汤姆.索亚历险记-第30节

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〃No！　Is　that　so？〃
〃Cert'nly　　anybody'll　tell　you　so。　Hain't　you　ever　seen　one；　Huck？〃
〃Not　as　I　remember。〃
〃Oh；　kings　have　slathers　of　them。〃
〃Well；　I　don'　know　no　kings；　Tom。〃
〃I　reckon　you　don't。　But　if　you　was　to　go　to　Europe　you'd　see　a　raft　of　'em　hopping　around。〃
〃Do　they　hop？〃
〃Hop？　　your　granny！　No！〃
〃Well；　what　did　you　say　they　did；　for？〃
〃Shucks；　I　only　meant　you'd　see　'em　　not　hopping；　of　course　　what　do　they　want　to　hop　for？　　but　I　mean　you'd　just　see　'em　　scattered　around；　you　know；　in　a　kind　of　a　general　way。　Like　that　old　humpbacked　Richard。〃
〃Richard？　What's　his　other　name？〃
〃He　didn't　have　any　other　name。　Kings　don't　have　any　but　a　given　name。〃
〃No？〃
〃But　they　don't。〃
〃Well；　if　they　like　it；　Tom；　all　right；　but　I　don't　want　to　be　a　king　and　have　only　just　a　given　name；　like　a　nigger。　But　say　　where　you　going　to　dig　first？〃
〃Well；　I　don't　know。　S'pose　we　tackle　that　old　dead…limb　tree　on　the　hill　t'other　side　of　Still…House　branch？〃
〃I'm　agreed。〃
So　they　got　a　crippled　pick　and　a　shovel；　and　set　out　on　their　three…mile　tramp。　They　arrived　hot　and　panting；　and　threw　themselves　down　in　the　shade　of　a　neighboring　elm　to　rest　and　have　a　smoke。
〃I　like　this；〃　said　Tom。
〃So　do　I。〃
〃Say；　Huck；　if　we　find　a　treasure　here；　what　you　going　to　do　with　your　share？〃
〃Well；　I'll　have　pie　and　a　glass　of　soda　every　day；　and　I'll　go　to　every　circus　that　comes　along。　I　bet　I'll　have　a　gay　time。〃
〃Well；　ain't　you　going　to　save　any　of　it？〃
〃Save　it？　What　for？〃
〃Why；　so　as　to　have　something　to　live　on；　by　and　by。〃
〃Oh；　that　ain't　any　use。　Pap　would　come　back　to　thish…yer　town　some　day　and　get　his　claws　on　it　if　I　didn't　hurry　up；　and　I　tell　you　he'd　clean　it　out　pretty　quick。　What　you　going　to　do　with　yourn；　Tom？〃
〃I'm　going　to　buy　a　new　drum；　and　a　sure…'nough　sword；　and　a　red　necktie　and　a　bull　pup；　and　get　married。〃
〃Married！〃
〃That's　it。〃
〃Tom；　you　　why；　you　ain't　in　your　right　mind。〃
〃Wait　　you'll　see。〃
〃Well；　that's　the　foolishest　thing　you　could　do。　Look　at　pap　and　my　mother。　Fight！　Why；　they　used　to　fight　all　the　time。　I　remember；　mighty　well。〃
〃That　ain't　anything。　The　girl　I'm　going　to　marry　won't　fight。〃
〃Tom；　I　reckon　they're　all　alike。　They'll　all　comb　a　body。　Now　you　better　think　'bout　this　awhile。　I　tell　you　you　better。　What's　the　name　of　the　gal？〃
〃It　ain't　a　gal　at　all　　it's　a　girl。〃
〃It's　all　the　same；　I　reckon；　some　says　gal；　some　says　girl　　both's　right；　like　enough。　Anyway；　what's　her　name；　Tom？〃
〃I'll　tell　you　some　time　　not　now。〃
〃All　right　　that'll　do。　Only　if　you　get　married　I'll　be　more　lonesomer　than　ever。〃
〃No　you　won't。　You'll　come　and　live　with　me。　Now　stir　out　of　this　and　we'll　go　to　digging。〃
They　worked　and　sweated　for　half　an　hour。　No　result。　They　toiled　another　half…hour。　Still　no　result。　Huck　said：
〃Do　they　always　bury　it　as　deep　as　this？〃
〃Sometimes　　not　always。　Not　generally。　I　reckon　we　haven't　got　the　right　place。〃
So　they　chose　a　new　spot　and　began　again。　The　labor　dragged　a　little；　but　still　they　made　progress。　They　pegged　away　in　silence　for　some　time。　Finally　Huck　leaned　on　his　shovel；　swabbed　the　beaded　drops　from　his　brow　with　his　sleeve；　and　said：
