汤姆.索亚历险记-第15节

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　was　also　said　that　the　town　had　been　ransacked　for　this　〃murderer〃　（the　public　are　not　slow　in　the　matter　of　sifting　evidence　and　arriving　at　a　verdict）；　but　that　he　could　not　be　found。　Horsemen　had　departed　down　all　the　roads　in　every　direction；　and　the　Sheriff　〃was　confident〃　that　he　would　be　captured　before　night。
All　the　town　was　drifting　toward　the　graveyard。　Tom's　heartbreak　vanished　and　he　joined　the　procession；　not　because　he　would　not　a　thousand　times　rather　go　anywhere　else；　but　because　an　awful；　unaccountable　fascination　drew　him　on。　Arrived　at　the　dreadful　place；　he　wormed　his　small　body　through　the　crowd　and　saw　the　dismal　spectacle。　It　seemed　to　him　an　age　since　he　was　there　before。　Somebody　pinched　his　arm。　He　turned；　and　his　eyes　met　Huckleberry's。　Then　both　looked　elsewhere　at　once；　and　wondered　if　anybody　had　noticed　anything　in　their　mutual　glance。　But　everybody　was　talking；　and　intent　upon　the　grisly　spectacle　before　them。
〃Poor　fellow！〃　〃Poor　young　fellow！〃　〃This　ought　to　be　a　lesson　to　grave　robbers！〃　〃Muff　Potter'll　hang　for　this　if　they　catch　him！〃　This　was　the　drift　of　remark；　and　the　minister　said；　〃It　was　a　judgment；　His　hand　is　here。〃
Now　Tom　shivered　from　head　to　heel；　for　his　eye　fell　upon　the　stolid　face　of　Injun　Joe。　At　this　moment　the　crowd　began　to　sway　and　struggle；　and　voices　shouted；　〃It's　him！　it's　him！　he's　coming　himself！〃
〃Who？　Who？〃　from　twenty　voices。
〃Muff　Potter！〃
〃Hallo；　he's　stopped！　　Look　out；　he's　turning！　Don't　let　him　get　away！〃
People　in　the　branches　of　the　trees　over　Tom's　head　said　he　wasn't　trying　to　get　away　　he　only　looked　doubtful　and　perplexed。
〃Infernal　impudence！〃　said　a　bystander；　〃wanted　to　come　and　take　a　quiet　look　at　his　work；　I　reckon　　didn't　expect　any　company。〃
The　crowd　fell　apart；　now；　and　the　Sheriff　came　through；　ostentatiously　leading　Potter　by　the　arm。　The　poor　fellow's　face　was　haggard；　and　his　eyes　showed　the　fear　that　was　upon　him。　When　he　stood　before　the　murdered　man；　he　shook　as　with　a　palsy；　and　he　put　his　face　in　his　hands　and　burst　into　tears。
〃I　didn't　do　it；　friends；〃　he　sobbed；　〃'pon　my　word　and　honor　I　never　done　it。〃
〃Who's　accused　you？〃　shouted　a　voice。
This　shot　seemed　to　carry　home。　Potter　lifted　his　face　and　looked　around　him　with　a　pathetic　hopelessness　in　his　eyes。　He　saw　Injun　Joe；　and　exclaimed：
〃Oh；　Injun　Joe；　you　promised　me　you'd　never　〃
〃Is　that　your　knife？〃　and　it　was　thrust　before　him　by　the　Sheriff。
Potter　would　have　fallen　if　they　had　not　caught　him　and　eased　him　to　the　ground。　Then　he　said：
〃Something　told　me　't　if　I　didn't　come　back　and　get　〃　He　shuddered；　then　waved　his　nerveless　hand　with　a　vanquished　gesture　and　said；　〃Tell　'em；　Joe；　tell　'em　　it　ain't　any　use　any　more。〃
Then　Huckleberry　and　Tom　stood　dumb　and　staring；　and　heard　the　stony…hearted　liar　reel　off　his　serene　statement；　they　expecting　every　moment　that　the　clear　sky　would　deliver　God's　lightnings　upon　his　head；　and　wondering　to　see　how　long　the　stroke　was　delayed。　And　when　he　had　finished　and　still　stood　alive　and　whole；　their　wavering　impulse　to　break　their　oath　and　save　the　poor　betrayed　prisoner's　life　faded　and　vanished　away；　for　plainly　this　miscreant　had　sold　himself　to　Satan　and　it　would　be　fatal　to　meddle　with　the　property　of　such　a　power　as　that。
