Chapter 1
YOU don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly -- Tom's Aunt Polly, she is -- and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before. 
Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece -- all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round -- more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back. 
The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn't really anything the matter with them, -- that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better. 
After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people. 
Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try to not do it any more. That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself. 
Her sister, Miss Watson, a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on, had just come to live with her, and took a set at me now with a spelling-book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then the widow made her ease up. I couldn't stood it much longer. Then for an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry -- set up straight;" and pretty soon she would say, "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry -- why don't you try to behave?" Then she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished I was there. She got mad then, but I didn't mean no harm. All I wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular. She said it was wicked to say what I said; said she wouldn't say it for the whole world; she was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it. But I never said so, because it would only make trouble, and wouldn't do no good. 
Now she had got a start, and she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn't think much of it. But I never said so. I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together. 
Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome. By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed. I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table. Then I set down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead. The stars were shining, and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving. I got so down-hearted and scared I did wish I had some company. Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But I hadn't no confidence. You do that when you've lost a horseshoe that you've found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn't ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you'd killed a spider. 
I set down again, a-shaking all over, and got out my pipe for a smoke; for the house was all as still as death now, and so the widow wouldn't know. Well, after a long time I heard the clock away off in the town go boom -- boom -- boom -- twelve licks; and all still again -- stiller than ever. Pretty soon I heard a twig snap down in the dark amongst the trees -- something was a stirring. I set still and listened. Directly I could just barely hear a "me-yow! me-yow!" down there. That was good! Says I, "me-yow! me-yow!" as soft as I could, and then I put out the light and scrambled out of the window on to the shed. Then I slipped down to the ground and crawled in among the trees, and, sure enough, there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me. 
你要是没有看过一本叫做《汤姆·索亚历险记》①的书，你就不会知道我这个人。不过这没有什么。那本书是马克·吐温先生写的，他大体上讲的是实话。有些事是他生发开来的，不过大体上，他讲的是实话。不过，实话不实话算不了什么。我没有见过从来没有撒过一回谎的人。这一回不说，另外一回就说。葆莉姨妈也好，那位寡妇也好，也许还有玛丽，都这样。葆莉姨妈——就是汤姆的葆莉姨妈——还有玛丽，还有道格拉斯寡妇，有关她们的事，在那本书里都讲了——那是一本大体上讲实话的书，有些是生发开来的，这我在上面说过了。    　　①为本书的姐妹篇，参阅有关本书故事的地点、时间的注。 
    那本书的结尾是这样：汤姆和我找到了强盗藏在那个山洞里的钱，这一下我们可都发了。我们俩，一人得了六千块钱——全是金灿灿的。把钱堆了起来，乍一看，好不吓人。后来，由撒切尔法官拿去放利息，我们俩每人每天得一块钱，一年到头，天天这样——真是多的叫人没法办。道格拉斯寡妇，她把我认做她的儿子。她许下了话，要教我学学文明规矩①。可是一天到晚，耽在这间屋里，有多难受。你想，寡妇的行为举止，一桩桩，一件件，全都那么刻板，那么一本正经，这有多丧气。这样，到了我实在受不了的那一天，我就溜之大吉啦。我重新穿上了我原来的破衣烂衫，重新钻进了那只原本装糖的大木桶里，好不自由，好不逍遥自在。可是汤姆想方设法找到了我，说他要发起组织一个强盗帮，要是我能回到寡妇家，过得体体面面，就可以参加他们一起，于是我就回去了。    寡妇对我大哭了一场，把我叫做一只迷途的羔羊，还叫我别的许多名称，不过，她绝对没有什么恶意。她让我又穿上了新衣裳，我实在一点办法也没有，只是直冒汗，憋得难受。啊，这么一来，那老的一套就又重新开始啦。寡妇打铃开饭，你就得准时到。到了饭桌子跟前，你可不能马上吃起来，你得等着。等寡妇低下头来，朝饭菜叽哩咕噜挑剔几句，尽管这些饭菜没什么好挑剔的。就是说，每道菜都是单做的。要是一桶杂七杂八的东西，那就不一样，各样菜和在一起烧，连汤带水，味道就格外鲜美。    　　①“教我学学文明规矩”（sivilizeme，——应为civilizeme，作sivilizeme乃哈克讲的密苏里土话的发音）。哈克后出走河上，反对这类“文明规矩”是主要原因之一。这既为哈克主导性格所在，亦为全书主旨所在。全书末了一句为了反对“学学文明规矩”因而不愿回家，准备继续远走新区，这回应了本书开宗明义点出的话。可见反对当时“文明规矩”的主旨，和反黑奴制的思想，这两者一起贯串全书。参普烈乞特《美国第一部本土产生的杰作》（１９４１），载英格《哈克·芬评论资料集——百年纪念评论选》（１９８４） 
    吃过晚饭，她就拿出她那本书来，跟我讲摩西和蒲草箱的故事①。我急得直冒汗，急着要弄清楚一切有关他的事。不过，她隔了一会儿才点明摩西是死了很久很久的了。这样，我就不再为他操什么心了，因为我对死了的人是根本没有兴趣的。    　　        ①《旧约·出埃及》，第二章。说的是埃及公主收养以色列一妇女的弃儿。到后代，摩西率领受压迫的以色列人逃出埃及，后建犹太国家。 
    没有好久，我就想要抽烟，就要求寡妇答应我。可是她就是不答应。她说这是一种下流的习惯，又不卫生，要我从此不再抽。世界上有些人就是这么行事。一件事，来龙去脉，一窍不通，可偏偏要说三道四。摩西这人，与她非亲非故，对谁都没有什么用处，老早就死了，她偏要为他操心；可我做一件事，明明有点儿好处，她偏要找岔儿。再说，她自己就吸鼻烟，那当然是做得对的喽，因为是她这么做的嘛。    她的妹妹华珍小姐，一个细挑身材的老小姐，戴一付眼镜，前不久才来和她同住。她拿来一本拼音课本，故意难为我。她逼着我死啃了近一个钟点，寡妇这才叫她歇口气。我实在再也熬不住了。可是又是闷死人的整整一个钟点，我实在烦躁得不行。华珍小姐会说，“别把你的一双脚搁在那上边，哈克贝里。”①“别闹得嘎扎嘎扎响，哈克贝里，——坐坐正。”一会儿又说，“别这么打呵欠，伸懒腰，哈克贝里，——为什么不学得规矩些？”然后她跟我讲到有关那个坏地方②的一切。我就说，我倒是愿意在那里，她就气坏了。我可并非心存恶意，我心里想的只是到个什么地方走动走动，我心里想的不过是换换环境，我决不挑三拣四。她说啊，我刚才说的那些话，全是下流坯说的话。要是她啊，她死也不肯说出那样的话来。她可是要活得规规矩矩，为了好升入那个好地方③。啊，我看不出她要去的那个地方有什么好，所以我已经下定决心，决不干那样的事。不过，我从没有说出口。因为一说出口，就只会惹麻烦，讨不到好。    　　①乃本书主人公的名字，全名为Huckleberry Finn马克·吐温自称，“芬”这个姓，取自他幼年时的老家密苏里州汉尼拔小镇上一个流浪汉醉鬼Jimmy Finn的姓。但性格上的原型是另一个流浪汉叫Tom Blankenship的，吐温赞他是新区内“唯一一个真正特立独行的人物”（参皮佛《哈克贝里·芬》，伦敦，１９８７，１０、１６页）。    哈克贝里，乃一种野生的浆果，可做啤酒。吐温为本书主人公取这个名，可见赋予主人公粗犷色彩与平民色彩。哈克之所以具有反抗以至叛逆性格、不是偶然的（参汤姆斯·英格《百年纪念评论选》，纽约，１９８４，３２７页）。    一说，马克·吐温为本书主人公取名“哈克·芬’是因为这个名字发音与他自己的姓名发音相近。“哈克”发音与“马克”相近；“芬’发音与“吐温’相近（参《百年纪念评论选》３２７页）。哈克·芬与马克·吐温当然不能等同，但又血肉相连，某种程度上，心灵相通。不少资料表明，乡下孩子出身、自学成才的马克·吐温对本书主人公心灵的塑造倾注了心血，其取名是深思熟虑，含意深长的。    ②指地狱。    ③指天堂。 
    她话匣子既然打开了，便不停地说下去，把有关那个好地方的一切，跟我说得没完没了。她说，在那边，一个人整天干的，只是这里走走，那里逛逛，一边弹着琴，一边唱着歌。如此这般，永永远远如此。因此我对这一些不怎么挂在心上，只是我从没有说出口来。我问她，据她看，汤姆会去那里么，她说，他还差一截子呢。听了这个话，我满心欢喜，因为我要他跟我在一起。    华珍小姐不停地找我的岔子，日子过得又累又寂寞。后来，她们招了些黑奴①来，教他们做祷告，然后一个个地去睡觉。我上楼走进我的房间，手里拿着一支蜡烛，放在桌子上，然后在一张靠窗的椅子上坐下来，存心拣些有劲儿的事想想，可就是做不到。我只觉得寂寞孤单，真是恨不得死去的好②。星星在一闪一闪，林子里树叶在满满作响。我听见一只猫头鹰，在远处，正为死者呜呜地哀鸣；还有一只夜鹰和一条狗正在为一个快死去的人嚎叫。还有那风声正想要在我耳边低声诉说，只是在诉说着什么，我捉摸不透。如此这般，不由得我浑身一阵阵颤抖。我又听见远处林子里鬼魂声响。这个鬼，每逢他要把存在心头的话说出来，可又说不清，于是在坟墓里安不下身来，非得每个夜晚悲悲切切地到处飘飘荡荡。我真是丧魂落魄，十分害怕，但愿身边有个伴。一会儿，一只蜘蛛爬到我肩上，我一抹，抹到了蜡烛火头上。我没有动一个指头，它就烧焦了。不用别人告诉我，我也明白，这可是个不祥之兆，我认定准要有祸事临头。我便十分害怕，几乎把身上的衣服抖落在地。我立起身来，就地转了三圈，每转一圈，就在胸前划个十字。接着用线把头上一小想头发给扎起来，让妖怪不能近身。不过，我还是不放心。人家把找到的一块马蹄铁给弄丢了，没有能钉在门上，才这么做的③，可从没有听说，弄死了一只蜘蛛，也用这个办法消灾避祸。    　　①此处第一次写到死，也是本书开宗明义便写到死，结合全书其它部分的描写，表现了哈克对死的敏感性，也使全书在幽默戏谑中透出了黯淡冷峻与悲凉气氛。    原文是nigger，黑人或黑奴，可以无贬义，也可以有贬义，因人因地因上下文而异。据诺顿版注、用nigger这个词，在蓄奴州里、未必有恶意，而是一般指奴隶。从全书看，一般往往有贬义。    ②诺顿版注：马克·吐温经常提到的一个主题是个人的极端孤独，而有关童年哈克在这方面的描写，尤为突出。这从下面描写的树林子里和河上一片荒凉景象，可以想见。此外，哈克的迷信心理，是当时儿童普遍的心理，也是当年拓殖过程中边疆地区普遍的心态。    ③当时迷信，找到一块马蹄铁，即说明要交好运；丢了它，就要倒楣。 
    我坐了下来，浑身直打颤，取出我的烟斗，抽了一口烟，因为屋子里到处象死一般静，所以寡妇不会知道我在抽烟。隔了好一会儿，我听到远处镇上的钟声敲响。噹——噹——噹，——敲了十二下。——然后又一片寂静，——比原来还要静。不久，我听到一根枝桠折断声，在那树丛的黑暗深处——啊，有什么东西在响动。我一动也不动地坐着静听。我立刻听到隐隐约约从那边传来“咪——呜，咪——呜”的声音，多好啊！我就发出“咪—呜，咪—呜”声，尽量越轻越好。接着，我吹熄了蜡烛，爬出窗口，爬到了棚屋顶上。再溜下草地，爬进树丛。千准万确，汤姆正等着我哩。
Chapter 2
WE went tiptoeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of the widow's garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn't scrape our heads. When we was passing by the kitchen I fell over a root and made a noise. We scrouched down and laid still. Miss Watson's big nigger, named Jim, was setting in the kitchen door; we could see him pretty clear, because there was a light behind him. He got up and stretched his neck out about a minute, listening. Then he says: 
"Who dah?" 
He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was minutes and minutes that there warn't a sound, and we all there so close together. There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I dasn't scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right between my shoulders. Seemed like I'd die if I couldn't scratch. Well, I've noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain't sleepy -- if you are anywheres where it won't do for you to scratch, why you will itch all over in upwards of a thousand places. Pretty soon Jim says: 
"Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn' hear sumf'n. Well, I know what I's gwyne to do: I's gwyne to set down here and listen tell I hears it agin." 
So he set down on the ground betwixt me and Tom. He leaned his back up against a tree, and stretched his legs out till one of them most touched one of mine. My nose begun to itch. It itched till the tears come into my eyes. But I dasn't scratch. Then it begun to itch on the inside. Next I got to itching underneath. I didn't know how I was going to set still. This miserableness went on as much as six or seven minutes; but it seemed a sight longer than that. I was itching in eleven different places now. I reckoned I couldn't stand it more'n a minute longer, but I set my teeth hard and got ready to try. Just then Jim begun to breathe heavy; next he begun to snore -- and then I was pretty soon comfortable again. 
Tom he made a sign to me -- kind of a little noise with his mouth -- and we went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we was ten foot off Tom whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they'd find out I warn't in. Then Tom said he hadn't got candles enough, and he would slip in the kitchen and get some more. I didn't want him to try. I said Jim might wake up and come. But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there and got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay. Then we got out, and I was in a sweat to get away; but nothing would do Tom but he must crawl to where Jim was, on his hands and knees, and play something on him. I waited, and it seemed a good while, everything was so still and lonesome. 
As soon as Tom was back we cut along the path, around the garden fence, and by and by fetched up on the steep top of the hill the other side of the house. Tom said he slipped Jim's hat off of his head and hung it on a limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn't wake. Afterwards Jim said the witches bewitched him and put him in a trance, and rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again, and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it. And next time Jim told it he said they rode him down to New Orleans; and, after that, every time he told it he spread it more and more, till by and by he said they rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back was all over saddle-boils. Jim was monstrous proud about it, and he got so he wouldn't hardly notice the other niggers. Niggers would come miles to hear Jim tell about it, and he was more looked up to than any nigger in that country. Strange niggers would stand with their mouths open and look him all over, same as if he was a wonder. Niggers is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, Jim would happen in and say, "Hm! What you know 'bout witches?" and that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat. Jim always kept that five-center piece round his neck with a string, and said it was a charm the devil give to him with his own hands, and told him he could cure anybody with it and fetch witches whenever he wanted to just by saying something to it; but he never told what it was he said to it. Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had, just for a sight of that fivecenter piece; but they wouldn't touch it, because the devil had had his hands on it. Jim was most ruined for a servant, because he got stuck up on account of having seen the devil and been rode by witches. 
Well, when Tom and me got to the edge of the hilltop we looked away down into the village and could see three or four lights twinkling, where there was sick folks, maybe; and the stars over us was sparkling ever so fine; and down by the village was the river, a whole mile broad, and awful still and grand. We went down the hill and found Jo Harper and Ben Rogers, and two or three more of the boys, hid in the old tanyard. So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river two mile and a half, to the big scar on the hillside, and went ashore. 
We went to a clump of bushes, and Tom made everybody swear to keep the secret, and then showed them a hole in the hill, right in the thickest part of the bushes. Then we lit the candles, and crawled in on our hands and knees. We went about two hundred yards, and then the cave opened up. Tom poked about amongst the passages, and pretty soon ducked under a wall where you wouldn't a noticed that there was a hole. We went along a narrow place and got into a kind of room, all damp and sweaty and cold, and there we stopped. Tom says: 
"Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood." 
Everybody was willing. So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath on, and read it. It swore every boy to stick to the band, and never tell any of the secrets; and if anybody done anything to any boy in the band, whichever boy was ordered to kill that person and his family must do it, and he mustn't eat and he mustn't sleep till he had killed them and hacked a cross in their breasts, which was the sign of the band. And nobody that didn't belong to the band could use that mark, and if he did he must be sued; and if he done it again he must be killed. And if anybody that belonged to the band told the secrets, he must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and the ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with blood and never mentioned again by the gang, but have a curse put on it and be forgot forever. 
Everybody said it was a real beautiful oath, and asked Tom if he got it out of his own head. He said, some of it, but the rest was out of pirate-books and robber-books, and every gang that was high-toned had it. 
Some thought it would be good to kill the FAMILIES of boys that told the secrets. Tom said it was a good idea, so he took a pencil and wrote it in. Then Ben Rogers says: 
"Here's Huck Finn, he hain't got no family; what you going to do 'bout him?" 
"Well, hain't he got a father?" says Tom Sawyer. 
"Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these parts for a year or more." 
They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they said every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it wouldn't be fair and square for the others. Well, nobody could think of anything to do -- everybody was stumped, and set still. I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson -- they could kill her. Everybody said: 
"Oh, she'll do. That's all right. Huck can come in." 
Then they all stuck a pin in their fingers to get blood to sign with, and I made my mark on the paper. 
"Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?" 
"Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said. 
"But who are we going to rob? -- houses, or cattle, or --" 
"Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money." 
"Must we always kill the people?" 
"Oh, certainly. It's best. Some authorities think different, but mostly it's considered best to kill them -- except some that you bring to the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed." 
"Ransomed? What's that?" 
"I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in books; and so of course that's what we've got to do." 
"But how can we do it if we don't know what it is?" 
"Why, blame it all, we've GOT to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?" 
"Oh, that's all very fine to SAY, Tom Sawyer, but how in the nation are these fellows going to be ransomed if we don't know how to do it to them? -- that's the thing I want to get at. Now, what do you reckon it is?" 
"Well, I don't know. But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, it means that we keep them till they're dead. " 
"Now, that's something LIKE. That'll answer. Why couldn't you said that before? We'll keep them till they're ransomed to death; and a bothersome lot they'll be, too -- eating up everything, and always trying to get loose." 
"How you talk, Ben Rogers. How can they get loose when there's a guard over them, ready to shoot them down if they move a peg?" 
"A guard! Well, that IS good. So somebody's got to set up all night and never get any sleep, just so as to watch them. I think that's foolishness. Why can't a body take a club and ransom them as soon as they get here?" 
"Because it ain't in the books so -- that's why. Now, Ben Rogers, do you want to do things regular, or don't you? -- that's the idea. Don't you reckon that the people that made the books knows what's the correct thing to do? Do you reckon YOU can learn 'em anything? Not by a good deal. No, sir, we'll just go on and ransom them in the regular way." 
"All right. I don't mind; but I say it's a fool way, anyhow. Say, do we kill the women, too?" 
"Well, Ben Rogers, if I was as ignorant as you I wouldn't let on. Kill the women? No; nobody ever saw anything in the books like that. You fetch them to the cave, and you're always as polite as pie to them; and by and by they fall in love with you, and never want to go home any more." 
"Well, if that's the way I'm agreed, but I don't take no stock in it. Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with women, and fellows waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers. But go ahead, I ain't got nothing to say." 
Little Tommy Barnes was asleep now, and when they waked him up he was scared, and cried, and said he wanted to go home to his ma, and didn't want to be a robber any more. 
So they all made fun of him, and called him crybaby, and that made him mad, and he said he would go straight and tell all the secrets. But Tom give him five cents to keep quiet, and said we would all go home and meet next week, and rob somebody and kill some people. 
Ben Rogers said he couldn't get out much, only Sundays, and so he wanted to begin next Sunday; but all the boys said it would be wicked to do it on Sunday, and that settled the thing. They agreed to get together and fix a day as soon as they could, and then we elected Tom Sawyer first captain and Jo Harper second captain of the Gang, and so started home. 
I clumb up the shed and crept into my window just before day was breaking. My new clothes was all greased up and clayey, and I was dog-tired. 
我们轻手轻脚地沿着一条林间小道向寡妇的花园尽头走去，猫着腰不让树枝蹭着头。路过厨房时，我让树枝绊了一下，弄出了点儿声响，我赶忙蹲下不动。华森小姐的大个子黑奴吉姆正坐在厨房门口，我们看得清楚，因为他身后有亮光。他站起来伸长脖子听了一阵，问道："谁？"他又听了听，随后踮着脚尖走下来，正好站在我跟汤姆中间，我们几乎能碰到他。过了好一会儿，一点儿声音也没有，我们离得这么近。我脚上一个地方痒了起来，可我不敢挠，接着我耳朵也痒，还有后背，刚好在两肩当中，都痒了起来，好像我不挠就会痒死。..不久，吉姆说："喂--你是谁？你在哪儿？我要是没听见动静才叫怪呢。好吧，我知道我该怎么做，我就坐在这儿，反正还能听见。"于是，他就在我和汤姆中间的地上坐下。背靠一株大树伸开腿，他的一条腿都快碰上我的脚了。我的鼻子开始痒了，痒得我眼泪都快流出来了，可我还是不敢挠。后来。鼻子里边也痒。我不知怎么办才能坐着不动。难受了足有六七分钟时间；好像比这还要长。我身上总共有11　处发痒。我觉得一分钟也受不了了，但是，我得咬紧牙关熬下去。刚好，吉姆呼吸也加重了；然后，他开始打呼噜--我身上马上也舒服了。
    汤姆冲我打个招呼--嘴出了点声--我们手脚着地爬开了。爬出十英尺（一英尺：30　48　厘米。）远，汤姆小声对我说，他想把吉姆拴在树上开个玩笑。我说不行，他可能会醒过来闹开的，这么一来，他们就会发现我不在了。汤姆又说蜡烛不够，他要溜到厨房拿点儿。我不想让他去，担心吉姆会醒过来。可他偏要冒险，我们就悄悄进去拿了三支蜡烛，汤姆还在桌子上放了三分钱，算做蜡钱。我们出了厨房，我急得要死，只想走开；可是无论怎样也拦不住汤姆，他非要爬到吉姆那儿跟他开个玩笑。我等着，觉得时间过得特别慢，周围很静，让人心里发慌。
    汤姆一回来，我们就抄小路，沿着花园的围墙向前走。很快就到了对面的山顶上。汤姆说他将吉姆的帽子从头上拿掉，挂到他头顶上的一个树枝上，吉姆动了一下，可没醒。..（删去一段吉姆的迷信想法。吉姆不是此章重点，删去此段不关要旨。）我们走到山脊上，向下面树林里望去，看见了三四处亮灯的地方，或许是谁家有人病了吧。星星在我们头上闪着光，十分好看，下面村子旁是那条大河，足足有一英里（　一英里：1.609　公里。）宽，平静而又壮观。我们走下山坡，找到了乔·哈波、本·罗杰，另外还有两三个男孩，他们藏在那家老制革厂里。于是，我们解开一条小船，顺河划了大约有两英里半远，划到山边那块大岩石旁，便靠了岸。
    我们走入矮矮的树丛，汤姆要每个人都发誓保密，随后，他将一个山洞指给我们看，山洞在树丛最密的地方。后来，我们点着蜡烛，爬了进去。爬了大概有两百码，洞豁然开阔。汤姆在过道中摸索了一阵，忽然在一块岩石底下弯下腰，谁也不会想到那儿有个洞。我们走过窄窄的过道，走入一个像房间一样的地方，四处滴着水珠，又潮又湿，我们站住。汤姆说道："现在，我们要组建一个强盗帮，就叫它汤姆·索亚帮好了。谁想加入都必须宣誓，还要用血签名。"大家都很乐意。于是，汤姆摸出一张纸读了一遍，上面写好了誓词。誓词要每个孩子忠于本帮，决不泄密；假如有人对本帮的孩子有什么伤害，不管派谁去杀那个人和那个人的全家，谁就得去；被派去的人不能吃饭，也不得睡觉，直到把他们杀掉，还得在他们胸前留个十字，这是本帮帮号。不属于本帮的人不能用此帮号，如果用了，就要受到起诉；如果再用，就被杀掉。属于本帮的人，一旦泄密，就会被切断喉咙，烧毁尸体，撒掉骨灰，他的名字也将用血涂去，帮中不许再提，还要咒他一回，永远忘掉。
    每个人都说这简直是个漂亮的誓词，还问汤姆这是不是他自己想出来的。他说，一部分是，其余的都是人有关海盗和强盗小说中抄来的，每个高水准的帮都有这一些。
    有人建议哪个孩子泄密最好就杀他全家。汤姆说这倒是个好主意，就拿笔将这一条也写入了誓词。这时，本·罗杰说："那么，哈克·芬呢？他没家--你们会拿他怎么办？""啊，他不是有个父亲吗？"汤姆·索亚说。
    "对，他是有个父亲，可你根本不会找到他，这都有好长日子啦。过去，他总是喝得烂醉，和制革厂的猪睡在一起，可是有一年多了，在这些地方谁也没看见过他。"他们又讨论了一阵儿，想把我除名，因为他们说每个孩子都得有一个家或什么亲人可以让他们杀，否则，对别人就不公平。这样，谁也想不出个办法--都憋住了，坐着不吱声。我很想哭，但很快就想到一个主意，于是，我提出了华森小姐--他们可以杀她。大家说："哈，她行，她也行。这就好办啦。哈克可以入帮。"然后，他们用别针朝手指上一扎，挤出血来签名，我也在誓词上划了记号。
    "那么，"本·罗杰说，"　这个帮做什么生意呢？""只干抢劫和谋杀。"　汤姆说。
    "可我们抢谁呢？房子，还是牛羊，还是..""胡说八道！抢牛偷羊不算打劫，那是暗盗，"汤姆·索亚说，"　我们不是夜贼，那么干既没风度又没劲。我们是路霸。我们在大路上拦马车截商货，戴上面具，杀人夺表抢钱。""我们非得杀掉那些人吗？""噢，当然啦。那样最好。行家们有不同见解，可大多数人认为还是杀了最好。除了留几个你带进洞来，扣下等人赎回去。""赎回去？什么意思？""我不很清楚。可人家都这么干。我是从书上看的；因此，我们当然也要这么干。""可怎么干呢？我们连它是什么意思都不懂。""管它是啥意思呢，我们就得这么着。我不是给你讲过这是书上写的吗？你想做的跟书上写的不一样来把事情搞糟吗？""噢，说说倒是挺好，汤姆·索亚，可究竟怎么个赎法呢？我就想知道这一点。你猜猜是怎么回事？""嗯，我不知道。只是可能是我们扣住人等着来赎吧，也就是说，他们可能会把他们扣到死。""啊，这倒有点儿像。行啦。你怎么不早点说呢？我们就扣住人直到他们被赎死--那他们就成了一帮讨厌的家伙，会把东西都吃光，还老想着要逃跑。""你怎么可以这么说，罗杰。有人看守，他们怎么能逃掉呢？动一动就把他们打死好了。""看守！啊，那可倒好。这样就得有人整夜坐着，一点儿觉也不能去睡，就为了看守他们。我认为这可是件傻事。为什么不等他们一来就拿棍子赎了他们呢？""因为书上倒没这么写--这就是原因。喂，本·罗杰，你得按规矩办，还是不去胡思乱想为好--这才是关键。你难道认为那些写书的人不知道怎么办才对吗？你以为你自己还能教他们吗？不，先生，我们就得这么做，按规矩赎人。""好吧，我不在乎；不过我要说反正这是个傻办法。还有--我们也要杀那些女人吗？""好了，罗杰，我要是跟你一样无知，就不再张嘴了。杀掉女人？不--没有人在书上看到过这种事。你把她们接到洞里来，待她们总是彬彬有礼；渐渐地，她们就会爱上你，再也不想回家了。""好吧，如果是那么回事儿，我赞成，可我不信这一套。很快这洞里就会挤满女人，还有等着被赎出去的男人，可就没有我们这些强盗的地方了。接着往下讲吧，我没什么可说了。"小汤米·巴因斯这时已睡着了，他们把他一叫醒他就害怕起来，哭了，说他要回家找妈妈，不想再当强盗了。
    于是，他们都开他的玩笑，喊他哭脸娃娃，这下他被气坏了，他说他要立刻出去，泄露所有的秘密。可是，汤姆给了他五分钱，让他安静，说我们全都回家，下周再来碰头，抢个人，再杀几个。
    本·罗杰说他不能经常出来，只能在星期天，因此，他想在下星期日碰头；可所有的孩子都说是星期日干这种事是有罪的，这话把问题解决了。他们同意尽快见面，定个日子，然后，我们选汤姆·索亚做大首领，乔·哈波做二首领，接着就动身回家。
    我爬上木棚，钻入窗户，天很快就要亮了。我的新衣服布满了油泥灰土，我浑身上下累得酸疼。
Chapter 3
WELL, I got a good going-over in the morning from old Miss Watson on account of my clothes; but the widow she didn't scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave awhile if I could. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn't so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. It warn't any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldn't make it work. By and by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn't make it out no way. 
I set down one time back in the woods, and had a long think about it. I says to myself, if a body can get anything they pray for, why don't Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can't the widow get back her silver snuffbox that was stole? Why can't Miss Watson fat up? No, says I to my self, there ain't nothing in it. I went and told the widow about it, and she said the thing a body could get by praying for it was "spiritual gifts." This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant -- I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. This was including Miss Watson, as I took it. I went out in the woods and turned it over in my mind a long time, but I couldn't see no advantage about it -- except for the other people; so at last I reckoned I wouldn't worry about it any more, but just let it go. Sometimes the widow would take me one side and talk about Providence in a way to make a body's mouth water; but maybe next day Miss Watson would take hold and knock it all down again. I judged I could see that there was two Providences, and a poor chap would stand considerable show with the widow's Providence, but if Miss Watson's got him there warn't no help for him any more. I thought it all out, and reckoned I would belong to the widow's if he wanted me, though I couldn't make out how he was a-going to be any better off then than what he was before, seeing I was so ignorant, and so kind of low-down and ornery. 
Pap he hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn't want to see him no more. He used to always whale me when he was sober and could get his hands on me; though I used to take to the woods most of the time when he was around. Well, about this time he was found in the river drownded, about twelve mile above town, so people said. They judged it was him, anyway; said this drownded man was just his size, and was ragged, and had uncommon long hair, which was all like pap; but they couldn't make nothing out of the face, because it had been in the water so long it warn't much like a face at all. They said he was floating on his back in the water. They took him and buried him on the bank. But I warn't comfortable long, because I happened to think of something. I knowed mighty well that a drownded man don't float on his back, but on his face. So I knowed, then, that this warn't pap, but a woman dressed up in a man's clothes. So I was uncomfortable again. I judged the old man would turn up again by and by, though I wished he wouldn't. 
We played robber now and then about a month, and then I resigned. All the boys did. We hadn't robbed nobody, hadn't killed any people, but only just pretended. We used to hop out of the woods and go charging down on hog-drivers and women in carts taking garden stuff to market, but we never hived any of them. Tom Sawyer called the hogs "ingots," and he called the turnips and stuff "julery," and we would go to the cave and powwow over what we had done, and how many people we had killed and marked. But I couldn't see no profit in it. One time Tom sent a boy to run about town with a blazing stick, which he called a slogan (which was the sign for the Gang to get together), and then he said he had got secret news by his spies that next day a whole parcel of Spanish merchants and rich A-rabs was going to camp in Cave Hollow with two hundred elephants, and six hundred camels, and over a thousand "sumter" mules, all loaded down with di'monds, and they didn't have only a guard of four hundred soldiers, and so we would lay in ambuscade, as he called it, and kill the lot and scoop the things. He said we must slick up our swords and guns, and get ready. He never could go after even a turnip-cart but he must have the swords and guns all scoured up for it, though they was only lath and broomsticks, and you might scour at them till you rotted, and then they warn't worth a mouthful of ashes more than what they was before. I didn't believe we could lick such a crowd of Spaniards and A-rabs, but I wanted to see the camels and elephants, so I was on hand next day, Saturday, in the ambuscade; and when we got the word we rushed out of the woods and down the hill. But there warn't no Spaniards and A-rabs, and there warn't no camels nor no elephants. It warn't anything but a Sunday-school picnic, and only a primer-class at that. We busted it up, and chased the children up the hollow; but we never got anything but some doughnuts and jam, though Ben Rogers got a rag doll, and Jo Harper got a hymn-book and a tract; and then the teacher charged in, and made us drop everything and cut. I didn't see no di'monds, and I told Tom Sawyer so. He said there was loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was A-rabs there, too, and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we see them, then? He said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called Don Quixote, I would know without asking. He said it was all done by enchantment. He said there was hundreds of soldiers there, and elephants and treasure, and so on, but we had enemies which he called magicians; and they had turned the whole thing into an infant Sundayschool, just out of spite. I said, all right; then the thing for us to do was to go for the magicians. Tom Sawyer said I was a numskull. 
"Why," said he, "a magician could call up a lot of genies, and they would hash you up like nothing before you could say Jack Robinson. They are as tall as a tree and as big around as a church." 
"Well," I says, "s'pose we got some genies to help US -- can't we lick the other crowd then?" 
"How you going to get them?" 
"I don't know. How do THEY get them?" 
"Why, they rub an old tin lamp or an iron ring, and then the genies come tearing in, with the thunder and lightning a-ripping around and the smoke a-rolling, and everything they're told to do they up and do it. They don't think nothing of pulling a shot-tower up by the roots, and belting a Sunday-school superintendent over the head with it -- or any other man." 
"Who makes them tear around so?" 
"Why, whoever rubs the lamp or the ring. They belong to whoever rubs the lamp or the ring, and they've got to do whatever he says. If he tells them to build a palace forty miles long out of di'monds, and fill it full of chewing-gum, or whatever you want, and fetch an emperor's daughter from China for you to marry, they've got to do it -- and they've got to do it before sun-up next morning, too. And more: they've got to waltz that palace around over the country wherever you want it, you understand." 
"Well," says I, "I think they are a pack of flatheads for not keeping the palace themselves 'stead of fooling them away like that. And what's more -- if I was one of them I would see a man in Jericho before I would drop my business and come to him for the rubbing of an old tin lamp." 
"How you talk, Huck Finn. Why, you'd HAVE to come when he rubbed it, whether you wanted to or not." 
"What! and I as high as a tree and as big as a church? All right, then; I WOULD come; but I lay I'd make that man climb the highest tree there was in the country." 
"Shucks, it ain't no use to talk to you, Huck Finn. You don't seem to know anything, somehow -- perfect saphead." 
I thought all this over for two or three days, and then I reckoned I would see if there was anything in it. I got an old tin lamp and an iron ring, and went out in the woods and rubbed and rubbed till I sweat like an Injun, calculating to build a palace and sell it; but it warn't no use, none of the genies come. So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer's lies. I reckoned he believed in the A-rabs and the elephants, but as for me I think different. It had all the marks of a Sunday-school. 　　第二天一早，我挨了一顿臭骂，骂我的是华森老小姐，因为我的衣服脏了，可是寡妇并未责怪我，只是把衣服上的油和土洗掉，看起来她很难过。我想，如果能做得到，我一定要规矩一阵儿。然后华森小姐把我带进小屋祷告，可什么也没有祷告出来。她告诉我要天天祷告，这样，我想要什么能得到什么。但不是这么回事儿。有一次，我得了一条钓鱼线，可是没有鱼钩。没鱼钩对我就没用。我试了三四遍，想祷告出个鱼钩来，可就是不灵。后来有一天，我请华森小姐帮我试试，可她说我是个傻瓜。她从未告诉我为什么，我也没法弄清楚。
　　有一回，在后面的树林里，我坐下来把这事儿想了许久。我心想，要是一个人祷告什么就能得到什么，那么，为什么狄肯·韦恩卖猪肉亏的钱就要不回来呢？为什么寡妇被偷走的银鼻烟盒求不回来呢？为什么华森小姐不能胖起来呢？不，我心里琢磨，天底下压根没有这回事儿。我去给寡妇说了这事，她说一个人祷告所能得到的东西是"精神的礼物"。这我就不明白了，但她说她的意思是--我应该帮助别人，为别人做我能做的事，时刻照顾他们，永远不去想自己。照我看，她这话也有华森小姐的意思。我走出树林，又翻来覆去想了很长时间，我看不见一点好处--除非是对别人--因此，打那以后，我就不再为这事儿伤脑筋了，随它的便吧。有时，寡妇把我拉到一边，把上帝说得叫人流口水，但是，或许就在第二天，华森小姐又说一套，把寡妇的话全给推翻了。我的判断是，我看出有两个上帝，一个可怜的家伙跟寡妇的上帝在一起还会有些机会，可如果是华森小姐的上帝把他给弄走，他可就一点儿折儿也没有了。我想通了，觉得我该属于寡妇的上帝，当然如果是他要我的话；尽管我弄不清楚他有了我会对他有什么好处，因为我既无知又下作，脾气还坏。
　　爸已经一年多没露面了，这叫我觉得日子好过，我不想再看到他。从前，只要他没喝得烂醉，只要他可以抓住我，总会猛揍我。虽然他在这一带的时候，我多半会逃进树林里。可能就在这个时候，有人发现他在河里淹死了，在镇的上游12 英里的地方，人们是这么谈论的。人们猜着是他；说这个淹死的人身段和他一样，穿着破衣服，头发很长很长--这些特征倒有些像爸--不过，他们认不清那人的脸，由于在水里浸泡的时间过长，根本就不像脸样儿了。他们说他是仰脸漂在水上的，他们把他捞上岸，埋了。可我没有踏实多久，因为我猛地想了起来：一个淹死的男人，不应该仰着漂，而应该是脸朝下。因此，我明白了，那人不是爸，而只是一个穿着男人衣服的女人。所以，我又不舒服起来。我猜测老子不久就会露面，不管我是否乐意见到他。
　　我们时常装作强盗玩儿，过了一个月我退出了。大家会都退出了。我们什么人也没枪，也没杀，都是假装。我们总是跳出树林，冲着放猪的小孩儿和坐大车卖菜赶集的妇女冲过去，但是，我们从未扣押过什么人。汤姆把猪叫"金块"， 萝卜青菜叫"珠宝"， 回到洞中，大谈特谈我们的所作所为，还会数数我们打死了多少人，给多少人打了帮号。可我看不出这里头有什么好处。有一回，汤姆派一个男孩拿一根火棍到镇上跑了一圈儿，他说是集合信号，接着，他说他从间谍那里得到密报：第二天，有一大队西班牙商人和有钱的阿拉伯人会在"山谷洞"宿营，带两百头大象，六百只骆驼，另外还有一千多匹驮货的骡马，全载着钻石，他们仅仅有四百名士兵护卫。因此，我们要打个伏击战。他是这么说的，杀掉那帮人，掠夺财物。他说要擦亮刀枪，做好准备。哪怕是追辆萝卜车，他也要让大家把刀枪擦亮，说到底，只是些木片儿，扫帚把儿，你就是累死，它也比不擦的时候也不会亮到那里去。我不信我们能胜过一群西班牙人和阿拉伯人，但是，我想看看骆驼和大象。所以，第二天，也就是周六，我参加了伏击。一接到命令，我们就冲出树林，跑到山下。可是，那里既没有西班牙人和阿拉伯人，也没有什么骆驼和大象。啥也没有，只是个主日学校的野餐会，而且还只是个初级班。我们冲散了它，将那些小孩儿往山谷上赶，我们却什么东西也没抢到，只有一些油炸饼和火腿，罗杰得了个布娃娃，哈波得了本赞美诗，另外还有小册子，后来，学校老师冲了过去，逼得我们把东西全扔下，撒腿就逃。我没见到钻石，就给汤姆说了。他说反正那里有成担的钻石，他还说有阿拉伯人，以及大象等等。我说，我们为什么看不见呢？他说要不是我那么无知，只要看过一本叫《堂·吉诃德》的书，不用问我就会一清二楚的。他说那都是魔法变的。他说那儿有好几百士兵，还有大象和财宝等等，有魔法师与我们为敌，他们把那些东西都变成了一所小孩儿主日学校，全是出自恶意。我说那么好吧，那我们要做的事儿就是去找那些魔法师了。汤姆·索亚说我简直是个笨蛋。
　　"嗨，"他说，" 魔法师会召集一大群妖怪，你连叫一声都来不及，他们就能把你切成碎块。妖怪都长得像树一样高，像教堂那么大。""那好办，"我说，" 如果我们找些妖怪帮我们的忙--不一样能把那帮妖怪打垮了吗？""你想怎么找啊？""我不知道。他们是怎么找的呢？""嗨，他们擦旧锡灯或铁圈儿，妖怪就飞跑过来，又响雷又打闪，浓烟遍布，不管叫干什么，他们立刻就干。他们一点也不考虑是把一座炮楼连根拔起，砸到一个主日学校学监的头上--或是别的人头上。""谁能让他们那样飞跑过来呢？""嗨，无论是谁擦了那盏灯或那个铁圈儿。他们就听那人的，叫干什么干什么。如果叫他建一座宫殿，40 英里长，用钻石建成，里面装满口香糖，或任何你想要的东西，并且从中国接来公王来跟你结婚，他们也得做--他们还得在第二天早上太阳升起来以前就办妥这一切。不仅如此--他们还得按你的吩咐把宫殿搬到全国任何地方，明白了吧。""哎呀，"我说，" 我瞧着他们是一堆大傻瓜，不把这座宫殿留给自己用，却替别人瞎忙活。还有啊--我如果是这么个妖怪，那我宁愿跑到天边去，也不会由于他擦擦锡灯，就丢下自己的事不管，跑到他身边去。""你怎么可以说这话，哈克·芬。他擦的时候你只能来，不管你是否愿意。""什么，我不是跟树一样高，跟教堂一样大吗？那好吧，我来，可我准能把那家伙吓得爬到全国最高的树上去。""呸，跟你说话真没意思，哈克·芬。你好像啥也不懂，不管怎么说--一个标准的大笨蛋。"我把这些话思谋了两三天。后来，就想看看究竟有没有道理。我找了个旧锡灯和一个铁圈儿，到了树林里，擦呀擦呀，擦得我汗流浃背，心里盘算着建造个宫殿再卖掉，可根本没一点儿用，一个妖怪也没来。于是，我就断定，这一切只不过是汤姆·索亚的想象而已。我认为他是真相信有那些阿拉伯人和大象，可对我而言，我可不这么想。那明明白白地是一个主日学校。
Chapter 4
WELL, three or four months run along, and it was well into the winter now. I had been to school most all the time and could spell and read and write just a little, and could say the multiplication table up to six times seven is thirty-five, and I don't reckon I could ever get any further than that if I was to live forever. I don't take no stock in mathematics, anyway. 
At first I hated the school, but by and by I got so I could stand it. Whenever I got uncommon tired I played hookey, and the hiding I got next day done me good and cheered me up. So the longer I went to school the easier it got to be. I was getting sort of used to the widow's ways, too, and they warn't so raspy on me. Living in a house and sleeping in a bed pulled on me pretty tight mostly, but before the cold weather I used to slide out and sleep in the woods sometimes, and so that was a rest to me. I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones, too, a little bit. The widow said I was coming along slow but sure, and doing very satisfactory. She said she warn't ashamed of me. 
One morning I happened to turn over the salt-cellar at breakfast. I reached for some of it as quick as I could to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck, but Miss Watson was in ahead of me, and crossed me off. She says, "Take your hands away, Huckleberry; what a mess you are always making!" The widow put in a good word for me, but that warn't going to keep off the bad luck, I knowed that well enough. I started out, after breakfast, feeling worried and shaky, and wondering where it was going to fall on me, and what it was going to be. There is ways to keep off some kinds of bad luck, but this wasn't one of them kind; so I never tried to do anything, but just poked along low-spirited and on the watch-out. 
I went down to the front garden and clumb over the stile where you go through the high board fence. There was an inch of new snow on the ground, and I seen somebody's tracks. They had come up from the quarry and stood around the stile a while, and then went on around the garden fence. It was funny they hadn't come in, after standing around so. I couldn't make it out. It was very curious, somehow. I was going to follow around, but I stooped down to look at the tracks first. I didn't notice anything at first, but next I did. There was a cross in the left boot-heel made with big nails, to keep off the devil. 
I was up in a second and shinning down the hill. I looked over my shoulder every now and then, but I didn't see nobody. I was at Judge Thatcher's as quick as I could get there. He said: 
"Why, my boy, you are all out of breath. Did you come for your interest?" 
"No, sir," I says; "is there some for me?" 
"Oh, yes, a half-yearly is in last night -- over a hundred and fifty dollars. Quite a fortune for you. You had better let me invest it along with your six thousand, because if you take it you'll spend it." 
"No, sir," I says, "I don't want to spend it. I don't want it at all -- nor the six thousand, nuther. I want you to take it; I want to give it to you -- the six thousand and all." 
He looked surprised. He couldn't seem to make it out. He says: 
"Why, what can you mean, my boy?" 
I says, "Don't you ask me no questions about it, please. You'll take it -- won't you?" 
He says: 
"Well, I'm puzzled. Is something the matter?" 
"Please take it," says I, "and don't ask me nothing -- then I won't have to tell no lies." 
He studied a while, and then he says: 
"Oho-o! I think I see. You want to SELL all your property to me -- not give it. That's the correct idea." 
Then he wrote something on a paper and read it over, and says: 
"There; you see it says 'for a consideration.' That means I have bought it of you and paid you for it. Here's a dollar for you. Now you sign it." 
So I signed it, and left. 
Miss Watson's nigger, Jim, had a hair-ball as big as your fist, which had been took out of the fourth stomach of an ox, and he used to do magic with it. He said there was a spirit inside of it, and it knowed everything. So I went to him that night and told him pap was here again, for I found his tracks in the snow. What I wanted to know was, what he was going to do, and was he going to stay? Jim got out his hair-ball and said something over it, and then he held it up and dropped it on the floor. It fell pretty solid, and only rolled about an inch. Jim tried it again, and then another time, and it acted just the same. Jim got down on his knees, and put his ear against it and listened. But it warn't no use; he said it wouldn't talk. He said sometimes it wouldn't talk without money. I told him I had an old slick counterfeit quarter that warn't no good because the brass showed through the silver a little, and it wouldn't pass nohow, even if the brass didn't show, because it was so slick it felt greasy, and so that would tell on it every time. (I reckoned I wouldn't say nothing about the dollar I got from the judge.) I said it was pretty bad money, but maybe the hair-ball would take it, because maybe it wouldn't know the difference. Jim smelt it and bit it and rubbed it, and said he would manage so the hair-ball would think it was good. He said he would split open a raw Irish potato and stick the quarter in between and keep it there all night, and next morning you couldn't see no brass, and it wouldn't feel greasy no more, and so anybody in town would take it in a minute, let alone a hair-ball. Well, I knowed a potato would do that before, but I had forgot it. 
Jim put the quarter under the hair-ball, and got down and listened again. This time he said the hairball was all right. He said it would tell my whole fortune if I wanted it to. I says, go on. So the hairball talked to Jim, and Jim told it to me. He says: 
"Yo' ole father doan' know yit what he's a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he'll go 'way, en den agin he spec he'll stay. De bes' way is to res' easy en let de ole man take his own way. Dey's two angels hoverin' roun' 'bout him. One uv 'em is white en shiny, en t'other one is black. De white one gits him to go right a little while, den de black one sail in en bust it all up. A body can't tell yit which one gwyne to fetch him at de las'. But you is all right. You gwyne to have considable trouble in yo' life, en considable joy. Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you's gwyne to git well agin. Dey's two gals flyin' 'bout you in yo' life. One uv 'em's light en t'other one is dark. One is rich en t'other is po'. You's gwyne to marry de po' one fust en de rich one by en by. You wants to keep 'way fum de water as much as you kin, en don't run no resk, 'kase it's down in de bills dat you's gwyne to git hung." 
When I lit my candle and went up to my room that night there sat pap -- his own self! 　　一晃眼，三四个月又混过去了，冬天也过了好长一段日子。我几乎天天上学，也会识字、念书和写字了，虽然很少还能把乘法口诀背到六七三十五，我想就算我永远活下去，也不能再往下背了。反正我看不上数学。
　　刚开头我恨那个学校，可慢慢地也就习惯了，我也能忍受。我只要烦了就会逃学，第二天挨顿鞭子对我有好处，能让我提提劲儿。所以，我上学时间越长，就越好对付。我也渐渐习惯了寡妇那一套，它不再象过去那样叫我烦躁了。住在房子里，睡在床铺上，让我觉得憋得慌，大部分时候是这样，而在天冷之前，我总要偷跑出去睡在树林里，有时这样做，对于我来讲是个休息。我很喜欢我以前的日子，但是，我慢慢地也有些喜欢这新一套了。寡妇说我有长进，有些慢，可是挺稳，举止也叫她满意。她说她不觉得我丢脸了。
　　一天早饭时，我一不小心把盐罐碰倒了，我赶忙伸手去接，想接点儿盐撒到我的左肩膀上，好避邪运，可是，华森小姐比我手还快，她把我挡住了。她说：" 把手拿掉，哈克贝利--你总是把一切弄得很糟！" 寡妇替我说了句好话，但是，那也不能叫我避开坏运气，这我很清楚。吃过饭，我就出去了，既担心又害怕，不知道坏运气什么时候降落在我头上，也猜不透到底会出什么事儿。只得四处逛荡，垂头丧气又提心吊胆。我走到了前面的花园，从梯子上翻过高高的木棚栏。新下的雪在地上积了一寸厚，上边有人的脚印。脚印是从采石场过来的，在梯子周围站了一阵，然后，绕着花园栅栏转了一圈儿。令人感到惊奇的是，那人站站走走，并没有进去。我想不清楚。反正是觉得很奇怪。我想顺着脚印转一圈儿，但我还是先弯下腰把脚印看了看。一开头，我什么也没看出来，可是再看，我就明白了。左鞋跟上有个大铁钉钉成的十字儿，是用来避邪的。我拔腿就跑，飞奔下山。不时还回头看看，没看见人。我飞快地跑到了萨切尔法官家里。他说："怎么回事，我的孩子，你都喘不上气来了，是来取利息的吗？""不，先生，"我说，" 有我的吗？""有啊，半年的已经收进来了，昨天晚上收的。一百五十块。它对你可是一笔数目。你最好是让我连同你那六千块钱一起放利息，因为你要拿走就会花掉。""不，先生，"我说，" 我不想花。我根本就不想要--连那六千，也不要了。我想让您收下；我要送给您--那六千块钱以及所有的利息。"他吓了一跳。他好像知道我在说什么。他说：" 哎呀，你这是什么意思呢，孩子？"我说：" 您什么也别问了，求求您。您会收下的，对吗？"他说："哎呀，我都给你闹糊涂了。出什么事啦？""请您收下，"我说，" 啥也别问我--我也就用不着撒谎了。"他想了一阵，接着说道："噢。我想我明白了。你要卖给我你的全部财产--不是送给我。这个想法才对。"然后，他在一张纸上写了点什么，读了一遍，说："这儿--你瞧，写的是'作为补偿'。那就是说，我从你那里买走了，还得付给你钱。这一块钱是给你的。好啦，你签字吧。"于是我签上字离开了。
　　华森小姐的黑人吉姆有个拳头大的毛球，是从一头牛的第四个胃里取出来的，他常常拿它来变魔法。他说里边有个精灵，无事不晓。因此，当天晚上，我就去找他，告诉他说爸又来这儿了，因为我在雪地里看到了他的脚印。我想看看他打算什么，他是不是不走了？吉姆取出他的毛毛球，冲它嘟哝些什么，然后，抓起来又扔在地上。球摔得很重，只滚动了一英尺远。吉姆试了又试，结果都一模一样。吉姆跪在地上，用耳朵对着毛球听。但是没用，他说它不愿说话。他说有时候没有钱它就不肯说话。我告诉他我有一枚又旧又光的二角五分钱的假硬币，花不出去，因为外层的镀银已经包不住里面的铜了，谁也瞒不过去，即便铜不显，它摸上去滑溜溜油光光的，因此，每回都会让人认出来。(我觉得我还是不提我从法官那儿拿到的那一块钱好)。我说这是一枚很没用的钱，但是，也许毛球会收下，因为它根本不辨真假。吉姆闻闻，用牙咬咬，又擦了擦，说他会想办法让毛球把它当成好钱。他说他想切开一个生土豆，把假硬币夹在里面放一晚上，第二天早上就看不见铜了，摸着也不会油光光的了，这样一来，镇上谁都会马上收下这枚钱，更别说毛球了。嗨，我知道土豆能行，以前知道，可是我给忘了。吉姆把那两角五分钱放在毛球底下，自己又跪在地上听了一阵。这一回他说毛球灵了。他说，只要我自己想知道，它就给我从小到大算上一命。我说算吧。于是，毛球对吉姆讲，吉姆再转述给我。他说："你爸还不知道，他想干啥。有时候他想走开，过一阵子又想留下来。最好是沉住气，叫老头儿想怎么着就怎么着。有两个天使绕着他转。一个白又亮，一个黑。白的带他走正道，过一会儿，黑的过来就拆台。谁也猜不透，到底哪个能最后降服他。不过，你的命还行。你这辈子要经历很多凶险，也有不少快乐。有时候会受伤，有时候会生病；但每回都能逢凶化吉。命中有二女相随。一白一黑，一富一贫。先娶贫女，后续富妻。离水越远越好，不要去冒险，因为命中注定你将会被淹死。"那天晚上，我点燃了蜡烛，上楼进屋时，爸在那儿端坐着，就是他！
Chapter 5
I HAD shut the door to. Then I turned around. and there he was. I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much. I reckoned I was scared now, too; but in a minute I see I was mistaken -- that is, after the first jolt, as you may say, when my breath sort of hitched, he being so unexpected; but right away after I see I warn't scared of him worth bothring about. 
He was most fifty, and he looked it. His hair was long and tangled and greasy, and hung down, and you could see his eyes shining through like he was behind vines. It was all black, no gray; so was his long, mixed-up whiskers. There warn't no color in his face, where his face showed; it was white; not like another man's white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body's flesh crawl -- a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white. As for his clothes -- just rags, that was all. He had one ankle resting on t'other knee; the boot on that foot was busted, and two of his toes stuck through, and he worked them now and then. His hat was laying on the floor -- an old black slouch with the top caved in, like a lid. 
I stood a-looking at him; he set there a-looking at me, with his chair tilted back a little. I set the candle down. I noticed the window was up; so he had clumb in by the shed. He kept a-looking me all over. By and by he says: 
"Starchy clothes -- very. You think you're a good deal of a big-bug, DON'T you?" 
"Maybe I am, maybe I ain't," I says. 
"Don't you give me none o' your lip," says he. "You've put on considerable many frills since I been away. I'll take you down a peg before I get done with you. You're educated, too, they say -- can read and write. You think you're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't? I'LL take it out of you. Who told you you might meddle with such hifalut'n foolishness, hey? -- who told you you could?" 
"The widow. She told me." 
"The widow, hey? -- and who told the widow she could put in her shovel about a thing that ain't none of her business?" 
"Nobody never told her." 
"Well, I'll learn her how to meddle. And looky here -- you drop that school, you hear? I'll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on to be better'n what HE is. You lemme catch you fooling around that school again, you hear? Your mother couldn't read, and she couldn't write, nuther, before she died. None of the family couldn't before THEY died. I can't; and here you're a-swelling yourself up like this. I ain't the man to stand it -- you hear? Say, lemme hear you read." 
I took up a book and begun something about General Washington and the wars. When I'd read about a half a minute, he fetched the book a whack with his hand and knocked it across the house. He says: 
"It's so. You can do it. I had my doubts when you told me. Now looky here; you stop that putting on frills. I won't have it. I'll lay for you, my smarty; and if I catch you about that school I'll tan you good. First you know you'll get religion, too. I never see such a son. 
He took up a little blue and yaller picture of some cows and a boy, and says: 
"What's this?" 
"It's something they give me for learning my lessons good." 
He tore it up, and says: 
"I'll give you something better -- I'll give you a cowhide. 
He set there a-mumbling and a-growling a minute, and then he says: 
"AIN'T you a sweet-scented dandy, though? A bed; and bedclothes; and a look'n'-glass; and a piece of carpet on the floor -- and your own father got to sleep with the hogs in the tanyard. I never see such a son. I bet I'll take some o' these frills out o' you before I'm done with you. Why, there ain't no end to your airs -- they say you're rich. Hey? -- how's that?" 
"They lie -- that's how." 
"Looky here -- mind how you talk to me; I'm astanding about all I can stand now -- so don't gimme no sass. I've been in town two days, and I hain't heard nothing but about you bein' rich. I heard about it away down the river, too. That's why I come. You git me that money to-morrow -- I want it." 
"I hain't got no money." 
"It's a lie. Judge Thatcher's got it. You git it. I want it." 
"I hain't got no money, I tell you. You ask Judge Thatcher; he'll tell you the same." 
"All right. I'll ask him; and I'll make him pungle, too, or I'll know the reason why. Say, how much you got in your pocket? I want it." 
"I hain't got only a dollar, and I want that to --" 
"It don't make no difference what you want it for -- you just shell it out." 
He took it and bit it to see if it was good, and then he said he was going down town to get some whisky; said he hadn't had a drink all day. When he had got out on the shed he put his head in again, and cussed me for putting on frills and trying to be better than him; and when I reckoned he was gone he come back and put his head in again, and told me to mind about that school, because he was going to lay for me and lick me if I didn't drop that. 
Next day he was drunk, and he went to Judge Thatcher's and bullyragged him, and tried to make him give up the money; but he couldn't, and then he swore he'd make the law force him. 
The judge and the widow went to law to get the court to take me away from him and let one of them be my guardian; but it was a new judge that had just come, and he didn't know the old man; so he said courts mustn't interfere and separate families if they could help it; said he'd druther not take a child away from its father. So Judge Thatcher and the widow had to quit on the business. 
That pleased the old man till he couldn't rest. He said he'd cowhide me till I was black and blue if I didn't raise some money for him. I borrowed three dollars from Judge Thatcher, and pap took it and got drunk, and went a-blowing around and cussing and whooping and carrying on; and he kept it up all over town, with a tin pan, till most midnight; then they jailed him, and next day they had him before court, and jailed him again for a week. But he said HE was satisfied; said he was boss of his son, and he'd make it warm for HIM. 
When he got out the new judge said he was a-going to make a man of him. So he took him to his own house, and dressed him up clean and nice, and had him to breakfast and dinner and supper with the family, and was just old pie to him, so to speak. And after supper he talked to him about temperance and such things till the old man cried, and said he'd been a fool, and fooled away his life; but now he was a-going to turn over a new leaf and be a man nobody wouldn't be ashamed of, and he hoped the judge would help him and not look down on him. The judge said he could hug him for them words; so he cried, and his wife she cried again; pap said he'd been a man that had always been misunderstood before, and the judge said he believed it. The old man said that what a man wanted that was down was sympathy, and the judge said it was so; so they cried again. And when it was bedtime the old man rose up and held out his hand, and says: 
"Look at it, gentlemen and ladies all; take a-hold of it; shake it. There's a hand that was the hand of a hog; but it ain't so no more; it's the hand of a man that's started in on a new life, and'll die before he'll go back. You mark them words -- don't forget I said them. It's a clean hand now; shake it -- don't be afeard." 
So they shook it, one after the other, all around, and cried. The judge's wife she kissed it. Then the old man he signed a pledge -- made his mark. The judge said it was the holiest time on record, or something like that. Then they tucked the old man into a beautiful room, which was the spare room, and in the night some time he got powerful thirsty and clumb out on to the porch-roof and slid down a stanchion and traded his new coat for a jug of forty-rod, and clumb back again and had a good old time; and towards daylight he crawled out again, drunk as a fiddler, and rolled off the porch and broke his left arm in two places, and was most froze to death when somebody found him after sun-up. And when they come to look at that spare room they had to take soundings before they could navigate it. 
The judge he felt kind of sore. He said he reckoned a body could reform the old man with a shotgun, maybe, but he didn't know no other way. 　　我关上门，一掉头，就看见了他。从前我一直怕他，我挨他的揍挨得太多了。我觉得我现在还怕他，但我一见他，就知道自己想错了。也就是说，我先吃了一惊，气都喘不过来了--他来得太突然了，可很快地，我就知道，我并不怎么怕他。他已经快50 了，看起来也像。头发很长，乱糟糟地一团，油乎乎的，朝下耷拉着，眼睛在乱发后闪着光，好像是人躲在葡葡藤后面一样。头发还全是黑的，没有白发；又长又乱的络腮胡子也是黑的。面色苍白，能看得出来，脸是惨白的，又不像一般人那种白法，而是白得让人难受，白得叫人浑身起鸡皮疙瘩--像雨蛙，像鱼肚那种白。他的衣服--就是一堆破烂儿。他的一只脚放在另一条腿的膝盖上；那只靴子张着嘴，两个脚趾头露了出来，他时不时地摆弄着那两个脚趾。帽子丢在地板上；那是一顶破旧的黑毡帽，顶塌下去了，跟个锅盖儿似的。
　　我站着看他，他坐在那里看我，椅子朝后边翘着。我放在蜡烛，看到窗户正开着；他肯定是从木棚上爬进来的。他在从头到脚打量着我。过了一阵，他说："笔挺的衣服，不错。你认为你是个大人物了，对吗？""也许是，也许不是。" 我说。
　　"别跟我斗嘴，"他说，" 我走之后，你就摆起了臭架子。我得先刹刹你的威风，再跟你一刀两断。他们说你还受了教育，能读会写。如今你觉得你比你老子强了，是不是？毕竟他不会。我就是要把这个给你连根拔掉。谁说你可以瞎掺合这些无聊的傻事啦，嗯？谁跟你说的？""寡妇。她跟我说的。""寡妇，嗯？又有谁跟寡妇说她可以管闲事管到别人头上来呢？""没人跟她说。""好吧，我要教教她怎么管闲事。记着，你马上退学，听到没有？我要教训教训那帮人，把儿子养大了却叫他跟自己的亲老子摆架子，还装得比老子都强。可别让我再抓住你在那个学校瞎混，听到没？你妈不识字，不会写，过了一辈子。全家没一个人会，连我也不会，你倒在这儿自己抖起来了。我可受不了这个，听见没有？喂--你读书，让我听听。"我拿起一本书，开始读关于华盛顿将军与打仗的事。我读了大约有半分钟，他伸手一拳，我的书便被他打到了屋子另一边去了。他说："真是这样，你会读。你跟我讲的时候我还不大相信。现在记住，你停止摆臭架子。我不吃这套'我要看着你，聪明的小家伙，要是我在那个学校边上抓住你，就好好地揍你一顿。你要明白，上了学你还会信教。我可没有这么个儿子。"他拾起一小张黄蓝相间的图画，画的是几头母牛和一个男孩儿，他问："这是什么？""这是因为我功课好，他们发给我作奖励的。"他给撕了，说道："我要发给你点儿更好的东西--拿牛皮鞭抽你一通。"他坐在那里嘟嘟囔囔，吵吵嚷嚷，过了一阵，又说："你这不是个香喷喷的花花公子了吗？一张床，还有铺盖，还有面镜子，地上铺着地毯--可你亲老子还得在制革厂和猪睡在一起。我可没见过这种儿子。我一定要打掉你这些臭架子，再跟你断绝关系。喂，你倒是神气个没完了--他们说你发财了。嗯？有这么一回事吗？""他们扯谎，就这么回事。""听着，跟我说话小心点儿；该受的我可全受够了，别跟我顶嘴。我来这镇上两天了，都说你发财了。在河下游我也听到了。所以，我就来了。你明天把那些钱给我，我要。""我没钱。""胡说。萨切尔法官拿着。你去他那里把钱拿来。我要。""我告诉你，我没钱。你去问萨切尔法官，他也会这么对你说的。""好吧。我要去问问他；我还会让他把钱交出来，否则我就得弄明白缘由。喂，你口袋里有多少钱？我要。""我只有一块钱，我想用它..""你想用它干什么都不重要，你交出来就行。"他拿过钱，咬了咬，看是否是真的，然后，他说他要去镇上弄点威士忌，说他一天都没沾酒了。他钻出去站到木棚上，又把头伸进来，骂我摆臭架子，还想超过他；等我觉得他走开了，他又回来伸着头，叫我小心点儿那个学校，如果我不退学，他就等着揍我。
　　第二天，他喝醉了，跑到萨切尔法官家去吓唬他，想让法官放弃那笔钱，可他没得逞，后来，他就发誓说他会让法院强制法官交出那笔钱来。
　　法官和寡妇就去打官司，想让法院判我同他脱离关系，让他俩任何一个当我的监护人。可那刚到任的新法官不了解老头儿，他说要是这家人能凑合，法院就不该干预并拆散一家亲骨肉；还说他不想让一个孩子和他父亲断绝往来。这么一来，法官和寡妇只好作罢。
　　这一下叫老头儿高兴得不得了。他说如果我不给他弄俩钱儿花，他就把我揍个鼻青脸肿。我朝萨切尔法官借了三块钱，爸拿去喝了个烂醉，又吹口哨儿，又骂街，四处吵吵嚷嚷。胡闹了一气，把整个镇上都闹翻了，他拎只铁锅，一直折腾到小半夜，后来，人们把他关了起来，第二天将他送到法院，又关了他一个星期。可是，他说他还比较满意，说他管得住儿子，他还要给他点儿颜色看。
　　他被放出来时，新法官劝他重新做人。所以，他就带他到自己家，给他穿得既干净又漂亮，早饭、午饭和晚饭都让他和家里人一块儿吃，对他简直好透了。吃过晚饭，法官就给他讲戒酒之类的大道理，把老头儿都说哭了，他说自己一直以来是个傻瓜，这辈子全给糟蹋了；但是现在，他要改过自新，不叫任何人再替他害臊，他希望法官能够帮助他，别瞧不起他。法官说就冲他说这些话，他就应该紧紧地拥抱他。因此，连法官都哭了，法官太太也哭了；爸说他这个人过去总是被人误解，法官就说他相信这点。老头儿说一个倒了霉的人需要的是同情，法官就说非常正确。于是，他们又哭了。临近睡觉时，老头儿站起来伸出了他的手，说："看看它吧，诸位先生女士们；抓住它，握一握。这只手啊，过去简直是个猪爪子，现在可不是这样了，它是一个开始新生的人的手，死也不会走老路了。请你们记住这些话--记着我这么讲过。现在，这是一只干净的手，握握它--用不着害怕。"于是，他们跟他握握手，一个接一个握了个遍儿，都哭了。法官太太还吻了他的手。随后，老头儿签了个保证书，划了押。法官说这是有史以来最神圣的时刻，或许是类似的话。后来，他们把老头儿安置在一个漂亮的房间里，那是一间客房。在当天夜里不知什么时候，他酒瘾上来熬不住了，就爬出去从门廊顶上顺着一根柱子溜了下来，拿新上衣换了一大壶酒，又爬回来，美美地喝了一阵子；天快亮时，又往外爬，醉得东倒西歪，从门廊顶上摔了下来，左胳膊摔坏了两处，天亮后，才有人发现了他，都快冻僵了。当人们去看那间客房的时候，几乎没有什么下脚的地方。
　　法官有些恼火。他说也许给那老头儿一枪才能让他改邪归正，但是，他也想不出什么高招来。
Chapter 6
WELL, pretty soon the old man was up and around again, and then he went for Judge Thatcher in the courts to make him give up that money, and he went for me, too, for not stopping school. He catched me a couple of times and thrashed me, but I went to school just the same, and dodged him or outrun him most of the time. I didn't want to go to school much before, but I reckoned I'd go now to spite pap. That law trial was a slow business -- appeared like they warn't ever going to get started on it; so every now and then I'd borrow two or three dollars off of the judge for him, to keep from getting a cowhiding. Every time he got money he got drunk; and every time he got drunk he raised Cain around town; and every time he raised Cain he got jailed. He was just suited -- this kind of thing was right in his line. 
He got to hanging around the widow's too much and so she told him at last that if he didn't quit using around there she would make trouble for him. Well, WASN'T he mad? He said he would show who was Huck Finn's boss. So he watched out for me one day in the spring, and catched me, and took me up the river about three mile in a skiff, and crossed over to the Illinois shore where it was woody and there warn't no houses but an old log hut in a place where the timber was so thick you couldn't find it if you didn't know where it was. 
He kept me with him all the time, and I never got a chance to run off. We lived in that old cabin, and he always locked the door and put the key under his head nights. He had a gun which he had stole, I reckon, and we fished and hunted, and that was what we lived on. Every little while he locked me in and went down to the store, three miles, to the ferry, and traded fish and game for whisky, and fetched it home and got drunk and had a good time, and licked me. The widow she found out where I was by and by, and she sent a man over to try to get hold of me; but pap drove him off with the gun, and it warn't long after that till I was used to being where I was, and liked it -- all but the cowhide part. 
It was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study. Two months or more run along, and my clothes got to be all rags and dirt, and I didn't see how I'd ever got to like it so well at the widow's, where you had to wash, and eat on a plate, and comb up, and go to bed and get up regular, and be forever bothering over a book, and have old Miss Watson pecking at you all the time. I didn't want to go back no more. I had stopped cussing, because the widow didn't like it; but now I took to it again because pap hadn't no objections. It was pretty good times up in the woods there, take it all around. 
But by and by pap got too handy with his hick'ry, and I couldn't stand it. I was all over welts. He got to going away so much, too, and locking me in. Once he locked me in and was gone three days. It was dreadful lonesome. I judged he had got drowned, and I wasn't ever going to get out any more. I was scared. I made up my mind I would fix up some way to leave there. I had tried to get out of that cabin many a time, but I couldn't find no way. There warn't a window to it big enough for a dog to get through. I couldn't get up the chimbly; it was too narrow. The door was thick, solid oak slabs. Pap was pretty careful not to leave a knife or anything in the cabin when he was away; I reckon I had hunted the place over as much as a hundred times; well, I was most all the time at it, because it was about the only way to put in the time. But this time I found something at last; I found an old rusty wood-saw without any handle; it was laid in between a rafter and the clapboards of the roof. I greased it up and went to work. There was an old horse-blanket nailed against the logs at the far end of the cabin behind the table, to keep the wind from blowing through the chinks and putting the candle out. I got under the table and raised the blanket, and went to work to saw a section of the big bottom log out -- big enough to let me through. Well, it was a good long job, but I was getting towards the end of it when I heard pap's gun in the woods. I got rid of the signs of my work, and dropped the blanket and hid my saw, and pretty soon pap come in. 
Pap warn't in a good humor -- so he was his natural self. He said he was down town, and everything was going wrong. His lawyer said he reckoned he would win his lawsuit and get the money if they ever got started on the trial; but then there was ways to put it off a long time, and Judge Thatcher knowed how to do it And he said people allowed there'd be another trial to get me away from him and give me to the widow for my guardian, and they guessed it would win this time. This shook me up considerable, because I didn't want to go back to the widow's any more and be so cramped up and sivilized, as they called it. Then the old man got to cussing, and cussed everything and everybody he could think of, and then cussed them all over again to make sure he hadn't skipped any, and after that he polished off with a kind of a general cuss all round, including a considerable parcel of people which he didn't know the names of, and so called them what's-his-name when he got to them, and went right along with his cussing. 
He said he would like to see the widow get me. He said he would watch out, and if they tried to come any such game on him he knowed of a place six or seven mile off to stow me in, where they might hunt till they dropped and they couldn't find me. That made me pretty uneasy again, but only for a minute; I reckoned I wouldn't stay on hand till he got that chance. 
The old man made me go to the skiff and fetch the things he had got. There was a fifty-pound sack of corn meal, and a side of bacon, ammunition, and a four-gallon jug of whisky, and an old book and two newspapers for wadding, besides some tow. I toted up a load, and went back and set down on the bow of the skiff to rest. I thought it all over, and I reckoned I would walk off with the gun and some lines, and take to the woods when I run away. I guessed I wouldn't stay in one place, but just tramp right across the country, mostly night times, and hunt and fish to keep alive, and so get so far away that the old man nor the widow couldn't ever find me any more. I judged I would saw out and leave that night if pap got drunk enough, and I reckoned he would. I got so full of it I didn't notice how long I was staying till the old man hollered and asked me whether I was asleep or drownded. 
I got the things all up to the cabin, and then it was about dark. While I was cooking supper the old man took a swig or two and got sort of warmed up, and went to ripping again. He had been drunk over in town, and laid in the gutter all night, and he was a sight to look at. A body would a thought he was Adam -- he was just all mud. Whenever his liquor begun to work he most always went for the govment. his time he says: 
"Call this a govment! why, just look at it and see what it's like. Here's the law a-standing ready to take a man's son away from him -- a man's own son, which he has had all the trouble and all the anxiety and all the expense of raising. Yes, just as that man has got that son raised at last, and ready to go to work and begin to do suthin' for HIM and give him a rest, the law up and goes for him. And they call THAT govment! That ain't all, nuther. The law backs that old Judge Thatcher up and helps him to keep me out o' my property. Here's what the law does: The law takes a man worth six thousand dollars and up'ards, and jams him into an old trap of a cabin like this, and lets him go round in clothes that ain't fitten for a hog. They call that govment! A man can't get his rights in a govment like this. Sometimes I've a mighty notion to just leave the country for good and all. Yes, and I TOLD 'em so; I told old Thatcher so to his face. Lots of 'em heard me, and can tell what I said. Says I, for two cents I'd leave the blamed country and never come a-near it agin. Them's the very words. I says look at my hat -- if you call it a hat -- but the lid raises up and the rest of it goes down till it's below my chin, and then it ain't rightly a hat at all, but more like my head was shoved up through a jint o' stovepipe. Look at it, says I -- such a hat for me to wear -- one of the wealthiest men in this town if I could git my rights. 
"Oh, yes, this is a wonderful govment, wonderful. Why, looky here. There was a free nigger there from Ohio -- a mulatter, most as white as a white man. He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain't a man in that town that's got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane -- the awfulest old gray-headed nabob in the State. And what do you think? They said he was a p'fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of languages, and knowed everything. And that ain't the wust. They said he could VOTE when he was at home. Well, that let me out. Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I'll never vote agin. Them's the very words I said; they all heard me; and the country may rot for all me -- I'll never vote agin as long as I live. And to see the cool way of that nigger -- why, he wouldn't a give me the road if I hadn't shoved him out o' the way. I says to the people, why ain't this nigger put up at auction and sold? -- that's what I want to know. And what do you reckon they said? Why, they said he couldn't be sold till he'd been in the State six months, and he hadn't been there that long yet. There, now -- that's a specimen. They call that a govment that can't sell a free nigger till he's been in the State six months. Here's a govment that calls itself a govment, and lets on to be a govment, and thinks it is a govment, and yet's got to set stock-still for six whole months before it can take a hold of a prowling, thieving, infernal, white-shirted free nigger, and --" 
Pap was agoing on so he never noticed where his old limber legs was taking him to, so he went head over heels over the tub of salt pork and barked both shins, and the rest of his speech was all the hottest kind of language -- mostly hove at the nigger and the govment, though he give the tub some, too, all along, here and there. He hopped around the cabin considerable, first on one leg and then on the other, holding first one shin and then the other one, and at last he let out with his left foot all of a sudden and fetched the tub a rattling kick. But it warn't good judgment, because that was the boot that had a couple of his toes leaking out of the front end of it; so now he raised a howl that fairly made a body's hair raise, and down he went in the dirt, and rolled there, and held his toes; and the cussing he done then laid over anything he had ever done previous. He said so his own self afterwards. He had heard old Sowberry Hagan in his best days, and he said it laid over him, too; but I reckon that was sort of piling it on, maybe. 
After supper pap took the jug, and said he had enough whisky there for two drunks and one delirium tremens. That was always his word. I judged he would be blind drunk in about an hour, and then I would steal the key, or saw myself out, one or t'other. He drank and drank, and tumbled down on his blankets by and by; but luck didn't run my way. He didn't go sound asleep, but was uneasy. He groaned and moaned and thrashed around this way and that for a long time. At last I got so sleepy I couldn't keep my eyes open all I could do, and so before I knowed what I was about I was sound asleep, and the candle burning. 
I don't know how long I was asleep, but all of a sudden there was an awful scream and I was up. There was pap looking wild, and skipping around every which way and yelling about snakes. He said they was crawling up his legs; and then he would give a jump and scream, and say one had bit him on the cheek -- but I couldn't see no snakes. He started and run round and round the cabin, hollering "Take him off! take him off! he's biting me on the neck!" I never see a man look so wild in the eyes. Pretty soon he was all fagged out, and fell down panting; then he rolled over and over wonderful fast, kicking things every which way, and striking and grabbing at the air with his hands, and screaming and saying there was devils a-hold of him. He wore out by and by, and laid still a while, moaning. Then he laid stiller, and didn't make a sound. I could hear the owls and the wolves away off in the woods, and it seemed terrible still. He was laying over by the corner. By and by he raised up part way and listened, with his head to one side. He says, very low: 
"Tramp -- tramp -- tramp; that's the dead; tramp -- tramp -- tramp; they're coming after me; but I won't go. Oh, they're here! don't touch me -- don't! hands off -- they're cold; let go. Oh, let a poor devil alone!" 
Then he went down on all fours and crawled off, begging them to let him alone, and he rolled himself up in his blanket and wallowed in under the old pine table, still a-begging; and then he went to crying. I could hear him through the blanket. 
By and by he rolled out and jumped up on his feet looking wild, and he see me and went for me. He chased me round and round the place with a claspknife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn't come for him no more. I begged, and told him I was only Huck; but he laughed SUCH a screechy laugh, and roared and cussed, and kept on chasing me up. Once when I turned short and dodged under his arm he made a grab and got me by the jacket between my shoulders, and I thought I was gone; but I slid out of the jacket quick as lightning, and saved myself. Pretty soon he was all tired out, and dropped down with his back against the door, and said he would rest a minute and then kill me. He put his knife under him, and said he would sleep and get strong, and then he would see who was who. 
So he dozed off pretty soon. By and by I got the old split-bottom chair and clumb up as easy as I could, not to make any noise, and got down the gun. I slipped the ramrod down it to make sure it was loaded, then I laid it across the turnip barrel, pointing towards pap, and set down behind it to wait for him to stir. And how slow and still the time did drag along. 　　很快地，老头儿又能四处走动了。他就去寻萨切尔法官上法院打官司，叫他放弃那笔钱。他也来找我，我没有听他的话停止上学。他抓住我好几次，狠狠地揍我，可我还照样上学，大多数时候都能躲过他或跑得叫他追不上。我过去不太想上学，可现在，我愿意去，就为了叫爸生气。那场官司打得很慢，就跟他们并不打算开庭一般，所以，我还得时不时地朝法官借两三块钱，好让他不用鞭子抽我。每回他拿到钱就喝个烂醉，每次醉了就到镇上四处惹是生非，每次惹了事就被关起来。这对他非常合适，这种事情他最拿手了。
　　他在寡妇家四周转悠的次数太多了，因此，寡妇后来告诉他，要是他还在那儿转悠，她就对他不客气。好家伙，这不会把他气疯吗？他说他要看看哈克·芬到底归谁管。于是，那年春天有一次，他盯上我，把我抓住了，把我带到大河上游三英里远的地方，坐小船过了河，划到了伊利诺斯州的岸边，那地方树多，又没有房子，只有一个破旧的小木屋，周围树林茂密，要是不知道小屋的位置，谁也不会找到。
　　他让我一直跟着他，我没有任何机会逃走。我们住在那个破旧小屋里，夜里，他总会锁上门，把钥匙压在他头底下。他有一杆枪，我猜多半是偷来的，我们钓鱼打猎，就这么过日子。不久，他把我锁在屋里，自己到下面商店里去，离码头大约有三英里地，用鱼和猎物换威士忌，回家来喝个烂醉，痛快一阵，再打我一顿。寡妇后来打听到我的地方，还派人过来想找到我，可是，爸用枪把那个人赶走了。那件事过后不久，我就习惯了那个地方，也乐意在那儿呆了，什么都好，除了挨鞭子之外。日子过得懒洋洋的，很惬意，整天舒舒服服地躺着，抽抽烟，钓钓鱼，没书，也不学习。两个多月一晃眼就过去了，我的衣服弄得又烂又脏，我不明白当初在寡妇家我怎么会喜欢上那种日子，你得天天洗脸，吃饭用盘子，还得梳头，按时睡觉起床，又要为书本大费脑筋，老华森小姐还不断地挑毛病找茬。我再也不想回家了。我早就不骂人了，因为寡妇不喜欢；可是现在，我又习惯骂人了，因为爸不反对。总之，在树林里日子过得挺好。
　　可到后来，爸那条山核桃木鞭用得过于顺手了，我就受不了啦。我浑身鞭痕。他出门也勤了，老把我锁在屋子里。有一次，他锁住我出去了三天，我憋闷得要死。我估计他是淹死了，那我就别指望着出去了。我害怕。我下定决心要想办法离开。我好几次试着要逃出去，都没一点进展。小屋连个狗能钻过去的窗户也没有，我又不能人烟囱朝外爬，太窄了。门是又厚又结实的橡木板。爸很小心，他走的时候从不把刀子之类的东西留在小屋里，我觉得我把那地方都翻过无数次了，我总是在找东西，毕竟这是打发时间的唯一办法。但是这一次，我终于找到点东西，我找了一把生锈的旧木锯，没把手，它放在椽子和屋顶的护墙板之间。我给它上了油就动手干了起来。一块旧马毯钉在屋子那头桌子后面的圆木上，怕风从墙缝里刮进来吹灭蜡烛。我钻到桌子下，掀开马毯就开始了，得把下面那根圆木锯掉一截儿，大得够我钻出去。这活着实叫我干了好长时间，我快干完的时候，听到了爸在树林里放枪。我清除掉自己干活的痕迹，垂下毯子，藏好木锯，不一阵，爸进来了。
　　爸心情不好，因此就原形毕露。他说他去了趟镇上，事情都错了。他的律师说，他认为他能赢这场官司拿到钱，只要他们能开庭受理，可他们总有办法拖延好长时间不开庭，萨切尔法官就知道该怎么办。他又说大家认为会再立一案，判我跟他断绝关系，让寡妇做我的监护人，他们猜这回肯定能赢。这可叫我大吃一惊，因为我不想再回到寡妇家，去受拘束被教化，就跟他们说的那样。接着，老头儿开始骂人，他把能想到的人都骂到了，后来，又挨个儿骂一遍，唯恐漏掉谁，再以后又把大家放一起统统骂了才算完，包括好多他连名字都叫不出来的人，轮到这些人时，他就说"那个叫什么的"，这么一直骂下去。
　　他说他很想瞧瞧寡妇怎样把我夺走。他说他要提防着，要是他们想跟他耍花招，他知道离这里六七英里有个地方，把我藏到那里，谁也找不到，那时候他们只得作罢。我听了又不舒服起来，可是仅仅过了一两分钟，我想我决不会呆在他身边让他有那机会。
　　老头儿叫我到小船上，把他弄到的东西取回来。那儿有一袋50 磅的玉米面，一块咸猪肉，还有弹药，四加仑（加伦：(美国液量单位)3 1 785 升。）威士忌，以及垫东西用的旧书和两张报纸，还有点儿短麻丝。我运了一趟，回来在船头坐下歇歇。我把事情从头到尾盘算了一遍，要逃的话，就带上枪和几条鱼线去树林。我想不会呆在一个地方，而是到全国各处游荡，大部分是在晚上走，靠打猎钓鱼活命，走得远远的，这么一来，老头儿跟寡妇就谁也找不到我了。我估计那天晚上假如爸醉糊涂的话，我就能把它锯开，我猜他会那样。我光想着这件事，没想到我歇的时间太长了，以至于到后来，老头儿扯着嗓子问我是睡着了，还是淹死了。
　　我把东西全搬进小屋里，天都快黑了。我做饭的时候，老头儿痛饮了一阵儿，劲头上来了又破口大骂一通。他在镇上本来就喝醉了，在臭水沟里躺了一夜，那样子可真够瞧的。人们还以为他是泥做的亚当呢，一身泥巴。他酒劲儿发作时，几乎总是骂政府。这一回，他说："这也叫政府！嘿，瞧瞧吧，看它像个什么东西。还有法律，专门等着把人家的儿子抢走--他的亲生儿子，他费尽千辛万苦，整天操心挂念，花了无数的钱，才把儿子养大，就是么，总算等到把儿子养大了，想让儿子干点儿事，孝顺孝顺他，叫他喘口气歇歇，法律就跑过来找他的麻烦。他们竟把那东西称做政府！法律替萨切尔法官那老家伙撑腰，帮着他抢走我自己的财产。这就是法律干的好事。法律抓着一个有六千多块钱的人，把他硬塞到这么个破旧笼子一般的小屋里，让他穿着猪都不要的烂衣服四处丢人现眼。他们叫它政府！一个人在这样的政府下享受不到他的权利。有时候，我就想干脆离开这个国家算了，永远也不回来了。是的，我跟他们说过这话；我当着萨切尔那老家伙的面就这么说的，很多人都听见了，都能证明我的话。我说，给我两分钱我就离开这个混蛋国家，再不沾它的边儿了。就这话。我还说，瞧瞧我的帽子--要是你们把它也能叫帽子的话--帽顶翘着，帽檐儿都耷拉到我下巴底下去了，这根本就不能算是帽子，倒更像是我的头被硬塞到一截火炉烟筒里去了。瞧瞧，我说--这样的帽子叫我戴着--我本来应该是这镇上最有钱的一个人，当然如果我能享受我的权利的话。""啊，对了，这真是个奇妙的政府，奇妙得很。哼，瞧瞧，镇上有个自由黑人，从俄亥俄州来，是个混血儿，几乎跟白人一样白。他还穿着最白的衬衣，戴着最漂亮的帽子，全镇上没有一个人的衣服比他更好，他有个金表金链子，还有根银头手杖--差不多是全州最叫人看得起的灰白头发老富翁。你猜怎么样？他们说他是个大学教授，哪国的话他都会讲，什么他都懂。这还不算最糟呢。他们说要是在他的家乡，他也能投票选举。哈，这叫我发懵。我心想，这个国家要糟成什么样子呀？那天是选举日，我刚要去投票，如果不是醉得走不到地方我就想亲自去，可是他们对我说在这个国家，只有一个州他们准许那黑人投票，我不去了。我说我再也不投票了。我就是那么讲的，一字不差，他们都听见了。我恨不得这个国家马上完蛋，我只要活着，这辈子都不去投票了。还要看那黑人的傲慢颈儿，干嘛呀，我如果不把他使劲推开，他路也不给我让。我对那群人说，干嘛不把这黑人拿去拍卖掉？我就是想明白这个。你猜他们说什么？唉，他们说他要在这个州足够六个月才可以卖，但他还没待那么长呢。得了吧，你瞧，这简直是怪事。待不够六个月就不能把一个自由黑人卖掉，他们还管它叫政府。这儿有个政府，自己管自己叫政府，就让它接着做政府吧，让它想着自己是政府吧，可是它得纹丝不动坐上整整六个月才可以去抓一个偷偷摸摸贼头贼脑可恶该死穿着雪白衬衣的自由黑人，还."爸一气儿地骂下去，没当心他那两条老腿东倒西歪把他带到了哪儿，结果一下子撞在咸肉桶，摔了个倒栽葱，两根胫骨都碰破了，接下去，他的话可都是最不入耳的了--多半还是咒黑人和政府，尽管他也时不时地骂一两句木桶。在小屋里他换着腿来回跳，提提这根胫骨，又捏捏那一根，后来，他突然放开左脚，猛踢那个木桶。这下可没算计好，因为他左脚穿的正是那只前面露着两个脚趾头的鞋，于是，他狂嚎一声，叫得人头皮发炸，他倒在脏土里打着滚儿，捂着他的脚趾头，再往后他骂得比以往任何时候都凶。后来，他自己亲口这么说的..晚饭后，爸拿过酒罐，说里头的酒足够他醉上两回，发回酒疯儿。他总讲这些话。我估计不到一个小时，他就会醉得稀里糊涂，人事不省。然后，我就偷钥匙，或者自己锯墙逃走，怎么都行。他喝了又喝，慢慢地倒在毯子上。可是，我还是不走运，他并未睡死，只是有些难受。他呻吟叫唤，又来回甩胳膊，折腾了好久。最后，我困得睁不开眼睛，怎么也撑不住，不知不觉就睡熟了，蜡烛亮着。
　　我不知睡了多久，猛地听到一声可怕的尖叫，我醒了过来。是爸，像发疯一样，左蹦右跳，嘴里还嚷嚷着有蛇。他说蛇正顺着他的脚往上爬，说话间他就跳起来，惨叫一声，又说有一条蛇咬了他的面颊--可是我看不见有什么蛇。他跳着在小屋里跑了一圈儿又一圈儿。他边跑边喊：" 抓掉它！抓掉它！它咬住我的脖子了！" 我从未见过这么疯的眼神，很快，他就累瘫在那里了，倒下来喘着气，后来，他在地上直打滚儿，滚得快极了，碰到什么踢什么，用双手朝四处又抓又打，惨叫着，说魔鬼缠住他了。不多久，他又累坏了，乖乖地躺了一会儿，嘴里还在叫唤。后来，他躺得更老实了，不吱一声。我听得见猫头鹰和狼的叫声，它们在远处的树林里，外面好像静得有些可怕。他在那边的墙角里躺着。慢慢地，他撑起来半片身子，把头歪到一边听了听。他声音低低地说："嚓--嚓--嚓，这是死人的脚步声；嚓--嚓--嚓，他们在后边追我来了。我偏不去--噢，他们来了！别碰我--别碰！手拿开..冰凉冰凉的手；放开..噢，让这个可怜的家伙自己呆会儿吧！"说完，他四肢朝地，爬着求他们放过他，他翻滚着把自己裹到毯子里，滚到了那张旧松木桌子底下，还在不住地哀求。后来，他就哭了起来。隔着毯子我也能听到他的哭声。
　　不一会儿，他又滚了出来，双脚朝上跳，如同发疯一般，他看到我就朝我冲过来。他手拿一把折刀，撵得我在那地方团团转，说我是死亡天使，还说要杀了我，这样我才不会寻他的事儿。我乞求他，告诉他我只不过是哈克，但是，他笑啊笑得声音那个尖呐，连吼带骂，不停地追赶我。有一回，我转过身去，躲到他胳膊下面时，他伸手一把抓住了我的上衣后领，我想这回我完了。但是，我飞快地挣脱了上衣，救了自己。不久，他累垮了，背靠着门，说他要歇一分钟再杀我。他把刀压在身子底下，说他得睡会儿，攒把劲儿，然后再瞧瞧到底谁怕谁。这样，他很快就打起盹来。不久，我拿过那把底板开裂的椅子爬了上去，轻手轻脚地没弄出一点声响，取下了那杆枪。我拉下枪栓，看明白它确实装着弹药，然后，我把它架到了萝卜桶上，对准爸，坐在枪后边等着他动弹。时间拖拖拉拉走得好慢好轻啊。
Chapter 7
GIT up! What you 'bout?" 
I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to make out where I was. It was after sun-up, and I had been sound asleep. Pap was standing over me looking sour補nd sick, too. He says: 
"What you doin' with this gun?" 
I judged he didn't know nothing about what he had been doing, so I says: 
"Somebody tried to get in, so I was laying for him." 
"Why didn't you roust me out?" 
"Well, I tried to, but I couldn't; I couldn't budge you." 
"Well, all right. Don't stand there palavering all day, but out with you and see if there's a fish on the lines for breakfast. I'll be along in a minute." 
He unlocked the door, and I cleared out up the river-bank. I noticed some pieces of limbs and such things floating down, and a sprinkling of bark; so I knowed the river had begun to rise. I reckoned I would have great times now if I was over at the town. The June rise used to be always luck for me; because as soon as that rise begins here comes cordwood floating down, and pieces of log rafts -- sometimes a dozen logs together; so all you have to do is to catch them and sell them to the wood-yards and the sawmill. 
I went along up the bank with one eye out for pap and t'other one out for what the rise might fetch along. Well, all at once here comes a canoe; just a beauty, too, about thirteen or fourteen foot long, riding high like a duck. I shot head-first off of the bank like a frog, clothes and all on, and struck out for the canoe. I just expected there'd be somebody laying down in it, because people often done that to fool folks, and when a chap had pulled a skiff out most to it they'd raise up and laugh at him. But it warn't so this time. It was a drift-canoe sure enough, and I clumb in and paddled her ashore. Thinks I, the old man will be glad when he sees this -- she's worth ten dollars. But when I got to shore pap wasn't in sight yet, and as I was running her into a little creek like a gully, all hung over with vines and willows, I struck another idea: I judged I'd hide her good, and then, 'stead of taking to the woods when I run off, I'd go down the river about fifty mile and camp in one place for good, and not have such a rough time tramping on foot. 
It was pretty close to the shanty, and I thought I heard the old man coming all the time; but I got her hid; and then I out and looked around a bunch of willows, and there was the old man down the path a piece just drawing a bead on a bird with his gun. So he hadn't seen anything. 
When he got along I was hard at it taking up a "trot" line. He abused me a little for being so slow; but I told him I fell in the river, and that was what made me so long. I knowed he would see I was wet, and then he would be asking questions. We got five catfish off the lines and went home. 
While we laid off after breakfast to sleep up, both of us being about wore out, I got to thinking that if I could fix up some way to keep pap and the widow from trying to follow me, it would be a certainer thing than trusting to luck to get far enough off before they missed me; you see, all kinds of things might happen. Well, I didn't see no way for a while, but by and by pap raised up a minute to drink another barrel of water, and he says: 
"Another time a man comes a-prowling round here you roust me out, you hear? That man warn't here for no good. I'd a shot him. Next time you roust me out, you hear?" 
Then he dropped down and went to sleep again; but what he had been saying give me the very idea I wanted. I says to myself, I can fix it now so nobody won't think of following me. 
About twelve o'clock we turned out and went along up the bank. The river was coming up pretty fast, and lots of driftwood going by on the rise. By and by along comes part of a log raft -- nine logs fast together. We went out with the skiff and towed it ashore. Then we had dinner. Anybody but pap would a waited and seen the day through, so as to catch more stuff; but that warn't pap's style. Nine logs was enough for one time; he must shove right over to town and sell. So he locked me in and took the skiff, and started off towing the raft about halfpast three. I judged he wouldn't come back that night. I waited till I reckoned he had got a good start; then I out with my saw, and went to work on that log again. Before he was t'other side of the river I was out of the hole; him and his raft was just a speck on the water away off yonder. 
I took the sack of corn meal and took it to where the canoe was hid, and shoved the vines and branches apart and put it in; then I done the same with the side of bacon; then the whisky-jug. I took all the coffee and sugar there was, and all the ammunition; I took the wadding; I took the bucket and gourd; I took a dipper and a tin cup, and my old saw and two blankets, and the skillet and the coffee-pot. I took fish-lines and matches and other things -- everything that was worth a cent. I cleaned out the place. I wanted an axe, but there wasn't any, only the one out at the woodpile, and I knowed why I was going to leave that. I fetched out the gun, and now I was done. 
I had wore the ground a good deal crawling out of the hole and dragging out so many things. So I fixed that as good as I could from the outside by scattering dust on the place, which covered up the smoothness and the sawdust. Then I fixed the piece of log back into its place, and put two rocks under it and one against it to hold it there, for it was bent up at that place and didn't quite touch ground. If you stood four or five foot away and didn't know it was sawed, you wouldn't never notice it; and besides, this was the back of the cabin, and it warn't likely anybody would go fooling around there. 
It was all grass clear to the canoe, so I hadn't left a track. I followed around to see. I stood on the bank and looked out over the river. All safe. So I took the gun and went up a piece into the woods, and was hunting around for some birds when I see a wild pig; hogs soon went wild in them bottoms after they had got away from the prairie farms. I shot this fellow and took him into camp. 
I took the axe and smashed in the door. I beat it and hacked it considerable a-doing it. I fetched the pig in, and took him back nearly to the table and hacked into his throat with the axe, and laid him down on the ground to bleed; I say ground because it was ground -- hard packed, and no boards. Well, next I took an old sack and put a lot of big rocks in it -- all I could drag -- and I started it from the pig, and dragged it to the door and through the woods down to the river and dumped it in, and down it sunk, out of sight. You could easy see that something had been dragged over the ground. I did wish Tom Sawyer was there; I knowed he would take an interest in this kind of business, and throw in the fancy touches. Nobody could spread himself like Tom Sawyer in such a thing as that. 
Well, last I pulled out some of my hair, and blooded the axe good, and stuck it on the back side, and slung the axe in the corner. Then I took up the pig and held him to my breast with my jacket (so he couldn't drip) till I got a good piece below the house and then dumped him into the river. Now I thought of something else. So I went and got the bag of meal and my old saw out of the canoe, and fetched them to the house. I took the bag to where it used to stand, and ripped a hole in the bottom of it with the saw, for there warn't no knives and forks on the place -- pap done everything with his clasp-knife about the cooking. Then I carried the sack about a hundred yards across the grass and through the willows east of the house, to a shallow lake that was five mile wide and full of rushes -- and ducks too, you might say, in the season. There was a slough or a creek leading out of it on the other side that went miles away, I don't know where, but it didn't go to the river. The meal sifted out and made a little track all the way to the lake. I dropped pap's whetstone there too, so as to look like it had been done by accident. Then I tied up the rip in the meal sack with a string, so it wouldn't leak no more, and took it and my saw to the canoe again. 
It was about dark now; so I dropped the canoe down the river under some willows that hung over the bank, and waited for the moon to rise. I made fast to a willow; then I took a bite to eat, and by and by laid down in the canoe to smoke a pipe and lay out a plan. I says to myself, they'll follow the track of that sackful of rocks to the shore and then drag the river for me. And they'll follow that meal track to the lake and go browsing down the creek that leads out of it to find the robbers that killed me and took the things. They won't ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass. They'll soon get tired of that, and won't bother no more about me. All right; I can stop anywhere I want to. Jackson's Island is good enough for me; I know that island pretty well, and nobody ever comes there. And then I can paddle over to town nights, and slink around and pick up things I want. Jackson's Island's the place. 
I was pretty tired, and the first thing I knowed I was asleep. When I woke up I didn't know where I was for a minute. I set up and looked around, a little scared. Then I remembered. The river looked miles and miles across. The moon was so bright I could a counted the drift logs that went a-slipping along, black and still, hundreds of yards out from shore. Everything was dead quiet, and it looked late, and SMELT late. You know what I mean -- I don't know the words to put it in. 
I took a good gap and a stretch, and was just going to unhitch and start when I heard a sound away over the water. I listened. Pretty soon I made it out. It was that dull kind of a regular sound that comes from oars working in rowlocks when it's a still night. I peeped out through the willow branches, and there it was -- a skiff, away across the water. I couldn't tell how many was in it. It kept a-coming, and when it was abreast of me I see there warn't but one man in it. Think's I, maybe it's pap, though I warn't expecting him. He dropped below me with the current, and by and by he came a-swinging up shore in the easy water, and he went by so close I could a reached out the gun and touched him. Well, it WAS pap, sure enough -- and sober, too, by the way he laid his oars. 
I didn't lose no time. The next minute I was aspinning down stream soft but quick in the shade of the bank. I made two mile and a half, and then struck out a quarter of a mile or more towards the middle of the river, because pretty soon I would be passing the ferry landing, and people might see me and hail me. I got out amongst the driftwood, and then laid down in the bottom of the canoe and let her float. I laid there, and had a good rest and a smoke out of my pipe, looking away into the sky; not a cloud in it. The sky looks ever so deep when you lay down on your back in the moonshine; I never knowed it before. And how far a body can hear on the water such nights! I heard people talking at the ferry landing. I heard what they said, too -- every word of it. One man said it was getting towards the long days and the short nights now. T'other one said THIS warn't one of the short ones, he reckoned -- and then they laughed, and he said it over again, and they laughed again; then they waked up another fellow and told him, and laughed, but he didn't laugh; he ripped out something brisk, and said let him alone. The first fellow said he 'lowed to tell it to his old woman -- she would think it was pretty good; but he said that warn't nothing to some things he had said in his time. I heard one man say it was nearly three o'clock, and he hoped daylight wouldn't wait more than about a week longer. After that the talk got further and further away, and I couldn't make out the words any more; but I could hear the mumble, and now and then a laugh, too, but it seemed a long ways off. 
I was away below the ferry now. I rose up, and there was Jackson's Island, about two mile and a half down stream, heavy timbered and standing up out of the middle of the river, big and dark and solid, like a steamboat without any lights. There warn't any signs of the bar at the head -- it was all under water now. 
It didn't take me long to get there. I shot past the head at a ripping rate, the current was so swift, and then I got into the dead water and landed on the side towards the Illinois shore. I run the canoe into a deep dent in the bank that I knowed about; I had to part the willow branches to get in; and when I made fast nobody could a seen the canoe from the outside. 
