WE slept most all day, and started out at night, a little ways behind a monstrous1 long raft that was as long going by as a procession. She had four long sweeps at each end, so we judged she carried as many as thirty men, likely. She had five big wigwams aboard, wide apart, and an open camp fire in the middle, and a tall flag-pole at each end. There was a power of style about her. It AMOUNTED to something being a raftsman on such a craft as that.
We went drifting down into a big bend, and the night clouded up and got hot. The river was very wide, and was walled with solid timber on both sides; you couldn't see a break in it hardly ever, or a light. We talked about Cairo, and wondered whether we would know it when we got to it. I said likely we wouldn't, because I had heard say there warn't but about a dozen houses there, and if they didn't happen to have them lit up, how was we going to know we was passing a town? Jim said if the two big rivers joined together there, that would show. But I said maybe we might think we was passing the foot of an island and coming into the same old river again. That disturbed Jim -- and me too. So the question was, what to do? I said, paddle ashore4 the first time a light showed, and tell them pap was behind, coming along with a trading-scow, and was a green hand at the business, and wanted to know how far it was to Cairo. Jim thought it was a good idea, so we took a smoke on it and waited.
There warn't nothing to do now but to look out sharp for the town, and not pass it without seeing it. He said he'd be mighty5 sure to see it, because he'd be a free man the minute he seen it, but if he missed it he'd be in a slave country again and no more show for freedom. Every little while he jumps up and says:
"Dah she is?"
But it warn't. It was Jack-o'-lanterns, or lightning bugs6; so he set down again, and went to watching, same as before. Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish7 to be so close to freedom. Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get it through my head that he WAS most free -- and who was to blame for it? Why, ME. I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way. It got to troubling me so I couldn't rest; I couldn't stay still in one place. It hadn't ever come home to me before, what this thing was that I was doing. But now it did; and it stayed with me, and scorched8 me more and more. I tried to make out to myself that I warn't to blame, because I didn't run Jim off from his rightful owner; but it warn't no use, conscience up and says, every time, "But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody." That was so -- I couldn't get around that noway. That was where it pinched. Conscience says to me, "What had poor Miss Watson done to you that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean? Why, she tried to learn you your book, she tried to learn you your manners, she tried to be good to you every way she knowed how. THAT'S what she done."
I got to feeling so mean and so miserable9 I most wished I was dead. I fidgeted up and down the raft, abusing myself to myself, and Jim was fidgeting up and down past me. We neither of us could keep still. Every time he danced around and says, "Dah's Cairo!" it went through me like a shot, and I thought if it WAS Cairo I reckoned I would die of miserableness10.
Jim talked out loud all the time while I was talking to myself. He was saying how the first thing he would do when he got to a free State he would go to saving up money and never spend a single cent, and when he got enough he would buy his wife, which was owned on a farm close to where Miss Watson lived; and then they would both work to buy the two children, and if their master wouldn't sell them, they'd get an Ab'litionist to go and steal them.
It most froze me to hear such talk. He wouldn't ever dared to talk such talk in his life before. Just see what a difference it made in him the minute he judged he was about free. It was according to the old saying, "Give a nigger an inch and he'll take an ell." Thinks I, this is what comes of my not thinking. Here was this nigger, which I had as good as helped to run away, coming right out flat-footed and saying he would steal his children -- children that belonged to a man I didn't even know; a man that hadn't ever done me no harm.
I was sorry to hear Jim say that, it was such a lowering of him. My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, "Let up on me -- it ain't too late yet -- I'll paddle ashore at the first light and tell." I felt easy and happy and light as a feather right off. All my troubles was gone. I went to looking out sharp for a light, and sort of singing to myself. By and by one showed. Jim sings out:
"We's safe, Huck, we's safe! Jump up and crack yo' heels! Dat's de good ole Cairo at las', I jis knows it!"
I says:
"I'll take the canoe and go and see, Jim. It mightn't be, you know."
He jumped and got the canoe ready, and put his old coat in the bottom for me to set on, and give me the paddle; and as I shoved off, he says:
"Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn' ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de ONLY fren' ole Jim's got now."
I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me. I went along slow then, and I warn't right down certain whether I was glad I started or whether I warn't. When I was fifty yards off, Jim says:
"Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim."
Well, I just felt sick. But I says, I GOT to do it -- I can't get OUT of it. Right then along comes a skiff with two men in it with guns, and they stopped and I stopped. One of them says:
"What's that yonder?"
