THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER BY MARK TWAIN (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) Part 4 CHAPTER XIII TOM'S mind was made up now. He was gloomy and desperate. He was aforsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when they foundout what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry; he hadtried to do right and get along, but they would not let him; sincenothing would do them but to be rid of him, let it be so; and let themblame HIM for the consequences--why shouldn't they? What right had thefriendless to complain? Yes, they had forced him to it at last: hewould lead a life of crime. There was no choice. By this time he was far down Meadow Lane, and the bell for school to"take up" tinkled faintly upon his ear. He sobbed, now, to think heshould never, never hear that old familiar sound any more--it was veryhard, but it was forced on him; since he was driven out into the coldworld, he must submit--but he forgave them. Then the sobs came thickand fast. Just at this point he met his soul's sworn comrade, Joe Harper--hard-eyed, and with evidently a great and dismal purpose in his heart. Plainly here were "two souls with but a single thought. " Tom, wipinghis eyes with his sleeve, began to blubber out something about aresolution to escape from hard usage and lack of sympathy at home byroaming abroad into the great world never to return; and ended byhoping that Joe would not forget him. But it transpired that this was a request which Joe had just beengoing to make of Tom, and had come to hunt him up for that purpose. Hismother had whipped him for drinking some cream which he had nevertasted and knew nothing about; it was plain that she was tired of himand wished him to go; if she felt that way, there was nothing for himto do but succumb; he hoped she would be happy, and never regret havingdriven her poor boy out into the unfeeling world to suffer and die. As the two boys walked sorrowing along, they made a new compact tostand by each other and be brothers and never separate till deathrelieved them of their troubles. Then they began to lay their plans. Joe was for being a hermit, and living on crusts in a remote cave, anddying, some time, of cold and want and grief; but after listening toTom, he conceded that there were some conspicuous advantages about alife of crime, and so he consented to be a pirate. Three miles below St. Petersburg, at a point where the MississippiRiver was a trifle over a mile wide, there was a long, narrow, woodedisland, with a shallow bar at the head of it, and this offered well asa rendezvous. It was not inhabited; it lay far over toward the furthershore, abreast a dense and almost wholly unpeopled forest. So Jackson'sIsland was chosen. Who were to be the subjects of their piracies was amatter that did not occur to them. Then they hunted up HuckleberryFinn, and he joined them promptly, for all careers were one to him; hewas indifferent. They presently separated to meet at a lonely spot onthe river-bank two miles above the village at the favorite hour--whichwas midnight. There was a small log raft there which they meant tocapture. Each would bring hooks and lines, and such provision as hecould steal in the most dark and mysterious way--as became outlaws. Andbefore the afternoon was done, they had all managed to enjoy the sweetglory of spreading the fact that pretty soon the town would "hearsomething. " All who got this vague hint were cautioned to "be mum andwait. " About midnight Tom arrived with a boiled ham and a few trifles, and stopped in a dense undergrowth on a small bluff overlooking themeeting-place. It was starlight, and very still. The mighty river laylike an ocean at rest. Tom listened a moment, but no sound disturbed thequiet. Then he gave a low, distinct whistle. It was answered from underthe bluff. Tom whistled twice more; these signals were answered in thesame way. Then a guarded voice said: "Who goes there?" "Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. Name your names. " "Huck Finn the Red-Handed, and Joe Harper the Terror of the Seas. " Tomhad furnished these titles, from his favorite literature. "'Tis well. Give the countersign. " Two hoarse whispers delivered the same awful word simultaneously tothe brooding night: "BLOOD!" Then Tom tumbled his ham over the bluff and let himself down after it, tearing both skin and clothes to some extent in the effort. There wasan easy, comfortable path along the shore under the bluff, but itlacked the advantages of difficulty and danger so valued by a pirate. The Terror of the Seas had brought a side of bacon, and had about wornhimself out with getting it there. Finn the Red-Handed had stolen askillet and a quantity of half-cured leaf tobacco, and had also broughta few corn-cobs to make pipes with. But none of the pirates smoked or"chewed" but himself. The Black Avenger of the Spanish Main said itwould never do to start without some fire. That was a wise thought;matches were hardly known there in that day. They saw a firesmouldering upon a great raft a hundred yards above, and they wentstealthily thither and helped themselves to a chunk. They made animposing adventure of it, saying, "Hist!" every now and then, andsuddenly halting with finger on lip; moving with hands on imaginarydagger-hilts; and giving orders in dismal whispers that if "the foe"stirred, to "let him have it to the hilt, " because "dead men tell notales. " They knew well enough that the raftsmen were all down at thevillage laying in stores or having a spree, but still that was noexcuse for their conducting this thing in an unpiratical way. They shoved off, presently, Tom in command, Huck at the after oar andJoe at the forward. Tom stood amidships, gloomy-browed, and with foldedarms, and gave his orders in a low, stern whisper: "Luff, and bring her to the wind!" "Aye-aye, sir!" "Steady, steady-y-y-y!" "Steady it is, sir!" "Let her go off a point!" "Point it is, sir!" As the boys steadily and monotonously drove the raft toward mid-streamit was no doubt understood that these orders were given only for"style, " and were not intended to mean anything in particular. "What sail's she carrying?" "Courses, tops'ls, and flying-jib, sir. " "Send the r'yals up! Lay out aloft, there, half a dozen of ye--foretopmaststuns'l! Lively, now!" "Aye-aye, sir!" "Shake out that maintogalans'l! Sheets and braces! NOW my hearties!" "Aye-aye, sir!" "Hellum-a-lee--hard a port! Stand by to meet her when she comes! Port, port! NOW, men! With a will! Stead-y-y-y!" "Steady it is, sir!" The raft drew beyond the middle of the river; the boys pointed herhead right, and then lay on their oars. The river was not high, sothere was not more than a two or three mile current. Hardly a word wassaid during the next three-quarters of an hour. Now the raft waspassing before the distant town. Two or three glimmering lights showedwhere it lay, peacefully sleeping, beyond the vague vast sweep ofstar-gemmed water, unconscious of the tremendous event that was happening. The Black Avenger stood still with folded arms, "looking his last" uponthe scene of his former joys and his later sufferings, and wishing"she" could see him now, abroad on the wild