AS soon as we reckoned everybody was asleep that night we went down the lightning-rod, and shut ourselves up in the lean-to, and got out our pile of fox-fire, and went to work. We cleared everything out of the way, about four or five foot along the middle of the bottom log. Tom said we was right behind Jim's bed now, and we'd dig in under it, and when we got through there couldn't nobody in the cabin ever know there was any hole there, because Jim's counterpin hung down most to the ground, and you'd have to raise it up and look under to see the hole. So we dug and dug with the case-knives till most midnight; and then we was dog-tired, and our hands was blistered2, and yet you couldn't see we'd done anything hardly. At last I says:
"This ain't no thirty-seven year job; this is a thirty-eight year job, Tom Sawyer."
He never said nothing. But he sighed, and pretty soon he stopped digging, and then for a good little while I knowed that he was thinking. Then he says:
"It ain't no use, Huck, it ain't a-going to work. If we was prisoners it would, because then we'd have as many years as we wanted, and no hurry; and we wouldn't get but a few minutes to dig, every day, while they was changing watches, and so our hands wouldn't get blistered, and we could keep it up right along, year in and year out, and do it right, and the way it ought to be done. But WE can't fool along; we got to rush; we ain't got no time to spare. If we was to put in another night this way we'd have to knock off for a week to let our hands get well -- couldn't touch a case-knife with them sooner."
"Well, then, what we going to do, Tom?"
"I'll tell you. It ain't right, and it ain't moral, . and I wouldn't like it to get out; but there ain't only just the one way: we got to dig him out with the picks, and LET ON it's case-knives."
"NOW you're TALKING!" I says; "your head gets leveler and leveler all the time, Tom Sawyer," I says. "Picks is the thing, moral or no moral; and as for me, I don't care shucks for the morality of it, nohow. When I start in to steal a nigger, or a watermelon, or a Sunday-school book, I ain't no ways particular how it's done so it's done. What I want is my nigger; or what I want is my watermelon; or what I want is my Sunday-school book; and if a pick's the handiest thing, that's the thing I'm a-going to dig that nigger or that watermelon or that Sunday-school book out with; and I don't give a dead rat what the authorities thinks about it nuther."
"Well," he says, "there's excuse for picks and letting-on in a case like this; if it warn't so, I wouldn't approve of it, nor I wouldn't stand by and see the rules broke -- because right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain't got no business doing wrong when he ain't ignorant and knows better. It might answer for YOU to dig Jim out with a pick, WITHOUT any letting on, because you don't know no better; but it wouldn't for me, because I do know better. Gimme a case-knife."
He had his own by him, but I handed him mine. He flung it down, and says:
"Gimme a CASE-KNIFE."
I didn't know just what to do -- but then I thought. I scratched around amongst the old tools, and got a pickaxe and give it to him, and he took it and went to work, and never said a word.
He was always just that particular. Full of principle.
So then I got a shovel3, and then we picked and shoveled4, turn about, and made the fur fly. We stuck to it about a half an hour, which was as long as we could stand up; but we had a good deal of a hole to show for it. When I got up stairs I looked out at the window and see Tom doing his level best with the lightning-rod, but he couldn't come it, his hands was so sore. At last he says:
"It ain't no use, it can't be done. What you reckon I better do? Can't you think of no way?"
"Yes," I says, "but I reckon it ain't regular. Come up the stairs, and let on it's a lightning-rod."
So he done it.
Next day Tom stole a pewter spoon and a brass5 candlestick in the house, for to make some pens for Jim out of, and six tallow candles; and I hung around the nigger cabins and laid for a chance, and stole three tin plates. Tom says it wasn't enough; but I said nobody wouldn't ever see the plates that Jim throwed out, because they'd fall in the dog-fennel and jimpson weeds under the window-hole -- then we could tote them back and he could use them over again. So Tom was satisfied. Then he says:
"Now, the thing to study out is, how to get the things to Jim."
