THE old man was uptown again before breakfast, but couldn't get no track of Tom; and both of them set at the table thinking, and not saying nothing, and looking mournful, and their coffee getting cold, and not eating anything. And by and by the old man says:
"Did I give you the letter?"
"What letter?"
"The one I got yesterday out of the post-office."
"No, you didn't give me no letter."
"Well, I must a forgot it."
So he rummaged1 his pockets, and then went off somewheres where he had laid it down, and fetched it, and give it to her. She says:
"Why, it's from St. Petersburg -- it's from Sis."
I allowed another walk would do me good; but I couldn't stir. But before she could break it open she dropped it and run -- for she see something. And so did I. It was Tom Sawyer on a mattress2; and that old doctor; and Jim, in HER calico dress, with his hands tied behind him; and a lot of people. I hid the letter behind the first thing that come handy, and rushed. She flung herself at Tom, crying, and says:
"Oh, he's dead, he's dead, I know he's dead!"
And Tom he turned his head a little, and muttered something or other, which showed he warn't in his right mind; then she flung up her hands, and says:
"He's alive, thank God! And that's enough!" and she snatched a kiss of him, and flew for the house to get the bed ready, and scattering3 orders right and left at the niggers and everybody else, as fast as her tongue could go, every jump of the way.
I followed the men to see what they was going to do with Jim; and the old doctor and Uncle Silas followed after Tom into the house. The men was very huffy, and some of them wanted to hang Jim for an example to all the other niggers around there, so they wouldn't be trying to run away like Jim done, and making such a raft of trouble, and keeping a whole family scared most to death for days and nights. But the others said, don't do it, it wouldn't answer at all; he ain't our nigger, and his owner would turn up and make us pay for him, sure. So that cooled them down a little, because the people that's always the most anxious for to hang a nigger that hain't done just right is always the very ones that ain't the most anxious to pay for him when they've got their satisfaction out of him.
They cussed Jim considerble, though, and give him a cuff4 or two side the head once in a while, but Jim never said nothing, and he never let on to know me, and they took him to the same cabin, and put his own clothes on him, and chained him again, and not to no bed-leg this time, but to a big staple5 drove into the bottom log, and chained his hands, too, and both legs, and said he warn't to have nothing but bread and water to eat after this till his owner come, or he was sold at auction6 because he didn't come in a certain length of time, and filled up our hole, and said a couple of farmers with guns must stand watch around about the cabin every night, and a bulldog tied to the door in the daytime; and about this time they was through with the job and was tapering7 off with a kind of generl good-bye cussing, and then the old doctor comes and takes a look, and says:
"Don't be no rougher on him than you're obleeged to, because he ain't a bad nigger. When I got to where I found the boy I see I couldn't cut the bullet out without some help, and he warn't in no condition for me to leave to go and get help; and he got a little worse and a little worse, and after a long time he went out of his head, and wouldn't let me come a-nigh him any more, and said if I chalked his raft he'd kill me, and no end of wild foolishness like that, and I see I couldn't do anything at all with him; so I says, I got to have HELP somehow; and the minute I says it out crawls this nigger from somewheres and says he'll help, and he done it, too, and done it very well. Of course I judged he must be a runaway8 nigger, and there I WAS! and there I had to stick right straight along all the rest of the day and all night. It was a fix, I tell you! I had a couple of patients with the chills, and of course I'd of liked to run up to town and see them, but I dasn't, because the nigger might get away, and then I'd be to blame; and yet never a skiff come close enough for me to hail. So there I had to stick plumb9 until daylight this morning; and I never see a nigger that was a better nuss or faithfuller, and yet he was risking his freedom to do it, and was all tired out, too, and I see plain enough he'd been worked main hard lately. I liked the nigger for that; I tell you, gentlemen, a nigger like that is worth a thousand dollars -- and kind treatment, too. I had everything I needed, and the boy was doing as well there as he would a done at home -- better, maybe, because it was so quiet; but there I WAS, with both of 'm on my hands, and there I had to stick till about dawn this morning; then some men in a skiff come by, and as good luck would have it the nigger was setting by the pallet with his head propped10 on his knees sound asleep; so I motioned them in quiet, and they slipped up on him and grabbed him and tied him before he knowed what he was about, and we never had no trouble. And the boy being in a kind of a flighty sleep, too, we muffled11 the oars12 and hitched13 the raft on, and towed her over very nice and quiet, and the nigger never made the least row nor said a word from the start. He ain't no bad nigger, gentlemen; that's what I think about him."