I went up and set down on a log at the head of the island, and looked out on the big river and the black driftwood and away over to the town, three mile away, where there was three or four lights twinkling. A monstrous big lumber-raft was about a mile up stream, coming along down, with a lantern in the middle of it. I watched it come creeping down, and when it was most abreast of where I stood I heard a man say, "Stern oars, there! heave her head to stabboard!" I heard that just as plain as if the man was by my side. 
There was a little gray in the sky now; so I stepped into the woods, and laid down for a nap before breakfast. 　　"起来！你在干什么？"我睁开眼，四处瞅瞅，想弄明白我这是在哪儿。太阳已经升起来了，原来我睡过去了。爸站在我一边，脸色恼怒，也有些烦躁。他问道："你拿枪干吗？"我想他一点儿也不记得他都做了些什么事，我就说："有人想进来，因此，我就埋伏在这里等他。""你怎么不叫醒我？""叫了，可叫不醒，我推都推不动你。""好啦，别整天站在那儿废话了，出去看看鱼线上有没有鱼，要有的话，拿来做早饭。我等会儿过去。"他打开门，我跑了出去，顺着河边朝上游走。我看见树枝树杈之类的东西在河上漂着，还有些零星树皮，我就知道大河涨水了。我想这回可该我痛快了，如果我还在那边镇上的话。六月份里我总是很走运，因为河水一上涨，就会有大块木料漂下来，以及冲散的木排，甚至，还会碰上十几根木头连在一块儿。所以，你只要去捞起来，卖到木材厂和锯厂就行了。我沿河岸向上走，一边提防着爸，一边看看大水会冲下些什么东西。嘿，猛然间，那边冲过来一只独木舟，太漂亮了，大约有十三四英尺长，高高地如同一只鸭子一般漂了过来。我一个猛子扎下去，就像一只青蛙，衣服都没有脱，向那只独木舟游了过去。我忽然想到，或许会有人躺在里面，因为人们老爱这么做来捉弄别人，当你伸出手都快要抓住小舟时，里面的人猛地站起来，冲你大笑。不过，这一次里面没有人。这是个随意漂的独木舟，一点儿也不会搞错，我爬进去，将它划到岸上。我想，老头儿看到它会高兴的--它能值10 块钱。但是，我靠岸时，爸还没来，我正在把它往一条水沟似的小河里划的时候，一下子又有了一个主意，小河两岸的藤条柳树能把小河水面给遮严，我如果把独木舟藏好，那么，我逃走时就不走树林，而是顺河直下，划到约摸50 英里地时，就找个地方永远住下来，不再步行游荡，受那份罪了。
　　那地方离小屋很近，我总是觉得听到了老头儿来的脚步声。但是我还是藏好了小舟，然后才出去，在一堆柳树那儿四下张望，老头儿一个人正在小路上，拿枪瞄着一只小鸟，因此，他什么也没有看见。
　　他走过来的时候，我正费劲地朝上拖"排钩"鱼线。他骂了我两句，嫌我干得慢，我告诉他说我掉到河里了，这样耽误了我这么久。我知道他看得出来我的衣服湿了，然后，一定会问我。我们从鱼线上摘下五条鲇鱼，回家了。
　　吃完早饭，我们躺下来睡了一阵，两个人都累坏了，我就开始想，要是我能安排妥当，让爸和寡妇都不想去找我，那可就比凭运气跑出去老远才让他们发现我不见要稳妥得很。你知道吧，啥事都可能发生。不过，我一时还想不出办法。过了不一会儿，爸爬起来又喝了一罐水，他说："要是还有人贼头贼脑在这儿转，你就叫醒我，听到没有？那人来这里准不安好心。我想一枪把他干掉。下一次，你叫醒我，听到没有？"然后，他倒下去，又睡了。可他刚才的话一下子使我有了主意。我想，现在我就要安排妥当，让谁都想不到要去找我。大概12 点的时候，我们出去沿着河岸朝上走。河水涨得很快，很多木头浮在水上往前漂。很快地，漂来一个散木排--九根木头牢牢地捆在一处。我们划着小船过去将它拖到岸上。然后我们就吃午饭。除了爸，谁都能等上一整天，再捞点东西，可是，那不是爸的干法儿。一次能捞上九根木头就足够了，他要马上运到镇上卖掉。因此，大约三点半时，他把我锁在小屋里，解开小船拖上木排划走了。我料定那天夜里他不会回来。我约摸着他开始用劲儿划的时候，我就拿出木锯又开始锯那根圆木。还没等他划到河对岸，我就从洞口钻出来了，他和他的小船在水面上远远看上去就剩下一个小黑点。
　　我提起那袋玉米面，把它提到我藏独木舟的地方，分开藤条柳枝，将玉米面放进小舟里，随后，又运来那块咸猪肉，又搬来那罐威士忌，我还拿来了全部的咖啡和糖，还有全部弹药；我又拿了垫东西的书报，拿了水桶和葫芦瓢，拿了一个长把勺和马口铁杯，另外还有我那把老锯和两张毯子，还有个平底煎锅和咖啡壶；我又带上鱼线儿和火柴，还有其他的东西--所有值点儿钱的东西。我把那地方都给搬空了。我想要把斧头，可是没有。只有外面的木材堆上有一把，我明白我为什么要留下那把斧头。我带上枪，这一来我算是拿彻底了。
　　我把那块地皮磨了不少，从洞口爬进爬出那多回，又拖出来那么多的东西。因此，我想办法要收拾好它，就从外面在那地方撒上土，把磨平的地皮和锯末都盖好。随后，我把那块木头又钉回原处，在它底下垫两块石头，又搬过来一块顶着将它固定住--因为木头在那个地方朝上弯，不是很贴地面。要是你站开四五英尺远，就看不出那地方被锯开过，你甚至都不会注意到，另外，那地方在小屋后墙，不大可能有人到那边傻转悠。
　　一直到独木舟那边都是草地，因此，我没有留下一点痕迹。我转到四周看看，站在岸上向河面上眺望，一切都好。于是，我拿起枪，一个人走进树林想去打几只鸟，这时，我看到一头野猪，猪从草地农场里跑出来以后，在低洼地里不久就跑野了。我打死这家伙，将它拖回住地。
　　我拿起那把斧，对准门乱劈一通。我连砍带砸，猛干了一阵。我把猪拖进来，让它差不多背靠桌子，用斧头砍断它的喉咙，把它放倒在地上给它放血。好了，接下来，我拿上条旧口袋，里面装入了很多大石块--我能拉动多少就朝里装多少--我从猪躺的地方拉到门口，又穿过树林，一直拖到河边，扔入水里，" 扑通"一声沉下去，就没影子了。你可以明显看到有什么东西拖过地面。我真希望汤姆·索亚在场，我知道，他向来有兴趣干这种事，而且还会添加许多新花样儿。干这种事谁也赶不上汤姆·索亚。
　　好了，最后，我从头上揪下一撮头发，用斧头蘸满血，把头发系到斧背上，把那把斧头扔到墙角。随后，我抱起那头猪，用上衣裹紧，抱在我的胸脯上(这么一来，它就不滴血了)，等我出房子走了好远一段路，就将它抛入了河中。现在，我想起了别的事。于是，我去把那袋玉米面和那把锯从独木舟里拿出来，拿到小屋里。我把袋子搁到老地方，用锯在面袋底部划开一道口，因为那里没有刀和叉子--爸做什么都用他的折刀，就连做饭也如此。然后，我扛起面袋，穿过草地走了一百码远，又穿过东面的柳树林，到了一个浅水湖边，湖有五英里宽，长了灯芯草，在这种季节，可以说满是鸭子。湖那一边有条小河流出去有几英里，我不知道它流向哪里，但是，它没有汇到大河里。玉米面漏出来，撒出小小的一溜印儿，一直到湖边。我把爸的磨刀石也撂在那里，为的是看起来好像是谁无意中那么做的。然后，我用一根绳子把裂口扎紧，不让它再向外漏，我扛起面袋，拿了锯子又回到独木舟上。
　　天快擦黑了，于是，我就在垂柳下把小舟荡到大河里，等着月亮升起来。我将小舟在一棵柳树上拴牢，接着随便吃了点东西，慢慢地在小舟上躺下，想想办法。我想，他们一定会沿着那袋石头拖出来的印儿一直找到河边，再下河里捞我。他们还可能沿着玉米面的痕迹到湖边，跟牛吃草一般低头顺着那条从湖里流出的小河一直找杀死了我又抢跑了东西的强盗。除去打捞我的死尸，他们在大河里啥也找不到。他们很快就会厌倦，不会再替我操心了。好了，我想停在哪儿就停在哪儿。杰克逊岛挺合适，我十分熟悉那个岛，从来没有人到过那里。然后，我就能划船到镇上，在夜里，偷偷摸摸转一圈儿，顺便捎带点我需要的东西。我就去杰克逊岛吧。
　　我被累坏了，迷迷糊糊地就睡着了。我醒来时，一开始还不知道自己身在何处。我坐起来四周看看，有点儿怕。后来，我就想起来了。大河好像有好多英里好多英里宽。月光很亮，我都可以数得清顺水漂下来的木头，黑乎乎的木头静静地漂着，离河岸有好几百码远。四周一片静寂，夜很晚，闻都闻得出来。你明白我要说什么--我不知道怎样表达。
　　我打了个大哈欠又伸个懒腰，正要解开绳子开船，我听见水面上远处有声音传来。我听了听，很快就听清了，那是在清静的夜里架在桨架上单调的划桨声。我穿过柳条偷眼一看，果然不错--有一只小船，在远远的水面上。我看不清船上到底有多少人。它一直向这边划过来，当它和我并齐成一条线时，我看清楚上面只有一个人。我想，或许是爸，尽管我没想到他会回来。他划到我下面去了，顺着主流，慢慢地在静水的地方靠岸。他离我这样近划了过去，我伸出枪就能碰到他。噢，是爸，一点没错--而且还没喝醉，要是从他那划桨的样子看的话。
　　我一点也不敢再耽误，立即沿着河岸的隐蔽处顺流急冲直下，尽管划得轻，可是速度相当快。我划出两英里半地，接着又向河中心划了四分之一英里多，因为很快我就会过渡口了，怕有人发现我，跟我打招呼。我从漂浮的木头的中划出去，在船底躺下来，让它随便漂。我躺在那里，美美地休息了一阵，用烟斗吸袋烟，看看远处的天，天下没有一丝云。在月光中，你躺着仰脸看天时，天空看起来那么深，我过去从不知道这个。在这样的夜里，你在水面上能听多远哪！我听到有人在渡口说话。我还能听见他们说什么，每个人都能听清楚。一个人说，现在快到天长夜短的时候了；另一个人说，在他的眼中，这一夜可不算短呢--这么一讲他们都笑了起来，他又说了一遍，他们又跟着笑。后来，他们唤醒另一个家伙，把这话告诉了他，又笑了一通，可是那家伙没笑，他狠狠地骂了一句，还说谁也别来招惹他。..我听到一个人说快三点了，他希望别等上一个星期，天才会亮。随后，说话声越来越远，我就听不清楚了，但是，我还能听见他们咕咕噜噜，偶尔也笑上两声，可是，好像是离得很远了。
　　我现在已经快到渡口了。我站起来一看，杰克逊岛就在前面，在下游大约有英里半远，林木丛生，兀起在大河中央，又大又黑又稳，像个没有灯的轮船。它前面的沙洲连影子都不见了--如今全给水淹没了。
　　很快地，我就到了。我飞快地冲过岛前头，那里水流湍急，然后，我划进静水里，靠上伊利诺斯州那边的河岸。我将独木舟划进一个我原来就知道的岸边，因为它凹进去很深，我得拨开柳条才能进去。我拴牢以后，从外面谁也不会看见那只独木舟。
　　我走上去，坐在岛头的一根木头上，朝着远处那条大河和那些黑乎乎的浮木头望去，望着远远的那座小镇，它在三英里开外，那儿有三四处灯光在闪亮。一个大得吓人的木排从大约一英里远的上游，向这边划过来，中间亮着灯。我眼睁睁看着慢慢爬过来，它快和我站的地方并齐时，我听见有人说，" 划尾桨！嗨！船头向右！" 我听得十分真切，好像那个人就在我身边。
　　这时，天光渐渐发亮了，我走进树林，躺下睡会儿，再吃早饭。
Chapter 8
THE sun was up so high when I waked that I judged it was after eight o'clock. I laid there in the grass and the cool shade thinking about things, and feeling rested and ruther comfortable and satisfied. I could see the sun out at one or two holes, but mostly it was big trees all about, and gloomy in there amongst them. There was freckled places on the ground where the light sifted down through the leaves, and the freckled places swapped about a little, showing there was a little breeze up there. A couple of squirrels set on a limb and jabbered at me very friendly. 
I was powerful lazy and comfortable -- didn't want to get up and cook breakfast. Well, I was dozing off again when I thinks I hears a deep sound of "boom!" away up the river. I rouses up, and rests on my elbow and listens; pretty soon I hears it again. I hopped up, and went and looked out at a hole in the leaves, and I see a bunch of smoke laying on the water a long ways up -- about abreast the ferry. And there was the ferryboat full of people floating along down. I knowed what was the matter now. "Boom!" I see the white smoke squirt out of the ferryboat's side. You see, they was firing cannon over the water, trying to make my carcass come to the top. 
I was pretty hungry, but it warn't going to do for me to start a fire, because they might see the smoke. So I set there and watched the cannon-smoke and listened to the boom. The river was a mile wide there, and it always looks pretty on a summer morning -- so I was having a good enough time seeing them hunt for my remainders if I only had a bite to eat. Well, then I happened to think how they always put quicksilver in loaves of bread and float them off, because they always go right to the drownded carcass and stop there. So, says I, I'll keep a lookout, and if any of them's floating around after me I'll give them a show. I changed to the Illinois edge of the island to see what luck I could have, and I warn't disappointed. A big double loaf come along, and I most got it with a long stick, but my foot slipped and she floated out further. Of course I was where the current set in the closest to the shore -- I knowed enough for that. But by and by along comes another one, and this time I won. I took out the plug and shook out the little dab of quicksilver, and set my teeth in. It was "baker's bread" -- what the quality eat; none of your low-down corn-pone. 
I got a good place amongst the leaves, and set there on a log, munching the bread and watching the ferryboat, and very well satisfied. And then something struck me. I says, now I reckon the widow or the parson or somebody prayed that this bread would find me, and here it has gone and done it. So there ain't no doubt but there is something in that thing -- that is, there's something in it when a body like the widow or the parson prays, but it don't work for me, and I reckon it don't work for only just the right kind. 
I lit a pipe and had a good long smoke, and went on watching. The ferryboat was floating with the current, and I allowed I'd have a chance to see who was aboard when she come along, because she would come in close, where the bread did. When she'd got pretty well along down towards me, I put out my pipe and went to where I fished out the bread, and laid down behind a log on the bank in a little open place. Where the log forked I could peep through. 
By and by she come along, and she drifted in so close that they could a run out a plank and walked ashore. Most everybody was on the boat. Pap, and Judge Thatcher, and Bessie Thatcher, and Jo Harper, and Tom Sawyer, and his old Aunt Polly, and Sid and Mary, and plenty more. Everybody was talking about the murder, but the captain broke in and says: 
"Look sharp, now; the current sets in the closest here, and maybe he's washed ashore and got tangled amongst the brush at the water's edge. I hope so, anyway." 
"I didn't hope so. They all crowded up and leaned over the rails, nearly in my face, and kept still, watching with all their might. I could see them first-rate, but they couldn't see me. Then the captain sung out: 
"Stand away!" and the cannon let off such a blast right before me that it made me deef with the noise and pretty near blind with the smoke, and I judged I was gone. If they'd a had some bullets in, I reckon they'd a got the corpse they was after. Well, I see I warn't hurt, thanks to goodness. The boat floated on and went out of sight around the shoulder of the island. I could hear the booming now and then, further and further off, and by and by, after an hour, I didn't hear it no more. The island was three mile long. I judged they had got to the foot, and was giving it up. But they didn't yet a while. They turned around the foot of the island and started up the channel on the Missouri side, under steam, and booming once in a while as they went. I crossed over to that side and watched them. When they got abreast the head of the island they quit shooting and dropped over to the Missouri shore and went home to the town. 
I knowed I was all right now. Nobody else would come a-hunting after me. I got my traps out of the canoe and made me a nice camp in the thick woods. I made a kind of a tent out of my blankets to put my things under so the rain couldn't get at them. I catched a catfish and haggled him open with my saw, and towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper. Then I set out a line to catch some fish for breakfast. 
When it was dark I set by my camp fire smoking, and feeling pretty well satisfied; but by and by it got sort of lonesome, and so I went and set on the bank and listened to the current swashing along, and counted the stars and drift logs and rafts that come down, and then went to bed; there ain't no better way to put in time when you are lonesome; you can't stay so, you soon get over it. 
And so for three days and nights. No difference -- just the same thing. But the next day I went exploring around down through the island. I was boss of it; it all belonged to me, so to say, and I wanted to know all about it; but mainly I wanted to put in the time. I found plenty strawberries, ripe and prime; and green summer grapes, and green razberries; and the green blackberries was just beginning to show. They would all come handy by and by, I judged. 
Well, I went fooling along in the deep woods till I judged I warn't far from the foot of the island. I had my gun along, but I hadn't shot nothing; it was for protection; thought I would kill some game nigh home. About this time I mighty near stepped on a good-sized snake, and it went sliding off through the grass and flowers, and I after it, trying to get a shot at it. I clipped along, and all of a sudden I bounded right on to the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking. 
My heart jumped up amongst my lungs. I never waited for to look further, but uncocked my gun and went sneaking back on my tiptoes as fast as ever I could. Every now and then I stopped a second amongst the thick leaves and listened, but my breath come so hard I couldn't hear nothing else. I slunk along another piece further, then listened again; and so on, and so on. If I see a stump, I took it for a man; if I trod on a stick and broke it, it made me feel like a person had cut one of my breaths in two and I only got half, and the short half, too. 
When I got to camp I warn't feeling very brash, there warn't much sand in my craw; but I says, this ain't no time to be fooling around. So I got all my traps into my canoe again so as to have them out of sight, and I put out the fire and scattered the ashes around to look like an old last year's camp, and then clumb a tree. 
I reckon I was up in the tree two hours; but I didn't see nothing, I didn't hear nothing -- I only THOUGHT I heard and seen as much as a thousand things. Well, I couldn't stay up there forever; so at last I got down, but I kept in the thick woods and on the lookout all the time. All I could get to eat was berries and what was left over from breakfast. 
By the time it was night I was pretty hungry. So when it was good and dark I slid out from shore before moonrise and paddled over to the Illinois bank -- about a quarter of a mile. I went out in the woods and cooked a supper, and I had about made up my mind I would stay there all night when I hear a PLUNKETY- PLUNK, PLUNKETY-PLUNK, and says to myself, horses coming; and next I hear people's voices. I got everything into the canoe as quick as I could, and then went creeping through the woods to see what I could find out. I hadn't got far when I hear a man say: 
"We better camp here if we can find a good place; the horses is about beat out. Let's look around." 
I didn't wait, but shoved out and paddled away easy. I tied up in the old place, and reckoned I would sleep in the canoe. 
I didn't sleep much. I couldn't, somehow, for thinking. And every time I waked up I thought somebody had me by the neck. So the sleep didn't do me no good. By and by I says to myself, I can't live this way; I'm a-going to find out who it is that's here on the island with me; I'll find it out or bust. Well, I felt better right off. 
So I took my paddle and slid out from shore just a step or two, and then let the canoe drop along down amongst the shadows. The moon was shining, and outside of the shadows it made it most as light as day. I poked along well on to an hour, everything still as rocks and sound asleep. Well, by this time I was most down to the foot of the island. A little ripply, cool breeze begun to blow, and that was as good as saying the night was about done. I give her a turn with the paddle and brung her nose to shore; then I got my gun and slipped out and into the edge of the woods. I sat down there on a log, and looked out through the leaves. I see the moon go off watch, and the darkness begin to blanket the river. But in a little while I see a pale streak over the treetops, and knowed the day was coming. So I took my gun and slipped off towards where I had run across that camp fire, stopping every minute or two to listen. But I hadn't no luck somehow; I couldn't seem to find the place. But by and by, sure enough, I catched a glimpse of fire away through the trees. I went for it, cautious and slow. By and by I was close enough to have a look, and there laid a man on the ground. It most give me the fantods. He had a blanket around his head, and his head was nearly in the fire. I set there behind a clump of bushes in about six foot of him, and kept my eyes on him steady. It was getting gray daylight now. Pretty soon he gapped and stretched himself and hove off the blanket, and it was Miss Watson's Jim! I bet I was glad to see him. I says: 
"Hello, Jim!" and skipped out. 
He bounced up and stared at me wild. Then he drops down on his knees, and puts his hands together and says: 
"Doan' hurt me -- don't! I hain't ever done no harm to a ghos'. I alwuz liked dead people, en done all I could for 'em. You go en git in de river agin, whah you b'longs, en doan' do nuffn to Ole Jim, 'at 'uz awluz yo' fren'." 
Well, I warn't long making him understand I warn't dead. I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn't lonesome now. I told him I warn't afraid of HIM telling the people where I was. I talked along, but he only set there and looked at me; never said nothing. Then I says: 
"It's good daylight. Le's get breakfast. Make up your camp fire good." 
"What's de use er makin' up de camp fire to cook strawbries en sich truck? But you got a gun, hain't you? Den we kin git sumfn better den strawbries." 
"Strawberries and such truck," I says. "Is that what you live on?" 
"I couldn' git nuffn else," he says. 
"Why, how long you been on the island, Jim?" 
"I come heah de night arter you's killed." 
"What, all that time?" 
"Yes -- indeedy." 
"And ain't you had nothing but that kind of rubbage to eat?" 
"No, sah -- nuffn else." 
"Well, you must be most starved, ain't you?" 
"I reck'n I could eat a hoss. I think I could. How long you ben on de islan'?" 
"Since the night I got killed." 
"No! W'y, what has you lived on? But you got a gun. Oh, yes, you got a gun. Dat's good. Now you kill sumfn en I'll make up de fire." 
So we went over to where the canoe was, and while he built a fire in a grassy open place amongst the trees, I fetched meal and bacon and coffee, and coffee-pot and frying-pan, and sugar and tin cups, and the nigger was set back considerable, because he reckoned it was all done with witchcraft. I catched a good big catfish, too, and Jim cleaned him with his knife, and fried him. 
When breakfast was ready we lolled on the grass and eat it smoking hot. Jim laid it in with all his might, for he was most about starved. Then when we had got pretty well stuffed, we laid off and lazied. By and by Jim says: 
"But looky here, Huck, who wuz it dat 'uz killed in dat shanty ef it warn't you?" 
Then I told him the whole thing, and he said it was smart. He said Tom Sawyer couldn't get up no better plan than what I had. Then I says: 
"How do you come to be here, Jim, and how'd you get here?" 
He looked pretty uneasy, and didn't say nothing for a minute. Then he says: 
"Maybe I better not tell." 
"Why, Jim?" 
"Well, dey's reasons. But you wouldn' tell on me ef I uz to tell you, would you, Huck?" 
"Blamed if I would, Jim." 
"Well, I b'lieve you, Huck. I -- I RUN OFF." 
"Jim!" 
"But mind, you said you wouldn' tell -- you know you said you wouldn' tell, Huck." 
"Well, I did. I said I wouldn't, and I'll stick to it. Honest INJUN, I will. People would call me a lowdown Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum -- but that don't make no difference. I ain't a-going to tell, and I ain't a-going back there, anyways. So, now, le's know all about it." 
"Well, you see, it 'uz dis way. Ole missus -- dat's Miss Watson -- she pecks on me all de time, en treats me pooty rough, but she awluz said she wouldn' sell me down to Orleans. But I noticed dey wuz a nigger trader roun' de place considable lately, en I begin to git oneasy. Well, one night I creeps to de do' pooty late, en de do' warn't quite shet, en I hear old missus tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans, but she didn' want to, but she could git eight hund'd dollars for me, en it 'uz sich a big stack o' money she couldn' resis'. De widder she try to git her to say she wouldn' do it, but I never waited to hear de res'. I lit out mighty quick, I tell you. 
"I tuck out en shin down de hill, en 'spec to steal a skift 'long de sho' som'ers 'bove de town, but dey wuz people a-stirring yit, so I hid in de ole tumble-down cooper-shop on de bank to wait for everybody to go 'way. Well, I wuz dah all night. Dey wuz somebody roun' all de time. 'Long 'bout six in de mawnin' skifts begin to go by, en 'bout eight er nine every skift dat went 'long wuz talkin' 'bout how yo' pap come over to de town en say you's killed. Dese las' skifts wuz full o' ladies en genlmen a-goin' over for to see de place. Sometimes dey'd pull up at de sho' en take a res' b'fo' dey started acrost, so by de talk I got to know all 'bout de killin'. I 'uz powerful sorry you's killed, Huck, but I ain't no mo' now. 
"I laid dah under de shavin's all day. I 'uz hungry, but I warn't afeard; bekase I knowed ole missus en de widder wuz goin' to start to de campmeet'n' right arter breakfas' en be gone all day, en dey knows I goes off wid de cattle 'bout daylight, so dey wouldn' 'spec to see me roun' de place, en so dey wouldn' miss me tell arter dark in de evenin'. De yuther servants wouldn' miss me, kase dey'd shin out en take holiday soon as de ole folks 'uz out'n de way. 
"Well, when it come dark I tuck out up de river road, en went 'bout two mile er more to whah dey warn't no houses. I'd made up my mine 'bout what I's agwyne to do. You see, ef I kep' on tryin' to git away afoot, de dogs 'ud track me; ef I stole a skift to cross over, dey'd miss dat skift, you see, en dey'd know 'bout whah I'd lan' on de yuther side, en whah to pick up my track. So I says, a raff is what I's arter; it doan' MAKE no track. 
"I see a light a-comin' roun' de p'int bymeby, so I wade' in en shove' a log ahead o' me en swum more'n half way acrost de river, en got in 'mongst de driftwood, en kep' my head down low, en kinder swum agin de current tell de raff come along. Den I swum to de stern uv it en tuck a-holt. It clouded up en 'uz pooty dark for a little while. So I clumb up en laid down on de planks. De men 'uz all 'way yonder in de middle, whah de lantern wuz. De river wuz arisin', en dey wuz a good current; so I reck'n'd 'at by fo' in de mawnin' I'd be twenty-five mile down de river, en den I'd slip in jis b'fo' daylight en swim asho', en take to de woods on de Illinois side. 
"But I didn' have no luck. When we 'uz mos' down to de head er de islan' a man begin to come aft wid de lantern, I see it warn't no use fer to wait, so I slid overboard en struck out fer de islan'. Well, I had a notion I could lan' mos' anywhers, but I couldn't -- bank too bluff. I 'uz mos' to de foot er de islan' b'fo' I found' a good place. I went into de woods en jedged I wouldn' fool wid raffs no mo', long as dey move de lantern roun' so. I had my pipe en a plug er dog-leg, en some matches in my cap, en dey warn't wet, so I 'uz all right." 
"And so you ain't had no meat nor bread to eat all this time? Why didn't you get mud-turkles?" 
"How you gwyne to git 'm? You can't slip up on um en grab um; en how's a body gwyne to hit um wid a rock? How could a body do it in de night? En I warn't gwyne to show mysef on de bank in de daytime." 
"Well, that's so. You've had to keep in the woods all the time, of course. Did you hear 'em shooting the cannon?" 
"Oh, yes. I knowed dey was arter you. I see um go by heah -- watched um thoo de bushes." 
Some young birds come along, flying a yard or two at a time and lighting. Jim said it was a sign it was going to rain. He said it was a sign when young chickens flew that way, and so he reckoned it was the same way when young birds done it. I was going to catch some of them, but Jim wouldn't let me. He said it was death. He said his father laid mighty sick once, and some of them catched a bird, and his old granny said his father would die, and he did. 
And Jim said you mustn't count the things you are going to cook for dinner, because that would bring bad luck. The same if you shook the table-cloth after sundown. And he said if a man owned a beehive and that man died, the bees must be told about it before sun-up next morning, or else the bees would all weaken down and quit work and die. Jim said bees wouldn't sting idiots; but I didn't believe that, because I had tried them lots of times myself, and they wouldn't sting me. 
I had heard about some of these things before, but not all of them. Jim knowed all kinds of signs. He said he knowed most everything. I said it looked to me like all the signs was about bad luck, and so I asked him if there warn't any good-luck signs. He says: 
"Mighty few -- an' DEY ain't no use to a body. What you want to know when good luck's a-comin' for? Want to keep it off?" And he said: "Ef you's got hairy arms en a hairy breas', it's a sign dat you's agwyne to be rich. Well, dey's some use in a sign like dat, 'kase it's so fur ahead. You see, maybe you's got to be po' a long time fust, en so you might git discourage' en kill yo'sef 'f you didn' know by de sign dat you gwyne to be rich bymeby." 
"Have you got hairy arms and a hairy breast, Jim?" 
"What's de use to ax dat question? Don't you see I has?" 
"Well, are you rich?" 
"No, but I ben rich wunst, and gwyne to be rich agin. Wunst I had foteen dollars, but I tuck to specalat'n', en got busted out." 
"What did you speculate in, Jim?" 
"Well, fust I tackled stock." 
"What kind of stock?" 
"Why, live stock -- cattle, you know. I put ten dollars in a cow. But I ain' gwyne to resk no mo' money in stock. De cow up 'n' died on my han's." 
"So you lost the ten dollars." 
"No, I didn't lose it all. I on'y los' 'bout nine of it. I sole de hide en taller for a dollar en ten cents." 
"You had five dollars and ten cents left. Did you speculate any more?" 
"Yes. You know that one-laigged nigger dat b'longs to old Misto Bradish? Well, he sot up a bank, en say anybody dat put in a dollar would git fo' dollars mo' at de en' er de year. Well, all de niggers went in, but dey didn't have much. I wuz de on'y one dat had much. So I stuck out for mo' dan fo' dollars, en I said 'f I didn' git it I'd start a bank mysef. Well, o' course dat nigger want' to keep me out er de business, bekase he says dey warn't business 'nough for two banks, so he say I could put in my five dollars en he pay me thirty-five at de en' er de year. 
"So I done it. Den I reck'n'd I'd inves' de thirty-five dollars right off en keep things a-movin'. Dey wuz a nigger name' Bob, dat had ketched a woodflat, en his marster didn' know it; en I bought it off'n him en told him to take de thirty-five dollars when de en' er de year come; but somebody stole de wood-flat dat night, en nex day de one-laigged nigger say de bank's busted. So dey didn' none uv us git no money." 
"What did you do with the ten cents, Jim?" 
"Well, I 'uz gwyne to spen' it, but I had a dream, en de dream tole me to give it to a nigger name' Balum -- Balum's Ass dey call him for short; he's one er dem chuckleheads, you know. But he's lucky, dey say, en I see I warn't lucky. De dream say let Balum inves' de ten cents en he'd make a raise for me. Well, Balum he tuck de money, en when he wuz in church he hear de preacher say dat whoever give to de po' len' to de Lord, en boun' to git his money back a hund'd times. So Balum he tuck en give de ten cents to de po', en laid low to see what wuz gwyne to come of it." 
"Well, what did come of it, Jim?" 
"Nuffn never come of it. I couldn' manage to k'leck dat money no way; en Balum he couldn'. I ain' gwyne to len' no mo' money 'dout I see de security. Boun' to git yo' money back a hund'd times, de preacher says! Ef I could git de ten CENTS back, I'd call it squah, en be glad er de chanst." 
"Well, it's all right anyway, Jim, long as you're going to be rich again some time or other." 
"Yes; en I's rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn' want no mo'." 　　当我醒过来时，太阳已经高挂蓝天了，我估计过八点了。我躺在草地上的树荫里，想着那些事，觉得歇够了，既舒服又惬意。从三三两两的树缝里我能看见太阳，但是，周围多是大树，树荫里阴沉沉的。阳光透过树叶撒在地上，留下斑斑点点，那些斑点晃晃悠悠，看得出是风在树梢上轻拂。一对松鼠坐在树枝上，吱吱喳喳，非常亲热地冲着我叫。
　　我又懒散又舒适--都不想起来做早饭了。我刚要再合起眼来，这时，就听见河上游那边沉沉地传来"轰！" 的一声响，我醒过来，支着胳膊听，很快地，又听见一声。我跳了起来，跑过去从树缝里朝外看，看见远远的水面升起一堆烟--在几乎与渡口并齐的地方。那条渡船上载满了人，正往下漂。这回我明白是怎么回事了。" 轰！" 我看见白烟从渡船边喷出来。这是他们在河上放炮，想用这种法子让我的尸体浮到水面上来。我很饿，可又不能生火，因为这么一来他们会看见冒的烟。于是，我就静静地坐在那里。瞧放炮的白烟，听轰轰的响声。大河有一英里宽，在一个夏天的早晨总是显得很好看--因此，我看着他们打捞我的尸首可真是有意思，如果有一口吃的那就更妙不可言了..我点着一袋烟，长长地吸了一阵，又接着看。渡船正顺着水流漂，我想当船过来时，我就有机会看到谁在船上。当它顺水朝我这边开过来时，我吹灭了烟，趴在岸边一小片空地上的一根木头后面。从那根木头分叉地方，我可以偷偷地往外看。慢慢地，船过来了，它离岸很近，几乎就能放下跳板走到岸上。几乎所有的人都在船上：有爸，蒴切尔法官，还有贝西·萨切尔，乔·哈波，还有汤母·索亚和他的波丽老姨妈，席勒和玛丽，另外还有好多其他人。大家都在谈着这桩谋杀案，可是，船长插话说："注意瞧着吧，水流在这里离岸最近，没准他被冲到岸上，给水边的树丛给绊住了。反正我希望是这样。"我可不想这样。他们全都拥挤起来，靠在栏杆上，都快挤到我脸上了，大家都一声不吱，全神贯注。我能很清楚地看见他们，但是，他们看不见我。这时，船长高喊："站开！" 大炮又响了，刚好落在我前面，轰隆声快把我都震聋了，烟也差点儿把我熏瞎了，我想我可完了。他们如果装有炮弹的话，我想他们这下就能得到他们在找的尸首。幸好，我知道自己没给伤着，感谢上帝。船继续向前漂，在岛的拐弯处消失了。我还能听见轰隆声，渐渐地越来越远，慢慢地过了一个小时，我就再也听不着了。这座岛约有三英里长。我猜他们是到了岛那头，就要放弃了。可是，他们一时还没收手。他们绕着岛尾，开上了密苏里州那边的水道，向前行驶着，边走还时不时地轰隆一声。我翻过来岛到另一侧注视着他们。他们驶到和岛头并齐的时候，就不再放炮了，在密苏里州那边靠岸，返回了镇上。
　　我知道这回我就没事了。再也不会有人来找我了。我从独木舟上拿下来我带的东西，在密林深处给自己搭了个舒服服的小窝儿。我用毯子做了个帐篷把东西放在下面，这样，下雨就淋不湿了。我捉到一条鲇鱼，拿锯把它拉开，临近太阳落下时，我生起篝火吃晚饭。然后，我把鱼线放好，为明天早饭捉几条鱼。
　　天黑了，我坐在火旁抽烟，感觉很惬意，可是，很快又有些孤独，于是，我就走过去，坐在河岸上，听听河水哗哗向前流动的声音，数数天上的星星，还有顺水漂下来的浮木和木排，再回来睡觉。你孤独的时候，没有更好的办法消磨时光，你又不能老闷着，过一会儿就没事了。
　　就这么着过了三天三夜。没有一点儿变化--都是老样子。但是第四天，我开始穿越这座岛，四处察看。我是它的主人，它全都属于我，姑且这么说吧，所以，我就想弄清楚整个岛的情况，但是，主要还是想消磨时光。我找到了很多草莓，又大又熟；还有夏季的青葡萄，青的黑莓刚长出来，过些时候，这些东西就可以随手摘下来吃了。
　　我就这么在密密的树林里傻转悠，一直到了离岛尾不远的地方。我带着枪，但是，什么也没打，枪是作为防卫用的；离家近时，我想打点野味。正想着，我险些踩上一条大蛇，它顺着草地和花丛溜走了。我追赶它，想开枪打它。我跑得飞快，突然，刚好踩在一堆篝火灰烬上，它还在冒烟。
　　我的心一下子被提到嗓子眼儿上了。我来不及停下仔细察看，就拉下枪栓，踮着脚尖尽快往回溜。我不时地停下一会儿，躲进密林里听听。但是，我喘气太重，别的什么也听不见。我又向前走一段，再听听，就这么走走听听。如果我看见树桩，就当它是人，如果我踩着树枝，把它碰断，就觉得像是有人把我的一口气掐成了两截，我只剩了半口气，还是那半口短的。我跑到营地，就觉得没什么劲儿了，肚里的勇气也没多少了，但是，我对自己说，这可绝不是闲逛荡的时候。于是，我将所有的东西又都拿进独木舟，为的是不让人看到这些东西，我灭掉火，看起来就像是去年的老篝火，然后，我爬到一棵树上。
　　我估计在树上呆了两个小时，可我什么也没有看着，什么也没听见--好多次我只是（认为）自己看着听见了。好了，我不可能总是呆在上面。最后，我下来了，不过我还是躲在密林里，一直留神提防着。我能拿来吃的，只有莓子和早饭剩的东西了。
　　到了晚上，我很饿。趁天黑我从河岸悄悄划出，划到伊利诺斯那边--约有四分之一英里。我跑进树林里，做了顿饭。我刚准备在那里过夜，这时，一阵踢踏踢踏声。心想，马来了。接着，听到有人声。我赶忙把所有的东西都搬进独木舟，然后，爬着钻进树林去，看看我能发现什么。没爬多远，就听到一个人说："如果这儿能找到个好地方的话，我们就在这里宿营，马是快累垮了。我们找找看吧。"我没有再等，赶快推开小舟，轻轻划走了。我把它划回老地方，打算睡在独木舟里。
　　我没睡多久。我睡不着，不知怎么回事，因为我老想事儿。每次醒了，总想着有人掐我的脖子。因此，睡觉对我没什么用。后来，我想不能这样下去，我要弄明白在这个岛上是谁和我在一起，我必须弄个明白，要不就豁出去了。这么想着，我马上感觉好些了。
　　于是，我拿起桨，划离岸边一两步远；接着就让独木舟在树荫下，顺着岸边往下漂。月亮当空而挂，树荫外面亮得跟白昼一般。我摸索着向前划了一个小时，一切都像石头一般静默，都在酣睡。这一次，我几乎划到了岛尾。一丝凉凉的微风开始吹动，这就是说，夜快过去了。我拿桨一拨，小舟调头靠岸；然后，我拿起枪，悄悄儿走进树林，在一根木头上坐下来，透过树叶朝外看。我看到月亮隐退了，黑暗开始笼罩河面。过了一阵，我看见一道灰白的光出现在树梢上，知道天就要亮了。所以，我拿起枪，向我遇到那堆篝火的地方悄悄地摸过去，过一阵停下来听听。可是，我怎么也不走运，好像找不到那个地方了。可是又过了一会儿，一点没错，远远地透过那些树木，我看到了火光。我走过去，小心翼翼地，脚步轻轻地。很快我就靠近了，看得见了，地上躺着个人，可把我吓着了。他用毯子裹着头，头几乎要伸进火堆里去了。我坐在一簇矮树后面，离他大约有六英尺远，眼睛死死地盯着他。这时，天色已经发白。不一会儿，他打个哈欠，又伸伸胳膊腿，扔掉毯子，原来是华森小姐的吉姆！我敢说，我很高兴见到他。我说："喂，吉姆！" 就跳了出来。
　　他猛然跃起，两眼直瞪，神色惊慌。接着，他双膝跪倒，两手合十，说道："别害我呀--别！我可从未害过鬼。我历来喜欢死人，一向会想办法帮助他们。你再回到河里去吧，那儿才是你应该呆的地方，可千万别害老吉姆，他一向是你的朋友。"还好，我没用多久就让他明白了我没死。我见到他可真高兴。现在，我不觉得孤单了。我告诉他说，我并不害怕他去告发我在哪里。我一直往下说，但是，他只是坐在那儿看着我，不发一言。后来，我说："天大亮了。我们做早饭吧。把你的篝火生好。""生火干嘛？难道要煮草莓那样的东西吗？不过，你有杆枪，是不是？我们不可能弄些比草莓好吃的东西吗？""草莓那样的东西，"我说，" 你就靠那活命吗？""我找不到别的。" 他说。
　　"哎呀，你在这岛上呆了多长时间啦，吉姆？""我来这里呀，是在你被杀以后的那个晚上。""什么，你一直呆在这里？""是啊--一点没错。""莫非你除了那些乱七八糟的东西，别的东西没吃？""没有，您哪--没别的可吃。""这么说，你肯定快饿死了，是不是？""我想着我可以吃得下一匹大马。我想我可以。你在这岛上多久了？""从我被杀死那个夜里。""嗨！那，你都靠吃什么来活命？不过你不有杆枪吗？是啊，你有枪。那就好办。你这就去打些东西，我来生火。"于是，我们就朝独木舟走去，他在树林的空草地上点火的时候，我去拿来了面、咸肉和咖啡，还有咖啡壶，平底锅、糖和铁杯。那个黑人着实被吓了一跳，因为他觉得这些都是魔法变的。我还抓到一条很大的鲇鱼，吉姆拿他的刀子给收拾干净，把鱼油炸了。
　　早饭做好之后，我们懒懒地歪在草地上趁热吃了。吉姆拼命往嘴里塞，因为他快要饿死了。当我们把肚子都填得满满当当的了，就歇一阵，啥也不干。
　　过了一会儿，吉姆说："可是你看，哈克，如果不是你的话，那是谁被弄死在那个小屋里啦？"接着，我就把事情的全部讲给他听，他说干得真漂亮。他说汤姆·索亚也不会想出我这样的妙法。然后，我问："你怎么会来到这里，吉姆，你是怎么来的？"他看上去很不自在，有一分钟不吱声。后来，他才说："或许，我不告诉你为好。""到底怎么回来，吉姆？""唉，总有原因。要是我想告诉你，你不会去告发我吧，你会吗，哈克？""我要说了就不得好死，吉姆。""那好吧，我相信你，哈克。我--我是逃出来的。""吉姆！""记着，你说过你不会告发--你知道你说过你不会告发，哈克。""对，我说过。我说了我不会，我肯定说到做到。我绝对不会骗你。因为我闭嘴沉默，人们准会叫我是个下流的废奴分子，还会看不起我--可是，那有什么关系呢？我不告发，我也不回去，管它怎么着。那么，现在，把事情的经过跟我说说吗。""好吧，你瞧，是这么回事。老女主人--就是华森小姐--她总挑我毛病，待我很坏，可是她还老说不会把我卖到奥尔良去。可我注意到有个黑奴贩子常在这一带转悠，后来，我就不自在了。一天晚上，我偷偷地摸到门口，很晚了，门关得也不怎么严实，我听见老女主人对那寡妇说，她要把我卖到奥尔良去。尽管她并不想卖，可是她拿我能卖到八百块钱，那可是一大笔钱，她不能不要。那个寡妇劝她别卖，可我再也等不到她们把话说完了。我跑得可够快了，给你说吧。
　　我悄悄地出门往山下跑，想去镇上游的岸边偷只小船，可有人来回走动，我就藏在河边那个摇摇晃晃的破烂箍桶铺里，等着人一个一个全走完。唉，我在那里躲了整整一个晚上。周围总是有人。可能是在早上六点的时候，开始有小船划过去，大概八九点钟的时候，所有过往的船只都在讲你爸怎么到镇上来说你给人杀了。到后来，那些小船上坐满了先生太太，都去看热闹。有时候，他们靠在岸边，歇一阵才开始过河。我就是这样听到他们说话，才整个儿知道了这件杀人的事。听说你给人杀了，我几乎难受极了，哈克，不过现在，我不难受了。我在刨花堆里躺了一整天。我饿着，可我并不害怕；因为我知道女主人和寡妇早饭之后要去开布道会，得出去一天，她们知道我在天亮时赶着牲口出门了，这么一来，她们不会想到会在那个地方看见我，所以，她们一直要等到天黑以后才可以发现我不见了。别的佣人也不会发觉我不在了，因为那两个老太婆只要一出去，她们就会赶紧跑出去给自己放假。
　　等到天黑之后，我就出来顺着河边大路往上走，走了两英里多，一直到没有房屋的地方。我抱定主意该朝哪边走。你知道我要是这么一直步行的话，狗会咬我，我要是偷只小船过河去，他们就会发现小船丢了。你清楚，他们也会知道我可能在什么地方上岸，在哪里找到我的行踪。所以我说，木排才是我想要找的，它能做到不留痕迹。
　　我看到有亮光从拐弯的地方过来，慢慢地，我嘡水下河，我推着一根圆木在前面，游到河当中还过一点儿，混到浮木中间，低下头，等到水流告诉我木排过来了，我就游了过去。我游到木排尾部，一把抓住它。这时，天上堆起了乌云，天昏地暗了一阵。于是，我爬上去躺在木排板上。人全都远远地在木排当中有灯的地方。河水上涨，水流得十分急；所以，我估计到早上四点，我就可以顺河漂出25 英里，到时候我再下来，在天亮以前游过对岸，钻进树林，就是伊利诺斯那边的树林。可是，不巧的很。我快漂到岛头的时候，一个人拿着灯走了过来。我一看，等着没用了，就溜下水去，朝这座岛游过来。我原以为哪个地方都能上岸，可是不行--岸太陡。我快游到岛尾了，才寻到个好地方。我钻进树林，铁了心再也不上木排干傻事了，但凡有人拿着灯在上面晃来荡去。我把我的烟斗和一个烟草块，还有火柴放在帽子里，都没被弄湿，就这样，我没事了。""这么说，你这几天一直都没肉也没面包吃吗？你为什么不捉老鳖呢？""怎么捉呀？你总不至于偷偷摸过去，用手抓吧！用石头怎么能砸得住呢？在晚上怎么砸？白天我也不能在岸上露面。""对，是这么一回事。当然啦，你得一直呆在树林里。你听见他们放炮了吗？""噢，听见了。我知道他们是在找你。我看见他们从这里走了，就从那些矮树林中盯着他们。"几只小鸟飞过来了，每回飞一两码远就落下来。吉姆说那是天快要下雨的征兆。他说小鸡儿飞飞停停是这样的征兆，所以，他觉得小鸟这样飞时，也说明是天要下雨了。我想捉几只鸟，吉姆不让，他说那会要死人的。他说他父亲有一回病得很重，他们谁捉了一只鸟，他的老奶奶说他父亲会死的，他就死了。
　　吉姆又说你不能数你拿来做晚饭的东西，因为这么做会带来坏运。如果你在太阳落山后抖桌布也会有同样的结果。他还说要是一个人有个蜂箱，那人死了，在第二天太阳出来以前，就得让蜜蜂知道这个消息，否则，蜜蜂全得生病，不干活儿死掉。吉姆说蜜蜂不螫傻瓜，可我不信这个，因为我试过好多次，它们不螫我。
　　你以前听过这些事，但是不全。吉姆知道一切征兆。他说他差不多什么都懂。我说依我看，几乎所有的征兆都说的是坏运气，所以，我就问有没有好运气的征兆。他说："极少--它们对人也没什么用。好运气快来了你想知道它干嘛？想避开它吗？"他又说，" 如果你胳膊胸脯上有毛那是你会阔气的征兆，像这种征兆还有点用，因为，它可是说老远以后的事情。你明白吧，或许你会先穷上好多年，这样，要是你不知道这个征兆说你将来会慢慢儿阔起来的话，你也许就会灰心丧气得自杀了。""你胳膊和胸脯上有毛吗，吉姆？""问这话有啥用？你不是看到我有毛吗？""那，你阔气吗？""不，可我也阔气过一阵，以后也还会再阔气起来的。我曾经有过14 块钱，可是我投出去做生意，全赔了。".."好啦，反正那也没什么，吉姆，只要将来有一天还会阔起来。""是呀--我现在就很阔气，过来瞧瞧吧。我是我自己的，我能卖八百块钱呢。我真想拿到这笔钱，我倒一点儿也不想多要。"
Chapter 9
I WANTED to go and look at a place right about the middle of the island that I'd found when I was exploring; so we started and soon got to it, because the island was only three miles long and a quarter of a mile wide. 
This place was a tolerable long, steep hill or ridge about forty foot high. We had a rough time getting to the top, the sides was so steep and the bushes so thick. We tramped and clumb around all over it, and by and by found a good big cavern in the rock, most up to the top on the side towards Illinois. The cavern was as big as two or three rooms bunched together, and Jim could stand up straight in it. It was cool in there. Jim was for putting our traps in there right away, but I said we didn't want to be climbing up and down there all the time. 
Jim said if we had the canoe hid in a good place, and had all the traps in the cavern, we could rush there if anybody was to come to the island, and they would never find us without dogs. And, besides, he said them little birds had said it was going to rain, and did I want the things to get wet? 
So we went back and got the canoe, and paddled up abreast the cavern, and lugged all the traps up there. Then we hunted up a place close by to hide the canoe in, amongst the thick willows. We took some fish off of the lines and set them again, and begun to get ready for dinner. 
The door of the cavern was big enough to roll a hogshead in, and on one side of the door the floor stuck out a little bit, and was flat and a good place to build a fire on. So we built it there and cooked dinner. 
We spread the blankets inside for a carpet, and eat our dinner in there. We put all the other things handy at the back of the cavern. Pretty soon it darkened up, and begun to thunder and lighten; so the birds was right about it. Directly it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too, and I never see the wind blow so. It was one of these regular summer storms. It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dim and spiderwebby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale underside of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest -- FST! it was as bright as glory, and you'd have a little glimpse of treetops a-plunging about away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you'd hear the thunder let go with an awful crash, and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels down stairs -- where it's long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know. 
"Jim, this is nice," I says. "I wouldn't want to be nowhere else but here. Pass me along another hunk of fish and some hot corn-bread." 
"Well, you wouldn't a ben here 'f it hadn't a ben for Jim. You'd a ben down dah in de woods widout any dinner, en gittn' mos' drownded, too; dat you would, honey. Chickens knows when it's gwyne to rain, en so do de birds, chile." 
The river went on raising and raising for ten or twelve days, till at last it was over the banks. The water was three or four foot deep on the island in the low places and on the Illinois bottom. On that side it was a good many miles wide, but on the Missouri side it was the same old distance across -- a half a mile -- because the Missouri shore was just a wall of high bluffs. 
Daytimes we paddled all over the island in the canoe, It was mighty cool and shady in the deep woods, even if the sun was blazing outside. We went winding in and out amongst the trees, and sometimes the vines hung so thick we had to back away and go some other way. Well, on every old broken-down tree you could see rabbits and snakes and such things; and when the island had been overflowed a day or two they got so tame, on account of being hungry, that you could paddle right up and put your hand on them if you wanted to; but not the snakes and turtles -- they would slide off in the water. The ridge our cavern was in was full of them. We could a had pets enough if we'd wanted them. 
One night we catched a little section of a lumber raft -- nice pine planks. It was twelve foot wide and about fifteen or sixteen foot long, and the top stood above water six or seven inches -- a solid, level floor. We could see saw-logs go by in the daylight sometimes, but we let them go; we didn't show ourselves in daylight. 
Another night when we was up at the head of the island, just before daylight, here comes a frame-house down, on the west side. She was a two-story, and tilted over considerable. We paddled out and got aboard -- clumb in at an upstairs window. But it was too dark to see yet, so we made the canoe fast and set in her to wait for daylight. 
The light begun to come before we got to the foot of the island. Then we looked in at the window. We could make out a bed, and a table, and two old chairs, and lots of things around about on the floor, and there was clothes hanging against the wall. There was something laying on the floor in the far corner that looked like a man. So Jim says: 
"Hello, you!" 
But it didn't budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says: 
"De man ain't asleep -- he's dead. You hold still -- I'll go en see." 
He went, and bent down and looked, and says: 
"It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face -- it's too gashly." 
I didn't look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him, but he needn't done it; I didn't want to see him. There was heaps of old greasy cards scattered around over the floor, and old whisky bottles, and a couple of masks made out of black cloth; and all over the walls was the ignorantest kind of words and pictures made with charcoal. There was two old dirty calico dresses, and a sun-bonnet, and some women's underclothes hanging against the wall, and some men's clothing, too. We put the lot into the canoe -- it might come good. There was a boy's old speckled straw hat on the floor; I took that, too. And there was a bottle that had had milk in it, and it had a rag stopper for a baby to suck. We would a took the bottle, but it was broke. There was a seedy old chest, and an old hair trunk with the hinges broke. They stood open, but there warn't nothing left in them that was any account. The way things was scattered about we reckoned the people left in a hurry, and warn't fixed so as to carry off most of their stuff. 
We got an old tin lantern, and a butcher-knife without any handle, and a bran-new Barlow knife worth two bits in any store, and a lot of tallow candles, and a tin candlestick, and a gourd, and a tin cup, and a ratty old bedquilt off the bed, and a reticule with needles and pins and beeswax and buttons and thread and all such truck in it, and a hatchet and some nails, and a fishline as thick as my little finger with some monstrous hooks on it, and a roll of buckskin, and a leather dog-collar, and a horseshoe, and some vials of medicine that didn't have no label on them; and just as we was leaving I found a tolerable good curry-comb, and Jim he found a ratty old fiddle-bow, and a wooden leg. The straps was broke off of it, but, barring that, it was a good enough leg, though it was too long for me and not long enough for Jim, and we couldn't find the other one, though we hunted all around. 
And so, take it all around, we made a good haul. When we was ready to shove off we was a quarter of a mile below the island, and it was pretty broad day; so I made Jim lay down in the canoe and cover up with the quilt, because if he set up people could tell he was a nigger a good ways off. I paddled over to the Illinois shore, and drifted down most a half a mile doing it. I crept up the dead water under the bank, and hadn't no accidents and didn't see nobody. We got home all safe.　　我想去看看岛上正中的一个地方，那是在我探险时发现的。我跟吉姆动身了，很快就到了那里，因为小岛仅仅三英里长，四分之一英里宽。
　　那地方是一条十分长的陡山脊，大约40 英尺高。我们费了很大劲才爬到山顶，坡壁陡峭，丛林茂密。我们手脚并用，四处探路，渐渐地发现在岩石中间，朝着伊利诺斯那边快到山顶的地方，有一个很大的山洞。山洞有两三个房间合在一块那么大，吉姆可以在里面站直身子。里面很凉爽。吉姆立刻就想把我们的东西搬进去，可我说，我们不能总是在那里爬上爬下。吉姆说，要是我们把独木舟藏在一个好地方，把其他东西都放在洞内，如果有人来这岛上，我们就能赶快跑进去，他不带狗绝对不会找到我们。此外，他还说，那些小鸟已经说了天会下雨，难道你想让东西被雨淋湿吗？
　　于是，我们回去，找到独木舟，划到正对着山洞的地方，把全部东西都搬了上去。然后，就近找了块地，把独木舟藏好，就藏在密密的柳树中间。我们从鱼线上摘下几条鱼，又把鱼线放好，开始动手准备午饭。
　　山洞口很大，可以滚得进一个大桶，门口有一边的地朝外伸出一点儿，十分平坦，是个生火的好地方。于是，我们就在那里点火做饭。
　　我们把毯子铺在里面当地毯用，就在那里面吃饭。我们把所有的东西都放在洞的后墙触手可及地方。不一会儿，天黑起来，开始电闪雷鸣，所以，小鸟预报对了。雨一下就很猛，我也从未见过风刮得那么急。那是一场典型的夏季暴风雨。天很黑，外面好像全变成了蓝黑色了，特别好看；大雨密密地横扫过来，把树都压弯了腰，看着模模糊糊的跟罩着蜘蛛网一般。忽然刮来一阵风把树吹倒，树叶发白的一面被吹翻了过来，紧接着又一阵狂风骤起，吹得树枝拼命地甩胳膊，如同发疯了似的。接下去，当天色差不多正是最蓝最黑的时候--唰！一下子亮得像天国的圣光一样，你一眼就可以看到树梢在远远的暴风雨中来回乱窜，比你平常所能看到的要远上几百码。可是一转眼的功夫，全都又黑成一团，这时，你就听见响雷发出一声吓死人的爆炸声，一路咕咚咚轰隆隆扑通通滚下天空，滚落到地底下，就像朝楼下滚空木桶一样，你知道吧，那楼梯还很长，桶又跳得很厉害。
　　"吉姆，这回好了，"我说，" 除了这里，我是哪儿也不想去了。再递给我一大块鱼和几个热玉米面包。""是啊，要不是有我吉姆，你就不会在这里。你会呆在下边的树林里，吃不上午饭，差不多还可能给淹死，你会的，宝贝儿。小鸡儿知道什么时候要下雨，鸟儿也知道，孩子。"大河一直在涨水，涨了10 天或12 天，到最后，水涨过了河岸。在低地方和伊利诺斯那边的洼地，水有三四英寸深。那边的大河有好多英里宽；但是，在靠密苏里州这边，还跟从前一样宽--只有半英里--因为密苏里这边的河岸是高高的悬崖，像一堵厚实的墙。
　　白天，我们坐在独木舟里绕着岛到处划。就算外面烈日炎炎，树林深处也很阴凉。我们穿着树林划进划出，有时，藤条挂得太厚太密，我们就得退出来，走别的路。啊，在每一棵倒下去的老树上，你都能看见兔子和蛇那些东西，岛被淹一两天以后，它们很乖，也都饿了，你划过去把手放在它们身上都可以，只要你肯这么做；可是蛇和乌龟不行--它们会溜进水里。我们山洞所在的那条山脊上遍布着这些动物。如果我们想要，我们就会有足够多的宠物。
　　一天晚上，我们截住一小截大木排--九根松木板拼成的。它有12 英尺宽，大约十五六英尺长，露出水面六七英寸高，是一块结实平整的大木板。白天有些时候，我们可以看到锯好的木料从水面漂过去，可是，我们都让它们漂走，白天我们从不露面。
　　又一个晚上，我们站在岛头的时候，也就是在天亮之前，从西岸边漂过来一个木头架房子。房子是个两层楼，整个地歪过去了。我们划过去上了房--从楼上的窗口爬进去。可是，因为天太黑看不真切，所以，我们就拴住独木舟，坐在上面呆到天亮。
　　我们还没到岛尾，天已亮起来。我们就从窗口朝里看。我们能看清楚一张床，一张桌子和两把旧椅子，还有许多东西在地板上到处堆放着；靠墙上挂着衣服。有什么东西躺在墙角的地板上，看起来像个人。于是，吉姆说："喂，你这人！"但是，它文风未动。我也喊了一声，然后，吉姆说："这人不是睡着了，他是死了。你就呆在这儿，我过去看看。"他过去弯下腰看了看，他说："这是个死人。是的，的确死了；身上还光着。他是被人从背后开枪打死的。我估计他死了有两三天。进来吧，哈克，只是别看他的脸，简直太吓人啦。"我根本就不看他。吉姆扔了些破烂布片盖在他身上，但是他一点儿也不必那么做，我不想看见他。油乎乎的旧纸牌一堆一堆地撒落在地板上，还有旧威士忌酒瓶，还有一对黑布做的假面具；满墙都是最下流的字和图画，是用木炭涂的。墙上还挂着两件又旧又脏的印花布衣服，一顶太阳帽，还有些女人的衬衣，另外也有些男人衣服。我们把全部东西都放进独木舟，或许会用得上。地板上有顶男孩子的花点儿旧草帽，我把它也拿走了。..从那些东西四处乱扔的样子看，我们猜是那些人走得太匆忙了，来不及把大部分东西收拾好带走。
　　我们找到一个旧铁灯笼，一把没有把儿的屠刀，一把簇新的巴罗刀，在哪个店里都能卖到两三毛钱，还有很多蜡烛，一个铁蜡烛台和一个葫芦瓢，一个铁杯..还有一把斧头和一些铁钉，一条跟我小手指一般粗的钓鱼线，上面吊着一些很大很大的鱼钩..这么一来，全算在内，我们是真捞着了。我们要撑船时，已经漂到离岛下面四分之一英里了，天刚大亮；于是，我让吉姆躺在独木舟里，盖上被子，因为他一坐起来，人们老远就能看出来他是个黑人。我朝着伊利诺斯河岸划过去，这样漂下去半英里多地。我又顺着岸边的静水向上水划，没出什么事也没碰上什么人。我们平安到家了。
Chapter 10
AFTER breakfast I wanted to talk about the dead man and guess out how he come to be killed, but Jim didn't want to. He said it would fetch bad luck; and besides, he said, he might come and ha'nt us; he said a man that warn't buried was more likely to go aha'nting around than one that was planted and comfortable. That sounded pretty reasonable, so I didn't say no more; but I couldn't keep from studying over it and wishing I knowed who shot the man, and what they done it for. 
We rummaged the clothes we'd got, and found eight dollars in silver sewed up in the lining of an old blanket overcoat. Jim said he reckoned the people in that house stole the coat, because if they'd a knowed the money was there they wouldn't a left it. I said I reckoned they killed him, too; but Jim didn't want to talk about that. I says: 
"Now you think it's bad luck; but what did you say when I fetched in the snake-skin that I found on the top of the ridge day before yesterday? You said it was the worst bad luck in the world to touch a snake-skin with my hands. Well, here's your bad luck! We've raked in all this truck and eight dollars besides. I wish we could have some bad luck like this every day, Jim." 
"Never you mind, honey, never you mind. Don't you git too peart. It's a-comin'. Mind I tell you, it's a-comin'." 
It did come, too. It was a Tuesday that we had that talk. Well, after dinner Friday we was laying around in the grass at the upper end of the ridge, and got out of tobacco. I went to the cavern to get some, and found a rattlesnake in there. I killed him, and curled him up on the foot of Jim's blanket, ever so natural, thinking there'd be some fun when Jim found him there. Well, by night I forgot all about the snake, and when Jim flung himself down on the blanket while I struck a light the snake's mate was there, and bit him. 
He jumped up yelling, and the first thing the light showed was the varmint curled up and ready for another spring. I laid him out in a second with a stick, and Jim grabbed pap's whisky-jug and begun to pour it down. 
He was barefooted, and the snake bit him right on the heel. That all comes of my being such a fool as to not remember that wherever you leave a dead snake its mate always comes there and curls around it. Jim told me to chop off the snake's head and throw it away, and then skin the body and roast a piece of it. I done it, and he eat it and said it would help cure him. He made me take off the rattles and tie them around his wrist, too. He said that that would help. Then I slid out quiet and throwed the snakes clear away amongst the bushes; for I warn't going to let Jim find out it was all my fault, not if I could help it. 
Jim sucked and sucked at the jug, and now and then he got out of his head and pitched around and yelled; but every time he come to himself he went to sucking at the jug again. His foot swelled up pretty big, and so did his leg; but by and by the drunk begun to come, and so I judged he was all right; but I'd druther been bit with a snake than pap's whisky. 
Jim was laid up for four days and nights. Then the swelling was all gone and he was around again. I made up my mind I wouldn't ever take a-holt of a snake-skin again with my hands, now that I see what had come of it. Jim said he reckoned I would believe him next time. And he said that handling a snakeskin was such awful bad luck that maybe we hadn't got to the end of it yet. He said he druther see the new moon over his left shoulder as much as a thousand times than take up a snake-skin in his hand. Well, I was getting to feel that way myself, though I've always reckoned that looking at the new moon over your left shoulder is one of the carelessest and foolishest things a body can do. Old Hank Bunker done it once, and bragged about it; and in less than two years he got drunk and fell off of the shot-tower, and spread himself out so that he was just a kind of a layer, as you may say; and they slid him edgeways between two barn doors for a coffin, and buried him so, so they say, but I didn't see it. Pap told me. But anyway it all come of looking at the moon that way, like a fool. 
Well, the days went along, and the river went down between its banks again; and about the first thing we done was to bait one of the big hooks with a skinned rabbit and set it and catch a catfish that was as big as a man, being six foot two inches long, and weighed over two hundred pounds. We couldn't handle him, of course; he would a flung us into Illinois. We just set there and watched him rip and tear around till he drownded. We found a brass button in his stomach and a round ball, and lots of rubbage. We split the ball open with the hatchet, and there was a spool in it. Jim said he'd had it there a long time, to coat it over so and make a ball of it. It was as big a fish as was ever catched in the Mississippi, I reckon. Jim said he hadn't ever seen a bigger one. He would a been worth a good deal over at the village. They peddle out such a fish as that by the pound in the markethouse there; everybody buys some of him; his meat's as white as snow and makes a good fry. 
Next morning I said it was getting slow and dull, and I wanted to get a stirring up some way. I said I reckoned I would slip over the river and find out what was going on. Jim liked that notion; but he said I must go in the dark and look sharp. Then he studied it over and said, couldn't I put on some of them old things and dress up like a girl? That was a good notion, too. So we shortened up one of the calico gowns, and I turned up my trouser-legs to my knees and got into it. Jim hitched it behind with the hooks, and it was a fair fit. I put on the sun-bonnet and tied it under my chin, and then for a body to look in and see my face was like looking down a joint of stovepipe. Jim said nobody would know me, even in the daytime, hardly. I practiced around all day to get the hang of the things, and by and by I could do pretty well in them, only Jim said I didn't walk like a girl; and he said I must quit pulling up my gown to get at my britches-pocket. I took notice, and done better. 
I started up the Illinois shore in the canoe just after dark. 
I started across to the town from a little below the ferry-landing, and the drift of the current fetched me in at the bottom of the town. I tied up and started along the bank. There was a light burning in a little shanty that hadn't been lived in for a long time, and I wondered who had took up quarters there. I slipped up and peeped in at the window. There was a woman about forty year old in there knitting by a candle that was on a pine table. I didn't know her face; she was a stranger, for you couldn't start a face in that town that I didn't know. Now this was lucky, because I was weakening; I was getting afraid I had come; people might know my voice and find me out. But if this woman had been in such a little town two days she could tell me all I wanted to know; so I knocked at the door, and made up my mind I wouldn't forget I was a girl. 　　早饭过后，我很想谈谈那个死人，猜测他是怎么给人杀死的，可是吉姆不情愿，他说那会招来坏运气，另外，他说，他还有可能来找我们，他说一个没被埋掉的死人总乐意到处游荡，不像入土为安、舒舒服服的死人那样老实。这话听起来有几分道理，我也就不多说了；可是我还是忍不住要仔细琢磨琢磨这件事，希望能搞清楚是谁对那人开的枪，他们干嘛要那么做。我们彻底地搜查了弄来的衣服，翻到八块银元，这些钱是被缝在一件旧毯子大衣的衬里儿里面的。吉姆估计是房子里的人偷来的那件大衣，因为要是他们知道钱在里面，他们就不会将它丢在那里。我说我估计也是他们把那人给杀了，可以吉姆不想谈这事。我说："现在，你为这是坏运气；可是，前天我把在山脊顶上捡到的那条蛇皮带回来时，你是怎么说的？你说用手摸蛇皮会带来世界上最坏的运气。瞧瞧看吧，这就是你的坏运！我们找到了这么多东西，外加八块钱。我倒希望我们天天能有这样的坏运气，吉姆。""别急，宝贝儿，别急。你别高兴得太早。它快来了。记住我跟你说过，它快来了。"它果然来了。我们说这些是在星期二。嘿，在星期五晚饭后，我们正在山脊上头的草地上躺着，烟叶已经抽完，我就回洞里再去拿点儿，看见了一条响尾蛇在里面。我把蛇打死了，又把它盘起来，放在吉姆的毯子底下，一点不留痕迹。我心想，当吉姆发现那里有条死蛇时，肯定会很好玩儿的。可是到了晚上，我已经把这事忘得一干二净，当吉姆往毯子上一躺的时候，我刚好划火柴，那条死蛇的同伴在毯子底下，咬了他。
　　他尖叫一声跳起来，刚一有亮光，就看到那个害人毒虫正缩成一团，还想再扑过来。我一棍打死了它，吉姆抓起爸的酒罐，大口灌了起来。
　　他光着脚，蛇正好咬在他的脚后跟上。都怪我太傻了，没记住不管你把死蛇放在哪里，它的同伴都会过来盘住它的。吉姆告诉我将蛇头砍下来扔掉，再把蛇皮剥了，烤一块蛇肉。我一一照办，他吃下蛇肉，说这对他恢复有帮助。他又叫我把蛇的响环弄下来系在他手腕上。他说那样会有好处。然后，我悄悄儿走出去，把死蛇远远地扔到树丛里，因为我不想让吉姆发觉那全是我的错，能瞒过去就瞒过去吧。
　　吉姆抱着酒罐啜了又啜，一会儿发一阵酒疯，四处乱撞，狂嚎瞎叫；但每次酒醒之后，赶快又啜起酒来。他的脚肿得老高，腿也肿了；不过酒力渐渐见效，我也就认为他没什么事了，可我宁愿让蛇咬也不去惹爸的威士忌。
　　吉姆躺了四天四夜。后来，肿全消下去了，他又能来回活动了。我下定决心再也不用手拿蛇皮了，这一次我可看到了这样做的后果。吉姆说他觉得下次我就该相信他的话了。他还说摸蛇皮叫人倒大霉，也许我们还有要吃苦头。
　　好了，日子一天天过去，大河又退到两岸中间去了。大概我们做的第一件事是把一只剥了皮的兔子作为诱饵装在一个大鱼钩上，放入河里，钓住了一条像人那么大的鲇鱼，六英尺二英寸长，二百多磅重。我们自然弄不动它，它会把我们甩到伊利诺斯那边去。我们就坐在那里看着它来回不住撕扯，直到它淹死为止。我们从它肚里发现一个铜纽扣和一个圆团团，还有许多杂物。我们用斧头把圆团团劈开，里面有个线轴。吉姆说它吞下去很久了，才包来绕去成了这么个圆团团。我敢夸口，密西西比河上从没人捉到过这么大的鱼。吉姆说他也从没见过比这更大的鱼。要是在村里，它会值很多钱。他们在集市上把这么大的鱼都是论磅零卖，每个人买一点，鱼肉白如雪，用油一炸，味道绝妙。
　　第二天早上，我说日子过得又慢又单调，我想让它热闹点儿。我说我认为可以悄悄划船过河，看看那边的情况。吉姆赞成这个主意。但是他说，我得在夜里去，还得多加小心。他仔细想想又说，我能否穿上那些旧衣服，打扮成个女孩儿？那也是个好主意。于是，我们把一件印花睡衣弄短，我把自己的裤腿卷到膝盖上，穿上了那件衣服。吉姆在后边用鱼钩帮我钩住，衣服就很合身了。我戴上那顶太阳帽，在下巴上系好，谁要想看我的脸，就像朝一截火炉烟筒里往下看一般费劲。吉姆说没人能认出我，哪怕是在大白天也难。我反复练习了一整天，总在找窍门儿，慢慢地我穿衣服就习惯了，装着也像了，不过吉姆说我走路看上去不像女孩子，他说我必须改掉老是提袍子，手往裤子口袋里插的习惯。我稍加注意，便装得更像了。天一擦黑，我就乘独木舟，动身前往伊利诺斯岸边。
　　我从渡口往下一点的地方朝镇上划去，水流把我冲到镇下头去了。我拴好小舟，沿河岸走去。一个许久没有人住的小屋里透出了灯光，我想知道里面住的什么人。我悄悄过去，偷偷地往窗户里瞧。一个大约四十岁的妇女正在坐在蜡烛下织毛线，蜡烛放在松木桌上。我从未见过她的面，她是个生人，因为在那镇上，人人都认识我。这下还算运气，因为我正在畏缩犹豫，正犯愁自己已经来了，怕人们听出我的声音，认出我。但是，只要这个女人来这个小镇上两天，她就会把我想知道的事情全都告诉我。于是，我敲敲门，拿定主意要记着我是个女孩儿。
Chapter 11
"COME in," says the woman, and I did. She says: "Take a cheer." 
I done it. She looked me all over with her little shiny eyes, and says: 
"What might your name be?" 
"Sarah Williams." 
"Where 'bouts do you live? In this neighborhood?' 
"No'm. In Hookerville, seven mile below. I've walked all the way and I'm all tired out." 
"Hungry, too, I reckon. I'll find you something." 
"No'm, I ain't hungry. I was so hungry I had to stop two miles below here at a farm; so I ain't hungry no more. It's what makes me so late. My mother's down sick, and out of money and everything, and I come to tell my uncle Abner Moore. He lives at the upper end of the town, she says. I hain't ever been here before. Do you know him?" 
"No; but I don't know everybody yet. I haven't lived here quite two weeks. It's a considerable ways to the upper end of the town. You better stay here all night. Take off your bonnet." 
"No," I says; "I'll rest a while, I reckon, and go on. I ain't afeared of the dark." 
She said she wouldn't let me go by myself, but her husband would be in by and by, maybe in a hour and a half, and she'd send him along with me. Then she got to talking about her husband, and about her relations up the river, and her relations down the river, and about how much better off they used to was, and how they didn't know but they'd made a mistake coming to our town, instead of letting well alone -- and so on and so on, till I was afeard I had made a mistake coming to her to find out what was going on in the town; but by and by she dropped on to pap and the murder, and then I was pretty willing to let her clatter right along. She told about me and Tom Sawyer finding the six thousand dollars (only she got it ten) and all about pap and what a hard lot he was, and what a hard lot I was, and at last she got down to where I was murdered. I says: 
"Who done it? We've heard considerable about these goings on down in Hookerville, but we don't know who 'twas that killed Huck Finn." 
"Well, I reckon there's a right smart chance of people HERE that'd like to know who killed him. Some think old Finn done it himself." 
"No -- is that so?" 
"Most everybody thought it at first. He'll never know how nigh he come to getting lynched. But before night they changed around and judged it was done by a runaway nigger named Jim." 
"Why HE --" 
I stopped. I reckoned I better keep still. She run on, and never noticed I had put in at all: 
"The nigger run off the very night Huck Finn was killed. So there's a reward out for him -- three hundred dollars. And there's a reward out for old Finn, too -- two hundred dollars. You see, he come to town the morning after the murder, and told about it, and was out with 'em on the ferryboat hunt, and right away after he up and left. Before night they wanted to lynch him, but he was gone, you see. Well, next day they found out the nigger was gone; they found out he hadn't ben seen sence ten o'clock the night the murder was done. So then they put it on him, you see; and while they was full of it, next day, back comes old Finn, and went boo-hooing to Judge Thatcher to get money to hunt for the nigger all over Illinois with. The judge gave him some, and that evening he got drunk, and was around till after midnight with a couple of mighty hard-looking strangers, and then went off with them. Well, he hain't come back sence, and they ain't looking for him back till this thing blows over a little, for people thinks now that he killed his boy and fixed things so folks would think robbers done it, and then he'd get Huck's money without having to bother a long time with a lawsuit. People do say he warn't any too good to do it. Oh, he's sly, I reckon. If he don't come back for a year he'll be all right. You can't prove anything on him, you know; everything will be quieted down then, and he'll walk in Huck's money as easy as nothing." 
"Yes, I reckon so, 'm. I don't see nothing in the way of it. Has everybody guit thinking the nigger done it?" 
"Oh, no, not everybody. A good many thinks he done it. But they'll get the nigger pretty soon now, and maybe they can scare it out of him." 
"Why, are they after him yet?" 
"Well, you're innocent, ain't you! Does three hundred dollars lay around every day for people to pick up? Some folks think the nigger ain't far from here. I'm one of them -- but I hain't talked it around. A few days ago I was talking with an old couple that lives next door in the log shanty, and they happened to say hardly anybody ever goes to that island over yonder that they call Jackson's Island. Don't anybody live there? says I. No, nobody, says they. I didn't say any more, but I done some thinking. I was pretty near certain I'd seen smoke over there, about the head of the island, a day or two before that, so I says to myself, like as not that nigger's hiding over there; anyway, says I, it's worth the trouble to give the place a hunt. I hain't seen any smoke sence, so I reckon maybe he's gone, if it was him; but husband's going over to see -- him and another man. He was gone up the river; but he got back to-day, and I told him as soon as he got here two hours ago." 
I had got so uneasy I couldn't set still. I had to do something with my hands; so I took up a needle off of the table and went to threading it. My hands shook, and I was making a bad job of it. When the woman stopped talking I looked up, and she was looking at me pretty curious and smiling a little. I put down the needle and thread, and let on to be interested -- and I was, too -- and says: 
"Three hundred dollars is a power of money. I wish my mother could get it. Is your husband going over there to-night?" 
"Oh, yes. He went up-town with the man I was telling you of, to get a boat and see if they could borrow another gun. They'll go over after midnight." 
"Couldn't they see better if they was to wait till daytime?" 
"Yes. And couldn't the nigger see better, too? After midnight he'll likely be asleep, and they can slip around through the woods and hunt up his camp fire all the better for the dark, if he's got one." 
"I didn't think of that." 
The woman kept looking at me pretty curious, and I didn't feel a bit comfortable. Pretty soon she says" 
"What did you say your name was, honey?" 
"M -- Mary Williams." 
Somehow it didn't seem to me that I said it was Mary before, so I didn't look up -- seemed to me I said it was Sarah; so I felt sort of cornered, and was afeared maybe I was looking it, too. I wished the woman would say something more; the longer she set still the uneasier I was. But now she says: 
"Honey, I thought you said it was Sarah when you first come in?" 
"Oh, yes'm, I did. Sarah Mary Williams. Sarah's my first name. Some calls me Sarah, some calls me Mary." 
"Oh, that's the way of it?" 
"Yes'm." 
I was feeling better then, but I wished I was out of there, anyway. I couldn't look up yet. 
Well, the woman fell to talking about how hard times was, and how poor they had to live, and how the rats was as free as if they owned the place, and so forth and so on, and then I got easy again. She was right about the rats. You'd see one stick his nose out of a hole in the corner every little while. She said she had to have things handy to throw at them when she was alone, or they wouldn't give her no peace. She showed me a bar of lead twisted up into a knot, and said she was a good shot with it generly, but she'd wrenched her arm a day or two ago, and didn't know whether she could throw true now. But she watched for a chance, and directly banged away at a rat; but she missed him wide, and said "Ouch!" it hurt her arm so. Then she told me to try for the next one. I wanted to be getting away before the old man got back, but of course I didn't let on. I got the thing, and the first rat that showed his nose I let drive, and if he'd a stayed where he was he'd a been a tolerable sick rat. She said that was first-rate, and she reckoned I would hive the next one. She went and got the lump of lead and fetched it back, and brought along a hank of yarn which she wanted me to help her with. I held up my two hands and she put the hank over them, and went on talking about her and her husband's matters. But she broke off to say: 
"Keep your eye on the rats. You better have the lead in your lap, handy." 
So she dropped the lump into my lap just at that moment, and I clapped my legs together on it and she went on talking. But only about a minute. Then she took off the hank and looked me straight in the face, and very pleasant, and says: 
"Come, now, what's your real name?" 
"Wh -- what, mum?" 
"What's your real name? Is it Bill, or Tom, or Bob? -- or what is it?" 
I reckon I shook like a leaf, and I didn't know hardly what to do. But I says: 
"Please to don't poke fun at a poor girl like me, mum. If I'm in the way here, I'll --" 
"No, you won't. Set down and stay where you are. I ain't going to hurt you, and I ain't going to tell on you, nuther. You just tell me your secret, and trust me. I'll keep it; and, what's more, I'll help you. So'll my old man if you want him to. You see, you're a runaway 'prentice, that's all. It ain't anything. There ain't no harm in it. You've been treated bad, and you made up your mind to cut. Bless you, child, I wouldn't tell on you. Tell me all about it now, that's a good boy." 
So I said it wouldn't be no use to try to play it any longer, and I would just make a clean breast and tell her everything, but she musn't go back on her promise. Then I told her my father and mother was dead, and the law had bound me out to a mean old farmer in the country thirty mile back from the river, and he treated me so bad I couldn't stand it no longer; he went away to be gone a couple of days, and so I took my chance and stole some of his daughter's old clothes and cleared out, and I had been three nights coming the thirty miles. I traveled nights, and hid daytimes and slept, and the bag of bread and meat I carried from home lasted me all the way, and I had a-plenty. I said I believed my uncle Abner Moore would take care of me, and so that was why I struck out for this town of Goshen. 
"Goshen, child? This ain't Goshen. This is St. Petersburg. Goshen's ten mile further up the river. Who told you this was Goshen?" 
"Why, a man I met at daybreak this morning, just as I was going to turn into the woods for my regular sleep. He told me when the roads forked I must take the right hand, and five mile would fetch me to Goshen." 
"He was drunk, I reckon. He told you just exactly wrong." 
"Well,,he did act like he was drunk, but it ain't no matter now. I got to be moving along. I'll fetch Goshen before daylight." 
"Hold on a minute. I'll put you up a snack to eat. You might want it." 
So she put me up a snack, and says: 
"Say, when a cow's laying down, which end of her gets up first? Answer up prompt now -- don't stop to study over it. Which end gets up first?" 
"The hind end, mum." 
"Well, then, a horse?" 
"The for'rard end, mum." 
"Which side of a tree does the moss grow on?" 
"North side." 
"If fifteen cows is browsing on a hillside, how many of them eats with their heads pointed the same direction?" 
"The whole fifteen, mum." 
"Well, I reckon you HAVE lived in the country. I thought maybe you was trying to hocus me again. What's your real name, now?" 
"George Peters, mum." 
"Well, try to remember it, George. Don't forget and tell me it's Elexander before you go, and then get out by saying it's George Elexander when I catch you. And don't go about women in that old calico. You do a girl tolerable poor, but you might fool men, maybe. Bless you, child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way. And when you throw at a rat or anything, hitch yourself up a tiptoe and fetch your hand up over your head as awkward as you can, and miss your rat about six or seven foot. Throw stiff-armed from the shoulder, like there was a pivot there for it to turn on, like a girl; not from the wrist and elbow, with your arm out to one side, like a boy. And, mind you, when a girl tries to catch anything in her lap she throws her knees apart; she don't clap them together, the way you did when you catched the lump of lead. Why, I spotted you for a boy when you was threading the needle; and I contrived the other things just to make certain. Now trot along to your uncle, Sarah Mary Williams George Elexander Peters, and if you get into trouble you send word to Mrs. Judith Loftus, which is me, and I'll do what I can to get you out of it. Keep the river road all the way, and next time you tramp take shoes and socks with you. The river road's a rocky one, and your feet'll be in a condition when you get to Goshen, I reckon." 
I went up the bank about fifty yards, and then I doubled on my tracks and slipped back to where my canoe was, a good piece below the house. I jumped in, and was off in a hurry. I went up-stream far enough to make the head of the island, and then started across. I took off the sun-bonnet, for I didn't want no blinders on then. When I was about the middle I heard the clock begin to strike, so I stops and listens; the sound come faint over the water but clear -- eleven. When I struck the head of the island I never waited to blow, though I was most winded, but I shoved right into the timber where my old camp used to be, and started a good fire there on a high and dry spot. 
Then I jumped in the canoe and dug out for our place, a mile and a half below, as hard as I could go. I landed, and slopped through the timber and up the ridge and into the cavern. There Jim laid, sound asleep on the ground. I roused him out and says: 
"Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain't a minute to lose. They're after us!" 
Jim never asked no questions, he never said a word; but the way he worked for the next half an hour showed about how he was scared. By that time everything we had in the world was on our raft, and she was ready to be shoved out from the willow cove where she was hid. We put out the camp fire at the cavern the first thing, and didn't show a candle outside after that. 
I took the canoe out from the shore a little piece, and took a look; but if there was a boat around I couldn't see it, for stars and shadows ain't good to see by. Then we got out the raft and slipped along down in the shade, past the foot of the island dead still -- never saying a word. "进来。"　那女人说，我就进去了。她又说："坐吧。"　我坐下。她拿发亮的小眼睛仔细打量着我问道："你叫什么名字？""莎·威廉斯。""你住在什么地方？在这附近吗？""不，太太，我住在胡克韦尔，在下游七英里远的地方。我走了一路，累极了。""我看你也饿了吧。我去给你找点东西吃。""不，太太，我不饿。我本来饿得很，就在离这里两英里的农场上呆了一会儿，所以，我现在不再饿了。这样，我才会耽误到这么晚。我母亲病倒了，没有钱，也没有什么东西，所以我才来告诉阿伯纳·摩尔舅舅。她告诉我他住在这镇子上游那头。过去我从未来过这里。您认得他吗？""不，我还认不全这里的人。我住在这里还不到两个星期。离镇子上游那头还有很长一段路。你最好在这儿住一晚上。摘下你的帽子吧。""不了，"我说，"　我看我还是歇上一阵就继续赶路，我不怕天黑。"她说她不会让我一个人走，她丈夫快回来了，大概一个半小时就能回来，她叫他送我。接着，她就开始讲她的丈夫，说她在河上游住的亲戚，在河下游住的本家，还说他们过去的日子多么好过，还说不知怎么回事，放着好日子不过，偏偏打错主意到我们镇上来--等等。后来我挺担心我找她了解镇上的情况才真是打错了主意，可是慢慢地她就把话头转到了爸和那件杀人案上，接着，我就很乐意叫她一直唠叨下去了。她说到我和汤姆·索亚找到那六千块钱(只是说成了一万)，还说了爸的全部情况，说他多坏多坏，又说我有多坏，到末了，她说到我被人杀这件事。我问："到底是谁干的？我们在胡克维尔那边也听过好多事儿，可是我们不知道到底是谁杀了哈克·芬。""啊，我看就是在这里也有很多人想知道是谁杀了他。有人猜测是老芬自己干的。""不--这不可能吧？""可所有的人开始都这么想。他决不至于想到他都快被人处私刑了。可是没到天黑，人们又改变了想法，料定是一个名叫吉姆的逃跑黑人干的。""怎么他.."我不再问了。我想我最好别吱声。她可以一直说下去，一点儿也没注意我插嘴了。
    "那个黑人就在哈克·芬被害的当天晚上出逃的。所以就出了赏钱抓他--三百块钱。也出了抓老芬的赏格--两百块钱。你瞧瞧，他在出了人命案的第二天一早来到镇上，给大家说了，还和他们一块儿坐渡船出去找，可是他露了一面以后马上又跑了。没到天黑，他们想把他给咬死，可是他已没影儿了，你瞧瞧。到了第二天，他们发觉那个黑人跑掉了。他们发现从杀人那天晚上十点起，他就已经不见了。所以，他们就把这件事栽到他头上，你瞧，他们正在忙乎之时，第二天老芬又回来了，呜呜哭着到萨切尔法官家要钱，说要踏遍伊利诺斯州去找那个黑人。法官给了他一些钱，那天晚上他就喝醉了，和两个长得面貌凶恶的陌生人胡乱转到半夜，然后才和他们一起走了。从那以后，他就没回来，他们都没指望他会回来，他非要等这事风声小点儿再说，因为大家认为他杀了他孩子又把现场弄成那样，人们就可能以为是强盗干的，随后他就能拿到哈克的钱而不用费什么周折去打官司了。大家都说他能干得出这种事。噢，我看他挺诡诈。要是他一年不回来的话，他就啥事也没了。你什么也证明不了他，你知道吧，到时候，什么事都会风平浪静，他也就轻轻巧巧地得到哈克的钱了，不费一点力气。""是，我也这么想，太太。我看不出这事儿有啥行不通。是不是每个人都不再认为是那个黑人干的了？""噢，不，不能说每个人。好多人还觉得是他干的。不过他们不久就会抓住那个黑人了，也许他们能逼他招供出来。""怎么，他们还在抓他吗？""是啊，你可真傻！难道说天天都有三百块钱放着让人捡吗？有人认为那个黑人离这里不远。我也这么想--可我不到处说。几天前，我跟住在隔壁木头屋里的一对老夫妇谈起了这件事，他们无意中说几乎还没人上过远处那座岛，他们叫它杰克逊岛。没有人住在那儿吗？我就问。没有，他们说。我就不再多问了，但是我动了脑筋。我几乎可以断定，我看到过那里冒烟，大概在岛头，是一两天前，于是我心里说，就算是那个黑人没躲在那边，不管怎么着，我想也值得麻烦一次去搜查搜查那个地方。我没有再看见冒烟，所以，我估计他也许跑了，那要是他的话；只是，我丈夫打算过去看看--他和另外一个人。他到河上游去了，不过今天回来了，两个小时以前他刚到家，我就跟他说这件事了。"我急得坐不住了。我得用手干点儿什么才行；于是，我捡起桌上的一根针来穿线。我的手打哆嗦，线也穿不好。那女人停止说话时，我抬起头，她正十分好奇地看着我，脸上还有些笑意。我放下针线，装作听得入了神--我也确实很入神--说："三百块可是一大笔钱。我希望我母亲能得到它。您丈夫今晚就过去吗？""对。他和我跟你说的那个人到镇上去了，去弄条船来，看看能不能再借一条枪。他们半夜以后过去。""要是他们能等到天亮，不是看得更明白吗？""是啊，可这样一来那个黑人不也看得更清楚了吗？半夜以后，他或许会睡着，他们就能悄悄穿过树林摸着他的篝火，天越黑越好找，他如果有个篝火的话。""我可没想到这个。"那女人始终很好奇地看着我，我觉得很不舒服。不久她说："你刚才说你叫什么名字啊，亲爱的？""玛--玛丽·威廉斯。"不知怎么回事，好像我刚才说的不是玛丽，所以我不抬头，好像我说的是莎拉，所以我感到窘迫，还担心自己脸上或许会露出来。我多想让那女人再多说些话呀，她在那儿静坐的时间越长，我越觉得不自在。可是，她这时候说道："亲爱的，我记得你刚进屋时说你叫莎拉的呀？""噢，太太，我说的是：莎拉·玛丽·威廉斯。莎拉是前头的名字。有人叫我莎拉，有人叫我玛丽。""噢，是这样的？""是的，太太。"这时，我觉得好些了，可我希望，不管怎样，我要赶快离开那里。我仍不敢抬头。
    接着，那女人开始谈到时光过得多艰难，他们生活得多么贫苦，老鼠来回跑得多么自由自在，就跟这房子是它们的，如此等等，等等，这样我又放心了..可是，她只讲了一会儿。后来她拿掉线团儿，直盯着我的脸看，但是脸色很和气，她说："直说了吧--你的真名叫什么？""什--什么呀，太太？""你的真名叫什么？是比尔，汤姆，还是鲍勃？--还是别的什么？"我想我抖得像片风中的树叶，我简直不知道如何是好。可我还是说："请别跟我这个可怜的女孩儿开玩笑吧，太太。要是我在这儿碍事的话，我就..""不，你不碍事。你坐着别动。我不会伤害你，我也不会告发你。你可以放心告诉我你的秘密，你要相信我，我一定替你保密。此外，我还会帮助你。我的老头子也会帮助你，只要你需要他。你瞧，你是个逃跑的学徒--就这么回事儿。这算不了什么。这也没什么害处。人家待你相当不好，你就打定主意开小差。上帝保佑你，孩子，我不会告发你。现在，跟我说实话吧--那才是好孩子。呆会儿，我给你弄点儿吃的带上，你也许会用得着。"于是，她给我带上一份吃的东西，她问道："你说，一头牛卧着，它哪头儿先起来？现在赶快回答，别停下来细琢磨。哪头儿先起来？""后头，太太。""好，那么，一匹马？""前头，太太。""苔藓长在树的哪一边？""北边。""要是15　头牛在一个山坡上吃草，有几只牛把头冲同一边儿？""15　头全冲一边，太太。""好啦，你看你还确实在农村呆过。我还以为你又要欺骗我呢。喂，你的真名叫什么？""乔治·彼得斯，太太。""好吧，记住这个名字，乔治。别把这个名字也给忘了，到你临走的时候，又告诉我你叫亚历山大，等我抓住你的错儿了，你又说是乔治·亚历山大好出门走脱。别再穿这件破旧的印花袍子在女人眼前转悠了。你装女孩子装得很不像，但是，你可能会蒙过男人，也许吧。嗨，你在穿针的时候，我就看出你是个男孩子了。我又想出几个别的问题，只是为了证实一下。现在快跑去找你舅舅吧，莎拉·玛丽·威廉斯·乔治·亚历山大·彼得斯，要是你遇上了麻烦，捎个话儿给朱迪丝·劳特斯太太，那就是我，我会尽力帮你忙的。顺着河边的路，一直往前走，下回步行出门记住穿上鞋袜。河边的路石头多，等你到了地方，你的脚可就有好瞧的了。"我沿河边向上游走了约有50　码，然后立即调头，转身向回跑，窜回我**木舟的地方，那儿离房子有很长一段路。我跳上去，急忙划走。我向上水划，看准了岛头，然后横过河去。我甩掉太阳帽，因为这时我不想遮脸了。当我快划到河中心时，我听到钟开始敲了，因此，我停下来听听；声音隐隐传过水面，但是清清楚楚--11　下。等我靠上岛头，我连气都顾不上喘一口，尽管我也该换口气了，而是直接钻进我过去宿营的树林里，在那儿一块又干燥又高的地方生着一大堆火。
    然后我跳进独木舟，急急划向我们的住地，离这里一英里半地，我死命地划。我登上岸，穿过树林，爬上山脊，钻到洞里。吉姆躺着，正在地上呼呼酣睡。我叫醒他说："起来，自己加把劲儿，吉姆！一分钟也不能耽搁。他们追我们来啦！"吉姆一句话没问，一个字没说，不过接下去半小时，从他那股干劲能看出来他被吓成了什么样。半小时后，我们的全部家当都搬上了木排，一切安置就绪，就等着把它从藏着的柳树湾里撑出去了。我们最要紧的是熄灭了洞口那堆篝火，连支蜡烛光都没在外面露出来。
    我将独木舟划离岸近一点，四下看看，不过即使附近有一只船我也看不见，因为星光树影带来一片模糊。随后，我们撑出木排，在树影里顺流直下，经过岛尾时寂静无声，两个人都悄声无言。
Chapter 12
IT must a been close on to one o'clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow. If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn't come, for we hadn't ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat. We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things. It warn't good judgment to put EVERYTHING on the raft. 
If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come. Anyways, they stayed away from us, and if my building the fire never fooled them it warn't no fault of mine. I played it as low down on them as I could. 
When the first streak of day began to show we tied up to a towhead in a big bend on the Illinois side, and hacked off cottonwood branches with the hatchet, and covered up the raft with them so she looked like there had been a cave-in in the bank there. A towhead is a sandbar that has cottonwoods on it as thick as harrow-teeth. 
We had mountains on the Missouri shore and heavy timber on the Illinois side, and the channel was down the Missouri shore at that place, so we warn't afraid of anybody running across us. We laid there all day, and watched the rafts and steamboats spin down the Missouri shore, and up-bound steamboats fight the big river in the middle. I told Jim all about the time I had jabbering with that woman; and Jim said she was a smart one, and if she was to start after us herself she wouldn't set down and watch a camp fire -- no, sir, she'd fetch a dog. Well, then, I said, why couldn't she tell her husband to fetch a dog? Jim said he bet she did think of it by the time the men was ready to start, and he believed they must a gone up-town to get a dog and so they lost all that time, or else we wouldn't be here on a towhead sixteen or seventeen mile below the village -- no, indeedy, we would be in that same old town again. So I said I didn't care what was the reason they didn't get us as long as they didn't. 
When it was beginning to come on dark we poked our heads out of the cottonwood thicket, and looked up and down and across; nothing in sight; so Jim took up some of the top planks of the raft and built a snug wigwam to get under in blazing weather and rainy, and to keep the things dry. Jim made a floor for the wigwam, and raised it a foot or more above the level of the raft, so now the blankets and all the traps was out of reach of steamboat waves. Right in the middle of the wigwam we made a layer of dirt about five or six inches deep with a frame around it for to hold it to its place; this was to build a fire on in sloppy weather or chilly; the wigwam would keep it from being seen. We made an extra steering-oar, too, because one of the others might get broke on a snag or something. We fixed up a short forked stick to hang the old lantern on, because we must always light the lantern whenever we see a steamboat coming down-stream, to keep from getting run over; but we wouldn't have to light it for up-stream boats unless we see we was in what they call a "crossing"; for the river was pretty high yet, very low banks being still a little under water; so up-bound boats didn't always run the channel, but hunted easy water. 
This second night we run between seven and eight hours, with a current that was making over four mile an hour. We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn't ever feel like talking loud, and it warn't often that we laughed -- only a little kind of a low chuckle. We had mighty good weather as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all -- that night, nor the next, nor the next. 
Every night we passed towns, some of them away up on black hillsides, nothing but just a shiny bed of lights; not a house could you see. The fifth night we passed St. Louis, and it was like the whole world lit up. In St. Petersburg they used to say there was twenty or thirty thousand people in St. Louis, but I never believed it till I see that wonderful spread of lights at two o'clock that still night. There warn't a sound there; everybody was asleep. 
Every night now I used to slip ashore towards ten o'clock at some little village, and buy ten or fifteen cents' worth of meal or bacon or other stuff to eat; and sometimes I lifted a chicken that warn't roosting comfortable, and took him along. Pap always said, take a chicken when you get a chance, because if you don't want him yourself you can easy find somebody that does, and a good deed ain't ever forgot. I never see pap when he didn't want the chicken himself, but that is what he used to say, anyway. 
Mornings before daylight I slipped into cornfields and borrowed a watermelon, or a mushmelon, or a punkin, or some new corn, or things of that kind. Pap always said it warn't no harm to borrow things if you was meaning to pay them back some time; but the widow said it warn't anything but a soft name for stealing, and no decent body would do it. Jim said he reckoned the widow was partly right and pap was partly right; so the best way would be for us to pick out two or three things from the list and say we wouldn't borrow them any more -- then he reckoned it wouldn't be no harm to borrow the others. So we talked it over all one night, drifting along down the river, trying to make up our minds whether to drop the watermelons, or the cantelopes, or the mushmelons, or what. But towards daylight we got it all settled satisfactory, and concluded to drop crabapples and p'simmons. We warn't feeling just right before that, but it was all comfortable now. I was glad the way it come out, too, because crabapples ain't ever good, and the p'simmons wouldn't be ripe for two or three months yet. 
We shot a water-fowl now and then that got up too early in the morning or didn't go to bed early enough in the evening. Take it all round, we lived pretty high. 
The fifth night below St. Louis we had a big storm after midnight, with a power of thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in a solid sheet. We stayed in the wigwam and let the raft take care of itself. When the lightning glared out we could see a big straight river ahead, and high, rocky bluffs on both sides. By and by says I, "Hel-LO, Jim, looky yonder!" It was a steamboat that had killed herself on a rock. We was drifting straight down for her. The lightning showed her very distinct. She was leaning over, with part of her upper deck above water, and you could see every little chimbly-guy clean and clear, and a chair by the big bell, with an old slouch hat hanging on the back of it, when the flashes come. 
Well, it being away in the night and stormy, and all so mysterious-like, I felt just the way any other boy would a felt when I see that wreck laying there so mournful and lonesome in the middle of the river. I wanted to get aboard of her and slink around a little, and see what there was there. So I says: 
"Le's land on her, Jim." 
But Jim was dead against it at first. He says: 
"I doan' want to go fool'n 'long er no wrack. We's doin' blame' well, en we better let blame' well alone, as de good book says. Like as not dey's a watchman on dat wrack." 
"Watchman your grandmother," I says; "there ain't nothing to watch but the texas and the pilothouse; and do you reckon anybody's going to resk his life for a texas and a pilot-house such a night as this, when it's likely to break up and wash off down the river any minute?" Jim couldn't say nothing to that, so he didn't try. "And besides," I says, "we might borrow something worth having out of the captain's stateroom. Seegars, I bet you -- and cost five cents apiece, solid cash. Steamboat captains is always rich, and get sixty dollars a month, and THEY don't care a cent what a thing costs, you know, long as they want it. Stick a candle in your pocket; I can't rest, Jim, till we give her a rummaging. Do you reckon Tom Sawyer would ever go by this thing? Not for pie, he wouldn't. He'd call it an adventure -- that's what he'd call it; and he'd land on that wreck if it was his last act. And wouldn't he throw style into it? -- wouldn't he spread himself, nor nothing? Why, you'd think it was Christopher C'lumbus discovering Kingdom-Come. I wish Tom Sawyer WAS here." 
Jim he grumbled a little, but give in. He said we mustn't talk any more than we could help, and then talk mighty low. The lightning showed us the wreck again just in time, and we fetched the stabboard derrick, and made fast there. 
The deck was high out here. We went sneaking down the slope of it to labboard, in the dark, towards the texas, feeling our way slow with our feet, and spreading our hands out to fend off the guys, for it was so dark we couldn't see no sign of them. Pretty soon we struck the forward end of the skylight, and clumb on to it; and the next step fetched us in front of the captain's door, which was open, and by Jimminy, away down through the texas-hall we see a light! and all in the same second we seem to hear low voices in yonder! 