"Take them in through the hole," I says, "when we get it done."
He only just looked scornful, and said something about nobody ever heard of such an idiotic6 idea, and then he went to studying. By and by he said he had ciphered out two or three ways, but there warn't no need to decide on any of them yet. Said we'd got to post Jim first.
That night we went down the lightning-rod a little after ten, and took one of the candles along, and listened under the window-hole, and heard Jim snoring; so we pitched it in, and it didn't wake him. Then we whirled in with the pick and shovel, and in about two hours and a half the job was done. We crept in under Jim's bed and into the cabin, and pawed around and found the candle and lit it, and stood over Jim awhile, and found him looking hearty7 and healthy, and then we woke him up gentle and gradual. He was so glad to see us he most cried; and called us honey, and all the pet names he could think of; and was for having us hunt up a cold-chisel to cut the chain off of his leg with right away, and clearing out without losing any time. But Tom he showed him how unregular it would be, and set down and told him all about our plans, and how we could alter them in a minute any time there was an alarm; and not to be the least afraid, because we would see he got away, SURE. So Jim he said it was all right, and we set there and talked over old times awhile, and then Tom asked a lot of questions, and when Jim told him Uncle Silas come in every day or two to pray with him, and Aunt Sally come in to see if he was comfortable and had plenty to eat, and both of them was kind as they could be, Tom says:
"NOW I know how to fix it. We'll send you some things by them."
I said, "Don't do nothing of the kind; it's one of the most jackass ideas I ever struck;" but he never paid no attention to me; went right on. It was his way when he'd got his plans set.
So he told Jim how we'd have to smuggle8 in the rope-ladder pie and other large things by Nat, the nigger that fed him, and he must be on the lookout9, and not be surprised, and not let Nat see him open them; and we would put small things in uncle's coatpockets and he must steal them out; and we would tie things to aunt's apron-strings or put them in her apron-pocket, if we got a chance; and told him what they would be and what they was for. And told him how to keep a journal on the shirt with his blood, and all that. He told him everything. Jim he couldn't see no sense in the most of it, but he allowed we was white folks and knowed better than him; so he was satisfied, and said he would do it all just as Tom said.
Jim had plenty corn-cob pipes and tobacco; so we had a right down good sociable10 time; then we crawled out through the hole, and so home to bed, with hands that looked like they'd been chawed. Tom was in high spirits. He said it was the best fun he ever had in his life, and the most intellectural; and said if he only could see his way to it we would keep it up all the rest of our lives and leave Jim to our children to get out; for he believed Jim would come to like it better and better the more he got used to it. He said that in that way it could be strung out to as much as eighty year, and would be the best time on record. And he said it would make us all celebrated11 that had a hand in it.
In the morning we went out to the woodpile and chopped up the brass candlestick into handy sizes, and Tom put them and the pewter spoon in his pocket. Then we went to the nigger cabins, and while I got Nat's notice off, Tom shoved a piece of candlestick into the middle of a corn-pone that was in Jim's pan, and we went along with Nat to see how it would work, and it just worked noble; when Jim bit into it it most mashed12 all his teeth out; and there warn't ever anything could a worked better. Tom said so himself. Jim he never let on but what it was only just a piece of rock or something like that that's always getting into bread, you know; but after that he never bit into nothing but what he jabbed his fork into it in three or four places first.
And whilst we was a-standing there in the dimmish light, here comes a couple of the hounds bulging13 in from under Jim's bed; and they kept on piling in till there was eleven of them, and there warn't hardly room in there to get your breath. By jings, we forgot to fasten that lean-to door! The nigger Nat he only just hollered "Witches" once, and keeled over on to the floor amongst the dogs, and begun to groan14 like he was dying. Tom jerked the door open and flung out a slab15 of Jim's meat, and the dogs went for it, and in two seconds he was out himself and back again and shut the door, and I knowed he'd fixed16 the other door too. Then he went to work on the nigger, coaxing17 him and petting him, and asking him if he'd been imagining he saw something again. He raised up, and blinked his eyes around, and says:
"Mars Sid, you'll say I's a fool, but if I didn't b'lieve I see most a million dogs, er devils, er some'n, I wisht I may die right heah in dese tracks. I did, mos' sholy. Mars Sid, I FELT um -- I FELT um, sah; dey was all over me. Dad fetch it, I jis' wisht I could git my han's on one er dem witches jis' wunst -- on'y jis' wunst -- it's all I'd ast. But mos'ly I wisht dey'd lemme 'lone18, I does."
