汤姆.索亚历险记-第12节

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〃He　dasn't　tell！　So　it　was　a　witch　that　done　it。　I　just　knowed　it。〃
He　well　knew　the　futility　of　trying　to　contend　against　witches；　so　he　gave　up　discouraged。　But　it　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　as　well　have　the　marble　he　had　just　thrown　away；　and　therefore　he　went　and　made　a　patient　search　for　it。　But　he　could　not　find　it。　Now　he　went　back　to　his　treasure…house　and　carefully　placed　himself　just　as　he　had　been　standing　when　he　tossed　the　marble　away；　then　he　took　another　marble　from　his　pocket　and　tossed　it　in　the　same　way；　saying：
〃Brother；　go　find　your　brother！〃
He　watched　where　it　stopped；　and　went　there　and　looked。　But　it　must　have　fallen　short　or　gone　too　far；　so　he　tried　twice　more。　The　last　repetition　was　successful。　The　two　marbles　lay　within　a　foot　of　each　other。
Just　here　the　blast　of　a　toy　tin　trumpet　came　faintly　down　the　green　aisles　of　the　forest。　Tom　flung　off　his　jacket　and　trousers；　turned　a　suspender　into　a　belt；　raked　away　some　brush　behind　the　rotten　log；　disclosing　a　rude　bow　and　arrow；　a　lath　sword　and　a　tin　trumpet；　and　in　a　moment　had　seized　these　things　and　bounded　away；　barelegged；　with　fluttering　shirt。　He　presently　halted　under　a　great　elm；　blew　an　answering　blast；　and　then　began　to　tiptoe　and　look　warily　out；　this　way　and　that。　He　said　cautiously　　to　an　imaginary　company：
〃Hold；　my　merry　men！　Keep　hid　till　I　blow。〃
Now　appeared　Joe　Harper；　as　airily　clad　and　elaborately　armed　as　Tom。　Tom　called：
〃Hold！　Who　comes　here　into　Sherwood　Forest　without　my　pass？〃
〃Guy　of　Guisborne　wants　no　man's　pass。　Who　art　thou　that　　that　〃
〃Dares　to　hold　such　language；〃　said　Tom；　prompting　　for　they　talked　〃by　the　book；〃　from　memory。
〃Who　art　thou　that　dares　to　hold　such　language？〃
〃I；　indeed！　I　am　Robin　Hood；　as　thy　caitiff　carcase　soon　shall　know。〃
〃Then　art　thou　indeed　that　famous　outlaw？　Right　gladly　will　I　dispute　with　thee　the　passes　of　the　merry　wood。　Have　at　thee！〃
They　took　their　lath　swords；　dumped　their　other　traps　on　the　ground；　struck　a　fencing　attitude；　foot　to　foot；　and　began　a　grave；　careful　combat；　〃two　up　and　two　down。〃　Presently　Tom　said：
〃Now；　if　you've　got　the　hang；　go　it　lively！〃
So　they　〃went　it　lively；〃　panting　and　perspiring　with　the　work。　By　and　by　Tom　shouted：
〃Fall！　fall！　Why　don't　you　fall？〃
〃I　sha'n't！　Why　don't　you　fall　yourself？　You're　getting　the　worst　of　it。〃
〃Why；　that　ain't　anything。　I　can't　fall；　that　ain't　the　way　it　is　in　the　book。　The　book　says；　'Then　with　one　back…handed　stroke　he　slew　poor　Guy　of　Guisborne。'　You're　to　turn　around　and　let　me　hit　you　in　the　back。〃
There　was　no　getting　around　the　authorities；　so　Joe　turned；　received　the　whack　and　fell。
〃Now；〃　said　Joe；　getting　up；　〃you　got　to　let　me　kill　you。　That's　fair。〃
〃Why；　I　can't　do　that；　it　ain't　in　the　book。〃
〃Well；　it's　blamed　mean　　that's　all。〃
〃Well；　say；　Joe；　you　can　be　Friar　Tuck　or　Much　the　miller's　son；　and　lam　me　with　a　quarter…staff；　or　I'll　be　the　Sheriff　of　Nottingham　and　you　be　Robin　Hood　a　little　while　and　kill　me。〃