Jim whispered and said he was feeling powerful sick, and told me to come along. I says, all right, and was going to start for the raft; but just then I heard a voice wail out and say: 
"Oh, please don't, boys; I swear I won't ever tell!" 
Another voice said, pretty loud: 
"It's a lie, Jim Turner. You've acted this way before. You always want more'n your share of the truck, and you've always got it, too, because you've swore 't if you didn't you'd tell. But this time you've said it jest one time too many. You're the meanest, treacherousest hound in this country." 
By this time Jim was gone for the raft. I was just a-biling with curiosity; and I says to myself, Tom Sawyer wouldn't back out now, and so I won't either; I'm a-going to see what's going on here. So I dropped on my hands and knees in the little passage, and crept aft in the dark till there warn't but one stateroom betwixt me and the cross-hall of the texas. Then in there I see a man stretched on the floor and tied hand and foot, and two men standing over him, and one of them had a dim lantern in his hand, and the other one had a pistol. This one kept pointing the pistol at the man's head on the floor, and saying: 
"I'd LIKE to! And I orter, too -- a mean skunk!" 
The man on the floor would shrivel up and say, "Oh, please don't, Bill; I hain't ever goin' to tell." 
And every time he said that the man with the lantern would laugh and say: 
"'Deed you AIN'T! You never said no truer thing 'n that, you bet you." And once he said: "Hear him beg! and yit if we hadn't got the best of him and tied him he'd a killed us both. And what FOR? Jist for noth'n. Jist because we stood on our RIGHTS -- that's what for. But I lay you ain't a-goin' to threaten nobody any more, Jim Turner. Put UP that pistol, Bill." 
Bill says: 
"I don't want to, Jake Packard. I'm for killin' him -- and didn't he kill old Hatfield jist the same way -- and don't he deserve it?" 
"But I don't WANT him killed, and I've got my reasons for it." 
"Bless yo' heart for them words, Jake Packard! I'll never forgit you long's I live!" says the man on the floor, sort of blubbering. 
Packard didn't take no notice of that, but hung up his lantern on a nail and started towards where I was there in the dark, and motioned Bill to come. I crawfished as fast as I could about two yards, but the boat slanted so that I couldn't make very good time; so to keep from getting run over and catched I crawled into a stateroom on the upper side. The man came apawing along in the dark, and when Packard got to my stateroom, he says: 
"Here -- come in here." 
And in he come, and Bill after him. But before they got in I was up in the upper berth, cornered, and sorry I come. Then they stood there, with their hands on the ledge of the berth, and talked. I couldn't see them, but I could tell where they was by the whisky they'd been having. I was glad I didn't drink whisky; but it wouldn't made much difference anyway, because most of the time they couldn't a treed me because I didn't breathe. I was too scared. And, besides, a body COULDN'T breathe and hear such talk. They talked low and earnest. Bill wanted to kill Turner. He says: 
"He's said he'll tell, and he will. If we was to give both our shares to him NOW it wouldn't make no difference after the row and the way we've served him. Shore's you're born, he'll turn State's evidence; now you hear ME. I'm for putting him out of his troubles." 
"So'm I," says Packard, very quiet. 
"Blame it, I'd sorter begun to think you wasn誸. Well, then, that's all right. Le's go and do it." 
"Hold on a minute; I hain't had my say yit. You listen to me. Shooting's good, but there's quieter ways if the thing's GOT to be done. But what I say is this: it ain't good sense to go court'n around after a halter if you can git at what you're up to in some way that's jist as good and at the same time don't bring you into no resks. Ain't that so?" 
"You bet it is. But how you goin' to manage it this time?" 
"Well, my idea is this: we'll rustle around and gather up whatever pickins we've overlooked in the staterooms, and shove for shore and hide the truck. Then we'll wait. Now I say it ain't a-goin' to be more'n two hours befo' this wrack breaks up and washes off down the river. See? He'll be drownded, and won't have nobody to blame for it but his own self. I reckon that's a considerble sight better 'n killin' of him. I'm unfavorable to killin' a man as long as you can git aroun' it; it ain't good sense, it ain't good morals. Ain't I right?" 
"Yes, I reck'n you are. But s'pose she DON'T break up and wash off?" 
"Well, we can wait the two hours anyway and see, can't we?" 
"All right, then; come along." 
So they started, and I lit out, all in a cold sweat, and scrambled forward. It was dark as pitch there; but I said, in a kind of a coarse whisper, "Jim !" and he answered up, right at my elbow, with a sort of a moan, and I says: 
"Quick, Jim, it ain't no time for fooling around and moaning; there's a gang of murderers in yonder, and if we don't hunt up their boat and set her drifting down the river so these fellows can't get away from the wreck there's one of 'em going to be in a bad fix. But if we find their boat we can put ALL of 'em in a bad fix -- for the sheriff 'll get 'em. Quick -- hurry! I'll hunt the labboard side, you hunt the stabboard. You start at the raft, and --" 
"Oh, my lordy, lordy! RAF'? Dey ain' no raf' no mo'; she done broke loose en gone I -- en here we is!" 
当我们最终到了岛下面时，肯定已经接近一点了，木排确实像是走得特别慢。要是一条船开过来，我们打算跳上独木舟逃往伊利诺斯河岸；好在没有船来，因为我们压根儿没想到把枪、或者钓鱼线或是吃的东西放进独木舟。我们过于着急了，一下子没想起来这么多事。把所有的东西都放在木排上好象很笨。
    如果那两个人上岛，我就算计着他们找到了我生的那堆火，随后在火堆旁守上整整一夜，等着吉姆。无论怎样，他们和我们已经离得很远了，如果我生的火一点儿没骗住他们，那也不怪我。我跟他们玩的这个把戏，也算缺德到家了。
    天刚透出第一缕亮光，我们就把木排系到伊利诺斯岸边一个大河湾里的浅滩上，用斧头砍了些白杨树枝盖住了它，这样看起来，如同河岸在那儿塌进去一块似的。浅滩就是沙洲，上面长满了锯齿一样密密的白杨。
    密苏里河岸上是山，伊利诺斯岸边是密林，河水在这儿是靠密苏里河岸流淌，因此我们不怕被人碰上。我们一整天都躺着，看木排和轮船打着旋儿冲往密苏里那边，上水的轮船在河中间费力挣扎。我把我和那个妇人聊的话都讲给了吉姆；吉姆说她是聪明女人，要是她亲自来追我们，她一定不会坐下来等着一堆篝火--不，先生，她会牵条狗来。那样的话，我说，她难道不知道告诉她丈夫这么做吗？吉姆说他敢打赌，在那两个人要动身时，她确实想到了这一点，他还相信他们一定是到镇上去找狗了，这样他们就把时间全给耽误了，否则，我们就不会在那个村子下面十六七英里远的这个沙洲上了--不，说实在话，我们又会在那个老镇上了。于是我说，我不管他们究竟是什么原因没抓住我们，只要不被他们抓着就好。
    天刚刚黑下来，我们就从白杨树丛中探出头，四下张望，什么也没看见。于是，吉姆拿起木排上面的木板搭了个舒适的小窝棚，来躺避日晒雨淋，还可以保持东西干燥。吉姆还在窝棚里搭起地板，比木排面垫高了一英尺多，这样，毯子和其他的东西都能避免被轮船掀起的波浪打湿了。在窝棚的当中，我们堆一层六英寸厚的土，用木板把土固定住，这是为遇上雨天或冷天生火用的。小窝棚会挡住火，人们不会看见。我们又做了个掌舵的桨，因为原有的桨大概会碰在暗礁或别的什么东西上给折断。我们竖起一根分叉的木棍，把那盏旧提灯挂上；因为一碰上轮船顺手开过来，我们就得点亮灯，防止被撞翻。只是，我们不必为上水的船点灯，除非是我们看见自己处在人们称做横流的地方，由于水位还很高，河岸低洼地还淹在水下一点儿，因此水上的船只并不一直在走主河道，偶尔也找平静的水面走。
    第二个晚上，我们走了七八个小时。顺着水流一小时划四英里多。我们钓鱼聊天，有时下河游泳，免得打盹。在静静的大河上顺流而下，仰望群星，还真有些庄严肃穆的感觉，我们从不愿大声说话，也不怎么开口大笑，只是有时候低低地格格几声。总体而言，我们一直遇着好天气，什么事儿也没碰着，不论是当天夜里，还是第二夜，还是下一夜。
    每个晚上，我们都经过一些城镇，有时远远地处在黑暗的山坡上，全是一片亮亮的灯火，一座房也看不见。第五天晚上，我们经过圣路易斯，仿佛全世界都亮着灯。在圣彼得堡，他们总是说圣路易斯有两三万人，可我以前从不相信，直至在那个静静的夜晚两点钟时，我看到了那奇妙的万家灯火，才深信不疑。那儿一点声音都没有，人们都在熟睡。
    如今，每天晚上，我总会偷偷摸到岸上，在临近十点钟左右，到一些小村庄上，去买一毛或一毛五分钱的玉米面或咸猪肉或其他吃的东西，有时，我也拎起一只不好好进窝的鸡，带上就走。爸总是说，有机会就抓只鸡，因为要是你不想自己要，总容易找到别人要，做了好事就不会被忘掉。我可是从未见过爸自己不想要的时候，不过反正他老是那么说。
    清晨，在天亮之前，我摸进玉米地，借个西瓜，或借个香瓜，或是南瓜，或是新玉米，或者类似的东西。爸老说借东西没什么害处，只要你将来有意偿还，可寡妇说那只不过是比说偷好听罢了，没一个体面人会做那种事。吉姆说他认为寡妇说的有点儿道理，爸说的也有点儿对，所以最好的办法是我们从上面说的东西里挑上两三样，而且说我们不再借这些东西了--这样，他再想去借其他东西就不会有什么害处了。于是一天晚上，我们把这个问题来来回回地谈了一遍，一边顺着大河往下漂，一边想拿定主意是丢下西瓜，还是甜瓜，还是香瓜，还是别的什么。不过快到天明时，我们就把问题全都圆满地解决了，结论是扔掉山楂和柿子。这以前我们一直觉得不大对劲儿，不过现在可是彻底地好受了。我对这个结果也很高兴，因为山楂一点儿也不好吃，而柿子得再等上两三个月才会熟。我们偶尔也打只水鸟，打那些早上起得太早或是晚上睡得不够早的鸟儿。总体说来，我们过得挺快活。
    第五天夜里，在圣路易斯下边，半夜过后，我们遇上了一场大暴风雨，电闪雷鸣，来势汹汹，大雨白茫茫一片，倾盆而下。我们呆在窝棚里，任由木排自己漂。雷电闪过时，我们看到前边河水直立，两岸石岩峭壁高耸。不一阵，我叫到："　喂--，吉姆，看那儿！"　那是一条轮船触礁毁了。我们正直向它漂去。闪电把它照得异常清楚。它斜了过去，甲板的一部分还露在水面。一有闪电划过，一条条拉住烟囱的铁索看得清清楚楚，大钟旁边有把椅子，一顶破烂的垂边儿帽还垂在椅子背上。
    夜已深了，还是风雨交加，四周神神秘秘的，看着那条沉船凄惨孤单地斜歪在河中心，我跟任何其他男孩子的想法都差不多。我想上船稍微走一圈儿，看看上面都有什么。于是，我说："我们上去吧，吉姆。"可是吉姆开始死不赞成。他说："我可不愿意到沉船上瞎转悠晃荡。我们现在过得绝对是好极了，最好就这么好下去，就跟那部好书圣经上说的那样。没准那沉船上有人看守。""看守你个奶奶！"　我说，"　除掉前顶舱和舵手室，啥也没有；你难道认为在这样的风雨黑夜，为一个前顶舱和舵手室会有人乐意冒生命危险吗？它又随时都会撞碎，被河水冲走。"吉姆什么理由也说不出来，因此他也就不说了。
    "还有，"我说，"　没准从船长的特等舱里，我们还能借点值钱东西呢。雪茄，我敢打赌--一支值五分钱，响当当的硬币。轮船上的船长都很有钱，一个月挣60　块，他们这种人才不会在乎一样东西花多少钱呢，只要他们想买就行。口袋里装支蜡烛吧，我踏实不了，吉姆，我们一定要把它搜个遍儿。你认为汤姆·索亚会放过这种事吗？绝对不，他不会的。他叫这是历险--他就是这么叫的，就算是送命他也要上那条沉船。他还不派头十足？他还不神气活现？会无动于衷？啊，你会觉得那是克利斯托弗·哥伦布发现了天国新大陆。我真希望汤姆·索亚就在身边。"吉姆嘟哝了一会儿，还是屈服了。他说我们拿东西千万别贪多，说话尽量低声。闪电又给我们把那条沉船照亮了，十分及时，我们抓住右舷上的吊车，将木排拴到那上面。
    甲板在这儿高高翘起。我们静静地顺着甲板斜坡摸下左舷，在黑暗中向特等舱摸索，用脚探着路，伸出手把铁索挡开，由于夜黑得我们什么也看不见。很快地，我们碰到了天窗前面那头，爬了上去；又爬一步到了船长室的前面，门敞开着。哎呀，天哪，穿过船顶舱通道，远远地看到有灯光！差不多就在同一时刻，我们仿佛听见那边有低低的说话声！
    吉姆趴在我耳边说他觉得十分不对劲儿，告诉我跟他快走。我说，好吧。正要挪步向木排走，可正在此时，我听见一个声音哭着说："噢，别这样，弟兄们：我发誓我决不往外说！"另一个声音说，噪门挺大："这是撒谎，吉姆·特纳。以前你就耍过这一套。你要的总比你应得的那一份儿多，你也总能拿到手，因为你发誓说你要拿不到手，就要去告发。但是这一次你说一遍就已经够了。你是个这个国家最卑鄙最阴险的大坏蛋。"这时，吉姆已经朝大排那边去了。我却好奇得要命，我心想，汤姆·索亚这时候是怎么也不会退走，我也不；我要看看这儿是怎么回事。我就用双手和膝盖着地，在那个窄窄的通道里，摸着黑朝后爬，一直爬到我和船顶舱的过廊之间只隔一个特等舱了。在那里，我看到一个人躺倒在地板上，手脚都被捆着，还有两个人站在他身旁，其中一个人拿手提着盏昏暗的灯笼，另一个人拿一把手枪。那人总是把枪对着地板上那人的脑袋，一边说："我就想这么着！我也应该这么干，你这个无耻的家伙！"地板上那个人吓得缩成一团，嘴里说："啊，别这样，毕尔--我决不会说出去。"每回他说这话，提灯的那个人就笑："你的确不会！你还从来没说过比这更真实的话，也真是的。"　一次他又说："　听他乞求吧！可要不是我们仔细地收拾了他一顿又将他捆了起来，他会杀了我们俩。究竟为什么？什么也不因为。就是因为我们要我们那一份儿--就是为这个。不过我敢说你再也唬不住谁了，吉姆·特纳。收起枪，毕尔。"毕尔说："我不打算收，杰克·帕克德。我要杀了他。他不就是这么杀了老哈特菲尔德吗？难道他这不是罪有应得吗？""可我不想把他杀掉，我自有我的道理。""上帝保佑你，你好心说这话，杰克·帕克德！我绝对不会忘了你，只要我能活着！"　地板上那人赶忙说，还在不住哭泣。
    帕克德没理他，而是把灯挂在钉子上，朝我这边走来，到了黑影里，招呼毕尔过来。我尽力后退，退了大约两码，但那只船倾得太厉害了，我退不快；为了不让他们踩着我，把我抓住，我爬进特等舱上铺。那人从黑暗中摸索着过来，这当儿，帕克德来到我藏身的特等舱，他说："这儿--上这儿来。"他进来了，毕尔跟着他。他们进来之前，我已躲在上铺了，挤到一个角落里，不停地后悔自己进来了。接着他们就站在那里，手搭着床架说话。我看不见他们，可是我知道他们在哪里，因为能闻出来他们喝的威士忌味儿。我很高兴我没喝酒，不过反正那也没什么大碍。因为他们不大有可能找到我，因为我都不敢出气。我太害怕了。再说，听这种谈话，一个人也不可能会出气。他们说话的声音很低，又相当急切。毕尔想杀掉特纳。他说："他说过他要告发，他就会去。（现在），就算把我们那两份儿全都给他，他也还是会去告发的，因为我们同他吵了架，还收拾了他。这肯定不会错的，他会去作证供出我们。现在你听我的，我主张送他回老家。""我也是。"　帕克德说，他十分镇静。
    "真混，我开始还以为你不赞成呢。那么，这就好办多了，咱们动手吧。""再等一阵，我的话还未讲完。你听着，打死他好办，不过要把这事儿做了，还有更好的办法可以做得悄无声息，我要讲的就是这个。总是去惹官司，把绞索往自己脖子上套不是什么好主意，关键是要想出个好办法，同样地达到自己的目的，同时又不致于让自己有麻烦。这话有道理吗？""你说得很对。不过眼下你打算怎么办？""好，我的主意是这样：我们赶快动手，把我们遗留在特等舱里的东西全收拾起来，运到岸上藏个地方。然后我们就等着。从现在起我估摸着不到两个小时，这条船就会被撞碎，被河水冲走。明白没有？他会给淹死，除了他自己谁都不能怨。只要能把事办成，我不赞成杀人，那办法不好，也不道德。我的话有没有道理？""对--我觉得对。不过如果船撞不碎也没让大水冲走呢？""那样，我们还能等上两个小时，不管怎样，等等看吧，好不好？""那好吧，我们走。"随即他们就走开了。我悄悄出来，出了一身冷汗，爬着向前摸。四处漆黑一片；我还是压着嗓子低声叫"吉姆！"　他马上回答，原来他就在我胳膊肘一侧，声音凄切，我说："快点，吉姆，没有时间在这儿乱摸索瞎叹气了，里边是一群杀人犯，如果我们找不到他们的小船，就让它顺水漂走，这些家伙就会从沉船上逃走，他们当中有一个人就得困死这里。要是我们找到他们的小船，我们就能让他们全都困在这里，警察就会来抓他们。快，赶快！我找左边，你找右边。你从木排那儿开始，再..""啊！我的天哪！天哪！木排？再也没有木排了，绳子断了，它被冲走了，我们也给困在这里啦！"
Chapter 13
WELL, I catched my breath and most fainted. Shut up on a wreck with such a gang as that! But it warn't no time to be sentimentering. We'd GOT to find that boat now -- had to have it for ourselves. So we went a-quaking and shaking down the stabboard side, and slow work it was, too -- seemed a week before we got to the stern. No sign of a boat. Jim said he didn't believe he could go any further -- so scared he hadn't hardly any strength left, he said. But I said, come on, if we get left on this wreck we are in a fix, sure. So on we prowled again. We struck for the stern of the texas, and found it, and then scrabbled along forwards on the skylight, hanging on from shutter to shutter, for the edge of the skylight was in the water. When we got pretty close to the cross-hall door there was the skiff, sure enough! I could just barely see her. I felt ever so thankful. In another second I would a been aboard of her, but just then the door opened. One of the men stuck his head out only about a couple of foot from me, and I thought I was gone; but he jerked it in again, and says: 
"Heave that blame lantern out o' sight, Bill!" 
He flung a bag of something into the boat, and then got in himself and set down. It was Packard. Then Bill HE come out and got in. Packard says, in a low voice: 
"All ready -- shove off!" 
I couldn't hardly hang on to the shutters, I was so weak. But Bill says: 
"Hold on -- 'd you go through him?" 
"No. Didn't you?" 
"No. So he's got his share o' the cash yet." 
"Well, then, come along; no use to take truck and leave money." 
"Say, won't he suspicion what we're up to?" 
"Maybe he won't. But we got to have it anyway. Come along." 
So they got out and went in. 
The door slammed to because it was on the careened side; and in a half second I was in the boat, and Jim come tumbling after me. I out with my knife and cut the rope, and away we went! 
We didn't touch an oar, and we didn't speak nor whisper, nor hardly even breathe. We went gliding swift along, dead silent, past the tip of the paddlebox, and past the stern; then in a second or two more we was a hundred yards below the wreck, and the darkness soaked her up, every last sign of her, and we was safe, and knowed it. 
When we was three or four hundred yards downstream we see the lantern show like a little spark at the texas door for a second, and we knowed by that that the rascals had missed their boat, and was beginning to understand that they was in just as much trouble now as Jim Turner was. 
Then Jim manned the oars, and we took out after our raft. Now was the first time that I begun to worry about the men -- I reckon I hadn't had time to before. I begun to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a fix. I says to myself, there ain't no telling but I might come to be a murderer myself yet, and then how would I like it? So says I to Jim: 
"The first light we see we'll land a hundred yards below it or above it, in a place where it's a good hiding-place for you and the skiff, and then I'll go and fix up some kind of a yarn, and get somebody to go for that gang and get them out of their scrape, so they can be hung when their time comes." 
But that idea was a failure; for pretty soon it begun to storm again, and this time worse than ever. The rain poured down, and never a light showed; everybody in bed, I reckon. We boomed along down the river, watching for lights and watching for our raft. After a long time the rain let up, but the clouds stayed, and the lightning kept whimpering, and by and by a flash showed us a black thing ahead, floating, and we made for it. 
It was the raft, and mighty glad was we to get aboard of it again. We seen a light now away down to the right, on shore. So I said I would go for it. The skiff was half full of plunder which that gang had stole there on the wreck. We hustled it on to the raft in a pile, and I told Jim to float along down, and show a light when he judged he had gone about two mile, and keep it burning till I come; then I manned my oars and shoved for the light. As I got down towards it three or four more showed -- up on a hillside. It was a village. I closed in above the shore light, and laid on my oars and floated. As I went by I see it was a lantern hanging on the jackstaff of a double-hull ferryboat. I skimmed around for the watchman, awondering whereabouts he slept; and by and by I found him roosting on the bitts forward, with his head down between his knees. I gave his shoulder two or three little shoves, and begun to cry. 
He stirred up in a kind of a startlish way; but when he see it was only me he took a good gap and stretch, and then he says: 
"Hello, what's up? Don't cry, bub. What's the trouble?" 
I says: 
"Pap, and mam, and sis, and --" 
Then I broke down. He says: 
"Oh, dang it now, DON'T take on so; we all has to have our troubles, and this 'n 'll come out all right. What's the matter with 'em?" 
"They're -- they're -- are you the watchman of the boat?" 
"Yes," he says, kind of pretty-well-satisfied like. "I'm the captain and the owner and the mate and the pilot and watchman and head deck-hand; and sometimes I'm the freight and passengers. I ain't as rich as old Jim Hornback, and I can't be so blame' generous and good to Tom, Dick, and Harry as what he is, and slam around money the way he does; but I've told him a many a time 't I wouldn't trade places with him; for, says I, a sailor's life's the life for me, and I'm derned if I'D live two mile out o' town, where there ain't nothing ever goin' on, not for all his spondulicks and as much more on top of it. Says I --" 
I broke in and says: 
"They're in an awful peck of trouble, and --" 
"WHO is?" 
"Why, pap and mam and sis and Miss Hooker; and if you'd take your ferryboat and go up there --" 
"Up where? Where are they?" 
"On the wreck." 
"What wreck?" 
"Why, there ain't but one." 
"What, you don't mean the Walter Scott?" 
"Yes." 
"Good land! what are they doin' THERE, for gracious sakes?" 
"Well, they didn't go there a-purpose." 
"I bet they didn't! Why, great goodness, there ain't no chance for 'em if they don't git off mighty quick! Why, how in the nation did they ever git into such a scrape?" 
"Easy enough. Miss Hooker was a-visiting up there to the town --" 
"Yes, Booth's Landing -- go on." 
"She was a-visiting there at Booth's Landing, and just in the edge of the evening she started over with her nigger woman in the horse-ferry to stay all night at her friend's house, Miss What-you-may-call-her I disremember her name -- and they lost their steeringoar, and swung around and went a-floating down, stern first, about two mile, and saddle-baggsed on the wreck, and the ferryman and the nigger woman and the horses was all lost, but Miss Hooker she made a grab and got aboard the wreck. Well, about an hour after dark we come along down in our trading-scow, and it was so dark we didn't notice the wreck till we was right on it; and so WE saddle-baggsed; but all of us was saved but Bill Whipple -- and oh, he WAS the best cretur ! -- I most wish 't it had been me, I do." 
"My George! It's the beatenest thing I ever struck. And THEN what did you all do?" 
"Well, we hollered and took on, but it's so wide there we couldn't make nobody hear. So pap said somebody got to get ashore and get help somehow. I was the only one that could swim, so I made a dash for it, and Miss Hooker she said if I didn't strike help sooner, come here and hunt up her uncle, and he'd fix the thing. I made the land about a mile below, and been fooling along ever since, trying to get people to do something, but they said, 'What, in such a night and such a current? There ain't no sense in it; go for the steam ferry.' Now if you'll go and --" 
"By Jackson, I'd LIKE to, and, blame it, I don't know but I will; but who in the dingnation's a-going' to PAY for it? Do you reckon your pap --" 
"Why THAT'S all right. Miss Hooker she tole me, PARTICULAR, that her uncle Hornback --" 
"Great guns! is HE her uncle? Looky here, you break for that light over yonder-way, and turn out west when you git there, and about a quarter of a mile out you'll come to the tavern; tell 'em to dart you out to Jim Hornback's, and he'll foot the bill. And don't you fool around any, because he'll want to know the news. Tell him I'll have his niece all safe before he can get to town. Hump yourself, now; I'm agoing up around the corner here to roust out my engineer." 
I struck for the light, but as soon as he turned the corner I went back and got into my skiff and bailed her out, and then pulled up shore in the easy water about six hundred yards, and tucked myself in among some woodboats; for I couldn't rest easy till I could see the ferryboat start. But take it all around, I was feeling ruther comfortable on accounts of taking all this trouble for that gang, for not many would a done it. I wished the widow knowed about it. I judged she would be proud of me for helping these rapscallions, because rapscallions and dead beats is the kind the widow and good people takes the most interest in. 
Well, before long here comes the wreck, dim and dusky, sliding along down! A kind of cold shiver went through me, and then I struck out for her. She was very deep, and I see in a minute there warn't much chance for anybody being alive in her. I pulled all around her and hollered a little, but there wasn't any answer; all dead still. I felt a little bit heavy-hearted about the gang, but not much, for I reckoned if they could stand it I could. 
Then here comes the ferryboat; so I shoved for the middle of the river on a long down-stream slant; and when I judged I was out of eye-reach I laid on my oars, and looked back and see her go and smell around the wreck for Miss Hooker's remainders, because the captain would know her uncle Hornback would want them; and then pretty soon the ferryboat give it up and went for the shore, and I laid into my work and went a-booming down the river. 
It did seem a powerful long time before Jim's light showed up; and when it did show it looked like it was a thousand mile off. By the time I got there the sky was beginning to get a little gray in the east; so we struck for an island, and hid the raft, and sunk the skiff, and turned in and slept like dead people. 
我一时之间背过气去，险些晕倒，竟跟这样一帮坏蛋一块儿被困在一条沉船上！不过这可没空唉声叹气。我们一定要找到那条船，现在--必须找到好让我们自己用。因此，我们哆哆嗦嗦战战兢兢地顺着右边摸，可真慢呐--好像是过了一个星期才摸索到了船尾。连个船影儿也没。吉姆说他感觉再也走不动了，他吓得一点力气都没有了，他这样说。但是我说，走啊，要是我们留在这条沉船上，我们就得遭殃，这一点确凿无疑。于是我们又继续向前摸索。我们朝船顶舱靠船尾那头去找，找到了那里，我们身体悬在天窗上，挨个儿抓牢窗板，摸索着朝前移动，因为天窗一边已淹进水里了。我们离过廊门很近之时，看见小船正停在那里，一点没错！我只能模模糊糊看到它。真是谢天谢地。再有一秒钟我就可以跳到船上，可就在这会儿，门开了。一个人探出脑袋，离我仅有几步远，我想这回可完了；可是，他又把头缩了回去，他说："拿开那盏讨厌的破灯，毕尔，别让人瞧见！"他将一袋东西扔进小船，然后跳进去坐下。那人是帕克德。紧跟着，毕尔也出来上了船。帕克德低低地说："准备好--开船！"我在窗板上几乎悬不住了，我吓得全身发软。但是毕尔说："等会儿--你搜过他了吗？""没有。你也没搜吗？""没有。这么来看，他那份儿钱还在他身上。""好吧，那么，上去--拿了东西丢下钱可不划算。""那--他不会怀疑我们上去要干嘛吧？""或许他不会。只是我们反正得拿到钱。上去吧。"于是，他们跳下船又进去了。
    门"砰"地一声关上了，因为它在船歪着的那一边，不到半秒钟，我就上了船，吉姆紧紧地跟在我身后。我拿出刀子砍断缆绳，我们上路了！
    我们不动桨，不说话，也不耳语，就连大气儿都不敢透。我们飞快地顺水滑行，寂静得要命，我们滑过明轮罩顶部那边，滑过船尾；一两秒钟之后，我们已经在沉船下游一百码开外了，黑夜笼罩着它，它的踪影消失了，我们安全脱险了，内心十分明白。
    我们漂下去三四百码的时候，看到那盏灯在顶舱门口跟个小火花似地闪了一下，这样，我们知道那两个坏蛋已经知道他们的船不见了，他们也就明白现在跟那个吉姆·特纳一样地倒霉了。
    不久，吉姆划着桨，我们去追赶我们的木排。这时我才开始为那几个人担心--我想刚才我是一直没有时间。我开始想，在那种走投无路的困境中有多么可怕，即便他们是一伙杀人凶手。我心想，说不定哪一天我自己也会变成一个凶手，到那时，我会怎么想？所以，我对吉姆说："我们一看到有亮光，就靠岸停在离它一百码远的地方，不管它是上游还是下游，找个地方能让你和小船安全藏身，然后我就上岸瞎骗个故事，让人去找那帮家伙并把他们救出来，这么一来，该他们死的时候，他们自然会被绞死。"不过这个主意是白想了。因为不久，暴风雨又开始了，这一比哪回都来势凶猛。大雨如注，漆黑一片，我猜想大家都在睡觉。我们急速顺流直下，一边注意看灯光，一边注意寻找我们的木排。过了好久，雨停了，可是阴云密布，雷声还在咕咚咕咚不住地响，后来，一道电闪，我们看见前面有个黑乎乎的东西在漂浮着，我们便追了上去。
    就是那个木排，我们又上去了，心里别提有多高兴了。这时，我们看到一处灯光，远处靠右，在河岸上。因此我说，我要去看看。小船上装着半船那帮家伙的赃物，都是从那个沉船上偷来的。我们赶忙把它们搬上木排堆成一堆，我告诉吉姆顺水往下漂，估计漂出两英里多地就挂上灯，一直叫它亮着等我回来；然后，我自己摇着桨朝岸上的灯光划去。我向着那个灯光划过去时，又看见三四处亮点--都在山坡上，那是个村庄。我在那灯光上游一点靠岸，放下双桨，让船漂了过去。我经过之时，看明白那是一盏灯，刚好挂在一只双体渡船的船头旗杆上。我掠过岸边，找看船的人，同时想他会睡在什么地方；很快地，我看见他在拴锚的柱子上歇着，身子向前倾，头在双腿膝盖之间垂着。我推推他的肩膀，就哭了起来。
    他醒了过来，像是被吓了一跳；但是，当他看到只有我一个人时，就打了个大大的哈欠又伸伸懒腰，然后他说："喂，出什么事了？别哭，小兄弟。有什么麻烦？"我说："爸，还有妈，还有姐，还有.."说着说着我就说不下去了。他叫道："哎，该死，别这样大哭大叫，我们都会有为难的时候，你这一回呢，最终也会没事儿的。他们怎么啦？""他们--他们--你是看这条船的吗？""当然，"他答道，脸上十分自豪，"　我是这条船的船长、船主、驾驶员、领航员和看守人，又是水手长，有时，我还是运货和乘客。我没老吉姆·豪贝克那么富有，我也不像他那样对随意什么人都那么大方仁慈，四处乱扔钱；可是我给他说过多少回了，我不愿意跟他调个儿换位置；因为我说呀，当个水手才是适合我的生活，如果让我住在镇外面两英里远的地方，什么事都见不着，那样就算把他的钱全给我，就是再加上一倍，我也不会去干。我还说.."我插嘴道："他们遇上一大堆麻烦，还..""他们是些什么人？""唉，爸，妈，还有姐，还有胡克小姐，要是你把你的渡船开过去..""开过哪儿去？他们在哪里？""在沉船上。""什么沉船？""唉，就那一条。""什么，你该不是说那条沃尔特·斯科特号吧？""就是。""天哪！他们上那儿干嘛去了？我的天哪！""呃，他们可不是专门到那儿去的。""我敢断定他们不是！唉，天哪，他们要不赶紧离开的话，那可就没命了！啊，究竟是怎么搞的，他们会被困到那个鬼地方呢？""很简单。胡克小姐要去看个人，到上边那个镇上..""噢，布斯码头--接着往下说。""她去看个人，就在布斯码头。天一黑，她带着她的女黑奴坐着运马的渡船过河去，要去她朋友家过夜，她朋友叫什么什么小姐，我忘了她的名字，他们的掌舵桨掉了，船一打旋儿，顺水就往下漂去了，船尾朝前，冲了大约两英里地，撞上那条沉船，摆渡人和那个女黑奴还有马全完了，光是胡克小姐伸手抓牢，上了沉船。这时大约是天黑后一个小时吧，我们驾着我们做买卖的平底驳船开了过来，天太黑了，我们一点儿没注意那条沉船，刚好撞上，这么一来，我们的船也翻了，只是我们全得救了，只有比尔·威普尔--噢，他可确实是个大好人哪！--我恨不得淹死的是我，我真这么想来着。""哎呀！这是我碰上的最倒霉的事了。那以后，你们都干什么了？""噢，我们拼命大喊，急得直哭，可是那边河太宽，没有人能听见。爸就说反正得有个人去岸上求救。只有我会游泳，我就出个风头冒个险吧，胡克小姐她说如果我不能立刻找到人来搭救，就来这一带找她伯父，他会来处理妥当这件事。我游到离这一英里远的岸上，一直乱撞，想找到人帮忙，可是他们说：'怎么着，在这么黑的深更半夜和这么急的水流里？一点门都没有，去找个蒸汽渡船嘛。'现在，要是您肯去，还..""天哪，我是愿意去，我怎么能不愿去呢；可是谁他妈的会出这一笔钱呢？你想你爸..""哎呀，那好办。胡克小姐专门叮嘱我说，她伯父豪贝克..""好家伙！他是她伯父？听我说，你朝着远处那个亮光走，到那以后向西拐，再走出大约四分之一英里地，你就进那个小酒馆；叫他们领你去吉姆·豪贝克家，他肯定会付这笔钱。你别闲逛荡了，他肯定想知道这个消息。告诉他不等他赶到镇上，我就会把他侄女平平安安救上来。好啦，加把劲儿，我这就去拐角那儿叫醒我的轮机手。"我朝那个灯光走去，可是等他一过拐角，我就转身回去，跳进我的小船，舀出了船里的水，然后在静水里沿着河岸朝前划了差不多六百码；我躲进一些木船当中，因为不看着那条渡船开动，我就觉得不踏实。不过，总的来说，为了那帮家伙费这么多事，我感觉还是痛快的，因为乐意这样做的人不多。我想让寡妇知道这件事。我敢肯定她会因为我帮了这些坏蛋而替我骄傲的，因为坏蛋无赖这一帮人是寡妇和善良的人们最感兴趣的。
    很快地，那条沉船就过来了，黑魃魃的照直漂过来啦！我浑身颤栗，然后我就朝它划过去。它淹进水里很深了，我一眼就能看出来，它上面就算有人也不大可能活着了。我绕着它划了一圈儿，又喊了一阵，没有回答，全都死一般静；我为那帮家伙觉得心朝下沉，但是沉得不厉害，因为我想着只要他们受得了，我也能受。
    不久，那条渡船过来了，因此，我就向河中间划过去，顺着那条长长的顺水斜流向前划，我断定没人看到我了，我就放下桨回头一看，看见渡船绕着那条沉船边转边找胡克小姐的尸体，因为船长必定以为她伯父豪贝克想要。不久，渡船就决定放弃了，它向岸边驶去，我动手开船，顺流直下。
    差不多过了好长一段时间，我才看到吉姆的灯光露出来；当它确实露出来时，看上去简直有一千英里远。我赶到地方时，东方天空已经亮，于是，我向那岛上驶去，藏好木排，把小船沉到水里，钻入了窝棚，一夜睡得跟死人一般踏实。
Chapter 14
BY and by, when we got up, we turned over the truck the gang had stole off of the wreck, and found boots, and blankets, and clothes, and all sorts of other things, and a lot of books, and a spyglass, and three boxes of seegars. We hadn't ever been this rich before in neither of our lives. The seegars was prime. We laid off all the afternoon in the woods talking, and me reading the books, and having a general good time. I told Jim all about what happened inside the wreck and at the ferryboat, and I said these kinds of things was adventures; but he said he didn't want no more adventures. He said that when I went in the texas and he crawled back to get on the raft and found her gone he nearly died, because he judged it was all up with HIM anyway it could be fixed; for if he didn't get saved he would get drownded; and if he did get saved, whoever saved him would send him back home so as to get the reward, and then Miss Watson would sell him South, sure. Well, he was right; he was most always right; he had an uncommon level head for a nigger. 
I read considerable to Jim about kings and dukes and earls and such, and how gaudy they dressed, and how much style they put on, and called each other your majesty, and your grace, and your lordship, and so on, 'stead of mister; and Jim's eyes bugged out, and he was interested. He says: 
"I didn' know dey was so many un um. I hain't hearn 'bout none un um, skasely, but ole King Sollermun, onless you counts dem kings dat's in a pack er k'yards. How much do a king git?" 
"Get?" I says; "why, they get a thousand dollars a month if they want it; they can have just as much as they want; everything belongs to them." 
"AIN' dat gay? En what dey got to do, Huck?" 
"THEY don't do nothing! Why, how you talk! They just set around." 
"No; is dat so?" 
"Of course it is. They just set around -- except, maybe, when there's a war; then they go to the war. But other times they just lazy around; or go hawking -- just hawking and sp -- Sh! -- d' you hear a noise?" 
We skipped out and looked; but it warn't nothing but the flutter of a steamboat's wheel away down, coming around the point; so we come back. 
"Yes," says I, "and other times, when things is dull, they fuss with the parlyment; and if everybody don't go just so he whacks their heads off. But mostly they hang round the harem." 
"Roun' de which?" 
"Harem." 
"What's de harem?" 
"The place where he keeps his wives. Don't you know about the harem? Solomon had one; he had about a million wives." 
"Why, yes, dat's so; I -- I'd done forgot it. A harem's a bo'd'n-house, I reck'n. Mos' likely dey has rackety times in de nussery. En I reck'n de wives quarrels considable; en dat 'crease de racket. Yit dey say Sollermun de wises' man dat ever live'. I doan' take no stock in dat. Bekase why: would a wise man want to live in de mids' er sich a blim-blammin' all de time? No -- 'deed he wouldn't. A wise man 'ud take en buil' a biler-factry; en den he could shet DOWN de biler-factry when he want to res'." 
"Well, but he WAS the wisest man, anyway; because the widow she told me so, her own self." 
"I doan k'yer what de widder say, he WARN'T no wise man nuther. He had some er de dad-fetchedes' ways I ever see. Does you know 'bout dat chile dat he 'uz gwyne to chop in two?" 
"Yes, the widow told me all about it." 
"WELL, den! Warn' dat de beatenes' notion in de worl'? You jes' take en look at it a minute. Dah's de stump, dah -- dat's one er de women; heah's you -- dat's de yuther one; I's Sollermun; en dish yer dollar bill's de chile. Bofe un you claims it. What does I do? Does I shin aroun' mongs' de neighbors en fine out which un you de bill DO b'long to, en han' it over to de right one, all safe en soun', de way dat anybody dat had any gumption would? No; I take en whack de bill in TWO, en give half un it to you, en de yuther half to de yuther woman. Dat's de way Sollermun was gwyne to do wid de chile. Now I want to ast you: what's de use er dat half a bill? -- can't buy noth'n wid it. En what use is a half a chile? I wouldn' give a dern for a million un um." 
"But hang it, Jim, you've clean missed the point -- blame it, you've missed it a thousand mile." 
"Who? Me? Go 'long. Doan' talk to me 'bout yo' pints. I reck'n I knows sense when I sees it; en dey ain' no sense in sich doin's as dat. De 'spute warn't 'bout a half a chile, de 'spute was 'bout a whole chile; en de man dat think he kin settle a 'spute 'bout a whole chile wid a half a chile doan' know enough to come in out'n de rain. Doan' talk to me 'bout Sollermun, Huck, I knows him by de back." 
"But I tell you you don't get the point." 
"Blame de point! I reck'n I knows what I knows. En mine you, de REAL pint is down furder -- it's down deeper. It lays in de way Sollermun was raised. You take a man dat's got on'y one or two chillen; is dat man gwyne to be waseful o' chillen? No, he ain't; he can't 'ford it. HE know how to value 'em. But you take a man dat's got 'bout five million chillen runnin' roun' de house, en it's diffunt. HE as soon chop a chile in two as a cat. Dey's plenty mo'. A chile er two, mo' er less, warn't no consekens to Sollermun, dad fatch him!" 
I never see such a nigger. If he got a notion in his head once, there warn't no getting it out again. He was the most down on Solomon of any nigger I ever see. So I went to talking about other kings, and let Solomon slide. I told about Louis Sixteenth that got his head cut off in France long time ago; and about his little boy the dolphin, that would a been a king, but they took and shut him up in jail, and some say he died there. 
"Po' little chap." 
"But some says he got out and got away, and come to America." 
"Dat's good! But he'll be pooty lonesome -- dey ain' no kings here, is dey, Huck?" 
"No." 
"Den he cain't git no situation. What he gwyne to do?" 
"Well, I don't know. Some of them gets on the police, and some of them learns people how to talk French." 
"Why, Huck, doan' de French people talk de same way we does?" 
"NO, Jim; you couldn't understand a word they said -- not a single word." 
"Well, now, I be ding-busted! How do dat come?" 
"I don't know; but it's so. I got some of their jabber out of a book. S'pose a man was to come to you and say Polly-voo-franzy -- what would you think?" 
"I wouldn' think nuff'n; I'd take en bust him over de head -- dat is, if he warn't white. I wouldn't 'low no nigger to call me dat." 
"Shucks, it ain't calling you anything. It's only saying, do you know how to talk French?" 
"Well, den, why couldn't he SAY it?" 
"Why, he IS a-saying it. That's a Frenchman's WAY of saying it." 
"Well, it's a blame ridicklous way, en I doan' want to hear no mo' 'bout it. Dey ain' no sense in it." 
"Looky here, Jim; does a cat talk like we do?" 
"No, a cat don't." 
"Well, does a cow?" 
"No, a cow don't, nuther." 
"Does a cat talk like a cow, or a cow talk like a cat?" 
"No, dey don't." 
"It's natural and right for 'em to talk different from each other, ain't it?" 
"Course." 
"And ain't it natural and right for a cat and a cow to talk different from US?" 
"Why, mos' sholy it is." 
"Well, then, why ain't it natural and right for a FRENCHMAN to talk different from us? You answer me that." 
"Is a cat a man, Huck?" 
"No." 
"Well, den, dey ain't no sense in a cat talkin' like a man. Is a cow a man? -- er is a cow a cat?" 
"No, she ain't either of them." 
"Well, den, she ain't got no business to talk like either one er the yuther of 'em. Is a Frenchman a man?" 
"Yes." 
"WELL, den! Dad blame it, why doan' he TALK like a man? You answer me DAT!" 
I see it warn't no use wasting words -- you can't learn a nigger to argue. So I quit. 
后来，等到我睡醒了，就翻检那帮家伙打沉船上偷下来的东西，有靴子、毯子和衣服，各种各样的东西，以及许多书籍，还有小望远镜和三盒雪茄。过去，我们可从未如此阔过，我们两个谁也没有。雪茄是顶呱呱的。我们整个下午都躺在树林中聊天，我读读那些书，十分快活。我把在沉船上和在渡口船上发生的事全讲给吉姆听了，我说这些就是历险；可是他说他可不想再历什么险。他说当我躲到船顶舱的时候，他爬回去要上木排，结果却发觉木排不见了，他都快要急死了，因为他断定不管怎么说，这下自己算是全完了，因为如果没有救他，他就得淹死，要是有人救他，不论是谁救了他，都会送他回老家去领那笔赏钱，然后，华森小姐还是会把他卖到南方，一定会的。是的，他想得对，他差不多总是对的，他有一个不寻常的头脑，对一个黑人而言。
    我给吉姆讲了好多国王、公爵、伯爵这些人的故事，他们穿得如此华贵典雅，他们都摆出很大的排场，相互之间称陛下、殿下、阁下等等，而不是叫什么先生；吉姆眼睛有些发直，他听入了迷。他说："我向来不知道有这么多国王什么的。我几乎一个都没有听说过，除了所罗门老国王，还得把扑克牌上的王也给算上。一个国王能挣多少钱？""挣钱？"我说，"　什么话，如果他们想要，他们一月能挣一千块，他们想要多少就是多少，全都是他们的。""那有多痛快呀？那他们都得干点儿啥，哈克？""（他们）啥也不干！嗨，你在讲什么？他们光是随便坐坐。""不能吧--真这样？""当然这样。他们就是随便坐坐。要是有战争的时候，那他们就去打仗。可是其他的时候，他们就懒洋洋地呆着，要不就是去放鹰打猎，只是放鹰与..嘘！你听到什么声响了吗？"我们跳出去看看，啥也没有，仅仅是轮船的轮子打水的响声而已，远远地正在顺水转过弯来，因此，我们又回来。"是的，"我说，"　还有的时候嘛，当日子过得乏了，他们就会寻议会的麻烦，要是有谁不一丝不苟照他说的做，他就砍掉谁的头。不过大多数时候，他们都在后宫里鬼混。""在哪儿混？""后宫。""后宫是什么地方？""就是他关他老婆们的地方。你连后宫也不知道？所罗门有个后宫，他大约有一百万个老婆。""噢，是嘛，那就对了，我--我全给忘了。后宫是个包吃包住的公寓吧，我猜是这样的。大部分时间，幼儿室也是吵吵闹闹的。我猜想着那些老婆也是总吵架，那就更忙乱了。但是，他们说所罗门是从古到今最聪明的人。我可不信这一套。为什么呢？一个聪明人会情愿住在这么个乱哄哄的鬼地方？不，他绝对不会。一个聪明人会去盖个锅炉厂，他如果想歇歇，他还能把锅炉厂关门。""但是，反正他是个最聪明的人，因为寡妇这儿对我说的，她自己说的。""我可不管寡妇说什么，他绝对算不上是个聪明人。有些事情他做得糊涂极了，我从没见过。你听过那个小孩子的事儿吧，他想把他劈为两半的那个？""是啊，寡妇全跟我讲过。""那么，好啦！那不是世上最愚蠢的事吗？你看看这事吧。那边有个树桩，那--那就算是那妇女吧，这是你--这就算是另外一个妇女吧，我是所罗门，这张一块钱的票子算作小孩儿。你们俩都说这张票子是自己的。我怎么办？我是不是该去找邻居挨家打听，查明白这张票子到底是你们谁的，并且交给那个应得的人，原模原样，完完整整，这可是哪一个有脑筋的人都会做的吧？不，我拿来把票子一撕两半，一半给你，另一半给那个女人。这就是所罗门想对那个小孩儿要用的办法。现在我想问你：半张票子有什么用？啥都干不了。那，半拉小孩儿有啥用？一百万个半拉小孩儿我也不会稀罕。""真该死，吉姆，你完全误解了它的要点。混蛋，你差不多错了十万八千里。""谁？我？走你的吧。别跟我讲什么要点。我想我懂道理，只要我看得出来它有道理；这种做法恰好就是没道理。他们争来夺去不是为了要半拉小孩儿，他们争的是一个完完整整的小孩儿，要是那人觉得他可以拿半拉小孩儿来解决人家为一个小孩儿而产生的争执，那么，他就是连外面下雨该往屋里躲都不明白。别跟我讲什么所罗门啦，哈克。我看透他啦。""可是我告诉你，你没抓住要点。""去他的要点吧！我看我明白的事儿我都明白。还得给你提个醒，真正的要点还在下面--下边的道理深得很。关键在于，所罗门是如何长大成人的。你拿一个只有一两个小孩儿的人来说吧，这样的人会糟蹋小孩儿吗？不，他不会；他糟蹋不起。（他）才明白该怎么样去疼爱他们。可是你拿一个有大约五百万个小孩儿在房子里四处乱跑的人来说吧，那可就大不一样啦：他一下把一个小孩子劈为两半，像劈一只猫似的。他还多得是。一个或两个小孩儿，多一个少一个，对所罗门没什么关系，他真该死！"我从未见过这样的黑人。他脑子里一旦有个什么想法，就决不可能打消。他是我见过的所有黑人当中，最瞧不起所罗门的了。因此，我就开始说别的国王，把所罗门丢在一边。我谈到路易十六，很久以前在法国被人砍了头，还谈到他的孩子，本来应该做国王的，但是他们把他抓起来关进了监狱，有人说他死在里面了。
    "可怜的小东西。""可有人说他逃出来逃走了，到了美国。""那好啊！只是他会很孤独。这儿没有国王，对吧，哈克？""没有。""那他可找不到什么职位了。他想做啥？""呃，我不知道。他们有的发迹做上了警察，有的教人如何**语。""咦，哈克，法国人跟我们说话还不一样吗？""不一样，吉姆。他们说的话你一句也不懂，一个字也听不懂。""哎呀，这回要我的命啦！他们是怎么来的？""我也不清楚，不过有这回事儿。我打书本上学了一点他们的怪话。比方说一个人来到你这里，说波里--屋--疯郎崽，那你觉得如何？""我不觉得怎么样。如果他不是个白人的话，我就会一下子砸开他的脑袋。我可不允许哪个黑人这么叫我。""废话，那不是在叫你什么。那只是说你懂怎么说法语吗？""噢，那他怎么不说明白？""哎呀，他是说清楚了。可那是法国人的说法。""好吧，那真是他妈的古怪说法，我不乐意听了。没一点意思。""听着，吉姆，猫讲话跟我们一样吗？""不，不一样。""那么牛呢？""不，牛也不同。""猫讲话和牛一样吗，还是牛说话和猫一样呢？""不，都不一样。""它们说话各不一致，是自然又合理的，是不是？""自然了。""那么，猫和牛说话跟我们不一样，难道就不自然不合理吗？""嗨，那当然也自然合理了。""好啦，那么，为什么一个（法国人）说话不一样就不自然不合理呢？你正面回答我这个问题。""猫是人吗，哈克？""不是。""好啦，那，那就没有道理要求猫说话像人一样。牛是人吗？还有，牛是猫吗？""不是，两个全不是。""好啦，那，它就没必要说话像这个像那个。法国人是人吗？""是人。""（对极啦），混蛋！真他妈的，那为什么他（说话）会不像人呢？你回答我这个问题！"我明白，没必要再多费口舌了。你是教不会黑人讲道理的。因此我就回答了。
Chapter 15
WE judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after. We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble. 
Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a towhead to tie to, for it wouldn't do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn't anything but little saplings to tie to. I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went. I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn't budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me -- and then there warn't no raft in sight; you couldn't see twenty yards. I jumped into the canoe and run back to the stern, and grabbed the paddle and set her back a stroke. But she didn't come. I was in such a hurry I hadn't untied her. I got up and tried to untie her, but I was so excited my hands shook so I couldn't hardly do anything with them. 
As soon as I got started I took out after the raft, hot and heavy, right down the towhead. That was all right as far as it went, but the towhead warn't sixty yards long, and the minute I flew by the foot of it I shot out into the solid white fog, and hadn't no more idea which way I was going than a dead man. 
Thinks I, it won't do to paddle; first I know I'll run into the bank or a towhead or something; I got to set still and float, and yet it's mighty fidgety business to have to hold your hands still at such a time. I whooped and listened. Away down there somewheres I hears a small whoop, and up comes my spirits. I went tearing after it, listening sharp to hear it again. The next time it come I see I warn't heading for it, but heading away to the right of it. And the next time I was heading away to the left of it -- and not gaining on it much either, for I was flying around, this way and that and t'other, but it was going straight ahead all the time. 
I did wish the fool would think to beat a tin pan, and beat it all the time, but he never did, and it was the still places between the whoops that was making the trouble for me. Well, I fought along, and directly I hears the whoop BEHIND me. I was tangled good now. That was somebody else's whoop, or else I was turned around. 
I throwed the paddle down. I heard the whoop again; it was behind me yet, but in a different place; it kept coming, and kept changing its place, and I kept answering, till by and by it was in front of me again, and I knowed the current had swung the canoe's head down-stream, and I was all right if that was Jim and not some other raftsman hollering. I couldn't tell nothing about voices in a fog, for nothing don't look natural nor sound natural in a fog. 
The whooping went on, and in about a minute I come a-booming down on a cut bank with smoky ghosts of big trees on it, and the current throwed me off to the left and shot by, amongst a lot of snags that fairly roared, the currrent was tearing by them so swift. 
In another second or two it was solid white and still again. I set perfectly still then, listening to my heart thump, and I reckon I didn't draw a breath while it thumped a hundred. 
I just give up then. I knowed what the matter was. That cut bank was an island, and Jim had gone down t'other side of it. It warn't no towhead that you could float by in ten minutes. It had the big timber of a regular island; it might be five or six miles long and more than half a mile wide. 
I kept quiet, with my ears cocked, about fifteen minutes, I reckon. I was floating along, of course, four or five miles an hour; but you don't ever think of that. No, you FEEL like you are laying dead still on the water; and if a little glimpse of a snag slips by you don't think to yourself how fast YOU'RE going, but you catch your breath and think, my! how that snag's tearing along. If you think it ain't dismal and lonesome out in a fog that way by yourself in the night, you try it once -- you'll see. 
Next, for about a half an hour, I whoops now and then; at last I hears the answer a long ways off, and tries to follow it, but I couldn't do it, and directly I judged I'd got into a nest of towheads, for I had little dim glimpses of them on both sides of me -- sometimes just a narrow channel between, and some that I couldn't see I knowed was there because I'd hear the wash of the current against the old dead brush and trash that hung over the banks. Well, I warn't long loosing the whoops down amongst the towheads; and I only tried to chase them a little while, anyway, because it was worse than chasing a Jack-o'-lantern. You never knowed a sound dodge around so, and swap places so quick and so much. 
I had to claw away from the bank pretty lively four or five times, to keep from knocking the islands out of the river; and so I judged the raft must be butting into the bank every now and then, or else it would get further ahead and clear out of hearing -- it was floating a little faster than what I was. 
Well, I seemed to be in the open river again by and by, but I couldn't hear no sign of a whoop nowheres. I reckoned Jim had fetched up on a snag, maybe, and it was all up with him. I was good and tired, so I laid down in the canoe and said I wouldn't bother no more. I didn't want to go to sleep, of course; but I was so sleepy I couldn't help it; so I thought I would take jest one little cat-nap. 
But I reckon it was more than a cat-nap, for when I waked up the stars was shining bright, the fog was all gone, and I was spinning down a big bend stern first. First I didn't know where I was; I thought I was dreaming; and when things began to come back to me they seemed to come up dim out of last week. 
It was a monstrous big river here, with the tallest and the thickest kind of timber on both banks; just a solid wall, as well as I could see by the stars. I looked away down-stream, and seen a black speck on the water. I took after it; but when I got to it it warn't nothing but a couple of sawlogs made fast together. Then I see another speck, and chased that; then another, and this time I was right. It was the raft. 
When I got to it Jim was setting there with his head down between his knees, asleep, with his right arm hanging over the steering-oar. The other oar was smashed off, and the raft was littered up with leaves and branches and dirt. So she'd had a rough time. 
I made fast and laid down under Jim's nose on the raft, and began to gap, and stretch my fists out against Jim, and says: 
"Hello, Jim, have I been asleep? Why didn't you stir me up?" 
"Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain' dead -- you ain' drownded -- you's back agin? It's too good for true, honey, it's too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o' you. No, you ain' dead! you's back agin, 'live en soun', jis de same ole Huck -- de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness!" 
"What's the matter with you, Jim? You been adrinking?" 
"Drinkin'? Has I ben a-drinkin'? Has I had a chance to be a-drinkin'?" 
"Well, then, what makes you talk so wild?" 
"How does I talk wild?" 
"HOW? Why, hain't you been talking about my coming back, and all that stuff, as if I'd been gone away?" 
"Huck -- Huck Finn, you look me in de eye; look me in de eye. HAIN'T you ben gone away?" 
"Gone away? Why, what in the nation do you mean? I hain't been gone anywheres. Where would I go to?" 
"Well, looky here, boss, dey's sumf'n wrong, dey is. Is I ME, or who IS I? Is I heah, or whah IS I? Now dat's what I wants to know." 
"Well, I think you're here, plain enough, but I think you're a tangle-headed old fool, Jim." 
"I is, is I? Well, you answer me dis: Didn't you tote out de line in de canoe fer to make fas' to de towhead?" 
"No, I didn't. What tow-head? I hain't see no tow-head." 
"You hain't seen no towhead? Looky here, didn't de line pull loose en de raf' go a-hummin' down de river, en leave you en de canoe behine in de fog?" 
"What fog?" 
"Why, de fog! -- de fog dat's been aroun' all night. En didn't you whoop, en didn't I whoop, tell we got mix' up in de islands en one un us got los' en t'other one was jis' as good as los', 'kase he didn' know whah he wuz? En didn't I bust up agin a lot er dem islands en have a turrible time en mos' git drownded? Now ain' dat so, boss -- ain't it so? You answer me dat." 
"Well, this is too many for me, Jim. I hain't seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. I been setting here talking with you all night till you went to sleep about ten minutes ago, and I reckon I done the same. You couldn't a got drunk in that time, so of course you've been dreaming." 
"Dad fetch it, how is I gwyne to dream all dat in ten minutes?" 
"Well, hang it all, you did dream it, because there didn't any of it happen." 
"But, Huck, it's all jis' as plain to me as --" 
"It don't make no difference how plain it is; there ain't nothing in it. I know, because I've been here all the time." 
Jim didn't say nothing for about five minutes, but set there studying over it. Then he says: 
"Well, den, I reck'n I did dream it, Huck; but dog my cats ef it ain't de powerfullest dream I ever see. En I hain't ever had no dream b'fo' dat's tired me like dis one." 
"Oh, well, that's all right, because a dream does tire a body like everything sometimes. But this one was a staving dream; tell me all about it, Jim." 
So Jim went to work and told me the whole thing right through, just as it happened, only he painted it up considerable. Then he said he must start in and "'terpret" it, because it was sent for a warning. He said the first towhead stood for a man that would try to do us some good, but the current was another man that would get us away from him. The whoops was warnings that would come to us every now and then, and if we didn't try hard to make out to understand them they'd just take us into bad luck, 'stead of keeping us out of it. The lot of towheads was troubles we was going to get into with quarrelsome people and all kinds of mean folks, but if we minded our business and didn't talk back and aggravate them, we would pull through and get out of the fog and into the big clear river, which was the free States, and wouldn't have no more trouble. 
It had clouded up pretty dark just after I got on to the raft, but it was clearing up again now. 
"Oh, well, that's all interpreted well enough as far as it goes, Jim," I says; "but what does THESE things stand for?" 
It was the leaves and rubbish on the raft and the smashed oar. You could see them first-rate now. 
Jim looked at the trash, and then looked at me, and back at the trash again. He had got the dream fixed so strong in his head that he couldn't seem to shake it loose and get the facts back into its place again right away. But when he did get the thing straightened around he looked at me steady without ever smiling, and says: 
"What do dey stan' for? I'se gwyne to tell you. When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin' for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos' broke bekase you wuz los', en I didn' k'yer no' mo' what become er me en de raf'. En when I wake up en fine you back agin, all safe en soun', de tears come, en I could a got down on my knees en kiss yo' foot, I's so thankful. En all you wuz thinkin' 'bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie. Dat truck dah is TRASH; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren's en makes 'em ashamed." 
Then he got up slow and walked to the wigwam, and went in there without saying anything but that. But that was enough. It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed HIS foot to get him to take it back. 
It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way. 
 我们猜测再有三个夜晚就可以到凯罗，它位于伊利诺斯尽头，俄亥俄河从那里汇入，那才是我们的目的地。我们在那里卖掉木排，坐上轮船，沿俄亥俄河向上游走，到没有黑奴买卖的自由州去，那时就不会有麻烦了。
    第二个晚上，天开始下大雾，我们就向一个沙洲划去，想系住木排，因为在大雾里再想往前走是不行了；但是，当我坐着独木舟划到前头，拿缆绳想拴住木排时，除了小树苗，没任何东西可以拴。我把缆绳拴在岸上的一棵小树上，可是一股急流冲过，木排轰地一声冲下去，将树苗连根拔起，木排冲走了。我看着大雾团团围过来，又着急又害怕，几乎是有半分钟我都不敢动一动。后来，木排看不见了；20　码开外都看不真切。我跳上独木舟，跑到船尾，抄起桨使劲朝后划。但是划不动。我太慌张了，没来得及解开缆绳。我又起身想解开它，可我心里着急，手发颤，啥也干不成。
    我一解开缆绳，就追木排去了，拼命地划，直冲着沙洲追下去。那一段还算可以，可是，沙洲不过60　码长，我掠过沙洲，冲入一片茫茫白雾中，东南西北也辩不清了，跟死人差不多。我心想，再用桨划是没用了，首先我知道我会撞上河岸或者沙洲什么的，我只得老老实实坐着顺水漂，可在这种时候，硬要揣着两只手一动不动也真叫人心里烦躁。我大叫了几声，听一听。在下游很远，不知何处，我听见有人小声喊。我打起精神来了。我顺着声音赶忙过去，一边竖起耳朵仔细聆听。又听到了，我知道我不是在冲着它漂，而是冲着它右边漂去。又有一回我是偏向它左边漂去了。一直没赶上多少，因为我总是来回急冲，左一划右一拐，可声音一直在我正前方。
    我真希望那傻子会想到敲起铁锅，并且一直不停地敲，可是他始终未这么办，喊声停下来，中间没声音的那段时间最让我作难。唉，我还是拼命朝前划，突然，我听见喊声，从我背后传了过来。这回我可迷惑了。那是别的什么人的喊声，要不就是我调头了。
    我扔下桨，又听到那个喊声，它还在我背后，可位置变了，它不断地传过来，又不断换地方，我不断地应声，渐渐地，它又到我前面了。我知道水流已把独木舟调过头，它在顺水朝前漂，如果知道那喊声是吉姆而不是其他放排人在叫喊的话，我就好办了。在大雾里我听不明白是谁的声音，什么东西在雾里都看不清楚，听不自然。
    那个声音还在叫，过了约有一分钟，我轰地一声撞到了一段塌陷的断岸上，岸上的大树如同烟雾腾腾中的鬼怪一般。急流将我抛出水面，甩向左边，象离弦之箭冲了出去，冲过许多断树残枝，咆哮着轰响着，急速向前。
    又过了一两秒种之后，仍然是白雾弥漫，寂然无声。我一动不动地坐着，这时候，听得见我的心怦怦直跳，我觉得它怦怦了一百下，我大气不敢出。
    我只得听天由命了。我知道这是怎么一回事了，那个断岸是一个岛，吉姆必定漂到岛另一边去了。这并不是一个十分钟就能漂得过的沙洲。它上面长着一个大岛才有的大树林，它大约有五六英里长，半英里多宽。
    我静坐不动，耳朵立着，我觉得大约过了有15　分钟左右。我自然是一直在漂，一小时四五英里。可你都想不到，是的，你感觉着就好像一点儿没动，静静地躺在水面上一般。如果瞥一眼掠过的树枝，你自己绝不会想到你现在漂得有多么迅速，而是会倒吸口凉气，心想，我的天哪！那树枝朝下冲得好快呀。如果你觉得自己一个人，在弥漫的大雾里，在寂静的深夜，那么漂着能不凄凉孤独，你去试一回--你就知道了。
    接着，约有半个小时，我过一会儿喊两声。终于，我听到很远很远有人答应，我就努力追过去，可我追不上，突然，我知道我要冲进沙洲正中间去了，因为在我的两旁，我都能朦朦胧胧地瞥见大大小小的沙洲，有时，沙洲当中仅有一条窄窄的水道；有些我看不到，但我知道确实有，因为我听得到水流拍打岸边树枝的哗哗声。不久我又听不到喊声了，就在沙洲中间漂下去，不管怎么着，我只想追它一小会儿，因为那可比追鬼火都难办。你从未见过一个声音这么东躲西藏，老换地方，而且还换得这么勤。
    有四五回，我都只得赶紧撑离河岸，怕将那些小岛从河里撞出去。于是，我就断定木排必定也会时不时地撞上河岸，否则它就会走到前头很远的地方，我一点儿也听不见它的声音了--它比我漂得稍快点儿。
    很快地，我好像又在开阔的大河水面上了，可是我那里也听不见一点儿喊声了。我估计吉姆是撞上了一根树桩，很可能是这么一回事，那么他就完了。我十分累，就倒在独木舟里，心想爱怎么着就怎么着吧。当然啦，我并不想睡，可我太困了，撑不住了，所以我就想还是眯上一会儿吧。
    可是，我估摸着那可不止是眯了一小会儿，当我醒来时，发现星光闪烁，大雾全散了，我打着旋儿，船尾向前顺着一个大河湾向前冲。开始我还不明白自己在哪里，我想这是在做梦，后来，一件事一件事开始在我脑中浮现，迷迷登登地，都仿佛是上个星期的事情。
    大河在这一段宽得吓人，两岸都长满了最高最密的树林，映着星光，在我眼中，它简直就是一堵坚固的墙壁。我沿着河流向远处眺望，看见水面上有个黑点。我追了过去，可是，追上它时，发觉原来那只是两根拴在一块的木料。后来，我又看到一个黑点，再追上去，又看见一个黑点，这一回我追对了，刚好是那只木排。
    我赶上木排时，吉姆正坐在那里，头垂在两膝中间，人睡着了，右手还搭在转舵桨上。另一只桨也给撞丢了，木排上撒满了树叶、树枝和泥浆。看得出来，它也历经了一番凶险。我系好小舟，上了木排，躺在吉姆鼻子下面，然后，开始打哈欠，又伸开拳头对着吉姆说："喂，吉姆，我睡着了吗？你干嘛不叫醒我？""天呐，这是你吗，哈克？你没死--你没淹着--你又回来啦？太好啦。我不敢相信这是真的，宝贝儿，这可太好啦。叫我看看你，孩子，叫我摸摸你。啊，你没死！你又回来啦！神气十足，平平安安，还是从前那个哈克--还是从前那个哈克，上帝保佑！""你怎么了，吉姆？你喝酒了？""喝酒？我喝酒了？我有空喝酒吗？""那好，那你说话怎么颠三倒四的呢？""我怎么会说话疯癫呢？""怎么会？你不是总在说什么我回来了，还有那些胡话，就跟我离开过似的？""哈克--哈克·芬，你用眼睛看看我，用眼睛看看我。你难道没走开吗？""走开？怎么，你这究竟是什么意思？我哪儿也没去。我会去哪儿？""那好，听着，小爷儿，是有点不一样啦，是的。我还是我吗？那么我是谁？我在这儿吗？那么我在哪儿？眼下，这就是我想知道的事。""好了，我认为你是在这儿，这非常清楚，但是，我认为，你是个脑筋糊涂的老傻瓜，吉姆。""我是，是吗？那么，你告诉我。你是不是拿了绳子，坐着独木舟，想把它拴在沙洲上？""不，我没有。哪里有什么沙洲？我没看到什么沙洲。""你没看见沙洲？听着，难道不是绳子松开，木排哗的一下顺水冲跑了，把你和独木舟丢在后边的大雾里了吗？""什么大雾？""就是那场大雾呀。那雾一夜都未散。你没喊吗？我没喊吗？直喊到遇见个小岛，我们都弄糊涂了，我俩，一个人迷了道，另一个人也一样晕了头，因为他都不知道自己在哪儿啦？我要不是撞到那些岛上，遭了那么罪，还几乎给淹死吗？这能假得了吗？小爷儿，这还会假吗？你跟我说说。""好了，我听得云山雾罩的，吉姆。我没看见大雾，没见岛，没有遭难，啥也没遇上。我就坐在这里和你谈了一整夜，直到十分钟以前你开始睡着，我想我也睡了。刚才你不是喝醉了，就是你在做梦了。""活见鬼，我怎么会在十分钟里就梦见这么多事呢？""嗨，算了吧，你确实是做梦了，因为什么事也不曾发生过。""不过，哈克，这对我来说可都是明白得像是..""多明白都不相干，什么事都没有。我知道，因为我一直都在这里。"吉姆不再吱声，停了大约五分钟，光是坐在那里仔细在想。然后，他说："那好吧，我想我确实是做梦了，哈克，只是，这要不是我做过的最真的梦，那就是狗想捉猫邪门到家了。以前做梦可从来没象这次这么累。""噢，好了，这没什么，因为一些时候，做梦就是像真事儿一样累人。不过这梦挺棒的，从头到尾跟我讲讲吧，吉姆。"于是，吉姆就讲开了，讲了整个事情的经过，和事实一模一样，不过他有些添油加醋。然后，他说他得着手"解解这梦"，因为托这个梦是为了对我们有所警戒。第一个沙洲代表一个人，他老想给我们做些好事；而大水表示另一个人，他总想把我们从那些好人身旁拉开。喊叫声是随时传给我们的警告，要是我们不认认真真地弄懂它的意思，它就可能给我们带来坏运气，而不是让我们避开。许许多多的沙洲表示各种各样的灾难，我们会遭遇上爱争斗吵架的人们和形形色色卑鄙的家伙，话说回来，只要我们管好自己的事情，不同他们斗嘴，不惹他们生气，我们终将度过难关，挣脱迷雾，回到开阔晴朗的大河上。大河代表禁奴的自由州，自此，灾难就会消失了。
    我刚上木排时，乌云密布，天色很暗，可现在，又晴朗起来了。
    "啊，很好，到眼下为止，这梦都解得相当不错，吉姆，"我说，"　只是，这些东西又表示什么呢？"我是指木排上的树叶和脏东西，以及那支碰断的桨。现在，你可以看得一清二楚了。
    吉姆看看那些垃圾，又看看我，再回身看看垃圾。他让那个梦牢牢地占据了他的头脑，他好像还不能很快摆脱，重回到现实中来。但是，当他把事情确确实实想清楚了，他直直地看着我，一脸的严肃和正经，他说："表示什么？我来告诉你吧。当我出劲地划着木排，还大声喊着你，简直快累死了，累得直想睡着的时候，我的心都快要碎了，因为你不见了，我就再也不想去管我自己还有木排会怎么着了。当我醒过来，看到你又回来了，平平安安活蹦乱跳的时候，我的眼泪都流下来了，我真想跪下来，亲亲你的脚啊，我真是要感谢上帝了。可是，你就只想着怎么编个瞎话，看老吉姆的笑话。那些垃圾就是垃圾；垃圾就是朝朋友头上抹脏东西，叫他们丢人现眼的那号人。"说完，他慢慢地起身，朝小窝棚走去，钻到里面，一句话也没有再讲。但是，这就足够了。他叫我觉得自己有多害臊，我恨不能去亲亲他的脚，来求他收回他说那些话。
    又过了15　分钟，我才鼓起勇气，要向一个黑人低头--但是，我还是那样做了，而且自此以后，我也从未后悔过。我再也没有和他开过恶意的玩笑，要是当初知道会让他那样难受的话，我就不会跟他开那个玩笑。
Chapter 16
WE slept most all day, and started out at night, a little ways behind a monstrous 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 ashore 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 mighty 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 bugs; so he set down again, and went to watching, same as before. Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish 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 scorched 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 miserable 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 miserableness. 
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 brace up and out with it, but I warn't man enough -- hadn't the spunk 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, buckle to your paddle, and let's get along." 
I buckled to my paddle and they laid to their oars. 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 runaway 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 oar, 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. Den 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' dodge! 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 'bout 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 thicket, 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 touching; 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 bulged 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 jingling 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 busting. I popped out to my armpits and blowed the water out of my nose, and puffed 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 plank 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, slanting, 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 poking 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 peg. 
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。
Chapter 17
IN about a minute somebody spoke out of a window without putting his head out, and says: 
"Be done, boys! Who's there?" 
I says: 
"It's me." 
"Who's me?" 
"George Jackson, sir." 
"What do you want?" 
"I don't want nothing, sir. I only want to go along by, but the dogs won't let me." 
"What are you prowling around here this time of night for -- hey?" 
"I warn't prowling around, sir, I fell overboard off of the steamboat." 
"Oh, you did, did you? Strike a light there, somebody. What did you say your name was?" 
"George Jackson, sir. I'm only a boy." 
"Look here, if you're telling the truth you needn't be afraid -- nobody'll hurt you. But don't try to budge; stand right where you are. Rouse out Bob and Tom, some of you, and fetch the guns. George Jackson, is there anybody with you?" 
"No, sir, nobody." 
I heard the people stirring around in the house now, and see a light. The man sung out: 
"Snatch that light away, Betsy, you old fool -- ain't you got any sense? Put it on the floor behind the front door. Bob, if you and Tom are ready, take your places." 
"All ready." 
"Now, George Jackson, do you know the Shepherdsons?" 
"No, sir; I never heard of them." 
"Well, that may be so, and it mayn't. Now, all ready. Step forward, George Jackson. And mind, don't you hurry -- come mighty slow. If there's anybody with you, let him keep back -- if he shows himself he'll be shot. Come along now. Come slow; push the door open yourself -- just enough to squeeze in, d' you hear?" 
I didn't hurry; I couldn't if I'd a wanted to. I took one slow step at a time and there warn't a sound, only I thought I could hear my heart. The dogs were as still as the humans, but they followed a little behind me. When I got to the three log doorsteps I heard them unlocking and unbarring and unbolting. I put my hand on the door and pushed it a little and a little more till somebody said, "There, that's enough -- put your head in." I done it, but I judged they would take it off. 
The candle was on the floor, and there they all was, looking at me, and me at them, for about a quarter of a minute: Three big men with guns pointed at me, which made me wince, I tell you; the oldest, gray and about sixty, the other two thirty or more -- all of them fine and handsome -- and the sweetest old gray-headed lady, and back of her two young women which I couldn't see right well. The old gentleman says: 
"There; I reckon it's all right. Come in." 
As soon as I was in the old gentleman he locked the door and barred it and bolted it, and told the young men to come in with their guns, and they all went in a big parlor that had a new rag carpet on the floor, and got together in a corner that was out of the range of the front windows -- there warn't none on the side. They held the candle, and took a good look at me, and all said, "Why, HE ain't a Shepherdson -- no, there ain't any Shepherdson about him." Then the old man said he hoped I wouldn't mind being searched for arms, because he didn't mean no harm by it -- it was only to make sure. So he didn't pry into my pockets, but only felt outside with his hands, and said it was all right. He told me to make myself easy and at home, and tell all about myself; but the old lady says: 
"Why, bless you, Saul, the poor thing's as wet as he can be; and don't you reckon it may be he's hungry?" 
"True for you, Rachel -- I forgot." 
So the old lady says: 
"Betsy" (this was a nigger woman), you fly around and get him something to eat as quick as you can, poor thing; and one of you girls go and wake up Buck and tell him -- oh, here he is himself. Buck, take this little stranger and get the wet clothes off from him and dress him up in some of yours that's dry." 
Buck looked about as old as me -- thirteen or fourteen or along there, though he was a little bigger than me. He hadn't on anything but a shirt, and he was very frowzy-headed. He came in gaping and digging one fist into his eyes, and he was dragging a gun along with the other one. He says: 
"Ain't they no Shepherdsons around?" 
They said, no, 'twas a false alarm. 
"Well," he says, "if they'd a ben some, I reckon I'd a got one." 
They all laughed, and Bob says: 
"Why, Buck, they might have scalped us all, you've been so slow in coming." 
"Well, nobody come after me, and it ain't right I'm always kept down; I don't get no show." 
"Never mind, Buck, my boy," says the old man, "you'll have show enough, all in good time, don't you fret about that. Go 'long with you now, and do as your mother told you." 
When we got up-stairs to his room he got me a coarse shirt and a roundabout and pants of his, and I put them on. While I was at it he asked me what my name was, but before I could tell him he started to tell me about a bluejay and a young rabbit he had catched in the woods day before yesterday, and he asked me where Moses was when the candle went out. I said I didn't know; I hadn't heard about it before, no way. 
"Well, guess," he says. 
"How'm I going to guess," says I, "when I never heard tell of it before?" 
"But you can guess, can't you? It's just as easy." 
"WHICH candle?" I says. 
"Why, any candle," he says. 
"I don't know where he was," says I; "where was he?" 
"Why, he was in the DARK! That's where he was!" 
"Well, if you knowed where he was, what did you ask me for?" 
"Why, blame it, it's a riddle, don't you see? Say, how long are you going to stay here? You got to stay always. We can just have booming times -- they don't have no school now. Do you own a dog? I've got a dog -- and he'll go in the river and bring out chips that you throw in. Do you like to comb up Sundays, and all that kind of foolishness? You bet I don't, but ma she makes me. Confound these ole britches! I reckon I'd better put 'em on, but I'd ruther not, it's so warm. Are you all ready? All right. Come along, old hoss." 
Cold corn-pone, cold corn-beef, butter and buttermilk -- that is what they had for me down there, and there ain't nothing better that ever I've come across yet. Buck and his ma and all of them smoked cob pipes, except the nigger woman, which was gone, and the two young women. They all smoked and talked, and I eat and talked. The young women had quilts around them, and their hair down their backs. They all asked me questions, and I told them how pap and me and all the family was living on a little farm down at the bottom of Arkansaw, and my sister Mary Ann run off and got married and never was heard of no more, and Bill went to hunt them and he warn't heard of no more, and Tom and Mort died, and then there warn't nobody but just me and pap left, and he was just trimmed down to nothing, on account of his troubles; so when he died I took what there was left, because the farm didn't belong to us, and started up the river, deck passage, and fell overboard; and that was how I come to be here. So they said I could have a home there as long as I wanted it. Then it was most daylight and everybody went to bed, and I went to bed with Buck, and when I waked up in the morning, drat it all, I had forgot what my name was. So I laid there about an hour trying to think, and when Buck waked up I says: 
"Can you spell, Buck?" 
"Yes," he says. 
"I bet you can't spell my name," says I. 
"I bet you what you dare I can," says he. 
"All right," says I, "go ahead." 
"G-e-o-r-g-e J-a-x-o-n -- there now," he says. 
"Well," says I, "you done it, but I didn't think you could. It ain't no slouch of a name to spell -- right off without studying." 
I set it down, private, because somebody might want ME to spell it next, and so I wanted to be handy with it and rattle it off like I was used to it. 
It was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too. I hadn't seen no house out in the country before that was so nice and had so much style. It didn't have an iron latch on the front door, nor a wooden one with a buckskin string, but a brass knob to turn, the same as houses in town. There warn't no bed in the parlor, nor a sign of a bed; but heaps of parlors in towns has beds in them. There was a big fireplace that was bricked on the bottom, and the bricks was kept clean and red by pouring water on them and scrubbing them with another brick; sometimes they wash them over with red water-paint that they call Spanish-brown, same as they do in town. They had big brass dog-irons that could hold up a sawlog. There was a clock on the middle of the mantelpiece, with a picture of a town painted on the bottom half of the glass front, and a round place in the middle of it for the sun, and you could see the pendulum swinging behind it. It was beautiful to hear that clock tick; and sometimes when one of these peddlers had been along and scoured her up and got her in good shape, she would start in and strike a hundred and fifty before she got tuckered out. They wouldn't took any money for her. 
Well, there was a big outlandish parrot on each side of the clock, made out of something like chalk, and painted up gaudy. By one of the parrots was a cat made of crockery, and a crockery dog by the other; and when you pressed down on them they squeaked, but didn't open their mouths nor look different nor interested. They squeaked through underneath. There was a couple of big wild-turkey-wing fans spread out behind those things. On the table in the middle of the room was a kind of a lovely crockery basket that bad apples and oranges and peaches and grapes piled up in it, which was much redder and yellower and prettier than real ones is, but they warn't real because you could see where pieces had got chipped off and showed the white chalk, or whatever it was, underneath. 
This table had a cover made out of beautiful oilcloth, with a red and blue spread-eagle painted on it, and a painted border all around. It come all the way from Philadelphia, they said. There was some books, too, piled up perfectly exact, on each corner of the table. One was a big family Bible full of pictures. One was Pilgrim's Progress, about a man that left his family, it didn't say why. I read considerable in it now and then. The statements was interesting, but tough. Another was Friendship's Offering, full of beautiful stuff and poetry; but I didn't read the poetry. Another was Henry Clay's Speeches, and another was Dr. Gunn's Family Medicine, which told you all about what to do if a body was sick or dead. There was a hymn book, and a lot of other books. And there was nice split-bottom chairs, and perfectly sound, too -- not bagged down in the middle and busted, like an old basket. 
They had pictures hung on the walls -- mainly Washingtons and Lafayettes, and battles, and Highland Marys, and one called "Signing the Declaration." There was some that they called crayons, which one of the daughters which was dead made her own self when she was only fifteen years old. They was different from any pictures I ever see before -- blacker, mostly, than is common. One was a woman in a slim black dress, belted small under the armpits, with bulges like a cabbage in the middle of the sleeves, and a large black scoop-shovel bonnet with a black veil, and white slim ankles crossed about with black tape, and very wee black slippers, like a chisel, and she was leaning pensive on a tombstone on her right elbow, under a weeping willow, and her other hand hanging down her side holding a white handkerchief and a reticule, and underneath the picture it said "Shall I Never See Thee More Alas." Another one was a young lady with her hair all combed up straight to the top of her head, and knotted there in front of a comb like a chair-back, and she was crying into a handkerchief and had a dead bird laying on its back in her other hand with its heels up, and underneath the picture it said "I Shall Never Hear Thy Sweet Chirrup More Alas." There was one where a young lady was at a window looking up at the moon, and tears running down her cheeks; and she had an open letter in one hand with black sealing wax showing on one edge of it, and she was mashing a locket with a chain to it against her mouth, and underneath the picture it said "And Art Thou Gone Yes Thou Art Gone Alas." These was all nice pictures, I reckon, but I didn't somehow seem to take to them, because if ever I was down a little they always give me the fan-tods. Everybody was sorry she died, because she had laid out a lot more of these pictures to do, and a body could see by what she had done what they had lost. But I reckoned that with her disposition she was having a better time in the graveyard. She was at work on what they said was her greatest picture when she took sick, and every day and every night it was her prayer to be allowed to live till she got it done, but she never got the chance. It was a picture of a young woman in a long white gown, standing on the rail of a bridge all ready to jump off, with her hair all down her back, and looking up to the moon, with the tears running down her face, and she had two arms folded across her breast, and two arms stretched out in front, and two more reaching up towards the moon -- and the idea was to see which pair would look best, and then scratch out all the other arms; but, as I was saying, she died before she got her mind made up, and now they kept this picture over the head of the bed in her room, and every time her birthday come they hung flowers on it. Other times it was hid with a little curtain. The young woman in the picture had a kind of a nice sweet face, but there was so many arms it made her look too spidery, seemed to me. 
This young girl kept a scrap-book when she was alive, and used to paste obituaries and accidents and cases of patient suffering in it out of the Presbyterian Observer, and write poetry after them out of her own head. It was very good poetry. This is what she wrote about a boy by the name of Stephen Dowling Bots that fell down a well and was drownded: 
ODE TO STEPHEN DOWLING BOTS, DEC'D 
And did young Stephen sicken, And did young Stephen die? And did the sad hearts thicken, And did the mourners cry? 
No; such was not the fate of Young Stephen Dowling Bots; Though sad hearts round him thickened, 'Twas not from sickness' shots. 
No whooping-cough did rack his frame, Nor measles drear with spots; Not these impaired the sacred name Of Stephen Dowling Bots. 
Despised love struck not with woe That head of curly knots, Nor stomach troubles laid him low, Young Stephen Dowling Bots. 
O no. Then list with tearful eye, Whilst I his fate do tell. His soul did from this cold world fly By falling down a well. 
They got him out and emptied him; Alas it was too late; His spirit was gone for to sport aloft In the realms of the good and great. 
If Emmeline Grangerford could make poetry like that before she was fourteen, there ain't no telling what she could a done by and by. Buck said she could rattle off poetry like nothing. She didn't ever have to stop to think. He said she would slap down a line, and if she couldn't find anything to rhyme with it would just scratch it out and slap down another one, and go ahead. She warn't particular; she could write about anything you choose to give her to write about just so it was sadful. Every time a man died, or a woman died, or a child died, she would be on hand with her "tribute" before he was cold. She called them tributes. The neighbors said it was the doctor first, then Emmeline, then the undertaker -- the undertaker never got in ahead of Emmeline but once, and then she hung fire on a rhyme for the dead person's name, which was Whistler. She warn't ever the same after that; she never complained, but she kinder pined away and did not live long. Poor thing, many's the time I made myself go up to the little room that used to be hers and get out her poor old scrap-book and read in it when her pictures had been aggravating me and I had soured on her a little. I liked all that family, dead ones and all, and warn't going to let anything come between us. Poor Emmeline made poetry about all the dead people when she was alive, and it didn't seem right that there warn't nobody to make some about her now she was gone; so I tried to sweat out a verse or two myself, but I couldn't seem to make it go somehow. They kept Emmeline's room trim and nice, and all the things fixed in it just the way she liked to have them when she was alive, and nobody ever slept there. The old lady took care of the room herself, though there was plenty of niggers, and she sewed there a good deal and read her Bible there mostly. 
Well, as I was saying about the parlor, there was beautiful curtains on the windows: white, with pictures painted on them of castles with vines all down the walls, and cattle coming down to drink. There was a little old piano, too, that had tin pans in it, I reckon, and nothing was ever so lovely as to hear the young ladies sing "The Last Link is Broken" and play "The Battle of Prague" on it. The walls of all the rooms was plastered, and most had carpets on the floors, and the whole house was whitewashed on the outside. 
It was a double house, and the big open place betwixt them was roofed and floored, and sometimes the table was set there in the middle of the day, and it was a cool, comfortable place. Nothing couldn't be better. And warn't the cooking good, and just bushels of it too! 
半分钟之后，有人打窗户里朝外说话，没有伸出头，那人说："别嚷啦，小子们！谁在那里？"我说："是我。""我是谁呀？""乔治·杰克逊，先生。""你想干嘛？""我什么也不想干，先生。我只是从这儿路过，可狗不让我过去。""你偷偷摸摸在夜里这个时候，上这里干什么--啊？""我没偷偷摸摸的，先生，我打轮船上掉到水里了。""噢，你落水了，是吗？谁给点个火吧。你刚才说你叫什么？""乔治·杰克逊，先生。我仅仅是个小孩儿。""听着，要是你讲的是实话，你就犯不着害怕，没人可以伤害你。可别动弹，站在原地。叫醒鲍勃和汤姆，你们谁去，要带上枪。乔治·杰克逊，你是一个人吗？""是的，先生，没有别的人。"这时候，我听见人们在房子里走动，还看见一处灯光。那人大声喊："拿开那个灯，贝西，你这老蠢货--你没长脑子吗？把它搁在前门后面的地板上。鲍勃，如果你和汤姆准备好了，各就各位。""准备就绪。""现在，乔治·杰克逊，你认得谢泼逊家的人吗？""不认识，先生，我从未听说他们。""好吧，这话或许是真的，或许不是。现在，都做好准备。朝前走，乔治·杰克逊。注意，别急，慢慢儿过来。如果有人跟着你，让他靠后，如果他露面，就会挨到枪子儿。来吧，好。走慢点儿；推开门，你自己推--开得能挤进身子来就行，你听见没有？"我不着急，就算我想急也急不了。我一次慢慢儿迈一步，没有声响。只是我觉得我能听见我的心跳。那些狗跟人一样安静，但是，它们跟在我后面不远。当我登上了那三级木头台阶，我听见他们开锁，卸门杠，拔插销。我把手放在门上，一点一点地推，直到有人说："　可以了，伸进你的手来。"　我伸进头，可我断定他们会把它切下来。
    蜡烛放在地板上，人都在那儿，他们看着我，我也看着他们，这么着过了十几秒钟。三个大个子拿枪对着我，老实讲，我被吓得够着。最老的一个，头发全发白了，六十多岁；另外两个三十多岁--他们都好看又漂亮--还有个很和气的老太太，头发灰白，她身后还有两个年轻女人，我看不大真切。那位老先生说："行了--我看没问题。进来吧。"我一进来，那位老先生就锁好了门，顶上门杠，插上插销，让年轻人带枪过去，他们都走进一个铺着新地毯的大客厅，站到一个角落里，那地方前窗看不到，它那边又没窗户。他们手拿蜡烛，仔细地看着我，都说："　嗯，他不是谢泼逊家人，不是，没一点像谢泼逊家的人。"　紧接着，那个老人说他希望我别介意，要搜搜我身上的武器，由于他这样做并无恶意，只是想弄明白。所以，他没伸进我口袋里，而仅仅是用手在外边摸一摸，就说声可以了。他告诉我别拘束，就跟是在自己家一样，还让我把自己的事全讲讲。但是，那个老妇人说："哎呀天哪，索尔，这个可怜的小东西都湿成这模样了，你想他会不饿吗？""你说得对，瑞琪尔，我给忘了。"于是，那老妇人说："贝西(这是个黑人妇女)，你得给他拿点吃的来，尽可能快些，可怜的东西；你们俩谁去叫醒巴克并告诉他--噢，他在这儿。巴克，带这个小生人去把他的湿衣服换掉，找两件你的干衣服让他穿上。"巴克看上去年龄跟我差不多--十三四岁或者差不多少，只是，他个头儿比我高点儿。他只穿件衬衣，头发很乱。他打着哈欠过来，还拿一只拳头揉着眼睛，另一只拳头攥着一杆枪。他说："没谢泼逊家的人来吗？"他们告诉他说没有，刚才只是一场虚惊。
    "好吧，"他说，"　要是他们来人的话，我看我能打中一个。"他们全笑了，鲍勃还说："嘿，巴克，他们也许已经把我们全都剥光头皮了，你这么慢才过来。""唔，没有人去叫我，这很不公平。我总是受压制，没机会表现。""别在意，巴克，好孩子，"那老先生说，"　你会出够风头的，机会有的是，别生气了。现在先去吧，照你妈说的话做。"我们到了楼上他的房间里，他拿给我一件粗布衬衫，一件短外套和一条裤子，我都穿上了。我正穿着，他询问我的名字，可还没等我告诉他，他就开始给我讲前些日子在树林里他捉到一只蓝鲣鸟和一只小兔子，蜡烛熄灭时，他又问我摩西在哪儿。我说不知道，过去我根本没有听说过，根本没有。
    "那，猜猜看。"　他说。
    "我怎么猜，"我说，"　我过去从来没听说过这回事儿？""可你会猜呀，会不会？这简直太容易了。""（哪支）蜡烛里？"我说。
    "嗨，任何一支。"　他说。
    "我可不知道他在那里，"我说，"　他在哪儿？""嗨，他在（黑暗）里呀！那才是他的地方！""哎呀，要是你知道他在哪儿，你还来问我干什么？""嗨，真丢人，这是个谜呀，你难道听不出来？喂，你想在这里住多久？你最好一直住下去。我们玩得可痛快了--现在放假。你有狗吗？我有一条，它会跳进河里把你扔的木片捡出来。你喜欢梳头吗？在星期天，还有好多那种无聊的时候。我可一点儿也不喜欢这样，可是妈她偏让我这样。讨厌，这些旧裤子，我看我最好还是穿上，可是我宁愿不穿，太热了。你穿好了吗？好啦，走吧，老伙计。"凉凉的玉米面包，凉凉的咸牛肉，奶油和奶酪--这就是他们在楼下给我预备的东西，我从没见过这么好吃的东西。巴克和他妈妈，所有的人都在抽玉米穗烟斗，那个黑女人没在那里，两个年轻女人没抽烟。他们还谈着话，我也边吃边说。那两个年轻女人披着披肩，头发垂到背上。他们问我问题，我跟他们说爸和我还有全家人住在阿肯索最南端的一个小农场上，我姐姐丽·安跑掉嫁人了，自此再无消息，比尔去找她们，也没了音讯，汤姆和摩特死了，后来就剩下爸和我，因为他历经了种种不幸，到头来穷困潦倒，所以，他过世之时，我只好带了他所剩的东西出门搭船，因为那农场不是我们的，可我掉入了河；我就这样来到了这里。于是，他们说，只要我乐意，我就可以把这里当成家，想住多长住多长。后来，天都快亮了，大家都回去睡觉，我和巴克睡一块儿。早上，我醒来时，见鬼，我忘了我的名字。所以，我就在床上躺了约一个小时，出劲儿想；这时，巴克醒了过来，我问："你会拼写吗，巴克？""会。"　他说。
    "我打赌你一定不会拼我的名字。"　我说。
    "我敢打赌我肯定会拼，"他说。
    "那好。"　我说，"　那你拼拼看。""G-O-r-g-eJ-a-x-o-n　就这样。"　他说。"对了，"我说，"　你还真可以，不过我还以为你不会呢。这名字不怎么稀罕，用不着细想，马上就能拼出来。"我暗暗把它记下了，因为以后，也许会有人叫我拼写名字，所以，我要把它记熟，到时好脱口而出，就像我已经习惯这个名字一样。
    这一家人特别好，房子也特别漂亮。我在农村从来没见过这么漂亮这么气派的房子。它前门上没有铁门闩，也没有带鹿皮带的木门闩，倒装着一个会转的铜把手，和城里的房子一模一样。客厅里没床，连床的影子都没有，倒是城里的好多客厅都有床。客厅里有一个十分大的壁炉，底下铺砖，他们朝砖上洒水，再拿一些砖来摩擦，壁炉的砖既干净又通红，有时，他们往砖上刷洗上一层他们叫做西班牙褚色的水粉涂料，跟城里的做法一样。他们有很大的铜火架，能架住一根圆木。壁炉台上方正中放着一座钟，前面玻璃的下半部画着一幅小镇图，中间部分圆圆的一块算作太阳，你还能看到后面的钟摆晃动。那座大钟咔嗒咔嗒可好听啦；有时，来个修表的把它擦得锃亮，修得好好的，它就能一气连敲一百五十下才会累倒。他们修了还不要钱。
    那座钟的两侧一边一个很大的外国鹦鹉，象是用白粉做的，涂得相当艳丽。一只鹦鹉的旁边有一只陶制的猫，另一只鹦鹉的旁边是一只陶器狗，你朝下一按，它们还会吱吱叫，只是不会张嘴，看不出什么特别和高兴，它们是下边响。这些东西后面是一把撑开的一对野火鸡翅做的大扇子。客厅正中的桌子上摆着那种好看的陶制篮子，里面堆着苹果、桔子和葡萄，比真东西还红得多，绿得多，也漂亮得多，可这并不是真的，因为一些地方表层脱落，露出了小块白粉什么的，你从下面可以看得出来。
    这张桌子铺着一张十分好看的油画布，上面画着一只红蓝相间，展开翅膀的鹰，周围画着花边儿。他们说这是打费城购进的。还有一些书，摆得很整齐，放在桌子的四角。一部很大的家庭《圣经》，都是图画。一本《天路历程》，是讲一个人离开家出走的，可没说为什么。我有时候翻开里面，看了不少。里面说的话很有趣，但也很难懂。另一本是《友谊的献礼》，满是漂亮的东西和诗歌，但是我没读那些诗。还有一本亨利·克莱的《演说集》，一本格恩博士的《家庭医药》，讲的是有人生病或死了该怎么做。还有一本赞美诗和好多别的书。还有薄木条底座的椅子，很好看也相当结实--而不是中间凹进去，撑裂了，跟个烂筐一般。
    墙上挂着画--主要是华盛顿和拉斐德的像，还是战争画面，《高原玛丽》和一张叫《签署独立宣言》的画。还有几张他们称做彩笔画，是一个死去的女儿在她15　岁时自己画的。这些画和我过去见过的画不一样，大部分比一般的画颜色都暗。..这个小姑娘生前有一本剪贴册，总贴些《长老会观察报》上的死人讣告，意外事故和耐心受难的事，还别出心裁写诗附在后面。那都是些很好的诗。..可怜的小姑娘艾米琳活着的时候给所有的死人都做诗，现在她去了，却没人能为她做几首，这看起来有些不合适，于是，我就试着绞尽脑汁想挤出一两行来，可是不知怎么的，就是挤不出来。他们把艾米琳的房间收拾得整洁漂亮，所有的东西都按她生前喜欢的样子保留着，谁也不在那儿睡。虽然有许多黑奴，老太太还是亲自照料那个房间，她老爱在那儿做针线，读《圣经》多半也在那儿。噢，我还正说着客厅哪，窗户上有美丽的窗帘：白色的，上面有画，画的是城堡，藤蔓满墙，还有牛羊到河边饮水，还搁着一架旧钢琴，我猜里面有铁片盘子，再没什么比那些姑娘在钢琴上弹《最后的联系中断了》和《布拉格之战》更动听的了。墙壁全抹过白灰，大部分房间都铺着地板，整座房子外边刷得雪白。
    这是一座双排房子，两排房子当中是大空地，上面盖屋顶，下面铺地板，有时候正中午，饭桌就放在那里，真是个凉爽、舒适的地方。简直跟天堂一般。饭菜不仅好吃，还多得很呢！
Chapter 18
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 complexion, 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 nostrils, and a high nose, and heavy eyebrows, and the blackest kind of eyes, sunk so deep back that they seemed like they was looking out of caverns 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 linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it; and on Sundays he wore a blue tail-coat with brass buttons on it. He carried a mahogany cane 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 flicker 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 mite of whisky or apple brandy in the bottom of their tumblers, and give it to me and Buck, 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 wilt 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 monstrous 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 clan 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 galloping 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 dodge 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 feud." 
"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 'bout something, and then a lawsuit 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 capered 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 tiresomeness; 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 dozing 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 standing 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 Testament, 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 hog or two, for there warn't any lock on the door, and hogs 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 ransacked 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 mighty 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: 
"All right; trot ahead." 
I followed a half a mile; then he struck out over the swamp, and waded 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 poked 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 Jack 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 fixed 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 willows, 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? Den 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 kin 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 bust. 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 cavorting 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 squatting 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 bead 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 bulge 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 ambush. 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 ashore 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 gallop 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 tugged 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 feuds, 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 cramped 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。
Chapter 19
TWO or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely. Here is the way we put in the time. It was a monstrous big river down there -- sometimes a mile and a half wide; we run nights, and laid up and hid daytimes; soon as night was most gone we stopped navigating and tied up -- nearly always in the dead water under a towhead; and then cut young cottonwoods and willows, and hid the raft with them. Then we set out the lines. Next we slid into the river and had a swim, so as to freshen up and cool off; then we set down on the sandy bottom where the water was about knee deep, and watched the daylight come. Not a sound anywheres -- perfectly still -- just like the whole world was asleep, only sometimes the bullfrogs a-cluttering, maybe. The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line -- that was the woods on t'other side; you couldn't make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness spreading around; then the river softened up away off, and warn't black any more, but gray; you could see little dark spots drifting along ever so far away -- trading scows, and such things; and long black streaks -- rafts; sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking; or jumbled up voices, it was so still, and sounds come so far; and by and by you could see a streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there's a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes that streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up off of the water, and the east reddens up, and the river, and you make out a log-cabin in the edge of the woods, away on the bank on t'other side of the river, being a woodyard, likely, and piled by them cheats so you can throw a dog through it anywheres; then the nice breeze springs up, and comes fanning you from over there, so cool and fresh and sweet to smell on account of the woods and the flowers; but sometimes not that way, because they've left dead fish laying around, gars and such, and they do get pretty rank; and next you've got the full day, and everything smiling in the sun, and the song-birds just going it! 
A little smoke couldn't be noticed now, so we would take some fish off of the lines and cook up a hot breakfast. And afterwards we would watch the lonesomeness of the river, and kind of lazy along, and by and by lazy off to sleep. Wake up by and by, and look to see what done it, and maybe see a steamboat coughing along up-stream, so far off towards the other side you couldn't tell nothing about her only whether she was a stern-wheel or side-wheel; then for about an hour there wouldn't be nothing to hear nor nothing to see -- just solid lonesomeness. Next you'd see a raft sliding by, away off yonder, and maybe a galoot on it chopping, because they're most always doing it on a raft; you'd see the axe flash and come down -- you don't hear nothing; you see that axe go up again, and by the time it's above the man's head then you hear the K'CHUNK! -- it had took all that time to come over the water. So we would put in the day, lazying around, listening to the stillness. Once there was a thick fog, and the rafts and things that went by was beating tin pans so the steamboats wouldn't run over them. A scow or a raft went by so close we could hear them talking and cussing and laughing -- heard them plain; but we couldn't see no sign of them; it made you feel crawly; it was like spirits carrying on that way in the air. Jim said he believed it was spirits; but I says: 
"No; spirits wouldn't say, 'Dern the dern fog.'" 