"A piece of a raft," I says.
"Do you belong on it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Any men on it?"
"Only one, sir."
"Well, there's five niggers run off to-night up yonder, above the head of the bend. Is your man white or black?"
I didn't answer up prompt. I tried to, but the words wouldn't come. I tried for a second or two to brace11 up and out with it, but I warn't man enough -- hadn't the spunk12 of a rabbit. I see I was weakening; so I just give up trying, and up and says:
"He's white."
"I reckon we'll go and see for ourselves."
"I wish you would," says I, "because it's pap that's there, and maybe you'd help me tow the raft ashore where the light is. He's sick -- and so is mam and Mary Ann."
"Oh, the devil! we're in a hurry, boy. But I s'pose we've got to. Come, buckle13 to your paddle, and let's get along."
I buckled14 to my paddle and they laid to their oars15. When we had made a stroke or two, I says:
"Pap'll be mighty much obleeged to you, I can tell you. Everybody goes away when I want them to help me tow the raft ashore, and I can't do it by myself."
"Well, that's infernal mean. Odd, too. Say, boy, what's the matter with your father?"
"It's the -- a -- the -- well, it ain't anything much."
They stopped pulling. It warn't but a mighty little ways to the raft now. One says:
"Boy, that's a lie. What IS the matter with your pap? Answer up square now, and it'll be the better for you."
"I will, sir, I will, honest -- but don't leave us, please. It's the -- the -- Gentlemen, if you'll only pull ahead, and let me heave you the headline, you won't have to come a-near the raft -- please do."
"Set her back, John, set her back!" says one. They backed water. "Keep away, boy -- keep to looard. Confound it, I just expect the wind has blowed it to us. Your pap's got the small-pox, and you know it precious well. Why didn't you come out and say so? Do you want to spread it all over?"
"Well," says I, a-blubbering, "I've told everybody before, and they just went away and left us."
"Poor devil, there's something in that. We are right down sorry for you, but we -- well, hang it, we don't want the small-pox, you see. Look here, I'll tell you what to do. Don't you try to land by yourself, or you'll smash everything to pieces. You float along down about twenty miles, and you'll come to a town on the left-hand side of the river. It will be long after sun-up then, and when you ask for help you tell them your folks are all down with chills and fever. Don't be a fool again, and let people guess what is the matter. Now we're trying to do you a kindness; so you just put twenty miles between us, that's a good boy. It wouldn't do any good to land yonder where the light is -- it's only a wood-yard. Say, I reckon your father's poor, and I'm bound to say he's in pretty hard luck. Here, I'll put a twentydollar gold piece on this board, and you get it when it floats by. I feel mighty mean to leave you; but my kingdom! it won't do to fool with small-pox, don't you see?"
"Hold on, Parker," says the other man, "here's a twenty to put on the board for me. Good-bye, boy; you do as Mr. Parker told you, and you'll be all right."
"That's so, my boy -- good-bye, good-bye. If you see any runaway16 niggers you get help and nab them, and you can make some money by it."
"Good-bye, sir," says I; "I won't let no runaway niggers get by me if I can help it."
They went off and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low, because I knowed very well I had done wrong, and I see it warn't no use for me to try to learn to do right; a body that don't get STARTED right when he's little ain't got no show -- when the pinch comes there ain't nothing to back him up and keep him to his work, and so he gets beat. Then I thought a minute, and says to myself, hold on; s'pose you'd a done right and give Jim up, would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad -- I'd feel just the same way I do now. Well, then, says I, what's the use you learning to do right when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same? I was stuck. I couldn't answer that. So I reckoned I wouldn't bother no more about it, but after this always do whichever come handiest at the time.
I went into the wigwam; Jim warn't there. I looked all around; he warn't anywhere. I says:
"Jim!"
"Here I is, Huck. Is dey out o' sight yit? Don't talk loud."
He was in the river under the stern oar2, with just his nose out. I told him they were out of sight, so he come aboard. He says:
"I was a-listenin' to all de talk, en I slips into de river en was gwyne to shove for sho' if dey come aboard. Den17 I was gwyne to swim to de raf' agin when dey was gone. But lawsy, how you did fool 'em, Huck! Dat WUZ de smartes' dodge18! I tell you, chile, I'spec it save' ole Jim -- ole Jim ain't going to forgit you for dat, honey."