sea, facing peril and deathwith dauntless heart, going to his doom with a grim smile on his lips. It was but a small strain on his imagination to remove Jackson's Islandbeyond eyeshot of the village, and so he "looked his last" with abroken and satisfied heart. The other pirates were looking their last, too; and they all looked so long that they came near letting thecurrent drift them out of the range of the island. But they discoveredthe danger in time, and made shift to avert it. About two o'clock inthe morning the raft grounded on the bar two hundred yards above thehead of the island, and they waded back and forth until they had landedtheir freight. Part of the little raft's belongings consisted of an oldsail, and this they spread over a nook in the bushes for a tent toshelter their provisions; but they themselves would sleep in the openair in good weather, as became outlaws. They built a fire against the side of a great log twenty or thirtysteps within the sombre depths of the forest, and then cooked somebacon in the frying-pan for supper, and used up half of the corn "pone"stock they had brought. It seemed glorious sport to be feasting in thatwild, free way in the virgin forest of an unexplored and uninhabitedisland, far from the haunts of men, and they said they never wouldreturn to civilization. The climbing fire lit up their faces and threwits ruddy glare upon the pillared tree-trunks of their forest temple, and upon the varnished foliage and festooning vines. When the last crisp slice of bacon was gone, and the last allowance ofcorn pone devoured, the boys stretched themselves out on the grass, filled with contentment. They could have found a cooler place, but theywould not deny themselves such a romantic feature as the roastingcamp-fire. "AIN'T it gay?" said Joe. "It's NUTS!" said Tom. "What would the boys say if they could see us?" "Say? Well, they'd just die to be here--hey, Hucky!" "I reckon so, " said Huckleberry; "anyways, I'm suited. I don't wantnothing better'n this. I don't ever get enough to eat, gen'ally--andhere they can't come and pick at a feller and bullyrag him so. " "It's just the life for me, " said Tom. "You don't have to get up, mornings, and you don't have to go to school, and wash, and all thatblame foolishness. You see a pirate don't have to do ANYTHING, Joe, when he's ashore, but a hermit HE has to be praying considerable, andthen he don't have any fun, anyway, all by himself that way. " "Oh yes, that's so, " said Joe, "but I hadn't thought much about it, you know. I'd a good deal rather be a pirate, now that I've tried it. " "You see, " said Tom, "people don't go much on hermits, nowadays, likethey used to in old times, but a pirate's always respected. And ahermit's got to sleep on the hardest place he can find, and putsackcloth and ashes on his head, and stand out in the rain, and--" "What does he put sackcloth and ashes on his head for?" inquired Huck. "I dono. But they've GOT to do it. Hermits always do. You'd have to dothat if you was a hermit. " "Dern'd if I would, " said Huck. "Well, what would you do?" "I dono. But I wouldn't do that. " "Why, Huck, you'd HAVE to. How'd you get around it?" "Why, I just wouldn't stand it. I'd run away. " "Run away! Well, you WOULD be a nice old slouch of a hermit. You'd bea disgrace. " The Red-Handed made no response, being better employed. He hadfinished gouging out a cob, and now he fitted a weed stem to it, loadedit with tobacco, and was pressing a coal to the charge and blowing acloud of fragrant smoke--he was in the full bloom of luxuriouscontentment. The other pirates envied him this majestic vice, andsecretly resolved to acquire it shortly. Presently Huck said: "What does pirates have to do?" Tom said: "Oh, they have just a bully time--take ships and burn them, and getthe money and bury it in awful places in their island where there'sghosts and things to watch it, and kill everybody in the ships--make'em walk a plank. " "And they carry the women to the island, " said Joe; "they don't killthe women. " "No, " assented Tom, "they don't kill the women--they're too noble. Andthe women's always beautiful, too. "And don't they wear the bulliest clothes! Oh no! All gold and silverand di'monds, " said Joe, with enthusiasm. "Who?" said Huck. "Why, the pirates. " Huck scanned his own clothing forlornly. "I reckon I ain't dressed fitten for a pirate, " said he, with aregretful pathos in his voice; "but I ain't got none but these. " But the other boys told him the fine clothes would come fast enough, after they should have begun their adventures. They made him understandthat his poor rags would do to begin with, though it was customary forwealthy pirates to start with a proper wardrobe. Gradually their talk died out and drowsiness began to steal upon theeyelids of the little waifs. The pipe dropped from the fingers of theRed-Handed, and he slept the sleep of the conscience-free and theweary. The Terror of the Seas and the Black Avenger of the Spanish Mainhad more difficulty in getting to sleep. They said their prayersinwardly, and lying down, since there was nobody there with authorityto make them kneel and recite aloud; in truth, they had a mind not tosay them at all, but they were afraid to proceed to such lengths asthat, lest they might call down a sudden and special thunderbolt fromheaven. Then at once they reached and hovered upon the imminent vergeof sleep--but an intruder came, now, that would not "down. " It wasconscience. They began to feel a vague fear that they had been doingwrong to run away; and next they thought of the stolen meat, and thenthe real torture came. They tried to argue it away by remindingconscience that they had purloined sweetmeats and apples scores oftimes; but conscience was not to be appeased by such thinplausibilities; it seemed to them, in the end, that there was nogetting around the stubborn fact that taking sweetmeats was only"hooking, " while taking bacon and hams and such valuables was plainsimple stealing--and there was a command against that in the Bible. Sothey inwardly resolved that so long as they remained in the business, their piracies should not again be sullied with the crime of stealing. Then conscience granted a truce, and these curiously inconsistentpirates fell peacefully to sleep. CHAPTER XIV WHEN Tom awoke in the morning, he wondered where he was. He sat up andrubbed his eyes and looked around. Then he comprehended. It was thecool gray dawn, and there was a delicious sense of repose and peace inthe deep pervading calm and silence of the woods. Not a leaf stirred;not a sound obtruded upon great Nature's meditation. Beaded dewdropsstood upon the leaves and grasses. A white layer of ashes covered thefire, and a thin blue breath of smoke rose straight into the air. Joeand Huck still slept. Now, far away in the woods a bird called; another answered; presentlythe hammering of a woodpecker was heard. Gradually the cool dim gray ofthe morning whitened, and as gradually sounds multiplied and lifemanifested itself. The marvel of Nature shaking off sleep and going towork unfolded itself to the musing boy. A little green worm camecrawling over a dewy leaf, lifting two-thirds of his body into the airfrom