Tom says:
"Well, I tell you what I think. What makes them come here just at this runaway19 nigger's breakfast-time? It's because they're hungry; that's the reason. You make them a witch pie; that's the thing for YOU to do."
"But my lan', Mars Sid, how's I gwyne to make 'm a witch pie? I doan' know how to make it. I hain't ever hearn er sich a thing b'fo'."
"Well, then, I'll have to make it myself."
"Will you do it, honey? -- 褀ill you? I'll wusshup de groun' und' yo' foot, I will!"
"All right, I'll do it, seeing it's you, and you've been good to us and showed us the runaway nigger. But you got to be mighty20 careful. When we come around, you turn your back; and then whatever we've put in the pan, don't you let on you see it at all. And don't you look when Jim unloads the pan -- something might happen, I don't know what. And above all, don't you HANDLE the witch-things."
"HANNEL 'm, Mars Sid? What IS you a-talkin' 'bout1? I wouldn' lay de weight er my finger on um, not f'r ten hund'd thous'n billion dollars, I wouldn't."
那个晚上，我们约摸着大家都睡着了，立刻顺着避雷针爬了下来，钻进斜棚子里，关上门，掏出那堆鬼火木头，着手干起来。我们把碍事的东西全清理开，沿着墙脚那根圆木中间，腾出来四五英尺的地方。汤姆说他如今正好在吉姆的床后边，我们就这底下挖，等到我们挖透了，小屋里谁也不会知道那里有个洞，因为吉姆的被单几乎能垂到地上，你得掀开被单往下看，才能看见那个洞。于是，我们挖呀挖，就用那两把餐刀，挖到近半夜，这时，我们累得要命，手也起泡了，可几乎看不出来我们干了什么活儿。后来我说："这可不是37 年的活儿，这是干38 年，汤姆·索亚。"他一声不吱。可是，他叹口气，很快地便不挖了，又过了好一会儿，我知道他正在思考。他说："没用，哈克，这样做行不通。如果我们真是犯人那还行，那样的话，我们要多少年就有多少年，不必着急，每天趁他们换岗之时，我们就挖几分钟，这样我们的手就不再会打泡了，我们可以一直挖下去，年复一年，该怎么干就怎么干，照规矩办。可我们现在可不敢瞎混，我们得赶快挖，我们没时间耽搁。要像这样再干一个晚上，我们得停工一星期，让手恢复，这几天里，我们的手连餐刀都不能碰一下。""好吧，那么，我们怎么办呢，汤姆？""我来告诉你。这样做本来不对，也不符合道义，我简直不愿说出这种话，可是，只有这个办法可行：我们非得用铁镐把他挖出来，就假装使的是餐刀。""你这么说还像话！" 我说，" 你脑子越来越清楚了，汤姆·索亚。镐才是我们正经要用的东西，不管什么道义不道义。对我而言，我才不管它合不合什么道义呢。我要想动手偷一个黑人，或是一个西瓜，或是一本主日学校课本，只要能办成，我绝不在意是怎么办成的。我想要的是我的黑人，是我的西瓜，或者是我的课本。要说镐最方便，那么，镐就是我想拿来挖那个黑人、偷那个西瓜或那本课本要用的东西，我根本不理会权威人士对这事怎么考虑。""嗯，"他说，" 像这件事，拿镐假装一次还有情可原，否则，我是不会赞成的，我也不会漠然视之，眼瞧着规矩被破坏。因为对就是对，错就是错，谁要是明事理、识好歹，那他就没理由做错。对你来说，想用镐把吉姆挖出来，又不假装，或许还有情可原。因为你不识好歹，我可就不能这么办，因为我知道好歹。给我把刀。"他自己的刀就在一边，可我还是把我的刀递给了他。他扔到地上又说："给我把（餐刀）。"我不知如何才好，不过我想了想。我在那堆旧工具里乱找一气，找到一把丁字镐，给了他，他接过来就干了起来，一句话也没讲。