Then we talked about the money. It was a pretty good raise -- twenty dollars apiece. Jim said we could take deck passage on a steamboat now, and the money would last us as far as we wanted to go in the free States. He said twenty mile more warn't far for the raft to go, but he wished we was already there.
Towards daybreak we tied up, and Jim was mighty particular about hiding the raft good. Then he worked all day fixing things in bundles, and getting all ready to quit rafting.
That night about ten we hove in sight of the lights of a town away down in a left-hand bend.
I went off in the canoe to ask about it. Pretty soon I found a man out in the river with a skiff, setting a trotline. I ranged up and says:
"Mister, is that town Cairo?"
"Cairo? no. You must be a blame' fool."
"What town is it, mister?"
"If you want to know, go and find out. If you stay here botherin' around me for about a half a minute longer you'll get something you won't want."
I paddled to the raft. Jim was awful disappointed, but I said never mind, Cairo would be the next place, I reckoned.
We passed another town before daylight, and I was going out again; but it was high ground, so I didn't go. No high ground about Cairo, Jim said. I had forgot it. We laid up for the day on a towhead tolerable close to the left-hand bank. I begun to suspicion something. So did Jim. I says:
"Maybe we went by Cairo in the fog that night."
He says:
"Doan' le's talk about it, Huck. Po' niggers can't have no luck. I awluz 'spected dat rattlesnake-skin warn't done wid its work."
"I wish I'd never seen that snake-skin, Jim -- I do wish I'd never laid eyes on it."
"It ain't yo' fault, Huck; you didn' know. Don't you blame yo'self 'bout3 it."
When it was daylight, here was the clear Ohio water inshore, sure enough, and outside was the old regular Muddy! So it was all up with Cairo.
We talked it all over. It wouldn't do to take to the shore; we couldn't take the raft up the stream, of course. There warn't no way but to wait for dark, and start back in the canoe and take the chances. So we slept all day amongst the cottonwood thicket19, so as to be fresh for the work, and when we went back to the raft about dark the canoe was gone!
We didn't say a word for a good while. There warn't anything to say. We both knowed well enough it was some more work of the rattlesnake-skin; so what was the use to talk about it? It would only look like we was finding fault, and that would be bound to fetch more bad luck -- and keep on fetching it, too, till we knowed enough to keep still.
By and by we talked about what we better do, and found there warn't no way but just to go along down with the raft till we got a chance to buy a canoe to go back in. We warn't going to borrow it when there warn't anybody around, the way pap would do, for that might set people after us.
So we shoved out after dark on the raft.
Anybody that don't believe yet that it's foolishness to handle a snake-skin, after all that that snake-skin done for us, will believe it now if they read on and see what more it done for us.
The place to buy canoes is off of rafts laying up at shore. But we didn't see no rafts laying up; so we went along during three hours and more. Well, the night got gray and ruther thick, which is the next meanest thing to fog. You can't tell the shape of the river, and you can't see no distance. It got to be very late and still, and then along comes a steamboat up the river. We lit the lantern, and judged she would see it. Up-stream boats didn't generly come close to us; they go out and follow the bars and hunt for easy water under the reefs; but nights like this they bull right up the channel against the whole river.
We could hear her pounding along, but we didn't see her good till she was close. She aimed right for us. Often they do that and try to see how close they can come without touching20; sometimes the wheel bites off a sweep, and then the pilot sticks his head out and laughs, and thinks he's mighty smart. Well, here she comes, and we said she was going to try and shave us; but she didn't seem to be sheering off a bit. She was a big one, and she was coming in a hurry, too, looking like a black cloud with rows of glow-worms around it; but all of a sudden she bulged21 out, big and scary, with a long row of wide-open furnace doors shining like red-hot teeth, and her monstrous bows and guards hanging right over us. There was a yell at us, and a jingling22 of bells to stop the engines, a powwow of cussing, and whistling of steam -- and as Jim went overboard on one side and I on the other, she come smashing straight through the raft.
I dived -- and I aimed to find the bottom, too, for a thirty-foot wheel had got to go over me, and I wanted it to have plenty of room. I could always stay under water a minute; this time I reckon I stayed under a minute and a half. Then I bounced for the top in a hurry, for I was nearly busting23. I popped out to my armpits and blowed the water out of my nose, and puffed24 a bit. Of course there was a booming current; and of course that boat started her engines again ten seconds after she stopped them, for they never cared much for raftsmen; so now she was churning along up the river, out of sight in the thick weather, though I could hear her.