time to time and "sniffing around, " then proceeding again--for hewas measuring, Tom said; and when the worm approached him, of its ownaccord, he sat as still as a stone, with his hopes rising and falling, by turns, as the creature still came toward him or seemed inclined togo elsewhere; and when at last it considered a painful moment with itscurved body in the air and then came decisively down upon Tom's leg andbegan a journey over him, his whole heart was glad--for that meant thathe was going to have a new suit of clothes--without the shadow of adoubt a gaudy piratical uniform. Now a procession of ants appeared, from nowhere in particular, and went about their labors; one struggledmanfully by with a dead spider five times as big as itself in its arms, and lugged it straight up a tree-trunk. A brown spotted lady-bugclimbed the dizzy height of a grass blade, and Tom bent down close toit and said, "Lady-bug, lady-bug, fly away home, your house is on fire, your children's alone, " and she took wing and went off to see about it--which did not surprise the boy, for he knew of old that this insect wascredulous about conflagrations, and he had practised upon itssimplicity more than once. A tumblebug came next, heaving sturdily atits ball, and Tom touched the creature, to see it shut its legs againstits body and pretend to be dead. The birds were fairly rioting by thistime. A catbird, the Northern mocker, lit in a tree over Tom's head, and trilled out her imitations of her neighbors in a rapture ofenjoyment; then a shrill jay swept down, a flash of blue flame, andstopped on a twig almost within the boy's reach, cocked his head to oneside and eyed the strangers with a consuming curiosity; a gray squirreland a big fellow of the "fox" kind came skurrying along, sitting up atintervals to inspect and chatter at the boys, for the wild things hadprobably never seen a human being before and scarcely knew whether tobe afraid or not. All Nature was wide awake and stirring, now; longlances of sunlight pierced down through the dense foliage far and near, and a few butterflies came fluttering upon the scene. Tom stirred up the other pirates and they all clattered away with ashout, and in a minute or two were stripped and chasing after andtumbling over each other in the shallow limpid water of the whitesandbar. They felt no longing for the little village sleeping in thedistance beyond the majestic waste of water. A vagrant current or aslight rise in the river had carried off their raft, but this onlygratified them, since its going was something like burning the bridgebetween them and civilization. They came back to camp wonderfully refreshed, glad-hearted, andravenous; and they soon had the camp-fire blazing up again. Huck founda spring of clear cold water close by, and the boys made cups of broadoak or hickory leaves, and felt that water, sweetened with such awildwood charm as that, would be a good enough substitute for coffee. While Joe was slicing bacon for breakfast, Tom and Huck asked him tohold on a minute; they stepped to a promising nook in the river-bankand threw in their lines; almost immediately they had reward. Joe hadnot had time to get impatient before they were back again with somehandsome bass, a couple of sun-perch and a small catfish--provisionsenough for quite a family. They fried the fish with the bacon, and wereastonished; for no fish had ever seemed so delicious before. They didnot know that the quicker a fresh-water fish is on the fire after he iscaught the better he is; and they reflected little upon what a sauceopen-air sleeping, open-air exercise, bathing, and a large ingredientof hunger make, too. They lay around in the shade, after breakfast, while Huck had a smoke, and then went off through the woods on an exploring expedition. Theytramped gayly along, over decaying logs, through tangled underbrush, among solemn monarchs of the forest, hung from their crowns to theground with a drooping regalia of grape-vines. Now and then they cameupon snug nooks carpeted with grass and jeweled with flowers. They found plenty of things to be delighted with, but nothing to beastonished at. They discovered that the island was about three mileslong and a quarter of a mile wide, and that the shore it lay closest towas only separated from it by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yardswide. They took a swim about every hour, so it was close upon themiddle of the afternoon when they got back to camp. They were toohungry to stop to fish, but they fared sumptuously upon cold ham, andthen threw themselves down in the shade to talk. But the talk soonbegan to drag, and then died. The stillness, the solemnity that broodedin the woods, and the sense of loneliness, began to tell upon thespirits of the boys. They fell to thinking. A sort of undefined longingcrept upon them. This took dim shape, presently--it was buddinghomesickness. Even Finn the Red-Handed was dreaming of his doorstepsand empty hogsheads. But they were all ashamed of their weakness, andnone was brave enough to speak his thought. For some time, now, the boys had been dully conscious of a peculiarsound in the distance, just as one sometimes is of the ticking of aclock which he takes no distinct note of. But now this mysterious soundbecame more pronounced, and forced a recognition. The boys started, glanced at each other, and then each assumed a listening attitude. There was a long silence, profound and unbroken; then a deep, sullenboom came floating down out of the distance. "What is it!" exclaimed Joe, under his breath. "I wonder, " said Tom in a whisper. "'Tain't thunder, " said Huckleberry, in an awed tone, "becuz thunder--" "Hark!" said Tom. "Listen--don't talk. " They waited a time that seemed an age, and then the same muffled boomtroubled the solemn hush. "Let's go and see. " They sprang to their feet and hurried to the shore toward the town. They parted the bushes on the bank and peered out over the water. Thelittle steam ferryboat was about a mile below the village, driftingwith the current. Her broad deck seemed crowded with people. There werea great many skiffs rowing about or floating with the stream in theneighborhood of the ferryboat, but the boys could not determine whatthe men in them were doing. Presently a great jet of white smoke burstfrom the ferryboat's side, and as it expanded and rose in a lazy cloud, that same dull throb of sound was borne to the listeners again. "I know now!" exclaimed Tom; "somebody's drownded!" "That's it!" said Huck; "they done that last summer, when Bill Turnergot drownded; they shoot a cannon over the water, and that makes himcome up to the top. Yes, and they take loaves of bread and putquicksilver in 'em and set 'em afloat, and wherever there's anybodythat's drownded, they'll float right there and stop. " "Yes, I've heard about that, " said Joe. "I wonder what makes the breaddo that. " "Oh, it ain't the bread, so much, " said Tom; "I reckon it's mostlywhat they SAY over it before they start it out. " "But they don't say anything over it, " said Huck. "I've seen 'em andthey don't. " "Well, that's funny, " said Tom. "But maybe they say it to themselves. Of COURSE they do. Anybody might know that. " The other