〃Where　you　going　to　dig　next；　after　we　get　this　one？〃
〃I　reckon　maybe　we'll　tackle　the　old　tree　that's　over　yonder　on　Cardiff　Hill　back　of　the　widow's。〃
〃I　reckon　that'll　be　a　good　one。　But　won't　the　widow　take　it　away　from　us；　Tom？　It's　on　her　land。〃
〃She　take　it　away！　Maybe　she'd　like　to　try　it　once。　Whoever　finds　one　of　these　hid　treasures；　it　belongs　to　him。　It　don't　make　any　difference　whose　land　it's　on。〃
That　was　satisfactory。　The　work　went　on。　By　and　by　Huck　said：
〃Blame　it；　we　must　be　in　the　wrong　place　again。　What　do　you　think？〃
〃It　is　mighty　curious；　Huck。　I　don't　understand　it。　Sometimes　witches　interfere。　I　reckon　maybe　that's　what's　the　trouble　now。〃
〃Shucks！　Witches　ain't　got　no　power　in　the　daytime。〃
〃Well；　that's　so。　I　didn't　think　of　that。　Oh；　I　know　what　the　matter　is！　What　a　blamed　lot　of　fools　we　are！　You　got　to　find　out　where　the　shadow　of　the　limb　falls　at　midnight；　and　that's　where　you　dig！〃
〃Then　consound　it；　we've　fooled　away　all　this　work　for　nothing。　Now　hang　it　all；　we　got　to　come　back　in　the　night。　It's　an　awful　long　way。　Can　you　get　out？〃
〃I　bet　I　will。　We've　got　to　do　it　to…night；　too；　because　if　somebody　sees　these　holes　they'll　know　in　a　minute　what's　here　and　they'll　go　for　it。〃
〃Well；　I'll　come　around　and　maow　to…night。〃
〃All　right。　Let's　hide　the　tools　in　the　bushes。〃
The　boys　were　there　that　night；　about　the　appointed　time。　They　sat　in　the　shadow　waiting。　It　was　a　lonely　place；　and　an　hour　made　solemn　by　old　traditions。　Spirits　whispered　in　the　rustling　leaves；　ghosts　lurked　in　the　murky　nooks；　the　deep　baying　of　a　hound　floated　up　out　of　the　distance；　an　owl　answered　with　his　sepulchral　note。　The　boys　were　subdued　by　these　solemnities；　and　talked　little。　By　and　by　they　judged　that　twelve　had　come；　they　marked　where　the　shadow　fell；　and　began　to　dig。　Their　hopes　commenced　to　rise。　Their　interest　grew　stronger；　and　their　industry　kept　pace　with　it。　The　hole　deepened　and　still　deepened；　but　every　time　their　hearts　jumped　to　hear　the　pick　strike　upon　something；　they　only　suffered　a　new　disappointment。　It　was　only　a　stone　or　a　chunk。　At　last　Tom　said：
〃It　ain't　any　use；　Huck；　we're　wrong　again。〃
〃Well；　but　we　can't　be　wrong。　We　spotted　the　shadder　to　a　dot。〃
〃I　know　it；　but　then　there's　another　thing。〃
〃What's　that？〃。
〃Why；　we　only　guessed　at　the　time。　Like　enough　it　was　too　late　or　too　early。〃
Huck　dropped　his　shovel。
〃That's　it；〃　said　he。　〃That's　the　very　trouble。　We　got　to　give　this　one　up。　We　can't　ever　tell　the　right　time；　and　besides　this　kind　of　thing's　too　awful；　here　this　time　of　night　with　witches　and　ghosts　a…fluttering　around　so。　I　feel　as　if　something's　behind　me　all　the　time；　and　I'm　afeard　to　turn　around；　becuz　maybe　there's　others　in　front　a…waiting　for　a　chance。　I　been　creeping　all　over；　ever　since　I　got　here。〃
〃Well；　I've　been　pretty　much　so；　too；　Huck。　They　most　always　put　in　a　dead　man　when　they　bury　a　treasure　under　a　tree；　to　look　out　for　it。〃
〃Lordy！〃