〃Why　didn't　you　leave？　What　did　you　want　to　come　here　for？〃　somebody　said。
〃I　couldn't　help　it　　I　couldn't　help　it；〃　Potter　moaned。　〃I　wanted　to　run　away；　but　I　couldn't　seem　to　come　anywhere　but　here。〃　And　he　fell　to　sobbing　again。
Injun　Joe　repeated　his　statement；　just　as　calmly；　a　few　minutes　afterward　on　the　inquest；　under　oath；　and　the　boys；　seeing　that　the　lightnings　were　still　withheld；　were　confirmed　in　their　belief　that　Joe　had　sold　himself　to　the　devil。　He　was　now　become；　to　them；　the　most　balefully　interesting　object　they　had　ever　looked　upon；　and　they　could　not　take　their　fascinated　eyes　from　his　face。
They　inwardly　resolved　to　watch　him　nights；　when　opportunity　should　offer；　in　the　hope　of　getting　a　glimpse　of　his　dread　master。
Injun　Joe　helped　to　raise　the　body　of　the　murdered　man　and　put　it　in　a　wagon　for　removal；　and　it　was　whispered　through　the　shuddering　crowd　that　the　wound　bled　a　little！　The　boys　thought　that　this　happy　circumstance　would　turn　suspicion　in　the　right　direction；　but　they　were　disappointed；　for　more　than　one　villager　remarked：
〃It　was　within　three　feet　of　Muff　Potter　when　it　done　it。〃
Tom's　fearful　secret　and　gnawing　conscience　disturbed　his　sleep　for　as　much　as　a　week　after　this；　and　at　breakfast　one　morning　Sid　said：
〃Tom；　you　pitch　around　and　talk　in　your　sleep　so　much　that　you　keep　me　awake　half　the　time。〃
Tom　blanched　and　dropped　his　eyes。
〃It's　a　bad　sign；〃　said　Aunt　Polly；　gravely。　〃What　you　got　on　your　mind；　Tom？〃
〃Nothing。　Nothing　't　I　know　of。〃　But　the　boy's　hand　shook　so　that　he　spilled　his　coffee。
〃And　you　do　talk　such　stuff；〃　Sid　said。　〃　night　you　said；　'It's　blood；　it's　blood；　that's　what　it　is！'　You　said　that　over　and　over。　And　you　said；　'Don't　torment　me　so　　I'll　tell！'　Tell　what？　What　is　it　you'll　tell？〃
Everything　was　swimming　before　Tom。　There　is　no　telling　what　might　have　happened；　now；　but　luckily　the　concern　passed　out　of　Aunt　Polly's　face　and　she　came　to　Tom's　relief　without　knowing　it。　She　said：
〃Sho！　It's　that　dreadful　murder。　I　dream　about　it　most　every　night　myself。　Sometimes　I　dream　it's　me　that　done　it。〃
Mary　said　she　had　been　affected　much　the　same　way。　Sid　seemed　satisfied。　Tom　got　out　of　the　presence　as　quick　as　he　plausibly　could；　and　after　that　he　complained　of　toothache　for　a　week；　and　tied　up　his　jaws　every　night。　He　never　knew　that　Sid　lay　nightly　watching；　and　frequently　slipped　the　bandage　free　and　then　leaned　on　his　elbow　listening　a　good　while　at　a　time；　and　afterward　slipped　the　bandage　back　to　its　place　again。　Tom's　distress　of　mind　wore　off　gradually　and　the　toothache　grew　irksome　and　was　discarded。　If　Sid　really　managed　to　make　anything　out　of　Tom's　disjointed　mutterings；　he　kept　it　to　himself。