boys agreed that there was reason in what Tom said, becausean ignorant lump of bread, uninstructed by an incantation, could not beexpected to act very intelligently when set upon an errand of suchgravity. "By jings, I wish I was over there, now, " said Joe. "I do too" said Huck "I'd give heaps to know who it is. " The boys still listened and watched. Presently a revealing thoughtflashed through Tom's mind, and he exclaimed: "Boys, I know who's drownded--it's us!" They felt like heroes in an instant. Here was a gorgeous triumph; theywere missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account;tears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindness to these poorlost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were beingindulged; and best of all, the departed were the talk of the wholetown, and the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notorietywas concerned. This was fine. It was worth while to be a pirate, afterall. As twilight drew on, the ferryboat went back to her accustomedbusiness and the skiffs disappeared. The pirates returned to camp. Theywere jubilant with vanity over their new grandeur and the illustrioustrouble they were making. They caught fish, cooked supper and ate it, and then fell to guessing at what the village was thinking and sayingabout them; and the pictures they drew of the public distress on theiraccount were gratifying to look upon--from their point of view. Butwhen the shadows of night closed them in, they gradually ceased totalk, and sat gazing into the fire, with their minds evidentlywandering elsewhere. The excitement was gone, now, and Tom and Joecould not keep back thoughts of certain persons at home who were notenjoying this fine frolic as much as they were. Misgivings came; theygrew troubled and unhappy; a sigh or two escaped, unawares. By and byJoe timidly ventured upon a roundabout "feeler" as to how the othersmight look upon a return to civilization--not right now, but-- Tom withered him with derision! Huck, being uncommitted as yet, joinedin with Tom, and the waverer quickly "explained, " and was glad to getout of the scrape with as little taint of chicken-hearted homesicknessclinging to his garments as he could. Mutiny was effectually laid torest for the moment. As the night deepened, Huck began to nod, and presently to snore. Joefollowed next. Tom lay upon his elbow motionless, for some time, watching the two intently. At last he got up cautiously, on his knees, and went searching among the grass and the flickering reflections flungby the camp-fire. He picked up and inspected several largesemi-cylinders of the thin white bark of a sycamore, and finally chosetwo which seemed to suit him. Then he knelt by the fire and painfullywrote something upon each of these with his "red keel"; one he rolled upand put in his jacket pocket, and the other he put in Joe's hat andremoved it to a little distance from the owner. And he also put into thehat certain schoolboy treasures of almost inestimable value--among thema lump of chalk, an India-rubber ball, three fishhooks, and one of thatkind of marbles known as a "sure 'nough crystal. " Then he tiptoed hisway cautiously among the trees till he felt that he was out of hearing, and straightway broke into a keen run in the direction of the sandbar. CHAPTER XV A FEW minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wadingtoward the Illinois shore. Before the depth reached his middle he washalf-way over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so hestruck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards. He swamquartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than hehad expected. However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted alongtill he found a low place and drew himself out. He put his hand on hisjacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck throughthe woods, following the shore, with streaming garments. Shortly beforeten o'clock he came out into an open place opposite the village, andsaw the ferryboat lying in the shadow of the trees and the high bank. Everything was quiet under the blinking stars. He crept down the bank, watching with all his eyes, slipped into the water, swam three or fourstrokes and climbed into the skiff that did "yawl" duty at the boat'sstern. He laid himself down under the thwarts and waited, panting. Presently the cracked bell tapped and a voice gave the order to "castoff. " A minute or two later the skiff's head was standing high up, against the boat's swell, and the voyage was begun. Tom felt happy inhis success, for he knew it was the boat's last trip for the night. Atthe end of a long twelve or fifteen minutes the wheels stopped, and Tomslipped overboard and swam ashore in the dusk, landing fifty yardsdownstream, out of danger of possible stragglers. He flew along unfrequented alleys, and shortly found himself at hisaunt's back fence. He climbed over, approached the "ell, " and looked inat the sitting-room window, for a light was burning there. There satAunt Polly, Sid, Mary, and Joe Harper's mother, grouped together, talking. They were by the bed, and the bed was between them and thedoor. Tom went to the door and began to softly lift the latch; then hepressed gently and the door yielded a crack; he continued pushingcautiously, and quaking every time it creaked, till he judged he mightsqueeze through on his knees; so he put his head through and began, warily. "What makes the candle blow so?" said Aunt Polly. Tom hurried up. "Why, that door's open, I believe. Why, of course it is. No end ofstrange things now. Go 'long and shut it, Sid. " Tom disappeared under the bed just in time. He lay and "breathed"himself for a time, and then crept to where he could almost touch hisaunt's foot. "But as I was saying, " said Aunt Polly, "he warn't BAD, so to say--only mischEEvous. Only just giddy, and harum-scarum, you know. Hewarn't any more responsible than a colt. HE never meant any harm, andhe was the best-hearted boy that ever was"--and she began to cry. "It was just so with my Joe--always full of his devilment, and up toevery kind of mischief, but he was just as unselfish and kind as hecould be--and laws bless me, to think I went and whipped him for takingthat cream, never once recollecting that I throwed it out myselfbecause it was sour, and I never to see him again in this world, never, never, never, poor abused boy!" And Mrs. Harper sobbed as if her heartwould break. "I hope Tom's better off where he is, " said Sid, "but if he'd beenbetter in some ways--" "SID!" Tom felt the glare of the old lady's eye, though he could notsee it. "Not a word against my Tom, now that he's gone! God'll takecare of HIM--never you trouble YOURself, sir! Oh, Mrs. Harper, I don'tknow how to give him up! I don't know how to give him up! He was such acomfort to me, although he tormented my old heart out of me, 'most. " "The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away--Blessed be the name ofthe Lord! But it's so hard--Oh, it's so hard! Only last Saturday myJoe busted a firecracker right under my nose and I knocked himsprawling. Little did I know then, how soon--Oh, if it was to do overagain I'd hug him and bless him for