Soon as it was night out we shoved; when we got her out to about the middle we let her alone, and let her float wherever the current wanted her to; then we lit the pipes, and dangled our legs in the water, and talked about all kinds of things -- we was always naked, day and night, whenever the mosquitoes would let us -- the new clothes Buck's folks made for me was too good to be comfortable, and besides I didn't go much on clothes, nohow. 
Sometimes we'd have that whole river all to ourselves for the longest time. Yonder was the banks and the islands, across the water; and maybe a spark -- which was a candle in a cabin window; and sometimes on the water you could see a spark or two -- on a raft or a scow, you know; and maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song coming over from one of them crafts. It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. Jim he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; I judged it would have took too long to MAKE so many. Jim said the moon could a LAID them; well, that looked kind of reasonable, so I didn't say nothing against it, because I've seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it could be done. We used to watch the stars that fell, too, and see them streak down. Jim allowed they'd got spoiled and was hove out of the nest. 
Once or twice of a night we would see a steamboat slipping along in the dark, and now and then she would belch a whole world of sparks up out of her chimbleys, and they would rain down in the river and look awful pretty; then she would turn a corner and her lights would wink out and her powwow shut off and leave the river still again; and by and by her waves would get to us, a long time after she was gone, and joggle the raft a bit, and after that you wouldn't hear nothing for you couldn't tell how long, except maybe frogs or something. 
After midnight the people on shore went to bed, and then for two or three hours the shores was black -- no more sparks in the cabin windows. These sparks was our clock -- the first one that showed again meant morning was coming, so we hunted a place to hide and tie up right away. 
One morning about daybreak I found a canoe and crossed over a chute to the main shore -- it was only two hundred yards -- and paddled about a mile up a crick amongst the cypress woods, to see if I couldn't get some berries. Just as I was passing a place where a kind of a cowpath crossed the crick, here comes a couple of men tearing up the path as tight as they could foot it. I thought I was a goner, for whenever anybody was after anybody I judged it was ME -- or maybe Jim. I was about to dig out from there in a hurry, but they was pretty close to me then, and sung out and begged me to save their lives -- said they hadn't been doing nothing, and was being chased for it -- said there was men and dogs a-coming. They wanted to jump right in, but I says: 
"Don't you do it. I don't hear the dogs and horses yet; you've got time to crowd through the brush and get up the crick a little ways; then you take to the water and wade down to me and get in -- that'll throw the dogs off the scent." 
They done it, and soon as they was aboard I lit out for our towhead, and in about five or ten minutes we heard the dogs and the men away off, shouting. We heard them come along towards the crick, but couldn't see them; they seemed to stop and fool around a while; then, as we got further and further away all the time, we couldn't hardly hear them at all; by the time we had left a mile of woods behind us and struck the river, everything was quiet, and we paddled over to the towhead and hid in the cottonwoods and was safe. 
One of these fellows was about seventy or upwards, and had a bald head and very gray whiskers. He had an old battered-up slouch hat on, and a greasy blue woollen shirt, and ragged old blue jeans britches stuffed into his boot-tops, and home-knit galluses -- no, he only had one. He had an old long-tailed blue jeans coat with slick brass buttons flung over his arm, and both of them had big, fat, ratty-looking carpet-bags. 
The other fellow was about thirty, and dressed about as ornery. After breakfast we all laid off and talked, and the first thing that come out was that these chaps didn't know one another. 
"What got you into trouble?" says the baldhead to t'other chap. 
"Well, I'd been selling an article to take the tartar off the teeth -- and it does take it off, too, and generly the enamel along with it -- but I stayed about one night longer than I ought to, and was just in the act of sliding out when I ran across you on the trail this side of town, and you told me they were coming, and begged me to help you to get off. So I told you I was expecting trouble myself, and would scatter out WITH you. That's the whole yarn -- what's yourn? 
"Well, I'd ben a-running' a little temperance revival thar 'bout a week, and was the pet of the women folks, big and little, for I was makin' it mighty warm for the rummies, I TELL you, and takin' as much as five or six dollars a night -- ten cents a head, children and niggers free -- and business a-growin' all the time, when somehow or another a little report got around last night that I had a way of puttin' in my time with a private jug on the sly. A nigger rousted me out this mornin', and told me the people was getherin' on the quiet with their dogs and horses, and they'd be along pretty soon and give me 'bout half an hour's start, and then run me down if they could; and if they got me they'd tar and feather me and ride me on a rail, sure. I didn't wait for no breakfast -- I warn't hungry." 
"Old man," said the young one, "I reckon we might double-team it together; what do you think?" 
"I ain't undisposed. What's your line -- mainly?" 
"Jour printer by trade; do a little in patent medicines; theater-actor -- tragedy, you know; take a turn to mesmerism and phrenology when there's a chance; teach singing-geography school for a change; sling a lecture sometimes -- oh, I do lots of things -- most anything that comes handy, so it ain't work. What's your lay?" 
"I've done considerble in the doctoring way in my time. Layin' on o' hands is my best holt -- for cancer and paralysis, and sich things; and I k'n tell a fortune pretty good when I've got somebody along to find out the facts for me. Preachin's my line, too, and workin' camp-meetin's, and missionaryin' around." 
Nobody never said anything for a while; then the young man hove a sigh and says: 
"Alas!" 
"What 're you alassin' about?" says the baldhead. 
"To think I should have lived to be leading such a life, and be degraded down into such company." And he begun to wipe the corner of his eye with a rag. 
"Dern your skin, ain't the company good enough for you?" says the baldhead, pretty pert and uppish. 
" Yes, it IS good enough for me; it's as good as I deserve; for who fetched me so low when I was so high? I did myself. I don't blame YOU, gentlemen -- far from it; I don't blame anybody. I deserve it all. Let the cold world do its worst; one thing I know -- there's a grave somewhere for me. The world may go on just as it's always done, and take everything from me -- loved ones, property, everything; but it can't take that. Some day I'll lie down in it and forget it all, and my poor broken heart will be at rest." He went on a-wiping. 
"Drot your pore broken heart," says the baldhead; "what are you heaving your pore broken heart at US f'r? WE hain't done nothing." 
"No, I know you haven't. I ain't blaming you, gentlemen. I brought myself down -- yes, I did it myself. It's right I should suffer -- perfectly right -- I don't make any moan." 
"Brought you down from whar? Whar was you brought down from?" 
"Ah, you would not believe me; the world never believes -- let it pass -- 'tis no matter. The secret of my birth --" 
"The secret of your birth! Do you mean to say --" 
"Gentlemen," says the young man, very solemn, "I will reveal it to you, for I feel I may have confidence in you. By rights I am a duke!" 
Jim's eyes bugged out when he heard that; and I reckon mine did, too. Then the baldhead says: "No! you can't mean it?" 
"Yes. My great-grandfather, eldest son of the Duke of Bridgewater, fled to this country about the end of the last century, to breathe the pure air of freedom; married here, and died, leaving a son, his own father dying about the same time. The second son of the late duke seized the titles and estates -- the infant real duke was ignored. I am the lineal descendant of that infant -- I am the rightful Duke of Bridgewater; and here am I, forlorn, torn from my high estate, hunted of men, despised by the cold world, ragged, worn, heart-broken, and degraded to the companionship of felons on a raft!" 
Jim pitied him ever so much, and so did I. We tried to comfort him, but he said it warn't much use, he couldn't be much comforted; said if we was a mind to acknowledge him, that would do him more good than most anything else; so we said we would, if he would tell us how. He said we ought to bow when we spoke to him, and say "Your Grace," or "My Lord," or "Your Lordship" -- and he wouldn't mind it if we called him plain "Bridgewater," which, he said, was a title anyway, and not a name; and one of us ought to wait on him at dinner, and do any little thing for him he wanted done. 
Well, that was all easy, so we done it. All through dinner Jim stood around and waited on him, and says, "Will yo' Grace have some o' dis or some o' dat?" and so on, and a body could see it was mighty pleasing to him. 
But the old man got pretty silent by and by -- didn't have much to say, and didn't look pretty comfortable over all that petting that was going on around that duke. He seemed to have something on his mind. So, along in the afternoon, he says: 
"Looky here, Bilgewater," he says, "I'm nation sorry for you, but you ain't the only person that's had troubles like that." 
"No?" 
"No you ain't. You ain't the only person that's ben snaked down wrongfully out'n a high place." 
"Alas!" 
"No, you ain't the only person that's had a secret of his birth." And, by jings, HE begins to cry. 
"Hold! What do you mean?" 
"Bilgewater, kin I trust you?" says the old man, still sort of sobbing. 
"To the bitter death!" He took the old man by the hand and squeezed it, and says, "That secret of your being: speak!" 
"Bilgewater, I am the late Dauphin!" 
You bet you, Jim and me stared this time. Then the duke says: 
"You are what?" 
"Yes, my friend, it is too true -- your eyes is lookin' at this very moment on the pore disappeared Dauphin, Looy the Seventeen, son of Looy the Sixteen and Marry Antonette." 
"You! At your age! No! You mean you're the late Charlemagne; you must be six or seven hundred years old, at the very least." 
"Trouble has done it, Bilgewater, trouble has done it; trouble has brung these gray hairs and this premature balditude. Yes, gentlemen, you see before you, in blue jeans and misery, the wanderin', exiled, trampled-on, and sufferin' rightful King of France." 
Well, he cried and took on so that me and Jim didn't know hardly what to do, we was so sorry -- and so glad and proud we'd got him with us, too. So we set in, like we done before with the duke, and tried to comfort HIM. But he said it warn't no use, nothing but to be dead and done with it all could do him any good; though he said it often made him feel easier and better for a while if people treated him according to his rights, and got down on one knee to speak to him, and always called him "Your Majesty," and waited on him first at meals, and didn't set down in his presence till he asked them. So Jim and me set to majestying him, and doing this and that and t'other for him, and standing up till he told us we might set down. This done him heaps of good, and so he got cheerful and comfortable. But the duke kind of soured on him, and didn't look a bit satisfied with the way things was going; still, the king acted real friendly towards him, and said the duke's great-grandfather and all the other Dukes of Bilgewater was a good deal thought of by HIS father, and was allowed to come to the palace considerable; but the duke stayed huffy a good while, till by and by the king says: 
"Like as not we got to be together a blamed long time on this h-yer raft, Bilgewater, and so what's the use o' your bein' sour? It 'll only make things oncomfortable. It ain't my fault I warn't born a duke, it ain't your fault you warn't born a king -- so what's the use to worry? Make the best o' things the way you find 'em, says I -- that's my motto. This ain't no bad thing that we've struck here -- plenty grub and an easy life -- come, give us your hand, duke, and le's all be friends." 
The duke done it, and Jim and me was pretty glad to see it. It took away all the uncomfortableness and we felt mighty good over it, because it would a been a miserable business to have any unfriendliness on the raft; for what you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everybody to be satisfied, and feel right and kind towards the others. 
It didn't take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn't no kings nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. But I never said nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it's the best way; then you don't have no quarrels, and don't get into no trouble. If they wanted us to call them kings and dukes, I hadn't no objections, 'long as it would keep peace in the family; and it warn't no use to tell Jim, so I didn't tell him. If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way. 
接连两三个尽夜过去了，我看我该说是漂过去了，日子一天一天地滑走，过得这么平静，顺利又愉快。我们是这么打发时间的。大河到了这里宽得吓人--有的地方有一英里半宽。我们晚上赶路，白天收好木排，一到黑夜快过去的时候，我们就停止漂游，拴好木排--几乎总会拴在沙洲下面的静水里，接着，砍些小棉杨树和柳树，盖好木排，把钓鱼线放进水里。接下去，我们就下河游泳，好提提神，凉快凉快，上来以后，我们坐在河底的沙子上，那里水大约深及膝，等着白天到来。四周没有一丝声音，万籁俱静，好像全世界都在熟睡，只是有时也许会有青蛙呱呱的叫声。从水面上放眼望去，首先看到的是模模糊糊的一条线，那是河对岸的树林--你啥也分辨不清，接着看到的是天上一张苍白的脸，那白色越来越朝四周扩大；大河就变得柔和起来，在远处，就不再是黑色的，而变成了灰白，你还能看到有小黑点打水面上漂过，离得老远，那是平底商船之类，偶尔也有长长的黑条漂过，是木排；有时候，你还能听见一支桨吱吱嘎嘎响；或者有起伏的人声，四周很静，所以声音是从很远的地方传来的。渐渐地，你还可以看见出现在水面上的一条纹路，看那水纹，你就知道，急流里有一支树干，河水冲打着树干，令水纹成了那样的形状；过后，你看到薄雾缭绕升起，离开水面，东方通红，大河也被映红了，接着，天光大亮，所有的都在阳光下露出笑脸，会唱歌的小鸟儿唱得可真带劲儿！
    这时，一缕炊烟不会引起人们的注意，所以，我们就打钓鱼线上取下几条鱼，做一顿热乎乎的早饭。后来，我们就坐着看孤单的大河，觉得懒得慌，就这样慢慢地睡着了。
    一到晚上，我们就撑出木排，快到大河中央时，我们任由它自己顺水漂荡，然后，我们点上烟斗，把腿放进水里摇晃着，聊各种各样的事。我们总是光着身子，不论白天还是晚上，只要蚊子不咬我们，巴克家给我的衣服太考究了，我穿着不自在，再说，我本来就不大喜欢穿衣服。
    有时候，我们俩把整条大河都给占了，很久都没有别人。隔着河水，远远的是河岸和小岛，也许还有亮光--那是小屋窗户里透出的烛光--有时是在水面，你也能看见一两处亮光--那是木排和商船上的，你知道，或许你还能听到琴声和歌声从某个木排上飘来。住在木排上，日子可真美呀。我们头顶上有天空，布满了星星，我们通常躲在木排上，仰脸瞅着它们，谈论星星是做出来的，还是原本就这样。吉姆说是做出来的，可我认为是原本如此，我估计要想做出这么多星星，不知道得花多大时间。吉姆说月亮会生蛋生出星星来，这么说好像还有些道理，因此，我也就不反驳了，因为我见过青蛙产卵，也产出那么多，月亮自然也能生出那么多星星。我们还经常看见有星星从天上掉下来，看着它们划一道光朝下落。吉姆认为那些是坏了的蛋，是从窝里给扔出来的。
    半夜后，岸上的人都睡了，紧接着的两三个小时岸上全黑了--小屋窗户里的灯光也都没了。那些灯光是我们的钟表--再有灯光一亮起来就说明早上快到了，于是，我们得尽快找个能藏身的地方，拴好木排。
    一个早上，天亮时分，我发现了一个独木舟，就把它横渡过一道急流，划到大河岸上去--仅有两百码--又顺着柏树林里的一条小河向前划了一英里地，想看看我能否找些草莓回来。正当我经过有一条羊肠小道穿过小河的地方时，从小道上奔过来两个人，他们奔跑如箭。我想这下完了，因为不管什么时候，只要是有人在追人，我就想着那肯定是在追我，或许是在追吉姆。我正想赶紧划开，可是他们已离我很近了，他们高声喊叫，求我救命，说他们并未做什么坏事，却让人家在后面追着跑，还说人和狗都追过来了。他们想马上跳上小舟，可是我说："你们别上来。我还没有听见狗叫和马蹄声，你们还有时间穿过树丛，沿河朝上游跑一段；然后，你们跳到河里，嘡水找我再上来，那样，狗就嗅不到你们去向了。"他们按我说的做了，一跳上独木舟，我就马上离开，朝我们的沙洲那儿划去，过了大约五分钟或十分钟左右，我们听到远远地有人在喊叫，狗也在汪汪叫。我们听见他们朝这条小河跑过来，但没看见他们；他们好像停下来，胡乱找了一会儿，后来，我们不停地越走越远，几乎到听不到任何声音了，等我们把一英里来长的树林甩到后面，划过了那条河，一切都平静下来，我们就划过去，到了沙洲那边，藏在棉杨树林里，平安无事了。
    一个家伙大约70　来岁，或者更大一些，秃头，长着花白的络腮胡子。他戴一顶破旧的磨坏了的垂边帽，穿一件沾满油渍的蓝色羊毛衫，一条破旧的蓝色斜纹棉布裤，裤腿塞到了靴子筒里，吊一副手工编织的背带--不对，他只剩下一条背带了。他带一件旧燕尾服，蓝斜纹棉布做的，钉着光滑的铜扣子，搭在胳膊上。这两人都带着又大又脏鼓囊囊的毯制手提旅行包。另外一个家伙大约30　来岁，穿着也差不多一样差。早饭过后，我们在一起休息聊天，头一件露底的事儿就是这两家伙相互并不认识。
    "你惹了什么祸？"那秃头向另一个家伙问道。
    "唉，我在那儿卖一种去牙垢的东西--它也确实可以把牙垢去掉，可也总是把牙齿上的釉质也连带着给弄下来--只是我不该多停那一晚上，我正在偷偷儿往外跑，这时候在镇子这边那条小路上碰上了你，你对我说他们正在后边追你，还求我帮助你逃命。于是我就告诉你说，我自己正怕是要遭殃，干脆就跟你一块儿逃吧。这就是所有的经过--你的事儿呢？""唉，我在那儿开办一个小的戒酒布道会，大致办了一个星期，女人们不论大小老少都对我喜欢得不得了，因为我把那帮酒鬼骂得狗血喷头，确实如此。我一晚上能有五六块的进项--一个人一毛，小孩子跟黑人免费--生意一直是越做越火，后来竟然不知怎么搞的，在昨天晚上，有一点谣言传开了，说我老是自己偷偷儿喝闷酒，一个黑人今早上把我叫醒，告诉我人们正在悄悄集合，骑着马带着狗，他们很快就会过来，让我先跑半个钟头，随后再把我追得精疲力竭，要是他们能这么做的话；如果他们抓住了我，就可能把我浑身涂满柏油，粘上羽毛，让我骑在棍子上，没错儿。我可没有等吃什么早饭--我也不饿了。""老头儿，"那个年轻的说，"　我看我们能合伙一块儿干，你觉得怎样？""我不反对。你干的是哪一行--最主要的？""报馆印刷工，这是老本行；搞一点成药生意；当戏剧演员--演悲剧，你知道；有机会了，也能搞搞催眠术，看看骨相，教教唱歌、地理课，变变花样儿；来个演讲，有些时候--啊，我做好多事情--多数情况下是什么方便干什么，因此，算不上工作。你干哪一行？""我年轻的时候，给人家看过一阵子病。按摩我最拿手--专治癌症、瘫痪这类顽症；我还会算命，算得挺准，要是有人能帮我去摸清情况的话，讲道我也在行；开野营布道会，还能四处传教。"一时，谁也没讲一句话，后来，那个年轻人叹了口气，说道："哎呀！""你呀什么呀？"那个秃头问。
    "想起来可真让人伤心哪，我竟然过这种生活，降低身份，丢尽颜面，和你们这些人为伍，想起来伤心不已。"　说着他还开始拿一块破布擦起他的眼角来了。
    "你他妈的该死，和这些人在一起，对你还不好吗？"秃头说，他毫不顾忌，还挺骄傲。
    "是啊，对我来说，这是够好啦，我也就配这么好啦，当初我是那样高贵，是谁让我落到如此下贱的地步呢？这全怪我自己。我不是责怪你们，先生们，我决没有那个意思，我谁也不怪。让这个冷酷的世界把最大的不幸加在我的头上吧。有件事我知道，在这世界上的某一个地方，留给我的只是一个坟墓。这世界一样横行，一如既往，它夺去了我的一切--我的爱人，财产，还有一切--但是，它不能夺走我的坟墓。有一天，我会躺到里面，忘光这些，我那可怜的、破碎的心将会安息。"他接着擦眼角。
    "去你妈的可怜的破碎的心吧，"秃头说，"　你拿你那可怜的破碎的心冲着我们干嘛，我们又没做什么对不起你的事儿。""没有，我知道你们没。我不是在怪你们，诸位。是我自己让自己身份下贱的，是的，都怪我自己。所以，我活该受罪，确实活该，我一点儿也不抱怨。""你怎么身份下贱啦？你原来是什么身份？""唉，你们不会信我的。这个世界历来不相信，就让它成为过往吧，没什么关系。我出身的秘密呀..""你出身的秘密？你是说..""先生们，"那个年轻人说道，神情异常庄严，"　我乐意向你们公开，因为我觉得我可以信任你们。依照合法身份，我是个公爵！"听完这话，吉姆的眼睛都突出来了，我想我自己也差不多如此。后来那秃头说："不对，你的话是假的吧？""真的。我的曾祖父，就是布里奇沃特公爵的长子，差不我是在上个世纪末逃到这个国家来的，想来呼吸纯净的自由空气。他在这里结婚，死去，遗有一子，他的亲生父亲接近于同时死的。已故公爵的次子攫取了爵号和遗产，真正的公爵因为是个婴儿，却给忘掉了。我是那个婴儿的直系后代，我是合法的布里奇沃特公爵，我流落至此，孤苦无依，被人夺走了高位，到处追赶，让这个冷酷的世界看不上眼。我身着破衣烂衫，心神疲惫，还得降低身份，在一个木排上和一帮坏蛋为伍！"吉姆十分可怜他，我也可怜他。我们尽量安慰他，不过，他说这没什么大用，他很难被安慰好，如果我们愿意承认他的身份，那对他对别的什么都大有好处，所以我们说愿意，要他告诉我们怎么承认他。他说，我们同他说话的时候，最好先鞠躬，还要说"大人"，或是"阁下"，或是"爵爷"，他说如果我们直呼他"布里奇沃特"，他也不在意，他说好歹那是个头衔而不是什么名字，吃饭的时候，我们总得有个人伺候着他，他想让他干什么，就为他干什么。
    噢，这些十分容易，所以，我们就一一照办了。吃饭时，从头到尾，吉姆都站在一旁伺候他，还说，"　大人您吃点这个，还是吃点那个？"等等，谁都可以看得出来，这使他十分高兴。但是，那个老人不怎么说话了，渐渐地也没有什么话可说了，他看着我们围着公爵不停地转，那上结奉承，他就显得不大愉快了。他好像有心事儿。所以，到了下午的时候，过了一阵，他说："听着吧，比尔奇沃特，（国王读音不准，把"布里奇沃特"说成是"比尔奇沃特"。）"他说，"　我替你绝对是难过极了，可是，你可不是唯一遭到那种难的人哪。""不是吗？""不，你不是。你可不是被人冤枉，从高位上硬给拽下来的唯一的人。""是吗？""不，你不是有出身秘密的唯一的人。"　嘿，天哪，他也开始哭了。
    "打住！你这话什么意思？""比尔奇沃特，我可以信你吗？"那老人说，他还在抽抽嗒嗒。
    "信不过不得好死！"　他抓住老人的手，出劲儿捏道："你的身世秘密，快说！""比尔奇沃特，我可是以前的法国王太子啊！"你知道，这一回我和吉姆都瞪着他了。然后，公爵说："你是什么？""对呀，我的朋友，这是真的呀。你的眼睛在此时此刻正看着的是那个可怜的、失踪了法国王太子，路易十七，就是路易十六与玛丽·安东内特的儿子。""你！你这把年纪！不！你说你自己是以前的查理曼吧，最起码你也该有六七百岁啦。""苦难使我成了这副模样，比尔奇沃特，苦难把我折磨为这样；苦难带来的这些花白头发，还有这未老先衰的秃顶。是的，先生们，你们眼前的这个人，身穿蓝色斜纹布衣，苦难深重，四处流浪，背井离乡，任人践踏，正在受难的正是合法的法国国王。"他说着说着就哭起来了，哭得那样伤心，我和吉姆简直不知如何是好，我们很难过，也很高兴很骄傲能有他跟我们在一起。所以，我们就开始讲话，就跟刚才对公爵那样，百般安慰他。可是他说这没有用，不如死了，一了百了，倒对他还有点好处，但他又说，如果人们按他的正当名份待他，单腿跪地同他说话，总是称他"陛下"，吃饭时先伺候他，在他面前，他不让坐就别坐，那样的话，还会让他时常感到轻松好受一点。因此，我和吉姆就开始称他陛下，为他做这做那还干其他，他不告诉我们能坐下了，我们就一直站着。这对他好处可大极了，所以他高兴了，也舒服了。可是，公爵对他却有点儿敌视，对事情到了这个地步，很不满意，只是，国王待他却是真友好，说他的父亲对公爵的曾祖父和其他的比尔奇沃特公爵都很关怀，常恩准他们进王宫里来，可公爵还是气恼了好大一阵子，后来，国王慢慢地说："说不定咱们要在这个木排上一块儿处他妈的很长一段日子呢，比尔奇沃特，所以，你闹别扭有什么用？这只能把事情搞得不愉快。我没有生就做公爵不是我的错，你生下来不是国王也不是你的错，所以，气恼干嘛？因地制宜，随遇而安，我说呀，它就是我的信条。我们在这里相遇，这不是件坏事，食物富足，日子自在，来，递给我们你的手，公爵，让咱们都做朋友吧。"公爵照办了，我和吉姆十分高兴能见到这种结果，它扫荡所有不愉快，我们感觉特别好，因为在这个木排上有任何的不友好都是件难受的事。在一个木排上，最要紧的是你想让每个人都满意、顺心、对别人和和气气。
    不多久，我就看清楚了，这俩撒谎的家伙根本不是什么国王公爵，而仅仅是末流的无赖和骗子。不过我什么也没说，什么都不露，我自己心里有数，这是最好的办法；这样，你就没有争吵，也不致招惹麻烦。如果他们想让我们叫他们国王和公爵，我也不反对，只要在这个家里能保持平和，告诉吉姆也没用，因此我就没告诉他。如果说我从未打爸那里学到什么，我至少学会了这个：跟他这一路人相处的最好办法是让他们想怎么着就怎么着。
Chapter 20
THEY asked us considerable many questions; wanted to know what we covered up the raft that way for, and laid by in the daytime instead of running -- was Jim a runaway nigger? Says I: 
"Goodness sakes! would a runaway nigger run SOUTH?" 
No, they allowed he wouldn't. I had to account for things some way, so I says: 
"My folks was living in Pike County, in Missouri, where I was born, and they all died off but me and pa and my brother Ike. Pa, he 'lowed he'd break up and go down and live with Uncle Ben, who's got a little one-horse place on the river, forty-four mile below Orleans. Pa was pretty poor, and had some debts; so when he'd squared up there warn't nothing left but sixteen dollars and our nigger, Jim. That warn't enough to take us fourteen hundred mile, deck passage nor no other way. Well, when the river rose pa had a streak of luck one day; he ketched this piece of a raft; so we reckoned we'd go down to Orleans on it. Pa's luck didn't hold out; a steamboat run over the forrard corner of the raft one night, and we all went overboard and dove under the wheel; Jim and me come up all right, but pa was drunk, and Ike was only four years old, so they never come up no more. Well, for the next day or two we had considerable trouble, because people was always coming out in skiffs and trying to take Jim away from me, saying they believed he was a runaway nigger. We don't run daytimes no more now; nights they don't bother us." 
The duke says: 
"Leave me alone to cipher out a way so we can run in the daytime if we want to. I'll think the thing over -- I'll invent a plan that'll fix it. We'll let it alone for to-day, because of course we don't want to go by that town yonder in daylight -- it mightn't be healthy." 
Towards night it begun to darken up and look like rain; the heat lightning was squirting around low down in the sky, and the leaves was beginning to shiver -- it was going to be pretty ugly, it was easy to see that. So the duke and the king went to overhauling our wigwam, to see what the beds was like. My bed was a straw tick裝etter than Jim's, which was a cornshuck tick; there's always cobs around about in a shuck tick, and they poke into you and hurt; and when you roll over the dry shucks sound like you was rolling over in a pile of dead leaves; it makes such a rustling that you wake up. Well, the duke allowed he would take my bed; but the king allowed he wouldn't. He says: 
"I should a reckoned the difference in rank would a sejested to you that a corn-shuck bed warn't just fitten for me to sleep on. Your Grace 'll take the shuck bed yourself." 
Jim and me was in a sweat again for a minute, being afraid there was going to be some more trouble amongst them; so we was pretty glad when the duke says: 
"'Tis my fate to be always ground into the mire under the iron heel of oppression. Misfortune has broken my once haughty spirit; I yield, I submit; 'tis my fate. I am alone in the world -- let me suffer; can bear it." 
We got away as soon as it was good and dark. The king told us to stand well out towards the middle of the river, and not show a light till we got a long ways below the town. We come in sight of the little bunch of lights by and by -- that was the town, you know -- and slid by, about a half a mile out, all right. When we was three-quarters of a mile below we hoisted up our signal lantern; and about ten o'clock it come on to rain and blow and thunder and lighten like everything; so the king told us to both stay on watch till the weather got better; then him and the duke crawled into the wigwam and turned in for the night. It was my watch below till twelve, but I wouldn't a turned in anyway if I'd had a bed, because a body don't see such a storm as that every day in the week, not by a long sight. My souls, how the wind did scream along! And every second or two there'd come a glare that lit up the white-caps for a half a mile around, and you'd see the islands looking dusty through the rain, and the trees thrashing around in the wind; then comes a H-WHACK! -- bum! bum! bumble-umble-um-bum-bum-bum-bum -- and the thunder would go rumbling and grumbling away, and quit -- and then RIP comes another flash and another sockdolager. The waves most washed me off the raft sometimes, but I hadn't any clothes on, and didn't mind. We didn't have no trouble about snags; the lightning was glaring and flittering around so constant that we could see them plenty soon enough to throw her head this way or that and miss them. 
I had the middle watch, you know, but I was pretty sleepy by that time, so Jim he said he would stand the first half of it for me; he was always mighty good that way, Jim was. I crawled into the wigwam, but the king and the duke had their legs sprawled around so there warn't no show for me; so I laid outside -- I didn't mind the rain, because it was warm, and the waves warn't running so high now. About two they come up again, though, and Jim was going to call me; but he changed his mind, because he reckoned they warn't high enough yet to do any harm; but he was mistaken about that, for pretty soon all of a sudden along comes a regular ripper and washed me overboard. It most killed Jim a-laughing. He was the easiest nigger to laugh that ever was, anyway. 
I took the watch, and Jim he laid down and snored away; and by and by the storm let up for good and all; and the first cabin-light that showed I rousted him out, and we slid the raft into hiding quarters for the day. 
The king got out an old ratty deck of cards after breakfast, and him and the duke played seven-up a while, five cents a game. Then they got tired of it, and allowed they would "lay out a campaign," as they called it. The duke went down into his carpetbag, and fetched up a lot of little printed bills and read them out loud. One bill said, "The celebrated Dr. Armand de Montalban, of Paris," would "lecture on the Science of Phrenology" at such and such a place, on the blank day of blank, at ten cents admission, and "furnish charts of character at twenty-five cents apiece." The duke said that was HIM. In another bill he was the "world-renowned Shakespearian tragedian, Garrick the Younger, of Drury Lane, London." In other bills he had a lot of other names and done other wonderful things, like finding water and gold with a "divining-rod," "dissipating witch spells," and so on. By and by he says: 
"But the histrionic muse is the darling. Have you ever trod the boards, Royalty?" 
"No," says the king. 
"You shall, then, before you're three days older, Fallen Grandeur," says the duke. "The first good town we come to we'll hire a hall and do the sword fight in Richard III. and the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. How does that strike you?" 
"I'm in, up to the hub, for anything that will pay, Bilgewater; but, you see, I don't know nothing about play-actin', and hain't ever seen much of it. I was too small when pap used to have 'em at the palace. Do you reckon you can learn me?" 
"Easy!" 
"All right. I'm jist a-freezn' for something fresh, anyway. Le's commence right away." 
So the duke he told him all about who Romeo was and who Juliet was, and said he was used to being Romeo, so the king could be Juliet. 
"But if Juliet's such a young gal, duke, my peeled head and my white whiskers is goin' to look oncommon odd on her, maybe." 
"No, don't you worry; these country jakes won't ever think of that. Besides, you know, you'll be in costume, and that makes all the difference in the world; Juliet's in a balcony, enjoying the moonlight before she goes to bed, and she's got on her nightgown and her ruffled nightcap. Here are the costumes for the parts." 
He got out two or three curtain-calico suits, which he said was meedyevil armor for Richard III. and t'other chap, and a long white cotton nightshirt and a ruffled nightcap to match. The king was satisfied; so the duke got out his book and read the parts over in the most splendid spread-eagle way, prancing around and acting at the same time, to show how it had got to be done; then he give the book to the king and told him to get his part by heart. 
There was a little one-horse town about three mile down the bend, and after dinner the duke said he had ciphered out his idea about how to run in daylight without it being dangersome for Jim; so he allowed he would go down to the town and fix that thing. The king allowed he would go, too, and see if he couldn't strike something. We was out of coffee, so Jim said I better go along with them in the canoe and get some. 
When we got there there warn't nobody stirring; streets empty, and perfectly dead and still, like Sunday. We found a sick nigger sunning himself in a back yard, and he said everybody that warn't too young or too sick or too old was gone to campmeeting, about two mile back in the woods. The king got the directions, and allowed he'd go and work that camp-meeting for all it was worth, and I might go, too. 
The duke said what he was after was a printing-office. We found it; a little bit of a concern, up over a carpenter shop -- carpenters and printers all gone to the meeting, and no doors locked. It was a dirty, littered-up place, and had ink marks, and handbills with pictures of horses and runaway niggers on them, all over the walls. The duke shed his coat and said he was all right now. So me and the king lit out for the camp-meeting. 
We got there in about a half an hour fairly dripping, for it was a most awful hot day. There was as much as a thousand people there from twenty mile around. The woods was full of teams and wagons, hitched everywheres, feeding out of the wagon-troughs and stomping to keep off the flies. There was sheds made out of poles and roofed over with branches, where they had lemonade and gingerbread to sell, and piles of watermelons and green corn and such-like truck. 
The preaching was going on under the same kinds of sheds, only they was bigger and held crowds of people. The benches was made out of outside slabs of logs, with holes bored in the round side to drive sticks into for legs. They didn't have no backs. The preachers had high platforms to stand on at one end of the sheds. The women had on sun-bonnets; and some had linsey-woolsey frocks, some gingham ones, and a few of the young ones had on calico. Some of the young men was barefooted, and some of the children didn't have on any clothes but just a towlinen shirt. Some of the old women was knitting, and some of the young folks was courting on the sly. 
The first shed we come to the preacher was lining out a hymn. He lined out two lines, everybody sung it, and it was kind of grand to hear it, there was so many of them and they done it in such a rousing way; then he lined out two more for them to sing -- and so on. The people woke up more and more, and sung louder and louder; and towards the end some begun to groan, and some begun to shout. Then the preacher begun to preach, and begun in earnest, too; and went weaving first to one side of the platform and then the other, and then a-leaning down over the front of it, with his arms and his body going all the time, and shouting his words out with all his might; and every now and then he would hold up his Bible and spread it open, and kind of pass it around this way and that, shouting, "It's the brazen serpent in the wilderness! Look upon it and live!" And people would shout out, "Glory! -- A-a-MEN!" And so he went on, and the people groaning and crying and saying amen: 
"Oh, come to the mourners' bench! come, black with sin! (AMEN!) come, sick and sore! (AMEN!) come, lame and halt and blind! (AMEN!) come, pore and needy, sunk in shame! (A-A-MEN!) come, all that's worn and soiled and suffering! -- come with a broken spirit! come with a contrite heart! come in your rags and sin and dirt! the waters that cleanse is free, the door of heaven stands open -- oh, enter in and be at rest!" (A-A-MEN! GLORY, GLORY HALLELUJAH!) 
And so on. You couldn't make out what the preacher said any more, on account of the shouting and crying. Folks got up everywheres in the crowd, and worked their way just by main strength to the mourners' bench, with the tears running down their faces; and when all the mourners had got up there to the front benches in a crowd, they sung and shouted and flung themselves down on the straw, just crazy and wild. 
Well, the first I knowed the king got a-going, and you could hear him over everybody; and next he went a-charging up on to the platform, and the preacher he begged him to speak to the people, and he done it. He told them he was a pirate -- been a pirate for thirty years out in the Indian Ocean -- and his crew was thinned out considerable last spring in a fight, and he was home now to take out some fresh men, and thanks to goodness he'd been robbed last night and put ashore off of a steamboat without a cent, and he was glad of it; it was the blessedest thing that ever happened to him, because he was a changed man now, and happy for the first time in his life; and, poor as he was, he was going to start right off and work his way back to the Indian Ocean, and put in the rest of his life trying to turn the pirates into the true path; for he could do it better than anybody else, being acquainted with all pirate crews in that ocean; and though it would take him a long time to get there without money, he would get there anyway, and every time he convinced a pirate he would say to him, "Don't you thank me, don't you give me no credit; it all belongs to them dear people in Pokeville campmeeting, natural brothers and benefactors of the race, and that dear preacher there, the truest friend a pirate ever had!" 
And then he busted into tears, and so did everybody. Then somebody sings out, "Take up a collection for him, take up a collection!" Well, a half a dozen made a jump to do it, but somebody sings out, "Let HIM pass the hat around!" Then everybody said it, the preacher too. 
So the king went all through the crowd with his hat swabbing his eyes, and blessing the people and praising them and thanking them for being so good to the poor pirates away off there; and every little while the prettiest kind of girls, with the tears running down their cheeks, would up and ask him would he let them kiss him for to remember him by; and he always done it; and some of them he hugged and kissed as many as five or six times -- and he was invited to stay a week; and everybody wanted him to live in their houses, and said they'd think it was an honor; but he said as this was the last day of the camp-meeting he couldn't do no good, and besides he was in a sweat to get to the Indian Ocean right off and go to work on the pirates. 
When we got back to the raft and he come to count up he found he had collected eighty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents. And then he had fetched away a three-gallon jug of whisky, too, that he found under a wagon when he was starting home through the woods. The king said, take it all around, it laid over any day he'd ever put in in the missionarying line. He said it warn't no use talking, heathens don't amount to shucks alongside of pirates to work a camp-meeting with. 
The duke was thinking HE'D been doing pretty well till the king come to show up, but after that he didn't think so so much. He had set up and printed off two little jobs for farmers in that printing-office -- horse bills -- and took the money, four dollars. And he had got in ten dollars' worth of advertisements for the paper, which he said he would put in for four dollars if they would pay in advance -- so they done it. The price of the paper was two dollars a year, but he took in three subscriptions for half a dollar apiece on condition of them paying him in advance; they were going to pay in cordwood and onions as usual, but he said he had just bought the concern and knocked down the price as low as he could afford it, and was going to run it for cash. He set up a little piece of poetry, which he made, himself, out of his own head -- three verses -- kind of sweet and saddish -- the name of it was, "Yes, crush, cold world, this breaking heart" -- and he left that all set up and ready to print in the paper, and didn't charge nothing for it. Well, he took in nine dollars and a half, and said he'd done a pretty square day's work for it. 
Then he showed us another little job he'd printed and hadn't charged for, because it was for us. It had a picture of a runaway nigger with a bundle on a stick over his shoulder, and "$200 reward" under it. The reading was all about Jim, and just described him to a dot. It said he run away from St. Jacques' plantation, forty mile below New Orleans, last winter, and likely went north, and whoever would catch him and send him back he could have the reward and expenses. 
"Now," says the duke, "after to-night we can run in the daytime if we want to. Whenever we see anybody coming we can tie Jim hand and foot with a rope, and lay him in the wigwam and show this handbill and say we captured him up the river, and were too poor to travel on a steamboat, so we got this little raft on credit from our friends and are going down to get the reward. Handcuffs and chains would look still better on Jim, but it wouldn't go well with the story of us being so poor. Too much like jewelry. Ropes are the correct thing -- we must preserve the unities, as we say on the boards." 
We all said the duke was pretty smart, and there couldn't be no trouble about running daytimes. We judged we could make miles enough that night to get out of the reach of the powwow we reckoned the duke's work in the printing office was going to make in that little town; then we could boom right along if we wanted to. 
We laid low and kept still, and never shoved out till nearly ten o'clock; then we slid by, pretty wide away from the town, and didn't hoist our lantern till we was clear out of sight of it. 
When Jim called me to take the watch at four in the morning, he says: 
"Huck, does you reck'n we gwyne to run acrost any mo' kings on dis trip?" 
"No," I says, "I reckon not." 
"Well," says he, "dat's all right, den. I doan' mine one er two kings, but dat's enough. Dis one's powerful drunk, en de duke ain' much better." 
I found Jim had been trying to get him to talk French, so he could hear what it was like; but he said he had been in this country so long, and had so much trouble, he'd forgot it. 
 他们问了我很多问题，想知道我们为什么大白天要把木排盖上收起来却不去赶路，莫非吉姆是个逃跑的黑奴吗？我说："我的天哪，逃跑的黑奴会向南方逃吗？"对呀，他们认为他也不会朝南方逃。不过我还得说出一些理由来，所以，我说："我的亲人住在密苏里州派克县，我在那儿出生，他们全死了，就剩下我和爸，还有弟弟艾克。爸觉得他已经垮了，想到下游去和本叔叔一起住，本叔叔在河边上有一小块地，在奥尔良下边40　英里的地方。爸很穷，还欠着帐；所以，等他还清了帐，只剩16　块钱和我们的黑奴吉姆。这一点也不够我们一千四百英里的路费，不论是坐最便宜的统舱，还是其他什么都不够。这样，当河水上涨时，爸有一天交了好运，他捞着了这个木排，因此，我们想着可以坐这木排顺水漂到奥尔良。爸的好运没交多长时间，一条轮船在一个晚上撞翻了木排，辗着木排的前面一角开了过去，我们全落到水里，钻到了舵轮下面，我和吉姆出来了，没什么事，可是爸喝醉了，艾克才四岁，所以他们都没再爬上来。接下去的几天，我们碰上很多麻烦，因为人们总是乘快船过来，想把吉姆从我身边抢走，都说他们相信他是一个逃跑黑奴。因此，我们再也不白天赶路了，夜里他们不会来找我们的麻烦。"公爵说："让我一个人琢磨出一个办法来，这样我们可以白天赶路，只要我们愿意。我要把这事儿好好想想--我会想出个计划来把它办妥。我们今天要把它放一放，因为我们当然不乐意在白天经过下面那座小镇，那或许不大稳当。"到晚上，开已黑起来，象是要下雨，在低低的天空下，闪电四处迸射，树叶也开始颤抖，来势十分凶猛，一眼就能看出来。于是，公爵和国王就去查看我们的窝棚，看看床怎么样。我的床是一个草垫，比吉姆的好，他的床则是个玉米穗皮的垫子，这种垫子里总是有碎玉米粒，它们会轧得你很痛，你一旦翻身，干玉米穗皮就会响，好像你是躺在一堆枯树叶上一般，吱吱吵吵地乱响，你就很容易醒过来。这样，公爵认为他该睡我的铺，而国王认为他不该。他说："我有理由认为，等级的不同会提醒你，一个玉米穗皮搭的铺是不应该由我睡在上面的。阁下你自己来睡这个玉米穗铺吧。"我和吉姆又感到紧张了，有一分钟的时间，唯恐他们之间再闹什么冲突。后来我们都非常高兴，因为公爵说道："这就是我的命运，总是有压迫的铁蹄把我践踏入泥沼之中。不幸已击碎了我曾经高傲的灵魂，我屈服，我认输，这就是我的命运。我一人孤单单地在这个世界上，让我痛苦吧，我可以忍受。"天一黑透，我们就上路了。国王告诉我们要离河岸远些。向河中心撑木排，等我们过了那个镇子很远之后才准点灯。渐渐地，我们看到一簇簇灯光，那就是那座小镇，你知道吧，静静地过去了半英里开外，平安无事。我们又朝前漂了四分之三英里，就挂起了我们的信号灯；十点左右，天开始下雨刮风，电闪雷鸣，十分吓人。国王告诉我们两个都别睡觉，一直守到天色好转。然后，他和公爵爬到窝棚睡觉去了。下面该我值班，要守到12　点，但是我可不会去睡觉，就算我有张床的话，因为在一个星期里也不是天天都能看到这么猛的狂风暴雨，绝对不行。我的天，风尖叫着呼啸而过，刮得多急呀！每一两秒钟，就会有一道耀眼的闪电划过，照亮方圆半英里以内的一片白浪。穿过大雨，你看到那些岛屿好似尘土飞扬，树木在风中东倒西歪。接着传来一声咔嚓！轰轰！轰隆隆！轰隆隆！轰轰！轰轰！雷声轰隆隆咕咚咚走远了，停了，接着哗又一道闪电掠过，又一声劈雳雷鸣。有时，大浪几乎要把我掀下木排，但是我没穿什么衣服，也就不大在意。我们没有撞上河里冒出来的树枝，没出什么意外；闪电闪着耀眼的光亮，不住在四周跳动，因此，我们可以很快看清楚那些树枝，来得及东躲西避，让开它们。我正值夜班，你知道，到了那个时候我是十分困的，于是，吉姆说他替我值前半班，他总是那么好，那么关心我，吉姆真是的。我钻进窝棚，但是，国王和公爵四条腿乱伸乱蹬，我连个插脚的地都没有。因此，我就躺在外面，我不怎么在乎大雨，因为天很暖，现在浪头掀得也不那么高了。可大约两点钟，风浪又起了，吉姆打算叫我，但他又改变了主意，因为他觉得浪头还不算高，不至于对我有什么危险。不过，这回他估计错了。不久，一个巨浪突然掀起，一下子便把我冲到河里去了。这险些把吉姆给笑死，他可是个最爱笑的黑人。
    我接着值班，吉姆躺下，打着呼噜睡着了；渐渐地，风平浪静，第一个小屋的灯光出现了，我喊醒吉姆，我们悄悄地将木排撑到隐蔽处，躲过白天。
    早饭之后，国王取出一副破旧的脏纸牌，他和公爵打了一会儿"接七点"，五分钱一局输赢。后来，他们玩儿腻了，认为他们应该"订出个行动计划"，他们是这么说的。公爵翻翻他的旅行包，找出来很多印刷好的小传单，大声读起来。一张传单上说"享誉巴黎的阿蒙·德·蒙特尔帮博士"将于某月某日在某个地点"讲解骨相学"，入场费一毛，并"提供骨相图解，每份两毛五分"。公爵说那就是他本人。另外一张传单上，他是"闻名世界的莎士比亚悲剧名星，小加里克，来自伦敦特鲁利街戏院区。"　在别的传单上，他又有一大堆别的名字，干的全是了不起的事情，象用一根"占卜杖"找水源探黄金啦，"驱巫辟邪"啦，诸如此类的。过了一阵，他说："伟大的缪斯才最受宠爱。您有没有登台表演过，陛下？""没。"　国王说。
    "您会的。那么，用不了三天，落难的君王。"　公爵说，"在我们将会到达的下一个像样的小镇上，我们就租个大厅，表演《查理三世》中的斗剑，另外，还有《罗密欧与朱丽叶》中的阳台相会。这对您是否有些吸引力？""只要有人给钱，我啥都愿干，比尔奇沃特。只是，你看，我对舞台表演可是一窍不通，也看得不是很多。先父常在宫里看戏之时，我还太小。你看你能教会我吗？""容易！""那好吧。反正不管有什么新玩意儿，我心里就直发痒。我们现在就开始吧。"因此，公爵给他从头到尾说了罗密欧是谁，朱丽叶是谁，还说他习惯扮演罗密欧，所以，国王就来演朱丽叶。
    "不过，要是朱丽叶是个那么年轻的姑娘，公爵，我这光头和白胡子装扮成她也许看上去会显得十分古怪吧。""不，你用不着为此担心。这些乡巴佬决不可能想到这一点。再说了，你知道，你要穿上戏装，那可就完全两样啦。朱丽叶是在阳台上，她睡觉前正欣赏月光，她穿着她的睡衣，戴她的褶边儿睡帽。这个就是那些角色的戏装。"他取出两三套窗帘印花棉布做的衣服，他说那是为查理三世和另一个家伙置备的中古时代的铠甲，再配上一件长长的白棉布睡衣和一顶褶边儿睡帽。国王同意了。于是，公爵翻出他的书本，反复读那几段台词，读得神气活现，非常夸张，并且还昂首阔步不停地转，表演剧情，教国王怎么来演，后来，他就把书本递给了国王，告诉他把他的角色台词记住。
    河湾前大约三英里有一个小小的镇子，吃过午饭，公爵说他已琢磨出他的办法了，既可白天赶路，也不会对吉姆有什么危险。他说他要到镇上去办妥那件事。国王说他也要去，看看他能不能碰上点儿什么事。我们的咖啡快喝完了，吉姆说我最好划上独木舟，同他们一起去买些回来。
    我们到了小镇上，没看到有人在走动，街上空空如也，寂然无声，好像是星期天。我们看到一个生病的黑人正在后院里晒太阳，他说除了小的不会走的，病了不能走的，老了走不动的除外，人人都去野营布道会了，在离这儿大约两英里地远的树林里。国王问明白了方向路线，他说他要走上一圈，利用那个布道会能捞便捞，我也可以跟着去。
    公爵说他要寻的是个印刷室。我们找到一个；地方很小，在一家木匠铺的楼上--木匠和印刷工都上那个布道会了，门也没锁。那地方又脏又乱，满墙涂的全是油墨，还有画着逃跑黑奴和丢失马匹的传单。公爵脱掉上衣，他说现在可以动手了。而我和国王就出去找那个野营布道会。
    半小时之后，我们去了那里，浑身大汗淋漓，因为那天简直要热死人。大会有一千人，全是从方圆20　英里赶来的。那片树林里都是牲口和大车，拴得四处都是，牲口在大车饲料槽里喂着，一边吃草，一边抬腿赶苍蝇。还有拿几根木棍支着搭起来的小棚子，顶上盖着树枝，他们在那底下卖柠檬水和姜饼，还有一大堆的西瓜、嫩玉米穗之类吃的东西。
    布道在一样的棚子下面进行，只是棚子更大点，里面一大群的人。凳子是用原木的板皮做的，圆的那一边钻了几个孔，将木棍儿钉进去当板凳腿。凳子都没靠背。讲道的人站在棚子一端高高的平台上。妇女戴着太阳帽，有的穿着麻毛混纺的罩衣，有的穿方格布，还有几个年轻姑娘穿的衣服是印花布做的。几个年轻人光着脚，有的小孩儿除了一件粗麻布衫，啥也没穿。有些上年纪的妇女在编织衣服，年轻人在谈情说爱。
    我们来到第一个棚子里，讲道人正带着大家唱赞美诗，他领头唱两行，大家跟着唱，听起来还真有些庄严气氛，这么多人在唱，唱得又这样起劲儿，然后他再领唱两行，大家又跟着唱，一直这么唱下去。人们情绪日益激昂起来；歌声也越唱越高，到最后，有人开始呻吟，有人开始哭喊。接着，讲道人开始讲道，讲得还挺严肃认真，他先走到平台这一边，又跨步到平台另一边，然后在平台前面，他弯下了腰，手和身体一直不住地动弹，使足了全部气力大声吼着他的布道词，还经常举起他的《圣经》，把它摊开来来回回递给大家看，嘴里嚷着："　这就是荒野里的铜蛇！抬头看看，可以活命！"　人群就高声喊道："荣耀归主！阿--门！"　就这样，他接着讲，人群呻吟哭叫喊着阿门。
    "啊，快到公开忏悔席上来！来吧，罪孽深重的人！(阿门！)来吧，生病痛苦的人！(阿门！)来吧，瘸腿残疾和失明的人！(阿门！)来吧，贫穷无助的人，蒙受羞辱的人！(阿-　阿-门！)来呀，所有那些疲惫的、堕落的和受苦受难的人！--来呀，带着一颗破碎的灵魂！来呀，带着你们忏悔的心！来呀，穿着你们的破衣烂衫，带着你们的罪孽与污秽！清洁的圣水任意取用，天堂的大门永远敞开--啊！跨进来，让灵魂安宁吧！"(阿-　阿-　门！感谢上帝，哈利路亚！)。
    就这么一直吼下去。你再也听不明白讲道人说什么了，因为人群不住地叫嚷哭喊。人群中四处都有人站起来，全凭着力气向前挤，挤到忏悔席那边。那些人的眼泪顺着脸向下流，当所有忏悔的人都站到了前排的忏悔席那边，他们围在一块儿唱歌喊叫，扑倒在草垫上，简直是愚蠢又疯癫。
    嘿，一眼我就看到，国王跑上去了。你能听得到他的声音比谁都高，接着，他猛冲向平台，讲道人就请他对人群讲话，他就讲了。他告诉大家他是个海盗--在印度洋上当了30　多年海盗。去年春天，在一次战斗中，他的同伴死了许多，他现在回家来了，想挑选一批新人。感谢主，他昨天晚上遭人抢劫，从一条轮船上被赶上岸，身上一个子儿也不剩，可是，他为这件事感到很高兴，这是他碰上的最有福的事，因为他如今是个改过的人了，有生以来第一回这么幸福。虽然他一无所有，他还是想马上动身，返回印度洋，把他的余生都用在引导海盗走正道上来，因为他比任何人都能做好这件事，他和那个大洋上所有的海盗都熟悉。尽管他身无分文，尽管路途遥远，需要走很长时间，他迟早要走到目的地。并且每当他说服了一个海盗，他都会对他说："　不必感谢我，不要赞扬我，这都归功于普克维尔野营布道会上那些亲爱的人们，他们是人类真正的兄弟和恩人--还有那里那位敬爱的讲道人，他是一个海盗曾经交过的最真诚的朋友！"接着，他放声大声，人人都跟着他哭。这时有人喊道："为他募捐吧，募捐吧！"　很快就有五六个人跳起来捐钱，又有人喊："　让他把帽子传过来！"　大家都跟着叫，讲道人也这么说。
    这样，国王手托帽子在人群中走了个遍，擦着他的眼睛，祝福他们，表扬他们，感谢他们对远方那些可怜的海盗这样善良慷慨。还不时有些十分漂亮的姑娘，脸颊上流着泪水，挤上来问他愿不愿意让她们吻他，做个纪念，他一一答应，他搂着有的姑娘亲了五六次。还有人请他到家里住上一星期，每个人都想让他住在自己家，说他们认为这是很大的光荣，但他说，因为这是野营布道会的最后一天，他对大家不再有用了，另外，他也急着要立刻动身去印度洋，到那里去规劝海盗。
    我们返回了木排上，他开始数钱，他总共募捐到八十七块七角五分钱。他还顺手牵羊带回来三加仑威士忌酒，那是他穿过树林回家的路上在一辆马车底下发现的。国王说，总体算下来，他干传教这一行这么多年来，这一次比哪一回都强。他说，空口说白话没用，要让一个布道会上当，说自己不信教，跟假装海盗，那是没法儿比的。
    公爵还以为他干得已经相当不错了呢，可后来，等国王回来一炫耀，他就不再那么认为了。在那个印刷室，他替两个农夫制版印刷了两份小东西--寻马启事，他收了钱，四块整。他还替那份报纸收了广告费，本来应该卖十块，他说要是他们能先付钱，他就作价为四块。因此，他们把钱给了他。那份报纸一年定价两块，可他按优惠价每份半块，收了三份订报费。他们想用烧炭材和洋葱折价，跟平时的做法一样，可他说他刚买下这份生意，尽力把报价定低，要把它办下去收取现金。他排制了一首小诗，那是他自己费心思做出来的，分三节，有点儿好听，又有点儿伤心，它叫做"啊，冷酷的世界，捣碎这颗破碎的心吧。"　他把这首诗全部排好版，随时都能在报纸上印出来，他分文未取。这样，他收进九块五毛钱，他说这是他靠一天辛苦的劳动挣来的。
    然后，他给我们看他印刷的另一份东西，他不收钱，由于这是为我们几个人干的。它印着一个逃跑黑人的画像，肩膀上拿木棍扛个包袱，下面写着"悬赏200　元"。上边印的字都是指吉姆的，把他描绘得维妙维肖。它说他是去年冬天，从新奥尔良下边40　英里远的圣雅克种植园逃走的，打算逃往北部，不管谁能抓到他并将其送回，即可领取赏金并报销路费。
    "这样，"公爵说，"　今晚过后，要是我们愿意，我们就可以在白天赶路了。无论什么时候我们看到有人过来，我们都可以拿绳子捆住吉姆的手脚，把他放在窝棚里，拿这个传单给人看，说我们在上游抓到他，只是太穷，没钱乘轮船，因此才从朋友那里借钱买了这个小木排，要去下游领赏。用手铐和铁链套在吉姆身上看起来会更合适，不过那样就跟我们太穷的说法不相符了，像是戴了珠宝首饰，太不塔配了。用绳捆就可以了，我们必须遵守'三一律'，像我们评论舞台演出那么着。"我们都认为公爵很聪明，白天赶路不会再有什么麻烦了。我们估计那天晚上我们能走出好远，这样，公爵在小镇上印刷室里惹的事情即使闹翻天，也对我们没什么防碍了。然后，我们就能顺流急下，只要我们乐意那么做。
    我们静静地藏着，一声不响，将近十点才撑出木排，远远地躲着那个小镇，偷偷地划过去，直到完全看不见它了，才敢挂起灯。
    清晨四点，当吉姆喊我值班的时候，他说："哈克，你想这一路我们还会碰上什么国王吗？""不，"我说，"　我估计不会。""唉，"他说，"　那就好。我不在乎一两个国王。可这已经足够啦。这个国王真够胡闹的，那个公爵也好不到哪儿去。"我看得出来，吉姆一直想让他说法国话，这样他好听听法国话什么样；可是他说他在这个国家这么长了，又经历了这么多的磨难，法国话早给忘光了。
Chapter 21
IT was after sun-up now, but we went right on and didn't tie up. The king and the duke turned out by and by looking pretty rusty; but after they'd jumped overboard and took a swim it chippered them up a good deal. After breakfast the king he took a seat on the corner of the raft, and pulled off his boots and rolled up his britches, and let his legs dangle in the water, so as to be comfortable, and lit his pipe, and went to getting his Romeo and Juliet by heart. When he had got it pretty good him and the duke begun to practice it together. The duke had to learn him over and over again how to say every speech; and he made him sigh, and put his hand on his heart, and after a while he said he done it pretty well; "only," he says, "you mustn't bellow out ROMEO! that way, like a bull -- you must say it soft and sick and languishy, so -- R-o-o-meo! that is the idea; for Juliet's a dear sweet mere child of a girl, you know, and she doesn't bray like a jackass." 
Well, next they got out a couple of long swords that the duke made out of oak laths, and begun to practice the sword fight -- the duke called himself Richard III.; and the way they laid on and pranced around the raft was grand to see. But by and by the king tripped and fell overboard, and after that they took a rest, and had a talk about all kinds of adventures they'd had in other times along the river. 
After dinner the duke says: 
"Well, Capet, we'll want to make this a first-class show, you know, so I guess we'll add a little more to it. We want a little something to answer encores with, anyway." 
"What's onkores, Bilgewater?" 
The duke told him, and then says: 
"I'll answer by doing the Highland fling or the sailor's hornpipe; and you -- well, let me see -- oh, I've got it -- you can do Hamlet's soliloquy." 
"Hamlet's which?" 
"Hamlet's soliloquy, you know; the most celebrated thing in Shakespeare. Ah, it's sublime, sublime! Always fetches the house. I haven't got it in the book -- I've only got one volume -- but I reckon I can piece it out from memory. I'll just walk up and down a minute, and see if I can call it back from recollection's vaults." 
So he went to marching up and down, thinking, and frowning horrible every now and then; then he would hoist up his eyebrows; next he would squeeze his hand on his forehead and stagger back and kind of moan; next he would sigh, and next he'd let on to drop a tear. It was beautiful to see him. By and by he got it. He told us to give attention. Then he strikes a most noble attitude, with one leg shoved forwards, and his arms stretched away up, and his head tilted back, looking up at the sky; and then he begins to rip and rave and grit his teeth; and after that, all through his speech, he howled, and spread around, and swelled up his chest, and just knocked the spots out of any acting ever I see before. This is the speech -- I learned it, easy enough, while he was learning it to the king: 
To be, or not to be; that is the bare bodkin That makes calamity of so long life; For who would fardels bear, till Birnam Wood do come to Dunsinane, But that the fear of something after death Murders the innocent sleep, Great nature's second course, And makes us rather sling the arrows of outrageous fortune Than fly to others that we know not of. There's the respect must give us pause: Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The law's delay, and the quietus which his pangs might take, In the dead waste and middle of the night, when churchyards yawn In customary suits of solemn black, But that the undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns, Breathes forth contagion on the world, And thus the native hue of resolution, like the poor cat i' the adage, Is sicklied o'er with care, And all the clouds that lowered o'er our housetops, With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. But soft you, the fair Ophelia: Ope not thy ponderous and marble jaws, But get thee to a nunnery -- go! 
Well, the old man he liked that speech, and he mighty soon got it so he could do it first-rate. It seemed like he was just born for it; and when he had his hand in and was excited, it was perfectly lovely the way he would rip and tear and rair up behind when he was getting it off. 
The first chance we got the duke he had some showbills printed; and after that, for two or three days as we floated along, the raft was a most uncommon lively place, for there warn't nothing but sword fighting and rehearsing -- as the duke called it -- going on all the time. One morning, when we was pretty well down the State of Arkansaw, we come in sight of a little one-horse town in a big bend; so we tied up about three-quarters of a mile above it, in the mouth of a crick which was shut in like a tunnel by the cypress trees, and all of us but Jim took the canoe and went down there to see if there was any chance in that place for our show. 
We struck it mighty lucky; there was going to be a circus there that afternoon, and the country people was already beginning to come in, in all kinds of old shackly wagons, and on horses. The circus would leave before night, so our show would have a pretty good chance. The duke he hired the courthouse, and we went around and stuck up our bills. They read like this: 
               Shaksperean Revival ! ! !                 Wonderful Attraction!                  For One Night Only!             The world renowned tragedians,  David Garrick the Younger, of Drury Lane Theatre London,                         and   Edmund Kean the elder, of the Royal Haymarket Theatre,   Whitechapel, Pudding Lane, Piccadilly, London, and the        Royal Continental Theatres, in their sublime            Shaksperean Spectacle entitled                  The Balcony Scene                         in                Romeo and Juliet ! ! !          Romeo...................Mr. Garrick          Juliet..................Mr. Kean      Assisted by the whole strength of the company!        New costumes, new scenes, new appointments!                         Also:        The thrilling, masterly, and blood-curdling                 Broad-sword conflict                 In Richard III. ! ! !          Richard III.............Mr. Garrick          Richmond................Mr. Kean                         Also:                 (by special request)            Hamlet's Immortal Soliloquy ! !               By The Illustrious Kean!      Done by him 300 consecutive nights in Paris!                  For One Night Only,     On account of imperative European engagements!  Admission 25 cents; children and servants, 10 cents.
Then we went loafing around town. The stores and houses was most all old, shackly, dried up frame concerns that hadn't ever been painted; they was set up three or four foot above ground on stilts, so as to be out of reach of the water when the river was overflowed. The houses had little gardens around them, but they didn't seem to raise hardly anything in them but jimpson-weeds, and sunflowers, and ash piles, and old curled-up boots and shoes, and pieces of bottles, and rags, and played-out tinware. The fences was made of different kinds of boards, nailed on at different times; and they leaned every which way, and had gates that didn't generly have but one hinge -- a leather one. Some of the fences had been whitewashed some time or another, but the duke said it was in Clumbus' time, like enough. There was generly hogs in the garden, and people driving them out. 
All the stores was along one street. They had white domestic awnings in front, and the country people hitched their horses to the awning-posts. There was empty drygoods boxes under the awnings, and loafers roosting on them all day long, whittling them with their Barlow knives; and chawing tobacco, and gaping and yawning and stretching -- a mighty ornery lot. They generly had on yellow straw hats most as wide as an umbrella, but didn't wear no coats nor waistcoats, they called one another Bill, and Buck, and Hank, and Joe, and Andy, and talked lazy and drawly, and used considerable many cuss words. There was as many as one loafer leaning up against every awning-post, and he most always had his hands in his britches-pockets, except when he fetched them out to lend a chaw of tobacco or scratch. What a body was hearing amongst them all the time was: 
"Gimme a chaw 'v tobacker, Hank " 
"Cain't; I hain't got but one chaw left. Ask Bill." 
Maybe Bill he gives him a chaw; maybe he lies and says he ain't got none. Some of them kinds of loafers never has a cent in the world, nor a chaw of tobacco of their own. They get all their chawing by borrowing; they say to a fellow, "I wisht you'd len' me a chaw, Jack, I jist this minute give Ben Thompson the last chaw I had" -- which is a lie pretty much everytime; it don't fool nobody but a stranger; but Jack ain't no stranger, so he says: 
"YOU give him a chaw, did you? So did your sister's cat's grandmother. You pay me back the chaws you've awready borry'd off'n me, Lafe Buckner, then I'll loan you one or two ton of it, and won't charge you no back intrust, nuther." 
"Well, I DID pay you back some of it wunst." 
"Yes, you did -- 'bout six chaws. You borry'd store tobacker and paid back nigger-head." 
Store tobacco is flat black plug, but these fellows mostly chaws the natural leaf twisted. When they borrow a chaw they don't generly cut it off with a knife, but set the plug in between their teeth, and gnaw with their teeth and tug at the plug with their hands till they get it in two; then sometimes the one that owns the tobacco looks mournful at it when it's handed back, and says, sarcastic: 
"Here, gimme the CHAW, and you take the PLUG." 
All the streets and lanes was just mud; they warn't nothing else BUT mud -- mud as black as tar and nigh about a foot deep in some places, and two or three inches deep in ALL the places. The hogs loafed and grunted around everywheres. You'd see a muddy sow and a litter of pigs come lazying along the street and whollop herself right down in the way, where folks had to walk around her, and she'd stretch out and shut her eyes and wave her ears whilst the pigs was milking her, and look as happy as if she was on salary. And pretty soon you'd hear a loafer sing out, "Hi! SO boy! sick him, Tige!" and away the sow would go, squealing most horrible, with a dog or two swinging to each ear, and three or four dozen more a-coming; and then you would see all the loafers get up and watch the thing out of sight, and laugh at the fun and look grateful for the noise. Then they'd settle back again till there was a dog fight. There couldn't anything wake them up all over, and make them happy all over, like a dog fight -- unless it might be putting turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and see him run himself to death. 
On the river front some of the houses was sticking out over the bank, and they was bowed and bent, and about ready to tumble in, The people had moved out of them. The bank was caved away under one corner of some others, and that corner was hanging over. People lived in them yet, but it was dangersome, because sometimes a strip of land as wide as a house caves in at a time. Sometimes a belt of land a quarter of a mile deep will start in and cave along and cave along till it all caves into the river in one summer. Such a town as that has to be always moving back, and back, and back, because the river's always gnawing at it. 
The nearer it got to noon that day the thicker and thicker was the wagons and horses in the streets, and more coming all the time. Families fetched their dinners with them from the country, and eat them in the wagons. There was considerable whisky drinking going on, and I seen three fights. By and by somebody sings out: 
"Here comes old Boggs! -- in from the country for his little old monthly drunk; here he comes, boys!" 
All the loafers looked glad; I reckoned they was used to having fun out of Boggs. One of them says: 
"Wonder who he's a-gwyne to chaw up this time. If he'd a-chawed up all the men he's ben a-gwyne to chaw up in the last twenty year he'd have considerable ruputation now." 
Another one says, "I wisht old Boggs 'd threaten me, 'cuz then I'd know I warn't gwyne to die for a thousan' year." 
Boggs comes a-tearing along on his horse, whooping and yelling like an Injun, and singing out: 
"Cler the track, thar. I'm on the waw-path, and the price uv coffins is a-gwyne to raise." 
He was drunk, and weaving about in his saddle; he was over fifty year old, and had a very red face. Everybody yelled at him and laughed at him and sassed him, and he sassed back, and said he'd attend to them and lay them out in their regular turns, but he couldn't wait now because he'd come to town to kill old Colonel Sherburn, and his motto was, "Meat first, and spoon vittles to top off on." 
He see me, and rode up and says: 
"Whar'd you come f'm, boy? You prepared to die?" 
Then he rode on. I was scared, but a man says: 
"He don't mean nothing; he's always a-carryin' on like that when he's drunk. He's the best naturedest old fool in Arkansaw -- never hurt nobody, drunk nor sober." 
Boggs rode up before the biggest store in town, and bent his head down so he could see under the curtain of the awning and yells: 
"Come out here, Sherburn! Come out and meet the man you've swindled. You're the houn' I'm after, and I'm a-gwyne to have you, too!" 
And so he went on, calling Sherburn everything he could lay his tongue to, and the whole street packed with people listening and laughing and going on. By and by a proud-looking man about fifty-five -- and he was a heap the best dressed man in that town, too -- steps out of the store, and the crowd drops back on each side to let him come. He says to Boggs, mighty ca'm and slow -- he says: 
"I'm tired of this, but I'll endure it till one o'clock. Till one o'clock, mind -- no longer. If you open your mouth against me only once after that time you can't travel so far but I will find you." 
Then he turns and goes in. The crowd looked mighty sober; nobody stirred, and there warn't no more laughing. Boggs rode off blackguarding Sherburn as loud as he could yell, all down the street; and pretty soon back he comes and stops before the store, still keeping it up. Some men crowded around him and tried to get him to shut up, but he wouldn't; they told him it would be one o'clock in about fifteen minutes, and so he MUST go home -- he must go right away. But it didn't do no good. He cussed away with all his might, and throwed his hat down in the mud and rode over it, and pretty soon away he went a-raging down the street again, with his gray hair aflying. Everybody that could get a chance at him tried their best to coax him off of his horse so they could lock him up and get him sober; but it warn't no use -- up the street he would tear again, and give Sherburn another cussing. By and by somebody says: 
"Go for his daughter! -- quick, go for his daughter; sometimes he'll listen to her. If anybody can persuade him, she can." 
So somebody started on a run. I walked down street a ways and stopped. In about five or ten minutes here comes Boggs again, but not on his horse. He was a-reeling across the street towards me, bareheaded, with a friend on both sides of him a-holt of his arms and hurrying him along. He was quiet, and looked uneasy; and he warn't hanging back any, but was doing some of the hurrying himself. Somebody sings out: 
"Boggs!" 
I looked over there to see who said it, and it was that Colonel Sherburn. He was standing perfectly still in the street, and had a pistol raised in his right hand -- not aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky. The same second I see a young girl coming on the run, and two men with her. Boggs and the men turned round to see who called him, and when they see the pistol the men jumped to one side, and the pistol-barrel come down slow and steady to a level -- both barrels cocked. Boggs throws up both of his hands and says, "O Lord, don't shoot!" Bang! goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the air -- bang! goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards on to the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. That young girl screamed out and comes rushing, and down she throws herself on her father, crying, and saying, "Oh, he's killed him, he's killed him!" The crowd closed up around them, and shouldered and jammed one another, with their necks stretched, trying to see, and people on the inside trying to shove them back and shouting, "Back, back! give him air, give him air!" 
Colonel Sherburn he tossed his pistol on to the ground, and turned around on his heels and walked off. 
They took Boggs to a little drug store, the crowd pressing around just the same, and the whole town following, and I rushed and got a good place at the window, where I was close to him and could see in. They laid him on the floor and put one large Bible under his head, and opened another one and spread it on his breast; but they tore open his shirt first, and I seen where one of the bullets went in. He made about a dozen long gasps, his breast lifting the Bible up when he drawed in his breath, and letting it down again when he breathed it out -- and after that he laid still; he was dead. Then they pulled his daughter away from him, screaming and crying, and took her off. She was about sixteen, and very sweet and gentle looking, but awful pale and scared. 
Well, pretty soon the whole town was there, squirming and scrouging and pushing and shoving to get at the window and have a look, but people that had the places wouldn't give them up, and folks behind them was saying all the time, "Say, now, you've looked enough, you fellows; 'tain't right and 'tain't fair for you to stay thar all the time, and never give nobody a chance; other folks has their rights as well as you." 
There was considerable jawing back, so I slid out, thinking maybe there was going to be trouble. The streets was full, and everybody was excited. Everybody that seen the shooting was telling how it happened, and there was a big crowd packed around each one of these fellows, stretching their necks and listening. One long, lanky man, with long hair and a big white fur stovepipe hat on the back of his head, and a crooked-handled cane, marked out the places on the ground where Boggs stood and where Sherburn stood, and the people following him around from one place to t'other and watching everything he done, and bobbing their heads to show they understood, and stooping a little and resting their hands on their thighs to watch him mark the places on the ground with his cane; and then he stood up straight and stiff where Sherburn had stood, frowning and having his hat-brim down over his eyes, and sung out, "Boggs!" and then fetched his cane down slow to a level, and says "Bang!" staggered backwards, says "Bang!" again, and fell down flat on his back. The people that had seen the thing said he done it perfect; said it was just exactly the way it all happened. Then as much as a dozen people got out their bottles and treated him. 
Well, by and by somebody said Sherburn ought to be lynched. In about a minute everybody was saying it; so away they went, mad and yelling, and snatching down every clothes-line they come to to do the hanging with.  
太阳升起来了，我们还在走，没收木排。国王和公爵慢慢地走出来，看起来很没精神，只是，他们跳进水里游了一会儿之后，就高兴起来了。早饭过后，国王坐在木排一角，脱掉靴子，卷起裤筒，腿在水里不住晃着，舒服舒服，然后背诵他的罗密欧与朱丽叶。背熟之后，他和公爵开始比划起来。公爵不得不重复地教他，教他怎么说每一段话，他还令他叹气，把他的手搁在心口上。不一会儿，他说，他已经学得相当不错了，"不过，"他说，"　你不该粗里粗气地喊'罗密欧'！那样子，像头公牛。你应该轻声细语，懒洋洋娇滴滴地，这样--罗--密欧！这种感觉才正确。因为朱丽叶是个可爱的甜甜的小女孩儿，你知道，她可不可能像头公驴一样扯着嗓子吼。"接下来，他们拿出两柄长剑，那是公爵拿橡树板做的，两个人接着开始练习击剑。公爵称自己是查理三世。他们打来斗去，在木排上左跳右挡，好看极了。但是，国王摔了个跟头，掉入了河中，然后，他们休息一阵，谈论他们以前沿这条大河所经历过的各种奇遇。
    吃完午饭，公爵说："好啦，卡佩王，你明白，我们会把这场戏演出一流水平，因此我想我们得再加一点儿小节目。无论怎样，我们要加演点儿什么，好应付台下喊再来一个。""什么是菜来一棵呀，比尔奇沃特？"公爵跟他说了，接着说："我会跳苏格兰高地舞或者水手角笛舞来对付；你呢--啊，让我想想--噢，我想起来啦--你能演哈姆雷特独白。""哈姆雷特啥？""啥姆雷特独白，你知道吧。莎士比亚戏剧中最精彩的一个片断。啊，它可真高雅，真高雅！总能让全场倾倒。我这本书里没这段--我只有一本书--只是我估计我能从记忆当中把它串出来。我这就不停地踱步，走上一分钟，看看我可否从记忆深处召唤它回来。"于是，他开始来回走动，边走边想，一阵使劲儿皱眉，接着就扬起眉毛，接着把手摁在脑门上，晃着腿后退还不住叫苦呻吟，接着他就喘息叹气，随后还假装要掉下一滴泪来。看他做作简直是妙极了。渐渐地，他想起来了。他告诉我们注意听。然后，他摆出一副十分高贵的姿态，一条腿伸向前，手臂张开向上，手朝后仰，眼望天空；接着他开始骂粗话说胡话，咯咯嚓嚓磨牙，这些热身动作过后，那一段话他从头喊到底，又伸胳膊又蹬腿，还鼓着胸脯，简直盖过了我过去看的所有表演。（删去公爵背诵的哈姆雷特独白。胡拼乱凑，谬误百出。原意是讽刺公爵。少年读者若不知莎剧原文而记住这段笑料，实不足取。）..那老头儿也很喜欢这段台词，他很快就记住了，而且能朗诵得特别好。简直就象他天生就该干这一行。当他朗诵这段台词时，歪着身子，扯着嗓子，直往后仰，拼命喊叫，那样子可真滑稽。
    我们一有机会，公爵立刻印了一些演出海报，那以后的几天，我们向前不断地漂，木排上十分热闹，因为从早到晚都是击剑和排演--这是公爵用的名词--一直没个完。一个早上，漂到阿肯色州下面，我们看到一个大河湾里有个很小的镇子，于是，我们在镇上面四分之一英里处停住，停到一个小河口，密密的柏树将小河口遮得如同地洞一般，除了吉姆，我们都坐独木舟上去，看有没有演出的机会。
    我们都挺走运，那天下午刚好要来一个马戏团，乡村的人已开始朝这里聚了，他们坐着各式各样东倒西歪的马车，还有的骑马。马戏团天黑之前离开，所以，我们的演出遇上一个绝好的机会。公爵租下了法院大厅，我们四处张贴海报。海报上是这样写的：莎士比亚名剧重演！！！
    美妙绝伦！
    只演一晚！
    世界著名悲剧表演艺术家小大卫·加里克，伦敦特鲁利街戏院明星和老艾德蒙·基恩，大陆皇家剧院及伦敦皮卡迪利大街布丁巷白教堂区皇家草市戏院名星演技卓越，联袂推出莎士比亚名剧名场《罗密欧与朱丽叶》中"阳台相会"！！！
    罗密欧加里克先生朱丽叶基恩先生全班最强阵容助演！
    全新服装，全新布置，全新道具！
    同场演出：惊心动魄，技艺超群，令人毛骨悚然之名剧《查理三世》中"斗剑"场面！！！
    加演：《哈姆雷特》之不朽独白！！
    由不同凡响的基恩主演！
    他曾在巴黎连续演出三百场，场场爆满！
    只演一晚，因为特急聘约，需赶赴欧洲演出！
    入场费两角五分，儿童及仆从一角。
    贴完之后，我们到镇上四处闲逛。商店跟住房几乎都是用干透的木头架子搭的歪歪扭扭的破烂房，从不上漆，拿柱子支撑着比地面高出三四英尺，目的是不让河水上涨时给淹着。房子周围都有小花园，可什么花也不种，全是一些曼陀罗、向日葵，还有煤灰堆，裂口的靴子鞋子，破布和碎瓶子，还有用坏的马口铁器。篱笆是拿各式各样的木板拼凑在一块的，什么时候钉上去的都有，朝哪边歪着的都有，篱笆上的门几乎都是只有一个合页，还是拿皮革做的。有的篱笆不知何时也刷过白灰，不过公爵说恐怕像是哥伦布时代刷的。花园里总会有猫，总会看见有人把猪从花园里赶出来。
    所有的店铺全在一条街上。店前是自己搭的白布凉篷，乡下人把马拴在凉篷杆上。篷底下有装货物用的空箱子，整天都有二流子靠在上面，手拿巴罗刀削着玩儿，嘴里嚼着烟叶，张着大嘴打哈欠伸懒腰--纯粹一帮无赖。他们全戴着黄草帽，大得像把雨伞，可又都不穿上衣，也不穿背心。他们不是叫彼此比尔、巴克，就是叫乔安或安迪什么的，说起话来懒洋洋慢吞吞的，还夹好多骂人话。这里二流子可真多，几乎每根凉篷杆上都靠着一个，他们总是把手插进裤兜里，除非是伸出手来讨口烟草嚼嚼，要不就是挠挠痒。一天到晚，他们总是说这些话："给我口烟爵爵吧，汉克。""别作梦了！我就剩一口了，朝比尔要吧。"或许比尔会给他一点儿，也可能他撒谎说他也没有了。这群二流子，有的穷得一辈子也没挣过一分钱，也没嚼过一口自己的烟。他们老是问别人借。他们对一个家伙说："　我想朝你借口烟嚼嚼，杰克，就刚才，我把我剩的最后一口给了本·汤姆森。"　这是谎话！每回都是如此，除了生人谁也不会上当受骗。
    大街小巷全是泥，满地除了泥什么都没有，黑得跟柏油一样，有的地方都快有一英尺深了，所有的地方都有二三英寸深的泥。猪不停转悠，到处哼哼。你会看见一头浑身是泥的母猪带着一窜小猪娃儿慢腾腾地沿着大街走过来，在路正中翻身一躺，人过来时都得让开。它四腿伸开，眼睛一闭，耳朵扑闪着，这时，小猪上来吃奶，母猪高兴得就像能按月领工资一样。不久就会有二流子喊，"　嘿！嗖！咬它，虎子！"　母猪爬起来就跑，尖叫着，简直要吓死，它每只耳朵都会有一两条狗撕扯着，还有三四十条狗正朝这边跑过来。这时，你就见这些二流子全站起来了，看着猪狗一直走没影儿了，哈哈笑着，觉得这事儿挺开心，那哼哼汪汪的叫声，也让他们脸上显出痛快之色。然后，他们又各回各的杆子上靠着，一直等着再看狗打架。没什么比狗打架更能让他们浑身起劲儿，整个人长精神的了。除非是往一条野狗上浇松油点天灯，或者在它尾巴上拴上一只铁盘子，看着它拼命奔跑，直至跑死。
    那天离中午越近，车马在街上聚得越多，车马一直络绎不绝。一家一家带着午饭打乡下赶来，就在马车上吃。有不少人在喝威士忌，打架的事儿我看到了三起。后来，有人高喊："老勃格斯来了--按着他的老规矩，每月醉一回，打乡下来过酒瘾--他来了，伙计们！"二流子们全露出了笑脸。我想他们准是习惯了拿老勃格斯开玩笑。一个人说："不知这回他计划把谁给骂死。如果他在过去20　年里，把他打算骂死的人全都能骂死，这阵子，他也该有大名可亨了。"另一个人说，"　我想让老勃格斯吓唬吓唬我，因为如果那样，我就知道我一千年也不会死。"勃格斯骑马飞奔过来，嘴里像印第安人那样大嚷大叫："快闪开。我来打仗啦，棺材的价格要涨啦。"他醉了，骑在马鞍上摇摇晃晃；他有50　多岁，脸色通红。每个人都冲他嚷，笑话他，骂他，他就回骂，他说要拾掇他们，把他们一个一个全干掉，可是现在他没空，因为他来镇上是来宰老谢本上校的，他的格言是"先吃肉，完了再喝汤。"他看到我，骑过来说："你打哪儿来，小孩？你找死吗？"接着又跑开。我给他吓个半死。可是有人说："他没那意思，他喝醉了，总那个样儿。他是阿肯色州心肠最好的老糊涂蛋，不管醉不醉，向来不伤人。"勃格斯骑到镇上最大的店铺门前，微垂下头，这么一来他就能看清布篷下面了，他嚷道："滚出来，谢本！出来见见你骗过的这个人吧。我找的就你这个恶棍，我还要要你的命！"他这样不停地嚷，想着什么就骂什么，被谢本骂了个狗血喷头，整条街都聚满了人，听着，笑着，还瞎起哄。一会儿，一个神精倨傲的人，约有55　岁--他也是那个镇上穿着最讲究的人--一步一步走出商店，人群朝后退，给他让路。他对勃格斯说，语调既镇静又缓慢，他说道："我腻了这一套，只是我还是要忍到一点钟。到一点钟，记住，决不会再忍。过了那个时候，只要你再张嘴骂我一句，不管你走多远，我都会把你找回来。"然后他转身进去。人群显得特别安静，没人动弹，再也没了笑声。勃格斯掉转马头沿街跑开，使劲儿大声骂着谢本，不一阵子，他又回来，在商店门前停下，还一直在骂。一些人围住他，想让他闭嘴，可他不干；他们告诉他再隔15　分钟就一点了，因此，他必须回家，他马上就得走开。可这也没用。他使出全身的劲儿，破口大骂，把帽子摔在泥地里，骑马踩了过去，一会儿又怒冲冲地跑开，花白的头发在空中飞扬。所有想劝他的人都想尽了办法，想哄他下马，这么一来就能把他锁起来，让他醒醒酒；可啥用没有，他又从街上冲过来，再臭骂谢本一顿。一会儿，有个人说："去叫他女儿！快，去喊他女儿，有时他就听他的。如果有能劝住他的人，那只有他女儿。"于是，有人跑出去找她。我走开了一段，又停下脚。过了几分钟之后，勃格斯又来啦，只是他没骑马。他摇摇晃晃地穿过马路朝我走来，光着头，两边都有一个朋友架着他的胳膊走。他很平静，可是脸色显得很不自在；他一点也不向后退，反而想挣脱，自己往前冲。有人喊："勃格斯！"我抬头朝那边看是谁在喊，原来是谢本上校。他直直地当街而立，右手举起一只手枪，没瞄准，仅仅伸出来一点，枪管朝上冲着天。与此同时，我看到一个年轻姑娘飞跑过来，两个人跟着她。勃格斯跟那两个人都转过头，看看谁在喊他，他们一看到枪，那两个人就跳到了一边，枪管慢慢地稳稳地放平，双管的枪机都扳下来了。勃格斯双手向天上一举，嚷道："　啊，天哪，别开枪！"　呯！第一声枪响了，他踉跄着后退，手在空中不停乱抓。呯！第二响，他朝向一仰，重重地结结实实地摔倒在地，胳膊摊着。那个年轻姑娘尖叫一声，冲上前，扑到了她父亲身上，边哭边喊："　噢，他打死了他，他打死了他！"人群围过来，拿肩膀挤着拥着都伸长了脖子想看上一眼，里层的人出使儿朝外推，叫着："　向后退，向后退！让他透透气，让他透透气！"谢本上校把手枪朝地上一扔，脚跟一转，走了。
    他们把勃格斯抬到药店，人群照样往四周挤，全镇的人都跟了过来，我跑过去在窗口寻了个好地方，我离他挺近，也可以从窗口往里看。他们把他放到地上，往他头底下垫了本大《圣经》，又打开一本摊在他胸前--只是，他们先撕开了他的衬衣，我看到了其中一颗子弹打进去的地方。他出了十几口长气，他吸气时，胸口把《圣经》抬上去，出气时又落下来--接着，他躺平了，他死了。他们把他女儿从他身边拽开，她又哭又叫，被人给拖走了。她大约有16　岁，样子甜甜的也很温顺，可脸色惨白，被吓坏了。
    不久，全镇的人全到了，你推我搡，拥挤不堪，全想挤到窗口看一眼，可窗口的人又不让开，后边的人就一直嚷嚷："喂，这阵子，你们该看够了吧，你们这帮家伙；这既不公平又不合理，因为你们老是站在那儿，别人就没机会看，人家和你们一样有权利去看一眼哪。"　很多人在还嘴，叨唠后面的人，我就挤出去了，想着或许会出乱子。街上站满了人，人人都很激愤。看见打枪的人都在讲这件事发生的前前后后，每个人身边都围着一帮人，伸长了脖子在听。一个身材高高，瘦得很难看的人，头发很长，后脑勺上戴顶高筒白皮礼帽，手里握着根歪把手杖，在地上划出了勃格斯站的地方，谢本站的地方，他划到哪里，人群就跟到他哪里，仔细看他划的每一道印儿，点点头表示他们清楚了。又停下一阵，手放在大腿上看着他在地上划那些地方，然后，那人挺直腰站在谢本站过的地方，皱着眉，把帽檐儿拉到眼睛上面，高喊，"　勃格斯！"　接着举起手杖，慢慢放平，瞄准了，叫道"呯！"　后向晃晃身子，又叫道"呯！"　倒下平躺在地。看到那件事的人都说他做得很对，还说这跟真的一样。于是，有十来个人掏出酒瓶，请他喝了一顿。后来有人说，对谢本该用私刑。不到一分钟，人人都这样说，于是，他们走开了，疯疯癫癫乱喊乱嚷，一见晾衣服的绳子就给拽下来，打算做绞索用。
Chapter 22
THEY swarmed up towards Sherburn's house, awhooping and raging like Injuns, and everything had to clear the way or get run over and tromped to mush, and it was awful to see. Children was heeling it ahead of the mob, screaming and trying to get out of the way; and every window along the road was full of women's heads, and there was nigger boys in every tree, and bucks and wenches looking over every fence; and as soon as the mob would get nearly to them they would break and skaddle back out of reach. Lots of the women and girls was crying and taking on, scared most to death. 
They swarmed up in front of Sherburn's palings as thick as they could jam together, and you couldn't hear yourself think for the noise. It was a little twenty-foot yard. Some sung out "Tear down the fence! tear down the fence!" Then there was a racket of ripping and tearing and smashing, and down she goes, and the front wall of the crowd begins to roll in like a wave. 
Just then Sherburn steps out on to the roof of his little front porch, with a double-barrel gun in his hand, and takes his stand, perfectly ca'm and deliberate, not saying a word. The racket stopped, and the wave sucked back. 
Sherburn never said a word -- just stood there, looking down. The stillness was awful creepy and uncomfortable. Sherburn run his eye slow along the crowd; and wherever it struck the people tried a little to outgaze him, but they couldn't; they dropped their eyes and looked sneaky. Then pretty soon Sherburn sort of laughed; not the pleasant kind, but the kind that makes you feel like when you are eating bread that's got sand in it. 
Then he says, slow and scornful: 
"The idea of YOU lynching anybody! It's amusing. The idea of you thinking you had pluck enough to lynch a MAN! Because you're brave enough to tar and feather poor friendless cast-out women that come along here, did that make you think you had grit enough to lay your hands on a MAN? Why, a MAN'S safe in the hands of ten thousand of your kind -- as long as it's daytime and you're not behind him. 
"Do I know you? I know you clear through was born and raised in the South, and I've lived in the North; so I know the average all around. The average man's a coward. In the North he lets anybody walk over him that wants to, and goes home and prays for a humble spirit to bear it. In the South one man all by himself, has stopped a stage full of men in the daytime, and robbed the lot. Your newspapers call you a brave people so much that you think you are braver than any other people -- whereas you're just AS brave, and no braver. Why don't your juries hang murderers? Because they're afraid the man's friends will shoot them in the back, in the dark -- and it's just what they WOULD do. 
"So they always acquit; and then a MAN goes in the night, with a hundred masked cowards at his back and lynches the rascal. Your mistake is, that you didn't bring a man with you; that's one mistake, and the other is that you didn't come in the dark and fetch your masks. You brought PART of a man -- Buck Harkness, there -- and if you hadn't had him to start you, you'd a taken it out in blowing. 
"You didn't want to come. The average man don't like trouble and danger. YOU don't like trouble and danger. But if only HALF a man -- like Buck Harkness, there -- shouts 'Lynch him! lynch him!' you're afraid to back down -- afraid you'll be found out to be what you are -- COWARDS -- and so you raise a yell, and hang yourselves on to that half-a-man's coat-tail, and come raging up here, swearing what big things you're going to do. The pitifulest thing out is a mob; that's what an army is -- a mob; they don't fight with courage that's born in them, but with courage that's borrowed from their mass, and from their officers. But a mob without any MAN at the head of it is BENEATH pitifulness. Now the thing for YOU to do is to droop your tails and go home and crawl in a hole. If any real lynching's going to be done it will be done in the dark, Southern fashion; and when they come they'll bring their masks, and fetch a MAN along. Now LEAVE -- and take your half-a-man with you" -- tossing his gun up across his left arm and cocking it when he says this. 
The crowd washed back sudden, and then broke all apart, and went tearing off every which way, and Buck Harkness he heeled it after them, looking tolerable cheap. I could a stayed if I wanted to, but I didn't want to. 
I went to the circus and loafed around the back side till the watchman went by, and then dived in under the tent. I had my twenty-dollar gold piece and some other money, but I reckoned I better save it, because there ain't no telling how soon you are going to need it, away from home and amongst strangers that way. You can't be too careful. I ain't opposed to spending money on circuses when there ain't no other way, but there ain't no use in WASTING it on them. 
It was a real bully circus. It was the splendidest sight that ever was when they all come riding in, two and two, a gentleman and lady, side by side, the men just in their drawers and undershirts, and no shoes nor stirrups, and resting their hands on their thighs easy and comfortable -- there must a been twenty of them -- and every lady with a lovely complexion, and perfectly beautiful, and looking just like a gang of real sure-enough queens, and dressed in clothes that cost millions of dollars, and just littered with diamonds. It was a powerful fine sight; I never see anything so lovely. And then one by one they got up and stood, and went a-weaving around the ring so gentle and wavy and graceful, the men looking ever so tall and airy and straight, with their heads bobbing and skimming along, away up there under the tent-roof, and every lady's rose-leafy dress flapping soft and silky around her hips, and she looking like the most loveliest parasol. 
And then faster and faster they went, all of them dancing, first one foot out in the air and then the other, the horses leaning more and more, and the ringmaster going round and round the center-pole, cracking his whip and shouting "Hi! -- hi!" and the clown cracking jokes behind him; and by and by all hands dropped the reins, and every lady put her knuckles on her hips and every gentleman folded his arms, and then how the horses did lean over and hump themselves! And so one after the other they all skipped off into the ring, and made the sweetest bow I ever see, and then scampered out, and everybody clapped their hands and went just about wild. 
Well, all through the circus they done the most astonishing things; and all the time that clown carried on so it most killed the people. The ringmaster couldn't ever say a word to him but he was back at him quick as a wink with the funniest things a body ever said; and how he ever COULD think of so many of them, and so sudden and so pat, was what I couldn't noway understand. Why, I couldn't a thought of them in a year. And by and by a drunk man tried to get into the ring -- said he wanted to ride; said he could ride as well as anybody that ever was. They argued and tried to keep him out, but he wouldn't listen, and the whole show come to a standstill. Then the people begun to holler at him and make fun of him, and that made him mad, and he begun to rip and tear; so that stirred up the people, and a lot of men begun to pile down off of the benches and swarm towards the ring, saying, "Knock him down! throw him out!" and one or two women begun to scream. So, then, the ringmaster he made a little speech, and said he hoped there wouldn't be no disturbance, and if the man would promise he wouldn't make no more trouble he would let him ride if he thought he could stay on the horse. So everybody laughed and said all right, and the man got on. The minute he was on, the horse begun to rip and tear and jump and cavort around, with two circus men hanging on to his bridle trying to hold him, and the drunk man hanging on to his neck, and his heels flying in the air every jump, and the whole crowd of people standing up shouting and laughing till tears rolled down. And at last, sure enough, all the circus men could do, the horse broke loose, and away he went like the very nation, round and round the ring, with that sot laying down on him and hanging to his neck, with first one leg hanging most to the ground on one side, and then t'other one on t'other side, and the people just crazy. It warn't funny to me, though; I was all of a tremble to see his danger. But pretty soon he struggled up astraddle and grabbed the bridle, a-reeling this way and that; and the next minute he sprung up and dropped the bridle and stood! and the horse a-going like a house afire too. He just stood up there, a-sailing around as easy and comfortable as if he warn't ever drunk in his life -- and then he begun to pull off his clothes and sling them. He shed them so thick they kind of clogged up the air, and altogether he shed seventeen suits. And, then, there he was, slim and handsome, and dressed the gaudiest and prettiest you ever saw, and he lit into that horse with his whip and made him fairly hum -- and finally skipped off, and made his bow and danced off to the dressing-room, and everybody just a-howling with pleasure and astonishment. 
Then the ringmaster he see how he had been fooled, and he WAS the sickest ringmaster you ever see, I reckon. Why, it was one of his own men! He had got up that joke all out of his own head, and never let on to nobody. Well, I felt sheepish enough to be took in so, but I wouldn't a been in that ringmaster's place, not for a thousand dollars. I don't know; there may be bullier circuses than what that one was, but I never struck them yet. Anyways, it was plenty good enough for ME; and wherever I run across it, it can have all of MY custom every time. 
Well, that night we had OUR show; but there warn't only about twelve people there -- just enough to pay expenses. And they laughed all the time, and that made the duke mad; and everybody left, anyway, before the show was over, but one boy which was asleep. So the duke said these Arkansaw lunkheads couldn't come up to Shakespeare; what they wanted was low comedy -- and maybe something ruther worse than low comedy, he reckoned. He said he could size their style. So next morning he got some big sheets of wrapping paper and some black paint, and drawed off some handbills, and stuck them up all over the village. The bills said:             AT THE COURT HOUSE!            FOR 3 NIGHTS ONLY!      The World-Renowned Tragedians        DAVID GARRICK THE YOUNGER!                    AND          EDMUND KEAN THE ELDER!      Of the London and Continental                 Theatres,      In their Thrilling Tragedy of          THE KING'S CAMELEOPARD,                    OR         THE ROYAL NONESUCH ! ! !            Admission 50 cents.
Then at the bottom was the biggest line of all, which said: 
LADIES AND CHILDREN NOT ADMITTED. 
"There," says he, "if that line don't fetch them, I don't know Arkansaw!" 