This　was　satisfactory；　and　so　these　adventures　were　carried　out。　Then　Tom　became　Robin　Hood　again；　and　was　allowed　by　the　treacherous　nun　to　bleed　his　strength　away　through　his　neglected　wound。　And　at　last　Joe；　representing　a　whole　tribe　of　weeping　outlaws；　dragged　him　sadly　forth；　gave　his　bow　into　his　feeble　hands；　and　Tom　said；　〃Where　this　arrow　falls；　there　bury　poor　Robin　Hood　under　the　greenwood　tree。〃　Then　he　shot　the　arrow　and　fell　back　and　would　have　died；　but　he　lit　on　a　nettle　and　sprang　up　too　gaily　for　a　corpse。
The　boys　dressed　themselves；　hid　their　accoutrements；　and　went　off　grieving　that　there　were　no　outlaws　any　more；　and　wondering　what　modern　civilization　could　claim　to　have　done　to　compensate　for　their　loss。　They　said　they　would　rather　be　outlaws　a　year　in　Sherwood　Forest　than　President　of　the　United　States　forever。　
CHAPTER　IX　
AT　half…past　nine；　that　night；　Tom　and　Sid　were　sent　to　bed；　as　usual。　They　said　their　prayers；　and　Sid　was　soon　asleep。　Tom　lay　awake　and　waited；　in　restless　impatience。　When　it　seemed　to　him　that　it　must　be　nearly　daylight；　he　heard　the　clock　strike　ten！　This　was　despair。　He　would　have　tossed　and　fidgeted；　as　his　nerves　demanded；　but　he　was　afraid　he　might　wake　Sid。　So　he　lay　still；　and　stared　up　into　the　dark。　Everything　was　dismally　still。　By　and　by；　out　of　the　stillness；　little；　scarcely　preceptible　noises　began　to　emphasize　themselves。　The　ticking　of　the　clock　began　to　bring　itself　into　notice。　Old　beams　began　to　crack　mysteriously。　The　stairs　creaked　faintly。　Evidently　spirits　were　abroad。　A　measured；　muffled　snore　issued　from　Aunt　Polly's　chamber。　And　now　the　tiresome　chirping　of　a　cricket　that　no　human　ingenuity　could　locate；　began。　Next　the　ghastly　ticking　of　a　death…watch　in　the　wall　at　the　bed's　head　made　Tom　shudder　　it　meant　that　somebody's　days　were　numbered。　Then　the　howl　of　a　far…off　dog　rose　on　the　night　air；　and　was　answered　by　a　fainter　howl　from　a　remoter　distance。　Tom　was　in　an　agony。　At　last　he　was　satisfied　that　time　had　ceased　and　eternity　begun；　he　began　to　doze；　in　spite　of　himself；　the　clock　chimed　eleven；　but　he　did　not　hear　it。　And　then　there　came；　mingling　with　his　half…formed　dreams；　a　most　melancholy　caterwauling。　The　raising　of　a　neighboring　window　disturbed　him。　A　cry　of　〃Scat！　you　devil！〃　and　the　crash　of　an　empty　bottle　against　the　back　of　his　aunt's　woodshed　brought　him　wide　awake；　and　a　single　minute　later　he　was　dressed　and　out　of　the　window　and　creeping　along　the　roof　of　the　〃ell〃　on　all　fours。　He　〃meow'd〃　with　caution　once　or　twice；　as　he　went；　then　jumped　to　the　roof　of　the　woodshed　and　thence　to　the　ground。　Huckleberry　Finn　was　there；　with　his　dead　cat。　The　boys　moved　off　and　disappeared　in　the　gloom。　At　the　end　of　half　an　hour　they　were　wading　through　the　tall　grass　of　the　graveyard。
It　was　a　graveyard　of　the　old…fashioned　Western　kind。　It　was　on　a　hill；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　village。　It　had　a　crazy　board　fence　around　it；　which　leaned　inward　in　places；　and　outward　the　rest　of　the　time；　but　stood　upright　nowhere。　Grass　and　weeds　grew　rank　over　the　whole　cemetery。　All　the　old　graves　were　sunken　in；　there　was　not　a　tombstone　on　the　place；　round…topped；　worm…eaten　boards　staggered　over　the　graves；　leaning　for　support　and　finding　none。　〃Sacred　to　the　memory　of〃　So…and…So　had　been　painted　on　them　once；　but　it　could　no　longer　have　been　read；　on　the　most　of　them；　now；　even　if　there　had　been　light。