他总那样挑剔，时时讲原则。
这样，我又找出把铁锨，然后，我们俩一个挖，一个铲，忙得团团转，干得尘土飞扬。我们干了大约有半个小时，就再也坚持不下去了，不过，我们挖得已经挺像个洞的样子了。我上了楼，向窗外看，见汤姆正跟避雷针较劲儿，但是他上不来，他的手臂酸痛得厉害。最后他说："没用，上不去。你说我该如何做，你能不能想个办法？""能啊，"我说，" 不过我觉得这不大合规矩。从楼梯上来，假装那是避雷针。"他就这样做了。
第二天，汤姆从屋里偷了把锡匙和一个铜蜡台，拿来给吉姆做笔，还偷了六根蜡烛。我到黑人小屋附近四处转悠，瞅准机会，偷走三个铁盘子。汤姆说不够，不过我说没人会看到吉姆扔出来的盘子，因为它们会落到窗口下的草丛中--然后我们再给捡回来，他能重复使用。这样，汤姆满意了。然后他说："现在得解决的问题是，怎样才能把东西送给吉姆。""等我们挖好洞，"我说，" 把东西从洞里送过去。"他只瞅了我一眼，显出一副瞧不起人的样子，说了句：没人听说这种愚蠢到底的主意。然后就接着想办法。过了一会儿，他说他想出两三个办法，不过暂时不忙着决定用哪个。他说我们首先得把消息告诉吉姆。
那天夜里，十点刚过，我们爬下避雷针，带只蜡烛，到窗下听了听，听到吉姆在打呼噜，于是我们把蜡烛扔了进去，可它未惊醒吉姆。我们又拿出铁锨跟镐拼命挖，干了约两个半小时，洞挖妥了。我们钻进去爬到吉姆床底下，进了小屋，胡乱摸了一会儿，找到那根蜡烛点着，在吉姆身边站了会儿，看他那样，结实又健壮，然后我们轻轻地慢慢地叫醒他。见到我们，他高兴得要哭了，叫我们心肝宝贝儿，他想到什么亲热就叫我们什么，他让我们尽快找把凿子把他腿上的链子砍断，立刻逃走，一刻也不耽误。可是，汤姆对他讲这么做不合规矩，又坐下来告诉他我们的所有计划，还说有紧急情况我们会如何随时更改，让吉姆一点儿也别怕，因为我们绝对会保证让他逃走。因此吉姆说那就好，我们坐在那儿聊了一些过去的事情，汤姆又问了好多问题，当吉姆告诉他赛拉斯姨父一两天来一回，陪他做祷告，莎丽姨也过来看他是不是过得还顺心，吃得饱不饱，两人对他都好得没话说，汤姆说："现在我知道怎么做了。我们要通过他们给你一些东西。"我说，" 别做这事，这是我见的最笨的主意。" 可是他一点儿也不听我的，只一个劲儿自己说。他一旦打定了主意，总这样。
他还告诉吉姆他得让那个给他送饭的黑人纳特将装绳梯的馅饼与其他一些大东西偷偷带给他，让他千万留神，别大惊小怪，别让纳特看着打开那些东西，我们还得把小东西放在姨父上衣的口袋里，他得给偷出来，要有机会的话，我们也会把东西系到姨的围裙带子上或者放在她围裙口袋里；还告诉了他是些什么东西，都是做什么用的。又告诉他怎么拿他的血在衬衣上写日记，等等。汤姆跟他讲了全部的打算，吉姆绝大部分都不明白其中的道理，不过他认为我们是白人，懂得比他多，因此他乐于接受，他说他完全按汤姆的吩咐办。
吉姆有足够的玉米重穗烟斗和烟草，因此我们聊得很愉快，然后我们爬出洞去，进屋里睡觉，两只手看起像被什么啃过一般。汤姆的兴致很高，他说这是他这辈子碰上的最开心的事儿，也是最动脑筋的一回，他说他要能想出个方法就好了，让我们自此往后一辈子都能玩下去，把吉姆留给我们的后辈营救出去；因为他相信吉姆对这一套越习惯，就会越喜欢。他说这么下去，这件事儿就可以拖上80 年，就会成为有史以来最风光的一件事。他还说这会让我们所有参加过的人全出名。
早上，我们跑到木头堆那儿把铜蜡台截成长短合适的几截，汤姆把它们跟汤匙都放在口袋里。然后，我们朝黑人的木屋走去。我引开纳特的注意力，汤姆借机反一截蜡台塞进吉姆锅里的一个纯玉米面包里，我们跟纳特一道去看结果地如何，果然了不起，吉姆咬着吃的时候，险些把他的牙全给硌掉，这可真是没啥能比得上的结果。汤姆自己也这样说。你知道，他一点没露出真情，只说是块石子什么的面包里常有的东西，不过打那次以后，他吃什么东西都要先拿叉子往里戳三四下才敢于张口。