I sung out for Jim about a dozen times, but I didn't get any answer; so I grabbed a plank25 that touched me while I was "treading water," and struck out for shore, shoving it ahead of me. But I made out to see that the drift of the current was towards the lefthand shore, which meant that I was in a crossing; so I changed off and went that way.
It was one of these long, slanting26, two-mile crossings; so I was a good long time in getting over. I made a safe landing, and clumb up the bank. I couldn't see but a little ways, but I went poking27 along over rough ground for a quarter of a mile or more, and then I run across a big old-fashioned double log-house before I noticed it. I was going to rush by and get away, but a lot of dogs jumped out and went to howling and barking at me, and I knowed better than to move another peg28.
我们差不多睡了一整天，晚上就动身，我们相距很近，跟在一只长长的木排后面，它长得像游行队伍一样。它每一端都有四只长桨，我们想它可能能载三十多个人。上面有五个窝棚，离得相当远，中间一堆露天篝火，每头一根高高的旗杆。它可真有派头。在这么大的木排上当个放排人，也可称得上是个人物。
我们直往下漂，漂进一个大河湾，夜幕降临，天气闷热起来。大河很宽，两岸树林密布，如同两堵墙；几乎看不到一道缝，一点光都透不过。我们谈起了凯罗，说没准我们到了凯罗是否能认得出来。我说我们可能认不出，因为我听人家说过那里只有十几家房屋，如果他们碰巧也不点灯，我们怎么会知道是经过一个小镇呢？吉姆说要是两条大河在那里交汇，应该可以看得出来。但是我说也许我们会觉得是在经过一个岛的后面，又绕到原来那条河里了。这么一来可把吉姆吓慌了--我也是如此。所以，问题该怎么做？我说，一看到有灯光就划上岸去，告诉他们爸在后边，驾着一条买卖船跟着，由于是初做这门生意，就想问问距离凯罗还有多远。吉姆认为这是个好主意，因此，我们边抽烟边聊天，耐心等待。
如今，没什么事可做，唯一要注意的就是注意看那个小镇，别走过了还没有看见。他说他一定能看见，因为他一看到那个小镇，就可以成为一个自由人了，但是，如果他错过了，他就又得回到蓄奴的地方，再也没什么自由的机会了。过不了一小会儿，他就跳起来喊："就在那儿！"可那不是凯罗，那是鬼火，或者只是萤火虫。于是，他接着坐了下来，继续了望，跟以前一样。吉姆说离自由这么近了，这令他浑身颤抖，坐卧不宁。那么，我告诉你们吧，听到他这么说，也弄得我浑身颤抖，坐卧不宁，因为我已经开始把他就要获得自由了这件事在脑子里想了一遍--这该怪谁呢？唉，（我）呀。我不能够让自己的良心忘掉这个忘头，不明白怎么办，也没法儿办。这念头烦得我不得安生，我坐也不是，站也不是，在哪儿也呆不住。我以前从未想过，我一直做的是怎样的一件事。但是现在我想到了，就总也摆脱不掉，心中有一种火燎的感觉。我总想让自己明白，这件事不怪我，因为我并没未让吉姆从他的合法主人那里逃走，可是这不起什么作用，每一次良心都出来说，" 但是你知道，他是为他的自由出逃的，你也能划到岸上向人告发。" 是这么回事儿，我不能回避这一点，根本不能。令人倍觉为难的地方就在这里。良心又对我说："可怜的华森小姐怎么对你呢，你就这么眼睁睁看着她的黑奴从你眼皮底下逃走，甚至不说一句话。那可怜的女人怎么样对你，你就对她这么没良心？噢，她一心想教你读书，一心想教你懂规矩，她想方设法一心对你好。她就是那个样儿对你的呀。"我越想越觉得自己太羞耻太难受了，我真想死掉得了。我坐立不安，在木排上踱来踱去，心中一直骂自己，吉姆也坐立不安，在我身边不停地走。我们俩谁都无法安静。每回他手舞足蹈地喊"那是凯罗！" 时，都跟子弹一样穿透我的心窝，我想，那要真是凯罗，我估计我非得难受死不可。