It　seemed　to　Tom　that　his　schoolmates　never　would　get　done　holding　inquests　on　dead　cats；　and　thus　keeping　his　trouble　present　to　his　mind。　Sid　noticed　that　Tom　never　was　coroner　at　one　of　these　inquiries；　though　it　had　been　his　habit　to　take　the　lead　in　all　new　enterprises；　he　noticed；　too；　that　Tom　never　acted　as　a　witness　　and　that　was　strange；　and　Sid　did　not　overlook　the　fact　that　Tom　even　showed　a　marked　aversion　to　these　inquests；　and　always　avoided　them　when　he　could。　Sid　marvelled；　but　said　nothing。　However；　even　inquests　went　out　of　vogue　at　last；　and　ceased　to　torture　Tom's　conscience。
Every　day　or　two；　during　this　time　of　sorrow；　Tom　watched　his　opportunity　and　went　to　the　little　grated　jail…window　and　smuggled　such　small　comforts　through　to　the　〃murderer〃　as　he　could　get　hold　of。　The　jail　was　a　trifling　little　brick　den　that　stood　in　a　marsh　at　the　edge　of　the　village；　and　no　guards　were　afforded　for　it；　indeed；　it　was　seldom　occupied。　These　offerings　greatly　helped　to　ease　Tom's　conscience。
The　villagers　had　a　strong　desire　to　tar…and…feather　Injun　Joe　and　ride　him　on　a　rail；　for　body…snatching；　but　so　formidable　was　his　character　that　nobody　could　be　found　who　was　willing　to　take　the　lead　in　the　matter；　so　it　was　dropped。　He　had　been　careful　to　begin　both　of　his　inquest…statements　with　the　fight；　without　confessing　the　grave…robbery　that　preceded　it；　therefore　it　was　deemed　wisest　not　to　try　the　case　in　the　courts　at　present。　
CHAPTER　XII
ONE　of　the　reasons　why　Tom's　mind　had　drifted　away　from　its　secret　troubles　was；　that　it　had　found　a　new　and　weighty　matter　to　interest　itself　about。　Becky　Thatcher　had　stopped　coming　to　school。　Tom　had　struggled　with　his　pride　a　few　days；　and　tried　to　〃whistle　her　down　the　wind；〃　but　failed。　He　began　to　find　himself　hanging　around　her　father's　house；　nights；　and　feeling　very　miserable。　She　was　ill。　What　if　she　should　die！　There　was　distraction　in　the　thought。　He　no　longer　took　an　interest　in　war；　nor　even　in　piracy。　The　charm　of　life　was　gone；　there　was　nothing　but　dreariness　left。　He　put　his　hoop　away；　and　his　bat；　there　was　no　joy　in　them　any　more。　His　aunt　was　concerned。　She　began　to　try　all　manner　of　remedies　on　him。　She　was　one　of　those　people　who　are　infatuated　with　patent　medicines　and　all　new…fangled　methods　of　producing　health　or　mending　it。　She　was　an　inveterate　experimenter　in　these　things。　When　something　fresh　in　this　line　came　out　she　was　in　a　fever；　right　away；　to　try　it；　not　on　herself；　for　she　was　never　ailing；　but　on　anybody　else　that　came　handy。　She　was　a　subscriber　for　all　the　〃Health〃　periodicals　and　phrenological　frauds；　and　the　solemn　ignorance　they　were　inflated　with　was　breath　to　her　nostrils。　All　the　〃rot〃　they　contained　about　ventilation；　and　how　to　go　to　bed；　and　how　to　get　up；　and　what　to　eat；　and　what　to　drink；　and　how　much　exercise　to　take；　and　what　frame　of　mind　to　keep　one's　self　in；　and　what　sort　of　clothing　to　wear；　was　all　gospel　to　her；　and　she　never　observed　that　her　health…journals　of　the　current　month　customarily　upset　everything　they　had　recommended　the　month　before。　She　was　as　simple…hearted　and　honest　as　the　day　was　long；　and　so　she　was　an　easy　victim。　She　gathered　together　her　quack　periodicals　and　her　quack　medicines；　a