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesTmottoQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely noticy were now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a where a little stream of watrickling over a ledge and carryNing a limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.%0squeezed his small body behind it in order to illuminate it fora gratification. He founit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responded to his call, aey made aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw ais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off i( of novelties to tel upper world about. In onea spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactite1 leand circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked allR it, OQadmir_Uand pleft it bynumerous passagesAopenAto iis shortly broughm Qbewit2 sp}basin wa.s incrusted with a frostwork of glitt crystals; it was iH midst of a|walls were suppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!bys"joof great 2and!gmtogether,;Qresuleaseless water-drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot bats had packed themselvwaousand#qa bunch( lights disturbedscreaturcame flockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously a candlesFknew their waymr danger%isqconduct'Becky's han hurried herthe first corridorqffered;Xnone too soon) a bat struck g-5 ouu s wing while she was passing(<q cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way until its shap1losthe shadowCs. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.!atould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2theR timedeep stillnesTthe place laid a clammygAuponRspiriDthe !. / said: "Why, I didn't notice2it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wo2howRwe'veahere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try som so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. They`a corr7Ridor,g raversed it in silence a  way, glancing at each new opening, to see i`re was anything familiar aboulook of it;Kthey werestrange. Every Tom madexaminationcBwatch his face for an encouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'3 on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt lessn hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ing'2one3wasQ. He rA saiwas "all $,"such a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<#!"clung tooqside innguish of feaied hard to keep back 4teacome. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goqway! WeW.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deepseven the,qir brease conspicuous inhush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleqdied ouCthe distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too horrid,*Becky. "I!I better<;might hear us, you know," and he~. The "6"even a chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing hopehildren stoodand listened; no resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps. I"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact toa--he cv1notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Irfool! S Ithought we  2 toback! No--I can'Tay. I)1mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8Aof ti wful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveothers!" She sank toground and burst intorenzy of crying Tom was appalled withMBidea$$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byqand putbarms aher; she bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"clung to hiCpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regrets, qthe far$esthem all to jeerQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamingAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. SwW1try>Aope Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. Sy moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--3heyq!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyback itRsbecauseits natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarity w0 ith failure. By-and-by Tom took Becky's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.S understood,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tkto pay attention,~it was dreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any |ist progressjmight bear fruit;wRto siito invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carrrfarthersat down.tDrest,Aher,wAtheyed of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#bome wa_\all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponAthatQdrows!f to sleep. Tom was >grateful. Hs looking into her drawn facsaw it grow smoornaturalDinfluence of pleasantms; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$his thoughts wandered away to bygone|#y memories. While he4eepWmusings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFy9" "We can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRAwas it seemed dayweeks, a$Qnd ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candles wer+ cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sa!toR Bothcruelly tired,4aBecky 4she4C she8Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'.qunderst8tsat down, Tom fastene1 to#wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothps2for7AtimenQbrokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?"Qhe. r almost1 d. "It's our wedding-cake9SYes--as big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do 'll be our--" She droppe/Q sentPSwhere0.Ovided thae cake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled at his moiety re was abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move on againyilent a mom"qThen heA: "RQ, can/bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paled, but . "Well"n,B, westay herBere there'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClastY! gave loosAearswailings did what {to comfort herDwithzeffect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#ySBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[Dyou !as got homrA frighlook in Beck2qbrought!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.was not to have gone < night! The children became$ndMuful. In a new burst of grief from}bshowed1hat1 in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; saw inch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame risfall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,the horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward it[jFAto a  consciousLthat she5 crying in Tom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew wa"atIseemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more2saifSunday, now--Monday. H+e tried to ge2"to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all%Chope#8gonthey mustbeen missed"goqno doub2 search was going on. He wQshouttsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideously4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byFsaid: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. InlAanswY"itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'yqm!" sai; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,prisoners was al!most overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallsomewhat common!haAqbe guaragainstey shortly1one 8stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred--tB no passing it at any rat2gotaon hiss:reached as far&as he could. No bottom1sta]rwait until1ers8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twLQhad g^ltogether}t-sinking miser+1it!swhoopedh hoarse, but it was of no usW talked hopefull9aBecky;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on*Rslept`awoke famisnd woe-stricken. Tom believedust be Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It be better to explo}$seve weight Uof the heav  in idleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a projectie* started, Tom inlead, unwindinghUalong. At41endwenty stepscorridor ended in a "jumping-off place." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni"; he made an effort to stretch yet a little farththe right at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorx, and instantly1han followede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly gratifieF nexato see"Spaniard" take to2eel get himself out of sightq wonderNat Joe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifyyn court. But the echoes21havAguis!e c. Without doubt,{was it, he reasoned's frigh t weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif h strength enough to get back spring he would stay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of meeting +}Qagainwas careful to keepkawhat i "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superior to fearsong run. Ano!ed@Bwait-Sand a'long sleep brought changes. The children awobrtureduQa ragq believ'`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKQearchbeen givenQpropoo explore passage(sAwillotnd all JQrrors8 qas very4. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!To"go7theQ5andk chose; butk!im9d'atlittle whilespeak to her;qhe madeCrpromise2wheu!awKime came,Cby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQa show of being confident of find)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7kite-linh d went groping down one of72s o9Qhandsbknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonDanedwtwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mourned-FlostW$ha en found. Public prayersoffered up for them, 2manc privateBy2hadSetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority up the quest3gonRir daily avocbs, sayuFwas plain tcould never beB!Mrfatcher2ill1a great par2thedelirious. People said +)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraiseAheadlisten ayminute at a,9lay it wearilyTagain'moan. Aunt Polly had drooped into a settled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCxb bellsin a momentstreets were swar$frantic half-clad people, who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself 1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn byitizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah* F! Twilluminated; nobodybto bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge Thatch;er's house, seized the saved oneAkissA em, squeezed Mrs. ThatchGand, tri, speak but couldn't--and drifted out raining tears all overNvlace. 's happiness>complete nearly so. It would be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispad with news toAcaveCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol51his!ofwonderful adventure, putting in many striadditionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3,on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasT"to9back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed hisshouldersa small hol1saw[broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it!onAppen be night hUa not h2een%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >1way4aat the*1 anbn help2 ou? they sat tfor gladness+some men came alo@qa skiffgTom hail!emtheir situa0qir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at first, "because," saiv y, "you are five miles down"river belnavalleycave is in" --then tookaboard, r4o a""gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judgee=kful of searchers with* him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behi[!m,uinformed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as Toj Becky soon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursdayseemed to grow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.agot abYa little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as whole as ever Saturday; but1"diQleaveroom until SunUshe looked as ifphad passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sicknesato seeoUbut c/be admitl.bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or 6wasHSdailyFAthattb was wto keep still  his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-%been found river neF!arYferry-landing; 7'drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. About a fortiTom's rescue fromsDhe start0 f to visit Huck, who had^n plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcinterest himthought. Judge Thatcher's house&#onw2opp2seet J~friends setto talking%one askedironically if hen't likezocave again_said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are others jusuyou, Tom, I'v|he least doubt. But we have tcLfA. Nowill get lost#at!nyH." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--and"goTbkeys."!tujite as a sheet.Aat'smatter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glaswater!" The gbbt:thrown into|face. "A you're all riAWhatIthe matte7rM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minuteAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[ioR bore b. Whe*bbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%!of,fplace.x1 laetched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`A, as4is longing eyedfixed,>latest moment,5he cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr $had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity8 which revealhim in a deg" not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdreadsRlying\him sinceXday he lifted%Cvoic"st bloody-mindescast. Injun Joe's bowie-knifT%by, its blade brokenwo. The great foundation-beamOqchippedOhacked through, tedious labor; us, too, it wasthe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have5 Rstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So "ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half4bits of candle stuck ahe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneAsearrthem ou 2eatBm. Halso contrivIc catch%Bbatsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunate2taro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmit? slowly growing up from the gjfor ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to the precQdrop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellFthe 0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror create British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willI be !al1se squnk dow afternoon of history,xhe twilightraditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand years to be rea+bdy forDflitting human insect's need?z has it another important object to accomplish ti xcome? No matter.many and a since^hapless half-bree1out# 1ice8drops, but to 3af1toustares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@he comes to seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4bburiedthe mouthg;people flocked there in boats"fwagonsBtownDfromcQ farm hamlets for sqmiles a; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfessc!eyhad almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcouldD& hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni!--!et)1 togovernor forbpardon5#ha]largely signed; Etearful and -eloquent meetingsbeen held8 a committee of sappy women*appointed to go in deep mourning 2il Hcimplore him to be a merciful as trample his duty under foot/Reliev have killed five citizensrvillageBwhatat? If hSatan himselfw$ plenty of weaklings readyacribblir names-drip a tear on itLir permanently impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG7 anRtalk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshmanthe Widow Douglas, by3timTom said he reckons6was?had not told him;"thsThe waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevrund anybut whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'that whis6key business;ed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or other and mme even if you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUFC his was all righSaturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch there that night?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCNI follered Injun Jothe widder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukSum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on mea doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenk1whoRonly %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{a, presy, coming baPmain question, "whoever nippe2 in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom." " ;G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedcomrade's face keenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" Huck's eyes blazed. "Say itAQ, TomTG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ;--just as# Qver Iin my life. Will tre withhelp get it ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe canA our^!to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkURF's--Ayou ?wait till wef!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drum1  I've goV  I will, by jingA#--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRDnow,say it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IA`think 1SI couIt's about five; into there way anybody but me would go,1!'sghty short cutbCthey NR know". I'll takGriin a skiff.B flo] A dowZ1re, Kpull it back all by myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start1offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`of these new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's1imelshed I hagFwhen before." A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowsee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  _the cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yok 's been a landslide? Well,b's one of my mar)ks. We'll get ashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing-8a touchr hole I got out of with a fishing-pole. See ifCan find it." ? searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd2Her^are! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9 just keep mum it. All along I'vewanting to be a robber, but I knew I'rto havebng likto run across it waabother!vecit now=it quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becaus{tcourse be a Gang, or els>n't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "itBdoes And who'll we rob/uOh, mos. Waylay people--that's$$ly nd kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<`ll the"y can, off'n their friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tthe general way. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtir watches54ss take your hat off-alk politeanybody as3 ass --you'll see!inbbook. cto lovXEthey,9a week or two y stop crying2thab2n'twhem to leave. I4dro!ouy'd turn right ar and come back. It's so inSbooks"y,Dreal bullyI believe better'n a pirateF3YesF& in some ways, it's close to home ccircusaav!By time every%1 wa"dy he boys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1madir spliced kite-strings fast anTd moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnesd gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor until they rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUS fact`tnot really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'llAsome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do K ? There--on the big rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhile,!" abn saida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!HQleavejtreasure?" "Yes--6it.'s ghost is round aboure, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nBx he died--awayqouth ofcave--five mile from#, l y#ngthe money. I know^rways ofsAso dv." TomiBfear was right. Misgivings gathered in his mind. But7 an idea occurred to him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|Awhera cross!"_Bpoin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"atthat's so. It's luck1us,L { is. I reckon we'll climband have a huntGthat boxfirst, cutting rude+1 inas he descended.. Four avenues opened small cavern which the greatstood inI boys examinedb three0"emno result. They fiUrecesone neares^4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,Vthe well-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsere was noB-boxlads searched_%rethis place, but in vaOom said: "He b UNDERross. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, because! sOolid on the g96heyReveryzonce moreORn satdiscouragcH suggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintsesome candle-gre= sone sidX"ck3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet you; ISbU. I'mD digAclay4Thano bad notion "!"ith animation.'s "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he struck wood.y!--you hear that?"D! began to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm which ledc Tom got intoand held his{ as far=q as he 1sai0 not see Ye end of rift. He proposed to exploreRstoopT pass;?narrow way descended graduallyAfollowed its winding course, firstQrightAn toBleft1 ataheels.YAturnbshort curve, b} exclaimeMy goodnessV4, la!" Ity5the treasure-box, sure enough, occupying a snug little cavern, along empty powder-keg, a couple of gun81leacases, two Apairold moccasins, a6Abeltrubbish well soaked%ater-drip. "Got imHlast, ploughAmongtarnished coinsW his hand. "Mywe're rich "Huck, I always reckoned we'd get it. It's juolieve, but we HAVE3t! Say--let's not fool AarouJQre. Lsnake it out. Lemme!if I can liftCbox.eighed about fif3undk9 it, after an awkward fashion-+not carry it conveniently. "I thought so," he said; "THEY7iVr like iheavy, that day a ha'nted house. I noticed)3. I! Iink of fetc4thebags along." The moneyBrsoon inB("nd oys took it upcross rock. "Now less w82gunthings," 4 Hu2--leave them there3'reOicks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepNB allD2imerw(hold our orgieCsre, too 2ful2place for 0." "What!?"dono. But4ers6;#ofTa we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beeqhere a Btime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`eSskiff6ay pres emerged e clump of sumach bushesed warily out, foudcoast clearBwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towarahorizoy pushed ou got under way. Tom skimmedhe shore throughiwilight, chai cheerily withalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id  loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up*T mornE^count it and dividCthen$1huna4outQsAit wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )dand wa(stuff till I runhook Benny Taylor's wagon; I won't be gone a minute." He disappearreturned#thSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old rags on totarted off, dragging his cargo behind him. WhehQreache Welshman's, they stoS restgay9to move on: PA steBsaid: "Hallo, who'sgAHuckTom SawyerWGood!O1me,,are keep6$ing everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--Ahauloyou. Why, it's not as  as it might be. Got bri it?--orQmetalOa," sai. "I judged so;Bboysris townatake m&Rroublfool awayime hunting up six bits' worth of!irN sell tofoundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human natuxralong,  T!" TAwantQ know wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we gethe Widow Douglas'2uckBwithd apprehension--for he was"usbeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we have0en doing nothing.  laughed. "Well, I don't,ymy boy. ;a. Ain'bggood friendsRYes. ishe's ben&Ayway}RAll rthen. What dov1wanjbe afraid for?is questionJnot entir<nswered inq's slow before  himselfSp, alongDTom, into Mrs. drawing-room. R left!agon neardoor and followThe plac rgrandly1ed,.iAthatof any consequencee villagN there. The Thatchers wer_!rek Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)all dresstheir bestwidow receiveZboys as heartily as any one c/Swell 4 two such lookingDs_y1cov Aclay[candle-grease.  blushed crimson humiliationqfrownedL shook her head at Tom. No$Asuffhalf as much did, however. Mr. A sai-Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled on2andm at my doorGjust brought themGR in aX!nd2did3Svidow. "ComeAme, boys." She tookcto a bedchamberRNow washI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,thing complL"et( y're Huck's--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. Bu: y'll fit both of you. GetNthem. We'll wait--come down when youslicked up enough.":Qn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCKD! "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundShucks! what dorwant tod for?" "Well, IQ used tokind of a crowd. I can't stand it.8b going1TomQOh, b{C! Itganything. I don't miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appear="J he, "auntie has beenring for!ll,afternoon. Mary gott Sundayb ready'\ fretting about you. Say--b this qclay, o;raNow, Mr. Siddy,jist 'ten your own business. What'sis blow-out, anyway`It's one of's parties1sheOways havThis time it'sFthe Welshmanhis sons, on accountjat scrape they helped#ou#e other night. And say--kQ tellAsome21, iAknowiAwhatWhy, oldXJones is ato try Vpring_1 on"people here to-night, but I overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's not muc"a ( now. Everybody knows --tdow, too,1allf!tro let onW.was boundE should be here--couldn't get along with 3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberst6's.)7 wacmake aAtimesurprise!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--t@ZJly one person in\town meanzR to d XI72had!in 's place you'd 'a' sneakedQ hillrtold an0S. You%ado anymean things, 91andcan't bear to seeTpraised for doing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and helpeoBdoorseveral kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes laterv guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, affashion ofqcountryobday. AbproperlMr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedthe honor3wasqhimselfhis sons,G3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprung{a's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment2 so`gratit-ude upon Huck`he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targe everybody's gaze andlaudations. Tshe meant to giveda homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancBcomeqaid: "don't need it.'s rich." Nothingya heavy strain2thesEe company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe believe it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You juRit a ." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each a perplexed interestuinquiringly at:, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any making of that boy out. I never--ed, strugglingthe weighhis sacks, did not finishMsentencepoured the masyellow coa the tS5andqThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sP!'shbmine!"spectacle tookgeneral breath a1Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5"itWahe did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasion2it Bamou2anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allowwas counte[3sumtVed toover twelve thousand dollars. It!mo%anSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considoyz#inty. CHAPTER@ XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poorHvillage of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed next to incrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house in2 anneighboring# s was dissected, plank by Aound0s dug upWransacked for hidden treasure--an)by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, somAthemrT4c appeayQ courCadmiB#a+to rememb~at their remarks had possessed};;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everPthey didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lost:power of doing and commonplace !s;past histor1rak? sQiscov2ar "of conspicuoSus originality. Th paper published biographical sketcheNt . The Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcherjthe same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now,was simply prodigious--a dollar for week-day AyearChalf Sundaysljust whaminister got --no, i#&he was promised--he generally couldn't collect it. A and a quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him1forG matter.   had conceived a great opiniRTom. He sai?8no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in orHro shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburst that *ya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--athat was worthyzold up its headmarch down through history breast to George Washington's lauded Truth about  1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whb walke\BflooOqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/itAoped"ee+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T"she admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traine!es  qcountry[ be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fac#now undeQ_ _' protection introduced him into societyWdragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost morQn he R bear?widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushedthey beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsPad noBt one little spot or stain which ld pressiraknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&Qlearn|Wbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turned,eAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow hunteeverywhere in cdistress. The publicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyPpoking among old empty hogsheads ^Rbehiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had sleporjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clathe same old1 ruin of rags had made picturesque;days when he01freq happy.Rrouteout, toldroublebeen causing, and urg=to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6t ain't for me; I1use"it:widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{ same time 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!atA smo?1 me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;dthey're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay qroll ar!anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE --well, it 'pears to be yearA  and swea --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in there,[chaw.shoes all Sunday. Thw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's tied up so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no comfort--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died@%ThnXwouldBAmokeu yLshe Bgapeqstretch Q scra )before folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritationinjury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedNime! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-`stand THAT, Tom. Looky her, being rich ain't what it's crack); just worry$ Qsweat 2a-w you was dead < . Now these clothes suits meEthis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not manyXs, becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"metv"Oh,8DknowP1 do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like$L q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovAI waset on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stic'em, too. BlamBall!Sas we3gun_Sa cav2all+`fixed qto rob,p&olishness has got to k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CBOHuckCkeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. Butwe can't let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C]Rme ina Didn'pxQme go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than"a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch"1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul shet me out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.$th+`Zsilent for some t:ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, I'll go back cwidderQmonth6Ctacknd see if I can come to stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All right, it's a whiz! Come along, old chap'll ask the widow toqAup oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUsome of the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe4Vstart1and5s?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys togetherAhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tellgang's secrets, even 're chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and allafamilyCa hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hatDing'gQ be dSt midt!inqlonesom|est place you 7 can find--a ha'nted house is@b:but they're'!ri2gup nowod, anyw'xYes, sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOANow,'s something LIKE! Whymillion times bullier than pirating.TstickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in oute;wet." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;'could not go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaCwher"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersj performais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whilqtake upzyounger ones again[see what sor"mewomen they turned@breforeYwawisestto reveal anRat pacAtheir lives at present. Produced by David Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTadventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencqmy own,rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--hJa combinaYistics of threem I knewStbelongs"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West ar period1is ! to say, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly forentertainmenboys and girls, I hopnot be shunnmen and women on that account, for my plan has beenx!ry to pleasantly remind adults of what they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}what queerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles dowlooked ovebam abouQ room.rn she pAm up:cut und?. She seldom or never+THROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8Aaid,Ufiercely6still loud enyfurniture to: "Well, I la*y if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seI beat of!Awent he open door and stood in iR ut among the tomato vines6"jimpson" weedspconstitute garden. No Tom. S lifted upm voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m5'a'closet. What you;doing in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcqWell, I. It's jam--tjeit is. Forty>s I've said if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.a hoverair--the periAldesperate-- "My 2you!Xold lady whirledbnatche0askirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappeared over it. Hisc Pollysurprised a moment,then broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anything? Ain't he playericks enough lik1forAo beq1ing$rfor him6E? But old fools is0biggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to" w1comHe 'pears!just how long n torment me beforemy dander uphe knows if he can makeDQto puE1offa minute or'1me , it's all down againI1hita lick. I afcmy dut!at&the Lord's truth,bb. Sparx1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup s suffering for us both, I1 know. He's full ofH&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahearlash him, somehow. Every time I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-well, man  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll18be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, to punish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanB els I've GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@ware in to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourths of the Uwork. Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already through withDpart2 work (picking up chips),ra quiet-and had noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>L7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s"ntxAtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkmysterious diplomacy0bhe lov5contemplate her*transparent devices as marvel low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'Didn't you wanSgo in a-swimmNTom?" A bia scare sh%Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolW!no. So he said: "No'm-y2notAmuch!helady realout her handCfeltshirt, and sa?a"Buain't tooJ now, though." And it flatteredato reflect 1sheadiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of her knew where the wind lay, nowZforestalledcrmight b3next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He open]s@b. His 4as securelyQ. "B! Well, go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, assaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Ss half sorrysagacityXmiscarried ,3gla? Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once. But Sidney saIDif I52you{E hisith white thread, but it's black." "Why,Ow sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiudoor heSiddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which werust into the lapelsd bound abouTm--on^  DA andSotherH' Hhe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well--and loathm. Withinminutes, or even less, forgotten alls. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are to`, but ]_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove 4out1min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negrohGsuffering to practise it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it.!s +a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFt#ee3hisfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as E g, deep, unalloyed pleasure ncerned,advantagFAwithEboy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyustle. A stranger was bVefore him-- a shade larger than himself. A new-cA of any age or either sex{n impressive curiosi the poor little shabby villLf St. Petersburg boy was well dress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons. He had shoes on--and iGonly FriHe even worcktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher haed up ose at his finerhabbier and his own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, circle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd  o see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(ccan't,L2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" A n uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\ say much, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I could with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole familiesDsame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll takeb!re suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W> DO it? It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzqI ain'tA3,/QeyingAsidl round each  Presently they were shoulder to .Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo 4 ei81So ybstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.1ellRig brohe can thrash!thlittle finger.make him do it, toRI care forc{? I've gottbigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Bothasimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#soAit sTom drew a lineBdust!hi2 to{ qP stepZAlick5 you can't stand up. Anybody4'll take a dare will steal sheep." The new boy steppedzpromptly~said: "Nowsaid you'dnow let's selQDon't8crowd me now;better look ouQWell,HSAIDhS--why|d?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t! g0. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb in the dirt, gri together like cats; and for.space of a minuteRtuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3QscratT's no,covered themselves:'ry*confusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!"B he.boy onlyggled to fre self. He was crying--mainl{rage. dDthe P went  on. At laststranger gota smothered "'Nand Tom letonly made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty lM2ate#Rnight{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r , he uncovan ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handledcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine fe9et high. Life to him seemed hollow existence but a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Brkwater from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remember~up$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysCgirlthere waiti!irqs, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heasaid: "Can&'t, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'z Tom gwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w/ talks. Gimme the bucket--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknowoI dasn she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$1cryggive you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attractioJn was too muchhim. He put down his pail, took;1, a&nt2toeabsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetma tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompbfield  slipper in her hand|ttriumph eye. But Tom's energy didAlastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea rCtoys. At rk and hopeless7an inspi8 ration burst upon him! Not3than a great, magnificent inspiCR. He !upAbrus went tranquilly. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodAwhoop, at vals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}WspeedQmiddlU, leaned faro starboarrounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginer standing Cs own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he up slowly btowardidewalk. "Ship up0?ackmHis arms straight*and stiffd!is]sZaet herW2 onz1tab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rhand, meantime, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "L)gol-chow!" The lef began toe ?top&Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanthat stage, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (tryinggauge-cocks). Tomon whitewashing--paid no attenQ!toByBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain'!" No answer. Tom surveyed his/ last touchye of an artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweepcthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him 's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenlyJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplated\boy a bit,Rat do1all$?"IETHAT1Tom2medv\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comQdon'ta to le{you LIKE it?" ycontinued to moveike it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to# a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling~2a sweptdaintily ba!ckforth--steI"ba<Anote\effect--added aAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlySay, Tom,)MEgvlittle.sidered, was abouconsent;P"alnhis mind: "No--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;-be done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o 5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? If you Cwas to tackle_ a!yt&happen to it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ3as lgQSay---give youcore of my app!"W+FN24, n.bafeardWALL of it!qgave upp brush with reluctance in c2aceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist sat on a barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysded alo :; they came to jeerHQremaiowA. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rollaing in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glasa look through, a spool cann2 key that wouldn't unlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2 all. He had discoveO great law of human action,sout kno--namely, in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book, heP@A now comprehendedUWork consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,OPlay< not obligedo. And help him to understh\atructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are2y gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line, insummer, becausprivilege cost!m derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "y[resign. Theqmused aiC oveaubstantial chang!chxtaken place in hldly circumstancescthen w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful qui:"etaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for sheFno company}cthe caL!itKasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szthought of course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power againis intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;AAould been conten4Dfindper cent. of Tom's stat true. When she fou entire fence whitewashednot onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak ad8oqground,astonishmenlmost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never!a's no ges^A it,pcan worSk when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'long ;]%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself'it came without sin through virtuous effort. And whiled:3 a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skie#ou saw Sid just starting upoutside stairwaylCled lcrooms second floor. Clodhandy and the airRfull m*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiesTsally rescue, six or seven clod7taken personal<G1TomAover@and gonera gate, but as^ a general thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)he had settlH"SiTcalling attention to his black thread21getnrouble. Tom skirablock,6a muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of capunishmentahasten2war5public square  village, wtwo "military"hanies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two g commanders did not condescentfight i--that being better suir still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminence/Qcondu the field operations by or0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a and hard-fought battln"dead were counted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagre d upon, anCd`"ayhe necessary3ed;Qwhich8 fell into lin marched awayTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4without fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished outQheartAleft;even a memory(erself behind. H|"thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePCd hion as ado;behold itonly a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d g like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discovered him; then he *apretenQe did*Aknow\5was present, and began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2ain ordHA winSBadmi%rkept up#grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by3le Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidIM4the/girl was wend way towarX. Tom cameof and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a moment oQsteps!thF8vedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. Butface lit up, rightQhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1sharis eyeschis haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH2. P^ly he picked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar back$;KSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearerC ; finally his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he haway withqtreasur9 the cornerQ only3a minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomynot hypercritical, anyway. He returned, now2hung abouLtill nightfall,ing off," as U6"th" never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ Bhopesad been>window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,#[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got in child." He took a good scolclodding Sidpseem to mind it(qe least tried to steal sugar undaunt's very3C nosW"goknuckles rappediX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/torment a body tyP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warz atching you." Presently sezrkitchenOXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez1-bowl--a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledRtonguwas silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief|tJKtCand therabe not"soEiworld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultati hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrathqYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" And the next.q instanQprawl n the floor! The potent palmupliftedLtrike agaiTom cried out: "Hold on, now, what 'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 2she%erQgain,EonlyRUmf! you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckonQ been some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beo4tru!a confesstshe hadBrongdiscipline forbadhA. SohBkeptfcdw2bouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woBknew!in`eheart Rwas oAknee2him s morosely gratified by the ousness ofhang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears,1 burefused recognitionpictured himself lying sick unto deatho=bending over him beseeching one littl giving word,%turn his face toQ1allB die Athat@ unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$t home frompriver, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herIand how her tearsBfallr(er lips pray GokAgiveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso workeds3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichbflowedthe wink`ran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUo1pet7gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerix`r any <1graUdelight intrudevbit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently, is cousin Mary danced in,!Ealive joy of seeinglagain after an age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&ar accustomed haunts of boyssought desolate placesin harmonyb spirit. A log raft in the  invited himfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingg$uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thY+aflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8#ApityC knew? Wrshe crym3wiss1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}2she#coldly awa7y like all the hollow world? This picturuch an agonpleasurable sufferQworke<!ovd i 2minoset it up in newqvaried ss, tillZe it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candley1casa dull glowthe curtain of a second-story window. Wascre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  alookedDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposing himself his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~R coldRyno shelter  omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-dampsR1row8loving face to bend pi;ttyinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame3SHE1seew6sA out\glad morni4oh!Ahe drop one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave> sigh to see a bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The# went up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profan" holy calm,6 a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Tswas a whiz astmissileair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aHBshivqglass f%$edsmall, vague formFAthe >shot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by+tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of mak@y "references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD1eldpeace, fodanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers, an`dmade mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquil worlabeamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Polly had family worship: it bega a prayer built from  ground up of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;usummit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.a girdehis loinsto speak,to work to "get@verses."qhad lea?N esson days before. Tom bentehis energies to^memorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri! his way through the fog: "Blessed are the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/, for they--" "THEIRS BFor ?. BLairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh,   shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youC thick-heaRhing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must golearn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll give7something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ ApYou betO"sou%. ftackle;" And he did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZit with suchA he accomplished a shining success.{" gave him a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelvea half cents; the convulsion of deligh swept his system shookx!tofoundations. True, the uld not cut any but it was a "sure-enough" ,re was inconceivable grandeur in--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it )rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setM n a little bench there; tb dippeBsoape"la6down; turned up his sleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipeace diliDZtowel behiS door. ButAremo,and said: "Now ain'tashamed, Tom. You mustn't be so bad. Wwon't hurt you." TomTtrifle dis8urted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpresboth eyes sh8d groping foyt.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romKqemerged#>x,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short aX2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in front`1acka*Cneckqt!ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brotherout distinct|b colorYtaturated hai.rneatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daintyt ymmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[a laborQdifficultQBplasNhis hair closes1 toUQhead;&rhe held]a to beaminate  his own A3lifhbitterness.] Thenr1gota suit ofFclothing had been used onSundays dutwo years--they were simply caQ"otheqthes"--mBo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "put him to rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,s1offRcrown#speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly imprand uncomfortable6was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessgm. He hop"atUwould forgetqes, butAhopeblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as was the c7Qustom! b-^Bm ouH2losRtempebsaid h~always being made to do everyhe didn't want C. Bu1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarling.Ias soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hd aheart;!Sia ere fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten; then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;bedific_bWmall, plain affaira sort of pine board tree-box on topxa steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibited.GR Theyesatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oro9forSblue ones. He waylaid, boys as they came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteb, now,a swarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to hisqnd starO quarrel\the first boyjAcame!y. The teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned~Rmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"got a new reprimand.4his. Tom's b classof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However,worried thAeach`his reward--in[Pblue $x,q passagScripture on it;(Cblue9pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;rCyellow one;#en y2superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty centsose easy times) to^Qpupil many of my readers would hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five3onc#ed out stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 helittle better th{b idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f1(asexpressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep} tickets& and stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,aof one(hese prizaa rarer noteworthy circumstance;successfuls?conspicuous for  "onGQpot escholar's heartQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?"at often lasted a couple of weeks. It is possible4cTom's qstomachnever really hunger.o., but unquestionablyentire beingW2forPaClongWthe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due cours stood up in front pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded atten0When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as isRinevitable sheeRmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithensheet of mXs referred to bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshorthair; he wore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEQ ears;-sharp points curvqqabreast corners of his mouth--a fenccompelledraight lookout ahead,ya turning of\whole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a spreading cravat which(as broad}sas a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%earnest of mienSsincehonest at;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intonawhich waQ#s wholly absent on week-days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAyour attenfor a minute or two. There --that is it. T the way good littoy girls should do. I see one+girl who isting outwindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in on e trees making a speech to. irds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, cleanmfaces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9!wa1a p-n2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdawas maaresumpof fights and oth-ions among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]pand incTorruptible rocks1SidQ Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly, withsubsidencMr. Walters' voice the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasione^!an"t  !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feebleN aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading aV. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momence next qs "show2ff"=1all^might --cuffingBpullh3ir, faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate aiqand winae. His exaltQ!ut5Ralloymemory of h:is humili1!inD angel's garden--and record in sas fast washut, underkwaves of happinessGwere sweep5Qver iMe. TheO)QgivenEhighest seabhonor,s soon as Mr. ]bspeechqinished]introduced them tobaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one tha county judge--altogetherymost august crethese childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. Hearom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled1seea world"se1Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attestthe impressivex2ce #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge)1brocir ownOe. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be far with thes1man-vbe enviIt would have been music to his soul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands with him--he IS shaking! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A felQ"showBff,"tall sortofficial bustlingsFactivities, givBrders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere+ld find a targetlibrarianed off"--runn&iQ Qs arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJ#fu insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bendingtly over pupils|l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemen$small scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobipline , th sexes, found business up.U at tQy, byqpulpit;!itcbusine frequently had to be done again two or three times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways, wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wads e murmur of scuff. And above it all54sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@Rhousewarmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[too. Theronly one thing wanto make ' ecstasy complet2thaQa chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Severalhad a few yellow tickets, but none had enough 2hadm!arRamong#%tainquiring. He have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandj. This was a thun1"derbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. Bubsbno getQBit--1ereBcertified checky$Dgoodoir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. Itp$ost stunning surprise of the decad=qso profCR sensa}it liftenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inof one. The boyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latD1thetbmselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake Rgrass !4was;"as%effusion  superintendent could pump up un;1dercircumstances; buXacked somewha the true gush,<poor fellow's instinct taught him tas a mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse< thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozen would strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrencproud and glad, sQiAmakesee it in he--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--nheart broks jealouRangry`Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). introduchis tongu0Qtied,qbreath  hardly comequaked--partly becau awful greatnesg1an,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall downorship him, if%erBdark. The' Judge phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?Q. Thewstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ell<gentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fin t, manlyQ. TwoLverses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorryw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+_look back;It's all owo precious Sunday-school privilegmy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers ^me to learn-< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mewatched over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!2--a wouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeedE9now mind tellingnd this ladyB!ofs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknoww2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, now~his eyes f4Mr.7' heart sank within himH_bto himETpossible3cAswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Ad'--don't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*` you'lQlCme,"!hewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tencracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyBepeople(s gatherae morns/ermon. The Sunday-school children distributed themselves aboutkAhous occupied pews their parents, so as to be under{vision. Aunt Polly cav1Tom'1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordamCe as far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upX"s: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOejusticRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartsforty, a generous,O-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace it9e most hospitable anLbd muchost lavish>matter of festivities St. Petersburg could boastAbentxvenerable Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,qnew not6OaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule sucking cane-heads, a circling wa! o and simpering admirers, tilast girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if sheQ cut  . He always brought his 7#to, 1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?his pocket behind, as usual ons--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. Ycongregationfully assembled, nowArang once mo=re, to warn laggardsqstragglV3and solemn hush fell the church which&only broken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleZaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down8spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed to,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #called upon to read poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would liftheir han let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"CCeyes1hak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." Afterhymn had been sung Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting\qocietie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle childrenUurch;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited churches$' 'vCongres5 President_qHuGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormy sea` oppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismcsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far islq2seaZ closed with a supplicationwords he was aboutpeak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he#dirmuch. Hrestive all  it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded,, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered additSunfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit ee backWew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwras soreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed 3did $Qwhileu on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forwardCthe ra"Amen"r!he prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go minister gaveA out2tex8droned along monotonrough an argumea so prosr many aB!by&bynod --and y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstone andnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom couaages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utherema, but JAldom2B anyelse abou discourse. However, this time he8really interested for a little). * a grand and moving pictureassembling2world's hosts at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie&#a Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost up_!oy!onSought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking na ;pAface#wiroirhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,Q tame lion.?a Now u psed into suffering again,fhe dry was resumed. Presently he be him of a treasur"haNgot it out. IP a large black bee"ith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmdid was to take!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZthe aisllit on its back,the hurtpR wentthe boy's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;iAsafe!ofreach. Other people uncisermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urvrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderU`ook a acloserYtl; thenhis lip and made a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsided toIvstomachW between$Bpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz There was a sharp yelp, a flirT'  fell a couple of yards away, S once more. The neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveQaces behind fanI handkerchiefs1TomLentirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt sorBentmB tooBda cravAreveBSo h a wary att:WQ jumpevery poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet5jerking histill his ears flapped again. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himself a fly but found no relief; follow ant around,8his nose afloor,quickly wearied& at; yawned, sighed, forgo kIsat downy&n La wild yelp of agonysailing up the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;.ranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe2. AAfrantic sur sheered from[qcourse,Nsprang intomaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppredlaught@the sermon hadk to a dead standstill.C The distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of imiveness being at an end; for evegravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a rarely facetious thing. It0a genuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,uking toc1thabre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!henaink it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morningfQmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazQt beg1othek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hX!ha intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ2laybQPresewit occurredThe wished sick; then he cBstayGfromUXvague;Rcanvassed his system. No ailmenbfound,e investigated again. This time hedetect colicky symptomsRo encouragjmbconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feebleRLQ diedbly awa reflected further. Suddenlys!edaOne of%upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groana "starter," as7alled it,"if.me into court7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So"ol=tooth in reservefCthe ~WUseek g!NoN offered3'alittleA8 arememb-1heathe doctor tellSa certain[ laid up a patientrtwo or three weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*o the boy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But now d not know the necessary ;&. However, it seemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconsced louderr fancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid*was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimselfnd fetched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work56TomV\Sid yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathAbegastare at Tom. Tom wen~ aid: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is the matter, Tom?" An(looked iface anxiouslytmkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you been way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoeverything. [Groan.] E you've u done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dy^!arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catwaone eythat new girl tB com2owntell her}rhad snahis clothespAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,pSid and Mary at her heels. Andface grew white, too,her lip trembled#she reached the bedside she gasped out: "You, TomX's the matter1you`Oh, auntie, I'm,/"W4.--Q}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.aceasedthe pain vanished fromtoe. The boy felt foolish,C it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at allqQYour , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly" "Ther#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 IS!bu 're not going to die aboutc . Mary, get me a silk threadva chunk of fire oute kitchenom said:bfpleasejpull it out. Itany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e2. I want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing? tI love you s eem to try every wayxcan to break myDdheart r outrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endA fasRTom's:aa loop2tieQotherApostpBseiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:b's facJ hung dangling by}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition; 1andthat had cut his finger had been a centre of fascin9%omage upqis timeQ founEselfJout an adherent,Lshorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- he said $a disdain which he did not feelit wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b1boyk, "Sour grapes!"qhe wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by 1e msU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and84allkhildren s delighhis forbidden societ7Eqy dared1eQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast condition as under strict orders no8BplaySo he played9he got a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown men,T and they were in perennial bloom!flutteringCrags{1at vast ruin# a wide crescent lopped ouuits brim;Kcoat, when he wore one, hung nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged low~containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. Rand wt#own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weath in empty hogsheads in wet;have to go-chool or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimmB1henDAwherRchose9stay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he never@to wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word, goes to make life precious that boy had. So thoughtD harassed, hampered, respectablein St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic outcast: "Hello, Huckleberry!" yourself ee how you like it." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderII got atslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure wartsHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC the told me. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(qI neverv WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way as!! @Qthat S a-goVado any2. YV to go all bymiddle ofcwoods,p2yout[Gs a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#esa,' an1n w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speak anybody. Because if you sApeakcharm's bustedTsounds like aS way;!wthe wayQ doneNNo, sir, you can betn't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`always got considerable many warts. SomeI take 'em}1wit1eanGAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuR!soo get some blood*Athenp3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'acrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyBbean"se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZ1 toooa helpsh!to[A the.pretty soon she comes %--;pgh whenq you'reeing it if you say 'DownV;hQwart;j no more to bme!' it's better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how doi2curdead cats2Why_cyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about wAwhenBbodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilA come, or maybe two or three,J't see 'emcan only hearRthingu7indY''em talk; they're takingfeller awaym#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,i,Acat, I'm/Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7b." "Stright. D'you! t(a, Huck"No@Rold MHopkins told mrI recko so, then. Bthey say sra witchAay! cTom, I KNOW she is. She,ed pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axtone day&A seeUawas a-ing him,K!e up a rock9if she h adn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"that's awful. How did he know Lord, pap can tell, easyKbkeep looa; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifLcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-."ll~old Hoss Williams t8q" "But him Saturday. Di9get1howeQtalk!could their charms work till -?--and THEN2Sun|evils don't slosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought of2. Tdso. Lemme goT!ouOf course-- ain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.dAmeowM1Yes,ATa chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went to thr&rocks at mesays 'Dern that Rcat!'o I hove a brickEugh his window--but`1you]I won't. In't meowh, becuz aunti watching me, but I'll8!is. Say--w#th1Not:but a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gn.U2 wa`sell himuAAll 4. It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runR down4bbelongem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meu1ShoAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toO2why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyear,!--BAgivemy tooth Less see i1TomoJ!biQpapercarefully unit. Huckleberry viewed it wist-. The temptation+strong. At las5said: "Is it genuwyne?AliftQs lipQshoweN vacancy.a," said Huckle{berry, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJ)little isolated frame schoolhouse, he strode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$ all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacritqmaster,hned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,R(dozing, lulled by the drowsy hum of study. The interrupArousXm. "Thomas Sawyer!{3kne2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usualwas about ake refuge in a lie,e saw two ; ails of yellow hair hangingoca backe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE o girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINN!" 8 Y's pulse stood stillhe stared helplesslbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min=You--you did what?" "Stopped!lk@q Huckle Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_offence. Take off your jacket  's arm performed until it[tired anQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV"si! And letbe a warnWTo youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abaszboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolead pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hQd heraway from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but sat still,Q witharms upon the long, low desk before himAseem his book. Byby attentionDthe accustomed school murmur rose]dull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave the backe space of a minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled onEslate, "Please take it--I got" The girlduno sign. Now draw something *!hik his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice;4tuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGthe boy di:d not betray that he was awarit. At last!in#hesitatingly whispered: "Let me see it." Tom parvered a dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten#up;Aworkqshe forgot everya4els!it;finished, she gazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man4he artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monstera beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moontraw limb1 arhe spreaefingerGportentous fan1saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/Oh, will you??" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. What's &your nameEBecky Thatcher. W5yours? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlT11theU they lick me by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<began to scrawl sometslate, hi!ds A. Buackward this time. She beggedqee. Tom Oh, it ain't any Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long aB liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou trea#bAWILLw3" Akput her small hand his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom preteno resist in earnut letting his_ slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjuncture the boyY felt a slow, fateful grip closing CS ear,Hsteady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa houseIdeposited ic" own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hohool. Then master stood over him duMa few awful momentsfinally moved away to throne without saying a word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. As quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1A reaQclass} botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at TQlast,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2him the noon recess would never} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul likeBpell$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill ed its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of hbtintedthe purple of distance; birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pa dreary time. His handR intoBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, he did not know iten furtively!Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him o` long flat deskh creature probablyed with aaLoo, at this mo1Qment,2it !emd: for when he startankfully to travel off, Tom turned him asideb1pinBmade!!ake a new direction. Tom's bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad been, and now headeeply{RgrateU& this entertainment q instaniwas Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw in momently. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gett.e fullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour qyou canb!upMqI'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vescaped from Tom, presa!edqequator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,oqwould look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeDAoverS1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and ab Joe. The tick tried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to spearfingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftlyB him;and keep possessionWQTom cstand it nozemptation was toocqreachedFand lent a hand!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3going to 8lAmuch`L?, I tell youI won't!" "You shall--he's on my sidcthe liLook her Harper, whose is tick?" "I don't care$_he ism you sha'n't touch himWell, I'll, bet I will, though. He's my7/do what I bNdpleasem, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;#fol2pac\wo minute dust continued to fly from qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy itnhad been tooS]notice the hushhad stolen upon_Q befoebmastertiptoeing&the roomstood over them. He hadQempla good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le're going home1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{lip, and turn down through the lane|come back.!go@other way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith ant. In a little :two met atdbottom#la -they reacheghad it all tqmselves< sat togetea slatJAthem Cgave the pencil and held2hanis, guiding itDbso cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!M do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing rouar head a string"No[1for much, anyway. WA likIchewing-guSOh, Ila say sAwishd some nowv? I've got1letAchewAB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweturn abouRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" said Tom. "Yes,my pa's goingbake mew  time, if I'm good8aI been3#hef three or four9s--lots of . Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!heT". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! ill be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. AnQy getA1her"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! bmarrie!NoQWould&C!to<I reckonCknowqQis itu/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyzawon't have anybodyZQhim, Athen>Akissws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--well[y always do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember what I wrote oslate?" "Yae--yesWBas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I1YOUYH--but someJ" "No, nowB t now--to-morrOh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, *so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consentpassed his arm about her waiste;T talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added:$w0a it to me--Rhe saPShe resisted,ra while1saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" Then she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge@2ornMDlast2er little white apro"he.]qclaspedneck and pleaS`, Becky, it's all done--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--it ain't anything at all." And he tugged aD a?hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/calwaysQthis,Bknow $ ever to love0m"me+Xxo marry,B me,nOand forever. Wi]) u{*t Zyou--"to- QitherCertainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^!'rKBwalkh2me,/Rtherevlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRhearda beforB"Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blunder axstopped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs2'veDbeenC to!}child began to cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iqare forTany m 1Yes1 do$--Rs." Tom tri put his arm abou)Qneck,she pushed him awagq turned1facK"llwent on cryingvaagain,uB soowords inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was 5odeutside. H"od, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancthe doorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com%1finJQ. Buttdid note to feel badlsQ fearA F.trong. It was a hard2himke new advances, mbR nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote him!tof4and moment, not kn exactly how to procehen he said hesitatingly: "BY---\qanybody"you." No reply--but sobs. "Becky"--pleadingly. a, won'? say some?" MoreDTom got is chiefest jewel, a brass knob fromntop of an andiron2apassedBroun"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" ScQuck ithe floorTom marched!ofQhouse over the hilly far away, to returschool noday. Presently ~3 to suspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereULalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. SoGqsat dow82cryfpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideRgriefher brokw1artoA!upj cross of a long, dreary, achhsfternoo$ none among?strangers to exchange sorrows`. CHAPCTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of5ingD.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappearing behi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableq off indvalleyhim. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 ed songsbirds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vqby no sH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadssense of|more profound) boy's soulOQsteep melancholy;feelings were in happy accord with'1surAings<1sat<#pelbows C!on1Qkneeshis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at bestE lthan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream forevb ever,the wind whispdthe trcaressing the gras5the flowers ovQgraveQ noth6Eo boDgrieve about, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willk"go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowamed mysteriously??Awent!--ever s-Qo far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! Howshe feel then! The idea of beingown recurr8to fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tights were an offense, ?they intrudemselves upon a spiritwas exalt  the vague august realm ofromantic. No, a soldierreturn afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--better stil3#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaite Far WPPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousCpain,bprance ,(rowsy summer morninga bloodcurdsar-whoop2seaqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, therBsomegaudier even than thisAbe a pirate! That was it! NOWtK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginable "splendor. HowM3namz ct2rldKmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer,8SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAt the fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Rstalkjchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger[ Spanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeaenter 'it/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to ge 'dyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandbegan to dig un7der one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuBther,0uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, ! What'sAstay !" Then he scraped`#irrexposed a pine shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed airAsaidEBell,beats anything+Atosse5pettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa superstiMqhad faiqwhich hA allrcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP he had just used,would fin%a1s$had ever lost had ga-mselves  , meantime, no matterwidely they had been separated. But now,~ actuallyunquestionably Rwhole"tu2fai shaken to its foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwardzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1mL!chainterfqand broIhe charmothought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-Bd deon in itElaidAdownFamouth F2 toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5*Q begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dtell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discouraged.%iT@qtwice mvThe last repetition wasRssful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles of the forest flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, rakedbrush behinrotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment$Bseizse thingJs;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirt. He preseDhalted u a great elm, blew an answ@began to tiptoe look warily out, this way a)agsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." Now appeared Joe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comesSherwood Fore_!hout my pass?" "Guy of Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou that--" "Daresold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds1I, indeed! I am Robin Hood, as thy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Rvgladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, combat, "two up *wo down." P 1Tom: "Now, if you've go hang, go it lively!" SoV"wentq," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get}st of it.""y,ain't anything. I can'tv;#Gay it is in 3. T says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor $.'to turn arounklet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, soturned, receivedQwhackSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iA boo"Well, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonUq lam me a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~nibecame RobZin Hood agaib2allowed by the treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weeping outlaws, draggwm sadly forth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gai a corpse. boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement off grieving`<$noz any moreFRwonde hat modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensate foPir loss. TheyoS they-rather be year in Sher Forest than President of(United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past ninenight, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylAqhe hear clock strike ten! Thisdespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid he might qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Everythingcismall<A. Bypeby, ouY-ness, little, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking ]H8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirf a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in' wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answera"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. A satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of hFqimself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, minglo+ith his half-formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T rais neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle againsuqback ofaunt's woodshed brought him wide awakea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongSroof 3"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"ocaution once or twicepae wentn jumped *g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\qdisappea gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6bon a hnbout a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which leaned inwarbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upr,nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombstone o !; -topped, worm-eaten s staggered!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-So had been paintedm#=it could no longer have7Sread,5m, now, even ifnlight. A faint wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littlonly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilew#pp[Sy fousharp new heaprseekingrensconcNAmsel3ith4bprotecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet C. Tay waitfor what seemed a 1ime hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refld1ivemust force som?e talk. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like it us to be here?" HuckleberryZed: "I wisht I knowed. It's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."e a considerable pause, whilboys canvassed this matter inwardlyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hears uK1ingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA can!indark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all of a shiver5rListen! boys benir heads 1and scarcely breathed. A muffled sound of voices floated up fromhRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"M& devil-fire. Cis i." Some vague figures approachQroughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Kra shudd^MAvils enough. Three of 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:BThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know i'At. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to . Drunk,>same as usual, likely--blamedrip!" "All right, ). Now they're stuck. Can't find it. Here they come again8hot. Cold4Hot Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say, I know anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo("That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druther3 was a dern s+What kin'be up to?whisper died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 2tooin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saidathird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astAload9AbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closI boys could have touched himurry, men!" he said, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating soun6spades dischargingfreight of mouldQl. Ita very monotonous. Finally aX struck upopc coffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goBQthe brnd dump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!asQready62Qrpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "yB cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she staysthe talk!"t;q "Look<A, wh "esSmean?3te. "You requi !reQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that,mInjun Joe, approachr doctor, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchen one night, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any good;Wswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiforget? Theblood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5rsuddenlQstretaluffianPotter dropped{exclaimed: "Here, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next  he had grappled04two wereg'gand main, trampF"asDtearP_lir heels. <Q spraQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up`'s kni1fwent creeping, catlikeBstooround and )bout the combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizeheavy headboard of Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthJit--and insame instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82hisuAloud)AttedFXreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeK!indark. Presently>the moon emerged ag5wasQ overOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damnThen he robbbody. After which he pSfatal2in 's open mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand c.Rlosedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly? eyes met Joe's. "Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joe.out moving. "What did you do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kintalk won't wash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'n when we started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old r--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh,b awfulrhim so and promising."!y,2two?cuffling he fetcheAone 02 anQflat;!up`Qcome,nBreeld staggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTujust asPed yo>u anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may die minute if B1. I on account of the whiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say you're an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behind you." P[otter start(a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed *looking after him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedPd1ick Xfuddlqrum as xlook of being, he Z1hinthe knife tillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensivelymiqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catcir breath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weonly get tFokold tannery before wek down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it longer." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his only repnzRixed saeyes oS goal*ir hopes91ben2work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedt sheltering shadows beyond. By3#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whiln he saiWho'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happened>Injun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff P!doAi)fool enough. He's generally drunk`" Tom said nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecauseeqgot tha:vck whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him overhead with a church)2youn't phase hi1say wn self. So it'sUBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencep y#an keep mumwe GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bouteadidn't7NowPre, TJom, less swear to one/2--twje got to do--0 keep mum." "I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forg's good enoughlittle rubbishy common s--speciallygals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigAnd blood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing e picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took aa fragmUf "red keel" out of his pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenQteethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may Dropdown dead  in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." Huckleberrydbfilled)admiration of qfacilit, and the sublimitylanguage. He at once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA might have verdigrease on i ""W?t's p'ison. T$$it is. Yswaller some of i --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!Qiniti9using the ~QingerAa pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close toRwall,dismal ceremonieaincantffetters b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end of the ruine?d building, nowthey did not notice it. "Tom," whisp, "does this keep usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~y difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'ddown dead--QYOU knowYes, I reckon's so." They continuKtime. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl just outside--within ten feet of them boys claspesuddenly, in an agon+QfrighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "I his voice. It's Bull Harb`" * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named:b wouldspoken of him as "Dl!,"Ca son or_!atZn"]tqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dog` dog h%Rowledl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my! ain't no'I IA "DO(!" Tom, quaking with fear, yielded, and put his eye torDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! This comes of playing hookeyadoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but noouldn't, o. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-schools!" An began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reld pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!6andh: "Looky, look! He's go<`BACK t8o us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thought7is bully, you know. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped. Tom pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW"it#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$gs, but laws bless you, he just lifts things'!HEes. Besides,hever coming backAis t"ny# spirit of adventure rose inboys' souls`, do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joets quailepresentlytemptationup strong 7the boys agreC tryJthe understanding}R they to their heels if~^Sy went tiptoeealthily down,=one behin3dther. Wheoy had goKwithin five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokera sharp snap.man moan]rithed a littleBhis face came int moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4sstood still\Vopes too,t2ved)fears passed away CTheypd out, through[n weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both boys, in a breath!ay!--31say~ray dog comaround Johnny Miller's house,A mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU  ain't anyB1deaare yetDjaI know/. And supF. Didn't Grac6#ier fall ikitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext Saturday?" "Yes#$shBDEADwhat's more, she's getbetter, tooAll right, you wait see. She's a goner, just asSsure  ,)a's wha niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom wind was almost spent. He undrel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidBawak had been so for an hour. OTom awoke,=1andC"reY late look  ,Ssense atmospherstartled. Whyqhe not called--persecuted till h~!upausual?Ethought filled himbodings. WtminutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were at table finishedkfast. T$Ino voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;as a silencean air of solemnitystruck a chill to the culprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en| the hop>Sgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go onEruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. This]Awors"n a thousand whippgcA was sorer n4"anL1odycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefyAprestoo miserapo even I feel revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to trifles. Then he bemself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9rs handsqstared ]be wallthe stony "IAuffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of!as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew fro9 m man to man, from group to house to , little less thanj ic speed. Of course the master gave holiday forafternoon;5town would have thought strangely of him if he had not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedaand itHbeen recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning cYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallXa which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down allFAroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe capturedQ nighkSas dr the graveyard. Tom's heartb2reak vanished he joine7procession,Ubecause ~sand times rather go anywhere elseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+rmed his small qthroughmBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas tbefore. Somebody pincharm. He turnedheyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>D2wonaif any!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungRThis qto be aaon to  robbers!" "6'll hang if they catch him!" This ift of remark; qhe minibsaid, "Iza judgment; His hs here." Now Tom shivfrom hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomen2beg}Asway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming hi1mself!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look outturning! Don't let:get away!" People  branches o trees over Tom's`1saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7perplexed. "Infernal impudence!"aa bystander; "wantAcomeHtake a quieti1 atwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, nowthe Sheriff came, ostentatiously leading Potter byarm. The p1's xwas haggarCshowfear thaupon him. When 2od r2murAman,"hook as with a palsyRhe pu4qface in@Qhandscburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. 8shocarry home.xClifte1andqed aroum thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you:"'d--" "Isyour knife?"#isthrust 4himM3. ewould have fallen iy had not caughqand easm to the gO!aibSomethld me 't if Abackaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestursaid, "Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1useCmoren HuckleberryTom stood dumbtstaring !ar stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they_ing every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningmpbwonder see how long stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break BoathE1avebetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 vaway, for plainly this miscreantqsold hi* to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power as.|yyou leave? What didEwant| here for?" somebody said. ) "I couldn't help it--3,"  moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to sobbing again. Injun Joe repeatjust as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devil. Hnow become,!m most balefully interesting objecHever looked upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9 face. They inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body of1mur" mv put it in a wagonrremovalwhispered throug ing crowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointed more than one villager remaNrked: "IteAwithree feet of Muff!when it done it." Tom's fearful secret and gnawonscience disturbAleepvas much as a week R thisat breakfastmorning Sid saiTom, you pitch arand talk in yourx1so tyou keep me awake hal9Ctime blancheTSdroppQeyes.H's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "WzRgot o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook soahe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. TrQis no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2rqwithouting it. She8: "Sho! W3ful1. IRm abomost every night myse%lf. Sometimes4#meZAMary she had been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothacheBa week,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc!'sYress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepto himself. It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTAthus1ingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner ase inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVa,itness--and tha*t was strange;RSid d overlookFfacteven showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he Umarvelled, but sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5stortureconscience. Every day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atRedge s villagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occup2off greatly help3eas T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,ubody-snyo formidableMhis character?Snobod be found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ droppedyK careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`pfight, Qwithout confesse grave-robberyprecededthereforeeemed wisest not to t<se case rcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE _reasons whyAminddrifted away from its secret troubles was,!it7Ba necsweightyp to interest itself about. Becky ThatcherL!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few days2tri"whistle her dowq wind,"CfailAbegaSfind himhanging arqQher f's house, nigh{1feemiserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor piracy. The charm of liflCgoneD wasdreariness lef}put his hoop awaythis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatu6patent medicines all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending it&an inveterate experimenter in these things. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; noterself, for?never ailing, bu*anybody el"atwWhandy subscriberT all the "Health" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to go to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2!frfgto keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedQher h-journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-hearOnd honest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQqd toget-er quackydthus armed death, went.!onXpale horse, me>&taphorically speaking, with "hell following after." Bqsuspect7anot an angel of healE$ balm of Gilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmentonew, nowTom's low condition&qa windfrqhad himqat daylevery mornstood him upe woodshedadrowne#D a deluge2old; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so broughtQto; tlshe rollJAa we!et"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsiV1 th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstabhis, the boy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMb calcuhis capacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all-om had b  ecome indifferent to persecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. I9 simply fire in a liquid formmQdropp {2andthing els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""4*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#rehim. Tom felt that itime to wake up;sort of life mbe romantic enough, inblighted E, bucqgettingave too little sentidand too much distrac61var1aboS. So he thover various plansqrelief,1finrhit ponof professlbe fon#. He asked for4 it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him  elp himself and quit bother'er. If iteen Sid,w# had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boyAmendlth of a crack insitting-room floor!it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga(.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you've askewand I'll giv!to you, because there ain't anCmean"meb!ifAfind dAlikehyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: .Sprang a couple of yards in theJB air then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, banagainst furniture, upse flower-potsw making general havoc. Nexrose on his hind feetpranced a , in a frenzy of enjoyment,<Aead overOshoulderN$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went teaahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction ipath. Aunt Polly entin time to seeVhrow a few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrwith astonish2 peer glasses; Tom lay oAexpiaKlaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails@cat?" "I don't know,q," gaspi. "Why, I neveria. What~him act sogZDeed l; cats always61 wh^ey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeBtonemade Tom appre+hensive. "Yes'at is, I believe_1 dowaYou DO19" qwas benQdown,watchingwi*st emphasized by anxiety. Too late he divined her "drift.s handle telltale teaspoon visible undered-valanceUtook it, held it up.Rincedqdropped)IeyesBAraism by the usu ndle--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>"puAthe h hnew light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes wa a little, and/p<` hand )son Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID do good." Tom looked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through]gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIx Peter. It done HIM good, lI never seepget around so since--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou neeUtake medicine}reached school ahead of time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as !of, he hung aboutr5gatyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he sai$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reall-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrp" waril"y to opportunitiesbremarkq Becky,the giddy lad Bcoulait. Tom w= Q, hop"heIqa friskDrock cam$hating the owner of it as soon asBw sh"noright one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoQdumpsentered the emptyEQhousefBsat o suffer. Then one more passed in a3gatheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jum2ovefence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, standqhead--d1allWqheroic PQ conceive ofk a furtive eyeKawhile,t5ing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(1. CiBposs"haTjR awar there? He carhis exploits to immediate vicinity; war-whoG{D, snl boy's cap, hurled it toC the roof ofJq, brokeugh a group of Stumblm in every directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andjturned, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopleUk they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks b1. HThered2 upAneaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mind was made up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody lovQ; wheEy found out wh{ y had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry Qhad tSto dosand get along:Anot let him; since nobrdo them8rid of him,;w1so;1let1 blame HIMthe consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,M*BforcX1 todR: he +blead a+of crimer no choice. By this time2farFMeadow Lanthe bellschool to "/take up" tinkled faintly upon his earFsobbed, now, to+2he !r never, hear that old familiar sound any more--itBhard0vaout ine cold world must submit--but he forgaveX sobs came thickfast. Just atkApoinHms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefba greadismal purp1hisJt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wiping #ye1leeve, began<lubber outgabout a resolutio,escape from hard usageback of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joe1notRm. BLtranspired26was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\Tknew #; IRplain1she\ptired oMQf himCwishto go; if she felt<bway, tk%asl1forF to do but succumb; he hopedIwould be happy0 regret having driven her poor boyxunfeelingto sufferdie. As the two boys walked sorrowgAlongy made a new compact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'qplans.  being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cave'r dying,Otime, of col=2wannagrief;after listen he conced~1somspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente%be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at awthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wider!"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow bare head of this offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskalmost wholly 8unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectspiracies:a matter-did not occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bankMBabovtvillagefavorite hour--whichrmidnighcsmall log raft\Chich1eancapture. EachJring hookRlines<such provision as he csteal inH+most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon2donCQy hadRmanagAenjo sweet glory of spreadbAhe f~hat pretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrvague hint!acautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighvery still mighty riverD lay like an ocean at Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlanswered fromH3 d twice more; these signalsK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"esO?" "Tom Sawyer,eBlack Avenger ofSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIalitera "'Tis well. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivame awful word simultaneously torooding : "BLOOD!" Then!Atumb!is#ovUlet himself down after it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforF an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantagedifficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacoAad a}Tworn -2outygetting it there. Fi9 Fstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobaccohad also a few corn-cobmake pipes1. B@n3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it would never do2tar"2out+ fire. That was a wise th}; matche]hardly knowL"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde1uporeat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveohilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughu1theCsmenW#ll village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2Aical" khoved off, presently, Tom in command, Huck after oar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedolded armsgave hisa low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se" were given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se  r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there,$! a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head ri@2ght?then lay on theiDs. TH was not high, so 1more than a two or three mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimmen!lights showed where it lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger Xstill7 7"looking7last" upon the scenhis former joyhis later suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toBdooma grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshotrvillageRso he["edZa brokensatisfied7other pirateblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett93he \Q drif)m`range "iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornugrounde+1bar8hundred yards aboveDheadwaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isg1sprver a nook i:a busheiA a to shelter[provisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againsA sida great log twentyirty stepssombre depthXforesCcme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glordsport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginjunexplored ninhabited island, far fromQhaunt4men+1ey  Rnevera returcivilizationlclimbingclit up6Bface threw its ruddy glare upon, the pillared tree-trunk temple, and upovarnished foliageafestoovines. Whe2last crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretche=Cout grass, filled with contentmentO1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and hery can't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, sy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE hasPpraying considerabld" tFnany fun, , all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s  Joe, "but I hadn't thought mbout it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they used to in old times 's always respected. And a a's got DleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do'A( that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Naget ar!itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDnld slouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed.' He had finished gouging.Ra cobl now he fitted a weed stem t, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toachargeAblow! cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The opirates envied him this majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:QuBhaveu?" Tom,AOh, H#just a bullyK--take ships'!urm\get the money!y it in awful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Qdon'tv5RNo," assente 2g--they're too noble}Tbeautiful, too.aAwear[bulliest }es! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#MB." oAcannRs owning forlornly. "I recDkon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bu1rse." B boys tolbe finees would come fast enough, afte{Ay sh$0Dbeguadventures. They madeunderstaat his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduatalk diedknd drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-frethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!no authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afrro proceU such lengths as that, lesy might call a suddenspecial thunderbolt from heaven6cn at o y reached?uhovered^ imminent verge of~--but an intruder came, now, Pnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fearJ[been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by reminding purloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So $ resolvedso long as 'Arema"bub", 4piraciesU2not~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a trucese curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefu' CHAPTER XIV WHEFN Tom awoke!morning, he wondw^he was. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<arepose" ideep pervading calm%asilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ! s!ob'd upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes cPsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far a bird called; another answered; presentlyhammering woodpecker8heard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 sh#of 1goi work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then procee--for he was mUQeasurqTom saiRd wheapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone, withhopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him or seemed inclined to go else;at last it consia painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladthat meant that _ have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy he*Bof aS bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on  children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surprib!seboy, for he kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrationd he had practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,it shut its againsH1odyGpretend to be|. The birds were fairly rioting byA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitX1 ofneighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almosiboy's reach, cocked!ea<one sideT#eystrangersconsuming curiosity;_y squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s the wild things had probably nevein a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NQwas w<3wakI2tir now; long lances of sunlrpiercedthrough the denseA foliage farBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomoqpiratesbthey all cldsed awayb shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~ . A vagrant current or a sCriseWa riverEcarried ofir raft, but~a only "finm, sincegoing was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz}. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwooQrm as3, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to hold "oK;_!teDto a promiGInookkb-bank 23rew ir lines; almost immediately`had reward.rhad not ime to get impatient before>3werKagain with handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1 had ever seemed so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-%he is caught5betTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay arou?Shade,w"ha2okeathen w)rHthe woods on an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g aa drooE regalia of grape-vines. Nowcame upon snu0g nooks carpeteXQgrass7Tjeweltflowersfplenty of !be$ghR, but no#X to b 5 atscoveredisland was about three miles longa quarter ofQle wi'ashore it lay closest to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so itYthe midd#thnoon whe!y got back to campptoo hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves down iaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded pGQ sensAlone]5s, sBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorsteps\empty hogsheads~all ashamed of th?qeir weayC none was brave enough5Apeaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully consciouna peculiar s/distance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recognition- boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sile2pro_and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevBspratheir feet%QhurrijRtowaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankM!pe1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboat wa s about a mile belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMcrowded 0apeoplere were a great many skiffs row&orEAtreaJthe neighborhoodQ, butcould not determine what the mencm doing. Presently !jewhite smoke burst fromnc's sidPas it expandeArose lazy cloud, that same throb of zDorne0 ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,!eya loaveBbreaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll =Q righZ"re\top." "I've heardDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchWI reckon it's mostly what they SAYit before start it ouu!Bu't say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep Bdon'SQWell,'s funnyBTom. "But maybSay itmselves. Of COURSERdo. A! m<The otheraagreedwas reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe)to act very intelligcOset upon an erransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I wasT, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJDTstillsszwatched+revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,Che exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroesUsn instaa gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak ir account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@remorse were be8ing indulgnd best of ae departed the talk of the whole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twildrew on, ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanityir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atthe villagAthinand saying abou*%m;pictures o public distress  Vqgratify ao lookc--from%Apoinview. But the shadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing into,Bire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomFJoe Ckeepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as mucYhx>. Misgivings came;c grew ldunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By1by Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r.now, but-- Tomrered hi % derision! Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom& averer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet ouRcrapeUas little tachicken-hethomesickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest formcmoment.#he=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneesBsearQ3amoW7graRflickreflections flung bycamp-fire. Hkinspected several large semi-cylinder:hin white bark% sycamore\2finhose two which seem^ suit him. Then he knelt by taqhe firepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he roll and put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance fromwowner. And he alsoQto the hat certain schoolboy treasuret almost inestimable value--)m a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that hedrhearingstraightway broke=a keen run ink2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal w_ bar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over current would permit no more},#so he struck out confidi"wiremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|hore final!"lydrifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his hand o Nhis piecbark safeSthen P through the woods, followingr, with 3#ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came oto an openroppositBbvillagA saw|ferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watc1alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againse swella voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Atea long twelvcifteenSwheels stopped, and T%4om overboarNaLsdusk, lfifty yards downk,<of danger of possible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleysTs$]aT aunt's back fencehover, approachen"ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MarEJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were by2bed 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lifblatch;ihe pressed gwHyielded a;6 ontinued pushing cautiousI1quaevery time it creaked, Zjudged he might squeezeB knees; so hc5ead), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,Qoor's, I believe. "of course it is. No strange s now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" him+self for a*Nan crep)whe could almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyRgiddyharum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharma best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full of his devilmentr up to rkind ofief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,ink I wed whipped him!t that cream,:once recollectAat Iswed it out myself becauwas sour,IPato seexQagainhis worldv!, ! p2bus!" And Mrs.ba sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter off$isB"butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare ofold lady's eye, thoughynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, nowhe's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it's so hard--Oh,!.last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker right under my noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/. No longer agouQyeste(Snoon, took and fille5catPain-kille*3didthe creturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dThead sthimbleY3boy 1dea."b1allH!s "An'rwords I7Bhear^1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$bo much6p, and sKhe broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling, now, himself--and more in pity of anybody else. He cou Mary cryXand putting in a kindly word forfrom time toSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still, h]fficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]qthe bed?overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousness ofthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!oys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage shq"hear someQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidkgone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shorep five o(r six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,s hungerhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. It wa3ievU the search foNBodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tora. ThisWednesday 2. Icontinued until Sunday, all@Abe g\Qover,the funeralsqbe prea:at morning shuddered. Mrs. Harper g?Dsobb-j2urngo. Then a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cryn parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyondwqont, in Rto SiMary. Sid red a bi<#ff!llUheart. knelt downAaprayedTom so touchingly, so 6ith such measure1lovprher old trembUling voice,!heweltering in tears again, long before sheKhrough. He hakeep still3after sheqto bed,she kept making broken-) ed ejaculations from time to, tossing unrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moaning a littl: sleep. N#boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shade candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itsomethingbto himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9L!ntBkissQ! f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYay backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a g(raven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped into its soon rowing cautiously upstream. When hpulled a mile aboveFvillage, qCquarraacrosshimself stoutlyas work"hi1 onfother side neatlyn! t<as a familiar bit ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&ed a shipfore legitimate prea pirate, bu a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`arest, tortur meanwhilkeep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv#he. fairly abreas! island barbrestedl81sun bwell u1gilthe great riverits splendor*he plunged into\&#A dAlatepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "D No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac? won't desert. He knows thatm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorXthing. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ours, anyway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_ writing says they are if heO back herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiqaway inady nookleep till noons got read and explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggsK 2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNeir knees2dugOhands. Sometime would take fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg feastHRnightanother on Friday morning. AfterswhoopingprancingyA bar` chased eachZ2and , shedding clothes as, until |sre nakethen continue frolic far!upshoal water ofAgaine stiff current, wYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timand great^1cre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;# avertedGqto avoi strangl\AprayQd finW1griG and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall `Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. WGy were wel$l exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hot sanlie theru1covemselves upiby and by1 foq Qagain"go throughoriginal performance once more. FQit ocBd tothat theirn( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring i circus--with three clowns in it,Rnone o yield this proudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew staBn JoBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fkqin kick_ff his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his anklehe wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protectionP is mysterious charm. He diqs he hadB2theR boysCtire@eady to res#waapart, dro"in "dumps, fell to gazingG longingly acrossSqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgBcoulhelp it. He eraszA)then tookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKqjoining. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as-ready to tell, yetMif this mutinous dEsion<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been piratesis island befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or two other seductions; !heb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat poking up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wan go home. It's so lonesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such anwimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, wRhere tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, wlQ cry-INA to w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,DPyou, qHuck? WFstay|?" Huck, "Y-e-s"--withou heart in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice pirate.3m[_ies. V,4? Let himAf heUs to. we can get a{him, per'aps.Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on2hisUAing.Bthenv!s Qmfort+eying Joe's prepara so wistfullyCkeep ominous silence. PresentlyWv2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. TomQ6art9sink. He glanccould not bearkBlookqdroppedeyes. ThenYIgA getILa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mQon't!can all go , if you. I mean tay." "Tom, I better gosWell, g&--who's hendering you.+qpick upscattered clothesjVsaid:twisht you'd comeQ. Nowthink it over.wait for hen we get to5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{, and Tom stood looking afterDa strong desire tugg(trto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome very lonelcT . He made one final struggle0-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocwSthey were, heunfoldingesecrety listen|cdat lasv!awr"point"bs drivOn et up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"y3qhad tolpm at fir82st,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had beQ fear0s not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand soAmean1hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatt1alltime about Tom's stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,!heed to learmoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSBlike to tryKrSo HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesnever smoked any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbow1uffBrily!sl confidencejan unpleasant tastgagged a littleWhy, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowQis way,t long a#SoI," said uJoe. "Ic!no$."~amany a^ I've lort peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cL!do;I1%!," Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :that way--haven't you7I'll leave i.Aif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when Io/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects iI bleeve/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do I0}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! he'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!" "I bet he would. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,))I!@ I any moreuis thanone little sni? fetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boysqsay any! a it, and someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want aPae.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1anoAone,my tobacker e very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!hes!weright upras ca'm!Eqsee 'em!" "By jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onV presently it began to fl^ag a trifle'grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of all "doF sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might and mainfeebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=(Bunt r by the spring. No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCn he fou lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 asleep. But something informed him! if they had had any troublygot rid of it. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal and waspare theirs,D3 no>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokBecalled!re a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode N4S huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intq$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{Bfire:swas swaSQup inQblackPaof dar . Presently tnaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyyaby anotcame, actstronge&7n a faint moan came sig5thrqbrancheorest and the )boys felt a fleeting a upon * cheeks,wshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?into dayBowed+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew atheir feet. And it[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealunder went rol:and tumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r4(distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allTRleavenCsnow flaky ashes broadcast3. A fierce glare lit up the Nan instant crash fop#retree-tops r#ovboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloo~. A few big rain-dropl pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tomsprang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plung{same directionurious blast ro trees, making everything sAs it. One blindingysafter aBcamenbdeafenQFnow a drencsrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloq ground cried out to each other, but`oaring windnt;'om-Cs drowne# ir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared[Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese highery presently tore loose from its fast]4X"wiRaway  1. Tys seizedrs' handGRfled,dEmanyb bruisof a great oakGUstood8 river-bank. Now?battle was aQst. U-the ceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skiesPbelow#out in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e1trehe billowy r, white<Bfoam$AdrivXpray of spume-flakGdim outlines oShigh bluffsfside, glimpsQrough+drifting cloud-rack]1lanveil of rain. Every li hile some giant tree yieldjbe figh+fell cras younger growth;xunflagg[&peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keeRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up,! ig ree-tops, blow it away, and ! eycreature in it, all at>$he same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c headse. But }3donorces retiredAweakd h threagrumblings peace resumed her sway back to camp, a good deal awedrhey four1m stillthankful f"or, becauseHgreat sycamore sheltertir beds,c ruin, now, blasted byKelightn they were not under it when0catastrophe happened. |t@!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soak and chilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYaAhad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardRsepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the V2sid#qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified the<ir midnight adventure] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upo boys, drowsiness came ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a little homesick once bom saw#Bigns4fell to chee@up the pirates as he could. But#cared nofor marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1Cthem imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+q, he gom interein a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansdqa changOHeattracis idea; sonlong beforedstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF* Awood%attack an English settlement. By and "byseparated into three hostile tribeadarted each other from ambushdreadful war-whoopAakilledhxscalpedHousands. I a gory day. Consequentlyan extremely satisfactory one. qassembl camp toward supper-time, hungryhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not bread of hospitality together,out first mak3eacwas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE process that eLy had heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showqheerfulayr muster!ca@!foook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladBgone"rya" gAsome";1fouanow smoke having to goz2unt lost knife^!di! get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortable. %Tnot likely to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.were prouderappier innew acquirement thay would have been3w1ingOskinningSix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at present. CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilaritylittle townsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, althiordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%Salkedsighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden &e childr69!noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bop desertXed schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_ nothing!to comfort her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked back a sob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that-- it for the whole worldb he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood lookQ"ve paling fence and tal"in rever!onc how Tom did so-and-+ last timy saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as they could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"a then added somelike "and I'a-standing juLst so--just as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"at he smiled, just this wayGthenQseemeQbgo allme, like--R, you knowDIwhat it meant, of course, but I can Anow!