it. " "Yes, yes, yes, I know just how you feel, Mrs. Harper, I know justexactly how you feel. No longer ago than yesterday noon, my Tom tookand filled the cat full of Pain-killer, and I did think the creturwould tear the house down. And God forgive me, I cracked Tom's headwith my thimble, poor boy, poor dead boy. But he's out of all histroubles now. And the last words I ever heard him say was to reproach--" But this memory was too much for the old lady, and she broke entirelydown. Tom was snuffling, now, himself--and more in pity of himself thananybody else. He could hear Mary crying, and putting in a kindly wordfor him from time to time. He began to have a nobler opinion of himselfthan ever before. Still, he was sufficiently touched by his aunt'sgrief to long to rush out from under the bed and overwhelm her withjoy--and the theatrical gorgeousness of the thing appealed strongly tohis nature, too, but he resisted and lay still. He went on listening, and gathered by odds and ends that it wasconjectured at first that the boys had got drowned while taking a swim;then the small raft had been missed; next, certain boys said themissing lads had promised that the village should "hear something"soon; the wise-heads had "put this and that together" and decided thatthe lads had gone off on that raft and would turn up at the next townbelow, presently; but toward noon the raft had been found, lodgedagainst the Missouri shore some five or six miles below the village--and then hope perished; they must be drowned, else hunger would havedriven them home by nightfall if not sooner. It was believed that thesearch for the bodies had been a fruitless effort merely because thedrowning must have occurred in mid-channel, since the boys, being goodswimmers, would otherwise have escaped to shore. This was Wednesdaynight. If the bodies continued missing until Sunday, all hope would begiven over, and the funerals would be preached on that morning. Tomshuddered. Mrs. Harper gave a sobbing good-night and turned to go. Then with amutual impulse the two bereaved women flung themselves into eachother's arms and had a good, consoling cry, and then parted. Aunt Pollywas tender far beyond her wont, in her good-night to Sid and Mary. Sidsnuffled a bit and Mary went off crying with all her heart. Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly, soappealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her oldtrembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before shewas through. He had to keep still long after she went to bed, for she kept makingbroken-hearted ejaculations from time to time, tossing unrestfully, andturning over. But at last she was still, only moaning a little in hersleep. Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shaded thecandle-light with his hand, and stood regarding her. His heart was fullof pity for her. He took out his sycamore scroll and placed it by thecandle. But something occurred to him, and he lingered considering. Hisface lighted with a happy solution of his thought; he put the barkhastily in his pocket. Then he bent over and kissed the faded lips, andstraightway made his stealthy exit, latching the door behind him. He threaded his way back to the ferry landing, found nobody at largethere, and walked boldly on board the boat, for he knew she wastenantless except that there was a watchman, who always turned in andslept like a graven image. He untied the skiff at the stern, slippedinto it, and was soon rowing cautiously upstream. When he had pulled amile above the village, he started quartering across and bent himselfstoutly to his work. He hit the landing on the other side neatly, forthis was a familiar bit of work to him. He was moved to capture theskiff, arguing that it might be considered a ship and thereforelegitimate prey for a pirate, but he knew a thorough search would bemade for it and that might end in revelations. So he stepped ashore andentered the woods. He sat down and took a long rest, torturing himself meanwhile to keepawake, and then started warily down the home-stretch. The night was farspent. It was broad daylight before he found himself fairly abreast theisland bar. He rested again until the sun was well up and gilding thegreat river with its splendor, and then he plunged into the stream. Alittle later he paused, dripping, upon the threshold of the camp, andheard Joe say: "No, Tom's true-blue, Huck, and he'll come back. He won't desert. Heknows that would be a disgrace to a pirate, and Tom's too proud forthat sort of thing. He's up to something or other. Now I wonder what?" "Well, the things is ours, anyway, ain't they?" Pretty near, but not yet, Huck. The writing says they are if he ain'tback here to breakfast. " "Which he is!" exclaimed Tom, with fine dramatic effect, steppinggrandly into camp. A sumptuous breakfast of bacon and fish was shortly provided, and asthe boys set to work upon it, Tom recounted (and adorned) hisadventures. They were a vain and boastful company of heroes when thetale was done. Then Tom hid himself away in a shady nook to sleep tillnoon, and the other pirates got ready to fish and explore. CHAPTER XVI AFTER dinner all the gang turned out to hunt for turtle eggs on thebar. They went about poking sticks into the sand, and when they found asoft place they went down on their knees and dug with their hands. Sometimes they would take fifty or sixty eggs out of one hole. Theywere perfectly round white things a trifle smaller than an Englishwalnut. They had a famous fried-egg feast that night, and another onFriday morning. After breakfast they went whooping and prancing out on the bar, andchased each other round and round, shedding clothes as they went, untilthey were naked, and then continued the frolic far away up the shoalwater of the bar, against the stiff current, which latter tripped theirlegs from under them from time to time and greatly increased the fun. And now and then they stooped in a group and splashed water in eachother's faces with their palms, gradually approaching each other, withaverted faces to avoid the strangling sprays, and finally gripping andstruggling till the best man ducked his neighbor, and then they allwent under in a tangle of white legs and arms and came up blowing, sputtering, laughing, and gasping for breath at one and the same time. When they were well exhausted, they would run out and sprawl on thedry, hot sand, and lie there and cover themselves up with it, and byand by break for the water again and go through the originalperformance once more. Finally it occurred to them that their nakedskin represented flesh-colored "tights" very fairly; so they drew aring in the sand and had a circus--with three clowns in it, for nonewould yield this proudest post to his neighbor. Next they got their marbles and played "knucks" and "ring-taw" and"keeps" till that amusement grew stale. Then Joe and Huck had anotherswim, but Tom would not venture, because he found that in kicking offhis trousers he had kicked his string of rattlesnake rattles off hisankle, and he wondered how he had escaped cramp so long without theprotection of this mysterious charm. He did not venture again until hehad found it, and by that time the other boys were tired