吉姆一直在大喊大叫，而我一直在内心自言自语。他在说他到了一个自由州以后要做的第一件事是如何来攒钱，不花一文钱，当他攒够了钱，他就买回他的妻子，她属于离华森小姐家附近的一个农场；然后，他们再一起干活攒钱，买回他们的孩子，如果他们的主人不卖的话，他们就会去找废奴的人帮忙去偷他们。
听到这话我惊呆了。要是过去，他一辈子也不敢讲这类话。你瞧瞧，他一觉得自己快自由了，变化竟然有这么大。这正应了那句老话"给黑人一寸，他进一尺"。我想，这就是我不动脑筋的结果。眼前这个黑人，实际上等于是我帮着他逃走的，他就明明白白地说他要偷他的孩子--孩子属于一个我从来不认识的人，一个从来没伤害过我的人。
听到吉姆说这种话我很难过，他真那么下贱。我的良心又上来，搅得我心里更加烧得慌了，我终于开口对它说：" 宽恕我吧--现在还没有太晚--我一看到灯光就划到岸上，去告发他。" 我马上就感到轻松愉快了，几乎是轻如羽毛，我全部的烦恼变得烟消云散了。我开始注意了望灯光，心里在还哼起了小调。很快，看到一处灯光。吉姆大声嚷道："我们安全啦，哈克，我们安全啦！跳吧，碰碰你的脚后跟吧，这就是老凯罗那个好地方啊，终于到啦，我看清楚啦。"我说："我划独木舟去看看，吉姆。这或许不是，你要知道的。"他跳过去备好了独木舟，还把他的旧大衣铺在下面让我坐上，递给我船桨，我要撑走时，他说："用不了多久，我就要高兴得大叫大喊啦，我要说，这全是哈克的功劳，我是个自由人啦，否则我决不会获得自由；这是哈克做的好事。吉姆永远会记着你，哈克，你是吉姆这辈子最要好的朋友，你也是老吉姆现在唯一的朋友。"我正要撑开，急出一身汗要去告发他，可是他说了这些话，我就跟整个儿给泄了气一般。然后我慢慢向前划，实在搞不懂自己划出来了是该高兴还是不该高兴。我划到50 码开外了，吉姆又说："你走啦，可靠的老朋友哈克，你是唯一对老吉姆守信用的白人先生。"唉，我心里可真难过。但是我说，我一定这么做--逃避不开了。恰在此时，来了一只小船，上面有两个人，拿着枪，他们停下船，我也停下。一个人问："那地方是什么？""一截儿木排。" 我答道。
"你是那上边的吗？""是，先生。""还有别的人吗？""有一个，先生。""喂，今天晚上有五个黑奴逃跑了，是从河湾上头那边逃的，你那个人是白人还是黑人？"我顿了一顿。我想说，可是讲不出话来。我试了试，有一两秒钟，想鼓起勇气全都说出来，可我没那个胆量--连兔子的胆量都没有。我知道自己软下来了；因此，我干脆打消了试试的念头，脱口而出："那是个白人。""我看我们还是自己上去看看吧。""我也想让你们去，"我说，" 因为是爸在上面，或许你们还会帮我把木排划到岸上有灯光的地方。他病了--妈和玛丽·安也病了。""唉，见鬼！我们忙着呢，小孩儿。只是我看我们也不能不去。过来--用力划吧，我们过去。"我使劲划桨，他们拼命摇橹。我们划了几下，我说："爸会十分感激你们的，我敢肯定。我一说想让人帮我把木排划到岸上，所有的人都走开，我自己又干不了。""那太他妈的没良心了。不过这也奇怪呀。喂，小孩儿，你爸得的是什么病？""是--呃--唉，也没什么大病。"他们住手不划了。这时候，离木排已经很近了。一个说："小孩儿，你在撒谎。你爸到底得的是什么病？老老实实快点讲，这对你有好处。""我说，先生，我说，老老实实讲--可求求你们别离开我。他的病是--是--先生，只要你们能划到前面，让我把缆绳扔过来，你们就不必靠近木排了，请你们帮个忙吧。""向后退，约翰，向后退！" 一个说。他们开始倒着划水。"离远点儿，小孩儿--划到背风处去。该死，我担心风已经把它吹到我们这边来了。你爸患的是天花，你知道得很清楚。干嘛不直截了当地说出来呢？你想四处传染吗？""唉，"我说，还带着哭腔，" 我见谁给谁说实话，可他们都干脆走开，丢下我们不管。""可怜的小鬼，这话倒也不假。我们也确实替你难过。只是我们--嗨，去它的，我们不想惹上天花，你明白吧。