Somebody says:
"Well, it sounds very good, doctor, I'm obleeged to say."
Then the others softened14 up a little, too, and I was mighty15 thankful to that old doctor for doing Jim that good turn; and I was glad it was according to my judgment16 of him, too; because I thought he had a good heart in him and was a good man the first time I see him. Then they all agreed that Jim had acted very well, and was deserving to have some notice took of it, and reward. So every one of them promised, right out and hearty17, that they wouldn't cuss him no more.
Then they come out and locked him up. I hoped they was going to say he could have one or two of the chains took off, because they was rotten heavy, or could have meat and greens with his bread and water; but they didn't think of it, and I reckoned it warn't best for me to mix in, but I judged I'd get the doctor's yarn18 to Aunt Sally somehow or other as soon as I'd got through the breakers that was laying just ahead of me -- explanations, I mean, of how I forgot to mention about Sid being shot when I was telling how him and me put in that dratted night paddling around hunting the runaway nigger.
But I had plenty time. Aunt Sally she stuck to the sick-room all day and all night, and every time I see Uncle Silas mooning around I dodged19 him.
Next morning I heard Tom was a good deal better, and they said Aunt Sally was gone to get a nap. So I slips to the sick-room, and if I found him awake I reckoned we could put up a yarn for the family that would wash. But he was sleeping, and sleeping very peaceful, too; and pale, not fire-faced the way he was when he come. So I set down and laid for him to wake. In about half an hour Aunt Sally comes gliding20 in, and there I was, up a stump21 again! She motioned me to be still, and set down by me, and begun to whisper, and said we could all be joyful22 now, because all the symptoms was first-rate, and he'd been sleeping like that for ever so long, and looking better and peacefuller all the time, and ten to one he'd wake up in his right mind.
So we set there watching, and by and by he stirs a bit, and opened his eyes very natural, and takes a look, and says:
"Hello! -- why, I'm at HOME! How's that? Where's the raft?"
"It's all right," I says.
"And JIM?"
"The same," I says, but couldn't say it pretty brash. But he never noticed, but says:
"Good! Splendid! NOW we're all right and safe! Did you tell Aunty?"
I was going to say yes; but she chipped in and says: "About what, Sid?"
"Why, about the way the whole thing was done."
"What whole thing?"
"Why, THE whole thing. There ain't but one; how we set the runaway nigger free -- me and Tom."
"Good land! Set the run -- What IS the child talking about! Dear, dear, out of his head again!"
"NO, I ain't out of my HEAD; I know all what I'm talking about. We DID set him free -- me and Tom. We laid out to do it, and we DONE it. And we done it elegant, too." He'd got a start, and she never checked him up, just set and stared and stared, and let him clip along, and I see it warn't no use for ME to put in. "Why, Aunty, it cost us a power of work -- weeks of it -- hours and hours, every night, whilst you was all asleep. And we had to steal candles, and the sheet, and the shirt, and your dress, and spoons, and tin plates, and case-knives, and the warming-pan, and the grindstone, and flour, and just no end of things, and you can't think what work it was to make the saws, and pens, and inscriptions23, and one thing or another, and you can't think HALF the fun it was. And we had to make up the pictures of coffins24 and things, and nonnamous letters from the robbers, and get up and down the lightning-rod, and dig the hole into the cabin, and made the rope ladder and send it in cooked up in a pie, and send in spoons and things to work with in your apron25 pocket --"
"Mercy sakes!"
"-- and load up the cabin with rats and snakes and so on, for company for Jim; and then you kept Tom here so long with the butter in his hat that you come near spiling the whole business, because the men come before we was out of the cabin, and we had to rush, and they heard us and let drive at us, and I got my share, and we dodged out of the path and let them go by, and when the dogs come they warn't interested in us, but went for the most noise, and we got our canoe, and made for the raft, and was all safe, and Jim was a free man, and we done it all by ourselves, and WASN'T it bully26, Aunty!"