and ready torest. They gradually wandered apart, dropped into the "dumps, " and fellto gazing longingly across the wide river to where the village laydrowsing in the sun. Tom found himself writing "BECKY" in the sand withhis big toe; he scratched it out, and was angry with himself for hisweakness. But he wrote it again, nevertheless; he could not help it. Heerased it once more and then took himself out of temptation by drivingthe other boys together and joining them. But Joe's spirits had gone down almost beyond resurrection. He was sohomesick that he could hardly endure the misery of it. The tears layvery near the surface. Huck was melancholy, too. Tom was downhearted, but tried hard not to show it. He had a secret which he was not readyto tell, yet, but if this mutinous depression was not broken up soon, he would have to bring it out. He said, with a great show ofcheerfulness: "I bet there's been pirates on this island before, boys. We'll exploreit again. They've hid treasures here somewhere. How'd you feel to lighton a rotten chest full of gold and silver--hey?" But it roused only faint enthusiasm, which faded out, with no reply. Tom tried one or two other seductions; but they failed, too. It wasdiscouraging work. Joe sat poking up the sand with a stick and lookingvery gloomy. Finally he said: "Oh, boys, let's give it up. I want to go home. It's so lonesome. " "Oh no, Joe, you'll feel better by and by, " said Tom. "Just think ofthe fishing that's here. " "I don't care for fishing. I want to go home. " "But, Joe, there ain't such another swimming-place anywhere. " "Swimming's no good. I don't seem to care for it, somehow, when thereain't anybody to say I sha'n't go in. I mean to go home. " "Oh, shucks! Baby! You want to see your mother, I reckon. " "Yes, I DO want to see my mother--and you would, too, if you had one. I ain't any more baby than you are. " And Joe snuffled a little. "Well, we'll let the cry-baby go home to his mother, won't we, Huck?Poor thing--does it want to see its mother? And so it shall. You likeit here, don't you, Huck? We'll stay, won't we?" Huck said, "Y-e-s"--without any heart in it. "I'll never speak to you again as long as I live, " said Joe, rising. "There now!" And he moved moodily away and began to dress himself. "Who cares!" said Tom. "Nobody wants you to. Go 'long home and getlaughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate. Huck and me ain't cry-babies. We'll stay, won't we, Huck? Let him go if he wants to. I reckon we canget along without him, per'aps. " But Tom was uneasy, nevertheless, and was alarmed to see Joe gosullenly on with his dressing. And then it was discomforting to seeHuck eying Joe's preparations so wistfully, and keeping up such anominous silence. Presently, without a parting word, Joe began to wadeoff toward the Illinois shore. Tom's heart began to sink. He glanced atHuck. Huck could not bear the look, and dropped his eyes. Then he said: "I want to go, too, Tom. It was getting so lonesome anyway, and nowit'll be worse. Let's us go, too, Tom. " "I won't! You can all go, if you want to. I mean to stay. " "Tom, I better go. " "Well, go 'long--who's hendering you. " Huck began to pick up his scattered clothes. He said: "Tom, I wisht you'd come, too. Now you think it over. We'll wait foryou when we get to shore. " "Well, you'll wait a blame long time, that's all. " Huck started sorrowfully away, and Tom stood looking after him, with astrong desire tugging at his heart to yield his pride and go along too. He hoped the boys would stop, but they still waded slowly on. Itsuddenly dawned on Tom that it was become very lonely and still. Hemade one final struggle with his pride, and then darted after hiscomrades, yelling: "Wait! Wait! I want to tell you something!" They presently stopped and turned around. When he got to where theywere, he began unfolding his secret, and they listened moodily till atlast they saw the "point" he was driving at, and then they set up awar-whoop of applause and said it was "splendid!" and said if he hadtold them at first, they wouldn't have started away. He made a plausibleexcuse; but his real reason had been the fear that not even the secretwould keep them with him any very great length of time, and so he hadmeant to hold it in reserve as a last seduction. The lads came gayly back and went at their sports again with a will, chattering all the time about Tom's stupendous plan and admiring thegenius of it. After a dainty egg and fish dinner, Tom said he wanted tolearn to smoke, now. Joe caught at the idea and said he would like totry, too. So Huck made pipes and filled them. These novices had neversmoked anything before but cigars made of grape-vine, and they "bit"the tongue, and were not considered manly anyway. Now they stretched themselves out on their elbows and began to puff, charily, and with slender confidence. The smoke had an unpleasanttaste, and they gagged a little, but Tom said: "Why, it's just as easy! If I'd a knowed this was all, I'd a learntlong ago. " "So would I, " said Joe. "It's just nothing. " "Why, many a time I've looked at people smoking, and thought well Iwish I could do that; but I never thought I could, " said Tom. "That's just the way with me, hain't it, Huck? You've heard me talkjust that way--haven't you, Huck? I'll leave it to Huck if I haven't. " "Yes--heaps of times, " said Huck. "Well, I have too, " said Tom; "oh, hundreds of times. Once down by theslaughter-house. Don't you remember, Huck? Bob Tanner was there, andJohnny Miller, and Jeff Thatcher, when I said it. Don't you remember, Huck, 'bout me saying that?" "Yes, that's so, " said Huck. "That was the day after I lost a whitealley. No, 'twas the day before. " "There--I told you so, " said Tom. "Huck recollects it. " "I bleeve I could smoke this pipe all day, " said Joe. "I don't feelsick. " "Neither do I, " said Tom. "I could smoke it all day. But I bet youJeff Thatcher couldn't. " "Jeff Thatcher! Why, he'd keel over just with two draws. Just let himtry it once. HE'D see!" "I bet he would. And Johnny Miller--I wish could see Johnny Millertackle it once. " "Oh, don't I!" said Joe. "Why, I bet you Johnny Miller couldn't anymore do this than nothing. Just one little snifter would fetch HIM. " "'Deed it would, Joe. Say--I wish the boys could see us now. " "So do I. " "Say--boys, don't say anything about it, and some time when they'rearound, I'll come up to you and say, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a smoke. 