我们正站在昏暗的光线里，有两条狗打吉姆的床下钻出来了，不断钻进来11 条狗，屋里连个透气的地方都没有。糟糕，我们忘了关严那个斜棚的门了。那个黑人纳特只大喊了一声"妖魔！" 就在地上双膝跪倒在狗中间开始呻吟，人像快死了一般，汤姆猛地将门推开，扔出一块吉姆吃的肉，狗抢肉去了，没花两秒，汤姆出去又回来，关好门，我知道他将另一扇门也关好了。然后他开始糊弄那个黑人，拿好话哄他，冲他亲热，问他是不是又看见什么幻觉了。他站起来，四个里眨眨眼睛，说："席德少爷，你会说我是个傻子，不过如果我不相信我看到了几乎有一百万条狗，要不就是鬼或别的什么，我宁愿当场死掉，千真万确，一点没错。席德少爷，我摸着它们了，我摸着它们了，您哪，它们围在我周围。他娘的，我真想用手抓住一回妖怪，就抓这一回，我就心满意足了。不过我总还想让它们别缠我，我真这么想。"汤姆说：" 好吧，我告诉你（我）怎么想的。在这个逃跑黑人刚好在吃早饭之时它们来这里干什么？这是由于它们饿了，这就是原因。你给它们做个妖魔饼吧，这才是（你）该干的事情。""可天哪，席德少爷，我怎么能给它们做妖魔饼呢？我不知道怎么做。我过去也没听说过这种东西。""那样的话，我只得自己做了。""您给做吗？宝贝？您给做？我可要跪到您脚下了，我一定跪！""好啦，看到你的份儿上，你一向待我们挺好，还领我们看这个逃跑黑人。不过你得特别小心。我们来的时候，你背过身去，然后，不管我们在锅内放什么，你都假装根本没看到。吉姆从锅里拿东西时你千万别看，很容易出事儿，我不知道到底会出什么事儿。最关键的是，你别摸妖魔的东西。""（摸）它们的东西，席德少爷？您（这是）说的什么话？我连手指头尖儿都不会去碰它，就算是给我成千上万块钱，我也不。"
收听单词发音 |
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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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blistered
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| adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂 | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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shoveled
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| vt.铲，铲出（shovel的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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mashed
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| a.捣烂的 | |
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bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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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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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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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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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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