〃Yes；　they　do。　I've　always　heard　that。〃
〃Tom；　I　don't　like　to　fool　around　much　where　there's　dead　people。　A　body's　bound　to　get　into　trouble　with　'em；　sure。〃
〃I　don't　like　to　stir　'em　up；　either。　S'pose　this　one　here　was　to　stick　his　skull　out　and　say　something！〃
〃Don't　Tom！　It's　awful。〃
〃Well；　it　just　is。　Huck；　I　don't　feel　comfortable　a　bit。〃
〃Say；　Tom；　let's　give　this　place　up；　and　try　somewheres　else。〃
〃All　right；　I　reckon　we　better。〃
〃What'll　it　be？〃
Tom　considered　awhile；　and　then　said：
〃The　ha'nted　house。　That's　it！〃
〃Blame　it；　I　don't　like　ha'nted　houses；　Tom。　Why；　they're　a　dern　sight　worse'n　dead　people。　Dead　people　might　talk；　maybe；　but　they　don't　come　sliding　around　in　a　shroud；　when　you　ain't　noticing；　and　peep　over　your　shoulder　all　of　a　sudden　and　grit　their　teeth；　the　way　a　ghost　does。　I　couldn't　stand　such　a　thing　as　that；　Tom　　nobody　could。〃
〃Yes；　but；　Huck；　ghosts　don't　travel　around　only　at　night。　They　won't　hender　us　from　digging　there　in　the　daytime。〃
〃Well；　that's　so。　But　you　know　mighty　well　people　don't　go　about　that　ha'nted　house　in　the　day　nor　the　night。〃
〃Well；　that's　mostly　because　they　don't　like　to　go　where　a　man's　been　murdered；　anyway　　but　nothing's　ever　been　seen　around　that　house　except　in　the　night　　just　some　blue　lights　slipping　by　the　windows　　no　regular　ghosts。〃
〃Well；　where　you　see　one　of　them　blue　lights　flickering　around；　Tom；　you　can　bet　there's　a　ghost　mighty　close　behind　it。　It　stands　to　reason。　Becuz　you　know　that　they　don't　anybody　but　ghosts　use　'em。〃
〃Yes；　that's　so。　But　anyway　they　don't　come　around　in　the　daytime；　so　what's　the　use　of　our　being　afeard？〃
〃Well；　all　right。　We'll　tackle　the　ha'nted　house　if　you　say　so　　but　I　reckon　it's　taking　chances。〃
They　had　started　down　the　hill　by　this　time。　There　in　the　middle　of　the　moonlit　valley　below　them　stood　the　〃ha'nted〃　house；　utterly　isolated；　its　fences　gone　long　ago；　rank　weeds　smothering　the　very　doorsteps；　the　chimney　crumbled　to　ruin；　the　window…sashes　vacant；　a　corner　of　the　roof　caved　in。　The　boys　gazed　awhile；　half　expecting　to　see　a　blue　light　flit　past　a　window；　then　talking　in　a　low　tone；　as　befitted　the　time　and　the　circumstances；　they　struck　far　off　to　the　right；　to　give　the　haunted　house　a　wide　berth；　and　took　their　way　homeward　through　the　woods　that　adorned　the　rearward　side　of　Cardiff　Hill。　
CHAPTER　XXVI
ABOUT　noon　the　next　day　the　boys　arrived　at　the　dead　tree；　they　had　come　for　their　tools。　Tom　was　impatient　to　go　to　the　haunted　house；　Huck　was　measurably　so；　also　　but　suddenly　said：
〃Lookyhere；　Tom；　do　you　know　what　day　it　is？〃
Tom　mentally　ran　over　the　days　of　the　week；　and　then　quickly　lifted　his　eyes　with　a　startled　look　in　them　
〃My！　I　never　once　thought　of　it；　Huck！〃
〃Well；　I　didn't　neither；　but　all　at　once　it　popped　onto　me　that　it　was　Friday。〃
〃Blame　it；　a　body　can't　be　too　careful；　Huck。　We　might　'a'　got　into　an　awful　scrape；　tackling　such　a　thing　on　a　Friday。〃
〃~might！　Better　say　we　would！　There's　some　lucky　days；　maybe；　but　Friday　ain't。〃
〃Any　fool　knows　that。　I　don't　reckon　YOU　was　the　first　that　found　it　out；　Huck。〃
〃Well；　I　never