'And you'll say, kind of careless like, as if it warn't anything, you'llsay, 'Yes, I got my OLD pipe, and another one, but my tobacker ain'tvery good. ' And I'll say, 'Oh, that's all right, if it's STRONGenough. ' And then you'll out with the pipes, and we'll light up just asca'm, and then just see 'em look!" "By jings, that'll be gay, Tom! I wish it was NOW!" "So do I! And when we tell 'em we learned when we was off pirating, won't they wish they'd been along?" "Oh, I reckon not! I'll just BET they will!" So the talk ran on. But presently it began to flag a trifle, and growdisjointed. The silences widened; the expectoration marvellouslyincreased. Every pore inside the boys' cheeks became a spoutingfountain; they could scarcely bail out the cellars under their tonguesfast enough to prevent an inundation; little overflowings down theirthroats occurred in spite of all they could do, and sudden retchingsfollowed every time. Both boys were looking very pale and miserable, now. Joe's pipe dropped from his nerveless fingers. Tom's followed. Both fountains were going furiously and both pumps bailing with mightand main. Joe said feebly: "I've lost my knife. I reckon I better go and find it. " Tom said, with quivering lips and halting utterance: "I'll help you. You go over that way and I'll hunt around by thespring. No, you needn't come, Huck--we can find it. " So Huck sat down again, and waited an hour. Then he found it lonesome, and went to find his comrades. They were wide apart in the woods, bothvery pale, both fast asleep. But something informed him that if theyhad had any trouble they had got rid of it. They were not talkative at supper that night. They had a humble look, and when Huck prepared his pipe after the meal and was going to preparetheirs, they said no, they were not feeling very well--something theyate at dinner had disagreed with them. About midnight Joe awoke, and called the boys. There was a broodingoppressiveness in the air that seemed to bode something. The boyshuddled themselves together and sought the friendly companionship ofthe fire, though the dull dead heat of the breathless atmosphere wasstifling. They sat still, intent and waiting. The solemn hushcontinued. Beyond the light of the fire everything was swallowed up inthe blackness of darkness. Presently there came a quivering glow thatvaguely revealed the foliage for a moment and then vanished. By and byanother came, a little stronger. Then another. Then a faint moan camesighing through the branches of the forest and the boys felt a fleetingbreath upon their cheeks, and shuddered with the fancy that the Spiritof the Night had gone by. There was a pause. Now a weird flash turnednight into day and showed every little grass-blade, separate anddistinct, that grew about their feet. And it showed three white, startled faces, too. A deep peal of thunder went rolling and tumblingdown the heavens and lost itself in sullen rumblings in the distance. Asweep of chilly air passed by, rustling all the leaves and snowing theflaky ashes broadcast about the fire. Another fierce glare lit up theforest and an instant crash followed that seemed to rend the tree-topsright over the boys' heads. They clung together in terror, in the thickgloom that followed. A few big rain-drops fell pattering upon theleaves. "Quick! boys, go for the tent!" exclaimed Tom. They sprang away, stumbling over roots and among vines in the dark, notwo plunging in the same direction. A furious blast roared through thetrees, making everything sing as it went. One blinding flash afteranother came, and peal on peal of deafening thunder. And now adrenching rain poured down and the rising hurricane drove it in sheetsalong the ground. The boys cried out to each other, but the roaringwind and the booming thunder-blasts drowned their voices utterly. However, one by one they straggled in at last and took shelter underthe tent, cold, scared, and streaming with water; but to have companyin misery seemed something to be grateful for. They could not talk, theold sail flapped so furiously, even if the other noises would haveallowed them. The tempest rose higher and higher, and presently thesail tore loose from its fastenings and went winging away on the blast. The boys seized each others' hands and fled, with many tumblings andbruises, to the shelter of a great oak that stood upon the river-bank. Now the battle was at its highest. Under the ceaseless conflagration oflightning that flamed in the skies, everything below stood out inclean-cut and shadowless distinctness: the bending trees, the billowyriver, white with foam, the driving spray of spume-flakes, the dimoutlines of the high bluffs on the other side, glimpsed through thedrifting cloud-rack and the slanting veil of rain. Every little whilesome giant tree yielded the fight and fell crashing through the youngergrowth; and the unflagging thunder-peals came now in ear-splittingexplosive bursts, keen and sharp, and unspeakably appalling. The stormculminated in one matchless effort that seemed likely to tear the islandto pieces, burn it up, drown it to the tree-tops, blow it away, anddeafen every creature in it, all at one and the same moment. It was awild night for homeless young heads to be out in. But at last the battle was done, and the forces retired with weakerand weaker threatenings and grumblings, and peace resumed her sway. Theboys went back to camp, a good deal awed; but they found there wasstill something to be thankful for, because the great sycamore, theshelter of their beds, was a ruin, now, blasted by the lightnings, andthey were not under it when the catastrophe happened. Everything in camp was drenched, the camp-fire as well; for they werebut heedless lads, like their generation, and had made no provisionagainst rain. Here was matter for dismay, for they were soaked throughand chilled. They were eloquent in their distress; but they presentlydiscovered that the fire had eaten so far up under the great log it hadbeen built against (where it curved upward and separated itself fromthe ground), that a handbreadth or so of it had escaped wetting; sothey patiently wrought until, with shreds and bark gathered from theunder sides of sheltered logs, they coaxed the fire to burn again. Thenthey piled on great dead boughs till they had a roaring furnace, andwere glad-hearted once more. They dried their boiled ham and had afeast, and after that they sat by the fire and expanded and glorifiedtheir midnight adventure until morning, for there was not a dry spot tosleep on, anywhere around. As the sun began to steal in upon the boys, drowsiness came over them, and they went out on the sandbar and lay down to sleep. They gotscorched out by and by, and drearily set about getting breakfast. Afterthe meal they felt rusty, and stiff-jointed, and a little homesick oncemore. Tom saw the signs, and fell to cheering up the pirates as well ashe could. But they cared nothing for marbles, or circus, or swimming, or anything. He reminded them of the imposing secret, and raised a rayof cheer. While it lasted, he got them interested in a new device. Thiswas to knock off being pirates, for a while, and be Indians for achange. They were attracted by this idea; so it was not long beforethey were stripped, and striped from head to heel with black mud, likeso many zebras--all of them chiefs, of course--and then they wenttearing through the woods to attack an English settlement. By and by they separated into three hostile tribes, and darted uponeach other from ambush with dreadful war-whoops, and killed and scalpedeach other by thousands. It was a gory day. Consequently it was anextremely satisfactory one. They assembled in camp toward supper-time, hungry and happy; but now adifficulty arose--hostile Indians could not break the bread ofhospitality together without first making peace, and this was a simpleimpossibility without smoking a pipe of peace. There was no otherprocess that ever they