他们一窝蜂似地向谢本家涌去，不住嚷着叫着怒气冲冲，跟印第安人一样。谁都得让开道，否则，就会被踏上去踩个粉碎，看起来简直是气势汹汹。小孩儿在这群乱哄哄的人群前面拼命跑，尖叫着赶紧让路，沿街每个窗户后都挤满了妇女的头，每一颗树上都爬有黑人男孩，男男女女的黑人都打篱笆后往外看，这伙乱哄哄的人群一走过，他们就赶快一哄而散，躲得远远的。很多妇人和女孩子在哭，歇斯底里的，简直快吓死了。人群涌到谢本家的栅栏前，密密麻麻地挤在一起，声音嘈杂得你都听不明白你内心在想什么。那是个20　英尺宽的小院子．有人喊："　拆掉栅栏！拆掉栅栏！"　接着，就听到连拉带拔又劈里啪啦乱砸的声音，栅栏倒了，前边的人流潮水一般涌进院中。
    恰在此时，谢本从他前面那个小门廊的屋顶上站了出来，手里握着一支双筒枪，十分镇静，不慌不忙，站得稳稳当当，不发一言。喧闹声停下来，人潮朝向退。
    谢本什么话也不说，就站在那里，朝下看。那场面静得让人浑身直起鸡皮疙瘩，特别不舒服。谢本拿眼睛慢慢地扫过人群，他眼睛扫视到哪里，哪里的人都想瞪得比他圆，可，他们却做不到，他们垂下他们的眼睛，显得萎琐。很快，谢本发笑了，不是那种愉快的笑，而是那种叫你觉得你正在吃带沙子的面包。
    后来，他说话了，音调缓慢又傲慢："你们这些人竟然也想到用私刑处死人！有意思。你们也有勇气想到用私刑处死一条好汉！就凭你们敢于给那些外地来的无依无靠无家可归的可怜女人们抹上柏油插上鸡毛，你们就觉得自己有胆量对一个好汉下手！不，一个好汉落在一万个你们这类人手里也是安全的！只要是在大白天，只要你们不在背后干。""我还不了解你们吗？我看透你们这群人啦。我是在南方生南方长的，我在北方也住过，所以，各地的普通人我都了解。普通人就是懦夫。在北方，他让人家不论是谁都能从他身上踏过去，接着，他回到家里，祷告上帝，请求赐他一颗卑贱的灵魂来忍受。在南方，一个人，单枪匹马就可以拦截一辆装满人的公共马车，在大白天，并能把他们抢个遍。你们的报纸经常把你们叫做英雄的民族，这样，你们认为自己就比别的民族更勇敢--可是，你们也就是这样，而并非更勇敢。为什么你们的陪审团不把杀人犯判绞刑呢？因为他们担心那人的朋友会在背后，在暗地里冲他们放黑枪--他们也确实也这么干的。""因此他们总判人无罪。接着，一个好汉夜间摸去了，背后跟着一百个戴面具的懦夫，用私刑绞死了那个恶棍。眼下，你们的失误是，你们没带一个好汉和你们一起来，这是个失误。另一个失误是你们不是夜里来，带着你们的面具。你们带来了半条好汉--巴克·哈尼斯，他在哪儿--要是你们不受他鼓动，你们早把这事丢开让风吹走了。""你们不想来，普通人不喜欢麻烦和危险。（你们）这些人不想麻烦和涉入危险。可是，只要那（半拉）好汉--像巴克·哈尼斯，在那边一喊，'用私刑绞死他，私刑绞死他！'你们害怕退下来，害怕会暴露出你们的真相--（一群懦夫）--你们就嚷，把你们自己吊在那半条好汉的衣服尾巴后边，怒气冲冲地过来，发誓你们会干点儿大事。天底下最可怜的就是一帮乌合之众，军队就是这样--一帮乌合之众，他们打仗从来不是靠自己天生的勇气，而是从他们人多那里借的勇气，或者是从长官那里借的勇气。但是，一帮乌合之众没个好汉领头，连可怜也算不上。现在你们要做的事情是夹着你们的尾巴回家去，爬进洞里。要真想动用私刑，那也得晚上干，按南方的老规矩，来的时候，他们就会带上面具，叫个好汉一块儿来。现在（走开）--带着你们的半拉好汉一起走。"　他这样说的时候，举起枪，横过他的左臂，拉开了扳机。
    人群"哗"地一下猛地后退，随后就七零八落，飞快地朝各处夺路而逃，巴克·哈尼斯跟在他们后面，样子既惭愧又丧气。我可以就地呆着，只要是我愿意，可我也不愿意了。我去看那个马戏表演，从场子外面来回转悠，等看守的人过去了，我就打帐篷底下钻进去。我有20　个十块金币跟一些零钱，可我想我最好是省着，因为出门在外，又在生人中间混，这样的日子，谁也说不明白你什么时候会很快用到这些钱。多加小心总不为过。要是没有其他办法，我不反对花钱看马戏，可也没有必要在那上头（浪费）钱。
    这是个真正的一流马戏团。那场面十分精彩，只见他们全部骑马入场，两个两个进来，一男一女并排走，那些男演员只穿着贴身衣裤，不穿鞋也不用马蹬，手搁在大腿上，逍遥自在--差不多有20　个人--每个女演员面貌都很好看，很漂亮--看上去就像是一队货真价实的王后，穿的衣服值几百万块，就象用钻石镶成的。那场面非常精美，我还没见过这么好看的东西呢。接着，他们一个一个全起来站着，绕场地跑，像波浪一般一起一伏，姿态优雅从容。男演员看上去高大飘逸又挺拔，他们的头一上一下，在帐篷顶下面轻快地掠过。每个女演员，那玫瑰花瓣儿似的衣服轻软柔滑地飘摆在腰下，看上去就像是最最可爱的太阳伞。
    后来，他们越骑越快，全跳着舞，两只脚交替着伸往空中，马身越来越倾斜，马戏团指挥绕着中间的柱子不住挥动马鞭，一边喊着"嗨！嗨！"　小丑一直跟在他身后逗笑话，很快，骑马的演员全甩开了缰绳，女演员双手叉腰，男演员抱着胳膊，马使劲奔跑，斜得十分厉害！最后，一个接一个，全部滑下马，跳往场地中间，逗人喜爱地鞠了一躬，随后蹦蹦跳跳出去了。每个人都拼命鼓掌，高兴得快要发疯。
    这样，自始至终，马戏团表演的全是最让人开眼的节目；从头到尾，那个小丑都在逗乐儿，几乎把人笑死。马戏团指挥只需稍一张口跟他说句话，他一眨巴眼就给顶了回去，用的竟是谁也想不到的最最俏皮的话。我怎么也弄不明白他怎么（能够）想起那么多俏皮话，还讲得那么快，接得那么巧。哎呀，要让我想，一年也想不出来。又过了一阵，一个喝醉的人想进表演场，说他想去骑马，还说他骑得比谁都好。他们给他讲道理，想劝他出去，可是他不听，整表演因此停下来了。接着，那些人开始冲他嚷，跟他开玩笑，这么一来可把他气疯了，他开始又撕又扯。那些人也让他惹急了，很多人起身离座，涌进表演场，一边高喊，"　打倒他！把他赶出去！"　还有一两个女人尖声高叫。于是，马戏团指挥说了几句话，他说希望这儿别出乱子，如果那人保证他不会添麻烦，他可以让他骑马，只要他认为他可以在马背上呆得住。于是，大家都笑了，说那好吧，那人上去了。他刚一上马，那匹马就开始撕咬跳跃，左冲右撞，马戏团的两个人使劲拉着缰绳，想把马稳住。那醉汉紧紧搂住马的脖子，马跳一下，他的双脚就被甩向空中乱扑腾，全场观众站起来叫啊，笑啊，乐得眼泪都滚落下来了，马戏团那两个人虽然费尽气力，那匹马终于还是挣脱跑走了。就是这样。它拼命地飞奔，绕场奔走了一圈又一圈，那醉汉爬在马背上，紧抱着它的脖子。一会儿，这边的一条腿差点儿挨着地面，一会儿，那边的一条腿又落下来险些蹭着地面，观众给高兴坏了。但是，我一点都不觉着好玩，看着他那样危险，吓得我直打哆嗦。可是不久，他挣扎着跨上马背，抓住缰绳，这边一歪那边一晃，接着，他往上一跳，甩掉缰绳，站住啦！那匹马一个劲儿跑啊，跑得就跟房子着火了一般。他站在马背上，轻松自如地骑马驰骋，如同他一辈子也未醉过酒一样。然后，他开始扯下他的衣服，往地上扔。他脱了就扔，满天满地飞得都是他的衣服，总共他脱下17　套衣服。这回，他真人露相了，身材修长，英俊漂亮，穿着最鲜艳华丽的服装，他拿马鞭抽那匹马，抽得它疾驰如飞，最后，他翻身下马，弯腰鞠躬，蹦着跳着跑往化妆室，全场欢声雷动，观众既兴奋又惊讶。
    那个马戏团指挥这才发现他被人耍了，我看他是我见过的最难为情的马戏指挥。嗨，那可是自己团里的人呢！他自己脑子里想出来那个玩笑，从未泄露给任何人。唉，我觉得很不好意思，就这样被骗上当了，我可不想当那个马戏团指挥，给我一千块我也不干。我不知道，或许还有比这个马戏团更有趣的班子，不过我还没遇见过。不管怎样，对（我）来说，这是足够棒的了；不管在哪儿，我再碰上它，我总会再光顾的，一次也没落。
    噢，那天晚上，我们也上演了（我们的）节目，可是，大概仅有12　个人到场，刚够应付开支。他们从头笑到底，可把公爵气坏了，结果是节目还没演完，大家都退场了，只剩一个小男孩儿还睡着了。于是，公爵说，照他看来，这些阿肯色笨蛋欣赏不了莎士比亚，他们想要的是低俗喜剧--或许是比低俗喜剧更糟更俗的东西。他说他可以约摸出他们的嗜好。因此，第二天一早，他搜罗了几张包皮纸和一些黑油墨，涂划了几张海报，村子各处全贴上了。
    法院大厅上演！
    仅限三晚！
    世界驰名悲剧表演艺术家小大卫·加里克！
    及老埃德蒙·基恩！
    伦敦及大陆各戏剧名星联袂推出惊险悲剧国王的长颈鹿又名皇室奇物！！！
    入场费五角海报最下端是一行最大的字--写的是：妇女和儿童禁止观看"好啦，"他说，"　要是这一行字还引不来人，那就是说我没摸透阿肯色！"
Chapter 23
WELL, all day him and the king was hard at it, rigging up a stage and a curtain and a row of candles for footlights; and that night the house was jam full of men in no time. When the place couldn't hold no more, the duke he quit tending door and went around the back way and come on to the stage and stood up before the curtain and made a little speech, and praised up this tragedy, and said it was the most thrillingest one that ever was; and so he went on abragging about the tragedy, and about Edmund Kean the Elder, which was to play the main principal part in it; and at last when he'd got everybody's expectations up high enough, he rolled up the curtain, and the next minute the king come a-prancing out on all fours, naked; and he was painted all over, ringstreaked-and-striped, all sorts of colors, as splendid as a rainbow. And -- but never mind the rest of his outfit; it was just wild, but it was awful funny. The people most killed themselves laughing; and when the king got done capering and capered off behind the scenes, they roared and clapped and stormed and hawhawed till he come back and done it over again, and after that they made him do it another time. Well, it would make a cow laugh to see the shines that old idiot cut. 
Then the duke he lets the curtain down, and bows to the people, and says the great tragedy will be performed only two nights more, on accounts of pressing London engagements, where the seats is all sold already for it in Drury Lane; and then he makes them another bow, and says if he has succeeded in pleasing them and instructing them, he will be deeply obleeged if they will mention it to their friends and get them to come and see it. 
Twenty people sings out: 
"What, is it over? Is that ALL?" 
The duke says yes. Then there was a fine time. Everybody sings out, "Sold!" and rose up mad, and was a-going for that stage and them tragedians. But a big, fine looking man jumps up on a bench and shouts: 
"Hold on! Just a word, gentlemen." They stopped to listen. "We are sold -- mighty badly sold. But we don't want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. NO. What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the REST of the town! Then we'll all be in the same boat. Ain't that sensible?" ("You bet it is! -- the jedge is right!" everybody sings out.) "All right, then -- not a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy." 
Next day you couldn't hear nothing around that town but how splendid that show was. House was jammed again that night, and we sold this crowd the same way. When me and the king and the duke got home to the raft we all had a supper; and by and by, about midnight, they made Jim and me back her out and float her down the middle of the river, and fetch her in and hide her about two mile below town. 
The third night the house was crammed again -- and they warn't new-comers this time, but people that was at the show the other two nights. I stood by the duke at the door, and I see that every man that went in had his pockets bulging, or something muffled up under his coat -- and I see it warn't no perfumery, neither, not by a long sight. I smelt sickly eggs by the barrel, and rotten cabbages, and such things; and if I know the signs of a dead cat being around, and I bet I do, there was sixty-four of them went in. I shoved in there for a minute, but it was too various for me; I couldn't stand it. Well, when the place couldn't hold no more people the duke he give a fellow a quarter and told him to tend door for him a minute, and then he started around for the stage door, I after him; but the minute we turned the corner and was in the dark he says: 
"Walk fast now till you get away from the houses, and then shin for the raft like the dickens was after you!" 
I done it, and he done the same. We struck the raft at the same time, and in less than two seconds we was gliding down stream, all dark and still, and edging towards the middle of the river, nobody saying a word. I reckoned the poor king was in for a gaudy time of it with the audience, but nothing of the sort; pretty soon he crawls out from under the wigwam, and says: 
"Well, how'd the old thing pan out this time, duke?" He hadn't been up-town at all. 
We never showed a light till we was about ten mile below the village. Then we lit up and had a supper, and the king and the duke fairly laughed their bones loose over the way they'd served them people. The duke says: 
"Greenhorns, flatheads! I knew the first house would keep mum and let the rest of the town get roped in; and I knew they'd lay for us the third night, and consider it was THEIR turn now. Well, it IS their turn, and I'd give something to know how much they'd take for it. I WOULD just like to know how they're putting in their opportunity. They can turn it into a picnic if they want to -- they brought plenty provisions." 
Them rapscallions took in four hundred and sixtyfive dollars in that three nights. I never see money hauled in by the wagon-load like that before. By and by, when they was asleep and snoring, Jim says: 
"Don't it s'prise you de way dem kings carries on, Huck?" 
"No," I says, "it don't." 
"Why don't it, Huck?" 
"Well, it don't, because it's in the breed. I reckon they're all alike," 
"But, Huck, dese kings o' ourn is reglar rapscallions; dat's jist what dey is; dey's reglar rapscallions." 
"Well, that's what I'm a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out." 
"Is dat so?" 
"You read about them once -- you'll see. Look at Henry the Eight; this 'n 's a Sunday-school Superintendent to HIM. And look at Charles Second, and Louis Fourteen, and Louis Fifteen, and James Second, and Edward Second, and Richard Third, and forty more; besides all them Saxon heptarchies that used to rip around so in old times and raise Cain. My, you ought to seen old Henry the Eight when he was in bloom. He WAS a blossom. He used to marry a new wife every day, and chop off her head next morning. And he would do it just as indifferent as if he was ordering up eggs. 'Fetch up Nell Gwynn,' he says. They fetch her up. Next morning, 'Chop off her head!' And they chop it off. 'Fetch up Jane Shore,' he says; and up she comes, Next morning, 'Chop off her head' -- and they chop it off. 'Ring up Fair Rosamun.' Fair Rosamun answers the bell. Next morning, 'Chop off her head.' And he made every one of them tell him a tale every night; and he kept that up till he had hogged a thousand and one tales that way, and then he put them all in a book, and called it Domesday Book -- which was a good name and stated the case. You don't know kings, Jim, but I know them; and this old rip of ourn is one of the cleanest I've struck in history. Well, Henry he takes a notion he wants to get up some trouble with this country. How does he go at it -- give notice? -- give the country a show? No. All of a sudden he heaves all the tea in Boston Harbor overboard, and whacks out a declaration of independence, and dares them to come on. That was HIS style -- he never give anybody a chance. He had suspicions of his father, the Duke of Wellington. Well, what did he do? Ask him to show up? No -- drownded him in a butt of mamsey, like a cat. S'pose people left money laying around where he was -- what did he do? He collared it. S'pose he contracted to do a thing, and you paid him, and didn't set down there and see that he done it -- what did he do? He always done the other thing. S'pose he opened his mouth -- what then? If he didn't shut it up powerful quick he'd lose a lie every time. That's the kind of a bug Henry was; and if we'd a had him along 'stead of our kings he'd a fooled that town a heap worse than ourn done. I don't say that ourn is lambs, because they ain't, when you come right down to the cold facts; but they ain't nothing to THAT old ram, anyway. All I say is, kings is kings, and you got to make allowances. Take them all around, they're a mighty ornery lot. It's the way they're raised." 
"But dis one do SMELL so like de nation, Huck." 
"Well, they all do, Jim. We can't help the way a king smells; history don't tell no way." 
"Now de duke, he's a tolerble likely man in some ways." 
"Yes, a duke's different. But not very different. This one's a middling hard lot for a duke. When he's drunk there ain't no near-sighted man could tell him from a king." 
"Well, anyways, I doan' hanker for no mo' un um, Huck. Dese is all I kin stan'." 
"It's the way I feel, too, Jim. But we've got them on our hands, and we got to remember what they are, and make allowances. Sometimes I wish we could hear of a country that's out of kings." 
What was the use to tell Jim these warn't real kings and dukes? It wouldn't a done no good; and, besides, it was just as I said: you couldn't tell them from the real kind. 
I went to sleep, and Jim didn't call me when it was my turn. He often done that. When I waked up just at daybreak he was sitting there with his head down betwixt his knees, moaning and mourning to himself. I didn't take notice nor let on. I knowed what it was about. He was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn't ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n. It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so. He was often moaning and mourning that way nights, when he judged I was asleep, and saying, "Po' little 'Lizabeth! po' little Johnny! it's mighty hard; I spec' I ain't ever gwyne to see you no mo', no mo'!" He was a mighty good nigger, Jim was. 
But this time I somehow got to talking to him about his wife and young ones; and by and by he says: 
"What makes me feel so bad dis time 'uz bekase I hear sumpn over yonder on de bank like a whack, er a slam, while ago, en it mine me er de time I treat my little 'Lizabeth so ornery. She warn't on'y 'bout fo' year ole, en she tuck de sk'yarlet fever, en had a powful rough spell; but she got well, en one day she was a-stannin' aroun', en I says to her, I says: 
"'Shet de do'.' 
"She never done it; jis' stood dah, kiner smilin' up at me. It make me mad; en I says agin, mighty loud, I says: 
"'Doan' you hear me? Shet de do'!' 
"She jis stood de same way, kiner smilin' up. I was a-bilin'! I says: 
"'I lay I MAKE you mine!' 
"En wid dat I fetch' her a slap side de head dat sont her a-sprawlin'. Den I went into de yuther room, en 'uz gone 'bout ten minutes; en when I come back dah was dat do' a-stannin' open YIT, en dat chile stannin' mos' right in it, a-lookin' down and mournin', en de tears runnin' down. My, but I WUZ mad! I was a-gwyne for de chile, but jis' den -- it was a do' dat open innerds -- jis' den, 'long come de wind en slam it to, behine de chile, ker-BLAM! -- en my lan', de chile never move'! My breff mos' hop outer me; en I feel so -- so -- I doan' know HOW I feel. I crope out, all a-tremblin', en crope aroun' en open de do' easy en slow, en poke my head in behine de chile, sof' en still, en all uv a sudden I says POW! jis' as loud as I could yell. SHE NEVER BUDGE! Oh, Huck, I bust out a-cryin' en grab her up in my arms, en say, 'Oh, de po' little thing! De Lord God Amighty fogive po' ole Jim, kaze he never gwyne to fogive hisself as long's he live!' Oh, she was plumb deef en dumb, Huck, plumb deef en dumb -- en I'd ben atreat'n her so!" 
接下来的一整天，他跟国王都拼命忙活，搭戏台，扯大幕，还摆了一排蜡烛做脚光。那个晚上，不一阵，大厅就挤满了人。等大厅再也容纳不下了，公爵就不再守门，他绕到后边，走上舞台，在大幕前站好，简简单单地讲了几句话，对这出悲剧赞不绝口，他先说这是有史以来最惊心动魄的好戏，接着他大力吹捧这出悲剧，吹捧老艾德蒙·基因，他将在这出剧中担任主角。最后，当他把观众的胃口都吊得高高的了，他拉起了大幕，国王立刻神气十足地爬了出来。他四肢着地，全身**，浑身上下给涂了个遍儿，斑斑点点，圈圈条条，什么样的颜色都有，五彩缤纷，像一道彩虹。而且--先别管他化妆得多花哨吧，反正就是乱糟糟地瞎胡闹，可又特别的滑稽。那些人简直快笑死了。当国王表演完了，就蹦达到了幕后，他们大吼大嚷，拍巴掌起哄，直到国王回来重新蹦达一遍；完了以后，他们又让他出来做一回。哎，看那个老笨蛋闹的恶作剧，就是连头牛也会发笑。
    接着，公爵拉下帷幕，朝观众鞠躬，他说这出伟大的悲剧只能再演两晚，伦敦方面来了特急邀请，这出戏在特鲁利戏院街的所有座位票都已售出，然后，他又鞠一躬，还说如果他确实让大家看得开心又受益，那么，他欢迎大家把这出戏介绍给自己的朋友，让他们也来看看，他将深表谢意。
    20　个人大声嚷道："什么，戏已经完啦？就演个（这）？"公爵说，"　对。"　接下去可就热闹透了。人人都嚷着"上当了！"　疯了一般地跳起来，就冲向舞台和他们的悲剧名星。不过，一个长相很好看的大个子跳到凳子上喊："住手！听我说句话，先生们。他们停下来听。我们上当了，上了很大的当。但是，我看我们总不至于去当全镇人的笑柄吧，只要活着就让人家笑话个没完。不，我们应该做的是，悄悄地从这里走出去，帮这出戏捧捧场，让镇上其他人也上当！这样一来，大家就摆平了。是不是道理？""绝对没错！法官说得对！"　人人都这么嚷。"　好啦，那么..谁也别提上当的事。回家去，劝每个人都来看看这场悲剧。"第二天，那个镇上，除了听说那出戏有多精彩之外，没有任何别的评价。当天晚上，大厅又挤满了人，我们同样捉弄了这帮人。当我和国王还有公爵返回木排上时，我们一块儿吃了晚饭。时间慢慢地过去，大约到了半夜，他们让我和吉姆把木排从小河里退了出来，撑到大河当中，向下漂了两英里地才靠岸，找地方藏了起来。
    第三天晚上，大厅又挤满了人，这回来的可不是什么新观众，而是前两晚上看过表演的那些人。在门口，我站在公爵一侧，看见每一个进来的人口袋全是鼓鼓囊囊的，或者在衣服下边裹着东西--我看也不是什么香东西，绝对不是。我闻出来有成桶的臭鸡蛋，还有烂白菜之类的；假如有死猫，我看我准能认出来，总共带进来的有64　只。我钻进场里站了只有一分钟，臭味怪味实在太呛人，我真受不了。当那个地方再也挤不进去人了，公爵给了一个家伙两毛五分钱，让他帮他看会儿门，他便绕着朝舞台门口走去，我跟着他，我们一到拐角闪入了黑影里，他说："走快！现在就走！一直走得离开这些房子，接着撒退往木排上跑，就像是有魔鬼在后面追你一样！"我就照办了，他也这么做。我们同时到达木排，不到两秒，我们就顺水下漂了，周围漆黑一团，静寂无声，我们朝河中心斜着划过去，谁也不吱声。我猜想可怜的国王这会儿该被观众抓住可有得戏看了。可是根本不是那回事，很快，他从窝棚底下爬了出来。他问："喂，这回要照老样子干会是什么结果，公爵？"他根本没有到镇上去！
    我们一直不敢亮灯，等漂过那个镇子十英里多地，才点灯吃晚饭，国王和公爵聊着他们捉弄那些人的办法，关节儿都笑得发松。公爵说："一群傻瓜，笨蛋！我就知道第一场的观众会悄不吱声的，让镇上其余的人也去上当，我还知道第三天晚上，他们一定会等着收拾我们，心想这回该轮到（他们）收拾人了。嘿，（是）轮到他们了，我情愿打赌，就想知道他们带了多少东西预备这一手。我就是想知道他们怎么来利用这个机会。要是他们愿意，他们完全可以把它变成一顿野餐--他们带的干粮可是足够啦。"这两个坏蛋那三个晚上共骗到465　块钱。我从前还没见过这么多钱，几乎够装一马车的。
    后来，当他们睡熟并打起了呼噜，吉姆说："哈克，国王他们这样胡闹，你不觉得奇怪吗？""不，"我说，"　不奇怪。""为什么不奇怪，哈克？""是不奇怪，就因为这是他们的教养和德性。我们他俩是一路货。""但是，哈克，我们这俩国王可是地道的坏蛋，的确是这样，他们是地道的坏蛋。""对呀，我要讲的正是这个意思。所有的国王几乎都是坏蛋，但凡是我能想起来的。""是这样吗？""你读他们一回，你就清楚了。看看亨利八世，比起他来，咱们这位算得上一个主日学校的校长了。..喂，你该看看老亨利八世年轻的时候，他正当年，总是一天娶一个新媳妇，可第二天一早就会砍掉她的头。他做这种事，简直毫不在意，像叫人送鸡蛋一样。'叫尼尔·古因来！'他说。他们就得把她送来。第二天早上，'砍掉她的头！'他们就得砍掉她的头。他还命令每个新娘每天晚上给他讲一个故事。他一直这样干，他靠这个法子搞到了一千零一个故事，后来，他把这些故事编在一起，编成一本书，把它叫做《末日审判书》--名字倒是个好名字，把这回事交待明白了。你不了解国王，吉姆，我可是了解他们；咱这个无赖算是我在历史书上碰上的最清白的一个啦。想想吧，有人把钱丢在亨利的地方，他会怎么办？他顺手拿走。如果他订了合同，规定要做一件事，你付钱给他了，不可能坐在那里看着他干活儿吧，他怎么着？他肯定不照办。要是他一张开嘴，你猜又会怎么着？要是他不赶紧闭上，每回他准得撒谎，亨利就是这样的坏蛋。所以，要是咱们和亨利一道，而不是和这俩国王，他会把那个镇上的人骗得更惨，比咱这俩国王做得更绝。我不是在说这两位有多可爱，因为事实明摆着，他们不是；不过，要跟那个老杂毛比起来，他们实在算不上什么。我说这么多的意思是，国王就是国王，你不能不将就点儿。总体而言，他们是特别无赖的一帮东西。他们就是受这种教育长大的。""可是这位（闻着）就有那么股怪味，哈克。""哎，他们全一样，吉姆。（我们）可管不了国王闻着有什么怪味，历史上没人能管得了。""再说这位公爵，他还凑合着叫人有点儿喜欢，在某些地方。""对，公爵是不一样。不过话说回来，也没什么大不一样。这位当个公爵，算是个一般的坏货吧。他如果喝醉了，任凭哪个近视眼也分不清他是不是国王。""唉，不管怎么说，我是不稀罕再有什么国王啦，哈克。这俩就足够我受啦。""我也这样想，吉姆。只是我们已招惹上他们了，我们就得记住他们是些什么人，将就着点儿。有时候我真希望听到某个国家没有国王。"我如果告诉吉姆他们并非真正的国王和公爵会有什么用呢？没有任何好处，另外，就像我说的那样，你也难以分清谁真谁假。
    我睡着了，该我值班时，吉姆没叫我。他常那么做。我醒来时，刚好天亮，他坐在那儿，头埋在膝盖中间，唉声叹气，自言自语，我不在意，假装什么也没看见。我知道是怎么了。他在想他的老婆孩子，在大河那边，离得这么远，他内心难受，想家了，因为他这辈子还从未离开过家。我相信他也跟白人一样，很挂念自己的亲人。看起来好像是不自然，但我想是这样的。在夜里，当他觉得我睡着时，经常那样唉声叹气，嘴里不住念叨着："　可怜的小丽莎贝斯！可怜的约翰尼！这让人觉得太难熬啦，我怕我这辈子是再也见不着你们啦，再也见不着啦！"吉姆是个心肠特别好的黑人，他确实是。
    可是，有一回，不知怎么，我和他聊起了他的老婆和孩子，过了一会儿，他说："这回我心里这么难受，是因为我听到河岸那边有声音，像是在使劲儿打人，又像是砰地关门声，这令我想起从前，我待我的小丽莎贝斯可真凶。她刚四岁，害过一场猩红热，可算是受够了罪啦，不过她好过来了。有一天，她在一边儿站着，我冲她说'关上门'。
    她没去关；就站在那儿，仰脸看着我笑。这可把我给气坏了，我又说一遍，嗓门很大，我说：'你没听到我说的话吗？关上门！'她还站在那里，对着我笑。我快要气炸啦！我说：'我得叫你听话才行！'说完我照她头上扇了一巴掌，把她打趴到了地上。后来我到另一间屋里去停了大约十分钟，等我回来了，看见门还开着，那孩子就站在门口，低头哭着，还不住地流眼泪。我他妈的，这回可把我给气疯了，我正要冲过去揍那孩子，可巧那个时候--那扇门是朝里开的--一阵大风刮过来关上了门，刚好打孩子身后关上，咣！扑通！我的天哪，那孩子再不动弹啦！我的魂儿都吓飞啦。我只觉得--只觉得--我说不明白是什么滋味。我悄悄地摸过去，浑身哆嗦着，摸来摸去摸着门，轻轻地慢慢地推开门，悄悄儿把头伸往孩子身后，突然，我大叫一声，（哇！）我憋足劲儿叫了一嗓子。（她再不动弹啦）！噢，哈克，我放声痛哭，抓起她抱在我怀里，我说，'噢，可怜的小东西！愿万能的上帝原谅可怜的老吉姆，因为他这辈子再也饶恕不了他自己！'噢，她完全聋了，也哑了，哈克，完全聋了，也哑了--我待她就是这样啊！"
Chapter 24
NEXT day, towards night, we laid up under a little willow towhead out in the middle, where there was a village on each side of the river, and the duke and the king begun to lay out a plan for working them towns. Jim he spoke to the duke, and said he hoped it wouldn't take but a few hours, because it got mighty heavy and tiresome to him when he had to lay all day in the wigwam tied with the rope. You see, when we left him all alone we had to tie him, because if anybody happened on to him all by himself and not tied it wouldn't look much like he was a runaway nigger, you know. So the duke said it WAS kind of hard to have to lay roped all day, and he'd cipher out some way to get around it. 
He was uncommon bright, the duke was, and he soon struck it. He dressed Jim up in King Lear's outfit -- it was a long curtain-calico gown, and a white horse-hair wig and whiskers; and then he took his theater paint and painted Jim's face and hands and ears and neck all over a dead, dull, solid blue, like a man that's been drownded nine days. Blamed if he warn't the horriblest looking outrage I ever see. Then the duke took and wrote out a sign on a shingle so: 
Sick Arab -- but harmless when not out of his head. 
And he nailed that shingle to a lath, and stood the lath up four or five foot in front of the wigwam. Jim was satisfied. He said it was a sight better than lying tied a couple of years every day, and trembling all over every time there was a sound. The duke told him to make himself free and easy, and if anybody ever come meddling around, he must hop out of the wigwam, and carry on a little, and fetch a howl or two like a wild beast, and he reckoned they would light out and leave him alone. Which was sound enough judgment; but you take the average man, and he wouldn't wait for him to howl. Why, he didn't only look like he was dead, he looked considerable more than that. 
These rapscallions wanted to try the Nonesuch again, because there was so much money in it, but they judged it wouldn't be safe, because maybe the news might a worked along down by this time. They couldn't hit no project that suited exactly; so at last the duke said he reckoned he'd lay off and work his brains an hour or two and see if he couldn't put up something on the Arkansaw village; and the king he allowed he would drop over to t'other village without any plan, but just trust in Providence to lead him the profitable way -- meaning the devil, I reckon. We had all bought store clothes where we stopped last; and now the king put his'n on, and he told me to put mine on. I done it, of course. The king's duds was all black, and he did look real swell and starchy. I never knowed how clothes could change a body before. Why, before, he looked like the orneriest old rip that ever was; but now, when he'd take off his new white beaver and make a bow and do a smile, he looked that grand and good and pious that you'd say he had walked right out of the ark, and maybe was old Leviticus himself. Jim cleaned up the canoe, and I got my paddle ready. There was a big steamboat laying at the shore away up under the point, about three mile above the town -- been there a couple of hours, taking on freight. Says the king: 
"Seein' how I'm dressed, I reckon maybe I better arrive down from St. Louis or Cincinnati, or some other big place. Go for the steamboat, Huckleberry; we'll come down to the village on her." 
I didn't have to be ordered twice to go and take a steamboat ride. I fetched the shore a half a mile above the village, and then went scooting along the bluff bank in the easy water. Pretty soon we come to a nice innocent-looking young country jake setting on a log swabbing the sweat off of his face, for it was powerful warm weather; and he had a couple of big carpet-bags by him. 
"Run her nose in shore," says the king. I done it. "Wher' you bound for, young man?" 
"For the steamboat; going to Orleans." 
"Git aboard," says the king. "Hold on a minute, my servant 'll he'p you with them bags. Jump out and he'p the gentleman, Adolphus" -- meaning me, I see. 
I done so, and then we all three started on again. The young chap was mighty thankful; said it was tough work toting his baggage such weather. He asked the king where he was going, and the king told him he'd come down the river and landed at the other village this morning, and now he was going up a few mile to see an old friend on a farm up there. The young fellow says: 
"When I first see you I says to myself, 'It's Mr. Wilks, sure, and he come mighty near getting here in time.' But then I says again, 'No, I reckon it ain't him, or else he wouldn't be paddling up the river.' You AIN'T him, are you?" 
"No, my name's Blodgett -- Elexander Blodgett -- REVEREND Elexander Blodgett, I s'pose I must say, as I'm one o' the Lord's poor servants. But still I'm jist as able to be sorry for Mr. Wilks for not arriving in time, all the same, if he's missed anything by it -- which I hope he hasn't." 
"Well, he don't miss any property by it, because he'll get that all right; but he's missed seeing his brother Peter die -- which he mayn't mind, nobody can tell as to that -- but his brother would a give anything in this world to see HIM before he died; never talked about nothing else all these three weeks; hadn't seen him since they was boys together -- and hadn't ever seen his brother William at all -- that's the deef and dumb one -- William ain't more than thirty or thirty-five. Peter and George were the only ones that come out here; George was the married brother; him and his wife both died last year. Harvey and William's the only ones that's left now; and, as I was saying, they haven't got here in time." 
"Did anybody send 'em word?" 
"Oh, yes; a month or two ago, when Peter was first took; because Peter said then that he sorter felt like he warn't going to get well this time. You see, he was pretty old, and George's g'yirls was too young to be much company for him, except Mary Jane, the red-headed one; and so he was kinder lonesome after George and his wife died, and didn't seem to care much to live. He most desperately wanted to see Harvey -- and William, too, for that matter -- because he was one of them kind that can't bear to make a will. He left a letter behind for Harvey, and said he'd told in it where his money was hid, and how he wanted the rest of the property divided up so George's g'yirls would be all right -- for George didn't leave nothing. And that letter was all they could get him to put a pen to." 
"Why do you reckon Harvey don't come? Wher' does he live?" 
"Oh, he lives in England -- Sheffield -- preaches there -- hasn't ever been in this country. He hasn't had any too much time -- and besides he mightn't a got the letter at all, you know." 
"Too bad, too bad he couldn't a lived to see his brothers, poor soul. You going to Orleans, you say?" 
"Yes, but that ain't only a part of it. I'm going in a ship, next Wednesday, for Ryo Janeero, where my uncle lives." 
"It's a pretty long journey. But it'll be lovely; wisht I was a-going. Is Mary Jane the oldest? How old is the others?" 
"Mary Jane's nineteen, Susan's fifteen, and Joanna's about fourteen -- that's the one that gives herself to good works and has a hare-lip." 
"Poor things! to be left alone in the cold world so." 
"Well, they could be worse off. Old Peter had friends, and they ain't going to let them come to no harm. There's Hobson, the Babtis' preacher; and Deacon Lot Hovey, and Ben Rucker, and Abner Shackleford, and Levi Bell, the lawyer; and Dr. Robinson, and their wives, and the widow Bartley, and -- well, there's a lot of them; but these are the ones that Peter was thickest with, and used to write about sometimes, when he wrote home; so Harvey 'll know where to look for friends when he gets here." 
Well, the old man went on asking questions till he just fairly emptied that young fellow. Blamed if he didn't inquire about everybody and everything in that blessed town, and all about the Wilkses; and about Peter's business -- which was a tanner; and about George's -- which was a carpenter; and about Harvey's -- which was a dissentering minister; and so on, and so on. Then he says: 
"What did you want to walk all the way up to the steamboat for?" 
"Because she's a big Orleans boat, and I was afeard she mightn't stop there. When they're deep they won't stop for a hail. A Cincinnati boat will, but this is a St. Louis one." 
"Was Peter Wilks well off?" 
"Oh, yes, pretty well off. He had houses and land, and it's reckoned he left three or four thousand in cash hid up som'ers." 
"When did you say he died?" 
"I didn't say, but it was last night." 
"Funeral to-morrow, likely?" 
"Yes, 'bout the middle of the day." 
"Well, it's all terrible sad; but we've all got to go, one time or another. So what we want to do is to be prepared; then we're all right." 
"Yes, sir, it's the best way. Ma used to always say that." 
When we struck the boat she was about done loading, and pretty soon she got off. The king never said nothing about going aboard, so I lost my ride, after all. When the boat was gone the king made me paddle up another mile to a lonesome place, and then he got ashore and says: 
"Now hustle back, right off, and fetch the duke up here, and the new carpet-bags. And if he's gone over to t'other side, go over there and git him. And tell him to git himself up regardless. Shove along, now." 
I see what HE was up to; but I never said nothing, of course. When I got back with the duke we hid the canoe, and then they set down on a log, and the king told him everything, just like the young fellow had said it -- every last word of it. And all the time he was a-doing it he tried to talk like an Englishman; and he done it pretty well, too, for a slouch. I can't imitate him, and so I ain't a-going to try to; but he really done it pretty good. Then he says: 
"How are you on the deef and dumb, Bilgewater?" 
The duke said, leave him alone for that; said he had played a deef and dumb person on the histronic boards. So then they waited for a steamboat. 
About the middle of the afternoon a couple of little boats come along, but they didn't come from high enough up the river; but at last there was a big one, and they hailed her. She sent out her yawl, and we went aboard, and she was from Cincinnati; and when they found we only wanted to go four or five mile they was booming mad, and gave us a cussing, and said they wouldn't land us. But the king was ca'm. He says: 
"If gentlemen kin afford to pay a dollar a mile apiece to be took on and put off in a yawl, a steamboat kin afford to carry 'em, can't it?" 
So they softened down and said it was all right; and when we got to the village they yawled us ashore. About two dozen men flocked down when they see the yawl a-coming, and when the king says: 
"Kin any of you gentlemen tell me wher' Mr. Peter Wilks lives?" they give a glance at one another, and nodded their heads, as much as to say, "What d' I tell you?" Then one of them says, kind of soft and gentle: 
"I'm sorry. sir, but the best we can do is to tell you where he DID live yesterday evening." 
Sudden as winking the ornery old cretur went an to smash, and fell up against the man, and put his chin on his shoulder, and cried down his back, and says: 
"Alas, alas, our poor brother -- gone, and we never got to see him; oh, it's too, too hard!" 
Then he turns around, blubbering, and makes a lot of idiotic signs to the duke on his hands, and blamed if he didn't drop a carpet-bag and bust out a-crying. If they warn't the beatenest lot, them two frauds, that ever I struck. 
Well, the men gathered around and sympathized with them, and said all sorts of kind things to them, and carried their carpet-bags up the hill for them, and let them lean on them and cry, and told the king all about his brother's last moments, and the king he told it all over again on his hands to the duke, and both of them took on about that dead tanner like they'd lost the twelve disciples. Well, if ever I struck anything like it, I'm a nigger. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race. 
 次日晚间，我们在大河中间一个长满柳树的小沙洲旁靠了岸，那里的大河两岸都有村庄，公爵和国王着手谋划骗这两个村子。吉姆对公爵说，他盼着只花几个小时，因为他被绳捆着在窝棚里躺了一整天，很难受，又心烦。你清楚，我们把他一个丢在木排上时，必须要捆住他，因为要是有人碰巧看见是他一个人又没被捆着，那就不太像是个逃跑的黑人。所以，公爵说整天手脚捆着躺在地上是有点难受，他要想出个主意来。公爵这个很聪明，很快就想出办法来了。他让吉姆穿上李尔王的戏装--一件帘子花布长袍，一副拿马尾巴做的白色假发和胡子，又取出他演戏化妆用的颜料，把吉姆的脸、手、耳朵以及脖子上全涂上一层死人一般灰暗的蓝色，看起来像个掉水里淹死了九天的死人脸。他算得上是我见过的最吓人的活鬼。然后，公爵取出一个小木牌，在上面这样写道--生病的阿拉伯人--不发神经病时对人不会造成伤害。
    他又将那块牌子钉在木条上，把木条竖在窝棚前边四五英尺远的地方。吉姆满意了。他说这样好多了，不必像原来那样捆着躺一天总觉得象是好几年，每回有一点声响都浑身直哆嗦。公爵告诉他轻轻松松，放心大胆，要是有人过去找事儿，他肯定得从窝棚里蹦出来，发作一阵，跟头野兽那样嚎上一两声，他猜想找事儿的人就会赶紧走开，不再管他。这话听起来好象很有道理，可是，你拿一般人来说吧，他不会等着他嚎的，为什么？他可不仅仅是看着像个死人，他那个样子比死人还可怕。这两个坏蛋还想再试试皇室奇物，因为那可以赚好多钱，不过他们又觉得不妥当，因为没准消息到这会儿已经沿路传过来了。他们一时想不出合适的方案。最后公爵说，他得躺一两个小时动动脑筋，看能否想出什么办法，在这个阿肯色的村庄上捞它一把。国王说他要顺便到另一个村上去，什么计划也不想，而是听天由命，按照上帝指引他走上发财之路--我看是靠魔鬼来帮忙。
    在上次靠岸的地方，我们全买了新衣服。这会儿，国王换上了他的新衣，他叫我把我的新衣服也穿上。我当然就穿上了。国王的衣服都是黑色的，他穿着的确十分神气，很有派头。以前我可不知道人靠衣服还真长精神。过去，他那样子看上去像个腻歪的老无赖；可在眼下，当他摘掉崭新的白色海狸皮帽，弯腰鞠躬面带微笑时，他的神情那么庄重，和善而又虔诚，你会觉得他刚刚步出方舟，没准他就是挪亚老先生本人呢。吉姆打扫干净了独木舟，我准备好桨。一条大轮船靠在岸边，离那个码头下面很远，大约在村子上面三英里地--停在那儿几个小时了，正在装货。国王道："看我这身穿戴，我想也许我最好说是从圣路易斯或辛辛那提或其他大地方来的。朝轮船那儿划，哈克贝利；我们要坐着它到下面那个村。"我一点儿也不用他咐咐第二遍，当然想去坐一把大轮船了。我划到村子上边半英里地靠近了河岸，然后沿着陡峭的堤岸在静水里快速地向前划。很快，我们遇上一个长相好看、老实单纯的乡下小伙子，他正坐在一根木头上擦脸上的汗，由于天气特别热，他身旁还放着两个大旅行包。
    "调头往岸上划，"国王说。我照办。"　你要往哪儿去呀，年轻人？""上那条轮船，去奥尔良。""上这上面来吧，"国王说，"　等一下，我的仆人会替你提那两个大包。跳下去帮帮那位先生，阿道弗斯。"　--这是在说我，我明白。
    我跳下去帮他提包，然后，我们三人又往前划。那年轻人很感谢我们，他说这种天气提着包赶路可真累人。他问国王要上哪儿，国王告诉他说自己打大河上游来，今天早上在另一个村子上了岸，现在他要往上游走几英里，去看那边农场上的一个老朋友。那个年轻人说："我第一眼看到你的时候，心想：'这是威尔克斯先生，没错儿，他来得几乎正是时候。'可是我又说，'不对，我看这不是他，否则，他得顺着水向下游走才对！你（不是）他吧，是不是？'""不是，我叫布洛吉特--亚历山大·布洛吉特--牧师亚历山大·布洛吉特，我想我得说明，我是上帝的仆人。只是我还是替威尔克斯先生未能及时赶到而难过，的的确确，要是他因为晚来错过了什么--（我）希望他没错过。""啊，他不会因为这错过什么财产，因为他一样会拿到手，可他错过了见他兄弟最后一面的机会--这个他或许也不在乎，谁都说不明白这种事--不过他兄弟可是想在临终前见他一面，即使把他所有的东西都送人也愿意，这三个星期他什么也不说，总在念叨他；他们从小时候分手后一直都不曾见过面--也没有见过他兄弟威廉--就那个又聋又哑的小兄弟--威廉仅仅30　或35　岁。只有彼得和乔治来这儿；乔治是结了婚的那个兄弟，他和他老婆去年全死了。现在只剩下哈维和威廉兄弟俩，我刚才讲过，他们还没来得及赶来这儿。""有人给他们去过信吗？""噢，有啊，一两个月之前，在彼得刚病倒的时候，因为彼得当时说他感觉这回他的病不会好了。你知道，他年岁大了，乔治的女儿又太小，不能常陪他，只有那个红头发的玛丽·简还行，所以，在乔治和他老婆死后，他就有些孤单，好像不怎么想活下去。他想得要命想见哈维，当然还有威廉，为那件事--因为他是那种一想起来不立遗嘱就受不了的人。他给哈维留下一封信，信里说了他的钱藏到了什么地方，还有他预备怎样分割遗产，这样，乔治的几个女儿都可以妥善安顿--因为乔治死后没有留下什么东西，那封信就是他们勉勉强强劝他动笔写成的唯一的一份东西。""你怎么会猜到哈维没来呢？他住在哪里？""噢，他住在英国设菲尔德，在那里传教，没来过这个国家。他不怎么有空，再说他或许根本就没有收到那封信，你知道。""太可怜了，他不能和他兄弟们见上最后一面真是太不幸了，可怜的灵魂。你要去奥尔良？""对，不过这仅仅是一截路。下个星期三，我就会坐船去里约热内卢，我叔叔住在那里。""好远的路啊。不过，那会很有意思的，我都想去。玛丽·简年龄多大？其他几个多大啦！"　"玛丽·简19　岁，苏珊15，乔安娜差不多14--她的话很多，是个豁嘴儿。""可怜的孩子！孤单单地被留在这个冰冷的世界上。""嗨，她们还不算倒霉。老彼得有朋友，他们不会让她们几个受什么伤害。他的朋友有霍布森，他是浸礼会牧师；还有洛特·哈维执事，还有本·罗克，阿布纳·沙克尔福特，还有莱维·贝尔律师，罗宾逊医生，另外还有他们的太太，还有巴特莱寡妇，还有--反正有很多。只是这些人是彼得交情最深的几位，他给老家写信时，常提到他们，因此哈维到这儿以后会知道去哪儿找朋友。"嘿，那老家伙不住地提问题，直到把那个年轻小伙子肚里知道的那些事儿全都掏出来。他如果没把那个倒霉村子里的每个人每件事，还有威尔克斯的全部情况都问个底朝天，那才叫怪呢！他还问彼得干的行当，他是个皮革匠，还有乔治，他是个木匠；还问了哈维，他是个新教徒派的牧师，诸如此类等等。后来他问："你干嘛要往上走这么远，去搭那条轮船呢？""因为那是去奥尔良的大船，我原本还怕他不在那里停靠呢。这种船在深水的时候，你喊它也不停。辛辛那提的船就停，不过这条船是圣路易斯的。""彼得·威尔克斯家境如何？""啊，非常好。他有房有地，人们猜测他会留下三四千块现钱，不知会藏在哪儿。""你说他啥时候死的？""我没说，只是，他是昨晚上死的。""葬礼明--天办吧，是不是？""对，可能是明天中午。""唉，这太让人难过了，不过我们都会要死的，这是迟早的事儿。所以我们该做的是有个准备；这样就可以啦。""是这话，先生，这样是最好啦。妈从前总说这种话。"我们划到那条船跟前时，它已经快装完货了，过了一阵，它开走了。国王根本不提上船的事儿，我也最终没坐成大轮船。那条船开走之后，国王叫我再向上游划一英里地，找了块偏僻的地方，他上了岸，对我说："现在立刻划回去，把公爵接过来，还有新旅行包。要是他去了河对岸，过去找到他。告诉他不管怎样都要来。快划吧。"我明白他这是要搞什么名堂，不过我当然一句话也不问。当我载着公爵过来时，我们藏好独木舟，接着，他们在一根木头上坐下，国王把情况原原本本地跟他讲了一遍，和那个小伙子说的一样--一字不差。他讲的时候，始终尽力装得像个英国人在说话，对于他这么个笨蛋来说，装得很不错。我模仿不了他，因此我也不打算学，不过他的确做得相当好。后来他说："你去装扮那个聋子哑巴好不好，比尔奇沃特？"公爵说，让他去扮放心好了；他说他在舞台上演过聋子哑巴。这样，他们就单等着轮船过来。
    大约是下午半晌的时候，两只小船过来了，可是，它们可不是从河上游很远过来的，不过，一条大船终于开了过来，他们就招呼它。大船放出小艇，我们得以上了船，这条船是打辛辛那提开来的。他们一听我们就坐四五英里，气得发蒙，把我们大骂一通，还说到时候不给我们靠岸。不过国王很沉得住气。他说："如果先生们出得起钱，一英里地一块，让小艇子接上送下，一条轮船载他们也划算吧，对不对？"这样一说，他们口气就软了下来，连声说这好办；当我们到了那个村子旁，他们又拿小艇把我们送上岸。大约有24　个人看到小艇过去，就一齐往河边跑，这时候，国王说："你们哪位先生能告诉我彼得·威尔克斯先生住在什么地方吗？"他们互相瞥一眼，点点头，好像在说："　我怎么跟你说的？"接着，一个人开口了，说话又和气又斯文："对不起，先生，不过我们至多只能告诉您昨天晚上他曾经住过的地方。"一转眼的工夫，那个混蛋的老家伙顿时垮了下来，倒在那人的身上，下巴搁到人家肩膀上，哭得连腰都直不起来，还一面说："哎呀，哎呀！我们可怜的兄弟去啦，我们可是再也看不到他啦，啊，这可太，（太）难过啦！"然后，他转过身，一边抽抽泣泣，冲着公爵做了很多愚蠢至极的手势，结果，那家伙扔掉一只包，猛然放声痛哭起来。他们要不是最无赖最没治的坏蛋才叫怪呢！这俩大骗子全都该死，我还真的从来没见过这号东西。
    于是，那帮人都围上来对他俩表示同情，还说了无数好话安慰他俩，替他们拿着旅行包上了山坡，让他俩倚在他们身上哭，告诉国王他兄弟在辞世前的全部细节，国王再拿手势给公爵比划一遍，他俩装腔作势哭那个皮革匠，痛心至极。唉，我要是见过一回这种事，我就不算人。这足以让人替整个人类都害臊。
Chapter 25
THE news was all over town in two minutes, and you could see the people tearing down on the run from every which way, some of them putting on their coats as they come. Pretty soon we was in the middle of a crowd, and the noise of the tramping was like a soldier march. The windows and dooryards was full; and every minute somebody would say, over a fence: 
"Is it THEM?" 
And somebody trotting along with the gang would answer back and say: 
"You bet it is." 
When we got to the house the street in front of it was packed, and the three girls was standing in the door. Mary Jane WAS red-headed, but that don't make no difference, she was most awful beautiful, and her face and her eyes was all lit up like glory, she was so glad her uncles was come. The king he spread his arms, and Marsy Jane she jumped for them, and the hare-lip jumped for the duke, and there they HAD it! Everybody most, leastways women, cried for joy to see them meet again at last and have such good times. 
Then the king he hunched the duke private -- I see him do it -- and then he looked around and see the coffin, over in the corner on two chairs; so then him and the duke, with a hand across each other's shoulder, and t'other hand to their eyes, walked slow and solemn over there, everybody dropping back to give them room, and all the talk and noise stopping, people saying "Sh!" and all the men taking their hats off and drooping their heads, so you could a heard a pin fall. And when they got there they bent over and looked in the coffin, and took one sight, and then they bust out a-crying so you could a heard them to Orleans, most; and then they put their arms around each other's necks, and hung their chins over each other's shoulders; and then for three minutes, or maybe four, I never see two men leak the way they done. And, mind you, everybody was doing the same; and the place was that damp I never see anything like it. Then one of them got on one side of the coffin, and t'other on t'other side, and they kneeled down and rested their foreheads on the coffin, and let on to pray all to themselves. Well, when it come to that it worked the crowd like you never see anything like it, and everybody broke down and went to sobbing right out loud -- the poor girls, too; and every woman, nearly, went up to the girls, without saying a word, and kissed them, solemn, on the forehead, and then put their hand on their head, and looked up towards the sky, with the tears running down, and then busted out and went off sobbing and swabbing, and give the next woman a show. I never see anything so disgusting. 
Well, by and by the king he gets up and comes forward a little, and works himself up and slobbers out a speech, all full of tears and flapdoodle about its being a sore trial for him and his poor brother to lose the diseased, and to miss seeing diseased alive after the long journey of four thousand mile, but it's a trial that's sweetened and sanctified to us by this dear sympathy and these holy tears, and so he thanks them out of his heart and out of his brother's heart, because out of their mouths they can't, words being too weak and cold, and all that kind of rot and slush, till it was just sickening; and then he blubbers out a pious goody-goody Amen, and turns himself loose and goes to crying fit to bust. 
And the minute the words were out of his mouth somebody over in the crowd struck up the doxolojer, and everybody joined in with all their might, and it just warmed you up and made you feel as good as church letting out. Music is a good thing; and after all that soul-butter and hogwash I never see it freshen up things so, and sound so honest and bully. 
Then the king begins to work his jaw again, and says how him and his nieces would be glad if a few of the main principal friends of the family would take supper here with them this evening, and help set up with the ashes of the diseased; and says if his poor brother laying yonder could speak he knows who he would name, for they was names that was very dear to him, and mentioned often in his letters; and so he will name the same, to wit, as follows, vizz.: -- Rev. Mr. Hobson, and Deacon Lot Hovey, and Mr. Ben Rucker, and Abner Shackleford, and Levi Bell, and Dr. Robinson, and their wives, and the widow Bartley. 
Rev. Hobson and Dr. Robinson was down to the end of the town a-hunting together -- that is, I mean the doctor was shipping a sick man to t'other world, and the preacher was pinting him right. Lawyer Bell was away up to Louisville on business. But the rest was on hand, and so they all come and shook hands with the king and thanked him and talked to him; and then they shook hands with the duke and didn't say nothing, but just kept a-smiling and bobbing their heads like a passel of sapheads whilst he made all sorts of signs with his hands and said "Goo-goo -- goo-goo-goo" all the time, like a baby that can't talk. 
So the king he blattered along, and managed to inquire about pretty much everybody and dog in town, by his name, and mentioned all sorts of little things that happened one time or another in the town, or to George's family, or to Peter. And he always let on that Peter wrote him the things; but that was a lie: he got every blessed one of them out of that young flathead that we canoed up to the steamboat. 
Then Mary Jane she fetched the letter her father left behind, and the king he read it out loud and cried over it. It give the dwelling-house and three thousand dollars, gold, to the girls; and it give the tanyard (which was doing a good business), along with some other houses and land (worth about seven thousand), and three thousand dollars in gold to Harvey and William, and told where the six thousand cash was hid down cellar. So these two frauds said they'd go and fetch it up, and have everything square and aboveboard; and told me to come with a candle. We shut the cellar door behind us, and when they found the bag they spilt it out on the floor, and it was a lovely sight, all them yaller-boys. My, the way the king's eyes did shine! He slaps the duke on the shoulder and says: 
"Oh, THIS ain't bully nor noth'n! Oh, no, I reckon not! Why, Biljy, it beats the Nonesuch, DON'T it?" 
The duke allowed it did. They pawed the yallerboys, and sifted them through their fingers and let them jingle down on the floor; and the king says: 
"It ain't no use talkin'; bein' brothers to a rich dead man and representatives of furrin heirs that's got left is the line for you and me, Bilge. Thish yer comes of trust'n to Providence. It's the best way, in the long run. I've tried 'em all, and ther' ain't no better way." 
Most everybody would a been satisfied with the pile, and took it on trust; but no, they must count it. So they counts it, and it comes out four hundred and fifteen dollars short. Says the king: 
"Dern him, I wonder what he done with that four hundred and fifteen dollars?" 
They worried over that awhile, and ransacked all around for it. Then the duke says: 
"Well, he was a pretty sick man, and likely he made a mistake -- I reckon that's the way of it. The best way's to let it go, and keep still about it. We can spare it." 
"Oh, shucks, yes, we can SPARE it. I don't k'yer noth'n 'bout that -- it's the COUNT I'm thinkin' about. We want to be awful square and open and above-board here, you know. We want to lug this h-yer money up stairs and count it before everybody -- then ther' ain't noth'n suspicious. But when the dead man says ther's six thous'n dollars, you know, we don't want to --" 
"Hold on," says the duke. "Le's make up the deffisit," and he begun to haul out yaller-boys out of his pocket. 
"It's a most amaz'n' good idea, duke -- you HAVE got a rattlin' clever head on you," says the king. "Blest if the old Nonesuch ain't a heppin' us out agin," and HE begun to haul out yaller-jackets and stack them up. 
It most busted them, but they made up the six thousand clean and clear. 
"Say," says the duke, "I got another idea. Le's go up stairs and count this money, and then take and GIVE IT TO THE GIRLS." 
"Good land, duke, lemme hug you! It's the most dazzling idea 'at ever a man struck. You have cert'nly got the most astonishin' head I ever see. Oh, this is the boss dodge, ther' ain't no mistake 'bout it. Let 'em fetch along their suspicions now if they want to -- this 'll lay 'em out." 
When we got up-stairs everybody gethered around the table, and the king he counted it and stacked it up, three hundred dollars in a pile -- twenty elegant little piles. Everybody looked hungry at it, and licked their chops. Then they raked it into the bag again, and I see the king begin to swell himself up for another speech. He says: 
"Friends all, my poor brother that lays yonder has done generous by them that's left behind in the vale of sorrers. He has done generous by these yer poor little lambs that he loved and sheltered, and that's left fatherless and motherless. Yes, and we that knowed him knows that he would a done MORE generous by 'em if he hadn't ben afeard o' woundin' his dear William and me. Now, WOULDN'T he? Ther' ain't no question 'bout it in MY mind. Well, then, what kind o' brothers would it be that 'd stand in his way at sech a time? And what kind o' uncles would it be that 'd rob -- yes, ROB -- sech poor sweet lambs as these 'at he loved so at sech a time? If I know William -- and I THINK I do -- he -- well, I'll jest ask him." He turns around and begins to make a lot of signs to the duke with his hands, and the duke he looks at him stupid and leatherheaded a while; then all of a sudden he seems to catch his meaning, and jumps for the king, goo-gooing with all his might for joy, and hugs him about fifteen times before he lets up. Then the king says, "I knowed it; I reckon THAT 'll convince anybody the way HE feels about it. Here, Mary Jane, Susan, Joanner, take the money -- take it ALL. It's the gift of him that lays yonder, cold but joyful." 
Mary Jane she went for him, Susan and the hare-lip went for the duke, and then such another hugging and kissing I never see yet. And everybody crowded up with the tears in their eyes, and most shook the hands off of them frauds, saying all the time: 
"You DEAR good souls! -- how LOVELY! -- how COULD you!" 
Well, then, pretty soon all hands got to talking about the diseased again, and how good he was, and what a loss he was, and all that; and before long a big iron-jawed man worked himself in there from outside, and stood a-listening and looking, and not saying anything; and nobody saying anything to him either, because the king was talking and they was all busy listening. The king was saying -- in the middle of something he'd started in on -- 
"-- they bein' partickler friends o' the diseased. That's why they're invited here this evenin'; but tomorrow we want ALL to come -- everybody; for he respected everybody, he liked everybody, and so it's fitten that his funeral orgies sh'd be public." 
And so he went a-mooning on and on, liking to hear himself talk, and every little while he fetched in his funeral orgies again, till the duke he couldn't stand it no more; so he writes on a little scrap of paper, "OBSEQUIES, you old fool," and folds it up, and goes to goo-gooing and reaching it over people's heads to him. The king he reads it and puts it in his pocket, and says: 
"Poor William, afflicted as he is, his HEART'S aluz right. Asks me to invite everybody to come to the funeral -- wants me to make 'em all welcome. But he needn't a worried -- it was jest what I was at." 
Then he weaves along again, perfectly ca'm, and goes to dropping in his funeral orgies again every now and then, just like he done before. And when he done it the third time he says: 
"I say orgies, not because it's the common term, because it ain't -- obsequies bein' the common term -- but because orgies is the right term. Obsequies ain't used in England no more now -- it's gone out. We say orgies now in England. Orgies is better, because it means the thing you're after more exact. It's a word that's made up out'n the Greek ORGO, outside, open, abroad; and the Hebrew JEESUM, to plant, cover up; hence inTER. So, you see, funeral orgies is an open er public funeral." 
He was the WORST I ever struck. Well, the ironjawed man he laughed right in his face. Everybody was shocked. Everybody says, "Why, DOCTOR!" and Abner Shackleford says: 
"Why, Robinson, hain't you heard the news? This is Harvey Wilks." 
The king he smiled eager, and shoved out his flapper, and says: 
"Is it my poor brother's dear good friend and physician? I --" 
"Keep your hands off of me!" says the doctor. "YOU talk like an Englishman, DON'T you? It's the worst imitation I ever heard. YOU Peter Wilks's brother! You're a fraud, that's what you are!" 
Well, how they all took on! They crowded around the doctor and tried to quiet him down, and tried to explain to him and tell him how Harvey 'd showed in forty ways that he WAS Harvey, and knowed everybody by name, and the names of the very dogs, and begged and BEGGED him not to hurt Harvey's feelings and the poor girl's feelings, and all that. But it warn't no use; he stormed right along, and said any man that pretended to be an Englishman and couldn't imitate the lingo no better than what he did was a fraud and a liar. The poor girls was hanging to the king and crying; and all of a sudden the doctor ups and turns on THEM. He says: 
"I was your father's friend, and I'm your friend; and I warn you as a friend, and an honest one that wants to protect you and keep you out of harm and trouble, to turn your backs on that scoundrel and have nothing to do with him, the ignorant tramp, with his idiotic Greek and Hebrew, as he calls it. He is the thinnest kind of an impostor -- has come here with a lot of empty names and facts which he picked up somewheres, and you take them for PROOFS, and are helped to fool yourselves by these foolish friends here, who ought to know better. Mary Jane Wilks, you know me for your friend, and for your unselfish friend, too. Now listen to me; turn this pitiful rascal out -- I BEG you to do it. Will you?" 
Mary Jane straightened herself up, and my, but she was handsome! She says: 
"HERE is my answer." She hove up the bag of money and put it in the king's hands, and says, "Take this six thousand dollars, and invest for me and my sisters any way you want to, and don't give us no receipt for it." 
Then she put her arm around the king on one side, and Susan and the hare-lip done the same on the other. Everybody clapped their hands and stomped on the floor like a perfect storm, whilst the king held up his head and smiled proud. The doctor says: 
"All right; I wash MY hands of the matter. But I warn you all that a time 's coming when you're going to feel sick whenever you think of this day." And away he went. 
"All right, doctor," says the king, kinder mocking him; "we'll try and get 'em to send for you;" which made them all laugh, and they said it was a prime good hit. 
不出两分钟，消息就便传遍了镇上。人们打四面八方飞快地跑过来，有些人还边跑边穿衣服。一会儿，我们就被一群人围到了当中，身边的脚步声如同是部队在行军。窗户底下和院子里人都满了，每隔一小段时间，就会有人隔着墙问："是（他们）吗？"跟着这伙人一块儿跑的人就应声回答道："一定是。"当我们来到那所房子时，门前那道街都给挤满了，三个姑娘就在正门口站着。玛丽·简果然是红头发，倒也没什么，她还是出奇的漂亮，看到她的叔叔和伯伯来了，她的脸和眼睛都兴奋得光彩照人。国王一张双臂，玛丽·简跳过去就抱住了，那个豁嘴儿跳上去搂住公爵，可真是热闹啊！看到他们终于团聚了，又这么愉快，几乎在场的每个人，至少是女人们，高兴得全哭了。
    后来，国王稍稍推了一下公爵--我看到他推了--接着他四下瞅瞅，看见了棺材，停在屋子一角，架在两把椅子上。这阵，他与公爵一只手搭在另一个人肩膀上，一只手捂着眼睛，庄严地慢慢儿走过去，大家都向后撤，给他们让开，一切的话语喧哗全都止住了，有些人"嘘！"　了一声，男人都脱掉帽子，垂下头，静得你都可以听到一根针落地的声音。他们走到棺材旁，弯下腰，向棺材里头瞧，只看了一眼就张嘴大哭，那哭声在奥尔良几乎也能听见，然后，他们用胳膊围住对方的脖子，下巴支在对方肩上，流起了眼泪；过了差不多有三四分钟，我真没见过两个男人那么个哭法儿。告诉你吧，大家还都那么哭，眼泪把那片地都给弄湿了。接着，他俩一个人走到棺材这边，一个人走到另一边，跪倒在地，脑门顶着棺材，假装在默默祷告。嗨，他们的戏演到这种地步，把那帮人都给弄得难受到顶了，那场面你可没见过。因此，每个人都受不了啦，刚才还小声哭，立马就大声嚎起来了，那几个可怜的姑娘也哭了，几乎所有的妇女都走到女孩跟前，一言不发，神情肃穆地亲她们的脑门，又把手搁在她们头上，仰脸朝天看，眼泪直流，然后放声大哭，后来慢慢儿抽泣抹眼角儿，做给身边的女人看。恶心到了极点。
    后来国王站起来，朝前挪一点，拼命做作，边流口水边讲话，一把鼻涕一把泪，胡扯什么他和弟弟丧失了亲人，他们打四千英里外老远赶来，却没见着病人最后一面，想来实在叫人伤心哪，可是，大家深切地同情和圣洁的泪水又令我们伤透的心感到甜蜜和神圣，所以他打自己心眼儿里也打他兄弟心眼儿里感谢大家，由于无法用嘴巴表达感谢，他们认为言语太冰冷太微不足道，如此等等。都是这一套胡扯瞎说的废话，真叫人恶心透了。后来，他又假装正经，很虔诚地哭着叫了一声"阿门"，随即又由着性子扯开嗓门哭得歇斯底里。
    他的话刚完，人群中就有人开始唱赞美诗，大家都使足了劲一块儿唱，叫你心里热乎乎的，就跟教堂礼拜完了一个样。音乐可是个好东西，在听过那一大堆哄人的废话之后，我还真不知道它能如此让人振奋，听着这么实在，这么动听。
    接着，国王又开始信口胡谄了。他说如果这家的几位至交好友能留下来和他们共进晚餐，帮着他们料理死者后事，他和几个侄女将不胜欣慰，他还说他可怜的兄弟躺在那儿，要是能开口说话，他肯定知道该请哪几位，因为这些名字对他都相当亲切，常在信中提到，所以，为了证实，他将把这些名字说出来，那就是--牧师霍布森先生，洛特·哈维执事，本·罗克先生，阿布纳·沙克尔福特，还有莱维·贝尔，罗宾逊医生，别外他们的太太，还有巴特莱寡妇。
    霍布森牧师和罗宾逊医生到镇那头去了，一起去干他们的拿手好戏，我的意思是，医生将一个病人送到另一个世界，牧师为他指点正道。贝尔律师有事到路易斯维尔去了。其余的人都在，所以，他们全过来和国王握手，向他道谢，朝他寒暄；然后，他们又与公爵握手，不说任何言语，只是陪着笑脸点着头，象个傻瓜。公爵呢，打着各种各样的手势，嘴里不住地"咕--咕--咕--咕--咕"叫着，像个不会说话的娃娃。所以，国王又哇哩哇啦地讲下去，他说到镇上的很多名字，询问每个人每条狗的情况，提到镇上不同时候发生过的各样小事，或问乔治的家人，或问彼得的近况，他总专门让人听出来这些是彼得在信里告诉他的，可那是在撒谎，每一点情况他都是从我们让他搭船的那个年轻傻瓜的嘴里套出来的。
    后来，玛丽·简拿来她父亲生前留下的那信，国王高声朗读一遍，又大哭了一场。信上把住宅和三千块钱留给那三个姑娘，把皮革厂(那可是个好生意)，还有其他的房子和地(大概值七千块)与三千块金币留给哈维和威廉，还写着那六千块现金藏的地方，在地窖内。于是，那两个骗子说他们要把钱取来，做事要光明磊落，明摆在桌面上，叫我拿根蜡烛跟着。我们关上地窖的门，当他们寻到了那个袋子，就把钱倒到了地上，那可真好看，全都是金币。我的天哪，你看国王那眼神有多亮！他拍拍公爵的肩膀说："啊，（这）难道还不叫棒么，没有比这更棒的啦！啊，没有，我看是没有！喂，比尔奇，它压倒了皇室奇物，没（错）吧？"公爵说的确是。他们把金币抓在手中，让金币顺着他们的指头缝儿向下落，叮叮当当掉在地上响。国王说："空谈没用，冒充阔死人的兄弟，代表他留在国外的继承人，才是你我的拿手戏，比尔奇。这类运气靠相信命运。长远来看，这是最好的。我尝试过所有的办法儿，没比这更好的。"几乎谁都会满意这么一堆钱，也能相信数目不错，可是偏不，他们非得数一数。于是他们数了一遍，结果是差了415。国王就说："真混蛋，我奇怪他拿那415　块干吗？"他们为这事干着急了一阵，四处搜这笔钱。然后公爵说："唉，他是个重病人，或许是他搞错了--我想是这么回事。最好是别管它，别提这事。我们不在乎少这点钱。""哼，废话，是啊，我们是不在乎它。我一点也不把它放在心上，我考虑的是（数目不合）。我们在这里是想做得十分光明正大，凡事上得了桌面，你要知道。我们得把这些钱扛到楼上，当众点清，这样，他们就不会再有什么怀疑了。可是既然那死人说有六千块，你知道，我们可不想..""别说啦，"公爵道，"　我们把缺数凑齐吧。"　他开始从他口袋里向外掏金币。
    "这真是个绝妙的主意，公爵。你的确有个绝顶聪明的脑袋，"国王说，"　该死的皇室奇物可不是又帮了我们的忙啦。"说完（他）也开始掏出钱来，摞成堆儿。
    这差不多把他们掏空了，只是他们把那六千块钱补足补够了。
    "喂，"公爵说，"　我又有个主意。我们上楼去数数这笔钱，然后把钱（送给那几个姑娘。）"好极啦，公爵，让我拥抱你吧！这真是个绝妙的主意，谁会想得到！你这脑瓜简直聪明得惊人。啊，这是个绝顶妙计，一定没任何差错。这会儿就让他们犯疑心吧，要是他们怀疑的话，这一招准叫疑心打消。"我们到了楼上的时候，大家全围在桌旁，国王数了钱，将它们摞起来，三百块一摞--规规矩矩20　摞。每个人都瞧着眼馋，垂涎不己。然后，他们重新把钱拿起来，放入袋中，我看见国王开始情绪激昂，准备讲话了。他说："各位朋友，我可怜的兄弟躺在那儿，对留在身后为他的故去而悲痛伤心的人是相当慷慨的。他对这几个可怜可爱的孩子是很慷慨的，她们失去了父母双亲，他爱她们，保护过她们。是的，我们这些了解他的人全知道，如果不是他怕委屈了他亲爱的威廉和我，他对她们做理会（更加）慷慨。啊，他（会不会）呀？这没什么问题，（我）心里明白。好，那么在这时候，要是不成全他，那还是什么兄弟？这几个孩子多可怜可爱啊，他那么疼爱她们，要是在这个时候，我们来抢--对，是（抢）--这些好孩子的钱，那还要是算什么叔伯吗？如果我了解威廉--我（认为）是了解的--他--好吧，我这就去问问他。"他转过去开始向公爵打了许多手势，公爵看着他，傻乎乎木呆呆了一阵，然后突然一下子，他好像领悟了他的意思，跳向国王，使尽力气高兴得咕咕直叫着，拥抱了他大约有15　次才松开。然后，国王说，"　我本来就明白他的意思，我看（这样）会令所有的人相信（他）是怎么个想法。过来，玛丽·简，苏珊，乔安娜，把这笔钱拿去，（全都）拿去。这是躺在那儿的人他的赠礼，冰冷但是会高兴。"玛丽·简朝他走去，苏珊和那豁嘴走向公爵，然后就拥抱呀，亲吻呀，我几乎没见过。大家全围了上来，泪花儿在眼中噙着，简直要把那两个骗子的手握没，异口同声一直在说："你们（高贵）美好的心灵啊！多么可爱！你们（怎么会这么好）啊！"后来渐渐地，所有的人都谈到了死者，说他这人多好，死了多可惜，全是这一套。不一阵，一个下巴坚硬如铁的人打外面挤进来，站在那儿听着看着，不吱一声，谁也不对他讲什么，因为国王正讲话，大家都忙着在听。国王正在说，讲到半路了，他已开了头："他们是亡者特别要好的朋友。这就是他们今晚被邀留下的原因，不过明天，我们要请（所有的人）都来--每一个；因为他敬重每一个人，喜欢每一个人，因此，他的葬礼该是大家都参加才合适。"就这么着他一直稀里湖涂扯下去，好像是说给他自己听。过了一会儿，他又提到他的葬礼。后来公爵实在不能再听下去了，因此在一张小纸片上写道："　葬礼，你个老混蛋"叠起来，咕咕叫着从人们头上递过去给他。国王读了，把它放到自己的口袋里，接着说："　可怜的威廉，尽管他残疾，他的（心里）却总是很明白。他让我邀请每个人都来参加葬..要我对大家全表示欢迎。不过，他用不着操心，这正是我在表示的意思。"接着，他又从容不迫地说下去，十分镇静，仍然间或脱口说出了他的葬禧，就跟刚才那样。当他说到第三遍时，他这样说："我说葬禧，因为它不是个普通词，它不是；葬礼才是普通词。而葬禧才是正确的词。葬礼在英国已经不使用了，如今它被废了。在英国，我们现在讲葬禧。葬禧好一些，因为它说出了我们想说的意思，更为确切。这词是由一个希腊词语的前半部分，其原意是外面，公开的，户外的；再加一个希伯莱词的后半部分构成，希伯莱文中是挖坑儿，盖住，也就是埋葬的意思。所以，你们知道吧，葬禧就是一个公开的公众丧葬仪式。"他是我遇上的（最坏）的家伙。那个硬下巴的人冲着他大笑不止。大家都吓了一跳。都说："　怎么啦，（医生）！"　阿布纳·沙克尔福特说："怎么，罗宾逊，你还没听说这消息吗？这就是哈维·威尔克斯。"国王热情地微笑着，伸出手说："这就是我那可怜兄弟的亲密好友和医生吗？我..""把手拿开，别过来碰我！"　那个医生说，"　（你）说话是个英国人吗--就凭（你）？这是我见过的最拙劣的（模仿）。（你）会是彼得·威尔克斯的兄弟？你是个骗子，那才是你的真实身份。"啊，瞧他们有多热闹吧！他们围着医生，尽力使他平静下来，尽量给他解释，告诉他哈维已怎样从好多方面证明了他是哈维，他知道每个人的名字，甚至每条狗的名儿，他们求他，苦苦地恳求他别伤害哈维的感情和那几个可怜的姑娘的感情。什么好话都说尽了，可是都没有用，他仍然大发雷霆，说谁要冒充英国人，可外语又学得那么糟，那他就是个骗子，就是撒谎。可怜的姑娘们搂着国王的脖子一个戏儿地哭，突然，医生冲着（她们几个）发火道："我是你们父亲的朋友，我也是你们的朋友，（作为）朋友，作为一个忠诚的朋友，就要保护你们，使你们远离伤害，免遭不幸。我告诫你们，别理那个无赖，跟他断绝关系，那是个什么都不懂的流浪汉，他还说什么希腊文希伯莱文，几乎就是白痴。他是那种最容易识破的江湖骗子。他来这里讲了一大串空洞的名字和事实，不知是打哪里打听到的，而你们却把这当成是证据，这里有些糊涂的朋友本来是心知肚明的，却帮了倒忙欺骗自己。玛丽·简·威尔克斯，你知道我是你朋友，是你公正无私的朋友。现在听我的，把这个卑鄙的流氓赶出去--我（请求）你这么做。你愿意吗？"玛丽·简挺直了身子，嘿，她可真端正秀气！她说："（这）就是我的回答。"　她提起那个钱袋，把它放到国王手里，"　把这六千块钱拿去，帮我和妹妹们投资做生意，您看着办，怎么着都可以，用不着给我们打收据。"然后她从一边用胳膊搂着国王，苏珊和豁嘴楼国王另一边。大家拍手使劲鼓掌，脚跺得地板咚咚作响，仿佛打雷一般。这时，国王把头抬得高高的，神气地笑着。那个医生说："好吧，我对这件事撒手不管啦。但是，我要警告你们，你们将来一想起来这一天就会觉得难受的，那个时候就快到了。"说完他就走了。
    "好吧，医生。"　国王说，口气里有几分嘲弄，"　我们会尽力劝她们过去请您的。"　话音刚落，他们便哄堂大笑，他们说这是句妙极了的挖苦话。
Chapter 26
WELL, when they was all gone the king he asks Mary Jane how they was off for spare rooms, and she said she had one spare room, which would do for Uncle William, and she'd give her own room to Uncle Harvey, which was a little bigger, and she would turn into the room with her sisters and sleep on a cot; and up garret was a little cubby, with a pallet in it. The king said the cubby would do for his valley -- meaning me. 
So Mary Jane took us up, and she showed them their rooms, which was plain but nice. She said she'd have her frocks and a lot of other traps took out of her room if they was in Uncle Harvey's way, but he said they warn't. The frocks was hung along the wall, and before them was a curtain made out of calico that hung down to the floor. There was an old hair trunk in one corner, and a guitar-box in another, and all sorts of little knickknacks and jimcracks around, like girls brisken up a room with. The king said it was all the more homely and more pleasanter for these fixings, and so don't disturb them. The duke's room was pretty small, but plenty good enough, and so was my cubby. 
That night they had a big supper, and all them men and women was there, and I stood behind the king and the duke's chairs and waited on them, and the niggers waited on the rest. Mary Jane she set at the head of the table, with Susan alongside of her, and said how bad the biscuits was, and how mean the preserves was, and how ornery and tough the fried chickens was -- and all that kind of rot, the way women always do for to force out compliments; and the people all knowed everything was tiptop, and said so -- said "How DO you get biscuits to brown so nice?" and "Where, for the land's sake, DID you get these amaz'n pickles?" and all that kind of humbug talky-talk, just the way people always does at a supper, you know. 
And when it was all done me and the hare-lip had supper in the kitchen off of the leavings, whilst the others was helping the niggers clean up the things. The hare-lip she got to pumping me about England, and blest if I didn't think the ice was getting mighty thin sometimes. She says: 
"Did you ever see the king?" 
"Who? William Fourth? Well, I bet I have -- he goes to our church." I knowed he was dead years ago, but I never let on. So when I says he goes to our church, she says: 
"What -- regular?" 
"Yes -- regular. His pew's right over opposite ourn -- on t'other side the pulpit." 
"I thought he lived in London?" 
"Well, he does. Where WOULD he live?" 
"But I thought YOU lived in Sheffield?" 
I see I was up a stump. I had to let on to get choked with a chicken bone, so as to get time to think how to get down again. Then I says: 
"I mean he goes to our church regular when he's in Sheffield. That's only in the summer time, when he comes there to take the sea baths." 
"Why, how you talk -- Sheffield ain't on the sea." 
"Well, who said it was?" 
"Why, you did." 
"I DIDN'T nuther." 
"You did!" 
"I didn't." 
"You did." 
"I never said nothing of the kind." 
"Well, what DID you say, then?" 
"Said he come to take the sea BATHS -- that's what I said." 
"Well, then, how's he going to take the sea baths if it ain't on the sea?" 
"Looky here," I says; "did you ever see any Congress-water?" 
"Yes." 
"Well, did you have to go to Congress to get it?" 
"Why, no." 
"Well, neither does William Fourth have to go to the sea to get a sea bath." 
"How does he get it, then?" 
"Gets it the way people down here gets Congresswater -- in barrels. There in the palace at Sheffield they've got furnaces, and he wants his water hot. They can't bile that amount of water away off there at the sea. They haven't got no conveniences for it." 
"Oh, I see, now. You might a said that in the first place and saved time." 
When she said that I see I was out of the woods again, and so I was comfortable and glad. Next, she says: 
"Do you go to church, too?" 
"Yes -- regular." 
"Where do you set?" 
"Why, in our pew." 
"WHOSE pew?" 
"Why, OURN -- your Uncle Harvey's." 
"His'n? What does HE want with a pew?" 
"Wants it to set in. What did you RECKON he wanted with it?" 
"Why, I thought he'd be in the pulpit." 
Rot him, I forgot he was a preacher. I see I was up a stump again, so I played another chicken bone and got another think. Then I says: 
"Blame it, do you suppose there ain't but one preacher to a church?" 
"Why, what do they want with more?" 
"What! -- to preach before a king? I never did see such a girl as you. They don't have no less than seventeen." 
"Seventeen! My land! Why, I wouldn't set out such a string as that, not if I NEVER got to glory. It must take 'em a week." 
"Shucks, they don't ALL of 'em preach the same day -- only ONE of 'em." 
"Well, then, what does the rest of 'em do?" 
"Oh, nothing much. Loll around, pass the plate -- and one thing or another. But mainly they don't do nothing." 
"Well, then, what are they FOR?" 
"Why, they're for STYLE. Don't you know nothing?" 
"Well, I don't WANT to know no such foolishness as that. How is servants treated in England? Do they treat 'em better 'n we treat our niggers?" 
"NO! A servant ain't nobody there. They treat them worse than dogs." 
"Don't they give 'em holidays, the way we do, Christmas and New Year's week, and Fourth of July?" 
"Oh, just listen! A body could tell YOU hain't ever been to England by that. Why, Hare-l -- why, Joanna, they never see a holiday from year's end to year's end; never go to the circus, nor theater, nor nigger shows, nor nowheres." 
"Nor church?" 
"Nor church." 
"But YOU always went to church." 
Well, I was gone up again. I forgot I was the old man's servant. But next minute I whirled in on a kind of an explanation how a valley was different from a common servant and HAD to go to church whether he wanted to or not, and set with the family, on account of its being the law. But I didn't do it pretty good, and when I got done I see she warn't satisfied. She says: 
"Honest injun, now, hain't you been telling me a lot of lies?" 
"Honest injun," says I. 
"None of it at all?" 
"None of it at all. Not a lie in it," says I. 
"Lay your hand on this book and say it." 
I see it warn't nothing but a dictionary, so I laid my hand on it and said it. So then she looked a little better satisfied, and says: 
"Well, then, I'll believe some of it; but I hope to gracious if I'll believe the rest." 
"What is it you won't believe, Joe?" says Mary Jane, stepping in with Susan behind her. "It ain't right nor kind for you to talk so to him, and him a stranger and so far from his people. How would you like to be treated so?" 
"That's always your way, Maim -- always sailing in to help somebody before they're hurt. I hain't done nothing to him. He's told some stretchers, I reckon, and I said I wouldn't swallow it all; and that's every bit and grain I DID say. I reckon he can stand a little thing like that, can't he?" 
"I don't care whether 'twas little or whether 'twas big; he's here in our house and a stranger, and it wasn't good of you to say it. If you was in his place it would make you feel ashamed; and so you oughtn't to say a thing to another person that will make THEM feel ashamed." 
"Why, Maim, he said --" 
"It don't make no difference what he SAID -- that ain't the thing. The thing is for you to treat him KIND, and not be saying things to make him remember he ain't in his own country and amongst his own folks." 
I says to myself, THIS is a girl that I'm letting that old reptle rob her of her money! 
Then Susan SHE waltzed in; and if you'll believe me, she did give Hare-lip hark from the tomb! 
Says I to myself, and this is ANOTHER one that I'm letting him rob her of her money! 
Then Mary Jane she took another inning, and went in sweet and lovely again -- which was her way; but when she got done there warn't hardly anything left o' poor Hare-lip. So she hollered. 
"All right, then," says the other girls; "you just ask his pardon." 
She done it, too; and she done it beautiful. She done it so beautiful it was good to hear; and I wished I could tell her a thousand lies, so she could do it again. 
I says to myself, this is ANOTHER one that I'm letting him rob her of her money. And when she got through they all jest laid theirselves out to make me feel at home and know I was amongst friends. I felt so ornery and low down and mean that I says to myself, my mind's made up; I'll hive that money for them or bust. 
So then I lit out -- for bed, I said, meaning some time or another. When I got by myself I went to thinking the thing over. I says to myself, shall I go to that doctor, private, and blow on these frauds? No -- that won't do. He might tell who told him; then the king and the duke would make it warm for me. Shall I go, private, and tell Mary Jane? No -- I dasn't do it. Her face would give them a hint, sure; they've got the money, and they'd slide right out and get away with it. If she was to fetch in help I'd get mixed up in the business before it was done with, I judge. No; there ain't no good way but one. I got to steal that money, somehow; and I got to steal it some way that they won't suspicion that I done it. They've got a good thing here, and they ain't a-going to leave till they've played this family and this town for all they're worth, so I'll find a chance time enough. I'll steal it and hide it; and by and by, when I'm away down the river, I'll write a letter and tell Mary Jane where it's hid. But I better hive it tonight if I can, because the doctor maybe hasn't let up as much as he lets on he has; he might scare them out of here yet. 
So, thinks I, I'll go and search them rooms. Upstairs the hall was dark, but I found the duke's room, and started to paw around it with my hands; but I recollected it wouldn't be much like the king to let anybody else take care of that money but his own self; so then I went to his room and begun to paw around there. But I see I couldn't do nothing without a candle, and I dasn't light one, of course. So I judged I'd got to do the other thing -- lay for them and eavesdrop. About that time I hears their footsteps coming, and was going to skip under the bed; I reached for it, but it wasn't where I thought it would be; but I touched the curtain that hid Mary Jane's frocks, so I jumped in behind that and snuggled in amongst the gowns, and stood there perfectly still. 
They come in and shut the door; and the first thing the duke done was to get down and look under the bed. Then I was glad I hadn't found the bed when I wanted it. And yet, you know, it's kind of natural to hide under the bed when you are up to anything private. They sets down then, and the king says: 
"Well, what is it? And cut it middlin' short, because it's better for us to be down there a-whoopin' up the mournin' than up here givin' 'em a chance to talk us over." 
"Well, this is it, Capet. I ain't easy; I ain't comfortable. That doctor lays on my mind. I wanted to know your plans. I've got a notion, and I think it's a sound one." 
"What is it, duke?" 
"That we better glide out of this before three in the morning, and clip it down the river with what we've got. Specially, seeing we got it so easy -- GIVEN back to us, flung at our heads, as you may say, when of course we allowed to have to steal it back. I'm for knocking off and lighting out." 
That made me feel pretty bad. About an hour or two ago it would a been a little different, but now it made me feel bad and disappointed, The king rips out and says: 
"What! And not sell out the rest o' the property? March off like a passel of fools and leave eight or nine thous'n' dollars' worth o' property layin' around jest sufferin' to be scooped in? -- and all good, salable stuff, too." 
The duke he grumbled; said the bag of gold was enough, and he didn't want to go no deeper -- didn't want to rob a lot of orphans of EVERYTHING they had. 
"Why, how you talk!" says the king. "We sha'n't rob 'em of nothing at all but jest this money. The people that BUYS the property is the suff'rers; because as soon 's it's found out 'at we didn't own it -- which won't be long after we've slid -- the sale won't be valid, and it 'll all go back to the estate. These yer orphans 'll git their house back agin, and that's enough for THEM; they're young and spry, and k'n easy earn a livin'. THEY ain't a-goin to suffer. Why, jest think -- there's thous'n's and thous'n's that ain't nigh so well off. Bless you, THEY ain't got noth'n' to complain of." 
Well, the king he talked him blind; so at last he give in, and said all right, but said he believed it was blamed foolishness to stay, and that doctor hanging over them. But the king says: 
"Cuss the doctor! What do we k'yer for HIM? Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?" 
So they got ready to go down stairs again. The duke says: 
"I don't think we put that money in a good place." 
That cheered me up. I'd begun to think I warn't going to get a hint of no kind to help me. The king says: 
"Why?" 
"Because Mary Jane 'll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put 'em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?" 
"Your head's level agin, duke," says the king; and he comes a-fumbling under the curtain two or three foot from where I was. I stuck tight to the wall and kept mighty still, though quivery; and I wondered what them fellows would say to me if they catched me; and I tried to think what I'd better do if they did catch me. But the king he got the bag before I could think more than about a half a thought, and he never suspicioned I was around. They took and shoved the bag through a rip in the straw tick that was under the feather-bed, and crammed it in a foot or two amongst the straw and said it was all right now, because a nigger only makes up the feather-bed, and don't turn over the straw tick only about twice a year, and so it warn't in no danger of getting stole now. 
But I knowed better. I had it out of there before they was half-way down stairs. I groped along up to my cubby, and hid it there till I could get a chance to do better. I judged I better hide it outside of the house somewheres, because if they missed it they would give the house a good ransacking: I knowed that very well. Then I turned in, with my clothes all on; but I couldn't a gone to sleep if I'd a wanted to, I was in such a sweat to get through with the business. By and by I heard the king and the duke come up; so I rolled off my pallet and laid with my chin at the top of my ladder, and waited to see if anything was going to happen. But nothing did. 
So I held on till all the late sounds had quit and the early ones hadn't begun yet; and then I slipped down the ladder. 
我偷出了国王骗来的钱。
    人全走了，国王向玛丽·简她们有什么多余房间没。她说有间空房，可以让威廉叔叔住；她愿意把自己的卧室让给哈维伯伯，她那间略微大点，她去妹妹的房里睡，睡在折叠床上。顶楼有间房子，搭着一张小铺，国王说小屋叫他的跟班住--说的是我。
    玛丽·简领我们上楼，给我们看了房间，尽管朴素但是整洁。她说，她的衣服与其他东西要是碍哈维伯伯的事，她就拿出去。不过他说不碍事。衣服顺墙挂着，前面挡着一层花布帘子，直垂到地面。有一只旧箱子放在墙一角，另一个墙角放个吉他盒，四处都摆着各式各样的小玩意儿小摆设，像女孩子平时装饰房间那样。国王说这些摆设让他更觉得像是回到了家，也更加有趣儿，所以都不必动。公爵的房间很小，可也够好了，我的小屋也是。
    那天晚上，他们吃了一顿丰盛的晚宴，所有的男男女女都在一块儿吃，我站在国王和公爵的椅子后面伺奉他们，黑奴伺候别人。玛丽·简坐在上首，苏珊紧挨着她坐，她说软饼如何难吃，果酱多么不可口，炸鸡又是怎样腻人又咬不动，全都这一套废话。女人总是这样说，为的是引人家讲些恭维话。吃饭的人都知道各样做得都呱呱叫，也就是："　你怎么把软饼烤得这么焦黄好看呢？""天哪，如此好吃的泡菜你是打哪儿弄来的？"类似的敷衍应酬的鬼话。人们吃晚饭总这样，你知道。大家都吃完了，我和豁嘴到厨房里去吃剩饭，其他人全帮着黑奴收拾东西。豁嘴使劲儿地盘问我英国的事情，有时候真叫我如履薄冰，生怕露馅儿。她问："你见过国王吗？""谁？威廉四世吗？嗨，当然见过，他去我们教堂。"　我知道他多年前就死了，可我不露出来。因此，我说他去我们教堂时，她就问："什么，常去吗？""对，常去。他在教堂的座位跟我们的座儿正对着--隔着讲坛。""他也住在伦敦吧？""他是住伦敦。他（还会）在哪儿？""可是（你）住在设菲尔德吧"我知道我说露了。我只好装做让鸡骨头卡住了，来缓点儿时间考虑考虑如何下台。后来我说："我是说他在设菲尔德的时候，常去我们教堂。那只有在夏天，他来这里洗海水浴的时候。""咦，你说什么呀--设菲尔德可不在海边。""啊，谁说过它在啦？""咦，你说过呀。""我（没说），没说。""你说啦！""我没说。""你说了。""我可从来没说过这种话。""好吧，那，你究竟说过什么？""说他来洗海水浴呀，这才是我说过的话。""那就对啦！要它不靠大海，他怎么会洗海水浴？""听着，"我说，"　你见过国会矿泉水吗？""见过。""好啦，难到你非得去国会才可以弄到它吗？""当然不是。""那好，威廉四世也不是非得去大海边才会洗到海水浴。""那，他怎么洗呢？""就像这里的人弄国会泉水一样--拿桶。在设菲尔德王宫里，他们自备火炉，他想让水加热了洗。在海边那么老远的地方，他们可不能把那么多的水烧热。他们没烧水的那种设备。""噢，这下我懂了。你要一开始这么说，那就省时间了。"她说这话的时候，我明白我已经摆脱了窘境，因此，我很舒服，也很高兴。接着，她问："你也上教堂吗？""去，经常去。""你坐在哪儿呢？""嗨，会在我们的座儿上啊。""谁的座儿？""我们的呀，你哈维伯伯的。""他的？他要座儿干嘛用？""要座儿坐呀。你说他要座儿干嘛？""哎，我还觉得他会在讲坛上呢。"糟糕，我忘了他是个牧师。我知道我又说露了，于是，我又假让鸡骨头卡住了，好再想一想。然后我说："真扫兴，你以为一个教堂只有一个牧师吗？""咦，牧师多了有什么用？""什么用！--在国王面前讲道啊！我们没看到过你这号女孩儿。他们有不下17　个牧师。""17　个！我的主啊！唉，我可不愿意听那么长的布道，就算永远升不了天国也不。他们还不得讲一星期吗？""废话，他们不是都在同一天讲道，每回只有一个。""那样的话，剩下的牧师干什么？""噢，没多少事干。随意转转，递递教会里的奉献盘--还有些杂七杂八的事。只是平常什么也不干。""那样的话，要他们干什么？""嗨，装装门面。只是你连这个都不知道吗？""嗯，我可不想知道这些蠢事。英国人待仆人怎么样？比我们待黑奴好吗？""一点儿也不好！一个仆人在那里根本不算人。他们待他们简直还不如对一只狗那么好。""他们不给他们放假吗？跟我们一样，圣诞节，新年放假一星期，还有7　月4　日国庆节。""啊，听着！就凭这个人家就知道你没去过英国。喂，豁呃--喂，乔安娜，一年到头，他们从没有假期；从来不看马戏，从不去戏院，从不看黑人演出，从不去任何地方。""也从来不去教堂？""从来不去。""可你总去教堂啊？"好家伙，我又给问住啦。我忘了我是那帮家伙的仆人。不过一分钟，我来了个脑筋急转弯，思索到了一个理由，解释一个跟班与普通仆人有何差异，不管他想不想去，他都得去教堂，和全家人坐在一起，因为这是法律。不过我解释得不够漂亮，我说完之后，能看得出她不满意。她说道："现在，说老实话，你是不是一直对我撒谎？""全是老实话。"　我说。
    "没有丝毫谎话？""没有一点谎话。我说的话一句都没撒谎。"　我说。
    "把你的手搁在这一本书上，再说一遍。"我一看那仅仅一本词典，我就把手按在上面发了誓。这样，她好像稍微有些满意，说："好啦，我相信你说的一些话；可天哪，我还是难以全部相信。""你不信什么，乔？"玛丽·简说话间走了进来，后边跟着苏珊。"　你对他那样说话不合适，也不礼貌，他是个生人，离亲人又那样远。人家要这么待你，你高兴吗？""你老是这样，玛姆。人家还没受委屈你就神气十足地先帮他们。我对他没啥不好。我看他是对我讲了些谎话，我说我不能全信，我只说了这几句话。我想这点小事他还是能受得了的，是吧？""我不管事情是大还是小，他这是住在我们家，在这儿又是初来乍到，你那样说总应该算不得体，要是换了你是他，那会让你觉得难为情的；所以，叫他觉得难为情的话，你就不该说。""哎呀，玛姆，他说..""他说什么也没关系，问题的关键不在这儿。关键是你待他要友好，一切能叫他想到他这不是在自己国家，不是在自己亲人身边的话，都不要提。"我心想，这就是那个我眼瞅着那个老坏蛋把她的钱抢走的好姑娘！
    接着，苏珊开始插话。如果你们能信我的话，她是真的把豁嘴给痛骂了一顿！
    我又在心里想，这也是个好姑娘，我也眼看着他抢走她的钱不闻不问！
    后来，玛丽·简又数落她一阵，接着又柔声细语安抚一番--这就是她历来的作风--她说完以后，可怜的豁嘴再无话可说。所以，她哇哇哭了起来。
    "好啦，"那两个姑娘说，"　你就请他原谅吧。"她照办了。她话说得相当漂亮，真可以称得上悦耳动听；我倒情愿对她撒一千次谎，好让她能再给我说那种漂亮话，请求我原谅。
    我心中又想，这又是一个她的钱被抢走却又不管的好姑娘。当她给我道完了歉，她们都想尽办法让我心里舒服，叫我觉得这是处在朋友当中。我觉得自己又卑鄙又下作又无耻又丢脸，因此我打定主意，要替她们拿到那笔钱，豁出命也得干。后来，我就出去了，我说是去睡觉，实际上则是不定哪会儿睡。当只有我一个人的时候，我就把这件事反复想了个遍。我对自己说，我是不是偷偷地跑去找那个医生，拆穿这个骗局呢？不行！那么做行不通。他或者会说出来是谁告诉他的；然后，国王和公爵就会狠狠收拾我。我是不是悄悄地告诉玛丽·简呢？不行，我可不敢那么做。她的脸色肯定能露出来让他们看出破绽；他们已经拿到了钱，他们会马上溜出来携款潜逃。如果她去找人帮忙，那么等不到把事情办完，我看我就得被卷进去。不行，没别的路好走，只有一个办法行得通。不管采取什么办法，我都必须偷出那笔钱，还得让他们不会怀疑到是我干的。他们在这儿有好事儿做，他们不把这一家人和这镇上的人骗个够是不会走的，所以我会有足够的机会。我要拿到钱，将它藏好，过一阵儿，当我顺着大河走远了，我就写一封信告诉玛丽·简钱藏在什么地方。不过，我有机会，最好今晚就下手，因为那个医生可能不会像他装的那样真撒手不管，他还没准能把他们给吓跑。
    所以，我想，我这就去搜搜他们的房间。楼上的走廓十分黑，但是我找到了公爵的房间，并开始用手到处挨着摸索，可是我想起来了，国王是不大会让别的人来保管那些钱的，除非是他自己管，因此，我到了他房间里开始来回摸索。可我发现，没有蜡烛，我休想找到，我当然又不敢点蜡烛。所以，我想好了，我得用另一个方法--藏着等他们，偷听。正在这时，我听见他们的脚步声过来了，我就想钻到床底下，我伸手摸床，可是，床不在我想的地方，手却碰到了玛丽遮衣服的窗帘，我急忙跳进去躲在后面，在长衣服之中藏好身，静静地站在那里。他们进来关上门，公爵做的第一件事就是弯下腰看看床底。这时我很高兴，觉得也很侥幸。还有，你知道吧，当你想偷偷地做事儿时，自然而然地会想到躲在床下。他们坐下，然后，国王说："唉，怎么着？我正说着话你给打断了，毕竟在下面多让大家讲些哀伤悼念的话，总比我们上来给他们机会议论我们好一点。""啊，是这样，陛下。我心里实在没底，我不踏实。那个医生令我感到不安。我想知道你的打算。我有一个办法，我觉得还是挺不错的。
    "什么办法呀，公爵？""那就是我们最好在凌晨三点以前打这儿偷偷溜出去，带上我们已经到手的钱顺着大河猛跑。尤其是这份钱得来的太容易了--人家给了我们，这可以说是从天上掉进嘴里的馅饼，我们本来以为自然是要偷回来的。我主张赶早收场，尽快逃走。"这可把我急坏了。如果在大约两个小时前，还或许会有所区别，可现在却令我焦急又失望。国王狠狠咒了一句，说道："什么！不把其余的产业全部卖完？像一对傻瓜一样走开却把只要伸伸手就可以捞到的值**千块的产业丢下不要？--那可都是极好的买卖。"公爵嘟囔着，说那袋金币已经足够了，他不想走得太远，不想把一群孤儿所有的一切全抢光。
    "嗨，你说的什么话！"　国王说，"　除了这笔钱，我们一丝都没抢她们的。买产业的人才是受害者；因为一旦他们发现我们不是产业的所有者--那不会在我们偷跑后太久的--交易也就不可能生效，全都会物归原主。这些孤女又可以收回她们的房子，那就够用了，她们年轻，又有力气，容易挣钱活命。她们不会受苦的。唉，想想吧，成千上万的人都没她们日子好过。天地良心，她们可真没有什么可抱怨的。"这样，国王把他说蒙了，所以她终于决定让步了。他说那好吧，但是他还说他相信再留在这儿简直是愚蠢到了顶点，那个医生始终盯着他们。可国王说："医生算什么东西！我们理他干吗？难道我们没有把镇上全部的傻瓜都赢到我们这边吗？在哪个镇上这不都是绝大多数吗？"因此，他们准备再度回到楼下去。公爵说："我看我们放钱的地方不怎么妥当。"这句话让我高兴不已。我本来想不出一点办法来帮助自己。国王说："为什么？""因为玛丽·简以后要穿孝衣，你知道她肯定会先吩咐打扫房间的那个黑奴把这些衣服装进箱子里收拾起来，你说说看到一个黑人碰到这些钱能不顺手借点儿花花吗？""你的脑筋又清楚啦，公爵，"国王说，他走过来在布帘子下面乱摸，离我只有两三英尺远。我紧贴着墙，尽管吓得直想打颤，可还是憋住气一动不动，我不知道这两个家伙如果抓住我会对我怎样，我使劲儿想，要是他们真的抓住我，我得怎么做。不过，我还没来得及把这个念头动到一半，国王就摸到了那个袋子，他一点儿不会怀疑我在他身边。他们拿过钱袋，把它推进羽绒褥垫子下面那个草垫儿中的一个裂口里，又往里塞了大约一两英尺远。他们说这回可稳当啦，因为黑奴只整理羽绒褥垫子，而草垫儿一年也不过才翻晒两回，这么一来就没有被偷走的危险。
    但是，我比他们知道得更清楚。他们下楼没走到一半，我就把它偷出来了。我摸索着爬进了我的小阁楼，先藏在那里，等有机会再找更好的地方。我觉得最好是把它藏到这座房子以外的什么地方，因为他们只要发现钱不见了，肯定会彻底搜查这座房子。我十分清楚这一点。然后，我上床睡觉，没脱衣服，不过，我就是想睡也睡不着，我很紧张，一直想着该怎么来办好这件事。后来，我听到国王和公爵上楼了，我打铺上滚下来，把下巴靠在梯子顶上，等着看是否会有什么事。可是，什么事也没有。
    因此，我就始终坚持着，等到深夜里一切声音都停止了，清晨的动静都还不曾开始，我这才悄悄地下了梯子。
Chapter 27
I CREPT to their doors and listened; they was snoring. So I tiptoed along, and got down stairs all right. There warn't a sound anywheres. I peeped through a crack of the dining-room door, and see the men that was watching the corpse all sound asleep on their chairs. The door was open into the parlor, where the corpse was laying, and there was a candle in both rooms. I passed along, and the parlor door was open; but I see there warn't nobody in there but the remainders of Peter; so I shoved on by; but the front door was locked, and the key wasn't there. Just then I heard somebody coming down the stairs, back behind me. I run in the parlor and took a swift look around, and the only place I see to hide the bag was in the coffin. The lid was shoved along about a foot, showing the dead man's face down in there, with a wet cloth over it, and his shroud on. I tucked the moneybag in under the lid, just down beyond where his hands was crossed, which made me creep, they was so cold, and then I run back across the room and in behind the door. 
