COL. GRANGERFORD was a gentleman, you see. He was a gentleman all over; and so was his family. He was well born, as the saying is, and that's worth as much in a man as it is in a horse, so the Widow Douglas said, and nobody ever denied that she was of the first aristocracy in our town; and pap he always said it, too, though he warn't no more quality than a mudcat himself. Col. Grangerford was very tall and very slim, and had a darkish-paly complexion2, not a sign of red in it anywheres; he was clean shaved every morning all over his thin face, and he had the thinnest kind of lips, and the thinnest kind of nostrils4, and a high nose, and heavy eyebrows5, and the blackest kind of eyes, sunk so deep back that they seemed like they was looking out of caverns6 at you, as you may say. His forehead was high, and his hair was black and straight and hung to his shoulders. His hands was long and thin, and every day of his life he put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to foot made out of linen7 so white it hurt your eyes to look at it; and on Sundays he wore a blue tail-coat with brass8 buttons on it. He carried a mahogany cane10 with a silver head to it. There warn't no frivolishness about him, not a bit, and he warn't ever loud. He was as kind as he could be -- you could feel that, you know, and so you had confidence. Sometimes he smiled, and it was good to see; but when he straightened himself up like a liberty-pole, and the lightning begun to flicker12 out from under his eyebrows, you wanted to climb a tree first, and find out what the matter was afterwards. He didn't ever have to tell anybody to mind their manners -- everybody was always goodmannered where he was. Everybody loved to have him around, too; he was sunshine most always -- I mean he made it seem like good weather. When he turned into a cloudbank it was awful dark for half a minute, and that was enough; there wouldn't nothing go wrong again for a week.
When him and the old lady come down in the morning all the family got up out of their chairs and give them good-day, and didn't set down again till they had set down. Then Tom and Bob went to the sideboard where the decanter was, and mixed a glass of bitters and handed it to him, and he held it in his hand and waited till Tom's and Bob's was mixed, and then they bowed and said, "Our duty to you, sir, and madam;" and THEY bowed the least bit in the world and said thank you, and so they drank, all three, and Bob and Tom poured a spoonful of water on the sugar and the mite13 of whisky or apple brandy in the bottom of their tumblers, and give it to me and Buck14, and we drank to the old people too.
Bob was the oldest and Tom next -- tall, beautiful men with very broad shoulders and brown faces, and long black hair and black eyes. They dressed in white linen from head to foot, like the old gentleman, and wore broad Panama hats.
Then there was Miss Charlotte; she was twentyfive, and tall and proud and grand, but as good as she could be when she warn't stirred up; but when she was she had a look that would make you wilt15 in your tracks, like her father. She was beautiful.
So was her sister, Miss Sophia, but it was a different kind. She was gentle and sweet like a dove, and she was only twenty.
Each person had their own nigger to wait on them -- Buck too. My nigger had a monstrous16 easy time, because I warn't used to having anybody do anything for me, but Buck's was on the jump most of the time.
This was all there was of the family now, but there used to be more -- three sons; they got killed; and Emmeline that died.
The old gentleman owned a lot of farms and over a hundred niggers. Sometimes a stack of people would come there, horseback, from ten or fifteen mile around, and stay five or six days, and have such junketings round about and on the river, and dances and picnics in the woods daytimes, and balls at the house nights. These people was mostly kinfolks of the family. The men brought their guns with them. It was a handsome lot of quality, I tell you.
There was another clan17 of aristocracy around there -- five or six families -- mostly of the name of Shepherdson. They was as high-toned and well born and rich and grand as the tribe of Grangerfords. The Shepherdsons and Grangerfords used the same steamboat landing, which was about two mile above our house; so sometimes when I went up there with a lot of our folks I used to see a lot of the Shepherdsons there on their fine horses.
One day Buck and me was away out in the woods hunting, and heard a horse coming. We was crossing the road. Buck says:
"Quick! Jump for the woods!"
We done it, and then peeped down the woods through the leaves. Pretty soon a splendid young man come galloping18 down the road, setting his horse easy and looking like a soldier. He had his gun across his pommel. I had seen him before. It was young Harney Shepherdson. I heard Buck's gun go off at my ear, and Harney's hat tumbled off from his head. He grabbed his gun and rode straight to the place where we was hid. But we didn't wait. We started through the woods on a run. The woods warn't thick, so I looked over my shoulder to dodge20 the bullet, and twice I seen Harney cover Buck with his gun; and then he rode away the way he come -- to get his hat, I reckon, but I couldn't see. We never stopped running till we got home. The old gentleman's eyes blazed a minute -- 'twas pleasure, mainly, I judged -- then his face sort of smoothed down, and he says, kind of gentle:
"I don't like that shooting from behind a bush. Why didn't you step into the road, my boy?"
"The Shepherdsons don't, father. They always take advantage."
Miss Charlotte she held her head up like a queen while Buck was telling his tale, and her nostrils spread and her eyes snapped. The two young men looked dark, but never said nothing. Miss Sophia she turned pale, but the color come back when she found the man warn't hurt.
Soon as I could get Buck down by the corn-cribs under the trees by ourselves, I says:
"Did you want to kill him, Buck?"
"Well, I bet I did."
"What did he do to you?"
"Him? He never done nothing to me."
"Well, then, what did you want to kill him for?"
"Why, nothing -- only it's on account of the feud21."
"What's a feud?"
"Why, where was you raised? Don't you know what a feud is?"
"Never heard of it before -- tell me about it."