A　faint　wind　moaned　through　the　trees；　and　Tom　feared　it　might　be　the　spirits　of　the　dead；　complaining　at　being　disturbed。　The　boys　talked　little；　and　only　under　their　breath；　for　the　time　and　the　place　and　the　pervading　solemnity　and　silence　oppressed　their　spirits。　They　found　the　sharp　new　heap　they　were　seeking；　and　ensconced　themselves　within　the　protection　of　three　great　elms　that　grew　in　a　bunch　within　a　few　feet　of　the　grave。
Then　they　waited　in　silence　for　what　seemed　a　long　time。　The　hooting　of　a　distant　owl　was　all　the　sound　that　troubled　the　dead　stillness。　Tom's　reflections　grew　oppressive。　He　must　force　some　talk。　So　he　said　in　a　whisper：
〃Hucky；　do　you　believe　the　dead　people　like　it　for　us　to　be　here？〃
Huckleberry　whispered：
〃I　wisht　I　knowed。　It's　awful　solemn　like；　AIN'T　it？〃
〃I　bet　it　is。〃
There　was　a　considerable　pause；　while　the　boys　canvassed　this　matter　inwardly。　Then　Tom　whispered：
〃Say；　Hucky　　do　you　reckon　Hoss　Williams　hears　us　talking？〃
〃O'　course　he　does。　Least　his　sperrit　does。〃
Tom；　after　a　pause：
〃I　wish　I'd　said　Mister　Williams。　But　I　never　meant　any　harm。　Everybody　calls　him　Hoss。〃
〃A　body　can't　be　too　partic'lar　how　they　talk　'bout　these…yer　dead　people；　Tom。〃
This　was　a　damper；　and　conversation　died　again。
Presently　Tom　seized　his　comrade's　arm　and　said：
〃Sh！〃
〃What　is　it；　Tom？〃　And　the　two　clung　together　with　beating　hearts。
〃~sh！　There　'tis　again！　Didn't　you　hear　it？〃
〃I　〃
〃There！　Now　you　hear　it。〃
〃Lord；　Tom；　they're　coming！　They're　coming；　sure。　What'll　we　do？〃
〃I　dono。　Think　they'll　see　us？〃
〃Oh；　Tom；　they　can　see　in　the　dark；　same　as　cats。　I　wisht　I　hadn't　come。〃
〃Oh；　don't　be　afeard。　I　don't　believe　they'll　bother　us。　We　ain't　doing　any　harm。　If　we　keep　perfectly　still；　maybe　they　won't　notice　us　at　all。〃
〃I'll　try　to；　Tom；　but；　Lord；　I'm　all　of　a　shiver。〃
〃Listen！〃
The　boys　bent　their　heads　together　and　scarcely　breathed。　A　muffled　sound　of　voices　floated　up　from　the　far　end　of　the　graveyard。
〃Look！　See　there！〃　whispered　Tom。　〃What　is　it？〃
〃It's　devil…fire。　Oh；　Tom；　this　is　awful。〃
Some　vague　figures　approached　through　the　gloom；　swinging　an　old…fashioned　tin　lantern　that　freckled　the　ground　with　innumerable　little　spangles　of　light。　Presently　Huckleberry　whispered　with　a　shudder：
〃It's　the　devils　sure　enough。　Three　of　'em！　Lordy；　Tom；　we're　goners！　Can　you　pray？〃
〃I'll　try；　but　don't　you　be　afeard。　They　ain't　going　to　hurt　us。　'Now　I　lay　me　down　to　sleep；　I　'〃
〃Sh！〃
〃What　is　it；　Huck？〃
〃They're　humans！　One　of　'em　is；　anyway。　One　of　'em's　old　Muff　Potter's　voice。〃
〃No　　'tain't　so；　is　it？〃
〃I　bet　I　know　it。　Don't　you　stir　nor　budge。　He　ain't　sharp　enough　to　notice　us。　Drunk；　the　same　as　usual；　likely　　blamed　old　rip！〃
〃All　right；　I'll　keep　still。　Now　they're　stuck。　Can't　find　it。　Here　they　come　again。　Now　they're　hot。