The person coming was Mary Jane. She went to the coffin, very soft, and kneeled down and looked in; then she put up her handkerchief, and I see she begun to cry, though I couldn't hear her, and her back was to me. I slid out, and as I passed the dining-room I thought I'd make sure them watchers hadn't seen me; so I looked through the crack, and everything was all right. They hadn't stirred. 
I slipped up to bed, feeling ruther blue, on accounts of the thing playing out that way after I had took so much trouble and run so much resk about it. Says I, if it could stay where it is, all right; because when we get down the river a hundred mile or two I could write back to Mary Jane, and she could dig him up again and get it; but that ain't the thing that's going to happen; the thing that's going to happen is, the money 'll be found when they come to screw on the lid. Then the king 'll get it again, and it 'll be a long day before he gives anybody another chance to smouch it from him. Of course I WANTED to slide down and get it out of there, but I dasn't try it. Every minute it was getting earlier now, and pretty soon some of them watchers would begin to stir, and I might get catched -- catched with six thousand dollars in my hands that nobody hadn't hired me to take care of. I don't wish to be mixed up in no such business as that, I says to myself. 
When I got down stairs in the morning the parlor was shut up, and the watchers was gone. There warn't nobody around but the family and the widow Bartley and our tribe. I watched their faces to see if anything had been happening, but I couldn't tell. 
Towards the middle of the day the undertaker come with his man, and they set the coffin in the middle of the room on a couple of chairs, and then set all our chairs in rows, and borrowed more from the neighbors till the hall and the parlor and the dining-room was full. I see the coffin lid was the way it was before, but I dasn't go to look in under it, with folks around. 
Then the people begun to flock in, and the beats and the girls took seats in the front row at the head of the coffin, and for a half an hour the people filed around slow, in single rank, and looked down at the dead man's face a minute, and some dropped in a tear, and it was all very still and solemn, only the girls and the beats holding handkerchiefs to their eyes and keeping their heads bent, and sobbing a little. There warn't no other sound but the scraping of the feet on the floor and blowing noses -- because people always blows them more at a funeral than they do at other places except church. 
When the place was packed full the undertaker he slid around in his black gloves with his softy soothering ways, putting on the last touches, and getting people and things all ship-shape and comfortable, and making no more sound than a cat. He never spoke; he moved people around, he squeezed in late ones, he opened up passageways, and done it with nods, and signs with his hands. Then he took his place over against the wall. He was the softest, glidingest, stealthiest man I ever see; and there warn't no more smile to him than there is to a ham. 
They had borrowed a melodeum -- a sick one; and when everything was ready a young woman set down and worked it, and it was pretty skreeky and colicky, and everybody joined in and sung, and Peter was the only one that had a good thing, according to my notion. Then the Reverend Hobson opened up, slow and solemn, and begun to talk; and straight off the most outrageous row busted out in the cellar a body ever heard; it was only one dog, but he made a most powerful racket, and he kept it up right along; the parson he had to stand there, over the coffin, and wait -- you couldn't hear yourself think. It was right down awkward, and nobody didn't seem to know what to do. But pretty soon they see that long-legged undertaker make a sign to the preacher as much as to say, "Don't you worry -- just depend on me." Then he stooped down and begun to glide along the wall, just his shoulders showing over the people's heads. So he glided along, and the powwow and racket getting more and more outrageous all the time; and at last, when he had gone around two sides of the room, he disappears down cellar. Then in about two seconds we heard a whack, and the dog he finished up with a most amazing howl or two, and then everything was dead still, and the parson begun his solemn talk where he left off. In a minute or two here comes this undertaker's back and shoulders gliding along the wall again; and so he glided and glided around three sides of the room, and then rose up, and shaded his mouth with his hands, and stretched his neck out towards the preacher, over the people's heads, and says, in a kind of a coarse whisper, "HE HAD A RAT!" Then he drooped down and glided along the wall again to his place. You could see it was a great satisfaction to the people, because naturally they wanted to know. A little thing like that don't cost nothing, and it's just the little things that makes a man to be looked up to and liked. There warn't no more popular man in town than what that undertaker was. 
Well, the funeral sermon was very good, but pison long and tiresome; and then the king he shoved in and got off some of his usual rubbage, and at last the job was through, and the undertaker begun to sneak up on the coffin with his screw-driver. I was in a sweat then, and watched him pretty keen. But he never meddled at all; just slid the lid along as soft as mush, and screwed it down tight and fast. So there I was! I didn't know whether the money was in there or not. So, says I, s'pose somebody has hogged that bag on the sly? -- now how do I know whether to write to Mary Jane or not? S'pose she dug him up and didn't find nothing, what would she think of me? Blame it, I says, I might get hunted up and jailed; I'd better lay low and keep dark, and not write at all; the thing's awful mixed now; trying to better it, I've worsened it a hundred times, and I wish to goodness I'd just let it alone, dad fetch the whole business! 
They buried him, and we come back home, and I went to watching faces again -- I couldn't help it, and I couldn't rest easy. But nothing come of it; the faces didn't tell me nothing. 
The king he visited around in the evening, and sweetened everybody up, and made himself ever so friendly; and he give out the idea that his congregation over in England would be in a sweat about him, so he must hurry and settle up the estate right away and leave for home. He was very sorry he was so pushed, and so was everybody; they wished he could stay longer, but they said they could see it couldn't be done. And he said of course him and William would take the girls home with them; and that pleased everybody too, because then the girls would be well fixed and amongst their own relations; and it pleased the girls, too -- tickled them so they clean forgot they ever had a trouble in the world; and told him to sell out as quick as he wanted to, they would be ready. Them poor things was that glad and happy it made my heart ache to see them getting fooled and lied to so, but I didn't see no safe way for me to chip in and change the general tune. 
Well, blamed if the king didn't bill the house and the niggers and all the property for auction straight off -- sale two days after the funeral; but anybody could buy private beforehand if they wanted to. 
So the next day after the funeral, along about noontime, the girls' joy got the first jolt. A couple of nigger traders come along, and the king sold them the niggers reasonable, for three-day drafts as they called it, and away they went, the two sons up the river to Memphis, and their mother down the river to Orleans. I thought them poor girls and them niggers would break their hearts for grief; they cried around each other, and took on so it most made me down sick to see it. The girls said they hadn't ever dreamed of seeing the family separated or sold away from the town. I can't ever get it out of my memory, the sight of them poor miserable girls and niggers hanging around each other's necks and crying; and I reckon I couldn't a stood it all, but would a had to bust out and tell on our gang if I hadn't knowed the sale warn't no account and the niggers would be back home in a week or two. 
The thing made a big stir in the town, too, and a good many come out flatfooted and said it was scandalous to separate the mother and the children that way. It injured the frauds some; but the old fool he bulled right along, spite of all the duke could say or do, and I tell you the duke was powerful uneasy. 
Next day was auction day. About broad day in the morning the king and the duke come up in the garret and woke me up, and I see by their look that there was trouble. The king says: 
"Was you in my room night before last?" 
"No, your majesty" -- which was the way I always called him when nobody but our gang warn't around. 
"Was you in there yisterday er last night?" 
"No, your majesty." 
"Honor bright, now -- no lies." 
"Honor bright, your majesty, I'm telling you the truth. I hain't been a-near your room since Miss Mary Jane took you and the duke and showed it to you." 
The duke says: 
"Have you seen anybody else go in there?" 
"No, your grace, not as I remember, I believe." 
"Stop and think." 
I studied awhile and see my chance; then I says: 
"Well, I see the niggers go in there several times." 
Both of them gave a little jump, and looked like they hadn't ever expected it, and then like they HAD. Then the duke says: 
"What, all of them?" 
"No -- leastways, not all at once -- that is, I don't think I ever see them all come OUT at once but just one time." 
"Hello! When was that?" 
"It was the day we had the funeral. In the morning. It warn't early, because I overslept. I was just starting down the ladder, and I see them." 
"Well, go on, GO on! What did they do? How'd they act?" 
"They didn't do nothing. And they didn't act anyway much, as fur as I see. They tiptoed away; so I seen, easy enough, that they'd shoved in there to do up your majesty's room, or something, s'posing you was up; and found you WARN'T up, and so they was hoping to slide out of the way of trouble without waking you up, if they hadn't already waked you up." 
"Great guns, THIS is a go!" says the king; and both of them looked pretty sick and tolerable silly. They stood there a-thinking and scratching their heads a minute, and the duke he bust into a kind of a little raspy chuckle, and says: 
"It does beat all how neat the niggers played their hand. They let on to be SORRY they was going out of this region! And I believed they WAS sorry, and so did you, and so did everybody. Don't ever tell ME any more that a nigger ain't got any histrionic talent. Why, the way they played that thing it would fool ANYBODY. In my opinion, there's a fortune in 'em. If I had capital and a theater, I wouldn't want a better lay-out than that -- and here we've gone and sold 'em for a song. Yes, and ain't privileged to sing the song yet. Say, where IS that song -- that draft?" 
"In the bank for to be collected. Where WOULD it be?" 
"Well, THAT'S all right then, thank goodness." 
Says I, kind of timid-like: 
"Is something gone wrong?" 
The king whirls on me and rips out: 
"None o' your business! You keep your head shet, and mind y'r own affairs -- if you got any. Long as you're in this town don't you forgit THAT -- you hear?" Then he says to the duke, "We got to jest swaller it and say noth'n': mum's the word for US." 
As they was starting down the ladder the duke he chuckles again, and says: 
"Quick sales AND small profits! It's a good business -- yes." 
The king snarls around on him and says: 
"I was trying to do for the best in sellin' 'em out so quick. If the profits has turned out to be none, lackin' considable, and none to carry, is it my fault any more'n it's yourn?" 
"Well, THEY'D be in this house yet and we WOULDN'T if I could a got my advice listened to." 
The king sassed back as much as was safe for him, and then swapped around and lit into ME again. He give me down the banks for not coming and TELLING him I see the niggers come out of his room acting that way -- said any fool would a KNOWED something was up. And then waltzed in and cussed HIMSELF awhile, and said it all come of him not laying late and taking his natural rest that morning, and he'd be blamed if he'd ever do it again. So they went off a-jawing; and I felt dreadful glad I'd worked it all off on to the niggers, and yet hadn't done the niggers no harm by it. 
钱被封在了棺材里我轻手轻脚来到他们的房间外听了听，他们正打着呼噜。于是，我就踮起脚尖往前走，一直到了楼下。四周没有一点动静。我打餐厅门缝里偷偷儿一看，守灵的人坐在椅子上都睡着了。那扇门通向客厅，棺材停在客厅里，两个房间都点着支蜡烛。我走过去，客厅的门开着，我看到那里没人，只是彼得的尸体在那儿。我再向前走，从棺材旁边过去，但是，前门锁着，钥匙不在上头。正在这时，我听到有人下楼，就在我身后。我跑入客厅，飞快地环视四周，唯一能藏住钱的地方我看就是那口棺材。棺材盖儿错开了大约有一英尺宽，朝里能看到死人的脸，上面盖了一块湿布，穿着寿衣。我把那个钱袋塞到棺材盖底下，正好搁在他双手交叉的地方稍下一点儿，他的双手那样冰凉，让我身上直起鸡皮疙瘩，接着，我穿过房间跑回去，躲在门后面。
    来人是玛丽·简。她走到棺材旁，脚步极轻，跪下来朝里看看，然后，她举起手绢，我看到她开始哭了，尽管我听不见，她背对着我。我悄悄走了出去，当我路过餐厅时，我想我应该弄明白那些守灵的人确实没看见我才行，于是，我又打门缝里看，什么事也没。他们没动静。
    我悄悄回去爬上床，想想自己费了那么大劲，冒了那么大风险，结果却变成了这样，不免稍觉沮丧。我想，要是钱袋能放在那里不动，还挺好；因为等我们到了下游一二百英里地的时候，我就能写封信给玛丽·简，她就能重新把钱挖出来；可事情再不会那样发生了，可能会发生的情况是：当他们来钉棺材盖儿的时候，就会看见那些钱。这样，国王又会重新拿到它。再找机会从他身边偷走可就不知道得过多久啦。当然，我的确想再悄悄地走下去，把钱从那里拿出来，但是，我不想再试了。这时候，每一分钟天就越来越亮，很快，守灵的就会有人醒来，我或许会被人抓住--手上拎着六千块钱，又没人让我代为保管。我可不想被卷到这一类事情里，我心想。
    早上我下楼时，客厅关上了门，守灵的人走了。在场的就这一家人和巴特莱寡妇，还有我们这一伙。我察看他们的脸色，看是否出了什么事，不过，我没看出来。
    临近中午，承办丧事的人来了，他们把棺材安置在屋子当中的两把椅子上，然后又把我们的椅子统统摆成排，还从邻居家借了好多椅子，直到把大厅、客厅和餐厅全摆满。我看见棺材盖儿还是照样搁着，不过，四周有人，我不敢往下边看。然后，人们开始挤进来，两个骗子和姑娘坐在前排靠棺材的位子上，有半个小时的时间，人们排成单行，慢慢地绕着棺材走，一个接一个垂下头看一下那个死人的脸，偶尔还会有人掉下几滴泪来，周围很静，庄严肃穆，就那几个姑娘和骗子用手绢捂着眼睛，垂着头，抽抽噎噎几下。什么声音也听不到，只有脚步擦着地板在响，还有擤鼻涕的声音--人们总是在葬礼上擤鼻涕，比其他任何地方都多，教堂除外。
    等到屋里人全挤满了，那个承办丧事的殡仪员戴着黑手套静静地轻手轻脚地来回走动，在四处关照着，把各项事务都安排得井井有条，稳妥得当，他像只猫一样，悄无声息。他从不说话，他指挥人不断挪动，把来晚的人拉进来，叫别人给让开路，全凭点头和做手势。接着，他自己站到了墙边儿。他是我见过的最轻手轻脚偷偷摸摸又不动声色的人，他不带一丝笑意，像跟火腿肠。
    他们借来一个手风琴--还有毛病；当大家都准备好了，一个年轻妇女坐下来开始弹琴，吱吱嘎嘎一阵乱响，大家全跟着唱，按我的想法，在场的只有彼得一个人乐得清静。然后，霍布森牧师张口，开始讲话，讲得很慢，相当严肃..葬礼布道词很好，可就是太长了，很腻歪。接着国王又讲话，讲的他那一套废话。终于，事都完了，殡仪员悄悄地拿着螺丝刀向棺材走过来。我急得发慌，眼睛直盯着他。可是他一点儿不多事，只是轻轻地把棺材盖儿推正，拧上螺丝，上得既紧又快。这回我可完啦！我不知道那钱是在里面还是不在。因此，我心想，要是有人把钱偷偷地拿走了呢？现在，我怎么知道该不该给玛丽·简写信呢？如果她挖开墓却什么也找不到，她会如何想呢？糟糕，我想，我或许会被抓起来关进牢里，我最好是隐瞒真情，装作不知，根本就不写信，现在，事情弄得糟极了，本来想做好，结果反倒糟了一百倍，我当初就撒手不管就好啦，真倒霉！
    他们埋了死人，我们就回家去，我又察颜观色--因为我忍不住，心里不踏实。但是，啥事也没有，我从他们脸上看不出来任何情况。
    到了晚上，国王到各家走走，跟人们亲热亲热，装着非常友好，他放出风来说，他在英国那边的教友都很急着让他回去，所以，他得尽快把遗产处理完，动身回家。时间如此匆忙，他很难过，大家也这么表示，他们希望他能多住些日子，不过他们也知道那不可能办到。他又说，他和威廉自然要带这几个侄女一块儿回家。这又让大家很高兴，因为这样一来，那几个姑娘就会得到妥善安排，生活在自己亲人身边。这也叫她们很高兴--她们被哄得心花怒放，简直把她们在世上碰到的倒霉事儿给忘得干干净净。她们告诉他想怎么着就怎么着，把东西卖光，越快越好，她们是说走就走。她们这几个可怜虫是那样快活幸福，看着她们被愚弄被欺骗成这样，我的心痛得十分厉害，但是，我又找不到妥善的办法插话，以改变整个事局。
    啊，国王真的就马上着手，张贴告示，要拍卖房屋、黑奴和全部遗产--拍卖在葬礼之后两天进行；可是，谁想私下提前来买也可以。
    这样，葬礼过后第二天，临近正午时分，那几个姑娘的兴致遭到了头一回的打击。两个黑奴贩子来了，国王以合理的价格卖给他们黑奴，收了他们所说的那种三天期汇票。他们走了，两个儿子去了上游的孟斐斯，母亲被卖往下游奥尔良。我想那几个可怜的姑娘和黑奴难受得心都快碎了，他们哭成一团，悲痛欲绝，叫我看了也觉得肝肠欲裂，几个姑娘说她们做梦也想不到会眼瞅着这一家人被活活拆散，从这镇上给卖走。那几个可怜悲痛的姑娘和黑奴相互抱头痛哭的场面，我一辈子也忘不了，要不是我清楚了这项买卖无效，黑奴过不了一两个星期就会回来，我想我一点儿也受不了，肯定会脱口而出，告发这两个坏蛋。
    这事在镇上也引起了轩然大波，很多人直截了当站出来说，把母子这样给活活拆散，实在令人愤慨。两个骗子也有些伤面子，但是，那老混蛋执意要硬干下去，一点儿也不理会公爵好劝歹说，我看得出，公爵心里是特别着急。
    明天就到了拍卖举行的日子。早上天要大亮时，国王和公爵就来到顶楼，把我喊醒，看他们神情，我就明白出事了。国王问："前天晚上你去我房间了吗？""没有，陛下。"　周围没别人，光是我们几个时，我总这么叫他。
    "昨天或昨天晚上去了没？""没有，陛下。""说老实话，可别撒谎。""是老实话，陛下，我说的是真话。从玛丽·简小姐带您和公爵看房间的时候起，我就从未走进过您的房间。"公爵说道："你看到过别人进去吗？""没有，阁下，我记着没有，我相信。""闭嘴想想。"我装着很认真地想了一会儿，看清楚我有空可钻，然后说："对了，我看见那些黑人进去过几次。"他们俩都吓了一跳，看上去好像是都没料到这一点，然后又像是他们早己料到了。于是，公爵说："什么，他们全进去了？""不是，最起码不是在一次都进去的。也就是说，我记得我没有看见他们全都在一次（出来）过，就那一次。""喂，那一次是什么时候。""是在我们出殡的那天，在早上，也不是太早，由于我睡过头了。我刚开始下梯子，就看见他们了。""快，接着说，接着往下说，他们干什么了？他们有什么举动？""他们没干什么。就我看到的，他们没什么举动。他们踮着脚尖走开了，我看得一清二楚。他们是到陛下的房间里去收拾打扫的，以为您已经起床了，看您还没起来，所以，如果还没把您吵醒的话，他们就希望轻轻地走开，别把您吵醒了惹麻烦。""这话就对啦，这事可糟糕极啦！"　国王说。俩人看着，又难受，又呆傻。他们站在那里挠着头皮想了一分钟，然后，公爵猛然间格格几声冷笑道："这回没什么说的了，黑人这一手耍得多妙啊。他们装作很难受，不愿离开这个地方！我相信他们是难受。你也相信，大家全都相信。别跟我说什么黑人没表演天才吧。啊，他们耍的这一手，骗过了所有的人。依我看，他们还能发财哪。我如果有资金有戏院，我就掏钱请他们表演，那比干什么都强。可在这院，我们却冒冒失失为了那几个钱就卖掉他们。是啊，这会儿还连摸也摸不着那几个钱呢。对了，那几个钱在哪儿？那张汇票？""在银行里等着提款呢。它还能去哪儿？""啊，那就好，谢天谢地。"我怯怯地问："出什么岔子了？"国王挺身冲着我，张嘴骂道："没你的事！别瞎想，管好自己的事吧--如果你有什么要操心的事。但凡你在这个镇上，就别忘了这一点，听好了没？"然后，他又对公爵说，"　我们只得哑巴吃黄连，根本别提这回事：闭紧嘴巴最为要紧。"他们下梯子时，公爵又格格笑起来，他说："卖得快就赚得少！这项买卖做得真好，真的。"国王冲他龇牙裂嘴说道："我快点儿卖掉，本来是想把事情办好。如果事情办完，什么也赚不到反倒赔了不少，一个子儿还带不走，你的错儿比我小吗？""好吧，如果你能听我的话，他们现在还呆在这座房子里，我可早就走了。"国王强词夺理，拚命争辩，又掉过身冲我撒气。他埋怨我看到黑人打他屋里出来又那种举动却没告诉他一声，痛斥我一顿--说哪个傻瓜都能看得出来会出事儿的。接着，他又转而骂了自己一阵，说全怪他那天早上不该睡懒觉，还说他要再这么干就该去下地狱。于是，他们吵着嘴走开了，我特别痛快，把事儿都栽到黑人身上，可对黑人又没什么害处。
Chapter 28
BY and by it was getting-up time. So I come down the ladder and started for down-stairs; but as I come to the girls' room the door was open, and I see Mary Jane setting by her old hair trunk, which was open and she'd been packing things in it -- getting ready to go to England. But she had stopped now with a folded gown in her lap, and had her face in her hands, crying. I felt awful bad to see it; of course anybody would. I went in there and says: 
"Miss Mary Jane, you can't a-bear to see people in trouble, and I can't -- most always. Tell me about it." 
So she done it. And it was the niggers -- I just expected it. She said the beautiful trip to England was most about spoiled for her; she didn't know HOW she was ever going to be happy there, knowing the mother and the children warn't ever going to see each other no more -- and then busted out bitterer than ever, and flung up her hands, and says: 
"Oh, dear, dear, to think they ain't EVER going to see each other any more!" 
"But they WILL -- and inside of two weeks -- and I KNOW it!" says I. 
Laws, it was out before I could think! And before I could budge she throws her arms around my neck and told me to say it AGAIN, say it AGAIN, say it AGAIN! 
I see I had spoke too sudden and said too much, and was in a close place. I asked her to let me think a minute; and she set there, very impatient and excited and handsome, but looking kind of happy and eased-up, like a person that's had a tooth pulled out. So I went to studying it out. I says to myself, I reckon a body that ups and tells the truth when he is in a tight place is taking considerable many resks, though I ain't had no experience, and can't say for certain; but it looks so to me, anyway; and yet here's a case where I'm blest if it don't look to me like the truth is better and actuly SAFER than a lie. I must lay it by in my mind, and think it over some time or other, it's so kind of strange and unregular. I never see nothing like it. Well, I says to myself at last, I'm a-going to chance it; I'll up and tell the truth this time, though it does seem most like setting down on a kag of powder and touching it off just to see where you'll go to. Then I says: 
"Miss Mary Jane, is there any place out of town a little ways where you could go and stay three or four days?" 
"Yes; Mr. Lothrop's. Why?" 
"Never mind why yet. If I'll tell you how I know the niggers will see each other again inside of two weeks -- here in this house -- and PROVE how I know it -- will you go to Mr. Lothrop's and stay four days?" 
"Four days!" she says; "I'll stay a year!" 
"All right," I says, "I don't want nothing more out of YOU than just your word -- I druther have it than another man's kiss-the-Bible." She smiled and reddened up very sweet, and I says, "If you don't mind it, I'll shut the door -- and bolt it." 
Then I come back and set down again, and says: 
"Don't you holler. Just set still and take it like a man. I got to tell the truth, and you want to brace up, Miss Mary, because it's a bad kind, and going to be hard to take, but there ain't no help for it. These uncles of yourn ain't no uncles at all; they're a couple of frauds -- regular dead-beats. There, now we're over the worst of it, you can stand the rest middling easy." 
It jolted her up like everything, of course; but I was over the shoal water now, so I went right along, her eyes a-blazing higher and higher all the time, and told her every blame thing, from where we first struck that young fool going up to the steamboat, clear through to where she flung herself on to the king's breast at the front door and he kissed her sixteen or seventeen times -- and then up she jumps, with her face afire like sunset, and says: 
"The brute! Come, don't waste a minute -- not a SECOND -- we'll have them tarred and feathered, and flung in the river!" 
Says I: 
"Cert'nly. But do you mean BEFORE you go to Mr. Lothrop's, or --" 
"Oh," she says, "what am I THINKING about!" she says, and set right down again. "Don't mind what I said -- please don't -- you WON'T, now, WILL you?" Laying her silky hand on mine in that kind of a way that I said I would die first. "I never thought, I was so stirred up," she says; "now go on, and I won't do so any more. You tell me what to do, and whatever you say I'll do it." 
"Well," I says, "it's a rough gang, them two frauds, and I'm fixed so I got to travel with them a while longer, whether I want to or not -- I druther not tell you why; and if you was to blow on them this town would get me out of their claws, and I'd be all right; but there'd be another person that you don't know about who'd be in big trouble. Well, we got to save HIM, hain't we? Of course. Well, then, we won't blow on them." 
Saying them words put a good idea in my head. I see how maybe I could get me and Jim rid of the frauds; get them jailed here, and then leave. But I didn't want to run the raft in the daytime without anybody aboard to answer questions but me; so I didn't want the plan to begin working till pretty late to-night. I says: 
"Miss Mary Jane, I'll tell you what we'll do, and you won't have to stay at Mr. Lothrop's so long, nuther. How fur is it?" 
"A little short of four miles -- right out in the country, back here." 
"Well, that 'll answer. Now you go along out there, and lay low till nine or half-past to-night, and then get them to fetch you home again -- tell them you've thought of something. If you get here before eleven put a candle in this window, and if I don't turn up wait TILL eleven, and THEN if I don't turn up it means I'm gone, and out of the way, and safe. Then you come out and spread the news around, and get these beats jailed." 
"Good," she says, "I'll do it." 
"And if it just happens so that I don't get away, but get took up along with them, you must up and say I told you the whole thing beforehand, and you must stand by me all you can." 
"Stand by you! indeed I will. They sha'n't touch a hair of your head!" she says, and I see her nostrils spread and her eyes snap when she said it, too. 
"If I get away I sha'n't be here," I says, "to prove these rapscallions ain't your uncles, and I couldn't do it if I WAS here. I could swear they was beats and bummers, that's all, though that's worth something. Well, there's others can do that better than what I can, and they're people that ain't going to be doubted as quick as I'd be. I'll tell you how to find them. Gimme a pencil and a piece of paper. There -- 'Royal Nonesuch, Bricksville.' Put it away, and don't lose it. When the court wants to find out something about these two, let them send up to Bricksville and say they've got the men that played the Royal Nonesuch, and ask for some witnesses -- why, you'll have that entire town down here before you can hardly wink, Miss Mary. And they'll come a-biling, too." 
I judged we had got everything fixed about right now. So I says: 
"Just let the auction go right along, and don't worry. Nobody don't have to pay for the things they buy till a whole day after the auction on accounts of the short notice, and they ain't going out of this till they get that money; and the way we've fixed it the sale ain't going to count, and they ain't going to get no money. It's just like the way it was with the niggers -- it warn't no sale, and the niggers will be back before long. Why, they can't collect the money for the NIGGERS yet -- they're in the worst kind of a fix, Miss Mary." 
"Well," she says, "I'll run down to breakfast now, and then I'll start straight for Mr. Lothrop's." 
"'Deed, THAT ain't the ticket, Miss Mary Jane," I says, "by no manner of means; go BEFORE breakfast." 
"Why?" 
"What did you reckon I wanted you to go at all for, Miss Mary?" 
"Well, I never thought -- and come to think, I don't know. What was it?" 
"Why, it's because you ain't one of these leatherface people. I don't want no better book than what your face is. A body can set down and read it off like coarse print. Do you reckon you can go and face your uncles when they come to kiss you goodmorning, and never --" 
"There, there, don't! Yes, I'll go before breakfast -- I'll be glad to. And leave my sisters with them?" 
"Yes; never mind about them. They've got to stand it yet a while. They might suspicion something if all of you was to go. I don't want you to see them, nor your sisters, nor nobody in this town; if a neighbor was to ask how is your uncles this morning your face would tell something. No, you go right along, Miss Mary Jane, and I'll fix it with all of them. I'll tell Miss Susan to give your love to your uncles and say you've went away for a few hours for to get a little rest and change, or to see a friend, and you'll be back to-night or early in the morning." 
"Gone to see a friend is all right, but I won't have my love given to them." 
"Well, then, it sha'n't be." It was well enough to tell HER so -- no harm in it. It was only a little thing to do, and no trouble; and it's the little things that smooths people's roads the most, down here below; it would make Mary Jane comfortable, and it wouldn't cost nothing. Then I says: "There's one more thing -- that bag of money." 
"Well, they've got that; and it makes me feel pretty silly to think HOW they got it." 
"No, you're out, there. They hain't got it." 
"Why, who's got it?" 
"I wish I knowed, but I don't. I HAD it, because I stole it from them; and I stole it to give to you; and I know where I hid it, but I'm afraid it ain't there no more. I'm awful sorry, Miss Mary Jane, I'm just as sorry as I can be; but I done the best I could; I did honest. I come nigh getting caught, and I had to shove it into the first place I come to, and run -- and it warn't a good place." 
"Oh, stop blaming yourself -- it's too bad to do it, and I won't allow it -- you couldn't help it; it wasn't your fault. Where did you hide it?" 
I didn't want to set her to thinking about her troubles again; and I couldn't seem to get my mouth to tell her what would make her see that corpse laying in the coffin with that bag of money on his stomach. So for a minute I didn't say nothing; then I says: 
"I'd ruther not TELL you where I put it, Miss Mary Jane, if you don't mind letting me off; but I'll write it for you on a piece of paper, and you can read it along the road to Mr. Lothrop's, if you want to. Do you reckon that 'll do?" 
"Oh, yes." 
So I wrote: "I put it in the coffin. It was in there when you was crying there, away in the night. I was behind the door, and I was mighty sorry for you, Miss Mary Jane." 
It made my eyes water a little to remember her crying there all by herself in the night, and them devils laying there right under her own roof, shaming her and robbing her; and when I folded it up and give it to her I see the water come into her eyes, too; and she shook me by the hand, hard, and says: 
"GOOD-bye. I'm going to do everything just as you've told me; and if I don't ever see you again, I sha'n't ever forget you. and I'll think of you a many and a many a time, and I'll PRAY for you, too!" -- and she was gone. 
Pray for me! I reckoned if she knowed me she'd take a job that was more nearer her size. But I bet she done it, just the same -- she was just that kind. She had the grit to pray for Judus if she took the notion -- there warn't no back-down to her, I judge. You may say what you want to, but in my opinion she had more sand in her than any girl I ever see; in my opinion she was just full of sand. It sounds like flattery, but it ain't no flattery. And when it comes to beauty -- and goodness, too -- she lays over them all. I hain't ever seen her since that time that I see her go out of that door; no, I hain't ever seen her since, but I reckon I've thought of her a many and a many a million times, and of her saying she would pray for me; and if ever I'd a thought it would do any good for me to pray for HER, blamed if I wouldn't a done it or bust. 
Well, Mary Jane she lit out the back way, I reckon; because nobody see her go. When I struck Susan and the hare-lip, I says: 
"What's the name of them people over on t'other side of the river that you all goes to see sometimes?" 
They says: 
"There's several; but it's the Proctors, mainly." 
"That's the name," I says; "I most forgot it. Well, Miss Mary Jane she told me to tell you she's gone over there in a dreadful hurry -- one of them's sick." 
"Which one?" 
"I don't know; leastways, I kinder forget; but I thinks it's --" 
"Sakes alive, I hope it ain't HANNER?" 
"I'm sorry to say it," I says, "but Hanner's the very one." 
"My goodness, and she so well only last week! Is she took bad?" 
"It ain't no name for it. They set up with her all night, Miss Mary Jane said, and they don't think she'll last many hours." 
"Only think of that, now! What's the matter with her?" 
I couldn't think of anything reasonable, right off that way, so I says: 
"Mumps." 
"Mumps your granny! They don't set up with people that's got the mumps." 
"They don't, don't they? You better bet they do with THESE mumps. These mumps is different. It's a new kind, Miss Mary Jane said." 
"How's it a new kind?" 
"Because it's mixed up with other things." 
"What other things?" 
"Well, measles, and whooping-cough, and erysiplas, and consumption, and yaller janders, and brain-fever, and I don't know what all." 
"My land! And they call it the MUMPS?" 
"That's what Miss Mary Jane said." 
"Well, what in the nation do they call it the MUMPS for?" 
"Why, because it IS the mumps. That's what it starts with." 
"Well, ther' ain't no sense in it. A body might stump his toe, and take pison, and fall down the well, and break his neck, and bust his brains out, and somebody come along and ask what killed him, and some numskull up and say, 'Why, he stumped his TOE.' Would ther' be any sense in that? NO. And ther' ain't no sense in THIS, nuther. Is it ketching?" 
"Is it KETCHING? Why, how you talk. Is a HARROW catching -- in the dark? If you don't hitch on to one tooth, you're bound to on another, ain't you? And you can't get away with that tooth without fetching the whole harrow along, can you? Well, these kind of mumps is a kind of a harrow, as you may say -- and it ain't no slouch of a harrow, nuther, you come to get it hitched on good." 
"Well, it's awful, I think," says the hare-lip. "I'll go to Uncle Harvey and --" 
"Oh, yes," I says, "I WOULD. Of COURSE I would. I wouldn't lose no time." 
"Well, why wouldn't you?" 
"Just look at it a minute, and maybe you can see. Hain't your uncles obleegd to get along home to England as fast as they can? And do you reckon they'd be mean enough to go off and leave you to go all that journey by yourselves? YOU know they'll wait for you. So fur, so good. Your uncle Harvey's a preacher, ain't he? Very well, then; is a PREACHER going to deceive a steamboat clerk? is he going to deceive a SHIP CLERK? -- so as to get them to let Miss Mary Jane go aboard? Now YOU know he ain't. What WILL he do, then? Why, he'll say, 'It's a great pity, but my church matters has got to get along the best way they can; for my niece has been exposed to the dreadful pluribus-unum mumps, and so it's my bounden duty to set down here and wait the three months it takes to show on her if she's got it.' But never mind, if you think it's best to tell your uncle Harvey --" 
"Shucks, and stay fooling around here when we could all be having good times in England whilst we was waiting to find out whether Mary Jane's got it or not? Why, you talk like a muggins." 
"Well, anyway, maybe you'd better tell some of the neighbors." 
"Listen at that, now. You do beat all for natural stupidness. Can't you SEE that THEY'D go and tell? Ther' ain't no way but just to not tell anybody at ALL." 
"Well, maybe you're right -- yes, I judge you ARE right." 
"But I reckon we ought to tell Uncle Harvey she's gone out a while, anyway, so he won't be uneasy about her?" 
"Yes, Miss Mary Jane she wanted you to do that. She says, 'Tell them to give Uncle Harvey and William my love and a kiss, and say I've run over the river to see Mr.' -- Mr. -- what IS the name of that rich family your uncle Peter used to think so much of? -- I mean the one that --" 
"Why, you must mean the Apthorps, ain't it?" 
"Of course; bother them kind of names, a body can't ever seem to remember them, half the time, somehow. Yes, she said, say she has run over for to ask the Apthorps to be sure and come to the auction and buy this house, because she allowed her uncle Peter would ruther they had it than anybody else; and she's going to stick to them till they say they'll come, and then, if she ain't too tired, she's coming home; and if she is, she'll be home in the morning anyway. She said, don't say nothing about the Proctors, but only about the Apthorps -- which 'll be perfectly true, because she is going there to speak about their buying the house; I know it, because she told me so herself." 
"All right," they said, and cleared out to lay for their uncles, and give them the love and the kisses, and tell them the message. 
Everything was all right now. The girls wouldn't say nothing because they wanted to go to England; and the king and the duke would ruther Mary Jane was off working for the auction than around in reach of Doctor Robinson. I felt very good; I judged I had done it pretty neat -- I reckoned Tom Sawyer couldn't a done it no neater himself. Of course he would a throwed more style into it, but I can't do that very handy, not being brung up to it. 
Well, they held the auction in the public square, along towards the end of the afternoon, and it strung along, and strung along, and the old man he was on hand and looking his level pisonest, up there longside of the auctioneer, and chipping in a little Scripture now and then, or a little goody-goody saying of some kind, and the duke he was around goo-gooing for sympathy all he knowed how, and just spreading himself generly. 
But by and by the thing dragged through, and everything was sold -- everything but a little old trifling lot in the graveyard. So they'd got to work that off -- I never see such a girafft as the king was for wanting to swallow EVERYTHING. Well, whilst they was at it a steamboat landed, and in about two minutes up comes a crowd a-whooping and yelling and laughing and carrying on, and singing out: 
"HERE'S your opposition line! here's your two sets o' heirs to old Peter Wilks -- and you pays your money and you takes your choice!" 
我对丽丽·简说了实话很快地，该起床了。于是，我下了梯子往楼下走去。当我路过那几个姑娘的房间时，房门开着，我看到玛丽·简蹲在她那只旧箱子旁边，箱子开着，本来她正朝里面装东西--准备动身去英国。但是这会儿她已经停下来了，一件叠好的长袍在腿上搁着，脸埋在手中，她哭了。看到这情景，我难受极了，当然，谁都会难受的。我走了进去，说："玛丽·简小姐，你看到人家倒霉受不了，我也是，几乎总是这样。跟我说说吧。"于是她说了。原来是由于那一家黑人--我猜着就是。她说去英国本来是件挺美的事情，可是她的兴致差不多被破坏了；想到那个母亲和她的孩子们永远都不能见面了，她不知道她去了那里怎么会高兴得起来。接着她哭得更加厉害了，双手上下甩着说："啊，天哪，天哪，想着他们母子再也不能见面，该有多难过啊。""不过他们会见面的--用不着两个星期--我知道！"天哪，我连想都没想就说出来啦！还没等我改变主意，她伸出胳膊就搂住了我的脖子，让我再说一遍，再说一遍，再说一遍！
    我明白我说得太突然，话说得太过了，没什么回旋余地。我请她叫我想一分钟。她坐在那里等着，激动不安而又秀气，还有点喜悦和放心的神情，就像一个人刚拔了牙一般。于是，我认真琢磨了一遍。心想，我看一个人到了紧要关头挺身而出说实话，是要冒很大风险的，尽管我没有这些经验，也说不准，不过反正我觉着是这样。而眼下这种情况我看还是说实话比撒谎强一些，实际上还更安全一些。我得把这个放在心上，有时间了好好想想，这可是那种奇特的、不常遇到的情况。我还从没碰到过这种事儿。好了，我最后终于对自己说，我要碰碰运气看，这回我要挺身而出讲真话了，虽然看起来简直就像是坐在一桶火药上，偏要把它点着，看看自己到底会被崩到哪里去。因此我就说："玛丽·简小姐，离这镇不远，您有什么地方可以去住上三四天吗？""有啊--罗斯洛普先生家。为什么？""先别问为什么。如果我来告诉您我如何知道那些黑人还会再见面，不到两个星期，就在这所房子内，还能向您证明我是怎么知道的，您会到罗斯洛普先生家去住上四天吗？""四天！"　她说，"　我可以住一年！""那好，"我说，"　我相信您这话，超过别人吻着《圣经》发的誓言。"　她笑了笑，脸红起来，样子甜甜的。我又说："要是您不介意，我要把这门关上，还要闩上。"然后，我回来又一次坐下，接着说道："您别叫。就这么安安生生地坐着，像个男子汉一样听我说。我要讲实话，您得打起精神，玛丽小姐，因为这不是什么好消息，让人难以承受，但是，我又不能不说。您这两位叔伯根本不是什么叔伯，他们是一对骗子，是坏得没治的骗子。好了，现在我们已经把最坏的部分说过了，下面的事情您听起来就会容易承受了。"这话当然叫她大吃一惊，只是现在我已经涉过了险滩，于是，我就一直说下去。她眼睛里的怒火越闪越旺，我给她讲了每一件应该诅咒的事情，从我们最初碰上那个要搭轮船的年轻傻冒儿，原原本本地讲到她在大门口扑到国王怀里，他吻了她十六七回--听到这里，她猛地跳了起来，满脸绯红，就像是下山的太阳，她说道："畜生！走，一分钟也不能耽搁，不，一秒钟也不..我们要把他们浇上柏油粘上鸡毛，扔到河里去！"我说："当然。不过您是说，在您去罗斯洛普先生家之前，还是..""噢，"她说，"　我这在想什么呀！"　说着，她又重新坐下来。"　请别记恨我说的话，千万别，你眼下不怪我，对吧？"她把她那柔软光洁的手放在我的手上，那种感觉我都想说我宁愿先死掉也不会怪她。"　我一点儿也没有动脑子想，我是被气坏了，"她说，"　现在接着往下讲吧，我再也不发作了。你告诉我该干什么，你说什么我都可以照办。""那好，"我说，"　这两个骗子不好对付，我和他们搅在一起，不管是否愿意，我都得跟他们再往前走上一段--我还是不跟您说为什么吧！要是您要揭穿了他们，这镇上的人就会把我从他们的魔爪里解救出来，那我当然是好啦。但还有另外一个人，您不认识，他可就会有很大麻烦了。我们还必须救他，对不对？当然如此。那么，好，我们先不拆穿他们。"这样说着，我的脑子里有了一个好主意。我看到了如何才有可能让我和吉姆摆脱这两个骗子，叫他们在这里被关起来，然后我们就好走了。只是，我不愿意白天撑着木排赶路时，船上除了我没别人来应付人家的问话，因此，我不想动手太早，想等到今晚夜深之后再说。我接着讲："玛丽·简小姐，我要告诉您我们得怎么做，您用不着在罗斯洛普先生家住那么久了，那儿离此地有多远？""不到四里地，就在这镇子后边的村里。""好，那就可以了。现在您上那儿去，等到九点或九点半，就今天晚上，然后让他们送您回家，告诉他们说您想起了什么事情。要是您十一点以前来到，就在这窗口上放支蜡烛；如果我没露面，您就等到十一点；如果我还没露面，说明我走了，离这儿已很远了，安全脱险了。然后您就出来，传开消息，把这两个坏蛋给关起来。""好吧，"她说，"　我就这么做。""可是，要是事情碰巧发生了，我没走掉，而是和他们一起被抓住了，您应该站出来说，我早已把整个情况跟您都讲了，您得站在我一边尽力帮我。""站在你一边，我当然会这样。他们决不会来碰你一根头发！"　她说。我看到她说这话时，鼻孔张大，双眼也闪着光。我说："如果我走了，我就不可能在这里来证明这两个流氓不是您的叔伯；我就是在这里，也不允许我这么做。我可以发誓说他们是罪不可容恕的坏蛋无赖，我只能做到这一点，尽管这也有点用处。对了，有别的人，他们能做得比我强，他们作证还不像我这样马上叫人起疑心。我告诉您如何找到他们。递给我铅笔和一张纸。您看，'皇室奇物，博瑞克斯维尔。'收起来，别把它弄丢。当法院调查他俩干的事儿时，让他们派人到博瑞克斯维尔去，就说他们抓到那俩演皇室奇物的人了，邀一些人来作证。啊，那里全镇上的人都会赶到这里来，您都来不及眨巴眼，玛丽小姐。而且他们来时还会怒气冠云。"我估计到现在我们已经把一切都给安排妥当了，于是我说："让拍卖会还按老样子进行吧，别着急。因为告示贴出来的时间短，不管谁买了东西都得等到拍卖会完了之后一整天才可能来付钱，而他们不拿到手里钱是不会离开这儿的。照我们安排的情况看，买卖不生效，他们也拿不到钱。这就跟那些黑人的情形是一样的，买卖不成立，黑人们要不了多久就可以回来。啊，他们还拿不到卖黑人的钱呢，他们的处境最窘了，玛丽小姐。""就这样吧，"她说，"　我这就下楼去吃早饭，吃完饭我直接动身去罗斯洛普先生家。""老天，这可不是个好办法，玛丽·简小姐，"我说，"不是，您早饭（以前）就得走。""为什么？""照您看我到底干嘛想叫您走开呢，玛丽小姐？""啊，我一点儿也没想，现在回头想想吧，我还是不明白。这是为什么呢？""为什么，这是因为您根本不是那种厚脸皮的人。您有事都会露在脸上，比写在书本上还要清楚。只要坐下来一看，谁都可以看出来，就像读印着大字的书一样。您可以想象您面对您叔叔伯伯的情形吗？当他们走来吻您，表示早上好的时候，您决不会..""好啦，好啦，别再往下说啦！对，我要在早饭前走，我很乐意走。只是把我妹妹留给他们？""对，不用替她们操心。反正她们还得忍受一阵。如果你们全走了，他们或许会起疑心。我不想叫您看到他们，也别见您妹妹，别见这镇上的任何人，如果邻居问您今天早上您叔伯的情况，您的脸色会泄露出来的。不，您马上走，玛丽·简小姐，我来应付所有这些人。我会告诉苏珊小姐，让她代您向您的叔伯问好，说您要离开几个小时，休息休息换换气氛，或者说是去看一个朋友了，今晚或明早您就回来。。""说我去看朋友就可以了，我可不愿意代我向他们问好。""好吧，那就不问。"　对她这么说倒是很对，没一点儿害处。这只是些小事儿，毫不麻烦，在大河下游这地方，这是能让人心平气顺的小花招，它能叫玛丽·简心里舒服，还一点不费啥。接着，我说："　还有一件事--就是那袋钱。""啊，他们已拿到了那袋钱。一想起他们是（怎样）得到钱的，我觉得自己傻到极点了。""不，这一点您想错了。他们没拿到钱。""那么，谁拿到了？""我要知道就好了，可我不知道。我是拿到过，因为我打他们那儿偷出来了，我偷出来是为了给您，我还知道我把它藏在哪儿了，不过我担心它已不在那个地方了。我很难过，玛丽·简小姐，我难过得很，但是我已经尽力了，我尽了力，说老实话。我险些被抓住，我就只好在当时手碰以的地方随手一塞，拔腿就跑--那可不是什么好地方。""噢，别责怪自己吧，这实在不应该啦，再说，我也不答应。你是没办法才那么做的，这可不是你的错儿。你把它藏在哪儿了？"我不想再勾起她想伤心事。我要告诉了她，她就会想起那个棺材里的尸体肚子上搁着那袋钱，这种话我好像张不开嘴对她讲。因此，过了一分钟，我什么也没讲，然后我才说："我不想向您当面说明我放钱的地方，玛丽·简小姐，如果您可以允许我暂时不说的话。不过，我会给您写到一张纸上，您可以在去罗斯洛普先生家的路上看，要是您想看的话。您觉得这样行吗？""噢，行。"因此，我写道："　我将它放入了棺材。在那个晚上，您在那里哭的时候，我放进去的。我当时站在那扇门后面，我为您感到十分难过，玛丽·简小姐。"想起那天深夜，她一个人在那儿哭，而那两个鬼东西却在她家的屋檐下，骗她抢她，我的眼睛有些湿润了。当我把纸叠好递给她时，我看见泪水也从她的眼里夺眶欲出了，她用力摇着我的手说："再见吧，我全都照您给我说的那些做；如果我从此再见不到你了，我也永远不会忘记你，我会一千遍一万遍地想到你，我还会为你（祝福）！"　她就这样走了。
    为我祝福！我看她要是了解我，她说话简直像个大人样儿。只是我敢肯定她还会照样那么做的，她就是那样的人。她要是拿定主意，她都有胆量为犹大祝福--在我眼中她是敢做敢当。你爱怎么说就怎么说，但是，照我看，她比我见过的哪个女孩子都有胆量，依我看，她几乎是浑身是胆。这听起来如同是恭维话一般，但是，一点儿都不是恭维。再说到美丽漂亮，还有心地善良，她比哪个都强。自从那一次我看见她走出那扇门，我就再也没看见过她。不过，我想她，想着有一百万回还要多得多，还想着她说她会替我祝福；要是我觉得我为（她）祝福能有什么好处的话，我就是豁出命也干。
    好了，玛丽·简是打后门悄悄儿出去的，我看是这样，因为没有看到她走。碰上苏珊和豁嘴儿的时候，我说："　你们偶尔过河到对岸去看的那些人叫什么名字？"她们说："有好几家。但是，主要是上普洛克特家。""那就这个名字，"我说道，"　我险些给忘了。噢，玛丽·简小姐叫我告诉你们她匆匆忙忙赶中那边去了，--他们家有生病了。""谁呀？""我不知道；至少是我给忘了，不过，我觉得，好像是...""天哪，我想不会是汉纳吧？""说起来可真让我难过，"我说，"　不过正是汉纳。""我的天哪，她上星期还好好的呢！她病得厉害吗？""没法子说有多重。他们整夜守在她身边，玛丽·简小姐说的，他们觉得她活不了几小时。".."可是，我看我们应该得跟哈维伯伯说一声，说她出门去了，这样也就不会替她担心了吧？""对，玛丽·简小姐想让你们这么做。她说，'告诉她们，代我朝哈维伯伯威廉叔叔问候，亲他们一下，说我过河去看--看-　-　'你们彼得伯伯过去很看重的那家富人是什么名字？我是说那家..""噢，你是说阿普索普斯家吧？""正是，他们这姓真麻烦，让人总也记不住，有时还真想不起来。是的，她说，她过去是要叫阿普索普斯家一定要到拍卖会上来买下这栋房子，因为她想她彼得伯伯准会觉得他们买去总比让别人给买去强，她要坚持说服他们，直到他们答应为止。到时候，要是她不太累，她就回来了；要是她累了，她第二天早上就会到家。她说了，不要提普洛克特家生病的事儿，只说阿普索普斯这买房子的事儿，这是真话，因为她确实是上那里劝他们买这所房子的，我明白这一点，因为她这么告诉我的，她亲口讲的。""好吧。"　她们说道，一块儿出去找她们的叔伯了，向他们问好，吻他们，并把这个消息告诉他们。
    现在，各项事都妥当了。两个姑娘不会说什么，因为她们想上英国；国王和公爵倒宁愿玛丽·简走掉去为拍卖会找买主而不是留下来跟罗宾逊医生在一块儿。我感觉良好，我觉得自己干得有条不紊--我觉得汤姆·索亚也不会干得比我更漂亮，当然，他会多插些花样儿进来。我不会做得那么在行，因为打小没人教过我那一套。
    那天下午后半晌，他们在广场上举办拍卖会，人们成群结队地涌来，那老家伙亲临现场，正经八百地站到拍卖人身侧，偶尔插进来引用一两句《圣经》，或者说几句假仁假义的话，全是那一套，公爵咕咕叫着来回转，用尽办法逗人同情，借机显示自己。
    后来，拍卖进行完毕，所有的东西都卖出去了，只剩下坟地里的一小块地皮。他们连那个也得卖掉，我还没见过像国王如此贪婪的家伙，恨不得把所有的东西都一口吞下。好，他们正忙得热乎着，一条轮船靠岸了，大约不到两分钟，一群人跑了过来，叫着嚷着笑着闹着，高声喊道："你们的竞争对手来啦？这儿有了老彼得·威尔克斯的两对继承人--你们拿着钱，看好了对象再掏吧！"
Chapter 29
THEY was fetching a very nice-looking old gentleman along, and a nice-looking younger one, with his right arm in a sling. And, my souls, how the people yelled and laughed, and kept it up. But I didn't see no joke about it, and I judged it would strain the duke and the king some to see any. I reckoned they'd turn pale. But no, nary a pale did THEY turn. The duke he never let on he suspicioned what was up, but just went a goo-gooing around, happy and satisfied, like a jug that's googling out buttermilk; and as for the king, he just gazed and gazed down sorrowful on them new-comers like it give him the stomach-ache in his very heart to think there could be such frauds and rascals in the world. Oh, he done it admirable. Lots of the principal people gethered around the king, to let him see they was on his side. That old gentleman that had just come looked all puzzled to death. Pretty soon he begun to speak, and I see straight off he pronounced LIKE an Englishman -- not the king's way, though the king's WAS pretty good for an imitation. I can't give the old gent's words, nor I can't imitate him; but he turned around to the crowd, and says, about like this: 
"This is a surprise to me which I wasn't looking for; and I'll acknowledge, candid and frank, I ain't very well fixed to meet it and answer it; for my brother and me has had misfortunes; he's broke his arm, and our baggage got put off at a town above here last night in the night by a mistake. I am Peter Wilks' brother Harvey, and this is his brother William, which can't hear nor speak -- and can't even make signs to amount to much, now't he's only got one hand to work them with. We are who we say we are; and in a day or two, when I get the baggage, I can prove it. But up till then I won't say nothing more, but go to the hotel and wait." 
So him and the new dummy started off; and the king he laughs, and blethers out: 
"Broke his arm -- VERY likely, AIN'T it? -- and very convenient, too, for a fraud that's got to make signs, and ain't learnt how. Lost their baggage! That's MIGHTY good! -- and mighty ingenious -- under the CIRCUMSTANCES! 
So he laughed again; and so did everybody else, except three or four, or maybe half a dozen. One of these was that doctor; another one was a sharplooking gentleman, with a carpet-bag of the oldfashioned kind made out of carpet-stuff, that had just come off of the steamboat and was talking to him in a low voice, and glancing towards the king now and then and nodding their heads -- it was Levi Bell, the lawyer that was gone up to Louisville; and another one was a big rough husky that come along and listened to all the old gentleman said, and was listening to the king now. And when the king got done this husky up and says: 
"Say, looky here; if you are Harvey Wilks, when'd you come to this town?" 
"The day before the funeral, friend," says the king. 
"But what time o' day?" 
"In the evenin' -- 'bout an hour er two before sundown." 
"HOW'D you come?" 
"I come down on the Susan Powell from Cincinnati." 
"Well, then, how'd you come to be up at the Pint in the MORNIN' -- in a canoe?" 
"I warn't up at the Pint in the mornin'." 
"It's a lie." 
Several of them jumped for him and begged him not to talk that way to an old man and a preacher. 
"Preacher be hanged, he's a fraud and a liar. He was up at the Pint that mornin'. I live up there, don't I? Well, I was up there, and he was up there. I see him there. He come in a canoe, along with Tim Collins and a boy." 
The doctor he up and says: 
"Would you know the boy again if you was to see him, Hines?" 
"I reckon I would, but I don't know. Why, yonder he is, now. I know him perfectly easy." 
It was me he pointed at. The doctor says: 
"Neighbors, I don't know whether the new couple is frauds or not; but if THESE two ain't frauds, I am an idiot, that's all. I think it's our duty to see that they don't get away from here till we've looked into this thing. Come along, Hines; come along, the rest of you. We'll take these fellows to the tavern and affront them with t'other couple, and I reckon we'll find out SOMETHING before we get through." 
It was nuts for the crowd, though maybe not for the king's friends; so we all started. It was about sundown. The doctor he led me along by the hand, and was plenty kind enough, but he never let go my hand. 
We all got in a big room in the hotel, and lit up some candles, and fetched in the new couple. First, the doctor says: 
"I don't wish to be too hard on these two men, but I think they're frauds, and they may have complices that we don't know nothing about. If they have, won't the complices get away with that bag of gold Peter Wilks left? It ain't unlikely. If these men ain't frauds, they won't object to sending for that money and letting us keep it till they prove they're all right -- ain't that so?" 
Everybody agreed to that. So I judged they had our gang in a pretty tight place right at the outstart. But the king he only looked sorrowful, and says: 
"Gentlemen, I wish the money was there, for I ain't got no disposition to throw anything in the way of a fair, open, out-and-out investigation o' this misable business; but, alas, the money ain't there; you k'n send and see, if you want to." 
"Where is it, then?" 
"Well, when my niece give it to me to keep for her I took and hid it inside o' the straw tick o' my bed, not wishin' to bank it for the few days we'd be here, and considerin' the bed a safe place, we not bein' used to niggers, and suppos'n' 'em honest, like servants in England. The niggers stole it the very next mornin' after I had went down stairs; and when I sold 'em I hadn't missed the money yit, so they got clean away with it. My servant here k'n tell you 'bout it, gentlemen." 
The doctor and several said "Shucks!" and I see nobody didn't altogether believe him. One man asked me if I see the niggers steal it. I said no, but I see them sneaking out of the room and hustling away, and I never thought nothing, only I reckoned they was afraid they had waked up my master and was trying to get away before he made trouble with them. That was all they asked me. Then the doctor whirls on me and says: 
"Are YOU English, too?" 
I says yes; and him and some others laughed, and said, "Stuff!" 
Well, then they sailed in on the general investigation, and there we had it, up and down, hour in, hour out, and nobody never said a word about supper, nor ever seemed to think about it -- and so they kept it up, and kept it up; and it WAS the worst mixed-up thing you ever see. They made the king tell his yarn, and they made the old gentleman tell his'n; and anybody but a lot of prejudiced chuckleheads would a SEEN that the old gentleman was spinning truth and t'other one lies. And by and by they had me up to tell what I knowed. The king he give me a left-handed look out of the corner of his eye, and so I knowed enough to talk on the right side. I begun to tell about Sheffield, and how we lived there, and all about the English Wilkses, and so on; but I didn't get pretty fur till the doctor begun to laugh; and Levi Bell, the lawyer, says: 
"Set down, my boy; I wouldn't strain myself if I was you. I reckon you ain't used to lying, it don't seem to come handy; what you want is practice. You do it pretty awkward." 
I didn't care nothing for the compliment, but I was glad to be let off, anyway. 
The doctor he started to say something, and turns and says: 
"If you'd been in town at first, Levi Bell -- " The king broke in and reached out his hand, and says: 
"Why, is this my poor dead brother's old friend that he's wrote so often about?" 
The lawyer and him shook hands, and the lawyer smiled and looked pleased, and they talked right along awhile, and then got to one side and talked low; and at last the lawyer speaks up and says: 
"That 'll fix it. I'll take the order and send it, along with your brother's, and then they'll know it's all right." 
So they got some paper and a pen, and the king he set down and twisted his head to one side, and chawed his tongue, and scrawled off something; and then they give the pen to the duke -- and then for the first time the duke looked sick. But he took the pen and wrote. So then the lawyer turns to the new old gentleman and says: 
"You and your brother please write a line or two and sign your names." 
The old gentleman wrote, but nobody couldn't read it. The lawyer looked powerful astonished, and says: 
"Well, it beats ME -- and snaked a lot of old letters out of his pocket, and examined them, and then examined the old man's writing, and then THEM again; and then says: "These old letters is from Harvey Wilks; and here's THESE two handwritings, and anybody can see they didn't write them" (the king and the duke looked sold and foolish, I tell you, to see how the lawyer had took them in), "and here's THIS old gentleman's hand writing, and anybody can tell, easy enough, HE didn't write them -- fact is, the scratches he makes ain't properly WRITING at all. Now, here's some letters from --" 
The new old gentleman says: 
"If you please, let me explain. Nobody can read my hand but my brother there -- so he copies for me. It's HIS hand you've got there, not mine." 
"WELL!" says the lawyer, "this IS a state of things. I've got some of William's letters, too; so if you'll get him to write a line or so we can com --" 
"He CAN'T write with his left hand," says the old gentleman. "If he could use his right hand, you would see that he wrote his own letters and mine too. Look at both, please -- they're by the same hand." 
The lawyer done it, and says: 
"I believe it's so -- and if it ain't so, there's a heap stronger resemblance than I'd noticed before, anyway. Well, well, well! I thought we was right on the track of a slution, but it's gone to grass, partly. But anyway, one thing is proved -- THESE two ain't either of 'em Wilkses" -- and he wagged his head towards the king and the duke. 
Well, what do you think? That muleheaded old fool wouldn't give in THEN! Indeed he wouldn't. Said it warn't no fair test. Said his brother William was the cussedest joker in the world, and hadn't tried to write -- HE see William was going to play one of his jokes the minute he put the pen to paper. And so he warmed up and went warbling right along till he was actuly beginning to believe what he was saying HIM- SELF; but pretty soon the new gentleman broke in, and says: 
"I've thought of something. Is there anybody here that helped to lay out my br -- helped to lay out the late Peter Wilks for burying?" 
"Yes," says somebody, "me and Ab Turner done it. We're both here." 
Then the old man turns towards the king, and says: 
"Peraps this gentleman can tell me what was tattooed on his breast?" 
Blamed if the king didn't have to brace up mighty quick, or he'd a squshed down like a bluff bank that the river has cut under, it took him so sudden; and, mind you, it was a thing that was calculated to make most ANYBODY sqush to get fetched such a solid one as that without any notice, because how was HE going to know what was tattooed on the man? He whitened a little; he couldn't help it; and it was mighty still in there, and everybody bending a little forwards and gazing at him. Says I to myself, NOW he'll throw up the sponge -- there ain't no more use. Well, did he? A body can't hardly believe it, but he didn't. I reckon he thought he'd keep the thing up till he tired them people out, so they'd thin out, and him and the duke could break loose and get away. Anyway, he set there, and pretty soon he begun to smile, and says: 
"Mf! It's a VERY tough question, AIN'T it! YES, sir, I k'n tell you what's tattooed on his breast. It's jest a small, thin, blue arrow -- that's what it is; and if you don't look clost, you can't see it. NOW what do you say -- hey?" 
Well, I never see anything like that old blister for clean out-and-out cheek. 
The new old gentleman turns brisk towards Ab Turner and his pard, and his eye lights up like he judged he'd got the king THIS time, and says: 
"There -- you've heard what he said! Was there any such mark on Peter Wilks' breast?" 
Both of them spoke up and says: 
"We didn't see no such mark." 
"Good!" says the old gentleman. "Now, what you DID see on his breast was a small dim P, and a B (which is an initial he dropped when he was young), and a W, with dashes between them, so: P -- B -- W" -- and he marked them that way on a piece of paper. "Come, ain't that what you saw?" 
Both of them spoke up again, and says: 
"No, we DIDN'T. We never seen any marks at all." 
Well, everybody WAS in a state of mind now, and they sings out: 
"The whole BILIN' of 'm 's frauds! Le's duck 'em! le's drown 'em! le's ride 'em on a rail!" and everybody was whooping at once, and there was a rattling powwow. But the lawyer he jumps on the table and yells, and says: 
"Gentlemen -- gentleMEN! Hear me just a word -- just a SINGLE word -- if you PLEASE! There's one way yet -- let's go and dig up the corpse and look." 
That took them. 
"Hooray!" they all shouted, and was starting right off; but the lawyer and the doctor sung out: 
"Hold on, hold on! Collar all these four men and the boy, and fetch THEM along, too!" 
"We'll do it!" they all shouted; "and if we don't find them marks we'll lynch the whole gang!" 
I WAS scared, now, I tell you. But there warn't no getting away, you know. They gripped us all, and marched us right along, straight for the graveyard, which was a mile and a half down the river, and the whole town at our heels, for we made noise enough, and it was only nine in the evening. 
As we went by our house I wished I hadn't sent Mary Jane out of town; because now if I could tip her the wink she'd light out and save me, and blow on our dead-beats. 
Well, we swarmed along down the river road, just carrying on like wildcats; and to make it more scary the sky was darking up, and the lightning beginning to wink and flitter, and the wind to shiver amongst the leaves. This was the most awful trouble and most dangersome I ever was in; and I was kinder stunned; everything was going so different from what I had allowed for; stead of being fixed so I could take my own time if I wanted to, and see all the fun, and have Mary Jane at my back to save me and set me free when the close-fit come, here was nothing in the world betwixt me and sudden death but just them tattoo-marks. If they didn't find them -- 
I couldn't bear to think about it; and yet, somehow, I couldn't think about nothing else. It got darker and darker, and it was a beautiful time to give the crowd the slip; but that big husky had me by the wrist -- Hines -- and a body might as well try to give Goliar the slip. He dragged me right along, he was so excited, and I had to run to keep up. 
When they got there they swarmed into the graveyard and washed over it like an overflow. And when they got to the grave they found they had about a hundred times as many shovels as they wanted, but nobody hadn't thought to fetch a lantern. But they sailed into digging anyway by the flicker of the lightning, and sent a man to the nearest house, a half a mile off, to borrow one. 
So they dug and dug like everything; and it got awful dark, and the rain started, and the wind swished and swushed along, and the lightning come brisker and brisker, and the thunder boomed; but them people never took no notice of it, they was so full of this business; and one minute you could see everything and every face in that big crowd, and the shovelfuls of dirt sailing up out of the grave, and the next second the dark wiped it all out, and you couldn't see nothing at all. 
At last they got out the coffin and begun to unscrew the lid, and then such another crowding and shouldering and shoving as there was, to scrouge in and get a sight, you never see; and in the dark, that way, it was awful. Hines he hurt my wrist dreadful pulling and tugging so, and I reckon he clean forgot I was in the world, he was so excited and panting. 
All of a sudden the lightning let go a perfect sluice of white glare, and somebody sings out: 
"By the living jingo, here's the bag of gold on his breast!" 
Hines let out a whoop, like everybody else, and dropped my wrist and give a big surge to bust his way in and get a look, and the way I lit out and shinned for the road in the dark there ain't nobody can tell. 
I had the road all to myself, and I fairly flew -- leastways, I had it all to myself except the solid dark, and the now-and-then glares, and the buzzing of the rain, and the thrashing of the wind, and the splitting of the thunder; and sure as you are born I did clip it along! 
When I struck the town I see there warn't nobody out in the storm, so I never hunted for no back streets, but humped it straight through the main one; and when I begun to get towards our house I aimed my eye and set it. No light there; the house all dark -- which made me feel sorry and disappointed, I didn't know why. But at last, just as I was sailing by, FLASH comes the light in Mary Jane's window! and my heart swelled up sudden, like to bust; and the same second the house and all was behind me in the dark, and wasn't ever going to be before me no more in this world. She WAS the best girl I ever see, and had the most sand. 
The minute I was far enough above the town to see I could make the towhead, I begun to look sharp for a boat to borrow, and the first time the lightning showed me one that wasn't chained I snatched it and shoved. It was a canoe, and warn't fastened with nothing but a rope. The towhead was a rattling big distance off, away out there in the middle of the river, but I didn't lose no time; and when I struck the raft at last I was so fagged I would a just laid down to blow and gasp if I could afforded it. But I didn't. As I sprung aboard I sung out: 
"Out with you, Jim, and set her loose! Glory be to goodness, we're shut of them!" 
Jim lit out, and was a-coming for me with both arms spread, he was so full of joy; but when I glimpsed him in the lightning my heart shot up in my mouth and I went overboard backwards; for I forgot he was old King Lear and a drownded A-rab all in one, and it most scared the livers and lights out of me. But Jim fished me out, and was going to hug me and bless me, and so on, he was so glad I was back and we was shut of the king and the duke, but I says: 
"Not now; have it for breakfast, have it for breakfast! Cut loose and let her slide!" 
So in two seconds away we went a-sliding down the river, and it DID seem so good to be free again and all by ourselves on the big river, and nobody to bother us. I had to skip around a bit, and jump up and crack my heels a few times -- I couldn't help it; but about the third crack I noticed a sound that I knowed mighty well, and held my breath and listened and waited; and sure enough, when the next flash busted out over the water, here they come! -- and just alaying to their oars and making their skiff hum! It was the king and the duke. 
So I wilted right down on to the planks then, and give up; and it was all I could do to keep from crying. 　　他们带来一位风度翩翩的老先生，还有一位潇洒的年轻人，他的左手扯着绷带。我的老天哪，你看，大家那个叫啊笑啊，一直在闹。我可看不出哪一点好笑。我觉得国王和公爵也很难看到有什么好笑的。我猜他们必定会吓得脸色苍白；可是不，他们没有。公爵根本不动声色，他怀疑出了什么事，只是使劲儿地咕咕叫着来回转，又快活又满意，跟一把咕嘟咕嘟朝外倒酸奶的壶。国王呢，眼睛直朝下盯着那两个新来的人看，一副难受至极的样子，就像是他想到世上竟然有这样的流氓骗子，气得他直肚子痛。嘿，他做作得可真绝。很多头面人物都围在国王身边，向他表明他们站在他一边，那位刚到的老先生一脸莫名其妙惊毫不已的神色。不久，他开口说话了，我立刻就听出来了，他的口音像英国人，不是国王那路说法，单就模仿而言，国王也很相当不错。我记不住那老先生的话，也模仿不了他，只是，他转身朝人群说话时，好像是这么讲的："这真令我大吃一惊，我开头绝没料到。老实说，我得说，面对和应付这种情况，我根本没充分的准备，因为我和弟弟碰上了不测，他摔断了胳膊，我们的行李昨晚又让人家搞错了，现在丢在上面一个镇子里。我是彼得·威尔克斯的哥哥哈维，这位是他弟弟威廉，既聋又哑，现在他仅有一只手可以比划，所以，连手势也不大能做得好了。我们说自己是谁就是谁，一两天后，我拿到行李，我就可以证实。不过，在那之前，我不想多说什么了，还是到旅馆去等着吧。"于是，他跟新来的哑巴走开了。国王哈哈大笑，又胡诌道："摔断了胳膊，装得倒满像！啊哈，对一个必须得做手势，可是又没学会怎么做的骗子来说，这是多么方便呀！把行李行了！这一招（特别好）！简直妙极了！在眼前这种情况下！"因此，他又大笑，大家也都跟着笑了，只有三四个人例外，也许有五六个人。其中就有那位医生，还有一个长相很精明的先生，手里提着那种老式的毯制手提旅行包，他刚刚下轮船，正跟医生低语，还不时地朝国王瞥一两眼，两人不住点着头--他就是莱维·贝尔，到路易斯维尔去的那个律师，还有一位大个子，结实健壮，跟那位老先生一道来的，从头到尾听过那位老先生的讲话，现在正听国王说。等国王话音刚落，这个壮汉上前说道："喂，听着，你要是哈维·威尔克斯，那你是何时候来到镇上的？""葬礼前一天过来的，朋友。" 国王说。
　　"那天什么时间？""傍晚，日落前一两个小时。""你是怎么过来的？""我坐苏珊·鲍威号，从辛辛那提来的船。""好，那么，那天（早上）你是怎么到的上游那个码头上去啦--坐着独木舟？""我那天早上根本没去码头。""这是扯谎。"有几个人跑过去，求他别这么对一个老人还是牧师这么讲话。
　　"牧师个鬼！他是个坏蛋，是个骗子。那个早上他在上面码头那儿。我家就住在那儿，这不错吧？我在那里，他也在那里。我看到他在那里儿。他和提姆·柯林斯一起坐独木舟去的，还有个男孩儿。"那个医生上来问道："海因斯，要是你见了那个男孩儿，还能认出来他吗？""我想我可以认出来，不过也难说。" 嘿，那不就是嘛。我很容易就认出他来啦。"他指着的就是我。医生说："各位乡邻，我不知道新来的这一对是否是骗子；不过这两位如果不是骗子，那我就是个白痴，就这话。我认为我们得负责看住他们，别让他们从这里溜掉，等到我们查明白这件事情再说。过来，海因斯，过来，再来几位。我们要把这两个家伙带往客店，叫他们和那两个人当面对质，我想，用不着我们问完，我们就能弄个水落石出。"这对大家都是难题，虽然对国王的朋友们没准不是；因此，我们就动身了。这大概是日落时分。那个医生抓住手领着我走，他对人可真够和气的，可就是一点儿不松我的手。
　　我们都走入了旅馆里的一个大房间，点着了几支蜡烛，把新来的那两个人也喊来。首先，医生说："我不希望跟这两个人太过不去，不过，我信他们是骗子，或许他们还有同谋，我们一点儿不知道。如果有的话，那些同谋会不会把彼得·威尔克斯遗留下来的那袋金币拿走呢？这也不是没可能。要是这两个人不是骗子，他们就不反对把那钱交出来，由我们代为保管，等到他们证明他们是没有问题的时候再谈--这样做好不好？"大家都同意这样办。因此，我断定，一开头他们就会使我们这群人陷入困境。可是，国王只露出愁眉苦脸的样子说："诸位先生，但愿那笔钱还在，可我没有丝毫意思阻止大家调查这件事，要公开的，完全彻底地把这件倒霉事查个一清二楚。可是，唉！那笔钱已经不在了，你们可以派人去查看，只要你们想这么做。""唉，我侄女给我让我帮她保存时，我拿去藏到我床上的草垫子里头了。我们在这儿只住几天，我不想把它存进银行。我还认为床上是个安全地方，我们不习惯黑人，认为他们很诚实，就跟英国的仆人一样。就在第二天早上我下楼之后，黑人已经把钱偷去了；当我把他们卖走时，还没发现钱不见了，因此，他们清白无辜地拿着钱走了。先生们，我这个仆人能给你们说清楚这件事。"医生和那几个人说声"胡说八道！" 我看没人完全相信他。一个人问我是否看见黑人偷钱了。我说"没有"，但是我看到有人偷偷儿走出房间很快跑开，我根本就没想什么，只是觉得他们害怕惹恼我的主人，想到他找他们的事儿之前离开。他们就问了我这一句。后来，那医生忽然转身朝我发问道："他也是英国人吗？""我说'是'，他跟其他几个人大笑起来，说声'胡说！'"接着，他们就开始了全面调查，我们就这么翻来倒去被盘问了一个小时又一个小时，没人提吃晚饭，好像也没人想到这事儿似的，这样，他们问了又问，问个不停，那可最叫人头痛啦。他们让国王谈谈他的经历，又叫那位老先生谈他的，除去那一大块有成见的傻瓜，谁都可以看出来那老先生正在说实话，另一个在撒谎。后来，他们叫我过去说说我知道的事情。国王从左眼角斜我一眼，我就清楚说什么才对。我开始讲设菲尔德，我们在那里如何生活，说的全是英国威尔克斯家的情况，诸如此类等等。可是，我没讲多久，那医生就笑起来了。莱维·贝尔，就是那位律师，说道："坐下吧，我的孩子，我如果是你，我就不这么难为自己。我看你不习惯说谎，说起来好像还不怎么顺口，你需要的是锻炼。你做得很不怎么样。""我一点儿也不在乎这些恭维的话，可我很高兴总算是放过我了。"医生开口说话，转身道："如果你一开始就来镇上的话，莱维·贝尔.."国王连忙插话，伸出手来说："噢，这位就是我那可怜兄弟常写信提到的老朋友吗？"律师跟他握握手，微笑着，显得十分快活，他们马上谈了一阵，然后又走到一边小声交谈。最后，律师大声说："这么办就解决问题了。我把它跟你兄弟的声明一起递上去，到时候他们就知道没什么问题了。"于是，他们拿出几张纸和一支笔，国王坐下来，头歪到一边，嚼着舌头，乱划了一气，然后，他们又把笔递给公爵--公爵这才第一次显出不自在的表情。但是，他接过笔写了字。然后，律师转向那位新来的老先生说："也请你和你兄弟写上两行字，签上你们的名字。"那老先生写了，只是，谁也看不清他写的字。律师看来很惊讶，他说："啊，这下可真为难我了。" 他猛地从口袋里抽出许多信来，仔细看着，又认真看看那老人写的字，接着又对比着看，最后说道：" 这些是哈维·威尔克斯寄过来的旧信；这里是这两位的笔迹，谁都可以看出来这不是他们写的。" (国王和公爵一脸上当受骗傻瓜笨蛋的模样，眼看着律师设圈套捉弄了他们。)"这是这位老先生的笔迹，清楚明白，谁都看得出来，这些信不是他写的。事实上，他涂抹的根本算不上是什么字。这里还有一封信，是..."那位新来的老先生插话说："请听我来解释，众位。除了我这个兄弟，没人认识我的手迹--因此，他替我抄写。你这里的这几封信是他的手迹，而不是我的。""啊！" 律师说，" 这倒是件挺稀罕的事。我这儿也有威廉的几封信，因此，要是你能叫他写上一两行，我们就可以..""他现在不能用右手写，"老先生说，" 如果他能用右手写，你会看出来我的信跟他的信是一个人写的。请把两种信都看看--它们出自一个人的手迹。"律师看了看，说："我相信如此，即使不是这样，反正也有许多非常相似之处，我过去倒没注意过。好啦，好啦，好啦！我本来想我们很快就可以找到解决的途径，谁知在一定程度上又发现了偏差。只是，不管怎么说，有一点是证实了：（这俩）没有一个是威尔克斯家的人。" 他冲国王和公爵摇摇头。
　　嘿，你猜怎么着？都到了这份儿上了，那个驴子脑袋的老傻瓜还不想服输！确实他也不服。他说这种测试不公平。他说他兄弟威廉是个缺德鬼，又爱开玩笑，他刚才一点儿没打算写好--威廉一拿起笔要在纸上写字时，他就看出来了威廉想开个大玩笑。就这样他又来劲儿了，哇啦哇啦直说个不停，说得还真有些相信他说的话来了，当然是他自己信。很快，那新来的老先生插嘴道："我想起一件事。这里有没有人帮过忙，替我弟--那位刚过世的彼得·威尔克斯入殓？""有，"有人答话，" 是我和阿布·特纳一起干的。我们俩都在。"然后，那老人转向国王说："或许这位拜能告诉我他胸口刺的是什么样的花纹吧？"见鬼，国王不得不马上强打精神来对付，否则，他就会像被大水冲走了根基的堤岸一样轰然坍塌。问题来得如此突然，跟你说吧，冷不丁地提出这么个有根有据的问题，任谁都会手足无措，因为他如何会知道那人身上刺的什么花纹呢？他脸色煞白了一阵儿，这是不由自主，房里特别静，每个人都朝前倾着身体，盯着他看。我心想，这回他准得认输了，再怎么着也没用。好嘛，他认输吗？恐怕谁都不会相信，可他就是不低头。我看他是想这么硬撑着，等到把他们这帮人都累垮了，他们就会散去，他和公爵好脱身逃走。不论怎样，他坐在那里，不久，他开始微笑，说着："嗬！这可是个非常难答的问题呀，不是吗？是的，先生，我可以告诉你他胸前刺的花纹。那是个小小的、细细的蓝色箭头，刺的就是那个，如果你不细看，你还看不见。现在，你有什么可说的，喂？"我可真没见过这样的一点儿脸皮都不要的老坏蛋。
　　那位新来的老先生兴冲冲地转向阿布·特纳和他的同伴，眼睛发亮，像是这一回他断定他抓到国王的把柄了，他说："好啦，你们都听到他说的话啦！彼得·威尔克斯胸口有这种记号吗？"两个人一齐说道："我们没看到这种记号。""好！" 老先生说，" 其实，你们在他胸口看到的是一个极小的、不甚清楚的P 和一个B(这是个名字的第一个字母，他年轻时已经不用了)，还有一个W，三个字母中间有连字符，是这样的：P- B-W。" --他还在一张纸上照样给画了出来。"来，你们看到的是否是这个？"两个人又一起开口说："不，我们没看见。我们根本没看到什么记号。"老天，每个人这阵子可都耐不住了，他们高叫起来："全是骗子！把他们摁到水里！淹死他们！把他们抬着扛上游街！" 大家一齐嚷嚷，噼哩啪啦，乱成一团。不过，那个律师跳往桌上，喊着说："诸位--诸--位！听我一句话，就一句话，请你们（听着啊）！还有一个方法，我们去把尸体挖出来看看。"这一来把他们镇住了。
　　"好哇！" 他们都欢呼起来，立刻就要动身，但是，那个律师和医生喊道："停，停！抓住这四个人和这小孩子，带他们一起去！""我们就这么办！" 他们一齐喊：" 如果找不见这些记号的话，我们就把这群人都绞死！"这下，我真被吓坏了，告诉你吧。不过你也知道，我也没法子逃走。他们紧紧地抓住我们几个，一块儿向前走，径直往坟地里，在大河下面一英里半的地方，全镇的人都跟在我们身后，由于我们的吵闹声太大了，当时刚晚上九点钟。
　　当我路过我们那所房子的时候，我想，如果我没让玛丽·简到镇外去有多好；因为这会儿，如果我给她使个眼色，她就会立刻跑过来搭救我，让那两个该死的坏蛋名誉扫地。
　　这样，我们蜂拥着沿河边的大路朝前走，吵吵闹闹乱喊乱叫如同一群野猫。更令人惊恐不安的是，天也黑起来了，闪电开始在空中划过，风吹动树叶瑟瑟直颤。这是我碰上的最可怕最危险的遭遇，我给吓得有些晕晕的，什么事情跟我当初考虑的完全两样了。要是按我的安排，如果我愿意的话，我可以悠悠闲闲地从头至尾看热闹，遇到紧急关头还能让玛丽为我撑腰，救我出去，给我自由。可是现在，这个世上什么都指望不上了，在我和突然死亡中间，全凭着胸口刺的那些花纹。如果他们找不到那些--我几乎不敢再想下去了。可是，不知怎么回事，我又想不起来别的事情。天越来越黑，这可是甩掉这帮人的绝好时机。可是，那个高个子壮汉紧攥着我的手腕儿--就是那个海因斯--想挣脱他简直就像是想从歌利亚手里逃脱一样难。他拖着我走，他太激动了，我得不断跑步才能跟上他。
　　他们去了那里，一下子拥入坟地，像泛滥的潮水一样把坟地淹没了。他们找见那座坟，这才发觉他们带的铁锨比需要的能多出近百倍，可就没有人想到得带盏灯来。但是，他们还是借着闪电的亮光立即动手挖掘，并且派人到半英里地外最近的人家去借盏灯。
　　他们疯狂地挖呀挖呀，天黑得吓人，雨开始下了，风嗖嗖呼呼地刮，闪电越闪越亮，雷声也轰隆轰隆响个不停，但是，那些人一点儿没在意，他们心里装满了这件事。闪电一晃的瞬间，你可以看清那一大群人的每个动作，每张脸，还有从塞穴里挖出来一锨一锨挥舞的泥土，又是一晃，黑暗便笼罩了一切，你什么也看不清。
　　最后，他们挖出了棺材，开始拧螺丝卸棺材盖儿，这阵，又一阵人拥肩挤，相互推搡，全想靠到近前看个热闹，那情景你简直没见过；在黑暗中，那个挤法儿真可怕。海因斯生拉硬拽，把我的手腕儿握得生痛，我看他是把我的存在忘得一干二净了，他太激动了，喘着粗气。
　　猛然间，一道闪电划出一大片白光，有人叫道："啊，老天作证，他胸口是那袋金币！"海因斯跟别人一样一声呼叫，丢开我的手腕儿，情绪激昂，拼命往里挤，想看上一眼。趁着一团漆黑，我撒腿就奔，朝大跑上飞跑，那股劲头儿，谁都受不了。
　　我一个人在路上跑着，疾步如飞。除了深夜的黑暗，一阵一阵的闪电，咝咝雨声，呼呼风吹，还有那霹雳雷鸣，一路上就我一个人，确确实实，我是在朝前飞！
　　我跑到镇上，看见没人在外面的暴风雨中，因此，根本就用不着找背街巷，而是在大街上直穿过去；当我开始往我们房子那边跑去时，我眯着眼睛看了看。那里没有灯光，整座房子漆黑一片--这令我感到难过与失望，我不明白为什么。可是，当我就要跑过去时，刷的一道灯光闪现在玛丽·简的窗口！我的心猛地跳起来，像要爆炸。转瞬间，那座房子跟周围的一切全都留到我身后的黑暗中了，在这个世界上再也不会出现在我面前了。她是我见过的最好的姑娘，最有勇气和胆量。
　　我跑走，离开那个镇，看到可以朝沙洲方向去了，我就开始细细找，想借条船用。闪电一亮，我看到有一条船没用链条拴，我抓过来划开了。这是只独木舟，只拴了根绳子。沙洲还有很远一段距离，在大河正中。但我，我一点也没耽搁，当我终于划到了木排那儿，累趴下了，如果耽搁得起的话，我真想躺下来喘口气，可我没有。我一跳上木排就喊："出来呀，吉姆，快解开木排！感谢上帝，我们终于甩掉他们啦！"吉姆赶紧出来，两臂张着向我走来，他满心欢喜。但是，当我趁着闪电瞥到他的时候，我的心一下跳到了嗓子眼儿里，我倒背着一个跟头栽到水里。因为我忘了，他既穿着老李尔王的衣服，又活像个淹死的阿拉伯人，他险些把我吓得灵魂出窍。只是，吉姆把我捞了上来，马上就要拥抱我，祝福我。我能回来，并且我们还甩掉了国王和公爵，他简直高兴坏了，但是我说："现在不行，等吃过早饭再说，等吃过早饭再说，解开木排，让它漂吧！"这样，一两秒钟之后，我们就漂出去了，顺着大河朝下漂，一条大河就我们俩，没人来搅和，重获自由了，真好啊。我不由自主地来回蹦跶几下，跳起来磕磕脚后跟，可以说情不自禁。但是，大约磕到第三下，我听到一种声音，特别耳熟，我屏住呼吸细细听着等着，当又一道闪光划过水面时，一点儿没错，他们来啦！--正拼命划浆，划得他们的小船吱吱叫！正是国王和公爵。
　　接着，我一下子垮了下来，瘫倒在木排板上，事已至此，只得认命。我所能做的一切，光是忍住自己的悲伤。
Chapter 30
WHEN they got aboard the king went for me, and shook me by the collar, and says: 
"Tryin' to give us the slip, was ye, you pup! Tired of our company, hey?" 
I says: 
"No, your majesty, we warn't -- PLEASE don't, your majesty!" 
"Quick, then, and tell us what WAS your idea, or I'll shake the insides out o' you!" 
"Honest, I'll tell you everything just as it happened, your majesty. The man that had a-holt of me was very good to me, and kept saying he had a boy about as big as me that died last year, and he was sorry to see a boy in such a dangerous fix; and when they was all took by surprise by finding the gold, and made a rush for the coffin, he lets go of me and whispers, 'Heel it now, or they'll hang ye, sure!' and I lit out. It didn't seem no good for ME to stay -- I couldn't do nothing, and I didn't want to be hung if I could get away. So I never stopped running till I found the canoe; and when I got here I told Jim to hurry, or they'd catch me and hang me yet, and said I was afeard you and the duke wasn't alive now, and I was awful sorry, and so was Jim, and was awful glad when we see you coming; you may ask Jim if I didn't." 
Jim said it was so; and the king told him to shut up, and said, "Oh, yes, it's MIGHTY likely!" and shook me up again, and said he reckoned he'd drownd me. But the duke says: 
"Leggo the boy, you old idiot! Would YOU a done any different? Did you inquire around for HIM when you got loose? I don't remember it." 
So the king let go of me, and begun to cuss that town and everybody in it. But the duke says: 
"You better a blame' sight give YOURSELF a good cussing, for you're the one that's entitled to it most. You hain't done a thing from the start that had any sense in it, except coming out so cool and cheeky with that imaginary blue-arrow mark. That WAS bright -- it was right down bully; and it was the thing that saved us. For if it hadn't been for that they'd a jailed us till them Englishmen's baggage come -- and then -- the penitentiary, you bet! But that trick took 'em to the graveyard, and the gold done us a still bigger kindness; for if the excited fools hadn't let go all holts and made that rush to get a look we'd a slept in our cravats to-night -- cravats warranted to WEAR, too -- longer than WE'D need 'em." 
They was still a minute -- thinking; then the king says, kind of absent-minded like: 
"Mf! And we reckoned the NIGGERS stole it!" 
That made me squirm! 
"Yes," says the duke, kinder slow and deliberate and sarcastic, "WE did." 
After about a half a minute the king drawls out: 
"Leastways, I did." 
The duke says, the same way: 
"On the contrary, I did." 
The king kind of ruffles up, and says: 
"Looky here, Bilgewater, what'r you referrin' to?" 
The duke says, pretty brisk: 
"When it comes to that, maybe you'll let me ask, what was YOU referring to?" 
"Shucks!" says the king, very sarcastic; "but I don't know -- maybe you was asleep, and didn't know what you was about." 
The duke bristles up now, and says: 
"Oh, let UP on this cussed nonsense; do you take me for a blame' fool? Don't you reckon I know who hid that money in that coffin?" 
"YES, sir! I know you DO know, because you done it yourself!" 
"It's a lie!" -- and the duke went for him. The king sings out: 
"Take y'r hands off! -- leggo my throat! -- I take it all back!" 
The duke says: 
"Well, you just own up, first, that you DID hide that money there, intending to give me the slip one of these days, and come back and dig it up, and have it all to yourself." 
"Wait jest a minute, duke -- answer me this one question, honest and fair; if you didn't put the money there, say it, and I'll b'lieve you, and take back everything I said." 
"You old scoundrel, I didn't, and you know I didn't. There, now!" 
"Well, then, I b'lieve you. But answer me only jest this one more -- now DON'T git mad; didn't you have it in your mind to hook the money and hide it?" 
The duke never said nothing for a little bit; then he says: 
"Well, I don't care if I DID, I didn't DO it, anyway. But you not only had it in mind to do it, but you DONE it." 
"I wisht I never die if I done it, duke, and that's honest. I won't say I warn't goin' to do it, because I WAS; but you -- I mean somebody -- got in ahead o' me." 
"It's a lie! You done it, and you got to SAY you done it, or --" 
The king began to gurgle, and then he gasps out: 
"'Nough! -- I OWN UP!" 
I was very glad to hear him say that; it made me feel much more easier than what I was feeling before. So the duke took his hands off and says: 
"If you ever deny it again I'll drown you. It's WELL for you to set there and blubber like a baby -- it's fitten for you, after the way you've acted. I never see such an old ostrich for wanting to gobble everything -- and I a-trusting you all the time, like you was my own father. You ought to been ashamed of yourself to stand by and hear it saddled on to a lot of poor niggers, and you never say a word for 'em. It makes me feel ridiculous to think I was soft enough to BELIEVE that rubbage. Cuss you, I can see now why you was so anxious to make up the deffisit -- you wanted to get what money I'd got out of the Nonesuch and one thing or another, and scoop it ALL!" 
The king says, timid, and still a-snuffling: 
"Why, duke, it was you that said make up the deffisit; it warn't me." 
"Dry up! I don't want to hear no more out of you!" says the duke. "And NOW you see what you GOT by it. They've got all their own money back, and all of OURN but a shekel or two BESIDES. G'long to bed, and don't you deffersit ME no more deffersits, long 's YOU live!" 
So the king sneaked into the wigwam and took to his bottle for comfort, and before long the duke tackled HIS bottle; and so in about a half an hour they was as thick as thieves again, and the tighter they got the lovinger they got, and went off a-snoring in each other's arms. They both got powerful mellow, but I noticed the king didn't get mellow enough to forget to remember to not deny about hiding the money-bag again. That made me feel easy and satisfied. Of course when they got to snoring we had a long gabble, and I told Jim everything. 　　他们一搭上木排，国王就朝我冲了过来，扯着我的衣领喝问："想甩掉我们，是吗？你这小畜生！烦和我们作伴了--嗯？"我说："不是，陛下，我们不是--请别这么做--陛下！""那么，快说，告诉我们你到底想怎么着，否则，我就可以把你的五脏六腑都给摇出来！""实话，我想把一切都照实对您讲，陛下。抓我的那人对我很好，不住说他有过一个儿子，和我年纪相仿，去年死了，他看见一个小孩子处境这么凶，心里很难过，当他们发现了那些金币时，大吃一惊，都拼命挤过去看棺材，他就松开了我的手，低声对我说，'快跑吧，他们一定会绞死你！'我就跑了。我再留下来也对我没什么好处，我什么也干不了，如果能跑的话，我也不想叫人绞死。所以我一直不停地跑，最后寻到了独木舟，我跳上木排后，就告诉吉姆赶紧开，否则他们还会抓住我并把我绞死。还说恐怕这阵你和爵已不在人世了，我难过极了，吉姆也难过极了；现在又见到你们了，我们又高兴极了。你可以问问吉姆我是不是那么说的。"吉姆说我是那么说的，国王让他闭嘴，说道：" 噢，是嘛，这倒很有可能！" 又抓住我摇晃起来，说他会淹死我。但是，公爵说："放开那孩子，你这老混蛋！换了你，你还不是会照样这么做？你挣脱之后，找过他的下落吗？我可不记得你曾这么做过。"因此，国王松开手，开始大骂那个镇，骂镇上的每一个人。可公爵又说："你最好是把（你自己）臭骂一通，因为最该挨骂的人是你自己。从刚开头，你就没做过一件头脑清醒的事情，除了后来满不在乎、厚颜无耻地凭空说出那个蓝箭头。那话（确实）聪明，绝妙之至，就是那句话救了我们。因为要不是那句话，他们就能把我们押起来，等着那两个英国人的行李来了，到那时，蹲监狱，绝对不会错！但是那个诡计把他们带向了坟地，那袋金币帮了我们一个更大的忙，因为要是那帮激动不已的傻瓜不是松开手拼命挤过去都想看上一眼，我们今天晚上都得系着我们的领带睡觉--领带可是经过批准得我们必须戴上的--比我们需要的可是要长啊。"他们平静了一会儿，在思考，接着国王说话了，他有些心不在焉："哼！我们还以为是（黑人）偷去的呢！"这可真叫我胆颤心惊！
　　"是啊，"公爵说，慢条斯理、一板一眼地，还带一丝挖苦人的口气，" （我们）的确那么想。"过了大概半分钟，国王才慢吞吞地说出口："最起码（我）是这么想。"公爵说话了，神态一模一样。
　　"刚好相反，是（我）这么想。"国王有些冒火，说道："不对劲吧，比尔奇活特，你这是什么意思？"公爵说，口气尖酸刻薄："既已说到这一步，或许，你该让我问一把，（你）这是何意思呢？""废话！" 国王也很尖酸地说，" 不过（我）是不知道。没准你是睡着了，不知道自己在讲些什么呢。"公爵气得头发全竖起来了，说道："啊，（打住）这些可恶的废话！你把我当个该死的傻瓜了吗？难道你认为（我）知道谁把钱放到那个棺材里了吗？""是啊，先生！我知道你确实知道--因为那是你自己放的！""扯谎！" 公爵奔他冲过去。国王高喊："放开手！松开我的喉咙！我收回我刚才说的话！"公爵说：" 好吧，首先，你得坦白承认，你的确把那钱藏到了那里，计划有一天甩掉我，回来把钱挖出来，全归你自己。""稍等一分钟，分爵，回答我个问题，要规规矩矩地，要是你没把钱放进那里，你说一声，我肯定相信你，并收回我说过的每句话。""你这个老混蛋，我没有，你知道我没有的。嗨，再来一下！""好啦，我相信你。可是再回答我一个问题--现在千万别发火：你脑子里没有过把钱偷走给藏起来的念头吗？"公爵一声不响地顿了顿，然后他说："好，就算有过那念头我也不管，但我没有那么（做）。可你不但脑子里存了那念头，并且你还的确那么（做）了。""我要那样做了就不得好死，公爵，这是实话。我不说我没想过那么做，因为我确实（打算）过；可是你--我是说有个人--赶到我前面了。""这是撒谎，你做了，你得说出来你做了，否则.."国王开始格格叫唤，接着他喘着粗气道："够啦！我（承认）！"我很高兴能听到他说这话，它让我觉得比刚才的感觉轻松了许多。于是，公爵松开他的手，说道："如果你再抵赖，我就淹死你。你坐到那儿，像个小孩儿似的吧嗒吧嗒掉眼泪，这挺好，你干了那种事，这对你很合适。我还没见过这么个顾头不顾尾的老家伙，竟想把一切全吞下，我还一直相信你，就仿佛你是我的亲生父亲。你应该为自己感到害臊，你袖手旁观，听任人家把这事儿栽到一帮可怜的黑人身上，却从不替他们说上一句好话。想想我头脑简单到竟然相信了那种鬼话，这真让我觉得好笑。你这该死的东西，现在我才想清楚当初你为什么那么着急要把短缺的钱数给补齐，原来你是想把我演皇室奇物以及那一处一处赚到的钱一齐给卷走啊！"国王还在抽鼻子，怯怯地说："喂，公爵，那是你说的补齐缺的钱数，那可不是我。""住口！我不打你嘴里听到一句话！" 公爵说，" （现在）你看到你应得的报应了吧。他们把自己的钱全收回去了，还把我们的钱也给通通拿走了，剩下的只有一两个子儿。爬床上睡去吧，你再缺什么，可不准到（我）头上来补，（你）要永远记住！"因此，国王偷偷摸摸钻入了窝棚，拿出酒瓶喝酒浇愁，不久，公爵也拿出自己的酒瓶喝开了。这么着，不到半个钟头，他们又亲得贼似的，喝得越醉、越亲热，以至于到了后来，互相抱着胳膊打着呼噜，一同睡着了。他们俩都醉得很厉害，不过，我注意到，国王还总记着不再否认他藏那个钱袋的事儿，他还没醉到那份儿上。这令我感到放心又满意。当然啦，他们一开始打呼噜，我们就唠唠叨叨聊了起来，我告诉了吉姆全部经过。
Chapter 31
WE dasn't stop again at any town for days and days; kept right along down the river. We was down south in the warm weather now, and a mighty long ways from home. We begun to come to trees with Spanish moss on them, hanging down from the limbs like long, gray beards. It was the first I ever see it growing, and it made the woods look solemn and dismal. So now the frauds reckoned they was out of danger, and they begun to work the villages again. 
First they done a lecture on temperance; but they didn't make enough for them both to get drunk on. Then in another village they started a dancing-school; but they didn't know no more how to dance than a kangaroo does; so the first prance they made the general public jumped in and pranced them out of town. Another time they tried to go at yellocution; but they didn't yellocute long till the audience got up and give them a solid good cussing, and made them skip out. They tackled missionarying, and mesmerizing, and doctoring, and telling fortunes, and a little of everything; but they couldn't seem to have no luck. So at last they got just about dead broke, and laid around the raft as she floated along, thinking and thinking, and never saying nothing, by the half a day at a time, and dreadful blue and desperate. 
And at last they took a change and begun to lay their heads together in the wigwam and talk low and confidential two or three hours at a time. Jim and me got uneasy. We didn't like the look of it. We judged they was studying up some kind of worse deviltry than ever. We turned it over and over, and at last we made up our minds they was going to break into somebody's house or store, or was going into the counterfeitmoney business, or something. So then we was pretty scared, and made up an agreement that we wouldn't have nothing in the world to do with such actions, and if we ever got the least show we would give them the cold shake and clear out and leave them behind. Well, early one morning we hid the raft in a good, safe place about two mile below a little bit of a shabby village named Pikesville, and the king he went ashore and told us all to stay hid whilst he went up to town and smelt around to see if anybody had got any wind of the Royal Nonesuch there yet. ("House to rob, you MEAN," says I to myself; "and when you get through robbing it you'll come back here and wonder what has become of me and Jim and the raft -- and you'll have to take it out in wondering.") And he said if he warn't back by midday the duke and me would know it was all right, and we was to come along. 
So we stayed where we was. The duke he fretted and sweated around, and was in a mighty sour way. He scolded us for everything, and we couldn't seem to do nothing right; he found fault with every little thing. Something was a-brewing, sure. I was good and glad when midday come and no king; we could have a change, anyway -- and maybe a chance for THE chance on top of it. So me and the duke went up to the village, and hunted around there for the king, and by and by we found him in the back room of a little low doggery, very tight, and a lot of loafers bullyragging him for sport, and he a-cussing and a-threatening with all his might, and so tight he couldn't walk, and couldn't do nothing to them. The duke he begun to abuse him for an old fool, and the king begun to sass back, and the minute they was fairly at it I lit out and shook the reefs out of my hind legs, and spun down the river road like a deer, for I see our chance; and I made up my mind that it would be a long day before they ever see me and Jim again. I got down there all out of breath but loaded up with joy, and sung out: 
"Set her loose, Jim! we're all right now!" 
But there warn't no answer, and nobody come out of the wigwam. Jim was gone! I set up a shout -- and then another -- and then another one; and run this way and that in the woods, whooping and screeching; but it warn't no use -- old Jim was gone. Then I set down and cried; I couldn't help it. But I couldn't set still long. Pretty soon I went out on the road, trying to think what I better do, and I run across a boy walking, and asked him if he'd seen a strange nigger dressed so and so, and he says: 
"Yes." 
"Whereabouts?" says I. 
"Down to Silas Phelps' place, two mile below here. He's a runaway nigger, and they've got him. Was you looking for him?" 
"You bet I ain't! I run across him in the woods about an hour or two ago, and he said if I hollered he'd cut my livers out -- and told me to lay down and stay where I was; and I done it. Been there ever since; afeard to come out." 
"Well," he says, "you needn't be afeard no more, becuz they've got him. He run off f'm down South, som'ers." 
"It's a good job they got him." 
"Well, I RECKON! There's two hunderd dollars reward on him. It's like picking up money out'n the road." 
"Yes, it is -- and I could a had it if I'd been big enough; I see him FIRST. Who nailed him?" 
"It was an old fellow -- a stranger -- and he sold out his chance in him for forty dollars, becuz he's got to go up the river and can't wait. Think o' that, now! You bet I'D wait, if it was seven year." 