"Well," says Buck, "a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man's brother kills HIM; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the COUSINS chip in -- and by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud. But it's kind of slow, and takes a long time."
"Has this one been going on long, Buck?"
"Well, I should RECKON! It started thirty year ago, or som'ers along there. There was trouble 'bout11 something, and then a lawsuit22 to settle it; and the suit went agin one of the men, and so he up and shot the man that won the suit -- which he would naturally do, of course. Anybody would."
"What was the trouble about, Buck? -- land?"
"I reckon maybe -- I don't know."
"Well, who done the shooting? Was it a Grangerford or a Shepherdson?"
"Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago."
"Don't anybody know?"
"Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old people; but they don't know now what the row was about in the first place."
"Has there been many killed, Buck?"
"Yes; right smart chance of funerals. But they don't always kill. Pa's got a few buckshot in him; but he don't mind it 'cuz he don't weigh much, anyway. Bob's been carved up some with a bowie, and Tom's been hurt once or twice."
"Has anybody been killed this year, Buck?"
"Yes; we got one and they got one. 'Bout three months ago my cousin Bud, fourteen year old, was riding through the woods on t'other side of the river, and didn't have no weapon with him, which was blame' foolishness, and in a lonesome place he hears a horse a-coming behind him, and sees old Baldy Shepherdson a-linkin' after him with his gun in his hand and his white hair a-flying in the wind; and 'stead of jumping off and taking to the brush, Bud 'lowed he could outrun him; so they had it, nip and tuck, for five mile or more, the old man a-gaining all the time; so at last Bud seen it warn't any use, so he stopped and faced around so as to have the bullet holes in front, you know, and the old man he rode up and shot him down. But he didn't git much chance to enjoy his luck, for inside of a week our folks laid HIM out."
"I reckon that old man was a coward, Buck."
"I reckon he WARN'T a coward. Not by a blame' sight. There ain't a coward amongst them Shepherdsons -- not a one. And there ain't no cowards amongst the Grangerfords either. Why, that old man kep' up his end in a fight one day for half an hour against three Grangerfords, and come out winner. They was all a-horseback; he lit off of his horse and got behind a little woodpile, and kep' his horse before him to stop the bullets; but the Grangerfords stayed on their horses and capered23 around the old man, and peppered away at him, and he peppered away at them. Him and his horse both went home pretty leaky and crippled, but the Grangerfords had to be FETCHED home -- and one of 'em was dead, and another died the next day. No, sir; if a body's out hunting for cowards he don't want to fool away any time amongst them Shepherdsons, becuz they don't breed any of that KIND."
Next Sunday we all went to church, about three mile, everybody a-horseback. The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching -- all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness24; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith and good works and free grace and preforeordestination, and I don't know what all, that it did seem to me to be one of the roughest Sundays I had run across yet.
About an hour after dinner everybody was dozing25 around, some in their chairs and some in their rooms, and it got to be pretty dull. Buck and a dog was stretched out on the grass in the sun sound asleep. I went up to our room, and judged I would take a nap myself. I found that sweet Miss Sophia standing26 in her door, which was next to ours, and she took me in her room and shut the door very soft, and asked me if I liked her, and I said I did; and she asked me if I would do something for her and not tell anybody, and I said I would. Then she said she'd forgot her Testament27, and left it in the seat at church between two other books, and would I slip out quiet and go there and fetch it to her, and not say nothing to nobody. I said I would. So I slid out and slipped off up the road, and there warn't anybody at the church, except maybe a hog9 or two, for there warn't any lock on the door, and hogs28 likes a puncheon floor in summer-time because it's cool. If you notice, most folks don't go to church only when they've got to; but a hog is different.
Says I to myself, something's up; it ain't natural for a girl to be in such a sweat about a Testament. So I give it a shake, and out drops a little piece of paper with "HALF-PAST TWO" wrote on it with a pencil. I ransacked29 it, but couldn't find anything else. I couldn't make anything out of that, so I put the paper in the book again, and when I got home and upstairs there was Miss Sophia in her door waiting for me. She pulled me in and shut the door; then she looked in the Testament till she found the paper, and as soon as she read it she looked glad; and before a body could think she grabbed me and give me a squeeze, and said I was the best boy in the world, and not to tell anybody. She was mighty30 red in the face for a minute, and her eyes lighted up, and it made her powerful pretty. I was a good deal astonished, but when I got my breath I asked her what the paper was about, and she asked me if I had read it, and I said no, and she asked me if I could read writing, and I told her "no, only coarse-hand," and then she said the paper warn't anything but a book-mark to keep her place, and I might go and play now.
I went off down to the river, studying over this thing, and pretty soon I noticed that my nigger was following along behind. When we was out of sight of the house he looked back and around a second, and then comes a-running, and says:
"Mars Jawge, if you'll come down into de swamp I'll show you a whole stack o' water-moccasins."
Thinks I, that's mighty curious; he said that yesterday. He oughter know a body don't love watermoccasins enough to go around hunting for them. What is he up to, anyway? So I says:
I followed a half a mile; then he struck out over the swamp, and waded32 ankle deep as much as another half-mile. We come to a little flat piece of land which was dry and very thick with trees and bushes and vines, and he says:
"You shove right in dah jist a few steps, Mars Jawge; dah's whah dey is. I's seed 'm befo'; I don't k'yer to see 'em no mo'."