#en was a dispute about who sawyBdead.qin life many claimedismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDthe departedqexchangea wordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by the rest. One poor chap,{ had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i rance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me oncBut that bid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4 loitered away, still recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-1school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringingq usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses asSwomentheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle church had be full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep black2 whole congregamthe old minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|ers wererthe front pew$ncommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnsung, and the Etextvq: "I amResurrection Life." Aservice proceedclergyman drew such pictures of the graces1win6wayA rarZCmise6 lost lads that e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa 1ingY1 herpersist blinded himselfrm always vjhad as?BseenafaultsYTflawspoor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous%Q peop>uld easi, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes wej"edRgrieft!atx1timy occurrcy had  rank rascalities, well de.the cowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin" w <in a choruuanguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. TheDre was a rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUchurch door creaked;minister rais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+ stood transfixed! First onthen another pair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg 2rosnstared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe nextQHuck, in of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! lir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threw themselves uponSrestored ones, smmsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1aba and uncomfortable, not know^ xactly what to do or where )de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, but!seYhim and said: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thin#qg!" Andloving attentions Q lavi[Qhim w.!hesthing capable of mhim more" hdbefore. SuddenlyUshouted atatop ofvoice: "PBQ God /whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters CSawyPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! this was the proudest?life. Asj"sold"Utroop!ey Twould)sbe will; be made ridiculous againZ:earUung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe !gratefulness to Gozaffection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THAThTom's great secret--the schemreturn homechis brI BattePfuner;als. They had paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;2had slept id woods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh` then crept through back lana alley B finTsleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,;and Mary2Dverykqto Tom,u1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-Aed aNrlet me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donGR" sai; "and I believe you Oihad thought|tfW.1youR?R`, her Qface - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing8aI hopeg loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKWc, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit'sTom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\Qhe nehinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONE it, too.you'll lookC,E Qwhen too late wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W d you dr1eamWhy, Wednesday night I 1tha was sitting ofere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him." "W*so we did. S do. I'm glars could take much troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehseems tothe wind-- blowed the--" "Trhder, Tom! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believe-$door--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, ` seems like as if you madeago andP/cWell? 1hat&I make him do%Yb1hime--Oh, yahim sh for the land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEain't anything in%s,. Sereny  shall knowiis beforean hour older. I'd^0to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'bout superstition.2Oh,;ball geu{As brbas dayVF Nex! I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum!no) more responsibl32n--I think ita colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs.I sheersaid Jotthe same, and6Rwishe hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Ya prophesying--thata's wha was doing! Land alive, go onoASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped I was better off wheregone to, but ifDbeen0sometimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharpI lay I did! Tmust 'a'an angel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scaringda firecracker7QPeter the Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lo3alkdraggingriver for ud%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happened!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. TomAcoul`!itYif you'd 'a' seen it!?? GPI tho@1ughK prayed for me--and IwE seehear every worAaid.r1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou looked so good, lay3Uleep,!ho8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "Di, DID you! I;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even" i~ a--dream," Sid soliloquized faudiblup, Sid! A body doest"meV as he'd do if heawake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!if1was found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His1,ness knowsunworthy of it, Sbbut ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them the rough places, thq few enwould smile Io= enter intodqrest whde! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,the old lady to call on Mrs. Harpervanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_g2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger X1ame rate who felthe public eyebon him|cindeed; he trieqto seemee the looks orcemarksZpassed along, buy were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys C2 drummer at9 the head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tc ould have given anythingi2aveswarthy suntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpart either for a circus. At'iDmade so muchmdbof Joe!delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyTayA two"esnot long ini sufferably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventures]ungry listeners--9B;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally,yorir pipe went serenely puffing around very summit of glory was reached. Tom decided\Ahe cbe independen@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sCwantp"make u p." Well, let her--she shAsee ;0as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. Tomqsee hermoved awayjoined a group of boysBgirl O to talk. Soon he observas tripping gayly backORforthiflushed facerdancingL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter whena captureh(icbalways/Cher 1As in^vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified a1 viFr vanitywB himso, instIwinning him, it"set him up"2morxi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewYwas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyBQ, sig<once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistful1war(4. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrencany one else. She felt a sharp pang and grew disturbeduneasy at onc=2tri1!go, but her feet were treacherou1car71her"heA sai=a girl almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba !, why didn't you come to Sunday-school?" "I did '--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(IMiss Peters' class, w3Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neRgoody; I hope she'll2!MEI)Hi1ill's for ma<qanybodyAr I wantR" "Teo nice. When is itbBAby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM r1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  about t6he terrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycamo1e "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on, clapping of joyful haAill had begged for invitNAs buT1Amyn Tom turned coollyPstill talkingtook Amy him. Becky's lips trembltbars caher eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatter1butlife had gone ounR, nowything else1got as soonhe could/!hi6"self and had what her sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride,the bell rang roused upra vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfNaction. And he kept drifting about2indGlacerate herd erformance. At last he spiera sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together overbook, thay did not seem to be conscious of ani`Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily alos they walked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever she paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !to^Drear?, again and , to sear his eyeRballs1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaAe, abthough aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;she knew( was winning her fight, toosas glad him suffer asB3haded. Amy's happy pra came intolerable. Tom hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioXher?"1bthose 9he said artlesslyqshe wou "around"Ss let oueqhe hasteaway, ha1herit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch yoKbu out!9%1takS--" cwent throughmotions of thrashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!" And so the flogging was finishe(his satisfaction. Tom fled home at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?happinesshis jealousyG bear noAdistress. 'resumed her picture in'with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"pr!upear at a footstep1 ita false hope;.she grew entirely miswsbdn't carrieso far. When poori2seeaswas losQr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"E{1pat at last[said, "Oh, d%on't bother me! I dacare fpem!" and burco tearbgot upalked away. dd droppPCside+As goQo try<omfort hershe said: "GoX=leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wahave done--forC"ha, she wouldiYYs allnooning--an%qon, cryCThenC!mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guesseE!waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurrbmGZAtherT someg3boy)rouble without much risk to himself. Tom's spn-book fell under his ey]uhis opportunitZrly open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. , glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscovherself. S>ahe staUhomeward, now, intendAfindand tell him;be thankfulctheir s&be healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, shechanged 1ind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame. She resolv1letget whippzdamaged i's account,g"torhim for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodahe first this aunt saiqim show3m tbhad br his sorrows to an unpromi+market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie,o2avede?" "Well, you'~3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expec6I'm_Amake&sbelieveat rubbage *bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtqQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a9will act pthat. It makes me feel so baQthinkcould let me go\A andG such a fool of myself never say a word." Thisa new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingenious. It merely looked meanshabby now. He huAhead!"no5ke!nyA1 tofor a momentn he said:I wish I hadn't done it--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 81all7way from Jackson's Island in+ to laugh at our ,:yo o*me with a lie$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Ayou &tWhat dime for, thenI"toV2youscuneasy*us, because(n't got drownded." a"Tom, 1I w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ believebhad asta thought as thatY2youwever did--and!it." "Indeed' , auntie--52mayOR stirH!OhT, don't lie-- Qdo itAonlysns a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanteBAkeep,:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run ofSacted. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusqall fulRthe idea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT: wrote oSwe'd gone piratr, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do" The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawned:er eyes. "DIDqkiss meM2es,x "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmR8didzF forLBecause I lov2 soyou laid there moan$I was so sorry." ThZds sounded likThe old lady not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!!bexAwithto schoolh bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom hae in. Trtopped,#it0R hands{o herself: "No&dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWLord will forrchim, b`isuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lielook." She pCawayRtood by musing a mi(nute. Twiceqput outAhand!akA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve me." SosMpocket. AQlater-&was reading Tom's piece of bark through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe -now, if he'd committed a million sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREasometh bout Aunt Polly's manner,?kissed Tom, that sweplow spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&0 luck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,6I'm eever, ever do that wayas long as #I live--please make up,S you?>Dgirl looked him scornfully inAface'll thankkeep you6 TO yourseelf, Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toI" She toE2heraand pason. Tom stunnedhe had not even presenHqmind enG!to say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" until the right?6!itegone by. So he saiyqhing. Bin a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were a bo*imagining how he would trounceN"if\1ereitly encounterQdeliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seemed to A, inAhot btment,3shehardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6aflogge&n injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering no of exposing Alfred Temple, offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,dOQ know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle agean unsatisfied ambitihahe dar!ofdesires was, to b@e a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be* higher than a village . Every day  ok a mysterious book out k and absorbed himself iyas when no classes) reciting2kept thateunder loc` key. Therot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing bycdesk, which stood]BdoorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; founDFalon next instant s92theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon aomely engrave&colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell o page and To m Sawyer stepped indoor and caught1 ofpicture.%snatchedVbook to close 1andthe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intoAturnyt{QburstTcrying with shand vexd. "To , you are just as mean ascan be, to sneak up on a personXlook at why're look." "How cGaI know]7was( anything?" "You oqto be ad of yourself, ;QZc're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbICwas 3." Then$astampe little fokd said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. YouAwaityou'll see! Hateful, h A!"--he flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld. Presentltsaid to: "What a cu&1kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a licking! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnedSchicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttell old Dobbins on  l, because there's o@ ways of getting even on her,m<C; bu|of it? Ox&will ask who it was tore his book. Nobody'll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first one-qthen t'6when he comes b rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facese=mygiy backbonTq'll get vit's a htplace for!Thrp1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"4joi0mob of skylar scholars outside. In a fewsmaster arrivschool "took indid not feel a strong interest in~ studies. Every time he stolTlancemgirls' s+ide of the room!'s troubled him. Considering allds, he want to pity`tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyname. Presently the sp-book discowas madeTom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distressshowed good the proceedings. S_aexpectt/*4his by denying1he spilt32inkCe himself;eS  denial only seemed to makm R wors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"atrshe triYrbelieve44as /1it,sshe fou71wascertain. W3!heQt camtQorst,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C an effort and forced herself to keep still--R, sai,2, "Oabout me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word, to save his life!" Tom tqs whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upsey , in some skylarking bout--he hadQed itform's sakehpbcustombhad stuck principle. A whole hour drifted by,Smaster s(dding in<bthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlockbs deskqreachedhis book, but  undecided whether to take iHqr leaveCMost! pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfinger#aband settAchairead! Tom shot a2 at2. Hseen a huntedhelpless rabbit look asYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--something must be done! in a fla1sh, too! B very imminence emergency paralyzbinvention. Good!-- an inspiration! He would runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chance was lost--Ropene'volume. If Tom only!th<ted opportunityagain! Too late. Tas no help for now, he said* next momen}-3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil while one might count ten =was gatheringQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One c,have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;2CBseardace afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew mor #sethe slow torturse proceedingscanned the r0 anks of boys--considered a, then turoLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak head. "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan! do thisZTrnegativ(AgirlBecky ThatcherMtrembling froms to fooaexcitenqand a sa!ofhopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccaz" [Tom glanced at hfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]--no, look me inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning a brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAoq punishthe surpris gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of po's eyes seemed pay enfor a hundred floggIRed byplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dor bbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours afterhould be dismissed--for he knew who w$Qwait kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. Tom went to bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Qshamearepent5hl!ldqall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longingW give way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at las's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rjmore exactn,9ae wanteto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2aMr. Do' lashings w* ere very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he seemet vindictive)ure in puniXB shortcomingsconsequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX8Bheirz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to do: a mischief. But`ept aheadJ"im\ retributionrfollowe*!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. Athey consp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iRsign-painter's boy,CchemBaskerhelp. H1hisqreasons being deldtboardedfather's f]qand hadboy ample caushate him. % TY's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few days,r<be nothing to !fith the plan; mlways prepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl5, boy said[#whbdominiroper condion ExaminaEvening hq"manage" while he nappa chairn?have him awakened aa righth!hul to school. I1ful"of4the interesting Hc arriv0ed!inUeqoolhous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliageSlowers1ron,Hc chair raised platform,t his black behind him. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front ofwere occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, back@ citizens,Da spacious temporary upon whG2ichBseat scholars whoato tak2t iQvexercis ; of small boy1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuously cons,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood upsheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public o  stage," etc.--accompany(ainfully exact and spasmodic gestures which a machine m"used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,. got a fine round of applauseD he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring cuDQrtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYfidence and soaredunquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speech,yAfurynSfrant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him, his legs quaked under him|he was liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathys b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+#le disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly def<nra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems"revreading, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by. Each in her turn stepped foU!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, held upRmanuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCreadlabored attention to "expressionapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalentY!se\a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opuegush of "language"; <tendency to lug in ears pararly prQwordsphrases unti y were worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markQmarreEmthe inveterat tolerable sermat wagged its cripple7d tail at nd of each and every one ofW. No matter wh6Isubject might be, a brain-racking effort was made to squirm it into some aspect or otherAmora" rus mind could contemplate with edificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#the young ladies do not feel obligwAclos.!iruSith a%2youQfind ZhHmost frivolous anv least qgirl in\qs alwayt longestAXQrelenhly pious. But enoug"this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us returnA"Exaion." The firstwas read9one entitled "Is this(n, Life?" P( reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walkRlife,delightful emotpdoes thXe youthful9look forward  anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturejoy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4all2rs.' Her graceful form, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentranceqe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-like does1t rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}a*last. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior,#is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFAwastd2alttimbitter!rtshe turns awaythe conviction that edQarthl pleasures cannot satisfyulongingsoul!" And so for so on. There was a buzz of Bific Bfrom1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc., andBthe had closed ja peculiarly afflicting sermodrapplaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comepills and indigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burnIaecollesng my brhFor I have wandHay flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53qlistene-*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4, NEor blush to turn behind my tearful eye'Tis from no stranger land I now must part2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[Welcome and home were mine within this StategW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbgetBeart (teoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <|3actory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began tobin a mFd, solemn tone: mbVISIONNADarktempestuous2night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep inton*the heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;s]errific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2bo scorfpower exerted over itsAor bthe illusdtrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic s$abluste}bout as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so reary, for human sympathy mymspirit sighq instea}Rreof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'R to my side. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byGromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So soft was0qstep, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf1 sau resher features,"ic5s#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements withourbade me)Qmplatthe two beie'ngs presented." This nightmare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wound up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCu|Dy haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew wha8t!ma02wasDset =Ato r@!it:sponged out lines and=dAm; b only distorted them more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, now, as if determined not put down byAirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^1continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; sa rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLclawed a[,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i<absorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&3 in"in an insbEtantY trophy still inpossession!1howldid blaze abroad the master's bald pate--for<sign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke up5rmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--buyjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl pnQhenceEmuch happierVany mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." Hmised to abstai^Q smok9!ch,ofanity as long as hena member. Now he fthing--namely,$to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon WVrment desire to drink and swear;Rgrew so intense that nothiF3ng j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was coming;"he3gavQup --it up before he had worshackles over forty-ehours--and fixedhopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw61hav ig public funeral, since heso high an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!q's condhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--1thaRventujqget outJ and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuabAt lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedis resignHtat onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fineparaded in a O style calculated to killlate member with envybrree boyQ, howq--theresomething inFcQdrinkvswear, now--but founhis surprishe did not want tosimple facth# hga, tookdesire away,xthe charm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginning to hang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diary"no7happened dso he abandonedhe first negro minstrel shows camBtownQmade a sensand Joe Harper go~a band of performersYwere happm1twoa. Eve Gloriouswas in somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento actual United States Senator, prov overwhelming disappointment--for not twenty-five feeto, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys played circus 0for three afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@Apinsboys, two for girls--kn1ing. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerIBwent[&left the village dullerdrearier than ever. T=BwereUboys-and-' parties, buYy,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2athe acvoids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hoBstay~qher par }J--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9Bpaingn~measles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dea}qand its]aeningsR1wasT ill,finterested inR. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had come ove!ryl every creaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion,"{dults, but evenJ2 thIS. TomLbout, hopingZqst hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face-disappointment cro(Ahim Qwherefound Joe Harper study Testament,turned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionprecious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refuge bosom of Huckleberry Finnwas received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept!anbed realizat he alonqall the town]lost, forev A. A`Aat nRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notshadow of a doubt|all this h>ubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu2hat thisthe result. It might have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryybnothing incongruou'A getup such an expensive'2 asto knock0Qturf ! insect like himself. By"by7empest spent itself #diQout accomplists object. T's first impulseso be gratefulreform. His secoto wait--"re not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back;Ihad relapsedthree weeks heaon his8]%iman entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor"wadrifted listlessly downastreetp41 ac| as judge in a juvenile courcwas tr1catmurder, inYCreseher victim, a birdoe Harper Huck Finn up an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffered a . CHAPTER XXIII AT las sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:murder trial came on in4k!be!the absorbing topic of village talk immediately.Acoul9 get away from it. Every refern6to  sent a shudder toaheart,his troubled consciGand fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowing any9<, but stillF2 comfortabl5ridst ofagossip1kep cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealQtongu a little while; to divide)burden of distressdnotherr. Moreover, he wantUassur-mained discreet. "Huck, have you e!vSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course I8"n'Never a wordLsolitary, so help me. What makes you ask:Well, I was afeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt more Q. Aftepause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto t"Q theyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO. They ain't no diIbnt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree!Sob swore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma!t,tant, so'sde som'ersT{$jurame way ago on he's a goner. Don'g feel sorry for him, sometimesqMost always--m F. He*account; but then he h done anything%ur . Just fishes a little, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ts of timese stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we get himop5My!&8n't)W. And besides, 'tw*ado any=;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hate;ear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nfI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryj`wonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=dy talk4at,9.that if he was,Dfree^2lyn^A'd do it, too." 8The boys had a long,Cit broughm comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhaps with an undefinpe that somed;Q happAat mclear away their difficulties. But noC=e 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a= time--that'. only way I accounT it--AI go:Qswingiit's right. RighBEST, too, I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't talk4at.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yQed mez<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime  to see fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of RtfD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'll!th-Abars mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more iy." Tom home miseraWhis dreams that nigQht were full of horrors. The next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experience y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village bwas to2(ffect that Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. as out late,n"ca9bedwindow. He waa tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before heU sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeabout equally3 reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed in  ook their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggQtimidhopeless,L in, with chains upon him-seated w/Aall }urious eyes cstare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM!an<b pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoqlawyers|Agath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked upQtmospof prepar was as impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredtimmediately sneak some fur`}counsel forEarosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a momentzQdropp%rem agai6 his ownsI have nos to ask himEnextBprovbW findknife neacorpse. C$"I have n#,"#'s replied. A thirdswore he had often se%inO possession.Potter declined tE The faces;! began to betray annoyance. Did this attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior when c!toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-{bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesboccurrethe graveyardwhich all  remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovooof from the benchPel fo5rqproseculnow said: "ByAoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we afasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility ofQ, upo unhappy prisoner atbar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,she put his face in hands and rockedbody softlynU, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.Rmovedmany women's compa testifixtears. rthe def1oseYour honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proa$ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We Schangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Thev lerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookSplacePhe st8(and. The boy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadministered. "r, whereCyou Cseventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron"antongue failm audience libreathless, b~!s refused to come. After a few moments, however,uoy got a little of{strength backb manag^3puts of it into8voice to make part~e house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q4contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely perble start. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neve mentioning $your companion's name. We will produce him ai proper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitated andUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. What dBtake Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )the skeleton!atdD Now, tell us ever4at occurred--" eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at first"as"rmthis subject his words flowed morJ easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbEDhung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick aHs lightn half-breed sprang for a window, tore ay through all opposers, and1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOMa glittering hero onceH--the pet ofAold, Aenvyhe young. Hi even went into immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some}believedould be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreasowworld tookto its bosomRfondl as lavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;afore i'not well to find fault_1it.r's days: of splendorQexult@r to himdhis nights v?horror. Qinfes(ll his dreamswith doom in$eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterrorbad tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysfraid tha7t his shareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poor fellowD1got>qattornepromise secrecy, but what of that? Since }harassed conscience[managed to drive himc c's house byjaad tale from lipsPhad been sealedthe dismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidhuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%!up2tongue. Hal2timZwas afraidwould never be capturedVa othercK@h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until1man\Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewards*been offerelvcountryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, looked wLAise,sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. That is to say, he "! a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murderso afterogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure asVbefore. nslow days drifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we"of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinRed-Handed." Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedN1matbdo him kbtially`*AwillElway2 ake a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNPtime Lis not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid all around?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests undAe envaa limbn old dead tree,shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I Cide it; I'd spend have a good time"So;1 I.l"dolway. Theyf and leave it t"DAthey0ay more2No,$Rthink BwillDQgenerUQforge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it laysr a long]and gets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JHy'roglyphics--picture>qthings,nRknow,Mseem to mean any-AHave4got one of themas, Tom|!No0Well then,you going#61wan^ esbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can tagain some timeS ' -1 upzStill-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'emI 4allnHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Z one to go forHG zITom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf!fihbrass pot with a hundred dollar1it,^Agray2 fudi'monds. HowaHuck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTI:Dthrow off on di'monds. Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardly, but's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellso. Hain'ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckoni!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^Do they hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o Yto hop for?--but IRQ1jusVscattered&, 2in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`Aon'tiy like it-Rbight; )kG"begD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firszknow. S'pose we tackljdead-limb tree on the hill t'\ side of Still-House branchrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pick and a shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingEthrew themselves down in the sha a neighboring elm to resQa smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2SayQwe fitreasure hereFyou o with your shar2'll1pieaa glassoda every dayI'll go to Scircufcomes along. I betaa gay tinsL2f igrSave it" "Why, so  something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daRget his claws on iIurry up,Ijhe'd clea3out pretty quick.tsn$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M !" "That'As itSTom, you--why ]!inw right min"Wait--you'll seeEathat'sOfoolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! !1thead to f1alla I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"cky're all alikeM!y'l comb a body. Now you betterak 'bouqs awhilAtell-Byou /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's aI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's , like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only ifbe more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith meBstirVf*u and we% digging." ^aworkedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*(& n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2p. Not generally.we haven't got theQ placS|chose a new spotbegan again labor dragged a little, but stiy made progress:By pe4way in silenceVRsome rFinally leaned on his shovel, swabbed( beaded drops from his brow8aleeve,rQWhereCSgoing next, after we ge1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hill back qwidow'sdDll be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her la9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever findQse hiasures, it belongs to him. It drmake any difference wzaland i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. Byb4TBlame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVRthinkCt isn curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfer @s_the trouble<Shucks! WL` ain't  got no power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! You!toa out w]the shadowlimb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"edall thisfor nothing. Now hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _!an)go for itABI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonelyran hourXsolemn by o aditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks, deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answepulchral notM subdued by these$Rities%talked little. By and by they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1Legan to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris ir interest grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+/a stone or a chunk. At last Tom said: "It ain't any use, Huckre wrong again}but we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another o?that?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough i&too late or too early." Huck dropped his shovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroubleEAgiveq one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of ',L%rtime ofqwitchese2 a-flutteringZbtfeel aslbehind mee; and I'm afe!arTCturnS, becuz maybes in front a-waiting fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to look outiLordy!" "Yes2do.u!he7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolR"people. A body's bounget intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull and say  DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better" What'll it be?" Tom consid|awhile;dKThe ha'nted houp!itQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud, when you ain't noticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!grit their teeth way a ghost does. I couldn't stOuch a thas that--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUonly at nightwon't heus from digging in the daytimItso. But you knowcy wellgo about fA norr pmostly becauRato go  a man's%A mur, anyway--bubhing'sobeen seenBthat except !--some blue lights slip!bywindows--no regular sPyou see one of them[qflicker, you can beu4hy close behind it. Irreason. Be1any4butmquse 'em pECcometime, so wZathe usaour beffeard?a. We'll tackl 1 if--but I M reckon it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood%""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorsteps chimney crumbled to ruin -sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gazed awhile, half expectSwo see a flit past a{; then talQin a 1one, as befitte8Atimeqthe circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Runtedde berthCtookway homeward throughQwoodsc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< ffN ir tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alsoBly said: "Lookyhere1 dow2whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveCdaysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled look in the:Bm-- "My! I never once thought of it, Huck!" "Well, I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed a body can't be too careful5. We might 'a' got into an awful scrape, tackling such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!'s some lucky days, maybe, buta ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the firstfound it ounRnsaid I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rat"No! Sure signprouble. DiTy fight?-that's good!hey:]bonly afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England--anb best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robpOnly sh>aeriffsbbishop rich peopleRkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up with 'em perfectly squarebhe musbeen a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;NhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play --it's nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedLdthe afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink athe weey took their way homeward athwar| long shadows of the treesoon were buried from  sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom saiW1re so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it a single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledhcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!betausines)Z-hunting. Whery reach twas some so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re underaking sun,{ bSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDAdoor@mbling peep7y saw a we;'ed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1herand everyWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tensQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwQy gav a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextanted to look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off]P!go^daring each otherof coursre could beone result--LSthrewtools into a corne1madM ascent. Upnvthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ Lo go down and begin work when-- "Sh!"Tom. "What is it?"Oed Huck, blanching>rfright.G!..re!... Hear it?" "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." The boys stretch2mselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.eA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a, unkempt creature very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Xa low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continued remarks. His manner became less guarded an0words more distinct as he proceeded: "No,"ehe, "I've thought it all over1I dlike it. It's dangerous*D!" grunte"e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~Q made<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's re was silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPdifferent. Away up!riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w.  9]daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any @Qplaceandy after6 fool of a job.Int to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse trydo stir%hethose infernalA pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration of t1his remarkhow lucky s. they had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a day. They wishedir hearts[ had waited a year. The two men gotJ]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,ALook, lad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you from me. I'll tak]chances on dropping inis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'-'7 I've spied around a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together;was satisfactory. Both presently fell to yawningp I'm dead for sleep! your turn to watch." He curled downWa weedssoon bega7snore. HiDrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispereXNow's our`--come!" HN5uckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--Huck held. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ star lone. But the first step he wrung such a hideous creak Dthe crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<with fright. He neveria second attempo!lare countingdragging moments it seemed "emtime must be donGeternity growing gray;Cthen6ererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly uponcomrade, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his foot1saiHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All , though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we'veAleftrI don't know--leave itN3 as2aalways, I reckon. No use to rit awayf!wet south. Six hundnd fifty in silver':as some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omeonce mor"No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's betterYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge chance atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"M/ walked acrossroom, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonestook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty / irty dollars for himselfgas much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diggingRhis bowie-knife. forgot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloa1eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--Splendor of it was bey%ll imagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozencrich! Hereftreasure-hpunder theiest auspicesre would5A not90ny bothersome uncertainty as to where to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilyastood,,they simply meant--"Oh,you glad NOW we'rb !" Joe's knife struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box, I believe.--bear a hand and Qsee wo1t's for. Never mind, I've broke a hol4aHe reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinedwhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.NQ: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#5sidAfirea--I sa5a minute agoh!anbbrough2Rboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. Iu not very large; itU was iron bou had been+ strong before the slow years+Qinjurmen contemplatYtreasure awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of dollsCere,Injun Jo<'Twas always said that Murrel's gang used torone summer,".stranger observ"I know it-; "and this looks like it, I should say." "Now you won't ne"doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Leasall aboutathing. 'T@ robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"sa wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go homH<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillGhear from me`Well--ifqsay so;e'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a^ .] What business has a p1ickOa shovelG?, ,  on them? Who brought?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n . We'll ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|"of6. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--under!Rcrossother place is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to cautiously peeping out. Presently heB: "Who cose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsookX&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[Aturn\1war 1way Q e closet, buir strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyo spring for the" 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi2amiAUdebrigruinedVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc Now what's the use of all|? If it's8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@ant to jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes follow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoqhings inu1 ca1a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yedJoe grumbled awhile;he agreed:his friend daylight was left Y to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstared1 thKchinks betweE logd1. FA? Not they.! Tere conteUreachAgainout broken neckstake the townLrrack ovq hill. idid not talk muchwere too much absorb#haemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,n+would have suspected Chiddk8sil gold to waitW till his "revenge"Qtsatisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&2olsbIBre! Rresol keep a looko9 Spaniard(he should come toq spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wherathat m!beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked ittBover"as1BentewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 mean nobody @but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itB to be alone in danger! Company be a palpable improvement, he. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure of the day ily tormented Tom's dreams night. Four times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6rit wast7nothingness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4a"ba hard reality ofR1. AQlay i, smorning recallingincidentsJVgreatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued0 far away--somewhat as if ;had happenanother world, or in a time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAreal3had1qseen as as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &imagined that all references to "hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsaly exie@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. IPanotionuhidden had been analyzed, would havey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras Q. Bugrew sensibly sharperclearer under Qattri193ink&am over so he presently`1himk1leae!toRBimprZ2 G not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sittinge gunwalBa flatboat, listlesslyFqhis fee3aand looBmelancholy.?rconclud$2letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itws1be 2Vd to `only a# e. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TaI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't." "Whatwb?" "Oh,ing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8seen how much Q! I've had s enough all night--withpatch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /Swe'llXhim. A fellerq1onlq chance for a pile--and lost. I'd feel mighty shakysee him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's it8B'bou. But I can't make no[!ouAit. do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe it's the number of a houseGoody!... No, tfv,s one-horse town. They#Ano n*as here,!so. Lemme6K Here--i#heG room--in a tavernQ know;htrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I comTom was off at oncA did91caraAhaveW's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fou!inCbestq, No. 2Blongoccupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not any particular reasonthis state o1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9AmadewV#e & by entertaining himself be idea"ro` "ha'nted"etnoticed*"er9pa light rnight before. "Twhat I'vY2out. I reckon_Kvery No. 2 we're after/Qit isE. Now what you going to do?" "Ethought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo4" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeqet hold!lldoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWqa chancget his revenge. If rsee himjust follow him;_if he don't>Athe :Lordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself+Why, it'll b%R, surmightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anything1if bpretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet I'll<cDdarkh 'a' found out he couldh x#berBCafteLBmoneqIt's soOas so. {; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooRuntil nine, one watch2he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobody entere*For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had tme ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.taslippep in good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itCq. He hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }. Everytwas auspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom got, lit it inx~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.bavern.stood sentryrTom felway intoZ1The!re#a of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish1 selash fromCR--it 4fen him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heart had bu<Arst # terror and excitement. In4auneasi Huck found himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful 5s] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heonly able to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itout, the tbeating. Suddenly n"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUqenough;making thirty or forty miles arepetition?AutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]"goin its shelter the storm bursh the rain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofI could; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my brea Ath Idso scayn't turn inVck, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn't locked! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyaere, s asleep oARfloor4old patch oP1eyenhis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.1anyy but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!Why, it's ha#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got ae, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8qsuch a `u? But stnow's agood time to get&ifq's drunk%aIt is,*! You try iHuck shuddered.Eno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doQThere a long pause for reflectiothen Tom said:32oky3less notCB anyatill wwc 3notre. It's to9ay. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU,x"lly 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*#'mW,Othrow some gravel atrwindow @at'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeI I would, TomI(! t  for a year! sleep all dayi&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a little to eat if he can spare it.  !ik\, becuz I dover act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wanas a steadye$ift!indaytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Acyou sePhing'eTs up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on Friday morning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had ack to tow before. Both Injun Joethe treasure sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhausting&playing "hi-spy"%"gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's dewas boundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!he:Ahope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having his /to astonish&kers with,; but he\3dis ed. No signal came thatC. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_everything was reada start. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.picnics spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himk%lanTMrs. 6A sai[, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay allA somthe girlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrselfdon't be a#ny trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Stead of going to Joe2's *climb right2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!"  Becky reflected a momentaid: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--" shucks! Your mother won'tZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'A go F if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting baiand Tom's persusScarriqday. So i adecide;asay no? anybody R's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgivehZ ;took a dPbeal of'pirit ouYhis anticipations. Still he could not bear tol!upHkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so T it be any more likely to>!o-r? The sur evening outweighuncertain treasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinL"not allow himself to think of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below townerryboat sto(mouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9the different way1get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHAgoodgs began. AfterAfeas#re|refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomefshouted: "Who's$ ready focave?" Every1was. Bundlej"ca \procuredstraightwaU re was a general scamperBhillOx' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJ mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=qsun. Buaa impre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offromping d againcment aRlight. Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingeep descenWthe main avenue,pflickering raVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wallrock almost to their poipjunction sixty feet overhead. This not more than eight or ten? wide. Every few steps other#and still narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`*but a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights togethrough its intricate tangle of rift: chasms,Fsever fit4end Qcave;h!goY? jthe earth*i2jusesame--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venmuch beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3`y one. T moved along some three-quarterRa mil> then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridors, andX takeby surprise at !s F the?r joined . Parties were able to elud^for the spac half an hour without goinga the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame stragglOCack gmouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely delight" uccess ofday. Then theyMstonishea y had been taking no not[Ftimemabout at hanqe clang%ell had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild frN!pu#instream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whopnearly *2tir@Qdeath wondered what boat it waswhy she did not stop w--and then he dropped!ourhis minput his attentionLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock came4theK f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,village betook itself to its slumbers2lefRsmall>er alone/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernv re put out; darkness everys, now. iThat seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it up/turn in? AFfell22ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must bewbox! Soto removeztreasure.Bcall Tom no>w? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upG river street three blocks,(Bturnthe left up a cross-8y went straightEr, until!came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookfthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. Bu8y"stfa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetumach busheere at once hiddeothe gloomUd shorteneddistance, now, forle to see him. He trotted along a>while; then slackdpace, fearingaas gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savesrhe seem1hea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everything lost! HeAabou!spqwith wiwhen a man clearathroatfour feethim! Huck's R shot`lroat, buwallowed itY;sthen he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weakzhe must surely fallground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,1, l;4em there; it won't be hard to find. Nxr a voice--a very low!Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company9re's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisv2thadnger'st9haunted house. A deadly, chill wenob--thisthe "revenge" job! HisAwas,6ly. Then he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mor&n uEthese men were going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcall this and !in1momXhat elapsed betwee 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. WellTre IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell again, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you mayc1it.her husbandrough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. AnAain'Q5. I millionth part of iz!haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron-t jail, like a nigger!--withe town looking on! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM ifR here!noQ. Whe?2 waCget  on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--Isn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's got to be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWcompany ther;te? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was going to ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoun$8murderous talk; so he held his breath and stepped gingerly back; plante.foot carefully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sid `!onRfother.:n!, the same elaborationr risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)6! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass2ere=p'uly but cautiouslyrghe emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reacheWelshman's,banged aABdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons%thrust from windows. "What'sIArow ?? Who's banging? What do you want?" "Let me in--quick! I'll tell everything."ey, who are you@Huckleberry FinG4, lY!'+, indeed! It ain't a name to open many doors, I judge! ButYhim in, lads[let's see w qtroublePlease don'tI told you,"ccHuck'swords when he got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gotthtell, or he wouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!it0anobody';." Three minutes laterSE1his, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in qhands. accompanim no furhid behind a great bowlder and f>ell to listening. There%a lagging, anxious silence, and then all of a sudden?n explosion of firearms0a cry. waited for no particulars. He sprang away;sped dowl hill as fast aslegs could carry him. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingrapped g7aTold Welshman's&. The inmate,asleep, but!a Q that_set on a hair-trigger,sccount exciting episodenight. A calla:9oBre!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone:O It's only2FindFrhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseustrange worthe vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlQheardRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea] brace of tawll sons speedily dresse8mselves. "Now, my boy, I hope you're goodhungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwe'll have a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boysdd turn up and stop BlastFa." "IsSawfulq," saide , "and I run. I took out wh pistols wekfI didn't stop!three mile. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even if theyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but there's a bedx1for:Ryou'v^Fyour=Q. No, ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right wto put our hands o6Rm, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wHmeanest kind of luck! I tried to keep it back, but no use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my r raised:3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B< ey were off in a jiffy, villainsse after4down throughqwoods. I judge we never touche| m. They fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. AkRwe loVB sou$Twe quit chasing"ntand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&bit is Eaheriffaa gangS beat}Ms} them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2ould help adeal. ButBcoulRee whdrlike, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerPP" "S plendid! Describe8"--1, m!fAne's!olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>h,nce or twicet'other's a mean-lookQragged--" "TPcenoughawe kno men! Happened o)m1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. Offyou, boys, and tellfA--ge)r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huyou ought to havecredit of you did.@h no, no! Pq!" Whe young menhQgone,]5oldFA saiwr--and I3whyyou want itCBn?" Xnot explain, furthan to say< he already knew too much abSne of"me`+1manU Manything against him foB whole world--uld be killed for knowing it, sur("e.~old man promised secrecy once morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Tha ay of it last night. I could,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#!an4". just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me,;1unddreir armI reckoned'd stole it. OneCa-sm one wantlight; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?e, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey"t'{o rusty, ragged- devil." "Coulde rags?" This staggered Huck for a momentknow--but somehow ims as if I didthey went onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhearu1beg"-K the Spaniard swear he'd sp;rr looks?sas I toRr two What! The DEAF AND DUMBAsaidthat!" whad maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keewfrom gett he faintest hiG"whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$m into trouble in spite"Rll heFr do. He several efforts to creepof his scrape, buR'd?!upum["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I wouldn't hurt a hair of your head v!llnworld. No--I'd protect+ !.  is not deaf dumb; you've let that slip without intending it+ can't cover0up now. You knowthing abob%at4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes , then bent over and whispwiar: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!? almost jumped chair. In5 he<AIt'splain enough,pWhen you talmAnotc|"eaHB slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasJtalka cours i* rRthe lIing which heons had done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineZ,its vicinity for marksF of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightning they could not haaped withcqre stun0suddenness from Huck's blanched lips. His-were staring wide1his th suspended--waiting foraanswer WelshmanRted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTER you?" Huck sank back, panbgently deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and pres[NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he xgiven anyfor materiala plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he --feebly: "Sunday-school boo3ks, maybe." PoorP%too distressed to smileWthe old man laugzoud and joy6, shook up the details of his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such armoney in a-man's pocket, because it cut downoctor's bill like evern he addold chap, you're white!ja5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little fyCoff your balance2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hop+#brritatthink heaBgoosbetrayed{! a)icious excitement,HqdroppednBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however "ha"kn/a82n't!soion of a @Bmuchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all quthat thatsnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^be drifting just i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%men would be yx1ailybat dayhQTom c6QseizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompled2herea knocQdoor.lq jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt+ Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbinghill--to stareS\news had spreadh(Atellstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's another(more beholden1an -rre to mdmy boycAhe d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't have 21beeebre but!im." Of course this excited a curiosity so vastqit almolittled the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis Mrthroughqbe trans?whole townb refus"2par secret. When all else had qlearnedO  said: "I wensleep reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth while. Those fellows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}2theL8By'veback." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hours more. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villainsyet discovered. Wh- sermon was finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsidMrs. Harper as she moved downQaisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa5rs.  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy$'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--onyou. And now he's afraid%totto sett'q shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "HeBAus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A markQxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK?Y1No'b"o4did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he could say. =The people had stmoving out ofWhispers}aalong,ea boding  iness took possession ofz"y countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teachebey allthey had not noticed whether TomDwere on boar9 ferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughinquiring if any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!} swooned awa fell to cryingwringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutesQbells wildly clahe whole towr up! The Cardiff Hill episodeEinstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8down highroa river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empty and dead. Many women visited Aunt Polly Yand tried to comfort them. They cAwithR, too2tha1Qbetten words. tedious nigh]for news; but whemorning dawqt last, 1thed1cam, "Send more candles--and send food." was almost crazed;$3, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman1hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because,'h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  AHuckgood spots inEsaid: "You can depend&b on it'Amark7don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creaturecomes from his hands." Early-forenoon partijaded men began to straggle intv villag strongest citizens continued searchinggDnewsuld be gained+remotenessrn were being ransack7Wrbefore;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hitherS distance,shoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear dowsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@4hover ii7 relic she should| have of her .achild;UAno omemorial of herbe so precious, because this oneed latest the living bodyv awful death came. Some saiw and then,  cave, a far-away speck of! wrglimmerthen a glorious)burst forth aa scor men go troopingA echx&--cq sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>air tedhours along#R sank9 a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0Q anyt' The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, scarcely flutte public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lbsubjec3s?A finYasked--dimly he worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes,"*e widow. Huck started up in > bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! place hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell me!on4Ang--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer SfoundTinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveIa great powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone a! But she be crying about? CuM1she ald cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind under the wearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck.1 fia! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's shareapicnic*y tripped alongmurky aisles >Awithqrest of company, visiti8 familiar wonders.Tave--qdubbed X+rather over-descriptive names, such as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wandered a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles aloft4rea  tangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesrmottoesQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to awhere a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.%squeezedFG his small body behind it in order to illuminate it for Becky's gratification. He founit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrow$at once the ambition to be a discoverer seized him. responded to his call, andbmade aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw ais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off in search of novelties to tel upper world about. In onea spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactiteq length circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked allR it, OQadmir_Uand pleft it bynumerous passagesAopenAto iis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrustsa frosta glitt crystals;]:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRPhad b0een formed byd"joof great 2and!gmtogether,;Qresuleaseless water-drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot bats had packed themselvwousands in a bunch( lights disturbe creaturcame flockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously a candles. Tom knew their waymr danger%isconduct. HeH hand and hurried herthe first corridorqffered;6none too soon,a bat struck g- out with its wing while she was passing(<q cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way untilBshap1losthe shadows. He wantLqexplore8b;!s,aconclur!hawould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2theR timedeep stillnD!esTthe place laid a clammyg3upoBpiriDthe !. / said: "Why, I didn't notice2it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wo2howwe've beenhere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC waybIt's all a mixed-up crookedness to m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try som so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyas traversed it in silence a  way, glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itM`y wereG! all strange. Every time Tom made an examinationc would watch his face for/ncouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!ofAing ne that was wanted. He still saiwas "all 3," Xsuch a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<#!"clung tooqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goqway! WeW.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deeps"evqir breas were conspicuous i% hush. Tom shou The call went echoingthe empty aisleQdied K! distanc faint sound that resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too horrid,*Becky. "I!I better<; they might hear us, you know," and he~. The "6"Bpa chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing hopehildren stoodQand lJed; no resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps. I"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact toa--he c1notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Irfool! S Ithought werwant toback! No--I can'Tay. I)1mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8Aof ti wful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherS!nk,Qhe gr$and burst8renzy of cryat Tom was appalledthe ideaV$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat down !byqand putbarms aher; she bu|ser faceDq bosom,"clung to hiapoured:her terrors,Eunavailing regrets, afar echoesthem all to jeerQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamingAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. wW1try>Aope Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. Soroved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--3heyq!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyback itRsbecauseits natuOe when the spdht been taken of it by age and familiarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.Sa under,Vher hope di("edU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tkto pay attention,~it was dreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any Qwas aist progressjmight bear fruit;wto sit downto invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carrrfarthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_\all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponAthatQdrows!f to sleepTwas grateful> sat looking into her drawn0and saw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasantms; and bVa smile dawned -4and. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$his thoughts wandered away to bygone|#y memories. While he4eepWmusings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRAwas it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not beStheirIAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom said they <must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ 3find a springMfound one presentl sa!to Both were cruelly tired, yet said she4 Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'Fnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastenecandle to#wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothp!s 2for7Atimena brokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?""he. Becky almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MSYes--as big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do 'll be our--" She dropp sentence where0.O3vid'2cak/B atergood appetite, wTom nibbled at(amoietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-by Becky suggestat they move on againyilent a mom"qThen heA: "Q, can/bear it if I tellk#?"8's face paled, but s. "Well3n, o"we{stay herBere there'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClast! gave loosAearswailings did what to comfort herDwithzeffect. At lengthU%!"?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#ySBWhenget back+Fboatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[Dyou !as got homrA frighrlook inqbrought!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N not to have gone < night! The children becameP and &Muful. In a new burst of grief from}bshowed  thing in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit oftched it melt slowlypitilessly away; saw thinch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame rise^fall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,Forror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward it[jFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew wa"atIseemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2to talk, bu sorrows woo oppressive, all her>#8gonAbeenO#edgo, and no*Q doub2 search was going onwQshouttsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideously4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of]!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byFsaid: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. InlAanswY"itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'yqm!" sai; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainste6rtlone and 8stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred--tB no passing it at any rate.2gotaon hiss:reached as far&as he could. No bottommust sta]!rewait untilers came8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twhad gone altogether}t-sinking miser+1it! swhoopedh hoarse, but it was of no usW talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on*Rslept`awoke famisnd woe-stricken9 believedust be Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It be better to explo}$sevAe we=+R heav rdleness ook a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinding the: hUalong. At1endwenty stepscorridor ended in a "jumping-off place." Qkneesfelt belowA thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni"; he made an effort to stretch yet a little farththe right at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorx, and instantlyAhandfollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot move was vastly gratified the nexato see"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNat Joe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifyyn court. But the echoes21havAguis!e c. Without doubt,{was it, he reasonedA's f9 weakened everScle iody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 he,nothing should tempt him to runrisk of meeting +}Qagainwas careful to keepBecky what i "ee;told heronly shouted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superior to fears ilong run. Ano!ed@Bwaite springa'9sleep brought changes. The children awobrturedua ragingq believ'`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKQearchbeen givenQpropoo explore passage(sqwilling 8isktnd all JQrrors8 qas very4. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, N #Shm!To"gothe kite-linek chose; butk!im9d'aCback0BwhilNspeak to her;`swhim promise:"he!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissed he "r,a choking sensation in his throatQmade a show of being confident of find)ers or an escape the cave; then !ok7Ahand+ went groping down one of72s oQhands7knees, distress>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonand waned totwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mourned-FlostW$ha en found. Public prayers offered up for them, and manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuFwas plain tcould never beB!Mrfatcher2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,91layLbearily`moan. )!Aunt Polly had drooped into a settled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away insQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCxb bellsin a momentRstreets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn byitizens,nged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah* F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved one!kiqsqueezedt'Q, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all over the place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It would be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispatched with news toAcaveCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=1tol~A his!of'wonderful adventure, putting in many striking additionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasT"to9back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his he6shouldersa small hol1saw[broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it!onAppen$ b~hUa not h2een%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/broke the goo!d Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew going to diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >way out at the*1 anbn help2 ou? they sat trgladness+some men came alo@qa skiffgTom hailem their situa0qir fami3con rdidn't believewild tale at first, "because," sai y, "you are five miles downGriver belnavalleycave is in" --then tookboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after darkLqabroughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thandful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clhey had strung behi[!m,informed ofAA. T2daynights of toil an0d hunger  be shaken off at once, as Toj Becky soon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesday and Thursdayseemed to grow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.agot abYa little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as whole as ever Saturday; but1did Qleaveroom until SunUPshe looked as ifphad passq a wasting illness. Tom learnHuck's sicknes1wen1seeobut coulbe admitl.bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or 6wasHSdailyFAthattb was wto keep still  his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-%been found AnearYferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. AbWQ fortiTom's rescue froDhe start0f to vis>it Huck, who had^n plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcinterest himthought. Judge Thatcher's house&#onw2opp2seet J~friends setto talking%one asked him ironically if hen't likezocave again_said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are others jusuyou, Tom, I'v|he least doubt. But we have tcLfA. Nowill get lost!atA anyH." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--and"goTbkeys."!tujite as a sheet.Aat's0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The gbbt:thrown into|face. "A you're all riAWhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread a dozen skiff-loads of men 3were on their way to McDougal'sE the ferryboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[ioR bore b. Whe*Vbbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%!of,fplace.x1 laetched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`A, as4is longing eyebeen fixed,>latest moment,5he cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr $had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity8 which revealhim in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him sinceXday he lifted%Cvoic"st bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade broken!wo great foundation-beamO1chiand hackeQugh, tedious labor; uslabor, too, it wasthe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have52 usRstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMRdoor,xcit. So "ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on1 fiRlf a dozen bits of candle stuck ahe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneAsearrthem ou 2eatBm. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In on_ , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly growW from}ages, builded b water-drip from #actite overhead1caphad broken of#!mpdone, whereinARscoop hallow ho2to the precious drop rfell onevery three minutes wit=!drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellthe foundation0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror create British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willI be !al1se squnk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand yearsready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and man/1y aa since^hapless half-bree1out# 1ice8drops, but to 3!ay81toustares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4buried near Qmouthg;people flocked there in boats"wagons from<BtowncQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfessc!eyhad almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcouldD& hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni!--!et)1 togovernor forbpardon5#ha]largely signed;Nqtearfuleloquent meetingsBheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail  cimplore him t.o be a mercis trample his duty under foot/elieved tokilled five citizensrvillageBwhatat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklings ready to scribblir names to a-drip a tear on itLir permanently impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck rivate placeG an important talk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshmanthe Widow Douglas, by3timTom said he reckons6was?had not told him;"thsThe waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevrund anybut whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f businessed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dl!gome some way or oAand m"mewaif youmum to everyelse. To!m,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUFC his was all righSaturday I went to the picnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch therenight?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCNI follered Injun Jothe widder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukeep mum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on me doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenTom, who had only %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{a, presy, coming baPmain question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom ;Gq wasn't~n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom,Myon the trackMwagain?" "Hu2ck,!in cave!" Huck's eyes blazed. "Say itATG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ;--just as# ver I waomy life. Will2go tre withhelp get it ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe can our way to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkURF's--jAyou ?wait till wef!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumaevery  I've goV  I will, by jingA#--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRqnow, ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IW$arcave? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five;2 ineO anybody but me would go,^mighty short cutbCthey NP know=q. Huck,B takGriin a skiff.&2flo] C dow=, I'll pull it back all by myself. You needn'tturn your hand over." "Less start1offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`of these new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's the timelshed I hagFwhen before." A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  _the cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yok 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSaashore." TheyG92Now,qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]bout of a fishing-pole. See if you + can find it." Huck searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m< into a thick clump of sumach%nd2Her^are! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9 just keep mum it. All along I'vewanting to be a robber, but I knew I'rto havebng liko run across it waabother!vecit now=it quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or elsQ woulibe any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "itBdoes And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$lynd kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,kill theb womenshut up the 5m. They'reF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtir watches54ss take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'll see that inbbook. =qomen geloving youEthey,9a week or two y stop cryingTyou cmwhem to leave. If$ro!ouy'd turn right arand come back. It's soc books"y,Dreal bullyI believe better'n a pirateF3YesF& in some ways, it's close to home ccircusav!By time every%1 wa"dy ys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY.felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed the fragment of candle-wick perched5 on a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnesd gloomplace oppressrspirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor until they rea"jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUS fact`tnot really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do K ? There--on the big rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!jtreasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is `bout there, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from#, l y#ngthe money. I knowrways ofsyAso dv." TomiBfear was right. Misgivings gathered in his mind. But7 an idea occurred to him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|awhere 's a cross!"_Bpoin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"atthat's so. It's luck1us,L { is. I reckon we'll climband have a huntGthat box first, cutting rude steps inas he descended.. Four avenues opened!ofI small cavern which the greatstood inI boys examinj2ree0"emno result. They found aiUrecesone nearel4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind, aOwell-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsere was noB-boxlads searched_%reBthis8, but in vaOom said: "He a UNDERVr. Well,DVcomes0o being under3It can't beP itself, because! sOolid on the ground6heyReveryzonce moreORn satdiscouragcH suggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintsesome candle-gre= about one sidX!is 3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet you; ISbU. I'mH dig4Thano bad notion "!"ith animation.'s "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he struck wood.y!--you h-2?" UH2digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed6y concealed a natural chasmreckon it's not muche(t now. El knows --a, too,1allf!trro let ozW.(was bound Huck should be here--couldn't get along with 3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberste widow's.)7 wacmake aAtimesurpriser!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--t@ZQtherely one person in\town meanzR to d XI72had!in 's place you'd 'a' sneakedQ hilltold anybody0S. You%ado anyQmean sKbear to seeTpraised for doing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears andim to the +Bdoorseveral kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, affashion ofqcountryobday. AbproperlMr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedthe honor3wasqhimselfhis sons3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprungHuck's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0aair showstonishment,QheapeCmany compliment2 sogratitude upog`he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being set up as a -Qtarge everybody's gaze andlaudations. Tshe meant to give Huck a homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancBcomeqaid: "don't need it.'s rich." Nothing but a heavy strainthe goodsEe company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe believe it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You juRit a ." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each a perplexed interestuinquiringly a:, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{easacks,2 diafinishMsentenceCpourU1masyellow coi" the tabl}qThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sXand hbmine!"spectacle tookeneral breath a1Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5"itWahe did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasion2it Bamou2anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allowwas counte[3sumtVed toover twelve thousand dollars. It!mo%anSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz#in#ty. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA4andAwindfall made a jQtir iT poorvillage of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, aFll in actual cash, seemed next to incrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house inA andTneighboring# s was dissected, plank by Aound0s dug upWQransacked for hidden treasure--and not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, some+mrT4q appear8!eyQ couradmired, st#a+to rememb~at their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lostpower of doing and commonplace !s;past histor1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originality5o paper published biographical sketcheNt.%Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge ThTatcher di _same with Tom's at Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, that was simply prodigious--a dollar for week-day inAyearChalf Sundays. I[just whaminister got --no, i(#!he4#promised--he generally couldn't collect it. A dolla quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him#formatter. Judge Th had conceived a great opiniRTom. He sahat no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in orHro shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--awas worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to pGeorge #Washington's lauded Truth aboutx[1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whb walke\Bflooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/itAoped"ee+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traineqthe bes  qcountry[ be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fac#now undeQ&Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into societyWdragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost morQn he  bear. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushedthey beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cup, a3nd plate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turned,eAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksn3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow hunteeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyPpoking among old empty hogsheads down behiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had sleporjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque;5day01freq happy.Croutvout, toldroublebeen causing, and"C urg=to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0Uwork;T work6t ain't for me; Iused to it:widder's good to ml friendly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!atA smo?1 me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;dthey're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay qroll ar!anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE --well, it 'pears to be yearA  and sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in there,[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>pbody do"esway, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's tied up so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no comfort--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died@h wouldBAmokeu y=she5Bgapeqstretch Q scra )before folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritationinjury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN"thX! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-(THAT, Tom. Looky /Tbeing richwhat it's crack);A jus!ry$Rworry 2a-w you was dead a< . Now these clothes suits meEthis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more.2t into ais trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not many , becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"metv"Oh,8DknowP1 do . 'Tain't fair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. NoI won't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stic'em, too. BlamBall!Sas we3gun_Sa cav2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness has" k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CDhere CP keep6 me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; ares in real dead-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sitting. But Huck, we can't let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C]Rme ina Didn'pxQme go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than what a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul shet me out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goawidderaqa month6Ctacknd see if ! co stand it, if you'll lt b'longcAgang." "All right, it's a whiz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow toqAup oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe2goi.Vstart1and5s?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys togetherAhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear tand by one another never tellgang's secrets, even 're chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his familyCa hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inqlonesom|est plac can find--a ha'nted house i! b:-Z23up od, anyw{(socyou'veP sweaWr on a coffinsign it with bloodOANow,'s something LIKE! Whymillion times bullier than pirating.TstickSwidder till I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverG talking 'bout it, I reckon be proud she snaked me in oute;wet." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;G'could not go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersj performais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whilqtake upzyounger ones again[see what sor"mewomen they turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveauRat pactheir lives at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edit ion was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combinationYistics of threem I knewStbelongs5composite order of architecture. The odd superstitions touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atdbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of what they Bonceathemselvesof how they felt and  aalked,}what queerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles downulooked ovebam abou room; then she pIm up:cut und?. She seldom or nevereTHROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomjso she neede.d breath to punctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seI beat of!went to the open door and stood in iR ut among the tomato vines6"jimpson" weedspconstitute garden. No Tom. SoSlifted upm voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m5'a'closet. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--tjeit is. Forty>s I've said if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.a hoverair--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!XrwhirledTnatch Qkirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scraJ2mblthe high board-fenceg disappeared over it. Hisc Pollysurprised a moment,then broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anything? Ain't he playericks enough lik1forAo beq1ing$rfor him6!is? But old fools is0biggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to " w1comHe 'pears!just how long  n torment me before I gedander uphe knows if he can makeDEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againI1hita lick. I afcmy dut!at&the Lord's truth,bb. Sparx1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's fullG(e Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1gotAhear lash him, somehow. Every ,time I lef off, my conscience does hur"souQevery% I!myumost breaks. Well-a-well, man  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll18be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, to punish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanB els I've GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideAd a +Agood0!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@ware in to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already thrAwithDpart2work (pick{qchips),a quiet boy, anId had noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s"ntxAtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkmysterious diplomacy0bhe lov5contemplate her*transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'Didn't you want to go in a-swimmNTom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolWBnotho he said: "No'm-y2notAmuch!helady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ! n hough." And it flatteredato reflects2adiscov'"2they1dryout anybody knowing tha0t4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of her knew where the wind lay, nowZforestalledcrmight b3next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He open]s@b. His 4as securelyQ. "B! Well, go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, assaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Ss half sorrysagacitymiscarried ,3gla?Tom had stumbled\obedient conduconce. But SidneyIDif I52you{Pith white thread, 's blackBWhy,Op sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiudoor heSiddy, I'll lic1for\-." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapelsd bound abouTm--on^  DA andSotherH' Hhe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Conf it! sometimes she sews it&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Withinminutes, or even less, forgotten alls. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%AdrovmS!of1min0time--just as men's misfortunein the excitekmfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negrohGsuffering to practise it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it, if!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFt#eeF3hisfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFAwithEboy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyustle. A strangerbefore him-- a shader'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\P of SRt. Petersburg boy was well dress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabouew and natty"sohis pantaloons. He had shoes on--and iGonly FriHe even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher haed up ose at his finerqhabbier(1ier)own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, circle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd  o see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(rcan't, 2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)Pll why don't youhI\ say much, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I could with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to7 wh DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole families insame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll takeb!re suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGT for? W{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3/QeyingAsidl R eachp. Prese ntly they were shoulder to . Tom said: "Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo 4 ei81So ybstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.ell my big brohe can thrash!thlittle finger.I'll make him do it, toRI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Bothasimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#soAit sTom drew a lineBdust1hisi"to{ qFstepZAlick5't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~psaid: A"Nowsaid you'dnow let's see$." "Don'tcrowd me now;better look ou0QWell,HSAIDhS--why|d?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILL took two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t ground. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb in the dirt, gri together like cats; and for.space of a minuteRtuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3Qscratc's noscovered themselves:ry. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to fre self. He was crying--mainl{rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a sm bed "'N1let!upa2Now8qll lear:. BnA who_oling with next time3ff brushingAfrom5Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying back and shakQs hea threatening what he woulato Tom"next time he caugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feather! as soon aswas turne1newI#sn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetweeshouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homthus foundwhere he livedna position at`AgatebAsomehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4dpersonQaunt;gswstate hisW were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handledcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down uponspirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet/ . Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. Sigh)he dippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeated the oper5ation; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Brkwater from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He rememberEat tup$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysCgirlTb waiti!irqs, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEgwine to ax me6 to,r!so7go 'long'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to debin'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w/ talks. Gimme the bucket--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimblewho cares for that, I'd like ton%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$1cryggive you a marvel.'1 a s alley!Qbegangaver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiRHe puC hisstook th$a&nt$tobsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwoundU. In another moment Vs flying downbstreetm and a tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompafield a slipper in her hxnd triumpheye. But Tom's energy did not lastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. Soo(free boys  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea rCtoys. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranqui . Ben Rogers hove in sigh1t presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7Qlighthis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodA&whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}bspeed,the middlU, leaned far over to starboard$rounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginer standing Cs own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he up slowly toward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8xmAidesZaet herW mAstab%p! Ting-a! Chow! ch-chow-wow! rhand, meantime, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe 2top &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanthat stage, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2yBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchy&an artist, then he gave his brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedlongside of him)%. Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenlypJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bit,Rat do1all$?"IETHAT1TommC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comQdon'ta to le{you LIKE it?" ycontinued to moveike it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily backforth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting more and more interested,"an absorbed. PresentlyBaid:ia, Tom,)MEgvlittle.sidered, was abouconsent;P"alnqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;-be done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o 5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&happen to it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgll give youcore of my e2app!"W+rhere--N24, n.bafeardWALL of it!qgave upp brush with reluctance in c2aceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist sat on a barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughter of more innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along e:; they came to jeerHQremaiowA. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enmiddle of'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas;look through, a spool;Q cann2 key that wouldn't unlock any, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,Yall. He had discoveO great law of human action,sout kno--namely, in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obliged to do. jAAnd  help him to understh\atructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line, insummer, becausprivilege costs them derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "yresign. Theqmused aiC oveaubstantial changch had taken place in hldly circumstancescthen w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for s  no company@A but#caL!itKasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Sz thought that of course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power againis intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4Dfindper cent. of Tom's stat true. Whenl2fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonishmenlmost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never!a's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adiluteq compliAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bso say. Well, go nQ'longlQplay;]%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &was so overcome byrsplendor of his achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself'it came without sin through virtuous effort. And whiled:3 a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skie#ou saw Sid just starting upoutside stairwayllcrooms second floor. Clodhandy and the airfull of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiescsally @%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,=eneral thing h&too crowdeP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)2TsettlH"SiT calling attention to his Tblack thread21getnrouble. Tom skirtedablock,6a muddy alleyaled byEback unt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyon{ reach of capand punishmentahasten1war9 public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two gcommanders did not condescend to fight i--that being better suio still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminencevQcondu the field operations by or0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a and hard-fought battln"dead were counted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagre d7ythe day fo" necessary3ed;QwhichR fell1lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`PpassiUQng byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4+without firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished outQheartAleft;even a memory( erself behind. He had thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePd his passion as ado; behold it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d g like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discovered him; then h1teneeAknow\4was, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%kept up thi-s grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asideM4the/girl was wend way towarX. Tom came up tof and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a moment oQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1sharis eyeschis haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH. Presentlyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally his bareArest(liant to=xes clos and he haway withqtreasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomynot hypercritical, anyway. He returned, now2hung abouLtill nightfall, "showing off," as U6"th" never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ Bhopesad been>window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,#[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got in child." He took a good scolclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/1torsa body ty you do. Y)ou'd be always8 'ugar if I warz atching you." Presently sezrkitchenX happy in his immunity, reach2thez1-bowl--a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledRtonguwas silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief; JKtCand therabe not"soEiworld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultati hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASainstanQprawl#n or! The potent palmdupliftQBrike Tom cried out: "Hold on1'er.belting ME for?,C--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ she got herQgain,only said: "Umf! W_ you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckon. You been some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beo4tru!a confesstshe had the wrongdiscipline forbadefA. SohBkeptf"ce2went abouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woAknewe5rt Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of i<hang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelsick unto deatho=Ebendhim besee} one littl giving word, but h%turn his face toQ1allB die  that word unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$t home frompriver, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howthrow herselfand how CearsBfallr( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysQ!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of watich overflowedthe wink`ran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUoApett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacr/rcontact7so, presently, is cousin Mary danced in,!Ealive joy of see)2inglagain after an age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&ar accustomed haunts of boyssought desolate placesin harmonyb spirit. A log raft in the  invited himfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingg$uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8#ApityC knew? Wrshe crym3wiss1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}2she#!coBawayall the hollrld? This picturn agony of pleasurable !itCoveri2mino`set it& up in new0varied lights, tillZe it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle was cast dull glow 9the curtain of a second-story window. Wassacred presencre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  alookedDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposingupon his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~R coldRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-dampsR1row8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sE outv glad morntand oh!A7op one little t\1ear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The# went up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profan" holy calm a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Tswas a whiz astmissileair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aH shivering glass followedsmall, vague formF!ov!e >Mshot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by+tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of makiny "references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD2eldAeace, for tdanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun 5on a tranquiland beamed8peaceful village likenedicti.on. Breakfas, Aunt Polly had family worship: it bega# a built fromz ground up of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xusummit of this she delivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.a girdehis loinsto speakto work to "get@verses."qhad lea?N esson days before. Tom bentehis energies to^memorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/Py--th"ey?bTHEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShEtheyzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, # fb shall-- *%--/fI 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-heaRhing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must goblearn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll give7something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gai`nZit with such spiritD he accomplished a shining success.{" gave him a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelvea half cents; the convulsion of deligh swept his system shookx!tofoundations. True, the uld not cut any but it was a "sure-enough" ,re was inconceivable grandeur in5--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it )rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setM n a little bench there; tb dippeBsoape"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behind the doror. ButAremo,1and said: "Now ain't you ashamed, Tom. You mustn't be so bad. Wwon't hurt you." TomTtrifle dis8urted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpresboth eyes sh8d groping forH.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romKqemerged#>,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short aX2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in front`1acka*Cneckqt!ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brotherout distinct|b colorYtAatur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[ labor and 2difficultyplastere Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]a to beaminateS his own A3lifhbitterness.] Thenrgot out a suit ofFclothing had been used only on Sundays dutwo years--they were simply caQ"otheqthes"--Bo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "put him to rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crown#speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly imprand uncomfortable6was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessgm. He hopedMary would forgetqes, but2hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want said, persuasively:4$ "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he got intoshoes snarling.was soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hd aheart;1Sid)fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedificWmall, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topxa steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibitedsatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle or oth4ier forSblue ones. He waylaid boys as they came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteV, nowmwarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to hisqnd starO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned~Rmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"got a new reprimand.4his. Tom's S clasWof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However,worried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,a passagScripture on it;(;1pay3twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaSone, and 9could be exchanged^1it;rCyellow one;/3ten .{the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would haveindustryaapplic+ to memorize two thousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five3onced threeout stopping; butstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 helittle better th{b idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}L3ickair tedlong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstance; the s!uccessfuls?conspicuous for  !onaspot escholar's heartQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?"at often lasted a couple of weeks. It is possible4cTom's qstomachnever really hunger!onU:., but unquestionablyentire beingWfor many a%lothe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due course< stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i#inevitable sheeRmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sa referAo bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creaturirty-five a sandy goateSshorthair; he wore agb stiff!ing-collar w  upper edge almost reacheEQ ears;-sharp points curv]qqabreast corners of his mouth--a fenccompelled a straight lookout ahead,ya turning of\whole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a spreading cravat which(as broad}s long as a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%earnest of mienbsincerhonest at;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intona(wholly absen week-days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as1can and give <!meAyour attenfor a minute or two. There --that is it. T the way good littoy girls should do. I see one+girl who isting outwindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in oneR trees making a speech to. irds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, cleanmfaces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9!wa1a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresump of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,}q subsid(ofY' the conclusiopspeech Twas receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an"t which !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading a child. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momence next qs "show2ff"=1all^might --cuffingBpullh3ir, faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate aiqand winae. His exaltQ!ut5Ralloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and Qrecorsuas fast]out, underkQwavesisappineswere sweepRver it now. Th2eO)given the highest seabhonor,s soon as Mr. Walters' speechqinished]introduced them tobaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one tha county judge--altogetherymost august crethese childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. Hearom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled1seea world"se1Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attestthe impressivex2ce #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge)1brocir ownOe. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "eaQ#s: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say- -look! h"to shake handshim--he IS shaking! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A fel"showing off,"tall sortofficial bustlingsFactivities, givBrders, delive judgments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere that ld find a targetlibrarianed off"--runn&iQ with his arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJAfuss insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilfl.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemen$small scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobipline ,th sexes, found business up atN$y,qpulpit;!it6gfrequently had Bdone again two or three times (Qmuch seeming vex). The li3ttle girl in various ways,8the wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wads e murmur of scuff. And above it allEgreat man sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@Rhousewarmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[too. Theronly one thing wanto make ' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Severalhad a few yellow tickets, but none had enough had been arRamong#%tainquiring. He w have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandja. Thisa thunderbolt out of a clear sky was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEpit--her2ae wereBcertified checky$Dgoodoir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`$ost stunning surprise of the decad=qso profCR sensa}it liftenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inof one. The boyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake Rgrass !4was;as much effusion  superintendent cpump up circumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him a mystery could no1t well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse< thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozen would strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrenceproud and glad, sQiAmakesee it in he--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--nheart broks jealouRangry`Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). introduchis tongu0Qtied,qbreath  hardly comequaked--partly becau awful greatnesg1an,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall downorship him, if%erBAdark phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goUout: "Tom.." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. IQ ther more to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyfellow. TwoLverses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry fow you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+_look back;It's all owo precious Sunday-school privilegmy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mT over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upq is wha$R will{!2--a wouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeedE9now mind tellingnd this ladyB!ofs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknoww2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, nowzhis eyes f4Mr.7' heart sank within himH_bto himETpossible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Ad'--don't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E$me\1thewO. "TF twoeDAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe rest of thke scene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tenVcracked bell) small church began to ringpresentlyBepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. The Sunday-school children distributeKmselves aboutkAhous occupied pews/ their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly came1Tom'1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordamCe as far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upX"s: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOejusticRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace it9e most hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivitie St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3MajsMrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson, theHr new noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule sucking cane-heads, a circling wa! o and simpering admirers, tilast girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Mufferson, taas heedful carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7#to, 1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?his pocket behind, as usual ons--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. Ycongregationfully assembled, now,Mrang once, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Cthe <Qwhich&vbroken byCtittsnd whis choir i8n-rgalleryTchoir=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleCmuchZaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down8spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe-skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wiRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" `ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would lift<3han let them fall helplessly rir lapsc"wall"Ceyes, and shakeuheads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." Afterhymn had been sung Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meetings}societie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN2waswent into details: it pleaded eM2rttle children church;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMpppresseGd millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far islandAsea; closed with a supplicationwords he was aboutpeak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dresseAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he#dirmuch. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/a a fly=lit on t!uhe backWew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyTt%dyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwas; forr2oreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed 3did $Qwhileu on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forwardCthe ra"Amen"r!he prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod yn argumentEdealt in limitless firMbrimstone andnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom count_aages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utherema, but JAldom2B anyelse abou discourse. However, this time he8really interested`r little). * a grand and moving pictureassembling2world's hosts at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie&#a Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he onSought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMoirhimselfhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHpQ him qtreasur"haN!goaout. IP a large+ black bee"ith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmdid was to take!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZthe aisllit on its backthe hurtpR went's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;iqsafe ou!hiTch. Other people unci>sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urvrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenrhis lipqade a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn a; bega]Aenjo diversion; subsided to his stomachW between$Bpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz There was a sharp yelp, a flirT'  fell a couple of yards away, S once more. The neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveQaces behind fanI handkerchiefs1TomLentirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt soas resentmB tooBda cravAreveBSo h a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ;p an ant around,8his nose afloor,quickly wearied& at; yawned, sighed, forgo kIsat downy&n La wild yelp of agonysailing up the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;.ranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe2. AAfrantic sur sheereddits course,Nsprang intowmaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1sred-facusuffocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; for evegravest sentiment@s were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a rarely facetious thing. It0a genuine relief to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,king to himself thabre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!henaink it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazt began anothek's slowie school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'oi aptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; thenAstay:re was a vague possibilityRcanvassed his system. No ailmen, and he investigated. This time hedetect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feebleRpSAdiedbly awa reflected further. Suddenlys!edaOne of%upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groana "starter," as7alled it,"if.2me Bourt7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So"ol= tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3'alittleA8 arememb-3heae doctor tellSa certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But nowAknowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well w& orth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconscious. Tomed louderr fancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid]was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimselfnd fetched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse worked well56Tom\Sid yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathAbegastare at Tom. Tom wen~2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" AH(looked iface anxiouslylmkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Oh, don'at stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner? Oh, (! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoeverything. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dy^!arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catwaone eythat new girl tB com2owntell her}rhad snahis clothespAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidQMary r heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached tdside she gasp2YouUP matt"er1you`Oh, auntie, I'm,"What's the matt4.--Q}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorec1and<Pa turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rceasethe pain vanished fromrtoe. The boy felt foolish, it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 IS!bu 're not going to die aboutc . Mary, get me a silk threadva chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I mayif it does. P_@p, aunti-Be. I want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing? tI love you so,+ eem to try every wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endeA fasRTom's:aa loop2tieQotherhe bedpostpn2eiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:b's facJ hung dangling by}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition;1one) had cut his fingS had been a centre of fascin9EahomageDo this timQ founEselfJout an adherent, and shorn ofglory. His heartyQheavyT he said $a disdain which he did not feelit wasn't anyth o spit like Tom Sawyer; b1boyk, "Sour grapes!"ae wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by 1e msU,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and84allkhildren s delighhis forbidden societR wishEqy dared1eQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast cond; as under strict orders no8BplaySo he played9he got a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown meAthey  in perennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, when he wo:re one, hung nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged low~containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4idirt whenwrolled up. and went, at$own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weathey in empty hogsheads in wet;have to go-chool or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchosestay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,  goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello$!" yourself,Ksee how you like it." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzI got atslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way as!! @Qthat S a-goVado any2. YV to go all by yourself,middle ofcwoods,p2yout[Gs a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayB donNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's G rtiest boy in this town;he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`always got considerable many warts. SomeI take 'em}1wit1eanAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuR!soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'acrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upDrestyBbean"se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZ1 toooa helpsh!to[A the.pretty soon she comes %--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;jq no morbBme!'better. T:y Joe Harper doeshe's been nearly to .rCoonvil most everywheres. But say--how do you curdead catsAWhy,%cyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about w5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or three, butcan't see 'emcan only hearthing likeCGwindY''em talk; they're takingfeller awaym#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,i,Acat, I'm Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t(a, Huck"No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axone day,ahe seeUawas a-ing him,K!e up a rock9i!hardodged,azRher. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' s a layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How diOknowLord, pap can tGeasyKbkeep looa; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-.sll comeold Hoss Williams t8q" "But him Saturday. Di69get1howqtalk! H uld their charms work till -?--and THEN it's Sun|evils dolosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought ofR. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went "hr&rocks at mesays 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz auntieame, but I'll meqow this. Say--w#thNothing but a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gd know.U2 wa`sell himuAAll 4. It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dowbbelongem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meu1ShoAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toOWell, why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyear,--I'll givemy tooth Less see iTom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewQ wist-. The temptation very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?AliftQs lipQshoweN vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,the boys separated, each feel{ing wealthier than before. When Tom reachlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$all honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacrit master, throned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, luby the drowsy hum of study. The interrupArousXm. "Thomas Sawyer!