"That's me, every time," says I. "But maybe his chance ain't worth no more than that, if he'll sell it so cheap. Maybe there's something ain't straight about it." 
"But it IS, though -- straight as a string. I see the handbill myself. It tells all about him, to a dot -- paints him like a picture, and tells the plantation he's frum, below NewrLEANS. No-sirree-BOB, they ain't no trouble 'bout THAT speculation, you bet you. Say, gimme a chaw tobacker, won't ye?" 
I didn't have none, so he left. I went to the raft, and set down in the wigwam to think. But I couldn't come to nothing. I thought till I wore my head sore, but I couldn't see no way out of the trouble. After all this long journey, and after all we'd done for them scoundrels, here it was all come to nothing, everything all busted up and ruined, because they could have the heart to serve Jim such a trick as that, and make him a slave again all his life, and amongst strangers, too, for forty dirty dollars. 
Once I said to myself it would be a thousand times better for Jim to be a slave at home where his family was, as long as he'd GOT to be a slave, and so I'd better write a letter to Tom Sawyer and tell him to tell Miss Watson where he was. But I soon give up that notion for two things: she'd be mad and disgusted at his rascality and ungratefulness for leaving her, and so she'd sell him straight down the river again; and if she didn't, everybody naturally despises an ungrateful nigger, and they'd make Jim feel it all the time, and so he'd feel ornery and disgraced. And then think of ME! It would get all around that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom; and if I was ever to see anybody from that town again I'd be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame. That's just the way: a person does a low-down thing, and then he don't want to take no consequences of it. Thinks as long as he can hide, it ain't no disgrace. That was my fix exactly. The more I studied about this the more my conscience went to grinding me, and the more wicked and low-down and ornery I got to feeling. And at last, when it hit me all of a sudden that here was the plain hand of Providence slapping me in the face and letting me know my wickedness was being watched all the time from up there in heaven,whilst I was stealing a poor old woman's nigger that hadn't ever done me no harm, and now was showing me there's One that's always on the lookout, and ain't agoing to allow no such miserable doings to go only just so fur and no further, I most dropped in my tracks I was so scared. Well, I tried the best I could to kinder soften it up somehow for myself by saying I was brung up wicked, and so I warn't so much to blame; but something inside of me kept saying, "There was the Sunday-school, you could a gone to it; and if you'd a done it they'd a learnt you there that people that acts as I'd been acting about that nigger goes to everlasting fire." 
It made me shiver. And I about made up my mind to pray, and see if I couldn't try to quit being the kind of a boy I was and be better. So I kneeled down. But the words wouldn't come. Why wouldn't they? It warn't no use to try and hide it from Him. Nor from ME, neither. I knowed very well why they wouldn't come. It was because my heart warn't right; it was because I warn't square; it was because I was playing double. I was letting ON to give up sin, but away inside of me I was holding on to the biggest one of all. I was trying to make my mouth SAY I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write to that nigger's owner and tell where he was; but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie -- I found that out. 
So I was full of trouble, full as I could be; and didn't know what to do. At last I had an idea; and I says, I'll go and write the letter -- and then see if I can pray. Why, it was astonishing, the way I felt as light as a feather right straight off, and my troubles all gone. So I got a piece of paper and a pencil, all glad and excited, and set down and wrote: 
Miss Watson, your runaway nigger Jim is down here two mile below Pikesville, and Mr. Phelps has got him and he will give him up for the reward if you send. 
HUCK FINN. 
I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray now. But I didn't do it straight off, but laid the paper down and set there thinking -- thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell. And went on thinking. And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such-like times; and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the ONLY one he's got now; and then I happened to look around and see that paper. 
It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: 
"All right, then, I'll GO to hell" -- and tore it up. 
It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming. I shoved the whole thing out of my head, and said I would take up wickedness again, which was in my line, being brung up to it, and the other warn't. And for a starter I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again; and if I could think up anything worse, I would do that, too; because as long as I was in, and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog. 
Then I set to thinking over how to get at it, and turned over some considerable many ways in my mind; and at last fixed up a plan that suited me. So then I took the bearings of a woody island that was down the river a piece, and as soon as it was fairly dark I crept out with my raft and went for it, and hid it there, and then turned in. I slept the night through, and got up before it was light, and had my breakfast, and put on my store clothes, and tied up some others and one thing or another in a bundle, and took the canoe and cleared for shore. I landed below where I judged was Phelps's place, and hid my bundle in the woods, and then filled up the canoe with water, and loaded rocks into her and sunk her where I could find her again when I wanted her, about a quarter of a mile below a little steam sawmill that was on the bank. 
Then I struck up the road, and when I passed the mill I see a sign on it, "Phelps's Sawmill," and when I come to the farm-houses, two or three hundred yards further along, I kept my eyes peeled, but didn't see nobody around, though it was good daylight now. But I didn't mind, because I didn't want to see nobody just yet -- I only wanted to get the lay of the land. According to my plan, I was going to turn up there from the village, not from below. So I just took a look, and shoved along, straight for town. Well, the very first man I see when I got there was the duke. He was sticking up a bill for the Royal Nonesuch -- three-night performance -- like that other time. They had the cheek, them frauds! I was right on him before I could shirk. He looked astonished, and says: 
"Hel-LO! Where'd YOU come from?" Then he says, kind of glad and eager, "Where's the raft? -- got her in a good place?" 
I says: 
"Why, that's just what I was going to ask your grace." 
Then he didn't look so joyful, and says: 
"What was your idea for asking ME?" he says. 
"Well," I says, "when I see the king in that doggery yesterday I says to myself, we can't get him home for hours, till he's soberer; so I went a-loafing around town to put in the time and wait. A man up and offered me ten cents to help him pull a skiff over the river and back to fetch a sheep, and so I went along; but when we was dragging him to the boat, and the man left me a-holt of the rope and went behind him to shove him along, he was too strong for me and jerked loose and run, and we after him. We didn't have no dog, and so we had to chase him all over the country till we tired him out. We never got him till dark; then we fetched him over, and I started down for the raft. When I got there and see it was gone, I says to myself, 'They've got into trouble and had to leave; and they've took my nigger, which is the only nigger I've got in the world, and now I'm in a strange country, and ain't got no property no more, nor nothing, and no way to make my living;' so I set down and cried. I slept in the woods all night. But what DID become of the raft, then? -- and Jim -- poor Jim!" 
"Blamed if I know -- that is, what's become of the raft. That old fool had made a trade and got forty dollars, and when we found him in the doggery the loafers had matched half-dollars with him and got every cent but what he'd spent for whisky; and when I got him home late last night and found the raft gone, we said, 'That little rascal has stole our raft and shook us, and run off down the river.'" 
"I wouldn't shake my NIGGER, would I? -- the only nigger I had in the world, and the only property." 
"We never thought of that. Fact is, I reckon we'd come to consider him OUR nigger; yes, we did consider him so -- goodness knows we had trouble enough for him. So when we see the raft was gone and we flat broke, there warn't anything for it but to try the Royal Nonesuch another shake. And I've pegged along ever since, dry as a powder-horn. Where's that ten cents? Give it here." 
I had considerable money, so I give him ten cents, but begged him to spend it for something to eat, and give me some, because it was all the money I had, and I hadn't had nothing to eat since yesterday. He never said nothing. The next minute he whirls on me and says: 
"Do you reckon that nigger would blow on us? We'd skin him if he done that!" 
"How can he blow? Hain't he run off?" 
"No! That old fool sold him, and never divided with me, and the money's gone." 
"SOLD him?" I says, and begun to cry; "why, he was MY nigger, and that was my money. Where is he? -- I want my nigger." 
"Well, you can't GET your nigger, that's all -- so dry up your blubbering. Looky here -- do you think YOU'D venture to blow on us? Blamed if I think I'd trust you. Why, if you WAS to blow on us --" 
He stopped, but I never see the duke look so ugly out of his eyes before. I went on a-whimpering, and says: 
"I don't want to blow on nobody; and I ain't got no time to blow, nohow. I got to turn out and find my nigger." 
He looked kinder bothered, and stood there with his bills fluttering on his arm, thinking, and wrinkling up his forehead. At last he says: 
"I'll tell you something. We got to be here three days. If you'll promise you won't blow, and won't let the nigger blow, I'll tell you where to find him." 
So I promised, and he says: 
"A farmer by the name of Silas Ph----" and then he stopped. You see, he started to tell me the truth; but when he stopped that way, and begun to study and think again, I reckoned he was changing his mind. And so he was. He wouldn't trust me; he wanted to make sure of having me out of the way the whole three days. So pretty soon he says: 
"The man that bought him is named Abram Foster -- Abram G. Foster -- and he lives forty mile back here in the country, on the road to Lafayette." 
"All right," I says, "I can walk it in three days. And I'll start this very afternoon." 
"No you wont, you'll start NOW; and don't you lose any time about it, neither, nor do any gabbling by the way. Just keep a tight tongue in your head and move right along, and then you won't get into trouble with US, d'ye hear?" 
That was the order I wanted, and that was the one I played for. I wanted to be left free to work my plans. 
"So clear out," he says; "and you can tell Mr. Foster whatever you want to. Maybe you can get him to believe that Jim IS your nigger -- some idiots don't require documents -- leastways I've heard there's such down South here. And when you tell him the handbill and the reward's bogus, maybe he'll believe you when you explain to him what the idea was for getting 'em out. Go 'long now, and tell him anything you want to; but mind you don't work your jaw any BETWEEN here and there." 
So I left, and struck for the back country. I didn't look around, but I kinder felt like he was watching me. But I knowed I could tire him out at that. I went straight out in the country as much as a mile before I stopped; then I doubled back through the woods towards Phelps'. I reckoned I better start in on my plan straight off without fooling around, because I wanted to stop Jim's mouth till these fellows could get away. I didn't want no trouble with their kind. I'd seen all I wanted to of them, and wanted to get entirely shut of them. 　　好多日子，我们哪个镇子也没有停，一直沿着大河往下漂。这时，我们来到了天气暖和的南方，离家已经很远很远了。我们开始碰到长着西班牙青苔的树木，青苔从树干上面垂下来，像长长的灰胡子。这是我第一次看见树上长这种青苔，它使整个树林看起来阴森可怖。这时，两个骗子认为他们已经脱离了危险，又开始往那些村里骗人了。
　　首先，他们做过了个戒酒演讲，可到手的钱还不够他们俩醉酒。然后，在另一个村里，他们举办了个舞蹈班，可是他们对于跳舞并不比一只袋鼠知道得多，因此，他们刚开始蹦跶，大伙儿就把他们从村里赶走了。又有一回，他们试着教演说，可是他们还没有演说多大会儿，观众就站起来，给他们一顿足足的臭骂，骂得他们赶快溜出去了。他们还试过传教、催眠、看病、算命等，各种手段都耍尽了，可他们好像不交好运。所以，到了后来，他们几乎步入绝境了，躺在木排上，任它漂流，一直想啊想啊，一声不吭，有时一躺就是半天，全然一副愁眉苦脸走投无路的样子。
　　终于，他们变了个样子，又开始在窝棚里一同密谋，低低小声商量，有时叽叽咕咕一说就是两三个小时。我跟吉姆开始忐忑不安。我们不想看那种情景。我们断定他们正在想着有史以来最坏的鬼点子。我们想了又想，最后拿准了，他们是要入室抢劫，或者抢店铺，再不然就是准备干制作伪钞假钱等等这类勾当。我们吓坏了，两人一致商定，决不跟这类事情有任何牵连，一有机会，我们就甩掉他们，赶快离开，把他们丢在后面。后来有一天一大清早，我们在离一个叫派克斯维尔的破烂小村下边两英里来地，找到个安全的地方藏好木排，国王要上岸，他让我们全都躲在这里，他一个人到村里去打探一把，看是否有人听到了皇室奇物的风声。("你是说要找个人家抢东西吧，"我心里想，" 等你们抢完了东西再到这里就找不见我和吉姆还有木排了--到时候你们必定无路可走。" )他又说，如果中午他还没回来，我和公爵就会知道一切顺利，我们就要一起到村里去。
　　于是，我们就坐在那儿等。公爵烦躁不安，着急得不停踱步，显得十分郁闷寡欢。我们干什么他都大声吵，好像我们什么都做得不对，大事小事他都挑毛病。肯定是要发生什么事。中午到了，国王没来，我感觉良好，也很高兴，无论怎样，我们能有个变化，说不定还真是那个变化的良机呢，我没准真能碰上。于是，我和公爵到那个村上去，到处找国王，最后在一个很小的下等酒吧后面的一个房间找到了他。他已喝得醉醺醺的，一帮二流子正在拿他开玩笑，他用劲尽全身气力骂他们吓唬他们，可他醉得连路都走不动，对他们毫无办法。公爵骂他，说他是个老糊涂，国王因此便回骂。趁他们骂得热闹，我悄悄儿溜出来，撒开两腿拼命路，跟只小鹿一样沿着河边大路一直飞奔，因为我看到我们的机会来了，我下决心再不让他们看到我和吉姆了。我跑到地方，气也喘不上来了，可是心里高兴坏了，大声喊道："解开木排，吉姆，这回我们可好啦！"可没有任何回音，也没有人从窝棚里出来。吉姆不见了！我使足劲儿喊了一声，又喊一声，紧接着又喊一声，我在树林里四处奔跑，高声喊尖声叫，可是全没用，老吉姆不见。后来，我就坐在地上哭，我忍不住。但是，我又不能总坐着不动。不久我走到大路上，想想我最好怎么办，我碰上个走路的小孩儿，就问他是不是看见过一个陌生的黑人，穿什么什么样的衣服。他说："看见了。""上哪儿了？"我问。
　　"到下面赛拉斯·斐尔普斯家去了，离这儿大约二英里。他是个逃跑的黑奴，他们抓到了他。你是找他吗？""我当然不是找他。一两个小时前，我在树林内碰上他，他说我如果喊叫就把我的心肝挖出来，他叫我躺地上别动，我就照办了。打那阵开始我一直在那里不敢出来。""好啦，"他说，" 你不用害怕了，因为他们抓住他了。他是从南方什么地方逃到这里来的。""他们抓住了他，可真是件好事。""我看也是！他的赏格有两百块钱。这就跟在大路上弯下腰捡钱一样容易。""是啊，一点不错。如果我长得大些，我也能得到这笔钱，我最先看到他，谁逮住他了？""是一个老头儿，一个生人，他将那黑人的赏格卖了四十块钱，因为他要急着朝大河上游去，不能再等。嘿，想想看！要是我，就算是七年我也等。""换了我也这么想。" 我说，" 只是，要是他卖这么低，他的赏格或许就值不了这么多钱。这老头儿没准有些什么不清不楚呢。""可它清清楚楚，清楚得像一根绳子。我亲眼看过那张悬赏传单了。上面写着他的全部情况，一丝不差，就像是给他画了张像，还写了他从哪个农场逃出来的，在新奥尔良下面。没问题，这笔投机生意里头没差错，肯定无疑。喂，给我口烟叶嚼嚼？"我根本没有，因此他走了。我上了木排，在窝棚里坐下来想。可，我什么办法也想不出来。想得头都胀了，可还是想不出办法解决这个倒霉问题。经过这么长的一段路，我们不住忙活着伺候这两个坏蛋，到头来落了个一场空，一切全都完了。因为他们的心肠竟然坏到这种地步，对吉姆耍弄这样卑鄙的手段，又叫他一辈子做奴隶，还流落在异地他乡，仅仅为了40块肮脏钱。
　　我心里也想过，要是吉姆注定要做奴隶，那还不如在老家当个奴隶，跟他的亲人在一起，也比这儿强千倍，因此，我最好是写信给汤姆·索亚，让他告诉华森小姐吉姆在哪儿。只是，我很快就放弃了这个打算，这儿有两个原因：她会因为吉姆离开她而生气并讨厌吉姆，觉得他卑鄙无耻又忘恩负义，所以，她会很快把他卖到大河下游去，即便她不这么做，大家也自然会看不起一个忘恩负义的黑人，他们会让吉姆时时处处都感觉到这一点，这样，他就会觉得难堪，没脸见人。接下去再想想我！一下子大家会四处张扬，说哈克·芬帮助一个黑奴争取自由，那么，要是我有一天再见到那个镇上的人，还得准备着跪在地上，舔着人家的靴子求饶，真没面子。事情往往是这样：一个人做了下贱的事儿，就不想去承担后果，只要他能瞒得过去，那就不算是没面子。可这正是我的难处。我越思谋这件事，我的良心就越受折磨，我就越感到自己卑鄙下流和难堪。终于，我猛地明白过来，这明明是上帝的手在打我的耳光，让我知道，我做的坏事在天上一直有神灵看着，他只允许这种坏事做到一定限度，不允许再向下进行了，想到这里，我吓坏了，几乎当场就倒下去。于是，我拼命想着法儿来减轻一些自己的罪过，说我是打小就被带坏了，所以，我并没有多少可责怪的。可是我心里总在说：" 有主日学校，你可以去上学；要是你去了，他们就会告诉你，谁像我那样对待黑奴，就得下到永劫不复的地狱烈火中。"这令我颤栗不已。我下决心做祷告，看看我能不能试着不当过去那种坏孩子，当个好孩子。于是，我跪下了。可是祷告的话说不出来。为什么它们不出来呢？想瞒上帝是没有用的，当然也瞒不过我自己。我很明白为什么祷告不出来。这是因为我的心不正，因为我不正大光明，因为我在耍滑头两边倒。我一面在装作放弃罪过，可我心中还装着那件最大的罪。我试着让我的嘴说我想做正经事儿，做清白的事儿，要给那个黑奴的主人写信，告诉她他在哪儿，可内心深处我就知道这是个谎言，上帝也知道这是谎言。祷告可不能撒谎，我算是明白这点了。因此，我心里烦恼，烦得要命，不知道如何才好。最后，我有了个主意，我说，我这就去写这封信，然后，再看我能否祷告出来。嘿，真奇怪，我马上就觉得轻松得像根羽毛，烦恼变得烟消云散了。于是，我取出一张纸一支铅笔，又高兴又激动，坐下来写道：华森小姐你的逃跑的黑奴吉姆逃到了离这里两英里地远的派克斯维尔村斐尔普斯先生抓到了他如果你送来赏金他就会把人放了。
　　哈克·芬我感觉很不错，身上的罪像是一下子都给洗清了，我平生还是头一回有这样的感觉，我知道我现在可以祷告了。不过我没有马上祷告，而是放下那张纸，坐到那里想，想想我做的这些该有多好，我误入歧途，险些下到地狱。然后又接着想，不知不觉反复想到我们顺着大河漂下来走过的这一段日子。我总是看见吉姆在我眼前，在白天，在夜晚，有时在月光下，有时在暴风雨里，我们一起漂啊漂，说着话，唱着歌，又一起哈哈大笑。可是不知怎么的，我好像都挑不出一点儿地方让我狠起心来对他，想到的反而全是他的好处。我总是看见他值完了他的班，又接着替我值班，不叫醒我，这样我就可以接着睡觉；看见他见到我打那场大雾里回来时是多么高兴；还有我在沼泽地里又一次找到他的时候，就在遇到家族世仇的地方；还有好多类似的时候，他总是叫我宝贝，对我那么亲热，为我做他能想到的一切，他总那么好，最后我想到了那一次我救了他，告诉那两个人说我们木排上有人害天花，他对我那么感激，说我是老吉姆在这个世界上最好的朋友，是他眼下唯一的一位朋友，想到这儿，我刚好转过头来，看到了那张纸。
　　这令我左右为难。我抓起它握在手里。我在发抖，因为我不得不在两者之间做出选择，绝不反悔，这我看得很清楚。我思考了一分钟，差点儿背过气去，然后，我对自己说："好吧，那么，下地狱就下地狱吧！" 把纸撕掉了。这全是可怕的念头、可怕的话，可这句话还是说出来了。我说出话就得算数，再也不去想什么改过自新了。我把这件事全甩到了脑后，我又要走歪门邪道了，这才是我的老本行，我就是这么给教养大的，干不了什么正经事。而且一旦开始，我就一直干下去，一定得把吉姆再偷出来，叫他摆脱奴隶生活。如果因此要我去干什么更坏的事，我也去干，因为我一不做二不休，干脆就来个彻底痛快。
　　于是，我开始想如何才能达到目的，脑子里翻来覆去想了好多种办法，最后确定下来一个适宜于我做的计划。然后，我把大河下边一点儿那个长满树木的小岛细细打量了一番，等天一黑，我就划木排悄悄地出去，向小岛划去，到了那里，将木排藏了起来，我睡了一晚上，天亮之前醒了过来，吃过早饭，穿上我那身新衣服，把其他衣服和零碎东西打成个捆，坐着独木舟向岸上划。我在估计是斐尔普斯家的下游一些的地方靠了岸，将包藏入了树林中，把独木舟灌满水，装上石块，沉入水，等我需要时再找它，那是在河边上一个机器锯木厂下边半英里远的地方。
　　接着，我走上大路。从那个锯木厂经过时看到一个招牌，上面写着"斐尔普斯锯木厂"，我又朝前走了两三百码，走近农舍时，我不住地偷眼观看，虽然现在已天光大亮，周围却没有一个人。只是我也不在乎，因为我正好不想见人，我只是想把这一带地方摸清。按照我的计划，我打算从上面那个村庄走过来，而不是打下游朝这边走。于是我看了一下，就朝前走，一直往村里去。嘿，当我到了村口，我见到的第一个人竟会是公爵。他正在张贴告示：皇室奇物--上演三晚--和上次一样。他们可真是厚脸皮，这两骗子！我还没来得及躲，刚好撞上他。他神情惊讶，说道："你--好！你这是打哪儿来呀？"然后，他装出高兴又关切的样子问道，" 木排在哪儿？把它藏好啦？"我说：" 嘿，我还正想问阁下您呢。"他显得不怎么高兴了，说道："你问（我），什么意思？"他说。
　　"是这样，"我说，" 昨天我在那个酒吧看见国王时，我就想，过几个小时我们也弄不回他去，得等他酒醒一些再说；于是我就在村中溜达，打发时间等会儿。一个人过来给了我一毛钱，让我帮他把船划过河，再顺便带只羊回来，我就跟着他去了，可我们把羊往船上拉的时候，那人让我一个人在前面拉住绳子，他要到羊后面去推，羊力气太大了，我拽不住，它挣脱绳子跑了，我们俩在后边追。我们又没有狗，所以就满地里跑着乱撵，一直把它累倒，到天黑才抓住它，然后又把它运过河来，我这才向木排走去。到了那里一瞅，木排不见了，我就想，他们俩闯了祸，一定会逃走。他们把我的奴隶带跑了，他可是我在这世上仅有的一个奴隶，我人在异地他乡，没有钱，没有东西，也没有办法谋生活命。'因此我就坐在地上哭。我在林中睡了一夜。可是木排到底上哪儿去？还有吉姆，可怜的吉姆！""（我）如果知道才怪呢！我是说，那木排的下落。那个老混蛋做了一笔生意赚了40 块钱，我们在酒吧找到他的时候，那群二流子跟他一赌半块钱，赢走了他的钱，只剩下付酒账的钱。昨天深夜我将他弄回去时，发觉木排不见了，我们说，'那小坏蛋偷了我们的木排甩了我们，顺河逃走了。'""我不可能甩了我的（黑人），对不对？我在世界上就这一个黑人，他是我唯一的财产。""我们根本不那么想。事实上，我认为我们已把他看成（我们的）黑人了；真的，我们确实这么认为的。天晓得，我们因为他实在是麻烦够了。所以，当我们看到木排不见了，我们又穷得身无分文，一点办法儿也没有，只得再拿皇室奇物试试看。从那时候起，我就四处乱逛，嘴干得像个火药桶。那一毛钱在哪儿？快点给我。"我有不少钱，所以我就给了他一毛，央求他买些吃的东西，分给我一点，因为我身上就这么多钱，从昨天我开始什么都没吃着，他根本不说话。过了一会儿，他突然转向我说："你那个黑人会不会揭我们的老底儿？要是他那么做，我们就要扒他的皮！""他怎么会揭老底儿？他不是逃走啦？""没！那个老混蛋把他给卖了，没分给我一分钱，钱也花光了。""他被你们给卖啦？"我说完就哭起来，" 啊，他是（我）的黑人，那是我的钱。他在哪里？我要我的黑人。""好啦，你要不回来你的黑人，就这么着吧。所以，擦掉你的眼泪。听着，你想想看，你敢揭穿我们吗？我要是信了你才该死呢。呃，你要敢揭穿我们.."他停住了，我过去可从没见过公爵的眼神这么凶恶。我还是一个劲儿地抽抽搭搭哭着说：" 我不想揭穿任何人，我也没时间揭穿，也不知道怎么做。我得赶快去找我的黑人。"他看上去有点心烦，站在那儿，告示在他手臂上飘动，他在用心思，皱着眉头。最后他说："我给你透点信儿。我们要在这里呆三天。如果你答应你不揭我们的老底儿，也不让那个黑人告我们，我就告诉你去哪里能找到他。"于是我答应了，他这才说："一个农民名叫赛拉斯·斐--"说到这儿，他停住了。你看得出他起初打算跟我说实话，但是，当他停下来又重新仔细想想的那个样子，我想他是改变了主意。果真是这样的。他不信我，他想让我整整三天都保证不妨碍他。所以很快，他又说：" 那个买他的人叫阿兰布姆·福斯特--阿兰布姆·G·福斯特--他住在离这儿40 英里远的小乡村里，在往拉斐德去的路上。""好吧，"我说，" 我得三天才会走到那儿。今天下午我就动身。""不，你不行，你（现在）就动身，也别耽搁时间，路上也别跟人说话。嘴巴闭紧，一直朝前走，这样你就不会和（我们）搅在一起惹祸了，听到没？"这正是我想听到的话，也正是我有意引他这样说的。我想不让人管我，照计划自己干。
　　"所以赶快走，"他说，" 你想对福斯特先生说什么就说什么。或许你能叫他相信吉姆确是你的黑人--有些傻瓜不会要证件看--最起码我听说过南方这一带有号人。如果你告诉他那告示和赏金全是假的，你再给他说为什么要耍这些花招，也许他会相信你。去吧，想跟他说什么就说什么。不过得提醒你，在你离开这里以后到达那里之前，在路上嘴别乱动。"于是我离开了，往村后头走去。我没回头看，但我感觉得出来他在盯着我。不过我知道我会让他盯个够的。我一直朝地里走了一英里远，才停了下来，然后照原路返回，穿过树林，往斐尔普斯家跑。我认为最好马上着手按计划行动，不要瞎转悠，因为我想早点堵住吉姆的嘴，等这些家伙走了再讲。我不想跟他们这路人找什么麻烦。我看够了他们的勾当，只想彻底甩掉他们。
Chapter 32
WHEN I got there it was all still and Sunday-like, and hot and sunshiny; the hands was gone to the fields; and there was them kind of faint dronings of bugs and flies in the air that makes it seem so lonesome and like everybody's dead and gone; and if a breeze fans along and quivers the leaves it makes you feel mournful, because you feel like it's spirits whispering -- spirits that's been dead ever so many years -- and you always think they're talking about YOU. As a general thing it makes a body wish HE was dead, too, and done with it all. 
Phelps' was one of these little one-horse cotton plantations, and they all look alike. A rail fence round a two-acre yard; a stile made out of logs sawed off and up-ended in steps, like barrels of a different length, to climb over the fence with, and for the women to stand on when they are going to jump on to a horse; some sickly grass-patches in the big yard, but mostly it was bare and smooth, like an old hat with the nap rubbed off; big double log-house for the white folks -- hewed logs, with the chinks stopped up with mud or mortar, and these mud-stripes been whitewashed some time or another; round-log kitchen, with a big broad, open but roofed passage joining it to the house; log smokehouse back of the kitchen; three little log nigger-cabins in a row t'other side the smoke-house; one little hut all by itself away down against the back fence, and some outbuildings down a piece the other side; ashhopper and big kettle to bile soap in by the little hut; bench by the kitchen door, with bucket of water and a gourd; hound asleep there in the sun; more hounds asleep round about; about three shade trees away off in a corner; some currant bushes and gooseberry bushes in one place by the fence; outside of the fence a garden and a watermelon patch; then the cotton fields begins, and after the fields the woods. 
I went around and clumb over the back stile by the ash-hopper, and started for the kitchen. When I got a little ways I heard the dim hum of a spinning-wheel wailing along up and sinking along down again; and then I knowed for certain I wished I was dead -- for that IS the lonesomest sound in the whole world. 
I went right along, not fixing up any particular plan, but just trusting to Providence to put the right words in my mouth when the time come; for I'd noticed that Providence always did put the right words in my mouth if I left it alone. 
When I got half-way, first one hound and then another got up and went for me, and of course I stopped and faced them, and kept still. And such another powwow as they made! In a quarter of a minute I was a kind of a hub of a wheel, as you may say -- spokes made out of dogs -- circle of fifteen of them packed together around me, with their necks and noses stretched up towards me, a-barking and howling; and more a-coming; you could see them sailing over fences and around corners from everywheres. 
A nigger woman come tearing out of the kitchen with a rolling-pin in her hand, singing out, "Begone YOU Tige! you Spot! begone sah!" and she fetched first one and then another of them a clip and sent them howling, and then the rest followed; and the next second half of them come back, wagging their tails around me, and making friends with me. There ain't no harm in a hound, nohow. 
And behind the woman comes a little nigger girl and two little nigger boys without anything on but tow-linen shirts, and they hung on to their mother's gown, and peeped out from behind her at me, bashful, the way they always do. And here comes the white woman running from the house, about forty-five or fifty year old, bareheaded, and her spinning-stick in her hand; and behind her comes her little white children, acting the same way the little niggers was going. She was smiling all over so she could hardly stand -- and says: 
"It's YOU, at last! -- AIN'T it?" 
I out with a "Yes'm" before I thought. 
She grabbed me and hugged me tight; and then gripped me by both hands and shook and shook; and the tears come in her eyes, and run down over; and she couldn't seem to hug and shake enough, and kept saying, "You don't look as much like your mother as I reckoned you would; but law sakes, I don't care for that, I'm so glad to see you! Dear, dear, it does seem like I could eat you up! Children, it's your cousin Tom! -- tell him howdy." 
But they ducked their heads, and put their fingers in their mouths, and hid behind her. So she run on: 
"Lize, hurry up and get him a hot breakfast right away -- or did you get your breakfast on the boat?" 
I said I had got it on the boat. So then she started for the house, leading me by the hand, and the children tagging after. When we got there she set me down in a split-bottomed chair, and set herself down on a little low stool in front of me, holding both of my hands, and says: 
"Now I can have a GOOD look at you; and, laws-ame, I've been hungry for it a many and a many a time, all these long years, and it's come at last! We been expecting you a couple of days and more. What kep' you? -- boat get aground?" 
"Yes'm -- she --" 
"Don't say yes'm -- say Aunt Sally. Where'd she get aground?" 
I didn't rightly know what to say, because I didn't know whether the boat would be coming up the river or down. But I go a good deal on instinct; and my instinct said she would be coming up -- from down towards Orleans. That didn't help me much, though; for I didn't know the names of bars down that way. I see I'd got to invent a bar, or forget the name of the one we got aground on -- or -- Now I struck an idea, and fetched it out: 
"It warn't the grounding -- that didn't keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinder-head." 
"Good gracious! anybody hurt?" 
"No'm. Killed a nigger." 
"Well, it's lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt. Two years ago last Christmas your uncle Silas was coming up from Newrleans on the old Lally Rook, and she blowed out a cylinder-head and crippled a man. And I think he died afterwards. He was a Baptist. Your uncle Silas knowed a family in Baton Rouge that knowed his people very well. Yes, I remember now, he DID die. Mortification set in, and they had to amputate him. But it didn't save him. Yes, it was mortification -- that was it. He turned blue all over, and died in the hope of a glorious resurrection. They say he was a sight to look at. Your uncle's been up to the town every day to fetch you. And he's gone again, not more'n an hour ago; he'll be back any minute now. You must a met him on the road, didn't you? -- oldish man, with a --" 
"No, I didn't see nobody, Aunt Sally. The boat landed just at daylight, and I left my baggage on the wharf-boat and went looking around the town and out a piece in the country, to put in the time and not get here too soon; and so I come down the back way." 
"Who'd you give the baggage to?" 
"Nobody." 
"Why, child, it 'll be stole!" 
"Not where I hid it I reckon it won't," I says. 
"How'd you get your breakfast so early on the boat?" 
It was kinder thin ice, but I says: 
"The captain see me standing around, and told me I better have something to eat before I went ashore; so he took me in the texas to the officers' lunch, and give me all I wanted." 
I was getting so uneasy I couldn't listen good. I had my mind on the children all the time; I wanted to get them out to one side and pump them a little, and find out who I was. But I couldn't get no show, Mrs. Phelps kept it up and run on so. Pretty soon she made the cold chills streak all down my back, because she says: 
"But here we're a-running on this way, and you hain't told me a word about Sis, nor any of them. Now I'll rest my works a little, and you start up yourn; just tell me EVERYTHING -- tell me all about 'm all every one of 'm; and how they are, and what they're doing, and what they told you to tell me; and every last thing you can think of." 
Well, I see I was up a stump -- and up it good. Providence had stood by me this fur all right, but I was hard and tight aground now. I see it warn't a bit of use to try to go ahead -- I'd got to throw up my hand. So I says to myself, here's another place where I got to resk the truth. I opened my mouth to begin; but she grabbed me and hustled me in behind the bed, and says: 
"Here he comes! Stick your head down lower -- there, that'll do; you can't be seen now. Don't you let on you're here. I'll play a joke on him. Children, don't you say a word." 
I see I was in a fix now. But it warn't no use to worry; there warn't nothing to do but just hold still, and try and be ready to stand from under when the lightning struck. 
I had just one little glimpse of the old gentleman when he come in; then the bed hid him. Mrs. Phelps she jumps for him, and says: 
"Has he come?" 
"No," says her husband. 
"Good-NESS gracious!" she says, "what in the warld can have become of him?" 
"I can't imagine," says the old gentleman; "and I must say it makes me dreadful uneasy." 
"Uneasy!" she says; "I'm ready to go distracted! He MUST a come; and you've missed him along the road. I KNOW it's so -- something tells me so." 
"Why, Sally, I COULDN'T miss him along the road -- YOU know that." 
"But oh, dear, dear, what WILL Sis say! He must a come! You must a missed him. He --" 
"Oh, don't distress me any more'n I'm already distressed. I don't know what in the world to make of it. I'm at my wit's end, and I don't mind acknowledging 't I'm right down scared. But there's no hope that he's come; for he COULDN'T come and me miss him. Sally, it's terrible -- just terrible -- something's happened to the boat, sure!" 
"Why, Silas! Look yonder! -- up the road! -- ain't that somebody coming?" 
He sprung to the window at the head of the bed, and that give Mrs. Phelps the chance she wanted. She stooped down quick at the foot of the bed and give me a pull, and out I come; and when he turned back from the window there she stood, a-beaming and a-smiling like a house afire, and I standing pretty meek and sweaty alongside. The old gentleman stared, and says: 
"Why, who's that?" 
"Who do you reckon 't is?" 
"I hain't no idea. Who IS it?" 
"It's TOM SAWYER!" 
By jings, I most slumped through the floor! But there warn't no time to swap knives; the old man grabbed me by the hand and shook, and kept on shaking; and all the time how the woman did dance around and laugh and cry; and then how they both did fire off questions about Sid, and Mary, and the rest of the tribe. 
But if they was joyful, it warn't nothing to what I was; for it was like being born again, I was so glad to find out who I was. Well, they froze to me for two hours; and at last, when my chin was so tired it couldn't hardly go any more, I had told them more about my family -- I mean the Sawyer family -- than ever happened to any six Sawyer families. And I explained all about how we blowed out a cylinder-head at the mouth of White River, and it took us three days to fix it. Which was all right, and worked first-rate; because THEY didn't know but what it would take three days to fix it. If I'd a called it a bolthead it would a done just as well. 
Now I was feeling pretty comfortable all down one side, and pretty uncomfortable all up the other. Being Tom Sawyer was easy and comfortable, and it stayed easy and comfortable till by and by I hear a steamboat coughing along down the river. Then I says to myself, s'pose Tom Sawyer comes down on that boat? And s'pose he steps in here any minute, and sings out my name before I can throw him a wink to keep quiet? 
Well, I couldn't HAVE it that way; it wouldn't do at all. I must go up the road and waylay him. So I told the folks I reckoned I would go up to the town and fetch down my baggage. The old gentleman was for going along with me, but I said no, I could drive the horse myself, and I druther he wouldn't take no trouble about me.
　　我赶到那儿的时候，四周静静的，像是星期天，天很热，阳光充足，帮工全下地了。虫子和苍蝇嗡嗡地在空中飞舞，使那个地方更显得寂寞，好像人全死光了一般。如果一阵微风吹过，掀动树枝，它会让你觉得凄凉，因为你会觉得这是幽灵在低语--你还总想着它们在说（你）。总的来说，这情景叫人情愿自己也死掉算了，这样就可以一了百了啦。
　　斐尔普斯家是个小小的种植园，这种农场都差不多。一道篱笆墙围着两亩大的院子，用锯下来的木桩竖着搭成梯子，就像高矮不齐的木桶，可以拿来翻越围墙，女人上马时也可以当凳子踩。偌大的院子里有几片病恹恹的草地，可大片是光秃秃平展展的，像磨掉了绒毛的旧帽子。双层的大木头房子是给白人住的，用砍得方方正正的原木建成，木头缝儿用泥巴或灰浆堵严，这些泥灰道道不知什么时候还刷过白灰。圆木头做的厨房与那座大房子用带顶棚的走廊相连，走廊两边敞开着，厨房后是熏肉的小木屋。在熏肉的小屋那边，有一排三间的小木棚，是拿来给黑人住的。一间孤零零的小屋靠在后围墙边，另一边有些其他小房子。那间小屋旁边放着一只做肥皂用的浸灰桶和一口锅，厨房门旁边的长凳上，有一桶水跟一把葫芦瓢。狗在太阳下睡着了，一个墙角处长着三棵遮荫大树，靠围墙有个地方生着醋栗子丛。围墙外头是花园和西瓜地，再往外是棉花地，棉花地过去则是树林。
　　我绕到后面，翻过浸灰桶旁的梯子，向厨房走去。
　　我一直朝前走，并未确定什么具体计划，且听凭上帝让我能在事到临头时找出合适得体的话来应付吧。因为我注意到，只要我听天由命，上帝总会让我说出合适得体的话。
　　我走在半路上，那些狗一条一条都站了起来，冲我乱叫，我当然停下脚步，面对着狗，一动不动。你看它们叫得那个凶啊！眼看着我就成了个车轴--车辐条就是那些狗--有15条狗将我团团围住，全伸出脖子仰着鼻子冲我又咬又叫；又跑来好多狗，它们跳过围墙窜出角落，都不知它们打哪儿来。一个黑人妇女拿着擀面杖打厨房奔了出来，嘴里喊着："滚开！虎儿！滚开！花点儿！去去！" 她揍这个一棍，打那个一棒，它们都叫着逃走了，别的狗也跟着跑。过不一会儿，有一半的狗又折了回来，围着我直摇尾巴，跟我亲热。狗可没什么恶意。
　　那女人身后跟着一个黑人小女孩跟两个小男孩，只穿件麻布衫，拽着他们妈妈的长裙，从她身后偷偷打量我，羞答答的、怯怯的，他们总这样。从屋里又跑来一个白人妇人，大约45或50 岁，光着头，手里握着纺花锤，身后是她的白人孩子，举止跟那几个黑人孩子一个样。面带笑容，笑得都快站不住了，说："真是你呀，终于把你给盼来啦！是不是啊？"我想都没想，脱口便答：" 是啊，您"。
　　她拉过我，紧紧地抱住，接着又抓住我的手摇啊摇，眼泪都出来了，直往下掉，她好像抱不够摇不完，嘴里不停地说："你长得一点不像你妈，你像我想的那样，不过天哪，我才不管它哪，看到你我真是高兴！哎呀，哎呀，我真恨不得把你吞到肚里去！孩子们，这是你的表哥汤姆！"可是，他们赶紧垂下头，手指头放在嘴里，藏到了她身后。于是，她接着嚷："丽西，赶紧给他准备顿热饭，现在就做。呃，你在船上用过早饭了吗？"我说我在船上吃过了。于是她便牵着我的手进屋里去，孩子们紧跟后面。我们进了屋，她让我在一把木条椅子上坐了下来，她自己坐在我面前一条小矮凳上，抓着我的双手，说道："现在我能仔仔细细看看你啦，我的天哪。我盼呀盼呀盼了多少回，总算是盼来啦！我们一直盼你来，都两天多了。路上有什么事耽搁你啦？船搁浅啦？""是啊，您--它--""别说您，叫莎丽姨妈。它搁浅在哪儿了？"我不知道自己该怎么回答，因为我不知道船是应该打上游来还是下游来。只是我向来是凭直觉，我的直觉告诉我它应该往上游开，从下面奥尔良过来。可这还是没有什么用，因为我不知道那一路浅滩的名字。我看出来我得杜撰个浅滩，否则就得说忘了我们搁浅的那个浅滩的名字了，要不--就--猛地，我有了主意，说道："不是由于搁浅了。那并没有耽误我们多大一会儿。我们船上有个汽缸盖儿炸了。""哎呀天哪！有人伤着吗？""没有，只炸死个黑人。""噢，还算运气，因为有时的确会伤人。两年前圣诞节那天，你赛拉斯姨父乘着那条老船拉里·鲁克号从新奥尔良回来，那船就炸掉一个汽缸盖儿，一个人被炸残了。我记得他后来死了。他是个浸礼会教友。你赛拉斯姨父认识在巴顿·鲁什住的一家人，他们跟那个人一家很熟。对，我想起来了，他是死了。伤口发作，长了毒疮，他们只好给他截肢。但那也没救了他。对了，是毒疮，就为这个。他浑身发青，死的时候还指望着能光荣复活呢。他们说他那模样可真够瞧的。你姨父天天到镇上去接你。今天他又去了，走了还没到一个小时，现在他随时都可能回来。你应该在路上碰上他，你没遇着吗？一个上年纪的人，还..""没有，我谁都没遇着，莎丽姨。船天刚亮靠的岸，我把行李丢在浮码头上，到镇上四处转悠，又朝地里走了走，想打发一下时间，免得来得过早，所以我从后在的路绕过去了。""你把行李给谁了？""没给谁。""哎呀，孩子，那样会被偷走的！""我想我藏的地方大概不会被偷走。" 我说。
　　"你在船上早饭怎么吃这么早啊？"这一问可险些把我给问住，不过我答道："船长看我在那里转悠，就对我说上岸之前最好吃点东西，因此，他带我到顶舱和船员一起吃饭，我想吃什么就给什么。"我越来越慌，连话也听不清楚。我脑子里一直打着那小孩们的主意。我想把他们拉到外面，逗逗他们，问清他们我是谁。可总不能得逞，斐尔普斯太太一直问个没完，喋喋不休。不久，她叫我后背直打冷颤，因为她说："我们在这儿一个劲儿说个不停，可你还没跟我提到我姐一句话，她家里人你谁也没提到过。现在我得闭嘴歇会儿了，你开始张口说话吧，告诉我所有的事情--告诉我他们大家的所有情况--每一个人，他们身体可好，他们都做些什么，他们都让你告诉我什么，你能想到什么，全都讲给我听听吧。"这回可把我给问倒了，倒得下不了台。上帝总在帮我的忙，一直没出事，但这会儿，我可真搁浅了，死死地困住动不了。我明白我再想朝前对付也没一点用，我非得举手投降不行。所以我对自己说，这回又该我冒着风险讲真话了。我张开嘴正想说，可是，她抓起手硬把我给拖到床后边，她说："他回来啦！你把头低下来，好，这样就行，他看不到你了。别让他知道你在这儿。我跟他开个玩笑。孩子们，都别说。"我明白这下又难办了。可担心没有什么用，又没什么办法可想，只得静静呆着，有电闪雷鸣时沉住气熬过去。
　　那老先生进屋时，我刚好瞧见他一眼，然后床就挡住他了。斐尔普斯太太走过去问他："他来了吗？""没。" 她丈夫说。
　　"我的老--天哪！" 她说，" 他究竟会出什么事啊？""我猜不出来，"老先生说，" 说老实话，这令我担心得很。""担心！" 她说，" 我都快急疯啦！他也该来了，你在路上错过他了。我知道确实是这么回事，好像有什么给我报信似的。""嗨，莎丽，我（不可能）在路上错过他，这你知道。""可是，噢，亲爱的，亲爱的，姐会怎么说！他一定来啦！你一定错过他了。他..""嗨，别再让我难受了，我都快难受死了。不知道到底出了什么事，我是没法可想了，我得承认我快被吓坏了。可是说他到了，这根本一点指望也没有！因为他不可能来到，我也不可能错过他。莎丽，这太糟糕了，实在糟糕，肯定是船出了事，没错！""啊，赛拉斯！看那边！大路上！那不有人来了吗？"他向床头窗口那边，这恰好给了斐尔普斯太太机会。她急忙弯下腰，弯到床脚，用力一拽，我出来了。当他从窗口转过身来。她站在那儿，满脸红光，面带笑容，红得好像房子着了火，我胆怯又紧张地站到她身旁。那老先生瞪大了眼睛说："喂，那是谁？""你猜是谁？""我猜不出来。究竟是谁呀？""他是（汤姆·索亚）！"老天，我险些钻到地板缝儿里去。可连换个脑筋也来不及，那老先生抓住我的手摇，不住地摇，那女人不停地跳呀，舞呀，笑呀，叫呀，一直没个完；然后他们俩一齐连珠炮一般提问题，问席德，问玛丽，问全家其他人。
　　但是，要说他们高兴，那可没法同我的高兴劲儿比，因为这就好像重新出生一样，我真高兴，终于弄明白我是谁了。他们盯着我问了两个小时，最后，我的下巴颌累得几乎再也抬不动了啦，我给他们讲的事比我家的真事还多--我是指索亚家--比六个索亚家里的事都多。
　　现在，我一方面觉得十分舒服，一方面又觉得十分不舒服。冒充汤姆·索亚轻松又舒服，一直都轻松舒服。后来，我听闻一条轮船顺大河往下，这时我心想，要是汤姆·索亚坐那条船来了呢要是他走进来，随时都有可能，叫出我的名字，而我来不及给他递个眼色让他闭嘴又怎么办？好了，我不会让事情到那种地步，绝对不可以。我必须到路上去迎住他。于是我告诉他们我得到镇上去拿回我的行李。老先生要跟我一同去，我说不用，我自己会赶马车，请他别替我操心
Chapter 33
SO I started for town in the wagon, and when I was half-way I see a wagon coming, and sure enough it was Tom Sawyer, and I stopped and waited till he come along. I says "Hold on!" and it stopped alongside, and his mouth opened up like a trunk, and stayed so; and he swallowed two or three times like a person that's got a dry throat, and then says: 
"I hain't ever done you no harm. You know that. So, then, what you want to come back and ha'nt ME for?" 
I says: 
"I hain't come back -- I hain't been GONE." 
When he heard my voice it righted him up some, but he warn't quite satisfied yet. He says: 
"Don't you play nothing on me, because I wouldn't on you. Honest injun, you ain't a ghost?" 
"Honest injun, I ain't," I says. 
"Well -- I -- I -- well, that ought to settle it, of course; but I can't somehow seem to understand it no way. Looky here, warn't you ever murdered AT ALL?" 
"No. I warn't ever murdered at all -- I played it on them. You come in here and feel of me if you don't believe me." 
So he done it; and it satisfied him; and he was that glad to see me again he didn't know what to do. And he wanted to know all about it right off, because it was a grand adventure, and mysterious, and so it hit him where he lived. But I said, leave it alone till by and by; and told his driver to wait, and we drove off a little piece, and I told him the kind of a fix I was in, and what did he reckon we better do? He said, let him alone a minute, and don't disturb him. So he thought and thought, and pretty soon he says: 
"It's all right; I've got it. Take my trunk in your wagon, and let on it's your'n; and you turn back and fool along slow, so as to get to the house about the time you ought to; and I'll go towards town a piece, and take a fresh start, and get there a quarter or a half an hour after you; and you needn't let on to know me at first." 
I says: 
"All right; but wait a minute. There's one more thing -- a thing that NOBODY don't know but me. And that is, there's a nigger here that I'm a-trying to steal out of slavery, and his name is JIM -- old Miss Watson's Jim." 
He says: 
" What ! Why, Jim is --" 
He stopped and went to studying. I says: 
"I know what you'll say. You'll say it's dirty, lowdown business; but what if it is? I'm low down; and I'm a-going to steal him, and I want you keep mum and not let on. Will you?" 
His eye lit up, and he says: 
"I'll HELP you steal him!" 
Well, I let go all holts then, like I was shot. It was the most astonishing speech I ever heard -- and I'm bound to say Tom Sawyer fell considerable in my estimation. Only I couldn't believe it. Tom Sawyer a NIGGER-STEALER! 
"Oh, shucks!" I says; "you're joking." 
"I ain't joking, either." 
"Well, then," I says, "joking or no joking, if you hear anything said about a runaway nigger, don't forget to remember that YOU don't know nothing about him, and I don't know nothing about him." 
Then we took the trunk and put it in my wagon, and he drove off his way and I drove mine. But of course I forgot all about driving slow on accounts of being glad and full of thinking; so I got home a heap too quick for that length of a trip. The old gentleman was at the door, and he says: 
"Why, this is wonderful! Whoever would a thought it was in that mare to do it? I wish we'd a timed her. And she hain't sweated a hair -- not a hair. It's wonderful. Why, I wouldn't take a hundred dollars for that horse now -- I wouldn't, honest; and yet I'd a sold her for fifteen before, and thought 'twas all she was worth." 
That's all he said. He was the innocentest, best old soul I ever see. But it warn't surprising; because he warn't only just a farmer, he was a preacher, too, and had a little one-horse log church down back of the plantation, which he built it himself at his own expense, for a church and schoolhouse, and never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too. There was plenty other farmer-preachers like that, and done the same way, down South. 
In about half an hour Tom's wagon drove up to the front stile, and Aunt Sally she see it through the window, because it was only about fifty yards, and says: 
"Why, there's somebody come! I wonder who 'tis? Why, I do believe it's a stranger. Jimmy " (that's one of the children)' "run and tell Lize to put on another plate for dinner." 
Everybody made a rush for the front door, because, of course, a stranger don't come EVERY year, and so he lays over the yaller-fever, for interest, when he does come. Tom was over the stile and starting for the house; the wagon was spinning up the road for the village, and we was all bunched in the front door. Tom had his store clothes on, and an audience -- and that was always nuts for Tom Sawyer. In them circumstances it warn't no trouble to him to throw in an amount of style that was suitable. He warn't a boy to meeky along up that yard like a sheep; no, he come ca'm and important, like the ram. When he got a-front of us he lifts his hat ever so gracious and dainty, like it was the lid of a box that had butterflies asleep in it and he didn't want to disturb them, and says: 
"Mr. Archibald Nichols, I presume?" 
"No, my boy," says the old gentleman, "I'm sorry to say 't your driver has deceived you; Nichols's place is down a matter of three mile more. Come in, come in." 
Tom he took a look back over his shoulder, and says, "Too late -- he's out of !j:

Chapter 34
WE stopped talking, and got to thinking. By and by Tom says: 
"Looky here, Huck, what fools we are to not think of it before! I bet I know where Jim is." 
"No! Where?" 
"In that hut down by the ash-hopper. Why, looky here. When we was at dinner, didn't you see a nigger man go in there with some vittles?" 
"Yes." 
"What did you think the vittles was for?" 
"For a dog." 
"So 'd I. Well, it wasn't for a dog." 
"Why?" 
"Because part of it was watermelon." 
"So it was -- I noticed it. Well, it does beat all that I never thought about a dog not eating watermelon. It shows how a body can see and don't see at the same time." 
"Well, the nigger unlocked the padlock when he went in, and he locked it again when he came out. He fetched uncle a key about the time we got up from table -- same key, I bet. Watermelon shows man, lock shows prisoner; and it ain't likely there's two prisoners on such a little plantation, and where the people's all so kind and good. Jim's the prisoner. All right -- I'm glad we found it out detective fashion; I wouldn't give shucks for any other way. Now you work your mind, and study out a plan to steal Jim, and I will study out one, too; and we'll take the one we like the best." 
What a head for just a boy to have! If I had Tom Sawyer's head I wouldn't trade it off to be a duke, nor mate of a steamboat, nor clown in a circus, nor nothing I can think of. I went to thinking out a plan, but only just to be doing something; I knowed very well where the right plan was going to come from. Pretty soon Tom says: 
"Ready?" 
"Yes," I says. 
"All right -- bring it out." 
"My plan is this," I says. "We can easy find out if it's Jim in there. Then get up my canoe to-morrow night, and fetch my raft over from the island. Then the first dark night that comes steal the key out of the old man's britches after he goes to bed, and shove off down the river on the raft with Jim, hiding daytimes and running nights, the way me and Jim used to do before. Wouldn't that plan work?" 
"WORK? Why, cert'nly it would work, like rats a-fighting. But it's too blame' simple; there ain't nothing TO it. What's the good of a plan that ain't no more trouble than that? It's as mild as goose-milk. Why, Huck, it wouldn't make no more talk than breaking into a soap factory." 
I never said nothing, because I warn't expecting nothing different; but I knowed mighty well that whenever he got HIS plan ready it wouldn't have none of them objections to it. 
And it didn't. He told me what it was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides. So I was satisfied, and said we would waltz in on it. I needn't tell what it was here, because I knowed it wouldn't stay the way, it was. I knowed he would be changing it around every which way as we went along, and heaving in new bullinesses wherever he got a chance. And that is what he done. 
Well, one thing was dead sure, and that was that Tom Sawyer was in earnest, and was actuly going to help steal that nigger out of slavery. That was the thing that was too many for me. Here was a boy that was respectable and well brung up; and had a character to lose; and folks at home that had characters; and he was bright and not leather-headed; and knowing and not ignorant; and not mean, but kind; and yet here he was, without any more pride, or rightness, or feeling, than to stoop to this business, and make himself a shame, and his family a shame, before everybody. I COULDN'T understand it no way at all. It was outrageous, and I knowed I ought to just up and tell him so; and so be his true friend, and let him quit the thing right where he was and save himself. And I DID start to tell him; but he shut me up, and says: 
"Don't you reckon I know what I'm about? Don't I generly know what I'm about?" 
"Yes." 
"Didn't I SAY I was going to help steal the nigger?" 
"Yes." 
"WELL, then." 
That's all he said, and that's all I said. It warn't no use to say any more; because when he said he'd do a thing, he always done it. But I couldn't make out how he was willing to go into this thing; so I just let it go, and never bothered no more about it. If he was bound to have it so, I couldn't help it. 
When we got home the house was all dark and still; so we went on down to the hut by the ash-hopper for to examine it. We went through the yard so as to see what the hounds would do. They knowed us, and didn't make no more noise than country dogs is always doing when anything comes by in the night. When we got to the cabin we took a look at the front and the two sides; and on the side I warn't acquainted with -- which was the north side -- we found a square windowhole, up tolerable high, with just one stout board nailed across it. I says: 
"Here's the ticket. This hole's big enough for Jim to get through if we wrench off the board." 
Tom says: 
"It's as simple as tit-tat-toe, three-in-a-row, and as easy as playing hooky. I should HOPE we can find a way that's a little more complicated than THAT, Huck Finn." 
"Well, then," I says, "how 'll it do to saw him out, the way I done before I was murdered that time?" 
"That's more LIKE," he says. "It's real mysterious, and troublesome, and good," he says; "but I bet we can find a way that's twice as long. There ain't no hurry; le's keep on looking around." 
Betwixt the hut and the fence, on the back side, was a lean-to that joined the hut at the eaves, and was made out of plank. It was as long as the hut, but narrow -- only about six foot wide. The door to it was at the south end, and was padlocked. Tom he went to the soap-kettle and searched around, and fetched back the iron thing they lift the lid with; so he took it and prized out one of the staples. The chain fell down, and we opened the door and went in, and shut it, and struck a match, and see the shed was only built against a cabin and hadn't no connection with it; and there warn't no floor to the shed, nor nothing in it but some old rusty played-out hoes and spades and picks and a crippled plow. The match went out, and so did we, and shoved in the staple again, and the door was locked as good as ever. Tom was joyful. He says; 
"Now we're all right. We'll DIG him out. It 'll take about a week!" 
Then we started for the house, and I went in the back door -- you only have to pull a buckskin latchstring, they don't fasten the doors -- but that warn't romantical enough for Tom Sawyer; no way would do him but he must climb up the lightning-rod. But after he got up half way about three times, and missed fire and fell every time, and the last time most busted his brains out, he thought he'd got to give it up; but after he was rested he allowed he would give her one more turn for luck, and this time he made the trip. 
In the morning we was up at break of day, and down to the nigger cabins to pet the dogs and make friends with the nigger that fed Jim -- if it WAS Jim that was being fed. The niggers was just getting through breakfast and starting for the fields; and Jim's nigger was piling up a tin pan with bread and meat and things; and whilst the others was leaving, the key come from the house. 
This nigger had a good-natured, chuckle-headed face, and his wool was all tied up in little bunches with thread. That was to keep witches off. He said the witches was pestering him awful these nights, and making him see all kinds of strange things, and hear all kinds of strange words and noises, and he didn't believe he was ever witched so long before in his life. He got so worked up, and got to running on so about his troubles, he forgot all about what he'd been a-going to do. So Tom says: 
"What's the vittles for? Going to feed the dogs?" 
The nigger kind of smiled around graduly over his face, like when you heave a brickbat in a mud-puddle, and he says: 
"Yes, Mars Sid, A dog. Cur'us dog, too. Does you want to go en look at 'im?" 
"Yes." 
I hunched Tom, and whispers: 
"You going, right here in the daybreak? THAT warn't the plan." 
"No, it warn't; but it's the plan NOW." 
So, drat him, we went along, but I didn't like it much. When we got in we couldn't hardly see anything, it was so dark; but Jim was there, sure enough, and could see us; and he sings out: 
"Why, HUCK! En good LAN'! ain' dat Misto Tom?" 
I just knowed how it would be; I just expected it. I didn't know nothing to do; and if I had I couldn't a done it, because that nigger busted in and says: 
"Why, de gracious sakes! do he know you genlmen?" 
We could see pretty well now. Tom he looked at the nigger, steady and kind of wondering, and says: 
"Does WHO know us?" 
"Why, dis-yer runaway nigger." 
"I don't reckon he does; but what put that into your head?" 
"What PUT it dar? Didn' he jis' dis minute sing out like he knowed you?" 
Tom says, in a puzzled-up kind of way: 
"Well, that's mighty curious. WHO sung out? WHEN did he sing out? WHAT did he sing out?" And turns to me, perfectly ca'm, and says, "Did YOU hear anybody sing out?" 
Of course there warn't nothing to be said but the one thing; so I says: 
"No; I ain't heard nobody say nothing." 
Then he turns to Jim, and looks him over like he never see him before, and says: 
"Did you sing out?" 
"No, sah," says Jim; " I hain't said nothing, sah." 
"Not a word?" 
"No, sah, I hain't said a word." 
"Did you ever see us before?" 
"No, sah; not as I knows on." 
So Tom turns to the nigger, which was looking wild and distressed, and says, kind of severe: 
"What do you reckon's the matter with you, anyway? What made you think somebody sung out?" 
"Oh, it's de dad-blame' witches, sah, en I wisht I was dead, I do. Dey's awluz at it, sah, en dey do mos' kill me, dey sk'yers me so. Please to don't tell nobody 'bout it sah, er ole Mars Silas he'll scole me; 'kase he say dey AIN'T no witches. I jis' wish to goodness he was heah now -- DEN what would he say! I jis' bet he couldn' fine no way to git aroun' it DIS time. But it's awluz jis' so; people dat's SOT, stays sot; dey won't look into noth'n'en fine it out f'r deyselves, en when YOU fine it out en tell um 'bout it, dey doan' b'lieve you." 
Tom give him a dime, and said we wouldn't tell nobody; and told him to buy some more thread to tie up his wool with; and then looks at Jim, and says: 
"I wonder if Uncle Silas is going to hang this nigger. If I was to catch a nigger that was ungrateful enough to run away, I wouldn't give him up, I'd hang him." And whilst the nigger stepped to the door to look at the dime and bite it to see if it was good, he whispers to Jim and says: 
"Don't ever let on to know us. And if you hear any digging going on nights, it's us; we're going to set you free." 
Jim only had time to grab us by the hand and squeeze it; then the nigger come back, and we said we'd come again some time if the nigger wanted us to; and he said he would, more particular if it was dark, because the witches went for him mostly in the dark, and it was good to have folks around then. 
　　我们不再谈话，开始思考。过了一阵，汤姆说："听着，哈克，我们真是傻瓜，原先竟没想到！我敢说我知道吉姆在哪儿。""怎么！在哪儿？""在浸灰桶旁那间小屋里边。喂，你听我说，我们吃午饭时，你没看到一个黑人拿着吃的东西走进去吗？""看见了。""你猜那东西拿去是干什么的？""喂狗。""我原也这样想。不对，那不是喂狗的。""为什么？""因为其中有西瓜。""是有，我也注意到了。呃，这可真是件怪事儿，我从没想到狗不吃西瓜。这说明一个人长着眼睛也有看不清事儿的时候。"还有啊，那黑人进去之时开了挂锁，出来时又锁上了。
　　大约在我们吃完饭离开饭桌之时，他交给姨父一把钥匙，我猜必定是那把钥匙。西瓜说明有人，锁说明是个犯人。这么一个小小的农场，这儿的人又都这么和善，不可能会有两个犯人。吉姆就是那个犯人。好啦，我很高兴我们按侦探推理把事弄明白了，其他方法不名一文。现在你开动脑筋想个偷吉姆的办法，我也动脑筋想个办法，然后我们用那个最好的办法。
　　多棒啊，一个小孩儿脑子竟这么好使！如果我能有汤姆·索亚那样的脑子，叫我当公爵，或是做轮船大副，或是马戏团小丑，或者是我所能想起来的所有角色我都不换。我想出来了一个办法，但那只是应付一下，我很清楚好办法会打哪儿来。不一会儿，汤姆问："想好了？""想好了。" 我说。
　　"那好，讲讲看。""我的办法是这样，"我说，" 我们很容易搞明白是不是吉姆在那里。然后，明晚，把我的独木舟捞出来，再把我的木排从那个岛上划过来。等到一碰上漆黑的夜晚，那老头儿睡着之后，把钥匙从他裤兜里偷出来，然后尽快划开，乘木排从大河上顺流直下，带着吉姆，昼伏夜行，像我和吉姆以前的做法一样。这个办法行得通吗？""（行得通）？"当然啦，它行得通，像老鼠打架。可这太他妈的简单了，象杯白开水。一个不费劲的主意有什么用？真乏味。喂，哈克，这就像闯进肥皂厂偷肥皂一样，人家不会把它当回事儿来谈呀。"我一句话不说，因为这正如我所料，不过我十分清楚，一旦他的主意拿定，那就不会有什么异议。
　　果然不错。他告诉我他的办法，我马上就看到这比我的办法强15 倍，很有派头，它像我的主意一样能让吉姆成为自由人，但是，它也可能把我们几人的命全搭进去。因此我满意了，说我们得尽快行动。现在，我不必说出来这主意如何，因为我知道它不会一成不变。我知道，随着我们向下进展，他会随意更改，一碰到机会，他就会添进去新花样。他后来就是这样干的。不过，有一点是确凿无疑的：那就是，汤姆·索亚诚心诚意，当真打算要偷出那个黑奴，帮他摆脱奴隶生活，这一点让我想不通。像他这样受人尊敬、教养良好的男孩子，做坏事会降低身份的，他家的人全都很有身份；他聪明伶俐，脑子也不笨，他有知识有见识，头脑并不简单；他不卑鄙下作，而是心地良善；可他现在完全不顾脸面，不问是非，不顾人情世故，却要屈尊低就干这事儿，在大家面前让他自己丢人，叫他家里人跟着丢脸。这我想不通，根本没办法想通。这简直荒诞至极，我知道我应该直截了当地告诉他这些话，这样才够得上是他的真正朋友，让他立即撒手这件事，以挽救他自己。后来，我真的开口劝他了，可是他叫我闭嘴，他说："你难道看不出我很明白自己在干什么吗？我以往做事，是不是一向头脑清楚呢？""是呀。""我不是已经（说过了）我要帮你偷那个黑人吗？""是呀。""那好，别再往下说了。"他的话到此为止，我也就讲了这么多。再说多了也没用，因为他但凡说要做一件事，他总会做成。但是我就是开不清楚他怎么会乐意搅和到这种事情里头，所以我就随它去，不再费心。如果他执意如此，我可拦不住。
　　我们到家时，房子全黑了，静悄情的，因此我们一直往浸灰桶旁边的那间小屋走去，想摸摸情况。我们从院中穿过，想试试那些狗会怎么样。狗也认识我们，没叫几声，只不过像家狗那样夜里看到有人来，习惯性地那样汪汪两下而已。我们到了小屋旁，看看前面和两边，又看了看我不熟的那一面--是北面--我们看到一个四方形的窗口，离地很高，只横着钉了一条结实木板。我说："这就是出去的门票。这个窗口大得足够吉姆打里边钻出来了，我们撬掉那块板就可以。"汤姆说："这办法简单得跟'三连棋'游戏一样，容易得像玩逃学。我（希望）的是我们能找到一个比（这个）复杂一些的办法，哈克·芬。""那好吧，"我说，" 把木板锯掉让他出来如何？就像那一回我被人谋杀时用的办法一样。""这倒还像个主意，"他说，" 确实神秘、麻烦而够味。"他说：" 不过我敢打赌我们可以找到个比这费劲一倍的办法。我们不着急，再往四周看看吧。"在小屋和围墙之间，靠小屋后墙那一边，有一个拿木板做的斜顶棚子，跟小屋的屋檐连在一起。它与小屋一样长，可很窄，仅六英尺宽。它的门在南头，加着挂锁。汤姆到那个煮肥皂的锅旁边，找了一圈儿，带回来一个揭锅盖用的铁家伙，他拿它撬掉一个锁环。铁锁落地，我们打开门进去，又随手关上门，划着一根火柴，看见这个棚只是靠着小屋搭建的，并不相通，里边也没有地板，只有一些生锈的废旧锄头、铁锨、镐和一把用坏的犁。火柴灭了，我们也出来了，又将锁给按上，门锁得像先前一样。汤姆很兴奋地说："这回我们好办了。我们得把他（挖）出来。这得花上大约一个星期！"然后我们大大房中去，我从后门进--你只需拉开门闩，他们并未把门上死--可这对汤姆·索亚不够神奇，他非得去顺着避雷针往上爬不可。但是，他每回都爬到半路就爬不动了，每次都摔到地上，最后一次，差点把他的脑浆摔出来，他只得放弃，但是歇了一会儿，他认为他还要再爬一次，就当是试运气，这一次他爬上去了。
　　第二天拂晓时分，我们起床，跑到黑人住的小屋与那些狗亲热一番，又和给吉姆送饭的那个黑人套套近乎--我们其实并不知道送去的饭（是不是）给吉姆吃的。那些黑人刚吃完早饭准备下地，负责吉姆的黑人正朝一个铁锅里放面包、肉和别的东西，其他人出去时，钥匙打正房送了过来。
　　这黑人从长相上看脾气很好，又傻头傻脑，他的头发全用线扎成小绺，这样做是为了避邪。他说老妖魔这些夜里死死缠着他，叫他看到各种各样稀奇古怪的影子，听见各种各样稀奇古怪的话和声音，他相信他这辈子还从未被纠缠这么久。他给弄得精神紧张，四处乱跑，老想着自己得遭灾遇难，总会把刚打算好要干的事情全给忘了。于是汤姆问："这些吃的东西干嘛用的？拿去喂狗吗？"那黑人的脸上慢慢笑开了，如同你在一块烂泥地里扔一块碎砖头差不多。他说："是啊，席德少爷，是一条狗，还是条稀罕狗。您想去看看他吗？""想啊。"我推推汤姆，小声说："你想在这天色大亮的时候去吗？（这样）可不是我们的原定计划。""对呀，不是原定计划，可这是我人的（现行）计划。"真见鬼，我们就一起去了，可我不大乐意这么做。我们进去时，简直什么也看不到，里面很黑，但吉姆在那里，没错，他能看到我们。他喊了出来："嘿，哈克！哎呀，天哪，这不是汤姆少爷吗？"我就料到会这样，果然猜对了。（我）可不明白怎么办，我即便知道，也来不及了，因为那个黑人嘴说："噢，天哪！他认识您两位？"这时，我们可以看得很清楚了。汤姆看看那个黑人，稳稳当当却略带惊诧地说："你说（谁）认识我们？""呃，这个逃跑黑人呀。""我看他并不认识我们，可你脑子里竟然会产生这个想法。""怎么产生的？他不是刚喊了你们的名字？"汤姆有些莫名其妙地说："好么，那就太奇怪了。（谁）喊了？他（什么时候）喊了？他喊（什么）了？"说完他转向我，非常镇定地问：" 你听（到）有人喊吗？"当然除了撒谎我啥也不能说，于是我答："没有，（我）可没听到谁说什么。"然后他转向吉姆，细细打量他一番，好像以前从未见过他，问道："你刚才喊了吗？""没，您哪，"吉姆说，" 我可啥都没说，您哪。""一个字没讲？""没有，您哪，我一个字也没讲。""你过去见过我们吗？""没有，您哪，我可不记得我见过。"因此，汤姆这才转向那黑人，这阵，黑人脸上带着发狂而又沮丧的表情，汤姆口吻严厉地说："你这事究竟怎么解释？你怎么会想到有人喊话呢？""噢，这肯定是那该死的妖魔做怪，您哪，我真恨不得死掉算了，我真这样想。它们老缠着我，您哪，我快被折磨死了，他们把我吓成这样子。请您对谁也别提这事儿，赛拉斯老主人会骂我的，因为他说压根儿没有妖魔。我真希望他这阵儿在场，那么看他还有什么可说！这回我敢说他没法子不信了。不过世上的事儿就这样，犟脾气的人就是犟，他们自己不调查，不搞搞清楚，当（你）搞清楚了跟他们说，他们又不相信你。"汤姆给了他一毛钱，又说他不会告诉别人，叫他再买些线扎起他的头发，然后看看吉姆说道："我不知道赛拉斯姨父会不会绞死这个黑人。如果我抓住一个忘恩负义到逃走的黑人，我可不会饶了他，我会绞死他。"那个黑人走到门口，看看那一毛硬币，又拿牙咬咬，看是不是真的，趁这个机会，汤姆对吉姆耳语道："千万别露出来你认识我们。要是你晚上听到有人挖洞，那就是我们，我们想救你出去。"吉姆刚抓住我们的手捏了捏，那黑人回来了，我们说过些日子我们还会再来，如果那黑人愿意的话，他说他愿意，特别是天黑的时候，因为那些巫婆大半在黑地方缠他，那时身边有人会有不少好处。
Chapter 35
IT would be most an hour yet till breakfast, so we left and struck down into the woods; because Tom said we got to have SOME light to see how to dig by, and a lantern makes too much, and might get us into trouble; what we must have was a lot of them rotten chunks that's called fox-fire, and just makes a soft kind of a glow when you lay them in a dark place. We fetched an armful and hid it in the weeds, and set down to rest, and Tom says, kind of dissatisfied: 
"Blame it, this whole thing is just as easy and awkward as it can be. And so it makes it so rotten difficult to get up a difficult plan. There ain't no watchman to be drugged -- now there OUGHT to be a watchman. There ain't even a dog to give a sleeping-mixture to. And there's Jim chained by one leg, with a ten-foot chain, to the leg of his bed: why, all you got to do is to lift up the bedstead and slip off the chain. And Uncle Silas he trusts everybody; sends the key to the punkin-headed nigger, and don't send nobody to watch the nigger. Jim could a got out of that windowhole before this, only there wouldn't be no use trying to travel with a ten-foot chain on his leg. Why, drat it, Huck, it's the stupidest arrangement I ever see. You got to invent ALL the difficulties. Well, we can't help it; we got to do the best we can with the materials we've got. Anyhow, there's one thing -- there's more honor in getting him out through a lot of difficulties and dangers, where there warn't one of them furnished to you by the people who it was their duty to furnish them, and you had to contrive them all out of your own head. Now look at just that one thing of the lantern. When you come down to the cold facts, we simply got to LET ON that a lantern's resky. Why, we could work with a torchlight procession if we wanted to, I believe. Now, whilst I think of it, we got to hunt up something to make a saw out of the first chance we get." 
"What do we want of a saw?" 
"What do we WANT of a saw? Hain't we got to saw the leg of Jim's bed off, so as to get the chain loose?" 
"Why, you just said a body could lift up the bedstead and slip the chain off." 
"Well, if that ain't just like you, Huck Finn. You CAN get up the infant-schooliest ways of going at a thing. Why, hain't you ever read any books at all? -- Baron Trenck, nor Casanova, nor Benvenuto Chelleeny, nor Henri IV., nor none of them heroes? Who ever heard of getting a prisoner loose in such an oldmaidy way as that? No; the way all the best authorities does is to saw the bed-leg in two, and leave it just so, and swallow the sawdust, so it can't be found, and put some dirt and grease around the sawed place so the very keenest seneskal can't see no sign of it's being sawed, and thinks the bed-leg is perfectly sound. Then, the night you're ready, fetch the leg a kick, down she goes; slip off your chain, and there you are. Nothing to do but hitch your rope ladder to the battlements, shin down it, break your leg in the moat -- because a rope ladder is nineteen foot too short, you know -- and there's your horses and your trusty vassles, and they scoop you up and fling you across a saddle, and away you go to your native Langudoc, or Navarre, or wherever it is. It's gaudy, Huck. I wish there was a moat to this cabin. If we get time, the night of the escape, we'll dig one." 
I says: 
"What do we want of a moat when we're going to snake him out from under the cabin?" 
But he never heard me. He had forgot me and everything else. He had his chin in his hand, thinking. Pretty soon he sighs and shakes his head; then sighs again, and says: 
"No, it wouldn't do -- there ain't necessity enough for it." 
"For what?" I says. 
"Why, to saw Jim's leg off," he says. 
"Good land!" I says; "why, there ain't NO necessity for it. And what would you want to saw his leg off for, anyway?" 
"Well, some of the best authorities has done it. They couldn't get the chain off, so they just cut their hand off and shoved. And a leg would be better still. But we got to let that go. There ain't necessity enough in this case; and, besides, Jim's a nigger, and wouldn't understand the reasons for it, and how it's the custom in Europe; so we'll let it go. But there's one thing -- he can have a rope ladder; we can tear up our sheets and make him a rope ladder easy enough. And we can send it to him in a pie; it's mostly done that way. And I've et worse pies." 
"Why, Tom Sawyer, how you talk," I says; "Jim ain't got no use for a rope ladder." 
"He HAS got use for it. How YOU talk, you better say; you don't know nothing about it. He's GOT to have a rope ladder; they all do." 
"What in the nation can he DO with it?" 
"DO with it? He can hide it in his bed, can't he?" That's what they all do; and HE'S got to, too. Huck, you don't ever seem to want to do anything that's regular; you want to be starting something fresh all the time. S'pose he DON'T do nothing with it? ain't it there in his bed, for a clew, after he's gone? and don't you reckon they'll want clews? Of course they will. And you wouldn't leave them any? That would be a PRETTY howdy-do, WOULDN'T it! I never heard of such a thing." 
"Well," I says, "if it's in the regulations, and he's got to have it, all right, let him have it; because I don't wish to go back on no regulations; but there's one thing, Tom Sawyer -- if we go to tearing up our sheets to make Jim a rope ladder, we're going to get into trouble with Aunt Sally, just as sure as you're born. Now, the way I look at it, a hickry-bark ladder don't cost nothing, and don't waste nothing, and is just as good to load up a pie with, and hide in a straw tick, as any rag ladder you can start; and as for Jim, he ain't had no experience, and so he don't care what kind of a --" 
"Oh, shucks, Huck Finn, if I was as ignorant as you I'd keep still -- that's what I'D do. Who ever heard of a state prisoner escaping by a hickry-bark ladder? Why, it's perfectly ridiculous." 
"Well, all right, Tom, fix it your own way; but if you'll take my advice, you'll let me borrow a sheet off of the clothesline." 
He said that would do. And that gave him another idea, and he says: 
"Borrow a shirt, too." 
"What do we want of a shirt, Tom?" 
"Want it for Jim to keep a journal on." 
"Journal your granny -- JIM can't write." 
"S'pose he CAN'T write -- he can make marks on the shirt, can't he, if we make him a pen out of an old pewter spoon or a piece of an old iron barrelhoop?" 
"Why, Tom, we can pull a feather out of a goose and make him a better one; and quicker, too." 
"PRISONERS don't have geese running around the donjon-keep to pull pens out of, you muggins. They ALWAYS make their pens out of the hardest, toughest, troublesomest piece of old brass candlestick or something like that they can get their hands on; and it takes them weeks and weeks and months and months to file it out, too, because they've got to do it by rubbing it on the wall. THEY wouldn't use a goose-quill if they had it. It ain't regular." 
"Well, then, what'll we make him the ink out of?" 
"Many makes it out of iron-rust and tears; but that's the common sort and women; the best authorities uses their own blood. Jim can do that; and when he wants to send any little common ordinary mysterious message to let the world know where he's captivated, he can write it on the bottom of a tin plate with a fork and throw it out of the window. The Iron Mask always done that, and it's a blame' good way, too." 
"Jim ain't got no tin plates. They feed him in a pan." 
"That ain't nothing; we can get him some." 
"Can't nobody READ his plates." 
"That ain't got anything to DO with it, Huck Finn. All HE'S got to do is to write on the plate and throw it out. You don't HAVE to be able to read it. Why, half the time you can't read anything a prisoner writes on a tin plate, or anywhere else." 
"Well, then, what's the sense in wasting the plates?" 
"Why, blame it all, it ain't the PRISONER'S plates." 
"But it's SOMEBODY'S plates, ain't it?" 
"Well, spos'n it is? What does the PRISONER care whose --" 
He broke off there, because we heard the breakfasthorn blowing. So we cleared out for the house. 
Along during the morning I borrowed a sheet and a white shirt off of the clothes-line; and I found an old sack and put them in it, and we went down and got the fox-fire, and put that in too. I called it borrowing, because that was what pap always called it; but Tom said it warn't borrowing, it was stealing. He said we was representing prisoners; and prisoners don't care how they get a thing so they get it, and nobody don't blame them for it, either. It ain't no crime in a prisoner to steal the thing he needs to get away with, Tom said; it's his right; and so, as long as we was representing a prisoner, we had a perfect right to steal anything on this place we had the least use for to get ourselves out of prison with. He said if we warn't prisoners it would be a very different thing, and nobody but a mean, ornery person would steal when he warn't a prisoner. So we allowed we would steal everything there was that come handy. And yet he made a mighty fuss, one day, after that, when I stole a watermelon out of the nigger-patch and eat it; and he made me go and give the niggers a dime without telling them what it was for. Tom said that what he meant was, we could steal anything we NEEDED. Well, I says, I needed the watermelon. But he said I didn't need it to get out of prison with; there's where the difference was. He said if I'd a wanted it to hide a knife in, and smuggle it to Jim to kill the seneskal with, it would a been all right. So I let it go at that, though I couldn't see no advantage in my representing a prisoner if I got to set down and chaw over a lot of gold-leaf distinctions like that every time I see a chance to hog a watermelon. 
Well, as I was saying, we waited that morning till everybody was settled down to business, and nobody in sight around the yard; then Tom he carried the sack into the lean-to whilst I stood off a piece to keep watch. By and by he come out, and we went and set down on the woodpile to talk. He says: 
"Everything's all right now except tools; and that's easy fixed." 
"Tools?" I says. 
"Yes." 
"Tools for what?" 
"Why, to dig with. We ain't a-going to GNAW him out, are we?" 
"Ain't them old crippled picks and things in there good enough to dig a nigger out with?" I says. 
He turns on me, looking pitying enough to make a body cry, and says: 
"Huck Finn, did you EVER hear of a prisoner having picks and shovels, and all the modern conveniences in his wardrobe to dig himself out with? Now I want to ask you -- if you got any reasonableness in you at all -- what kind of a show would THAT give him to be a hero? Why, they might as well lend him the key and done with it. Picks and shovels -- why, they wouldn't furnish 'em to a king." 
"Well, then," I says, "if we don't want the picks and shovels, what do we want?" 
"A couple of case-knives." 
"To dig the foundations out from under that cabin with?" 
"Yes." 
"Confound it, it's foolish, Tom." 
"It don't make no difference how foolish it is, it's the RIGHT way -- and it's the regular way. And there ain't no OTHER way, that ever I heard of, and I've read all the books that gives any information about these things. They always dig out with a case-knife -- and not through dirt, mind you; generly it's through solid rock. And it takes them weeks and weeks and weeks, and for ever and ever. Why, look at one of them prisoners in the bottom dungeon of the Castle Deef, in the harbor of Marseilles, that dug himself out that way; how long was HE at it, you reckon?" 
"I don't know." 
"Well, guess." 
"I don't know. A month and a half." 
"THIRTY-SEVEN YEAR -- and he come out in China. THAT'S the kind. I wish the bottom of THIS fortress was solid rock." 
"JIM don't know nobody in China." 
"What's THAT got to do with it? Neither did that other fellow. But you're always a-wandering off on a side issue. Why can't you stick to the main point?" 
"All right -- I don't care where he comes out, so he COMES out; and Jim don't, either, I reckon. But there's one thing, anyway -- Jim's too old to be dug out with a case-knife. He won't last." 
"Yes he will LAST, too. You don't reckon it's going to take thirty-seven years to dig out through a DIRT foundation, do you?" 
"How long will it take, Tom?" 
"Well, we can't resk being as long as we ought to, because it mayn't take very long for Uncle Silas to hear from down there by New Orleans. He'll hear Jim ain't from there. Then his next move will be to advertise Jim, or something like that. So we can't resk being as long digging him out as we ought to. By rights I reckon we ought to be a couple of years; but we can't. Things being so uncertain, what I recommend is this: that we really dig right in, as quick as we can; and after that, we can LET ON, to ourselves, that we was at it thirty-seven years. Then we can snatch him out and rush him away the first time there's an alarm. Yes, I reckon that 'll be the best way." 
"Now, there's SENSE in that," I says. "Letting on don't cost nothing; letting on ain't no trouble; and if it's any object, I don't mind letting on we was at it a hundred and fifty year. It wouldn't strain me none, after I got my hand in. So I'll mosey along now, and smouch a couple of case-knives." 
"Smouch three," he says; "we want one to make a saw out of." 
"Tom, if it ain't unregular and irreligious to sejest it," I says, "there's an old rusty saw-blade around yonder sticking under the weather-boarding behind the smoke-house." 
He looked kind of weary and discouraged-like, and says: 
"It ain't no use to try to learn you nothing, Huck. Run along and smouch the knives -- three of them." So I done it. 
　　距离吃早饭还有近一个小时，因此，我们离开那儿，钻入了树林，因为汤姆说多少应该有个光亮照着，看如何挖，可提灯太显眼，说不定还可能给我们惹麻烦。我们必须找到许多腐朽的烂木头块，叫鬼火，放在黑暗地方可以发出隐隐约约的光。我们寻到一大抱，藏入杂草丛里，然后坐下来休息。汤姆有些不满意，他说："该死，这事从头到尾简单乏味，没劲极了。要想出个费劲的计划也费劲得要死。"按理说，应该有个看守，可这儿没有看守，也就不会给他下药。连条狗也没有，没法子给它下药。还有就是吉姆是被链子锁着一条腿的，一条十英尺长的链子套到床腿上，唉，你只需要抬起床架，就可以褪出那条链子。赛拉斯姨父谁也相信：把钥匙交给那个呆头呆脑的黑人，也不派人看着他。吉姆早就可以从那窗户洞里钻出来，只是腿上带条十英尺长的链子走路，当然不可能。唉，见鬼。哈克，这是挺愚蠢的做法。你得凭空想出（各种各样）的困难。好吧，我们仅能如此，必须拿现成的材料最大限度把事做好。无论怎样，有一点是对的。--本来是那些人的责任，他们得给你安排好许许多多的困难和危险，可现在没人这么安排，你只好自己动脑子设计。如果咱们克服了这许许多多的困难与危险将他救出来，那就会更光荣。就拿灯这事来说，如果按实在的具体情况考虑，我们只得（假装）着怕点灯有危险。因为我相信，如果我们乐意，我们带上一支队伍举火把干都行。啊，想到这儿，我们得找个东西做把锯子，一有机会就做。""我们要锯子干吗？""我们要锯子（干吗？）我们不得把吉姆的床腿锯掉，才可以取下那条链子吗？""咦，你刚才还说光抬起床，把链子褪掉就可以了。""哎呀，就你这种人才说这话，哈克·芬。你做事只能想些幼儿园小孩儿的办法。你有没有看过书啊？--那些英雄豪杰的书，一本也没看过？谁听说过用这类没出息的办法放走一个犯人呢？没过这事儿。所有最权威的人都这样干：把床腿锯成两截，照原样别动它，吃掉锯末，这样就不会被发现，在锯过的地方搁一点土和油，即使最眼尖的管监也看不出锯过的破绽，还认为床腿是好好的呢。然后，等你哪天晚上准备好了，冲床腿猛踢一脚，它倒了；再褪掉锁链，你就出来了。接下去只要把绳梯朝城垛上一套，顺着爬下来，在护城壕沟里摔断你的腿就可以了--因为绳梯子太短，差19 英尺呢--你的马匹和忠实的臣仆等在那里，他们抱你起来，把你扶上马鞍，你纵马飞驰，跑回你老家。这才叫冠冕堂皇，哈克。我希望小屋四周也有条城壕。如果有时间，在逃跑那天夜里，咱也挖一条。"我说：" 要一条壕沟干嘛用？我们不是打算从小屋下面挖洞让他钻出来吗？"可他竟然没听见我说话。他早把我和身边的一切全忘了。他手托下巴，在苦思冥想。很快地，他叹息一声，摇摇头，又叹口气说："不行，这办不到--也没多大必要。""做什么？"我问。
　　"呃，锯掉吉姆的腿。" 他说。
　　"天哪！" 我叫道，" 喂，（根本没有）这个必要。是什么会让你想到要锯掉他的腿呢，啊？""噢，某些最鼎鼎大名的人这样干过。他们去不掉链子，因此他们就把手吹断，逃掉。锯条腿自然更好。可我们得打消这主意。这一次的情况，没多大必要，再说，吉姆是个黑人，他不可能明白其中的缘由，也不明白这是欧洲的做法，因此，我们不想它了。不过，有件东西--他得有一条绳梯子。我们可以撕掉我们的床单，很容易就帮他做一条。我们还可以夹到馅饼里送给他；差不多会是这类做法。我吃过比这更难吃的馅饼。""喂，汤姆·索亚，你这在说什么，"我说，" 吉姆要绳梯没用。""他一定要用。你这是怎么说话的，你最好说你啥也不懂。他得有个绳梯，书里的人全有。""他要那个到底能干嘛。""干什么（用）？他能把它藏进他的床里头，对不对？这是他们所有人的做法，他也得这样做。哈克，你好像历来也不想按规矩办，你总想搞些新鲜玩意儿。就算他压根儿用不着它吧，那不也是在他的床上，在他逃走之后好提供线索吗？难道你不觉得他们都想找线索吗？他们当然想。那你就不给他们留点儿线索？这么做事儿可真绝，你说是不是！我可从没听说过这种做法。""好吧，"我说，" 要有这种规矩，他非得有条绳梯不可，那也行，就让他有一条吧，因为我不想违背规矩。不过有一点，汤姆·索亚--要是我们把床单撕掉给吉姆做绳梯，我们就会在莎丽姨面前露馅，这一点毫无疑问。呃，我的想法是，用山核桃树皮做个梯子，不花钱，也不浪费东西，同样可以放在馅饼里头，藏到草垫下，跟你做的布梯子一个样，对吉姆来说，他也没这方面的经验，所以，他不在乎是哪一种--""啊，瞎说，哈克·芬。要是我像你这样什么都不懂，我就会闭上自己的嘴，（我）就这么办。有谁听说过一个政治犯逃走时用的是一根核桃树皮做的梯子？咳，这真太可笑了。""那好吧，汤姆，就按你的方法做。不过如果你听我的劝，你就让我打搭衣服的绳子上借条床单吧。"他说那也可以，这又让他想到一个新主意："再借一件衬衣。" 他说。
　　"我们拿衬衣干吗？汤姆。""让吉姆在上边写日记。""日记？你奶奶，吉姆他连字也不会写。""就算他（不会）写字。要是我们给他用一把旧锡汤匙或一块旧铁箍给他做支笔，他会在衬衣上做记号，对不对？""咳，汤姆，我们可以从鹅身上拔根毛给他做一支更好使的笔，写得更快。""（囚犯）身边可没鹅到处跑能让他拔下毛来当笔呀，你这傻瓜。他们做笔用的都是最坚硬、最费劲、最不好使的旧铜蜡台之类的，他们手边可能有的东西。他们还得花上几个星期几个月才会把它磨好，因为他们拿它朝墙上擦。即使有鹅毛笔，（他们）也不会用。那不合规矩。""那好，我们用什么给他当墨水呢？""好多人用铁锈和眼泪做墨水，不过那是普通人跟女人的办法，最权威的人拿他们自己的血。吉姆可以用这个办法，他要想传出些普普通通的神秘消息，让外边的人知道他在哪儿关着，他就可以拿吃饭的叉子写在铁盘子底下，把它扔到窗外。那个铁面人总这么做，那可真他妈的是个好法子。""吉姆没铁盘子。他们拿锅给他送饭。""那算不了什么，我们可以给他送几个。""有人会（认识）他写在铁盘子上的字吗？""认不认识没什么关系，哈克·芬。他要做的就是写在盘子上扔出去。你（没有必要）非认识不可。咳，犯人在铁盘子或其他东西上写的字有大半是谁也不认识。""那么，干嘛还要浪费那些盘子呢？""咳，真混蛋，那不是（犯人）的盘子。""可那些盘子总该（有主儿）吧，对吧？""好，就算是有主儿又怎么样？犯人干吗还管那是谁的.."他说到这儿停住了，因为我们听到开早饭的号吹响了。于是，我们赶快往家跑。
　　那天上午，我打晒衣服绳上借了条床单，一件白衬衣，我又找了个旧袋子装了进去，我们出门到了鬼火木头那儿，也给装了进去。我把这叫借，因为爸老这么叫，可是汤姆说这不是借，是偷。他说我们现在代表犯人，犯人可不管他们是如何拿到一件东西的，反正他们拿了，也没人去责怪他们。犯人逃跑时偷他需要的东西没罪，汤姆说，那是他的正当权利。因此，只要我们是代表犯人的，我们就有十足的权利在这块地方偷对我们自己能逃离监牢稍稍有些用处的东西。他说，要我们不是犯人，那就不一样了。所以，我们认为我们可以偷手头方便的任何东西。可是后来有一天，我从黑人地里偷了个西瓜吃，他却大惊小怪了好一会儿，非要叫我去给了那些黑人一毛钱，又不对他们说明原因。汤姆说，他的意思是说，我们能偷凡是我们（需要）的东西。那好了，我就说，我需要那个西瓜。可他说，我不是为逃离监狱才需要西瓜的，这就不同了。他说，如果我需要将一把刀子藏入西瓜里，偷偷带给吉姆，让他用来杀掉那个监狱看守，那还可以。如果每次我看到机会能顺手摸人家个西瓜的时候，我都得坐下来像这样仔细琢磨这许多很小的差别，那我可看不到我代表犯人有什么好处，于是，我就不再想这事儿了。
　　好啦，书归正传。那天上午，我们等大家各司其职干活去了，院子里看不到一个人，这时，汤姆背着那个袋子进了斜棚，我站在不远处放哨。一阵子之后，他就出来了，我们坐到木头堆上开始讨论。他说："现在一切就绪，光差工具了，不过那也很好办。""工具？"我问。
　　"是呀。""要工具干嘛？""挖洞用啊。我们总不至于把他啃出来，对不对？""那些破旧的坏铁镐之类的拿来给一个黑人挖洞，救他出来，不是很好吗？"他转向我，脸上那表情简直是可怜我，让人看了直想哭，他说："哈克·芬，你听到过一个犯人有镐和铁锨，以及所有这些现代设备在他橱柜里搁着，让他自己挖洞用吗？眼下我想问你--如果你脑子里还有些理性的话--如果那么做，他还有什么机会能出风头当英雄呢？啊，这或许还不如就借给他钥匙，开锁放人的为好。镐和锨，就是个国王，他们也不会给他这些东西。""好吧，"我说，" 要是我们不想要那些铁镐铁锨，我们要什么？""两把餐刀。""在那个小屋墙角底下挖洞，就拿它？""对。""混蛋，那简直是傻瓜，汤姆。""不管怎么傻，都没关系，那全是正经办法，也是合乎规矩的办法。就（我）所听过的而言，没有另外别的什么办法。我读到所有提到过这类事情的书，他们全是用一把餐刀挖洞出来，还不是打土里挖，跟你说吧，大部分是挖透坚固的岩石。那能让他们挖上好多好多星期，挖个没完没了。啊，你瞧瞧关在马赛港狄福堡地牢里的一个犯人吧，他就是那么挖洞自己逃出来的，他挖了多久，你猜猜？""我不知道。""嘿，猜猜嘛。""我不知道。一个半月？""三七年！他打中国钻出来了。那才叫有本事。我希望这个堡垒底下也是坚硬的岩石。""吉姆在中国可谁也不认识。""那又有什么关系？那个家伙也不认识。可你总把问题岔到次要方面。你为什么总不能抓住要点呢？""好吧，（我）不管他从哪里出来，只要他（出来）就行，我看吉姆也不会在乎。不过，还是有个问题，吉姆年岁太大，拿餐刀挖洞他出不来。他活不了那么长。""他能活得了。你认为从土墙脚下面挖洞在不了37 年吧，对不对？""得用多久，汤姆？""啊，我们本来得挖得很长时间，可是，我们不能冒这个险，因为用不了很久，塞拉斯姨父就会收到新奥尔良那边的信。他可以打信上知道吉姆不是从那里来的。这样，他下一步要做的事就是登广告招领吉姆，或者这一类事。所以，我们不敢冒险，不能像我们应该的那样很长时间才把他挖了来。照正理，我认为我们得用两三年，可是我们不能那样做。事情这么捉摸不定，我的主张是这样：我们立刻动手挖，越快越好，挖完之后，我们自己可以装假，权当是我们挖了37 年。等到一有风声，我们就拉他出来，带他跑掉。对，我认为这就是最理想的办法。""嗯，这还有点儿道理，"我说，" 装假又不花钱，也不费事，要有必要，即使是我们装假干了150 年我也不在乎。这一点都不会让我觉得勉强，只需我玩惯了这一套。我现在就赶紧去，盗两把餐刀回来。""盗三把，"他说，" 我们用一把做锯子。""汤姆，我提一提，不知合不合规矩，犯不犯忌讳，"我说，" 熏肉小屋后面的护墙板底下，插着一根生锈的旧锯条。"他看上去极不耐烦，又有点灰心丧气。他说道："想教你干个啥事儿，几乎是白费劲，哈克。快去把刀盗来--要三把。" 我赶紧一一照办。
 
Chapter 36
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 blistered, 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 shovel, and then we picked and shoveled, 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 brass 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 idiotic 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 hearty 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 smuggle in the rope-ladder pie and other large things by Nat, the nigger that fed him, and he must be on the lookout, 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 sociable 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 celebrated 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 mashed 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 bulging 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 groan like he was dying. Tom jerked the door open and flung out a slab 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 fixed the other door too. Then he went to work on the nigger, coaxing 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 'lone, I does." 
Tom says: 
"Well, I tell you what I think. What makes them come here just at this runaway 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 mighty 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' 'bout? 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。"
Chapter 37
THAT was all fixed. So then we went away and went to the rubbage-pile in the back yard, where they keep the old boots, and rags, and pieces of bottles, and wore-out tin things, and all such truck, and scratched around and found an old tin washpan, and stopped up the holes as well as we could, to bake the pie in, and took it down cellar and stole it full of flour and started for breakfast, and found a couple of shingle-nails that Tom said would be handy for a prisoner to scrabble his name and sorrows on the dungeon walls with, and dropped one of them in Aunt Sally's apron-pocket which was hanging on a chair, and t'other we stuck in the band of Uncle Silas's hat, which was on the bureau, because we heard the children say their pa and ma was going to the runaway nigger's house this morning, and then went to breakfast, and Tom dropped the pewter spoon in Uncle Silas's coat-pocket, and Aunt Sally wasn't come yet, so we had to wait a little while. 
And when she come she was hot and red and cross, and couldn't hardly wait for the blessing; and then she went to sluicing out coffee with one hand and cracking the handiest child's head with her thimble with the other, and says: 
"I've hunted high and I've hunted low, and it does beat all what HAS become of your other shirt." 
My heart fell down amongst my lungs and livers and things, and a hard piece of corn-crust started down my throat after it and got met on the road with a cough, and was shot across the table, and took one of the children in the eye and curled him up like a fishing-worm, and let a cry out of him the size of a warwhoop, and Tom he turned kinder blue around the gills, and it all amounted to a considerable state of things for about a quarter of a minute or as much as that, and I would a sold out for half price if there was a bidder. But after that we was all right again -- it was the sudden surprise of it that knocked us so kind of cold. Uncle Silas he says: 
"It's most uncommon curious, I can't understand it. I know perfectly well I took it OFF, because --" 
"Because you hain't got but one ON. Just LISTEN at the man! I know you took it off, and know it by a better way than your wool-gethering memory, too, because it was on the clo's-line yesterday -- I see it there myself. But it's gone, that's the long and the short of it, and you'll just have to change to a red flann'l one till I can get time to make a new one. And it 'll be the third I've made in two years. It just keeps a body on the jump to keep you in shirts; and whatever you do manage to DO with 'm all is more'n I can make out. A body 'd think you WOULD learn to take some sort of care of 'em at your time of life." 
"I know it, Sally, and I do try all I can. But it oughtn't to be altogether my fault, because, you know, I don't see them nor have nothing to do with them except when they're on me; and I don't believe I've ever lost one of them OFF of me." 
"Well, it ain't YOUR fault if you haven't, Silas; you'd a done it if you could, I reckon. And the shirt ain't all that's gone, nuther. Ther's a spoon gone; and THAT ain't all. There was ten, and now ther's only nine. The calf got the shirt, I reckon, but the calf never took the spoon, THAT'S certain." 
"Why, what else is gone, Sally?" 
"Ther's six CANDLES gone -- that's what. The rats could a got the candles, and I reckon they did; I wonder they don't walk off with the whole place, the way you're always going to stop their holes and don't do it; and if they warn't fools they'd sleep in your hair, Silas -- YOU'D never find it out; but you can't lay the SPOON on the rats, and that I know." 
"Well, Sally, I'm in fault, and I acknowledge it; I've been remiss; but I won't let to-morrow go by without stopping up them holes." 
"Oh, I wouldn't hurry; next year 'll do. Matilda Angelina Araminta PHELPS!" 
Whack comes the thimble, and the child snatches her claws out of the sugar-bowl without fooling around any. Just then the nigger woman steps on to the passage, and says: 
"Missus, dey's a sheet gone." 
"A SHEET gone! Well, for the land's sake!" 
"I'll stop up them holes to-day," says Uncle Silas, looking sorrowful. 
"Oh, DO shet up! -- s'pose the rats took the SHEET? WHERE'S it gone, Lize?" 
"Clah to goodness I hain't no notion, Miss' Sally. She wuz on de clo'sline yistiddy, but she done gone: she ain' dah no mo' now." 
"I reckon the world IS coming to an end. I NEVER see the beat of it in all my born days. A shirt, and a sheet, and a spoon, and six can --" 
"Missus," comes a young yaller wench, "dey's a brass cannelstick miss'n." 
"Cler out from here, you hussy, er I'll take a skillet to ye!" 
Well, she was just a-biling. I begun to lay for a chance; I reckoned I would sneak out and go for the woods till the weather moderated. She kept a-raging right along, running her insurrection all by herself, and everybody else mighty meek and quiet; and at last Uncle Silas, looking kind of foolish, fishes up that spoon out of his pocket. She stopped, with her mouth open and her hands up; and as for me, I wished I was in Jeruslem or somewheres. But not long, because she says: 
"It's JUST as I expected. So you had it in your pocket all the time; and like as not you've got the other things there, too. How'd it get there?" 