had heard of. Two of the savages almost wishedthey had remained pirates. However, there was no other way; so withsuch show of cheerfulness as they could muster they called for the pipeand took their whiff as it passed, in due form. And behold, they were glad they had gone into savagery, for they hadgained something; they found that they could now smoke a little withouthaving to go and hunt for a lost knife; they did not get sick enough tobe seriously uncomfortable. They were not likely to fool away this highpromise for lack of effort. No, they practised cautiously, aftersupper, with right fair success, and so they spent a jubilant evening. They were prouder and happier in their new acquirement than they wouldhave been in the scalping and skinning of the Six Nations. We willleave them to smoke and chatter and brag, since we have no further usefor them at present. CHAPTER XVII BUT there was no hilarity in the little town that same tranquilSaturday afternoon. The Harpers, and Aunt Polly's family, were beingput into mourning, with great grief and many tears. An unusual quietpossessed the village, although it was ordinarily quiet enough, in allconscience. The villagers conducted their concerns with an absent air, and talked little; but they sighed often. The Saturday holiday seemed aburden to the children. They had no heart in their sports, andgradually gave them up. In the afternoon Becky Thatcher found herself moping about thedeserted schoolhouse yard, and feeling very melancholy. But she foundnothing there to comfort her. She soliloquized: "Oh, if I only had a brass andiron-knob again! But I haven't gotanything now to remember him by. " And she choked back a little sob. Presently she stopped, and said to herself: "It was right here. Oh, if it was to do over again, I wouldn't saythat--I wouldn't say it for the whole world. But he's gone now; I'llnever, never, never see him any more. " This thought broke her down, and she wandered away, with tears rollingdown her cheeks. Then quite a group of boys and girls--playmates ofTom's and Joe's--came by, and stood looking over the paling fence andtalking in reverent tones of how Tom did so-and-so the last time theysaw him, and how Joe said this and that small trifle (pregnant withawful prophecy, as they could easily see now!)--and each speakerpointed out the exact spot where the lost lads stood at the time, andthen added something like "and I was a-standing just so--just as I amnow, and as if you was him--I was as close as that--and he smiled, justthis way--and then something seemed to go all over me, like--awful, youknow--and I never thought what it meant, of course, but I can see now!" Then there was a dispute about who saw the dead boys last in life, andmany claimed that dismal distinction, and offered evidences, more orless tampered with by the witness; and when it was ultimately decidedwho DID see the departed last, and exchanged the last words with them, the lucky parties took upon themselves a sort of sacred importance, andwere gaped at and envied by all the rest. One poor chap, who had noother grandeur to offer, said with tolerably manifest pride in theremembrance: "Well, Tom Sawyer he licked me once. " But that bid for glory was a failure. Most of the boys could say that, and so that cheapened the distinction too much. The group loiteredaway, still recalling memories of the lost heroes, in awed voices. When the Sunday-school hour was finished, the next morning, the bellbegan to toll, instead of ringing in the usual way. It was a very stillSabbath, and the mournful sound seemed in keeping with the musing hushthat lay upon nature. The villagers began to gather, loitering a momentin the vestibule to converse in whispers about the sad event. But therewas no whispering in the house; only the funereal rustling of dressesas the women gathered to their seats disturbed the silence there. Nonecould remember when the little church had been so full before. Therewas finally a waiting pause, an expectant dumbness, and then Aunt Pollyentered, followed by Sid and Mary, and they by the Harper family, allin deep black, and the whole congregation, the old minister as well, rose reverently and stood until the mourners were seated in the frontpew. There was another communing silence, broken at intervals bymuffled sobs, and then the minister spread his hands abroad and prayed. A moving hymn was sung, and the text followed: "I am the Resurrectionand the Life. " As the service proceeded, the clergyman drew such pictures of thegraces, the winning ways, and the rare promise of the lost lads thatevery soul there, thinking he recognized these pictures, felt a pang inremembering that he had persistently blinded himself to them alwaysbefore, and had as persistently seen only faults and flaws in the poorboys. The minister related many a touching incident in the lives of thedeparted, too, which illustrated their sweet, generous natures, and thepeople could easily see, now, how noble and beautiful those episodeswere, and remembered with grief that at the time they occurred they hadseemed rank rascalities, well deserving of the cowhide. Thecongregation became more and more moved, as the pathetic tale went on, till at last the whole company broke down and joined the weepingmourners in a chorus of anguished sobs, the preacher himself giving wayto his feelings, and crying in the pulpit. There was a rustle in the gallery, which nobody noticed; a momentlater the church door creaked; the minister raised his streaming eyesabove his handkerchief, and stood transfixed! First one and thenanother pair of eyes followed the minister's, and then almost with oneimpulse the congregation rose and stared while the three dead boys camemarching up the aisle, Tom in the lead, Joe next, and Huck, a ruin ofdrooping rags, sneaking sheepishly in the rear! They had been hid inthe unused gallery listening to their own funeral sermon! Aunt Polly, Mary, and the Harpers threw themselves upon their restoredones, smothered them with kisses and poured out thanksgivings, whilepoor Huck stood abashed and uncomfortable, not knowing exactly what todo or where to hide from so many unwelcoming eyes. He wavered, andstarted to slink away, but Tom seized him and said: "Aunt Polly, it ain't fair. Somebody's got to be glad to see Huck. " "And so they shall. I'm glad to see him, poor motherless thing!" Andthe loving attentions Aunt Polly lavished upon him were the one thingcapable of making him more uncomfortable than he was before. Suddenly the minister shouted at the top of his voice: "Praise Godfrom whom all blessings flow--SING!--and put your hearts in it!" And they did. Old Hundred swelled up with a triumphant burst, andwhile it shook the rafters Tom Sawyer the Pirate looked around upon theenvying juveniles about him and confessed in his heart that this wasthe proudest moment of his life. As the "sold" congregation trooped out they said they would almost bewilling to be made ridiculous again to hear Old Hundred sung like thatonce more. Tom got more cuffs and kisses that day--according to Aunt Polly'svarying moods--than he had earned before in a year; and he hardly knewwhich expressed the most gratefulness to God and affection for himself.