听着，我告诉你如何。千万别想自己上岸，否则，你会把什么都撞成碎片的。你顺水时前漂20 英里，你就会来到大河左边的一个镇上，太阳已升起老高了，那时候，你求人帮助时，你告诉他们你的人都是因为高烧发抖病倒的。别再傻了，让大家去猜是怎么回事。我们这是在帮你；所以，你就和我们隔开20 英里远吧，那样才是个好孩子。在有灯的地方上岸没什么好处--那只是一家木材厂。这么讲吧，我想你爸也穷，我可以肯定说，他是正走坏运。这里呢，我在这块板上放上20 块金币，等它漂过去你自己拿吧。丢下你不管，我觉得难过，但是天哪！天花可不是闹着玩的，你懂不懂？""等等，派克，"另一个人说，" 也帮我在这板上放上20块。再见，孩子，你照派克先生给你说的做，你就可以没事了。""是这话，我的孩子，再见，再见。如果你看见有逃跑的黑奴，你让人帮忙抓住他们，你还可以靠它赚点儿钱。""再见，先生，"我说，" 如果我能办到，我不会让逃走的黑奴从我身边跑掉的。"他们走开，我上了木排，心情难受极了，因为我十分清楚我又做错了，我也清楚我也学着做对是不可能的，一个人要是从小没学好就当然不会有出息，遇上苦恼的事没有什么给他撑腰，叫他把事做好，结果他就垮了。后来我想了一分钟，心里想，坚持住，告诉自己你做对了，把吉姆告了，你会比现在感觉好些吗？不会，我说，我也不会感觉好的，就像现在的感觉一样。好了，我说，要是你感觉做对了还烦心，做错了却没事，而且代价又是完全一样，那么，学做对又有什么用呢？我感到糊涂了。我回答不了这个问题。所以，我不想再为这个伤神，从此以后，凡事看情况，怎么方便就怎么做。
我走入窝棚，吉姆不在那里。我四下寻找，他哪儿也不在。我叫道："吉姆！""我在这里，哈克。他们都走了吗？别大声讲话。"他在河里，躲在后桨下，只露着个鼻子。我告诉他说他们走没影儿了，他才上来。他说："我始终在听着所有的谈话。我下到水里，他们要是上来的话，我就向岸边游。等他们走了，我再游到木排上来。可天哪，你把他们哄得真厉害的，哈克！应付得真漂亮！我跟你说，孩子，我看就是这才救了老吉姆--老吉姆为这个永远忘不了你，宝贝儿。"接着，我们说到那些钱。那可是一笔不菲的收入，每人20块。吉姆说这回我们能坐轮渡了，这些钱可以让我们在自由州里想走多远就走多远。他说20 多英里对木排来说不算远，可他希望我们这就到了那里。
接近拂晓，我们拴住船，吉姆特别留意把木排藏好。后来，他忙了一天，把东西收拾成捆，一切准备就绪，就等着和木排分手。
那晚大约十点，我们正划着，看到左手河湾下边有小镇的灯光。
我下到独木舟里，划出去问路。很快，我找到一个人，他在河里架着小船，正在放钓鱼钱。我划过去，问道："先生，那座镇是凯罗吗？""凯罗？不。你必定是个混帐大傻瓜。""那是什么镇，先生？""你要是想知道，就过去问好了。你要是在这里再烦我半秒钟，你就会得到点儿你不想要的东西。"我朝木排划了回去。吉姆大失所望，可我说没关系，我看下一个地方可能就是凯罗。
天亮前，我们又过了一座镇，我又要出去；那是高地，因此我没去。凯罗周围没有高地，吉姆说。我忘了这一点。我们闲呆了一天，就呆在一个靠左手河岸十分近的沙洲上。我开始有点儿怀疑了，吉姆也是。我说："或许是我们在那天晚上的大雾里走过了凯罗。"他说："我们别提它啦。哈克。可怜的黑人不会有什么好运的，我老疑心那条响尾蛇带来的恶运还没完。""我希望我从未见过那条蛇皮，吉姆，我真希望我的眼睛从来没有看见过它。""这可不是你的错，哈克，你不知道。别为那事儿怪自己啦。"天亮时，靠岸这边是清澈的俄亥俄河水，一点没错，外面那边是那条黄泥浆河水！这就是说，凯罗早就走过了。
我们把这事儿谈了一遍。靠岸是不可能的，我们当然也不会去逆水放木排。没办法，只得等天黑，用独木舟往回划，找机会再说。这样，我们躲在白杨树丛里睡了一天，想歇足了好干活，当我们天黑回到木排那儿时，独木舟不见了！
好大一会儿，我们一声不吱。也没有什么可说的。我俩都很清楚这又是响尾蛇皮在作怪。因此，谈它也没用。看起来好像是我们在埋怨，而那肯定又会带来恶运，不住地倒霉，直至我们受够了保持沉默。
慢慢地，我们谈到了我们该怎么办，结果是我们只能划着木排往下漂，等到有机会买个独木舟再向回走。我们不想在周围没人时借别人的独木舟，就跟爸经常做的那样，因为那可能会让人家在后面追我们。
因此，天黑以后，我们乘木排出去。
如果还有人不信摸蛇皮是件蠢事，那么，看到蛇皮给我们招来了这么多麻烦，如果他再继续把这本书读下去，看看它又给我们惹了多少麻烦的话，那他就不得不信了。
买独木舟的地方在岸边停靠着的木排上。可我们没看到有停靠的木排；这样，我们向前漂了三个多小时。唉，夜色变得阴沉沉灰蒙蒙的，跟下雾一样糟糕。你看不清大河的轮廓，也认不准距离。夜很深了，一片寂静。后来，逆水驶来一条轮船。我们点亮灯，想着它能看见我们。逆水船一般不靠近我们，他们开出去顺着沙洲走，专门找暗礁下面的静水走；可在这样的黑夜里，他们拼着劲儿往前，逆着水流与大河作对。
我们能听见它轰隆隆地开过来，可一直等它开近了，才可以看清楚。它正冲着我们。通常它这么做是想看看它们究竟能靠得多近又不碰到小船；有时，它的轮子啃掉支桨，接着，领航员就伸出头大笑，觉得他相当聪明。啊，它来了，我们说它打算刮我们一下，可它好像一点也不偏开。这条船很大，开得也十分急，如同一团黑云，四周绕着一排排萤火虫。但是，它突然出现在眼前，庞大骇人，前边是长长一排张大嘴巴的锅炉门，像鲜红炽热的牙齿，它那庞大的船头和防护罩直冲着我们头顶驶来。有人向我们大嚷，还有铃声丁丁当当响，想让停下发动机，就听得一阵胡叫乱骂，船上汽笛鸣响--吉姆从木排一侧翻身下水，我翻下另一侧，轮船直冲而过，木排被撞得粉碎。
我潜入水中--想摸到河底，因为一只30 英尺的大轮子打算从我身上过去，我得有足够的空间距离让开它。我总是能在水下呆一分钟，这一回，我想我憋了有一分半。接着，我急忙直窜水面，因为我快被憋死了。我一下窜到了胳膊窝儿，喷出鼻子里的水，喘息了一阵。当然有波涛汹涌的急流；自然啦，那条船停下十秒钟后，又一次发动了机器；他们向来不大关心放排人，所以，现在它正劈波斩浪，逆水而行，在沉沉的夜色里失去了踪影，虽然我还可以听见它的轰鸣。
我大声喊叫吉姆，喊了十几次，可我听不到回答；于是，趁我踩水时，我抓到一块碰到我身上的木板，把它推在我前面，朝岸边游去。但是，我隐约看出河水是朝左边河岸流动的，那就是说，我正处于一股横流中，于是，我变换方向，向那一边游去。
这是一条长长的，斜着的横流，约有二英里长，因此，我花了好长时间才渡过去。我找了个安全地方，爬上了岸。我只看得到一小段路，但是，我摸索着走了四分之一英里多地，路相当难走，然后，我还没等看清，就撞到了一座旧式的双排圆木的大房子前面。我正想绕房子跑开，可是，一大群狗跳了出来，冲我汪汪乱叫，我知道最好是站着别动。
收听单词发音 |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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miserableness
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| 痛苦，悲惨，可怜 | |
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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spunk
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| n.勇气，胆量 | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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jingling
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| 叮当声 | |
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busting
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| 打破，打碎( bust的现在分词 )； 突击搜查（或搜捕）； （使）降级，降低军阶 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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