Then he slopped right along and went away, and pretty soon the trees hid him. I poked33 into the place a-ways and come to a little open patch as big as a bedroom all hung around with vines, and found a man laying there asleep -- and, by jings, it was my old Jim!
I waked him up, and I reckoned it was going to be a grand surprise to him to see me again, but it warn't. He nearly cried he was so glad, but he warn't surprised. Said he swum along behind me that night, and heard me yell every time, but dasn't answer, because he didn't want nobody to pick HIM up and take him into slavery again. Says he:
"I got hurt a little, en couldn't swim fas', so I wuz a considable ways behine you towards de las'; when you landed I reck'ned I could ketch up wid you on de lan' 'dout havin' to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go slow. I 'uz off too fur to hear what dey say to you -- I wuz 'fraid o' de dogs; but when it 'uz all quiet agin I knowed you's in de house, so I struck out for de woods to wait for day. Early in de mawnin' some er de niggers come along, gwyne to de fields, en dey tuk me en showed me dis place, whah de dogs can't track me on accounts o' de water, en dey brings me truck to eat every night, en tells me how you's a-gitt'n along."
"Why didn't you tell my Jack34 to fetch me here sooner, Jim?"
"Well, 'twarn't no use to 'sturb you, Huck, tell we could do sumfn -- but we's all right now. I ben abuyin' pots en pans en vittles, as I got a chanst, en apatchin' up de raf' nights when --"
"WHAT raft, Jim?"
"Our ole raf'."
"You mean to say our old raft warn't smashed all to flinders?"
"No, she warn't. She was tore up a good deal -- one en' of her was; but dey warn't no great harm done, on'y our traps was mos' all los'. Ef we hadn' dive' so deep en swum so fur under water, en de night hadn' ben so dark, en we warn't so sk'yerd, en ben sich punkin-heads, as de sayin' is, we'd a seed de raf'. But it's jis' as well we didn't, 'kase now she's all fixed35 up agin mos' as good as new, en we's got a new lot o' stuff, in de place o' what 'uz los'."
"Why, how did you get hold of the raft again, Jim -- did you catch her?"
"How I gwyne to ketch her en I out in de woods? No; some er de niggers foun' her ketched on a snag along heah in de ben', en dey hid her in a crick 'mongst de willows36, en dey wuz so much jawin' 'bout which un 'um she b'long to de mos' dat I come to heah 'bout it pooty soon, so I ups en settles de trouble by tellin' 'um she don't b'long to none uv um, but to you en me; en I ast 'm if dey gwyne to grab a young white genlman's propaty, en git a hid'n for it? Den1 I gin 'm ten cents apiece, en dey 'uz mighty well satisfied, en wisht some mo' raf's 'ud come along en make 'm rich agin. Dey's mighty good to me, dese niggers is, en whatever I wants 'm to do fur me I doan' have to ast 'm twice, honey. Dat Jack's a good nigger, en pooty smart."
"Yes, he is. He ain't ever told me you was here; told me to come, and he'd show me a lot of watermoccasins. If anything happens HE ain't mixed up in it. He can say he never seen us together, and it 'll be the truth."
I don't want to talk much about the next day. I reckon I'll cut it pretty short. I waked up about dawn, and was a-going to turn over and go to sleep again when I noticed how still it was -- didn't seem to be anybody stirring. That warn't usual. Next I noticed that Buck was up and gone. Well, I gets up, a-wondering, and goes down stairs -- nobody around; everything as still as a mouse. Just the same outside. Thinks I, what does it mean? Down by the woodpile I comes across my Jack, and says:
"What's it all about?"
Says he:
"Don't you know, Mars Jawge?"
"No," says I, "I don't."
"Well, den, Miss Sophia's run off! 'deed she has. She run off in de night some time -- nobody don't know jis' when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson, you know -- leastways, so dey 'spec. De fambly foun' it out 'bout half an hour ago -- maybe a little mo' -- en' I TELL you dey warn't no time los'. Sich another hurryin' up guns en hosses YOU never see! De women folks has gone for to stir up de relations, en ole Mars Saul en de boys tuck dey guns en rode up de river road for to try to ketch dat young man en kill him 'fo' he kin3 git acrost de river wid Miss Sophia. I reck'n dey's gwyne to be mighty rough times."
"Buck went off 'thout waking me up."
"Well, I reck'n he DID! Dey warn't gwyne to mix you up in it. Mars Buck he loaded up his gun en 'lowed he's gwyne to fetch home a Shepherdson or bust37. Well, dey'll be plenty un 'm dah, I reck'n, en you bet you he'll fetch one ef he gits a chanst."
I took up the river road as hard as I could put. By and by I begin to hear guns a good ways off. When I came in sight of the log store and the woodpile where the steamboats lands I worked along under the trees and brush till I got to a good place, and then I clumb up into the forks of a cottonwood that was out of reach, and watched. There was a wood-rank four foot high a little ways in front of the tree, and first I was going to hide behind that; but maybe it was luckier I didn't.
There was four or five men cavorting38 around on their horses in the open place before the log store, cussing and yelling, and trying to get at a couple of young chaps that was behind the wood-rank alongside of the steamboat landing; but they couldn't come it. Every time one of them showed himself on the river side of the woodpile he got shot at. The two boys was squatting39 back to back behind the pile, so they could watch both ways.