"Well, I never heard the likes of it in all my born days! So it was YOU, you little rapscallions, that's been making all this trouble, and turned everybody's wits clean inside out and scared us all most to death. I've as good a notion as ever I had in my life to take it out o' you this very minute. To think, here I've been, night after night, a -- YOU just get well once, you young scamp, and I lay I'll tan the Old Harry27 out o' both o' ye!"
But Tom, he WAS so proud and joyful, he just COULDN'T hold in, and his tongue just WENT it -- she a-chipping in, and spitting fire all along, and both of them going it at once, like a cat convention; and she says:
"WELL, you get all the enjoyment28 you can out of it NOW, for mind I tell you if I catch you meddling29 with him again --"
"Meddling with WHO?" Tom says, dropping his smile and looking surprised.
"With WHO? Why, the runaway nigger, of course. Who'd you reckon?"
Tom looks at me very grave, and says:
"Tom, didn't you just tell me he was all right? Hasn't he got away?"
"HIM?" says Aunt Sally; "the runaway nigger? 'Deed he hasn't. They've got him back, safe and sound, and he's in that cabin again, on bread and water, and loaded down with chains, till he's claimed or sold!"
Tom rose square up in bed, with his eye hot, and his nostrils30 opening and shutting like gills, and sings out to me:
"They hain't no RIGHT to shut him up! SHOVE! -- and don't you lose a minute. Turn him loose! he ain't no slave; he's as free as any cretur that walks this earth!"
"What DOES the child mean?"
"I mean every word I SAY, Aunt Sally, and if somebody don't go, I'LL go. I've knowed him all his life, and so has Tom, there. Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and SAID so; and she set him free in her will."
"Then what on earth did YOU want to set him free for, seeing he was already free?"
"Well, that IS a question, I must say; and just like women! Why, I wanted the ADVENTURE of it; and I'd a waded31 neck-deep in blood to -- goodness alive, AUNT POLLY!"
If she warn't standing32 right there, just inside the door, looking as sweet and contented33 as an angel half full of pie, I wish I may never!
Aunt Sally jumped for her, and most hugged the head off of her, and cried over her, and I found a good enough place for me under the bed, for it was getting pretty sultry for us, seemed to me. And I peeped out, and in a little while Tom's Aunt Polly shook herself loose and stood there looking across at Tom over her spectacles -- kind of grinding him into the earth, you know. And then she says:
"Yes, you BETTER turn y'r head away -- I would if I was you, Tom."
"Oh, deary me!" says Aunt Sally; "IS he changed so? Why, that ain't TOM, it's Sid; Tom's -- Tom's -- why, where is Tom? He was here a minute ago."
"You mean where's Huck FINN -- that's what you mean! I reckon I hain't raised such a scamp as my Tom all these years not to know him when I SEE him. That WOULD be a pretty howdy-do. Come out from under that bed, Huck Finn."
So I done it. But not feeling brash.
Aunt Sally she was one of the mixed-upest-looking persons I ever see -- except one, and that was Uncle Silas, when he come in and they told it all to him. It kind of made him drunk, as you may say, and he didn't know nothing at all the rest of the day, and preached a prayer-meeting sermon that night that gave him a rattling34 ruputation, because the oldest man in the world couldn't a understood it. So Tom's Aunt Polly, she told all about who I was, and what; and I had to up and tell how I was in such a tight place that when Mrs. Phelps took me for Tom Sawyer -- she chipped in and says, "Oh, go on and call me Aunt Sally, I'm used to it now, and 'tain't no need to change" -- that when Aunt Sally took me for Tom Sawyer I had to stand it -- there warn't no other way, and I knowed he wouldn't mind, because it would be nuts for him, being a mystery, and he'd make an adventure out of it, and be perfectly35 satisfied. And so it turned out, and he let on to be Sid, and made things as soft as he could for me.
And his Aunt Polly she said Tom was right about old Miss Watson setting Jim free in her will; and so, sure enough, Tom Sawyer had gone and took all that trouble and bother to set a free nigger free! and I couldn't ever understand before, until that minute and that talk, how he COULD help a body set a nigger free with his bringing-up.
Well, Aunt Polly she said that when Aunt Sally wrote to her that Tom and SID had come all right and safe, she says to herself:
"Look at that, now! I might have expected it, letting him go off that way without anybody to watch him. So now I got to go and trapse all the way down the river, eleven hundred mile, and find out what that creetur's up to THIS time, as long as I couldn't seem to get any answer out of you about it."