{Bknew2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usualwas about ake refuge in a lie,e saw two ; ails of yellow hair hangingoba backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE o girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his mind. The(You--you did what?" "Stopped!lk@ Huckleberry Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confession I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_offence. Take off your jacket  's arm performed until it[tired andQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV"si_! And letbe a warnWTo youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abaszboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolead pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hQd heraway from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but 4satAwitharms upon the, low deskOB himAseemAbook. Byby atten$Dthe accustomed~P murmqur rose]dull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave the backe space of a minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled onslate, "Please take it--I got" The girlduno sign. Now draw something *!hik his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice;4tuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betrayhAawarit. At last!inhesitatinglybLet me see idom par!ve dismal caricature of 1ra housetwo gable ends}a corkscrew of smoke issuing fromqchimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten#up;Aworkqshe forgot everya4els it was finished, she gazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man." The artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over!ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monster,)a beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonkstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan6saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/Oh, will you??" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'mAwhen good. You call me Tom" "Yes." Now<began to scrawl sometslate, hi!ds U. Butnot backward this time. She beggedqee. Tom Oh, it ain't any Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou treat me sbAWILLw3" Akput her small hand his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom preteno resist in earnut letting his_ slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifAimpu"InSwise borne acros @deposited ic own seat_, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hohool. Then master stood over him duMa few awful moments,finally moved away to throne without saying a word3 although Tom's ear tingled,Bheart was jubilant. As quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1A reaQclass } botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly deadrnot a breathJ stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysF drowsing murmur ofAfivebtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul likeBpell$is_bees. Away off .flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of heat, tintedthe purple of distance; birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingXvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pasdreary time. His handR intoBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, he did not know iten furtively!Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him o` long flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,#is,2it !emd:x1wheQstartankfully to travel off, him asida a pin"!ake a new direction. Tom's bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad been, and now headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instanHis bwas Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gett.e fullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour qyou canbq him upMqI'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,Poqwould look one"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeDAoverS1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and abideJoe. The tick tried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to speaTom's fingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offkeep possessionWQTom cstand it nozemptation was toocqreachedFand lent a hand/!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look hera, whos\that tick?" "1I don't care$_he ism you sha'n't touch himWell, I'll, bet I will, though. He's mys2and/do what I bNSpleashim, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;#fol2pac\wo minute dust continued to fly from qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy itnhad been tooS]anoticeAhush had stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing&the roomstood over them. Hencontempla good part"he performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res1'emAslipT turnVrough the lancome back.!go@Q1way%!itcame way." S6ne went off+ one group of scholars, and tgaith ant. In a little :two met atdbottom#la -they reachehad it all tqmselves< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave zncil and held2hanis, guiding itDbso cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!M do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing rouar head a string"No[1for much, anyway. W like is chewing-guSOh, Ila say sAwishd some nowv? I've got1letAchewAB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweCabouRdanglir legs againsench in excess ofntment. "Wasever at a circus?" saic. "Yesmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms8I)f three or Afour9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! ill be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. AnQy getA1her"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoQWould&C!to<I reckonCknowqQis itu/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyzawon't have anybodyZQhim, 2, aVn>Ckissat's all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--well[y always do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember what I wrote obqYe--yesRwas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but J, t now--to-morr8`Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, *so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consentpassed his arm about her waisteT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added: "Now0a it to me--Rhe saPShe resisted,ra whilethen saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" T3he sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge@orner at last2er little white apron9!fa?om claspedneck and pleaSWa, it'skdone--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--?+ll!."he tugged aD and the harnds. Bh!byrgave up!le9 hands drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EcalwaysQthis,Bknow ain't ever to love0m"me+Xxo marry,B me,nOand forever. Will]) u{*t Zyou--"to- "ither." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^!'rKBwalkh2me,/Rtherevlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRhearda beforB"Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs#'vDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dBcry, Becky, Iqare forTany m 1Yes1 do$--Rs." Tom tri put his arm abou)Qneck,she pushed him awagq turned1facK"llwent on cryingvaagain,u soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was Erodeutside. He stood, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancing aBdoorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com%find him. Buttdid note to feel badls fear that F.trong. It was a hard2himke new advances, mbR nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not kn exactly how to procehen he said hesitatingly: "Becky, I--\ ." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YQwon't{say some?" MoreDTom got out his# chiefest jewel, a brass knob fromtop of an andiron2apassedBroun"so:Qshe cbsee it3said: "Please, take it?" ScQuck ithe floorTom marched out ofQhouse over the hilly far away, to return to school noday. Presently 32buspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereULAalle<Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. SoGqsat dow82cryfpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideRgriefher brokw!arBA!upj cross of a long, dreary, ac afternoo$ none among?strangers to exchange sorrows`. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of1ingBlars.then fell into a moody jog. He crH ossed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)"toj water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappearing behi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableq off indvalleyhim. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 ed songsbirds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vqby no sH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadssense of|more profound) boy's soulOQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'1surings. He sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at bestE than half envied Jimmy Hodges,NN so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to lie and slumber and dream forevb ever,the wind whispbthroug$trcaressing the gras5the flowers ovQgraveQ noth6bo both grieve about, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willk"go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowamed mysteriously??Awent!--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurred to him ,Bnow,to fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tights were an offense, ?they intrude mselves upon a spirit thahTexalt  the vague august realm ofromantic. Noa soldierreturn afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--better stild#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousBpain]r prance ,(rowsy summer morninga bloodcurdsar-whoop2seaqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there wasgaudier even than thisAbe a pirate! Twit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz cmake people shudder1glo5ly Cgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hu)lled racer,8SsFc Storm)his grisly flag flying at the fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Rstalkjchurch, browwu-beatenblack velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger[ Spanish Main!" Yes, itlqettled;acareerdeterminedn2runfrom homeaenter 'it/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to ge 'dyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck woodsounded hollow)"puuand utter<is incantation impressively: "+What hasn't come here, ! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapedsthe dirrexposed a pine shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed air,~aid: "Well,beats anything+Atosse5pettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa superstiMqhad faiqwhich hA allrcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP he had just used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  , meantime, no matterwidely they had been separated. Buf,~ actually<unquestionably Rwhole"tu"faqs shakeXits foundBs. H"many a time heard ofsucceeding but naof itsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding- s afterward. He puzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided that$Qwitchinterfered1broIhe charmothought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-d depression in itElaidAdown1putamouth F2 toG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5*Q begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dtell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave   thrown away, a! r he went*made a patient]ait. Bu"otuit. NowH back to his treasure-houseccarefully Y$asbeen stanwhen he tosse marble away; ok another"Q fromRpockeHQit insame way, saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stopped,Ytand lookmust have fallen short or gone too far>@qtwice mvThe last repetition wasRssful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, rakedbrush behi rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment$Bseizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirtL7hal great elm, blew an answ@9tiptoe and lM ook warily out, this way a)agsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." Now appeared Joe Harper, as aiAclad9elaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comesSherwood Forestq out my pass?" "Guy of Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou that--" "Dares to hold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds1I, indeed! I am Robin Hood, as thy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've goQ hang=it lively!" So"q," pantnd perspi+T work. By and by Tom shoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get}st of it.""y,ain't anything. I can'tv;#Gay it is in 3. T says, 'one back-handed stroke he slew poor $.'to turn arounklet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, soturned, receivedQwhackSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iA boo"Well, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonUq lam me| a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~niZbecamz2gaiballowed #treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tQribe of weeping outlaws, draggwm sadly forth, gavesbow into feeble hands(Tom said, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." qhe shot"Tdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gai a corpse. boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement went off grieving`<$noz any moreFwondering what modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensate foPir loss. TheyS they-rather be year in SherForest than Presid(United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past ninenight, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demwas afraid Kght wake SidOA. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Everythyas dismall<A. Bypeby, ouY-ness, little, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking aH8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirf a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,JR. Nextghastly?Sdeathwatch in| wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$Aspit2himself;Jchimed eleven, oqdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !!formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling. TBthe rais neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle againsu#back of his aunt's woodshed brought him wide awakea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongDroof"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"o caution once or twice, as1entn jumped *g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catG boys moved off\qdisappea gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6bon a hnbout a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which leaned inwarbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten ps staggAered!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-So had been painted on them#=it could no longer have7Sread,51 mo}A, now, even ifnlight. A faint wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littlonly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilew#pp[Sy fousharp new heaprseekingrensconcNAmsel3ith4bprotecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The&ay waitfor what seemed a 1ime hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refld1ivemust force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do&abelievkpeople like iZ us to be here?" Z ed: "I wisht I knowed. It's*c awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis.""re3 considerable pause, whilboys canvassed this matter inwardlyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom#isbdamperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA can in the dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly, maybe they won#'t notice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all of a shiver5rListen! boys benir heads 1and scarcely breathed. A muffled sound of voices floated up fromhRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SewFre!"M& It's devil-fire. Ris is." Some vague figures approachQroughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder1t'ss enough. Three of 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. Dyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBausual,ly--blamed1ripAll right, still. Now+ they're stuck. Can't find Here they come again. Now8hot. Cold4Hot Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say,0another o' themqs; it's Injun JoThat's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druU#was a dern s+What kin be up to?whisper died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 2tooyin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saidathird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astAload9AbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closIcould have tou1himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating soun6spades dischargingfreight of m2anddl. It was very monotonous. Finally aX struck upopc coffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goB!dyBdump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!as3rea2Qrpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "AB cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she staysthe talk!.. "Look<A, wh "esSmean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that, approachr Q, who now standing. "Five  years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchen one night, when I c0o ask fo@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any good;Wswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiforget? The^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5rsuddenl{sstretch1|ruffianqdropped{exclaimeHere, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg'gmight and main, trampF"asDtearP_lir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstoor[Cand #bo[ combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free,&S seizheavy headboard of Williams' gravcfelled to the earthJit--and insame instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82histhe cloud)AttedFXreadful spectaclfrightened boysAspeeK!indark. Presently>the moon emerged agwas stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal5in ^Qopen mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, pushB bodA himLF gaz]Pand tEhen around&confusedly? eyes met Joe's. "Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joe.out moving. "What did you do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kintalk won't wash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'n when we started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old r--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh,b awfulrhim so and promising."!y,2two?cuffling he fetcheAone 02 anQflat;!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR into.wjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may die if I di3Ad. I on account of the whiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;s. They'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say you're an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijS+on a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedP lick[ and fuddlqrum as xlook of being, he Z1hinthe knife tillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 5ree minutes later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=ld tannerywe break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it ,r." Huckleberry's hard panting#s2his1repnzRixed aeyes oS goal*ir hopes94benir work to win it. ained steadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedt sheltering shadows beyond. By3#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whil n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happened>Injun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently/E,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso8Pit?"  "Becauseeqgot tha:vck whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him over the head with a church)2youn't phase hi1say wn self. So it'sUBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mum]Tom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bouteadidn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twjAe goEdo--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold hands anM!d U" tn--" "Oh now@q do forg's good enoughlittle rubbishy common s--speciallygals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,drblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing it. He picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." HuckleberrydTfilledmiration of qfacilit#,  sublimity of his l1qanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA might have verdigrease on i ""W\?" "It's p'ison. T$what it is. You just swaller some of i --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T ball.Qthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!Qiniti9using the ~QingerAa pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall,dismal ceremonieslaincantffetters b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end o ruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whispr, "doesjrkeep usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it does. It dSon't y difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'ddown dead--dQYOU knowYes, I reckon's so." They continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspeother suddenly, in an agony of frighWhich of us he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. YBull Harb`" * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named Bullb wouldspoken of him as "Dl!,"Ca son or!atZn"]tqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W' hearts sankOSmore.1my! ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yielAded, and put his eye torDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! This comes of playing hookeyadoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-schools!" An began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reld pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before.bhe didIa fool, never thought`this iK>s bully, you know. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped. Tom pricked up) ars. "Sh! What's that?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkWAs is4AHuck#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$gs, but laws bless you, he just lifts things'!HEes. Besides,hever coming backAis tbny morhe spirit of adventure rose inboys' souls once=by, do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again7the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would to their heels if~^Sy went tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. Wheo]!goKwithin five steps o!erped on a stickit brokera sharp snap.man moan]rithed a 6blittleBhis face came int moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4hearts had stood still\Vopes too,t2ved)fears passed away CTheypd out, throughjn weather-board!anpped at a  distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both boys, in a breath!ay!--31say~ray dog comaround Johnny Miller's house,A mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU  ain't anyB1deaare yetDWell, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX#Ye@sBDEADwR!mohe's getting betteAar, tooAll right, you wait see. She's a goner, just asSsure  ,)a's wha niggers say:Mall about these kind of things, Huck." They separated, cogitating. When Tom creptt his bedroom wind was almost spent. He undrel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidBawak had been so for an hour. eawoke,=1andC"reY late look  ,Ssense atmospherstartled. Whyqhe not called--persecuted till h~!upausual?Ethought filled him bodings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were at table finishedQkfastAIno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;: silence!anAof solemnitystruck a chill culprit's heart. He +sat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyheart sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidp4Tombened in the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her old"o;inally tim to go onEruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. ThisAwors"n a thousand whippgcA was sorer n4"anL1odycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefyAprestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidso the latter'spt retre Qrough$back gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sadtook hisFing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to trifles. Then he beqself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9rs handsqstared ]be wallthe stony " of suffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]Ubrokec"raWiron knob! ThisA fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of%as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from maBman,QgroupCrouphouse to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday for that aft0qernoon;5town would have thought strangely of him if he had not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedaand itHbeen recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--sYstory ran. AVwas saida belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning yYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallXa which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiAatte_sifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down allAroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe capturedQ nighkSas drRtowargraveyard. Tom'break vanished she joinqprocess1cau~sand times r go anywhere elseQC an awful, unaccountable fa.scination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+rmed his small qthroughmBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age since ! tbefore. Somebody pincharm. He turnedheyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>D2wonaif any!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungRThis to be a lesson to  robbers!" "6'll hang if they catch him!" This ift of remark; he ministerlB, "Iza judgment; His hs here." Now Tom shivfrom hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming #!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look out!tuM! Don't let:get away!" PeopleP branaches o trees over Tom's`Csaidrn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7perplexed. "Infernal impudence!"aa bystander; "wantAcomeHtake a quieti1 atwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, nowthe Sheriff came, ostentatiously leading Potter byarm. The p1's xwas haggarRshowe|fear thaupon him. When 2od r2murAman,"hook as with a palsyRhe pu4qface in@Qhandscburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. 8shocarry home.xClifte1andqed aroum thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#idthrust4himM3. ewould have fallenz1 ca1himbeased him to,a the gO!aibSomethle't if AbackXaget--"-1hud; then wavAnerveT handvanquished gestursaid, "Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1useCmoren HuckleberryTom stood dumbstaring, Ahears stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they_ing every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningmpbwonder see how long stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath8Asavebetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 va1way, for plainly this miscreant had sold himself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power ast. "Whyyou leave? What didEwant| here for?" somebody saidAcoulohelp it--$,"moaned. "I C runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to sobbi= ng again. Injun Joe repeatjust as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devil. Hnow become,!m most balefully interesting objecyever looked upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9#face. They inwardly resolved to watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body of1mur" mv put it in a wagonrremoval!it{whispered throug ing crowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of Muffit done it om's fearful secret and gnawonscience disturbAleepvas much as a w9Aeek R thisat breakfastmorning Sid saiTom, you pitch arand talk in yourxrso muchyou keep me awake hal9Ctime blancheTSdroppQeyes.H's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "WzRgot o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook sohe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2rqwithouting it. She8: "Sho! W`3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMaryA she:been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe presence as3 quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothache for a week,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc's distress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTAthus1ingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner ase inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVaas a witness--hat was strange:RSid d overlookBfact4Tom even showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he could. Sid9 marvelled, but sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5stortureconscience. Every day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowsmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer"  get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atRedge s villagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occupiedsm greatly help3eas T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,ubody-snyo formidableMhis character?Snobod be found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ droppedyhad been careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Qsent. CHAPTER XII OT3NE _reasons whyAminddrifted away from its secret troubles was,!it7Ba necsweightyp to interest itself about. Becky ThatcherL!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few days2tri"whistle her dowq wind,"Cfailbegan to find himhanging arq her father's house, nightz1feemiserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor piracy. The charm of liflCgoneD wasdreariness lef}put his hoop awaythis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatu6patent medicines*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tthings. When someb fresh'is line came out s9Rn a fSright{to try it;A noterself, for?never ailing, bu*anybody elsewWhandy subscriberTall the "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to go to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2!frfgto keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-hearOnd honest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQqd toget-er quackydthus armed death, went.!onX'pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell follow!fter." Bqsuspect7anot an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise, A!toIsuffering neighbors. The water treatmentonew, nowTom's low condition&qa windfrhad him out at dayligh*Q morn stood him up in the woodshedadrowne#D a deluge2old; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so broughtto; thenaCrollJAa we!et"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsiV1 th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,Nboy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistwa slim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMb calcuhis capacity aswould a jug's(fiaevery q3ith3cure-all- om had become indifferenqpersecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconstern;i ce must be broken up at any &cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas with gratitude. I9 simply fire in a liquid formmqdropped {2andthing els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchzdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""4*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life mbe romantic enough, inblighted E, bucqgettingave too little sentidand too much distrac61var1aboS. So he thover various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him elp himself2quit bothq her. Ieqen Sid,would have  had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boyAmendlth of a crack insitting-room floor with it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga(.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anCmean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: .Sprang a couple of yard9"irthen delivwar-whoopkset off r3and the room, ban st furniture, upsflower-potswmaking general havoc>Q. Nexrose on his hind feetpranced a , in a frenzy of enjoyment,<Aead overOshoulderN$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tearingahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction ipath. Aunt Polly ent#in time to see him throw a few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrastonishA pee1er glasses; Tom lay oAexpi0Klaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails@cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspi. "Why, I neveria. What~him act sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeBtonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" Swas bQdown,watchingwi st emphasized by anxiety,. Too late he divined her "drift.s handle telltale teaspoon visible undered-valanceUtook it, held it up.Rincedqdropped)IeyesBAraism by the usual--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h hnew light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes wa a little, and/p< on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID dogood." ooked uprer facejust a perceptible twinkle peeping through]gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIx Peter. It done HIM good, lI never seepget around so since--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou neeUtake medicine}reached school ahead of time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as !of, he hung aboutr5gatyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he sai$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,the giddy lad Bcoul3ait= Q, hop"heIqa friskDrock came, $hating the owner of it as soon asBw sh"noright one. At last frocks ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoQdumpsentered the emptyEQhousefBsat o suffer. Then one more passed in a3gatheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumAoverfence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, standqhead--d1allZqheroic PQ conceive ofk a furtive eyeKawhile,t5ing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cipossible'Bawar there? He car%his exploits to her immediate vicinity; came war-whoG{B, sn` a boy's cap, hurleqroof ofJYhouse, brokeugh a group of StumblBm in directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almosHt upsetting her--andjturned, withqnose in0&aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopink they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks b1. HThered2 upAneaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mind was made up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody lovQ; wheEy found out wh{ y had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry Qhad tSto dosand get along, butAnot let him; since no!rdo them8rid of him,;w1so;!le`m blame HIM fo consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,had forcX1 todR: he +blead a+of crimer no choice. By this time2farFMeadow Lanthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound anyA--itvery hard, but i0vqout int cold world must submit--but he forgave.X sobs came thickfast. Just atkApoinHm s soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyed,{Qevidefba greadismal purp1hisJt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wiping his eye1leeve, began<lubber outgabout a resolutio,escape from hard usagelack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joe1notam. Butranspired26was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\Tknew 2; i31pla!atQwas t Cwishto go; if.Bfelt"1wayvfor him but succumbAopedIbe happy0 regret having d;riven her poor boyxunfeelingto sufferdie. As the two boys walked sorrowgAlongy made a new compact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'qplans.  being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cave'r dying,Otime, of2wannbgrief;6fter listen he conced~1somspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente%be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at awthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow barQe heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8c matte"di{boccur mPey huF nted up Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bankMBabovtvillagefavorite hour--whichrmidnighcsmall log raft tChich1eancapture. Each would bring hookRlines<such provision as he c6steal inH+most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagAenjo sweet glory of spreadbAhe f~hat pretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrvague hint!acautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at 3Tomed a moment,no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswfrom under8B the3 d twice more; these signalsK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"esO?" "Tom Sawyer,eBlack Avenger ofSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe HarperVTerro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles, from hisIalitera "'Tis well. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding  : "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ovUlet himself down after it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforF an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacoAad a}Tworn -2outygetting it.Fstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco$so corn-cobmake pipes. But none o2f\s smoked or "chewed" bu  said it would never do2tar"2out+ fire. That was a wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde1uporeat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurLit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveoKhilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughu1theCsmenW#ll village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse foir conduc`qthis thqn an un"Aical9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, Joar and Joe forward.> stood amidships, gloomy-browolded armsAgavePa lowt, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se" were given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head right?then lay oisHnot high, so more than a two ree mile current. Ha word was jduring the ne<"xt; -quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimme-!lights showed where it lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger )still with folded arms, "looking his last" upon the scenhis former joy0ter suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toBdooma grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshotrvillageRso he["edZa brokenqsatisfi\2art7other pirateblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett93he \Q drif)mArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornAgrout\ bar two 5hundred yards aboveDheadwaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isg1sprver a nook iAusheiA a to shelterprovisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againsA sida great log twenty or thirty stepssombre depthdforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glordsport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginjunexplored ninhabited island, far fromQhaunt5menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Bfacethrew its ruddy glarepillared tree-trunk}temple, and:varnished foliageafestoovines. Whelast crisp slice of was gone, (!an,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretche=Cout grass, filled with contentmentO1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and hery can't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t'sthe life[$meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE hasrprayingqderable" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th much about it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they used to in old times 's always respected. And a a's got DleeprhardestJ he can find put sackclothashes on his hea)stand out in1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do'A( that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Naget ar!itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl now he fitted a weed stemt, loaded it)rtobacco=was pressing Qal toRchargblowing a  cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The opirates envied him this majestic vice secretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:QuBhaveu?" Tom,AOh, H#just a bullyK--take ships1burm get the money!1y iRawful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Qdon'tv5RNo," assente 2g--they're too noble}Tbeautiful, too.aAwear[bulliest }es! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#MB." oAcannRs owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot nonethese." boys told hJ!imLBfinees would come fast enough, afte{Ay sh$0Dbeguadventures. They madeunderstaat his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Qstart; a proper wardrobe. Graduatalk died out.drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids of:little waif pipe dropped frob4ger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-freethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!nouthority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afrro proceU such lengths as that, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of~1--b intruder came, now, Pnot "down." I5p consciAenceyfe vague fearJ[been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by reminding  purloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;N3wasB be appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che end^ RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So $ resolvedso long as 'Arema"bub", 4piraciesU2not~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a trucese curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefu' CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhere as. He sat up and rubbed 2eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawJndelicious sens<arepose" ideep pervading calm%asilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ! s.obtruded upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white layer of ashes covtsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far a bird called; another answered; presentlyhammering woodpecker8heard. Gradua ol dim gray|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 shoff sleeA goi work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then procee--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri, and falling, by turns, as Zqthe creNO!caward him or seemed inclined to go elsewhere;when at last it considGa painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladthat meant that he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQaS bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on  children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrshe had practisits simplicity more than once. A tumbleY2bugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ball,Tom touch%,it shut its againsH1odyGpretend to be|. The birds were fairly rioting by time. A catbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inBheadtrilled out her imitX1 ofneighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almos!inboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersconsuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s the wild things had probably nevein a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage faBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfo@!esthey all cld"edwith a sho8"utminute or twomAstrisfnd tumblingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob5inglittle village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~ . A vagrant current or a sCriseW river had carried ofir raft, but~ only gratifinm, sincegoing was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz}. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to holKQy steDto a promiGInookkQ-bankpSthrewir lines;immediatelyhad reward.rhad not`ime to get impatient before>3werKSagain\ ome handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchE a small catfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1 had ever seemed so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-%he is caught5betTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay arou3de,w"haCoke,Aen w)rHthe woods on an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g with a drooE regalia of grape-vines. NowiQcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersCr plenty1ing!be$ghRe!no#X to b 4 atPiscov>Feredisland was about three miles longa quarter of a1 wi'nMshore it lay closest to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the midd#thnoon whe!y got back to campptoo hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves down ia shadeaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded pGQ sensbloneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedqeir weayC none was brave to speaksthought. ForN time, now,7oys had been dully conspeculiar sPdista?nce, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinct note ofnow this mysterious  became more pronounced,forced a recognition-started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sileAprof0and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!ou1theance. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%QhurrijRtowaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankM!pe1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakTabout1belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplre were a great many skiffs rowing about oruQstreaJthe neighborhoodQ, butboys could not determine what the menTm doing. Presently !jewhite smoke burst fromnc's sidPas it expandeArose lazy cloud, that same dull throb of was borneJ ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,!eya loaveBbreaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll =Q righZ"re\top." "I've heardUDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYit beforeb it ouu#Bu2>say anythPXqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funny," said To"m. "But maybSay itmselves. Of COURSERdo. A! m<The otheraagreedwas reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe)to act very intelligcOset upon an erransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, now2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJDTstillsszwatched+revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,Che exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroesUn instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak 1ir account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3the talkFwhole townwthe envyCbas far as this dazznotoriety was conc;erned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twildrew on, ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1 jubilant with vanity overnew grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atthe villagAthinand saying abou*%m;pictures theyo public distress  Vqgratify ao lookc--from%Apoinview. But the shadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing into,Bire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomFJoe Ckeepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew lunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. Byby Joe timidly ventured a roundabout "fZaeeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r.now, but-- Tomrered hi % derision! Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom&the waverer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet ouRcrapeUas little tachicken-heartedsickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest fo{s moment.#he=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneesBsearQ3amoW7graRflickreflections flung bycamp-fire. Hkinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\2finhose two which seem^ suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollB put in his jacket pocket he put in LJoe's hat and removed it to adistance fromwowner. And he also|to the hat certain schoolboy treasuret almost inestimable value--)m a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that #s drhearingstraightway broke=a keen run ink2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more},#so he struck8aconfidi"wiremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!AdrifQlong uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safpthen st$ruck through the woods, followingr, with 3%ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came outcn openroppositBbvillagA saw|ferryboat lyingdshadowi"anuhigh bank. Everything was quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watcEqith alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Atea long twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequented a2RlleyssFfoun> at his aunt's back fencehover, approache"ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lif latch; then he pressed gwHyielded a;6 ontinued pushing cautiousl1qua'every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze1 onknees; so he pu, warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,Qoor's, I believe. "of course it is. No strange s now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" himselfDa*CAto whe could almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so to say --'only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Z any more responsible than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to rkind ofief, but `as unselfish33bas he "belaws bless me,ink I wed whippe\!t that cream,:once recollectAat Iwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPto see him againhis worldv!, ! p2bus!" And Mrs.ba sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter off$isB"butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare ofold lady's eye, thoughynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!He was such a comfort to&altormented my oldM!of.'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it's so hard--Oh,!.last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker right under my noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over 9rI'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/. No longer agouQyeste(Snoon, took and fille5catPain-kille*3didthe creturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dThead sthimbleY3boy 1dea."ball his H!s "An'rwords I7Bhear^4sayreproach22ButTmemor$bo much6Droke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himselfmore in pity anybody else. He Rhear Mary cryXand putting in a kBindly word forfrom time toSbegan to have a nobler opinionR thanHbefore. Still, heufficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]qthe bed?overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousness ofthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!oys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage should "rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidkgone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. It 3!wa3ievU the search foNBodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tor. This was Wednesday 2. Icontinued until Sunday, all_Abe g\Qover,the funeralsqbe prea:at morning. Tom shuddered. Mrs. Harper g?Dsobb-j2urngo. Then a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cryn parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyondwqont, in Rto SiMary. Sid snuffled a biCMary<ff crying!llUheart. knelt downAaprayedTom so touchingly, so 6ith such measureDlove3worher old tremb/bvoice,weltering in tears again, longB sheKbhrough9!haBkeepP3after shZqto bed,she kept making Uqbroken-) ed ejaculations from time to, tossing unrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moaning a littl:! sleep. Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by%edside, shade candle-lighthis hand stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamore scrollSlaced itsomethingbto himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9qhe bentBkissQ! f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYay backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff M stern, slipped z$its soon rowf autiously upstream. When hpulled a mile abov7village,$ qQquartXq acrosshimself stoutlyas work!hi1 onother side neatlyn! t<as a familiar bit ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&ed a shipfore legitimate prea pirate, but a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`a long rest, tortur meanwhilkeep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before he. fairly abreas! island barrested againl81sun bwell u1gilthe great riverits splendor*he plunged into\&#A dAlatepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfat sort of Ething. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ours, anyway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_ writing says they are if heO back herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiqaway inady nookleep till noons got read and explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggsK 2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNeir knees2dugOhands. Sometimetake fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnuthad a famous fried-egg feast that nightanother on Friday morning. AfterswhoopingprancingyA bar` chased eachZ2and , shedding clothes as, until |sre nakethen continue frolic far!upshoal water ofAgaine stiff current, wYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timand great^1cre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;# avertedGqto avoi strangl\AprayQd finW1griG and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall `Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. WG|well exhausted1run1and&#wl  dry, hotalie thand covqemselvecwith iby and byhe water aga6!inIgo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit ocBd to%Rtheirn( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring i had a circus--three clowns infor none would yield this proudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stale. Then JoLBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kick_ff his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his anklehe wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protectionP is mysterious charm. He diqs he hadB2theR boysCtire@eady to resty#waapart, dro"in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossSqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awithbig toe; he scrJatched it out,was angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, nevertheless; he c`not help it. He eraszAthen tookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKqjoining. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as-ready to tell, yetMif this mutinous dEsion<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates onisland befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused onlnt enthusiasm,Rfaded}no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat poking up the sandQstick!lo% very gloomy. Finally 6id: "Oh, let's givup. I wan go home. It's so lonesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byby," said Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, wRhere tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INA to w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|A?" "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll: speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "There now!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice pirate.3m[aies. W V,4? Let himAf heUs to. we can get a{him, per'aps." But Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on?2hisUAing.Bthenvs discomfort+eying Joe's preparation(wistfullyCkeep ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. TomQ6art9sink. He glanccould not bearkBlookqdroppedeyes. ThenYIg!It1getILa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&qAstay2dTom, I!gog&--who's hendering you.+qpick up scattered clothes. He said:twisht you'd come . Now you think it over. Z wait for you when we get to5you3a blame T!timhat's allstarted sorrow{Q, andostood looking after with a strong desire tugg(trto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome very lonelcT . He made one final struggle-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocQwhere% were, heunfoldingesecrety listen|cdat lasv!awr"point"bs drivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"y3qhad tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep them with ?rhim any^great length ofdand soAmean1hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatter!lltime about Tom's stupendous plan`Aadmi6the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,he wanted to learn to smoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSBlike to tryKrSo HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrilyslender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a littlehy, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowQis way,!t ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^Q I'veed at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cL!do ;I1%P," said Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :that way--haven't you7I'll leave i.Sif I .." "Yes--heapTtimesFHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects it9I bleeve/Apipe4day! dqfeel sickLNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,)2I!"G@ IPt any8 more dothan nothingone little sni? would fetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boysqsay any! a it, and some timeKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want aGQ.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as ifUarn't,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1anoqone, bu"tobacker e very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!hes!weright upras ca'm!E see 'em look!" "By jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifl grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spoutinDg fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of allch"dom sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might and main said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=(Bunt r by the sprB!No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCn he fou lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepBsomeinformed him! if they had had any troublyagot riQVit. not talkative at supp}Snight\ humble look 2henLaprepar1aftJe meal and waspare theirs,D3 no>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokecalled the!re a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intq$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{Bfire:swas swaSQup inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyyaby anotcame, actstronge&7n a faint moan came sighing thrqbrancheQorestxr felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?into daybshowed+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew afeet. And it[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealunder went rol:and tumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r4(distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allTRleavenBsnow e flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit upFNan instant crash fop#retree-tops r#ovboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast ro trees, making) sAs it. One blinding yE #ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured and the r#ihurricane drove it heets alongaground cried out to each other, but2roaring windt;'om-Cs drowne#ir voices utterly. However, one bythey straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4X"wibaway oN1. Tys seizedrs' handGRfled,dEmanyb bruisof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was aQst. U-the ceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skiesSbelowout in clean-cuashadowlRness:e:the billowy ,<Bfoam$qdriving y of spume-flakes, the di+m outlines oShigh bluffsfside, glimpsQrough+drifting cloud-rack]1lanveil of rain. Every li hile some giant tree yieldjbe figh+fell crash, younger growth;runflagg/(-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keenRRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up,! igree-tops, blow it away, and deafen eycreature in it, all at>$he same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c headse. Butaqas donerforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her sway back to camp, a good deal awedrhey four1m stillSthank, becaussycamore tir beds,a ruin, now, blasted by!w AwereBr it whecatastrophe happened. |t@!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, Asoakqchilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYaAhad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardQBepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the 2sid#qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upo boys, drowsine2ss came ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a little homesick once bom saw#Bigns4fell to chee@up the pirates as he could. But#cared nofor marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1qthem of~imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+1las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansdqa changOHattractedis idea; so it;not long beforedstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF*Awood%attack an English settlement. Bnto three hostile tribedupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopAk}xscalpedHPby th#ousands. I a gory day. Consequentlyan extremely satisfactory one. rassembl\camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not bread of hospitality together,out first mak3eacwas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE#re process that eLy had heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulness asRcmusterQalled"peook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into"rya" gAsome";1fouanow smoke having to goAhunta lost knife^!di get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu1, a R, right fair success, and so 8they spent a jubilanRning.were prouderappier innew acquirement thay would have been3 scalpingOskinningSix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use >m at present. CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilaritylittle townsame tranquil SaturdayAnoon Harpers,Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefHmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth!itordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%Salkedighed ofte.Fholiday seemed a burden to the childr69!noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yardfeeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onla brass andiron-kAnob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked back a sob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixright here. to do over2, IMn't say that--C it  whole worldb he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered away rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood lookQ1ver#paling fence and tal"in rever!onc how Tom did so-and-sklast timy saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as they could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"a then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go all`me, liMAke--R, you knowDIwhat it meant, of course, but I can Anow!en there dispute about who sawlBdead.qin life many claimedismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDthe departed lastqexchangQwordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by the rest. One poor chap,{ had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i rance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me onc2Butbid for glory)failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4loitered zstill recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. ba very Sabbaththe mournfu) l sound seemed in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses asSwomen!eduheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle church had been so full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep black2 whole congregamthe old minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|mourners wererthe front pew$>"ancommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob46thespread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1winways, and the rarZqmise of lost lads that every soure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pang in 1ingY1 herpersist blinded himself to them always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYcflaws `poor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous%rQ peop>uld easi, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes wej"edRgrieft!at1timy occurrcy had  rank rascalities, well de.the cowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin" w <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. aSthe gallery!nobody noticed;QlaterUdoor creaked;KArais(s streaming eyes above his handke'qrchief,+ stood transfixed! First onthen another pair ofVs followg'then almostrone impulsg 2rosnstared whil' three dead boys came mar!upaisle, Tomead, Joe nextHuck, a ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! lir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threwselves uponSrestored ones, smmsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1aba and uncomfortable, not know^ xactly what to do or where )de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizm and said: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pAlessqg!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesthing capablm2him. " hd . Suddenly ; shouted atmtop of his voice: "Praise God /whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters aSawyerPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! t his was the proudest moment?life. Asj"sold"Utroop!ey Twould)sbe will; be made ridiculous againZ:earUung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproost gratefulnNBo Gozaffection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homechis brI Batte &s. paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;2had slept in the wo)4odsedge of the town till nearly dayligh`1 ha n crept through back lana alley finishe6ir sleep ie gallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,SMary were very loving to Tom,"1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IQcoursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, %to keep everybody suffering 'most a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donGR" sai; "and I believe you OiAough!itfW.1youR?Rg, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing8I hoped you rloved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKst, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit'sTom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\he never thinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONEBtoo.you'll lookC,E day, when too late wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W  Why, Wednesday night I!t^1you:rsittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$next to him." "Well, so we did. S do. I'm glars could take   troublelus." "AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowQell, try to recollect--can't youIRSomehseems tothe wind-- blowed the--" "Trhder, Tom! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believe$door--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyphim shuAt it  for the land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dtell ME there ain't anything in%s,. Sereny  shall knowiis beforean hour older. I'd^0to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'bout superstition.2Oh,;all getting {s bright as dayVF Nex" I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum,!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs.I sheersaid Jotthe same, and6Rwishe hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, Sid," said Mary. "Shudrlet Tom! What dyq?" "Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheregone to, but ifDbeen0sometimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andshut him up sharpI lay I did! Tmust 'a'an angel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scaringda firecrackerH you7QPeterthe Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lo3alkdraggingriver for ud%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3rshe wenwIt happenedY!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`!itY.if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and Iwhear every wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorry I took and wrote on a piece of@0 sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou looked so good, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "Di, DID you! I;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembraceAmadeLfeel like the guiltiesSvillains.#wakind, even" i~a--dream," Sid soliloquized jVudiblup, Sid! A body doesthe sameV+ as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!if1was found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us allgot you back> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His1,ness knowsunworthy of itDthe nes got His blessingQ1hadjhand to help them the rough places,'s few enwould smile Io=p enter UAintodqrest whde! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,ithe old lady to call on Mrs. Harpervanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_g2thasin his mindthe house. I)this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger XSame a who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seemee the looks or hearsremarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys C2 drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all; but theyA6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tc ould have given anythingi2aveswarthy suntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpart either for a circus. At'3Dmade so muchmdbof Joe$delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyes,qthe two"esMnot long ini sufferably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventures]ungry listeners--buSy onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally,ry got oir pipesawent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh ,as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. see her. He movedQ awayjoined a group of boysBgirl alk. Soon he observas tripping gayly backORforthiflushed facerdancingL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter whena capture; bupXnoticbalways/Cher 1s in his vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified apous vanitywB himso, insteawinning him, it"set him up"j2morxi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewYwas about gave over skylarking,moved irresolutelyBQ, sig<once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistful1war(4. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrencany one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at onc=2tri1!goa, but 2eet8t3rou1car7aher to said to a girl7 almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(IMiss Peters' class, w3Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,z1ill's for ma<qanybodyAr I wantR" "Teo nice. When is itbBAby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM r1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycapatree "o flinders" while cB"sta within three feet of it.ClQmay I?" said Grace Miller.P1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on, gclapping of joyful haAill he group had begged for invitNAs bu and Amyn Tom turned coolly away, still talkingtook Amy him. Becky's lips trembledbthe tears caher eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatterbHAlifegone out of nR, nowything else1got as soonrhe coul)hid herself and had what her sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused up a vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herd=erformance. At last he spied her!rea sudden fall;Phis mFbercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed were theytheir heads so close together overbook, that< did not seem to be conscious of an!in@Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily alosNwalked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever she paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !toDrear?, again and , to searseyeball1the!Qful s!clry not help itit maddenaAe, abthough aw, that Becky Thatcher Fonce suspec&1ted)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless; qhe knew was winning her fight, toosas glad him suffer asB3haded. Amy's happy pra came intolerable. Tom hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioher?" At las1bthose 9he said artlesslyqshe wou "around"Ss let oue!steaway, ha1herit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" c6wenEthe motions of thrashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airI2kicind gouging. "Oh, you dB o, do you? You holler 'noughNow, then, lelearn you!" And so the flogging was finishe+his satisfaction. Tom fled home at noon. His conscience cnot endure any more ofgrateful Rinesshis jealousyHtbear noAdistress. Becky resumed her picture inspes with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloud she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"pr!upear at a footstep1 ita false hope;.she grew entirely miswsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeaswas losQr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming: ere's a jolly one! look d1s!"E{1pat at last[Csaiddon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearbgot up3alkq2. dd droppPCside+%s 81try<omfort h="ershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering whave done--forC"ha,a she wiYs all throughFnooning--an%on, crying. Then went mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guessed his waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ventspite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurrbmGZAtherT someg3boy)arouble)out much risk to himself. Tom's spelling-book fell under%!ey]uhis opportunitZrly open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. , glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendao findand tell him;be thankfulctheir s&be healed. BeforeOwas half way home,@ however, shechanged her mind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's account,g"torhim for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodahe first this aunt saiqim show3m tQhad btsorrows to an unpromi+market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie,oQave Ih?" "Well, you'~3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expeccI'm goAmake&sbelieveat rubbage *bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtqQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a9will act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinklet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myselfnever say a word." Tss a new aspect of ting. His smartness ofmorning had seemoTom a good joke beforevery ingeniouserely looked meanshabby now. He huAhead!"no5ke!ny1 tofor a momentn he said:I wish I hadn't it--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 81allh7way from Jackson's Island in+ to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Ayou &tWhat dime for, thenIqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel would bethankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad astaw!as*Y2youwy did--and I!it." "Indeed' , auntie--53mayBstirH!OhT, don't lie-- Qdo itonly makes s a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanted to keep:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run offracted so bad. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall fullqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT: wrote oSwe'd gone piratr, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su pdid, To2D--certain surmR8didzF for~Because I lov2 soyou laid there moan$I was so sorry8words sounded likThe old lady E not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!--and bexAwithto schoolh bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom hae in. Trtopped,!itjrer hands{o herself: "No, Idare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWLord will forrchim, b`isuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lieook." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her han)1takA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedP with0 the thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve me." SosMpocket. AQlater-&was reading Tom's piece of bark through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREasometh bout Aunt Polly's manner,?kissed Tom, that swep his low spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&0 luck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,6I'm eever, ever do that wayas long as #I live--please make up,S you?>Dgirl looked him scornfully inAface'll thankkeep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIR!toE"ea!pason. Tom stunned!he not even presence of mind r!enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilright timexQay itegone by. So he saiyhing. Buwas in a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were a bo*imagining how he would trounce her if\1ereitly encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seemed to A, inAhot btment,3shehardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient!ee6aflogge&n injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering no of exposing Alfred Temple, offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,dOQ know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar!of#desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village &. Every day he took a mysterious book out of his desk3 and absorbed himself iyas when no classes) reciting2kept thateunder lock and key#rot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing bycdesk, which stood]BdoorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; founFalon next instant 2theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon aomely engraved&colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%AsnatVbook to close "anythe hard luc#t;p pictur "edhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intoAturnyt{ burst out crying with shand vexF. " , you are just as mean ascan be, to sneak up on a personXlook at why're look." "How could I know]7was( anything?" "You oqto be ad of yourself, ;QZc're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbICwas 3." Then$astampe little fokd said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. YouAwaityou'll see! Hateful, h A!"--he flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld. Presently he 4 to: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain't`tell o&ld Dobbins on  l, because there's o@ ways of getting even on her,m<C; bu|of it? Ox&will ask who it was tore his book. Nobody'll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first oneqthen t'6when he comes b rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facesQtell Y!emygiy backbonTq'll get vit's a htplace for Becky7c p1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"4joi0mob of skylar scholars outside. In a fewsmaster arrivschool "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance atgirls' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Consider"llds, he pR pity`tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He could g!et up no exultatianreally worthyname. Presently the sp-book discowas madeTom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distressshowed good the proceedings. S_aexpectt1uld*4his by denying1rhe spil2inkCe himself;eS  denial only seemed to makm R wors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"atrshe triYrbelieve44as /1it,sshe fou71wascertain. W3!heQt camtQorst,Yhad an impuls!gy1and) on Alfred Temple}C an effort and forced herself to keep still--R, sai,2, "Oabout me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upseyPhe sp?, in some skylarking bout--he hadQed itform's sakeh" i-bcustombhad stuck toprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5master s(dding in<bthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlocked|Bdeskqreachedhis book, but  undecided whether to take iHr leave it. Most of the pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfinger#aband settl<Achairead! Tom shot a2 at2. Hseen a huntedhelpless rabbit look asYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--something must be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring thro)"ugAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chance was lost--Ropene'volume. If Tom only!th<ted opportunity back again! Too late. Tas no help for now, he said* next momen}-3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil while one might count ten =was gatheringXQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;MCBseardace afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew mor #sethe slow torturse proceedings4canranks of boys--consid(a!ur3girls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan Harper, 9e!docZTrnegativ(AgirlBecky ThatcherMtrembling froms to fooaexcitenqand a sa!of:hopeless!of/situatiouRebeccaz" [Tom glanced at hfA--itRwhitelterror] --"tear--no, look me inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning through brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAoq punishthe surpris gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of po's eyes seemed pay enOfor a hundred floggInspired byplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbinsever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed-j-for he knew who w$Qwait kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. Tom went to bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Qshamearepent5hl!ldqall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longingW give way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at las's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rjmore exactrn ever,9ae wantto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;Aalthhe carried, under his wig, a perfectly balQshiny=2, hRonly d middle ageqthere was no sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he seemed vindictive)ure in puniXB shortcomingsconsequence was,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX2and'z)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to do: a mischief. But`ept aheadJ"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. Athey consp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iRsign-painter's boy,CchemBaskerhelp. H1hisqreasons being deldtboardedfather's f]qand hadboy ample caushate hims's wife=Qgo on!si2thery in a few da~T ther<qbe nothQ!o !f1ithcQplan; {pprepared himself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominiareacheM proper condion ExaminaEvening hq"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righthhurried to school. I1ful"of4Athe testing Hc arriv0ed!inUeqoolhous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliageSlowers1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blacka behinH2. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front of him were occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, back@ citizens,Da spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoDpartvexercis ; of small1hedRdress6Tan inxe state ofP discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuously cons,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood up$sheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect one of my o speak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanyAwithpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine m"used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,. got a fine round of applauseD he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYafidencQ soar!tounquenchablGe and indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speech,yAfuryMSfrant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him, his legs quaked under him|he was liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathys b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+Bleteidisaster. Tom struggled awhilDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, hel anuscript (tis dainty)RproceedeqCreadlabored attentiocn to "expressionapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalentY!se\a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opuegush of "language"; <tendency to lug in ears pararly prQwordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markBmarrlmthe inveterataintolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one [m. No matter wh6subject mbe, a brain-rackffort was made to squirm it into some aspect o3"r the mora" rus mind could contemplate with edificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#the young ladies do not feel obliged1los.!iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous and fleast girl in < is alwayt longestAXQrelenhly pious. But enoug"this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us returnA"Exaion." The first was read9one entitled "Is this(n, Life?" P reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walkRlife,delightful emot2doeHyouthful9look forwarsome anticip scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturd joy. In fancy, the O voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observed of2rs.' Her graceful form, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ughAmaze~the joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentrance intoe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\ w fairy-like does everyt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}a*last. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior,is vanity flattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFAwastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awaythe convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyulongingsoul!" And so forrso on. owas a buzz of g1to during the^ reading, accompanied bn!spejaculation "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe had closed j a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comeRpillsndigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recollesng my brhFor I have wandHay flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warring floodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs. WelTcome and home were mine within this StateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!meAnd coldbgetBeart (teoen, dear b! theyBQ e!" Thervery few tho knew what "tete" meant, but the poem was <9satisfactory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began to in a measured, solemn tone: mbVISIONNADark tempestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep inton*the heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;%sterrific lightRvellengry moodde cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic s$Qblust?about as if to enhance`ir aidh the wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so reary, for human sympathy my 1pirit sighq insteaBRreof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'R to my side. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byfromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So soft was0qstep, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements withourbade me)Qmplatuthe two"resented.~i; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructivall hope to non-Presbyterians thatI it took the first prize. compositionAconsiderbbe thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6*it, made a warm speech in which he said that it was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,the numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referas "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCu|Dy haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =2to 8!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannwping was;&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, now, as if determined not put down byQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[he was succeed7band ye^5ing continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; sa rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i<absorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwQnatch&3 in"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXl=did blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED iht! That broke upbeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl patternQhenceEmuch happier than any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." Hmised to abstai^Q smok9!ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he fthing--namely,$to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself torment desire to drink and swear;Rgrew so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplayi8red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb soon gave 2that up --gave it up before he had worshackles over forty-eight hours--and fixed hiss upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw61hav ig public funeral, since heso high an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!q's condhungry for new it. Sometimes his hopes ran$--#heRventujqget outJ and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuabAt lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedBsignHtat onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTqa fine Cpara a style calculated to killClateR envyb!re[Q, howd--ther!me!atFL swear, now--bAqut founhis surprishe did not want tosimple fact?ga, tookdesire away,the charm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginning to hang a little heavi$hands. He attempted a diary--but no7happened dso he abandonedhe first of anegro minstrel shows came to townQmade a sensand Joe Harper go~a band of performersYwere happm1twoa. Eve Glorious Fourthsin somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento actual United States Senator, prov overwhelming disappointment--for not twenty-five feeto, nor even anywHi1neighborhoosrA circu boys played8for@afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls#enxs. A phrenolo+Agist-a mesmerizerIwent again&left the village dullerdrearier than ever. T=BwereUboys-and-' parties, buYy,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hostay with her par }J--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9Bpaingn~measles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dea}qand its]enings. Hevery ill,finterested inR. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had come ove"ryQand ercreaturre had b* "revival,"=0Abody$"got religion,"{Bdult 4"thILbout, hopingZqst hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim where. He founPd Joe Harper study Testament, turned sadly away from the depressing spectaclesought Ben RogersKBfounQvisitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionprecious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refuge bosom of Huckleberry Finewas received+Scriptural quotjis heart brokehe crept!anbed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, forev b. AndnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu22hat1wasTresult. It migh;t have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartillery, bubnothing incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. By"by7empest spent itself #diQout accomplists object. The boy's first impulseto be gratefulreform. His secoto wait--for5m2not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his845timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor"wadrifted listlessly downastreetp41 ac| as judge in a juvenile courKr1catamurderCreseher victim, a birdgand Huckup an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffered a rI . CHAPTER XXIII AT las sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:R trial came on4q. It be*the absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern6to  sent a shudder toaheart,his troubled consciGand fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowing any9-zdVstillF2 comfortablridst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimeBtookSto a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealatongue a little while; to divide)burden of distressdnotherr. Moreover, he wantUassurCHuck- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help me. What makes you ask:Well, I was afeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#got found out. YOUtTom felt more . After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO. They ain't no difaRt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore?  dread solemnities. "What isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma!t,tant, so'sde som'ersT{$jurame way ago on 7 mehe's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always-- *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, tooney to get  drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me, knitted hooks on to my lin)rwish we get himop5My!&8n't)W. And besides, 'tw*ado any=;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=y4at,9.tf he was,Dfree^2lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughum littl1. A# twilight drew on3themselves hanging abouR neighborhood of the li%ttle isolated jail, perhaps with an undefinpe that something;Q happAat mclear away their difficulties. But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~often done%--went t cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. Hhe ground floorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/Qgifts!alEAsmott!irciences --it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and t!outhe last degreaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.EmendSboys'aBings:AshowAwherT0Zin' places wa0rbefrienbwhat IO2now ave allot old Muff"!'s5rou92TomIQHuck b--THEYP)> 'a8 them.' Well, boys, I done a2rn awful--drunk and crazy a= time--that'. only way I accounT it--AI go:Qswingiit's right. RighBEST, too, I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't talk about.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yQed mez<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime comfor?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of RtfD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on one another's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llqthrough- bars, but mine's too big. LiB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if." Tom home miseraWhis dreamb nightfull of horrorse next day2the fter, he hung=e court-room, drawn by an almost irresistible impulse to go in, but forcing @himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experience y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village bwas to2Bffec Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. as out late,eu"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before heU sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexehequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/all the curious eyes cstare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM!an<b pause2theFjudge arrived6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoqlawyers|Agath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospof prepar :was as impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredtimmediately sneak some fur`}counsel forEarosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a momentzQdropp%rem agai6 his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C P." " #,"#'s replied. A thirdNswore he had often se%inO possession.Potter declined tME The faces)audience began to betray annoyance. Did this attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior when c!toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-)bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyardwhich all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibilit.Ty of a, uponunhappy prisoner atbar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,she put his face in hands and rockedbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.Rmovedmany women's compa testifixtears. rthe def1osesaid: "Your honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proa$ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We Schangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Thev lerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereCyou  seventeenth of June, abou3*t the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron"antongue failm audience listened breathless, bu~& words refused to come. After a few moments, however,uoy got a little of{strength backb manag^3puts of it into8voice to make part~e house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q4contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neveq mentioy ompanion's name. We will 6D himproper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUA conK. "Speak ou0t, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. What dBtake Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )the skeleton!atdD Now, tell us ever4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at firstas he warmthis subject his flowed morJ easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbEDhung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as light$alf-breed sprang for a window, toreay through all opposers1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOM1a gring hero once more7--the pet ofAold, Aenvyhe young. His namZ n went into immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some}believedould be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreasowworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;afore i'not well to find fault_it. Tom's days: of splendor and exult@r to himdhis nights v?horror. infestedqhis dreamswith doom in his eye. Hardly any tempcrpersuad boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysafraid DhareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poor fell8!owD1got>qattorne promise secrecy, but what of? Since }harassed conscience[managed to drive himc c's house byjQand waad tale from lipsPhad been sealedthe dismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidJhuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Hal2timZ3wasawould never be capturedV other hal,@h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewards*been offerelvcountryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZb craftly achieve. Tha7say, he " a clew."nyou can't hang a "cMlew" for murderso afterogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure as hbefore. The slow days drifted oneach left behind it a slightly ened weighDpprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinRed-Handed." Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedN1matbdo him kbtially`*AwillElway2 ake a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, moyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty parti1Rcular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests undAe env a limb of an old dead tree,shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I !n'e it; I'd spend have a good time"So;t I. Butl"dolway. Theyf and leave it t"DAthey0ay more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it laysr a long]and gets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,you going to fi!ndm#63wanJarksesbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can tagain some timeS ' -1 up Still-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'em'Is,ll of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Zto go forG _1'emITom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf!fihbrass pot with a hundred dollar1it,^Agray2 fudi'monds. HowaHuck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTI ain't going to throw off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody'lal tellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckonCdon'i!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^Do they hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o Yto hop for?--but IRQAjustVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`iy like it-Rbight; )kG"begD,Xa niggersay--where you dig firs%zknow. S'#we tacklj  on the hill t'\side ofjrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovel, and  set outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hotFpanting, threw themselves down in the sha a neighboring elm to resQa smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I$2Saywe find a treasure hereFyou o with your shar2'll1pieaa glasAsodaRy dayI'll go to every circusOcomes along. I betaa gay tinsL2f igrSave itrhy, so  something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daRget his claws on iIurry up,Ijhe'd clea3out pretty quick.tsn$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M b!" "TiTom, you--why ]!inw3 miAWaitvq'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_pmy mother. Fight! Why, thed to fight all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b1cko%Ay'reQalikeMAy'll comb a body. Now you betterak 'bouqs awhilAtell-Byou /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's aI/Fsame;  says gal, irl--both's right, like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only ifbe more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith meBstirVf*u and we% digging." ^aworkedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2. Not generally.we haven't got theQ placS|Schose#spTbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progre!ss:By pe4way in silenceVRsome rFinally leaned on his shovel, swabbed( beaded drops from his brow8bleeve,rQWhereCSgoing next, after we ge1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hill back qwidow'sdDll be a good one. But:Q take22way"us on her landd9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever findQse hiasures, it belongs to him. It drmake any difference wzaland i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. Byb4Blame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVRthinkCt isn curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfer @s_the trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! You got toa out w]the shadowlimb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"edall thisfor nothing. Now hang!llgot to come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _!an)go for itBI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonelyan hour made solemn by o aditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks, deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answepulchral notMq subdueDthesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris ir interest grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+/a stone or a chunk. At last Tom said: "It ain't any use, Huckre wrong again}but we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another o?that?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough i&too late or too early." Huck dropped his shovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroubleEAgiveq one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of ',L%rtime ofwitches and2 a-flutteringZso. I feel aslbehind mee; and I'm afearTCturnS)suz maybe1's front a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotI've been pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to look outiLordy!" "Yesdo. I'veuh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolRFwherPpeople. A body's bounget intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull and say  DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better" What'll it be?" Tom consid|awhile;dKThe ha'nted houp!itQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud,3younoticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way a does. I couldn't stORuch a " a`, Tom--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUonly at nightwon't heus from digging tin the daytimIrWell, tso. But you knowcy wellgo about: fA norr pmostly becauRato go  a man's been mur, anyway--buhing's ever*T seenBthat except !-- some blue lights slipping by windows--no regular ghostsPyou see one of them[vflicker5, you can beuEre'shy close behind it. Irreason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em pEDcomebP`b, so w@athe usaour beffeard?a. We'll tackl9 1 if#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood%"ha'nted" hW3ouse, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorsteps,k chimney crumbled to ruin -sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gazed awhile, half expectSwo see a flit past a{; then talQin a 1one, as befitte8rtime an circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Sunteda wide berth,aook their way homeward through[Qwoodsc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< ffN ir tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dow2whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveCdaysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled look[m-- "My! I nonce thought of iE!\I didn't neitherkr all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blameda body can'4Kt be too careful, Huck. We might 'a' got into an awful scrape, tackling such a thing on a z+MIGHT! Better say we WOULD! There's some lucky days, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't reckon YOU7the firstfound it ounRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rats|No! Sure signprouble. DiTy fight?" "No4that's good3hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest me!ever in England-- best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopl,Rkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly sq7Auare9bhe musbeen a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaa]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;jhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeon the edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So-gplayedLA allafternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink athe weey took their way homeward athwar| long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeSa chaPe sha61de,dug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom saiW1re "so many cases where people had given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it upa single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!betausines)Z-hunting. Whery reach twas some so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/baking sun,{ bSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDBdoor'2ookmbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircaser#erReveryWhung ragged and aba:ndoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenseTQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwQy gav a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnesslQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextanted to look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off]P!go^daring each otherof coursre could beone result--LSthrewtools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ Lo go down and begin work when-- "Sh!"Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blanching>rfright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes7Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming righNqt towar door." The boys stretch2mselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. " ve stopped.... No--comingHYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T" a ragged, unkempt creature very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Xa low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedXords more distinct as ceeded: "No,"eqhe, "I'ought it all ov1I dit. It's dangerous*pDangerous!" grunte"e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~Q made<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's! < was silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPdifferent. Away up!riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w. T here]daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any @Qplaceandy after6 fool of a job.Int to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse trydo stir%hethose infernalA pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayyQheartzy had wai7 ted a year. The two men gotJ]Afoodpa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,ALook, lad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear from me. I'll tak]chances on dropping inis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'dangerous'7 I've spied around a little5think thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together;was satisfactory. Both presently fell to yawningp .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downNQweedssoon bega7snore. HiDrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispereXNow's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starElone first s?btep he wrung such a hideous creak Dthe crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<with fright. He neveria second attempo!lare counting the dragging moments it seemed "emtime must be donGeternity growing gray;Cthen6ererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly uponcomrade, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his footaHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All , though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we'veAleftrI don't know--leave itN3 as2aalways, I reckon. No use to rit awayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omex<No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's better.F" "Yes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge chance atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea," sai / walked across=room, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonestook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty / irty dollars for himselfgas much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diggingRhis bowie-knife. forgot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloa1eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--Splendor of it was bey%ll imagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozencrich! Hereftreasure-hpunder theiest auspicesre would nobany bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilyastood,,they simply me.ant--"Oh,you glad NOW we're !" Joe's knife struck upon something. "Hello!phe. "What is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box, I believe.--bear a hand and Qsee wo1t's for. Never mind, I've broke a hole." He reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinemhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.Q: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#R5sidAfirea--I sa5a minute agoh!anbbrough2Rboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. Iu not very larg!was iron bou had been+dstrong5the slow years+Qinjurmen contemplatY" ain blissful silence. "Pard, @tthousands of dollsCere,Injun Jo#'Twas always said that Murrel's gang used to be arhere one summer,".stranger observ"I know it-; "and this looks like it, I should say." "Now you won't ne"doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Leasall abouta1 'T@ robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"sa wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillGhear from me`Well--ifqsay so;e'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a moment.] What business has a^{G?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Have d anybody?--seen anybody?y What! AleavPm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n . We'll ta to my den*hy, of course! Might h|ought of6 before. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--under!cross. The other place is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to #cautiously peeping out. Presently he said: "Who cose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsookj&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[Aturn\1war 1way Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring foo 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi!amMue debriQruineVQHe gad himself up c2bursinghis comradc Now what's the use of all|? If it's anybodyIthey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get- trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes --nfollow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoqhings inu1 ca1a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yedJoe grumbled awhile;bhe agreed withAfrie!at daylight was left q to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredB thrhe chinks betweE logd1. FAqthey. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk muchwere too much babsorb#haemselves-- ill luckS made!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. Butthat, Injun Joe n+ would have suspected. He Chiddk8sil gold to waitWQ till"revenge" was satisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b& the tools#brNbhere! Rresol keep a looko9 Spaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wher m!beLbn a gh@!thq occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked ittBover"as1BentewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 4qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company be a palpable improvement, he tho.!ught. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure of the day ily tormented Tom's dreams !niWFour times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6rit wast7nothingness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4a"ba hard reality ofR1. AQlay i, smorning recallingincidentsJVgreatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued0 far away--somewhat as if ;had happenanother world, or in a time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo be3had1 seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsaly exieBhad supposed for a moRso large a sum as a 63wasqfound in actual moneycny one's possession. IPanotionuhidden had been analyzed, would havey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungraspable Q. Bugrew sensibly sharperclearer under Qattri193ink&am over so he presentlyA himk1leae!toRBimprZ2 G not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sittinge gunwalB a flatboat, listlessly dangFqhis fee3aand looB very melancholy. Tom conclud$2letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0got the money. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't." "Whatwb?" "Oh,ing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8seen how much  Q! I've had s enough all night--withpatch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FIND Track the@/we'll neverXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--and lost. I'd feel mighty shakysee him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's it8B'bou. But I can't make no[!ouAit. do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, Sziv,s one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. Lemm e6 a minute. Here-- room--in a tavern,Aknowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I comTom was off at oncA did91carahave Huck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fou!inEbestQNo. 2Blongoccupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not know any particular reasonthis state o1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9AmadewV#e & by entertaining himself be idea"ro` "ha'nted"etnoticed*"er9da ligh r before. "TBwhatOY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/'Tom. Now what you going to do?" "LemmEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doork"at" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old ratrap of a brick storeyou get hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJBgoin2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWqa chanc is revenge. If you see himjust follow him;_if he don't|,Qain't:Lordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself+Why, it'll b%R, surmightn't everyou--and ifa, maybe he'd think anythingWell, if bpretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkhB 'a' out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneIt's so, Tom, it's$F so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooSuntilnine, one watch92he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobody entere*For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had tme ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itCq. He hi < in Huck's;began. An  hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }. Everytwas auspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.bavern."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The!re#a of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainbegan to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful things, a>nd momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heonly able to inhale it by thimblefuls Tsoon wear itout, the tbeating. Suddenly n"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUrenough;was making thirty or forty miles anrepetitionAutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen comes the door ! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyere, sound asleep onRfloor4 his old patch on1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'q matterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8psuch a thing? But stnow's agood time to get&ifq's drunk%aIt is,*! You try iHuck shuddered.Eno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doThere was a long pause for reflectiothen Tom said:32oky3less notCB anytill we knowc 3notre. It's too scary. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU,x"lly 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*#'mW,ORthrow:gravel atrwindow @at'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*bgo hom ll begin to be daylight in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5 you?" "I I would, TomI(Cha'n#wtavern  for a year! sleep all dayi&st2all2aThat's2wbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it.  !ik\, becuz I dover act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wan|bsteadyAe$ift!indaytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sec's up,, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first8heard on FridaBning glad piecnews --Judge T[hatcher's family had ack to towS before. Both Injun Joethe treasure sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhausting goodBplaying "hi-spy"%"gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!he:Ahope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having to astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*FC. M came, eventually, and by tF en or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at Judge T4.everything was reada start. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.picnics spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast d Mrs. A sai[, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay allS someb girlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt!s tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *climb ri3ght2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!"  Becky reflected a momentaid: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'A go F if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting baiand Tom's persusScarriqday. So i adecide;bsay no]anybody Rnight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck might chis verycUAgivehasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbol{ fun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--I2 diiebefore, so T it be any more likely to$o-night? The sur evening outweighuncertain treasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinL"not allow himself to think of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below townferryboat stopped(mouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9the different way1get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructioJQ goodgs began. AfterAfeas#re|refreshing seasH2resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomefashouteXWho's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \tprocureFtraightwaU re was a general scamperOxpthe cav(up the hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. Iromantic mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=qsun. Buaa impre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offromping d againcment aRlight. Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingeep descent!main avenue,pflickering raVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wallrock almostBreir poip2jun sixty feet overhead. This1not@a than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other"till narrow er crevices branched from it on ei=hand--for McDougal's cave was&a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each1andI\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights togethrough its intricate tangle of rift:`2ms,Fsever fit4end Qcave;h!goY? Rstillthe earth*i2jusesame--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venmuch beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%ofy one. T moved along1"some three-quarterRa mil> then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?t joined Parties were able to elud^2for1pachalf an hour without $Sgoinga the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anoNcame stragglOCack gmouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot with tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely delight" uccess ofday. Then theyMstonishea y had been taking no not[Ftimem was about at handna clang%ell had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat pher wild freQ!pu#instream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w%--he dropped her ourhis minput his attention up+Lbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock came4theK f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp, the village betook itself to its slumbers2lefRsmall>er alone/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernvre put out; darkness everywhere, now. iThat seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it up/turn in? AFfell~2ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must bewbox! Soto removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVE stiIbir wakfollow them;.` trust8! tfor security from discovery. So communinghimself,stepped out and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGriver street three blocks, then turnthe left up a cross-8y went straightEr, until!came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookfthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. Bu8y1stoa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetumach bushes were at once hiddeothe gloomUd shortenedrdistancR, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savPhe se<"em1hea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everything lost! HQ abou!spqwith wiwhen a man clearathroatfour feethim! Huck's R shot`lroat, but he swallowed it again; and he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weak tha}zhe must surely fallground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,1, l;4em there; it won't be harFfind. Now&a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisstranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill!to:oS--thiZthe "revenge" job! Hiswwas, to fl3n he remembered-:the had been kind to h8im more than uEthese men were going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcall this and !inbmomentelapsed betwee 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. Well,$IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you mayc1it.her husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. Aqat ain'Q5. I millionth part of iz!haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town loo#Kon! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll take it out>q of HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM ifR here!noa. Whenwant to get revenge on a woma#] q--bosh!=%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--Isn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's goV!be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, firstknow. No--we'll wait tie lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck fela silence Awas going to ensue--a{scVmore awful than any amount of murderous talk; so he held his breath and stepped gingerly back; plante.(foot carefully and firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sidei`!onother. He took anQ stepa, with+same elaborationL same risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)6! HH1sto#and he listenedQre waQsoundness was perfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass2ere=p'uly but cautiouslyrghe emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reache/ Welshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's bangppWhat do8' you want?" "Let me in--quick! I'll tell everything."ey, who are you@Huckleberry FinG4, lY!'+, indeed! It ain't a name to open many doors, I judge! ButYhim in, lads[let's see w qtroublePlease don'tI told you,"ccHuck'swords when he got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gotthtell, or he wouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!it0nobody here';." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no fur hid behind a great bowldsfell to7ing a lagging, anxsilence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no paO rticulars. He sprang awaysped dowl. hill as fast as his legs could carry him. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingrapped gently aTold Welshman's&. The inmates3asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,ccount ofxciting episodenight. A callfrom a window:9o's there!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone:O It's only2FindFrhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseBstrange worthe vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlQheardRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop1'reZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's up, and we'll[ have a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boysd you'd turn up and stop here lastFa." "IsSawfulq," saide , "and I run. I took out whey pistols wekf3I didn't stop for three mile. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even iyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but +'s a bedx1for:Ryou'v^Fyour=. No, they ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right wto put our hands oRm, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it backCno use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T rais3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B<ey were off in a jiffy, those villainswe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we never touche| m. They fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. As soon as we loVB sou$Twe quit chasing"ntand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&abit is Eaheriffaa gangS beat}"Myrwill be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. ButBcoulRee whdrlike, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!f1ne' 1 olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>h,nce or twiceqt'othermean-loo!kQragged--" "TPcenoughawe kno men! Happened o)m1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge1r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons departed at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huckgyou ought to havecredit of you did.@h no, no! Pq!" Whe young menhQgone,]5oldFA saiwr--and I3whyyou want itCBn?" Xnot explain, furthan to say< he already knew too much ab&ne1men`+1manU Manything against him foB whole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~old man promised secrecy once morW1Howyou come to follese fellowsb? WereIlooking suspiciouseas silen)!t while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heRWell,ee, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Tha ay of it last night. I could,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me,;1undreir armI reckoned'd stole it. OneAa-sm3"t'qone wan light; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#eye rustyo devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered Huck for a momentknow--but somehow ims as if I didthey went on you--" "Follered 'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhear!raFqone beg"-K5the swear he'd sp;rr looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMB man saidthat!" whad maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keeA olddfrom gett he faintest hiG"whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$m into trouble in spite"Rll heFr do. He several efforts to creepof his scrape, but'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh : "My boy, don't be afraitme. I w  hurt a hair of your head v!llworld. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've let tha. t slip without intending it+ can't cover that up now. You knowthing abob%at4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes , then bent over and whispw!inear: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!" T almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It'splain enough,pWhen you talmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasJtalka cours i* rRthe lIing which heis sons had done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineZ,its vicinity for marks of blood1y found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnynot have leaped withcpre stun=ning suddenness from Huck's blanched lips. His-were staring wide1his th suspended--waiting foraanswer WelshmanRted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTER you?" Huck sank back, panbgently deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and pres[NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven anyfor materiala plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." PoorP%too distressed to smileWQ laugz1oud1joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomyhead to foot,2Q and  by sayingbsuch armoney in a-man's pocket, because it cut downoctor's bill like evern he addold chap, you're white!ja5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little flightyCoff your balance2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hop+#brritatthink he had beenaBgoosbetrayed! a)icious excitement,HqdroppednBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a82n't!soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust iright dir1ection, now;W must bel in No. 2,%men would be yand jailybat dayhQTom c6QseizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompled2herea knocdoor. Huck jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt% Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, amoteWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's another(more beholden1an -rre to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't havev2butim." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almo d the main matter--but t_llowed ipeat int7o$Qvital$Dhis Mrthroughqbe trans6e whole townb refus"2par secret. When all else had qlearnedO  said: "I wensleep reading in bed and slept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth while. Those fellows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8y've just back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hours more. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villainsyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;Bcrowq3s my Beckvy going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "Your Becky(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa5rs.  turned palhsank into a pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy that'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--onyou. And now he's afraid%totto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "HeBAus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A markQxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"o4did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he c2sayWQpeopl2 stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio countenance. Children were anxio3usly questionedbyoung teachebey all they had not noticed whetherand Becky were on boar9 ferryboat on the homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughinquiring if any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featwere still ib cave!Thatcher swooned awa fell to crying wringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutes the bells~wildly clahe whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episodeEinstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited9;andY6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzwords. All the+ tedious nigh]for news; but whemorning dawqt last, athe woaat cam, "Send more candles--and send food." Xwas almost crazed;CAunt Polly, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman1hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because,'h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  AHuckgood spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark"don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewh0every creatuat comes"Bhis T" Early in the f$orenoon partijaded men began to straggle intv villag strongestcitizens continued searching. AR newscould be gainedremotenessrn were being ransack71visrbefore;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hitherS distance,shoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear dowsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over ii7 relic she sh1havher chilAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this oneed latest the living bodyvawful death came. /Some saiw and then,_ cave, a far-away speck of! wrglimmerthen a glorious)burst forthbaa scor'men go troopingA echx&--cq sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>air tedhours along#R sank9 a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0Q anyt' The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, scarcely flutte public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lbsubjec3s?A finYasked--dimly he worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes,"*e widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, &--what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell me just o;1ne ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer that foundTinto tears. "Hush, h $! I've told you before, you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveIa great powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone a! But cshe be crying about? CuM1she ald cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind under the wearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck.1 fia! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's shareapicnic*y tripped alongRmurkyas with2reshe company, visit familiar wonders.Tave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-RoomD","%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wandered down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles aloft4rea  tangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesrmottoesQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. HeUit curtain"sosteep natural stairway which was 7enclosed between narrowat once the ambition to be a discoverer sei"m. responded to his call, andbmade aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir quest1wouUais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off in search of novelties to tel upper world about. In onefa spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactites ofalength circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked all it, wonderQadmir_Uand pleft it by numerous passagesAopenAto iis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrustedXsa frosta glitt crystals;]:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarshad been?b "joof great Batalagmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast kno4t bats had packed themselvwousands in a bunch( lights disturbe creaturcame flockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously a candles. Tom knew their waymr dangerais sor.conduct. HeBecky's handhurried herthe first corridorqffered;6none too soon,a bat struck g- out with its wing while she was passing(<q cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wantLqexplore8borders,aconclur!hawould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesT$thlaid a clammygb spiriDthe * said: "Why, I didn't noticeit seems ever so long since I heard anyD of the others." "Come to1k, , we aredown belob m--and I don't know how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wonder howwe've beenhere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try som so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyas traversed it in silence a  way, glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face/n encouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iPright/. This ain'~one, but we'll cit right away!" But he felt less hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!ofAing ne that was wanted. He still saiwas "all !,"such a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<#!"clung tooqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back RtearsAould. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goway! We seem.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deeps"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shou The call went echoingthe empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter. deSagain too horrid,*zDt isI<; they might hear us, you know," and he~. The "might"Bpa chilliersbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing hopehildren stoodand listened; !reno resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps. I"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact toa--he cv1notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, I rfool! S Ithought we  1 to| No--I can'ay. It's all mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8Aof ti wful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherS!nk,Qhe gr$and burst8renzy of cryat Tom was appalledthe idea4 sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byband pubarms aAher;S"bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"Cpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regrets, and the f(ar echoesAthemto jeeringEa begge to pluck upQ, and2sai . He fell to blaming/Aabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-had a better effect. wWatry to Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. So they moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--all6q!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.Sa under,Vhrpe diedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz , fatigue began to assert it/s claims;tchildren tried to pay attention,~it was dreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any Qwas aist progressjmight bear fruit;wto sit downto invite death:shorten its pursuit. At last's frail limbs refus! carry her farthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_\all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponAthat*Qdrows!f to sleepTwas grateful>sat looking intodrawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasantms; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awaabygone|ps and d< reamy memories. While heeep in his musings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never, had waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in myc. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRknew was it seemed dayS week9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not betheir candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sa!to Both were cr9uelly tired, yet she thought she8Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'.qunderst8tsat down, Tom fastened 1 to#wall in front of them{some clay. Toon busy; nothp!s 2for7Atimena brokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?""he. Becky almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MSYes--as big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do 'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where0.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, wTom nibbled atQamoietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move onMyilent a mom"qThen heA: "R,!you bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paled, bu . "Well"n,, we must stay herBere there'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClast! gave loosAearsuwailingud what {to comfort her, buzeffect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#ySBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[you as soon as got homrA frighrlook in"braTom toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was notCave gone < night! The children became$ndMuful. In a new burst of griefKra showentgaing in mind had struck hers also-- the Sabbath morning might be) half spent before Mrs. Thatcher discovered~"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; sawinch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame rise^fall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,Fthe horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward itljFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. Allqknew wa"atIseemed ary stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2to talk, bu sorrows woo oppressive, all her>#8gon*have beenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideousl%y4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byc: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. InlAanswY"itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'ym!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl"on28stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred'Bqno passUsany rat2gotaon his!streached as far d own as he could. No bottommust sta]rwait untilearchers came8 @a; evid-!di3ingjqgrowingb$a! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether}t-sinking miser+1it!swhoopedh%hoarse, but it was of no use. He talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on*Rslept`awoke famisnd woe-stricken. Tom believedust be Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}$sevAe we=+R heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumpingqplace." Qkneesqfelt beand then 9as far aroun\x corner reach with"hands conveni"; he made an effort to stretch yet a little farththe rightUat that T, not yards away, a human, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorshout, and in"lyAhandfollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)RAmove was vastly gratified the nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNat Joe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bur echoes21havAguis!e c. Without doubt,{was it, he reasonedA's f9 weakened everacle inbody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 he,qnothingld tempt him to rurisk of mee+}Qagainwas careful to keepk4wha "ee;told heronly shouted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superior to fears ilong run. Ano!ed@await aq springa'9sleep brought changes. The children awobrturedua ragingq believ'`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKthe searchbeen givenQpropoo explore passage(felt willing 8isktnd all JQrrors8 qas very4. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NR longLm!To"gothe kite-linek chose; butk!im9d'aCback0BwhilNspeak to her;`swhim promise:"he!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ show of being confidenAfind)aers orURscape  the cave; then he took the k bin his and went groping down one ofn6s o6sbknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonqaned totwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mourned-FlostW$ha en found. Public prayersoffered up for them, 2manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuFwas plain tcould never beB!Mrfatcher2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,9lay it wearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tunight, sad and forlorn. Away insQmiddlthe night a wild peal burst from/xb bellsin a moment#streets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn by"ing citizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah* F! Twilluminated; nobodybto bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved one!kiqsqueezedt'Q, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all ove place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispatched w1ith news toAcaveCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofa an eager auditory about him=1tol~A his!of'wonderful adventure, putting in many striking additionadorn it withal;hcclosed descriptOhow he left Becky3went on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasT"to9back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw[(broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it had only happen$ b~hUa not h2een%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret hersuch stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$be labored"her and convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >way out at the*t"lp2 ou? they sat trgladness+some men came alo@qa skiffgTom hail!emtheir situa0!anqir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at first, "because," sai] y, "you are five miles down"river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatcandful of searchersim were tracked out, ircave, btwine clhey had strung behi!m,informed ofAA. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as33andBsoon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursday, and seem4ed to grow mo Qtired5Qworn,Pthe time.agot abYa little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as whole as ever Saturday; butdid not leave her room until SunUshe looked as ifphad passq a wasting illness. Tom learnHuck's sickneswent to see him obut coulbe admittbthe bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or . He wasHSdailyFAthatt#wto keep still  his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-%been found Anearferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. AbWQ fortiTom's rescue froDhe start0f to visit Huck, whoNgrown plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talkr1TomD5wcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house>s was onw2opp2seeta Judge~friends setto talking%one asked him ironically if hen't likezocave again_said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are others jusuyou, Tom, I've noleast doubt. But we have taken cLfA. Nowill get lost !atA anyH." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--andgbkeys."!tujite as a sheet.Aat'sE0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The gbbt:!thCinto|face. "A you're all right. WhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[de bore Judge That7cher. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%!of,fplace.x lay stretched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`A, as4is longing eyebeen fixed,>latest moment,5he cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wBuffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefN security, now, which revealhim in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him sinceXday he lifted%Cvoic"st bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade broken!wo great foundation-beamO1chiand hackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have5 Rstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMRdoor,xcit. SoV only"ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on1 fiRlf a dozen bits of candle stuck ahe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneAsearrthem ou 2eatBm. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In on_ , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly growW from}ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinARscoop hallow hollow to c+Aatchprecious drop rfell onevery three minutes wit=!drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellthe foundation0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror create British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willI be 2all6 squnk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand yearsready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^hapless half-bree1out#A to >Qprice8bdrops,"o 3af stares longest at that pathetic0`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4buried nearBQmouthg;people flocked there in boats"wagons from<BtowncQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfesscaey had almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcould2hade hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni--the pet)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings Bheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail  cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/elieved toakilledr citizethe village2whahat? If he had /been Satan himselfw$plenty of weaklings ready to scribblir names to a-drip a tear on itLir permanently impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck rivate placeG an important talk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshman the Widow Douglas, by this}Tom said he reckons6was?had not told him;a The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f businessed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand m"mewaif you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#on-keeper. YOUF ] was all right the Saturday I went to the picnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch therenight?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCNI follered Injun Jothe widder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukeep mum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on me doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenkwho had only %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{a, presyQ, comaPmain question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom ;G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itA>neyG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or st?" "EarQnest,--just as# ver I waomy life. Will tre withhelp get it ouI bet I will!2 ifwCRe can our way to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkU&--Ayou ?wait till wef!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jingAll right--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRRightg!ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a*, three or four days, now, but I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five;2 in!reway anybodyume would go,^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.U,B takGin a skiff.&2flo] , I'll pull itjby myself. You needP turn2 your hand over." "Less start)A offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`of these new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's the timelshed I hagFwhenf before." A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  Bdownthe cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yok 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSashore, now." TheyG2ed.,qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]bout ofa fishing-pole. See#4can1." ? searchediCabou2fouQhing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%ndHere you are! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country. You just keep mum it. All along I'vewanting to be a robber, but I knew I'rto havebng liko run across it waabother!vecit now=it quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els wouldn't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "itBdoes And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$lynd kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcrnP, but$D youZtake your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'll see that inbbook. =qomen geloving youEthey,9a week or two y stop cryingTyou cmwhem to leave. If4dro!ouy'd turn right around!come back. It's soc books"y,Dreal bullyI believe better'n a pirateF3YesF& in some ways, it's close to home circusesat." By time everya!wa!dy2ys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to  down to whisp1ers, now, foS stillnes d gloomplace oppressspirits. They wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor until they rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUS fact`t was not really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)whispered: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do K? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!jtreasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is bre, certain."2 it6, n. It would ha'nx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from here." "3CNo, l y#ngthe money. I knowrways ofsyAso d." Tom began to fear was right. Misgivings gathered in his mind. But7 an idea occurred to him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves! ain't a going to come|awhere 's a cross!" The poin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"atthat's so. It's luck1us,L { is. I reckon we'll climb downhave a huntGthat box first, cutting rude steps iLas he descended.. Four avenues opened!ofA small cavern which the greatstood in.boys examinj2ree0"emno result. ysfound aiUrecesone nearest4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,the well-gnawed bones1wo sree fowlsBere B-boxlads seareand rePthis place, but in vaOom said: "He a UNDER V. Well, thiss0o being under3It can't beP itself, because! sOolid on the ground6heyReveryzonce moreORn satdiscourag1cou ggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintssome candle-gre= clay about one sidX!is 3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet you; ISbU. I'mH dig." "Thano bad notion "!"ith animation.'s "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he struck wood.y!--you h-2?" UH2digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed6y concealed a natural chasmreckon it's notle(t now. El knows --the widow, Atoo,all she tro let onW.(was bound Huck should be here--couldn't get along with 3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberst.)7 wacmake atime oversurpriser!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.J2id,Jly one person in\town mean:R to d XI72had!in 's place you'd 'a' sneakedQ hilltold anybody0S. You%ado anyQmean sKbear to seeTpraised for doing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxBdoorseveral kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were at the supp'er-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, affashion ofqcountryoqday. AtbproperlMr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedFthe honor3wasqhimselfhis sons,G3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprungHuck's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog`he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to giveMt a homecer roo ave him educated; and that 7Awhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancBcome aid: "Huck don't need it.'s rich." Nothingya heavy strainthe goodsEe company kept baQe dueBE:ary laugh at this pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe youbelieve it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly a:, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{easacks,2 diafinishMsentenceCpourU1masyellow coQ the C^qThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sXand hbmine!"spectacle tookeneral breath away. All> gazed, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explanation  Mquld fur5"itWahe did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasion2it amount to anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allowwas counte[3sumt!edvover twelve thousand dollars. It!mo%anSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz#in#ty. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA4andAwindfall made a jQtir iT poor/9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under tAhe strai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house inA andneighboring# s was dissected, plank by Aound0s dug upWQransacked for hidden treasure--and not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, some+mrT4q appear8!eyQ couradmired, st#a+1abl|remember their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lostpower of doing and commonplace !s;past histor1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originality5o paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcher di same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now,+{simply prodigious--ae week-day in the yD1earChalf Sundays. I[just whaminister got --no, i(#!he4#promised--he generally couldn't collect it. A dolla quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him#formatter.   had conceived a great opinio Tom. He sahat no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--athat was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whR walkR floostamped his foot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/itAoped"ee+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traineqthe bes  qcountry[ be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fac#now undeQ1Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost morQn he  bear. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushedthey beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnWbook,@go to church2talk so properlyaspeechJbecome insipid in his mouth; whithersoever he Lrturned,1arsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han5. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthenBday  up missing. For forty-eight hourswidow hunteeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyPpoking among old empty hogsheads down behiny abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque days whenW1freq happy.Croutvout, toldroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedpand it d0work; it T work6t ain't for me; Iused to it:widder's good to ml friendly; but I can't stam ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!at smothers me8'NA see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;dthey're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay qroll ar!anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE --well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to churca sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub comes too easy3--It{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dwrtalk soit wasn't no comfort--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died, TomnXwouldBAmokeu yLshe Bgapeqstretch Q scra Abefore folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritation and injury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN"thX! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-(aTHAT, Looky her, being richwhat it's crack);A jus!ry$Rworry 2a-w you was dead <. Now theseBsuitis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2t into all thi#s trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not many , becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"me the widder." "Oh, Huck,8know I can't do . 'Tain't fair;Y if you'll try/!a U longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stic'em, too. BlamBall!Sas we3gun_ba cave\2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness has" k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CB Ckeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sitting. But Huck, w)e let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C#let me ina Didn'p!go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 7 is more high-toned than what a N is--as a general). In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul !sh"R out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goaqa month6Ctacknd see if ! co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All rightb, it'sz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow,qet up oh a little, HuckoEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe2goi.Vstartand turns?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys togetherAhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tellgang's secrets, even 're chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his familyCa hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest,|est place you can find--a ha'nted house i! b:-Z23up od, anyw{(sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOXsomething LIKE!fqmillions bullier'll stickSPtill +I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverG talking 'bout it, I reckon be proud she snaked me in oute;wet." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;G'could not go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersrperformais book still liveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zyounger ones again[see what sor"mewomen they turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveauRat pacQtheirs at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY#P $ MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred; one or two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combinaYistics of threem I knewSbelongs to"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z P   THE AUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876. \ %T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles downulooked ovebam abou room; then she pIm up:cut und?. She seldom or nevereTHROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA bea!Awenthe open door and 8stood in it and out among the tomato vines&"jimpson" weedswconstitute garden. No Tom. S lifted upm voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behin1andbturned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m'a' thoughcloset. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. ASmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--tjwhat it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!XrwhirledTnatch Qkirts of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappearTit. Hisr Polly surprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Hang the boy,G can't I never learn anything? Ain't he playericks enough lik1forAo be/1ing$rfor him6!is? But old fools is the biggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to " w1comHe 'pears!just how long he can torment me before I gedander up,=he knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I afcmy dutbat boythe Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahear lash him, somehow. EveryR I lef off, my conscience does hur"so_e=!myumost breaks. Well-a-wAman  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *B[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, nish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ whenf!oyrhaving holiday)he hatesB more thanS else%'ve GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideiAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourths . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already thrAwithCpartbS(pick{qchips),ba quieJehad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>8stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions tOhat were1gui1nd 6deep--for s1nte;AtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkbmysterious diplomacy0bhe lov#contemplate her most transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'Didn't you want to go in a-swimmNTom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolWBnoth o he said: "No'm--well, notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ! n hough." And it flatteredato reflect thathad discov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcAmigh1theA movSome of 6+us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" Aunt Polly2vex:Uthink(overlook(v circumstantial evidencemissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!qtroubles#offace. He opened his@b. His 4as securelyQ. "B1! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Ss half sorrysagacity harcarried ,3gla?Tom had stumbled\obedient conduconce. But SidneyIDif I52you{ith white thread, 's blackBWhy,OA sew8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll licfor that." In a safe place Tom exa!mined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapels ofd bound abouTm--on^  DA andSotherH5 HeShe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Within minutes, or even less, he hagotten alls. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove qhis min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negrohsuffering to practilYse it undisturbed. It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidsthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it, if!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFt#eeF@full of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFAwithEboy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyustle. A strangerbefore him-- a shader'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttonedM blue cloth roundabouew and natty"sohis pantaloons. He had shoes on--and iGonly FriHe even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher h ed up his nose at his finerqhabbier(1ier)own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, circle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd  o see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(rcan't, 2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pausen What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I could with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool with mEOh yes--I've seen whole families insame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I daro knock it offqanybodyG'll take a5will suck eggsYda liarv're ano  fighting.O!dafQit upVAAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3/QeyingAsidl R each. Presently twere shoulder# .|Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B"Sobstood,`with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But neither could gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.ell my big brohe can thrash!thlittle finger.I'll make him do it, toRI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#so2Ait sTom drew a lineBdust1hisi"to{ qFstepZAlick5't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seQDon't8crowd me now;better look ouQWell,HSAIDh)--WP do it?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derision.rRtruck# to the ground. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb !inAdirt, gri together like cats; and for. space of a minute they tuggeJtoreq's hairHclothes, punch3Qscratc's noscovered themselves:ry. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to freself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a sm bed "'N1let!up8qll lear:. BnA who_%olnext tim3ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying backBshaks head and thr8Qeatenhat he would do tothe "next time he caugh out." To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feather! as soon as'was turne1newI#sn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetweeshouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelopeCchastraitor homthus foundwhere he livedna position atAgatebAsomehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4dpersonQaunt;gswQstate were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity6ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY ;2mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. T was a song in every heart;obif the`Qyoung{music issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brushcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet/ . Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box? discouraged. Jim came skipping out atBgatea tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Brkwater from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remember~Eat tup$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysgirls wereTb waitiir turns, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me In' git dis3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what she sa!idq. That'# w/ talks. Gimme the bucket--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar de off'n me. 'Deed she would\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--any#it!if$1cryggive you a marvel.'" as alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiHe put down hisstook th$a&nt$tobsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetmJgling rear,jEwas A2ing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring froSmpafield a slipper in her hand|ttriumpheye. But Tom's energy did not lastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys + come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditionspR they3! mb world ofaof himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea rCtoys. At rk and hopeless7an inspira burst upon him! Nothing 3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranqui. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZ heart was li91ghthis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodA&whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, Rfor hcperson steamboat. As he drew near, he slack}bspeed,the middlthe street, leaned far over to starboard$rounded to ponderously#laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginerr standi.his own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he up slowly toward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW mAstab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Let her go l-chow!" The lef began toe 2top &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeOQ thatk-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stanstage, now--lj go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2yBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchyan artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouth watfor the (1butqtuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddensaid: "AWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a bit,H"rWhat do1allQ?" "IETHAT1TommC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comdon't meG!le{you LIKE it?" ycontinued to move. "Like it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily!anDqth--steI"ba<Anote\effect--addxAhere4there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlyBaid:i, Tom, let MEgvlittle.sidered, was_o consent; but he a!ltqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;!gobe done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&happen to it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgll give youcore of myS+FN2.bafeardWALL of itqgave uppwith reluct|!inBfacealacrity q heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist sat on a barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along eblittle; they came to jeerHQremaio whitewash. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken6the morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B key(eunlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupl tadpoles, six fire-crack7Qers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If dn't run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2 all. He had discoveO great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obligedo. And elp him to understh\tructing ficial flowers or performing'tread-mill is work, ten-pins or climbing MNont Blanc amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line, insummer, becausprivilege costs them derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "yresign. Thermused at3oveaubstantial changch had taken place in hldly circumstancescthen w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for s 4 noT}cthe caLasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szrthoughturse Tom had desert?ed long ago1ondat seeing him 'power againis intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go=play now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4Dfindper cent. of Tom's stat true. When she fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonishment.almost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never!a's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longl3plat%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hatptook hibCm inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture uponBvaluNflavor a treat took to itself'it came without sin through virtuous effort. And whiled:; a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skipped out saw Sid just starting upoutside stairway that lcrooms second floor. Clods were handy and the air9full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiescsally @%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+$hin1rou Tom skirablock,ha muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. Hge presently got safely beyond the reach of capand punishmentahasten1war9 public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheruse two gcommanders did not condescend to fight i!--being better suio still smaller fry--but s gether on an eminencevQcondu the field operations by or0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a and hard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagreement d7yrthe dayhe necessary3ed;QwhichR fell1lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived_saw a new girl e garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creatur yellow hair plaitetwo longU-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4Awithout firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished out of his heart and left;even a memory( erself behind. He had thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePdton as ado; behold it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayse!inainstan|atime sf1d g like a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discovered him; then h1teneeAknow\4was, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidp saw th sat the girl was wend way towarXhouse. Tom cameoEf and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a moment oQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin ar two ofcQlowerY 1shais eyes with#haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH. Presentlyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--;-uld button the floweNAr inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblhe was not much po in anatomynot hypercritical, anyway. He returned, now2hung abouLtill nightfall, "showing off," as U3; b8&girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$ Bhopesad been> some window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,#[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got in child." He took a good scolclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/1torsa body tyP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." sezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach`the su;Kgar-bowl--a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh unbearable. But Sid's fingers sli1and bowl dropped and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledtongue and was silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief;tJKtCand therabe not"soE!inGworld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultationRcould hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASbinstanas sprawl n the floor! The potent palm,dupliftQBrike Tom cried out: "Hold on1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heapity. But 1shes5hershe onlyUmf! Well, you d 5idn't get a lick amiss, I reckon. You been into some other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." T r conscience reproached hershe yearn!ay~B kinFqloving;she judgedBthis1 beoRtrueda confesstshe had the wrongdiscipline forbadef. So she keptf"ce2went abouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woAknewa in he5rt Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of i<hang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelsick unto deatho=Ebend him beseeching one littl cgiving*%2tur2rface toQ1allB die word unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$bt homeOthe river, !Rdead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how herBfallCrain( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysXbnever, abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of watich overflowedhe winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUoApett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently,is cousin Mary danced ull alive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor assong and7 sunshine in at the other. He wande&ar accustomed haunts of boys%sought desolate placesin harmonybspirit. A log raft in the river invited himfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingg$uncomfortable routine devised by nature. Then he thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8ApityC knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turnrly awayall the hollow? This picturan agonpleasurable !itCoveri 2minoset it up in new0qvaried s, till re it threadbare. At last he rose up sighingJadepartA. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came aloAdeseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle was cast dull glow 9the curtain of a second-story window. Wassacred presencre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  looked up aDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposingupon his back,]his hands claspyabreast3BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~mRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-dampsR1row8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sE outv glad morntand oh!A7op one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The window wei nt up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profan" holy calm a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snort. Tswas a whiz asmissile iair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aH shivering glass followedsmall, vague form wentkAthe >Mshot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by+tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of makiny "references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD2eldAeace, fodanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xusummit of this she delivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai. girded up+loins, so to speak[ to work to "get his verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]e tried to!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>\mournP--" 6"ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, # fb shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-headedBg, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must goblearn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll give7something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelveacents; and the Cconvulsion of deligh swept his system shookx!tofoundations. True, the uld not cut any but it was a "sure-enough" ,there was inconceivable grandeur in--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard"it )rranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dresseSunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setMn a little bench2; tQ dipp eae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But&Q remo,and said: "Now ain'Sashamsmustn'tVabad. Wwhurt you." TomTStriflncerted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpreswith both eyes sh8d groping forH.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romKqemerged#>,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short aX2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in front`1acka*Rneck.t!ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brotherout distinct|b colorYtAatur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses3Qhead;&rhe held]aminate  his own 3lifhbitterness.] Then MarHy got out a suit ofFclothing had been used only on Sundays dutwo years--they were simply caQ"othethes"--and so bylwe know the siz his wardrobe. The girl "put him to rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crown9speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable6was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessgm. He hopedMary would forgetqes, but2hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want .said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he|zthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9the three children se3for-school--a plac$eQTom hd aheart;1Sid)fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedificWmall, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibitedsatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue onesRylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyoss of various colors ten or fifteen minutes l. He ente&!rehgV, nowmwarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to hisqnd starO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned~Rmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"got a new reprimand.4his. Tom's S clasWof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;rCyellow one;#en .the superintendent gave a very1 ly bound Bible (worth fo9rty centsose easy times) toQpupil many of my readers would hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand], even for a Dore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it wapatient work of3years--and aj!of German parentage had won four or five. He onced threeout stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 helittle better th{b idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}L3ickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rarenoteworthy circumstancer successfuls?conspicuous for  o|aspot escholar'stQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasted a %couple of weeks. It is possible4cTom's qstomach never really hungered for.o., but unquestionablyentire beingW2forPaClongWthe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due courseA stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i inevitable sheeRmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo at a concert --th|why, is a mystery:>Qneithen sa referAo bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqbabreas=corners of his moufence that dcompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning ofCwhole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a spreading cravat which(as broad}s long as a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%very earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intonation(wholly absent on -days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAFyoura minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy girls should do. I see one+girl who is loo2king outwindow--I am afraid she1ks out there somewhere--perhaps up in oneR trees making a speech to th birds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assembled in athis, leaq to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9was of a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresumpF of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,} subsidencY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an" !orBless rare--the entranIvisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair;I dignified lady who was doubtless`'s wife. !dy*leading a child. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:Q"show2ff"=1all^might --cuffingBpullh3ir, faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate a girl1winae. His exaltQ!ut5Ralloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and QrecorAsandEfast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. Walters'was finished]introduced themaschool Pged m9.an turned out to be a prodigious personage--no less a one tha county judge--altogethermost august crethese childre!evoked upoey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. He rom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled1seea world"se1Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attestthe impressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge)1broof their ownOe. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands1him6rIS shakU! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A felP off,"tall sortofficial bustlingsFactivities, giving orders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere that ld find a targetlibrarianed off"--runn&iQ with his arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJAfuss insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilf|l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemen$small scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobipline ,th sexes, found business up atN$y,qpulpit;!it6gfrequently had Bdone again two or three times (Qmuch seeming vexd). TheJgirlq in var=Qways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wadsmurmur oKqf scuff. And above it allEgreat man sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@Rhousewarmed himself inasun of his own grandeur--for he[ff," too. Theronly one thing wanto make Mr. Walters' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several"had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough --hqbeen arRamong#%tainquiring. He w have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandja. Thisa thunderbolt out of a clear sky was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEBit--e certified checky$~oir face.Q2was  fore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD the greAaat new< announcedheadquarters. It`the most stunning surprise of the decad=qso profCR sensa}it liftenew hero up tonCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inof one. The boyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribuot hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake Rgrass !4was;as much effusion  superintendent cpump up circumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him t mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boyAware) thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on5premises--a 9dozen would strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy Lawrencproud and glad, sQiAmake see it in her face--but hen't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--annheart brok jealousRangry `Fears3sheeverybody. Tom Gof all (Hhought). Tomsintroducre Judgehis tongu0Qtied,qbreath  hardly comequaked--partly becau awful greatnesg1an,^Gmain63parent. H have likfall downorship him, if%erBAdark # phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay,)A and" ll tell it to me, won't you?ell the gentleman your Ubname, !," said Walters, "and say sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyfellow. TwoLsand verses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry forw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(be3man yourself, some day+_look backsay, It's all owoprecious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU<  ood superintendent, who encouraged mT over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!~ouldn't take any money for those. t--no indeeE1now[mind tellingnd this ladyB!ofs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknoww2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, now,'his eyes fell. Mr.7' heart sank within himH_bto himit is not possible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Ad'--don't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E$me\1thewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyepeople(q gather`the mornii!ng sermon. The Sunday-school children distributeKmselves aboutkAhous occupied pews/ their parents, so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly cameTom and SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordaBmigh`s far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upXraisles: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOejusticRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>the most hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivitie St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a trooprawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakern all the yoFung clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule suckingcane-heads, a circling wall of o and simpering admirers, till^last girl!ruir gantlet; and%aof all:Model Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7to church1wasApridbarmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?his pocket behind, as usual ons--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. Ycongregationfully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Bthe a which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgottenF! wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkg in some foreign countryminister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleCmuchZaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down!from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would lift<3han let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\4ir u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOOb for trtal earth." AfterAhymnbeen sung,% the Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meetings}societie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>age of abundant newspapers. Often9Ress t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMrttle children church;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tidingyet have not Meyes to see nor earhear withalRheath)the far islandAsea; closed with a supplicationwords he was aboutpeak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJ book relates did not enjoy , he only endured it--if he#dirmuch. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit 2e bpew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armpolishing it s)qo vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5ody slender thread of a neck1expto view; scrapRwingsXits hind legssmoothing them tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwas; forr2oreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed did such a $Rwhile`3ray on. Buthosing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forwardCthe ra"Amen"8!he prisoner of war. His aunt qthe actomade him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstonSthinnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom count$_aages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utherema, but JAldom2B anyelse abou discourse. However, this time he8really interested`r little). * a grand and moving pictureqassemblHRogeththe world's hosts at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lie[ Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he onSought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMoirhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHpQ him qtreasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beeith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he call>". N in a percussion-cap boxSfirstsmdid was to tak)`by the" finger. A natural fillip followed[ent floundKZthe aislelit on its backthe hurtpR wentoy's moutho3layCqworkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over. Tom ey:Clong1it;iqsafe ou!hiTQch. Opeople unci>sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopail liftebwagged:1urvnrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenrhis lipqade a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-minded. His head noddedllittle by his chin descendStouch%enemy, who seized it. There was a sharp yelp, a flirTc's heaeetle fell a couple of yards awayS once more neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveAaces behind fanI handkerchiefsTom was entirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt soas resentmB tooBda cravAreveRSo heKSBand a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet5"jed till his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ;s an ant,8his noseshe flooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgok,sat downyn there wa0s a wild yelp of agony81sailing up the ais!he<s continu4Rso diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;.ranguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe. At las frantic sufferer sheereddits course,Nsprang intowmaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"it2lamhalting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; for evegravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a rarely& facetious thing. It0a genuine relief to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,king to himself tha"bre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJqwas wil dog should playhis pinchbugs!he2not1 it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--becazt began anothek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; thenAstay:UXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen, and he investigated5. TZ$he detect colicky symptoms, anto encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feeblepSAdiedbly awa reflected further. Suddenlyscovered One of his upper front teethSloose was luckyqto begi groan, as a "starter," as7alled it,"if.me into court7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So"ol= tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tellSa certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upQinspe. But nowAknowS necessary symptoms. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconscGed louderbfancieTp he beg#afeel pain -. No result9Sid. Tom was panthis exertions by this7took a resoF1sweMqhimselfnd fetched a succession of admirable"As. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work56TomVq again.yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathdstare at Tom. o!en~2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" A(looked iface anxiouslymkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^qwake me;1er?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.XPter?" "I forgiveoeverything. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dy^!arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catw one eye to that new girlb's com2owntell her1Butrhad snahis clothespAgone,suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gasp2YouUX 1you 3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little, then cried a did both together. This restorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowqshut upx nonsense and climb out of this." The Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish) it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 IS1but re not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}"Ohyou? So all row was becaus thought you'd7i iPl andE go a-fishing? tI love you soi eem to try every waycan to break my old heart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. TheYmade one endA fasRTom's:aa loop2tieQotherhe bedpostpn2eiz* n uddenly thrust it almost6t:q's faceU hung dangling by}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition;1one) had cut his fingS had been a centre of fascin9EahomageDo this timQ founEselfJout an adherent'shorn ofglory. His yQheavy- 3 $a disdain which henot feelit wasn'!tho spit like Tom Sawyer; but anothe r boy said, "Sour grapes!"ae wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, so#the town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by allms{Utown,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and8]ir children s delighhis forbidden societR wishEqy dared1eQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast cond; as under strict orders no8BplaySo he played9he got a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown meAthey  in perennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenA!or},nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat itrousers bHagged low~contained nothing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. and went, at$own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weatheyin empty hogsheads in wet; he di= have to go to school or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchosestay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the firstwent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,t goes to make life precious qboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBphim off'n a boy&1ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzI got atslaughter-house_ 8theTm#it off'n Ben Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped ha rotten stump wthe rainQA wasPIaytime?" "Cecrtainl1ith^rface toAtump3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool way as!! @Qthat S a-goVado anyQ. Youto go all by yourself,middle ofcwoods,p2youthere's a Bjust as it's midnighback up agains qand jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then w way quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayB donNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&he!haEwart on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofoff of my hway, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`aalways"considerable many warts. SomeI take 'em offZaa beanAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuR!soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'acrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyJ"se3" t+"goqit will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZS to i!soa helpsh!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;jq no morbBme!'better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urwith dead catsyyour cat"go$et? graveyard 'long about mibdnight5somebodywas wicked haqburied;]hVit's b devilAcome, or maybe two or three, butan't see 'emcan only hearthing likeCGwindY''em talk; they're takingfeller awaym#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,i!, cat, I'm Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axone day,Cahe seeUawas a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd azRher. that very he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How diOknowLord, pap can tGeasyKb1looa; *q stiddyDyou. SpeciallBy ifcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-.sll comeold Hoss Williams t8q" "But him Saturday. Di69get1howQtalk!could their charms work till ?--and THEN it's Sun|evils dolosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought ofR. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went "hr&rocks at mesays 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti #wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#th"Nobut a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2G know. I dGron't wa`sell himuSAll r~t's a mighty small, anyway0!Ohbody can runC dowbbelongem. I'm satisfiediwgood enoughv!meuaSho, tss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toOWell, why1! Byou know#wed!ca#This is a pretty early,the first one I've seenAyear,!--BAgivemy tooth Less see iTom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewQ wist-b. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?" Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,?9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,* the manner of one who had$pwith alQl honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg"flmself into(Aseatt business-like alacrit master, throned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, lu!bydrowsy hum of study. The interruparoused "Thomas Sawyer!{Bknew2wheAname{ pronounced in full, it me"rouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was about ake refuge in a lie,e saw two ; ails of yellow hair hangingoba backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min= You--you did what?" "StoppbQ talk@ Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$pmost asMtounding confession I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_offence. Take off your jacket  's arm performed until it[tired andQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV"si_! And letbe a warnWTo youbtitter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGBesulcaused rather more by worshipful awe of his unknown idolthe dread pleasured4layWcgood fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hQd heraway from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom satAwitharms upon the, low desk before himAseemAbook. Byby atten$Dthe accustomed murmur rosedull air once. Presentlboy beganeal furtive glances atL)girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave him>Hbacke space of a minute. When she cautiously facagain, a peach layi"erthrust it away.gput it back,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled onslate, "Please take it--I got" The girldRwordsno sign. Now}draw something *!hik his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice; buttuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGtddid not betray!he%Aawarit. At lastqgave inhesitatinglybLet me see idom par!ve dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyXc's interestdfastenpwork and she forgot everya4els!it;finished,2gazed a moment, then ,It's nice--make a man." The artist erectHAan i front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monster,a beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonkstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan6saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/Oh, will you??" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whWyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'mAwhen good. You call me " "Yes." Now<@N  +A. Buackward this(`begged/ to see. Tom Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed . Please let m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou treat me sbAWILLwB" AnkYput her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but lettingQhand slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,reddened and looked p d, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifAimpu"InSwise Aborne acrosa housedeposited i!own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhoolnmaster stooahim duMa few aw_hs finally moved away to his tV-hrone without saying a word. But although Tom's ear tingled,eart was jubilant. A quieted downmade an hoRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1 reading class} botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upkGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul lik= that is H_bees. Away off.flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides th[ a shimmering veil of heat, tintedthe purple of distance; a few birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. heart acT o be free, or else to haveOiof interesdo to pasdreary time. His handR intoBockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, he did not know iten furtively/Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him oQlong flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,is moment,2it !emd:x1wheQstartankfully to travel off, him asida a pin"!ake a new direction. bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment  instant. This bwas Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on Saturdays.^took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisrexercise prisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither gettfullest benefit of the tick. So t Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stir him up and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,P would look one"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeover the s6lat1souls dead to  ings else. At last luck seemX settle and abide Joe. The tick tried this,odScoursrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timrgain ju"he: have victory infvery grasp, so to speaTom's fingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offkeep possessionWQTom cstand it nozemptation was toocqreachedFand lent a hand!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look hera, whos\Athat?" "I don't care$m you sha'n't touch himaWell, , bet I will, though. He's my and I'll d%o what I bNSpleashim, or die!" A tremendous whack came down onshouldersits duplicate on Joe's;1forOBspac\wo minute dust continued to fly from qjacketsP!thWle school to enjoy itnhad been too absorb]anoticeAhush had stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing&the roomstood over them. Hencontempla good part"he performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res1'emAslipT turnVrough the lancome back.!go@Q1way%!itcame way." S6ne went off+one group of scholagaith antE. In :two met atdbottom#la -Ethey!haQall tp. Then ,they sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave zncil and held2hanis, guiding itDbso cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!!" "Well, I do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing roundQ head a string.q[n't care for much, anyway. W like is chewing-gumGSOh, Ila say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letschew itB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweCabouRdanglir legs againsench in excess ofntment. "Wasever at a circus?" saic. "Yesmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms8I)f three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inWPs when I grow upOh, are you! ill be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. AnQy getA1her"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoQWould&C!to<I reckonCknowqQis itu/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyzawon't have anybodyZQhim, 2, aVn>Ckissat's all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--walways do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember what I wrote obqYe--yesRwas iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but JNo, not now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silenc cconsen, passed his arm about her wAaisteT talez softly, his mouth close to her earn he added: "Now0a it to me--Rhe saP She resisted, for a while1saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" Then she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9!fa?om claspedQabout neck and pleaSWa, it'skdone--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--A at ( !."he tugged a u hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Bface7rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFd lips and said /EcalwaysQthis,Bknow ain't ever to love0m"me+Xxo marry,B me,nOand forever. Will]CI'll) u{*t Zyou--"to- "ither." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^!'rKBwalkh2me,/Rtherevlookingchoose meIt parties, because tqthe way"dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRhearda befor3"Ohso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs#'vDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQlQOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 do3 kndo." Tom tri put his arm,she pushm turned he Qr facK"llwent on cryingvaagain,u soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was up/Erodeutside. He stood, restless and uneasy,\a while, glancing aBdoorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1com%find him. B^tdid note to feel badlyCfear that F.t-rong. It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances, m!buTBnervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.he.'s heart smote "He#tod moment, not ing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\ ." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YQwon'tsay some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromtop of an andironapassedQround>"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleasepPu takAe it?" ScQuck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouseover the hilly far away, to return to school no moreday. Presently 32buspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7SthereLalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencC loneliness. So she sat dow82cryfpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsL1gatyQhe ha#AhideZRgriefher brokenand take upj cross of a long, dreary, ac afternoo$ none among?strangers aboutto exchange sorrows`. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of1ingBlars.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour later he wCas disappearing behi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableq off indvalleyhim. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr="it.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 ed songsbirds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vby no soundH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckerthis seeme!rethe pervadssense of|profound) boy's soulQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at besG Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to liSslumbdream forevb ever,the wind whispthe trees Fand caressing the gras5the flowers ovRgrave<Anoth6bo both grieve about, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willk"go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBSbest {Tworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowamed mysteriously??Awent!--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves upspirit that was Texalt  the vague august realm ofromantic. No, a soldierreturn afterIyears, all war-worn and illust. No--better stilld#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousBpain]r prance ,(rowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoop2seaqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there wasgaudier even than thisAa pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ctmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer,8SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAtc ore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIP old 0qvillage8Rstalkjchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger[ Spanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeenter up/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to ge 'dyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapeV`#irrexposed a pine shingltook it up(Sdiscl,Pshapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed air,~1aidEBell,beats anything+AtossepettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa supersti"ofaad faiqwhich hA all'rcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP1 hejust used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actually<unquestionably Rwhole"tu"faqs shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcould never e hiding- s afterward. He puzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided that$Qwitchinterfered1broIhe charmothought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so he sear6around till he  a small sandy spotafunnel-shaped depression in itElaidAdown1putmouth close toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave  A thr#waCAther he went*made a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowHback to hisand carefully d himself >1jus!he been standing when he tosseq marble; ok another"Q fromRpockeHQit inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stopped,PYkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>%tried twice more. The last repetition was successful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, rakedbrush beh*rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a momentBseizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirtL7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoelook warily out,qway andLsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." NowJoe Harper)q, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom called! Who comesSherwood Forestq out my pass?" "Guy of Guisborne wants no man's).^art thou&--that--" "Dares to hold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've goQ hang=it lively!" So"q," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutQFall!K! Why don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get} Q it.""y,ain't any . I can't"h fall;#Gay it is in 3. T says, 'one back-handed stroke he slew poor $.'to turn arounklet me hiiD back." There wa>the authorities, so Joebed, receivedQwhackSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{I can't doc4, iA boo"Well, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonUq lam me| a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~niZbecamz2gaiballowed #treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gaves2bow(his feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyu Robin HoJod undergreenwood tree." qhe shot"Tdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gaily for a corpse. boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement went off grieving`<$noz any moreFwondering what modern civilization cclaim to!oncompensateloss. They say-rather be year in SherForest than Presid)United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past nine,night, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!asynerves demwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Everythyas dismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,], scarcely perceptible noises bWegan to emphasizeS. The ticking aHb8bbitselfnotice. Old beams- crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirping of a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,R. Nextghastly?Sdeathwatch in| wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, oqdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T raisH neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bo;Again exs aunt's woodshe; d brought him wide awakea single minute laterCdresS out and cree8QalongDroof*"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"o caution once or twice, as1entn jumped togcwoodshIsthence 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved offdisappeareda gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village<1hadazy board fRaK it, which lean 1warbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedm#="it no longerR have7Sread,51 mo} them, now, even ifnlight. A faint wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at being disturbedxtalked littlonly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilew#pp[ay foun sharp new heaprseekingensconce4AmselQithinbprotecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay waitfor what seemed a 1ime hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refld1ivemust force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" Zed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l\canvassed this matter inwardlyUn TomPd: "'QSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, may1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcelyed. A mu ffled sound of voices floated up from the far e&the graveyard. "Look! See there!" whispered& It's devil-fire. is is awfu Some vague figures approached throughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder1t'ss enough. Three of 'em!1y, we're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, .#tstuck. Can't findHere they come 8hot. Col2D Hot(Red hot! stp'inted?dtime. Pk, I @know another o' themqs; it's Injun JoThat's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd druU#was a dern s+What kin'be up to?" The3 died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e  and stooyin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," saidathird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir load9AbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closI boys could have tou1himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating s^6spades discharfreight of m2andll. It was very monotonous. Finally a spade struck upopc coffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goB!dyBdump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!as3rea2Qrpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she staysthe talk!.. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any good; D andWswore I'd get eveyou if ituaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiforget? The^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5rsuddenl{sstretch1|ruffianPotter dropped{exclaimeHere, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04rtwo werg'gmight and main, trampF"asDtearP_lir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstoor[Cand Bboutombatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboar{Williams' gravcfelled" t(RearthJit--and i$same instant the half-breed sawNchance and drov3eb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 82histhe cloud)AttedFXreadful spectacl" frightened boys went speeqaway indark. Presently,the moon emerged agwas stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplat!m. murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal2in 's open mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly met Joe's. "Lord, how isT, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joe out moving. "What did yo;u do it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kind of talk won't wash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no% to drink to-night. But it's in my head yet--worse'nwe started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old feller--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh, awful--aUB so and promising."ay, youC?cuffling he fetched&Aone 1thegboard anQflat;!up:Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now'Oh, I didn't know what I was a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account0he whiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butOwith weepo$ns. They'llsay that.dtell! Say you Atellu--that's a good . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 Joe?" A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say2Joere an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cenough of#This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijSon a trot quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedAlick fL2rum2 halook of bel#he1AthinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\it to suc\h a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 5ree minutes later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump thatSup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weonly get$ old tannerywe break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it , r." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repzRixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on it, and at Qlast,sI1breburst throug Adoor~fell gratefulexhaustedt sheltering shadows beyond. By3#bypulses sETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whil n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happened>Injun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey, that's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybeqfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; Ithat; and |he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him over the head with a church)2youn't phase hisays so, his own self. So it'sUBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bouteadidn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we goEdo--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh no,R@q do forgs's goodlittle rubbishy common s--speci gals, cuz THEY go back onL you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing it. He picked up a clean pine shinglq lay inlmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK1 onV#wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." HuckleberrydTfilledmiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassAmight have )verdigrease on i "What's ?" "It's p'ison. T$what it is. You just swaller some of i --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!initials, using the ~inger for a pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall, withdismal ceremonieslaincantffetters that b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end o ruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whispr, "doesjrkeep usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~ y difference WHAT happenxu got tob. We'd"--QYOU knowYes, I reck!soLhey continued to %time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agony of frighWhich of us he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. YBull Harb`" * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named Bull would have spoken of him as "Dl," but a son 2dog!atZn"]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my!, ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eytrDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qE WhoPmean?XB" "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|I reckon +vgoners.tUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedm*Dad fetch it! This comes of playing hookey and doing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmaxgood, like Sid, if tried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if| I get off this time, I lay I'lWALLER in Sunday-schools!" An began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!"7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reld pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand eBLooky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before?" "Yes+2didIa fool, never thoughtis bully, you. NOW who can The howling stopped. Tom pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds--like hogs gr8unting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW"it#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$%gs, but laws bless you, he just lifts things when HEes. Besides,hever coming back tobny mor$he spirit of adventure rose in the boys' souls once=by, do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again7the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. WheoQy had!to,in five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokeF a sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came inGe moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4sstood still\Vopes too,_ved, but thei3r fears passed away nowlypd out, throughjn weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubrious howlon the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both, in a breath. "Say!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house,A mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU  ain't anyB1deaare yetDWell, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX#Ye@sBDEADwhat's mohe's getbetter, tooAll right,Awaitsee. She's a goner, "asSsure  ,)C's wX niggers say:Mpall aboQut these kind of things, Huck." They separated, cogitating. When Tom creptt his bedroom wind was almost spent. He undrel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidQawakeA had been so for an hour. eawoke,=1andC"reY late look " lSsense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled himbodings. W%five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finishedQkfastAIno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;: silence!anAof solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "ley sink down to t,he depths. AfterHaunt took him asidp4Tombrighten| the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go onU ruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. ThisAwors"1n a^sand whippgcA was sorer n4"anL1odycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to trIifles. Then he bemself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9rs handsqstared ]be wallthe stony " of suffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,QgroupCrouphouse to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedeand it1 recognize'Ad bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--sYstory ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning cYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especiallya which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiAatte_sifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down all Aroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowargraveyard. Tom'break vanished she joinqprocessecause ~sand times r go anywhere elseQC'an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivdreadful place,+#rmJasmall qthroughmBcrow1sawdismal spectaclebseemedpm an ag!be sincAas t. Somebody pincharm. He turnedh his eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>Dwondered if any!ha!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungThis ought to be a lesson to  robbers!" "6'll hang if they catch him!" This "he of remark; he ministerlB, "Iza judgment; His hand is here." Now Tom shivxfrom hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming #!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look out!tuM! Don't letget away!" PeopleAes o trees overQd saiwasn't tryXY--he only 4doubtful7 perplexed. "Infernal impu"!"aa bystander; a"wanteAcomeHtake a quieti1 atwork, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, now+the Sheriff came through, ostentatiously leading Potter byarm. The p1's xwas haggarRshowe|fear thaupon him. When 2od r2murAman,"hook as with a palsyRhe pu4qface in@Qhandscburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. shot seem arry home.xClifte1andqed aroum thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#idthrust4himM3. ewould have fallenz1 ca1himb1easm to the gO!aiASomeA tole't if come backXaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gest:"ursaid, "Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1useCmoren HuckleberryTom stood dumbstaring, Ahears stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement, they_ing every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningbs headpbwonder see how long stroke was delayed. And whad finisheSstillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath8Asavebetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 va1way, for plainly this miscreant had sold himself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power ast. "Whyyou leave? What didEwant| here for?" somebody saidAcoulohelp it--$,"moaned. "I C runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, seep lightnBings werewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devil. Hnow become,!m most balefully interesting objecyever looked upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9#face. They inwardly resolved to watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremoval!it{Qwhisp<bthrougCshuddcrowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of Muffit done it%om's fearful secret and gnawing conscience disturbedFQsleepvAas ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid: "Tom,pitch arand talk in yourx1so tyou keep me awake hal9ptime." + Tom blancheTSdroppQeyes.H's a bad sign," said Aunt Polly, gravely. "WzRgot o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hand shook soahe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2rqwithouting it. She8: "Sho! W3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMaryA she:been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausiblU, andat he complained of toothacheBS weeki his jawsPn BknewSid lay nigh%tly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listening a good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc's distress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTthus keepingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVaas a witness--anwas strange;zRSid d overlookFfacteven showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he UmarvelledD"saHowever,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5Rtortu's conscience. day or two, during thi<s{ of sorrow, Tomed his opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" as he 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atqedge of cvillagzno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occupiedsm greatly helpBease  T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,ubody-snbut so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inYmatter, so/ dropped. Hebeen careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confessing the grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyhad drifted away from its secret Ss wasLa-Sightypnterest itself about. XBecky Thatcher!stA com9o school. Tom had stryQhis pia few days,2tri"whistle her dow wind," but failbegan to find himhanging arq her father's house, nightz1feevery miserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor eve? piracy. The charm of liflCgone was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop awaythis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatu6patent medicines1*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tYs. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyUBelsewWhandy subscriber forathe "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they contained about ventilationow to go to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2!frf mind to keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQqd toget-er quackydthus armed death, went.!onX'pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell follow!fter." Bqsuspect7anot an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmeenew, nowTom's low condigQwas a4fale!haqat daylevery morni>ng, stood him up incwoodsh adrowne#D a deluge2old; then she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so brought him to; thenaCrollJAa we!ety"pu6 away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsit came th his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,Nboy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Ty3rem_s dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMb calcuhis capacity aswould a jug's(fiaevery q3ith3cure-all- om had become indifferenqpersecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconstern;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. Ity fire in %a liquid formmqdropped treatmendthing els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchzdeepest anxiety result. Her troubles were instantly at rest,at peace again; i""!*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built#re3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life might be romantic enough, inblighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61var1aboS. So he thover various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanc his aunt ended by tellingZ help himself2quit bother'Qer. Ieqen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, =bnot occur&erC1boyAmendhe health of a crack insitting-room floor with it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, eyH avariciouslygqbegginga taste.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifi#Bat hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anCmean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, ban st furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind fee,pranced aa frenzy of enjoyment,<his headFhis shoulderhis voice proclaiming his unappeasa-ble happiness. TYe went tearingahouse a spreaQchaosrdestruction ipath. Aunt Polly ent#in time to see him throw a few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady stood petrastonishA pee1er glasses; Tom lay oAexpi0Klaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails@cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspi. "Why, I neveriR. Wha~him act sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeBtonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" Swas bQdown,watchingwist emphasized by anxiety. Too latevined her "drift.R handthe telltale was visible undxe bed-valanceUAtookheld it uppwinced, and dropped his eyesBAraism by the usual!--5ar--and crack.s head soundly=AimblNow, sirdid you want to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sqa burntout herself! Sc roast;dbowelshim 'thoumore feel"anr"a human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her2 wa a little, and/p< on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID dogood." ooked uprer facejust a percepttwinkle peeping through]gravity.Aknowlaaunty,!soIx!PeIt done HIMH!, lphim get"R arouGsince--" "Oh, go 'longY3youabeforeaggravate me again9 you tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou neeUtake medicine}reached school aVof time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as of late, he hung about the gate of yard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he said$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,iddy lad Bcoulait. Tom w= Q, hophenever a friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswight one. At lastebs ceasbappear&heopelessly into th7qe dumpsentered the emptyEQhousefBsat o suffer. Then one more passed in a^#atheart gavreat boundO next instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumAoverLfence at risk of liflimb, throwing handsprings, stand1 hiAd--d1allZqheroic PQ conceive of1keea furtive eyeKawhile,t5icing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cipossible'snot awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoG{D, snl boy's cap, hurle!tojCroofY Yq, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andj,91her51 in&aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopink they're mighty smart--always shoff!" T: om's cheeks burned. He gad2 upAneaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mind was made up nownwas gloomyedesperate+a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; wheEy found out wh{ y had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry Qhad tto do rightget along, butArnot letsince no!dm8rid of him,;w1so;k!le`m blame HIM fo consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,had forcX to it at last: he +blead a+of crimer no choice. By this time2farFMeadow Lanthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound anyA--itvery hard0vcout incold world, he must submit--bu1forAthemXQ sobs.a thickfast. Just at th/qis poinHm s soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyed,{with evidefba greadismal purpose in hisJt. Plainly ere "twosUbut a single thought." Tom, wiping his eye1leeve, began<lubber out somegabout a resolutio,escape from hard usagelack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joenot forgRm. BLtranspired26was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc creamhXq tasted\Tknew ;3Rplain1she\t Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvfor him but succumbAopedIbe happy0 regret having ;er poor boyxbunfeel!rl3asuffer die. As the two boys walkedr!owgTBthey7Qa newact to stand by each >Ae brsq separate till death relieva em of their troubles. Thenj3lay'qplans. !asCbeing a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cave'r dying,Otime, of col=2wannbgrief;6fter listen he conced$at2ere_conspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente%be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at awthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow bar A heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Itnot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8c matte"di{occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxby presakmeet at a lon;ely spot on the river-bank two,vtvillagefavorite hour--whichrmidnighcsmall log rafIBhichmeant to capture. Each would bring hookRlines<such provision as he c6qsteal iw, most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagAenjo sweet glory of spreadbrhe factWpretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrvague hint!acautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at 3Tomed a moment,no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalsK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"es ?" "Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger ofzSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe HarperVTerro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIalitera "'Tis well. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding  : "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ovUlet himself down after it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforF an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacon8,}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes. But non3thes smoked or "chewed"kO Bla said it never do2tar"2out+fire. That was a wisIAe th} ; matches were hardly know"recaat dayy saw a fire smouldeupon a great raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvsa chunk made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveohilt," because "dead men tell no taleWhey knewr enoughu1theBsmen3all village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse foir conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, Joar and Joe forward.> stood amidships, gloomy-browolded armsAgavea low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point!" "Poi+nt0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se"Zgiven only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head right?then lay oisHtt high, so more than a two ree mile current. Ha word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8qwas pas2befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed wherlay, peacefully sleepi-8ng,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger )still with folded arms, "looking his last" upon the scenhis former joy0ter suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toBdooma grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshotrvillageRso he["edZa brokenqsatisfi\2art7other pirateblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett93he \Q drif)mArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornAgrout\A bar8hundred yards abwaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings c2qonsistean old sail"isgspread over a nook iAusheiA a to shelterprovisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againsA sida great log twenty or thirty stepssombre depthdforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glordsport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunt5menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Bfacethrew its ruddy glarepillared tree-trunk}temple, and:varnished foliageafestoovines. Whelast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretche=4outrgrass, filledcontentmenyhave found a cooleru place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and herecan't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! m bout it, you know. I'd aadeal r& bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they used to in old times 's always respected. And a a's got qleep onrhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand CY1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do%'d:do that if you was aDern'd if Iwv?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Nget around itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl now he fitted a weed stem t, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smokjfull bloom of luxurious contentment. The other+s envied himW majestic vicsecretly resolved to acquire it shortly. Presently Huck said:Quu?" Tom,Oh, they#just a bullyK--take ships1burm\get the money!y it in awful?6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenaJoe; "Qdon'tv5RNo," assented Tom,2g--they're too noble}Tbeautiful, too.Awear[bulliest }es! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#B." oAcannRs owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot nonethese." boys tolbe fine"es come fast enough, afte{y should0Dbeguadventures. Theyhim under^his poor ragsdo to be?1gin, though it was customary for wealthy7-Qstart; a proper wardrobe. Graduatalk died out.drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-freethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!nouthority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"rud a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afr o proceed to such lengths asQ, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reached?uhovered^ imminent verge of~1--b intruder came, now, thatnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real tortureD cam2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t to be appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableCplain simplebing--aa command again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema"bubq, theirucies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a trucese curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefu' CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<RreposK" ideep pervading calmasilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; nsobtruded J*upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stood upo1Cleavgrasses. A white layer of ashes covtsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far* a bird called; another answered; presently the hammering woodpecker8heard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 shoff slee going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him orAinclto go else;when at last iia painful momentits curvedzp the aiMrPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladthat meant that he! have a new suit of clothes--withoutKashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQaS bladjTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on  children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrsd practiseits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ball,Tom touch%,it shut itssH1odyGpretend to be|. The birdsW were fairly rioting byA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitX1 ofneighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almost!inboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersK a consuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s #the wild things had probably never seen a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage faBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfo@!esthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@ white sandbar. They felt nKob5inglittle village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~ . A vagrant current or a sCriseW river had carried ofir raft, but~ only gratifin m, since its going was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz} again. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7felt that, sweetenedsuch a wildwooQrm as4, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to holKQy steDto a promiGInookkQ-bankpSthrewir lines;immediatelyhad reward.rhad notime to get impatient%>3werK\ome handsome bass,01uplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. aThey fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1 had ever seemed so delicious!. j"diAknow$ the quicker a 4b-water[%after he is caught5betTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay around*s shade,w"haCoke,Aen w)rHthe woods on an exploaexpediy tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g with a drooE regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersC plenty of !be$ghRe!no#X to b 5 atscoveredaisland1aboree miles longa quarter of a1 wi'ashore it layst to wa separatedit by a na=rrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the middlePnoon whe!y got back to campp were too hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves downaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded GQ sens(bloneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedJair weayC none was brave enqo speaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully conspeculiar sdistance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe of#is mysterM became more pronounced, and forced a recognition- boys started, glan)t each otherQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sileAprof0and unbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom troubledsolemn husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%QhurriP!ho2waraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakka mile beloQ villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplre were a great many skiffs rowbruQstreaJthe neighborhoocould not determine what the mem1 doP a great !jewhite smoke burst fromc's sidPas it expandeArose lazy cloud, that same dull throb of swas borneJ ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaves of breaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll = right tand stop." "I've heardDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYait befhtart it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funnyBBut maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<2The]Aagre=AQreaso(Tom said, N because an ignorant lumpq$, uninstructed by an incantation, could not be expe) to act very intelligentlyOset upon an erranduch gravity. "By jings, I wish I wasT, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJboys stillsswatched. Pres a revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,he exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroesUn instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak n their account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3the talk ofwhole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth whilbe a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew onw went back to heustomed busitand the +skiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanityir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~r[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, Zn fell to gues5qat whatqvillagemAthinand saying abou*%m;pictures theyo public distress  Vqgratify ao lookc--from=Apoinview. But whenshadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing intoXRfire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomFJoe Ckeepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew lunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. Byby Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_aiviliz>q--not r.now, but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted ads yet, joined inFB Tom&the waverer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrapeUas little tachicken-heartedsickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutinybeffectlaid to rest fo{ moment. As}=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneeswent searQ3amoWQgrassthe flickreflections flung bycamp-fire. HkDinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\2finhose two which seem^ suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollB put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance  owner. And he alsoQE hatschoolboy treasof almost inestimable value--a9)m a lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way$ a trees till he felt that #s drhearingstraightway broke=a keen run in2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck8aconfidi1wimSremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safSthen Pthrough )1oodDllow,35ing . Shortly before ten o'clockQame oto an openroppositBvillage, and sawferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. Everything was quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watcEqith alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Ate1a lnBwelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenl3leys$]aT aunt's back fencehoRapprothe "ell," and look" asitting-room window, for a ligAhburning there. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryfJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lif latch; then he pressed gwHyielded a; he continued pushing cautiousl1qua2every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through onknees; so he pu), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,oor's open, I believe. "of course it is. No strange s now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*CAto wuld almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm s the best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to rkind ofief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped him for t that cream,:once recollectAat Iwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPato seexQagainhis worldv!, ! p2bus!" And Mrs.ba sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom'Jvter off$isB"butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare ofold lady's eye, thynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of the  Lord! But it's so hard--Oh,5! Only last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker right under my noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/ . No longer ago than yeste(Snoon, took and fille5catPain-kille*3didthe creturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dThead sthimbleY3boy 1dea."ball his HRs nowy2the'rwords I7Bhear^1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$bo much6Droke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himselfmore in pity anybody else. He Rhear Mary cryXqand put in a kindlyA forfrom time|"imS=have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still,sufficiently touched by his aunt's< grief t to rush outqthe bed?overwhelm her with joy;the theatrical gorgeousness ofthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!oys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage should "rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidk gone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. IcbelievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, since the boys6, being good swimmers,otherwiseSescaped tor. This was Wednesday 2. Icontinued until Sunday, all_Abe g\Qover,the funeralsbe preached!morning. Tom shuddered. Mrs. Harper gave a sobb-j2urngo. Then a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cryn parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyondwqont, in Rto SiMary. Sid snuffled a biCMary<ff crying!llUheart. knelt downAprayed for Tom so touchingly, so 6ith such measureDlove3worher old tremb/bvoice,!heweltering in tears again, long bef1"heKbhrough9!haBkeepP3after shZqto bed,she kept m broken-)ed ejaculations<time to timunrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moan|Tlittl: sleep. JNow the boy stole out, rose gradually by%edside, shade} candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itsomething occurre2himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9qhe bentBkissQ! f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYay backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarR boatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped z$its soon rowf autiously upstream. When hpulled a mile aboveFvillage, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutly toAwork"hi!e , side neatlyn" ts a familiarof work 7Yrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&ed a shipfore legitimate prea pirate, but a thorough search would be cfor it_a!enrevelations. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`a long rest, tortur meanwhile to keep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before he. fairly abreas! island barrested againl1sunfbwell u1gilthe great riverits splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripp]2upothreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfrat sorting. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ouryway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet. The writ@ing says they are if heO back herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventuresy were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiqaway inady nookleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNeiir knees2dugOhands. Sometimetake fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg fy"atanother on Friday morning. Afterswhoopingprancingy2 ba| chased each other2and , shedding clothes as, until |sre nakethen continue frolic far"uphoal water ofagainststiff current, wYlatter trippcir legs from und"em1timand great^1cre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed in each other's faces palms, gradually approaching;# avertedGqto avoi strangl\Rprays81finW1griG and strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall `Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at oned0me time. WG|well exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotalie thcnd covBselves up"itby and by#he $aggo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit oc"d 4m%n skin represeflesh-colored "tights" very fairl*Ay; sNy drew a ring i had a circus--with three clowns in it,Rnone o yield this proudest post to`a. NexAy go ir marble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stale. Then JoLBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kicking off his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his ankle]he wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protectionP is mysterious charm. He diqs he had2imether boysCtire@eady to resty#waapart, dro"in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgBcoulhelp it. He er&itA and theTen tookz1outQemptaby driving togethertjoining them. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsvery near*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as-ready to tell, yetM if this mutinous depression<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates onisland befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0 It was discouraging work.Masat po&up=qa stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wango home. It's so lonesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, whent tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INA to w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|A?" "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2Tdressjth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate.3m[aies. W V,4? Let himAf heUs to. we can get a{him, per'aps." But Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on withUAing.Bthenvs discomfort+eying Joe's preparations so wistfullykeeping up ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. TomQ6art9sink. He glanccould not bear the lookqdropped4eyes. Then heQ: "Ig!It1getI4so La* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&qAstay2dTom, I!gog&--who's hendering you.+qpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come. Now youk it over.wait for youqwe get to"3ra blame!timhat's all.!!"  started sorrow% aTom stood ing afterDa strong desire tugg(trto yiel>pride and gotoo. He hopeaboys wstop, but they still waded slow. It sudddawned on/Dthatbecome very!lyT . He made one final struggle,6-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocQwhere% were, heunfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!awr"point"bs drivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"\3qhad tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand so"meA hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly baawent air sports FRagaina will, chatter!lltime about Tom's stupendous planAadmi6the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,he wanted to learn to smoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaSB like to try, too. So HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrilyslender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a little1aidhy, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowis was all,t long ago." "So1I,"e Joe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^Q I'veed at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cLdo that;I1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :hway--haven't you7I'll leave iAif Ipn't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?" "Yes,E's s a day a I lost a white alley. No, 't.!."ere--I told youmaTom. "recollects it9I bleeve/Apipe4day! dqfeel sickLNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4"n' !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,)2I!"G@ I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!Sop." "SaBty--boyssay anything a it, and some timeKthey're around, I'll come up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want aGQ.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= pIramy OLDw1anoqone, bu"tobacker ain't very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!heswe'll light upras ca'm!Esee 'em looktBy jingll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifl grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings`M throats. occurred in spite of allcould dom sudden retchings followed etime. Both boys wereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might and main said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=(Bunt r by the spring. No needn't, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCn he fou lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepAsome informed him! if they had had any troublyagot riQVit. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal andpare their!eyDA no,>not feel_fwell--they ate a't dinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokecalled the!re a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves together)asoughtfriendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intentDwait$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{Bfire:swas swaSQup inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sighing thrqbrancheBoresbr felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d'sh+grass-blade, separat distinct,agrew a feet. Aj[three white, startl ed faces, too. A deep pealunder went rollingtumbling dowN heavenslost itself in sullen r4 distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rust}!llRleavenBsnow e flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit upFNan instant crash fop#retree-tops rAoverboys' heads,vy clungin terror, thick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roarA trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured a!rihurricane drove it heets aloe ground cried out to each DQ, butGroaring wind'om-Cs drowned th#eir voices utterly. However, one bythey straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRQsometito be grateful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4X"wibaway oN%. gseizedrs' handGRfled,dTmany b bruisof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was aQst. U-the ceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lan1veirain. Every lihile some gian/t tree yieldjbe figh+fell crasYahroughyounger growth;unflagging th(-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keenRRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up, drow tree-tops, blow it away, and deafen eycreature in it, all at>$he same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c headse. Butaqas donerforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her swayR boysback to camp, a good deal awedrhey four1m stillSthank, becaussycamore tir beds,a ruin, now, blasted by!w AwereBr it whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,Bgene0had made no provision against rain. Hcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtresspresently discoverYaAhad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardQBepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped weB; soApati! w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the sides of qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upoR boys Ssines!ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast.5a After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a little homesick once bom saw#Bigns4fell to chee@up the pirates as well as he could. But#cared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1qthem of~imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+1las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansqa changOHattractedis idea; so itlong beforedstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF*Awood%attack an English settlement. Bnto three hostile tribedupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopAk}xscalpedHousands. Ia gory day. Conse$lyan extremelisfactory one. rassembl\qcamp tosupper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!dr not breakbread of hospitality together,out first mak3eacwas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofEs. There process that everhad heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulness asRDmustacalled1pe !ooqir whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into"rya" gAsome";1fouanow smoke having to goAhunta lost knife^!di get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu1, a R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w1ingOskinning of the S0ix Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use >m at present. CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilaritylittle townsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth!itordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%SalkedC; busighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69!noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backErsob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9: "It waKs right here. to do over, I wouldn't say that-- it for the whole worldb he's gone now; I'll never, A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered away rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood looking? the paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-sklast timy saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as they could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"av then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDI what it meant, of course,QI can Anow!#enwas a disputeqwho sawyBdeadlast in VAlife many claimedismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDthe departed lastqexchangQwordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by&the rest. One poor chap, who had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me oncBut that bid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4loitered zstill recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to converse i n whispers aboe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses asSwomen!eduheir seatsZ3urbJrsilencer. None "er8ittle churchdbeen so full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, follow1SidEMary7yHarper family, all in deep black2 whole congregamthe old minister as well, rose reverentlystood until|ers wererthe front pew$ncommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa5!hepersistently blinded himself to them always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYrflaws ipoor boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous nathe peop>uld easily see, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes weped with grief1 atx1timy occurry had seemed rank rascalities, well de.the cowhid  became mor smoved, `pathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling82cryKpulpit. aSe4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUdoor creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg P rose; and stared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe next#Huck, a ruin of drooping rags, sneaking sheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused listeningir own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threwselves uponSrestored ones, smothemsRkissepoured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1abaand uncomfortablat know^ xactly what to do or where )de from soGuunwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizm0xaid: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And s^y shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesL capable of m2him. " hd . SuddenlyUushoutedQop ofvoice: "PBQ God /whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old HundredC swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters aSawyerPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDconfessed in! t his was the proudest moment?life. As "sold" congregation troop!ey would almost be will; be made ridiculous againZ ear Old Hundred sung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe gratefulnNBo GozQaffecBfor himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI Batte &s. paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;2had sleptTwoods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh`1 ha n crept through back lana alley B finTsleepof the chu rch among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,SMary were very loving to Tom,"1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. I8a coursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donG"; Mary; "and I believe you OiAough!itfW.1youR?Rg, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing81I h<you loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINK of it, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit'sTom's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\he never thinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONE it, too.you'll look back,E day, when too late wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^1you:rsittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$next to him."Tso we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherhere." "Whey, sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. Bso dim, nowWell, try to recollect--can't youIRSomehseems to methe wind-- blowed the--" "Trhder, Tom! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believ?<or--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh  !foP land's sake! IBhearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEC2 in%s,. Sereny Har per shall knowiis beforean hour older. I'd^0to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'bout superstition.2Oh,;all getting {s bright as dayVF Nex" I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum,!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. "Nofirst time, neither. OThen Mrs. Hareersaid Jotthe same, and Bishe hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheregone to, but if I'dd been0sometimes THERE, d'you hear that! Ihis very wordsG1Andshut him up sharpI lay I did! Tmust 'a'an angel there.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scaringda firecrackerH you7QPeterthe Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lot of talk dragging the river for us%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss ahuggedRcried3she wentt happenedY!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`!itY.if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and Iwevery wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou lookehgood, lay3pre asleA5ep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "Di,DID you! I;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seize boy in a crus0rembraceAmadeLfeel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even" i~a--dream," Sid soliloquized judibly. "Shut up, Sid! A body doesthe sameV+ as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've s7forq!ifRwas e.und again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us allgot you back> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His1,ness knowsunworthy of it, but ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them oough places,'s few enwould smile o= enter intodcrest w! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefwp schoolP,the old lady to call on Mrs. Harpervanquish her realism with Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_g2thasin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakek.it!" What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger Xame a pirate who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seem2ee eoks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys Ce drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given an1to 1swasuntanned skin?his glittering notoriety; and@B TomlB notYDparteither for a circus. At school3children made so muchmbof Joe$delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyes,qthe two"esnot long ini sufferably "stuck-up."X2begb1telir adventuresungry listeners--buSy onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,aimaginbs likerfurnish materialfinally, whry got oir pipesawent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_AliveH|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh ,as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived., qsee herAawayjoined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observSas trYgayly backjRforthiflushed face and danci."ngL Hbe busy chasingRmates screaming with laughter 2shea capture; bupXnoticbalways/Cher 1s in his vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratified apous vanitywQ him;Vso, insteawinning him, it"set him up"jAmore>!hi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking,roved irresolutelyB, sighing once or twiglancing furtiv4nd wistfulward Tom. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrence thany one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1go away, but 2eet8tBrous:1car7aher to[A saia almost at Tom's elbow--)sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-n?" "I did come--1psee me?"kno! Did you? Where8syou sitJMiss Peters' class, w3Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,zeill. T's for m<qanybodyAr I wantQR" "Teo nice. When is it!be!Byby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM RgirlsV1oysfYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycapatree "o flinders" while cB"stawithin three feet of itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.FAnd &Sally Rogers&T, tooQSusy Harper. "And Jo[And so ona , with clapping of joyful haAill he group had begged for invitNAs bu1Amyn Tom turned coolly away, still talkingtook Amy him. Becky's lips trembledb the tears came to her eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatterbHAlifeqgone ounR, nowything else1got as soonrhe coul hid herself and had what sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused up a vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sitcosily on a little bench behindschoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--and so absorbed wepy, and $their heads so close together over#book, that they did not seem to be conscious of an!in@2world besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He beganqate him for throw 1wayhcchance had offered for a reconcili. He callcWba foolhard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily alosNwalked, for@QheartMEsingwRtongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever(!paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !toDrear?, again and , to searseyeball1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaAe, abthough aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, toosas glad` him s)uffer asjQhad s$ed. Amy's happy prattle became intolerable. Tom hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioher?" At las1bthose $--xsaid artlessly!ou "around"S school let oueqhe hasteaway, hatit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" c6wenEthe motionsprashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was finishehis satisfa Tom fled home @ at noon. His conscience cnot endure any more ofgrateful Rinesshis jealousyHtbear noAR the distress. Becky resumed her picture inspes with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd no#to,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three timeZ"pr up her ear at a footstep1 ita false hope;.she grew entirely miswsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeaswas losr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"r{1pat at last[Csaiddon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearbgot up3alkq2. dd droppPCside+%s 81try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering w2hav2Q--forC"ha,` she w5EouldiYs all throughFnooning--an%on, crying. Then went mu Z he deserted schoolhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guessed his waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurred to himGZAtherT some2get=3boy)aroubleout much riskTself. Tom's spelling-book fell under%!ey]uhis opportunitZrly open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. , glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendao findand tell him;wbe thankfulctheir s%healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, sheSchangAmind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backfilled her wiKth shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's account,gqto hateD2for he bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodahe first this aunt saiqim showmQhe had btsorrows to an unpromiMmarket: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie, what have I done?" "Well, you've3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expeccI'm goAmake&sbelieveat rubbage *bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtqQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a boywill act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkclet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myselfnever say a word." Tss a new aspechHis smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniousQerelyaed mea shabby now%hung his h1ead"no5ke!nyA1 to for a moment. Then he said:I wish I hadn'tit--but I di." "Oh, childR* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 81all7way from Jackson's Island in+ to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie \$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Gyou dhat dime for, then?" "Iqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel! w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad asta thought asqY2youwy did--and!it.Qndeed' ,Eie--53mayBstirH!OhT", !Rlie-- Qdo itAonlysn`s a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanted to keep:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run offracted so bad. But it reasonable;nT, why2you#me2Whysee, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall full ofjqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT: wrote oSwe'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BRI lov2 soyou laid tDmoan$I was so sor$ry8words sounded likThe old lady E not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!--and bexAwithbto schoolhdon't bother me any mo&The moment he wasR, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom hae in. Trtopped,!itjrer hands{o herself: "No, I dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie,'s such a comfortHQ fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWMLord will forrchim, b`isuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lieon't look." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her han)1takA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iaet it #!e !SosM4. AQlater-qwas reaTom's pie:ce of bark through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREasometh bout Aunt Polly's manner,?kissed Tom, that swep his low spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp&deluck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,I'm so sorrylever, ever do that wayas long as #I live--please make up,S you?>Dgirl looked him scornfully in`Aface'll thankkeep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIR!toE"ea!pason. Tom stunned!henot even presenHqmind enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilxRright?6!itegone by. So 61 no(Oin a fine rage, theless. He mYoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were a bo*imagining how he would trounce her if:@tly encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seemed to A, inAhot btment,3shehardly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6aflogge&n injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering noof exposing Alfred Temple, Tom's offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,dOQ know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar!of#desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbaself iyasno classesc reciting2kept thateunder loc`A key#rot an urchin inbut was p#erto have a glimpse of it@the chance never cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing bycdesk, which stood the doorTnotic*bthe keM!inElock! Ita precious moment glanced around; founFalon next instant 2theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon a9omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%AsnatVbook to close "anythe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustfvolumejAturnyt{QburstTacrying'1 shand vexF. ", you ar&e just as mean as you can be, to sneak up on a personXlook at why're look." "How could I know]7was( anything?" "You oqto be ad of yourself, ;QZc're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbICwas  in school." Then$astampe little foot0said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. You2wai^you'll see! Hateful, h !"