By and by the men stopped cavorting around and yelling. They started riding towards the store; then up gets one of the boys, draws a steady bead40 over the wood-rank, and drops one of them out of his saddle. All the men jumped off of their horses and grabbed the hurt one and started to carry him to the store; and that minute the two boys started on the run. They got half way to the tree I was in before the men noticed. Then the men see them, and jumped on their horses and took out after them. They gained on the boys, but it didn't do no good, the boys had too good a start; they got to the woodpile that was in front of my tree, and slipped in behind it, and so they had the bulge41 on the men again. One of the boys was Buck, and the other was a slim young chap about nineteen years old.
The men ripped around awhile, and then rode away. As soon as they was out of sight I sung out to Buck and told him. He didn't know what to make of my voice coming out of the tree at first. He was awful surprised. He told me to watch out sharp and let him know when the men come in sight again; said they was up to some devilment or other -- wouldn't be gone long. I wished I was out of that tree, but I dasn't come down. Buck begun to cry and rip, and 'lowed that him and his cousin Joe (that was the other young chap) would make up for this day yet. He said his father and his two brothers was killed, and two or three of the enemy. Said the Shepherdsons laid for them in ambush42. Buck said his father and brothers ought to waited for their relations -- the Shepherdsons was too strong for them. I asked him what was become of young Harney and Miss Sophia. He said they'd got across the river and was safe. I was glad of that; but the way Buck did take on because he didn't manage to kill Harney that day he shot at him -- I hain't ever heard anything like it.
All of a sudden, bang! bang! bang! goes three or four guns -- the men had slipped around through the woods and come in from behind without their horses! The boys jumped for the river -- both of them hurt -- and as they swum down the current the men run along the bank shooting at them and singing out, "Kill them, kill them!" It made me so sick I most fell out of the tree. I ain't a-going to tell ALL that happened -- it would make me sick again if I was to do that. I wished I hadn't ever come ashore43 that night to see such things. I ain't ever going to get shut of them -- lots of times I dream about them.
I stayed in the tree till it begun to get dark, afraid to come down. Sometimes I heard guns away off in the woods; and twice I seen little gangs of men gallop19 past the log store with guns; so I reckoned the trouble was still a-going on. I was mighty downhearted; so I made up my mind I wouldn't ever go anear that house again, because I reckoned I was to blame, somehow. I judged that that piece of paper meant that Miss Sophia was to meet Harney somewheres at half-past two and run off; and I judged I ought to told her father about that paper and the curious way she acted, and then maybe he would a locked her up, and this awful mess wouldn't ever happened.
When I got down out of the tree I crept along down the river bank a piece, and found the two bodies laying in the edge of the water, and tugged44 at them till I got them ashore; then I covered up their faces, and got away as quick as I could. I cried a little when I was covering up Buck's face, for he was mighty good to me.
It was just dark now. I never went near the house, but struck through the woods and made for the swamp. Jim warn't on his island, so I tramped off in a hurry for the crick, and crowded through the willows, red-hot to jump aboard and get out of that awful country. The raft was gone! My souls, but I was scared! I couldn't get my breath for most a minute. Then I raised a yell. A voice not twenty-five foot from me says:
"Good lan'! is dat you, honey? Doan' make no noise."
It was Jim's voice -- nothing ever sounded so good before. I run along the bank a piece and got aboard, and Jim he grabbed me and hugged me, he was so glad to see me. He says:
"Laws bless you, chile, I 'uz right down sho' you's dead agin. Jack's been heah; he say he reck'n you's ben shot, kase you didn' come home no mo'; so I's jes' dis minute a startin' de raf' down towards de mouf er de crick, so's to be all ready for to shove out en leave soon as Jack comes agin en tells me for certain you IS dead. Lawsy, I's mighty glad to git you back again, honey.
I says:
"All right -- that's mighty good; they won't find me, and they'll think I've been killed, and floated down the river -- there's something up there that 'll help them think so -- so don't you lose no time, Jim, but just shove off for the big water as fast as ever you can."
I never felt easy till the raft was two mile below there and out in the middle of the Mississippi. Then we hung up our signal lantern, and judged that we was free and safe once more. I hadn't had a bite to eat since yesterday, so Jim he got out some corn-dodgers and buttermilk, and pork and cabbage and greens -- there ain't nothing in the world so good when it's cooked right -- and whilst I eat my supper we talked and had a good time. I was powerful glad to get away from the feuds45, and so was Jim to get away from the swamp. We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped46 up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.