"Why, I never heard nothing from you," says Aunt Sally.
"Well, I wonder! Why, I wrote you twice to ask you what you could mean by Sid being here."
"Well, I never got 'em, Sis."
Aunt Polly she turns around slow and severe, and says:
"You, Tom!"
"Well -- WHAT?" he says, kind of pettish36.
"Don t you what ME, you impudent37 thing -- hand out them letters."
"What letters?"
"THEM letters. I be bound, if I have to take aholt of you I'll --"
"They're in the trunk. There, now. And they're just the same as they was when I got them out of the office. I hain't looked into them, I hain't touched them. But I knowed they'd make trouble, and I thought if you warn't in no hurry, I'd --"
"Well, you DO need skinning, there ain't no mistake about it. And I wrote another one to tell you I was coming; and I s'pose he --"
"No, it come yesterday; I hain't read it yet, but IT'S all right, I've got that one."
I wanted to offer to bet two dollars she hadn't, but I reckoned maybe it was just as safe to not to. So I never said nothing.
早饭前，老先生又上镇里了，还没找到汤姆的人影儿。老两口坐在饭桌前，默想着，全不说话，神情忧伤，他们的咖啡渐凉了，还不吃一点儿东西。渐渐地，老先生开口道道："我把那信给你了吗？""什么信？""我昨天打邮局取的那封。""没啊，你没给过我信。"糟糕，我准是忘了。"于是，他细细翻找他的口袋，接着走到他原来搁信的地方，找到了，递给她。她说："咦，这是圣彼得堡的来信，是姐写的。"我觉得我再去溜达溜达或许会有好处，可我动不了。她还没把信撕开，就扔下它跑了起来--因为她看到有事儿。我也看见了。那是汤姆·索亚被抬在床垫上，还有那个老大夫，还有吉姆，穿着"她"的花衣裳，手在身后绑着，还有一大帮人。我顺便藏起那封信，跑了过去。她向汤姆扑过去，哭喊道："啊，他死啦，他死啦，他死啦，我知道他死啦！"可汤姆稍微扭扭头，嘴里糊里糊涂说了句话，一听就知道他脑子不怎么清楚。然后她举起双手说："他活着，感谢上帝！这就行啦！" 她张嘴亲他一口，飞快地奔进屋里，去预备床铺，嘴里像连珠炮一样说个不停，指手画脚地命令黑人，又吩咐大家。
我跟着那些人，看看他们要怎么处置吉姆，老大夫和赛拉斯姨父跟在汤姆后边进了屋，那些人全气鼓鼓的，有的想绞死吉姆，让这一带其他所有的黑人看看，以儆效尤，这样他们就不敢再像吉姆那么逃跑了。，还惹出这么多麻烦，一连几天几夜把一大家人吓得半死。另一些说不能这么做，道理上根本讲不通，他不是我们的黑人，他的主人一定会出面，叫我们赔他。这么一来，他们的势头给压下去一点儿，因为那些最急于要绞死干坏事儿的黑人的人，也总是那些拿黑人解恨以后最不愿出钱赔偿的人。
不过，他们还是狠骂他，还时不时地抽他耳光。可吉姆一句话也不说，也不显出他认识我。他们又将他关进原来那间小屋，换上他自己的衣服，用链子锁上，这次可不是锁到床腿上了，而是锁在墙根儿底下那根木头的一个大U 形钉上，还给他加了脚镣手铐。说从现在起到他主人来或者他被拍卖掉这一段日子内，由于他的主人没个准时间来，除了面包跟水啥也不给他吃；把我们的洞也堵上了，说每晚得派两个农夫持枪在小屋四周看守放哨，白天在门口拴条斗牛狗。到这时候，他们才算把这事安排妥当，临走前又一阵臭骂，这时，老大夫进来了，他看了一下说："能不对他狠就不要对他狠吧，因为他是个心眼很好的黑人。我找到那孩子时，没人帮忙我取不出那颗子弹，看他的伤势我又不能离开他去喊人帮忙。