"I reely don't know, Sally," he says, kind of apologizing, "or you know I would tell. I was astudying over my text in Acts Seventeen before breakfast, and I reckon I put it in there, not noticing, meaning to put my Testament in, and it must be so, because my Testament ain't in; but I'll go and see; and if the Testament is where I had it, I'll know I didn't put it in, and that will show that I laid the Testament down and took up the spoon, and --" 
"Oh, for the land's sake! Give a body a rest! Go 'long now, the whole kit and biling of ye; and don't come nigh me again till I've got back my peace of mind." 
I'D a heard her if she'd a said it to herself, let alone speaking it out; and I'd a got up and obeyed her if I'd a been dead. As we was passing through the setting-room the old man he took up his hat, and the shingle-nail fell out on the floor, and he just merely picked it up and laid it on the mantel-shelf, and never said nothing, and went out. Tom see him do it, and remembered about the spoon, and says: 
"Well, it ain't no use to send things by HIM no more, he ain't reliable." Then he says: "But he done us a good turn with the spoon, anyway, without knowing it, and so we'll go and do him one without HIM knowing it -- stop up his rat-holes." 
There was a noble good lot of them down cellar, and it took us a whole hour, but we done the job tight and good and shipshape. Then we heard steps on the stairs, and blowed out our light and hid; and here comes the old man, with a candle in one hand and a bundle of stuff in t'other, looking as absent-minded as year before last. He went a mooning around, first to one rat-hole and then another, till he'd been to them all. Then he stood about five minutes, picking tallowdrip off of his candle and thinking. Then he turns off slow and dreamy towards the stairs, saying: 
"Well, for the life of me I can't remember when I done it. I could show her now that I warn't to blame on account of the rats. But never mind -- let it go. I reckon it wouldn't do no good." 
And so he went on a-mumbling up stairs, and then we left. He was a mighty nice old man. And always is. 
Tom was a good deal bothered about what to do for a spoon, but he said we'd got to have it; so he took a think. When he had ciphered it out he told me how we was to do; then we went and waited around the spoon-basket till we see Aunt Sally coming, and then Tom went to counting the spoons and laying them out to one side, and I slid one of them up my sleeve, and Tom says: 
"Why, Aunt Sally, there ain't but nine spoons YET." 
She says: 
"Go 'long to your play, and don't bother me. I know better, I counted 'm myself." 
"Well, I've counted them twice, Aunty, and I can't make but nine." 
She looked out of all patience, but of course she come to count -- anybody would. 
"I declare to gracious ther' AIN'T but nine!" she says. "Why, what in the world -- plague TAKE the things, I'll count 'm again." 
So I slipped back the one I had, and when she got done counting, she says: 
"Hang the troublesome rubbage, ther's TEN now!" and she looked huffy and bothered both. But Tom says: 
"Why, Aunty, I don't think there's ten." 
"You numskull, didn't you see me COUNT 'm?" 
"I know, but --" 
"Well, I'll count 'm AGAIN." 
So I smouched one, and they come out nine, same as the other time. Well, she WAS in a tearing way -- just a-trembling all over, she was so mad. But she counted and counted till she got that addled she'd start to count in the basket for a spoon sometimes; and so, three times they come out right, and three times they come out wrong. Then she grabbed up the basket and slammed it across the house and knocked the cat galley-west; and she said cle'r out and let her have some peace, and if we come bothering around her again betwixt that and dinner she'd skin us. So we had the odd spoon, and dropped it in her apron-pocket whilst she was a-giving us our sailing orders, and Jim got it all right, along with her shingle nail, before noon. We was very well satisfied with this business, and Tom allowed it was worth twice the trouble it took, because he said NOW she couldn't ever count them spoons twice alike again to save her life; and wouldn't believe she'd counted them right if she DID; and said that after she'd about counted her head off for the next three days he judged she'd give it up and offer to kill anybody that wanted her to ever count them any more. 
So we put the sheet back on the line that night, and stole one out of her closet; and kept on putting it back and stealing it again for a couple of days till she didn't know how many sheets she had any more, and she didn't CARE, and warn't a-going to bullyrag the rest of her soul out about it, and wouldn't count them again not to save her life; she druther die first. 
So we was all right now, as to the shirt and the sheet and the spoon and the candles, by the help of the calf and the rats and the mixed-up counting; and as to the candlestick, it warn't no consequence, it would blow over by and by. 
But that pie was a job; we had no end of trouble with that pie. We fixed it up away down in the woods, and cooked it there; and we got it done at last, and very satisfactory, too; but not all in one day; and we had to use up three wash-pans full of flour before we got through, and we got burnt pretty much all over, in places, and eyes put out with the smoke; because, you see, we didn't want nothing but a crust, and we couldn't prop it up right, and she would always cave in. But of course we thought of the right way at last -- which was to cook the ladder, too, in the pie. So then we laid in with Jim the second night, and tore up the sheet all in little strings and twisted them together, and long before daylight we had a lovely rope that you could a hung a person with. We let on it took nine months to make it. 
And in the forenoon we took it down to the woods, but it wouldn't go into the pie. Being made of a whole sheet, that way, there was rope enough for forty pies if we'd a wanted them, and plenty left over for soup, or sausage, or anything you choose. We could a had a whole dinner. 
But we didn't need it. All we needed was just enough for the pie, and so we throwed the rest away. We didn't cook none of the pies in the wash-pan -- afraid the solder would melt; but Uncle Silas he had a noble brass warming-pan which he thought considerable of, because it belonged to one of his ancesters with a long wooden handle that come over from England with William the Conqueror in the Mayflower or one of them early ships and was hid away up garret with a lot of other old pots and things that was valuable, not on account of being any account, because they warn't, but on account of them being relicts, you know, and we snaked her out, private, and took her down there, but she failed on the first pies, because we didn't know how, but she come up smiling on the last one. We took and lined her with dough, and set her in the coals, and loaded her up with rag rope, and put on a dough roof, and shut down the lid, and put hot embers on top, and stood off five foot, with the long handle, cool and comfortable, and in fifteen minutes she turned out a pie that was a satisfaction to look at. But the person that et it would want to fetch a couple of kags of toothpicks along, for if that rope ladder wouldn't cramp him down to business I don't know nothing what I'm talking about, and lay him in enough stomach-ache to last him till next time, too. 
Nat didn't look when we put the witch pie in Jim's pan; and we put the three tin plates in the bottom of the pan under the vittles; and so Jim got everything all right, and as soon as he was by himself he busted into the pie and hid the rope ladder inside of his straw tick, and scratched some marks on a tin plate and throwed it out of the window-hole. 
　　这事全安排妥了。于是，我们往后院的废料堆走去，他们在那里搁着有旧靴子、破衣服、碎瓶子、烂铁器等等。我们在那里乱翻一阵，找到个旧洗脸盆，我们想尽方法把窟窿堵上，要用它烙那张饼。我们拿进地窖里，偷装了满满一盆面，前去吃早饭。又发现了两颗钉木瓦的钉子，汤姆说囚犯拿它在地牢墙上划名字记伤心事儿很方便，就丢了一颗在莎丽姨的围裙口袋里，她的围裙在椅子上挂着，另外一颗我们插到了赛拉斯姨父的帽子箍带上，帽子正搁在梳妆台上，因为我们听那些小孩儿说他们爸妈今天下午要前往那个逃跑黑人的小屋，接着我们才去吃早饭。汤姆把锡匙丢入赛拉斯姨父的上衣口袋里，莎丽姨还没来，我们只得等上一会儿。
　　她进来时，怒气冲冲，脸涨得通红，就连祷告都不耐烦听完，随后，她拿一只手哗地一下把咖啡倒出来，另一只戴着顶针的手敲着她身边孩子的头，她说："我东也找西也找，四处全找遍了，你那件衬衣究竟哪儿去了呀。"我的心一下沉进肝和肺里去了，一块硬玉米壳随着心沉往喉咙里掉，我一声咳嗽，玉米壳窜出来弹到了桌子对面，正好打中一个孩子的眼睛，他当下弯下腰去，弯得就像个钓鱼钩上的蚯蚓，接着便是一声惨叫，像在战场上冲锋陷阵似的。汤姆面色发青，丧气垂头，事情在几秒钟之内显得十分严重。这时，若有人稍稍哄下，我就很容易把真情和盘托出。可是，过了一阵，我们又都安定了下来，全因为这突如其来的一惊，才吓得我们浑身发冷。赛拉斯姨父说："这件事怪得离奇，我想不明白，我记得很清楚我把它脱下来了，因为..""因为你身上就穿了一件嘛。听听这个人说的话！我知道你脱下来了，比你那糊涂脑袋知道得还明白，因为昨天它还在绳上晾着，我亲眼看到它在上头。可是现在没了，说来说去就是这回事儿。你只得先换上那件红法兰绒的，等我有空儿再替你做件新的。这可是两年里头我做的第三件，光给你做衬衣就把人忙坏了，你究竟是怎么想着法儿糟蹋衣服的，我连想也想不出来。活到你这把年纪，也该学着操点儿心了。""我知道，莎丽，我的确是操心了。可这事儿不该全怪我，因为你知道除了穿到我身上的时候，我没看见过它，也跟它不相干，我相信我不穿的时候也没弄丢过一件呀。""是啊，如果你没弄丢过就不是你的错儿。赛拉斯，我看，你如果能丢你就把它丢了。丢的东西又不止是那件衬衣，一把匙子也丢了，那还不算，原先有十把，现在就剩下九把。我猜是小牛犊衔走了那件衬衣，可牛犊从来不要匙子，这点是肯定的。""啊，别的还丢什么啦，莎丽？""六根蜡烛丢了--就这。老鼠或许会偷蜡烛，我看它们会，我奇怪它们怎么没把这一座房子都给搬走，你总是说要堵上老鼠洞，可总看不见你动手，要是老鼠再聪明一些，它们都敢到你头发里睡大觉，赛拉斯，可你还觉察不到，可是你不能把丢匙子的事儿赖在老鼠身上，这我清楚。""啊，莎丽，这是我的错儿，我承认，我是疏忽大意了，可是不用等到明天，我就会把老鼠洞给堵上。""哈，我不着急，明年堵上也可以。玛提尔达·安吉琳纳·阿兰明达·斐尔普斯！"顶针上去使劲一敲，那个孩子赶忙把她的小爪子从糖碗里缩回去，一点儿也不敢耽误。
　　这时，那个黑女人上了走廊，说："太太，一条床单丢了。""床单丢了！哎呀，上帝呀！""今天我就把洞堵上！" 赛拉斯姨父说道，样子十分后悔。"啊，闭上你的嘴！你想想老鼠会来偷床单？丢到哪儿去了，丽西？""对天发誓我不知道，莎丽太太。昨天还搭到晒衣服绳上，可它丢了，如今再也找不着了。""我看是世界的末日来临了。打我出生起，还没碰上这种事儿呢。一件衬衣，一条床单，一把匙子，6 根蜡..""太太"，又跑过来一个黄脸的年轻女佣，" 有一只蜡烛台丢了。""打这儿滚出去，你这贱人，否则我就拿锅揍你！"哎呀，她快要气疯了。我等着找机会，我看我得溜出去到树林里等这阴天好转了再回来。她使劲儿大发脾气，自己一个人闹得天昏地暗，其他的人都逆来顺受，一声不吭。最后，赛拉斯姨父一脸傻呆呆的样子，从他口袋里掏出来那把匙子。她住口了，嘴巴张大，手向上举着。要是我呀，我可情愿跑到耶路撒冷或别的远地方呆着去。可这没过多大会儿，因为她说道："跟我原先想的一模一样。也就是讲，你始终把它藏到你口袋里，说不定你把别的东西也藏到那儿去了。怎么弄你口袋里去啦？""我真不知道，莎丽。" 他略带歉意说，" 否则，你知道我一定会告诉你的。早饭前我在学习《圣经》'使徒行传'第十七章，或许是我不注意放进去的，心里还想着是放《圣经》呢，肯定是这么回事儿，因为我的《圣经》不在口袋里，不过我还得去看看《圣经》是不是搁在老地方，这样我就可以知道我没把它放口袋里，那就会说明我是搁下了《圣经》拿起了匙子，又..""哎呀，看在上帝的份上！让人歇歇吧！走开，你们这群人统统出去，别来靠近我，让我心里静静再说吧。"就算是她悄悄儿自言自语，我也能听见她的话，别说是大声嚷出来的了。我就是死了，也会立刻站起来，听她的话出去。当我们路过客厅的时候，那老头儿捏起了他的帽子，那个长钉掉到了地上，他只是又给捡起来，放到了壁炉架上，没吱声就出门了。汤姆看到他这么做，又想起了匙子，他说："完了，想让他带东西是不行了，他靠不住。" 然后他又说：" 不过那把匙子的事儿，他不知不觉总算帮了我们大忙，因此，我们这就去帮他个忙，也不让他知道--去堵上他的老鼠洞。"老鼠洞可真多得不得了，在地窖里我们堵了整整将近一个小时，不过我们堵得结实牢靠，干得有条有理。后来，我们听见楼梯上有脚步声，我们就吹灭灯藏了起来，是那老人来了，一手举着根蜡烛，一手拿了一捆东西，那副心不在焉的神态，恐怕前年就是这个样。他呆头呆脑地转了一圈儿，一个老鼠洞一个老鼠洞地看，直到看完。然后他站了大约有五分钟，一边把流出来的蜡泪掰掉，一边寻思。后来他慢慢转身朝楼梯走去，像做梦一样说："唉，要了我的命我也记不清我何时把它堵上了。现在我可以让她知道老鼠的事儿不该怪我。不过也用不着在意--还是算了吧。我看跟她讲了也不会有啥好处。"就这么他嘟嘟嚷嚷上楼去了，接着我们也离开。他可真是个很好的老人。他总是特别好。
　　汤姆为了找一把匙子伤透了脑筋，但他说我们还是得搞到手，所以他又想了想。他想好之后告诉了我，我们该怎么做。然后我们就跑进装匙子的筐那里等着，看见莎丽姨来了，汤姆就动手数匙子，把它们拿出来摆到一边，我偷偷拿了一把藏进袖子里，汤姆说："嗨，莎丽姨，还是只有九把匙子呀。"她说："玩去吧，别烦我。我比你清楚，我自己数过。""我可数了两遍了，姨，数来数去还是九把。"她耐心全无，可还是过来数了--谁也会这么做。
　　"我的天哪，可不就是只有九把！" 她叫道，" 奇怪，这究竟是怎么回事儿，真该死，我得再数一遍。"于是，我把我拿走的那把又悄悄放回去，她再数完时，说："这东西真讨厌，这一回又十把啦！" 她显得很生气也很心烦。可汤姆说："哎，姨！我可不相信有十把。""你这笨蛋，你没看到我数吗？""我知道，可..""那好，我再来数数。"于是，我又偷走一把，结果又变成了九把。哈，她被气坏了--浑身发抖，疯了一般。可她数了又数，数得头晕脑胀，有时把那个装匙子的筐也给数进去，这样，三回数对了，三回又错了。后来，她拿起筐朝屋对面使劲砸去，把那只猫砸得惨叫，她叫我们滚出去，让她一个人清静会儿，如果从现在到中午这段时间我们再上这儿胡闹，她就扒了我们的皮。于是，我们弄到了那把多出来的匙子，趁她赶我们走时，将匙子丢进她围裙的口袋里，临近中午时分，吉姆已把它连同那颗钉都稳稳地拿到手了。我们对这件事很满意，汤姆认为比这再麻烦一倍也值，因为他说这样一来，即使要了她的命，她再数匙子，也不会两次数成一样的数了，就算她真数对了，她也不会相信！还说她如果再数上三天，数得她脑袋快掉的时候，她肯定会放弃干脆不数了，谁要是敢再让她数匙子，她非杀人不可。于是，那天夜里，我们把床单又放回到绳子上，打她衣柜里偷出来一条；又不断地放进去，偷出来，折腾了好几天，等她再也搞不明白她有几条床单了，她就说她不管了，她不想让床单惹得七窍生烟，即便不为了救命，她也不会再数了，她宁愿先死掉。
　　这样，问题便都解决了。衬衣、床单、匙子和蜡烛，幸亏小牛犊、老鼠和颠三倒四地数数儿，至于那支蜡台，也不怎么有关系，事情总会慢慢儿过去。
　　不过那饼可是件麻烦事儿，我们费了数不清的劲儿。我们跑到很远的树林里，在那里烙饼，最后终于将它烙好了，我们也很满意。不过，那可不是一天干的，我们不得不用了满满三盆面粉才把它做好，我们浑身上下很多地方全让火烧伤了，眼睛也快给烟熏瞎了。我们没用那个脸盆烙饼，怕把焊口烧化了。倒是赛拉斯姨父有个很讲究的铜取暖盆，他把它作为宝贝看，因为那是他一个祖先传下来的，带个木头长把儿。它跟许多贵重古老的锅罐壶盆一起被藏在阁楼上，并不是仅仅因为这些东西怎样了不起，因为它们本身并不怎么样，仅仅是因为它们是古董，你知道吧，我们悄悄地把它偷出来，拿进树林里，可是第一批饼烙坏了，因为我们不知道怎么烙，不过最终还是做成了。可吃这张大饼的人就得带上两桶牙签，因为绳梯不会把他咯住死，就算是我胡说八道，并且还得让他肚子一直疼下去。我们往吉姆锅里放妖魔饼时，纳特没看，我们还在食物下边，锅底上放了三个铁盘子。这样，吉姆顺顺当当地就把东西都弄到手了，等到屋里只剩下他一个人时，他立刻撕开饼把绳梯藏进他的草垫当中，又在一个铁盘子划上几个记号，从窗口扔了出来。
 
Chapter 38
MAKING them pens was a distressid tough job, and so was the saw; and Jim allowed the inscription was going to be the toughest of all. That's the one which the prisoner has to scrabble on the wall. But he had to have it; Tom said he'd GOT to; there warn't no case of a state prisoner not scrabbling his inscription to leave behind, and his coat of arms. 
"Look at Lady Jane Grey," he says; "look at Gilford Dudley; look at old Northumberland! Why, Huck, s'pose it IS considerble trouble? -- what you going to do? -- how you going to get around it? Jim's GOT to do his inscription and coat of arms. They all do." 
Jim says: 
"Why, Mars Tom, I hain't got no coat o' arm; I hain't got nuffn but dish yer ole shirt, en you knows I got to keep de journal on dat." 
"Oh, you don't understand, Jim; a coat of arms is very different." 
"Well," I says, "Jim's right, anyway, when he says he ain't got no coat of arms, because he hain't." 
"I reckon I knowed that," Tom says, "but you bet he'll have one before he goes out of this -- because he's going out RIGHT, and there ain't going to be no flaws in his record." 
So whilst me and Jim filed away at the pens on a brickbat apiece, Jim a-making his'n out of the brass and I making mine out of the spoon, Tom set to work to think out the coat of arms. By and by he said he'd struck so many good ones he didn't hardly know which to take, but there was one which he reckoned he'd decide on. He says: 
"On the scutcheon we'll have a bend OR in the dexter base, a saltire MURREY in the fess, with a dog, couchant, for common charge, and under his foot a chain embattled, for slavery, with a chevron VERT in a chief engrailed, and three invected lines on a field AZURE, with the nombril points rampant on a dancette indented; crest, a runaway nigger, SABLE, with his bundle over his shoulder on a bar sinister; and a couple of gules for supporters, which is you and me; motto, MAGGIORE FRETTA, MINORE OTTO. Got it out of a book -- means the more haste the less speed." 
"Geewhillikins," I says, "but what does the rest of it mean?" 
"We ain't got no time to bother over that," he says; "we got to dig in like all git-out." 
"Well, anyway," I says, "what's SOME of it? What's a fess?" 
"A fess -- a fess is -- YOU don't need to know what a fess is. I'll show him how to make it when he gets to it." 
"Shucks, Tom," I says, "I think you might tell a person. What's a bar sinister?" 
"Oh, I don't know. But he's got to have it. All the nobility does." 
That was just his way. If it didn't suit him to explain a thing to you, he wouldn't do it. You might pump at him a week, it wouldn't make no difference. 
He'd got all that coat of arms business fixed, so now he started in to finish up the rest of that part of the work, which was to plan out a mournful inscription -- said Jim got to have one, like they all done. He made up a lot, and wrote them out on a paper, and read them off, so: 
1. Here a captive heart busted. 2. Here a poor prisoner, forsook by the world and friends, fretted his sorrowful life. 3. Here a lonely heart broke, and a worn spirit went to its rest, after thirty-seven years of solitary captivity. 4. Here, homeless and friendless, after thirty-seven years of bitter captivity, perished a noble stranger, natural son of Louis XIV. 
Tom's voice trembled whilst he was reading them, and he most broke down. When he got done he couldn't no way make up his mind which one for Jim to scrabble on to the wall, they was all so good; but at last he allowed he would let him scrabble them all on. Jim said it would take him a year to scrabble such a lot of truck on to the logs with a nail, and he didn't know how to make letters, besides; but Tom said he would block them out for him, and then he wouldn't have nothing to do but just follow the lines. Then pretty soon he says: 
"Come to think, the logs ain't a-going to do; they don't have log walls in a dungeon: we got to dig the inscriptions into a rock. We'll fetch a rock." 
Jim said the rock was worse than the logs; he said it would take him such a pison long time to dig them into a rock he wouldn't ever get out. But Tom said he would let me help him do it. Then he took a look to see how me and Jim was getting along with the pens. It was most pesky tedious hard work and slow, and didn't give my hands no show to get well of the sores, and we didn't seem to make no headway, hardly; so Tom says: 
"I know how to fix it. We got to have a rock for the coat of arms and mournful inscriptions, and we can kill two birds with that same rock. There's a gaudy big grindstone down at the mill, and we'll smouch it, and carve the things on it, and file out the pens and the saw on it, too." 
It warn't no slouch of an idea; and it warn't no slouch of a grindstone nuther; but we allowed we'd tackle it. It warn't quite midnight yet, so we cleared out for the mill, leaving Jim at work. We smouched the grindstone, and set out to roll her home, but it was a most nation tough job. Sometimes, do what we could, we couldn't keep her from falling over, and she come mighty near mashing us every time. Tom said she was going to get one of us, sure, before we got through. We got her half way; and then we was plumb played out, and most drownded with sweat. We see it warn't no use; we got to go and fetch Jim So he raised up his bed and slid the chain off of the bed-leg, and wrapt it round and round his neck, and we crawled out through our hole and down there, and Jim and me laid into that grindstone and walked her along like nothing; and Tom superintended. He could out-superintend any boy I ever see. He knowed how to do everything. 
Our hole was pretty big, but it warn't big enough to get the grindstone through; but Jim he took the pick and soon made it big enough. Then Tom marked out them things on it with the nail, and set Jim to work on them, with the nail for a chisel and an iron bolt from the rubbage in the lean-to for a hammer, and told him to work till the rest of his candle quit on him, and then he could go to bed, and hide the grindstone under his straw tick and sleep on it. Then we helped him fix his chain back on the bed-leg, and was ready for bed ourselves. But Tom thought of something, and says: 
"You got any spiders in here, Jim?" 
"No, sah, thanks to goodness I hain't, Mars Tom." 
"All right, we'll get you some." 
"But bless you, honey, I doan' WANT none. I's afeard un um. I jis' 's soon have rattlesnakes aroun'." 
Tom thought a minute or two, and says: 
"It's a good idea. And I reckon it's been done. It MUST a been done; it stands to reason. Yes, it's a prime good idea. Where could you keep it?" 
"Keep what, Mars Tom?" 
"Why, a rattlesnake." 
"De goodness gracious alive, Mars Tom! Why, if dey was a rattlesnake to come in heah I'd take en bust right out thoo dat log wall, I would, wid my head." 
Why, Jim, you wouldn't be afraid of it after a little. You could tame it." 
"TAME it!" 
"Yes -- easy enough. Every animal is grateful for kindness and petting, and they wouldn't THINK of hurting a person that pets them. Any book will tell you that. You try -- that's all I ask; just try for two or three days. Why, you can get him so in a little while that he'll love you; and sleep with you; and won't stay away from you a minute; and will let you wrap him round your neck and put his head in your mouth." 
"PLEASE, Mars Tom -- DOAN' talk so! I can't STAN' it! He'd LET me shove his head in my mouf -- fer a favor, hain't it? I lay he'd wait a pow'ful long time 'fo' I AST him. En mo' en dat, I doan' WANT him to sleep wid me." 
"Jim, don't act so foolish. A prisoner's GOT to have some kind of a dumb pet, and if a rattlesnake hain't ever been tried, why, there's more glory to be gained in your being the first to ever try it than any other way you could ever think of to save your life." 
"Why, Mars Tom, I doan' WANT no sich glory. Snake take 'n bite Jim's chin off, den WHAH is de glory? No, sah, I doan' want no sich doin's." 
"Blame it, can't you TRY? I only WANT you to try -- you needn't keep it up if it don't work." 
"But de trouble all DONE ef de snake bite me while I's a tryin' him. Mars Tom, I's willin' to tackle mos' anything 'at ain't onreasonable, but ef you en Huck fetches a rattlesnake in heah for me to tame, I's gwyne to LEAVE, dat's SHORE." 
"Well, then, let it go, let it go, if you're so bullheaded about it. We can get you some garter-snakes, and you can tie some buttons on their tails, and let on they're rattlesnakes, and I reckon that 'll have to do." 
"I k'n stan' DEM, Mars Tom, but blame' 'f I couldn' get along widout um, I tell you dat. I never knowed b'fo' 't was so much bother and trouble to be a prisoner." 
"Well, it ALWAYS is when it's done right. You got any rats around here?" 
"No, sah, I hain't seed none." 
"Well, we'll get you some rats." 
"Why, Mars Tom, I doan' WANT no rats. Dey's de dadblamedest creturs to 'sturb a body, en rustle roun' over 'im, en bite his feet, when he's tryin' to sleep, I ever see. No, sah, gimme g'yarter-snakes, 'f I's got to have 'm, but doan' gimme no rats; I hain' got no use f'r um, skasely." 
"But, Jim, you GOT to have 'em -- they all do. So don't make no more fuss about it. Prisoners ain't ever without rats. There ain't no instance of it. And they train them, and pet them, and learn them tricks, and they get to be as sociable as flies. But you got to play music to them. You got anything to play music on?" 
"I ain' got nuffn but a coase comb en a piece o' paper, en a juice-harp; but I reck'n dey wouldn' take no stock in a juice-harp." 
"Yes they would. THEY don't care what kind of music 'tis. A jews-harp's plenty good enough for a rat. All animals like music -- in a prison they dote on it. Specially, painful music; and you can't get no other kind out of a jews-harp. It always interests them; they come out to see what's the matter with you. Yes, you're all right; you're fixed very well. You want to set on your bed nights before you go to sleep, and early in the mornings, and play your jewsharp; play 'The Last Link is Broken' -- that's the thing that 'll scoop a rat quicker 'n anything else; and when you've played about two minutes you'll see all the rats, and the snakes, and spiders, and things begin to feel worried about you, and come. And they'll just fairly swarm over you, and have a noble good time." 
"Yes, DEY will, I reck'n, Mars Tom, but what kine er time is JIM havin'? Blest if I kin see de pint. But I'll do it ef I got to. I reck'n I better keep de animals satisfied, en not have no trouble in de house." 
Tom waited to think it over, and see if there wasn't nothing else; and pretty soon he says: 
"Oh, there's one thing I forgot. Could you raise a flower here, do you reckon?" 
"I doan know but maybe I could, Mars Tom; but it's tolable dark in heah, en I ain' got no use f'r no flower, nohow, en she'd be a pow'ful sight o' trouble." 
"Well, you try it, anyway. Some other prisoners has done it." 
"One er dem big cat-tail-lookin' mullen-stalks would grow in heah, Mars Tom, I reck'n, but she wouldn't be wuth half de trouble she'd coss." 
"Don't you believe it. We'll fetch you a little one and you plant it in the corner over there, and raise it. And don't call it mullen, call it Pitchiola -- that's its right name when it's in a prison. And you want to water it with your tears." 
"Why, I got plenty spring water, Mars Tom." 
"You don't WANT spring water; you want to water it with your tears. It's the way they always do." 
"Why, Mars Tom, I lay I kin raise one er dem mullen-stalks twyste wid spring water whiles another man's a START'N one wid tears." 
"That ain't the idea. You GOT to do it with tears." 
"She'll die on my han's, Mars Tom, she sholy will; kase I doan' skasely ever cry." 
So Tom was stumped. But he studied it over, and then said Jim would have to worry along the best he could with an onion. He promised he would go to the nigger cabins and drop one, private, in Jim's coffeepot, in the morning. Jim said he would "jis' 's soon have tobacker in his coffee;" and found so much fault with it, and with the work and bother of raising the mullen, and jews-harping the rats, and petting and flattering up the snakes and spiders and things, on top of all the other work he had to do on pens, and inscriptions, and journals, and things, which made it more trouble and worry and responsibility to be a prisoner than anything he ever undertook, that Tom most lost all patience with him; and said he was just loadened down with more gaudier chances than a prisoner ever had in the world to make a name for himself, and yet he didn't know enough to appreciate them, and they was just about wasted on him. So Jim he was sorry, and said he wouldn't behave so no more, and then me and Tom shoved for bed. 
　　做那几杆笔是件既苦又难的活儿，做那把锯也同样；吉姆觉得题字最难。题字就是囚犯要把字刻到墙上。不管多难，我们非得有题字不可，汤姆说我们就得这么做，没一个政治犯逃走时不留下题字和徽章。
　　因此，我和吉姆各自在一个砖块上拼命磨笔，吉姆磨的是那支铜蜡台，我磨的是那把匙子，汤姆开动脑筋想徽章。后来，他说他有了许多好的构思，他几乎不知道该用哪个。等他把徽章的事儿全想好了，就开始完成剩下的那部分工作，也就是要想出一句伤心的题词- 他说他们全留了题词，吉姆也得留一句。他想起来很多，还把它们写到一张纸上，念出来给我们听，题词如下：1 1 这里一颗囚犯的心碎了。
　　2 1 这是一个不幸的囚犯，被世界跟朋友们所遗忘，在苦恼中煎熬着伤心的岁月。
　　3 1 这里一颗孤独的心碎了，一个疲惫的灵魂安息了，他忍受了37 年凄苦的囚禁。
　　4 1 这是一个无名贵族的丧命之处，他无亲无故，经历了37 年辛酸的铁窗生涯，他是路易十四的私生子。
　　汤姆念的时候声音发颤，简直快挺不住了。念完以后，他拿不定主意让吉姆在墙上刻上哪句，它们都是这么好，最后他觉得应该让他统统刻上去。吉姆说要用钉把这一堆废话全刻到木头上得花他一年的时间，再说他还不知道怎么写字；而汤姆说他替他划上底儿，他就照着他的比划刻就行了。后来，他又说："你想想看，木头是不行的，地牢里可没木头墙，咱们得把题词凿到石头上。我们去搬块石头。"吉姆说石头比木头更糟，他说不知得花多久才能凿在石头上，他甭想出去了。可汤姆说他会让我帮他凿。然后他看了看我和吉姆把笔磨得怎样了。这活计烦死了，单调费劲，干起来又慢，我手上磨破的伤口连恢复的机会都没有，我们几乎没什么进展。于是，汤姆说："我知道怎么做了。反正我们是得找块石头凿徽章和伤心题词，我们就拿那块石头来个一举两得。锯木厂那边有一块很好的大磨石，而我们很好把它偷回来，在上面划字，而且又能磨笔和锯。"这个主意不错，而那块磨石也很好，于是我们认为得动手去搬。这时还不到正半夜，我们就向锯木厂跑去，留吉姆一个人干活儿。我们偷出磨石，推着朝前滚，那可真费劲。有时，我们使足了劲推它，却阻止不了它倒着滚，并且每回都险些压住我们。汤姆说等不到我们把它推回家，它就会压死我们当中的一个。我们把它推到半路，就彻底垮了，光是汗水就可以把我们淹死了。我们看到实在不行了，非得回去叫吉姆来不可。于是，他抬起床，把铁链从床腿上褪下去，一圈一圈缠在他脖子上，我们从洞里爬出来，跑到那里，我和吉姆推着那个磨石，让它乖乖地向前走，毫不费劲，汤姆指挥，他比哪个男孩指挥得都棒，他什么事也在行。
　　我们的洞很大，可再大也滚不过去那块磨石。吉姆拿镐，很快就把它挖得足够大了。然后，汤姆拿钉子在上面把那些话划上去，让吉姆开始刻，用钉当凿子，又打斜棚里找了一把铁门闩当锤子用，让他干到那半截蜡烛点完时，才可以去睡觉，还要把磨石藏到他草垫底下，他睡在上面。后来，我们帮他把铁链子套到床腿上，我们也打算去睡觉。可是，汤姆猛地想到了什么，他说："你这儿有蜘蛛吗，吉姆？""没有，您哪。谢天谢地，我这儿没，汤姆少爷。""好吧，我们给你弄几只来。""天哪，宝贝儿。我一只也不要。我怕那东西，还不如让响尾蛇呆在我身边呢。"汤姆想了一两分钟，说："是个妙主意。我看有人这么做过，一定有人这么干过，它合乎情理。对，这是个绝妙的好主意。你把它养到哪儿？""养什么呀，汤姆少爷？""哎，响尾蛇呀。""天地良心哪，汤姆少爷！唉，如果真有条响尾蛇爬进这里来，我一刻也不等就用脑袋撞，钻出这木头墙，真的。""哎，吉姆，用不了多久，你就不会怕了。你可以把它养熟呀。""养熟它！""对，十分容易。每一个动物对善意与抚爱都是感激的，它们就是想也想不到伤害一个抚爱它们的人。哪一本书都会告诉你这个道理。你试一试--这是我的全部要求。只试两天。啊，过不了多久，你就能把它养熟，它就会爱你，跟你一起睡，一刻也离不开你，还会让你把它缠在你脖子上，把它的头伸进你的嘴里。""求求您，汤姆少爷，别说这些话啦！我受不了！它会让我准许它的头伸我的嘴里去，为了赏脸，对吗？我让它等上多少年也别想让我去请它。还不止这个，我也不让它跟我一起睡。""吉姆，做事别这样傻。囚犯非得有个小动物当玩意儿，要没有人试过养响尾蛇，你第一个尝试就会得到很大的光荣，这种光荣是你用别的什么办法也得不到的。""唉，汤姆少爷，我宁肯不要这份儿光荣。蛇会把我的下巴给咬掉，那光荣还算什么？不，您哪，我可不干那种事儿。""该死，你连试试都不行吗？我只想叫你试试--要不行，你就不必养下去。""如果我正试的时候，蛇把我给咬了，那可算是罪受够了。汤姆少爷，只要合情理，啥事儿我也愿意做，可要你和哈克弄条响尾蛇放这里叫我养，我就离开，真的。""好吧，算了算了，你这么倔。我们给你弄几条小花蛇吧，你可以在蛇尾巴上拴上几个扣子，就当是响尾蛇，我看这总可以办到。""这个我还能接受，汤姆少爷，不过我跟你说老实话，要是没这种蛇我就活不了，那才真叫该死呢。以前我从来不知道，做个囚犯这么费劲，这么麻烦。""啊，要想做得对，就得这样。你这儿有老鼠吗？""没有，您哪，我没看见过。""好吧，我们给你带几只老鼠。""啊，汤姆少爷，我不要老鼠。这是最让人生厌的东西，人家想睡的时候，它便来打搅，弄得吱吱响，还咬他的脚。我全见过。不要，您哪，要我非得养小动物不可，就给我小花蛇吧，别给我老鼠，它们对我一点用也没有。""可是，吉姆，你非得有不行--他们全有。所以，别大惊小怪了。囚犯没有不跟老鼠在一起的。还没这种先例呢。他们训练老鼠，逗它们玩，教它们把戏，它们就可以和人相处得挺好，跟苍蝇一样。不过你还得给它们演奏音乐。你有东西奏乐吗？""什么都没有。只有一把粗糙的梳子跟一片纸，还有个单簧口琴，不过我想它们不至于对口琴感兴趣吧？""它们会的。它们才不管是什么音乐呢。老鼠听口琴够不错的了。全体动物都喜欢音乐--在监狱里它们对音乐着迷，尤其是悲痛的音乐，口琴你也吹不出别的调儿。它们总对这个感兴趣，它们全钻出来看看你碰上了什么伤心事。对，你能行，你的乐器也很好。在晚上睡觉前，早上起床后，你坐到床上，吹吹口琴，就吹那首《断情》--那首曲子很合适，能把老鼠招过来，比啥都快。等你吹上两分钟，你就会看到所有的老鼠、蛇、蜘蛛，这些东西全都开始为你担心发愁，上你这儿来，它们会蜂拥而至，爬到你身上，玩个高兴痛快。""是啊，它们会的，我想会的，汤姆少爷。可我吉姆会玩成什么样啊？我要是会明白才怪呢。不过我要是非这么做不可，我就做。我看我最好是既能让这些小动物感到满意，还别给这屋子招惹麻烦。"吉姆对这些事发了许多牢骚，他抱怨让他给老鼠吹口琴，还得逗蛇、蜘蛛这些东西玩儿，上它们高兴，最费事的是他非得拿笔刻题词、写日记等等，弄得他做个囚犯倒比他干什么也麻烦，着急担心又责任重大，说得汤姆对他几乎失去了所有的耐心。他说吉姆被赋予比世界上任何一个囚犯都更多更好的可以成名的机会，可他偏不知道珍惜，这些机会落到他身上，简直是浪费。于是，说得吉姆十分难过，吉姆说他再也不这么埋怨了，我和汤姆这才摸回去睡觉。
 
Chapter 39
IN the morning we went up to the village and bought a wire rat-trap and fetched it down, and unstopped the best rat-hole, and in about an hour we had fifteen of the bulliest kind of ones; and then we took it and put it in a safe place under Aunt Sally's bed. But while we was gone for spiders little Thomas Franklin Benjamin Jefferson Elexander Phelps found it there, and opened the door of it to see if the rats would come out, and they did; and Aunt Sally she come in, and when we got back she was a-standing on top of the bed raising Cain, and the rats was doing what they could to keep off the dull times for her. So she took and dusted us both with the hickry, and we was as much as two hours catching another fifteen or sixteen, drat that meddlesome cub, and they warn't the likeliest, nuther, because the first haul was the pick of the flock. I never see a likelier lot of rats than what that first haul was. 
We got a splendid stock of sorted spiders, and bugs, and frogs, and caterpillars, and one thing or another; and we like to got a hornet's nest, but we didn't. The family was at home. We didn't give it right up, but stayed with them as long as we could; because we allowed we'd tire them out or they'd got to tire us out, and they done it. Then we got allycumpain and rubbed on the places, and was pretty near all right again, but couldn't set down convenient. And so we went for the snakes, and grabbed a couple of dozen garters and house-snakes, and put them in a bag, and put it in our room, and by that time it was suppertime, and a rattling good honest day's work: and hungry? -- oh, no, I reckon not! And there warn't a blessed snake up there when we went back -- we didn't half tie the sack, and they worked out somehow, and left. But it didn't matter much, because they was still on the premises somewheres. So we judged we could get some of them again. No, there warn't no real scarcity of snakes about the house for a considerable spell. You'd see them dripping from the rafters and places every now and then; and they generly landed in your plate, or down the back of your neck, and most of the time where you didn't want them. Well, they was handsome and striped, and there warn't no harm in a million of them; but that never made no difference to Aunt Sally; she despised snakes, be the breed what they might, and she couldn't stand them no way you could fix it; and every time one of them flopped down on her, it didn't make no difference what she was doing, she would just lay that work down and light out. I never see such a woman. And you could hear her whoop to Jericho. You couldn't get her to take a-holt of one of them with the tongs. And if she turned over and found one in bed she would scramble out and lift a howl that you would think the house was afire. She disturbed the old man so that he said he could most wish there hadn't ever been no snakes created. Why, after every last snake had been gone clear out of the house for as much as a week Aunt Sally warn't over it yet; she warn't near over it; when she was setting thinking about something you could touch her on the back of her neck with a feather and she would jump right out of her stockings. It was very curious. But Tom said all women was just so. He said they was made that way for some reason or other. 
We got a licking every time one of our snakes come in her way, and she allowed these lickings warn't nothing to what she would do if we ever loaded up the place again with them. I didn't mind the lickings, because they didn't amount to nothing; but I minded the trouble we had to lay in another lot. But we got them laid in, and all the other things; and you never see a cabin as blithesome as Jim's was when they'd all swarm out for music and go for him. Jim didn't like the spiders, and the spiders didn't like Jim; and so they'd lay for him, and make it mighty warm for him. And he said that between the rats and the snakes and the grindstone there warn't no room in bed for him, skasely; and when there was, a body couldn't sleep, it was so lively, and it was always lively, he said, because THEY never all slept at one time, but took turn about, so when the snakes was asleep the rats was on deck, and when the rats turned in the snakes come on watch, so he always had one gang under him, in his way, and t'other gang having a circus over him, and if he got up to hunt a new place the spiders would take a chance at him as he crossed over. He said if he ever got out this time he wouldn't ever be a prisoner again, not for a salary. 
Well, by the end of three weeks everything was in pretty good shape. The shirt was sent in early, in a pie, and every time a rat bit Jim he would get up and write a little in his journal whilst the ink was fresh; the pens was made, the inscriptions and so on was all carved on the grindstone; the bed-leg was sawed in two, and we had et up the sawdust, and it give us a most amazing stomach-ache. We reckoned we was all going to die, but didn't. It was the most undigestible sawdust I ever see; and Tom said the same. But as I was saying, we'd got all the work done now, at last; and we was all pretty much fagged out, too, but mainly Jim. The old man had wrote a couple of times to the plantation below Orleans to come and get their runaway nigger, but hadn't got no answer, because there warn't no such plantation; so he allowed he would advertise Jim in the St. Louis and New Orleans papers; and when he mentioned the St. Louis ones it give me the cold shivers, and I see we hadn't no time to lose. So Tom said, now for the nonnamous letters. 
"What's them?" I says. 
"Warnings to the people that something is up. Sometimes it's done one way, sometimes another. But there's always somebody spying around that gives notice to the governor of the castle. When Louis XVI. was going to light out of the Tooleries a servantgirl done it. It's a very good way, and so is the nonnamous letters. We'll use them both. And it's usual for the prisoner's mother to change clothes with him, and she stays in, and he slides out in her clothes. We'll do that, too." 
"But looky here, Tom, what do we want to WARN anybody for that something's up? Let them find it out for themselves -- it's their lookout." 
"Yes, I know; but you can't depend on them. It's the way they've acted from the very start -- left us to do EVERYTHING. They're so confiding and mulletheaded they don't take notice of nothing at all. So if we don't GIVE them notice there won't be nobody nor nothing to interfere with us, and so after all our hard work and trouble this escape 'll go off perfectly flat; won't amount to nothing -- won't be nothing TO it." 
"Well, as for me, Tom, that's the way I'd like." 
"Shucks!" he says, and looked disgusted. So I says: 
"But I ain't going to make no complaint. Any way that suits you suits me. What you going to do about the servant-girl?" 
"You'll be her. You slide in, in the middle of the night, and hook that yaller girl's frock." 
"Why, Tom, that 'll make trouble next morning; because, of course, she prob'bly hain't got any but that one." 
"I know; but you don't want it but fifteen minutes, to carry the nonnamous letter and shove it under the front door." 
"All right, then, I'll do it; but I could carry it just as handy in my own togs." 
"You wouldn't look like a servant-girl THEN, would you?" 
"No, but there won't be nobody to see what I look like, ANYWAY." 
"That ain't got nothing to do with it. The thing for us to do is just to do our DUTY, and not worry about whether anybody SEES us do it or not. Hain't you got no principle at all?" 
"All right, I ain't saying nothing; I'm the servantgirl. Who's Jim's mother?" 
"I'm his mother. I'll hook a gown from Aunt Sally." 
"Well, then, you'll have to stay in the cabin when me and Jim leaves." 
"Not much. I'll stuff Jim's clothes full of straw and lay it on his bed to represent his mother in disguise, and Jim 'll take the nigger woman's gown off of me and wear it, and we'll all evade together. When a prisoner of style escapes it's called an evasion. It's always called so when a king escapes, f'rinstance. And the same with a king's son; it don't make no difference whether he's a natural one or an unnatural one." 
So Tom he wrote the nonnamous letter, and I smouched the yaller wench's frock that night, and put it on, and shoved it under the front door, the way Tom told me to. It said: 
Beware. Trouble is brewing. Keep a sharp lookout. UNKNOWN FRIEND. 
Next night we stuck a picture, which Tom drawed in blood, of a skull and crossbones on the front door; and next night another one of a coffin on the back door. I never see a family in such a sweat. They couldn't a been worse scared if the place had a been full of ghosts laying for them behind everything and under the beds and shivering through the air. If a door banged, Aunt Sally she jumped and said "ouch!" if anything fell, she jumped and said "ouch!" if you happened to touch her, when she warn't noticing, she done the same; she couldn't face noway and be satisfied, because she allowed there was something behind her every time -- so she was always a-whirling around sudden, and saying "ouch," and before she'd got two-thirds around she'd whirl back again, and say it again; and she was afraid to go to bed, but she dasn't set up. So the thing was working very well, Tom said; he said he never see a thing work more satisfactory. He said it showed it was done right. 
So he said, now for the grand bulge! So the very next morning at the streak of dawn we got another letter ready, and was wondering what we better do with it, because we heard them say at supper they was going to have a nigger on watch at both doors all night. Tom he went down the lightning-rod to spy around; and the nigger at the back door was asleep, and he stuck it in the back of his neck and come back. This letter said: 
Don't betray me, I wish to be your friend. There is a desprate gang of cut-throats from over in the Indian Territory going to steal your runaway nigger to-night, and they have been trying to scare you so as you will stay in the house and not bother them. I am one of the gang, but have got religgion and wish to quit it and lead an honest life again, and will betray the helish design. They will sneak down from northards, along the fence, at midnight exact, with a false key, and go in the nigger's cabin to get him. I am to be off a piece and blow a tin horn if I see any danger; but stead of that I will BA like a sheep soon as they get in and not blow at all; then whilst they are getting his chains loose, you slip there and lock them in, and can kill them at your leasure. Don't do anything but just the way I am telling you; if you do they will suspicion something and raise whoop-jamboreehoo. I do not wish any reward but to know I have done the right thing. UNKNOWN FRIEND. 
　　第二天一早，我们到镇上去买来一个铁丝老鼠笼，打开一个最大的老鼠洞口，不到一个小时的功夫，我们捉到15 只大老鼠，接着我们把笼子放在莎丽姨床底下一个妥当的地方。可是，在我们出去捉蜘蛛时，小斐尔普斯在床底下看到了它，他把老鼠笼门打开，想看看老鼠能不能出来，结果真是全出来了。莎丽姨进了屋，我们回了家时，她正站在床上大叫大嚷，老鼠四处使劲给她解闷。于是她抄起那根核桃棍儿把我们俩全揍了一顿。我们费了两个多小时，才又捉住了十五六只，对这些爱惹是生非的该死的小老鼠，我们还不大中意呢，因为我们捉的头一窝才是呱呱叫的，那么棒的老鼠我可是头一回见看到。我们捉了很大一堆大大小小的蜘蛛、臭虫、青蛙、毛虫什么的，我们还打算捅下来一个马蜂窝，可没弄成。于是，我们又去捉蛇，捉到二十多条花蛇和青蛇，放进一个袋子里，藏到我们屋里。干完后就该吃晚饭了，这一天折腾得真让人开心。肚子饿不饿？啊，不，我看不饿！等我们回来后一看，一条蛇也没了--我们没有扎牢袋子，它们不知怎地爬了出来，全没影儿了。不过，没多大关系，因为它们还在这个房子的什么地方。所以，我们估计还可以捉回来几条。啊，这所房子可真是不缺蛇，很是热闹了一阵。你会看到它们从椽子上和别的地方不时地掉下来，通常它们会落在你的盘子里，或掉进你的脖子里，大部分时候总是掉在你不想看到它们的地方。啊，它们漂亮，带花纹，就算有一百万条也不会伤害人。可是对莎丽姨来说，再漂亮也没什么两样，她讨厌蛇，不管哪一种蛇她都讨厌，随你怎么说，她都受不了。每次蛇"噗"地落在她的身上，她不论在干什么，撂下东西就跑。她跑出去很远，你还能听到她在哇哇叫。
　　每次一有蛇爬落到她身边，我们就得挨顿打，她还说，要我们再敢把这所房子弄得蛇到处爬，那种揍法儿可就算不上什么了。我并不在乎她揍我，因为揍得并不怎么狠，可我在乎给我们惹的麻烦，还得去再捉一回。不过我们还是捉到了，把其他所有的东西全都弄齐了。当这些动物都拥出来听音乐，向吉姆身边爬过来时，你可从没见过有像吉姆的小屋那么热闹的地方。吉姆不喜欢蜘蛛，蜘蛛也不喜欢吉姆，于是，它们就暗地里跟他捣乱，把他折腾得很够呛。他说床上有老鼠、蛇、磨石，几乎没了睡觉的地方，即使有地方也睡不成，太热闹了，而且还一直热闹，因为它们历来不同时睡觉，而是轮着班；这样，蛇睡着了，老鼠站岗，该老鼠睡了，蛇又跑出来放哨。因此，总会有一帮动物挤在他身子下边，弄得他没地睡。另一帮在他身上演戏，他如果起来换个新地方，蜘蛛又会趁他过去时跟他捣乱。他说这一回他要能出去，决不再当囚犯，开工资也不干。这么一来，三个星期过去了，一切都很顺利。衬衣早就藏在馅饼里送进去了，每回有老鼠咬吉姆一口，他就起床趁那墨水还鲜红就写点儿日记；笔也做好了，题词等都刻在了磨石上；床腿锯成了两截，我们也把锯末吃进肚里了，它叫我们俩肚子疼得要死。我们想，这下都得疼死，可总算没死。这是我见过的最难消化的锯末，汤姆也觉得是这样。不过，书归正传，现在我们终于把事情全都做完了，我们也都累了个半死不活，不过主要还是吉姆。老先生给奥尔良那边的农场写了几回信，让他们来人把逃跑黑人带走，可是，都不见回音。因为压根儿就没有这么个农场。于是，他打算在圣路易斯和新奥尔良的报纸上登领人启事。他一提到圣路易斯的报纸，我直打冷颤，我知道我们再没时间可耽搁了。而汤姆说，现在该写匿名信了。"什么是匿名信？"我问。
　　"就是警告人们快要出事了。有时这么做，有时又是另一个做法。可总有人在一边盯梢儿，给城堡司令报信儿。当年，路易十六想从图勒里监狱逃跑时，一个年轻女仆报了信儿。这法子很好，写匿名信也很好。我们就两个办法全用。通常是囚犯的妈妈跟他换衣服，她呆在监狱里，他穿着她的衣服偷跑出去。这个办法我们也要照搬。""可是听着，汤姆，我们干嘛要警告人家说要出事儿呢？让他们自己去察觉吧，这本来就是他们的事情。""是啊，我知道。可你不可能指望他们。他们打一开头就这样--让我们随心所欲地做每一件事。他们对别人放心，自己脑子又笨，根本啥也没注意到。所以，如果我们不报信儿引起他们注意，那就不会有一个人一件事妨碍我们，这样的话，虽然我们费了很大劲，惹了很多事，这次逃跑还是会平淡无奇地过去，一点儿意思也没有--一点儿也不像那么回事儿。""如果换了我呀，汤姆，这可正是我想要的结果。""废话。" 他说了一声，看上去很讨厌我。我赶忙说："我可没想抱怨。反正对你合适，对我也合适。那个女仆你有什么想法？""你来扮她。等到正半夜，你悄悄进屋去偷那个黄脸女仆的长裙。""哎呀，汤姆，第二天早上会惹麻烦的，因为她肯定是仅有那一件。""我知道。你也就用它15 分钟，拿上匿名信，塞进大门底下就可以了。""那好吧，我去。不过我穿自己的衣服去也会一样方便。""那样，你就不像个女仆了，对不对？""是不像，可不论怎么说，也没有人看到我像不像。""那不相干。我们要做的就是要守规矩，不管是不是有人看到我们做过没有。你难道没一点儿原则意识吗？""好啦，我啥也不说了，我就当那个女仆。谁来当吉姆的母亲？""我当。我得从莎丽姨那儿偷件袍子来。""好吧，那你就得一直在小屋里呆到我和吉姆全走掉。""不会太长。我把吉姆的衣服塞满草，放到他床上，代表他母亲换了装，吉姆将那件黑女人的长袍从我身上脱下来，他换上，我们一块儿逃走。一个有风度的囚犯逃走时，应该叫做逃亡。比方说一个国王逃跑时就这么样叫。国王儿子逃跑时也这么叫，不管他是否是私生子，都没样什么两样。"于是，汤姆写了封匿名信。那个晚上，我把那个黄脸女仆的长裙偷过来，穿到身上，按汤姆的吩咐，把信塞到前门底下。信上写的是：当心。祸在旦夕。务请严防。
　　无名的朋友第二天晚上，我们在前门贴了一张画，那是汤姆拿血画的一个骷髅与交叉股骨图。第三天晚上又在后门上贴了张棺材图。我还从没见过哪一家人像他们这样害怕。要是这个地方所有东西的后边、床板底下四处都藏着鬼怪在捉弄他们，又在空气中颤动，他们也只能吓成那样了。要是门"嘭"的一响，莎丽姨就会跳起来，" 哎呀"一声，要是有东西倒了，她也"哎呀"一声跳起来，就连你一不小心碰她一下，只要她没看清，也会那么跳起来。她脸朝哪边都不放心，因为她总是觉得有东西躲在她背后，于是，她总是"哎呀"叫着快速转身，还没等转到三分之二，她又转回来，还喊"哎呀"。她怕睡觉，可她又不敢坐起来。因此，汤姆说这事效果很好，他说他还没见过哪件事这么让人满意。他说这件事做得对。
　　于是他说，现在该上演压轴戏了！因此第二天一大早，天刚蒙蒙亮，我们预备好了另一封信，一时还不知道该拿它怎么办，因为我们听见他们吃晚饭时说，他们想在两个门口都派个黑人通宵守卫。汤姆顺避雷针下去，四下偷看一阵，后门那个黑人睡着了，他把信插在他脖子后边回来了。这封信写的是：请别出卖我，我希望做你们的朋友。有一群胆大妄为、无恶不作的强盗，今天夜里从印第安人居住州过来，要偷你们的那个逃跑黑人，他们一直都在想尽办法吓唬你们，就是为了让你们呆到屋里不打扰他们。我是帮中一员，但是我信教，希望能够脱离这个强盗帮，重新过诚实的生活，而且要揭露这个恶毒阴谋。他们要在正半夜，沿着围墙，从北边偷偷儿下来，拿一把假钥匙，到那个黑人小屋里去弄走他。他们安排在我远处放哨，如果有什么危险就吹响铁喇叭。可我不会这么做，只要他们一进小屋，我就咩咩学羊叫，根本不去吹喇叭。等到他们正在替他卸链子的时候，你们就摸上去把他们锁在小屋里，从从容容把他们打死。切勿轻举妄动，请按我说的做，否则，他们就会产生怀疑，闹个天翻地覆。我不希望得到任何酬谢，只要知道我这件事做得对。
　　无名的朋友
 
Chapter 40
WE was feeling pretty good after breakfast, and took my canoe and went over the river a-fishing, with a lunch, and had a good time, and took a look at the raft and found her all right, and got home late to supper, and found them in such a sweat and worry they didn't know which end they was standing on, and made us go right off to bed the minute we was done supper, and wouldn't tell us what the trouble was, and never let on a word about the new letter, but didn't need to, because we knowed as much about it as anybody did, and as soon as we was half up stairs and her back was turned we slid for the cellar cubboard and loaded up a good lunch and took it up to our room and went to bed, and got up about half-past eleven, and Tom put on Aunt Sally's dress that he stole and was going to start with the lunch, but says: 
"Where's the butter?" 
"I laid out a hunk of it," I says, "on a piece of a corn-pone." 
"Well, you LEFT it laid out, then -- it ain't here." 
"We can get along without it," I says. 
"We can get along WITH it, too," he says; "just you slide down cellar and fetch it. And then mosey right down the lightning-rod and come along. I'll go and stuff the straw into Jim's clothes to represent his mother in disguise, and be ready to BA like a sheep and shove soon as you get there." 
So out he went, and down cellar went I. The hunk of butter, big as a person's fist, was where I had left it, so I took up the slab of corn-pone with it on, and blowed out my light, and started up stairs very stealthy, and got up to the main floor all right, but here comes Aunt Sally with a candle, and I clapped the truck in my hat, and clapped my hat on my head, and the next second she see me; and she says: 
"You been down cellar?" 
"Yes'm." 
"What you been doing down there?" 
"Noth'n." 
"NOTH'N!" 
"No'm." 
"Well, then, what possessed you to go down there this time of night?" 
"I don't know 'm." 
"You don't KNOW? Don't answer me that way. Tom, I want to know what you been DOING down there." 
"I hain't been doing a single thing, Aunt Sally, I hope to gracious if I have." 
I reckoned she'd let me go now, and as a generl thing she would; but I s'pose there was so many strange things going on she was just in a sweat about every little thing that warn't yard-stick straight; so she says, very decided: 
"You just march into that setting-room and stay there till I come. You been up to something you no business to, and I lay I'll find out what it is before I'M done with you." 
So she went away as I opened the door and walked into the setting-room. My, but there was a crowd there! Fifteen farmers, and every one of them had a gun. I was most powerful sick, and slunk to a chair and set down. They was setting around, some of them talking a little, in a low voice, and all of them fidgety and uneasy, but trying to look like they warn't; but I knowed they was, because they was always taking off their hats, and putting them on, and scratching their heads, and changing their seats, and fumbling with their buttons. I warn't easy myself, but I didn't take my hat off, all the same. 
I did wish Aunt Sally would come, and get done with me, and lick me, if she wanted to, and let me get away and tell Tom how we'd overdone this thing, and what a thundering hornet's-nest we'd got ourselves into, so we could stop fooling around straight off, and clear out with Jim before these rips got out of patience and come for us. 
At last she come and begun to ask me questions, but I COULDN'T answer them straight, I didn't know which end of me was up; because these men was in such a fidget now that some was wanting to start right NOW and lay for them desperadoes, and saying it warn't but a few minutes to midnight; and others was trying to get them to hold on and wait for the sheep-signal; and here was Aunty pegging away at the questions, and me a-shaking all over and ready to sink down in my tracks I was that scared; and the place getting hotter and hotter, and the butter beginning to melt and run down my neck and behind my ears; and pretty soon, when one of them says, "I'M for going and getting in the cabin FIRST and right NOW, and catching them when they come," I most dropped; and a streak of butter come a-trickling down my forehead, and Aunt Sally she see it, and turns white as a sheet, and says: 
"For the land's sake, what IS the matter with the child? He's got the brain-fever as shore as you're born, and they're oozing out!" 
And everybody runs to see, and she snatches off my hat, and out comes the bread and what was left of the butter, and she grabbed me, and hugged me, and says: 
"Oh, what a turn you did give me! and how glad and grateful I am it ain't no worse; for luck's against us, and it never rains but it pours, and when I see that truck I thought we'd lost you, for I knowed by the color and all it was just like your brains would be if -- Dear, dear, whyd'nt you TELL me that was what you'd been down there for, I wouldn't a cared. Now cler out to bed, and don't lemme see no more of you till morning!" 
I was up stairs in a second, and down the lightningrod in another one, and shinning through the dark for the lean-to. I couldn't hardly get my words out, I was so anxious; but I told Tom as quick as I could we must jump for it now, and not a minute to lose -- the house full of men, yonder, with guns! 
His eyes just blazed; and he says: 
"No! -- is that so? AIN'T it bully! Why, Huck, if it was to do over again, I bet I could fetch two hundred! If we could put it off till --" 
"Hurry! HURRY!" I says. "Where's Jim?" 
"Right at your elbow; if you reach out your arm you can touch him. He's dressed, and everything's ready. Now we'll slide out and give the sheepsignal." 
But then we heard the tramp of men coming to the door, and heard them begin to fumble with the padlock, and heard a man say: 
"I TOLD you we'd be too soon; they haven't come -- the door is locked. Here, I'll lock some of you into the cabin, and you lay for 'em in the dark and kill 'em when they come; and the rest scatter around a piece, and listen if you can hear 'em coming." 
So in they come, but couldn't see us in the dark, and most trod on us whilst we was hustling to get under the bed. But we got under all right, and out through the hole, swift but soft -- Jim first, me next, and Tom last, which was according to Tom's orders. Now we was in the lean-to, and heard trampings close by outside. So we crept to the door, and Tom stopped us there and put his eye to the crack, but couldn't make out nothing, it was so dark; and whispered and said he would listen for the steps to get further, and when he nudged us Jim must glide out first, and him last. So he set his ear to the crack and listened, and listened, and listened, and the steps a-scraping around out there all the time; and at last he nudged us, and we slid out, and stooped down, not breathing, and not making the least noise, and slipped stealthy towards the fence in Injun file, and got to it all right, and me and Jim over it; but Tom's britches catched fast on a splinter on the top rail, and then he hear the steps coming, so he had to pull loose, which snapped the splinter and made a noise; and as he dropped in our tracks and started somebody sings out: 
"Who's that? Answer, or I'll shoot!" 
But we didn't answer; we just unfurled our heels and shoved. Then there was a rush, and a BANG, BANG, BANG! and the bullets fairly whizzed around us! We heard them sing out: 
"Here they are! They've broke for the river! After 'em, boys, and turn loose the dogs!" 
So here they come, full tilt. We could hear them because they wore boots and yelled, but we didn't wear no boots and didn't yell. We was in the path to the mill; and when they got pretty close on to us we dodged into the bush and let them go by, and then dropped in behind them. They'd had all the dogs shut up, so they wouldn't scare off the robbers; but by this time somebody had let them loose, and here they come, making powwow enough for a million; but they was our dogs; so we stopped in our tracks till they catched up; and when they see it warn't nobody but us, and no excitement to offer them, they only just said howdy, and tore right ahead towards the shouting and clattering; and then we up-steam again, and whizzed along after them till we was nearly to the mill, and then struck up through the bush to where my canoe was tied, and hopped in and pulled for dear life towards the middle of the river, but didn't make no more noise than we was obleeged to. Then we struck out, easy and comfortable, for the island where my raft was; and we could hear them yelling and barking at each other all up and down the bank, till we was so far away the sounds got dim and died out. And when we stepped on to the raft I says: 
"NOW, old Jim, you're a free man again, and I bet you won't ever be a slave no more." 
"En a mighty good job it wuz, too, Huck. It 'uz planned beautiful, en it 'uz done beautiful; en dey ain't NOBODY kin git up a plan dat's mo' mixed-up en splendid den what dat one wuz." 
We was all glad as we could be, but Tom was the gladdest of all because he had a bullet in the calf of his leg. 
When me and Jim heard that we didn't feel so brash as what we did before. It was hurting him considerable, and bleeding; so we laid him in the wigwam and tore up one of the duke's shirts for to bandage him, but he says: 
"Gimme the rags; I can do it myself. Don't stop now; don't fool around here, and the evasion booming along so handsome; man the sweeps, and set her loose! Boys, we done it elegant! -- 'deed we did. I wish WE'D a had the handling of Louis XVI., there wouldn't a been no 'Son of Saint Louis, ascend to heaven!' wrote down in HIS biography; no, sir, we'd a whooped him over the BORDER -- that's what we'd a done with HIM -- and done it just as slick as nothing at all, too. Man the sweeps -- man the sweeps!" 
But me and Jim was consulting -- and thinking. And after we'd thought a minute, I says: 
"Say it, Jim." 
So he says: 
"Well, den, dis is de way it look to me, Huck. Ef it wuz HIM dat 'uz bein' sot free, en one er de boys wuz to git shot, would he say, 'Go on en save me, nemmine 'bout a doctor f'r to save dis one?' Is dat like Mars Tom Sawyer? Would he say dat? You BET he wouldn't! WELL, den, is JIM gywne to say it? No, sah -- I doan' budge a step out'n dis place 'dout a DOCTOR, not if it's forty year!" 
I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he'd say what he did say -- so it was all right now, and I told Tom I was a-going for a doctor. He raised considerable row about it, but me and Jim stuck to it and wouldn't budge; so he was for crawling out and setting the raft loose himself; but we wouldn't let him. Then he give us a piece of his mind, but it didn't do no good. 
So when he sees me getting the canoe ready, he says: 
"Well, then, if you re bound to go, I'll tell you the way to do when you get to the village. Shut the door and blindfold the doctor tight and fast, and make him swear to be silent as the grave, and put a purse full of gold in his hand, and then take and lead him all around the back alleys and everywheres in the dark, and then fetch him here in the canoe, in a roundabout way amongst the islands, and search him and take his chalk away from him, and don't give it back to him till you get him back to the village, or else he will chalk this raft so he can find it again. It's the way they all do." 
So I said I would, and left, and Jim was to hide in the woods when he see the doctor coming till he was gone again. 
　　早饭过后，我们感觉良好，驾着独木舟过河钓鱼，带上午饭，玩得很尽兴，又看了看木排，它很好。我们很晚才回家吃晚饭，看他们都着急担心得晕头转向，不知怎么办才好。我们一吃完饭，他们就催我们赶快去上床睡觉，不想告诉我们出了什么事，对后来那封信也不提一字，但这毫无必要，因为我们知道得比谁都多。我们上楼上到一半，等她一转身，我们就溜进地里，从碗橱里装上一顿饭，拿到我们房间里开始睡觉。大约十一点半的时候我们起床，汤姆穿上他偷来的莎丽姨的衣服，带着饭菜正想出去，可是他说："黄油在哪儿？""我切了一大块，"我说，" 放到一片玉米面包上了。""噢，那你准是切好丢在哪儿了，这儿没了。""没有我们也能凑合。" 我说。
　　"有了我们也能凑合呀，"他说，" 你这就上地窖里去拿。然后赶紧顺避雷针滑下来，一直跑过去。我去朝吉姆的衣服里塞上草，装作是他母亲，你一到那儿，我就咩咩学羊叫，跟着跑开。"因此，他往外走，我下地窖。那块黄油有人的拳头大，它还在我刚才搁的地方，因此，我拿起那块放黄油的面包，吹灭蜡烛，上了楼梯，偷偷摸摸到地面上，一直也没出事儿。可迎面走来了莎丽姨，她拿着蜡烛，我赶忙把那块黄油面包塞到帽子里，啪地把帽子扣到头上。她看见我了，问道："你下地窖了？""嗯，""你到那下面干什么？""没干什么。""没干！""没干。""那，好吧，深更半夜的，是什么鬼把你给缠住了，叫你下到那儿去的？""我不知道。""你不知道？别这么跟我答话，汤姆，我想知道你在下面在干什么？""我什么事也没干，莎丽姨，老天爷作证，我没干。"我估计这回她该放我走了，要在往常，她会放了我，可是，我想因为近来出了那么多离奇古怪的事情，所以每件小事稍有不明，她都急于弄个清楚。因此，她十分果断地说："你给我到客厅里去，呆在那里等我回来。你准做了十分不该做的事儿，我得查个清楚，才能饶你。"说完她走了，我开门走入客厅。妈呀，那儿可是有一群人！15 个农民，每人握着一杆枪。我紧张极了，悄悄地找把椅子坐下。他们坐了个满地都是，有的三言两语交谈几句，声音很低，他们全都坐立不安宁，却又极力装得毫不在意，可是，我看得出来，因为他们不停地把帽子摘掉又戴上，挠挠头，换换位儿，还不住摸衣服上的扣子。我自己也很不踏实，可我一直不敢摘帽子。
　　我真心希望莎丽姨快过来，把我的事处理完，要是她乐意就算揍我一顿也没关系，只要让我走开，告诉汤姆我们把这事闹得太过了，让自己闯进了嗡嗡乱叫的马蜂窝，因此，我们要立即停止胡闹，带吉姆尽快逃走，别让这些家伙没了耐心来追我们。
　　她终于来了，开始盘问我，可是我几乎都烦躁不安。有的主张马上动身，埋伏下来等那帮强盗，还说过不了几分钟就半夜了，另一些人竭力劝他们忍住，等待羊叫信号。可是姨偏要不住地问下去，吓得我浑身发颤，随时都可能晕倒地上，屋里越来越热，那块黄油开始溶化，在我耳朵后头顺着脖子往下流。不一阵，听见一个人说：" 我现在就去，先进那个小屋里躲好，等他们一来就抓住他们。" 我险些儿摔倒，一道黄油顺着我的脑门嘀嗒下来，莎丽姨看见了，面色惨白，说道："天哪，这孩子得了什么病啊！他得的是脑炎，没错，脑浆都渗出来啦！"大家都跑来看，她一把抓掉我的帽子，面包掉出来了，剩下的那点黄油也露出来了，她拽过我，紧紧搂着说："哎呀，你真把我吓坏了！总算没再出倒霉事儿，我是谢天谢地又欢喜呀，因为这一段我们老走背运，怕只怕祸不单行。一看见你头上那样，我就想我们要失去你了，因为我看那颜色和症状，就跟是你的脑浆，要不是，哎呀，哎呀，你干嘛不明白告诉我你下去就是要拿这些东西呀，我一点儿不会在意。赶紧睡觉去吧，睡到早上，别再让我看到你！"我只一秒钟就上了楼，又一秒钟下了避雷针，在黑暗中朝跑斜棚去。我太着急了，几乎喘不过气来，不过还是尽快告诉了汤姆，我们得立刻就逃，一秒钟也不能耽搁--那屋里坐满了人，还带着枪！
　　他双眼发亮，说道："不会吧，真的吗？真叫绝呀！啊，哈克，如果再做一遍，我准会招来二百人！要是我们能拖到--""快去吧！快！" 我说，" 吉姆在哪儿？""就在你胳膊肘那儿，一伸出胳膊就可以摸着。他穿戴齐了，全准备好了。现在我们偷偷儿摸出去，再发个羊叫信号。"正这时，我们听到有人的脚步声朝门口走来，听到他们开始在挂锁上乱摸，一个人说："我跟你说我们太性急了，他们还没到，门锁着。现在，我把你们几个锁到屋里，你们在黑影中埋伏好，等他们过来就干掉他们，其余的人四处散开，听听能否听到他们过来。"这样，他们进屋了，可看不见我们在黑影里，有人几乎要踩在我们身上，我们正急着往床底下钻。不过我们还是顺顺当当钻到洞里，从洞口出来，轻快敏捷--吉姆第一，我第二，汤姆最后，这是按照汤姆的命令做的。现在我们到了斜棚，听得见外面贴近的脚步声。我们爬到门口，汤姆让我们停下，他把眼睛贴在门缝上看，可什么也看不清楚，天太黑了。他小声告诉我们说，他要听着脚步走远，等他拿胳膊肘一碰我们，吉姆还第一个出去，他压阵。于是，他又把耳朵贴到门缝上听，听啊听啊，脚步声在四周嚓嚓响，就在门外，一直不断，最后他一碰我们，我们溜出来了，弯着腰，憋着气，一点声响也不敢出，偷偷地往篱笆那儿摸去，像印第安人那样排着纵队。到了篱笆前，总算没现什么事儿，我和吉姆翻了过去，可汤姆的裤子被顶上那道栏杆上的裂口给牢牢挂住了。这时，他听到脚步声近了，因此就只得使劲拽，裂口拽开了，刺啦响了一声。当他落到我们身后朝前跑的时候，有人大声叫道："那是谁？快答话！否则我就开枪啦！"可我们不答话，撒开双腿就朝前跑。马上有人追了上来，砰！砰！砰！子弹在我们身旁飕飕划过！我们听见他们叫着："他们在这儿！往河边儿跑啦！伙计们，追上去！把狗放开！"于是，他们全力以赴追了上来。我们能听见，因为他们穿着靴子，喊着叫着，可我们没穿靴子，也不喊叫。我们上了锯木厂那条小道，当他们追得离我们很近时，我们闪身躲入树丛，让他们过去了，然后，又跳出来跟在他们后边跑。他们原本把所有的狗都关起来了，为了不让它们把强盗吓跑，可这时候，就有人把狗放开了。狗都追了过来，汪汪乱叫，听着都有一百万条，可这些狗全是我们家的，因此，等它们追上来时，我们就站到路上，它们一看除了我们没有外人，不值得大惊小怪，就跟我们打声招呼，向人声喧闹那边猛冲过去。然后我们又抖擞精神，跟在后面飞奔，一直跑近锯木厂，钻进丛林，到了拴独木舟的地方，一脚就跳了上去，向大河当中死命地划去，同时又尽力不弄出声响。然后，我们才轻松舒服地朝藏木排的小岛划去。我们还能听到他们在岸边跑上跑下，人喊狗吠，一片嘈杂，后来，我们划远了，声音渐渐减弱消失。我们上木排时，我说："好啦，吉姆，你又自由啦。我保证你再不会去做奴隶啦。""这一回的事儿干得非常好，哈克。计划得漂亮，干得也漂亮。没人能想出这么个计划，既弄得人迷迷糊糊，又精彩绝顶。"我们俩高兴极了，不过最高兴的还是汤姆，因为他腿肚子上中了一颗子弹。
　　我和吉姆听了这话，再不像刚才那么劲头十足了。子弹伤得他不轻，一直在不停地流血，于是，我们把他抬进了窝棚，把公爵的一件衬衣撕了，要为他包扎，可是他说："把布条给我，我自己可以。现在，别停下来，别在这儿瞎耽搁，这次逃亡行动可真够帅，装好长桨，解开绳索！伙计们，我们干得出色极了！确实很漂亮。我希望我们帮的是路易十六的忙，这样，在他的传记里就会写上"圣路易之子，请你升天吧！" "不会的，先生，我们会带着他偷越国境--对他，我们就要这么做--还要干得巧妙，不把它当回事儿。安上长桨，安上长桨。"但是，我跟吉姆却在商量，认真想，想了一分钟，我说："你说吧，吉姆。"于是他说："那好吧，我有这么个看法，哈克。要是获救的是他，有一个伙计中了弹，他会不会说，'快跑，救我要紧，不必找大夫给这家伙治伤'呢？汤姆·索亚少爷是那种人吗？他会说那种话吗？十拿九稳，他不会！好啦，那么，我吉姆会说那种话吗？不，您哪。要是不找个大夫，我一步也不挪开这个地方，就算等上四十年也不！"我知道他有一颗高尚的心，我料定他会这么说的。所以，现在就好办多了，我就对汤姆说我要去请大夫。他为此大吵了一阵，可我和吉姆执意要请，决不让步，于是他就要爬出来，自己解开木排，可是我们不允许他这样做。后来，他和我们谈了一番他的想法，不过那也没用。
　　这样，当他见我把独木舟收拾好了，他说："好吧，那么，要是你执意要去，我来告诉你到了村里怎么做。关上房门，蒙上大夫的眼睛，蒙它个结结实实，让他发誓保持沉默，决不声张，朝他手里塞上满满一包金币，然后拽着他穿过偏僻的小巷，在黑暗中多绕几个圈子，再把他领到独木舟上。在小岛当中还得再转几个圈儿，搜搜他身子，拿走他的粉笔，不回到村子里决不还给他，否则，他就会在这个木排上画上粉笔印儿，这样他就会再找到儿了。他们会耍这一套。"于是我说我照办，就离开了，吉姆一看到大夫来，就计划躲到树林里，等他走了再出来。
Chapter 41
THE doctor was an old man; a very nice, kind-looking old man when I got him up. I told him me and my brother was over on Spanish Island hunting yesterday afternoon, and camped on a piece of a raft we found, and about midnight he must a kicked his gun in his dreams, for it went off and shot him in the leg, and we wanted him to go over there and fix it and not say nothing about it, nor let anybody know, because we wanted to come home this evening and surprise the folks. 
"Who is your folks?" he says. 
"The Phelpses, down yonder." 
"Oh," he says. And after a minute, he says: 
"How'd you say he got shot?" 
"He had a dream," I says, "and it shot him." 
"Singular dream," he says. 
So he lit up his lantern, and got his saddle-bags, and we started. But when he sees the canoe he didn't like the look of her -- said she was big enough for one, but didn't look pretty safe for two. I says: 
"Oh, you needn't be afeard, sir, she carried the three of us easy enough." 
"What three?" 
"Why, me and Sid, and -- and -- and THE GUNS; that's what I mean." 
"Oh," he says. 
But he put his foot on the gunnel and rocked her, and shook his head, and said he reckoned he'd look around for a bigger one. But they was all locked and chained; so he took my canoe, and said for me to wait till he come back, or I could hunt around further, or maybe I better go down home and get them ready for the surprise if I wanted to. But I said I didn't; so I told him just how to find the raft, and then he started. 
I struck an idea pretty soon. I says to myself, spos'n he can't fix that leg just in three shakes of a sheep's tail, as the saying is? spos'n it takes him three or four days? What are we going to do? -- lay around there till he lets the cat out of the bag? No, sir; I know what I'LL do. I'll wait, and when he comes back if he says he's got to go any more I'll get down there, too, if I swim; and we'll take and tie him, and keep him, and shove out down the river; and when Tom's done with him we'll give him what it's worth, or all we got, and then let him get ashore. 
So then I crept into a lumber-pile to get some sleep; and next time I waked up the sun was away up over my head! I shot out and went for the doctor's house, but they told me he'd gone away in the night some time or other, and warn't back yet. Well, thinks I, that looks powerful bad for Tom, and I'll dig out for the island right off. So away I shoved, and turned the corner, and nearly rammed my head into Uncle Silas's stomach! He says: 
"Why, TOM! Where you been all this time, you rascal?" 
"I hain't been nowheres," I says, "only just hunting for the runaway nigger -- me and Sid." 
"Why, where ever did you go?" he says. "Your aunt's been mighty uneasy." 
"She needn't," I says, "because we was all right. We followed the men and the dogs, but they outrun us, and we lost them; but we thought we heard them on the water, so we got a canoe and took out after them and crossed over, but couldn't find nothing of them; so we cruised along up-shore till we got kind of tired and beat out; and tied up the canoe and went to sleep, and never waked up till about an hour ago; then we paddled over here to hear the news, and Sid's at the post-office to see what he can hear, and I'm a-branching out to get something to eat for us, and then we're going home." 
So then we went to the post-office to get "Sid"; but just as I suspicioned, he warn't there; so the old man he got a letter out of the office, and we waited awhile longer, but Sid didn't come; so the old man said, come along, let Sid foot it home, or canoe it, when he got done fooling around -- but we would ride. I couldn't get him to let me stay and wait for Sid; and he said there warn't no use in it, and I must come along, and let Aunt Sally see we was all right. 
When we got home Aunt Sally was that glad to see me she laughed and cried both, and hugged me, and give me one of them lickings of hern that don't amount to shucks, and said she'd serve Sid the same when he come. 
And the place was plum full of farmers and farmers' wives, to dinner; and such another clack a body never heard. Old Mrs. Hotchkiss was the worst; her tongue was a-going all the time. She says: 
"Well, Sister Phelps, I've ransacked that-air cabin over, an' I b'lieve the nigger was crazy. I says to Sister Damrell -- didn't I, Sister Damrell? -- s'I, he's crazy, s'I -- them's the very words I said. You all hearn me: he's crazy, s'I; everything shows it, s'I. Look at that-air grindstone, s'I; want to tell ME't any cretur 't's in his right mind 's a goin' to scrabble all them crazy things onto a grindstone, s'I? Here sich 'n' sich a person busted his heart; 'n' here so 'n' so pegged along for thirty-seven year, 'n' all that -- natcherl son o' Louis somebody, 'n' sich everlast'n rubbage. He's plumb crazy, s'I; it's what I says in the fust place, it's what I says in the middle, 'n' it's what I says last 'n' all the time -- the nigger's crazy -- crazy 's Nebokoodneezer, s'I." 
"An' look at that-air ladder made out'n rags, Sister Hotchkiss," says old Mrs. Damrell; "what in the name o' goodness COULD he ever want of --" 
"The very words I was a-sayin' no longer ago th'n this minute to Sister Utterback, 'n' she'll tell you so herself. Sh-she, look at that-air rag ladder, sh-she; 'n' s'I, yes, LOOK at it, s'I -- what COULD he a-wanted of it, s'I. Sh-she, Sister Hotchkiss, sh-she --" 
"But how in the nation'd they ever GIT that grindstone IN there, ANYWAY? 'n' who dug that-air HOLE? 'n' who --" 
"My very WORDS, Brer Penrod! I was a-sayin' -- pass that-air sasser o' m'lasses, won't ye? -- I was a-sayin' to Sister Dunlap, jist this minute, how DID they git that grindstone in there, s'I. Without HELP, mind you -- 'thout HELP! THAT'S wher 'tis. Don't tell ME, s'I; there WUZ help, s'I; 'n' ther' wuz a PLENTY help, too, s'I; ther's ben a DOZEN a-helpin' that nigger, 'n' I lay I'd skin every last nigger on this place but I'D find out who done it, s'I; 'n' moreover, s'I --" 
"A DOZEN says you! -- FORTY couldn't a done every thing that's been done. Look at them case-knife saws and things, how tedious they've been made; look at that bed-leg sawed off with 'm, a week's work for six men; look at that nigger made out'n straw on the bed; and look at --" 
"You may WELL say it, Brer Hightower! It's jist as I was a-sayin' to Brer Phelps, his own self. S'e, what do YOU think of it, Sister Hotchkiss, s'e? Think o' what, Brer Phelps, s'I? Think o' that bed-leg sawed off that a way, s'e? THINK of it, s'I? I lay it never sawed ITSELF off, s'I -- somebody SAWED it, s'I; that's my opinion, take it or leave it, it mayn't be no 'count, s'I, but sich as 't is, it's my opinion, s'I, 'n' if any body k'n start a better one, s'I, let him DO it, s'I, that's all. I says to Sister Dunlap, s'I --" 
"Why, dog my cats, they must a ben a house-full o' niggers in there every night for four weeks to a done all that work, Sister Phelps. Look at that shirt -- every last inch of it kivered over with secret African writ'n done with blood! Must a ben a raft uv 'm at it right along, all the time, amost. Why, I'd give two dollars to have it read to me; 'n' as for the niggers that wrote it, I 'low I'd take 'n' lash 'm t'll --" 
"People to HELP him, Brother Marples! Well, I reckon you'd THINK so if you'd a been in this house for a while back. Why, they've stole everything they could lay their hands on -- and we a-watching all the time, mind you. They stole that shirt right off o' the line! and as for that sheet they made the rag ladder out of, ther' ain't no telling how many times they DIDN'T steal that; and flour, and candles, and candlesticks, and spoons, and the old warming-pan, and most a thousand things that I disremember now, and my new calico dress; and me and Silas and my Sid and Tom on the constant watch day AND night, as I was a-telling you, and not a one of us could catch hide nor hair nor sight nor sound of them; and here at the last minute, lo and behold you, they slides right in under our noses and fools us, and not only fools US but the Injun Territory robbers too, and actuly gets AWAY with that nigger safe and sound, and that with sixteen men and twentytwo dogs right on their very heels at that very time! I tell you, it just bangs anything I ever HEARD of. Why, SPERITS couldn't a done better and been no smarter. And I reckon they must a BEEN sperits -- because, YOU know our dogs, and ther' ain't no better; well, them dogs never even got on the TRACK of 'm once! You explain THAT to me if you can! -- ANY of you!" 
"Well, it does beat --" 
"Laws alive, I never --" 
"So help me, I wouldn't a be --" 
"HOUSE-thieves as well as --" 
"Goodnessgracioussakes, I'd a ben afeard to live in sich a --" 
"'Fraid to LIVE! -- why, I was that scared I dasn't hardly go to bed, or get up, or lay down, or SET down, Sister Ridgeway. Why, they'd steal the very -- why, goodness sakes, you can guess what kind of a fluster I was in by the time midnight come last night. I hope to gracious if I warn't afraid they'd steal some o' the family! I was just to that pass I didn't have no reasoning faculties no more. It looks foolish enough NOW, in the daytime; but I says to myself, there's my two poor boys asleep, 'way up stairs in that lonesome room, and I declare to goodness I was that uneasy 't I crep' up there and locked 'em in! I DID. And anybody would. Because, you know, when you get scared that way, and it keeps running on, and getting worse and worse all the time, and your wits gets to addling, and you get to doing all sorts o' wild things, and by and by you think to yourself, spos'n I was a boy, and was away up there, and the door ain't locked, and you --" She stopped, looking kind of wondering, and then she turned her head around slow, and when her eye lit on me -- I got up and took a walk. 
Says I to myself, I can explain better how we come to not be in that room this morning if I go out to one side and study over it a little. So I done it. But I dasn't go fur, or she'd a sent for me. And when it was late in the day the people all went, and then I come in and told her the noise and shooting waked up me and "Sid," and the door was locked, and we wanted to see the fun, so we went down the lightningrod, and both of us got hurt a little, and we didn't never want to try THAT no more. And then I went on and told her all what I told Uncle Silas before; and then she said she'd forgive us, and maybe it was all right enough anyway, and about what a body might expect of boys, for all boys was a pretty harum-scarum lot as fur as she could see; and so, as long as no harm hadn't come of it, she judged she better put in her time being grateful we was alive and well and she had us still, stead of fretting over what was past and done. So then she kissed me, and patted me on the head, and dropped into a kind of a brown study; and pretty soon jumps up, and says: 
"Why, lawsamercy, it's most night, and Sid not come yet! What HAS become of that boy?" 
I see my chance; so I skips up and says: 
"I'll run right up to town and get him," I says. 
"No you won't," she says. "You'll stay right wher' you are; ONE'S enough to be lost at a time. If he ain't here to supper, your uncle 'll go." 
Well, he warn't there to supper; so right after supper uncle went. 
He come back about ten a little bit uneasy; hadn't run across Tom's track. Aunt Sally was a good DEAL uneasy; but Uncle Silas he said there warn't no occasion to be -- boys will be boys, he said, and you'll see this one turn up in the morning all sound and right. So she had to be satisfied. But she said she'd set up for him a while anyway, and keep a light burning so he could see it. 
And then when I went up to bed she come up with me and fetched her candle, and tucked me in, and mothered me so good I felt mean, and like I couldn't look her in the face; and she set down on the bed and talked with me a long time, and said what a splendid boy Sid was, and didn't seem to want to ever stop talking about him; and kept asking me every now and then if I reckoned he could a got lost, or hurt, or maybe drownded, and might be laying at this minute somewheres suffering or dead, and she not by him to help him, and so the tears would drip down silent, and I would tell her that Sid was all right, and would be home in the morning, sure; and she would squeeze my hand, or maybe kiss me, and tell me to say it again, and keep on saying it, because it done her good, and she was in so much trouble. And when she was going away she looked down in my eyes so steady and gentle, and says: 
"The door ain't going to be locked, Tom, and there's the window and the rod; but you'll be good, WON'T you? And you won't go? For MY sake." 
Laws knows I WANTED to go bad enough to see about Tom, and was all intending to go; but after that I wouldn't a went, not for kingdoms. 
But she was on my mind and Tom was on my mind, so I slept very restless. And twice I went down the rod away in the night, and slipped around front, and see her setting there by her candle in the window with her eyes towards the road and the tears in them; and I wished I could do something for her, but I couldn't, only to swear that I wouldn't never do nothing to grieve her any more. And the third time I waked up at dawn, and slid down, and she was there yet, and her candle was most out, and her old gray head was resting on her hand, and she was asleep. 
　　大夫是个老年人，我喊醒他时，一眼就看出来这老人面善心慈。我告诉他，我跟弟弟昨天下午去西班牙岛上打猎，在我们找到的一个木排上过夜，大约正半夜时，他准是在梦中踹了他的枪，枪走火了，打中了他的腿，我们想请他过去包扎一下，啥都别说，也别让人知道，由于我们想今晚回家，让家人吓一跳。
　　"谁是你家里人？"他问。
　　"斐尔普斯家，就在下边住。""噢，"他说。停了一分钟，他又问：" 你说他是怎样被枪打的？""他做了梦，"我说，" 梦里挨了枪。""少有的梦。" 他说了一句。
　　于是，他点上手提灯，带好药包，我们上路了。可是，当他看到了那个独木舟，他不怎么喜欢它的样子--他说这上面坐一个人是够的，坐两个人有些不大安全。我就说："啊，您不必担心，大夫，它载我们三个，也很轻松。""哪三个？""噢，我，席德，还有--还有--还有枪，我说的就这个意思。""啊。" 他说。
　　可是，他把脚踩到船帮上，晃了几下，又摇摇头，他说他觉得还是找一个大点儿的船。只是我等他回来，或者我也四下去再找找看，如果我愿意，也许我最好是先回家，让家里人有个思想准备。但是我说我不回去，我就告诉了他怎样才会找到木排，然后他动身走了。
　　我马上有了个新主意。我想，假如他不像通常说的那样手到病除治好那条腿呢？假如他要花上三四天呢？我们该怎么办？就干躺在那里等他走漏风声吗？不，先生，我知道我得怎么做。我要等着，等他回来，如果他说还得再去，我就跟着去，游泳去也可以。我们就把他捆住，扣下来，把木排撑到河下面，等他把汤姆的伤治好。我们就把可以应得的报酬付给他，或者把钱全给他，再放他上岸去。
　　于是我爬到一个木头堆里去睡了一会儿，等醒来一看，太阳早过头顶了！我一路飞奔，往大夫家跑去，人说他夜里不知啥时候出诊了，还没回来。啊，我心想，看来汤姆伤势还挺重，我立刻赶回岛上。于是我就跑开了，转过一个拐角，险些把我的头撞到赛拉斯姨父的肚子里去！他说："嘿，汤姆！你上哪儿去了，这么久，你这个小坏蛋？""我没去哪儿，"我说，" 就去追那个逃跑的黑人了--我跟席德。""嘿，你究竟上哪儿去了？"他说，" 你姨一直担心得要死。""她用不着担心，"我说，" 我们全没事儿。我们跟在那群人和狗后面跑，可是他们跑过了我们，我们俩没追上。不过，我们好像听到他们在河上，我们就找了只独木舟在后面追，都快划到河对岸去了，可什么也没找到，我向上划，找地方睡了一阵，一个小时前才醒了过来，然后又划到这边来听消息。席德在邮局看能不能听到点什么，我跑回来弄些吃的，然后就回家。
　　这样，我们就去邮局找"席德"。不过，正如我猜测的那样，他不在那里。于是，老先生到邮局取了一封信，我们又等了一阵，席德还没来，老先生就说走吧，叫席德步行回家，或划独木舟吧，谁让他这么瞎逛荡呢--我们可要坐车回家。我不能说服他，让我留下来等着席德。他说那没什么用，我们得一块儿走，让莎丽姨看看我们没出事儿。
　　我们回到家时，莎丽姨见了我高兴得连哭带笑，搂住我，又揍我几下，那根本算不了什么，她说等席德回来她也会来这么犒劳他。
　　屋里挤满了农夫和他们的妻子，都是过来吃午饭的，他们喋喋不休，唠唠叨叨简直没完没了。..我就站起来身，出去走走走。
　　我心里想，如果我到外面躲在一边，稍稍把这事儿想一想，就能想出个理由解释明白我们今天早上为什么没在房间里。我就这么办。只是我不敢走远，怕她叫人找我。等到天色晚了，客人们全走了，我才进来，告诉她吵闹声和枪声惊醒了我和"席德"，门锁着，我们又想过去看热闹，于是就顺避雷针下来了，我们俩都受了点儿伤，我们以后决不会那样做了。接着我把对赛拉斯姨父说过的话又给她讲了一遍。后来她说她愿意原谅我们，接着她吻了我一下，在我头上拍拍，不知不觉想起了心事儿，不久，她跳了起来，说："哎呀天哪，天都要黑了，席德还没回来！那孩子究竟怎么啦？"我一看来机会了，就蹦起来说："我这就到镇上去把他找回来。""不，你不能去，"她说，" 你该待哪儿还待哪儿，丢一个就够叫人着急了。他要不回来吃晚饭，你姨父会去找。"他当然没回来吃晚饭，所以晚饭一吃完，姨父就出去了。他回来的时候，大约有十点了，有些不放心，连汤姆的影子没碰着。莎丽姨更是着急，可是赛拉斯姨父说大可不必，孩子到底是孩子。他说，早上你就会看见这个小调皮露面了，啥事儿也不会有。于是，她只好同意。不过她说，不管怎么样，她要坐着等他一阵，还要点着灯，好让他看到。
　　后来我上楼去睡觉时，她陪我上去，带着蜡烛，给我掖好被子，就跟慈母一样，我感到很过意不去，简直不敢去看她的脸。她在床沿儿上坐下，和我聊了好长时间。她说席德是个多好多好的孩子，好像根本没打算停止谈他，隔一会儿便问我是不是觉得他会迷路或者受伤，再不就是淹死了，或许这阵子正在什么地方躺着受罪或死了，她不在他身边，不能照顾他，说着说着眼泪滴下来，默不吱声。我就对她说席德好好的，早上准能回到家，她就捏捏我的手，要不就吻我，叫我再说一遍，不住地重复，因为这话让她好受，她心里有众多的苦恼。临走的时候，她弯下腰看着我的眼睛，神态那么认真柔和，她说："门就不上锁了，汤姆，那边是窗户还有避雷针，不过你会好好的，对不对？你不会跑出去吧？替我想想呀。"天知道，我的确想跑，很想出去看看汤姆的情况，一心想着要出去，可是听了这话，我不出去了，不为了别的。
　　不过，我心里想着她，也想着汤姆，因此，我睡得很不踏实。那天夜里，有两次我都顺避雷针下去，悄悄绕到前面，看见她坐在靠窗的蜡烛旁，两眼望着大路，含着泪水，我真想帮她做点事儿，可我又不能，只好暗自发誓，决不再干让她伤心的事儿了。第三次，我醒来时，天已拂晓，我悄悄儿下去，她还守在那儿，蜡烛快点完了，她头靠在手背上，满头苍老的灰发，睡着了。
 
Chapter 42
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 rummaged 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 mattress; 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 scattering 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 cuff 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 staple 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 auction 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 tapering 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 runaway 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 plumb 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 propped 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 muffled the oars and hitched 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 softened up a little, too, and I was mighty thankful to that old doctor for doing Jim that good turn; and I was glad it was according to my judgment 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 hearty, 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 yarn 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 dodged 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 gliding in, and there I was, up a stump again! She motioned me to be still, and set down by me, and begun to whisper, and said we could all be joyful 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 inscriptions, and one thing or another, and you can't think HALF the fun it was. And we had to make up the pictures of coffins 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 apron 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 bully, 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 Harry 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 enjoyment you can out of it NOW, for mind I tell you if I catch you meddling 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 nostrils 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 waded neck-deep in blood to -- goodness alive, AUNT POLLY!" 
If she warn't standing right there, just inside the door, looking as sweet and contented 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 rattling 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 perfectly 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 pettish. 
"Don t you what ME, you impudent 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。
 
Chapter 43
THE first time I catched Tom private I asked him what was his idea, time of the evasion? -- what it was he'd planned to do if the evasion worked all right and he managed to set a nigger free that was already free before? And he said, what he had planned in his head from the start, if we got Jim out all safe, was for us to run him down the river on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth of the river, and then tell him about his being free, and take him back up home on a steamboat, in style, and pay him for his lost time, and write word ahead and get out all the niggers around, and have them waltz him into town with a torchlight procession and a brass-band, and then he would be a hero, and so would we. But I reckoned it was about as well the way it was. 
We had Jim out of the chains in no time, and when Aunt Polly and Uncle Silas and Aunt Sally found out how good he helped the doctor nurse Tom, they made a heap of fuss over him, and fixed him up prime, and give him all he wanted to eat, and a good time, and nothing to do. And we had him up to the sick-room, and had a high talk; and Tom give Jim forty dollars for being prisoner for us so patient, and doing it up so good, and Jim was pleased most to death, and busted out, and says: 
"DAH, now, Huck, what I tell you? -- what I tell you up dah on Jackson islan'? I TOLE you I got a hairy breas', en what's de sign un it; en I TOLE you I ben rich wunst, en gwineter to be rich AGIN; en it's come true; en heah she is! DAH, now! doan' talk to ME -- signs is SIGNS, mine I tell you; en I knowed jis' 's well 'at I 'uz gwineter be rich agin as I's astannin' heah dis minute!" 
And then Tom he talked along and talked along, and says, le's all three slide out of here one of these nights and get an outfit, and go for howling adventures amongst the Injuns, over in the Territory, for a couple of weeks or two; and I says, all right, that suits me, but I ain't got no money for to buy the outfit, and I reckon I couldn't get none from home, because it's likely pap's been back before now, and got it all away from Judge Thatcher and drunk it up. 
"No, he hain't," Tom says; "it's all there yet -- six thousand dollars and more; and your pap hain't ever been back since. Hadn't when I come away, anyhow." 
Jim says, kind of solemn: 
"He ain't a-comin' back no mo', Huck." 
I says: 
"Why, Jim?" 
"Nemmine why, Huck -- but he ain't comin' back no mo." 
But I kept at him; so at last he says: 
"Doan' you 'member de house dat was float'n down de river, en dey wuz a man in dah, kivered up, en I went in en unkivered him and didn' let you come in? Well, den, you kin git yo' money when you wants it, kase dat wuz him." 
Tom's most well now, and got his bullet around his neck on a watch-guard for a watch, and is always seeing what time it is, and so there ain't nothing more to write about, and I am rotten glad of it, because if I'd a knowed what a trouble it was to make a book I wouldn't a tackled it, and ain't a-going to no more. But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before. 　　我头一回私下里抓住汤姆，就问他这次逃亡时他打什么主意？如果逃亡顺利，他为一个早已自由的黑人争取到了自由，按他的计划，那又该怎么办呢？他说，从一开始，他脑子里的计划就是，如果我们帮吉姆安全逃出，我们就让他坐上木排顺着大河向下漂，一路历险，漂到大河入海口，然后告诉他早已获得了自由，再光明正大坐上轮船带他回家，把他失去的时间折成钱赔给他，还要提前写信，叫全部黑人都出来迎接他，排成火炬长队，组织一个铜管乐队，前呼后拥回到镇上，那时他就会成为英雄，我们也是英雄。不过我看如今这样，也是挺好的。
　　我们赶忙把吉姆的镣铐打开，当波丽阿姨，还有赛拉斯姨父和莎丽姨知道了他帮助大夫把汤姆照料得有多好时，他们着实夸奖了他一番，给他穿上最漂亮的衣裳，还让他吃所有想吃的东西，让他痛痛快快地玩儿，什么也不必干。我领他到病房，热热闹闹聊了一阵话，汤姆给了吉姆40 块钱，表彰他为我们当囚犯当得那么有耐心，做得那么出色，吉姆快活得要死，放声大笑说："啊，怎么样了，哈克，我给你说什么了？在杰克逊岛上我对你说什么了？我告诉过你我胸口长毛这是个什么好兆头，我告诉过你我阔气过一次，以后还会阔的。眼下它灵验了，好运气来啦！眼前这就来啦！别跟我说兆头仅仅是兆头，记住我的话，我早知道我还会阔气的，就像我如今站在这儿一样不会有错！"接着汤姆说开了，一直说个没完，他说让我们三个在哪天夜里从这儿偷跑出去，带上全套用品，到印第安人中间，在他们居住的州里，轰轰烈烈搞把历险，闹它两三个星期。我说，好吧，这对于我很合适，不过我没钱去买那套用品，我想也不能从家里弄钱，因为爸爸很可能早已回去了，从萨切尔法官那儿把钱全拿走，喝酒花光了。
　　"不，他没，"汤姆说，" 钱都还在那儿。六千块还要多，你爸打那以后没回去过。反正我来的时候，一直没回去过。"吉姆说话了，神情严肃："他再也不会回来了，哈克。"我说："你说什么，吉姆？""哈克--他再也不会回来了。"因此我盯着问他，所以他终于说道："你不记得顺着河漂下来的那所房子吗？那儿有一个人，身上盖着块布，我进去把它揭开了，没让你进去，记得吗？好啊，你什么时候想要你的钱，你就可以拿到手，因为那个人就是他。"汤姆现在已经几乎全好了，他把那颗子弹拴到表链上挂在脖子上当成一块表，还总是看几点几分了。因此，再没有什么可写的了，我是高兴坏了，因为我要是早知道作一本书有这么麻烦，我压根儿就不会动手，也不打算再作了。不过我估计我过去已经得在其他二位前头赶快跑到印第安人那里去，因为莎丽阿姨她想收养我、教化我，我可受不了这个。我过去已经受够了。