--and she flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld%. Presently he said to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@Gwaysq even o,m<&|7? Oxwill ask who it wa3s tore his book. Nobody'll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first oneqthen t'6 when he comes to the rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facesean themygiy backbone. Sd1get vit's a htplace for Becky7Kcherp1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"Qjoinel mob of skylar scholars outside. In a fews the master arriv "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at the)ts' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Consider"llds, he pa pity and yet it was8uld do to help it. He get up no exultatiaCreally worthyGname r the sp-book discoswas madTom's mindentirely full ofWown matt1ersa while after that.6 roused up from her lethargy of distressshowed good the proceedingsj_aexpectt/*4his by denying1rhe spilAink Ue himself;eS  denial only seemed to makeBwors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"at%rshe triYrbelieve44as /it, but she fou71wascertain. W3he worst camtQorst,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C* an effort and forced herself to keep still--because, sai,2, "Oabout me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,~Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upsey , in somePbout--he hadQed itform's sak.hpbcustombhad stuck toprinciple.L A whole hour drifted by,5master s(dding in<bthrone&air was drowsy with>hum of study. Byby, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlocked|Bdeskqreachedhis book, 5 undecided whether to take iHr leave it. Most of the pupils glanclanguidlythere were two amo}"emQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfingerbook absently and settl<Achairead! Tom shot a2 at2. H'seen a huntedhelpless rabbit lsYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--someimust be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chancqlost--tRopene'volume. If Tom onlypthe wasted opportunity back again! Too late. Tas no helpwBecky now, he said* next momen}3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvthat in it which smote even the innocent/Afear1sil while one might count ten =was gatheringXQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;MCBseardace afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more #sethe slow torturse proceedings4canranks of boys--consid(a!ur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlN!ThrMtrembling froms to fooQexcitGf1a sa hopelesFs!of/situatiouRebeccaz" [Tom glanced at hfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]--no, look me inyface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning through brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a C, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAou punishUrsurpris gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of poorv's eyes seemed pay enOfor a hundred flogg Inspired by the splendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed--for he knew who w$Awaitkside tillcaptivityIQdone,%nohe tedious time as loss, either. Tom w^Ro bed`night aAplanvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Qshamearepent5rAtold7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longing!hasgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at last's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rjmore exactn#, TAwantto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongsmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feebleJMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he Ato t vindictive pleasure in puniXB shortcomingsconsequenc,bboys spenair dayRterroBsuffX&ir night)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to do: a mischief. But he kept aheadJ"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. Athey consp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore iRsign-painter's boy,CchemBaskerhelp. H1hisqreasons being deldtboardedFfather's f]and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<qbe nothQ!o !fith the plan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by  pretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominiroper condition on ExaminaEvening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righthhurried to school. Ifulness of4Athe testing Hc arriv0ed!inUeqoolhous brilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliageSlowers1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blackq behind" HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front of him were occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, backh citizens,Da spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoato taktvexercis ; of small1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli bcuousl,ir bare arms, theiKr grandmothers' ancient trinkets,7iApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All!esEFthe eDfillKnon-participaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood upsheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanyimself withpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine m"used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,./got a fine round of applause when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYafidencQ soar!tounquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4Aiculb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastN1ly 1-fr_seized him, his legs quaked under him|he was liktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathy b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+Bletei disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, hel anuscript (tis dainty)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 23ir R befoRm, their graned doubtless allAancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"4one; "Memories of Other Days"; "Religion in History"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalent)!se\a nursed and petted m|B; an>qasteful.1opue gush of "fine language"; <tendency to lug in ears particularly prQwordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markBmarrlmthe inveterateOintolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one [m. No matter wh6subject mbe, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or the mora" rus mind could contemplate with edificglaring insincef2se "sM not sufficient to compass 8the banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexQwhileP world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#the young ladies do not feel obliged1los.+iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous andfleast girl in < is alwayulongestAXQrelenhly pious. But enoug"this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us returnr"Examin=" The first was read9one entitled "Is this, then, Life?" P reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walkRlife, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forwarsome anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturd joy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4allrs.' Her grac form, arrayed in snowy robesD, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is Rest igay assembly.such delicious2 ies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentrance intoe Elysiang, of which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}a*last. But after a$s1nds{aeneath goodly exterior,#is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFwith wastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awaythe convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyqlongingIthe soul!" And so forrso on. owas a buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.lBthe 2had!d ja peculiarly affAlicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comeRpillsndigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recollesng my brhFor I have wandHay flowSoods;Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam "Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[W|and home were mineis StateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbgeteart, and t\eoen, dear b! theyBQ e!" Thervery few tho knew what "tete" meant, but the poem was <9satisfactory, nevertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began toin a measured, solemn tone: mbVISIONNDark and tempestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep intonationT heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;%sterrific lightRvellengry moodde cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic /Qblust?about as if to enhanceQir aiQ wildr scene. At such a time, so areary,Khuman sympathy my 1pirit sigha insteQbereof,k'My dearen st friend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'R to my side. She moved like f ose bright beings picturPthe sunny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So soft was0qstep, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)dmplateg5two"resented.~i; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayorvillage, in delivering the prI!izthe auth6it, made a warm speech in which he said was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,the numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alE5Averge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCunsteady haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =2to 8!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not uput dowQmirthBfeltall eyes were fast7ened upon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^1continued; it even manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string; sa rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curvw2warLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofYabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&3 in&"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXl=did blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke upLrmeetingboys were avenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD"" quoted in chapter are taken pwithout alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu y are exactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl patternQhenceEmuch happier than any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." He promised to abstai^Q smok9!ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he fthing--namely, that to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself torment desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb3gavQup --it up before he had worshacklesqforty-ehours--and fix0Qhopes old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|deathbedw61hav ig public funeral, since heso high an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!'s conditionhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--#heRventujsget out and practiseathe lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuating. At lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedRsigna`dt onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fineT. TheCpara a style calculated to killClate with envybrree boyQ, howq--thereBsomeQ!atFL swear, now1 toSssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookBaway1thenm  Tom preswondered tDAo fiIacoveted vacwas beginningang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diary"no7happened dso he abandonedhe first of anegro minstrel shows came to townQmade a sensand Joe Harper got up a band of performersGwere happm1twoa. Eve Glorious Fourth.sin somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tabrld (aTsupposed), Mr. Bento actual United States Senator, prov overwhelming disappointment--for not twenty-five feeto, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys played8for@afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls#enxs. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, but they wer(e so fewWso delightfulthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hostay with her par }J--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9BpaingnZeasles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, deadqand its]enings. Hevery ill,finterested inR. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had come ove!ryl ercreaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thIL bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwhere:fou9Qstudy Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlhe poor with a @CbaskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionprecious0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encoud added another tf5his!on; and when, in desperation, he flew for refuget# bosom of Huckleberry Finn3was receivedwa Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept!anbed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, foreverW b. AndnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu22hat1wasTaresultmight have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryyb incongruou' gettingJ up such an expensive' is to knockturf from ! insect like himself. By"by7empest spent itself #diQout accomplishing its object. Ty's first impulseto be grateful,Wreform. His secoto wait--for5 not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his845timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor"wadrifted listlessly downastreetWfound4 acting as judge in a juvenile courK!ry-A catamurderCreseher victim, a birdsoe HarpBHuckup an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATkhe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:3e trial4k!bethe absorbing tEopic of village talk immediately. Tom couldget away from it. Every refern6to  sent a shudder toaheart,his troubled consciGand fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowi1nytyAabou}z, but stillF2 comfortablridst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealatongue a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedEssur- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be altwo days i#3gotout. YOUtTom feltpcomfortable. After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me z) gO. They ain't no difaRt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma!t,tant, so'sde som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always-- *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@1kingood--he give me ahalf a, once, when there warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meMI was ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we get himop5My!&8n't), Tom. And besides, 'tw*do any good;'d ketchibcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=dy talk4at,9.that if he was,Dfree^2lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughm little comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhapsan undefinpe that something;Q happAat m!clo4!irAicul+r But noC=ed; there 7seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~often done%--went t cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. HQhe grQfloorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/Qgiftsalways smottir consciences --it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and treacherouthe last degreaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.EmendSboys'aBings:AshowAwherT0Zin' places wa0rbefrienbwhat IO2now ave allot old Muff"!'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYP)> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac}Dit--AI go:Sswingit's right. RighBEST, too8 , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't talk about that.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yed me. But<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime comfor?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of R]fD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llqthrough-bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if." Tom home miseraWhis dreamb nightfull of horrorse next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experG y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from9>i same dis; mal fascination always bmP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village bwas to2Bffec Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvr the jury's verdict would be. as out late,eu"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexehequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waid jury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as ever. Tbwas another pause2theFjudge arrivethe sheriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amongqlawyers|Agath!Q togeof papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospof prepar :Qs impy!veng. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredt immediately sneaked awaysome fur`}counsel forqprosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a momentQdropp%rem agai6 his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C$ #,"#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often se%inO possession.PwitneYss." Potter declined tME The faces)audience began to betray annoyance. Did this attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior when brought toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-)bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyard upon$which all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,sahe putKqface in hands and 3arockedbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.Rmovedmany women's compassion testifitears. Counsel for2def1osesaid: "Your honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proa$ dfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We oSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Thev lerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough,5he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereAyou oIe seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron fachis tongue failb U3 libreathles"ths refused to )come. After a few moments, however,^boy got a littlhis strength back managed##uts of it intovoice to make part~e house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q.contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neveq mentioByour/nion's name. We will 6D himproper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUr confusout, my boy--ddiffidentbtruth is always respectable. WhaGyou take Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, which; the court check9We )the skeleton!atdD Now, tell us ever4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +vsbegan--}ingly at first, but as he warmtubject his words flowed more an easily; inawhile  sound ceased buPB own;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbEabreathaudience hung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as light$alf-breed sprang for a window, toreay through all opposers1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOM1a gring hero onceH--the pe2old-Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified him!reQ somep believ.!ed)ould be President, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreasowworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is too's credit; ther>! i'not well to find fault_1it.Nr's days: of splendorQexult@r to himdhis nights were s?horror. infestedqhis dreamsalways with doom in his eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat day ofRtrialysafraid CDhareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f43savr2uffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1gotqattornepromise secrecy-qwhat of? Since }harassed conscad managdrive himc c's house by night,a and waad tale from lipsPhad been sealedthe dismalestI most formidable of oaths,A's confidenchuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butVly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Halm"imZ3wasawould never be capturedV other hal,@h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead1eenhcorpse. Rewards*been offeredvcountryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZb craftly achieve. Tha7say, he " a clew."nyou can't a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure as#as,!. nBslowdrifted on, anLd each left behind it a slightly ened weighDpprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinRed-Handed." Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedNmatter to him kbtially`0AwillElway to take a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, moyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!envaa limbRn oldRtree,2shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I !n'e it; I'd spend have a good time"So;t I. Butl"doIway. Theyf and leave it t"DAtheya after-qny more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go Afindm#63wanJarksesbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking# out. Well, we've tried Jackson's Island a little,we can tagain some timeS 'K old!up Still-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'em'Is,ll of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Zto go forG _1'emITom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^Agrayrotten chest fudi'monds. HowaHuck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings slathers<S_2 no5." "I rec1konCdon'i!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping aroundDo they hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o want to hop for?--but IRQAjustVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`iay likeMa"; )kG"begBhaveD,Xa niggersay--where you dig firs%zknow. S'#we tacklj  on the hill t'\side ofjrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovelsset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hotFrpantingEQthrewselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQhave a smokbe. "I this," said Tom. "So do I$Say, Huckwe find a treasure hereFyou o with your shar2'll1pie a glass of soda every dayI'll go to bcircusOcomes along. I betaa gay tiKain'sL2f igrSave itrhy, so something to liA, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daRget his claws on iIurry up,aI tellJhe'd clea3out pretty quick.t)n$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M b!" "Tiyou--why ]!inw right miAWaitvq'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! Why,Qused to f1all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA`om, I areckon're all alikeM!y'l comb a body. Now you betterak 'bouqs awhilVByou /BHqname of2gal8a gal a--it's aI/Qsame,/Qckon;  says gal,irl--both's , like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only if?be more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith mestir out `is and we% digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Dos always bury it as deep91hisSometimesd2. Not generally. we haven't got theQ placS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but sthey made progress:By pe4way in silenceVqFinallyB leaned onshovel, swabbed( beaded drops from his browMhis sleeveNpsaid: a"WhereCSgoing next, after we.1one~Ur maybe Aatackleold tree s over yonder on Cardiff Hill backe widow'sdDll be a good one. Butr:Q take22way"us on her landd9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever findQse hi*asures, it belongs to him. It don't make any difference wzaland i5nat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be in5BrongbWhat dVRthinkt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfer @s_the trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!so"id3#invat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadowlimb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"ed2allfor nothing*. Now hang!llgot to come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _5and)go for itBI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouIappointed  They sat in the qwaiting%was a lonelyan hour made solemn by o aditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks,deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answwith his sepulchral notM subdued by thesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jum%pAhear pick strike upon something y only suffered a new disEment+Ba stone or a chunk. At last Tom said: "It ain't any use, Huck, we're wrong againbut we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another W?that?". "Whyguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck droppedhovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroubleEgive this one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of ',L%rtime ofwitches and2 a-flutteringZso. I feel aslbehind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS)suz maybe1's front a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much soAHucky most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGLordy!" "Yepy do. I4'veuh7"ha  Tom, I don't like to foolRFwherPpeople. A body's bounget intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull and say  DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bi7QSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better"ull it be?" Tom consid|awhile;dKThe ha'nted house. GQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud,3youQnoticand peep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way a does. I couldn't stORuch a " a--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveU9"at4won't heus from digging! ir daytimIthat's so. But you knowcy wellgo about that f nor the pmostly becauRato go  a man's been mur, anyway--buhing's ever*T seenBthat except qnight-- some blue lights slipping by windows--no regular ghostsPyou see one of them[vflicker, you can beuEre'shy close behind it. Irreason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'emAYes,C's spEDcomebP`b, so w@athe usaour beffeard?a. We'll tackl9 1 if#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ! Tmiddle of the moonlit valley belowQstood%""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorstepe chimney crumbleBCruinindow-sashes vacant, aRs corner/ roof caved in. The boys gazed awhile, half expecting to see a flit past a{; then talQin a 1one, as befitte8rtime an circumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Runtedde berth,aook their way homeward throughQwoodsc adornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< ffN ir tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dow2whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveCdaysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled look[m-- "My! I n once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!"'splucky days, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't reckon YOU7the firstfound it ounRUWell,said I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rats|No! Sure signprouble. DiTy fight?" "No4that's good!hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England-- best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopl,Rkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly square9he must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tellUA youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;jhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowh'know. It's some kind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedL all the afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink int1 weey took their way homeward athwar| long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in hole, not]great hopr merely because Tomathere so many cases wherehad given up a t.creasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned it upa single thrustshovel. The thing failed this however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledcfortunehad fulfillep requirements O!beqbusines)tZ-hunting. Whery reach 2 wa so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/baking sun,{ bSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDAdoor@a trembling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircaser#erReveryWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tens:eTQready'instant retreat. In a little while familiarity modifiUBir f"nd1gav a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnesslQwonde"Aat iJro. Next~wanted to look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off2, bAy go^daring each otherof coursre could be@one result--bthrew tools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag4aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blanching>rfright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." TDtretmselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear?A. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.whisper anoQword,q. My gooI wish Iout of this!" Two men entered. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T"a ragged, unkempt creature, with very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Ctalka low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedXords more distinct as ceeded: "No,"eqhe, "I'ought it all ov1I dit. It's dangerous*Db!" grueDhe "e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's! < was silence for some timn Joe sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPdifferent. Away up%!riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w. q here i% daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any @Qplaceandy after6 fool of a job.Int to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse trydo stir%hethose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayyQheartz y had waited a year. The t1gotJ]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,ALook, lad--you go back upRLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear from me. I'll takeH chances on dropping intortown just once$,Ua look. We'll do'dangerous'7 I've spied around a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!r=leg it together!" This was satisfactory. Both men presently fell to yawningp .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downNQweedssoon bega7snore. HiDrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispereXNow's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@held back. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starElone first step he wrung such a hideous creak Dthe crazy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp boys lay tAhere countingdragging moments it seemed "emtime must be donGeternity growing gray;Cthen6ererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.[ Joe sat up, star--smiled grimly uponcomrade, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his foot1saiHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All , though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave it M#as2aalways, I reckon. No use to rit awayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omex<No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's betterDYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; Fwe'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea," sai / walked across= room, knelt down, raised"of$earward hearth-stonestook out a bagP jingled pleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or thirty dollars for himself and as much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diggingR his bowie-knife. The boygot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloa1eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--S plendor of it was beyondwimagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozenrich! Hereftreasure-hpunder theiest auspicesre would nobany bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilystood, fWey simply meant--}6but glad NOW we'rb!" Joe's  struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?4alf-rotten p-lank--no, it's a box, I believe.--bear a h2nd Qsee woAt's Kfor. Never mind, I've broke a hole." He reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinemhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighted.Q: "Wquick workire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#R5sidfireplace--I sa5a minute agoh!anqbroughtMRboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. Iu not very large; iron bound_had been+strong before:slow years had injurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of[Shere,p. "'Twas always?at Murrel's gang ulqo be aruone summer,"stranger observed., "I know it?; "and this looks like it, I should say." "Now you won't need to do that job.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Least]all abouta"thing. 'Tain't robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"a wicked a flamerhis eyes. "I'llyour help inBWhenfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillhear from me`Well--ifqsay so;e'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a moment.] What business has a^{l?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n ". Y!ta to my den*2hy,urse! Might"" h|ought of6 before. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--under!cross. The other place is bad--to"moAll right. It's+dark enough to start." Injun Joe got up 3entwindow to #cautiously peeping out. Presently he said: "Who cose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?boys' breath forsookj&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[Aturn\1war 1way Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring foo 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi2amiAUdebriQruineVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Nows the use of all|B? If<8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresGthey want t% o jump down, now, and get- trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes --nfollow us iy want to. I'mSing. In my opinion{ever hoveqhings inu1 caCa siu took us for ghosts or devil bsomethu'<Rrunning yed^rumbled awhile;bhe agreed withAfrie!at daylight was left q to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped oue house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredB thrhe chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. TFere conteNe reachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk much1wer much absorb#haemselves-- ill luckS made!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,/n+awould psuspect,bed. He Chiddk8sil gold to wait qQ till"revenge" was satisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&1 thk"lsbIBre! Rresol keep a looko9 Spaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobW him to "Number Two," wher m!beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it allas they entewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 4qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company  be a palpable improvement, hught. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure oB day ily tormented Tom's dreams !niWFour times hehis hands on+rich treasure and fo)6rit wast7nothingness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4aaback trd reality ofR1. AQlay i, smorning recallingMincidentsJVgreatD, he noticed'seemed curiously subdued and far away--somewhat as if ;had happened in another world, or time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo beQhad n seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys 1agestation in life, &dimaginall references7hundreds"K"thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsaly exie@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. IPanotion treasure ha"d been analyzed, would havey to consist of a handful of a dimesbqa bushevague, splendid, ungraspable Q. Buadventure grew sensibly sharperpclearer under Qattri1of think&am over so he presently`1himk1leae!toRBimprZ2Yg might not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sitting e gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangFqhis fee3aand looB very melancholy. Tom conclud$2letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don'ta." "Wwb?" "Oh, thatyesterday. I7hal"i " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8seen how much  Q! I've had s enough all night--with[patch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /we'll neverXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--andone's lost. I'd feel1ry shakywas to see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXa--yes,U's it8Q'bout!. But I can't make nothouAit. do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,is one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. LemmeSkK Here-- room--in a tavernQ know%Oh`the trick!s3two?s. We canout quick." "You stayU, till I comTom was off at oncA did91carahave Huck's company in public places. HeMgone half an hour4fouee bestQNo. 2Blongoccupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-A. In1less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said  kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not any particular reasonthis state o1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade?1mosCthe & by entertaining himself ae idea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%Bther9da ligh r before. "TBwhatOY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after(/E. Now what youqQto doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out into that l lose alley betwee*the old ra2trap of a brick storeet hold ofdoor-key can find, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownaspy aronce moreWqa chancget his revenge. If see him, just follow him;_if he don'to, Aain' :Lordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%R, surmightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkhB 'a' out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#Tom and Huc#k were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooSuntilnine, one watch92he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. Nobody entere*For left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, Huck was to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had the same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itCq. He hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (Mnly ones d"s)put out. Nohad been seen+had entered or 2lef}. Everytwas auspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom towar.bavern."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The!re#a of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful 5s] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,,$heQonly Ypto inhaDle it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itout, the tbeating. Suddenly tnof lightccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUrenough;was making thirty or forty miles anq beforerepetitionAutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offB(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steoonto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyere, sound asleep onRfloor4old patch on1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aun me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu  by Injun Joe; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALLTemperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is,! You try iQshuddno--I reckaon notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. If'd been three, h  -&cI'd doThere was a long pause for reflection,8then Tom said:32oky3less notCB anytill we knowc 3notre. It's too scary. NowAwe wevery night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU@%y 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*#'mW,ORthrow:gravel atwindow and 'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeITa]! t  for a year! I-'ll sleep all dayiF&st2all2aThat's2wbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it. r mightyB!ik\, becuz I dover act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wan|bsteadyAe$ift!indaytime,}"ley. n't come bothering around. Agyou sec's up,, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on FridaBning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"owS before. Both Injun Joethe trea)sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky took Fthe chief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhaustingplaying "hi-spy"%"gully-keeper" with a crowd of their school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned in a peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next1forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!heAhope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having to astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*FC. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was rofor a start. It1notcustom foLr elderly peopl21mar.!s spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast  Mrs. Thatcher sai[Becky, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay allS someb girlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt!s tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *qclimb r2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful glad to have !usg2Oh,awill bA!"  Becky reflected a momentaid: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedeidea over in her mind,k reluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a' go there if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting bait. I Tom's persusScarriqday. So itOadecide;bsay no]anybody Rnight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgivehasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweighuncertain jrtreasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinL"not allow himself to think of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below townferryboat stopped atmouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9 the different ways of get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHAgoodgs began. AfterAfeas!re-a refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomefashouteXWho's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \tprocureFtraightwaU re was a general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-house, $qand waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. Iromantic mysterious to stand here deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi(=qsun. Buaa impre#DnessUBsituquickly wore off romping b againmoment aalighte Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %ut8lad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingeep descent!main avenue,lickering raVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wallrock almostBreir poip2jun sixty feet overhead. Thisnot more than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other"till narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`but a vast labyrincrooked aislesran into each1andIagain and led nowhere. BsaidDone might wander days and nights togethrough its intricate tangle of rift: chasms,Fever fin;D end Qcave;dthat h!goY? Rstillthe earth*i2jusesame--D! u5!nocto anym. No man "knew"cave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venmuch beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%of2 asine. T moved along1"some three-quarterba mile<then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?t joined Parties were able to elud^2for1pachalf an hourbout go6yond the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth , panting, hilaX, smeared from !head to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely delight" uccess ofday. Then theyMstonishea y had been taking no not[Ftimem was about at handnb clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild freQ!puBintoVtream, nobody cared sixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w1--a8en he dropped!ourhis minput his attenLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scatt began to wink out, all s6Stragg ot-passengers disappeared,pvillage betook itself to its slumbers2lefRsmall>er alone/qthe silX ghosts. Eleven ftavernvre put out; darkness everywhere, now. iThat seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it up/turn in? AFfell~2earvas all Uin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must beabox! S1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLRg beh!, cat-like,Jbare feet, 1allowing them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upGriver street three blocks, then turnthe left up a cross-8y went straightE , until they came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookfthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. Bu8y1stoa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetall sumach bushes were at once hiddeothe gloomUd shortenedrdistancR, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy! no footsteps. Heavens, waiplost! H7eAabou!spqwith wifeet, when a man clearathroat four feet from him! Huck'sbt shot`lroat, buwred it again; and he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weak tha}zhe must surely fall ground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,1, l;4em there; it won't be harFfind. Now& voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisstranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill!to:oS--thiZthe "revenge" job! Hiswwas, to fl3n he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mornuEthese men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1Ey might come ?and catch himcall this and !inbmomentelapsed betwee 's remarkE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. Well,$IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you maycQit. B:r husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. Aqat ain'Q5. I millionth part of it! Heme HORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town loo#Kon! `!do understand? He took advantag!meAdiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anythkilling? I wouldKcHIM if "bus.When you want L to get revenge on a womab@q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, isz my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help mLing--for MY sake --that's why7re here--I mightn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's got to be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, firstknow. No--we'll wait tie lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck fela silence was goo ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breathl1stegingerly back; plante.foot car4aefully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sidei`!onother. He took anQ stepa, with+same elaborationL same risks;\F4andRQ, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself as cars if he were=p'uly but cautiouslyrg. When he emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reache/ Welshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's banging? What do you want?" "Let--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y- ', indeed! It ainA,'t a name to open many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads[let's see w qtroublePlease don't everI told you,"ccHuck'srwords wd got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gottDhinghA, or ouldn't act so!" exclaimb; "out!it0nobody here';." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no fur hid behind a great bowldsfell to7ing a lagging, anxsilence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang aBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspicdawn appeared on SQunday mornHuck came gropingXrapped gently aTold Welshman's&. The inmates3asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,ccount ofxciting episodenight. A callfrom a window: "Who's there!"'s scared voice answered in a low tone:let me in! It's onlyFinn!" "Frhat canL2thi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseBstrange worthe vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he hadlheard. HeRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenquickly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop1'reZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy aboQat! Ithe boys 'd turn up and stop BlastFVIsawful scared," saiBde, "and I run. I took out when0istols wekf3I didn't stop for three mile. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even iyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but +'s a bedx1for:Ryou'v^Fyour=. No, they ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right wto put our hands oRm, by9description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feetVam--dar0a cellar sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it backCno use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T rais3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustleget oupath, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed awaMTplace5he aqwas. So"1. B<ey were off in a jiffy, villainswe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we never touche| m. They fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. As soon as we loVB sou$Twe quit chasing"ntand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&abit is Eaheriffaa gangS beat}My boys will be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. ButBcoulaee whay were like, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!f1ne' 1 olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>here once or twiceqt'othermean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1R backe widow's one dayCAlunk. Off with you, 0boys, and tellfA--ge1r breakfast to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons departed at aeavingproom Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huckgyou ought to havecredit of you did.@h no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung menQgone,]5oldFA saiwr--and I. But whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, furthan to say<he already knew too much about\1men`+1manU Manything against him foB whole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIsee nothing abgin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thathe way of it last night. I could,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed up agiEwall#3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me, with;1undreir armI reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'qone wan light; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered0a momentknow--butQhow ims as if IQ1Rnt onyou--" "Foll'em--yes. ThatA was#I !towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnbstood Q darkBhearu1beg"K5the swear he'd spile her looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMB man saidthat!" Huck had maderrible mistake! Hqhis besA1keeA olddfrom gett he faintest hiG"whN might bQ1yettongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite of"heFr do. He several efforts to creepof his scrape, but'dU!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh: "My boy, don't be afraid of me  hurt a hair of your head forXorld. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've let thatout intendh+ DRcover0up now. You knowaV4A you to keep dark. Now trust me--tell me wh-at it isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA$'s honest eyes a moment, then bent over and whisperFear: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!" T almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It'splain enough,pWhen you talmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishbecause white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wn!inQcours i* 2e lIing which heqis sons done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamine,its vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide3reath suspended--wai'aanswer )tarted--s*#tam return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTER you?" Huck sank back, panbgently deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and pres[NYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven any for material for a plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he  --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." Poor U!wa distressed to smileWQ laugz1oud1joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such armoney in a-)pocket,  it cut dowdoctor's bill like evernq"ddPoor old (chap, you're whitejaded--you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little flightyCoff your balance2ll come out of it. Rest6sleep will fetch^out all right, I hoprirritatthink he had beenaBgoosbetrayed a suspicious excitement,HqdroppedBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a82n't!soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possessionoAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oomind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be yand jailybat dayhTom could seizeJBgoldnight witho.ut any trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompled2herea knocdoor. Huck jumped&a hiding-placeV"no!to onnected even remotely withAlate1t. The Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of qnight tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's another(more beholden1an -rre to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't havev2butim." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almo d the main matter--but t_llowed ibeat ina vital$Dhis M!thqbe trans?"T townb refus"Bpartjcret. When2els>been learn8ed, the  said: "I wensleep reading in bed and slept stranaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth while. Those fellows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAwork p2whathe use of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8y've just back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hours more. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? I2exp#shr be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a;tled look--"esayou last nAightEqWhy, noa5rs.  turned palhsank into a pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy that'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed last night--on you. And now he's afraidntto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "HeBAus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A markQxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"When did3 him lasrJoe triaremembu)not sure he could sayWpeople had stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teache!eys? not noticed whether3andDwere on boarferryboat oa homewrip; it wa!s dark; no one thoughinquiring if any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!Thatcher swooned awa fell to crying wringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutes the bells wildly clahe whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episodeEinstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited9;andY6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2thatDbettzswords. tedious nigh]for news;"heA dawqt last, athe wo"at!was, "Send more candles--and send food." Mrs. Th-Xwas almost crazed;CAunt Polly, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman came hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck #behad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  Huck had spots inE said: "You can depend on it 'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes"Bhis T" EarlyAforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongeswthe citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be ga Ainedremoteness] avern were being ransack7visited before;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hiSand t distancepshoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear downsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,Unames "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Th;recogniz'e%@cried over ii7 last relic she should|A havher chilAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then,  cave, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a gloK)burst forthbaa scor'pmen go ;troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>ir tedious hours alongvillage sank into a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0 anything. The accidental discovery, just made,the proprietor( Temperance T3kept liquor on his premises, scarcely flutte public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lqsubjects?A finYasked--dimly he worst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer Tinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you ip, you mQust NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu; would haveIa great powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone forever--gone a! But cq she be crying about? Cur Mshe should cryUese thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind under the wearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alongRmurkyas with2reshe company, visit familiar wonderst cave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged inFith zeal until the CexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wandered down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles aloft4rea  tangled web-work of I dates, post-office addressesrmottoesQwhich(rocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sediment}it, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. Heit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responde#is call, aey made aM-mark for fu3ture guidancestarted upoir quest1wouUais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of ,nother mark|branched off in search of novelties to tellb upper world about. In onea spaciousrn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactites ofalength circumferenc7a man's leg)y walked all it, wonderQadmir_ and presently left it by numerous passagesbopenediis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrustedsa frosta glitt crystals; it:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot2batfpacked themselvwrousands Qbunch( lights disturbTe creaturflockingby hundreds, squeakin> g and darting furiously a candles. Tom knew their waymr dangerais sor.conduct. He seized Becky's handhurried herthe first corridorqffered;6none too soon, for a bat struck g- out with its wing while she was passing(<q cavernBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,,a stret?i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesT$thlaid a clammygb spiri5. said: "Why, I didn't noticeit seems ever so long since I heard anyothers." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=Qw howKaway north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We =couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I wonder howwe've beenhere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you find3wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"n!I NCit--qbats. Iy put our" owill be an awful fix. Let's try som way, so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyastraversed i silence a  glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face/n encouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less rhopefulPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into di%Avergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ingoone that was wanted. He still saiwas "all 3," Xsuch a leaden1 atRheartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<#!"clung tooqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l2!goway! We seem.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deeps"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shou  The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too horrid,*QBecky!I<; they might 5us, you know,4 he~[! "6"Bpa chilliJrror thaughostly, it so confessperishing hope. The  children stoodand listened; no resultturned uporack at once B hur"is steps. I"but a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact to--he could notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Irfool! S Ithought wewant to com-! No--I can'ay. It's all mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherSQnk to!gr$and burst intorenzy of cry at Tom was appalled withMAidea4 sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byband pubarms aAher;S"bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"Cpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regrets1far$esAthemato jeeQbegge to pluck up W_si Vfell to blamabusing hims)elf for gettingmiserable situation;-had a better effect. wWatry to get up and follow wherllead if only he Wnot talk like#qore. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. Sy moved on --aimlessly--simply at random--all theyq!do!toF, keep moving , made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been takenit by age amiliarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle$blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words wererneeded.Sa under,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tHtkto pay attention,~iqdreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some di,2recoin any diQwas aist progressjmight bear fruit;wto sit downto invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carry her farthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_\all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful. Hs lookingher drawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasant dreams; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awaabygone|#y memories. While he was deepWmusings,rwoke up a breezy little laugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan folloAwed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never, had waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRknew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sa!to Both were cruelly tired, ye 4she4\Dgo a was surpriQ hearrdissentFnot underst8tPsat d(Aown, Tom fastened 1 to#wall in front of them with some clay. Though soon busy; nothp!s 2for7Atimen Becky brokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?"Rhe. {almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MSYes--as big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled atQamoietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move onMyilent a mom"Then he said: "R,!you bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paledF. "Welln"westay herB2ereQ&'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClast! gave loo sAearsuwailingd what he could to comfort her little effect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIRhen w 4heySBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[Dyou !as got homrA frighrlook in"braTom toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was notCave gone < night! The children becameBnd tXuful. In a new burst of griefKra showentaing in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. their eyes upouQir biand watch&ed it melt slowly@pitilessly away; sawinch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame rise^fall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,Fthe horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward itljFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew wa"atIseemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2to talk, bu sorrows were too oppressive, all her>#8gonBmustAbeenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideousw N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakleft; they/ dividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than bef+Che poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-by Tom said: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breathlistened. Theraq like the faintest, far-offA. Inlanswered itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'y1m!"N Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl"on28stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred'Bqno passt at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&Ras he. No bottom1sta]rwait untilers came8 @a; evid-{3ingjgrowing more (!di! a moment or two mothey had g^ltogether}t-sinking miser+1it!swhoopedh%hoarse, but it was of no use. He talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on;Rslept`awoke famis nd woe-stricken. Tom believbbe Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo?of these!ar!we=R heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumpingqplace." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet Rfarth2the at that m?oment, not yards away, a human, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorshout, and ingSly thfollowede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly gratifieb next ,S!ee,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNaat Joe5not recognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bur echoes9have disguis!e c. Without doubt,{was it, he reasonedQ's fr weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 hestay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of mee+}Qagainwas careful to keepk4wha "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@await aa'long sleep brought changes. The children awortured with a ragingq believ'`Abe Wday or Thur even FriSaturday, nowKthe searchbeen givenQpropoo explore passage(felt willing 8isktnd all JQrrors8 as very weak. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!To"gothe kite-linek chose; butk!im9d'aCbacklittle whilNspeak to her;`she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ a show of being confidenAfind)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7Ahand+ went groping down one of72s o9BhandGknees, distre>Qsick  bodings of coming doom.  CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonand waned totwilight%village of St. Petersburg still mourned-FlostW$ha en found. Public prayers offered up for them, and manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good news camR cavemajority up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuFwas plain tcould never beB!Mrfatcher2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,9lay it wearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tunight, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl the night a wild peal burstCxb bellsin a momentstreets were swarfrantic half-clad people, who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF !" Tin pansChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself>1mov32warriver, mechildren co in an open carriage drawn by"ing citizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah* F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little tow0seen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all ove place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad with #Cld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol51hisof the w&onderful adventure, putting in many striking additionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullestatch ofM3wasT"to9back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand gropmit, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw[(broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it had only happen3 beVhU not have seen%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lue he pushed <his way out at the*b and t"lp2 ou? they sat trgladness+some men came alo@qa skiffgTom hail!emtheir situa0qir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at first, "because," saiv y, "you are five miles down"river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatcandful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behi[!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as Tojqsoon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursdayQseemeBrgrow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.2gotM, a little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as whole as ever Saturd7say; butdid not leave her room until SunUshe looked as if she had passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sickneswent to see him obut coulbe admittbthe bedroom; neither .he on Saturday or . He wasHSdailyFAthatt#wto keep still about his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found Anearferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. A.aa fortiTom's rescue froDhe start0f to visit Huck, whozgrown plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD5wcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seet v#an~friends setto talkingone asked him ironicRif hen't like DTto gocave again._said he >qmind it, said: "Well, there are others just like you, Tom, I've noleast doubt. But we have taken cLfA. Nowill get lost !at any more." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--andgbkeys."!tuas white as a sheet.Aat'sE0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The gbb!t hCinto|face. "A you're all right. WhatIMAOh, , Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[deR bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%fplace.x1 laetched up ground,)! dP"hie closeBrack`, as if his longing eyebeen fixed,Alatest moment,e cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr $had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity, now, which revealed to him in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him since<day he lifted%Cvoic"st bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade broken!wo great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXB=. But if no stony obstructirb wouldTbeen Rstilli hhad been 'wholly cut away  could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So at place in orDqo be doDomething-- pass the weary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half a dozen bits of candle stuck aroundhe crevicesis vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneasearchRem ou eaten them. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly grow from the gjfor ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to Athe ous drop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfourtwenty ho!ur"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellthe foundation0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror creat British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it will still be 2all6 squnk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit patiently during five thousand yearsready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^qhaplessV-bree1out#>Qprice8bdrops,"o 3af stares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave.'s cup stands first) list ofcavern's mar!*vels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. Injun Joe4buried nearBQmouthg;people flocked there in boats"wagons from<BtowncQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfesscaey had almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcould2hade hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni--the pet)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings Bheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail  cimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/elieved toakilledr citizethe village2whahat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklingsRto scribblir names-drip a tear on itL`ir perAmanently impairedkleaky water-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG an important talk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshman the Widow Douglas, by this}Tom said he reckons6was?had not told him;a The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f businessed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand m"mewaif you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUF ] was all riU Saturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch night?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. Ithat very nat I follered Injun Jothe widder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukeep mum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on me doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidenkwho had only %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{a, presyQ, comaPmain question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom +G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itA>neyG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or srEarnest;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withqhelp ge"ounI bet I will!2 ifwC`e can blaze our way to nd not get lostwe can dozqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkU&--Ayou ?wait till wef!re#we1find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jingAll right--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRZqnow, ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five;2 in!re way anybody but me would go,Qthere^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.S,B takGin a skiff.&2flo] , I'll pull itjby myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start)A offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1twophree ki9te-string8`of these new-fangledsy0call lucifer matches. I tell you, many's the time I wished I hagwhen I wasMre before." A trifle after noo boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  Bdownthe cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yo 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]out of with a fishing-pole. See#4can1." ? searchediCabou2fouQhing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd#Heare! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9keep mumdll alowanting to be a robberknew I'd got to havebng lik,to run across itvAther!vecit now=it quiet, onlylet Joe HarperpBen Rogers in--becausptcourse !gobe a Gang, or els wouldn't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "it does, Tom. And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$ly." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm+ -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcrns take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'llMQat inUbook.to loving y%#outhey've been9a week or two y stop cryingTyou cm#geto leave. If$ro!ou%y'd turn right around!come back. It's soc booksy, it's real bullyI believe better'n3apirateF3YesF& in some ways, hclose to home circuses at." By this time everya!wa!dy2ys entereAhole! imS lead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to A dowwhispers,!foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor until they rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUR factit was not really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do 1see? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared a!mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!treasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is bre, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from3, il y#ngthe money. I knowrways ofsyAso dv." TomiAfear. Misgivings ga:,thered in his mind. But presently an idea occurred to him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|awhere 's a cross!" The poin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"at that's so. It's luck for us,L { is. I reckon we'll climb downhave a huntG4boxwent first, cutting rude steps iLas he descended.followed. Four avenues opened!ofA small cavern which the greatstood in.boys examined three0"emno result. They found aiUrecesone nearest4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,the well-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsBere B-boxlads seareand reBthis8Qin vaO%om^!He  Yross. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, because! sOolid on the ground6heyReveryzonce moreORn satdiscourag1cou ggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintssome candle-gre= clay about one sidX!is A, bu1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet youmoney ISbU. I'mH dig." "Thano bad notion, Tom!"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfood. "Hey!--you hea2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm2was%i(#ndOys took it up cross rock. "Now less fetchB the(Eaings," 4 Hu2--leave them tsThey'reO$he tricks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepNB allD2imerw(hold our orgieCsre, too 2ful2place for 0." "What!?"dono. But4ers6;of course we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beeqhere a Btime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`$etSskiff6ay pres emerged inlump of sumach bushesed warily out, foue coast clearBwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towarahorizoAy pu"ougot under wayqskimmedhe shore througiwilight, chai cheerilyZalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id  loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up*Q morncount it and dividSthen !una4outQPwoodsC for it wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )and watcQstuff till I run;hook Benny Taylor's little wagon; I won't be gone a minute." He disappearreturned#thSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old rags on totarted off, dragging his cargo behind him. Whe boys reache Welshman's house, they stoS restgay9Aabouqmove on: PA steB said: "Hallo, who's thatAHuckTom SawyerWGood!O1me,,,are keeping everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--2hauoyou. Why, it's not as  as it might be. Got b;in it?--orQmetalOATom.judged so;ris townatake m&Rroublfool away1imeN ing up six bits' worth of!irNS selly foundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human natuxralong,  T!" TPwante0d to know wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we gethe Widow Douglas'suck saidapprehension--for s long usebeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we have0en doing nothing. laughed. "Well, I dlknow, Huck, my boy. ;a. Ain'1 an! wgood friendsRYes. ishe's ben&e, anyway}All rightn. What dov1wanjbe afraid for?is question wa?a entir<nswered inq's slow before  himself pushdwith Tom,5EMrs. drawing-room. V leftQ nearAdoorzafollowThe placergrandly'ndiAthat(of any consequence iNr villagNthere. The ThatchersQk Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)?all dressqtheir bTGr receiv+r as heartily as any one c/Swell 4 two such looking beings.1R They1cov Aclay[candle-grease. 1 bl crimson8humiliationqfrownedLshook her head at Tom. Nobody suffhalf as much boys did, however. Mr. A sai-Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled on2andm at my doorGjust brought them Bin a(!nd2did3S!," r. "ComeA1me,." She tookcto a bedchamberRNow washI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,S- complet(Cy're+--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. B6 ey'll fit both of you. GetN them. We'll wait--come downe1youslicked up enoughQn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCKD! "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundrShucks!D dvQkind of a crowd. I can't stand it.8b goingthere, Tom." ")QOh, b{B! It2 an. I don't miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appeared.vhe, "auntie has beenring for!ll,afternoon. Mary gott Sundayb readyeverybody'\ fretting about you. Say--LRthis qclay, o;ra"?"E, Mr. Siddy,jist 'tend toown business. What'sis blow-out, anyway`It's one of tDdow's parties1sheO ways having. This time it'sFthe Welshmanhis sons, on accountjat scrape they helped#ou# night. And say--kQ tellAsome21, i want to knowQWell,Why, oldX2is to try to spring_1 on"people here to-,overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's notle(t now. ElEs --a, too,1allf!trro let ozWwas boundE should be here--couldn't get along3and withoutF, you know!Q" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirobbers to.)7 wacmake atime overturpriser!be it will drop pretty flatW chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never who it was. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.Jid, therely one person in\town mean:a to do XI72had!in's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hillqtold an 0. You can't do anyQmean s&bear to seeTqpraiseddoing good ones. Tn1nkse says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxdoor with several kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, eufashion!ryobday. Approper time Mr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedsZonor sheFqhimselfAons,G3sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprungsHuck's share? adventu finest dramatic manner master ofDthe  it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to giveMt a homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa Tom's chancYBcome aid: "Huck don't need it.'s rich." <qNothingya heavy strainthe good s of the company kept baQe dueaproper%:ary laugh at this pleasant joke. ButDsileanawkward. Tom broke itb's gotE. Maybe youbelieve it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T1looked at each with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly aQ, whoO0tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well,eQain't any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{easacks,2 diafinishMsentenceCpourU1masyellow coa the tS5andqThere--  did I tell you? Half of it'sXand hbmine!"spectacle took general breath away. Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call9an explan  Mquld fur5iA did^B tal\plong, b<ut brimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upsurprise 3occasionit don't amount to anynow. Thismakes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allow"heSdccounte[3sumt!edvover twelve thousand dollars. ItKmore thanSqpresentever seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz#in#ty. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poor/9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of m citizens tottered under2*'e unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house inA andTneighboring# s was dissected, plank by U`its foHundations dug upWQransacked for hidden treasure--and not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, some+mrT4q appear8!eyQ couradmired, st#a+1abl|arememb~at their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lostpower of doing and commonplace !s;past historyV1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originalityo paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcher di same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, was simply prodigious--ae week-day AyearChalfv Sundayjust whaminister got --no, i#hqpromised--he generally couldn't collect it. A H and a qu+qarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himwash him1forG matter.  had conceived a great opinion of Tom. He sahat no 3boy@qhave go daughterBwAcavep'n Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--a^was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whR walkR flooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s/it"op2see+lawyer orsoldier some day. He A said he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traineqthe bes  qcountry[1hatight be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fachunow undeQ1Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurl2 it his sufferings were almost morbn he cwear. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushedthey beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shuiQbound1han foot. He bravely boremiseries threesthen one day tuN rned up missing. For forty-e\thours tga hunte everywhere in great distressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morning5Sawyer wisely went poking among some old empty hogsheads down behind abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque days whenW1freq happy.Croutvout, toldroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6qt ain'tSme; I"usA"it:widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stan$m ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 7; she makes me washcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed clothes that smothers me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Show; y're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay roll around anr's; I hslid on a cellar-doE --well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to churca sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{3Po do t". H4I'dwrtalk soit wasn't no comfort--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died, TomnXwouldBAmokeu yLshe Bgapeqstretch Q scra Abefore folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritation and injury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN"thX! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-stand THAT, Looky her, being rich what it's crack); just worry$  2a-w you was dead <. Now theseBsuitis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not many times,  becuz I don't give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"me the widder." "Oh, Huck,8know I can't do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. BlamBall!Sas we3gun_ba cave\2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness has" k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CB Ckeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. But#we let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C#let me in1 Di4you!go~pa pirat!eYes, but_'s different. A 7( is more high-toned than what a pirate is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always ben friendly to me? You woul !sh"R out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goaqa month6Ctacknd see if ! co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All rightb, it'sz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow,qet up oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd through or bust. Whe2goi.Ustart4NCturns?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys together@AhaveRinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tellgang's secrets, evenN re chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his familyCa hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest,|est place you can find--a ha'nted house i! b:-Z2gup nowod, anyw'{(sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOXsomething LIKE!fqmillions bullier'll stickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in out of the wet8." CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;G'could not go much furwithout becoming the^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersrperformais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zXyounger ones again[see what sor"mewomen they turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveaRat pactheir lives at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedaPs book really occurred; one or two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7,ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combinaKYistics of threem I knewSbelongs to"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876TT O M S A W Y E RHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer. "TOM$ What's gone withboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles downulooked ovebam abou room; then she pIm up:cut und?. She seldom or nevereTHROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pairApridher heartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to : "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA bea!Awenthe open door tood in iRuthe tomato vineG "jimpson" weedswconstitute garden. No Tom. S AliftWmvoice at an angle calSculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack of his roundand arrestfwA. "Q! I m'a' thoughcloset. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--tjwhat it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!XrwhirledTnatch Qkirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappearTit. Hisc Pollysurprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Hadcan't 5learn anyQ? Ain't he playecricks y3lik1for2o b1ing$rfor him6E? But old fools ispbiggest4 SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/m alike, two days, and how is a body to " wcoming? He 'pears!just how long he can torment me before I gedander up, ve knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I afcmy dut!at&the Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahearlash him, somehow. EverR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-wAman  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll Ajust be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, nish him. It's mighty har= work SaturQ when the boys is having holiday)he hatesB more than1anyS else%'ve GOT to do8 ofIhim, or I'll bquinatio." Tom dideiAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at leas@wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-) Sid was already through withDpart2work (pick{qchips),ba quieJehad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s1nte;AtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, ither pet vanGity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkbmysterious diplomacy0bhe lov#contemplate her most transparent devices as marvel[ low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'!Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolW!no. So he said: "No'm--well, notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ! n hough." And it flatteredato reflect s2adiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcAmigh1theA mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencmissed a tr#ick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou dhave to undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/head, did you? Unbuttsjacket!trouble vanis#offace. He opened his@b. His 4as securely. "Bother! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Shehalf sorrysagacity had miscarried,3gla?Tom had stumbled into obedient conduconce. But SidneyIDif I52you{ith white thread, 's blackBWhy,Ow sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapd bound abouTm--on^  Dpthe oth<#erH' Hhe'd never noticed if it hadn'tfor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_ & I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'other--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam Sidqearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Within minutes, or even less, he hagotten all$s. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove qhis min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negroh!suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consist: a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at sh]Aort DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it, if!s +been a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave himknack ofRZbstrodeFteet withmouth full of harmonhis soul of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFwith the boy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyse. A strangerbefore him-- a shade larger'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons. Hshoes on#iGonly Fri"He2worcktie, a bright bit o1f ribbon0had a citified air |at ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher he turned up his nose atRfinerhabbier and his own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, inrcle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd likE see you try it." "Well, 8W!No(rcan't, 2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pausen What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I couldl one hand tied behind meI wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole families insame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowOh, what a hat+AR lump-4hatit. I dar o knock it off--and anybodyG'll take a5will suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mej Bsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becausEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3,/QeyingAsidl round each. Presently twere shoulder to .|Get away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B"Sobstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusherelaxed his strainx watchful caution, andj|acowardca pup.ell my big brohe can thrash!thlittle finger. I'll make him do it, tooI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR sa#so2Ait sTom drew a lineBdust1hisi"to{ qFstepZAlick5you can't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seQDon't8crowd me now;better look ouQWell,HSAIDh*--Wb?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILLtook two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisiontruck them t o the ground. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb !inAdirt, gri together like cats; and for. space of a minute they tuggetore at each ^q's hairHclothes, punch3Qscrat 53noscovered themselvesand glory. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to freself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a smbed "'N1let!up8qll lear:. BnA who_Rolingnext tim3ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying backBshakQs hea threatenhat he woul!tothe "next time 2ugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feath as soon a7Rs hiswas turne1newI#sn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetweeshouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelope.Cchastraitor homthus foundere he livednheld a position atgate for somehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;$he% "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty laat night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. There4a song in every heart;obif the was young Qthe music issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloomthe fragrance ofblossoms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brushcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasseQalongtopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping!atvwith a tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Br"water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now itJnot strikeoremember~at theregp$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boysgirls wereTb waitiir turns, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalthonly a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me IAn' g<s3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w talks. Gimme the--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow^I dasP miss)is she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimble who cares for that, I'd likn%b awfulatalk d hurt--anyways!if$Gcry.give you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too muchiHe put down his pail, took th$a&nt3toebsorbing interest whilRandag>being unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetma tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompafield a slipper in her hanHttriumpheye. ButwUnergyeAlastq}think ofr un he had planned for this dW"ay his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys + come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world ofbof himNQavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble/ trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, but not half7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea r"thQ. At dark and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranqui. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodAwhoop, at "vals, followed by a deep-toned ding-dong-dong, di Rfor hcperson steamboat. As he drew near, he slack}bspeed,the middl_the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, s!hatimaginerr standi.his own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he up slowly toward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiff8dis sidesZaet herW mAstab%h Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe "to Stop the,Come ahead W;! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeOQ thatk-line! LIVELY nome--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stand by*age, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying**gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentio2yBen stared a moment then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE upump, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchyan artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouth watfor the apple, butqtuck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--wouldn't yo Eu? C)s would!contemplatedboy a bit,HRat do1all$?"IETHAT1TommC\ned carelessly: "Well, maybe it is.l. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comdon't meaQ!le{you LIKE it?" Thecontinued to move. "Like it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new lighttopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily backforth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlyBaid:i, Tom, let MEgvlittle.sidered, was_o consent;P"alnqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on street, you --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ; it's gobe done very careful; 2 onmin a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, ifawas meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wqJim wann!o ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&Qhappe+ it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgQSay---give youcore of myS+FN2.bafeardWALL of itqgave uppwith reluct|!inBfaceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZ1swe\in the sun,retired artist saa barrel in&shade close by, danglexdlegs, muncheB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. There'qno lack%aterial; boysed along eblittle; they came to jeerHQremaio whitewash. Bytime Benfagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swingYith--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken bothe morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B keywouldn't unlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collarsno dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapidated old8 window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all while--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If run out )"he have bankrupted+village. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2% all. He had discovered a great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQ3writhis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obligedo. And elp him to understh\9tructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement 3are2y gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily line, inD the summer, becausprivilege costs them derable money; but if they were offwages fordcerviceturn it intoI "nOould resign. Theqmused aiC oveaubstantial changch had taken place in hldly circumstances,w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open {in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for s 4 noT}cthe caLasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szrthoughturse Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power again in intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go play now, aunt?" "What,Q a'ready? How mu ve you done?" "It's allB." "Tom, don't lie to me--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRF." d small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;A,been conten4find twenty per cent. of Tom's statem,rue. When she fou entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonish was almost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never! There's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longl3plat%you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook himthe closetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture upoBvaluNflavor a treat took tao itself)it came without sin through virtuous effort. And while sd:; a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut. Then he skipped out saw Sid just starting upoutside stairway that lcrooms ,second floor. Clods were handy and the air was full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiesTsally%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+n1rou Tom skirablock,hinto a muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of capdand puahasten2war5public square  village, wtwo "military" companiles of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<the otheru&se two great commanders did not condescend to fight i!--being better suio#still smaller fry--but sat together on an eminencevaconducH he field operations by orelivered0 aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a longhard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagreement bd uponyrthe dayhe necessary3ed;Qwhich fell into lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived_saw a new girl i3garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creatur yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4y1fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanish+p of hisEa heartAleft;even a memory of herself behind. He had thn!he#d her to distraction; h,!rePCd hion as ado; behold it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; sessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short daysqhere inqinstant]Qime sf1d gu3hislike a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discohim; then he preteneeAknow\was present, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidM4the/girl was wend way towarXQ camef and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet awhile longer. Sqlted a moment oQstepsXmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. But face lit up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin aQr twohe flowerY 1shais eyes with#haWlook down street as if[ something of interest gon\qat direH2. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar backSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearer ; finally his bareArest(liant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--(cUCbutt,$1 inhis jacket, nexXF--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomy not hypercritical, anywaypreturneUbd, now2hung aboutence till nightfall, "showing off," as U3; b8&girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comfor$"im$v littleBhopesad been> some window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got intov hild." He took a good scoldiclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/1torsaa body3wayP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." sezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez-bowl--a sort of glogTom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.]as in ecstasies. )vIn suche even controlledtongue and was silen5 ton he would not speak a word,^came in,18 sit perfectly stshe asked who dimischief;tJKtCand therabe not"soE"inPqorld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultationRcould hardly hold the old lady Abackstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASnext instanas sprawling on the floor! The potent palm,dupliftQBrike Tom cried out: "Hold on1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 1shes5hershe onlyRUmf! you didn't getck amiss, I reckonWsome other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscireproached her she yearnqay someQ kind&qloving;she judgedBthis1 beoRtrueda confesstshe had the wrongdiscipline forbadh. So she keptf"ce2went abouaffairs with a troubeart. Tom sulk a cornerSexalt#woBknewQin he5rt Rwas oAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of i<hang out no signals,B take notice of noneaing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears~he refused recognivpicturelying sick unto deatho=sbendingim beseeching one littl cgiving*%2tur2rface toQ1allB die word unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then? A b$bt homeOthe river, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how CearsBfallCrain(er lips -pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! Blie there col-QwhiteUm--a poorsufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,sto keep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichflowed when he winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUoApett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently,is cousin Mary danced ull alive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&araccustomed hauntBboys%sought desolate placesin harmonybspirit. A lo>g raft in the river invited himfche seaself on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, {only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingguncomfortable routine devised by nature. T2 thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumple1iltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8wApityC knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rAto pvr arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turnrly awayall the hollow? This picturan agonpleasurable !itCoveri 2minoset it up in new0qvaried s, till re it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA!. About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came am 1eseQstreet to w the Adored Unknown lived; used a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle was casting a dull glow 9the curtain of a second-story window. Wassacred presencre? He climbcfence,jstealthy way throughSDplan Aood  looked up aDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposingupon his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJs poor wilted<And thusuld die--ou~mRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-damps fromCAbrow8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sE outv glad morntand oh!A7op one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The went up, a maid-servant'cordant voice profan" holy cal[ a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero spramRng upa relieving snort. There was a whiz asmissile iair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, a soundH shivering glass followeda small, vague formF!ov!e >Mshot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by.tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of making"references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD1eldpeace, for tdanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1outadded vexatioprayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xjthe summit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.n Tom girdQed up+loins, so to speakwent to work to "get his verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, y shall--a--a--shallKa-- G,fI 51a-- WHAT? Whyyou tell me,1?--do you waabe so mean for?Tom, youthick-headed thing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must go an it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll giveAsome. ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelveaacents;tZnvulsion of deligha sweptsystem shAm toTfoundTrue, the uld not cut anyabut itJ a "sure-enough" Barlow, 3re was inconceivable grandeur in--though w1the Western boysgot the idea6|2a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmysterwill always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrivWqscarify8cupboard1it, was arranging to begin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dress for Sunday-school. Ltin basi Qwatera piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setM n a little bench there; tQ dipp eae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behi door. But&Q remo,and said: "Now ain'Sashamsmustn'tVabad. Wwhurt you." TomTStriflncerted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. WnP kitc#hen preswith both eyes shutFgroping forH.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudsIwas dripT5romKqemerged#>,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short att2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soilpread downward in froncAbacka*Rneck.took him ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brother out distinction of colorYhis satur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]aminate  his own ABlifebitterness.] Then1gota suit ofFclothing had been used on As du two years--they were simplychis "otheqthes"--o by that we >know the siz his wardrobe. The girl "putgto rights" afte-ad dressed himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, tur+ vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crownJpeckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwholee blinessBgall. He hopedMary would forgetqes, but2hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want 1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9the three children se3for-school--a placeQTom hdBhis aheart;1Sid)fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Qthen church servi ce. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntaril]other:too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backed, uncushi$Cpews4sea!~qhundredAons;cedific ut a small, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted a comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgiveAPieclickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibitedsatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue onesrwaylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteV, nowmwarm of bnoisy !ndVs, proceeded qnd starO quarrel\the first boyjcame handy. <The teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGn turned hisRmomen Tom pulled a boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed inUQook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!" got a new reprimand from. Tom's whole class wera pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,with a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;r) Cyellow one;#en .the superintendent gave a very1ly bound Bible (worth forty centsose easy times) toQpupil many of my readerA hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand], even for0r a Dore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it wapatient work of3years--and a boGerman parentage had won four or five. He onced three without stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 he little better than an idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}and stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstancer successfuls?conspicuous for  o|aspot escholar'stQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasa couple of weeks. It is possible49 qstomachnever really hungero. unquestionablyentire being had $for many aClongWthe glory,the eclatBcameit. In due courseA stood up in fronthe pulpit,L a closed hymn-book ih)!ndforefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makeso!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as i inevitable sheeYmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sa referAo bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqbabreas=corners of his mouCfenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning ofCwhole body wside viewA"ret;1hinpropped on a ing cravat which w`as as broad}s long as a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion7day, like sleigh-runners--an effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting=a their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. WaltersMvery earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;Xhe held sacred th nd places in such reverence^so separatemm from worldly matters,~sunconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intonation which!wholly absent on week-days. He began after this $: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAFyoura minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy girls should do. I see one+girl who isaing ouZindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps#one trees making axe to thbirds. [Applaus8ive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assembled in athis, learning to do I!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9was of a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresumpF of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,} subsidencY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an"t !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair^a dignifieL d lady who was doubtless`'s wife. !dy*leading a child. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; conscience-smitten, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:"showing off"=1all^might --cuffingBpullhir, making faces--word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate a girl91winapplause. His exaltQut one alloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and QrecorAsandEfast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. Walters'finished]introduced themaschool  man turned ou5be a prodigious personage--no,a one thacounty judge--altogethe most august  these childreever looked u7%poey wondered what kind of material tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid heB. He rom Constantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled2see+Qworld1se Aeyes3looked upondVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attested byimpressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge Thatcher, bro of their own lawyer. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands1him6RIS shH ! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A fel,Asortofficial bustlactivities, giorders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere that he could find a targetlibrarianed off"--running hiQ with his arms full of booksm`Qa deathe spluttJ fuss that insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilf|l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemensmall scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion tobiplineCmost ,th sexes, found business up at$y,qpulpit;!it6that frequently had to be done again two or three times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wadsmurmur of scuff. And above it allEman sat and beamed a majestic juda smile@warmed himself isun of his own gr5andeur--for heing off," too. Theronly one thing wanto make Mr. Walters' ecstasy completwas a chaRo!ver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several"had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough --hqbeen arQamong5stainquiring. He would have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redqen blueq demandja. Thisa thunderbolt out of a clear sky was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEBit--1ereBcertified checky$~oir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`2the|#stFsurprisec decad=bso proR sensa}!ite`new hePro up tojudicial one's altituathe school5 two marvels to gaze upon inof one. The boyspall eaten upBenvy--but thos)csufferbitterest pangI-who perceived too latDthey themselvecontribut.t hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth / amassed in selling whitewas privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake in/Rgrass !4was;2Tomoas much effusion  superintendent cpump up kcircumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him t mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse0 thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozenb strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy LawrencQproudQglad, sQiTTom see it in heQ--butouldn't looF k. She wondered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicion camebwent--Sgain;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--annheart brokewas jealousRangry `Fears3sheeverybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). as introducedRJudgehis tongua tied,breath w.hardly comequaked--partly becaus the awful greatnesgthe man,^Gmain6her parent. Henhave likfall downorship him, if%erBAdark # phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger manners." "I Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyfellow. TwoLsand verses is a  many--very, very2. A+ never can be sorry forw you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i<p; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+_look back;It's all owoprecious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mT over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!~ouldn't take any money|~those t--no indeeE1nown't mind tellingris ladyBs"veed--no, I know you woCY--for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknowz2nam^1alltwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09the first /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, now,'"his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within himHsaid to himit is not possible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DIDJudge ask him? Yet hBt obliged to speak up V: "Adgentlemandon't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E"llCme,"!hewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. Thechildren distributemselves aboutkAhous occupied pews their parents, so as to be under{vision. AunMt Polly came1Tom1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordaBmigh`s far away fromopen windows the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upXraisles: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayorhis wifeAthey7a#there, among other unnecessarieOtjusticegRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivitie St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a trooprawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakern#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule suc cane-heads, a circling wa! o impering admirers, till theJ last girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if she were cut  . He always brought his 7to church1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?*his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. ongregationfully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Bthe a which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign country. The miDnister gavethe hymnread it with a relish, in a peculiar stylemuch admiredaat par6theHis voice began on a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost worplunged down!from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe,skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,ladies would lift<3han let them fall helplessly(eir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOOb for trtal earth." AfterAhymnBsungRev. Mr. Sprague turn`self into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting\qocietie sbseemedothe list rstretchocrack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away hereis age of abundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And now#mi prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMthe little children church;7=#es& village' itself; ?y(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far islB seaZaclosed a supplication words he was about to speJak might find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dAthe stan]cPgsat down. The boy whose historyJbook relates didAnjoy , he only endured it--if he2didJrmuch. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of oldthe clergyman's regular route ov--and when axQtriflsnew matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit 2e bpew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor8 it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraps wings with its hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-tails; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it!itperfectly safe. As indeQwas; forr2oreEDTom' itched to grab for it theydare--he believedsoul woulinstantly destroyed did such a $Rwhile`3ray on. But closing sentencezhand began to curvesteal forward;Cthe ra"Amen"8!ouwas a prisoner of war. His aunt qthe act\made him let it go minister gave out2tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstonSthinnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly worthsaving. Tom couDagessermon; after church he always2how:tmaseldom2B anytelse ab discourse. However,, this time he8really interested`r little). * a grand and moving pictureassembling togeththe world's hosts at the millennium whenVAlioncthe lamb sh4lie[ Uchild,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he only thought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMo, ahe sairhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$,QB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHp"him of a treasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beeith formidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he call>". N in a percussion-cap boxSfirsttmdid was to tak)!byfinger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZ2islblit onv2ackthe hurtpR wentoy's mouth. Tho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unAto turn over. Tom ey:Clongait; buwas safe ou!hiTQch. Opeople unci>sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. W a vagrant poodle dog came id{ along, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopail liftebwagged:1urvnrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenrhis lipqade a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedlh$byrhis chin descendStouch enemy, who seized it. There sharp yelp, a flirT', and the fell a couple of yards away1 onback once more neighboring spectators shook~#a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind fanI handkerchiefsTom was entirely happydog looked foolish4probably felt soas resentment iB tooBda cravAreveRSo he'to a wary att:W jumping every poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, maTeven #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ; followC ant,8his noseCflooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgo k,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony811saidup the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar;5 he flewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch; his anguishL progress,:pf!ly3!asa woolly comet modilaorbit Pthe gleamK2spe. At las frantic sufferer sheereddits course,Nsprang intomaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voic<distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole church1qred-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; for evegravest sentiments were consta@AreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a ravfacetious thing. It0CuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerphome qu ite cheerful,king to himself tha"bre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marrahoughtJwas will dog should playhis pinchbugshe did not1 it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--because it began anothek's slowe in school. He generally<dthat dwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'$oicaptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkPit occurredTCshed sick; then he cAstay:UXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen,e investigated5. TZ$hedetect colicky symptomsRo encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feeblqL !wh2awareflected further. Suddenly he discovered!th One of his upper front teethSloose was luckyto begin to groan, as a "starter," as7alled it,"if.me into court7;argument,aaunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So1old tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tellSa certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upQinspe. But nowAknowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconsced louderbfancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid*was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMup and fet.ched a succession of admirableAs. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"shook himcourse work5Tom begaq again.yawned, stretched, then brought!onRelbowathdstare at Tom. Tom wen aid: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" And he(looked iface anxiouslytmkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I mustlb aunti4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexcall anybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoQevery. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dying, arr? &p--oh, don't. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catw one eye to that new girlb's com2owntell her1Butqhad snaqclothespAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his s had gathered quite a genuine tone%flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gasp2YouUX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairBlaug`blittle cried a did both together,Arestw"heU8shea turn yrou did e. Now you shut upx nonsense and climb out of this.Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy felt foolish)  it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 ISbut you're not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing?qI love _ 1eem"ry\A wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." Bytime the dentaRl instruments were ready. TheYlady made one endA fasRTom's:aa loop2tieQotherhe bedpostpn she seiz* nand suddenly thrust it almost inRoy's faceU hung dangling by+}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new1admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested te exhibition;1one) had cut his finger had been a centre of fascin9%QomageDo this timQ founEselfJout an adherent,Lshorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- 3 $a disdain which henot feelit wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b boy said, "Sour grapes!"qhe wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame uponjuvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son o f=town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by allFms{Utown,2idllawless and vulga+bad--and8]ir children "socdelighhis forbidden society(R wishEy dared to beQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast cond; as under strict orders no8BplaySo he played91timfgot a chance.was always dress cast-off clothefull-grown meAthey  in perennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenA!or},nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dow@Bbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged low~containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4_a dirt not rolled up. Rand wt own free will. He slept 8 on doorsteps in fine weathey in empty hogsheads in wet; = have to go to school or to church, or call any being master or obey anybodyX could go fishing or swimming1herRchosestay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e springqthe lasresume lsfall; he never o wash, nor put on clean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,athing goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello,s$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzItslaughter-house_ 8theT?" "BoughCt itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2G? Cure warts withHSNo! Iso? I know some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher,5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I 2HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his ha rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^1fac Atump3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.l$. Aknow@Aha! Talk about trying to c* such a blame fool way as!! @Qthat S a-goVado any. You got to go all by yourself,middle ofEcwoods,p2youthere's a Bjust as it's midnighback up agains qand jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swall#es,' and then walk away quick, eleven steps,(eyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayQ doneNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&heahave aj on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so muchC`aalways"considerable many b. SomeI take 'em}1wit1eanGYes, bean's go#odAdones%1HavU? What'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuqwart soo get some blood*Syou p3 on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'boutacrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyBbean"se3" t+it will keep drawing ,mA fetre otherZS to i!sog helpsh!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'Downd;hQwart;j no more to bBme!'better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead catsyyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about S5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or,J't see 'em, you can only hearthing likeCGwindY''em talk; they're takingfeller awa;#he<<1fteMGqsay, 'Dfollow corpse,it, wartscat, I'm Qye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I recko so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axtone day&A seeUawas a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How did he knowLord, pap can tGeasyKb1looa; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifcmumble d$r're say7 e Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kayou go:oqthe cat1To-. I reck o'll comeold Hoss Williams t8q" "But buried him Saturday. Di69getqhow you9!could their charms work till mid?--and THEN it's Sun|evils don't slosh around much of a,2, I' LI never thought ofR. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowingAays went "hr&rocks at me zqs 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. In't meowe, becuz aunti #wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#th"Nobut a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gn.U2 wa`sell himu4All^It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dow!beto them.satisfied wi[Fth iwgood enoughv!meuaSho, tss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted toOWell, why1! B1you6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early, I reckonthe first one I've seenAyearSay, Huck--BAgivemy tooth Less see iTom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolledrHuckleberry viewQ wist-J. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?" Tom lifted his lipAhoweN vacancy.a!,"YB, "iAtradTom enclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,?9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly, the manner of one who had$with all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(Aseatt business-like alacritqmaster,hned on high inEgreat splintY-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, luby the drowsy hum of study. The interrup roused him. "Thomas Sawyer!{Bknew2wheAname{pronounced in full, it meant trouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was about to take refuge in a lie,(e saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a backhe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min= You--you did what?" "StoppbQ talk@ Finn." Therno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe" Iever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_ offence. Take off your jackejarm performed until it9 was tired andQstock witches notably diminish`A ordllowed: "l!goV2sit]Athe ! And letbe a warnWSo youxr titter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGQesult-caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idolead pleasuredRlay ihigh good fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hd herself away from himc a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom satAwitharms upon the, low desk before himAseemAbook. Byby atten$Dthe accustomed murmur rosedull air once. Presentlboy beganeal furtive glances atL&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave 2theae spaca minute. When she cautiously fac peach layi"erthrust it away.gently put !it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiEareturn  to its place. Tit remainscrawled oslate, "Please take it--I got" The girldRwordsno sign. Now draw something *ahidingBwork his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice; buttuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptiblesW boy workAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betray!he+Aawarit. At last!inhesitatinglybLet me see itdom par!ve dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyXc's interestdfasten)and she forgot everya4elsiff6,2QgazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man4he artist erectHan in the front yard,qresembl(derrick. He could have stepped over=ktPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monster,a beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonkstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan6saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/)Oh, will you? When?" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<@N  !dsA. Buackward this(Bbegg1see Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed #. Slet m)pou'll t>eNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3 tell anybody at all? Evs long a+B liv*4No,r DANYbody. Now~Oh, YOU!wyou treat me sbWILL see." AndjYput her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but lettingQhand slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,$reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing C3 eaa steady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa housedeposited i!own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhoolnmaster stooahim duMa few aw_bomentsfinally moved away toathroneUqout sayR word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. As quieted downBmadeReffor`tudy, Pbut the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1 reading class} botch of it; then2 geography4 turned lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspellc got "down," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUtwenty studying scholars soothedcroul lik=$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill ed its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of htinted with the Epurple of distance; a few birds floatelazy wing high air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. Tom's heart acT o be free, or else to haveOi of interest to do to pasdreary time. His handR intoBockehis face lglow of gratitudewas prayer, thougdid not know iten furtively/Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him o` long flat deskh creature probably glowed with aaL2oo,is moment,2it !emd:x1wheQstartankfully to travel off, him asideb1pin"!ake a new direction. * bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instan:was Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn Qs allAweek embattled enemies on Satur#Joxa pin outis lapel and beg an to assisrexercise prisoner. The sport grew in[ly. SoonQBsaid 6}oBeach neither gett#fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stir him up and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlyae equator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,P would look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeAoverS1souls dead to Aings. At last luck seemX settle and ab dJoe. TQtried,oxcourse, a"ndrs excitedXs anxious as1boy mselves,3timrgain ju"he: have victory in his very grasp, so to speakTom's fingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offTkeep possessionWQTom cstand it no!erK temptation was toocreached out8lent a hand!hiD2ang a. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look her Harper, whos\Athat?" "I don't care$Btickm you sha'n't touch himaWell, , bet I will, though. He's my/do what I bNdpleasem, or die!" A tremendous whack cam#onshouldersits duplic ;#fol1pactwo minute dust continued to fly from the two jacketsP!thWle school to enjoy it#had been too absorb]anoticeBhushhad stolen upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing dowAroomstood over them. He hadQempla good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered  er ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{1lipT turnVrough the lancome back.!go@other way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith antE. In :two met atdbottom#la -Ethey!haQall t< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave the pencil and held>., guidingand so cre surprising hoBQuse. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "Do you love rats?" "No! I hat!!" "Well, I do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing roundQ head a string.q[n't care for much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gumGOh, I should say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letschew itB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweaabout,uRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" sair. "Yesqsmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'msd." "I)f three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! will be niceqy're so1ly,xtspottedFLthat's so. Anyqslathermoney--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoW2youC!to<I reckonCknowqQis it2/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyawon't have anybodyZQhim, Athen>Akiss0ws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3d=1for2Rthat,Ynow, is to--walways do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember wrwrote oQslatebqYe--yesW]iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but JNo, not now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, so easy."  hesitating, Tom took silenc cconsen,passed his arm F her waistQT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he adde11Now0a2 it"--Rhe sa She resisted, for a while1saiWqYou turr face away scan't se;I will. But you mustn'tu--WILL you]%? don't, %No, indeed" I)S. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" Then she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9Qface.]qclaspedneck and pleaSW , it's all done--all over bu\kiss. Don' be afraid of that--A at ( ." And he tugged ata?hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kithe red lip 3:Now/EHthis2you$"to"me+Xto marry\ but me, eveqr neverforever. Will]CI'll) u{*t Zyou--"to-( me, either." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^'re to walk o2me,/Sthere}vlookingchoose meLIt parties, because tthe way you dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRheardq before-2Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I*Afirs2'veDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 doS knows." Tom tri put his arm,she pushm XF1 toBwallwent on cryingvRagain soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was phe stro%deutside. He stood, restless and uneasy,\a while, glancing atQdoor,Qy nowthen, hoping she would repent"1compfind him. B^tdid note to feel badlyCfear that F.Qrong. It was a hard struggle him to make new advances, nowrhe nervself to i entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not ing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\but you." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YAwon'? say some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromtop of an andiron,'apassedQround>"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" Saruck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouseover the hilly far away, to retur1 noday. Presentl9!y 3 to suspectr;8not in sight; she flew/2play-yard7there. ThenLalled: "Tom! Comec, Tom!/listened intentlyrLno answerhad no companions pRilencCloneliness. Soqsat dow8cry againpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideZRgriefher broken2andA!upj cross of a long, dreary, achhfternoon6 none among?strangers about)to exchange sorrows with. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of5ingD.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappear1ehi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishablCoff Cvalley behin>d him. He enter6dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr="it.!onssy spot under a spreading oakr not even a zephyr stirring;dead noonday heat had 2 e songs of4birds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vby no soundH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckerthis seeme!rethe pervadssense of|more profound) boy's soulOQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at besG Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to liSslumbdream forevS ever0the wind whispdthe trrcaressiYR gras5the flowers ovRgrave<1notUto boDbgrieve#, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-school rGehe could be willBo go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NKhad meanBqbest inTworldmen treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, nowa disappeared mysteriously??went away--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves upbspiritwas exalt the vague august realm romantic. No, ta soldi<return afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--better g stilld#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far WestDawayPQfuturM+Achief, bristwith feathers, hideousBpain]r pranceSunday-school,(rowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoopAsearqeyeballasqanions unappeasable envy. But no, there was thing gaudier even than thisAa pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ctmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer, the SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAt fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Cstalchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,belt briL"horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skullcrossbones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger ofDSpanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeenter up/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to get readyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapeV`#irrexposed a pine shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his head with a perplexed air,~1aidEBell,beats anything+AtossepettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa supersti"ofaad faiqwhich hA all'rcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP1 hejust used,would fin%1all s$had ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actually<unquestionably Rwhole"tu"faqs shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwarpuzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1mL[d interfqand broIhe charm. He thought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so he searched around till he  a small sandy spota little funnel-shaped depression in itElaidAdownF1putmouth close toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2darted under agai,a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asWhave :h1thr#waCAther he went*made a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowH back to his treasure-housa carefully $asbeen stanw  ; ok anotherBQ fromRpockehQit inQsame saying: "BroVther, goqyour br^!!atwhere it stopped,PYkGlookmust have fallen short or gone too far>%tried twice more. The last repetition was successful$3two Qs layW oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, raked some brush behi rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment had seizelse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirt. He7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoelook warily out,Qway a)aLsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." NowJoe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom ! Who comesSherwood Fore_hout my pass?" "GuGuisborne wants no Qman's).^art thou that--" "Dares to hold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "bybook," from memory. "~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenR famous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have aae!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've goQ hang=it lively!" So"q," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutQFall!K! Why don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get} Q it.""y,ain't any . I can'tv;#Gay it is in a2ookbook says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor $.'!toN around a6nd let me hiiD back." There was noaaroundauthorities, so Joebed, receivedQwhackSfell.&#EJoe,^up, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iYell, it's blamed meanb's allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonU lam me with a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"me!issatisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~n Tom becamz2gaiballowed by#treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuAunde greenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gaily for a corpse. = The boys dressemselves, hiir accoutrement went off grieving`<$noz any moreFwondering what modern civilization cclaim toone to compensateloss. They say-rather be year in SherForest than Presid)United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past nine,night, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. Everythyas dismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,]!, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking aH8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslycstairs creaked f]aintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirping of a crickeet no human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in' wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meansomebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B air was answered by a fainterKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T raisH neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle again be back s aunt's woodshed brought;Bwidea single minute laelGand jand cree81aloZde roof "ell" on all fours. He "m*beow'd"o caution once or twice, as1entn jumped tog3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there,his dead catboys moved off\disappeareda gloomqthe endalf an hour theyQ wadi&tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village<1hadazy board fence aK it, which lean 1warbplacesY1outaest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedm#="it no longer have7Sread,5of them, now, even ir7light. A wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at being disturbedxtalked littleRrnly undir breath,q[rR perv}solemnityAsilewqppresse<ir spiritsay foun sharp new heaprseekingrensconcNAmselithin the protecf three great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay wait for what seemed a long time hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refldive. He must force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believepeople like iZ us to be here?" Zed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful3Z, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l\Scanvauis matter inwardlyZn TomASay,3y--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+ I'd said Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A  n't be too partic'lar howqtalk 'bout these-yer R, Tom"isr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai:Sh!" "What is it~B?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcelyed. A muffled t of voices floated up fromRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"M& devil-fire. P this is awfu Some vague figures approached throughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lantern that frecklGe ground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder:2thes enough. Three of 'em! y, Tom, we're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, .#tstuck. Can't findHere they come 8hot. Col2D Hot(Red hot! stp'intedthis time. Say,0"anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo("That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd drutherdevils a dern s+ky be up t4o?" The3 died wholly out, now, fo^! t men had ree grave and stooyin a few feet of#boys' hiding-place. "Here it is," said,athird ;\the owner of it hel T!up(TreveaV1fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTB ropqa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir loadnAbegaRopen ave. The d1put aDheadR5QQcame arwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closewboys could have tou1himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating s^6spades discharfreight of m2anddQl. Ita very monotonous. Finally aX struck uponHScoffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoFyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried off the l1id B, goBQthe brnd dump]rrudely  `drifted from behinq cloudsLbexposepallid facP!asQready6the corpse "dP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifkbcut of!dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she stays." "That'shStalk!.. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than thatInjun Joe, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any goodWswore I'd get eveQyou iuaa hundcgears, R me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiqforget?,Injun bloo d ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten ith his fisy qace, bywC tim5b strucrsuddenlsstretch1|ruffianPotter dropped{exclaimed: "Here, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg'gmight and main, trampFthe grasDtearP_lir heels. <Q spraQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstoor[Cand About combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboar{Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthJit--and insame instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reele4 fell partly upon, floodi 8his bloodpthe cloJ!ud)Stted  dreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeqaway indark. Presently, whe moon emerged agwas stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplatEm. TL murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or twou2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal2in 's open mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly met Joe's. "Lord, how isT, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joeout moving. "What dido it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kinatalk weswash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober. I'd no b-% to drink to-night. But it's in my head yet--worse'nwe started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!of1harqTell me}--HONEST, now, old feller--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*lzc1Oh, awful--aU so young\promising."ay, youC?cuffling he fetcheone with thegboard anfell flat;k!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now'Oh, I didn't know what I was a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account ofMqwhiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Don't y-ou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 Joe?" A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeahands. "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say2Joere an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijC." on a trot quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedAlick fL2rum2 halook of bel3he Z1hinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave werJ1e u no inspection but the moon's7 stillness was complete again, too. CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechwith horror~y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump thatSup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they  by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=ld tannerywe break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it , r." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repzRixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug 2doofell gratefulexhaustedta shelt shadows beyond. B#bypulses slo1wedETom G: "c , what do you reckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "D^athoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whileJ n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happenedqInjun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a laAherebThat's4uI\Athinto myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; IAthat? besides, he always has. Well,pap's full,might takebelt him over the head with a church)2youn't phase hi1say his own self. So it'sUBsameU , of course. But if a manJGoberZ WTfetch)dono." After another reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'boutthey didn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we got to do--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forgs's goodlittle rubbishy common s--specigals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway>rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded this idFaea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sQhour, circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing it. He picked up a clean pine shingleq lay inlmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawle&se lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." HuckleberrydTfilledmiration of qfacilitA, an sublimitylanguageYat once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA8have verdigrease on i ""Wbp'isonat it is just swaller somi --you'll see." Sounwound the thre+"ad!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop of blood. In time, after many2!s,managed to sig!initials, using the ~inger for a pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi close to the wall, withdismal ceremonieslaincantffetters that b#ir8s>consider(Qbe loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end ofqruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whisp, "does this"usEVER telling --ALWAYS?" "Of course it doe]d~ y difference WHAT happenxr got toomum. We'd"--QYOU knowYes, I reckso." They continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspeother sudde nly, in an agony of frighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't-- DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. It's Bull Harbison." * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named: would have spoken of him as "Dl," but a son 2dog!atZn"]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my!, ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eytrDHis zwas hardly audible when he said:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together.hZR+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout wI'LL go to. I beden so wickedm*Dad fetch it! This comes of playing hookey and doing ever/a feller's told NOT to do. I m a been good, like Sid, if tried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if|c I get off this time, I lay I'll just WALLER in Sunday-schools!" And Tom began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!" an7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reold pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thoughtis bully, you. NOW who can The howling stopped.!pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used toJ sleep there,Stimesvt$ gs, but laws bless you, he Flifts things when HEes. Besides, I reckoQain't coming back tobny mor$he spirit of adventure rose in the boys' souls once=1 ", do you das't to go`S leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again1the boys agreed#ryJthe understanding} they would take to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. Wheo]!goKwithin five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokera sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came inGe moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4s had stood still\Vopes too,_ved, but)fears passed away nowlypd out, throughjn weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. That lon9g, lugubrious howlon the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feeSwherehx%lycFACING his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both, in a breath. "Say!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house, 'bout mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU =anybody deare yet." "Well, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX#Ye@sBDEADwhat's mohe's getbetter, tooAll right,Awaitsee. She's a goner, "asSsure  ,2. TwX niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom windwas almost spent. Hressed wi> th excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3the gently-snoring SidQawakeA had been so for an hour. When Tom awoke,=Sdressqgone. T late look " lSsense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled him wi dings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finishedQkfastArno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;:qsilence!anAof solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no respons he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en|r3hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. His au:nt wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go onU ruin& and bring her gray hairsdsorrowagrave,A use1her(ry any more. This:Awors"1n a^sand whippings4TomA was sorer now than his bodycried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along;Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to triflessn he beoNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9cs handqstared ]be wallthe stony stare of suM1ffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressingst some hard substance. After a time he slowlly changdpositi(2up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,QgroupCrouphouse to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedeand it1 recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing Sin the "bran( ch" about one or two o'clock)qmorning cYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circumstances, especially;a which1not a habi`Valso "owransackedCis "r" (the public are notiAatte_sifting evidenceQarrivt a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down all Aroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowargraveyard. Tom'break vanished she joinqprocessecause ~sand times r go anywhere elseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+#rmJasmall qthroughmBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t. Somebody pinPqhis armHturn`eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4> wondered if@A any!ha!icrything ir mutual glance. But;was talk  intent upon the grisly "them. "Poor fellow!" WyoungThis ought to be a lesson to  robbers!" "Muff"'ll hang if they catch him!" This ift of remark; he minister said, "It*a judgment; His hand is here." Now Tom shivered from hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming himself!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look out!tuM! Don't let:get away!" Peoplebranches o trees overQd saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7 perplexed. "Infernal impu"!"aa bystander; "want2com take a quieti' at his work, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, now came through, ostentatiously leading!1 byarm. The p1's xwas haggardlD"we|fear thahim. When 6od Q murdAman,"hook as with a palsyqBe pu4qface in@Qhandsburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. shot seemecarry home.xRlifteKe1anded around thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#idthrust4himMSheriff. Potter would have fallenz1 ca1himb1easm to the gO!aiASomeA tole't if AbackXaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestur Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1use"moThen Huckleberry,tood dumbEstar`Ahears stony-hearted lia/r reel offserene statement, they expecting every momentthe clear skydeliver God's lightningbs headpbwonder see how longe stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break BoathE"avybetrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 vaway, for plainly this miscreant had solself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power ast. "Whyyou leave? What didrwant to here for?" somebody saidcouldn't help it--$," moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward onzinquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devilwas now become,!m most balefully interQ!esQobjecyever looked upon,y not takir fascin^eyes from9 face. They inwardly resolv watch him nights, opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremoval!itQwhisp<bthrougCshuddcrowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughOis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of Muffit done it." Tom's fearful secretX gnawing conscience disturbedFQsleepvAas ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid saiATom,pitch arand talk in yourx1so tyou keep me awake hal9Ctimer blanchc droppAeyes6t's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "you got o mind, Tom?" "Nothing. 't I know of." " B boy's hand shook sohe spillcoffee. "And+"dosuch stuff,"Ur. "Last/ said, 'It's blood, it's that's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And y! , 'Don't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2areliefsqout kno.qit. She8: "Sho! It's3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMaryA she:been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausiblU, andat he complained of toothacheBS weeki his jawsa. He n BknewcSid la0"ly1ingO frequently slithe bandage frethen leanelbow listea good while at a timegJwardfPandag0e back to its plVAgainc's distress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemW/is schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTthus keepingUdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; heR, tooVaas a witness--anwas strange;zRSid d overlookFfacteven showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he coulUmarvelledD"sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5Rtortu's conscience. day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom, opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" as1A he 8 get hold of. The jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atqedge of rvillageLno guards were afforded for it; indeed, i^eldom occupiedsm greatly helpBease  T!rs4a strong desireyar-and-feather Injun Jo ride him on a rail,body-snatching, but so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inYmatter, so/ dropped. Hebeen careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberyprecededtherefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyhad drifted away from its secret Ss wasLa-Sightypnterest itself about. Becky Thatcher!stA com9olM had stryQhis pia few daya"ri"whistle her dowq wind,"|failed. He beZgan to find himhanging arq her father's house, nightz1feevery miserable. Shill. What if she should die! Ther'distractionqthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor eve? piracy. The charm of liflCgone was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop awayhis bat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned&"be try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatuat6patent medicines andh&new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tYs. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyUBelsewWhandy subscriber for-athe "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;h the solemn ignorance theyFinflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to goz to bedet up, and what to eat$Rdrink how much exercise to take 2!frf mind to keep one's ]i.sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQd together ]quackyd thus armed with death, went.!onX'pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell follow!fter." Bqsuspect7anot an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. T/ter treatmeenew, nowTom's low condigwas a windfale!haqat dayle1ornstood him upe woodsh adrowne#D a delugBcoldn she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filw so brought him- to; thenaCrollJAa we!etyput him away under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stains+it came through his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstandll this,boy grew moret melancholyqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Tyremained as dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMu calculncapacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all- om had become indifferenqpersecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. Ity fire in a liquid formmQdropp {8andP3els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulwatched with -the deepest anxiety result. Her troubles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""!*c not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built ar3himfelt that itime to wake up;sort of life might be romantic enough, inblighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61var1aboS. So he thought over various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him elp himself2quit bother'Qer. Ieqen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, "diRoccurrC1boy"metlth of a crack insitting-room floor!it. One day TomR4!acdosing tK2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, ey% he teaspoon avariciouslygqbegginga taste.said: "Don't askit unless you want it, Peter." But signifie}hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anything mean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, ban st furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind feeCpranced aa frenzy of enjoyment,<his headFhis shoulder$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tea?Chous spreading chaosrdestruction^path. Aunt Polly edime to seeV`hrow a( few double summersets,  a final mighty hurrah,sail throughopen window, carr rest of the Zm old lady stood petrwith astonishA pee1 over her glasses; Tom lay o floor expi0Klaughter. "Tom, what on earth ails tht?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspie boy. "Why, I neveri. What diaact sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeiIR tonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO19" qwas benQdown,watchingwist emphasized by anxiety. Too latevined her "drift.R handthe telltale was visible undered-valanceUAtookheld it upbwincedSdropptIeyesBAraism by the usundle--his ear--and.ssoundly=AimblNow, sirdid you wa nt to treatpoor dumb beast so, forqe it oupity for him--becausshadn't anyH!--you numskull2has!go"doiqHeaps. Bjif he'd had one sa burnt himherself! Sc roast;abowels(!of3R'thoumore feel"anr"a human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes watered a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID do youA." ooked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping uhis gravity.AknowlSauntyoIx!PeIt done HIM!, lhim get around so since--" "Oh, go 'lon3youabeforeaggravate me again. And you tryeyou can't be aA boyR once`you ne%eUtake medicine}reached school ahead of time. Irnoticedthis strange been occurring every day latterlynow, as usual of late, he hung about the gate#heyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he said$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,iddy lad Bcoulait. Tom w= Q, hophenever a friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswight one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumps!enE the emptyQhousefBsat o suffer. Then onehrock passed in heart gavbound. The Hnext instant #ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumAoverfence at risk"iflimb, throwing handsprings, stand1 hiAd--d1allZqheroic PQ conceive of1keea furtive eyeKawhile,tRee ificing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cit be possible'snot awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoGaround, snl boy's cap, hurleroof of the q, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andja, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peopink they're mighty smart--always shroff!" vcheeks bn-!gad2 up1neaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mindJmade up nownwas gloomy and d1esperate+a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; wheEy found out what# had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry; he had tto do rightget along, buaArnot letsince nob"doj8rid of him,;w1so;k!le`m blame HIM fo consequences--why shouldn'3Qy? Wh1ghtGthe Qto complain? Yes,*BforcX to it at last: he blead a+of crime. Ther no choice. By this timefar down Meadow Lanemthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound any more--itvery hard0vcout incold world, he must submit--buqforgave.XQ sobs.a thickfast. Jusk2poi7ms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefba greadismal purprt. Plainly ere "two RsoulsUbut a single thought." Tom, wiping his eye1leeve, began<lubber out somegabout a resolutio,escape from hard usageback of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joenot forgRm. BLtranspired2was a request whichhad just been gohQo makN1andcome to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc cream. q tasted\Tknew #; IRplain1she\t Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvfor him but succumbAopedIbe happy0 regret having ;er poor boyxbunfeel!rl3asuffer die. As the two boys walkedr!owgTthey made a newact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'qplans.  being a hermit, Fand living on crusts inmote cavejr dying,Otime, of col=want and grief;6fter listen he conced$at2ere_conspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente-be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at a point wthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island,\a shallow bar A heaY"itthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a denskAalmoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Whothe subjectsspiracie8c matte"di{occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finn8qhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bankMBabovAvill favorite hour--Armidnighcsmall log rafB#repeant toD capture. Each would bring hooksRlines<such provision as he c6steal inHmost darkAmysterious way--as became outlaws. And beforafternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagQenjoyvsweet glory of spreadbB"ctWpretty sooCtown"hear something." All who gotrqvague here cautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, btoppedundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlighQvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at 3Tomed a moment,no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalK same way n a guarded voice said: "W"es?" "Tom Sawyer Black Avenger ofzSpanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandeduJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,5his favorite litera "'Tis well. Giv countersign." Two hoarsepers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding night: "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ovUlet himself down4 it, teaboth skin1clothes to some extentRefforre was an easy, comfortable path alongCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacon8,}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes. But non3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it never do2tar"2out+fire. Thata wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde!upgreat raft a hundred yards aboveUthey went stealthily1 thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" every nowc2them suddenly halVqwith fion lip; movhands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1orders in dismalX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveo#hilt," because "dead men tell no tales." They knewr enoughu1thesmen were all village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, HuckJoar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedolded armsAgavea low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilyrmonoton3droGtoward mid-stream i doubt underT`$se"`given only +for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?r." "Se G r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my heartiesWHellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7drew beyocQmiddlViver;ed her head right?then lay onLAoarsHtt high, so more than a two ree mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8qwas pas2befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed wherlay, peacefully sleepj"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger with fold&ed arms, "looking his last" upon the scenhis former joy0ter suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad11 wi a, facing perilddeath with dauntlessj, going toQdoom (a grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island teyeshotvillage,Rso he["edZr broken*aatisfi\2art7other piratesblast, too;Ethey all qrso longcame near lett93he \Q drif)mArangQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornAgrout\A bar8hundred yards abovewaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook iAusheiA a to shelter[provisions; bthemselves wmleep in th8e open aigood weather, as beoutlaws. They built a fire againsA sida great log twenty or thirty stepssombre depths0dforestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfYcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glorious sport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunt5menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Bfacethrew its ruddy glarepillared tree-trunkvtemple, and:varnished foliageafestoovines. Whelast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,boys stretche=4outrgrass, filledcontentmeny have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,6Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and herecan't comoapick aQellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meTom. "Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! m bout it, you know. I'd aadeal r& bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they^to in old times 's always respected. And a Q's goWTsleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on shis hea)astand Cn1rai d--" "What does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOTQit. Hp!do%'d:do that if you was aDern'd if I4whav?an't do%`#Wh1, yHAVE to. How'Nget around itY6I+Wv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl(now he fitted a weed stem to it, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smokjfull bloom of luxurious contentment. The other+s envied himW majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presentlyi said:Quu?" Tom,"Oh^#aaK--take shipsburn them, and get the money!y it in awful place6ir island where there's ghostbthings to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "And they carryTwomenaJoe; "0Qdon'tv5RNo," assented Tom,2g --they're too noble. AndT'beautiful, too.Awear[bulliest clothes! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#." Huck scannRs owning forlornlyreckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bcse." boys tolbe fine"es come fast enough, afte{y should0Dbeguadventures. Theyhim under^his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduallir talk diedknd drowsiness bega!psteal u+!po eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 Red-Handedqhe slepd sleepaconscience-freethe weary. The Terror14SeaEe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficultXgetting tojQy saiir prayers inwardlylying down, sinc!no authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud;"ruey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afr o proceed to such lengths asQ, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reachehovered u^ imminent verge of~--but an intruder came, now, thatnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;`t to b4e appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che enddas no RBarou stubborn factXaking was only "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluableC plain simple stealing--aa command again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema business, their piracies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a truce"se curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefullyleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<RreposK" ideep pervading calmasilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ns!ob great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white laysashes cPsthe fira thin blue breath of: smoke rose straight in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, far awayO a bird called; another answered; presently the hammering of a woodpecker was heard. GraduallyB2dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of2 sh2off going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawl ver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him orAinclto go else;when at last itJia painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartFBgladBmean72 he! have a newY suit of clothes--withoutashadow{ doubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularswent abir labors; onuggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyQarms,lugged it!up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heighQa grass bladeTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],gR, flyKhome, your house is on fire, children's alone,"]he took win\ went off to seew it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne2oldrthis insec credulous]conflagratio1nd d practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,it shut itssH1odyGpretend to be|birds were fairly rioty this timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitXer neighbors in Ta rapture of enjoyment; then a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almost!inboy's reach, cocked hi to one sideT#eystrangersK a consuming curiosity; a gray squirrel and aBfellthe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter aBboys athe wi ings had probably never seehuman beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage farBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfo@!esbthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~. A vagrant currRr a sW river had carFqried ofir raft, but this only gratifin m, since its going was some like burningbridge betweemcivilization. They !back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#qsoon haN-fire blaz} again. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To "as|m to holKQy steDto a promiGCnookkQ-bankpSthrewir lines;immediatelyhad reward.rhad notime to get impatient%>3werK\ome handsome bass,01uplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1Dhad med so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a fresh-Rwater[%after he is caught5betT'reflected little upon what a sauce open-air sleeping, exercise, ba0 a large ingredient of hunger make, too&lay around iQs shade,w"haCoke,sen wentrHthe woods on an exploaexpedi tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g with a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersC plenty of !be$ghRe!no#X to b 5 atscoveredaisland1aboree miles longa quarter of a1 wi'ashore it layst to wa separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so itYthe midd#thrnoon whOy got back to?S campp were too hungry to stop to fared sumptuously~cold ham 1rew themselves downaalk. Be soon began to dragV Vdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded G sense of loneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads~all ashamedqeir weayC none was brave enqo speaksthought. For some time, now,O boys had been dully consciouna peculiar sdistance, just ~ecqtimes i>O3icka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recogn boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sile2pro_`and unrbroken;?a deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,r*breath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry,4n awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." T1ait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%Qhurri1sho2waraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakabout a mile belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplere were a great many skiffs row&oruQstreaJthe neighborhoocould not determine what the mem1 doP !jewhite smoke burst fromc's sidPas it expand rose lazy cloud, that same throb of zCorneJ` listeners again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThHuck; "they don*last summer, when Bill Turner gotVvy shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaves of breaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!, they'll = right tand stop." "I've heardDthatUJoe. 2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYait befhtart it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funnyBBut maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<The otherAagre=re was reaso(1Tom , because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe) to act very intelligentlyOset upon an erranpsuch grJ avity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, nowc2Joegdo too "I'd giRps toEwho it isJboys still listeneswatched. Pres a revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,he exclaimed: "Boy--it's us!y felt like heroes i?instant. Ha gorgeous triumph were missqourned;"tsQbreak n their account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3 the talk of the whole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew on ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanity oQir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~rPaking@e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5qat whatqvillagemAthinand saying abou*%m;pictures theyo public distress  Vqgratify o look upon--from=Apoinview. But whenshadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceabo talksat gazing intoXRfire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemen3gonk41TomJoe could not keepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx>. Misgivings cameSgrew lunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. Byby Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r.now, but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom& averer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrapeUas little tachicken-hetphomesicckness cling$his garments as he I. Mutinybeffectlaid to rest formmoment. As=deepened,& began to nodApres to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aRkneeswent searQ3amoWQgrassthe flickreflections flung bycamp-fire. HkDinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamore\1finchose two which seemeR suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollB put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance  owner. And he alsoQE hatschoolboy treasof almost inestimable value--m a lump of ch India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed h2gis way trees till he felt that heout of hearingstraightway broke=a keen run in2dire sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCbBeforeepth reached his middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck out confidi1wimSremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself out1put_ChandF Nhis piec3safSthen Pthrough the woodDllowr, with 35ing . Shortly before ten o'clockQame oto an openroppositBbvillagA sawferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet unde blinking star%$crbank, watRching1alleyes, slippedCater, swam three or four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern ElaidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun.Mhappy in his success, for he knew itx> last trip(the night. Ataend ofng twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleyss$]aT aunt's back fencehoRapprothe "ell," and look" asitting-room windowba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb was betw=een themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lif latch; then he pressed gw^Hyielded a; he continued pushing cautiouslOquaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through on his knees; so he put), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said Ihurried up. "Why,oor's open, I believe. "of course it is. No strange things now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*Acrep)wuld almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to "kipief, bu#t `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whipped him for t that cream,:once recollectingIwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPato seexQagainhis worldv!, ! p2bus !" And Mrs. Harper sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom's better off$isSid, "butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom fel^glare of the old lady's eye, thynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented myM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it'sKard--Oh,! last Saturday my Joe bust Afireer rightsmy noseRknockk sprawling. Little did INQthen,TCsoonfKto do over  I'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howMfeeljust exactly/ . No longer ago than yeste(Snoon, took and fillecat full of Pain-kille*3didthe creturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dhead with my thimbleY3boy dead boy."ball his HRs nowy2the'words I ev^1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$bo much6Dshe broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himselfmore in pity of anybody else. He Rhear Mary cryXqand put in a kindlyA forfrom time|"imSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still,sufficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]BundeI7 nd overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousnessthing appealed strong his natur0e, too, but he resistlay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;ends that+ conjectured at first!the boys had got drowned while tak swim; thensmall raft9 been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage should "rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidk gone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodgede Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. IcbelievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tor. This was Wednesday A. Ifscontinued until Sunday,ope would LAbe g\Qover,the funeralsbe preached!morning. Tom shuddered. Mrs. Harper gave a sobb-j2urn go. Then with a mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cry(n parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyond her wont, in Rto Si)Mary. Sid snuffled a biCMary<ff crying!llUheart. knelt downAprayed for Tom so touchingly, so appeal6ith such measureDlove3worher old tremb/bvoice,!heweltering in tears again, long bef1"heKbhrough9!haBkeepP3after shZqto bed,she kept m broken-) ed ejaculations from time toB, tounrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moan|Tlittl: sleep. Nboy stole out, rose gradually byedside, shae candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His full of pity for 8$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itsomething occurre2himhe lingeredd!ida face "eda happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(cpocket9qhe bentSkisse[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latI~door behind himAthreYhis way backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who alwaysxiE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped z$its soon rowf autiously upstream. When hpulled a mile aboveFvillage, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutly toAwork"hi!e , side neatlyn" ts a familiaraof wor1himYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&Ashipfore legitimate preya pirate, bupa thoro?ugh search would be cfor it_a!enrevelations. Sooepped ashore and entthe woodsqsat dowM`a long rest, torturing meanwhile to keep awak Ethenbwarily^the home-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayv before hefairly abreas! island barrested againl1sunfbwell uBgilde great riverits splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripp]2upothreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorX\. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ouryway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_writing s7hey are if heO 1herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumpt#Fuouso of bacoAfishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a vaiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiaway in a shady nookleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2nt about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNeiir knees2dugOhands. SometimesBtake fifty or sixtyurone hol!y perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg fy"atanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingy2 ba| chased each92anda, shedclothes aNBent,  |sre nakecontinue frolic far!upqshoal wbar, against$tiff currxwhich latter trippcir legs from und"emrtime toand greatly incre the fun. And nowDrstoopedQgroup!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;,4 avertedGqto avoi strangl\Rprays81finWDgrip b strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall Wtangle of|."rm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0!meC. WG|well exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotalie thcnd covBselves up2 itby and by#he $aggo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit ocd2hem%n skin represeflesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sy drew a ring i  circus--with three clowns i-for none oyield this proudest pos9`. Next they got*bmarble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew stale. Then JoLBHuckn swim, but Tom not venture, because he fouat in kicking off his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his ankle]he wondered howS escaped cramp so long withou protection ofmysterious charm. He diuntil he had2imether boys were tiredready to resty#waapart, dro1int "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgcnot help it. He er&itA5ookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKqjoining. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrection. HeK was so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsvery near*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, but trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as- to tell, yetMi}utinous depression<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates on this island befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0 It was discouraging work.Masat po*up% a stick!lo% very gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wango home. It'sqesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)P go h3Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, whent tqanybody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!haE. I more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INs to his1, w1we,Ma? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|A?" "Y-e-s"--withou  in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a niceTand m[Ries.  V Let himfunts to. we can get a{him, per'a ps." But Tom was uneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on withUAing.Bthenvs discomfortingK+eying Joe's preparations so wistfullykeeping up ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxAwordwade off towar Illinois shore. Tom'sAsink. He glanccould not bear the lookqdropped4eyes. Then he said: "I#gogqTom. It1getIso lones3ywa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mBon't)qcan all&CwantgqAstay2Tom, I better gog&--who's hendering you.+Qqpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come(. Now youk it over.wait for youqwe get to"5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{Q, andoQstood ing after him a strong desire tugg(t;rto yiel>Cpridotoo. He .Bhopeaboys wstop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome very!lyT . He made one final struggle-d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p2 styand turned around. W!gocQwhere% were, h5unfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!aw"point" heBdrivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"f he had tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand so"meA hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, ch!lltime about:stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,psaid heB wanted to learn to smoke, now. Joe caughQ ideaS52he  like to try, too. So HuckQpipes7Bfill[m. These novicesanever Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vin"bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrily with slender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a littleTom saidhy, it's just as easy! If I'd a know!is/Call,t long ago." "So1I,"e Joe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^ I've looked at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I chdo that;I1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :hway--haven't you7I'll leave iAif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do remember, Huck? Bob TannerBthera Johnny MillerJeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'bout me saying that?,E's s  day after I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told youmaTom. "recollects iI bleeve/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,)2I!"7@ I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boys!saH! a it, and someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I" a>.' And you'll sNay, kind of careless like, as if#arX, you'll paYes, Iramy OLDw1anoqone, bu"tobacker ain't very good.' AndZ%Ohall right,'s STRONG enough=Cthen4 ou!heswe'll light upras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along5Oh, I recko!M4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifl grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of "dom sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe's pipe dr)opped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpsoing with might and main said feebly: "I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utteranceoll help you. You go ovaat way=( unt around by the spring. No needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCan he fwit lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepAsome informed him! if they had had any troublyagot riQVit. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepars pipe aftJe meal andpare their!eyDA no,>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awo]nd callepr a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode 4NXS huddimselves togethersought the friendly companionship of ire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmospa stiflDsat still, intentDwait$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{fire everywas swallowed up inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sighing thrqbrancheBoresbt felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone bypause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d!sh+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew a feet. AW[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealRunder1rol:and tumbling dowNr heavenlost itself in sullen r4 distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling allRleavenBsnow e flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit upFNan instant crash fopseemed to retree-tops rAoverboys' heads,vy clungin terror, iUthick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick!;A, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roar trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloe ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring wind'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; but to hav"e company in miseryRQsometito be grateful for.y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even ifHother noises wLehave a!emja tempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4rwent wibaway o%. gseizedrs' handGRfled,dTmany  bruises, toof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was atst. UndeOceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lanqveil of. Every li hile some giant tree yieldj1e f2andBcrasYZ younger growth;aunflag%-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, k1eenRRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up, drow tree-tops, blow it away, and deafen ey creature in it, all at oneame moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#}c heads. But at lastv}Adoneforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her swayR boysback to camp, a good deal awed; buRy four1m stillSthank, becausesycamore their beds,c ruin, now, blasted byKw they wereBubit whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtressp discov.!erYa Ahad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardlRsepar$tself from Zbound),%a handbreadth or so ofu escaped wetting; sopatiently w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the sides of qed logs+ay coax61"toc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upoR boys siness came ov1em,Xwent out :qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a littlefsick once bom saw#2ign fell to chee@ up the pirates as well a2s he could. But#cared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1qthem of~imposing secreQraiseRay ofa. Whil+1las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansqa changO1ey qattractedis idea; so itlong before<dstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF!thAwood%attack an English settlement. Bnto three hostile tribedupon each otherr ambushdreadful war-whoopACkillrxscalpedHousands. Ia gory day. Consequan extremelisfactory one. rassembl\qcamp tosupper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not  of hospitality together,out first makewas a simple nsibility@1smo;a pipe ofEs. There process that everhad heard of. Two savages almost wished Shad remained. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulness asRDmust!ca@!fo ook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladgone into"rya" gAsome";1fouanow smoke a little having to goBhunt lost knife^!di get sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w1ingOskinning Six Nations. We will leave$tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at pres CHAPTER XVII BUT9Po hilTarity?Btownsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,lbeing putmourninggreat griefmany tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, alth!itordinarily8all conscienIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%SalkedC; busighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69!noHtir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backErsob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that--" ithe whole worldbBhe'sRnow; I'll n%PneverWA seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered away rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2 girls--playmates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood looking? the paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-sklast time they saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as\ could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"av then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDI what it meant, of course,QI can Anow!#enwas a disputewho saw the dead.qin life Qclaim1at dismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenNultimately decided ?qwho DIDparted lastqexchangQwordsq them, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importancwere gapenvied by&the rest. One poor chap, who had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me onc2Butbid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much=4loitered zstill recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keeping musing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses +c womentheir seats sdisturbJrsilencer. None Der wlittle churchdbeen so full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbnessn Aunt Polly en, followSid and Mary72y b$Harper family, all in deep black2 whole congregationold minister as well, rose reverentlystood untilers were seatthe front pew$ncommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa5!herpersist blinded himselfrm always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYSflawsQ boys:1relamany a touching inciDdent@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN their sweet, generous nathe peop>uld easily see, now, how nobleqbeautifose episodes weped with grief1 atx1timy occurry had seemed rank rascalities, well de$ng.bcowhid  became mor moved, apathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling8AcryiKpulpit. a rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUdoor creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg  and stared whil'three dead boys came marching up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe next!Hu ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishly iFn`srear! T been hid in the unused listening toown funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Marythe Harpers threw themselves upo ir restored ones, smothems kisses and poured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1abaand uncomfortablat know^ xactly what to do or where )de from so many unwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizmsaid: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And sy shall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavoQhim w.!hesL capable of m2him. " hdbefore. SuddenlyUushoutedQop ofvoice: "PBQ God whom all blessings flow--SING!--Y ut your hearts in it!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters CSawyPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles aboutDP conf,essed in! t his was the proudest moment?life. As "sold" congregation troopcey saiwould almost be will; be made ridiculous againZ:earUung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--accord}a's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exproAthe gratefulnNBo GozQaffecBfor himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI  &s. paddled over to&MMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village; tqslept id woods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh`1 ha n crept through back lan:b alley2finTsleep{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,;1and)2Dverykqto Tom,u1tivhis wants. QThere*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(it"said: "Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you cDQbe sop-ed as to let me oq so. Ifc8come over to go tr funeral,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donG"; Mary; "and I believe you OiAough!itfW.1youR?R, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing81I h<you loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKst, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\`he never thinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONEBtoo.you'll look back,E day, when too late, and wish you'd _a little more for me>2cosU2so 2 jyou know`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^1you:rsittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him."Tso we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. B's so dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehAseemme that the  wind--the wind blowed the --" "Try harder, Tom! T/"di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers onorehead an anxious minu then said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believe$door--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you mB dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[5--a well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh  !foP land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEC2 in%s,. Sereny b shalliis beforean hour older.^to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'superstition.Oh, it's all getting { s bright as day, now. Nex" I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum,!no) more responsibl32n-- I think it was a colt, orH#so'"! goodness gracio you began to cry+"So&&. Not the first time, neither. OThen Mrs. eesaid Joetthe same, and sC2she hadn't whipp0m aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfSsperrhupon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSIL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheresgone tofDbeen0sometimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharpTI layTmust 'a'pan angel there.$WAS an angel ,dxtold aboutqscaringdwith a firecrackerH you7QPeterthe Painkiller1Juswtrue as I liveBthena whole lot of talk 'draggingriver for us%4hav#funeral Sunam1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried32entt happenedY!so , as surr'm a-siin thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`!itY like if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and IwE seehear every wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'hyou lookehgood, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "DiR, DIDI;bforgivqhQthing;" And she seiz\e boy in a crus0rembracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "It waskind, evbough i~a--dream," Sid soliloquized judibly. "Shut up, Sid! A body doesthe sameV2 as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've been s7forq!if1was found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His word,ness knowsunworthy of it, but ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them Qthe rrplaces,'s few enwould smile Io= enter intodcrest w! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,the old lady to call on#vanquish her realism!Tom's marvellous.(had better judgment than to utt_thought tha=in his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakekit!" What a hero Tombecome, now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger Xame a pirate who felpublic eyeon him. And indeed; he trieqto seem2ee eoks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys Ce drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given anyt1to that swasuntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpartAeithr a circus. At'3Dbrso muchbof Joedelivered such eloquent admiration f%rom their eyes,qthe two"esnot long ini sufferably "stuck-up."Xbegan to tellf adventuresungry listeners--buSy onlB;c6a]g likelyDave an end,imaginations like|rfurnish materialfinally, whry got oir pipeswent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_live for|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh ,as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. qsee herAawayjoined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observSas trYgayly backjRforthiflushed facedL Hbe busy chasingRmatesVscrealaughter 2shea captureh(icbalways/her captAures in his vicinityweemed to cast a conscious eye =direction at such tim:oo. It gratified apous vanitywQ him;:so, instead of winning him, it"set him up"j2morx!hi diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyB, sighing once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistfulward Tom. T 1now1was1ing particularI Amy Lawrence thany one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1go away, but her feet8tBrous:1car71her"he[A saia7 almost at Tom's elbow--with sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(Idin Miss Peters' classuDre Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. bI wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neR goody; I hope she'll let MEI)RWell,zeill. T's for m<qanybodyAr I wantQA you]Teo nice. When is itb!Byby. Maybe vacationT Oh, won't it be fun! YouM RgirlsV1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  wterrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycapatree "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on,a clappf joyful ha5ill group had begged for invitNAs bu1Amynturned coollyPcstill `took Af"my him. Becky's lips trembledb the tears came to her eyes;Y!hi$se signsTa forced gayetwent on chatteringtthe lifeqgone ounR, nowything else1got as soonrhe coul hid herself and had what sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused up with a vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveAplaiails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirOA jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sitcosily on a little bench behindschoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together over book, thay did not seem to be conscious of ani`world besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He beganqate him for throw 1waycchancehad offered for a reconciliation. He callcWba foolahard names think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdBAmy Ad happily along, as they walked, for@QheartMEsingwTom's tongu{lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever(!paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !toDrear?, again and , to searseyeball1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddenaehe though aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, toosas glad him suffer^3haded. Amy's happy pra<intolerable.!hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be donetime was 'Ufleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioher?" At las1bthose $--xsaid artlesslyould be "around"S school let oueqhe hasteaway, hatit. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" cwent throughrmotionsprashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was finishehis satisfaq Tom f ome at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?Bnesshis jealousyG bear noAB the distress.Presum,ed her picture inspes with Alfred, but asminutes dragged aloAd nocame to suffer,atriumph began to cloudt she lost interest; gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three times she pr up her ear at a footstep1 ita false hope;. she grew entirely miserabl" wsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeaswas losr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"{1pat at last[Csaiddon't bother me! IAcare)them!" and burco tearagot upCwalkq2. dd droppPCside+%s 81try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wahave done--forC"ha, }iYsvnooningqon, cryCThenC!mu Zhe desertedhouse. H7 humiliated an:qd angryeasily guessed his waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer.  far from hating#the less when this thought occurred to himGZAtherT some2get=3boy)aroubleout much riskTself. Tom's spelling-book fell under%!ey]uhis opportunitZgratefully open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. Becky, glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendao findand tell him;would be thankfulctheir s%healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, sheSchangAmind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's accounx"torhim forhe bargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM Narrived at home1 dreary mood,the first this aunt saiqim showmQhe had brkhis sorrows to an unpromising market: "Tom, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie, what have I done?" "Well, you've3 enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expeccI'm goAmake&believe allrubbage *`bdream,Q!loWabeholdshe'd found out!Jot you wasand heardte" wtqQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a boywill act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkclet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myselfnever say a word." Tss a new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniouserely looked mea shabby now%#huAhead"no5ke!nyA1 toSfor an he said:I I hadn'tit--but I di ." "Oh, child, you neverC Youc but your own selfishness661to 8We way from Jackson's Island in the to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie \$m;An't IA to pity us`rsave use9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:| Gyou dhat dime for, then?" "Iqto tellscuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndel! w!bethankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad astBa th!asqY2youwy did--and!it.Qndeed' ,Eie--53mayBstirH!OhT", !Rlie-- Qdo itAonlysG gs a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanteBAkeep:grieving--thahat made me~o'd give the who#le4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run offracted so bad. But it reasonable;nS, whytme, childAWhy,see, whengot to talkingthe funeral, I jusall full ofjqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT:I had wrote oS you we'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawneher eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BRI lov2 soyou laid tDmoan$Iso sorry8words sounded likThe old lady not hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!!bexyou to sc Bhoolhdon't bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich Tom e in. Trtopped,!itjrer hands{o herself: "No, I dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's liedQit--b's a blessed, R lie, 's such a comfort come fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWM Lord will forgive him, b`!itZsuch goodheartednesdm"elE5But1wanAfindy1lieon't look." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceput out her han)1takA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "It's a good lie--iet it grieve me." SosM4. AQlater-qwas reaTom's piece of through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedQllionl!" CHAPTER XX THEREDomething aboB ut Aunt Polly's manner, whkissed Tom, that swep his low spirit1madc lightahappy q. He st to school&deluck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati oT: "I acted mighty mean to-day,I'm so sorrylever, ever do that way , as long as #I live--please make up,S you?Dgirl looked him scornfully in`Aface 'll thank you to keep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIR!toE"ea!pason. Tom stunned!henot even presenHqmind enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilxRright?6!itegone by. So he=rnothingOin a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohyard wishing"Rere azand imagining how he would trounceN%if:itly encounter_delivered a stiSnging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seem A, inAhot btment,Qshe chardly wait forto "take in,"as so impatient1!ee6qfloggedA the injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering noof exposing Alfred Temple, Tom's offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor girl,did not know2fasqwas neaatroublself. The master}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar!of#desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbaself iyasno classesc reciting2kept thateunder loc`A key#rot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1ies were 2Ualike way of getting a\facts in ase. Now, as |passing by the desk, which stood the doorTnotic*bthe keM!inEqlock! IJ a precious moment glanced around; found herFalon next instant 2theAands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/ to her mind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon a9omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. AtbC a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepped inAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%AsnatVbook to close "anythe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intoAturnyt{QburstTacrying'1 shand vexF. " , you are just as mean asacan be4sneak up on a personXlBt why're look." "HowI1you*( anything?" "You ought to be ad of you&, ;Z're going to tell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedbqI never in school." Then$astampe little foot0said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. You2wai^you'll see! Hateful, h !"--and she flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\c. Tomstill, rather flusteredKqis onsld%. Presently he said to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Nbeen lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@Gwaysq even o,m<C; bu|of it? Oxwill ask who itore his book. No ll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first ontqthen t'6when he comeshe right girl he')"llit, without anying. Girls' facesean themygiy backbone. S1get vit's a htplace for Becky7Kcherp1any#ou!."!coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"Qjoinel mob of skylarking scholars outside. In a fews the master arriv "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at thets' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Considering allds, he pa pity tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyGname r the sp-book discoswas madTom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distresshowed good the proceedingsj_aexpecttp Tom co/*4his by denying1rhe spilAink U!e !himself;eQright  denial only seemed to makeBwors4TomssupposeVould be gladx"at%rshe triYrbelieve44as /it, but she fou71wascertain. WheJworst cam,Yhad an impuls!y1and) on Alfred Temple}C* an effort and forced herself to keep still--because, sai,2, "Oabout me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,~Eoughpossiblei had unknowingly upsey , in somePbout--he hadQed itform's sakehpbcustombhad stuck toprinciple. A whole hour drifted by,5s(Tddingbthrone&air was drowsy with>1hum,tudy. Byy, Mr. Dobbins straightened himselPf up, yawnedbn unlockedBdeskqreachedhis book, 5 undecided whether to take iH$r leave it. Most of the pupils glanced up languidlythere were two amo}"emqwatchedmovementsintent eyes. cfingerabsently for a whileand settl<Achairead! Tom shot a at Becky. Hseen a huntedhelpless rabbit look asYBdid,a gun levelled at its head. Instantly h51gotrquarrelAher. Quick--someimust be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:the chancqlost--tster opene'volume. If Tom onlyasted opportunityagain! Too laterkqno helpw now, he said* next momen}3facschool. Eeye sank under hisI gazvthat in it which smote even the innocent/Afear1sil% one might count ten =was gatheringXQwrathRnpoke: "Who tore tcF?" xnNsound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued;MCBseardace afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more se underQslow torturse proceedings4canranks of boys--consid( !ur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlN!ThrMtrembling froms to fooQexcitGf1a sa hopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccazc" [TomhfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]a--no, Qme inyface" [her hands ^1rosmappealE?XA thought shot like lightning through brain. He sprang to his fee%shouted--"I done it! school stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a moment, toHEqdismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAo punishment the surprise,gratitudQ ador: shone upon him out of poorv's eyes seemed pay enOfor a hundred floggInspired bysplendor ofown act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeh added cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed--for he knew who w$Awaitkside tillcaptivityIQdone,%nohe tedious time as loss, either. Tom w Ro bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Bshamarepent5rAtold7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longinMg!hasgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at last's latest words lingering dreamily in2ear-- "Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. 7 master, always severe, grew rmore exactn#, TAwantto make a goowing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongsmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he Ato t vindictive)!ur?Ie shortcomThe consequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX8heir nights inQ plotqrevengezy threw away no opportunity to d: a mischief. But he kept aheadJ"im\ retributionfollowedP!y ful successso sweepmajesticB1theretired from the field badly worsted. AAtheylp5rtogethe=hit upon a pla promised a dazzling victory? swore in( sign-painter's boy, told him!CchemBaskerhelp. Hhis own reasons for being deldtboardedfather's f]and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<bbe not!o !fith the plan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said[#whbdominiroper condi7on  Evening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righth!hulp away to school. Ifulness of4Athe !esHc arriv0ed!inUe3the^Qhousebrilliantly and adorned wreathsqfestoonrfoliagehlowers! s1ron,B his 2 raised platform,t his blacka behin2. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front ofwere occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparentpupils. Toleft, backh citizens,a spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoato taktvexercis ; of small1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuousl,"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All!esEFthe eDfillKpnon-parXaticipaI. Tbegan. A very little boy stood upsheepishly recited, "You'd scarce expect onQmy agspeak in public oq stage," etc.--accompanying himself withpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine mhave used--suppos 'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,./got a fine round of applause when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lispMary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwardconceiteYafidencQ soar!tounquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him,gs quaked under him|hP!iktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathy b.`house']s silence, too, was even worse than itsY1. Tpster frownAthis+Bletei disaster. Tom struggled awhiDthen, utterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy SC Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class ,Qhonor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, hel anuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "Religion Y in History"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial LovVHeart Longings," etc., A prevalent)!se\a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opue gush of "fine language"; <tendency to lug in ears particularly prized wordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markBmarrlmthe inveterateOintolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one zm. No matter wh6subject might be, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or the mora religious mind could contemplate with edificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bex,!th1 ld stands, perhaps. There iUCs nos in all our land wherDyoung ladies do not feel obliged1los.!iruSith a%2youUfind Hmost frivolous and fleast girl in < is alwayt longestAXrelentlessly pious. But enoug%this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us return tor"Examin=" The first was read9one entitled "Is this, then, Life?" Pg reader can endure an extractNit: "I  common walkRlife, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forwarsome anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturd joy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observers.' Her gracform, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is 3est gay assembly.such delicious fancP ies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentrance intoe Elysian world, of which she has had dream\w fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}alast. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior,#is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4sFwith wastdalth and imbitter!rtshe turns awayFnvicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyqlongingIthe soul!" And so forso on. TLwas a buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe 2had!d ja peculiarly afflictingrapplaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comepills and /indigestion read a "poem." Two stanza9)it will do: "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! qBut yetLzdo I lea02now/Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recolles throng my brhFor I have wandHthrough thy flowSoods;Have roamed7a near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam.Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[W|and home were mine"inTStateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbget9eoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few tho knew what "tete" meant, butLpoem was <|actory, ned)vertheless. Next appeared a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young lady,Apaus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$n began toin a measured, solemn tone: mbVISIONCDarkr mpestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep intonationT heavy thunder constantly vibrated upQ ear;s]errific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic /Qblust?about as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so areary,Khuman sympathy mymspirit sigha insteQbereof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'RQto my. She moved like fpose brilght beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent loveliness. So softher step, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtru'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)dmplateg5two"resented." Thi; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel We@-bster himself might well be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "4Qeous"over-fondlehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAverge ity, put his chair aside, tuhis backu1audlbegan to draw a map of America oQblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCunsteady haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =Ato r@!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not uput dowQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^continued; it  manifestly increased. Andit might. Therha garret ab>ove, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arou#haunches by a string; she had a rag tied about herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofYabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbed"igher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&Q intogarret in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXldid blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke uprmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD"" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, aWestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl patoBternQhenceEmuch happier than any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM joinenew order of CadetTemperance, being attracted by howy cha@their "regalia." He promised to abstai^ smoking, ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he f new thing--namely, that to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery {. Tom soon himself torment desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb3gavQup --it up before A2worshacklesqforty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|rdeathbeiw61hav ig public funeral, since he!so1 an official. During three days  was deeply concerned about t"he's conditionZhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--#heRventujsget out and practiseathe lo-glass. Butr!haost discouraging@of fluctuating. At lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedRsigna`dt onceqAat nqBthe suffered a relapsesBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fineT. TheCpara a style calculated to killClate with envybrree boyQ, howq--thereBsomeQ!atFL swear, now--but1 toSssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookBaway1thenm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginningang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diaryhappened dPays, `and so he abandonedhe first of anegro minstrel shows came to townmade a sensand Joe Harper got up a band of performerswere happmtwo days. Eve Glorious Fourth.sin somea failure, for it rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tarld (as Tom supposed), Mr. Bento= actual United States Senator, proved an overwhelming disappointment--for henot twenty-five feeto, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys playedfor three afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOboys, two for girls#enxs. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, by,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople home to stay #with her par1durs!acJ--sobright sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. Ita very cancerpermanency9BpaingnZeasles. Dtwo long weeklay a prisoner, deadqand its]enings. Hevery ill,finterested in nothing. When he got upon hisSat lamfeebly down-$ melancholy change had come ove!ryl ercreaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thIL bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwhere:fou9Qstudy Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitingGQpoor Lca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionAprec0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encounter?ed added another tf5hison; and when, in desper, he flew for refuget# bosom of Huckleberry Finn3was received+Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept homto bed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, foreverW b. AndBnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverC hea!the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu2ax1wasTaresultmight have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a buga batterartilleryyb incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. Bbtempest spent itselfdied without Z accomplishing its object. Ty's first impulseL grateful,Wreform. His secoto wait--for5 not be any more)s. The next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his85timan entire age. When he got abroad hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonely> his estate, how companionlesaforlor1wasPdrifted listlessly down"astreetfound Jim Hollis ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catamurderCreseher victim, a birdsoe HarpBHuckup an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATkhe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:3e trial4k!bethe absorbWopic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern!to sent a shudder toBheartroubled conscie3nce and fears almost persuaded himthese remarkr!pu Ath iKA heaas "feelers"; he di1see-ld be suspected of knowi1nytyAabou}, but stillF2 comfortablthe midst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimeBtookSto a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealQongueQ a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wanted to assure himself- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt. After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd m&e z) gO. They ain't no different way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo !we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s mat, constant, so's to hide som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always-- *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@1kingood--he give me half a, once, wheyre warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kites foBr me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we4himoQtherep5My!&8n't), Tom. And besides, 'tw*do any good;'d ketch himbcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoO1Yes=dy talk4at,9.that if he was,Dfree^2lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had aQtalk,Cit broughm little comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhapsan undefinpe that something;Q happAat m!clo4!irAicul+r But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~Roften,%B--we  the cell grating and gave Potter some tobaccomatches. HQhe grrfloor aare werguards. Hisltude for/Qgiftsalways smottir consciences it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and treacherouthe last degreeaid: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody elseR townI don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.Emendboys' kitesks:AshowAwherT0 fishin' places wa0rbefrienbwhat IO2now ave allot old Muff@Ahe'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYP> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac}Dit--I got to swingit's right. RighABEST , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't 4at.!2 wamake YOU feel bad; yed me. But<say, is, don=!'tFever get +--then youhere. Stand a li$furder west--soSit; it's a prime comfor?Aee fw"ly?ba bodyCsuch a muck of R]tD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llqthrough-bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if ." Tom went home miseraWhis dreamb nightfull of horrorse next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experG y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascinationb+mP presently. Tom kept his ears open idlers sauntQout oK invariably heard distress4ing newsb toilsrclosing&1and relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village tal"to2(ffect that Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvrw0 jury's verdict would be. as out late,u"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All,DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waijury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM2b pauseKthe judge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings among the laQwyers|Agath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked up an atmospof preparation was as impressive fascinating. Now a witneseAcallo testifiqat he fCMuff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredt immediately sneaked awaysome fur`}counsel forEarosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a moment, but dropp%em again when his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C$ #," 's lawyer replied. A thirdN#sw[had often see(%inO possession.r declinE The faces;b begantray annoyance. Did attorney me,throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed concerning guilty behavior@brought toTscene8. They were aO to leavQ stanbeing cross-.bEvery bQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyard upon$which all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexitydissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmuQprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,sahe putKqface in hands and rocklbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.4movbmany women's r P itseAtears. Counsel for2def1osesaid: "Your honor, in2tremarksR1opeyis trialforeshadowed:purpose to proalient didEfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We oSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Then clerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven except`". 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough,5he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereAyou oIe seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron fachis tongue failm audience libreathles"th!s refused to come. After a few moments, however,^boy got a little of{strength back\b manag^3puts of it into8voice to make part of the house hear: "IYgraveyard!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q.contemptuous smile flitted acrossface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neveq mentioyour companion's name. We will 6D himproper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. WhaGyou take Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )rkeleton!atdD Now, tell us 4at occurred--"eown wapskip ane<e, and +vsbegan--}9ingly at first, but as he warmed to his subject his words flowed more an easily; in a little while  sound ceased buP own voice;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbERbreataudience hung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt ihastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and asMdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as lightthe half-breed sprang for a window, tore ay through all opposers, and1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOM1a gring hero onceH--the pet*ae old,Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified him!reQ some believedould be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreaskworld tookto its bosomRfondl as lavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit; ther>! i'not well to find fault_1it.Nr's days: of splendorQexult@Kmdhis nights were s?horror. infestedqhis dreamsalways with doom ineye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysfraid thajTshareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattornepromise secrecyqwhat of? Since }harassed conscad managdrive himc c's house byjaadQ fromkPhad been sealndismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidenchuman race was well-Enigh obliterated. Daily Muff Pottgratitude madr glad hspoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Half2timZ3wasawould never be capturedV other half he=9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man\Adead|1eencorpse. Rewardsbeen offered,'VuntryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moaround, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. Tha7say, he " a clew."nyou can't hang a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure asH#as,!. nBslowdrifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we"of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a)in every rV-constructed boy's life when he\ has a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harperfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers;lgone fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinnuRed-Handed. Huck Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedN matter to him confidentially`0AwillElway to take a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!enva limb of an oldRtree,2 shadow falls at midnightw mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it =Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendents?" "I don't know. If 'twas mine I !n'e it; I'd spennd have a good time"So;t I. Butl"doIway. Theyf and leave it t"Dthey come after0ay more2No,$Rthink BwillDgenerally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycAbodys<yellow papeat tells howAthe 7--a*Q's go'be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go Afindm#61wan^ esbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can taagain BtimeS ' -1 up Still-House branch, and's lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'em'Is,ll of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Zto go forG _1'emIWhy, Tom, it'll take$asummerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^Agrayrotten chest fudi'monds. How at?" Huck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plenty enough for me. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right~BI beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--Wany, hardlyn2's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings slathers<S_2 no5I reckoni!if3wasto Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^"Do1hopHop?--your grannylwhat did youB say>Edid,bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_o they want to hop for?--but IRQAjustVscatteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`Aon'tiay likeMa"; )kG"beRg andD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firszknow. S'#we tacklj  on the hill t'\ side of Still-House branchrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingEQthrewselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQhave a smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2Say$wetreasure here6you"doyour shar2'llpie and a glass of soda every dayI'll go to bcircusOcomes along. I betaa gay tiKain'srny of igrSave it" "Why, so as6 ave something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer townb2 daR get his claws on it if Iurry up,I tell you he'd clea3out pretty quick.t)xn$buy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktiea bull pget marrin""M b!" "Tiyou--why ]in your right min"Wait--you'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at papAmy mE. Fight! ![used to f1all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"cky're all alikeM!y'l comb a body. Nowzabetterak 'bouqs awhilVByou /BHaname oC gal?" "It ain't a gal a--it's aI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's , like e. Anyway, wQher n]&ll.2som--not now2AllY!--6ll do. Only if?be more lonesomer thanT!No82. Y2andRrwith mestir out `is and we% digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisISometimesd2. Not generally.!weqn't got theQ placS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progress:By pe4way in silenceVRsome rFinally leaned onshovel, swabbed beaded drops from his browhis sleeveNrQWhereCdig next, after we.1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree's over yonder on Cardiff Hillpe widow!'sd-be a good one. Butrwidow take22way"us on her landd9SHE41! MRshe'dBto tonce. Whoever find Qse hi*asures, it belongs to him. It don't make any difference wzland it's onat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be in5BrongbWhat dVRthinkt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfere@s_the trouble<Shucks! WL! a g^d power1dayB" "Well,!so"id3#invat. Oh, I knowmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadow * limb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"ed2allfor nothingQ hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, beca.use if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _5and)go for itBI'll!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tQbusheThe boys wer)4at 2bouIappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonely)an hour made solemn by old traditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks,deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answwith his sepulchral notM subdued by thesRitiestalked little they judged that twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+a stone or a chunk. At last TomvIt ain't any use, Huck, we're wrong again}but we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another o?that?". "Why, weguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck droppedhovel. "TzAit,"+T he. Bthe aroublegot to give this one upBcan'Q tellya besidLis kind of 'bawful,L%rtime ofwitches and2 a-flutteringZso. I feel aslbehind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS, becuz maybe1's front a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGLordy!" "YeRy do.uh7"ha  Tom, I don't like to foolRPpeople. A body's bto get into'em, sure." "I dor stir 'em up, either. S'posf1oneu was to stick.Akull vand sayG DTom! It'sit just is.ucomfortable a bi7QSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better"What'll it be?" Tom considered awhile;dQsaid:4e ha'nted house. GQBlame 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D might talk,ly`come slidmin a shroud,you ain't noticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1griir teethb way a does. I couldn't stORuch a " a--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUronly at4won't heus from digging! ir daytimI tso. But youcy wellgo about that fA nor&Bnigh pmostly becauRpto go w!he<man's been mur, anyway--buhing's ever*T seenBthat except !-- some blue lights slipping by windows--no regular ghostsGsee one of them[vflicker, you can beuEre'shclose behind it. Irreason. BecuzAknowe1any4butmquse 'em=YespEDcomebP`b, so wZathe usaour beffeard?7a. We'll tacklex df#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ! Tumiddle of the moonlit valley bel[em stood""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorstep e chimney crumbled to ruinindow-sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gaz*, half expectSAo se. flit past a{;]1tal1one, as befitted t@!he}2 anEcircumsty struck far off to the right, to giv/Runtedde berth,aook their way homeward throughRwoods6badorneArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonrnext daNgarrived  dead tree< f3for tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dowN2whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveS daysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookm-- "My! I n once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!"'sQluckywq, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the first1fou|3 ounRsaid I was, did I? A#ndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rats|No! Sure signprouble. Diy fight?" "No4that's good!hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to qy sharpskeep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England-- best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopleRkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly square9he must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;NhE!take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every, a mile andUr a half-`a YEW bowIZ2know. It's some kind of a bow, of course. And if he hit that dimeoQ edge set down2crycOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedL all the afternoon, now then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7s remark the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink intA wesWy took their way homeward athwar% long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight iforests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom sa1re so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned itngle thrusa shovel. The thin0g failed this time, however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling thnot trifledhcfortunehad fulfillep requirements,1 beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whery reach t"wa thing so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/1bakOzun, andbSdepre2bouRlonel and desolation of the place,wafraid, for a moment, to venture in. Td creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1herand everyWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fQy gav a critical#isted examination, r.ather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextanted to look up-{s. ThisMlike cutting off2, bAy go^daring each otherof coursre could be@one result--bthrew tools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. In oneJofound a closetpromised mystery"qa fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blancwith fright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." TDtretmselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9aout of!" Two menP. Eac4Rh boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T" a ragged, unkempt creature,Z very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " Ctalka low voice; @2satground, facbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedXords more distinct as ceeded: "No,"e he, "I've thought it all ov1I dit. It's dangerous*Db!" grueDhe "e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yrT--but's come of itTPdifferent. qAway up%!ribnot anRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, w. qcoming 9i% daytime!--anybody would suspicion ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any other placeandy after6 fool of a job. I want to quit this shantye:yesterday, only ituquse tryo stir out ofose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayby wishQheartzy had waited a year. The two m\tJ]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,CLooklad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear9me. I'll takechances on droppis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do Sthat 'dangerous' job I've spied around a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!it2n for Texas! We'll leg it together!" This was satisfactory. Both presently fell to yawningp .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downWa weedssoon bega7snore. His comrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispered: "Now's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starElone first step hewrung such a hideous creak from6razy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp1 lare counthe dragging moments rit seemBthemtime must be donGeternity growing gray;1thefy wereto note that 5apthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.[ [t up, star--smiled grimly uponr, whose2wasEing *wknees--B2 up|his foot1saiHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All , though--no#'s happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, par. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we doDwhat;swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave it M#as2aalways , I reckon. No use to tak7Bawayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omeonce mor"No--but I'd say(jRnight2 usdo--it's betterYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atijob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; wjust regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"M/ walked acrossroom, knelt, raised"of$earward hMearth-stonestook out a bagP jingled pleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or thirty dollars for himself and as much for8,1pas"heo latter, #s <corner, now, diggingR his bowie-knife. The boygot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloating eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--S plendor of it was beyondwimagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozenrich! Hereftreasure-hununder theiest auspicesre would not9ny bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilystood, fWey simply meant--}6but glad NOW we'rb!" Joe's  struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box,4alieve.--bear a h2nd 2see<Kfor. Never mind, I've broke a hol4aHe reax2hisWin and drew2 it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinedwhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves, s delighted.comrade said: "Wquick work of thire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#BsideWe fireplace--I saw it a minute agoh!anqbroughtMRboys'and shovel.X1the$, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered4 toM,then began to use itxqsoon unQed. Iu not very large; iron bound_had been+strong before:slow years had injurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of[Shere,p. "'Twas always said Murrel's gang uloruone summer,"stranger observ"I know ita; "and looks like it, I shRsay." "Now you won't need to doCjob.half-breqwned. Said he: "You !dDme. Least]all abouta"thing. 'Tain't robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"a wicked  flamed in his eyes. "I'llyour help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidMstand by tillhear from me`Well--if say so; what'll we do witha--bury gain?" "Yes. [Ravishinghead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! ["ysoCsickerror in a moment.] What business has a^a here?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n ". Y!ta to my den*2hy,urse! Might h|#at. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--undxBcross is bad--to"moAll right. It's nearly #dark enough to start." Injun Joe got up 3entwindow to 'cautiously peeping out. Presently he said: "Who couldose tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?" ' breath forsookj&. put his hand oj knife, halted, undecided,[turned towar way. The Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring for the 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers0uclandedi2amiAUdebriQruineVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Nows the use of allB? If<8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes follow us i. I'm willing. In my opinion{ever hoveqhings inu caught a sight of u took us for ghosts or devil something. I'<Rrunning yed^rumbled awhile;he agreed withafriend daylight was left o to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredB thrhe chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk much1wer much absorb#haemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,/n+would have suspected Chiddk8silQ gold)2aitWQ till"revenge"Qtsatisfiga misfortune to find t1hat money turn up missBitter, b&1 thk"lsbIBre! Rresol keep a looko9 Spaniard w should come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobWf him to "Number Two," whert!beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it allas they entewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company  be a palpable improvement, hught. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure2day ily tormented Tom's dreams !niWFour times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6ilt7!no2nes5is fingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4a"ba hard reality ofR1. Alay in t62he smorning recalling the incidentsJVgreatD, he noticed'seemed curiously subdued and far away--somewhat as if ;had happened in another world, or time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quant1coihad seen1o vkAo be2. H%n seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, inhe imaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech that no such sumsly exist2the@upposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6qbe found in actualxy one's possession. IPanotionuhidden had been analyzed,wBhavey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras . But the inci adventure grew sensibly sharperclearer under Qattri1of think&am over so he presently`1himk1leae!toRBimprZx1theYg might not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sitting e gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangFqhis fee3aand looBvery melancholy. Tom concluded to letslead up@ subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ `Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don'ta." "Wwbu?" "Ohing yesterday. I7hal"i " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8)2how Q! I've had dreams enou gh all night--with[patch-eyed Spanish devil going!me;through 'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /we'll neverXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--andone's lost. I'd feel1ry shakywas to see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's it8Q'bout. But I can't make no[aout of@do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,is one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. LemmkK Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I com1Tom-off at onc1carasHuck's company in public places as gone half an hour. He f $ouee best$No. 2 had long been occupied by a young lawyer, andms%so-A. In>less ostentatious7k! 2=a mystery -keeper'srson said it5kept locked~be time2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at; he did not any particular reasonthis state of !s;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade?1mosCthe & by entertaining himself ae idea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%QthereZda ligh r before. "Twhat I've fY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E. Now what youqQto doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeet hold ofdoor-keysa, and nip all of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJ2rop|Atownbspy ar5nce moreWa chance tois revenge. If see him, just follow him;_if he don't,Aain'a placeLordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%, sure. He mightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anyKWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkhB 'a' out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooob until nine, one watch92he Pat a distape otherPdoor. Nobody enteredFor left it; n%sresembln Spaniard=3Cthe e#Th1 promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1trytkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itC!hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upB its lights (the only ones d"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }b. EverrauspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutterings of distant th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelxwo adventurers crepPgloom towar.."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The"reZ of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c elash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearll sortsreadful things] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heQonly Y to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itAout,Ctbeating. Suddenln"ofcame tearing by hT im: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUrenough;was making thirty or forty miles anq beforerepetitionAutteThe boys never stobtill they reache)#shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter the storm "anrain poured down. As!asJ]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsA; buyto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offB(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyaere, s asleep ob floor4old patch oP1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy, what did you do? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3q, I betIE. My aunt me mighty sick if I lost i1SayE, di1boxRAI diwait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don'tAnow,T'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALL2Temperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is,! You try iQshuddEno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside or ain't :1. Ire'd been three, h  -&I'd do it." There was a long pause for reflection,8 then Tom said: "Lookyhere, less notCB anytill we knowcR Joe'5in there. It's too scary. Nowwe watch every night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor otherC!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeU@%ido it 1too3you"2theE par 1jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*'m asleep,ORthrow:gravel atwindow and 'll fetch mehqas whea*"ethe storm's ov*bgo homll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youeITa]! t for a year! E all dayiF&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me, and so d>oes his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 to,B any]I ask him he gives me a littleL to eat if he can spare it. r mightyB!ik\, becuz I don'[q act as1bov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wan|bsteadyAe$ift( daytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sed's up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on FridaBning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"ow before. Both Injun Joethe trea)sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky took chief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhaustingplaying "hi-spy""gully-keeper" with a crowd of their scho5ol-mates. T$^completedMcrowned in a peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promistdelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown41a fof preparu(!plbable anticip.excitement enabled5to keep awake until a pretty late hour!heAhope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having to astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*C. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was rofor a start. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.!s their presenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladieighteen aM"nd# #gentlemenwenty-three sreaboutold steam ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up the main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast  Mrs. Thatcher sai[Becky, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay all some ofBirlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *qclimb r2Q hillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!" Becky reflecO1 mo1and7s: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^> turned the idea over in her mind,-aid reluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants iyAbe safe;AI be she'd 'a'go there if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting bait. I Tom's persusqcarriedday. So itOadecide;bsay no]anybody R8night's programme. i it occurrJB Tom_maybe Huck mchis verycUAgivehasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweigh3unc1rtreasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinLnot allow him!to k of the box of money anytime that day.h Three miles below townferryboat stopped atmouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore and soodorest distances craggy heights echoed farnear with Ating6 laughter.9 the different ways of get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHAgoodgs began. AfterAfeas!re-a refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomef shouted: "Who's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \tprocureFtraightwaU re was a general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonewas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJmysterious to stand deep gloom/plook ou(Ct uprgreen valley shi("aun. Buaa impre#ness of the situaquickly wore offromping b againmoment aalighte Frushowner of it; a strugglQa gallant defence fSed, busoon knocked down or bl %utSlad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingnteep descent!main avenue,pflickering rank ofVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wall rock almost to their poipAjunc sixty feet overhead. Thisnot more than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other"till narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`but a vast labyrincrooked aislesran into eachrand out\ed nowhere. BsaidDone might wander daynAtogeuits intricate tanglArift:b chasmC never fit`end ofA the;dthat h!goY,Qdown,SstillAintoDRearth*!it2jusesame--D! u5no end to anym. No man "knew"icave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venture much beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%of2 asine. T moved along1"some three-quarterba mile<then groupcouplesOto slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s U?r joined . Parties were able to elud^2for1pachalf an hour without go6Ayondm"" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely de" 7uccV1day"yMstonishepat they had been taking no not[AtimeBnighabout at handnb clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorTclosedday's adms|romanticerefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild fre!pustream, nobody csixpence forMbwasted"buscaptain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He hear!noise on board,%t people  subduedA3as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop a1--a8en he dropped!ourhis minput his attenLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,village betook itself to its slumber2lef:Rsmall>!ere/qthe silX ghosts. El>_even ftavernvre put out; darkness everywhere, now. $itPseemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was2 reA Why]give it upturn in? AFfell~2ear!asUin an instantQ alley doord softlyBdsprangdcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must bebox! So they1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upG river street three blocks,(Bturnthe left up a cross-str"eey went straightEr, until!came to the paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Atookby passthe old Welshman's house, half-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. But1stoa &3on,d summiQplunged inbnarrow7bbetweetall sumach bushesat once hiddeothe gloomUd shortenedrdistancR, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, feare was gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy! no footsteps. Heavens, waiqlost! HQ abou!spqwith wiwhen a man clearQthroa four feethim! Huck'sbt shot`lBroat@he swallowed it +again; and he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[and so weak tha}zhe must surely fall ground. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas'hs. Very well,A, le$m there; it won't be hard to find. Now&a voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisstranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill!to:ob--thisthe "revenge" job! HiswAwas,6l3n he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mornuEthese men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to warA; buzq didn't1E1y mAcomeLcatch himc2allAand !inbmomentyelapsed 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Because the : bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. WellTre IS, I reckon. Better give it upGI just leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you maycQit. Br husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justic8the peact jugged ma vagrant. Aqat ain'Q5. I millionth part of it! Heme HORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town loo#Kon! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anyth2bou:ing? I woulds HIM if rbut not.1Whe? want to get  on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowBy God, that's--" Wb "Keepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieoto the bed. If she bleeds to death, isq my fault?Cnot cry, i8does. My friend, you'll help me in --for MY sake --that's why7re here--I mightn't be able aloneyou flinch,D ?ZBif I"to2youBB herEthen nobody'll know muchnwho done businessSif it's goV!be/A, le et at it. The quicker the bjQ--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was goo ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and stegingerly back; plante.2fooQfully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sidei`!onRfother.:Pnothe&ra, with+same elaborationL same risks;\!anW! Q, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he listenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass if he were=p'uly but cautiouslyrg. When he emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reache/ Welshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's banging? What do you want?" "Let--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y!', indeedain't a namopen many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads[Vsee w qtroubleQPleas"'t+tell I told you,"cHuck's fir5st words wd got in. M --I'd be killed, sure--buwidow's been good friends to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL  if you'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gottDhinghA, orAouldct so!" exclaimb; "out!it0nobody here';." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no further hid behind a great bowldsfell to7ing a lagging, anxious silence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang awayBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingr g77olds&. The inmate,asleep, but!a  that was set oQn a hair-trigger, onbunt ofxciting episodenight. A callfrom a window: "Who's there!"Q's scvoice answered in a low tone: klet me in! It's onlyFinn!" "ba nameacan opOi& or day, lad!--and welcomRTheseusstrange!to vagabond boy's earthe pleasantest he had ever heardLRnot recollectthe closing word=;Rappli!his case beforenwas quickly unlocked/"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop1'reZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy aboQat! Ithe boysded turn up and stop BlastF.tmSawfulq," saide, "and I run. I took :he pistols wekfAI diAstopt> le. I've come now becuz 7ed to knowit, you know; C:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even iyAdeadWell, poor chapdo look as if_had a hardO of it--but +'s a bedxrfor you:Ryou'v^Fyour=. No, they ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right w to put our hands on them, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar that sumach path was1jus>qn I fouoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it back, but no use --'twas bj!toait did!i*Q leadB my T rais started those scoundrels a-rustleget oupath, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B<"ey"2offrjiffy, svillainwe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we n4Qtouch!emy fired a shot apiece y started, b uir bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. As soon as we loVB sou$Rtheirwe quit chasingBwentand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar~river bank&abit is the sheriffaa gangS beat}My boys will be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. Butcouldn'thdTlike,JAdarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawk$-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!f1ne' 1 olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>here once or twiceqt'othermean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang u0pexclaimed:, please don't ANYbody it was me that blow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huck, bought to havecredit of whaQ did.@h no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung men were gone,]5oldFA saiT-r--and I. But whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, further than to say<he already knew too much about\1men`+1manU M anything against him forwhole world-- uld be killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thaay of it last night. I could,j1 I along up-street '1mid@, a-turn all overEwhen I go# old shackly brick store byTemperance Tavern, I backed upO%ll#3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me, with;1undreir armI reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'one wantlight; soG stopped.before methe cigars lit up a faces"CI seqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youde rags?" This staggered0a momentknow--butQhow ims as if IQtbent onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT! t widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhearu one beg f !orUK5the swear he'd spile her looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMB man saidthat!" Huck had maderrible mistake! HQryingn1besA1keeA olddfrom gettingfaintest hint of whN might bQ1yetbtongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite of"heFr do. He several efforts to creep ouhis scrape, but'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I w  hurt a hair of your head fororld. No--I'd protect+ !. z is not; you've let thatout intendh+ can't cover0up now. You knowaV4 you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you.clookedA's honest eyes,AbentKA andpwiar: "'Tain'<5t a--it's Injun Joe!" T almost jumped chair. In1 he: "It'splain enough,pWhen you talkedmAnotc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wn!inQcours i* rRthe lIing which heqis sons done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineBstilWits vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide1histh suspended--wai'faanswer )tarted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTERDyou?4sank back, panting ge2Bntly deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and presentlyNYes,That appto relievea good dealv what did gi# urn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven any for material for a plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he  --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." Poor Mtoo distressed to smileWQ laugzoud and joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such ar money in a-man's pocket,  it cut dowdoctor's bill like evernq"ddold chap, you're Za5you ain't well a bit--no wonder8a little fyoff your balancyou'll come ouit. Rest and sleep will fetch^out all right, I hoprirritatthink he had beenaBgoosbetrayed a suspicious excitement,HqdroppedBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a82n't!soion of a captured bundltoo muchis self-possession" oAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,!somind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be y!ilybat dayhTom could seizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompledea knocQdoor.lq jumped&a hiding-, for he ha8Bd no!toonnected even remotelyAlate1t. The Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow DouglasXTnoticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's anotheryou're more beholdenan you are to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't havev2butim." Of course thid a curiosity so vas0qit almolittled the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis M!thqbe trans?"R townhe refus"2parsecret. When2els>AlearBAthe  said: "I wensleep reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judged it warn.'t worth while. Those fellows warn't likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkpwhat wasuse of waking"up4carto death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8y've just back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hoursA. T was no Sabbath-school du4day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;-Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? I2exp#shr be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"esayou last nightEqWhy, noa  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.6 said: "Good-morning, /. . I've got a boy that'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed Qlast !A--on you. And now he's afraidntto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "He us," said6, beginn}look uneasy. A marked anxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"When did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he could sayWpeople had stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teache!ey not noticed whether3andDwere on boar9 ferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughQinquiaif any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!pThatche r swooned away.r fell to crying wringing'ands. The alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree within five minutes the bells wildly cla$he whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episode sankginstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited.#anThatcher1Pcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzswords. tedious $for news;"heA dawqt last, sthe wor1cam, "Send more candles--and send food." was almost crazed;a, also. Judge7 sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real cheerold Welshman1hom5ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck i#bechad been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas and took charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,vnothing!H o be neglected  Huck had spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes"Bhis T" Early-AforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongest citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be gainedremoteness!rn being ransack7W;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoro,Sughly#edCver one wandqthrough1mazpassages, [to be seen flitting hiSand t distancepshoutingspistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear dow9sombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,names "BECKY & TOM"Dtraced uporocky wall#Csmoknear at hand a =-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%@cried over i!itthe last relic she sh1havher child;UAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then,  cave, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a gloK)burst forth aa scor'men go troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly ar's light. T>hree dreadD"ay`nights dragg>ir tedious hours alongvillage sank into a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0 anything. The accidental discovery, just made,Gthe proprietor of the Temperance Tavern kept liquor on his premises, scarcely fluttere public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lqsubjects?A finYasked--dimly 1ingsworst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie !, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer ?Tinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveI t powwow if itthe gold. So theW treasure was gone forever--gone a! But could she be crying about? Cur Mshe should cry.qse thouEEworkDdim way through.r's mind Qunderwearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, nowa's got  enough, or strength either, to go on searc" CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alo^murky aisles witht2reshe company, visit familiar wonderst cave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wand down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candlek!fttangled web-work of n9I dates, post-office addressesTmottoQwhichrocky walls had been frescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking!y scarcely notic#atere now in a parvave whose +t1. T^&mob2ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged3car9 limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. He founit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responde#is call, aey made aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw !isbrat, farAintoqsecret depths of A,nother mark|`branch0ed off in search of novelties to tellb upper world about. In onea spacious|rn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of shinbtalactites ofalengthcircumferenc7a man's leg;walked all it, wonderQadmir_ and presently left it by numerous passagesbopenediis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrusted with a frostwork of glitt crystals; it:Amidsa|Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsR?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot2batfpacked themselvwrousands Qbunch( lights disturbTe creaturOflockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously sFknew their waymr danger%isqconduct'Becky's han hurried her into the fGirst corridorqffered;Onone too soon, for a bat struck g-B outits wing while she was passing(< cavern. TheBchasm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thingubterranean lake,, stretched i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest a, first. Now2thea time,deep stillnesT$thlaid a clammyg3upoBpiri5!. / said: "Why, I didn't notice2it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I B howwe've beenhere, Tom? We better start back Yes, I reckon we better. 7gP'raps,an you find3wayb It's all a mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put our candles owill be an awful fix. Let's try som way, so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"soz!!"the girl shuddere8the though dreadful possibilities. Theyas traversed it in silence a  glancing at each new opening, to see i`rZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face/n encouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less rhopefulPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ingo\1hatQ. He rA saiwas "all !,"such a leaden Adreahis heartbtnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All is<!" Becky clung toqside innguish of fearTtried hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mqbats, l23go `cy! We seem.et worse 1offiListen!"{ he. Profound; so deept"evqir brease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too horrid,*!Q. "I!I better<; they might us, you know,4 he~[! "6"Bpa chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing.hildren stoodand listened; yno resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps!as5a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveaanotherful fact to--he could not findE1wayF!uyou didn't make any marks!" "P1, Isuch a fool! S Ithought wewant to com-! No--I can'ay. It's all mixeQ." "Rwe're #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveQotherSQnk to!gr$and burst intorenzy of crying Tom was appalled withMBidea$$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byband pubarms aher; she bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"Cpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regretsahe far$esAthemato jeeQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. wW1try*Aope Waget upfollow wherevG5er lead if only he :not talk like#qore. Fo@awas no +Rn shesaid. Sy moved on\--aimlessly--simply at random--all theyq!do!toF, keep movinga little while, made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarity failure. By-and-by Tom tookQ's candle$blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words wererneeded.S understood,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwholethree or four pieces in his pockets--yet3ust)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tk to pay attention, for it7qdreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any |ist progressjmight bear fruit;wRto siito invite death:qshorten pursuit. At last Becky's 1frail limbs refused to carry her farthersat down.tbrestedAher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable bed, above all,clight!acried,#ome way of_2ing but all his encouragementhreadbare#usqsounded sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful. Hs looking intodrawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasant dreams; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awayzQygone|#y memories. While he was deepWmusings,rwoke upa breezylaugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFbsay it0 ." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFQy outVWe can try; but I've seen sucJeautiful country in my. I reckon we are goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRknew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sqtime to Both were cruelly tired, yet 4she4\Dgo a was surpri hear Tom dissentFnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastenee wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothps2forAtime^Pbroke the silence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" AtookKb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?""he. Becky almost smiled. "It's our wedding-cake9MYes--I wishas big as a barrelit's all we've goaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people do--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled at his moietyr abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move on againyilent a mom"qThen heA: "R,!you bear it if In6youk#?"8's face paledF. "Welln"westay herB2ereQ&'sdrink. Thatrpiece iClastY! gave loos3earrailings did what 5to comfort herDwithzeffect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss 0uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainly" "Mayb(y're huntingIA now2Why, I reckon m8 are. I hopIhen woul#y miss usSBWhenget backavhe boatnit might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your motheryou as soon as got homA frightened look inqbrought!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was not to have gone < night! The children becameQnd thuful. In a new burst of griefKrr showed1hat)!in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouQir biRcandlwwd it melt slowly@pitilessly away; saw inch of wick stand alone at last/feeble flame risyfall, climbUthin column of sm'oke, linger at its top,the horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterward itljFAto a  consciousLthat she53cryTom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew wa"at what seemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more.2saifSunday, now--Monday. He tried to ge2"to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all%Chope#8gonBmustAbeenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideouswdat he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byc : "SH! Did you hear that?" Both helir breathlistenedraq like the faintest, far-offA. Inlanswered itmrleading1 by8 hand, started groping dowcorridor indirection. Presen%he;a.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'ym!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortl1one 8stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred'Bqno passt at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&Ras he. No bottom1sta]rwait untilers came8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether} heart-sinking :+1it!swhoopedhhoarse, butWof no use. He) talked hopefully to;4 an age of anxious waiting!edno sound+9.childreneir way back to?4spr weary time dragged on;Rslept`awoke famis nd woe-stricken. Tom believbbe Tuesday _!isp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}se than bear!we=of the heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*TBeckyTr, Tom iOlead, unwinAthe hUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumpingqplace." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar aroun\s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet Rfarth2the at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorxu, and i^phand wa(s followede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly gratifieF nexato see,"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsightq wonderNat Joe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bur echoes9have disguis!e c. Without doubt, was it, he reasonedQ's fr weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif hstrength enough to get`3 hestay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of mee+}Qagainwas careful to keepkawhat i "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@Bwaita' long sleep brought changes. torturedua raging # t`Abe Wday or Thuror even FriSaturday, now, and thatQearchbeen givenQpropoo explorer passagfelt willing 8isktnd all JQrrors8 as very weak. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!Toqgo with9kite-linek chose; butk!im9d'aCbacklittle whilNspeak to her;`she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ a show of being confidenAfind)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7Ahand+ went groping down one of72s o9BhandGknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonqand wanKCtwilhe village of St. Petersburg still mour#he lost childrenen found. Public prayers# offered up for them, and manc privateBy1hadpetitioner's whole heart in itno good newsR cavemajority up the quest3gonROir daily avocbs, sayuQat itsplain the@could never be found. Mrs. Thatcher;2ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraise2healisten ayminute at a,91laybearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burst]xb bellsin a momentstreets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF U!" Tin panChornSaddedQ din,Qpopul massed itself and mov4ed towarriver, mechildren co in an open carriage drawn by"ing citizens, thronged around it, joined its home{Rmarchdswept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah after F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little townseen. Dur%re firsthour a procession of villagers filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all ove place. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad with #AcaveCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him?2tol51his!ofwonderful adventure, putting in'Astri1add adorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Beckon an explorinbg expel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchM3wasTAto turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; dropped!neBAgropmit, pushed his head&shouldersa small hol1saw[broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it(only happen3 beVhUa not h2een%of/aexplorat passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >1way4a$2holst"lp2 ou? they sat tfor gladness+some men came alo@a skiff and Tom haIPem an>dthem their situation2Afami3con rdidn't believwild tale at first, "because," sai]y, "you are five miles down the river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, ro a house, gam supper, madm rest till or three hours after darkn broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatct_ndful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behik!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger be shaken off at once, as TomA Becky soon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesday@ThursdayQseemeBrgrow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.2gotM, a little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as ws ever Saturday; but1"diQleaveroom until SunU4sheQas ifphad passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sickness ent to see him obut coulbe admittbthe bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or . He wasHSdailyFAthatt#wto keep still about his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found Anearferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. A.aa fortiTom's rescue froDhe start02f to visit Huck, who had grown plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seet v#an~friends setto talkingone asked him ironicRif hen't like to goRagain_3he >qmind it said: "Well, there!ot3jusuyou, Tom, I'v|he least douAbt. But we have taken care ofA. Nowill get lost !at any more." "Why?" "Because I=its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked--and"goTkeys." Tom turned as white as a sheet.Aat's0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The g!br0!thCinto|face. "A you're all right. WhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[deR bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%e place.x1 laetched up ground, dP"hiQ closBrack`q, as iflonging eyedfixed,>latest moment,5he cheer of the0 free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr $had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless lt an abounding senssareliefNsecurity, now, which revealed to him in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him sinceXday he lifted%voice against bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade brokenwo. The great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneXE=. But if therRno stony obstructirb wouldTbeen Rstill!ifh]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So "ata in orDo be doing some)xthing-- pass the weary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half a dozen bits of candle stuck aroundhe crevices of%vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneasearchaem outWeaten them. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one place, near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly grow from the gjfor ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to Athe ous drop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfour9twenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellFthe 0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifie`the Co8nqueror creat British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it will still be 2all6 s have sunk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit& patiently during five thousand years to be ready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^qhaplessV-bree1out#>Qprice8bdrops,o"daf stares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4bburiedthe mouthg;people flocked there in boats"wagons from th be townDfromcQ farm hamlets for s miles around; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionspqconfesscaey had almost as satisfactory a timWthe funeral asRcould2hade hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni--the pet)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meetings Bheld8 a committee of sappy women*aappoino go in deep mourningjRwail Hcimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/elieved toakilled citizensrvillage2whahat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklingsRto scribblir names-drip a tear on it9=aperman impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG7 anRtalk.3had learned 2 all about Tom's adventure Welshman the Widow Douglas, by this} Tom said he reckoned ther?had not told him;a0The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. NobodyQme itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f business;ed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oAand m1me aif you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih#onavern-keeper. YOUF ]A was#riU Saturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch night?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCI folleredwidder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukSum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I do n't want 'em souring on mea doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entiregin confidence tokwho had only %!ofa's parfit before. "Well,"{, presently, comaPmain question, "whoever nippe"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom +G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!in cave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itATG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withqhelp ge"ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe canA our^!to n get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makes you QthinkURF's--Ayou ?wait till wef!re we don't find it I'll agre#giVqmy drumevery thing I've goV  I will, by jingsAll right--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRRightg!ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, now, but I caKlk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five; into thereway anybodyume would go,1^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.S,B takGin a skiff.&2flo] , I'll pull itjby myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start)A offm@B. Wesome breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`se new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's1imelshed I hagFwhenthere befor(e." A trifle after noo boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got underct oncewere severals below "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  Bdownthe cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yo 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'llSashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing-8a touchrq hole I]out of with a fishing-pole. See#4can1." ? searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd#Heare! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9keep mumdll alowanting to be a robberrknew I'rto havebng likto run acros]"waabotherQand wit quiet, onlylet Joe Harper and Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els wouldn't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA --it sounds splendid, don'R?" " "it does, Tom. And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$ly." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<y can, off'ir friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tqthe genkway. Only,2b womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcr1nd 4s take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'llMQat inUbook.cto lovX,Ethey,9a week or two y stop cryingHa2n'twhem to leave. I4droout theyC'd turn right around!come back. It's soc booksy, it's real bullyI believe better'n3apirateF3YesF& in some ways, hclose to home circuses at." By this time every%1 wa!dy2ys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughsaspringY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showed Huckfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor unti,Qy rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUR fact!itnot really a precipice, but onasteep hill twenty or thirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'llA you},,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNthe corner as]qcan. Do 1see? There--on ig rock over yonder--done withR-smokC3TomCa CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? R t1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!Aleav] treasure?Y"--6it.'s ghost is 1boure, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nBx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from3, il y#ngthe money. I know}rways ofsyAso dv." TomiAfear. MisgivAgath-in his mind. But7 an idea occurYso him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going 2tto come|Awhera cross!" The pointwell takenhad its effect.I didn't think"at that's so. It's luck for us,L { is. I reckon we'll climb down Shave a huntGthat boxwent first, cutting rude steps iL clay hill as he descended.followed. Four avenues opened!ofA small cavern which the greatstood in. The boys examined three0"emno result. They found aiUrecesone nearest4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, bacon rind,the well-gnawed bonesSwo orTfowlsere was noB-boxlads searched_%rethis place, but in vaO%om^!He  Yross. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, becaus! sOSolid g96heyReveryzonce mortdiscouragcHsuggest no. By-and-by Tom said:% "Lookyhere, Huck,>'s footprintsesome candle-gre= about one sidX!is 3not1a other(s. Now, wfor? I bet youmoney ISb. I'm going to dig." "That ain't no bad notion, Tom!"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow"out at oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfood. "Heyp!--you hea2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm2was%i(#ndOys took it upcross rock. "Now less w82gunthings," I2--leave them`3'reOicks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepN all the Btimerw(hold our orgies|S, too ful snug place for 0." "What!?"dono. But4ers6;of course we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beeqhere a Btime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`$etSskiff6ay pres emerged in lump of sumach bushes, looarily out, fthe coast clearBwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towar[ahorizoAy pu"ou got under way. Tom skimmedhe shore througiwilight, chai cheerilyZalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id  loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up*Q morncount it and dividSthen !una4outQsAit wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )dand wa(stuff till I runhook Benny Taylor'swagon; I won't be gone a minute.=" He disappearreturned#thSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old rags on totarted off, dragging his cargo behind him. Whe boys reache Welshman's house, they stoS restgay9Aabouqmove on: PA steB said: "Hallo, who's thatAHuckTom SawyerWGood!O1me,,,are keeping everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--Ahauloyou. Why, it's not as  as it might be. Got bri it?--orQmetalOa," sai.judged so;ris townatake m&Rroublfool away1imeN ing up six bits' worth of!irNS selly foundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human natuxralong,  T!" TAwantQ know wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we gethe Widow Douglas'." fBwithdapprehension--for he was long ""usbeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we haven't been doing nothing.  laughed. "Well, I don't, Huck, my boy. ;. Ain't you an! wgood friendsRYes. ishe's ben&e, anyway}All rightn. What dov1wanjbe afraid for?is question wa?a entir<nswered inq's slow before  himself pushdBTom,5EMrs. drawing-room. V leftQ nearAdoorzafollowThe placergrandly'ndiAthat(of any consequence iNr villagNthere. The ThatchersQk Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)?all dressqtheir bTGr receiv+r as heartily as any one c/Swell 4 two such lookingDs_C1cov Aclay[candle-grease. 1 bl crimson humiliationqfrownedL shook her head at Tom. No$suffered h*alf as much boys did, however. Mr. A sai-Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled onand Huckm at my doorGjust brought them in a hurr!nd2did3" r. "ComeA1me,." She tookcto a bedchamberRNow washI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,S- complet(Cy're+--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. B6 ey'll fit both of you. GetNthem. We'll wait--come down when youslicked up enoughQn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCKD! "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundShucks! wdvQ kind of a crowd. I can't stand it.8b going1TomQOh, b{B! It2 an!miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appear=he, "auntie has beening for you all the afternoon. Mary gott Sundayb readyeverybody'\ fretting about you. Say--Lthis greasqclay, o;ra"?"E, Mr. Siddy, you jist 'tend toown business. What's all this blow-out, anyway`It's one of tDdow's parties1sheO ways having. This time it'sFthe Welshman^his sons, on accountj at scrape they helped her ou# night. And say--kQ tellAsome21, i want to knowiQWell,Why, oldX2is to try to spring_1 on"people here to-,overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's notle(t now. ElEs --a, too,1allf!trro let ozQdon'twas boundE should be here--couldn't get along3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirobbers s.)7 wacmake atime overurprise, b;qut I be. it will drop pretty flat." Sid chuckled in a very contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, never mind who it was. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.Jid, therely one person in town mean:a to do XI7qhad beeEHuck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hillqtold an 0. You can't do anyQmean s% y&bear to seeTqpraiseddoing good ones. Tn1nkse says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears and$imxdoor with several kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes later guests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, eufashion!ryobday. Aaproper  Mr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedsZAonor3wasqhimself[sbut sai was anothe(rwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprungsecret aboutSshare? adventu finest dramatic manner master of the surprise it occasionJs largelyaerfeitnot as clamoroueffusive wmight haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a air show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to give6t a homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa Tom's chancBcome aid: "Huck don't need it.a's ric!Noa heavy strain2the s of the company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. But the silenDa little awkward. Tom broke itb's gotE. Maybe youbelieve it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T12looked at each other with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly aV, who was tongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well, there ain't ever any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{eRsacksa2 diafinishMsentenceapouredt1masyellow coa the tS1and: "There--  did I tell you? Half of it'sXand hbmine!"spectacle took general breath away. Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5iA did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesPI thoYcught I,fxed upsurprise this occasionit don't amount to anything now. T4ne makes it sing mighty small, I'm wilto allow"heSdccounte[3sumt!edvover twelve thousand dollars. ItKmore thanSqpresentseen at one time before, though sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz,in property. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a jQtir iT poor/9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house in2 anneighboring# s was dissected, plank by UAound0s dug upWransacked for hidden treasurec-not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, somAthemrT4pd Huck Baappear8!eyQ couradmired, st#"atfAboys+ not able to rememb~at their remarks had possessed weight;;Bnow 3bsaying` d,epeated; everP4didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lost:power of doing and commonplace !s;past historyV1rak? sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originalityto paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas put money out at six per cent.Judge Thatcher di same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, was simply prodigious--ae week-day AyearChalfv Sundayjust whaminister got --no, i#!hepromised--he generally couldn't collect it. A Ha quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himcwash him1forG matter.  `had co+nceived a great opinion of Tom. He sahat no 3boyever have go daughterBw0cave. When Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom.taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--a^was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thoughtAfath$1d n.looked so tallso superb as whR walkR flooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/it"op2see+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traine!es  country,<Dhat  be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fachunow undeQ1Widow Douglas' protection introduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurlr it--an  sufferings were almost morcn he cvar. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushed,they beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~2he EpresMBhearaknow fafriend!ha#eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shui1bou#Qm han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow huntebeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched higAh1low-yFthe rivebody. EaIe third morning Tom Sawyer wisely went poking among some old empty hogsheads down behind abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque;days whenW1freq happy.Croutvout, toldQdroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6qt ain'tSme; I1use"it:widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stan$m ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleep woodshed; I got to wear them blamed clothes that smothers me8; g1see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;Ithey're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay  roll around anywher's; I hslid on a cellar-doo --well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to churca sweat --I hate[ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\qmake no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no(#--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died, Tomnwouldn't let me smokeu yLshe Bgapeqstretch Q scra Abefore folks--" [Then with a spasm of special irritation and injury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN#the time! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove2--IShad tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI-stand THAT, Looky her, being rich what it's crack); just worry$  2a-w you was dead <. Now theseBsuitand this bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not manyXs, becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"methe widderv"Oh,8know I can't $!do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try/a while longer *come to like itL q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stovQI wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. Blame it all!as we'd got gun_ba cave\2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness hasP1to k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CBOHuckCkeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. ButTwe cayou into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C]Rme ina Didn'p!go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than what a N is--as a general). In most countries they're awfulV up in thqe nobilRdukes01uch1Now2, h/you always ben friendly to me? You woul shet me out,A youP *n, now, WOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Dthat!n'AHuckZasilent*s-ime, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goawidderaqa month6Ctacknd see if I can co stand it,44'lldb'longcAgang." "All rightb, it'sz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow,qet up oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe4Vstart1and5s?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys together2havinitiation to-n`maybe.T" "H(Qwhichj;S6Athat(AIt'sAwear by one another never tell#'s secrets, even if you're chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his family that hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest, awfulest place youj find--a ha'nted house is@b:2but!re'!ri2gup nowod, anyw'xYes, sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOXsomething LIKE!fqmillion s bullier than pirating.TstickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in oute!we4 CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;'could not go much furwithout becoming the^MAN. When one writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; but when he iof juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersrperformais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zyounger ones again[see what sor"meQwomenq turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveauRat pactheir lives at present. ProduceDavid Widger. The previous edition was updat2Jose Menendez.  THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER / /BY# MARK TWAIN' (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)P R E F A C E MOSTWe adventures recordedareally occurred;For two were experiencmy own, the rest those of boys wh7 schoolmat7ine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not$an individual--he is a combinaYistics of threem I knewSbelongs to"composite order of architecture. The odd superstzs touched uponD1allalent among children and slavese West atbperiod1is ay, thirty or forty years ago. Although myTis intended mainly fornentertainmen1boyf girls, I hopnot be shunn ""onaccount, for my plan has beenxry to pleasantly remind adults of they onceathemselvesqof how &Afelt aalked,}Rqueerbprises=sometimes engag>4. z!dUTHOR. HARTFORD, 1876T%T O M S A W Y E R CHAPTER I "TOM!" No answer.What's g42ithboy, I wonder? You Rld lady pulled her spectacles dow*looked ovebm about the 5room; then she puAm up:cut und?. She seldom or never+THROUGH them so small a thing as a boywy<her state pair,pride ofRheartXwere built`"style," not service--she could have seen thrae of stove-lids just as well. Sheperplexednsa momen8aid, not fiercely6still loud enyfurniture to hear: "Well, I lay if I get holIyou I'll--" 3didsQnish,by this timewVnding punching D bedre broomj!soGneeded breathqunctuat Q!esBresurrectebZ cat. "I 6adid seIA bea!Awenthe open door tood in iRuthe tomato vineG "jimpson" weedswconstitute garden. No Tom. S AliftW voice at an angle calculat/distance and shouted: "Y-o-u-qThere wslight noise behinhe turned"into seize al2boye slack 2of his roundabou0aarrestfwA. "Q! I m'a' thoughcloset. What you being in there?" "N. r! Look 9r hands. AndqSmouthb!ISa truckXI don't know, auntcDknow. It's jam--that's what it is. Forty>as I've if you didn't lety jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me%rswitch.q hoverethe air--the perildesperate-- "My 2you!Xold lady whirledbnatche0askirts  of danger. The lad fled oinstant, scramblthe high board-fenceg disappeared over it. Hisc Pollysurprised9broke into a gentle laugh. "Ha boy, can't 5learn anyQ? Ain't he playecricks y3lik1for2o b1ing$rfor him6E? But old fools isbiggest SC old dog new1, a0 saying is.bmy goodness, heAplay/ m alike, two days, and how iLdy to know7" wcoming? He 'pears to. just how long he can torment me before I gedander up, ve knows if he can makeDQto puEoff for a minute or'1me , it's all down againaI1hita lick. I afrmy duty!at&the Lord's truth,bq. Spare1rodzspile the child, Good Book says. I'Cup ssuffering for us bothHe's full ofx&Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister'sa poor 1got[Ahearlash him, somehow. EverR I lef off, my conscience does hur"soue=!myumost breaks. Well-a-wAman  is born of woman is of few)drouble ScripturebreckonT!sol!llc hookeevening, *,[* Southwestern"afternoon"] I'll1be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow,nish himIYy har= work SaturQ whenrhaving holiday, but heHa hatesB more than he1anyS else%'ve GOT to do8 ofIrhim, orbquinatio." Tom dideiAd a +Agoodm!. He got back home barely in season to help Jim,small coloredsaw next-day's wo"likindlingssupper--at least he wre in time to tell his adventures to Jim while did three-fourth1the . Tom's younger brother (or ra Shalf-Q) Sidalready through withDpart2work (pick{qchips),ba quieJehad noDous,Vsome ways. W1Tom1eatv#is>7stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions Ewere1gui1nd 6deep--for s1nte;AtrapMinto damaging revealments. Like many { simple-hearted souls, it(her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talentqAdarkbmysterious diplomacy0bhe lovcontemplate her*transparent devices as marvels 9of low cunning. Said she: "Tom1midQ warmRchool, warn't it?" "Yes'm." "Powerful1'!Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?" A bia scare shot %Tom--a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searchedI's face, but it tolW!no. So he said: "No'm--well, notAmuchhe old lady realout her handCfeltSshirta"Buain't tooJ now, though." And it flatteredato reflect s2adiscov'2they1dryout anybody knowingG4Xwas wU!intmind. Butpite of herq knew wthe wind lay, nowZforestalledcTmight)next mov1Som`!us pumped on our heads--mine's damp yet. See?" 8rwas vex:Qthink had overlook(v circumstantial evidencmissed a trick. ThenQa new inspiration^Ryou d1hav$undo yourrcollar =I sewed it, to pump on/Qhead,3you? Unbutton your sjacket!trouble vanis#offace. He opened his @b. His 4as securely. "Bother! W go 'long` you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and bee aI forgive ye^. I reck 're a kind of a singed cat, asaying is--better'C look. THIS time." Shehalf sorrysagacity harcarried,3gla?-Tom had stumbled into obedient conduct for once. But SidneyIDif I52you{ith white thread, 's blackBWhy,Ow sew it8r! Tom!"1Tom\rnot wai the rest. As he went out atiHdoor5Siddy, I'll lic5for that." In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which wer1ust\ the lapelsd bound abouTm--on^  Dthe otherH' H he'd never noticed if it hafor Sid. Confit! sometimes she sews&_&Ph bla]ck. I wish to geeminy sstick to one or t'--I can't keeprun of 'ems I bet youaam SidSthat.qearn hi4He was noZ Model Boy ofcbvillaghAknewm&boy very well though--and loathm. Within minutes, or even less, he hagotten alls. Not becauseV1onePa heavybitter to him than a man's are toF, bu_Qa new?powerful interest bore them down%adrove qhis min0time--just as men's misfortune!in5qexcitemfenterprises. This newwas a valued novelty in whistling,o just acquired from a negroh!suffering to practise it undisturbed. It consist: a peculiar bird-like turn, a sor)liquid warble, produced by touchuhe tonguthe roofmouth at short DvalsEAmidskthe music--Deader probably remembers how to do it.!s +a boy. Diligenceattention soon gave him` the knack ofRZbstrodeFteet withfull of harmon his soul full of gratitud$felt much as an astronomer feels who has discoveredw planet--no doubt, as far as Eg, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned,advantagFwith the boy,o. The summe3ingrlong. Inot dark, yet. Presently Tom checkyse. A strangerbefore him-- a shade larger'himself. A new-cAof any ageither sexXan impressive curiosithe poor little shabby\ of St. Petersburg boy was `Qdress\Hoo-- on a week-day<was simply astounding. His cap dainty thhis close-buttoned blue cloth roundabou#Rnatty"sohis pantaloons. Hshoes on#iGonly Fri"He2worcktie, a bright bit of ribbon0had a citified air him that ate into Tom's vital?e more Tom statsplendid marvelhigher hed up his nose at his finerhabbier and his own outfit seemed too grow. N]boy spoke. If one movAhe oa--but Nsidewise, inrcle; they kept face toaand eyqeye alltime. Final[ said: "I can lick you!" "I'd likE see you try it." "Well, 8$do!No(rcan't, /2Yes-'H Y?1CanCan't!" An uncomfortable pause. Then What's your name?" "'Tisn't"ofbusiness, maybew Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my0)why don't youhI\A say, I will3qMuch--mAMUCHare now 1Oh,DAthin're mighty smart, DON'Tm I couldl one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to DO it? You SAY  AWILLTyou fool~" mEOh yes--I've seen whole familiesDsame fixqSmarty!| SOME, nowQOh, wA hat+AR lump-4hatit. I dare you to knock it off--and anybodyG'll take a dare suck eggsYda liara're an %fighting.O!dafQit up1AAw--aa walkXSSay--qgive mejU moreBsass@nd bounce a rock off'nAheadoOh, of COURSE+; then? What dkeep SAYINGTx for? W>{It's becauszEBfraixI AIN'TbYou arzbI ain'A3,/QeyingAsidl round each. Presently twere shoulder to .XGet away from here"GoyourselfDI wo B"Sobstood,with a foot placed at an angle as a brac both shovingAightAmain&q glowertg1 hate. But n"gexdvantage. After struggTtill both <"hoydflusheqrelaxedyastrainx watchful caution, andj|acowarda pup. I'll tell my big brohe can thrash!thlittle finger. I'll make him do it, tooI care forc{? I've got1thaigger than he iswmore, he ow him ovAd fenceT[Botha!s zimaginary.] "TWBa li=qYOUR saso don'tAit s Tom drew a line in the dust1hisi"to{ said: "I<qFstepZAlick5you can't stand up. Ateal sheeFThe new boy steppedzpromptly~1Nowsaid you'dnow let's seD,rowd me now;Jbetter look ouQWell,HSAIDh*--Wd?" "By jingo!Xtwo cents I WILL took two broad coppers out ofApockd held them out derisionRtruck#t! g0. In an instantR boys1rol and tumb ;irt, gri together like cats; and foriAspaca minute tugged and tore at each ^q's hairH clothes, punched and scrat 53noscovered themselvesand glory. PresentlyconfusionAformk through%fog of bai Tom appeared, seated astridHpounding his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" he. The Aonlyggled to freself. He was crying--mainly from rage. dEthe went on. At laststrangerout a smbed "'Nand Tom let1up Q2Now8qll lear:. BnA who_Rolingnext tim$ff brushingEhis Gsobbing, snuffling occasionallying backq2hakQs hea threatenhat he woul!to the "next time 2ugh \To which0respondedRjeersqstartedin high feath as soon as'was turneVn?up a stone, threw i "hibbetwee4shouldersEthen\1ail1ran  an antelope. Tom 1Cchastraitor homthus foundere he livednheld a position atgate for somehS, dar  enemy to come outside, bu>only made faces aq windowdeclined. %J2's and called 0 bad, vicious, vulgar chil-1ordZhim away. So^ent away;!he\ he "'lowed" to "lay"that boy. Hehome pretty lateb night{Awhenlimbed cautiously in r s, he unl an ambuscade, i4person ofQaunt;gswQstate% were in her resolu!tov his Saturday holiday into captivity9ard labor became adamantine in its firmness. CHAPTER II SATURDAY mor!asG,2allummer world#QbrighIb fresh/Qbrimm-ith life. There4a song in every heart;obif the,3youmusic issuedHlipsZcheer in YAfaceWAa sp&tAstep: locust-treQbloom the fragrance of the bloss[oms fill air. Cardiff Hill, beyondcvillagbove it,Rgreen)avegetaand it lay just far enough awaseem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposefulinviting. ppeared osidewalka bucket of whitewashK long-handled brushcsurvey Cfencall gladness lefoand a deep melancholy settled down upon'spirit. Thirty yards of board k nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow existence^a burden. SighingadippedQpasse3alotopmost plank; repeat AoperB; di8gain; compthe insignificant qed streaar-reaching con'un82satQon a tree-box discouraged. Jim 3skipping!atvwith a tin paiT singing Buffalo Gals. Br;water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, beforq now itJnot strikeoremember~up$nypump. White, mulatto/negro boys and girls werethere waitiir turns, rest?trading playthings, quarrelling, figh+skylarking. And hAalth9only a hundred7fif!!f,never got bacK under an hour--and even somebody generallyto go after him. Tom said: "Say, I'll fetcpif you'll`some." Jim shook}2heaZCan't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me IAn' g<s3an'Fop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She sayZQspec'zEAgwingAax m ,r!so7Ago '7an' 'tend to my own business--she 'lowed SHE'D+f to de/in'." "Oh,you mind what s!idq. That'# w talks. Gimme the--I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE# dEknow_I das she'd take)btar deoff'n me. 'DeedQwould\ASHE!Tlicks--whacks 'em overUwith her thimblewho cares fo=r that, I'd likn% awful, but6! d hurt--anyways it!if$Gcry.give you a marvel.'" aKs alley!began to waver. "W%!Dit's a bully taQMy! Da mighty gay, I tell you! But Tom I's powerful 'fraid aissis--" "And besides,R willBshowy sore to human--this attraction was too much for iHe put down his pail, took th$;,Fbent2toeabsorbing interest whilaandagebeing unwound. In another moment Vs flyingbstreetma tingling rear,jAwas rwashing8RvigorAunt Pollyretiring frompbfield  slipper in her hanHttriumph eye. But Tom's energy didAlastq}think ofrun he had planned2day his sorrows multiplied. SoonFree boys  come tripping a4on all sorts of delicious expeditionspb they Jmb world of fu2n of himahavingSork--the very thought of it burnt5like firegot out hiscly wealth and examined it--bitoys, marble& trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, butKhalf7s,"asan hour of purkdom. So he returnetraitened means to his pocket\ gave upAidea r"thD. At rk and hopeless7an inspiraburst upon him! Not3 than a great, magnificentCR. He !upAbrus went tranquilly. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently boy, ofbwhose ridicule been dreadingdq's gait the hop-skip-and-jump--proo!haZR hear7lJis anticip<as highqwas eat:qn apple1 gia long, melodAwhoop, at vals, followed by a deep-toned ding-do,, 3fors person steamboat. As he drew nhe slack}WspeedQmiddlU, leaned faro starboard an!d rounded to ponderously and with laborious pompcircumstance--the Big Missouri^considerLQmselfe drawing nine feeUUwater1boa captain engine-bells combined, shad to imaginer standing Cs own hurricane-deck the ordersmAxecu4them: "Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling !" The headway ran almosA he qup slowsAward<sidewalk. "ShipToo backmHis arms straighand stiffened dis sidesZaet herW2 onztabboardh Chow! ch-chow-wow! rQhand,"time, describing stately circlesC3 reP forty-foot wheel. "Lg l-chow!" The lef began toe "to &Come ahead W0 her! Let your outside turnmslow! W-A! GeO ead-line! LIVELY now! ,Come--outn3spre--what're you abOere! Take a ,hRstumpMQthe bof it! Stand by*age, now--l go! DoneAsH SH'T! S'H'T!" (trying*gauge-cocks). Tom went on whitewashing--paid no attentiothe steamboat. Ben stared a momentthen said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE up aa, ain' !" No answer. Tom surveys last touchye of an artist, then he gave brush another gentle sweecthe result, as beforeq rangedAlonguaof him's mouth watfor the apple, but 2auck toBwork]! "Hello, old chap,\got to work, hey?"heeled suddenJAWhy, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing." "Say--I'm going in a-swimming, I am. DoQ wishcould? But of cours a'd druhWORK--would?5? C) !contemplatedboy a biRat do1all$?"IETHAT1TommCPg, andned carelessly: "Well, maybe it isl. All I know,$it suits Tom SawyerhbOh comdon't meaQ!le{1tha  LIKE it?" Thecontinued to move. "Like it? IYsee why I oughtn'Gl- . Does a boy get a chance to a fence every da}qhat put$th6 new ligh stopped nibbling2a sweptdaintily back=forth--steIqto note\effect--addxAhere?there--criticisY5 again--Ben watc2mov@getting moQ interested, absorbed. PresentlyBaid:i, Tom, let MEgvlittle.sidered, was_o consent;P"alnqhis minhNo--no--I reckon itl+n't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular2hisr--rightl!on bstreetknow --but if!as%TIAmind5SHE. Yes, she's ;-be done very carefu5l; A onein a thousandFtwo can do i?wayybNo--is6Hso? --lemme just try. Only--I'd let YOU, if youJ!meJfBen, I'dto, honest injun; but1--wJim wantJ ,+5shehim; Sid/Y, and/Sid. Nowy` how I'm fixed? Ito tacklK"s ay]&Qhappe+ it--" "Oh, shucks, I'll bQ!as2fullgQSay---give youcore of my"FN2.bafeardWALL of it!qgave uppwith reluct|!inBfaceqalacrithis heart. And whi4e late steamer Big Missouri workeZsweated in the sun,retired artist saa barrel in&shade close by, danglxlegs, munchB rplannedElaughteriore innocents. TKwas no lack%aterial; boysed along : while; thzey came to jeerHQremaio whitewash. Bytime Ben\fagged outd had tradqnext chto Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair;-when he playcJohnny Miller bought in for a dead rat?a string to swing it with--and so onv  hour after hour8!enQmiddl2the'Anoon>, from being a poor poverty-stricken6the morning2was literally rolling in wealth. HeVqbesides0s before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piecblue bottle-glas; look through, a spool cann2B keywouldn't unlock, a fragmen~chalk, a cRstoppa decanter, a tin soldiQcoupltadpoles, six fire-crackers, D1ten3 only one eye, a brass doorknob, a dog-collar--but no dog--the hana knife, four1s of orange-peel>a dilapid1old window sash. had a nice,R, idlMA all--plenty of company the fencthree coats of on it! If he hadn't rEyun out )"he have bankrupted everyvillage. Tom said to himself !it not such a hollow world,2% all. He had discovered a great law of human action,sout kno--namely, that in order to make a man boy covet a thuQit is( necessary;2the( difficult to attain.UT been and wise philosopher, liQBwritthis book,~1now comprehen>at Work consisatever a body is OBLIGED to do,<OPlay< not obligedo. And elp him to understh\9tructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc amusement. There are2y gentlemen in Englqo drive -horse passenger-coaches tw}r thirty miles daily linthe summer, becausprivilege cost!m derable money; but iQy were offwages forsserviceturn it intoIp and thLeyresign. Thermused at3oveaubstantial change which had taken place in hldly circumstances, and then w,oward headquarters to report. CHAPTER III TOM presented]before Aunt Polly, whol1sit|by an open window in a pleasant rearapartmentv!chFbedroom, breakfast-s dining and library, combined|c balmy Q air,restful quietaodor o%Ythe drowsing murmur (Abees!ha(ir effect:1sheAnoddfver her kn --for sheFno company}cthe caLasleep inHlap. Her spectaclespropped up o+Agray rafety. Szrthoughtof course Tomdeserted long ago1ondat seeing him 'power again in intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I goplay now, aunt?" "Wh'ready? How muve you done*It's allB." "Tom, don't liege--I can't bear i*rI ain't<u; it ISRD." Ply plZaced small trust in such evidencezwent out to see foQself;ABouldbeen conten4find twenty per cent. of Tom's statem,rue. When she fou  entire fence whitewashed, and not onlyelaborately coated"re even a streak added toqground,astonish was almost unspeakable. Sh "Well, I never! There's no ges^A it, can work when you're a m=o, Tom." A!adilute!liAby a, "But it'sful seldoma aRI'm bsro say. go 'longlQplay;]you get back some time; week, or I'll tan you." &awas sokqcome byrSsplenhis achiev1hattook him inaclosetQselec choice appleQdelivit to him, a-with an improving lecture upoBvaluNflavor a treat took to itselfit came without sOrough virtuous effBAnd Tsd:% a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnutpn he skWipped out saw Sid just starting upoutside stairway that lcrooms ,second floor. Clods were handy and the air was full of them*twinkling. They raged a Sid like a hail-stormxbefore Aunt Poluld collectsurprised facultiescsally @%rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect|1TomAover@and gonerqa gate,=eneral thing h&too crowded forP to make use of it. His soul~at peace, now)!heTsettlH"SiTcalling attention to his black threa+n1rou Tom skirablock,ha muddy alleyaled byEbackunt's cow-stable. He presently got safely beyo  reach of capdand puahasten2war5public square  village, wtwo "military" companies of boy"%met for conflict, according to previous appointment.<G% of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend)<Pof thhqe otheru&se two great commanders did not condescend to fight i!--being better suio#still smaller fry--but sat together on an eminencevaconducH he field operations by orelivered through aides-de-camp='s army won avictory, after a longhard-fought battlnBdeadcounted, prisoners exchanged, the terms next disagreement bd uponyrthe dayhe necessary3ed;Qwhich fell into lin marched awayhTom turned homealone. As`passing byaShouseJeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl i33garden--a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaite1two-tails, white summZock and embroidered pantalettes fresh-crow2ero4without fir shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanish+QheartAleft;a memory(erself behind. H|"thn!he#dto distraction; h,!rePCd hion as adoPehold5 it was only a poor ~Aevant partiality been months winning her; s confessed hard^week ago; $Et Rppiesthe proudest boy'Rworlds9short dayshere in one instant]Qime sfnd gonelike a casual stranger whose visit is dHshipped this new ange' furtive eye,  she had discohim; then he preteneeAknow\was present, $began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish w2"in"q to winSBadmi%rkept up+grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while Amidsasome djous gymnastic performances, he glanced asidIM4the/girl was wend way towarXQ camef and leaned on it, grievingcRopingould tarry yet alonger. Sqlted a mooQsteps XmovedAdoorQ heavAgreat sigh as1put5fooYthreshold. Butpface li t up, right away,Qhe toa pansy overq before2disappeared. The boy ran around1stowithin aQr twohe flowerY 1shais eyes with#haWlook down street as if u [ something of interest gon\at direction. P^!lyicked up awrying to ba! ihis nose,aead tifar back;KSas heQfrom !to1, iOr effortedged nearerC ; finally his bareAresthis pliant toes clos and he hBawaythe treasur9 the cornerQ onlyza minute--;-uld butt,$1 inhis jacket, nexheart--orstomach, possiblnot much po in anatomy not hypercritical, anywayreturned, now2hung abouLnightfall,ing off," as U6"th never exhibiteself again, though Tom comfor$imself aAv littleBhopesAbeen> some window, meantime%aware ofattentions. FX he strode home reluctantly,[2oorfull of visH All thrasupperlspirits were so highhis aunt wondered "what had got intov hild." He took a good scoldiclodding Sid"diseem to mind it(e least.Vried to steal sugar undaunt's very "anhis knuckles ra&Rfor iX-said: "Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it." "Well,/torment a body3wayP. You'd be always8 'ugar if I warzatching you." sezrkitchenXbhappy  immunity, reach2thez-bowl--a sort of glogTom which was wellnigh unbearableh Sid's fingers sliaqbowl dr and broke.] as in ecstasies. In suche even controlledRtonguwas silenq to himn he would not speak a word,^came in, b5"ut8 sit perfectly still she asked who dimischief; J! tCand therabe not"soE"inPqorld asefpet model "catch2 Heo brimfuexultationRcould hardly hold .the old lady came backstood abovereck discharging lightnings of wrath fromYher spectacles, "Now it's coming!" ASnext instanas sprawling on the floor! The potent palm,dupliftQrike agaiTom cried out: "Hold on, now, 1'erbelting ME for?--Si it!" Aunt Polly paused, perplexed,LTom look1heaApity_ 1shes5hergain, she onlyRUmf! you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckonWsome other audacious I wasn't around, like enough." Tr conscience repro2hershe yearn!ay'B kinFloving; buXbjudgedCthis!beo4tru!a confess1she the wrong, and discipline forbadhA. Sohkept silencewent abouaffairs with a troubled heart. Tom sulk a cornerexalted BknewQin hert his auntoAknee2him!he morosely gratified by the ousness of ithang out no signals, htake notice of none<aing glance fell upon1nowthen, through a film of tears,he refused recognivpicturelying sick unto deatho=sbendingim beseeching one littl giving word%Aturnrface toQ1allB die Athat@ unsaid. Ah, howshe feel then?hb$bt homeOthe river, dead,ohis curls all wethis sore at rest. Howhrow herselfand how CearsBfallr( er lips pray God to giveAbackG1boysX!ne abuse him any more! B3lie?2col-QwhiteUm--a poor littl<e sufferer, whose griefs were at an endso worked s3ing the pathos of these dreams,Qhe hakeep swallowingORas so@to choke;his eyes swam0blur of wat1ichflowed when he winkedran downTtrickled=aend ofQnose.|such a luxuryUthis pett97gsorrowcould not bear to haveworldly cheerixrng delight intrudevRit; itoo sacred forrcontact7so, presently, is cousin Mary danced in,!Ealive joy of seeinglagain aft age-long visit of one weekqcountrygot up and movxq cloudsBdark Qut atKqdoor asAsong1sunshine in at the other. He wande&araccustomed hauntBboys%sought desolate placesin harmonybspirit. A log rafAthe R invimfche sea^on its outer edg contempl+"thPrry vast*i stream, wishPthe while, that; ld only be drownedQt oncs unconscious6ithout undergoingguncomfortable routine devised by nature. T2 thYbaflowerXgot it out, rumpledAwiltnd it mightily increasOs dismal felicityR#wo!if8wpity him knew? Wrshe crymBwishs1a rto put her arms arouAneck> him? Or}she turn coBawayall the hollow1? T_Wicturan agonpleasurable l!itCoveri 2minoset it up in new0qvaried ss, tillZe it threadbare. At last he rose up sighiadepartA. About half-past nine or ten o'clockQame am 1eseQstreet to where^Adored Unknown lived; used a moment; no sfell upolistening ear; a candle1casa dull glowthe curtain of a second-story window. Wascre? He climbcfence,j stealthy way through the p4lan he stood  looked up aDlongth emotion; tAlaid?Rdown " gbit, disposing himself his back,]his hands claspyabreast}BholdJrs poor <And thusuld die--outeBcoldRyno shelter omeless head, no friendlyq to wip death-damps fromCAbrow8loving face to benvTinglyqTm whe>3eatGcame4SHE:!eew6sA out\Lglad morni4oh!Ahe drop one little tear>poor, lifWform,=Xheave>qsigh toa bright youngE so rudely b:ed, so untimely cut down? The went up, a maid-servant'cordant voice profan" holy calm,6 a deluge of water drench. prone martyr's remains!qstrangluero sprang upa relieving snortra whiz astmissileair, mingledMthe murmur1curse, aHBshivglass followedmsmall, vague formF!ovqe fence,shot awaygloom. No" after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was survey&5is _garments by.tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of making"references to allusions," he thought bet3f iD1eldpeace, for tdanger in Tom's eye. Tom turned in1out added vexation of prayers,dSid made mental notthe omission. CHAPTER IV THE sun rose a tranquiland beamed8'2theful village likenediction. Breakfas, Aunt Pol d family worship: it bega# ab builtp of solid courseScriptural quot/s, welded together\ a thin mortar of originality;Xjthe summit of this elivered a grim chapter %e Mosaic LawKaSinai.Q gird+Qloinsto speakto work to "get@verses."qhad lea?his lesson days before. Tom bentehis energies toimemorizing of fiveehe chose pare Sermon Mount, because he could find noO that were shorter. Aend of half an hourrugeneral, but no morwhis mindCtraversingwhole fieluSuman is handsBbusy?distracting recrem. Mary took<1boohear him recite]Qe tri!his way through the fog: "Blare the--a " "Poor"-- "Yes--poor; b0Q poor25In spirit:$ i/2y--" "THEIRS BFor +. Lairs iskingdom of heavenEy>_mourn&ShzS, H, A S, H--Oh, I don't know what it is!" "SHALL BOh, y shall-- *Y/ I 5iWHAT? Whyyou tell me,?--what d6o you want to be so mean for?Tom, youthick-headed thing, I'm not tea[you. I wouldn't do. You must go and learn it again. D~you be discouraged you'll manage it--and ifdo, I'll giveAsome. ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy." "All right! WBs it<,K 4Ne1younMif I say it's,\ AY"sou%. ftackle;B" A[did ""*Aunde double pressure of curiosityprospective gainZ"itCsuchAD he accomplished a shining succesQ gave a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelveaacents;tZnvulsion of deligha sweptsystem shAm toTfoundTrue, the uld not cut any!buwas a "sure-enough" there was inconceivable grandeur in"--l! w1the Western boys1gotAidea6|a weapon`possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an impobmyster)will always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrived to scarify8cupboard"it )rrangingcagin on4bureau, whe`was called off to dress for Sunday-school. Ltin basi Qwater'a piece of soaphe went outsidx2doo22setMn a little bench2; tQ dipp eae"la6down; turned upsleeves; poured ou|>&ground, gently~Renter| kitchenbegan to wipehface diliDZtowel behiS door. But _Aremo,and said: "Now ain'Sashamsmustn'tVabad. Wwhurt you." Tom+c triflncerted. Twas refilled  is time he stood over it"while, gathering resolution; took in a big breathG2. Wn nCpreswith both eyes sh8d groping foyt.his hands, an honor&testimony of sudswas dripT5romP. But,Kqemerged# ,fnot yet satisfactory,clean territory stopped short att2chio his jaws, like a mask; belowDbeyoQline Cdark expansunirrigated soil that spread downward in front`1acka*Rneck.took him ino8)Ashe R2one4him$Ba maa brother out distinction of colorYhis satur2haineatly brushBits T curls wrought into a daint!symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothL[C labdifficultQBplasNAhis Qcloses1 toUQhead;&rhe held]aminate  his own ABlifebitterness.] Then1gota suit ofFclothing had been used on As du two years--they were simplychis "otheqthes"--Bo bylwe know the sizhis wardrobegirl "putgto rights" afte-"aded himself; she buttonQneat about upzchin, turned his, vast shirt collarAoverjshoulders,soff and crownJpeckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as c as heSOa restraint Rwhole"esleanlinessBgall. He hopedMary would forgetes, but the hopblighted1 cothem tho"ly/tallow, as9the custom! b-^Bm ouH2losatemperEsaidp lways being made to do everyhe didn't want C. Bu1said, persuasively: "Please, Tom--that's a good boy." So he gozthe shoes snarlingJwas soon read9\hree children se3for-school--a placeQTom hdBhis aheart;1Sid) ere fond of it. Sabbath`c hours'qrom ninFhalf-past ten;Q then church service. Two ofqremaineH!sermon voluntarilV :too--for stronger reasons. The's high-backedG, uncushioned pews4sea!~Qhundr$arsons;cedific ut a small, plain affair,a sort of pine board tree-box on topx for a steeple. A door Tom dropped back(p and accosted adressed comrade: "Say, Billy,a yaller ticket?" "Yes." "What'll you take1her%AgivePiece of lickrish fish-hookXLess see 'em." Tom exhibited. Theyesatisfactorproperty changed handn Tom tradQcouplwhite alleysC redsZR some trifle oroSblue onesrwaylaid,b boys ay came^ went on buyingz of various colors ten or fifteen minutes lpAenteV, nowmwarm of cleanbnoisy nd girls, proceeded to1eat!AstarO quarrel\the first boyjAcamey teacher, a grave, elderly man, interferedGan turnasRmomenaTom pua boy's hair innext benchdas absorbed in his b6Qook wjshe boy raround; stuLpin in an boy, presently, in order+ear him say "Ouch!"7 got a new reprimand from]. Tom's whole classof a pattern--restless,troublesome. W!y to recite their lesson@At on`them knewverses perfecabut habm!mpll along. However, torried througAeach`his reward--in[Dblue,,with a passagScripture on it;(;pay for twor of the ation. Ten:bs equaS#oncould be ex^qfor it;r) Cyellow one;#en .the superintendent gave a very1ly bound Bible (worth forty centsose easy times) toQpupil many of my readerA hav industryaapplic+ to memorizeTthousand]r, even BDore? And yet Mary?Qacqui0"wo%is way--it w# patient work of3years--and ajof German parentage had won four or five. He onced three without stopping; butJstrain upon$mental facultiesytoo great1 he little better than an idiotbthat d th--a grievous misfortuneEhe school,"onpq occasibefore company f(as Tom expressed it)lways madeboy come out and "spread himself." OnlyRolderts manage3Bkeep}and stickir tediouslong enough to get a2[sAdeli,'ofsse prizaa rareAnoteAy circumstance;successfuls?conspicuous for  "onGQpot escholar'stQQfiredh a fresh ambiti?at often lasa couple of weeks. It is possible49 qstomachnever really hungero. unquestionablyentire beingW2forPaClongWthe glory,the eclatit. In due course< stood up in fronthe pulpit,G a closed) hymn-book iAhand!hiefinger inserted between its leaves^ commanded attention. When a Sunday- a makes4!cu$ryspeech, a2theis as necessary as isinevitable sheeYmusic@aof a s who standQward _e platformsings a solo atnncert --th| why, is a mystery: for neithen sr referr!bysufferer. ThisN0a slim creatur thirty-five a sandy goateSshortQhair;ore a stiff!ing-collar whose upper edge almost reacheEB ear-sharp points curvqbabreas=corners of his mouCfenccompelledraight lookout ahead,a turning ofCwhole body wside viewArequired;1hinpropped on a ing cravat which(ras broaH"asas a bank-note,qhad fri Bendspboot toes were"ed8cly up, fashion day, like sleigh-runners--acn effect patiently and laboriously producedgyoung men by sitting with their pressed against a wall hours together. Mr. Walters%very earnest of mienbsincerhonest at heart;he held sacred th nd places in such reverence^%so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsc#to himsel voice had ac> a peculiar intonation(wholly absent on week-days. He began after t$: "Now, children, I want you all to sit up just asand pretty as11can7qgive meAFyoura minute or two. Thereat is it. T the way good2boy girls should do. I see one+girl who isaing ouZindow--I am afraid she1ks !ouGre somewhere--perhaps up in one trees making axe to th birds. [Applausive titter.]Rto te?B howit makes me fee ee so many bright, clean-faces assembled in athis, lea to do ri0!be|." And so forthso on. Inot necessarset down4rest1 or9was of a p-2doeRTvary,mii familiar to us all. The lCd thirdwas marraresumpF of fights and other recres among certai.the bad boysby fidgetingGqwhisperJextended farwide, washing even&bases of isol]and incorruptible rocks"Si!Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly,} subsidencY' the conclusio\receivedYa burst of silent gratitude. APA par"- had been occasion!an"t !orBless rare--the entravisitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompani` very feeble aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged gentlemaniron-gray hair^a dignified ladywas doubtless`q's wife.as leading aV. Tom*2resGand full of chaf}and repinings; ence-smitteIn, too--uld not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, &2 not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer 1oulall ablazeGbliss in a momentCnext1 he:"showing off"=1all^might --cuffingBpullhir, making faces--in a word, usqry art aseemedulfascinate a girl91winapplause. His exaltQut one alloymemory of!hu!inD angel's garden--and record in sandEfast]out, underkQwavesiappinessGwere sweepRQver iMaO)!gihe highest seaahonor, as soon as Mr. Walters'finished]introduced themaschool ! man turned out to be a prodigious personage--no,a one thacounty judge--altogethe most august  these childre!evoked upoey wondered what kinmaterial tmade ofey half wanted to hear him roa]half afraid he. He was from C*onstantinople, twelve miles away--so hetravelled2see+Qworld1se Aeyes3dVcourt-house--whi2saiave a tin roofR awe +i reflections inspiMas attested byimpressive silence #ae rankAstaryes. ThisKthe great Judge Thatcher, bro of their own lawyer. Jeff, immediately went forward, to be fars1man-vbe envi It would have been music to-Asoul "ea5whisperings: "Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say--look! h"to shake hands1him6RIS shH ! By jings, don't you wish youwJeff?" Mr. A fel,Asortofficial bustlingsFactivities, giorders, delivments, discharging dirkRhere,, everywhere+find a targetlibrarian!ed--running hiQ with his arms full of bookm`Qa deathe spluttJfuss that insect authorityrghts inyoung lady teachers --bending sweetly over pupilsbwere l.being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boy patting good ones lovinglygentlemensmall scolduqdisplayD&!aneVntion toipline--and most ,th sexes, found business up at$y,qpulpit;!it6that frequently had to be done again two or three times (Q much seeming vexation). TheJgirl in various ways,t3Xboys wuch diligenc&qthe airRthick+paper wadsmurmur of scuff. And above it allEman sat and beamed a majestic jud smile upon@warmed himself isun of his own grandeur--for hetoo. Theronly one thing wyg to make ' ecstasy completwas a chaRover a Bi3ble-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several"had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough --hqbeen arQamong5stainquiring. He would have given worlds, now, toGerman lad back1a srmind. And now Gis moment, when hopudead, Tom Sawyer came forward XMnine6redand ten blueq demandjBible. This(a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecan applicR fromQsourcunext ten years. BubsRno geEBit--1ereBcertified checky$~oir face.Qwas therefore elevated to a place _the Judgthe other electD1new< announcedheadquarters. It`2the|AstunQsurprisec decad=bso proR sensa}!itenew hero up toCone's altituathe school5two marvels to gazt#inbof oneBboyspall eaten upBenvy--but those thdat sufferbitterest pangI those who perceived too latmthey themselvecontribut.t hated splendor by trading1 to' wealth /amassed in selling whitewashing privileges se despiseTq, as beuhe dupes Pwily fraud, a guileful snake in/grass. The !was delivEas much effusion  superintendent cpump up kcircumstances;Iit lacked somewha the true gush,<apoor f's instinct taught him tas a mystery not well bealight, perhaps; iJsimply preposterousHthis boywarehouse0 thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises--a dozenb strai#capacity, out a doubt. Amy LawrencQproudQglad, sQiAmakesee it in hes--but hn't look. Sndered; then sho just a grain troubled; nexim suspicionband went--came again;Otched; a furtive glance told her worlds--a,nnheart brokewas jealousRangry `Fearssted everybody. Tom mosQall (Hhought). Tomsintroducre Judgehis tongua tied,breath w.hardly comequaked--partly because$awful greatnesgthe man,^Gmain6her parent. H have likfall down>worship him, if%erBAdark # phand on Tom'called him a fine littlsand ask!qhis nam?hwstammered, gaspe!goU"out: "Tom." "Oh, no, not Tom--it is--" "Thomas'1Ah,'s it. ISmore to it, maybe. T2very well. But you've another one I daresay" ll tell it to me, won't you?1ellgentleman your Ubname, ," said Walters, " ay sir. You mustn't forger mannerI Sawyer--sir4it!a good boy. Fine t, manlyQ. TwoLverses is a  many--very, very great many 2. A+ never can be sorry for'trouble you took to learn them; for knowledge is worthhan anythingAis i< world; it's what makese  Dmen;(beD3man yourself, some day+1the'll look back;It's all owoprecious Sunday-school privilegemy boyhood-- Gmy dear teachers  taught mU< B thesuperintendent, who encouraged mwatched over gave me a beautiful Bible--a splendid elegantto keep and have it allmy own, always right bringing upA is |you will{!2--a n't take any money|~those t--no indeedE9now mind tellingris ladyBs"veed--no, I know --for we are proud of3boylearn. Now, no doubAknowz2nam^atwelve disciples. Won'6qtell us09P the Nbfirst /at were appointed?" Tom was tugat a button-hollooking sheepish. He blushed, now,'"his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within himHsaid to himit is not possible3hBaanswer simplest question--why DID Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up V: "Adgentlemandon't be afraid.Lstill hung fire. "Now*E"llCme,"!hewO. "TF two--" "DAVID AND GOLIAH!" Let us draIcurtain of charitythe restscene. CHAPTER V ABOUT half-past tecracked bellA mall church began to ringpresentlyepeople(s gatherae mornsermon. Thechildren distributemselves aboutkAhous occupied pews their parents, so as to be under{vision. Aunt Polly cav1Tom1SidMary sata her--Tom being placed nexaisle, in ordamCe as far away fromopen window and Q the seductive outside summerEs asQ. The crowd filed upX"s: "geneedy postmaster, who had seen better days;9Qmayor his wife--for they7a#there, among other unnecessarieOtjusticegRpeacei widow Douglass, fair, smartsforty, a generous, good-hearted soul well-to-do, her hill mansioonly palace iQtown,>st hospitab8R muchost lavish>matter of festivities St. Petersburg could boastAbentxQvenern3Majs Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson,bnew noOaAeance; Dbellr village, followed by a troop of lawn-cla.ribbon-de!ayoung p-breakerQn all#q clerksown in a body; rAtood&he vestibule suc cane-heads, a circling wa! oimpering admirers, qst girl!ruir gantlet; and%!ofAcameModel Boy, Willie Muffaas heedful carlQhis m as if she cut glass8 . He always brought his 7to church1wasApridbsrmatronsboys all hated him, he was so0. And besides-had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchiefZhanging ou?*his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays--accidentally. Tom)noahe looked uponas snobs. ongregation being fully assembled, nowAbell rang once more, to warn laggardsstragglers solemn hush fell Bthe a which&vbroken byCtittsnd whis#ofDQoir iQ gallery=GF!edthrough service=#reCce adQAthatnot ill-bred, but I have forgotten wJi0S1. I a great many years ago,dI can scarcely remember anything about it, vSthinkgq in someign countryminister ga9e3hymread it with a relish, in a peculiar styleZaat par6theHis voice began Ton a medium keyclimbed steadilytill it reached a certain point,rBborestrong emphasis topmost wortplunged down as if from a spring-board: Shall I be car-ri-ed toe the skies, on flow'ry BEDS of ease, Whilst others fight to wRprizeKAsail' BLOODY seas? Hqregardea wonderful reader. At"sociables" #ccalledo; poetry;Cwhen3Augh,>ladies would liftAheir let them fall helplesslyrir lapsc"wall"C3eyePAshak\ir heads, u-s to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO for this mortal earth." AfterAhymnBsungRev. Mr. Sprague turn`self into a bulletinGu off "notices" of meeting?societie sbseemedothe list qstretchx crack of doom--a queer customAis s^1kepin America, even in cities, away n>"agbundant newspapers. Often3bless t: s to justify a traditional3eharder get rid of it. And nowminister prayed. A good, generousN#waewent into details: it pleaded eMr ttle children of the church;7=#es& village' itself; e county(GStat7 officers'qUnited ' 'vCongres5 President_quGovernm$poor sailors, tossed by stormyMppressed millions groaning undeel of European monarch  Oriental despotismsuch as havJt light good tiding2yet-M"yehee nor earhear withalRheath)the far island2seaZaclosed a supplicationwords he was abqspeak m:find graceRfavorbe as seed sow fertile ground, yielding ime a grateful harvest of@. Amen. Ther rustling of dre73sseAthe stan]cPg&sat down. The boy whose history this book relates didAnjoyr, he only endured it--if he even9that much. Hrestive all through it; he kept tallyy unconsciously --fornot listening, butZ1newzr of old3 lergyman's regular route ov--and when axtrifle of new matter)interlarded, his ear detected ithis whole nature resen!considered adss unfaiascoundrelly. IB mid4/ a fly had lit ee backWew in front of himAtort his spirit by calmly rubbAts hbtogether, embrac"eah,3armbpolish& so vigor it seemed to almost part companyT5odyC sleread of a neck1expto view; scraprs wingsXits hind legsQsmootqthem tobody as iuibeen coat-w; goingtoilet as tranquillM"it( perfectly safe. As indeQwas; for as soreEDTom' itched to grab for it theynot dare--he believedsoul would be instantly destroyed did such a $Qwhileu~ on. Buthosing sentencU began to curvesteal forward;Cthe ra"Amen"r!ouwas a prisoner of war. His aunt bthe acmade him let it go. The minister gave out02tex8droned along monoton an argumea so prosr many aB!by&byBnod y Wdealt in limitless firMbrimstone andnpredestined elect dowaso smallo be hardly wor saving. Tom couaages o5 sermon; after church he always2how:Utheremaseldom2B anytelse ab discourse. However,qtime he8qreally Rested`E* a grand and moving pictureassembling2world's hosts *at the millennium whenAlioncthe lamb sh4lieagether&a little child,!eaAmthe pathos,dResson moral of the great spectacle were lost upoboy; he only thought conspicuousnes principal character beforEon-looking nations;pvface liMo,irhimselfYhe wishe"c;"be$E, ifQB tamtq. Now u psed into suffering again,fhe drywas resumed. PreseHp"him of a treasur"haN!goaout. IP a large black beetleVformidable jaws--a "pinchbug," he called it. N in a percussion-cap boxQfirst!gmdid was to tak)!by"finger. A natural fillip followed[Iwent floundKZ2isllit on its backthe hurtpR went's moutho!lartAkingVhelpless legs, unable to turn over!ey:Clong1it;9B saf!ofreach. Opeople uni+qnterestN:sermon found reliefyDtheyf too. Wa vagrant poodle dog came idl long, sad at heart, lazy@the summer soft1and'quiet, weary of captivity, sighing for change. He spie;HQdroopPail liftebwagged:1urvrize; walked around it; smelt ayqfrom a |udistanc4 4; grew bolderUook a closerYtl; thenhis lip and made a gly snatch, just miss_;/Dnothn ; began to enjo diversion; subsides stomachW betweenmBpawsscontinuexperiments; at last, annn indifferentabsent-mindis head noddedlh$byrhis chin descendStouchenemy, who seiz There was a sharp yelp, a flirT'  fell a couple of yards away, SA once. The neighboring spectators shook~ a gentle inward joy, seveaces went behqind fanI handkerchiefsTom was entirely happydog looked foolish4 probably felt so; but thereLresentment iB tooBda cravAreveSo he went tod a wary att:WQ jumpfevery poina circle, lightingPhis fore-pawsin an inchcreature, making even #es|UCteet51jer7htill his ears flapped#. But he+Vtired%, after a while; tried to amuse himselfa a flyf2no ; followC ant,8his noseCflooqquickly2ied&at; yawneded, forgo k,sat downy&n La wild yelp of agony811saidup the ais!he<swBo diFdog; he crosshouse in fro<the altar,Bflewthe other sJabeforeRdoorsslamored home-stretch;FranguishL progress,:pfly he waBsa woolly comet modin its orbit Pthe gleamK2spe. At lasfrantic sufferer sheered from[qcourse,Nsprang intomaster's lapflung it outhe windowAthe voice of distressqthinned awa  died indistance. B+Qs tim whole churchQd-facd5ocaq suppreslaughtethe sermon hadk to a dead standstillB distVsumed,"itlame and halting, all possibility of imiveness bean end; forgravest sentiments were constantlyAreceivedAa sm5ed burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as ifpoor pars7said a ravfacetious thing. It0a genuineA to 0ongregation whaordeal?benediction pronounced. Tom Sawyerhome quite cheerful,%toc1tha"bre wasqsatisfag about divin4Evice!reAa bi_rvarietyA. He_but one marring# thoughtJwas willing dog should playhis pinchbugshe did not1 it upright in him to carry f. CHAPTER VI MONDAY morning found Qmiserable. Monday+balways2 him so--because it began anothek's slow1erie school. He general2gandwishing hXhad no intervening holiday, it made'oi aptivitx fetters again so much more odiousZ!la!nkQPresewit occurredTA thacwished sick; then he cBstayUXvague;RQcanvahis system. No ailmen,e investigated5. TZ$hedetect colicky symptomsRto encourage thembconsid4 hope. But they soon grew feeblqL !wh2awa reflected further. Suddenlys!ed!On~his upper front teethSloose was luckyqto begiQgroana "starter," as7alled it, when it "if.2me Bourt7;argument, his aunt w/pull it outRthat hurt. So1old tooth in reserve for the ~WUseek g!NoN offered3some little tim arememb-1heathe doctor tell[a certain claid up a patientrAtwo ree weeksbreaten~make him lose a fing*oboy eagerly drew`ssore toBundeQsheetdheld it upinspection. But nowAknowSnecessary ;. Howeverseemed well worth while to chance it, sEfell2ing. espirit. But Sid slept on unconscGed louderbfancieT feel pain -. No result93Sid*was panthis exertions by txtook a resoF1sweMqhimself ched a succession of admi"As. nored onaggravated~said, "Sid, Sid!"hshook himcourse work5Tom beganq again.yawned, str, then brought!onRelbowathAbegadstare at Tom. Tom wen2ing{ said: "Tom! Say, Tom!" [ponse.] "Here TOM! What is/matter, Tom?" And he(looked iface anxiously. Tom mkout: "Oh, don'tn. Don't joggle me." "Why, what' Tom? I must calli4No--never mind. It'll be over byby, maybexFanybody{3Butbr! DON'TP1 so%, it's awful long you bees way?" "Hours. Ouch! Q stirPsyou'll killTom, why didn't^wake me sooner?O(! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you.X I forgiveoQevery. [Groan.] E you've ever done to me. When I'm gone--"you ain't dying, arr? &4--o%c. MaybELbodyTell 'em`.i my window-sashbmy catwaone eynew girl that'Rs com2owntell her1Buthad snatchedqclothespAgone was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely-his imagination workInd so his *s had gathered quite a genuine tone. Sid flew down-stair@ Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom'se!" "D TYes'm_await--2Qquick,Rubbage! I  believe it!Ashe fled up!, theless,1SidMary at her heels. rgrew white, too,5her lip trembledshe reached the bedside she gasp2YouUX 1you`3Oh,Q, I'm,/"W4=--wQ}, childXmy sore toe's mortified!" The old lady sank into a chairlaughed a little cried a did both together. This restorec1and<P, a turn you did ae. Nowsshut uponsense and climb out of this.Rcease the pain vanished from th&. The boy feltPle foTolish) it SEEMEDi0it hurt so I minded my tooth at all."F!r , indeed! +"neem's looseaches perfectly awfupBTher#ree2ginmGing again. Open your mouth. Well--4 ISbut you're not going to die aboutc. Mary, get me a silk thread,a chunk of firee kitchen)omfpleasejpull it out. Itwany more. I wish I maystir if it does. P_@e.want to stay homelRschoo}1Oh,you? So all row was because2thought you'd7i i>go a-fishing?yI love you s eem to try every wayxcan to break myDheart withoutrageousness." ByAtimekdental instruments were ready. made one endA fasaa loop2tieQotherApostpn she seQ"iz* nand suddenly thrust it almost inRoy's faceU  hung dangling by+}sQ. Bu trials br'heir compensations. As Tom weC#toPb afterfast, he6the envy ofboy he metSthe gap in his upperxof teeth enabled hiexpectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascinationhomage upbis timQ founEselfJout an adherent,Lshorn ofglory. His heartyQheavy- 3 $a disdain which he didAfeel it wasn'!th o spit like Tom Sawyer; b boy said, "Sour grapes!"qhe wandBawayAmantero. Shortlybcame upo juvenile pariahvillage, Huckleberry Finn, son&town drunkard.,-cordially hated and dreaded by 1e msU,2idl lawless and vulgar and bad--#5and84allkhildren "socdelighhis forbidden society(R wishEy dared to beQ him.[1was the restqrespectCRboys,2at Gied jaudy outcast conditionas under strict orders not to playQSo he%ed91timfgot a chance.was always dress-the cast-off clothefull-grown methey werWperennial bloomaflutte OCrags{1at vast ruin a wide crescent lopped ouu!itp!m;Kcoat, whenAore one,nearly to+Qheels!ha rearward buttons far dowBbackone suspeaupportos trousers;Sseat i bagged los containeDQhing,;Afrin'begs dr4iQdirt not rolled up. Rand wtown free willslept on doorsteps in fine weathin empty hogsheX wet;have to go0chool or to church, or call any being master or obey anybody; he could go fishing or swimming1herRchose9stay as long as it suim; nobodyade him to fighyq sit upGate as he pleased3the first boywent barefoot e spring anv1lasresume lsfall; he nevero wash, nor puTclean0 wear wonderfully. In a word,athing goes to make life preciousqboy hadgrthoughtD harassed, hampered,  in St. Petersburg. Tom haile romantic : "Hello, 5$!" yourselfee how youit." "What'you got?" "Dead ca%RLemmeC"imp. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'diqget himQBhim off'n a boy3 di41ive1I a blue ticketa bladderzItslaughter-house_ 8theTm#itBen Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stickbSay--what is d:s good for2hG? Cure wartsHSNo! Iso? I knqow some's better3BI bedon't. WiWhy, spunk-wa5S! I wouldn'tqAdern 85You-, you? D'youD tryNo, I haiBut Bob Tanner didrWho tol!so"heJeff Thatcher5Johnny Bak im Hollis8'ld2Benmca niggLC theme. There nowQell, of it? They'll all lie. Leastways"bugA. I  know HIM(I5see WOULDN'T\Shucks! Now you tell mlbone itv took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump wthe rainQA wasP!InbdaytimCertainl1ith^qface to/Y3Yes* I reckon so[Did he say any 3"I :.!heS Aknow@ Aha! Talk about trying to c*R suchmme fool w7athat! @S a-goVado any2. YV to go all byto the middle ofcwoods,p2youthere's a just as it's midnighback up agains {1jam nd say: 'Barley-corn, b injun-meal shorts, ^ {q, swallese warts,' and then wway quick, eleven steps, witheyes shutthen turn arouNree times andYAhomeDout speakanybody. Because if you$charm's bustesounds like aS way;!wthe wayQ doneNo, sir,x1cann't, becuz he's wartiest boy in this town;&heahave am on him if he'dUed how to workYS. I'voff thousands ofOs off of my9 way, Huck. I playt frogs so much`always got considerable many #b. SomeI take 'em}aa beanGAYes,!'sAdones%1HavU?,"'sSway?" "Youdand spliBbeanm"cuwart so as!etb blood*you put the blood on one piecAbeanand dig a hol bury it 'boutacrossroadse dark of the mooqburn upMDrestyJr You se3" t+"goq on it will keep drawing R, tryhA fetre otherZS to i!soa helpsh!to[A the_pretty soon she comes it, Huck--;Cgh w1'reecing it say 'DownV;hQwart;j no more to bBme!'better. T:Joe Harper doesbeen nearly to Coonvil most everywheres. But say--how do:"urdead cats2Why_cyour cat"go$et?graveyard 'long about S5somebodywas wicked habburied3Fit'sFra devilAcome, or maybe two or,J't see 'emcan only hearRthingu7indY''em talk;|they're tahat feBawaym#he<<1fteMGsay, 'Devil follow corpse,i!fot, wartscat, I'm doneQye!' ;2ll 91ANY7 ." "Sounds right. D'you! t("No@Rold MHopkins told meQWell, I reck's so, then. Becuz they say sqa witch?QSay! cTom, I KNOW she is. Shched pap. Pap says so his own self. H! axtone day&she was a-ing him,Ke took up a rock9ihadn't dodged, he'd a got her. that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' layin drunsbroke his arm"awful. How did he know/Lord, pap can tGeasyKlooking a; *q stiddyDyou. Specially ifcmumble d$b're sa he Lord's Prayer backards2Say1y, Kbyou go qthe cat1To-."ll~old Hoss Williams t8a" "Buy him Saturday. Di9get1howetalk! How coul d their charms work till mid?--and THEN it's Sun|evils don't slosh around much of a,2, I' L I never thought of that. Tha. Lemme goT!ouOf course--ifain't afeard]A B! 'Tqlikely.d2AmeowM1Yes#, Z get a chance. Last time,/kep' me a-meowAays went to thr&rocks at me andJa 'Dernb cat!'o I hove a brickE1ughvwindow--but`1you]I won't. I coul*Bmeowe, becuz aunti#wame, but I'll8!is. Say--w#thNothing but a tick." "Where'd3{QOut iC woocSWhat'take for2Gn.U2 wa`sell himu4All^It's a mighty small, anyway0!OhAbody3runC dow!be1em.satisfiediwgood enoughv"ShAre'ss a plenty1 hathousand of 'em if I wanted to2why1 Becuz yc!ou6#wed!ca#This is a pretty early, I reckonthe first one I've seenAyearSay, Huck--BAgivemy tooth  Less see it." Tom got oJ!biQpapercarefully unrolled it.nleberry viewQ wist-5. The temptation was very strong. At last he said: "Is it genuwyne?alifted1lipQshoweN vacancy.a!,"YB, "iTtradecenclosQDtick+percussion-cap boxhad lately been the pinchbug's prison,9the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before. When Tom reacheJlittle isolated frame schoolhouse,Ptrode in briskly,*the manner of one who had come$ all honest speed. He hunghat on a peg"flmself into(AseatP business-like alacritqmaster,hned on high inEgreat splint-bottom arm-chair,Rdozing, luby the drowsy hum of study. The interrupArousXm. "Thomas Sawyer!{3kne2whename was proHnounced in full, it meant trouble. "SiO"Come up here. Now, sRhy arlate again, as usual?was about to take refuge in a lie,(e saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a backe recognizP electric sympathy of love;vbat forTHE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of. He instantly STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINNY's pulse stood stillhe stared helplessbuzz of 5r ceasedpupils wondered if this foolhardy boyost his min=You--you did what?" "Stopped!lk@ Finn." Thereno mistakingK]words,!is$most astounding confe I have ever listen. No mere ferule will answer for_ offence. Take off your jackejarm performed until ittired anQstock witches notably diminish`A ordQlloweWl!goVs! And letbe a warning to/C youxr titter-rippled arouroom appe^rto abasiboy, but in realityGBesul-caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idolthe dread pleasuredalay inJhigh good fortunt2sat"upD endpine bencheagirl hd herself away from him a toss of her head. NudgesK winks and whispers traverseroom, but Tom sat!hiIs upon the, low desk before himAseem his book. Byby attentionDthe accustomed murmur rosekdull air once. Presently"boy beganeal furtive glances at*&girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave 2theae spaca minute. When she cautiously fac peach layi"erthrust it away.gaput it ,A^2butCless animositKBpatiNareturn  to its plait remainscrawled on his slate, , "Please take it--I got" The girldRwordsno sign. Now draw something *slate, hidingBwork his left hand. For a time1ref:to notice; buttuman curi@% pxq manifeby hardly perceptibleCs. TAworkAr, apparunconsciou+a sort of noncommittal attempt to seeGoy did not betrayhe was awarit. At last!inhesitatinglybed: "Let me see itdom parvered a dismal caricatusra housetwo gable ends} a corkscrew of smoke issuingSthe chimneyX3n tc's interestdfasten)and she forgot everya4elsiffinished,2QgazedAment, then ,It's nice--make a man4he artist erectHAan i front yard,aresemb4 derrick. He could have stepped ovgektPwas not hypercritical;was satisfiedhe monster, and a beautiful man--now me coming alongom drew an hour-glassla full moonstraw limba armedQspreaefingerGportentous fan1saisever soI wish IPedraw."+Vasy," Tom, "I'll learn you/)Oh, will you? When?" "At noon. Do you go home to dinner&Pqstay if'AwillWGood--that's a whack. Wyour nameEBecky Thatcher%s? Oh, I know. Thomas SawyerlTV1theU they lick me by. I'm Tom when good. You call me " "Yes." Now<@ scrawl  !dsA. Buackward this. She beggsee. Tom Oh, it ain't an Yes it i5"No'don't wantX I do, indeed #. Slet m)ou'll teNo I won't--9Fand Rouble%"ou3G anybody at all? Ever, as long a+B liv*4No,r tell ANYbodLhy. Now~Oh, YOU!aw thattreat me sbGWILL see." And she put her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretento resist in earnest but lettingQhand slip by degrees till thesY were revealed: "I LOVE YOUj1Oh,!ba\6ng!6hitia smart rap,$reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless. Just atjunctureboy felt a slow, fateful grip closing CS ear,Hsteady lifimpulse. InSwise Aborne acrosa houseIdeposited i!own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from!hoAhooln master stood over him duMa few aw_bomentsfinally moved away toathroneUqout sayR word3 although Tom's ear tingled,BQheartUjubilant. As quieted down Tom madeRefforBtudy the turmoilMmitoo greaturn he tookqplace i1 Qclass} botch of it; then2 geography4P turnS ed lakes into mountains, Srivery r contin till chaos was come againUspell got "turnQ," by a succession of mere baby wordrhe brought up=ae footyielded upGpewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months. CHAPTER VII THE hardertried to faste&Cminda book,more his ideas wandered. So at last,q a sigha yawn, he gave it up. It seemz2himthe noon recess wouldm} air was utterly dead!re not a breath stirring. Ithe sleepiest of ay daysFQ drowmurmur of2fivUbtwenty ing scholars soothed.soul lik=$is_bees. Away off flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill ed its soft green sides th[ a shimmveil of hbtintedthe purple of distance; birds floateblazy w$gh air; no other living thingvisible but some cowthey were a. Tom's he/aart acT o be free, or else to haveOi of interest to do to pasdreary time. His hand into his pockehis face l/a glow of gratitudewas prayer, thougdid not know iten furtively/Qpercu2 -cap box came out. He releas\ tick and put him onElong flat deskh creature probablyed with aaL2oo,is moment,2it !emd:xwhen he startankfully to travel off,> him asideb1pinBmade!!ake a new direction. Tom's bosom friend sat nexb, suffqjust aswhad beenanow headeeply{RgrateU& entertainment q instan:was Joe Harpertwo boysbsworn 1s a0ae week embattled enemies on SaturJoe took a pin outis lapelbegan to assisaexercirisoner. The sporZEw inly. SoonQBsaid 0}oBeach neither g4ett#fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate2desdrew a line dow middle of it from topWottom. "Now,"rhe, "asSqas he iqQyour you can stirup and I'll ler alone;.Uf yousget awaket on my[q, you'rBleavK IAkeepAcrosover." "All right, go ahead;6Qup." Vrescaped!Tom, presentlya!edpqequator{Q haraRwhile2t'goGback again. This changbase occurred often. While one boyTworry=with absorbing,other would look onse"rstrong,ywo heads bowed togeDAoverS1souls dead to Aings. At last luck seemX settle and ab dJoe. TQtried,oxScourszrs excitedXs anxious asthemselves,3timEgain:"he: wvictory infvery grasp, so to speapTom's fbingersE be twitcho begin,3pin'adeftly him offkeep possessionWQTom cstand it no!erK temptation was toocreached out8lent a hand with1pinD2ang a moment. Said he: "KbI onlydAwant:Tq little2No, sir, it ain't fair;_1let+eBlame it, I3YgoinglAmuch`L?, I tell you I won't!" "You shall--he'sq of the7Look her Harper, whos\Athat?" "I don't care$Btickm you sha'n't touch himaWell, , bet I will, though. He's my/do what I bNdpleasem, or die!" A tremendous whack camon Tom's shouldersits duplic ;#fol1pactwo minute dust continued to fly?wo jacketsP!thWle school to enjoy it#had been tooS]anoticeAhush had stolenQ upon_awhile befoebmastertiptoeing dowAroomstood over them. He hademplated a good part~performance |he contributed!bi1variety to it. Whenbroke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher whispered in her ear: "Put on your bonnet$le3'reBhome1you get tocorner, giv1res2'em{1lipT turnVrough the lane|come back.!go@other way%!itcame way." S6ne went offone group of scholagaith antE. In :Qet atdbottom#la -Ethey!ha!althemselves< sat togetea slatJBthem`Tom gave the pencil and held>in his, guidingand so cre surprising house. the intein art began to w#fealking. Tom was swimmqn blissSsaid: "DoLlove rats?" "No! I hate them!" "3Well, I do, too--LIVE ones. But I mean dead, to swing roundQ head a string.q[n't care for much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gumGOh, I should say sAwishd some now/? I've got1letschew itB, buAmust1 itQ to me." Thatzagreeable, soQcheweaabout,uRdanglir legs againsench in excess of contentment. "Wasever at a circus?" sair. "Yesqsmy pa'sto take mew  time, if I'ms." "I been tf three or four9as--lottimes. Church ain't shucks to. There's thing(on!hec". be a clown inW &I grow upOh, are you! will be nicey're so lovely,xtspottedFLthat's so. Anyqslather"money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say,_8, wqengagedWvCthat$y,! qmarried!NoW2youC!to<I reckon so. CknowqQis it2/Like? Why2in'A any . You only just tell a boyawon't have anybodyZQhim, Athen>Akiss0ws all. ACcan do itRKiss?3&do=1for2Rthat,now, is to--walways do thaYAEverH2yes+Q's in>each other. z remember wwrote onQslatebqYe--yesW]iI sha'n'g1you'rShall I8YOUHR--but JNo, not now--to-morr8Oh, no, NOW. Please--I'll whisper it, so easy." Becky hesitating, Tom took silenc cconsen,passed his arm F her waistQT talez softly,his mouth close toI5earn he added: "Now0a2 it"--Rhe sa She resisted,wa while1saiW2Youyour face awncan't se;I~you mustn'tu--WILL you, Tom? Now $, %No, indeed" IS. Nowa." He. She bent timidly around till^breath stirr?BcurlYed, "I--love--you!" Then she sprang#tand ranf4and the deskYbenches, withfuafter heook refuge in a corner at last2er little white apron9Qface.]qclaspedneck and pleaSW , it's all done--all overthe kiss. Don' be afraid of that--A at ( ." And he tugged ata?hands. Bh!byrgave up!le9+a drop;Qface,rglowingythe struggle, came upsubmittedA!kitFQd lip 3:Now/EHthis2you$"to"me+Xto marry\r but me! nand forever. Wi]) u{*t Zyou--"to- anybody#either." "Certainly. Of course. That's PART of itIcoming to school or when we're going home^'re to walk o2me,/Sthere}vlookingchoose meIt parties, because tthe way you dooqengagedIt's so nice. IRheardq before-2Oh,eso gay! Why,Amy Lawrence-- big eyes toldhis blund!opped, confused.qTom! Then I* the firs2'veDbeen3 to" child bega2cryQ9QOh, dB3cry54, Iaare fod any m 1Yes1 doS knows." Tom tri put his arm,she pushm XF1 toBwallwent on cryingvRagain soothing words inSmouthGas repuls:.xhis pride was Erodeutside. He stood, restlesquneasy,\a while, glancing aBdoorMQy nowthen, hoping she would repent and come to find him. B^tdid note to feel badlyefear that F.Qrong. It was a hard struggle him to make new advances, nowrhe nerv self to it and entered. Szstill standing back7corner, sobbing.'s heart smote "He!tof4and moment, not ing exactly how to proceedVsaid hesitatingly: "Y---\but you." No reply--but sobs.D"--pleadZ$. YAwon'? say some?" MoreDTom got ochiefest jewel, a brass knob fromltop of an andiron,'apassedQround>"so:Qshe cbsee it3wePleaseptake it?" ScQuck ithe floorlTom marched!ofQhouseover the hilly far away, to retur1 noday. Presently 3buspectr;8not in sight; she flew/play-yard7SthereLalled: "Tom! Come Aback, Tom!/listened intrLno answerhad no companions pRilencC loneliness. So she sat dow8cry againpupbraid herself;by this timescholarsLbgatherI(Qhe ha#AhideZRgriefher broken2andA!upjcross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon6 none among?strangers about)to exchange sorrows with. CHAPTER VIII TOM dodged hiCnd t through lanes until6Cwelltrack of5ingD.then fell into a moody jog. He  ed a small "branch" two o!ees, because prevailing juvenile superstition)1to c water baffled pursuit. Half an hour l$hdisappear1ehi!e Douglas mansion j e summit of Cardiff Hill was hardly distinguishableS off Cdvalley a dense wood, picks pathless wayQcentr=.!onssy spot under a spreading oakrnot even a6 zephyr stirring; dead noonday heat had even e songs of4birds; nature lay in a tranceCwas Vby no soundH occasional far-off hammeof a woodpeckeris seeme!rethe pervadssense of|more profound) boy's soulOQsteep$ melancholy; his feelings were in happy accord with'surroundings<1sat<#elbows on1Bkneehis chin] is hands, meditating. It2himq2lif1butouble, at bestE Othan half envied Jimmy Hodges, so lately released; it must be very peaceful, he thought, to liSslumbdream forevS ever0the wind whispdthe trrcaressiYR gras5the flowers ovQgraveA notUto boDbgrieve#, y more. If he only had a clean Sunday-#1 rehe could be willBo go~rbe doneit all. Now asis girl. Wh" h32? NA. HeBmeanBSbest {world, and beeMn treated like a dog-- very dog. She w sorry some day--maybe when i2 toq. Ah, i%die TEMPORARILY! Belastic heart of youth cannot be compresss to one constrained shape?a"ime. Tom presently began to drift insensibly backXthe concern"is7qagain. turned hisAR, now disappeared mysteriously??went away--ever so far,unknown countries beyoseas--and nQcame S! How1she then! The idea of beingown recurr@2himto fill himdisgust. For frivolity and jokewspotted tightan offense, ?they intrudemselves upon a spiritwas exalt the vague august realm romantic. No, ta soldi<return afterIyears, all war-wornaillust. No--bette4l3#jo{ Indians, and hunt buffalo$Ago o warpathmountain rang- the trackless great plaie Far West, an)dPPQfuturM+Achief, bristlingfeathers, hideousQpaintr pranceSunday-school,(rowsy summer morning,Ga bloodcurdsar-whoop[ sear the eyeballas!anions with unappeasable envy. But no, there wasthing gaudier even than this. Hbe a pirate! ThatAit! NOW hisK2lay~ before himEglowJunimaginsplendor. HowM3namz ct2rldKmake people shudder1glo&lyCgo p{the dancing seas, inplong, low, black-hulled racer, the SsFc Stormhis grisly flag flyAt fore! And at the zenith ofzfame, howsuddenly rIold village8Cstalchurch, browwu-beaten velvet doublet and trunkCjack-bootcrimson sash,[belt "horse-pistol9e-rusted cutlass atCAsideM slouch Zith waving plumeIcunfurledthe skull and cross>bones on iR hear[Aswelaqecstasy whisperings, "It's Tom SawyewP--the Black Avenger ofDSpanish Main!" Yes, i+settled;acareerCdeterminedn2runfrom homeenter up/Qstartvery next[a. Ther he must now begin to get readyPbcollecresources together)ent to a rotten log nAhandAbegafdig under one end of@Barlow knifeasoon struck wood that sounded hollow)"puuAand uttered this incantation impressively: "What hasn't come here, come! What'sAstay !" Then he scrapeV`#irrqexposed9ne shingltook it up(Sdiscl,shapely little treasure-house whose bottom;sides were ofds. In it lay a marble. Tom's astonishmenboundless! Htched his heada perplexed airAsaidEBell,beats anyZ+AtossepettishlyStood cogitatA trusfa supersti"ofad failed,, which hA all'rcomrade0always looked]as infalli7If you buried a Ocertain necessaryls left it alone a fortnigh'then openCplac^8theP1 hejust used,would fin%7alles$had ever lost had ga-mselves  -, meantime, no matter how widely they had been separated. Buf,~ actuallyunquestionably Rwhole"tu2faia shakeXits foundBs. H"many a ti!arpsucceeding but nsefore. It did not occur to himtit several timesC, himself,mcse hiding-s afterwarpuzzled ovAsomeg1fin\decided 1mL!chainterfqand broIhe charmQthought he Ztsatisfy2 onpoint; so1ear6around till he  a small sandy spotaqfunnel-Bd deon in it. Hee laidAdownF1putmouth close toyG and called-- "Doodle-bug, d tell me what I want to know! 5 5a" TheQ begaBworkpresently"black bug appeared for a secon2.darted under again in a fright. "He dasn't tell! So it WAS a#done it. I just knowed it." He well knew(futility of trying to contendsRches, gave up discourag%iT Wmight asVhave  A thrAway,Ather he wentmade a patient]"it$he"otPuit. NowH back to his treasure-housa carefully Y$asbeen stanwhen he tosscRaway; ok another"Q fromRpockeHQit inQsame saying: "BrHB, gobyour b!!atwhere it stoppedfYk_AIit must have fallen short or gone too far>tried twicfe more. The last repetition was successful$3two s lay with oot of each other. Just the blas$ a toy tin trumpet came faimthe green aisles he forest. Tom flung off&jarousers, turned a suspeinto a belt, raked some brush behi rotten log, disclosing a rude bowarrow, a lath swordin a moment had seizse things;Sbound, barelegged,t fluttering shirt. He7hal great elm, blew an answ@9atiptoelook warily out,Qway a)aLsaid cautiously--to an imaginary company: "Hold, my merry men! Keep hid till I blow." NowJoe Harper, as aiAcladelaborately armed as Tom. Tom ! Who comesSherwood Fore_hout my pass?" "GuGuisbornes no man's).^art thou that--" "Daresold such language,"KTom, prompting--for they talked "byqbook," memory. "Who art tho~/ ds I, indeed! I am Robin Hoodkthy caitiff carcase soon shall knV"ThenRfamous outlaw? Right gladly wdispute with the=Fpass3wood. Have at+Q!" T ook theirqs, dumpAeir  traps osound, struck a fencttitude,!to61a grave, careful combat, "two up *wo down." Prese1Tom: "Now, if you've go hang, go it lively!" SoV"wentq," pantnd perspi+T work. By and bBhoutqFall! fWhy don't you+ sha'n't" yourself? You're get} Q it.""y,ain't any . I can'tv;#Gay it is in a2ookbook says, 'one back-ha[stroke he slew poor $.'!toNb arounklet me hiiD back." T!wa>the authorities, so Joebed, receivedQwhackSfell.&#Joe, getting u<rp, "you8okill YOU. That's fair{f!doc4, iY ell, it's blamed mean--tW2allV'Bsay, you can be Friar Tuck or Muc miller's sonU lam me with a quarter-staff; or I'll bSheriff of Noh1hamgyou be a little whileV"meis was satisfactory! smse adventures were carried out~n Tom becamz2gaib2allowed by the treacherous nun to bleed his strength away through neglected wound. And at last}B repj whole tribe of weepings, draggw1m sforth, gavesbow into feeble hands(A, "Wthis arrow falls, tAburyuQundergreenwood tree." She shTdfell b&would have died, but he lit on a neand sprang up too gaily for a corpse. boys dress>mselves, hiir accoutrement off grieving`<$noz any moreFRwondehat modern civilizatMQion cclaim toone to compensateloss. They say-rather be year in Sher Forest than President of)United States forever. CHAPTER IX AT half-past nine,night, ToB Sid\sent to bed, as usualir prayerv=as soon asleep.Zlay awak waited, in restless impatience. When it seemedb"imit must be nearly daylqhe hear clock strike ten! adespair. He !tocand fidge!aslnerves demandwas afraid KAght qSid. Soay still_stared upthe dark. EverythingDsdismall<A. Bypeby, ouYSness,]!, scarcely perceptible noises began to emphasizeS. The ticking ]H8bbitselfnotice. Old beame crack mysteriouslyc stairs creaked faintly. Evly spirits= abroad. A measured, muffled snore issued from Aunt Polly's chamber. And now0tiresome chirf a cricket that noB human ingenuity locate,Ja. NextUtghastly?Sdeathwatch in' wall at the bed's head made)shudder--it meant somebody's daynumberedU_Bhowl{far-off dog rose o"B airwas answered by a"erKRa remoter dista1Tomin an agony. At las satisfiedtime had ceaieternity begun; Adoze$spite of himself;Jchimed eleven, bu~qdid notq it. Anre came, mingloith his !formed dreams, a most melancholy caterwauling|T rais neighbo)awindow8urbed him. A cry of "Scat! you devil!" aa crashn empty bottle again be back s aunt's woodshed brought;Bwidea single minute laterCdres jand cree8QalongDroof"ell" on all fours. He "meow'd"ocaution once or twicepae wentn jumped *g3Cnce 'ground. Huckleberry Finn was there, with his  dead catboys moved off\disappeareda gloomqthe end alf an hour they were wadi&.tall grass4graveyard. It was a& old-fashioned Western kind. 6on a hill, about a mileathe village< had a crazy board fence aK it, which lean 1warbplacesY1outthe rest oftime, but stood upright nowhere. G and weeds grew rank oveN whole cemetery. AllM2old*spsunken in,Mnot a tombston!; -topped, worm-eaten qs stagg#Aover!s,ing for supportl1finnone. "Sacredmemory of" So-and-Sobeen paintedm#="it no longer have7Sread,5of them, now, even ir7light. A wind mo $reSTom f1t mbe the spiritdcomplaining at beingxtalked littleRrnly undir breath,q[r pervading sol:aemnitysilence oppresse<3ir ay foun sharp new heaprseekingrensconcNAmselQithinprotectionree great elms thatin a bunch?a few feet a. The^ay wait for what seemed a long time hooting of aqant owl2a_sat troubl7stillness. Tom's refldive. He must force som k. So he said whisper: "Hucky, do you believkpeople like iZ us to be here?" HuckleberryZed: "I wisht I knoweE's awful solemnZ, AIN'T it?"7!beAis."ea considerable pause7l\Scanvauis matter inwardlyZn TomQSay, #--  reckon Hoss Williams hearsaalkingO' course he does. Least his sperrit" Tom, after a+A I'du Misterx". But I never meant any harm. Everybody calls hims." "A "n'Foo partic'lar howqatalk 'these-yer , Tom." (R Thisr damperconversadied again. Presentlywaseizedcomrade's arm:!ai: Sh!" "What is it, Tom?" A3 two clung together beating2ts.K CB'tis! Didn'tEhear{a--" "0X! Now"OALord,7're coming! T, sure. What'll we do/I dono. ThinkFll see us!'OhbA cani dark, same as cats. ihadn't comecOh, doafeard. !boIus. We ain't doingl If we keep perfectly still, mayb1y wanotice us at allI'll try toRbut, YI'm all 3ashiver5rListen! boys benir heads and scarcely breathed. A muffled t of voices floated up fromRfar e& the graveyard. "Look! SeFre!"Mg Tom. devil-fire. Cis i." Some vague figures approached throughgloom, swing old-fashioned tin lanternTfreckabground7innumerable little spangles of light. Huckleberrywith a shudder:2thes enough. Three of 'em!ywe're goners! CanBprayNB:8youBThey! gto hurt us. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I--'"8 AHuckHUMANS! On is, anyway.'s old Muff Potter's }aNo--'tqu so, is bet I know it. DYyou stir nor budge. Hc sharpfE to q. DrunkBusual, likely--blamed1ripAll right, .#tstuck. Can't findHere they come 8hot. Col2D Hot(Red hot! stp'inted?time. Say,0"anro' themqs; it's Injun Jo("That's so--that murderin' half-breed! I'd drutherdevils a dern s+ky be up t4The3'wholly out, now, fo^! t men had re!e 12tooyin a few feetboys' hiding-place. "Here it is," 'CsaidoAird ;\the owner of it hel lantern up(qrevealeA fac  young Doctor Robinson. 8 were carrying a handbarrowTQ rope5qa coupldshovels onjTe3astheir load9Abegaopen the Fr. The d1put aDheadR5Qcame and sarwith his backBst othe elm treeswas so closew boys could have touched himurry, men!" Aid, 4low"the moon mightvout at any moment.y growled a responsgwent on digging. For some timr no noise b<grating soun6spades dischargingfreight of m2andQl. Ita very monotonous. Finally aX struck uponHScoffia dull woody accent,4$minute or twoFyhoisted it ou=Aound>y pried ofAlid B, goBQthe brnd dump]rrudely  `drifted from behinqacloudsLSexpospallid face. The P!asQready6the corpse placedP, coverea blanke>bbto its71the#. Atook8a large spring-knifk5cut;dangling e<then said: "Now2cusRing's, Sawbones,you'll jusTwith five, or she stays." "That'shqtalk!" .. "Look<A, wh es this mean?3te. "You requireQr paybdvanceI've pai#Y done more than that,mInjun Joe, approachr Q, who now stand"Five years ago you drove me away~ your father's kitchennight, when I{to ask f@c to eaK3youWa warn'!!re2any goodWswore I'd get eveQyou iuaa hundcgears,  had me jailed for a vagrant. Dta thinkiqforget?,^blood ain't in m1 no. And nowrGOT you1youto SETTLE know!" He was threaten,eqhis fisy ace, by thisa time.b strucrsuddenlstretcheruffian on the grounddropped his exclaimed: "Here, now, don't?hit my pard!"the next moment he had grappled04two wereg' with might and main, trampFthe grassE4earPlir heels. !JoaQfeet, eyes flampassion, snaQ3 up'/went creeping, catlikBstooy About combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once flung himself free, seizheavy headboard of Williams' gravcfelled1 toRearthJit--and iD same instant the half-breed sawNRchanc^j2theb`1hilthe young man's breast. He reeledfell partly upon, floodi 82hisAloud)Stted  dreadful spectacl frightened boys went speeK!indark. Presently>the moon emerged agInjun JoeP was stanRAoverOtwo forms, contemplatm murmured inarticulately, g long gasp or two_u2illKbmutter  THAT score is settled--damn you." Then he robbbody. After which he pSfatal5in ^Qopen mC hantsat dow% dismantled coffin. Three --four--five minutes passeJ4theC began to stirmoan. His hand closedw;aised it, glanced atand let it fall,Ia shudder. )sat up, push body from himLJ gaz]aK&confusedly9met Joe's. "Lord, how is this, Joe?" he said. "It's a dirty business," B Joeout moving. "What diddo it for?" "I! I never done it!"ok here! That kinatalk weswash." d tremb grew white thought I'd got sober.%no to drink to-night. But it's in m* yet--worse'n when we started. I'm all in a muddle; can't recollect anyt!ofhardly. Tell m&e}--HONEST, now, old feller--did IO?zJmeant to--'poAsoulhonor, I t*l. Tell mec1Oh, awful--aU so young\promising."!y,2twocuffling he fetcheone with thegboard anfell flat;k!up`Qcome,nSreelistaggering liket2snarNAjammR intoTwjust as you anotherS clip ere you've laid, as dead as a wedge til now Oh, I didn't know what I+ a-doing. I wish I may dieA if B1. Ion account ofMqwhiskey the excitement, I reckon.AusedRepon life befor. I've fUS, butO;sAy'llsay that.dtell! Say you AtelluR--thamRgood . I always lik</ stood up for you, too. Doyou remember? You WON'TsAWILL3 A/poor creature dropped on his kneesmstolid murderer clasped2Qappeaphands. :A "No)4'vebeen fairSsquarme, Muff Pott`I<go back on you#re:MsXs a man can say2Joere an angel. I'll blesss2forthe longest day I live.> began to cry. "Cbenoughat. This ain't any timeQblubb. You be off yonder wa!goT. Mov3andyleave any tracks behijC." Rstart(a trot that quickly increased to a run. The half-breed Alook!fter him. He muttered: "If he's as much stunnedAlick Xfuddl2rum2 halook of bel3he Z1hinBtillzgone so far heqe afraiBcome\&it to such a place by himself --chicken-heart!" Two 53reeqs later70ad man,blanketed corpseA lidbcoffinthe open grave were u no inspection but the moon' stillness was complete again< CHAPTER X THE two boys flew ono02warvillage, speechles1sq horror*y glancedZ;"ovir shoulders from!to, apprehensively, as iqy fearey might be followed. Every stump Sup in|path seemed'and an enemywmade them catch:qbreath;as they sped by some outlying cottagesUrlay nea=qthe bar>e aroused watch-dogsto give wings toRfeet.d!weqonly ge=+ld tannery before we break down!" whispered Tom, in short es between5ths. "I can'_Qnd it , r." Huckleberry's hard pantwere his1repnzRixed aeyes oR goalHeir hopes94benir work to win it. 1aineadily on itat last,sI1breburst throug 2doofell gratefulexhaustedta shelt shadows beyond. B#bypulses sETom G: "c, what doreckon'll cf this?"&Doctor Robinson dies, I6 hanging>it." "Do youq thoughN Why, I KNOW it, Tom." Tom&t a whileJ n he said: "Who'll tell? WePaat are1talabout? S'poseething happenedqInjun Joe DIDN'T!? he'd kill us@e or other, just as dead sure as we're a lahere." "That's4u1I w !into myself, Huck4If anybodys, let Muff Potter doAif he's fool enough. He's generally drunknqsaid nob--went2. Presently heE,n't know it. How caR" "Wthe reaso 8rBecausee2gotwhack whenQ donet&D' he could see any?$1 he !" "By hokey,uQ's so!" "And besides, look-a-here--maybe3qfor HIM<No, 'taint likelyW . He had liquor in him; IAthat? |he always has. Well,pap's full,Atakebelt himWQ head a church)2youn't phase hi1say wn self. Soq it's t"meU , of course. But if a manJober, I reckon WTfetch)dono." After an reflective silencepLRHucky#an keep mumTom, we GOT toQ. You>c. Thatsdevil w:" myy more of drownding us than a couplAcats!weto squeak 'bout thisthey didn't9Nowu, less swear to one/2--twhat we got to do--0qkeep mu"I'm agreed. I1besQng. W2youhold handU" tn--" "Oh now@q do forgs's goodlittle rubbishy common s--speciwith gals, cuz THEY go back on you anyway,rblab iflget in a huff--bere orter be writing Ra bigBlood." Tom's whole being applauded/ idea. It BdeepAdark q awful;sAhour3 circumstancesasurrouxs, were iAing e picked up a clean pine shingle that 6alay invmoonlight, took a fragment of "red keel" ouhis pocket,kK on his wo painfully scrawl'ese lines, emphasizing each slow down-stroke by clampi&s tongue betweenAeethRQ lettp the pres QCe upW&s. [See next page.] "Huck Finn and Tom SawyersVEwillWaTATheywish They may DropBdown;in TheirTracks if33eve1ellRot." Huckleberrydbfilledadmiration of qfacilit#,  sublimitylanguage. He at once 'pin fromQlapelHwas going to prick!flesh, butNsaid: "Hold on! Do-that. A pin's brassA8have verdigrease on i ""Wbp'isonat it is just swaller somi --you'll see." SoSunwou8bthread!on>his needles,Aboy T balllQthumb+squeezedla drop ofv In time, a/Dmany2!s,managed to9B sig!initials, using the ~inger for a pe3en he showed phow to make an HBan Fthe oathcomplete.Cburi shingle close to the wall,dismal ceremonieslaincantffetters that b#ir8 s were considered to be loFkey thrown away. A figure crept stealthil(ugh a break[other end ofqruined building, nowLdid not notice it. "Tom," whisp, "does this"usEVER telling --ALWAYSOf course it doe]d~y difference WHAT happens, we got toomum. We'd"--QYOU knowYes, I reckso." They continu%time. Presently a dog set up a long, lugubrious howl outside--within ten feetm boys claspesuddenly, in an agon+QfrighWhich of us^ he mean?" gP. "I dono--peepp1ugh crack. Quick!" "No, YOUI can't--I can't DO it, Hu2aPlease1re 'tis againC Oh, lordy, I'm thankful!qrTom. "Ihis voice. It's Bull Harbison." * [* If Mr.  owned a slave named: would have spoken of him as "Dl," but a son 2dog!atZn"]qqgood--I"A you1, I<most sca death; I'd a bet anything it0a STRAY dogA dogu"edl~W ' hearts sank once more.1my!, ain't no'I IA "DO!" Tom, quakingCfear, yieldedput his eytrDHis zwas hardly audible wCaid:Huck, IT S A1DOGb1, qK Who2 "Cqhe must3 us both--we're right together."|R+xgoners.i6ereUmistake 'bout w I'LL go to. I been so wickedmDad fetch it! Thies of playing hookeydoing ever/ a feller's told NOT to dpmax good, like Sid, if I'd a tKried --but no ouldn't, of course. But if|c I get off this time, I lay I'll just WALLER in Sunday-schools!" And Tom began to snuffle a little. "YOU bad!" an7too. "ConsoundTom Sawyer, you'reold pie, 'longside o' what I am. Oh, LORDY  wisht I only had half your chanceom choked!Cand ed: "Looky, look! He's go<BACK to us!" Hucky'2ed,xajoy inh. "Wellhas, by jingoes! Did he before1Yes+2didIa fool, never thoughtis bully, you. NOW who can he mean?" The howling stopped.!pr1 upears. "Sh! What'sV?" he7"Qounds --like hogs grunting. No--it's somebody snoring mTSkW#I bleeve Qdown at 'tother end. so, anyway. Pap used to sleep",Stimesvt$1gs,}laws bless<1he Falifts s'!HEes. Besides,hever coming back to1tbny mor$he spirit of adventure rose in the boys' souls once=1 ", do you das't to go if I leadRadon't to, muchQ, s'pkt's Injun Joe!Kcquailepresentlytemptationup strong again and the boys agreC tryJthe understanding} they would take to their heels if~^#So:ent tiptoeealthily down,=one behi other. Wheo]!goKwithin five steps o!erped on a stick,it brokera sharp snap.man moan]erithedBhis face came int moonlight. It was Muff Potter. T4s had stood still\Vopes too,tved, but)fears passed away nowlypd out, throughjn weather-board!anupped at distance to exchange a parting word. Jlong, lugubriouson the night air!Qurned1saw1strhDdog  a few feewhx%lypFACING ^ his nose poin heavenward. "Oh, geeminy,HIM!" exclaimed both, in a breath. "Say!--31say~ray dog comeing around Johnny Miller's house, 'bout mid2 , as much as two weeks ago;6a whippoorwill coalit onTbanistersBsung|very same eveningU! tYain't anybody deare yet." "Well, I know/. And supF. Didn't Graciec fall Wkitchen fireburn herself terriblUnext SaturdayX2Yes#$shBDEADwhat's more, she's getbetter, tooAll right,Await see. She's a goner, just asSsure  z,)C's wX niggers say:Mall about these kind ings, Huck." T&separated, cogitatingGTom creptt his bedroom windwas almost spent. H!rel"with excessive caution, and fell asleep congratulB himahat noRknew of his escapadenwas not aware3Qthe g-snoring Sid was awake3 , and had been so for an hour. When Tom awoke,=1and1. T late look " lSsense atmospher startled. Why had he not called--persecuted till h~!upusual? The thought filled him bodings. Within five minutesNdown-stairs, feeling sowadrowsy family were sat table, bu finishedQkfastArno voice of rebuke;?!re^ averted eyes;:qsilencean air of solemnitystruck a chill toculprit's hearsat downPtried to seem gayit was up-Nwork; it roused no smile, no response he lapsed into "leyR sinkdepths. AfterHaunt took him asidpb!en| the hop>hMgoing to be floggedinot so. Hs wept overxnd askedhow he could gobreak her olduB so;inally tim to go on:Eruin& and bring her gray hairs w6ith sorrowagrave,A use1her( ry any more. This was wors"1n a^sand whippings4TomA# was sorer now than his body. He cried, he pleadedforgiveness, promised to reforma3and 3gaithen receivus dismissal,  qhad wonYan imperfectcestablut a feeble confidence. He lefQ prestoo miserable to even revengeful toward Sidslatter'spt retreat throughback gat unnecessar_3mopchool gloomy2sad&sing, along+Joe Harper2playing hookeyday before,4the air of one whosewas busy)heavier woeswholly dead to triflessn he bemself toNseat, restelbows omQ desk^his jaws 9cs handqstared ]be wallthe stony "IAuffekIas reachea limitocan no furtDo. HNpressing st some hard substance. !a time he slowlPdly cRChangtpositioook up this object a sigh. Iin a paperunrolled it. A~a, ling, colossal sigh followeS]eart brokec"raWiron knob! Tinal fea/:`camel's back. CHAPTER XI CLOSE upon,hour of nowhole villag$ suddenly electrified withA ghastly news. No need of.as yet undreamed-of telegraph; the tale flew from man to man,group to house to , little less9jic speed. Of cou"e master gave holiday forafternoon;town would have thought strangely of him if2not. A gory knifbeen found clobmurderedeand it1 recognized bybody as belonging to Muff Potter--story ran. AVwas said belated citizenvBcome.O washing SiH"branch" about one or two o'clock)qmorningZYhad at once sneakGf--suspicious circums, especiallX which was not ba habi`Valso "owransackedCis " r" (the public are not slowAatte_!sifting evidence and arriving at a verdict), butAhe clbnot be/. Horsemdeparted down allFAroadevery direc he Sheriff "was confident"y3 hebe captured before nighkSas drRtowarfgraveyard. Tom'break vanished he joine7qprocessecause Qnot a~sand times r go anywhere elseQC(an awful, unaccountable fascination drew him on. Arrivethe dreadful place,+#rmJasmall qthroughBcrow1sawdismal spectacleseemed to}an age sincAas t. Somebody pinch1armHturn`eyes met Huckleberry's. Then both looked4>B wonaif any!ha!ic!ytir mutual glance. But;was talk r intentlthe grisly " them. "Poor fellow!" "P;oor youngThis ought to be a lesson to  robbers!" "Muff"'ll hang if they catch him!" This ift of remark; he minister said, "It*a judgment; His hand is here." Now Tom shivered from hea!Aeel;> stolid face of Injun Joe. AtRmomenbegan to sway struggle, and voices shoute!'s % i he's coming himself!" "Who? Who?"ctwentyT8. }1bHallo,Pstopped!--Look outturning! Don't let:get away!" Peoplebranches o trees overQd saiwasn't trying toY--he only 4doubtful7 perplexed. "Infernal impu"!"aa bystander; "want2com take a quieti' at his work, I reckon--didn't expect any company." Tfell apart, now Dcame , ostentatiously leading!1 byarm. The p1's xwas haggardlDwfear thaupon him. When od before the )AmurdAman,"hook as with a palsyqBe pu4qface in@Qhandsburst into tears Pdo it, friends,"mobbed; "'pon my wordKhonor I never done it.'s accused you?"F" a1. shot seemecarry home.xRlifteKe1anded around thetic hopelessness eyes. He saw!exclaimed: "Oh,  you promised me you'd--" "Isyour knife?"#ithrust beforeMSheriff. Potter would have fallenhad not ca1himb1easm to the gO!aibSomethle't if AbackXaget--"-1hud; then wavras nerveT handvanquished gestur Tell 'em, Joe, tell 'em--it ain'1use"moThen Huckleberry,tood dumbstaring, Ahear stony-hearted liar reel offserene statement,_ing every A!at clear skydeliver God's lightningspbwonderp see ho+aw longZ stroke was delayed. And wrhad finfand stillBalivtQwhole!irqimpulse to break Aoath8Asavepoor betrayed prisonerbfe fad}4 vaway, for plainly this miscreant had solself to Satan and itIbe fatal to meddle]the property of such a power at. "Whyyou leave? What didrwant to here for?" somebody saidcouldn't help it--$," moaned. "I wanted to runGbut ?EseemAanywbut here."he fell to ing again. Injun Joe repea)just as calmly, a few minutes afterward oninquest, unde;the boys, see Cwerewithheld,confirmed iiir beliefHOJoe the devilwas now become,!m most balefully interesting objecHCeverDR upon0 not takir fascin^eyes from9#faey inwardly resolv watch him nights, whT en opportunity should offer, hope of geta glimpshis dread masterBhelp|Arais body ofmurdered mv put it in a wagonrremoval!itQwhisp<bthrougRshuddZdcrowd  wound bled a little! Tys thoughtthis happy circumstanceturn suspicion$right direction; buwere disappointedmore than one villagearked: "I1ithree feet of MuffGit done it." Tom's fearful secret and gnawing conscience disturbed his sleep for as ms a week G1at Afastmorning Sid saiATom,pitch arand talk in yourxrso muchyou keep me awake hal9Ctimer blanchc droppAeyes6t's a bad sign," Aunt Polly, gravely. "you got o mind, Tom?" "Nothing.  't I know of." B boy's hrhook sohe spillcoffee. "An"doTustuff,"U. "Last ns1you, 'It's blood, it's blood, that3b's wha]Ss!' Y7Aoverover. And XDon't torment me so--I'll tell!' Tell WHAT? ?is it you$?" Every9swimming before Tom. There is no\2ingmight haveened, now,hqluckilySconcern passed ou/q's faceshe came to 2areliefs1outing it. Shei: "Sho! It's `3ful1. IRm abomost every myself. Sometimes4#meZAMary she had been affected8e same way.2eemed satisfied. Tomthe pres as quick as he plausibly could, andat he complained of toothache7,ltied up his jaws. He never knewcSid la0ly watchingO frequently slithe bandage frethen lean his elbow listea good while at a timegOwardf back to its plVAgainc!'sYress of mind wore off gradually and the9grew irksom!waKcarded. If!re@managed to make #andBjoin'tterings, he kepato him It seemedhis schoolmateswould geholding inquests on dead catsTthus keepingdtroublbs mindrnoticed4Tom{as coroner at one hese inquiries, though it5his habilAtake;lead in all new enterprises; hel, too,aas a witness--anwas strange;RSid d overlookFfact[even showed a marked aversion to$es`always avoid5em when he UmarvelledD"sahing. However,went out of vogu0BlastBceas5Rtortu's conscience. day or two, during this{ of sorrow, Tom!ed;opportunit<  little grated jail-windowssmuggled such small comforts thr%J"murderer" 8 get hold ofQ jaila triflingbrick denBstoo] marsh atSedge cvillagzno guards were afforded for it;8 indeed, i^eldom occupiedbse off greatly helpBease  T!rs4a strong desireyGar-and-feather Injun Joe and ride him on a rail, for body-snatching, but so formidableMhis character?cnobodybe found who11wil{ 1 inematter, so/ dropped. Hebeen careful to begin both of hisQest-statements with`afight,out confesse grave-robberypreceded it; therefore|wisest not to t<Ae caxrcourts Q sent. CHAPTER XII ONE reasons whyQ minddrifted away from its secret Ss wasLa-Sightyp to interest itself about. Becky Thatcher!stA com9ol. Tom had stryQhis pia few daya"ri"whistle her dowq wind,"|CfailAbegaSf  hanging arqQher f's house, nigh{1feevery miserable. Sheill. What if she should die! Ther'distraction=qthoughtqno longbdok an g in war, nor even in piracy. The charm of liflCgone was nothingdreariness lef}put his hoop0Q, andQbat; cno joym any more. His aun concerned& try all manner of remedies on him0rwas one ose people who are infatuat6patent medicines*all new-fangled methods of producing health or mending itan inveterate experimenter in tYs. When someb fresh'is line came out s9n a fever, right{qit; notberselfp?never ailing, bu*1anyUBelsewWhandy subscriber forathe "H" periodicalNphrenological frauds;hthe solemn ignorance they were inflwas breath tonostrils. A "rot" they containedd ventilationow to godqet up, hat to eat$Rdrinkhow much exercis!ke 2!frfgto keep one's in, and what sort of clto wear,Lall gospel hobservedBher -journals"ae curr onth customarily upset everyXhad recommend`e<1befSas simple-heartedhonest as the dayClongoan easy vict!gaQd together her quackyd thus armed with death, went.!onX4pale horse, metaphorically speaking, with "hell following after." Bqsuspect7ad an angel of[E$1balGilead in disguise he suffering neighbors. Tter treatmeenew, nowTom's low conditiona windfaleqhad himqat daylAevernstood him upe woodsh adrowne#D a delugBcoldn she scrubb3Ddown8towel like a filwa so br(!tonaCrollJAa we!etymY under blankets tillFQsweatGs soul clean@"the yellow stainsiV through his pores"--as Tom said. Yet notwithstand ll this, the boy grew moret melancholy andqand dej|added hot baths, sitz ShowerFlunges. Tyremained as dismal as a hearsedbegan to assistslim oatmeal dizblister-plastersMu calculncapacity aswould a jug's(fi q3ith3cure-all-om had become indifferent to persecu!by time. TShase rthe old lady'stvconsternation;ice must be broken up at any cost. Now heard of Pain-killer forcbfirst She ordered a lot at onctasted iCwas gratitude. Ity fire in a liquid formmQdropp {8andP3els1pin er faith toZQ gave!a teaspoonfulSwatchdeepest anxiety result. Houbles westantly at rest,at peace again; i""!*Pcould? not have shown a wilder,ier intey"ifad built arunder himfelt that itime to wake up;5sort of life might be romantic enough, in his blighted condition, bucgetting to too little sentitoo much distrac61varabout it. So he thought over various plansqrelief,finally hit ponof professlbe fon#. He aske it so ofteGhe became a nuisanchis aunt ended by telling him elp himself2quit bother'er. If iteen Sid, had no misgivings to alloy!de;Tsince3TomM athe boclandestinelyNb found=the medicine did rebdiminish, 1didRoccurrC1boy"metlth of a crack insitting-room floor!it. One day TomR4!ac"do2he S2wheaunt's yellow cat long, purring, ey%%heH avariciouslygqbegginga(.said: "Don't askit unles; s you want it, Peter." But signifie}hs2 . "You better make sure." L "Now you'vI'll giv!to you, because there ain't anything mean"meb!ifAfind dAlikeyou mustn't bl8anybodyyour own selfagreeableTom prieg mouth open and poured dow: Pain-killer.Sprang a couple of yard9"ir then delivered a war-whoopkset off r3and the room, banagainst furniture, upsflower-potsw making general havoc. Nexbrose o}hind feeCpranced aa frenzy of enjoyment,<his headFhis shoulder$his voice proclaiming his unappeasable happiness. TYe went tea?ahouse  spreading chaosrdestruction^path. Aunt Polly edime to seeVhrow a few double summersets, 2naly hurrah,AsailG1ughopen window, carr 1res^Gthe Zm old lady *stood petrwith astonishA pee1 over her glasses; Tom lay o floor expi0K;laughter. "Tom, what on earth ails that cat?" "I don't know, aunt," gaspie boy. "Why, I neveri. What diaact sogZDeed l; cats always6A whey're having a good." "They do, do they?" There2omeiIR tonemade Tom apprehensiveD1es'at is, I believAy dowaYou DO1" The old lady1benQdown,watchingwist emphasized by anxiety. Too latevined her "drift.R handthe telltale teaspoonvisible undered-valanceUAtookheld it up.RincedSdropptIeyesBAraism by the usu ndle--his ear--and crack.ssoundly=AimblNow, sir"diZto treatpoor dumb beast so, for!oupity for him--Zdn't anyH!--you numskullPhas t2ahat go"doiqHeaps. Because if he'd had one s a burnt him out herself! Sc roast;abowels(!of3R'thoumore feeling thanra human!"  felt a sudden pang of remorse. This>BputtU!e h in a new light;|was cruelty to a cat MIGHT beboy, too. She began to soften; shesorry. Her eyes watered a little, and/p<' on Tom'l#aid gently: "Iqmeaning-!stQ. And , it DID do youA." ooked up inBfacejust a percepttwinkle peeping through his gravity.Aknowlbaunty,oIx!PeIt done HIM!, lhim get around so since--" "Oh, go 'lon3youabeforeaggravate me again. AnB tryeyou can't be aA boyR onceqyou nee|Utake medicine}reached school ahead of2" IQnotic2is strange been occur\ every day latterly. And n,ow, as usual of late, he hung about the gate#heyard instTplayiYhis comrades. Hesick, he said$hep!it(Qtried5eem to b" where but whither he reallye-a--downroad. Pres) Jeff Thatc>ove in sighte ed; he gazed a momen+then turned sorrowfully away. Whenobarrive}S acco!m;O!"lrq" warilhopportunitiesbremarkq Becky,iddy lad Bcoulait. Tom w= Q, hophenever a friskDrock cam$$ha< owner of it as soon aswight one. At lastebs ceasbappear he dropped hopelessly intoOQdumps!enE the emptyQhousefBsat o suffer. Then onehrock passed in `heart gavreat boundO next instant#ou10"going on" like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jum2ovefence at risk"iflimb, throwing haJndsprings, stand1 hiAd--d1allWheroic thingQ conceive of1keea furtive eyeKawhile,tRee ificing. But3Bseem be unconscioushQ all;(looked. Cit be possible thaTjR awar there? He carhis exploits to her immediate vicinity; war-whoGaround, snl boy's cap, hurleroof of the q, brokeugh a group of tumbling them in every directionfell spraw[himself, under F's nose, almost upsetting her--andja, with1nosfthe aiheard her say: "Mf! some peop!ink they're mighty smart--always showing off!" vcheeks bn-!gad2 up1neaked off, crushed and crestfallen. CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mindJmade up nownwas gloomyedesperate a forsaken, friendless boy,id; nobody loved him; wDhey found o{ y had driven him to, perhap1y wbe sorry;3 he had tto do rightget along, butuArnot letsince nob"doj8rid of him,;w1so;k!le`m blame HIM for] consequences--why shouldn'3sy? What1hadQto complain? Yes,had forcX to it at last: he lead a life of crime. Ther no choice. By this time h far down Meadow Lanemthe bell to "take up" tinkled faintly up1earFsobbed, now2+2he !,R hearold familiar sound any more--itBhard0vcout incold world, he must submit--but he forgave.X"Asobs.a thickfast. JuskApoinHms soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper --hard-eyedQevidefba greadismal purprt. Plainly ere "twosbut a single thought." Tom, wiping 9#ye1leeve, began<lubber outgabout a resolutio, escape from hard usage and lack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad Fto returnended by hoping`3Joe1notRm. BLtranspired2was a request whichhad just been gohQo makNand had come to hun1 up_Dthat. His mother5Swhippfor drinkingnc cream. q tastedTknew #; IRplainst Cwishto go; if she felt<1wayvfor him but succumb;AopedIbe happy0 regret having driven her poor boyxbunfeel!rl3asufferdie. Astwo boys walked sorrowgTthey made a newact to stand by each Ae brsq separate till death relievaem of their troubleskyj3lay'qplans.  being a hermitCliving on crusts inmote cavr dying,OQtime,J"ol=2wannagrief;kafter listen 1cedare were someU conspicuous advantagesa a lif5!crcand soVQsente-be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at a point wthe Mississippi RiverJa trifle over aWQ wide"a !narrow, wooded island, with a shallow bar A heaYthis offered well as a rendezvous. Inot inhabitedrlay faratowardfurther shore, abreast a dense and almoolly unpeopled forest. So Jackson's Ichosen. Who werbNsubjectsspiracie8c matte"di{occur to them!huup Huckleberry Finnqhe joine em promptly, for all careers!onhim; he was indifferentxy presentlykBmeet@lonely spot on the river-bank two,vtvillagefavorite hour--Armidnighcsmall log rafIv1eancapture. EachJring hookRlines<such provision as he could steal e most dark3 mysterious way--as became outlaws. And before tGhe afternoon;2donCQy hadRmanagQenjoy sweet glory of spreadingfact that pretty soonCtown"hear something." All who gotrqvague here cautioO o "be mum and wait." About Tom arrivedboiled ha9c a fewK1s, topped inundergrowth onQbluffClook meeting-placestarlightvery stillr mighty lay like an ocean at Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbuR quien he gave a low,)inct whistlAanswBfromH3 d twice more; these signalK same way n a guarded voice said: "Wes there?" "Tom Sawyer Black Avenger of`Spanish Main. Name your names." "Huck Finn0Red-HandedJoe Harpve Terro]eas." Tom had furnishhse titles,56hisIaliteraq "'TisEC. Gi countersign." Two hoarsepers delivAthe H awful word simultaneously torooding night: "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumb!is#ov and let himself down4 it, tearing both skin1clothes to some extentb efforre was an easy, comfortable path aloUCshorrit lack advantages of difficulty!da/so valued by a pirate. brought a side of bacon8,}Tworn -2outygetting it.gstolen a skilleta quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco4lso corn-cobmake pipes1. B@n3thes smoked or "chewed"k said it would never do2tar"2out+fire. Thata wise th}; matche]hardly know"recCat dcy saw a fire smoulde!upgreat raft a hundred yards aboveU they went stealthily thitherBhelpRmselvqa chunk' y made an imposing adventurvit, saying, "Hist!" e&1nowc2them suddenly halVwith fingeQr on lip; moving hands on imaginary dagger-hilts;`!gi1 orders in dismal whispersX if "the foe" stirred, to "%Q haveo/hilt," because "dead men tell no tales." They knew well enoughu1thesmen were all village lC in stores or hara spree2Rstill]was no excuse for their conduc`qthis thqn an un2ical way9 y shoved off, presently,fin command, HuckJoar and Joeforward.>stood amidships, gloomy-browedwith folded armsAgavea low, stern: "Luff5b"4herwind!" "Aye-aye, siraSteadyNAady-f it is/Let her go off a point1[Point0!AsDboys steadilymonotonously drove)toward mid-stream i doubt underTTthese"`given only for "style,"|! not intended to mean any&+particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'lflying-jib?." "Send the 0Fr'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye --foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, nowAhakeb,maintogala@aSheetsbraces! NOW my hearties 9Hellum-a-lee--hardrt! Stand byX2Bwhen;omes! Port, 1 NOW, men! With a will! Stead T7 drew beyond the middle ofariver; ed her head right?then lay onLtoars. THtt high, so more than a two ree mile current. Hardly a word was said duthe next; -quarters of an hour. Now8was passing befe distanWHn. Taglimmenlights showed wher lay, peacefully sleeping,j"vague vast sweep of star-gemmed water, unconsciouthe tremendous evenwas happening. The Black Avenger 7 7"looking7last" upon the scenhis former joyhis later suffwishing "she" could see him now, abroad1 wild sea, #facing perildadeath dauntlessj, going toQdoom (a grim s=!onrlips. I,but a small strain'imagination to remove Jackson's Island 6teyeshot3rvillageRso he["edZq brokensatisfied7other pirates were blast, too;Ethey all&eBlongcame near lett93he \Q drif)m1angQthe iA. Bu)y discovered+!dalcin timqmade sh\o avert it. About'clock ipCmornugrounde+1bar8hundred yards abovewaded back5forth until had landir freight. ParRlittlD's belongings consistean old sail"isgspread over a nook i:a busheiA a to shelter[provisions; bthemselves wmDleepVqopen aigood weather, as beoutlaws.!y built a fire againsA sida great log twentyirty stepssombre depths of 8the forestDen cme baconfrying-pan for suppnd used up halfcorn "pone" stockwhad brouIt seemed glorious sport to be feas%at wild, free waycvirginunexploredninhabited island, far from the haunts of menSy saiRnevera retur civilization. The climbingclit up6Qfaces threw its ruddy glare upopillared tree-trunkv temple, and:varnished foliageoafestoovines. Whellast crisp slice of swas gonF,qallowan* pone devoured,Pboys stretche=Cout grass, filledcontentmentO1y cK have found a cooler place, uynot den such a romantic feature a 2 roh camp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" !JoIt's NUTS!Tom. "What"Aay isee us?" "Say? Well5y'd just diehere--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so,Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm sui ted. I don't want nothing better'n this$get enough to eat, gen'ally--and herecan't comopick at a fellerbullyrag him so.2t's^1ife[$meX3Youto get up, morningsy(o to school$Bwash 2allVblame foolishness. You see a piratedo ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashora hermit HE haspraying considerabld" tFnaany fuyway, all by himselfA wayPqOh yes,''s Joe, "but I hadn't th! mbout it, you know. I'd a good deal rather bQ, nowm I've tried itC, "peoplN"go}#on'sQ!adlike they^to in old times 's always respected. And a Q's goWTsleeprhardestJ he can find"put sackclothashes on his hea)astand Cn1raibd--" does he put V for?" inquire.dono. Bu2y've GOT to do iAt. Hp!do%'d:do that if you was aDern'd if I wouldWell, what G1do??an't do%`Why, Huck, yHAVE to. How'Nget around itY6I+3n'tv"itTrun a R "! you WOULDAniceLslouch of! Ybe a disgrace." The Red-Handed made noqonse, beR employed. He had finished gouging.Ra cobl(now he fitted a weed stem to it, loaded it with tobacco=was pressing a coal toRchargAblow! cloud of fragrant smoke--hefull bloom of luxurious contentment. The o+s envied himW majestic vicsecretly resolvacquire it shortly. Presently4i said:Quu?" Tom,2Oh,#bjust aK--take ships1burm\get the money!y it in awful?6ir island w!re's ghostb|s to watchand kill everybodyL--make 'em walk a plank." "AndQcarryTwomenJoe; "they don'tv5RNo," assented Tom,2g --they're too noble. AndT'beautiful, too.Awear[bulliest clothes! Oh no! All goldsilver and di'monds,+enthusiasm.;1o?"Sy#M." Huck scannRs owning forlornly. "I reckon I ain't dressedsn for a\ha regretHAathoHhis voice; "butZgot none bu1rse." B boys tolbe fine#escome fast enough, afte{y should0Dbeguadventures. Theyhim under^his poor ragsdo to begin, though itucustomary for wealthy7-Cstar a proper wardrobe. Graduallir talk diedknd drowsiness bega!steal upo eyelids oflittle waif pipe dropped from(dfinger7 (qhe slepd sleepaconscience-frethe weary#. The Terror1ASeasthe Black Avenge"panish Main had more difficulty in getting tojQy saiYir prayers inwardlylying down, since therednobodyith authority to mak.qm kneelrecite aloud; in truey had a mind not to sa_m at all,y were afr o proceed to such lengths asQ, lesy might call a suddenspecial thAboltq heaven6cn at o y reacheuhovered^ imminent verge of~--but an intruder came, now, thatnot "down." I5 @yfe vague fWahad been doing wro run away; and nex0tstolen meatthen the real torture2triargue itg by remindingpurloined sweetmeatapples scores of times;t~ appeased by thin plausibilities; it seemQthem,che end RBarou stubborn factWakingP was Nonly "hooking," while,Bbaco2hamvaluables plain simple stealing--aa command again$atBible. So z resolvedso long as 'Arema business, their piracies sh~ be sullied.the crime ofh. Thengranted a truce"se curiously inconsistent pirates fell peacefullyleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke!morning, he wondQwhereas. He sat up and rubbed his eyeclooked'n he comprehended. the cool gray dawndelicious sens<arepose" ideep pervading calm%asilenc;t ods. Not a leaf stirred; ns!ob'd upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdrops stoo6the leavgrasses. A white laysashes cPsthe fira thin blue breath of smoke rose stra"in air. Joe and Huck still slept. Now, farq a bird1ed; another answered; presentlyhammering of ;a woodpeckerheard. Gradua bol dim!ofH|2ned Eas g<s multipW and life manifested itselfy marvel of shaking off going to work unfoldJ Smusing boy. A little green worm came crawlaver a dewyca, liftgwo-thirds of;Ibody from time}"im"sniffing]," then proceey--for he was measurqTom saiapproachm, of its own accord, h#asLas a stone,his hopes ri,and falling, by turns, A creNO!caward him or seemed inclto go else;when at last itJia painful momentits curvedz1airPSdecisively downTom's le began a journeyAhis whole heartBgladQmeantu2 he! have a new suit of clothes--without shadow of a doubt a gaudytical uniform. Now a.Qssion7nts appeared,y!no_ in particularpwent abfir labors; one struggled manfully byta dead spider fives as big as1 inyaarms, 3ugged it straight up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bug climbe dizzy heCof a grass bladeTom bentclose to itsaid, "L],g, fly away home, your house is on fire, children's alone,"]he took win\Q wentto see about it --which did not surpriseRboy, A kne1oldg this insec credulous]conflagrationd he had practisedits simplicity more than once. A tumblebugLnext, heaving sturdily at its ballnTom touch%,Qit shssH1odyGpretend to be|birds were fairly riotyA timcatbird,UNorthern mocker, lit inhead, and trilled out her imitXer neighborsKrapture of enjoyment;a shrill jay swep, a flash of blue flam stopped on a twig almosiboy's reach, cockedhead to Hone sideT#eystrangersconsuming curiosity;_y squirrel and aQfellothe "fox" kind*askurrylong, sit up at intervals to inspecchatter s #the wild things had probably never seen a human beBeforscarcelyPwhether to be afraid or not. All NaQwas w<3wakItirring, now; long lances of sunlrpiercedqthroughdense foliage farBnearsa few butterfliesR!fl2ingthe scene. Tomfoqpiratesbthey all cld"edwith a shoutminute or twomAstrisf1nd -2ingJCeach1sha3limpid water@white sandbary felt nob1ing the little village sleepingg distance beyo majestic waste of~. A vagrant currRr a sWa riverErcarried@qraft, bP+1ly "fin m, since its going was some like burningbridge betweem civilization. They came ba3ck to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted ravenous;]#Asoon1theN-fire blaz} again. Huck found a sprf clear colclose byroys made cup7 broad oak or hickory leaves7 Bthat, sweetenedsuch a wildwoorm as that, would be a good ensubstitute^coffee. While Joe1licMAacon(breakfast, To asked him to hold oK;_!teDto a promiGCnookkQ-bankpSthrew ir lines; almost immediately`had reward.rhad notime to get impatient%were back some handsome bass, a couplLsun-perchEAa smgatfish--provisions wfor quite a family. fYthe fish~!th"on were astonished;"no1Dhad med so deliciousj"diAknow$ the quicker a 4-%he is caught!beTreflected upon what a sauce open-air%, exercise, bath+2ing a large ingredient of hunger make, too. \lay aroundLs shade,w"haCoke,en went off thrHthe woodsqn exploexpeditiony tramped gayly alover decaying logs,\angled underbrush, among solemn monarchH;aorest,  from their crowns to the g a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now+Qcame 2snus carpetQgrass7TjeweltflowersC plenty of thing!be$ghR, but no#X to b 2 ate discoveredaislandabout three miles longa quarter ofQle wi'ashore it lay st to was only separated%it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards widetook a swimevery hour, so it the midd#thnoon whe!Ry got6ptoo hungry to stop tdthey fared sumptuously~1ham 1rew themselves downalk. But the tPalk soon began to draVdied. The stillnes7e2itybrooded iense of loneliFsBtellthe spiritjAboysay fellhinking. A sort offined longing creptWrm. Thisdim shape, presently--budding homesickness. Even Fin Red-Hande dreaming of his doorstepsempty hogsheads. Ball ashamedqeir weayC none was brave enqo speaksthought. For some time, now, boys had been dully consciouna peculiar sdistance, just ~ecqtimes i>the ticka clock which he takes no distinccBe ofnow this myster became more pronounced,forced a recogn boys started, glan)t each otherCQassumN listening attitude. TheracQ sile2pro_and unbroken;Ya deep, sullen boom floating!oun. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe,rbreath. "I wonder," said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thu+Huckleberry, in an awed tone, "becuz4--" "Hark!iA. "L7A--doaalk." They wait[Btime21seenWn age]uffled boom trouble|A husLet's go5seevbsprang3eir feet%Qhurrishore towaraAtown1y pC'bushes oAbankMbpeered1ver+Qwater little steam ferryboakabout a mile belae villdrifting withXcurrent. Her broad deckMAcrowith peoplere were a great many skiffs row&orurstream  neighborhoo2, bcould not determine what the menTm1 doP !jewhite smoke burst fromc's sidPas it expand rose lazy cloud, that same throb of zCorneJ ers again{know nowTom; "somebody's drownded!" "ThqHuck; "3don*last summer, when Bill Turner got drownded; ;shoot a cannonkkes him come uptop. Yes,ey take loaves of breaRput quicksilver in 'em2set TMSwherere's anybody!,A'll = right tand stop." "I've heardSthat,VJoe. "I wonder2the1 doRtOh, it (#, so muchW I reckon it's mostly whaRy SAYait befhhey start it ouu#Bu2>say anythingAyqHuck. "5seep @SQWell,'s funnyBBut maybSay itmselves. Of COURSE%Rdo. A! m<The otherAagre=re was reaso(Tom said, because an ignorant lumpq, uninstructed by an incantation,rqbe expe) to act very intelligentlyOqset upoQerransuch gravity. "By jings, I wish I^tre, nowc2Joecdo tooHuck "I'd giRps toEwho it is boys stillsd and waUtched. Pres a revealing thought flashrough Tom's mind,he exclaimed: "Boys, I--it's us!y felt like heroes i?instant. Ha gorgeous triumph;K were missed qourned;"tsQbreak n their account; tear& eing shed; accusing memoriunkindnesuthese poor lost ladI!ri;"up)unavailing regrets@sremorseeing indulgnd best of ae departed3 the talk of the whole townwthe envyC$bas far as this dazznotoriety was concerned. Thisfine. It worth while to be a pirate, after all. As twilqdrew on ferryboat went back to heustomed busitskiffs disappeare|Qs ret to camp. T1jubilant with vanity oQir new grandeurthe illustrious troubl~ym[e caught fish, cooked suppeNate it, n fell to gues5"atbthe villagAthinaying abou*%m;pictures theyCo public distress  qgratify o look upon--from=Apoinview. But whenbshadows of nAclosFBem iy gradually ceaqo talk,sat gazing intoXRfire,minds evid wandering elsewhere excitemengone, nowl1TomtJoe could not keepcertain persons at homz=not enjo?"hi1 frolic as muchx. Misgivings camec grew ldunhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By1by Joe timidly ventured a roundB"feeler"Qo howsothers m # aa_ivilization--not r._but-- Tomrered hi  derision! Huck, uncommitted as yet, joined inFB Tom averer quickly "explained,"was gladdQet outhe scrapeUas little tachicken-hethomesickness cling$his garments as he I. Mutiny,beffectlaid to rest formcmoment.#he=deepened,& began to no`presenatly to snore. Joe followed next. Tom layhis elbow motionless,1som1e, watchingqtwo inti. At last he got up cautiously, aknees, and went searQ3amoWQgrassthe flickreflections flung bycamp-fire. He pickDinspected several large semi-cylinderthe thin white bark of a sycamorea1finchose two which seemeR suit him. Then he knelt Afirepainfully wrote somet^upon eachs his "red keel"; one he rollY put in his jacket pocket4 he+Joe's hat and removed it to adistance  owner. And he alsoQE hatschoolboy treasuret almost inestimable value--m a lump of ch India-rubber ball, three fishhooks2oneD%at kind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal."tiptoed his way trees till he felt that hedrhearingstraightway brokea keen run i@2dire sandbar. /CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later4wasLqshoal wbar, wading towar(Illinois shCaBeforesdepth reacha middlwas half-way over;3 current would permit no more}, now, so he struck out confidi1wimSremaining hundred yardsswam quart>upstream, but swas swept downrather faster than Bd exI. However,|Dhore!drifted along uhe found a low placdrew himself output his handF Nhis piec3safSthen Pthrough the woodDllowr, with 3#ing garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came oto an openroppositBbvillagA sawferryboat lyingdshadowi high bank. EveryBwas quiet unde blinking star%$crGbank1alleyes, slippedCater, swamor four strokXclimb7Rskiff did "yawl" duty atoat's stern. He l5aidGdownbthwartlwaited, panting. Pres=he cracked bell taavoice gave)!or:o "cast off." A]s or twockiff's headZAtandigh up, againsb swell,the voyagCq begun. felt happy in his succesr he knew itx> last trip fonight. Ataend ofng twelvcifteenSwheels stoppedDTom overboarNaLsdusk, lRfiftyR downk,<rof dangpossible stragglers. He flewY unfrequenlBleyss$]aT aunt's back fenceroRapprothe "ell," and look" asitting-room window,xba lighCburnjre. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, MaryJoe Harper's mother, grouped toge talkingUy were byb 'between themthe doortSwent Adoor#began to softly lifQlatchn he pressed gwHyielded a;6ontinued pus:hing cautiouslRquaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through on his knees; so he put hi), warily. "What makcandle blow so?" said I hurried up. "Why, that door's open, I believe. "of course it is. No strange things now. Go 'longqshut itF." Tom disappeared6bed just"im"la"breathed" 7Qfor a*then crep)whe could almost touchnfoot. "But as I}saying,B, "he warn't BAD, so ay --only mischEEvous. OnlyCgidd;harum-scarum, you k63He Zany more respono than a colt. HE never mean1Aharm best-hearted boy:was"--and sheJ!cr[Iso with my Joe--always full ofdevilmentr up to "kiief, but `as unselfis3bas he "belaws bless me,Rink Iand whippet ccream,:once recollecting  $Iwed it out myself becauwas sour,IPto see him againhis worldv!,  poor abus !" And Mrs. Harper sobbeqif her  would break. "I hope Tom's better off$isSid, "butQ'd been 5in some ways--" "SID!" Tom felt the glare of old lady's eye, thynot see it. "Not a word%st my Tom, now he's gone! God'll take ctQHIM--F< trouble YOURself, sir! Oh,G , I don't know how to giv4up!!!"Heuch a comforjltormented my oldM!of'most." "The LordttAhathn away--Bles+e{name of 1! But it'sKard--Oh,! last Saturday my Joe busted a firecracker rightsmy noseRknockk sprawling. Little di$qw then,TCsoonfKto do over 9rI'd hugK#ndi9eYes, yjP1howJfeelP I kn=' exactly/ . No longer ago than yeste(Snoon, took and fillecat full of Pain-kille*did thinkccreturAtearhouse down. qGod forbme, I dhead with my thimbleY3boy dead boy."ball his HRs nowy2the'words I evd1sayto reproach22ButTmemor$o much fo6Dshe broke entirely 1Tomdsnuffling(, himself--and more in pity of anybody else. He c:hear Mary cryXand putting in a kindlyA forfrom time toSbegan to have a nobler opinion PHbefore. Still, h]fficiently touched by his aunt's grief t to rush]Bundec7 nd overwhelm her with joy;!thJatrical gorgeousnessthing appealed strong his nature, too, but he resiJnd lay still. He went on listenzbgatherAodds;Bends+ conjectured at first!the boys had got dr"owned while tak swim; thenmsmall raft had been missed; next, certain]!sae missing ladsapromisvillage shq"rAsomeQq" soon;twise-heK$"pA3andogether"Sdecidk gone off on9Qand wturn up next town below, pres|;toward noOe(found, lodged againe Missouri shore some five or six miles t+ n hope perished'y must be dr,1 huhave drivm home by nightfall if not sooner. It wa3ievU the searRbodie&a fruitless effort merely becausX 2ingoccurred in mid-channel, sinc6l, being good swimmers,otherwiserescaped tora. ThisWednesday A. Ifscontinued until Sunday,3opexAbe g\$ovthe funerals&Q prea:at morning shuddered. Mrs. Harper g?Dsobb-Bturngo. Then with Ia mutual impuly two bereaved women flung themselves into each Pb's armvQhad a|, consoling cry,*hen parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyond her wont, in ato SidUMary. Sid snuffled a biMary wentcrying wither heart. knelt downaprayed for Tom so touchingly, so appeal6ith such measureDloveCword3er old tremb/bvoice,!heweltering in tears 9, long bef1"heKhrough. Heto keep still3after sheqto bed,she kept m broken-) ed ejaculations from time toB, tounrestfull1 tu over. But at last"as, only moan|Tlittl: sleep. N"boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shae candle-lighthis hand, stood regarding her. His1full of pity:$e took out his sycamQcroll]placed itbto himhe lingeredd!ida face ed with a9 happy solution ofthought; he put(ark hastily in(pocket. Then L!ntakissed=f[Alips straightway madeNstealthy exit, latIAdoor behind himAthreYhis way backmhe ferry landing, found nobody\rge there walked boldly on boarBboatthe knewq tenantbexceptWa watchman, who always turned iE slept like a graven image. He untiGbskiff a stern, slipped z$its soon rowfautiously upstream. Whad pulled a mile aboveFvillage, qS quarrRacroshimself stoutlyas work"hi1 onf, side neatlyn! t<as a familiar!ofR^mYrwas movacaptur 3b, arguLqat it m%be&Ashipfore legitimate prea pirate, bu a thorough search would be Cfor z!enCreve8B. Sooepped ashore and entthe woods'sa`arest, torJdturing meanwhile to keep awak Ethenwarily dowhome-stretch! nJwas far spent. Ibroad dayl%before hefairly abreas! island barrested againl1sun bwell uBgilde great river with its splendor*he plunged into\&A little latepaused, dripp]#upthreshold ofFAcampi heard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck0 he'll come bac?won't desert. He knowstm a disgrac4andpoo proudfaat sorXthing. He's up to some2 or. Now I wonder what?" "Well,0s is ouryway, ain'y1Pretty nearKrnot yet_writing s7hey are if heO 1herbreakfast.hich he is!" exclaime,fine dramatic effect,{ing grandlycamp. A sumptuouso of bacoQ fishshortly providedas the boys set to workGit, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures%y were a v "aiqboastfu@pany of heroes wheQ taleAdoneHny&hiaway in a shady nookleep till noon2the!ss got ready toand explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner algang turned ou-hunt for turtle eggs  2They went about pokDRtickssthe sany found a soft plFNiir knees and dugOhands. SometimesB ould take fifty or sixtyurone holy were perfectly rEwhitea trifle smaller than an English walnut had a famous fried-egg fy"atanother on Friday morning. After%whoopingprancingy2 ba| chased each92anda, shedclothes aNBent,  |sre nakecontinue frolic far!upqshoal wBgain stiff currxwYlatter trippcir legs from uBthem1timAand ^1cre the fun. And nowDstooped in a group!splashed !inS other's faces palms, gradually approaching;,4 avertedGqto avoi strangl\Rprays81finWDgrip b strug,#ti best man ducked his neighbo#Aall Wtangle of|rand arm came up blowing, sputtering, laugh !as"foth at on0me time. WGywell exhausted,1run1and&#wl  dry, hotlie theru1covemselves up2 itby and by#he $aggo throughoriginal performance once more. FQit oc"d 4m%n( skin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; sNy drew a ring i  circus--with three clowns infor none oyield this proudest pos9`a. Nexybmarble=played "knucks""ring-taw "keeps"at amusement grew staBn JoBHucka swim, butwould not v.enture, because he fouat in kicking off his trousers heb%kiY!stfof rattlesnake off his ankle]he wondered howS escaped cramp so long withouF protection ofmysterious charm. He did not vuntil he had2imether boysQtiredready to rest. T#waapart, dropped in "dumps, fell to gazingingly acrossqwide ri1o wthe village lay drows1un.himself writing "BECKY"Awith big toe; he scratched it ouwas angry^1for weakness. But he wrote it, neverthelessgcnot help it. He eraszA5ookz1outQemptaby driving togetherKjoining them. But Joe's spiritsgone down almost beyond resurrvwas so homesickRhardly enduremisery ofThe tearsAnear*surface.was melancholy, too1washearted, buBbt trie~ not to showsHa secret which!as- to tell, yet, but i}utinous depression<broken up soon, uld have to b6YRsaid,Tra greatof cheerfulness: "I bere's been pirates on this island befooys. We'll explore }y've hid treasures l2somewhere. How'd you feel to light on a rotten chest full of goldjsilver--hey?"jit roused only faint enthusiasm,Rfaded}with no reply. Tomone or twoAsedu(!s;1theb3led0It was discouraging work. Joe sat po*up% a stick!lo%gloomy. FinallyAaid: "Oh, let's givup. I wango home. It'sqesome."D no, Joe, you'llbetter byAby,"w Tom. "Just think of Bfish2at'`I don't care for)s" "Butt)ain't such another swimming-place anyJS" "S's no good. vseem toit, somehow, whent ain't anyAbody ay I sha'n't go in. I meanbP, shucks! Baby! Yousee your m, I reckon,Yes, I DO0#my.B--an)sA, if!ha3. I3any more baby than(are." And nuffled a little. "Well, w!leQ cry-INs to his1, wwe, Huck? Poor!g--does it$it<?so it shall.21likKShere,D3you`sFstay|?" Huck, "Y-e-s"--withouheart in it. "I'll never speak to&gain as long as I live.rising. "TQnow!"he moved moodily awaG"eg2dress himselfth)s!h!NoQwantsto. Go 'Ahomeget laughed at. Ohre a nice.3m[Ries.  V,4? Let himfunts to. we can get a{him, per'aps.1Tomruneasy,theless,was alarmed!eego sullenly on2hisUAing.Bthenv!s Qmfort+`eying Joe's preparations so wistfullykeeping up such an ominous silence. Presently,v2 paxQword,wade off towar Illinois shore. Tom's9sink. He glanccould not bear the lookqdroppedeyes. Then he9U: "I#gogqTom. It1getIso lones3ywa* now it'll be worse. Let's usR"mQon't!qcan all&CwantgqAstay2Tom, I better gog&--who's hendering you.+Qqpick upscattered clothesjtAwishq'd come(. Now youk it over. wait for you when we get to"5you3ra blame!timhat's allstarted sorrow{, and Tom stood ing after with a strong desire tugg(trto yiel>Cpridotoo. He hopeBboys stop, but they stided slow. It sudddawned onDthatbecome verylcT . He made one final stru%Agglebthen d?s comrades, yelling: "Wait! ( tell you something!" They p1pedturned around. W!gocQwhere% were, h5unfoldingesecrety listened moodily cdat lasv!aw"point" heBdrivOn set up a war-whoop of applausDsaid"splendid!"f he had tolpm at first,g#n't haveaway. He !a uible excuse;Ohis real reason had be" fat not ev< w keep themRm any^great length ofdand so"meA hol in reserve as a seduction. lads came gayly back4awent air sports againa will, chatt1alltime about:stupendous plan`Aadmi the genius of it. Aa dainty egg and fish dinner,< nted to learn to smoke, now.TcaughQ ideaSBlike to tryKrSo HuckQpipes7Bfill[mse novices had neve0!r Qd any before but cigarsVof grape-vinthey "bit" the tonguAwereD considered manly anyway. No]y stretcheQmselves out oir elbowAbega:ApuffBrily with slender confidence. Thejan unpleasant tastgagged a little, hy, it's just as easy! If I'd a know!is/Call,t long ago." "So2I,"uJoe. "Ic!no.Why, many a^ I've looked at peopl2ing1thoVwell I wish I cLdo that;uI never1%Tom. "Tharthe waykme, hain't it,? You've heard me talk :hway--haven't you7I'll leave iAif In't." "Yes--heapTtimesHuck. "We7D too Tom; "oh, hundredC. Once down by the sler-house. Do rememberBob Tanner!thand Johnny Miller Jeff Thatcher, when I/itf Huck, 'me saying that?,'s so," said aHuck.  day after I lost a white alley. No, 't.zThere--I told you s[1. "recollects iI bleeve/pipe all day! dqfeel sickNeither do>}]$itV. But I beo 4\ !! zhe'd keel over wtwo draws. Just let him try it oHE'D see!Ret hei. And !A--I :see a tackl_s" "Oh,))I!N I any moreuis than3oneA sni?wKfetch HIM." "'Deed it,5Saythe boys~ see us now?!So ay--boys!saH! a it, and someKthey're around,Wcome up to7ay, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a>Q.' An2'll3 kind of careless like, as if#arX,= paYes, Iramy OLDw1ano#onmy tobacker e very good.' And I'llG ZOh, that'sbright, 's STRONG enough.' And then4 ou!heswe'll light upras ca'm!Esee 'em lookBy jingsll be gay, Tom! it was NOW5!qwe tell\we learnewas off pirating, w7BtheyMd been along?8qI recko!*4BET@ll!" Sotalk ran onVpresently it began to flag a trifle'grow disjointed. The silences widened;e(expectoration marvellously increased. Every pore inside<boys' cheeks became a spouting fountainiycarcely bai the cellars under their tongues fast K to prevent an inund;2overflowings dowir throats occurred in spite of "doF sudden retchings followed etime. BothhAwereAing "Apale6miserable, now. Joe'dropped from his nervfingers. Tom's !. t_ygoing furiwboth pumpso2ingMmight and mainfeebly: "2I've lost my knife.I better gohfind it." TomK,jquivering lips-halting utterance: "I'll help you. You go ovaat way=(-unt around by the spring. No, you needn't come, Huck--we can!SoB sat-Ragainwaited an hourCan he fwit lonesome,Irwent to^his comrades:ywide apart i woods, both 3 basleepsomething informed him if they had had any troublygot rid of it. not talkative at supp}Snight\b humbl2henLaprepar1aftJe meal andpare their!eyDA no,>not feel_fwell--!atadinnerdisagreedthem. About mid Joe awokBQcallepr a brooding oppressiveness2airseemed to bode NXS huddimselves together)Rsough$friendly companionship of the fire, thoug dull dead heat o  breathless atmosp+a stiflDsat still, intentDwait$ solemn hush continued. Beyon;Eligh{fire everywas swallowed up inQblackPaof dar . Presently tgcame aaAglowx vaguely revea^ foliage for a momthen vanishyaby anocame, a little stronge&7n a faint moan came sig5thrqbrancheBoresbt felt a fleeting A upo:ir cheekswshudder fancy tha?sSpirit Nhad gone by  a pause. Now a weird flash turned n?cinto d!sh+grass-blade, separnd distinct,agrew a feet. AW[three white, startled faces, too. A deep pealRunder1rol:and tumbling dowNr heavenlost itself in sullen r42distance. A sweep of chilly air passed by, rustling all the leavenCsnow flaky ashes broadcast3. Afierce glare lit up Nan instant& crash fopseemed to retree-tops rAoverboys' heads,y clung toge'in terror, iUthick gloom~. A few big rain-drops fell pattering .. "Quick! boys, go the tent!" exclaimed Tom. prang away, sBrootamong vineark, no two plungingsame directionurious blast roar trees, making sAs it. One blindingy\after#ndnf deafenQFnow a drencrain poured Qhe rihurricane drove it heets aloq ground cried out to each DR, but`oaring wind'om-Cqs drownEeir voices utterly. However, they straggled in at ook shelter  =, cold, scared,Qstreawith water; o have company in miseryRBsomeAto b teful fo8y could not talk,old sail flapped soWly, even i3otnoises would have a"emQtempese higher presently tore loose from its fast]4rwent wibaway o%. gseizedrs' handGRfled,dTmany  bruises, toAof a great oak`Ustood8 river-bank. Now?battle was atst. UndeOceaseless conflagration of light`rat flamithe skies"rySbelowout in clean-cuashadowldistinctness:e:the billowy r, white<Bfoam$qdrivingy of spume-flakIhe dim outloShigh bluffsfside, glimpsdrifting cloud-rack]1lanqveil of. Every li hile some giant tree yieldj1e f2andAcras younger growth;aunflag'-peals came now in ear-splitting explosive bursts, keeRsharp0unspeakably appallingostorm culminatone matchcefforteemed likely to teaisland to pieces, burn it up, dqrown it3!he7-tops, blow it away, and deafen ey creature in it, all at one7same moment. It-q wild nrfor hom#} heads to be. But at last}Adoneforces retiredweaker and h threagrumblingsKpeace resumed her swayR boysback to camp, a good deal awed; buRy four1 still somethankful for, becausegreat sycamore their beds,c ruin, now, blasted byKw they were not ubit whecatastrophe happened. |!inzdrenched-fire as well; fos but heedless lads,generationhad made no provision againstHcq matterpqdismay, |Q soakqchilled eloquent iiNWtress discoverYa Ahad s so far upmlog it had been built !(w?it curved upwardlRsepar$Qtselfi Zound), t= hat a handbreadth or so ofu escaped wetting; sopatiently w-t until,_ashredsbark gathfrom the Vsides of qed logs+ay coax61rto burnc. Then iled on great dead boughs Vhad a roaring furnac& glad-heartLqce moregRy driQir boo1hamXb feast1aftPTy satjand expandeglorified midnight advenP] morning not a dry spot to sleep %y%around. As sun began to steal in upo boys, drowsiness came ov1em,XAwent:qsandbarrlay dowdleep. They got scorched<!by0"byCdrearily set about g breakfast. After3meafelt rustJstiff-jointed]a littlefsick once bom saw#2ign fell to chee@up the pirates as he could. But#cared noth{or marbles, or circu swimming, or any1. He remi1Cthem imposing secreQraiseay of che(er. While it las Qhe go m interested in a new devic is was to knock off beingba whilS be Indiansqa changO1ey qattractedis idea; so itlong before<dstripp^head to heelblack mud, like so many zebras--allRm chiefs, of course--anv2 teF!th Awood%attack an English settlement. Bbseparazto three hostile tribedupon each otherRbambushdreadful war-whoopACkillrxscalpedHousands. Ia gory day. Consequan extremelisfactory one. rassembl\camp toward supper-time, hungrhappy; but now a difficulty arose--!drB not  of hospitality together,out first makewas a simple nAsibiI@1smo;a pipe ofE processeLheard of. Twthe savages almost wish%4remained pirates. However, t}A way\with such showheerfulness asRcmustera@!fo ook their whiff as it passed, in due form. AAhold1gladBgone"rya!" gsomething;1fouanow smoke a little having to goBhunt lost knife^"diaget sick enough to be seriously uncomfortabl1notly to fool awayjhigh promis, lack of effort. No1practised cautu, after R, right fair succes"so/spent a jubilanRning.hrprouderappier innew acquirA thay would have been3w1ingOskinning{ Six Nations. We will leave them tond chattbrag, since we vno further use m at pres CHAPTER XVII BUT9hilarity?Btownsame tranquil SaturdayAnoons Harper~Aunt Polly's family,SB putmourninggreat grief and many tears. An unusual quiet possesseU village, althit was ordinarily8all consciencIrs conductair concernszaan abs^2ir,%SalkedC; busighed ofte.F holiday seemed a burden ts childr69no heartir sportz gradually gUaup. I Becky ThatcherXherself mo"bo deserted schoolhouse yard,feeling very melancholy. But she_1 no3to F her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I onl a brass andiron-knob again!nIn't got anys now to remember him by." Andchoked backErsob. PN!ly)cstoppetsaid to9R: "Ixchere. to do over2, IMn't say that--" ithe whole worldbBhe'sRnow; I'll n%A seeany more." This 3t broke her downhe wandered rolling down9acheeksn quite a group of boys2girls--plPaymates of Tom'Joe's--came bytood looking? the paling fence and tal"in reverent tonc how Tom did so-and-sklast time they saw him{show Joe"hi that small trifle (pregnant# awful prophecy, as\ could easil now!)--and each speaker pointed  exact spot wher lost lads"av then added somelike "and I'a-standing just so-- as I am nowO as if you81himas as close"athe smiled,Y this wayGthento go allme, like--R, you knowDI what it meant, of course,QI can Anow!#enwas a disputewho saw the dead.qin life Qclaim1at dismal distinction*A offLevidences, or less tamp!qwith by{witness;=DwhenN ultimately decided who DIDparted lastqexchangCwordathem, ucky parties took upo0mselves a sort of sacred importanc`were gE1apenvied by&the rest. One poor chap, who had no other grandeur toF,) tolerably manifest pride i remembrance: "Well, Sawyer he licked me once." Butbid for glory failure. Mos2the1say=, and so cheapen{ too much. The group loitered away, still recalmemories~  heroes, in awed voices. W Sunday-school hourfinished,snext morningbell began to toll, instead of ringzthe usual way. It`ba very Sabbaththe mournful sound in keepingUmusing hush 2lay1natThe villagers sgather,Ving a moment & vestibule to conversCwhispersthe sad event. (ere was no/house; onlfunereal rustof dresses +c womentheir seatsZ3urbJ1silr. None "er8ittle churchd!be full before. Tfinally a waiting paus expectant dumbEnessn Aunt Polly en, followSid and Mary72y b$Harper family, all in deep black2 whole congregationold minister as well, rose reverentlystood untileourners wererthe front pew$ncommuning, broken at intervals by muffled sob4 spread his hands abroa5prayed. A mov1ymnFsungEtextvq: "I amResurrectionqthe LifAservice proceed clergyman drew such picturr graces1win6wayA rarZImiseAlads0" e4!oure, thinke recogniz%se, felt a pa5!herpersist blinded himselfrm always Yjhad as?BseenafaultsYSflawsQ boys:1relamany a touch=dcident@6liv`adepartoo, which illustrN.weet, generous%Q peop>uld easi, now, how noblebeautiful those episodes weremembered with grief1 atxtime they occurry had seemed rank rascalities, well de$ng.qcowhideO  became mor moved, apathetic tale went on, till at las^RmpanyQ downBjoin weeping <in a chorus of anguishthe preachert!giaway tosfeeling2cryKpulpit. t rustle4tgallery!nobody noticed; a moment laterUchurch door creaked;Arais(s streaming eyes abovehandkerchief,+dtransfixed! First onTthen Hqpair ofV 'then almostrone impulsg  and stared whil' three dead boys came mar!up}aisle, Tom`lead, Joe next!Hu ruin of drooping rags, sneasheepishlyNsrear! T been hid in the unused! l3ing ir own funeral sermon! ,ld s threw themselves upon t/ heir restored ones, smothems kisses and poured out thanks"s,k poor Huck1aba and uncomfortable, not know^xactly what to do or w)de from so many unwelco. He wavered started to slink away, butAseizmsaid: "Lit ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glac!ee." "And soshall. I'm,Qhim, -pless thing!" And!lo.attentions B lavoupon him wer2oneL capable of m2him.  he was before. SuddenlyushoutedQop ofvoice: "PBQ God whom all blessings flow--SING!--Yut your heart^rit!" Ay did. Old Hundred swelled up a triumphant burst, and it shookqrafters CSawyPirate looked aroun` the envying juveniles about|and confessed in! this was coudest?life. Asj"sold"Utroopcey saiTwould)be willing to bL e made ridiculous again ton Uung likeQ once0a. Tom?Bcuffday--according toa's varBtmoods--uhad earned| in a year; he hardly knew which exprothe most gratefulnNBo Gozaffection for himself. CHAPTER XVIII THATTom's great secret--the schemreturn homehis brother pI Batteir own funerals. They had paddled over to&KMissouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village;had slept id woods1edg7 the town till nearly dayligh` then crept through back lana alley B finTsleepsgallery{ church among a chaos of invalid2nches. At breakfast, Monday morning,SBMary2Dverykqto Tom,"1tiv"nt!re*an unusual amou talk. IXQcoursM(ittWell, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, to keep everybody suffering! 'a week so you boysa good time, but it is a pity you could be sop-hearted as to let me suffer so. Ifc8come over to go tr,4have comeand give me a hint s`!ay:warn't deadonly run off." "Yese2donGR" sai; "and I believe you w ihad thought|tfW#1youR?RAunt Polly, her face - ing wistfully. "Say, now, mJr'p?" "I--w*know. 'T?'a' spoiledQthing8aI hopeg loved mo much,with a grieved tB discomfothe boy. "ItAbeen cared enough to THINKWc, even+ didn't DOqNow, auntie,!ai$ny harm," pleadeBit's giddy way--he is always in such a rush\Qhe nehinks of anyUMore's theAX. Sid1\. Andand DONE it, too.you'll lookC,E pwhen it 's too late, and wish you'd _ a little more for me when i2cosU2so 2 jyou know I do`Q4you5Tom. "I'd)it betterRactedDlike!I \Vrepentant tone; "but I dreamt abou, anyway. That's;,,L<much--a cat does$$'sqthan noP2. W QWhy, Wednesday night I!t^you was sittingthere by the bed8+ woodbox$Mary next to him." "W*so we did. S do. I'm glarsQtake   troublel!usf;AndJoe Harper's motherAhere3 5sheA! DiAmoreNOh, lots. B's so dim, nowQ try to recollect--can't youIRSomehAseem"methe wind-- blowed the--" "Trh1der3! T92 di3p. Come!" Tom pressed his fingers on orehead an anxious minute, !anqn said:bve got it now! ta candl"Mercy on us! Go on--go on! you said, 'I believ?<or--'" "Go ON]VJust let me study a moment--just. Oh, yes--rS you m B dooQAopen!AsMhere, I didZn't I, MaryA[$--e --well I won't be certain, 9as if you madeago andP/cWell? -I make him do%Yb1himB--Ohyahim sh !foP land's sake! I never hearLrbeat ofin all my days! Dstell MEC1any2 in%s,. Sereny b shalliis beforean hour older.^to see her get around THIS with her rubbage 'superstition.2Oh,;ball geu{As brbas dayVF Nex! I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum!no) responsibl32n--I think it was a colt, or someerAnd so '"! goodness gracio you began to cryU"So&&. Not the first time, neither. OThen Mrs. eesaid Joetthe same, and she wishe hadn't whipped' aking cream when she'd thrit out her own selfom! The sperrA upon you! Youzprophesyingqt's wha was doing! Land alive, :oASid Eid-- r" "I dSbhink IL","Sid. "Yesdid, SidMary. "Shudrlet Tom!UyS!Hek--I THINK he hoped Ibetter off wheresgone tofDbeen0BimesTHERE, d'you{ that! Ihis very wordsG1Andhim up sharpTI layTmust 'a'an angel.$5WAS ,dxatold a^Joe scar`a firecracker7QPeter pthe PairnkillerJust as true as I liveBthena whole lot of talk 'draggingriver for us%4hav#funeral Sunday%m1youold Miss Harper huggedRcried3she wentt happened!so , as sur'm a-sitting in thesetracks. Tom,Acoul`it more like if you'd 'a' seen it!?? GI thoughK prayed for me--and IwE seehear every wor2aid 1youT to b+Pso sorryO I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead--we are only off being pirates,'put it oF table by&qcandle;'a lookehgood, lay3Uleep,8Iand leaned ovRkisselips." "DiR, DIDI;bforgivqh;" And she seize boy in a crushing embracemade him feel like the guiltiesSvillains. "kind, even~a--dream," Sid soliloVqquized audibly. "Shut up, Sid! A body doesthe sameV2 as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've been s7forq1if !as found again--now go 'long to school.thankful to?bood GoFather of us all1got:Bback> 's long-suffering and merci[lt believe on Himkeep His word,ness knowsunworthy of it, but ifDthe nes got His blessingsk1hadjhand to help them the rough places,'s few enwould smile Io= enter intodcrest w! night comes. GSid, Mary>Q--tak+rselves off--you've hendered mS." The children lefw,the old lady to call on Mrs. vanquish her realism with Tom's marvellousB. Si\ better judgment than to utt_Athatin his mindthe house. this: "Pretty thin--az\Qthat,out any mistakekit!" What a hero Tompbecome,G now! He did not go skippingEprancing, but movedn a dignified swagger as became a pirate who felthe public eyeon him. And indeed i+; he trieqto seem2ee eoks or heacemarksZpassed along?they were foodQdrinkim. Smaller boyshimself flocked atheels, as prou^rbe seen3himolerated bys B hadthe drummer a head of a procession oelephant lead menagerie into town. Boys ofown size pretendVIknowaway at all;u6consumingenvy, nevertheless. Tcould have given anythi1swasuntanned skin? his glittering notoriety;2TomlB notYDpartAeithr a circus. At'3Dmade so muchbof Joe!delivered such eloquent admiration from their eyT1two"esnot long in becoX"inWably "stuck-up."X2begbBtellf adventuresungry listeners--but tshey onlB;c6!a q likelyDave an end,aimaginbs like|rfurnish materialfinally, whry got oOir pipeswent serenely puffing around,very summit of glory was reached. Tom decidedrhe could beXapenden@Becky Thatcher now. Glory was sufficient. He_live for|U. Nowg was distinguished, maybe sh?sbe wanta"make Well, let her--she sh 0as indifferent as some other people. Presently she arrived. Tomqsee herAawayjoined a group ofand girl alk. Soon he observSas trYgayly backjRforthiflushed facedL Hbe busy chasingRmatesQscreaWwith laughter 2shea captureh(icbalways/Cher 1As in^vicinitywAeemecast a conscious eye =Qdirec<1at X1tim:oo. It gratia1 viF vanity that was i:an him;:so, instead of winning him, it"set him up"j2morx6him diligent to avoid betrayhat he knewas about gave over skylarking, irresolutelyB, sighing once or twi#glafurtiv4nd wistfulward Tom. T 1now1wasing more particularI Amy Lawrence than ny one else. She felt a sharp pangAgrew&Qurbeduneasy at=2tri1 go away, but her feet were tBrous:1car7aher to[A saia almost at Tom's elbow--)sham vivacity: "Why, Mary Austin! you ba , why didn'tcome to Sunday-school?" "I did come--1asee me"kno! Did you? Where8qyou sit(Idin Miss Peters' classuDre Igo. I saw YOU." "]y, it's funny n't see you. I wantAtell the picnicU1Oh, 's jolly. Who's go$so give XMy malet me h!%neRgoody; I hope she'll alet MEI)RWell,zeill. T's for m'll let anybodyAr I wantQR" "Teo nice. When is itb!Byby. Maybe vacation Oh, won't it be fun! YouM 2allBirlsV1oysYes, evertfriends to me--or3be""he:4ed Ay1 heed right along  terrible storm onbisland[1howblightnre the great sycaatree "o flinders" while he"standing within three,Uof itlQmay I1?" Grace Miller.P.1And&Sally Rogers&U, too+usy Harper. "And Jo[And so on,a clappf joyful haAill had begged for invitNAs bu1Amynturned coollyPcstill Atook him. Becky's lips tremblthe tears caher eyes;Y!hi$se signsa forced gayetwent on chatterbHlife had eqgone outR, nowything else1got as soonhe could/)hid herself and had what her sex call "a good cry." ThenGsat moodywounded pride, the bell rang. She roused upua vindictive cast in2eyeAgaveplaited tails a shakeshe knew SHE'D do. At recesscontinued his flirO jubilant self-satisfac And he kept driftingrto findGlacerate herderformance. At last he spied herra sudden fall;his mercurybqwas sit%cosily on a little bench behind the schoolhouse lookt a picture-bookAlfred Temple--a absorbed weytheir heads so close together over#book, that they did not seem to be conscious of ani`Oworld besides. Jealousy ran red-hot through Tom's veins. He began to hate himself for throwingCthe chancehad offeredaa reconcili. He callcWba fool`hard n Uames think ofD1wanCo cr3vexdAmy chatted happily along, asNwalked, for@QheartMrsingingdtongue had lost its fun4He Bhear+,aas sayMand whenever she paexpectantly he only stammer an awkward assent, which_as often misplaced as otherwise !to^Drear?, again and , to seareyeballs1the!Qful scle thery not help itit maddened hi1seehe though aw, that Becky Thatcher Fqonce suz!ed)1 heDevenCland living. But2did|Rtheless;2sTwinning her fight, tooras glad-2t suffer^3haded. Amy's happy pracame intolerable.!hi1ing&hl attend to;0must be doneAtimeUfleet in vain--the girl chirped on}, "Oh, ha, ain't I ever goZaget rioXher?"1`those 4things--xsaid artlesslyould be "around"S school let oueqhe hasteaway, hat for it. "Any .a boy!"p#gr3is teeth. 14boy]whole town butSaint Louis smartdresses so finep is aristocracy! Oh, all rkI licked youfirst dayWaw this town, mistqnd I'llB.! You just wait till I catch you out!9%1takS--" cwent throughrmotionsprashing an imaginar= --pummellbhe airIBkick3d gouging.{you do, do you? You holler 'nough!No8cen, lelearn you!"s flogging was finishehis satisfa Tom fled home at noon. His conscienc not endure any more of#gr?Bnesshis jealousyG bear noAB the distress. 'qresumedpicture in'with Alfred, but  minutes dragged2>!no#to,atriumph beganAloud63she/nterest;- gravity absent-mindedness followedthen melancholy; two or three times she pr up her ear at a footstep1 ita false hope;. At last she grew entirely miserabl" wsbdn't carried itar. When poori2seeQat he3losr, he di. know how, kept exclaiming:  here's a jolly one! look d1s!"lost pat" a[Rsaid,Mdon't bother me! IAcare) them!" and burst into tearagot upCwalkq2. dd droppPCside+As goQo try<omfort hershe said: "Go awa<leave mee, can't you! I hate A" S boy halted, wondering wahave done--forC"ha, }iYsvnooningqon, cryCThenC!mu Zhe desertedhouse. H7 humiliategQangryeasily guesseE!waYthe truth--the girl imply made a conven0 of him to ven spite uponSawyer. far from hat.1ing#the less when this thought occurred to himGZAtherT some2get=3boy rouble without much riskTself. Tom's spelling-book fell under his ey]uhis opportunitZgratefully open$on( afternoon/poured ink6the page. Becky, glancing inwindow behinde moment, saw"act, and mov^bdiscov2herqShe staUhomeward, now, intendAfindand tell him;would be thankfulctheir s%healed. BeforeOwas halfhome, however, shechanged 1ind-6ftreatment"erbshe was talking abou picnic came scorching backCfilluwith shame5bresolv1letget whippzdamaged i's accounx"torhim forbargain. CHAPTER XIX TOM arrived at home1 dreary moodaqhe firs !ngaunt saiqim showmQ2 br his sorrows to an unpromimarket: "Tom;, I've a notion to skin you alive!" "Auntie, what have I done?" "Well, you've done enough. Here I go over to Sereny Harper, like an old softy, expecting I'm going to make&believe allrubbage *`bdream,Q!loabeholdshe'd found out from Jot you wasand heardter we hadQnight, I don't know1ibecome of a boy9will act  that. It makes me feel so baQthinkclet me go\ Y ake such a fool of myself never say a word." Thisa new aspeching. His smartnessmorning had seemoTom a good joke bKvery ingeniouserely looked mea shabby now. He huAhead"no5kenything toSfor an he said:I I hadn't it--but I di." "Oh, child,R* Y but your own selfishness6GA to 8Lfrom Jackson's Island ip to laugh at our troubles,:yo o*me with a lie \aY;An't IA to pity us`rsave useasorrow9RI(anow ityQmean,cp to be mean. I , honest. And besides,:.bto lau Ayou -&tWhat dime for, thenIrto tell#otcuneasy*us, because(n't got drowndela"Tom, 1I w#beiankfullest soulis world if I~ 2youbhad asta thought asqY2youwy did--and!it." "Indeed' 1, a%--53mayBstirH!OhT", !Rlie-- Qdo itAonlysns a hundred times worsePIt ain'tb; it'sGruth. I wanteBAkeep:grieving--thahat made me~ob'd givSwhole4to that--itc|up a power of sins. I'd 'most be glaz'd run ofSacted. But it reasonable; because,C whytme, childAWhy,see, whengstalkingthe funeral, I jusall full ofjqidea ofa1comAnd hidinge churchx%I =somehow bear to spoil$Sotpbark back in my pocketlkept mumWhat barkT:I had wrote oS you we'd gone pirating9ish, now, waked up8qI kissee--I do " The hard lines in his6's face relax[ a sudden tenderness dawned:er eyes. "DIDqkiss meM "Ar#su ?did2D--certain surmRz ~BRI lov2 soyou laid there moan$Iso sorry8words sounded likThe old lady hide a tremor in her voiceshe said: "K9a again!!bex1youRchoolh bother me any mo&The moment hegone, she raqca closSgot oruin of a jawhich TomPing iEn. Trtopped,#it0R hands{o herself: "No, I dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's lied it--but it's a blessed, R lie, 's such a comfort come fromI hope the Lord--I KNOWM Lord will forgive him, b`!itZsuch goodheartednesdmuit. Butwant to findy1lieon't look." She pCawayRtood by mus minute. Twiceqput outAhand!akA gar(:refrained. Once morSsventurethis timfortifiedthe thought: "I good lie--iet it grieve me." SosM4. AQlater-qwas reaTom's piece of through flowing tearsisaying: "IAthe now, if he'd committedllion sins!" CHAPTER XX THEREDQometh bout Aunt Polly's manner"4sheTom, that sweplow spirit1madc lightahappy q. He stp and had Zthe luck of coming upon Becky Thatcher a%head of Meadow Lane. His mood always determined his . Without a's hesitati C ranD said: "I acted mighty me'R-day,I'm so sorrylever, ever do that way , as long as #I live--please make up, you?" The girl looked him scornfully inAface 'll thank you to keep you65 TO , Mr. Thomas Sawyer. I'll nspeak toIRBtossaand pason. Tom stunnedhe had not even presenHqmind enGto say "Who cares, Miss Smarty?" untilxRright?6!itegone by. So he=!no(Oin a fine rage, qthelessmoped intohschoolyard wiswshe were azand imagining how he would trounceN"if\1ereitly encounterdand deliva stinging remark as he . She hurled one in returnthe angry breachcomplete. It seem A, inAhot btment,she could har@dly wait for) to "take in,"as so impatient to see6qfloggedA the injured spelling-book. I;1hadany lingering noof exposing Alfred Temple, Tom's offensive flad driven it entirely away. Poor,did not know2fasqwas neaatroublQself.bmaster}Dobbins,}ddle age with an unsatisfied ambition. The dar*of his desires was, to be a doctor, but poverty had decre!sh$be*q higherP a village . Every day he took a mysterious book outk and absorbaself iyas when no classes) reciting2kept thateunder loc`A key#rot an urchin inbut was perto have a glimpse of it@the chance+T cameqboy and(a theory abo=QnaturS;qno two 1iUalikeaof getting;facts in ase. Now|passing bydesk, which stood]Bdoornoticed that t*Rhe keM!inEqlock! IJ" a precious moment. She glanced around; found herFalon next instant 2thein her hands. title-page--Professor Somebody's ANATOMY--carried no informa/!toSmind; so she bega1turr leavescame at once upon a?omely engraved and colored frontispiece--a human figure, stark naked. At that C a shadow fell oQ page`Tom Sawyer stepped inAdoor&fcaught1 ofpicture.%Asnatabook to close "anythe hard luc#t;Sdhalf dowbmiddleEathrustvolume intoAturnt{QburstTacrying'1 shand vexF. " , you are just as mean asacan be4sneak up on a personXlBt why're look." "How cGI1you*( anything?" "You od of you;wyou're gotell on mH2oh,shall I do! I'll be whippedb`I never in school." Then$astampe little foot0said: "BE soni want to!%Asome5's happen. You2wai^you'll see! Hateful, h !"--and she flung7Qhouse= a new explosion of\". Tom stood still, rather flustered by this onsld%. Presently he said to himself: "What a curious kina fool a girl is! Never been lick! Shucks! W6a#bing! TClikeS$--so thin-skinnhicken-hearted. Well,  I ain'ttld Dobbins 'is l, because there's o@ways of getting even o,m<C; bu|of it? Oxwill ask who itore his book. No ll answer. he'll do_the way he aldoes--ask first ontqthen t'6when he comes b rightjit, without any telling. Girls' facese=mygiy backbonTq'll get vit's a htight place! for Becky7Kcherp1any#ou." Tom coCBthe a moment long1added: "All, though; she'dto see me insuch a fix--let her sweat it out!"Qjoinel mob of skylarking scholars outside. In a fews the master arriv "took indid not feel a strong interest in~studies. Every time1tollance at the)ts' sideBroom!'s troubled him. Considering allds, he pa pity tand yet+2alluld do to help it. He get up no exultatianreally worthyGname r the sp-book discowas madeTom's mind was entirely full ofWown mattersa while after@.6 roused up from her lethargy of distresshowed good the proceedings. S_aexpectt/*4his by deny he spil2inkCe2;eS  denial only seemed to makm  worse foTr TomssupposeVould be gladx"atrshe triYrbelieve44as /it, but she fou71wascertain. WheJworst cam,Yhad an impuls!y and tell on Alfred Temple}C* an effort and forced herself to keep still--because, sai,, "he'llu about me tealicture sure. IIn't say a word,to save his lifeQhis whippnd went backqis seatHat all broken-hearted,Eoughpossible[unknowingly upsey himself, in somePbout--he hadQed itform's sakehpbcustombhad stuck to8principle. A whole hour drifted by,5s(Tddingbthrone&air was drowsy with>1hum,tudy. By y, Mr. Dobbins straightened  up, yawnedbn unlockbs deskqreachedhis book, 5 undecided whether to take iHqr leaveCMost! pupils glanced uEp languidly there were two among themQwatchs movementsintent eyes. cfinger book absently for a whileand settl<\Achairead! Tom shot a glance at Becky. He7een a huntedhelpless rabbit lsYBdid, a gun levelled at its head. Instantly he forgotrquarrelAher. Quick--something must be done! in a flash, too! B very imminence emergency paralyz&s invention. Good!--an inspiration! HeB runlBnatcs spring througAdoor-Afly.his resolution shookone little i),:athe chwas lost--tster opene'volume. If Tom onlyasted opportunityagain! Too late. TbQ helpw now, he said* next momen}3facschool. Eeye sank unde9gazvqthat in hich smote even the innocent/Afear1sil% one might count ten =was gathexhis wratha. Thenpoke: "Who tore tH?" ,t a sound. One could have heard a pin drop^ stillness continued; searched face afW- signs of guilt. "Benjamin Rogers, did you tearA denial. Another pause. "Joseph HarperDD?" +; Tom's uneasiness grew more #sethe slow torturse proceedingsFDscanranks of boys--consid( !ur3oLgirls: "Amy LawrenceT shak "Gracie Miller same sign. "Susan!1 docZTrnegativ(AgirlN!ThrMtrembling froms to fooQexcitGf1a sa!ofhopeless!of/Rsitua "Rebeccazc" [TomhfA--itRwhitelterror] --"]a--no, Qme inface" [her hands rosmappealE?XA thoughtlike lightni`aQbrainsprang to his feehouted--"I:t!" The pschool stared in perplexity atincredible follystood a moment, to gaLhis dismembfaculties;wYtepped forwardAo punishment the surprise,gratitudQ adorA tha1ne upon him out of poorv 's eyes seemed pay enoughXa hundred floggInspired by"splendor of his own act, he took without an outcr7most merciless flayat even Mr. Dobbins had ever administeredBalso receivedl indiffeded cruelty of a commaniremain two hours^hbe dismissed--for he knew who w$Await8kside tillcaptivityIQdone,snot coutedious time as loss, either. Tom w Ro bednight planvengeance against Alfred Temple; for)Bshamarepent5rAtold7qall, nogetting her own treachery; buthe longinghgive way, soon, to pleasanter musingshe fell asleep at las's latest words lingering dreamily inear-- "G*Tom, how COULD you be so noble!" CHAPTER XXI VACATIONapproaching. The) master, always severe, grew rmore exactn#, TAwantY to make a good showing on "Examin" day. His rodk his ferule were seldom idle now--at least amongmaller pupils. Onlbiggest boy young ladies of eighteen|twenty, escaped las2CMr. #' s very vigorous ones, too;$although he carried, under his wig, a perfectly balshiny head, hRonly d middle ageqQthereno sign of feeblenessMmuscle. As8great day qed, allrtyranny#waEm came to$surface; he Ato t vindictive)cure inIe shortcomThe consequenc,bqboys spYheir dayRterroBsuffX8Bheirz)1plo revengezy threw away no opportunity to d: a mischief. But`ept aheadJ"im\ retribufollowed every vengeful successso sweepmajestic retired from the field badly worsted. At lasQylp5rtogethe=hit upon a plano promised a dazzling victory? swore in( sign-painter's boy, told him!CchemBaskerhelp. Hhis own reasons for being deldtboarded father's family and had giveboy ample caushate him's wife would go on4sitcountry in a few da~<bbe not!o !fith the plan; {aprepar)mself foroccasions by gepretty well fuddl, boy said#whbdominiroper condi7on  Evening h1q"manage" while he nappa chairn?1hav awakened aa righth!hul #toB. I1ful"of4Athe !esHc arriv0+1 inUechoolhous brilliantly and adorned with# wreathsqfestoonrfoliagehlowers! s1ron,B his 2 raised platform,Whis blacka behin2. HBlook lerably mellow. Three rowbenches on each sidB six%in front ofwere occupied bydignitarieVthe town an#eparent pupils. To his left, back@ citizens,Da spacious temporary5RwhichBseat scholars whoato taktvexercis ; of small boy1heddressed to an inxe state of discomfort; gawky bigR; snowbank'BgirlX young ladies clad in lawn|Rmusli conspicuousl,T"ir bare arms, their grandmothers' ancient trinket&2 biApinktblue ribboyLLir hair. All$1resEFthe e filled with non-participaI. Tbegan. A very littlstood upsheepishly recia"You'd scarce expect on1my o speak in public oQn the stage," etc.--accompanying himselfpainfully exact and spasmodic gesturesa machine might have used--supposing'to be a trifle ou\!order. But he got through safely, though cruelly1ed,./got a fine round of applause when he made his manufactured bowCretired. Ashamefaced girl lisped, "Mary had a+Clamb], performed a gssion-inspiring curtsy,yher mee sat down fluhappy. Tom Sawyer stepped forwar conceiteYafidencQ soar!tounquenchabl!indestructible "Give me liberty or gdeath" speechfury and frant4iculationb brokeiQmiddlit. A ghastly 1-fr_seized him,gs quaked under him|hP!iktchoke. True, hetnifest sympathy b.'s silence, too, was even worse than itsY ETfrownAthis+#le disaster. Tom struggled awhithen retired, uztterly defeatednra weak attempt at, but it died early. "The Boy Stood o Burning Deck" followed; also 3Assyrian Came Down,"other declamatory gems\ re were reading exercises, and a spelling fight9 meagre Latin class recwith honor+ prime featurb1theing was in, now--original "compositions" by!young ladies. Each in her turn!to6qedge ofwplatform, cle>hroat, held upRmanuscript (ti dainty ribbon)RproceedeqCread labored attention to "expreapunctu4r themesqthe samt;been illuminated upon similar occasions 2Air mbs befoRm, their grand doubtless all& ancestorthe female line FT backnCrusades. "Friendship"one; "Memories of Other Days"; "ReligioHistory"; "Dream Land";qdvantagE Culture"; "FormY Political Government Comp and Contrasted"; "MelancholrFilial Love"; "Heart )Longings," etc., A prevalent)8se a nursed and petted m|A; an,wasteful.1opue gush of "fine language"; <tendency to lug in ears particularly prized wordsphrases untiy(worn entirely out;a peculiarity that conspicuously markamarredthe inveterateOintolerable sermat wagged its crippled tail at nd of each and every one zm. No matter wh6subject might be, a brain-rack!ffort was made to squirm it into some aspect or the mora" r us mind could contemplateAgedificglaring insincef2se "sMnot sufficient to!asgq banish > fashion fromCcschoolLit iT to-day; it never will bexAwhilk world stands, perhaps. There]s1 intour land w#  do not feel obligwAclos.!ir;Qa%2youUfind sermon oif most frivolous anv least girl in < is alwayt longestAXrelentlessly pious. But enoug%this. Homely truth is unpalatable. Let us return tor"Examin=" The first was read9one entitled "Is this, then, Life?" Pg reader can endure an extractNit: "In1common walks of life, delightful emotions doeHyouthful9look forward  anticipated scene of festivity! Imag is busy sketching rose-tinted picturejoy. In fancy voluptuous votarTsees herself amiA3 e throng, 'the observe4allrs.' Her gracform, arrayed in snowy robes, is whirling f1ugh2mazthe joyous dance; her eye is brightest,step is 3est gay assembly.such delicfancies time quickly glides by, welcome hour arrives forentranceqe Elysiang, of which she has had dreams. H^ow fairy-likeiaeveryt rappear kAnchavision! Each newjis more charm}alast. But after a whileQfinds{aeneath goodly exterior, all is vanitflattery3onc!ed<soul, now grateharshly upon%Aear;&ball-roomCqlost it4cs; and1astdAalthimbitter!rtshe turns away;the convicaearthl pleasures cannot satisfyqlongingthe soul!" And so forso on. Therea buzz of Aific*1to aduringoreading, accompanied bn!spaejaculK "How sweet!" "How eloquenSo true!" etc.,8Bthe had closed with a peculiarly afflicting serm?e applaus.enthusiastic. Then arose a slim, melancholy girl, whose face8 the "interesting" palenesQ comepills and indigestion`a "poem." Two stanza9it will do+ "A MISSOURI MAIDEN'S FAREWELL TO ALABAMA-qlabama,% -bye! I love thee well! 1! xfyet fozdo I lea0now! Sad, yes, sad thoughtXmy heart doth swell And burning recolles throng my brhFor I have wandHthrough thy flowQoods; Have roamedra near Tallapoosa's stream53listened to*ssee's warhfloodswooed on CTide Aurora's beam.Yet shame I not to bear an o'er-full4`Nor blush to behind my tearful eyeB'Tisno stranger land Igmust p`2(to0s left I yielse sighs.[ Welcome and home were mine"inTStateW1TvalesL"--Fspires fade fast!melAnd coldbget9(teoen, dear b! theyBQ Se!" ere very few tho knew what "tete" meant, butpoem was <| actory, nevertheless. Next/ed a dark-complexioned, black-ey haired young ladyQ paus impressive moment, assu tragic ex$`on, anod began toin a measured, solemn tone: "A VISIONCDarkr mpestuous was night. Aroun82 e on high not a single star quivered; but2e deep intonationT heavy thunder constantly vibrated up ear; whils]errific lightRvellengry mood-de cloudy chamberheaven, seeming2so scornwer exerted over itsQor by1 he illustrious Franklin! EveGboisterous winds unanimously came forth;their mystic /Qblust?about as if to enhanceQir ai wildnesthe scene. At such a time, so areary,Khuman sympathy mymspirit sigha insteQbereof,k1'Mye#iend, my counsellorRmfort and guide--My joy in grief,second blis[in joy,'RQto my. She moved like f ose bright beings picturP0unny walks of fancy's Eden byromanticZ , a queen of beauty unadorned save by her ow_transcendent l`oveliness. So softher step, iq failed to make even a sound7!utDmagical thrill impagenial touch, ather unobtrusive'ies, she would have glided away un-perceived--unsouf strange sau resher features,icy tears#e robe of December, asRpoint contending elements without*bade me)dmplateg5two"resented." Thi; mare occupied some ten page}manuscript%wg!up a sermonestructiv-all hope to non-Presbyterians that it took the first prize. compositionAaconsidHto be thefinest effort1evening. The mayor village, in delivering the {R auth6it, made a warm speech in which he s was by fa most "eloquent" thing he had ever listenthat Daniel Webster himself mwell be proud of it. It may be remarkedpassing,xthe numbehRs in t Ard "Qeous"over-fondN#lehuman experience referr as "life'sS,E$upeusual average. Nowmaster, mellow alEAvergeity, put his chair aside, turnedDbacku1audlbegan to draw a map of America onblackboard, to exercisegeography clas. But he 9qsad busCunsteady haa smothered titter rippled overwhouse. He knew w!ma02wasDset =Ato r@!it:sponged out A and=dAm; b only distorhem more thannBthe ring was&pronounced. He threwentire attenAuponwork, nowif determined not put down byQmirthBfeltall eyes were fanupon him; he imag[!heqsucceed7band ye^continued; it manifestly increased. And well it might. Therha garret above, pierceda scuttlehis head;down through this- came a cat, suspended arouqhaunchea string;had a rag tied abHqout herxwjaws to keepfrom mewD!asGslowly desc}she curved upwarLsclawed ,Awung down-intangible airRxrose higher and --the catwithin six i!ofCabsorbed teacher's head--down, Aa li4lowshe grabbu2wigher desperate claws, clung to itcwas snatch&Q into"in an instantY trophy still inpossession!hXldid blaze abroadx's bald pate--fopsign-pain"oy had GILDED it! That broke uprmeeting3boyavenged. Vacahad come. NOTE:--The pretD "compositions" quoted in chapter are taken%out alteria volume entitled "P7and Poetry, by a WestergLady"--bu yjqexactlyprecisely aftere schoolgirl pnQhenceEmuch happian any mere imits could be. CHAPTER XXII TOM jothe new order of CadetTemperance, being attra_cted by howy charact@their "regalia." He promised to abstai^ smoking, ch, ofanity as long as he remaa member. Now he found thing--namely, that to1 noBdo a+ is the surest way inAworlmake a body wanA!go"dobQvery P. Tom soon himself tormentedq a desire to drink and swear;grew to be so intenseu!nor j hope of a chanc[eisplay in his red sash kept himwithdrawing from  . Fourth of July was comb3gavQup --it up before he had worshackles over forty-ehours--and fix0hopes upon old Judge Frazer, justicthe peace, who was apparently o|rdeathbeiw61hav ig public funeral, since he!so1 an official. During three days  was deeply concerned abo!q's condZhungry for newit. Sometimes his 1ran$--#heRventuj1get,practise befor e!lo-glass. Ba most discouraging@of fluctuating. At lasas pronouncedthe mend then convalescentQDisgusted;"felt a s of injury, too. He handedsignation at onceqAat nqBthe Qsuffered a relapsesBdiedresolvedknever trust a man likagain. TheTba fine. The Cadets para a style calculated to kill3ate^Benvybrree boyQ, howd--ther"meQ!atFc swear, now--but1 toWssurprisahe dids7simple fact?ga, tookBaway1thenm  Tom presAwondQto fiIacoveted vacwas beginningang a little heavi$ hands. He attempted a diaryhappened dso he abandonedhe firstnegro minstrellQs camBtownQmade a sensand Joe Harper go~a band of performersA and were happy for two days. Eve Glorious Fourthsin somea failure,Eit rained hard, eno procession isequencethe greatestBAin tarld (as Tom supposed), Mr. Bento= actual United States Senator, proved an overwhelming disappointment--for henot twenty-five feet high, nor even anywH:e neighborhoosrA circu boys playedAhree afterward in tentsof rag carpeting--admiV,@2pinOQboys,for girls--knxs. A phrenologist-a mesmerizerI3wen&2lefMvillage dullerdrearier than everrre wereUboys-and-' parties, by,A fewWso delightfulVthey only2 the aching voids between achAhardBecky Thatcher1gon}her Constantinople hoBstay~qher par }J--so!br|1sidaElifeP dreadful secre*the murda chronic misery. It was a verBy cancerpermanency9BpaingnZeasles. During two long weeklay a prisoner, dead tqand its]enings. HeOvery ill,finterested in nothing. When he got upon hisSat lam#feebly down-town, a melancholy change had come ove!ryl ercreaturre had b* "revival,"0Abody$"got religion," not{Bdult 4"thI.L bout, hoping against hopeQthe s7 of one blessed sinful face- A cro(Ahim Qwherefound Joe Harper study Testamenturned sadly away from the depressing spectacl_sought Ben RogersKvhim visitlrhe poorLca baskBractEhunted up Jim Hollis, who called)attentionAprec0aing of*5lat as a warning. Eboy he encouQd addJrother tf5hisAon; bhen, in desperation, he flew for refugeF bosom of Huckleberry Finn3was received with a< Scriptural quotjis heart broke>he crept homto bed realiz at he alone of all the townlost, foreverW b. AndBnRthereaon a terrific storm,driving rain, awful claps of thundgQblinddAheetRlightHe coverR head`the bedclothes3waita horror of suspensehis doom;1notashadowb doubtall this hubbub was about himqbelievehad taxedSforbearancvthe powers above extremity of endu2ax1wasT result. It might have seemehim a wasttApompdammuniCkill a bugPa batterartilleryyb incongruou'A getup such an expensive' is to knockQturf ! insect like himself. Bbtempest spent itself2die0out accomplishingaobject boy's first impulsL gratefulreform. His secoto wait--"re>be any more)`s. ThZe next dadoctors were back; Tom had relapsedthree weeks heaon his85timan entire age. When he got abroad at last hehardlybeen spared, remembering how lonelyW his estate, how companionlesaforlor1wasPdrifted listlessly down"astreetfound Jim Hollis ac| as judge in a juvenile courKrying a catmurder, iiSpreseher victim, a birdsoe Harp Huck Finn up an alley ea stolen melon. Poor lads! they--Tom--had suffa. CHAPTER XXIII ATthe sleepy atmospherU stirred--and vigorously:Re trial4k!bethe absorbWopic of village talk immediately. Tom coul9 get away from it. Every refern!to sent a shudder toBheartroubled consciG and fears almost persuadHmthese remarkr!pu Ath iKl's "feelers"; he di1see-Rld bescted of knowing5a anythK1bou}, but stillFnot be comfortablthe midst ofagossipkept him cold shiver allAtimetook Huck to a Qplacedaave a with him. It wome relief to unsealQongueQ a little while; to divide)burden of distressltanotherr. Moreover, he wantedssure himself- mained discreet. "Huck,ayou evSld anybody--that?" "'Bout wYou know." "Oh--'course IZ"n'N^aa wordLsolitary, so help mat makes you ask:qWell, IPaafeardbAWhy,_Sawyer, wen't be alive two days i#3gotout. YOUtTom felt more . After a pause:QBthey5n'tL1getAto tAtheyQGet moatell? !ifhat half-breed devil to drownd me zZO$y ain't no diIbnt way>that's all right n. I reckon we're safe as lo_ we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It'sLQsurer}I'm agree1So Rswore? dread solemnities. "%"isalk around, ? I've heard a power of ibTalk? Pit's just Muff Potter, $Bthe E!It1s ma sweat, constant, so's to hide som'ersT{Ajustsame way ago on he's a goner. Don'gfeel sorry for him,QtimesqMost always--m *account;then he h Fdoneeto hur. Just fishesB, toSoney drunk on--and loafsFiderableAlordall do that--leastways of us--preachers and such like@kind of good--he give me half a, once, wheyre warn't enoughgRtwo; ats of o e stood by meM!ouAluck:mended kitesg"me,knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we2 geoQtherep5My!&8n't)W. And besides, 'tn't do any=;'d ketch himbcYes--s>aI hateear 'em abuse?!so the dickens6Ehe nR--thaI do tooL)I[2saythe bloodiest looking villain in this "ryjwonder he wasver hung befoOAYes, T talk4at,9.that if he was,AfreeQb'd lyn^XA'd do it, too." The boys had a long,Cit broughm little comfort. A# twilight drew on2fouwmselves hanging abouR neighborhood leisolated jail, perhapsan undefinpe that something;Q happAat msclear a4ir difficul+r But noC=e:re seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.rQdid aAy~Roften,%B--we  the cell grating and gave some tobaccomatches. HBhe gQfloorEA werguards. HislAtudeP/QgiftsQ smottir conscienDces it cut deeper than ,:time. They felt cowardly and treacherouthe last degree Potter said: "You've beenQy goo1me,--better'n anybody else town. And I don't forget5. Often I sayrmyself,I, 'I us.Emendboys' kitesks:AshowAwherT0 fishin' places wa0rbefrienwhat I couldO2now ave allot old Muff@Ahe'sqrouble;2TomIQHuck b--THEYPeet him> 'a8them.' Well, boysGe an awful--drunk and crazy a=q--that'. only way I ac}Dit--I got to swingit's right. RighABEST , I reckon--hope so, anyway. we won't 5at.4"wamake YOU feel bad; yed me. But<say, is,p1YOU;Q get +--then youhere. Stand a li%furder west--soSit; it's a prime ?Aee fw`ly wheRn a bodyCsuch a muck of R]tD none come but yourn. Gooda w!--. Git up on Hother's backYlet me touch 'em. TAit. Shake hands--}2'llthrough the bars, but mine's too big. LittlB,weak--buy've helpel a power2athey'd' him more if ." Tom went home miseraWhis dream night were full of horrorse next day2the fter, he hunge court-room, drawn bylmost irresistible impulse to go in,Iforcing himself to stay out. Huck was havingrsame experience y studiously avoided each  . Each wandered away, from91 tod dismal fascination always b+mP presently. Tom kept his ears openKidlers sauntQout oKinvariably heard distressing newsb toils1clo&1and/ relentlessly around poorqA. AtX4endasecondthe village !wathe effect that :Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshakenay!re!no slightest quesvrw0 jury's verdict would be. as out late,eu"ca9bed'window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. Itmhours before he got to sleep. All^DtflockedCQhouse'~morning, for thishBto b%Agrea. Both sexeequally reQed ina!pa3aud>After a long waijury filed  nd took their places; shortlSward,TR, palAhaggtimid and hopeless,L in, with chains upon himseated w/Aall }urious eyes stare at him; no less conspicuouK, stolid as everM2b pause2theFjudge arrive6heriff proclaimde4ing]i usual whisperings amoblawyerAgath! together of papers followedSse detail9accompanying delays worked upQtmospof prepar :was as impressive Bas i fascinating. Now a witneseAcallo testifiat he found Muff3 washing ibbrook, at an early hou4the#2urdF discoveredt immediately sneaked awaysome fur`}counsel forEarosecusaid: "Tak ." The prisoner raised hifor a moment, but dropp%em again when his ownsI have no+&task himSR provbW findknife neacorpse. C$ #,"#'s replied. A thirdN#sw[had often se%inO possession.Potter declinE The faces;b begantray annoyance. Did attorney me, throw away his client's lif;2houffort? Several es deposed conce* guilty behavior@ctTscene8. They were allowed to leavQ stanbeing cross-.Every detailbQdamag0ircumstancesoccurred graveyard upon$which all present remembered so well wasout by credibl^bnessesn%nomexamined byX' perplexity and dissatisfachouse expressed itself in murmurs=Qprovo reproof from the bench 5now!By6Aoath#citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we Nafasten$is awful crime, beyondossibility of#, e unhappybar. We rest our case here." A groan escaped Cpoor,6ahe putKqface in AhandWS rocklbody softly to?fro, while a painful silence reign the court-room. Many men.4movbmany women's compa xtears. rthe def1oseXYour honor, in2tremarksREopenis trialforeshadowed:purpose to prove t6#halient didEfearful deed ,BundeQinfluof a blindirresponsqdelirium produced by drink. We oSchangmind. We shall not offtat plea." [Then to clerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!Npuzzled amazement awok2e@,xeven excepting}B's. 'ey)with wondering interestTom as hAtookTplace!e kjboy looked wild enough, for he was badly scare5Aoathadminister"r, whereAyou oIe seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?" Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron fachis tongue failm audience libreathles"ths refusecome. After a few moments, however,(boy got a little of{strength back\b manag^3puts of it into8voice to make parthear: "IYd!" "Abit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You?--"Q4contemptuous smile flitted across Iface. "W2any near Horse Williams'?" "Yes, sir." "Speak up--just a trifleR. HowPwgCNear as I am to youNhidden, or no_!"I2hid*AhereLaBehindelms that's1edgE."  gave a barely per!blrt. "Any onea I wenr$Wait--wait ab. Neve mentioning your companion's name. We will 6a him ai proper time. Did you carry anything ^Tom hesitateUA conK.out, my boy--ddiffident truth is always respectable. WhaGyou take Only a--a--dead cat." Tas a ripplmirth, whichcourt check9We )rkeleton!atdD Now, tell us 4at occurred--"eown waEskippe, and +sbegan--}ingly at first, butBwarmthis subject his words flowed morJ easily; in a little wpQhile  sound ceased buP own voice;& eye fixed itself upon him;parted lipsbERbreataudience hung>!s , taking no note of time, rapt inghastly fascinationsbe talevastraina pent emotion reach climax whe[boy said: "--and astdoctor fet<the board ar7and Muff Potter fell,@bjumped#the knifCrash! Quick as lightthe half-breed sprang for a window, tore ay through all opposers, and1 gone! CHAPTER XXIV TOMa glittering hero onceH--the pet%Aold,Aenvyhe young. HiR eveninto immortal print,the village paper magnified himre were some believed he would be Presx, yet, if he escaped hanging. As usualfickle, unreaskworld tookto its bosomRfondlavishly as it had abus!before. Butsort of conduct is toT's credit;afore i'not well to find fault_1it.'s days were 1day$splendorQexult@ to him, rnights v?horror. infestedqhis dreamsalways with doom in his eye. Hardly any tempcpersuade  boy to stir abroad afterfall. Poor Huck)same staI"wrAnessbterror1Tom2tolwhole storylawyer thezgreat dayRtrialysore afraid thabTshareAbusimight leak ounotwithstanding_A's f4!sa!imBsuffof testifying ilrt. The poAllowD1got>qattornepromise secrecy-qwhat of? Since }harassed conscad managed to drive himc c's house byjaadQ fromkPhad been sealndismalesI most formidable of oaths,A's confidenchuman race`well-nigh obliterated. Daily2's gratitude madA glahad spoken; butly he wishe%Aup h$ngue. Haltime Tom wX#asawould never be captured; the other half h9be. He felt sure heMdraw a safe breath again until 1man9Adead|1eenhcorpse. Rewards*been offered,'VuntryAscou@o2 Jofound. Onthose omniscien awe-inspi^marvels, a detective, came upoSt. Louis, moused around, shookhead, look"se sort of astou success which membersZ craft usually achieve. That  say, he "! a clew." But you can't hang a "clew" for murder#soZogot throughgone home, Tomjust as insecure asH#as,!. nQslow drifted oneach left behind it a slightly qened we"/of apprehension. CHAPTER XXV THERE comes a time in every rV -constructed boy's life whens a raging desire to go somewhere1digRhidden treasur3is 9suddenlyU!on?qone dayjsallied out to find Joe Harper, but Tfailed of8 . Next he sought Ben Rogers; fishing. Presently5rtumbledHuck FinnuRed-Handed. Huck Qqanswer.tm to a private placaopenedN matter to him confidentially`0Awillwas alway to take a hand in any enterprisi>Ttainmrequired no capital, a troublesome superabundancNRtime is not money. "Where'll we dig?" saidH. "Oh, most anyJ." "Why, is it hid alle?" "No, indeein't. It's-in mighty particular!s,w --sometimes on islands, in rotten chests under!enva limb of an oldRtree,2shadow falls at midnight; but mostlyafloor in ha'nted houseso hides it 9Why, robbers, of course--who'd you reckon? Sunday-school sup'rintendentsMI don't know. If 'twas mine I Cide it; I'd spend have a good time"So;1 I.l"do!way. Theyphide it and leave it t"Dthey come after iHQ more2No,$Rthink will, bu>generally forge marks, or elJey die. Anyway, it lays a long timgets rusty;by and bycbody finds<yellow papeat tells how to,Q the 7--a*%'s got to be ciphered over about a week because it'stQsignshy'roglyphicjaHyro--JH"--picture>qthings,nRknow,M1seemean any-AHave4cgot onU"emas, Tom|!No0Well then,cyou go #63wanJarksesbury it~as or on a"E, or*Aone sticking out. Well, we've tried Jackson's I} a little,we can taagain BtimeS ' -1 upzStill-House branch,=lots of dead-qtrees--Aload1'emI all of theHtalk! No!" "ThenQknow Z one to go 1forUGo fo_1'emIWhy, Tom, it'll take all summerf2hatat? Supposf#a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it,^Agrayrotten chest fudi'monds. How at?" Huck's eyes glowed.1bully. Plentyq enoughme. Just"Aimme Iand &no" "All right. But I beTvI ain'tDthrow off onDb Some 's worth tw3apiece--XWany, hardlyn2's <six bits or aCaNo! IsP1 soCert'nly--anybody1ellRso. Hyou ever seen one, HuckENot as I rememb/Oh, kings have slathers<S_"no5I reckoni!ifwas to go to Europ'd see a raft^ hopping around^"Do1hopHop?--your grannylwhat did|2say>Tdid, bShucks, I only mean@'d SEE 'em--not, of course--_!o Yto hop for?--ba1meaa'd jus 'em--scatSteredQ, youX, in a kind of a general way. Likeold humpbacked Richar* 2? W_his other name=e didn't7any"1. K!but a givenIN3But`Aon't"ifAlikeMa"; )kG"beRg andD,Xa niggerosay--where you dig firszknow. S'#we tackljdead-limb tree on the hill t'\ side of Still-House branchrI'm agreeSgot a crippled pickea shovel,sset outwir three-mile tramp. They arrived hot8rpantingE threw themselves down inL2sha a neighboring elm to resQ a smoke. "I this," said Tom. "So do I 2Say$wetreasure here6you"doyour shar2'll1pieaa glasAsodaRy dayBI'll~ every circufcomes along.0aa gay tinbsLf it?" "SavBe itA for Why, so as tod something to live on, by!byI2Oh,|'any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some daR get his claws on it if Iurry up,I tell you he'd clea3out pretty quick.t)n6I'mbuy a new drumua sure-'nough swordred necktdbull pget marrin""M b!" "Tiyou--why ]in your right min"Wait--you'll seetYthe foolishest Qyou cdo. Look at pap_Amy mE. Fight! !1thead to f1all I remember, mighty wellT(&i girl }marry won'tgA1om,b"cky're all alikeM!y'l comb a body. Nowzabetterak 'bouqs awhilVByou /BHaname oCB gal8a gal aa--it'srI/Fsame;  says gal,irl--both's ce. Anyway, wUPe, Tom6'll.2som--not now\2AllY!--6ll do. Only if? I'll be more lonesomer than everT!No82. Y2andRrwith mestir out `is and we'll go to digging." They workedsweated for half an hour. No result  toiled anothe--*vStill n0Huck said: "Doalways bury it as deep91hisrSometimesd2. Not generally.!weqn't got theQ placS|SchoseAspotbegan again labor dragged a little, but smade progress:By pe4way in silenceVrFinally leaned onshovel, swabbed beaded drops from his browhis sleeveNrQWhereCig next, after we.1one~"bmaybe Aatackleold tree's over yonder on Cardiff Hille widow'sd-be a good one. But:Q take22wayus, Tom? on her la9SHE41! Mshe'd like to try it once. Whoever find Qse hi*asures, it belongs to him. It don't make any difference wzland it's onat was satisfactoryK work went on. By4TBlame it, we must be inRwrongbWhat dVRthinkt is mighty curious,3. Irunderst%.  witches interfere@&wthe trouble<Shucks! WL4 aino power1dayB" "Well,!soAidn'nvat. Oh, I know whaRmatter is!a blamed lot of fools we are! YouZodw]the shadow * limb falls at midnight dig!" "Then consou!q, we've"ed2allfor nothingQ hang!ll bo come.2an awful long way. Can2bet out! bet I will. W_do it to-W, too, because if somebody seebse hol By'llin a minute1's _!an)go for itAG!ar;and maow-All right. Let's hid! tbbushese boys wer)4at 2bouIappointed  They sat in the AwaitIa lonely)an hour made solemn by old traditions. Spirits whisperedrustling leaves, ghosts lurked murky nooks,(deep baying of a hJfloated upr distan owl answwith his sepulchral notM subdued by thesRitiestalked littlethey judged twelve had;"marked wf1and began to dig. Their hopes commenced to ris1ir est grew strongerO# t"dustry kept pace!itcB holm2eneUstill, but everyL Whearts jumpAhearpick strike upon some y only suffered a new disEment+a stone or a chunk. At last Tomv#Itrany use-rxrbut we CAN'T b&. We spot@.der to a doI$tFthen there's another ." "What's that?". "Why, weguessed aHh. Like enough itoo late or too early." Huck droppedhovel. "That's it,"+T he. Bthe aroublegot to give this one upBcan'Q tellQrighty besides< kind of 'sawful, !is<2 ofwitches and2 a-fluttering arso. I feel as if n's behind me atime; and I'm afearTCturnS, becuz maybe's otherfront a-<# fance. I been creepll over,C since I gotBI've=pretty much so, tooy most always put in a dead man wy bury a treasure undere, to lookGRfor iLordy!" "YeRy do.uh7"ha3 Tom, I don't like to foolRPpeople. A body's bto get intos'em, su7 r stir 'em up, either. S'posA oneuto stick.Akull vand sayG DTom! It'sit just is. Hu&ckcomfortable a bjQSay, <Vlet'spa placeband trAas else{2All{, I reckon we better"What'll it be?" Tom considered awhile;dAthen :4e ha'nted house. GBlame it 4s!.  they're a dern sight worse'n D" mZBalk,A, bu$yocome slidmin a shroud,you ain't noticing[Apeep your shoul$ll of a sudden!1grizir teethb way a does. I couldn't stOauch a " a--nobody 1t2but,YsUtraveUronly at4won't heus from digging tp!inbdaytimIrWell, t(so. But you knowcy wellago abo9at fA norrBnigh0 pmostly becauRato go a a manaen mur, anyway--bubhing'sobeen seenBthat except  --just some blue lights slip!bypwindows--no regular ghostsyou see one of them[vflicker, you can beuEre'shy close behind it. Irs to reason. Becuze1any4butmquse 'em pEDcomebP`b, so wZathe usaour beffeard?7a. We'll tacklex dfbsay so#I it's taking chanceThey had started dowBhill1is ( T0middle of the moonlit valley belowQstood""p/, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smoth"the very doorsteps chimney crumbled to ruinwindow-sashes vacant, a corner roof caved inO boys gaz*, half expectSAo se. flit past a{;]1tal1one, as befitte8Atimeqthe circumsty struck far off to the right, toHVe haude berthCtookway homeward through the woodDs6SadornArear,1sidCardiff Hill. CHAPTER XXVI ABOUT noonnext day)garrived  dead tree< f3for tools. Tom was impatiento a; Huck/measurably so, alC suddenly said: "Lookyhere1 dowknow whait is?" Tom mentally ran oveS daysS weekhen quickly lifted his eyes with aled lookam-- "My! I never once thought of it, Huck!\ I didn't neither, but all at@it popped onto meit was Friday." "Blamed!a Acan't be too carefulB. We 'a' got into an awful scrape,ing such a thing on a z MIGHT! Better say we WOULD!'s some luckywq, maybea ain'tAny fool know. I don't P1YOU7the first1fou|3 ounRsaid I was, did I? AndT all,. I had a rotten bad dream last night--pt about rat"No! Sure signprouble. DiTqy fights#NoPll, that's good!hey: it's only afcthat t|p around,-. All we godo is to y sharp and keep ou. We'll drop thisRo-dayOwplay. DuRobin Hg Who'sqWhy, he!onthe greatest ma ever in England--anb best. HG a robber." "Cracky, I wisht. Who did he robOqheriffsbbishop rich peopleRkings=like. But he !boQ poorloved 'emalways divided up 'em perfectly squarehe must 'a' been a bri QI betW[!Oh9UAnoblaaO]was. The'"nymen now, I can tell youcould lick0sman in ,a one hied behind him;NhE,take his yew bow and plug a ten-cent piece every time, a miba half-`a YEW bowhknow. Itkind of a bow, of course. And if he hiR dime`Aedge set down and cryScOBut we'll play!--nobby fun. I'll learnl" "I'm agreed." So they playedL all the afternoon, nowm then casting a yearning eye#uphaunted housApass7 remark about the morrow's prospect9possibilitiezQre. A  sun began to sink intA wesWy took their way homeward athwar% long shadows of the treesoon were buried from sight io forests of Cardiff Hill. On Saturday, shortlyV Wthe boysbaAdeadc againThad a smokeUa chaRshadeSdug a little in last hole, not]great hope, but merely because Tom saiW1re so many cases wherehad given up a treasurK getting within six incheA'itsomebody els[acome aand turned itngle thrusa shovel. TheQailed however, sDshoulder+eir toolwent away feeling jR1had`rtrifledhcfortunehad fulfilled all t$he requirements O!beqbusines)Z-hunting. Whery reach twas something so weird and grislyrsilenceRreign^re under/1bakOzun, andbSdepreb loneland desolation ofbplace,w[afraid, for a moment, to venture ind creptDAdoor@mbling peep71y saw a weed-grown, floorless room, unplastered, an ancient firevacant windows, a ruinous staircase;1herand everyWhung raggeabandoned cobwebspresently enrsoftly,~quickened pulses, talin whispers, ears aler0Qcatchslightest soundmuscles tenQreadyinstant retreat. In while familiarity modifiUBir fnwQy gav [ a critical#isted examinC, rather admiringown boldnessoQwonde"Aat iJdo. Nextato look up-{s. ThisMqlike cuD off, but theRAy go^daring each otherof cours re could be but one result--bthrew tools into a corne1madM ascent. UpnNthe same sign\decay. InpJofound a closetpromised mystery,4the"qa fraud"noQin itir courag!aup nowwell in hand+ L0o go down and begin work when-- "Sh!" said Tom. "What is it?"ed Huck, blancwith fright.G!..re!... HearDa "Yes3Oh, my! Let's run!" "Keep still! Don't you budge! They're coming pa towar door." The boys stretmselves uponRflooreyes to knot-holes i+planking~lay waitin a misery of fear. "ve stopped.... No--HYcy are.gA anoQword,q. My gooI wish I9out of this!" Two men. Each boyto himself: "There'sold deaf!dumb Spani`at's beenPwn once or twice lately--never saw t'man before." "T'other"1 was a ragged, unkempt creature,Z very pleasant in his facelwas wrappedserape; he had bushy white whiskers; long hair flowed from underosombrero  he wore green goggles. Whe8y came in, " "Ctalka low voice; @2satground, facingCdoorbacks to the wallthe speaker continuedremarks. His manner beless guardedX his words more distinct as ceeded: "No,"e he, "I've thought it all ov1I dAlikeIt's dangerous*D!" grunte"e dumb""-- vast surprise. "Milksop+2his~<Agaspquake. ItInjun Joe's silence for some tim-A sai WG3anyL than that job up yonder--but's come of itTPadifferaAway u1 riDnot WRhouseQ. 'Twsbe knowwe tried, anyway,'as we didn't succeedrWell, wmore dangecoming here i% daytime!--anybody would suspicion =ct saw I1q. But tSwarn't any other placeandy after6 fool of a job. I want to quit this shanty ed to yesterday, only ituquse tryo stir out ofose infernal boys pla6!ov4ereqhill riBn full viewoTJ"sd againthe inspiration2is ,how lucky s. had remembered q Friday,rconclud*wait a dayby wishahearts[ had waited a year. The two m\tJ]2fooa luncheon. Aa3nd Cful ,CLooklad--you go backLwfyou belong. Wa.ere till you hear9me. I'll takechances on droppis town just once$,Ua look. We'll do'-'7I've spied a< a littlethink thingsVQ wellf!itn for Texas!rleg it together;was satisfacto1ry. Bothpresently fell<bawningp .I'm dead for sleep! It's your turn to watch." He curled downNQweedssoon bega7snore. His comrade stirred himoor twice?he became quiet. P2the5er a nod; his head drooped lowerP 4, b9C nowboys drew, grateful breath. Tom whispered: "Now's our`--come!" HuckI can't--I'd die ifo wake." Tom urged--@Aheld. At lastrose slowlasoftlyQ starElone first step hewrung such a hideous creak from6razy floorrhe sankbalmost<awith f0. He neveria second attemp1 lare counthe dragging moments rit seemBthemtime must be donGeternity growing gray;1the fy wererto noteVapthe sun qetting. Now oneD ceased.t up, star--smiled grimly upon1, wX2wasing upon hisZ knees--B2 up|his foot1saiHere! YOU'RE aman, ain't you! All 7, though--nothing's happened." "My! have I been asleep?" "Oh, partly. Nearlyfor us to be moving)d. What'll we dowhat little swag we've got leftrI don't know--leave it M#as2aalways , I reckon. No use to tak7Bawayf!wet south. Six hund nd fifty in silver's some0 to carry.tWell--a^a--it wamatter.2omeonce mor"No--but I'd say(ib night2 usdo--it's betterYes: but looke; it may be a good while before I ge 2 atjob; accidm!B; 'tS$inSAverye place; we'll just regulbury it--and Q deepGood idea,"M/ walked acrossroom, knelt, raised"of$earward hearth-stonetook out a bag jingled pleasantly. He subtracted 2it twenty / irty dollars for himselfGqas mucht Joe, and paKs"heo latter, s on hiscorner, now, diggingR his bowie-knife. The boygot all their fears,bmiserigan instant. With gloating eyeygAed emovement. Luck!--the splendor of it was beyondwimagination!Nwas money enough to make half a dozenrich! Hereftreasure-hununder theiest auspicesre would not9ny bothersome uncertainty as to w4 to dig. They nudged each ;ment--eloquent)r easilyastood,,they simply meant--}6but glad NOW we'rb!" Joe's  struck upon . "Hello!phe. "What is it?$is4alf-rotten plank--no, it's a box,4alieve.--bear a hand and 2see<Kfor. Never mind, I've broke a hol4aHe reax2hisW in and drew it out-- "ManD"!"two men examinedwhandful of coinswere goldjb aboveas excitethemselves,as delighDDted.N said: "Wquick work of thire's an old rusty pick over amongst the weed#BsideWe fireplace--I sa5a minute agoh!anqbroughtMRboys' and shovel. Injun Joe took*pick, looked itcritically, shookbhead, muttered to himself,then began to use itxsoon unearthed. Iu not very large; iron bou had been+strong before:slow years+Qinjurmen contemplatY awhile in blissful silenc{sPard, tthousands of Shere,p. "'Twas always said that Murrel's gang uloruone summer,"stranger observ"I know ita; "and looks like it, I shRsay." "Now you won't need to doCjob.half-breed frowned. Said he: "You dDme. Least]all abouta"thing. 'Tain't robbery altogether--it's REVENGE!"sa wicked light flamerhis eyes. "I'll nee*d your help inQWhen Wfinished--Texas. Go home to<QNanceyyour kidsstand by tillhear from me`Well--if say so; what'll we do with--bury it again?" "Yes. [Ravishing deoverhead.] NO! he great Sachem, no! [Prof[distress;I'd nearly forgo"athad fresh  on it! [ys were sickerror in a moment.] What business has a^Sand aa here?, , on them? Whom?q--and wAay gone? Haved anybody?--seen )! Aleavlm to com 1 se" g disturbed? Not exactly--n ". Y!ta to my den*hy, of course! Mh|#at. You mean Number One5BNo-- Two--undxBcross is bad--to"moAll right. It's+ dark enough to start."  got up 3entwindow to cautiously peeping out. Presently heBAho cbrought tho&se tools 1? DR reck8y can be up-stairs?" ' breath forsookj&. put his hand on knife, halted, undecided&[turned towar way. The Q e closet, but their strength was= steps came creaking upfs intolerablef(ituation woke tVricken resoluRe ladTyto spring for the 1whe!re a crash of rotten timbers2uclandedi2amiAUdebriQruineVHe gathered himself up cursinghis comradc2Now s the use of all that? If<8Ithey're up sA, leqm STAY --who caresG@!an:jump down, now, and get+ trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes follow us iQ. I'mSing. In my opinion{qever hoose things inu caught a sAof u took us for ghosts or devil AsomeLA. I'<Rrunning yet." Joe grumbled awhile;he agreed withafriend daylight was left o to be economized in gettingQreadyleaving. Shortly aftery slipped outhe house ia deepe1twiD:mov"Rriverprecious box. Tom1Huck rose up, weak3vastly relievbstaredq througc chinks betweE logd1. FAB? No1. Tere conteUreachAgainout broken necks#tavBtownLrrack ovQ hilly did not talk much1wer much absorb#haemselves-- ill luck)Cmade!ak a spadekathe pi+ere. ButWthat,/n+would have suspected Chiddk8sil gold to waitWQ till"revenge"Qtsatisfiga misfortune to fimoney turn up missBitter, b&!RtoolsbI1re!]y= keep a looko9 Spaniard when he shoGuld come to town spyingVfor chances to dorful jobWf him to "Number Two," wherthat might beLbn a gh@!th$q occurr Tom. "R ? What if he means US, Huck!" "Oh, don't!" sai, nearly fainting.1talked it allas they entewPyBto b#hepossibly somebody else--at least4 qmean no2but Tom, since only Tom]estified. Very, very small comfort itBvAalondanger! Company be a palpable improvement, he. CHAPTER XXVII THE adventure2day ily tormented Tom's dreams night. Four times hehis hands on+rich treasur&f6ilt7nothingness infingers as sleep forsook him and wakeful4a"ba hard reality ofR1. AClay |smorning recalle incidenthis greatD, he noticed seemed curiously subdued0far away--somewhat as if they had happened in another world, or time long gone byi5him itself mustS! There was onetrong argument in favorDis idea--namely,sc quantDcoin2Cseen1o vkAo be2. HWn seen as much as fifty dollar3one mass before!he_Alike4Sboys "agstation in life, &dimaginall references7hundreds""thousands" were mere fanciful formCaspeech kno such sumsly exist2thehad supposed for a moRso large a sum as a 6q be found in actual moneycny one's possession. Ianotionuhidden had been analyzed,would havey to consist of a handful of ! dgand a bushevague, splendid, ungras Q. Bugrew sen qsharperclearer under the attri193ink&mso he presently`1himk1leaepto the %BimprZ2 thing might not2!a , after all. This uncertaintyswept away:~snatch a hurried breakfast and gofind Huck. was sitting e gunwale flatboat, listlessly dangling his fee3aand looBvery melancholy. Tom concluded to letlead up to the subjectQe did3Qdo itwsqbe prov\ Donly. "Hello,y&!"yourself." Silence, inute. "Tom, if we'd 'a' lefblame tools adead tree,0rgot the. Oh, ain't it awful"'TI, 't! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog'd if I don't." "Whatwbu?" "Ohing yesterday. IAhalfi " "Dream! If them stairs hadn't broke down you8)2how Q! I've hads enoughnight--with[patch-eyed Spanish devil goingm*1thrG'em--rot himm1No,_a. FINDu Track /Tom, we'll RneverXhim. A fellerq~one chance for such a pile--andone's lost. I'd feel1ry shakywas to see him, anywayell, so'd I; butHClike2 2z him out--to his Number TwoXR--yes&U's itQ'bout. But I can't make no[aout of@do you reckon it iso. It's too deep. Say--maybe i Bhe nof a houseGoody!... No, tfv,s one-horse town. They##noqas here,!so. Lemme6K Here-- room--in a tavernQ knowhtrick!s3two?s. We cansout qui You stayU, till I com1Tom-off at onc1carasHuck's company in public placesas gone half an hour4fou!inEbestQNo. 2BlongQoccupy a young lawyer, andms%so-2. I_less ostentatious7k 2 was a qmystery -keeper'srson said itrkept locked allBtime2he < saw anybody go into it or}( except at night; he did not any particular reason for this state of1gs;Ehad some little curiosity, butrather feeble9Amade1mosCthe & by entertaining himself with5Aidea""ro` "ha'nted"ernoticed%QthereZda ligh !reS before. "Twhat I'vY2out4. In the very No. 2 we're after/E . Now what you going to doEthought aAtimeT n he said: "I'll tell you back doo" icomes out Jlose alley betwee*the old raQtrap Jbrick storeet hold ofdoor-keysa, and 1nip-of auntie's,|first dark we'll goF try 'em. And mind you, keepWQokoutInjun Joe, because he hJprop intao townspy around once moreWa chance tois revenge. If see him, just follow him;_if he don't,Aain'a placeLordy, I:qwant to^er him by myself!" "Why, it'll b%, sure. He mightn't ever see you--and ifa, maybe he'd think anythingWell, if it's pretty8track him.1o--3o. yPYou bet <cDdarkh 'a' found out he couldh x#berUCafteLBmoneqIt's soOVs so.{; I will, by jingoes1're TALKING! D2you|bweakenI won't." CHAPTER XXVIII THAT#1TomQHuck were readytheir adventThey hung abou]neighborhooRuntil nine, one watch2he Pat a distK!thLPdoor. NoQenterFor left it; n%sresembln Spaniard`%ed3t'!promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understand{at if a considerable degree ofness came on, as to com"maow," whereupon he would slip out1try]tkeys. Bremained clear,0maclosed and retird in an empty sugar hogshead welve. Tuesda boys had the same ill luck. Also Wedn/Thursday qbetter.tqslippedin good seasonaunt's old tin lanterna large towellindfold itC!hi < in Huck's; began. An hour before midv!upBits lights (the only ones thered"s)put out. Nohad been seen+Dhad / }b. EverrauspiciousBblac5of reigned,perfect still+was interrupted by occasional mutteringsAt th<. Tom gotq, lit i5the~Q, wra"itS#ly$b towelx&wours crepPgloom toward the# tavern."stfAntryrTom felway intoZ1The"reZ of waiting anxiety$weighed i2pirke a mountainh to wish he c ee a flash fromCR--it 4frighten him, buZat least tell him2Tomlive yet. It seemedqs since$had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybefas deais heartCRburst_q terrorexcitement. In4auneasifound himself drawing-D8(r a; fearrll sortreadful things] momentarily expec some catastrophe to happaotake away his breath. T9not much,, for heQonly Y to inhale it by thimbleful Tsoon wear itAout,Ctbeating. Suddenln"ofccame tE by him: "Run!" said he; "runyour life!" He needn', repeated it; oncUqenough;2makuirty or forty miles a the repDqetition?AutteCThe boys never stopped till they reached the shed of a deserted slaughter-house at*lower en/the village. Just as]got within its shelter lCtorm "anrain poured down. As!as"go]1 he: "Huck,awful! I tried twoskeys, j1sofIsR; butto make such a pof racketO=rdly get my! IRso scBBTheyn't turn ia lock, either. Well,?out noticing whatUdoing, I took holQknob,Uopen come door! It warn'tsred! I h!in8 shook offBQtowel(, GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST!" "What!--what'd you see, Tom?"I most steo onto Injun Joe's hand!" "NobYes! H&"lyaere, s asleep oARfloor4old patch oP1eyehis arms spread out." "Lordy,d"diQdo? D wake upBNo, U budged. Drunk, I reckon. IjQgrabbc1at Jbstarte3I'dM'a' thought3, I bet!" " "IE. My aunt me mighty sick if I lost i1Say,2see1boxRI didn't wait to look around.>Ve box4 [cross.anything but a bottla tin cu 6 by(; yes, I sawqbarrelslots moreUs_ room. Don't2now'!amatterwha'nted ro!ow!qWhy, it#with whiskey! Maybe ALL2Temperance Taverns have got aBroom, hey, HuckhV! mWtso. Who'd8`u? But stnow's agood time to g&ifq's drunk%aIt is, ! You try it!" Huck shudd Eno--1notH5And-B not. Only on alongside o ain't enough. Ire'd been three, h  -&cI'd doQThere a long pause for reflectiothen TomzRLooky3less notCB any}wwc not in there. It's too scary. Nowwe watch every night, we'll be dead sursee him go out, someor other,C!sn]box quicker'n lightning'm agreed. I'llthe wholeUj%y 1too3you"2theq part oA jobRAll rI will. All you godo is to trot up Hooper Street a blockmaow--and*'m asleep,ORthrow:gravel atwindow and 'll fetch mehqas whea*"2the storm's ov*go home. It'll begin to be day in a coupl"ahours.Sgo ba4Qlong,5A youedI saidTa]! t for a year! E all dayiF&st2all2Tawbing to[n Ben Rogers' hayloft. He lets me so does his pap's nigger man, Uncle Jake. I tote!er whenever he wan`1 tocB any] I ask him he gives me a lisomething to eFat if he can spare it. r mightyB!ik\, becuz I don'[q act as was abov. Sometime I've setLQ downeat WITH him. But needn't tell. A body'svQthingn he's awful hungry91oulH4wanas a steadyAe$ift!indaytime,q"le. n't come bothering around. Agyou sed's up,d, just skip,G.maow." CHAPTER XXIX THE first Tom heard on Friday morning glad piecnews --Judgecher's family had 1ack"ow before. Both Injun Joethe trea)sunk into secondary importance a moment, and Becky tookchief place4boy's interessaw her and thean exhaustingplaying "hi-spy" "gully-keeper" with a crowdir school-mates. T$^completedMcrowned > peculiarly satisfactory way:QeasedmK to appoint the next day forlong-promised a&"nddelayed picnic,she consentedchild's delightboundless;6Tom's not more moderate@ invitations were sent ous sunsettraightwayyoung folksZ villageLbthrown4a fever of preparu(!plbable anticip..excitement enabled him to keep awake until a pretty late hour!heAhope1heaHuck's "maow,Dof having histo astonish&kers with,Q; butcas dis ed. No signal came*C. Mcame, eventuallyby ten or eleven o'clock a gidd rollicking companygathered at 4_Qevery_a was ro1for|qart. It1notacustomelderly peopl21mar.!s spresenc2renaconsidsafe enough unde9AwingSa fewBladireightee# #gentlemenwenty-three sreabout1oldqm ferryboatQchartoccasion;1tlygay throng filed up th\e main street ladenprovision-baskets. SidoAsickhad to miss[fun; Mary remain1homentertain himkQlast  Mrs. Thatcher sai[Becky, was: "You'llDget back tillg. Perhaps you'd better stay all some ofBirlslive neah-landing,." "Then I'll\.Susy Harper, mamma+Very well. And mind9QbehavQrself don't be any trouble." Ptt s they tripped along, Tom1: "Say--tell you what we'll do. 'Steadgoing to Joe2's *qclimb r!up3Ahillbstop a|Widow Douglas'. She'll ice-cream! She has it most day--dead loadN"it4sHbe awful gluY!usg2Oh,awill bA!" Becky reflected a mo1and7s: "But2ill say?" "How!heb know?^>q turnedidea over in her mindreluctantly: "I reckon it's wrong--but--"shucks! Your mother w*CknowZo' harm? All she wants isQ that"Qsafe;AI be she'd 'a' go there if tthoughtISwouldw  splendid hospitalityLa tempting bait. I Tom's persuasions pc carriqday. So itOadecide;bsay no]anybody abounight's programme. i it occurrJB Tom?maybe Huck mchis verycUAgiveasignal ;took a dealspirit ouYhis anticipations. She couldbolkfun at~Iawhy sh>1he 5it up, he reasoned--2 diiebefore, so Timore likely to>o-night? The sur evening outweigh3unc1rtreasur, boy-likedetermined to yielQtrongAclinLnot allow him!to k of the box of money anyBtime  day. Three miles below town>boat stoymouth of a woody hoand tied up. crowd swarmed ashore#oodorest distances andU craggy heights echoed far<near with tings and laughter. Alldifferent ways of get!ho tired were gone through_,nby-and-byRrovers straggled back"amp fortified responsible appetitesV2thedestructionHAgoodgs began. AfterAfeas!re-a refreshing sr of resbchat il shade of spreading oaks. BAsomef shouted: "Who's ready focave?" Everwas. Bundlej"ca \procuredstraightwaU re was a general scamper2hil}x' hillside--an op7shaped like a letter A. Its massive oaken door stood unbarred. Within small chamber, chilly as an ice-houseA waly NatureP solid limestonwas dewy#a cold sweat. I1romJmysterious to stand deep gloom/look out uprgreen valley shi("Sun. B_Qimpre#DnessUBsituquickly wore offArompegan againmoment a candlalighte Frushowner of it; a strugglea gallant defence followed, busoon knocked down or bl %utSlad clamop and a new chaseB3all have an endl"thession went filingthe steep descent!main avenue,pflickering rank ofVs dimly reveaYthe lofty wall rock almost to their poip2jun sixty feet overhead. This\not more than r or ten? wide. Every few steps other#and still narrower crevices branched from it on ei= hand--for McDougal's cav`*but a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each1andItled nowhere. BsaidDone might wander daynAtogeuits intricate tanglArift:b chasmC never fit4end Qcave;h!goY,Qdown,jAintoS4eari"juyu same--D! u_no end to an ym. No man "knew"icave. Thafan impossibleAU. Mosyoung men knew a porCof inot customary to venture much beyo<is knownJ. Tom Sawyeres3%of as any one. T moved along1"some three-quarterba mile<then group ouples began to slip aside gs, fly~dismal corridor?X takeby surprise at !s F the?r joined . Parties were able to elud^2for1pac half an hour without goinga the "" nd. By-and-by, onep after anCcame straggCbackw mouth  , panting, hilarious, smearchead to foot tallow drippings, daubedBclayentirely de" uccess ofcday. TqyMstonisheat they had been taking no not[2tim.mabout at hanre clangtqll had T1cal;9for. However,71sorpclose t%oday's adms|romantic aserefore satisfactory. W ferryboat with her wild freight pu2intsstream, nobody csixpence fordbwasted!buH captain craft. Huck already upon his watch w1's s went gliWB pasjwharf. He heard no noise on board,%t people  subduedAstill as $usually are whonearly tir@Qdeathwondered what boat1why she did not stop w#--n he dropped!ourhis minput his attenLbusinessgrowing cloudydark. Ten o'clock cam/K f vehicles ceased, scattbegan to wink out, all2foot-passengers disapp,village betook itself to its slumber2lefRsmall>!ere/qthe sil ghosts. Eleven ftavernv re put out; darkness everys, now. $it$seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened. His= faith was weakening. Was any use? "reA Why]give it upturn in? AFfell~2ear!asUin an instantQ alley door closed softlyBssprang Adcornerbrick store. The next moment two men brbby him;4onePto have someCQunderDarm. It must be tAx! Sy1goiq removeztreasure.Bcall Tom now? It would be absurd--the men get away withP1boxy never be found again. No, heVc stick1bir wakfollow them;.c trust.for security from discovery. So communinghimself,1stejout and glidedLcg behi>men, cat-like,Jbare fee_ them to keep just far enough aheadto be invisible. They moved upG river street three blocks, t+2urnthe left up a cross-8y? straightE, until they1 to!paBat lCardiff Hill; this5Ctookf the old Welshman's house, htalf-wayBhillOout hesitating still climbward. Good, thoughty will bury it inFold quarry. But1stoa &3on,b summiy plunged inbnarrow7bbetweetall sumach bushesat once hiddeothe gloom.d shorteneddistance, now, forle to see him. He trottrawhile;VUslackdpace, fearingaas gaiOtoo fast;on a piecenaltogether; listened; no sound; none, savh!ea1 be1 ofown hearD hooban owl2ove>hill--ominousy!no footsteps. Heavens, was everyilost! HeAabou!spqwith wifeet, when a man clearathroatfour feethim! Huck'sbt shot`lroat, buwallowed itY;sthen he stoo re shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge]am at o[aand soS%hez"hensurely fall to the gr/ound. He knew wh?Q. He  within five 1 ofstile leading Widow Douglas' grounds. Very well,A, le$m there; it won't be hard to find. Now& voice--a very low#Injun Joe's: "Damn her, maybe she's got company--W's lights, latet is." "I can'tany." Thisthat stranger'st9haunted house. A deadly chill wenob--thisthe "revenge" job! HisAwas,6l3n he remembered-:the had been kinvqhim mornuEthese men1going to murder herNwished he dlventure to war;;zq didn't1Eay migheLcatch himcoall this and !in1momXhat elapsed 's remarkeE E next--which was-- "Becaus  bush is in your way. Now way--now you see, don't you?" "Yes. WellTre IS, I reckon. Better give it upG, and I j:ust leavhis country forever! 54never have another chance. I tell again, as I've told you befo care fo swag--you mayc it. But her husband was rough on me--many times and mainlythe justiceyApeact jugged ma vagrant. AnAain'Q5. I millionth part of it! He haNHORSEWHIPPED!--horsewhipped in fron6the jail, like a nigger!--withe town looking on! `!do understand? He took advantag5Adiedl I'll tak@!ou1HERH#Oh kill her! Doo that!" "Kill? Who said anything abou:ing? I woulds HIM if abut noQ. Whe?2 waCget  on a woma#] q--bosh!%goolooks. You slif nostrilsnotch her ears1sowqBy God,A's--2eepopinion t rself! It will be safestRyou. v!ieo!tobed. If she bleeds to death, iYmy fault?Cnot cry, if she dLoes. My friend, you'll help me in --for MY sake --that's why7re here--I mightn't be able aloneyou flinch,D =?ZBif I"to2youBB her then I reckon nobody'll know muchnwho done businessWell, if it's got to be/A, leet at it. The quicker the better--I'm in a shiver." "Do it NOWAcomphere? LookN1'llisuspicious oHr, first know. No--we'll wait till1lights are out--there's no hurry." Huck felt| a silence was goo ensue--a{sc more awful than any amoumurderous talk; so he held his breath and stegingerly back; plante.2fooQfully6firmly, after balancing, one-legged,aprecarH"wa=almost toppling over, ^on one sid `!onRfother.:n!, the same elaborationr risks;\94andRQ, andpwig snapped)>vfoot! HH1sto#and he li.astenedr no soundAnessperfect.Sgratitud7 measureless. Now he turned intracks, betwee)Awallsumach bushes--: himself ass if he were=p'uly but cautiouslyrg. When he emerged atquarry heasecuref so he picked upnimble heelsflew. Down, dowcRsped,nhe reacheWelshman's,7banBdoorzpresentlyheads of Qold mTdtwo stalwart sons% thrust from windows. "Wtthe rowdWho's banging? What do you want?" "Let--quick!3 teQy|Why, who are you@Huckleberry FinG@Y!' , indeed! It ain't a namopen many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads[Vsee w qtroubleQPleas"'t+tell I told you,"ccHuck'srwords wd got in. M--I'd beed, sure--buwidow's been good s to me sometimeI1 to--I WILL tell if yo6u'll promis& wasay itmBy George, he HAS gottDhinghA, orAouldct so!" exclaim; "out with it0nobody here';." Three minutes latersons, well armed,up the hilljust enter$hezpath on tiptoe, their weapons in hands. Huck accompanim no further hid behind a great bowlderfell to listening a lagging, anxious silence, an?n all of a suddR an explosion of firearma cry. waited for no particularsprang awayBspedthe hill as fast aslegs could cLim. CHAPTER XXX AS|earliest suspic dawn appeared on Sunday mornHuck came gropingrapped g77olds&. The inmate,asleep, but!a B tha'set on a hair-trigger,sccount exciting episodenight. A calla:2o's"!"Q's scvoice answerc`a low Ttone: "Please let me in! It's onlyFinn!" "ba nameacan opOi& or day, lad!--and welcome!2eseustrange words,he vagabond boy's earsthe pleasantest he had ever heardLRnot recollectthe closing word=1beeG"li!his case beforenwas quickly unlocked"he-2ed.7was given a sea]1man~his bracall sons speedily dress5 selves. "Now, my boy, I hop're goodZungry, because breakwill be ready as soon aA sun's upwlhave a piAhot one, too --mak}rself easy about1! Ithe boys d you'd turn up and stop BlastF.tFSawfulq," saide, "and I run. I took :he pistols wekfAI diAstopt>le. I've come now becuz I wanted to knowqit, you;I:: daylightF3 I xwant to run acros~m devils, even if they"de"Well, poor chapdo look as if_had a ha>"rdO of it--but there's a bedx1forAwhenBv^Fyour=Q. No, ain't dead--we are sorry enough[ at. You see we knew right w to put our hands on them, by;description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen feet oTam--dar0a cellar that sumach path was1jus>qn I fouqoing to sneeze. It wH meanest kind of luck! I triEeep it back, but no use --'twas bj!toPait did!i*Q leadB my T rais3theQ starhose scoundrels a-rustldget ou6, I sung out, 'Fir!!'blazed away a6d place5he aqwas. So"1. B<"ey"off in a jiffy, svillainwe after4down throughqwoods. I judge we n4atouche|my fired a shot apiece y4 their bullets whizzed bydo us any harm. AkRwe loVB sou$Twe quit chasingand stirred up the constablesgot a posse togetherHoff to guar river bank&ait is ligh sheriffaa gang beat up}My boys will be them presently. I wish wzA somNose rascals2 ould help a good deal. Butcouldn'thdrlike, i!Adarkppose?" "Oh yes; I sawkt down-tdfollerP" "Splendid! D!be8"--1, m!fAne's9!olfdumb Spaniat's ben ar>here once or twiceqt'othermean-lookQragged--" "TPo men! Happened1^R backe widow's one dayCAlunkR. OffAyou,, and tellfA--ge to-morrow morning!" The Welshman's sons dep!at _Aleavhe room Huck sprang upexclaimed:, please don'tANYbody it was me NFblow1b! Oh, =All right ifsay it, Huayou ouxo have t/he credit of wha%Adid.@h no, no! Pr!" Wheyoung men were gone,5oldFA saiT-r--and I. But whyyou want it known?" Xnot explain, further than to say<he already knew too much about\1men`Ahave1manU M anything against him for3whole world--heVbe killed for knowingRsure.~ old man promised secrecy3morWqHow didcome to follese fellowsb? WereI suspiciouse)as silent while he framed a duly cautious reply. Then heQWell,see, I'm a kind of a hard lot,--least everyrsays soIdsee nopRin it@sometimes I can't sleep much, on account1ink!it2sor!ryo strike out a new way of doing. Thaay of it last night. I,Sleep,j1 I 1alo-street '1mid@a, a-tu it all ovyhen I got to old shackly brick store by  the Temperance Tavern, I backed upORll to3anoTRink. just then comes these two chaps slippg%lose by me, with;1undreir arm'I reckoned'd stole it. Onea-smoking3"t'one wantlight; soG stopped right before methe cigars lit up a faces"RI seeoqthe big?Adeaf(dumb Spaniard, by his white whiskerQthe patch on$#ey rusty, ragged- devil." "C3youe rags by?" This staggered Hucka momentknow--butQhow ims as if IQtbent onyou--" "Foll'em--yeseiO!towup--they sneakedsso. I doggT*e widder's stilnqstood iQ darkBhearu1beg"K5the swear he'd sp;rr looks?as I tollyour two What! The DEAF AND DUMBAsaidthat!" Huck had G maderrible mistake! HQryingnbest to keeA olddfrom getting?faintest hint of whR might bQ1yetbtongue seemed determi1o g$ m into trouble in spite ofAhe cbdo. He several efforts to creep ouhis scrape, but'dS!upumh["blcafter . PresentlMTWelsh;: "My boy, don't be afraid of me. I wouldn't hurt a hair of your head forXorld. No--I'd protect+ !. mz is not; you've letAslipout intending it+ can't cover0up now. You know1abob&at that you wana dark. Now trust me--tell mSit isN"c --I wVtray you." clookedA's honest eyes,bent over andpwiar: "'Tain't a--it's Injun Joe!? almost jumped chair. In5 he<AIt'splain enough,pWhen you talked about6Q notc|ears and slinoses I judge2wasmown embellishment, because white menBtake>1sorYrevenge. But an Q! Tha different matter altogether." During breakfasatalk wn!inQcours i*E sai2e lIing which heis sons had done, before going to bed, a lanternAqexamineBstilWits vicinity for marks of blood. They found nv ut captured a bulky bundle of-- "Of WHAT?" IfqBwordbeen lightnyanot haaped withcqre stun0suddenness Huck's blanched lips. His were staring wide1histh suspended--wai'1foraanswer )tarted--star return--three seconds--fivaten --replied:/burglar's tools. Why, wthe MATTERDyou?4sank back, pang deeply, unutterably gratefuleyed him gravely, curiously--and p5NYes,That appto relieve= you a good dealv what did give#that turn? WhatYOU expecBwe'dwas in a close placeja inqui1eyeupon him--he would xgiven any for material for a plausib<swer--no- suggesteR?elf|!boadeeper --a senseless reply o~dKrno time to weigh it, so at a venture he  --feebly: "Sunday-school books, maybe." Poor Mtoo distressed to smileWQ laugzoud and joy6, shook up the detail[his anatomy1heacQfoot,Er by say(at such ar money in a-man's pocket,  it cut dowdoctor's bill like evernq"ddold chap, you're Za5 in't well a bit--no wonder8a little fyoff your balancyou'll come ouit. Rest6sleep will fetch;out all right, I hoprirritatthink heSaBgoosbetrayed{! a)icious excitesfor he had d"aroppedBideathe parcel broughtthe tavernreasure, as soon asAhear[c talk Ywidow's stile. Hronly thm!it`"no2d however had not kn/a8n't--and soion of a captured bundltoo much:his self-possession" oAwholfelt gla.bepisodhappenedt now he knew beyond all qusnot THE,Oo his mind was at rkexceedingly comfortable. In fact,CR seem^qbe drifbjust i direction, now;W must bel in No. 2,%2menE be y!ilybat dayhTom could seizeJBgoldnight withBny trouble orfear of interruption. Just as breakfaseacompledea knocQdoor.lq jumped&a hiding-"no!toonnected even remotely1lat!nt+ Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among theWidow Douglas, and no54ticngroups of citizens were climbing uphill--to stareS\news had spread!haAtellRstory of tH visitorsA#gratitudeqher preservatiooutspoken. "Don't say a word about it, madam^re's anotheryou're more beholdenan you are to m my boys, maybe, but he d}qallow m0Atellname. We n't have beee!reD%for him." Of course this excited a curiosity so vas0qit almolittled the main matter--but t_llowed iaeat inqe vital$Dhis !thqbe trans?"T townb refus"2parsecret. When all els> AlearBAthe  said: "I wensleep reading in bed*lept straightaat noise. Why didn' 3 cowake me?" "We judg0warn't worth whAThosDlows"likely toU again--they haqany tools lefAworkp2whathe use of waking"up`caring you to death? My three negro men stood guard aqr house}the rest8y've just back." More!R camebbe tol!re for a couple of hoursA. Twas no Sabbath-school during day1vaceverybody was early at churchQ stirEBeven` well canvassed. News came 'not a signtwo villains hadyet discoveredthe serm!finished, Judge Thatcher's wife dropped alongsid Mrs. Harper as she moved dowba aisle;Bcrowq3s my Becky going>all day? Iexpectedhwould be tira." "YourS(RYes,"a startled look--"es"ay'you last nightEqWhy, noa  turned palhBsankba pew,as Aunt Polly, tal0cbrisklwa friend, pG by.64Good-morning, /. . I've got a boyk$'sup missing. I reckon my Tom stayed last night--one of you. And now he's afraid to%totto sett'>hime shook her head feebly andpaler than ever. "He Aus,"G6, beginn}look uneasy. A marked anxiety~'s face. "JoeVAhave5seeK1thiQAningY1No'"When did3A him?" Joe triaremembu)not sure he c2sayWpeople had stmoving ouUWhispers}Ralong;a boding iness took possessio! countenance. Children were anxiously questionedbyoung teache!eys?"henot noticed whether3andDwere on boarferryboat oa homewbrip; iCdark; no one thoughQinquiaif any Ewas .!Onng man finally blurtedfqhis featqstill ib cave!]swooned awa fell to crying wringing'Bands alarm swept from lip to lip,Agrou Rstree p, and w ithin five minutes the bells wildly cla$he whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episode sankginstant insignificance,ucurglarxforgotten, horsesaddled, skiff1man| !Brderabeforelhorror was half an hour old, two hundred mA pou8 down highroad and river toa. Alllong afterno village seemed empt dead. Many women visited Y6andPcomfort them51y clAwithR, too2tha1Dbettzswords. tedious nigh]for news;"heA dawqt last, athe wo"atwas, "Send more candles--and send food." was almost crazed;$3, also. Judge sent messages of hope;encouragemeng,tWonveyed no real che The old Welshman came hom1ard daylight, spattRwith -grease, smeaR clay worn out. He found Huck Pbed that had been provid2himTQdelirQfever@ physicianoQall aA, soWidow Douglas ook charge of*patient. She said suld do her best by him, because, whether h- good, bad, or indifferent,"the Lord's,rnothingu !H o be neglected  AHuckUgood spots inE said: "You can depend on it'Amark5don't leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creatuat comes from his hands." Early-AforeRparti3jad began to straggle int  strongest citizens continued searchinggBnewscould be gainedremoteness!rn being ransacke3had7W;r6orner and crevice{!go7o be thoroughly#edCver one wand!th/1maz"pax!, [`seen flitting hiSand t Bdist@and shouAQtings~pistol-shots sent their hollow berations  ear downsombre aisles. Inplace, farLthe section usually traversed by tourists,Unames "BECKY & TOM"Dfound traced uporocky wallcandle-smoke,Qnear nd a grease-soiled b9 ribbon. Mrs. Thatcher recogniz'e%Tcried over ii7 last relic she sh1havher child;UAno omemorial )@be so precious,  this one parted latest the living bodyvawful death came. Somzw and then,  cave, a far-away speck ofrglimmerthen a gloKDshou)burst forth aa scor'men go troopingA echx"--en a sicken-isappointment always f!e "re" not there;donly a2r's. Three dreadD"ay`nights dragg>ir tedious hours alongvillage sank9 a hopeless stupor. No oneAhear0A any. The acci- dental discovery, just made,Gthe proprietor of the Temperance Tavern kept liquor on his premises, scarcely fluttere public pulse, tremendous aso1fac&5a lucid interval, Huck feebly lqsubjects?A finYasked--dimly 1ingsworst--if-DW&3ed  rsince hz6ill. "Yes," sai widow. Huck stup in bed, wild-eyed: "What? Wha it?" "Lm! SB hasyshut up. Lie down, --what a turn you did give me!" "Only tell meAone ;!--&one--please! W Tom Sawyer ?Tinto tears. "Hush, h ! I've told you , you must NOT talk. You are very sick!zAn no5 bu;gBhaveI t powwow if itthe gold. SoCtreasure was gone fo's--gone a! But she be crying about? CuMA cryUese thouEEworkDdim way throuS!gh.r's mind Qunderwearinesv y gave him he fell asleep.  o herself: "There--he's1, poor wreck. find it! Pitysomebody !KS! Ah,ain't many left, now's got hope enough, or strength /either, to go on searching." CHAPTER XXXI NOW to return toand Becky's share i apicnic*y tripped alo^murky aisles with12reshe company, visit familiar wonderst cave--bdubbedX rather over-descriptive nam uch as "The Drawing-Room,"%Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presentlyhide-and-seek frolicking beganz C engaged in itzeal untilTexertionDrow a trifle Asomen they wand down a sinuous avenue hold_ir candles alofttangled web-work of I dates, post-office addresand mottoQwhichrocky wallsLfrescoed (in-smoke). Still drifUand talking, theCy scarcely noticed thatere now in a parvave whose +tq. They d52ownPK!anphanging shelfL^moved,y came to a place where a littleam of watrickling over a ledged carrying a limestone sedimenVit, had,slow-drag"ages, formed a laced and ruffled Niagara in gleammnd imperishabAone.% squeezed his small body beha in oro illuminate it fora gratification. He founit curtain"sosteep natural stairway was enclosed between narrowat once the ambitiobe a discoverer sei"m. responde#is call, aey made aMQ-markfuture guidancestarted upoir questw ais waythat, farAintoqsecret depths of A,nother mark|branched off i( of novelties to tel upper world about. In onea spacious|rn, from 1ceiAdepeGa multitude of sh-!inbtalactites ofalength circumference of a man's leg;walked all it, wonderadmiringpresently left it by numerous passagesbopenediis shortly broughm bewitching sp}basin was incrusted with a frostwork of glitt crystals; it:Amidsa|Rwalls+Qsuppo~ by many fantastic pillarsRhad been?!byd"joof great 2and!gmatogethhe resuleaseless -drip of centuries. UnIhe roof vast knot bats had packed themselvwrousands Qbunch( lights disturbTe creaturOflockingby hundreds, squeaand darting furiously  candlesFCknewp5waymr danger%isqconduct'Becky's han hurried herthe first corridorqffered;Onone too soon) a bat struck g-5 ouu s wing while she was passuq cavern bats cha4sm children a goodance; butfugitives plungnevery newr9ageat last got ridKperilous thing found a subterranean lake,, stretched i<$m way untilBshapqlost inshadows. He wanted to explore8borders,qconclud.awould be best to sitand rest a!, R. Now2thea time,deep stillnesTthe place laid a clammyg3upoBpiri5!. / said: "Why, I didn't notice2it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others." "Come to"k,q, we aredown belobm--and I don'=w how far/north, or sou AeastQwhichit is. We couldn't heaWm here." . grew apprehensive. "I B howRwe'veahere, Tom? We better start backYes, I reckon w'. P'raps,an you fiC waybBIt's" mixed-up crooked Ato m"nINCit--qbats. Iy put ouLr candles owill be an awful fix. Let's try som so as not to go through tq"Well. But I hope we wget lost. I8"sozB!" a girl shuddere8the thought o dreadful possibilities. Theya corridor traversed it in silence a  way, glancing at eachopening, to see irZanything familiar abo9look of itMay werestrange. EI time Tom made an examinationczwatch his face for/ncouraging sign#he5say cheerily: "Oh, iright. This ain'~#on)swe'll c"it0 away!" But he felt less hopeful withPrfailurepresently beganRurn off into divergvenues at sheer random, in desperate }!of1ing_#on3wasQ. He rA saiwas "all !,"such a leaden1 atRhearttnqrds had their r nd sounded just as if he had, "All i#!"clung tooqside innguish of fea*rTtried hard to keep back dtears,ycome. At las^$Tom, never mindHqbats, l23go `at way! We seem.et worse 1offime." "Listen!"{ he. Profound; so deeptCevenfAbrease conspicuous i% hush. Tom shouted. The call went echoing dow2 empty aisleQdied K! distancb faint resembled a ripplmocking laughter.qdon't deSagainit is too h,*Becky. "I!I better<; they might hear us, you know,4 he~[! "6R" waspa chillierbor thaughostly, it so confessperishing.hildren stoodand listened; bucyno resultturned uporack at onctB hur"is steps!as5a little while before a certain indecision inDmanner reveanother fear]!ac9--he could notE1wayF!uyou didn't make any mar qks!" "P1, Isuch a fool! S Ithought wewant to com-! No--I can'the way. It's all mixewe're lost! #Weqcan get8of this awful place! Oh, why DID we pQleaveqQotherSQnk to!gr$and burst intorenzy of crying Tom was appalled withMBidea$$sh(die, or lose hason. He sat)!byqand putbarms aher; she bu|Rer fa3his bosom,"clung to hiCpourrher terrors,Eunavailing regretsahe far$esAthemyto jeerQbegge to pluck up_si . He fell to blamingAabusimself for gett"ermiserable situation;-Shad a effect. wW1try>Aope Waget upfollow wherllead if only he :not talk like#any more. Fo@Smore +Rn shesaid. Sy moved on\--aimlessly--siK mply at random--all theyq!do!toF, keep movinga little while, made a show of reviving--not3anyack it, butbecause it is its natuOe when the spdht been taken it by age and familiarityfailure. By-and-by Tom took 's candle0blew it out. This economy meant so much! Words were not needed.S understood,V2her=BdiedU{Bknew 3TomXwhole!three or four pieces in his pockets--yet he must)iz, fatigue began to assert its claims;tchildren tk to pay attention, for it7qdreadfuthink of siCdown1imemAgrow|be so precious,x, in some direcowin any |ist progressjmight bear fruit;wRto siito invite death:qshortenpursuit. At last's frail limbs refused to carrrfarthersat down.tDrest,Aher,wtalked of home friends thercomfortable beds; and, above all,blight!q cried,#ome way of_2ing but all his encouragementhreadbarez#us sounded like sarcasms. F!or heavily uponthat she drows!f to sleepTwas grateful. Hs looking into her drawn facsaw it grow smoo"alDinfluence of pleasant dreams; and bVa smile dawned. The peacefulreflected somewhatheFhealis own spirit$ his thoughts wandered awayzQygone|y memories. While he was deepWmusings,rwoke upa breezylaugh--but stricken deadher lipsa groan followed l"Oh, how COULD I ! I wish I never,-waked! No! No, I don't, Tom! Don' 1 soFsay it again." "I'm glad you've slept;sll feelR, nowwe'll find tFy9" "We can tryI`qeen sucJeautiful country in myc. I reckon we are!c goingP" "Maybe not, m . Cheer uplet's go oing." They rosFand Elong, hand inand hopelessyJ to estimate"loyqbeen inRFcaveRthey knew was it seemed dayCweek9!ye"qwas plaTat this could not be, for their candleAnot cyet. Aqime aftis--they PU tell--Tom saiy must go softly and listen for dripping waterZ3find a springMfound one presentl sqtime to Both were cruelly tired, yet 4she4\Dgo afarther. Ss surprised to hear Tom dissent'Fnot underst8tsat down, Tom fastenee wall in fronBthem{some clay. Tsoon busy; nothps2forAtime^Qbrokesilence: "Tom, I am so hungry!" tJ"meb!ou his pocket. "Do you remembP"?"he. Becky almost1d. "It's our weddi ng-cake, Tom." "Yes--I wishas big as a barrelit's all we've gotBaI saveAfrom the picnic for us to dream ony,$way grown-up people doSweddi--but it'll be our--" She droppe/ sentence where.O3vid'Acake+/B atergood appetite, while=nibbled at his moiety!re\abundance of cold to finishQfeastk. By-and-byqsuggesttey move on againyilent a mom"qThen heA: "RQ, can/bear it if In1youk#?"8's face paledF. "Welln"westay herB2ereQ&'sdrink. Thatpiece is our lastY! gave loos3earrailings did what 5to comfort herDwithzeffect. At lengthU%!"[?" "They'll miss uChunt41Yes%y will! Certainlyithey're huntingIA now2iWhy, I reckonLaare. I@ they ar3e2qen woul#yS!Dget backavhe boatnN Tom, it might be dark then--enotice we hadn't comenI don't know. But anyway, your mother[you as soon as9 got homA frightened look inqbrought!toSsensese saw t5had made a blunder.N was not to have gone < night! The children becameQnd thuful. In a new burst of griefKrr showed1hat1 in mind had struck hers also--the Sabbath morninghalf spent before Mrs. Thatcher discover"at/Harper's. 2fastheir eyes upouir bit of%wwd it melt slowlypitilessly away; saw  inch of wick stand alone atU/feeble flame risfall, climbUthin column of smoke, linger at its top,the horror of utter-ness reigned! How long afterwarEwjFAto a  consciousness t$qhat she crying in Tom's arms, neiWcell. AllKy knew was, what seemed a.ry stretgtime, both awoke ouAa de!upa sleepQresumGeir miseries once more.2saifSunday, now--maybe Monday. He tried to ge2"to talk, but her sorrows were too oppressive, all%Chope#8gon%BmustAbeenO#ed"goqno doub2 search was going on/1sho"d tsome onAcome.1it;i=Pthe distant echoes sounded so hideously4he N2 nowhours wasted`!hubtormen captives again. A portion of!ofQ2cakRleft;Qqdividedate it. Bu_y~hungrier than*. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. By-and-byc: "SH! Did you heabt?" Both helir breath"liraq like the faintest, far-offA. InlAanswY"itmrleadingu by the hand, started groping dowcorridor in its direction. Presen%he;.BRheardQappar= a little nearer. "It'ym!" said Tom; "they're coming! Come along,--we're all rRnow!"4joy,rprisone almost overwhelmingir speed`slow, however, because pitfallAsomebcommon!haAqbe guaragainstey shortly1one 8stop. It mbe three feet deep, i a hundred--tBqno passt at any rat2gotaon his!streached as far&Ras he. No bottomRstay ait until1ers8 @a; evid-{3ingjqgrowingba! a mo@Ror twQhad g^ltogether}t-sinking :+1it!swhoopedh hoarse, but it was of no usW talked hopefull9aBecky;4 an age of anxious waitingno sound+9.childrenway back to?3sprPe wea2ry time dragged on;Rslept`awoke famisnd woe-stricken. Tom believedust be Tuesday by thisp . Now an idea struck hi5&re>Q sideAages at hand. It would be better to explo}se than bear!we=of the heav dleness. He took a kite-line frompocket, tito a proj6!he*Tr, Tom iOlead, unwindinghUalong. At1endwenty stepended in a "jumping-off place." Qkneesqfelt beqand thefar arou?s corner reach with"hands conveni; he made an effort to stretch yet Rfarth2the at that T, not yards away,1man, , holding a candle, appearedbehind a rock!#lifted up a glorx, and instahs followede body iTnged to--Injun Joe'snwas paralyzed)Unot movewas vastly gratifieF nexato see,p"Spaniard" take to2eelget himself ouQsight wonderedqbJoe harecognized his voiccome overMAkill#m for testifying in court. Bu echoes must have disguis!e c. Without doubt,was it, he reasonedQ's fr weakened every muscle inbody. He said toBif h strength enough to get back spring hestay there,nothing shtempt him to rurisk of meeting +B Joewas careful to keepkawhat i "ee;told herAonly ted "for luck." But hungwedness rise superiowUfearsong run. Ano!ed@Bwait-Sand a'long sleep brought changes. The childrentortureduQa rag # t`Abe Wday or Thuror even FriSaturday, nowKQearchbeen givenkQpropo (sAwillotnd all JQrrors8 as very tweak. S unk into a dreary apathyRnot be roused;3she"Bwaitb where"asrdie--it, NLm!Togo with the kite-linerexplorek chose; butk!imd'atlittle whilNspeak to her;`she madeCspromise:"heu!awKime cameLCby hh@and until2was Tom kissei,aa chokensationbthroatQ a show of being confidenAfind)ers or an escape the cave; then he took7h d went groping down one of72s o9BhandGknees, distre>Qsick bodings of comhom. CHAPTER XXXII TUESDAY afternoonDanedwCtwilhe village of St. Petersburg still mour#vhe lostWfound. Public prayers1offup for them,o2manc privateBy2hadSetitioner's whole heart in itno good news%F camR cavemajority  had given up the quest3gonRto their daily avocbs, sayuat it was plain the@could never beBMrs. Thatcher;very ill1a great par2thedelirious. Peopl)AbreaVqto hearBcall BhildeQraiseAheadlisten ayminute at a,91laybearilyTagain moan. Aunt Polly had droopedsettled melancholyher gray hair\grown almost whitto its rest on Tuesday night, sforlorn. Away iQmiddl2the3 a wild peal burstCNS bellin a momentstreets were swarfrantic half-clad p , who shouted, "Turn out! t Shey'rF U!" Tin panChorn6addAdin,Qpopul massed itself 1mov32warriver, mechildren in an open carriage drawn byitizens, thronged around it, joined its home{march, and swept magnificentlyS maint roaring huzzah after F! Twilluminated; nobodyP2bed;!as&3est(the little townseen. Dur%re firsthour a procession ofWrs filed#ugh Judge-'s house, seizednsaved oneAkissAem, squeezedt's hand, tri speak butn't--and drifted out raining tears all overNvlace. cqppiness>complete nearly so. It w7'be5Ahoweas soon  messenger dispSad withS newsCld g1wor!h, sband. Tom lay upon a sofaX an eager auditory about him=2tol51his!ofwonderful adventure, putting in many striadditionadorn it withal;hCclos a descriptOhow he left Becky3on an exploBexpel;7followed two avenues as far as his kite-line ^reachARa thi^aullest4tchMp, and w#asTAto turn back when he glimpsed a far-off speck that looked like daylight; droppedand grop ward it, pushed his head5shouldersa small hol1saw[broad Mississippi rolling by! And if it(only happen3 beVhU not have seen%of/at passage any more! Hec7for/QbrokeQgood Gdand sh@Qim nofret her$such stuff, for2was tiredDknew1 goYCo diRAwantC. He$beA labAwithwand convinced her%"hoealmost died1joyPA she a whereactually>lueG he >1way4a$2holst"lp2 ou? they sat tfor gladness+some men came alo@a skiff and Tom haI!emtheir situa0!anqir fami3con rdidn't believwild tale at, "because," sai]y, "you are five mile.s down the river belnavalleycave is in" --BBtookaboard, row/ a house, gam supper, madm rest till two or three hours after dark8hen broughm home. Before-dawn, Judge Thatct_ndful of searchers'him were tracked out, ircave, btwine clews+had strung behi!m,informed ofAgreat news. T2dayanights*oil and hunger  be shaken off at once, as Toj Becky soon discovered. TheyJ bedridden alWednesdayThursdayseemed to grow mo Q5Qworn,Pthe time.2gotM, a little, on e"wa-town Fri{nearly as ws ever Saturday; but1"diQleaveroom until SunU4sheQas ifphad passq a wasting illnesom learnHuck's sicknesato seeobut coulbe admitl.bedroom; neither .Uhe onB or 6wasHSdailyF`that, 0but was wto keep still about his adventu introduce no exciQtopicL Widow Douglas stayed0that he obeyed. At? the Cardiff Hill event; alsoDthe "ragged man's" bod-ually been found AnearYferry-landing; 7drowned while trying to escape, perhaps. A.aa fortiTom's rescue fromsDhe start0 f to visit Huck, who had^n plenty strong enough, now, to hearR talk1TomD3somywcAintel1him!thH., ,'s house&#onw2opp2seet v#an~friends setto talkingone asked him ironicRif hen't likezoRagain_said he >qmind it said: "Well, there are ot3jusuyou, Tom, I'v| he least doubt. But we hcLfA. Nowill get lost#at!nyH." "Why?" "Because Iits big door sheathedboiler iron two wEeeks ago, and triple-locked--and"goTkeys." Tom turned as white as a sheet.Aat's0matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!" The g!br hrown into|face. "A you're all right. WhatIM2Oh,, Injun Joe'sN!" CHAPTER XXXIII WITHIN a few minutejAnewsbspread+a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal'sEboat, well fill passengers, soon followed CSawy[R bore a. Whebbwas un4 , a sorrowful sight presenteelf in the dim twil%fplace.x1 laetched up ground, dPrwith hiQ closBrack`q, as if/longing eyeQfixed<the latest moment,e cheer free world outsideo was touched, for he knew by own experience how this wr .had suffered. His pity was moved, but nevertheless he felt an abounding sense of reliefNsecurity, now, which revealed to him in a deg"!he not fully appreciated beforvast a weQdread<sRlying\him since<day he lifted%voice against bloody-mindesxcast. bowie-knifT%by, its blade brokenwo. The great foundation-beamOqchippedORhackeQugh, tedious labor; us, too, ithe native rock formed a sillY2 it at stubborn materialIQhad wt no effect;!only damage doneX=. But if therRno stony obstructir would have5 Rstilli h]wholly cut away could notVcsqueez+body undeMdoor, andxcit. So "ata in orDqo be doDomething-- Apassweary time!Remplotortured faculties. Ordinarily on find half4 bits of candle stuck around 1 increvices of%vestibule, left by tourists; buwere none now rprisoneasearchaem outWAeate~Bm. Halso contrivI catch a few batsthese, also,O, leaving their claws poor unfortunatvBstaro death. In one , near at hand, a stalagmi?slowly grow from the ground for ages, builded b water-dri4actite overhead1capChad "of#!mpdone, whereinAAscoo shallow ho2to Athe ous drop rfell onevery three minutes Qhe drregularity of a clock-tick--a dessertspoonfuZAfour9twenty hour"atwas falling wh\ Pyramids2ew;Troy fellFthe 0BRome7Claid(Christ was crucifiethe Conqueror creat British empireJolumbus sailEmassacre at Lexingtons"news." It inow; it willC be P when=B all6r things have sunk dow afternoon of history,x he twilight of traditionw;Sed up] thick n7oblivion. Has0 a purposena mission? Did thit& patiently during five thousand years to be ready forDflitting human insect's need?zhas it another important object to accomplish  xcome? No matter.many and a since^hapless half-bree1out# 1ice8bdrops,o"daf stares longest at that pathetic`1and slow-droppVBater@qhe comee!seq wonder<McDougal's cave. Injun Joe's cup stands first) list of-cavern's marvels; even "Aladdin's Palace" cannot rival it. l4bburiedthe mouthg;people flocked there in boats"bwagonsthe townDfromcQ farm hamletssqmiles a; they broughir childreSall sortSprovisionqconfesscat they had had almost as satisfactory a timee funeral asRcouldD hanging. This5Qstopp|Qe fur*Bgrow[#oni!--!et)1 togovernor forpardon. T5#ha]largely signed; Eqtearfuleloquent meet<Bheld a committee of sappy womenappointed to go in deep mourningjRwail Hcimplore himqa mercis trample uty under foot/Relievakilled citizensrvillage2whahat? If hSatan himselfw$plenty of weaklingsRto scribblir names-drip a tear on itLir perman impairedkRleaky{a-worksCe mo2fteTom took Huck to a private placeG7 anRtalk.3!haw1rne about Tom's adventure Welshmanthe Widow Douglas, by3timTom said he reckons6was?had not told him; BBthata The waCtalk2now's face saddened. He: "I knowJ it is. You got into No. 21nevund anything but whiskey. Nobody told me itAyou;%I just knowed it must 'a' ben you, soon as I heard 'f business;ed you hadn'tthe money becuz you'dlgot at me some way or oDand even if you!muQeveryelse. Tom,J's alwaysG4we';uget hol swag." "Why, Huck, Ih!on tavern-keeper. YOUFC his was all righSaturday I went topicnic. Don'trememberDwas to watch therenight?" "Oh yes! it seemsa year ago. I>BveryCNI folleredwidder'sYOU foll1himrYes--bukSum. ISS's left friends behinH, and I dwant 'em souring on mea doing me mean tricks. If itpben for me he'd be down in Texas now,." Then-his entire adventure in confidence tokwho had only %!ofWelshman's part of it before. "Well,"{, presently, comaPmain question, "whoever nipped#"in(,e, too, --anyways it's a gonVr us, Tom ;G wasn't n!;Aat!" searchedtcomradekeenly. "Tom, havegot on the trackMwQagaint!incave!" ceyes blazed. "Say itATG"Tom--honest injun, now--is it fun, or earnesE ;!--^$as#2 as0Iin my life. Will tre withqhelp ge"ounI bet I will!2 ifwCRe canA our^!to nd not get lost6"doqwithoutdleast little biatroubl the worldNaGood aat! What makesQthinkURF's--2youwait till wef!re#we11finI'll agre#giVqmy drum1CI've[` the world. I will, by jingsAll right--+whiz. Whe,qyou sayRight now, ifsay it. Arstrong enough4IWaP? I ben o-cpins a, three or four days, tbut I can't walk more'n a mile"--IASI couIt's about five; into there way anybody but me would go,1^mighty short cutbCthey NR know.S, I'll takGin a skiff.&2flo] A dowZ1re, KApull2ack all by myself. You needturn your hand over." "Less start)A offm@. We want some breadBmeatour pipes bag or two1two kite-string8`se new-fangledsy call lucifer matches. I te, many's1imelshed I hagFwhen" A trifle after noo$ boys borrowed a small from a citizen who was absen(got undesat oncewere severalps below4 "Cave Hollow," Tom said: "Nowee this bluff Qlooks!Qalike  _the cave h`--no houses, no wood-yards, busheRU. ButO ee that white place up yok 's been a landslide? Well,bQ's on my marks. We'll get ashore, now." TheyG2ed.,|qwe're a-standing-8a touchr hole I got out of with a fishing-pole. See#can find it." ? searchediCaboufound nothing.proudly m<a thick clump of sumach%nd#Heare! Look at itQ; it'; snugges!in/ country9 just keep mumll along I'vewanting to be a robberrknew I'rto havebng likto run acros]"waabother!veiQand wit quiet, onlylet Joe Harper:Ben Rogers in--becausptcourse be a Gang, or els>n't be any styl it. Tom Sawyer'sA--it sounds splendid, don't it, Huck?" " "it does, Tom. And who'll we rob/Oh, most anybody. Waylay people--that's$$ly." "And kill themMNo, not always. Hivm4!e -t4y raise a ransomUWoWCMoneg3makR<"y can, off'n their friends; and after you've kept a year, if it ain'tad then2. Tthe general way. Only,Udon'tb womenshut up the 5qm. TheyzF beautifulArich awfully scaredgtqir watcr1nd 4s take your hat off-alk polite!3 as3 ass --you'llMQat inUbook.cto lovX,Ethey,9a week or two y stop cryingHa2n'twhem to leave. If$ro!ouy'd turn right arand come back. It's soc books"y,Dreal bullyI believe better'n a pirateFYes, it's bettFer in some ways, becausHclose to home circuses at." By this time every%1 wa!dy2ys entereAhole Clead+Btoil'Ay to4farther end oftunnel, j1mad ir spliced kite-strings fad moved on. A few steps broughthe springY Tom felt a shudder quiver? him. He showedSfragment of candle-wick perch a lump of clay againsR walldescribed how h Becky hadd flame struggl)expire. Tbegan to quiet dowwhispers, now, foS stillnes d gloomplace oppresRirits! wnpresently and foll:qTom's ocorridor unti,Qy rea9the "jumping-offc." Thejss reveaUR fact!itnot really a precipice, but onasteep hill twentyGhirty feet high.)@ed: "Now I'll+Asome,,"." He held hisa aloftD1saiJLook as farNorner as]can. Do ,qyou see? There--on ig rock over yonder--done with-smoke." "Tom, it's a CROSS!" "NOW where'{ r Number Two? 'UNDER THE2,' hey? Rightt1's @ I saw Injun Joe poke up+!" Huck stared at_mystic sign awhileeBsaida shaky voice:less git out of hereQWhat!Aleav] treasure?" "Yes--6it.'s ghost is round aboure, certain." it ain't6, n. It would ha'nBx he died--awayDouthcave--five mile from3, il y#ngthe money. I know}rways ofsyso do you." TomiAfearright. MisgivAgath-in his mind. But7 an idea occurYso him--)ymHuck, what fools we're making of ourselves!  a going to come|Awhera cross!"_Bpoin`well takenhad its effect.I didn't think"atthat's so. It's luck for us, Qthat { is. I reckon we'll climb down Shave a hunt fo4boxwent first, cutting rude steps iL clay hill as he descended.followed. Four avenues opened!ofA small cavern which the greatstood in. The boys examined three0"emno result. They fiUrecesone neares^4basN|,S a palleblankets spread^in it; also an old suspender, some bacon rind,the well-gnawed bones1wo ree fowlsere was noB-boxlads searched_%rethis place, but in vaOom said: "He  2ther. Well,DVcomes0o being undercan't beP itself, becaus! sOSolid g96heyReveryzonce mortdiscouragcH suggest nothing. By-and-by  Bfootprintsesome candle-gre= sone sidX"ck3not1a other(s. Now, what's that f$or? I bet you8money ISb. I'm going to dig." "That ain't no bad notion, Tom!"AHuck animation. Tom's "real Barlow" wascat oncBhe hY dug four inches before he strfAood.y, Huck!--you hea2?" Ubegan to digcratch now. Some boards were soon uncover removed. had concealed a natural chasm2was%"inB("nd oys took it upcross rock. "Now less w82gunthings," 2--leave them there3'reOicks to have when we go to robbing. We'll keepNB allD#imw(hold our orgieCsre, too 2ful2place for 0." "What!?"dono. But4ers6;, and of co urse we've1to (CthemBCome0,/1beehere a l2ime getting late,.. I'm hungry`51eatGsmok`$etSskiff6ay pres emerged in lump of sumach bushes, looarily out, fthe coast clear,Bwere2lun3ing ! A sun dipped towar[ahorizoAy pu"ou got under way. Tom skimmedhe shore througiwilight, chai cheerilyZalandedI3tlyd4dar7cTom, "!id  loft of the widow's woodshedrI'll come up*Q morncount it and dividSthen !una4outQsAit wit will be safe. Just you lay quiet )dand wa(stuff till I runhook Benny Taylor's wagon; I won't be gone a minute." He disappearQretur"itSQ, puttwo small sacksit, threw some old rags on totarted off, dragg3ing his cargo behind him. Whe boys reache Welshman's house, they stoS restgay9Aabouqmove on: PA steBsaid: "Hallo, who's that?" "HuckTom Sawyer." "Good!O1me,,,are keeping everybody waiting. Here--hurry up, trot ahead--Ahaulo you. Why, it's not as lighAit m be. Got bri it?--orQmetalO. "I judged so;ris townatake m&Rroublfool away1imeN ing up six bits' worth of!irNS selly foundry tha(y would to make twic'at regular work. But that's human natuxralong,  T!" TAwantQ know wha$02wasm. "Never mind; you'll see, when we NWidow Douglas'uck saidGd apprehension--for he was"usbeing falsely accuseMr. Jones, we have0en doing nothing.  laughed. "Well, I don't,vmy boy.Pnow a4yhat. Ain't you an! wgood friendsRYes. ishe's ben&e, anyway}All rightn. What dov1wanbe afraid for?is questionJnot entir<nswered inq's slow before  himself pushed,;Tom, into Mrs. drawing-room. q left tgon nearAdoorzafollowThe plac rgrandly'ndiAthatof any consequence iNr villagNthere. The ThatchersQk Harpers  Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary%ministerqeditor,a great man)all dressqtheir bTGr receiv+r as heartily as any one c/Swell 4 two such lookingDs_C1cov with claycandle-grease. 1 bl crimson humiliationqfrownedL shook her head at Tom. No$Asuffhalf as muchboys did, however. Mr. -Tom wasn't at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled on2andm at my doo3rGjust brought them in a hurr!nd2did3S!," r. "ComeA1me,." She tookcto a bedchamberRaid: "Now washI yourselves. Here arGnew suit$ clothes --shirts, socks,Sthing complet(Cy're+--no, no thanks,7&--b!1oneIother. Bu: y'll fit both of you. GetNthem. We'll wait--come down when youslicked up enough.":Qn sheo . CHAPTER XXXIV HUCKD! "we can slope, iffind a rop window ain't high fromagroundShucks! wd" IQ used toW kind of a crowd. I can't stand it.8b goingathere,a" "Oh, b{C! Itg"an. I don't miRA a bX'll take care " Sid appear=he, "auntie has beenring for!ll,afternoon. Mary go@r Sundayb readyeverybody7 en fretting about you. Say--b this qclay, o;ra?" "Now, Mr. Siddy,jist 'ten your own business. What'sis blow-out , anyway?" "It's one of tDdow's parties1sheO ways having. This time it'sFthe Welshmanhis sons, on accountj at scrape they helped her ou# night. And say--kQ tellAsome21, i want to knowAwhatWhy, old 2is to try to spring_1 on"people here to-, but I overheard himvbto-day it, as a secre>reckon it's not muc"a (t now. ElEs --a, too,1allf!trro let ozW.was boundE should be here--couldn't get along3and withoutFknow!" "Swhat, Sid$Ab4 trackingirrobberst6's.)7 wacmake aAtimeturpriser!be it will drop pretty flatWchuckledMvery contented satisfied way. "Sid, was ib2tolOh, neverwho it wa/s. SOMEBODY told--tqenough.Jid, therely one person in town mean:a to doc, and Xbyou. I7qhad beeEHuck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hilltold anybody0. You can't do anyQmean s&bear to seeTqpraiseddoing good ones. Tn1nkse; says"--and Tom cuffed Sid's ears$imxdoor with several kicks. "Now goif you darento-morrowJll catch it!" Some minutes laterguests were atsupper-table,~a dozen children/ propped up at little side;s-e same room, afufashion!ryobday. Aaproper  Mr. Jones madev{ peech, in which he thankedZAonor3wasqhimself[sbut sai was anotherwhose modesty-- And so forthSso on. He sprung{a's share? adventu finest dramatic manner he was maste/Br ofthe surprise it occasioned was largelyaerfeitnot as clamorou effusive as it might haveunder happier circumstances. However, 0a pretty fair show of astonishment,QheapeCmany compliment so much gratitude upog he almost forgonearly intolerable discomfort ofnew clothentirely :being sets a targeQ ever's gaze andlaudations. T1shezt to give Huck a homecer rooave him educated;RfAwhencould spare-QmoneywAtartFin businesa way. Tom's chancYBcomeqaid: "don't need it.a's ric!Noa heavy strain2the s of the company kept baQe dueE:ary laughis pleasant joke. ButDsileaqawkward broke itb's gotE. Maybe believe it#he0lots of it. Oh,3needn't smile--I reckon I can,1you. You ju it a minute." Tom ran oudoors. T13looked at each other with a perplexed interest--and inquiringly atQ, whoWLtongue-tied. "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He--well, there ain't ever any makingat boy out. I never--ed, struggling{eRsacksa2 diafinishMsentenceapouredt1masyellow coa the tS1and: "There--  did I tell you? Half of it'sP'hbmine!"spectacle tookgeneral breath a1Allg d, nobody spoke for a momentnywas a unanimous call .n explan  Mquld fur5iA did^B tal\Blongqbrimfulsr)scarcely anruption from any one tob charmGs flow. When he haded, Mr. JonesI thought I,fxed upJ2for3P2it Bamou2anynow. ThisAmakeFBsingK y small, I'm willing to allJ!owhe moneydccounte[3sumtVed toover twelve thousand dollars. ItKmore thanSqpresent seen at one time before,3A sevypersons weS2ere orth considerablyz,in property. CHAPTER XXXV THE reader may rest satisfiedA3Tom6Huck's windfall made a mighty stir iT poor9village of St. Petersburg. So vast a sum, all in actual cash, seemed nexincrediblej talked about, gloated overrified, untilreason of mf the citizens tottered under2Qstrai2the unhealthy exciteEvery "haC" house in2 anneighboring# s was dissected, plank by UAound0s dug upWransacked for hidden treasurec-not by boys, but men--pretty grave, unromantic men, too, somAthemrT4c appeayQ courCadmiB#a+Q not to rememb~at their remarks had possessed};;now their sayiD"ng` d, epeated; everything they didv somehow to be regarded asRable;6had evidently lost:power of doing and saying commonplace ~!s;past historraked up sQiscov2ar " of conspicuous originalityo paper published biographical sketcheNt.1Widow Douglas putJout at six per cent.Judge Thatcherjthe same withl%t Aunt Polly's request. Each lad had an income, now, was simply prodigious--aB for week-day AyearChalfv Sundayjust whaminister got --no, i#!he promised--he generally couldn't collect it. A Ha quarter a would board, lodgeW school a boy in those old be daysclothe himcwash him1forG matter.   had conceived a great opiniRTom. He sai?8no 3boy@qhave go daughter outwAcavepn Becky told her father, in strict confidence, how Tom had taken her whippt6k was visibly moved;%hen she pleaded graceKthe mighty lie whicwold in order to shiftaAfromshoulders to his ownR%a fine outburh$atya noble, ak ous, a magnanimous lie--athat was worthyzold up its headmarch down throughbreast to George Washington's lauded Truth abou" 1t!  thought4fatun.looked so tallso superb as whb walke\Bflooqstamped\Bfoot?. She went straight off%s3Tom/it"op2see+lawyer orsoldier some day0he meant to look to i1T# be admittrthe National Military Academyafterward traine!es  country, be ready!eiAcare both. Huck Finn's wealthsthe fac#now undeQ_ _' protection intr<oduced him into society--no, dragg it, hurlr it--an  sufferings were almost morcn he cvar. The widow's servants keptclean and neat, combeC brushed,they beddnightly in unsympathetic sheetsad not one little spot or stain~uld presMBhearaknow fafriend'Co eaqa knifeufork; h%use napkin, cupXplate&QlearnmWbook,@go to church2talk so properly"speech was become insipid in his mouth; whitherso*he turnedCAbarsshackles of civiliz;B shui1bou#Qm han foot. He bravely boremiseries three weeksAthen3day up missing. For forty-eiAourswidow huntebeverywhere in cdistressbpublicprofoundly concerned;~searched hig1low-yFthe rivebody. Eae third morningSbwiselyP1poksAmong old empty hogsheads ^behind the ; abandoned slaughter-houseXiVof them he  efugee. Huck had slept therjust breakfast!on stolen odd6ends of foowas lying off, now, in comfort, withApipebwas unkempt, un1clacthe sa ruin of rags had made picturesque;days when he01freq happy.Croutvout, toldQdroublebeen causing, and ur^to go homg's face lost its tranquil content took a melancholy cast!said: "Don't  about it, Tom. I've triedand it d0wT work6t ain't for me; IQused :widder's good to ml(ly; but I can't stan$m ways. She makes me get up just a{Btime 78; s9Cwashcomb me all to thunder0wlet me sleepwoodshed; I got to wear( blamed cloth!atA smo?1 me8']1see any air git through 'em,6Ahow;dthey're so rotten nicel=et down, nor lay down, nor roll around anywher's; I h&slid on a cellar-door for--well, it 'pears to be yearAgo to church and sweat --I hate3 ornery sermons!ketch a fly in ],[chaw.shoes all Sundayw eats by a bell3goeYd by fits up!--Vthing's so awful reg'lar a bodyit." "W5>#dvhat way, Huck(1Tom\make no difference.ZL STAND it. It's!ti so. And grub como easy--I# t{interest in vittles,}3aska-fishing; I  in a-swimming--dern'd if{ 31do t". H4I'dw"soit wasn't no(#--. u attic and rip out awhileQ day,it a taste in my mouth, or I'd a died@h wouldBAmokeu y=she5Bgapeqstretch Q scra before folks- -" [Then with a spasm of special irritationinjury]--"And dad fq"itaprayedN#the time! I never see such a woman! I HAD to shove--I just had tyUbesidHschool's going to open_<S$itI- stand THAT, Tom. Looky her, being rich what it's crack); Qworry$  2a-w you was dead < . Now these clothes suits meEthis bar'l# Iz)shake 'em any more. B2ct intois trouble if in't 'a' ben formoney; nowtake my sheer o@RalongvSyour'gimme a ten-center sometimes--not manyXs, becuz  give a dera thing 'thoutollable hardQ--and!goqbeg off"metv"Oh,8Eknowd!do B. 'T8Sfair;Y if you'll try^/!a U longer *come to like$L q! Yes--bay I'd&a hot stove$ if I wasmet on itc enough. No an't beilive in them cussed smothery houses. IBoodsCthe rivershogshea I'll stick to 'em, too. Blame it all!as we'd got gun_Sa cav2all+AfixeArob,p&olishness hasP1to k!upEspil~" Tom saw his opportunity-- "CBOHuckCkeep me back from turning robbeNo! Oh, good-licks; aresqin real3-wood earnestc?" "J+5dea as I'm sittingS. Butwe can't let you into the gang if}respectable." Huck's joyrquenched. "C]Rme ina Didn'pxQme go~a pirateYes, but_'s different. A 71 is high-toned than what a N is--as a general~. In most countries they're awfulVB up a nobilRdukes01uch"1Now2, h/you always2riendly to me? You woul shet me out,A youP *n, now, WFOULD+B" "IFn't want to,tI DON'TR--but- people say? Why,:d say, 'Mph! Tom Sawyer's Gang! pretty low characters in it!' They'd meanZHuck.Alike4n't`Zasilent*3some time, engaged in a mental struggle. Finally he said: "Well, "goawidderaqa month6Ctacknd see if I can co stand it,4Q'll lt b'longcAgang." "All right, it's a whiz! Come along, old chap!'ll ask the widow toqAup oh a little[oEWill/s--now w2? Tggood. If sheUtof the roughestKsOsmoke private-Dcusscrowd thB or bust. Whe4Vstart1and5s?" "Oh,@q off. W"ge7boys together2havinitiation to-nQmaybe(H(Qwhichj;+W6Athat(2It'uFwearby one an: never tell 's secrets, even if you'0 re chopped all to flindersKkill anybody and all his family[a hurts%ofrRay--tmighty gay2, I1you3E bet it is. An2hating's got to be dSt midt!inlonesomest, awfulest place youj find--a ha'nted house is@b:2but!re'!ri2gup nowod, anyw'xYes, sodyou'veon a coffinsign it with bloodOANow,'s something LIKE!fqmillion s bullier than pirating.TstickStill I rot, Tom;sif I gi a reg'larcr of aRBeverGtalking 'boutI reckon be proud she snaked me in oute!we4 CONCLUSION SO endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a historyBOY, it must stop here;'could not go much furwithout becoming ^3MANone writes a novel a  grown people, he knows exaRwhere"opOA is, a marriage; {en he writes o&f juveniles, he W can. Mosgcharactersj performais book s$Bliveare prosperous1happy. Some day it may seem worth whiltake up the zyounger ones again[see what sor"meQwomenq turned@3breforeYwawisestto reveauRat pac their lives at present. wx