他的情况日益糟糕，时间一长，他神志不清了，再不让我靠近他，说如果我在他木排上画粉笔印儿，他就会杀了我，尽说这类没头没脑的蠢话，我看我一个人对他一点办法儿也没有了，我就说，不管怎样，我都得找人帮忙。话刚说完，这个黑人就不知打哪儿爬了出来，说他可以帮忙，他就帮了我，干得还相当好。当然啦，我判断他肯定是个逃跑的黑人，我无法可想！只得一直守在那儿，守了那老半天，还有一整夜。那可真为难，我告诉你们！我有两个病人发疟疾，我当然想去镇上去看他们，可我不敢，因为这个黑人或许会逃走，那样我就会受责怪，可是附近又没一个小船能听得见我呼叫。我就只好呆在那儿，一直呆到天亮。我可没见过有哪一个黑人对病人护理得那么好，又那么忠心耿耿，可他这样做时，是冒着失去自由的危险，并且他也早已经是精疲力尽了，我看得很清楚，近来，一定是有人让他干了不少重活儿。因为这些，我喜欢这个黑人。我跟你们说，先生们，像这样的黑人值一千块--并且得好好地待他。我叫他做的事情他都做到了，这孩子在那儿跟在家里照料得一样好，也许比在家还好，因为那儿很清静。不过我很作难，两个人我都得守着，我就只得呆在那儿，等到今天天亮。这时，有几个人坐船经过，运气还不错，这个黑人坐在草铺边上，头垂在腿当中睡得相当熟，于是我招呼他们轻轻地上来，没给他反应的时间，他们就扑到他身上，抓住他，把他捆了起来，我们没费一点劲儿。这个孩子正昏昏沉沉地睡着，我们拿东西裹住船桨，拴上木排，稳当当静悄悄地把它拖过河来，这个黑人打一开头就没嚷一声，也没说一句话。他真不坏，先生们，我对他就是这样的看法。"有人说："啊，听起来你说得很对，大夫，我不否认。"其他人也有些缓和了，我十分感激那个老大夫为吉姆说了这么多好话，我也很高兴我没把吉姆看错，因为我头一回看见他，就觉得他有一副好心肠。后来，他们全认为吉姆做事很好，让大家看得起，值得褒奖。于是，每个人都立刻真心诚意地表态，不再骂他了。
然后他们出去，把他锁在小屋里。我希望他们会说能给他去掉一两根锁链，因为它们实在太重了，或者除了面包和水还能给他吃肉和青菜。可他们都想不到这类事，我想我还是不插嘴为妙，不过我想，等我过去眼前这一关，我就要想办法把大夫说的事情讲给莎丽姨听。我是说，起初我向她解释我和席德那天晚上划船到处寻找这个逃跑黑人时，怎么会忘了提他受伤这件事。
不过，我有的是时间。莎丽姨整日整夜守在病房里，每次碰到赛拉斯姨父闲逛，我就躲开。
第二天早上，我听说汤姆好多了。他们说莎丽姨出去了要稍睡会儿。于是我悄悄走入病房，要是赶上他醒着，我想我们就能编出一些事儿哄过这一家人。可他正在睡觉，还睡得很平和，面色苍白，不像来时那样脸烧得通红。我就坐下来等着他醒。等了半个小时，莎丽姨蹑手蹑脚走了进来，没有办法，我又被困住了！她摆摆手叫我别动，小声说起话来，说现在我们都可以高兴了，因为各种症候都很好，他这么着已经睡着好久了，气色一直越来越好，越来越平和，十有八九他醒来时脑子会好过来。
因此，我们坐在那儿注视着，过了一阵，他稍稍动了一下，很自然地睁开眼睛，看了看说："嗨，怎么我是在家里呀！这怎么回事？木排在哪儿？""全好好的。" 我说。
"吉姆呢？""还是老样。" 我说，不过不能说得太急促。可他一点儿没在意，而是说："太好啦！棒极啦！这样我们就平安无事啦！你给姨说过了？"我刚想说是，可她插嘴说："说过什么了，席德？""咦，说整个事情是如何做的呀。""什么整个事情？""哎呀，就是这整个事儿啦。就有这么一个事儿，我们是怎么把那个逃跑黑人放走的--我和汤姆。""天哪！放那个逃--这孩子，这是说的哪里话！哎呀呀，他脑子又乱啦！""不，我的脑子没乱，我说的事情我全清楚。我们确实放了他--我跟汤姆。我们计划着要干，我们也真干了。干得还很漂亮。" 他开了头，她也就不拦他，光是坐在那儿拿眼睛一个劲儿地瞪着他，听他滔滔不绝朝下说。我知道我插嘴也没用。"姨呀，它可费了我们老劲啦--好几个星期呀--每个晚上在你们都睡着的时候，我们就一个小时接一个小时地干。我们还得偷蜡烛、床单、衬衣、您的衣服、匙子、铁盘子、餐刀、取暖盆、滚磨石、面粉，许许多多的东西，您想像不到做锯、做笔、题字等等，等等，都费了很多气力，您连它一半的乐趣都难以想象得到。我们还得画那些棺材之类的画儿，编造强盗匿名信，顺避雷针爬上爬下，还得往那个小屋里挖洞，做绳梯子，把它烙进一张饼里给送进去，还得送匙子以及其他干活儿用的工具，就放在您的围裙口袋里让您给带去。""天哪！""还把小屋里放满老鼠、蛇等等，想让它们和吉姆做伴儿；后来，您把汤姆扣在这儿那么长时间，他的帽子里一直戴着那块黄油，您险些把整个事情搅坏，因为那些人还没等我们离开小屋就进去了，我们只得赶快跑，他们听见动静就死劲追我们，我挨了枪，我们躲开小路让他们过去，当狗跑来时，它们对我们不感兴趣，向最热闹的地方跑去了，我们就跳上独木舟，找到木排，全安全了，吉姆也成了自由人，这全是我们自己干的，您说棒不棒，姨！""