格兰杰福德上校是位绅士，你明白吧。他整个儿一副绅士派头，他家里的人也一样。他出身好，正如俗话所说，这对一个人很有价值，就像对马一样，寡妇道格拉斯这么说过，人人都承认她是我们那个镇上最高贵的人，爸也老这么说，虽然他自己仅仅是个小小鲶鱼一般的人物。格兰杰福德上校的个子很高，身材细长，脸色白里透黑，见不着什么红润的影子；他天天早上都把他那张瘦脸刮得干干净净。他的嘴唇极薄，鼻孔也极薄，高高的鼻子，重重的眉毛，眼睛极黑，凹得很深，如同是从洞里朝外看着你一般，你或许会这样说。他的前额高高的，头发又黑又直，垂到肩膀上。双手长而且瘦，他这辈子每天都穿上一件干净衬衣，从头到脚穿一套亚麻服装，白白的，看着刺眼。星期天，他穿一件蓝色燕尾服，上面带铜扣。他拿一根红木银头手杖。他这个人没一丝轻浮的样子，一点儿都没有，他从不大声说话。他要多和气有多和气--你可以感觉到这一点，你知道吧，因此，你就会信任他。有时，他也微笑，笑得很好看，可是，当他像旗杆一样身板挺直时，雷电就会从他眉毛下闪出，那你就想赶紧先爬上一棵树，随后，再回过头来看出了什么事。他向来不用提醒人们注意礼貌--只要他在场，每个人总是都彬彬有礼。大家也都乐意和他在一起，他几乎总是像阳光--我是说他使气氛感觉好像是好天气。当他变得阴云密布时，半分钟就会来个天昏地暗；这么一来，一个星期都不会再出差错。
当他和老太太早上下楼时，全家人都打椅子上站起来，向他们问好，等他们俩坐好了，大家才又坐下。接着，汤姆和鲍勃走到放酒具的橱柜前，调一杯苦艾酒，递给他，他拿在手中，等汤姆和鲍勃的酒调好了，然后，他们鞠躬说：" 向您请安，先生，太太。" 他们俩稍稍倾身，说声谢谢，于是，他们三个人一同干杯。鲍勃和汤姆又在他们平底玻璃杯底剩下的糖和一点儿威士忌或苹果白兰地酒里加上一勺水，递给我和巴克，我们也跟两位老人干杯。
鲍勃是老大，汤姆第二，接下去是夏洛特小姐，她25 岁，个子高大，神情骄傲严肃，可是，她人要多好有多好，只要没人惹她，可是，她一旦给惹翻了，那脸色会吓得你脚都站不稳，跟她父亲一个样。她人很美。
她妹妹索菲亚小姐也很美，可那是另一种美。她文静温和，跟只鸽子一般，只有20 岁。
每人都有自己的黑人伺候着--巴克也有。我的黑人则闲透了，因为我不习惯让人替我做事，但是，巴克的黑人大部分时间都忙得脚不沾地。
现在，这家人就这么多，但是，过去比这多--有三个儿子，他们全被打死了；还有死掉了的艾米琳。
老先生有很多农场，一百多个黑人。有时，一大批人从十几英里外骑着马上这里来，住上五六天，在农场附近和大河上郊游，白天在树林里跳舞，野餐，夜晚就在这所房子里开舞会。这些人大部分是这家人的本家亲戚。男人都带着枪。那排场和讲究可大了，我告诉你吧。
离这儿不远还有一支贵族--共有五六家--大部分姓谢泼逊。他们与格兰杰福德家族同样高贵，出身好，有钱，讲排场。谢泼逊和格兰杰福德两族合用一个渡船码头，在我们家上游大约两英里地，所以，有时，我和我们这边的人到那里去时，经常会碰上很多谢泼逊家的人，骑着高头大马。
一天，我跟巴克从家里出来，正在树林中打猎，听见一匹马过来。我们正横过大路。巴克说："快！朝树林里跑！"我们跑了，透过树叶朝树林外边偷看。一会儿，一个很帅的年轻人顺着大路飞奔而来，轻松地骑着马，神情简直是个战士。他把枪横在马鞍前面。我过去见过他。那小伙子是哈尼·谢泼逊。我听见巴克的枪从我耳边擦过，哈尼的帽子从头上被打掉了。他忙抓起枪，纵马朝我们藏身的地方直奔过来。我们可没有等，我们钻入树林就跑，树林不密，所以，我从肩膀上往回看，两回都看见哈尼用枪对准了巴克；然后，他又沿原路又骑马回去了--是去捡他的帽子了吧，我猜是这样的，但是，我没看见。我们一口气跑回家。老先生眼眼闪亮，有一分钟--照我看来，是由于兴奋的吧--接着，他的脸稍稍平静下来，他用温和的口气说："我不喜欢从树后开枪。你怎么不站出来走到路上去呢，孩子？""谢泼逊家的人可不，父亲，他们老是利用机会。"巴克叙述的时候，夏洛特小姐把头抬得高高的，跟个王后一样，她的鼻孔大张，眼睛里闪着怒火。两个哥哥阴沉着脸，不发一言。索菲亚小姐面色苍白，但是，她听出来那个小伙子没被伤着时，脸上的颜色也恢复了。
后来，我把巴克引到玉米仓库近旁的树底下，光剩下我们两个人时，我问："你要打死他吗，巴克？""是啊，我肯定会的。""什么事他得罪你啦？""他？他什么也没得罪我。""那么，你干嘛想打死他？""嗨，不为什么--只是因为家族世仇。""什么是家族世仇？""啊？你在哪儿长大的？你连家族世仇都不明白吗？""过去从来没有听说过--给我讲讲吧。""好，"巴克说，" 家族世仇是这样的。一个人与另一个人吵架，把他打死了，接着，死的那个人的兄弟又打死了他；然后，两家其他的兄弟们都互相报仇，然后，连堂兄弟表兄弟也都上来帮忙--渐渐地，人人都被杀绝，就不再有世仇了。只是，这个过程很慢很慢，得花很长时间。""这个世仇已经很久了吗，巴克？""啊，我猜应该是！它开始是在30 年前，或者也许就是那时候吧。有什么事起了争执，后来就凭打官司解决；一个人官司输了，因此，他就去把打赢官司的人给打死了--他会自然而然地这么做，当然啦。谁都会那样。""到底为什么起争执，巴克？土地？""我猜也许是吧，我不清楚。""那，谁开枪打死的人？是格兰杰福德家的人，还是谢泼逊？""天哪，我怎么会知道？那已是很久以前的事啦。""有谁知道吗？""噢。有，爸知道，我看是的，还有另外的一些其他老年人；但是，他们现在也不知道当初为什么争执了。""打死了好多人吗，巴克？""是的，出殡的机会可多那。但是，他们也并不总是打死人。爸身上有几个大号铅弹；不过，他不在意，反正它没多重。鲍脖被猎刀刺了几处，汤姆也伤过一两回。""今年有人被打死吗，巴克？""是的，我们死了一个，他们也死了一个。大约三个月前，我党兄巴德，他14 岁，在大河那边，那天他刚好骑马穿过树林，身上没带任何武器，真是傻得要命，到了一个人稀的地方，他听见一匹马从他后面跑过来，回头一看是老博尔蒂·谢泼逊在后面追他，手端着枪，白发在风中飞扬，巴德没跳下马躲到树林里，却以为自己能跑过他，于是，他们就跑开了，这样跑了五英里多，那老头越追越近，这样，到最后，巴德看不行了，他就停住马，掉过脸去，想让子弹打在前面，你清楚，那老家伙骑马过来，把他给打倒了。只是，他也没得意几天，因为不到一星期，我们的人就把他干掉了。""我看那老头儿是个胆小鬼吧，巴克？""我看他可不是个胆小鬼，一点儿也不是。谢泼逊家没一个胆小鬼--一个也没有。格兰杰福德家也没胆小鬼。嘿，有一天，那个老头儿从头打到底，打了近半个小时，一个人应付格兰杰福德家的三个人，结果还是他赢了。他们都骑着马；他跳下马，躲入一堆木头后面，把马拉在前边挡子弹；可格兰杰福德家的人都骑在马上，围着那老头儿跳来跳去，冲他乱放枪，他也猛开枪。他和马回家时都淌着血，瘸着腿，可是，格兰杰福德家的人都需要被抬回家--一个人死了，另一个人第二天死了。不，先生，如果有人想找胆小鬼，他不会在谢泼逊家里的人身上白费时间，他们家可不出那号人。"下个星期天，我们都去教堂，离家大约三英里来地，都骑马去。男人还带着枪，巴克也带着，他们把枪夹在两腿中间或者靠墙放得伸手可触的地方。谢泼逊家的人也这样。讲道理很腻歪人--都是讲兄弟友爱等等那一套废话，但是，人人都说好，他们回家路上谈的都是这些，还说了一大通诚心信上帝，多做好事，恩惠无边，还有人命天定之类的话，我听得半懂不懂，但是，在我看来，那实在是我过的最没意思的一个星期日。午饭后过了约一个小时，大家都在打盹，有的坐在椅子中，有的回到房里，这就很单调。巴克跟一条狗躺在太阳底下的草地上，睡得正酣。我就上楼到我们的房间，自己也很想打个盹儿。我发现索菲亚小姐站在她房间门口，她跟我们是隔壁。她把我叫进她房间里，很轻很轻地关上门，问我是否喜欢她，我说喜欢；她问我能不能替她办件事，还不告诉别人，我说我能。接着她说，她把她的《圣经》忘了，把它落在教堂的座位上了，在两本别的书中间夹着，问我愿不愿意悄悄出去，到那儿把书取回来，对谁也不提一个字儿。我说我愿意。这样，我从家出来，悄悄顺着大路往前走，教堂里没人，只有那么一两头猪，因为门没上锁，在夏天里，猪喜欢石板地，图个凉快。你如果注意，就会发现，大部分人只有非不得已才去教堂，但是，猪可不一样。
我心想这事儿有些古怪--一个姑娘家为一本《圣经》那样着急，总有些不大自然，所以，我就抖了一下那本书，掉出来一张纸条，上面拿铅笔写着"两点半"。我细细查看，没发现别的东西。我弄不明白它的意思，于是，我又把纸放进书里。当我赶到家跑上楼时，索菲亚小姐在门口正等着我。她将我拉进去，关上门；她就开始翻看那本《圣经》，直到那张纸，她一念上面的字，立刻露出高兴的样子，还没来得及让人想想，她就一把抓过我，出劲儿搂了一下，说我是世界上最好的男孩儿，她还嘱咐我别告诉人。她脸色通红，有一分钟，双眼发亮，这使她非常漂亮。我可大吃一惊，但是，当我喘过气来，我问她那纸上写的什么，她就问我看没看过，我说"没看过"，她又问我是否认识手写的字，我告诉她说"不认识，我只认得粗笔划的字，"接着，她说那张纸只不过是个书签，帮助她记住读到的书页，还说我现在能出去玩儿了。
我出门来到河边，反复想这件事；不久，我看见我的黑人跟在我后面过来了。当我们走到看不见那栋房子的地方，他四下看了看，然后跑着过来了，他说："乔治少爷，如果您到下边的沼泽地里，我就会指给您看一大堆水腹蛇。"我想，这就太奇怪了，昨天，他也说过这话。他应该知道，谁也不会那么乐意看有毒的水腹蛇，专门要找着去看。他到底想做什么？于是，我说道："好吧，你在前边带路。"我跟着走了半英里地，接着，他走进沼泽地里，趟着脚脖子深的烂泥又走了半英里。我们来到一小块平地上，地是干的，长满了密密的树林、灌木和藤条，他说："您一直朝前走，只有几步远了，乔治少爷，水蝮蛇就在那儿。我以前看过了，我不想再去看。"接着，他踏着泥浆马上走开了，很快，树林就淹没了他。我挤着往前走，来到一块开阔地上，大约有一间卧室那么大，四周挂满了藤蔓枝条，我看到一个人正躺在那里，睡着了--哎呀，天哪，原来是我的吉姆！
我叫醒他，我猜想，他又看到了我，肯定会大吃一惊的，可他没有。他都快要哭了，他太高兴了，可是他没吃惊。他说他在我后面游水跟着，那个晚上，每一回他都听到我喊了，可都没有回答，因为他不想被人捞起来，再把他变成奴隶。他说："我受了些伤，就不能游快，因此，我落在你后面很远，直到最后，当你上了岸，我想我在陆地上能赶上你，也就用不着叫喊了，可是，我看见那所房子之后，我放慢了脚步。我离你太远，听不明白他们对你说什么--我害怕那些狗--等到声音都又静下来时，我就知道你进了那所房子，所以我就向树林跑去等天亮。一大清早，几个黑人过来，上地里干活儿，他们把我藏起来，给我找到这么个地方，因为隔着水，那些狗就不能找着我，天天晚上他们带东西给我吃，还给讲你的情况。""你干嘛不早点儿告诉我的杰克把我领这儿来呢，吉姆？""唉，我们要是不能动身的话，哈克，叫你也没用--只是现在我们好啦。我一直在买锅和盘子，还有别的吃的东西，我有机会就买，晚上就修那个木排，要是..""哪个木排，吉姆？""我们那个老木排呀。""你是说我们原来那个木排并没有被撞成碎片？""没有，它被撞破了好多地方--一边儿撞坏了--不过它没出什么大毛病。要是我们不往水里钻那么深，没在水底下游那么远，那天晚上不那样黑，我们不那么害怕不那么傻，就像通常说的，我们还能看清那个木排。不过我们当时没看见倒也好，毕竟现在它全给修好了，几乎和当初一样新，我们样样东西都添了新的，把丢的东西全给补回来了。""喂，你怎么把那个木排给弄回来的，吉姆，你是把它捞上来的吗？""我躲在这个树林里怎么去捞它？不是我，是几个黑人看到它被绊在一个树干上，就在离这儿不远的河湾里，他们把它弄到一条小河里，藏进了柳树当中。他们又争又闹说这个木排到底该归谁，结果，倒让我听见了，我就过去将这事儿给解决了，告诉他们这木排不归他们任何人，它归你和我。我还问他们是否打算抢走一个年轻的白人先生的财产，把它藏起来？后来我给他们每人一角钱，他们都十分满意，指望再有木排过来的话，还能借机发上一笔财。他们待我也特别好，这些黑人哪，不管我想叫他们为我干什么，我都不说两遍，宝贝儿。那个杰克是个好黑人，还挺聪明。""是啊，他是聪明。他根本没跟我说你在这儿，他就说让我来，说他会指给我看好多水蝮蛇。如果出了什么事，他也不会给牵连进去。他可以说他没见过我们俩在一块儿，那也是实话。"我不想说太多第二天发生的事。我看我还是长话短说。黎明时分，我醒过来，还想翻个身儿再睡；这时，我觉察到周围有多么静--好像没一个人走动。平常可不这样。接着，我注意到巴克已经起床走了。啊，我就起来了，心里直纳闷，到了楼下--没人，四处都静悄悄的，跟外面一样。我想，这是怎么回事儿？我走到那堆木头附近旁，才碰上我的杰克，我问他："这里究竟出了什么事儿？"他说："您还不知道吗，乔治少爷？""不，"我说，" 我不知道。""哎呀，索菲亚小姐跑啦！她是真的跑了，她在夜里跑掉的，没人知道是什么时候--没有人知道到底是什么时候--跑出去跟那个年轻人哈尼·谢泼逊去结婚。你知道吧--至少他们是这么猜的。家里人发现了，大概在半个小时以前--或许再早一些--我跟您说吧，他们一点都没耽误。赶紧拿枪，集合人马，那股快劲儿你根本就没有见过！女家眷都去叫本家亲戚，索尔老爷跟他的儿子们拿着枪骑着马顺河边那条路追去了，想抓住那个年轻人把他打死，不让他带索菲亚小姐过河。我猜他们会大干一场的。""巴克走了没来叫醒我。""是啊，我猜他是这样！他们不想让你也掺合进来。巴克少爷把他的枪装上子弹，说他要抓回家一个谢泼逊的人，死的也行。是啊，他们那里会有许多人的，我看绝对错不了，如果他逮着机会，他肯定会抓一个。"我顺着河边那条路拼命奔跑。渐渐地我开始听到很远的地方有枪响。当我能看见那个木材仓库和那个木头堆的时候，轮船就在这里靠岸，我就在树林和灌木丛下面走，一直走到我寻了一个好地方，接着，我爬上一棵棉杨树，钻在树杈里，那个地方枪子儿打不着，我朝外观看。在一棵树前面，稍微离开一点儿的地方，有一排四英尺高的木头，开头我想就藏在那后边，只是，也许我没藏在那儿更运气。
有四五个人骑着马在那个仓库前的一片空场上跳来蹦去，骂骂咧咧，想冲到躲在靠码头帝边的那排木头后面的两个年轻小伙子那里去--可是，他们根本靠不近。每回谁在木头堆靠河的那边一露头，就会被打中。那两个男孩子背靠背蹲在木头堆后面，因此，他们两边都能看见。
很快地，那些人不来回跳了，也不喊叫了。他们开始朝木材仓库那边跑去，这时，一个男孩子站起身来，从木头排上面瞄准并且开了一枪，把一个人从马鞍上打落下来。那些人都跳下马，抱起受伤的人，起身将他送入仓库里；就在那一刻，两个男孩子开始跑了。没等那些人注意，他们就跑到了离我藏身的这棵树的半路上。这时，那些看见了，跳上马向他们追了过来。他们比男孩子快，可是那也没用，男孩子跑得很早；他们跑到我的树前面那个木头堆那里，躲过去藏在后面，这么一来，他们又占了那些人的上风。一个男孩是巴克。另一个是个瘦瘦的年轻小伙子，大约有19 岁。
那些人乱闯了一阵，接着骑马跑了。他们一跑得看不见，我就冲着巴克大喊，告诉他。他开始不明白我的声音怎么会从树上传下来。他大吃一惊。他嘱咐我要注意观察，让他明白那些人什么时候再出现，说他们走开准没好事--不会走太久的。我真想跳下那棵树，可我不敢下来。巴克开始连哭带骂，说他和他叔伯兄弟乔(就是那个年轻小伙子)一定会把今天的损失补偿过来。他说他父亲和两个哥哥被打死了，敌人也死了两三个。他说是谢泼逊家打了埋伏，等着他们。巴克说他父亲和他哥哥应该等到他们的亲戚来--谢泼逊家里的人太多了。我向他询问哈尼那小伙子和索菲亚小姐怎么样了。他说他们渡过河安全了。我听了十分高兴，但是，巴克因为那天他开枪没把哈尼打死气得要命，一个劲地发泄--我还从未听过那种歇斯底里的喊叫。
突然，呯！呯！呯！三四支枪开火了--那帮人已经穿过树林摸了过来，从后面包抄，竟然没骑马！两个孩子跳进大河里--他们俩都受伤了--当他们顺水游走时，那些人在河岸上跑着，边向他们开枪，大声喊着"打死他们，打死他们！"这令我十分难过，差点儿从树上摔下来。我不想讲述所看到的一切--如果我讲了，又会叫我难过。我真希望那天晚上我没到过岸边，没有看到这种事情。我再也忘不掉这些事了--好多回我都梦见了。
我在树上一直呆到天快黑的时候，我不敢下来。有时候，我听到远处树林里传来枪声，两次我都看见一小股一小股的人手握着枪飞跑过那个木材仓库；因此，我猜测这场混战还在继续。我的心异常沉重；于是，我打定主意我决不再走近那所房子，因为我想，不管怎样，这事儿都该怪我。我认为那张纸条的意思是索菲亚小姐在两点半要到一个地方去和哈尼见面，一并逃走，我还觉得我应该告诉她父亲那张纸的事儿以及她那奇怪的举动，然后，没准他会把她锁起来，这一场可怕的混战就可以避免了。
我从树上下来，偷偷地沿着河岸走了一段，发现了两具尸体躺在水边，我出劲儿拖，一直把他们拖到岸上；接着我盖上他们的脸，飞快地跑开了。我在盖巴克的脸时，哭了一会儿，因为他对我是那么地好。
这时，天刚擦黑。我没再靠近那所房子，而是穿过树林，向那片沼泽地走去。吉姆不在他的岛上，因此我赶忙嘡水走向那条小河，打柳树林中钻过去，急得真想一脚跳上木排，离开那个可怕的地方--木排不见了！我的天哪，可是我害怕！大约有将近一分钟的时间我都不敢喘气。然后，我喊了一嗓子。一个声音离我不到25 英尺，说："天哪！是你吗，宝贝！别吱声。"这是吉姆的声音--过去我可从没听过这么好听的声音。我顺着河岸跑了一段，跳上木排，吉姆他抓住我，用力拥抱我，他看见我是真高兴。他说："上帝保佑你，孩子，我以为你这次又死了。杰克到过这里，他说你可能被打中了，因为你没再回家，所以，我这会儿正想撑开木排，朝这条小河的河口走，只等着杰克再回来告诉我说你绝对是死了，我就立刻准备好撑走离开这儿。天哪，我可太高兴了，又看到你回来了，宝贝。"我说："好吧，那样更好；他们找不到我，他们就会想我也被打死了，顺着河水漂走了--上头那边还有件事更会让他们这么想--好了，别耽误时间，吉姆，赶快朝大河里撑吧，你能撑多快就撑多快。"等木排往下走到离那儿已有两英里远的地方，到了密西西比河水中央的时候，我这才放下心来。然后，我们挂起我们的信号灯，知道我们又一次脱离险境，安全自由了。从昨天到现在，我什么也没吃，于是，吉姆拿出来玉米饼和奶酪，还有腊肉，卷心菜和青菜--这些最可口的东西，如果做得好吃的话--我吃着晚饭，我们说着话，十分快活。我摆脱了那些家族世仇，特别高兴；吉姆逃离了那片沼泽地，跟我一样高兴。我们说，到底还是木排像个家，其他的地方好像总觉得拘束受限制叫人憋闷，可是木排就不。在木排上你感觉特别轻松自由又舒适惬意。
收听单词发音 |
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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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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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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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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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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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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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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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feud
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| n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇 | |
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lawsuit
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| n.诉讼，控诉 | |
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capered
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| v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tiresomeness
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dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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ransacked
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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cavorting
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| v.跳跃( cavort的现在分词 ) | |
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squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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bulge
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| n.突出，膨胀，激增；vt.突出，膨胀 | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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feuds
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| n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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