好啊，打我生下来那天起还没听过这事呢！原来是你们，你们这两个坏小子，弄出来这么多麻烦，搞得人人晕头转向，吓得我们大家险些死掉。我这会儿真恨不得狠狠揍你们一顿。想想看，我在这儿守了一夜又一夜，啊--你就赶快好吧，你这个小调皮鬼，我非得把你们这两个调皮鬼的魂儿给揍出来不可！"可汤姆呢，他简直是得意洋洋，兴高采烈，他简直憋不住，他顺顾自个儿往下说，她是一个劲儿插话，唾沫星儿乱溅，两个人总是同时抢着说话，活猫打架。她说："好啦，你干这事儿总痛快够了吧，我告诉你，当心吧，如果我抓住你们再管他的闲事..""和谁的闲事？"汤姆问，笑脸拉下来了，表情十分吃惊。"管谁？嘿，就是那个逃跑黑人呀。你以为会是谁？"汤姆十分严肃地看着我，说："汤姆，你不是刚对我说他还好好的吗？他没逃掉？""他？"莎丽姨说，" 那个逃跑黑人？他自然逃不掉。他们把他抓回来了，安然无恙，他又被关进那间小屋里了，吃面包喝白水，戴了脚镣手铐，等着人来领或者被卖掉！"汤姆立即在床上坐直，双眼冒火，鼻孔一张一翕活像鱼鳃，他大声对我喊道："他们没权利关押他！快去！一分钟也别再耽搁。放了他！他不是奴隶了，他跟在这个地球上走路的所有人一样自由！""这孩子到底是什么意思？""我的话一点儿没错，莎丽姨，要是没人去，我就去。他这一辈子的事情我全知道，汤姆也知道。老华森小姐两个月前死了，她对自己十分打算把他卖到下游去感到十分惭愧，她亲口这么讲了，在遗嘱里她让他自由了。""那你究竟为什么还要放他跑呢，既然你早知道他已自由了？""啊，这倒真是个问题，我得承认。可这简直是妇人之见！我想要尝尝历险的滋味呀，我宁肯在齐脖子深的鲜血里嘡着走也要--哎呀，天哪，是波丽姨妈！"那可不正是她嘛，端端正正地在门口站着，心满意足，安详甜美，看上去就像个天使，真叫人想不到！
莎丽姨跳上前去，把她的头都快搂掉了，又趴到她肩膀上大哭，我在床底下找了个很好的地方藏了起来，因为我好像觉得我们的处境正越来越窘。我偷眼往外瞧，过了一阵，汤姆的波丽姨妈自己挣开，站在那儿打眼镜上面朝汤姆这边看--几乎快要把他盯到地缝儿里去，你知道吧。后来她说："对，你最好把头别开--我如果是你，我就会这么做，汤姆。""哎呀，怎么啦！" 莎丽姨说，" 他变得这样厉害吗？唉，这可不是汤姆是席德，汤姆在--汤姆在--咦，汤姆在哪儿？他一分钟前还在这里呢。""你说的是哈克·芬在哪儿吧--你说的准是他！我看我把汤姆这个淘气鬼打小带大这么多年，总不至于见了面还认不出来吧。那可真成了好见面礼啦。打那个床底下出来吧，哈克·芬。"因此我就出来了，可觉得不怎么好意思。
莎丽姨是我见过的表情最变幻莫测的一个人，除了她之外还有赛拉斯姨父，他进来时，她们把所有的全都告诉了他。这搞得他晕晕乎乎，你可以这么讲，后来那一整天，他什么也弄不明白，到了晚上他在祈祷会上讲道，可出了大名，因为就算是世界上年龄最大的人也听不懂。因此，汤姆的波丽姨妈给他们讲清楚了我是谁，是什么人；我也不得不承认当初斐尔普斯太太把我错认成汤姆·索亚时我有多紧张。她插嘴道：" 啊，还叫我莎丽姨，我已经习惯了，你没有必要改口。" 刚开始莎丽姨把我错认成汤姆·索亚时，我只能顺水推舟，没别的办法。我知道汤姆不会介意，因为这对他来说会是件很开心的事儿，是个秘密，他可以用它来历险，会玩个心满意足。结果也正是这样，他装作是席德，把局面应付得让我感到顺顺当当。波丽姨妈还说老华森小姐在她遗嘱里给吉姆自由了，汤姆的话是对的。原来是这样，真真切切，汤姆·索亚历尽艰辛，费尽苦心是在帮助一个自由黑人争取自由！过去我总在怀疑，像他这种有教养的人，怎么会帮助一个黑人争取自由，听了这会儿这话，我才理解了。
接下去，波丽阿姨说，当莎丽姨给她写信说汤姆还有席德全安全到达了，她心里想："看看这是怎么回事！我本来就该料到，让他一个人出门没人管着不行。于是我只好受累赶了一千一百英里水路过来，看看这个小家伙儿这一回又玩什么花招儿。因为我好像是收不到你们这方面的回信。""咦，我根本就没收到过你的来信。" 莎丽姨说。
"这就奇怪啦！我给你写过两回信，都是问你席德在这里是什么意思。""哎呀，我压根儿没收到过信，姐。"波丽阿姨慢慢转过身子，严厉地说："又是你，汤姆！""啊--什么呀？"他有些撒娇地问。
"别问我什么呀，你这个冒失鬼，把信拿出来。""什么信呀？""就那两封信。老实告诉你，如果非得让我抓住你不可，那可就..""信在箱子里。行了吧。它们和我从邮局取出来时一样，全原封未动。我没打开看，我也没碰。只是我知道它们会带来麻烦，我想要是你不着急，我就..""好啊，你真是该剥皮，这一点儿已不冤枉你。我还写了一封信告诉你们我要来，我看他..""没有，昨天到的，我还没看。不过这封信倒是好好的，我收到了。"我想同她赌两块钱，说她没收到，可我估计最好还是不说为好。因此，我没吱声。
收听单词发音 |
1
rummaged
|
|
| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
mattress
|
|
| n.床垫，床褥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
scattering
|
|
| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
cuff
|
|
| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
staple
|
|
| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
auction
|
|
| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
tapering
|
|
| adj.尖端细的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
runaway
|
|
| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
plumb
|
|
| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
propped
|
|
| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
muffled
|
|
| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
oars
|
|
| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
hitched
|
|
| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
softened
|
|
| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
yarn
|
|
| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
dodged
|
|
| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
gliding
|
|
| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
stump
|
|
| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
joyful
|
|
| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
inscriptions
|
|
| （作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
coffins
|
|
| n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
apron
|
|
| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
bully
|
|
| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
meddling
|
|
| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
nostrils
|
|
| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
waded
|
|
| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
contented
|
|
| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
rattling
|
|
| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
pettish
|
|
| adj.易怒的，使性子的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
impudent
|
|
| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |