汤姆.索亚历险记-第36节

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〃Of　burglar's　tools。　Why；　what's　the　MATTER　with　you？〃
Huck　sank　back；　panting　gently；　but　deeply；　unutterably　grateful。　The　Welshman　eyed　him　gravely；　curiously　　and　presently　said：
〃Yes；　burglar's　tools。　That　appears　to　relieve　you　a　good　deal。　But　what　did　give　you　that　turn？　What　were　YOU　expecting　we'd　found？〃
Huck　was　in　a　close　place　　the　inquiring　eye　was　upon　him　　he　would　have　given　anything　for　material　for　a　plausible　answer　　nothing　suggested　itself　　the　inquiring　eye　was　boring　deeper　and　deeper　　a　senseless　reply　offered　　there　was　no　time　to　weigh　it；　so　at　a　venture　he　uttered　it　　feebly：
〃Sunday…school　books；　maybe。〃
Poor　Huck　was　too　distressed　to　smile；　but　the　old　man　laughed　loud　and　joyously；　shook　up　the　details　of　his　anatomy　from　head　to　foot；　and　ended　by　saying　that　such　a　laugh　was　money　in　a…man's　pocket；　because　it　cut　down　the　doctor's　bill　like　everything。　Then　he　added：
〃Poor　old　chap；　you're　white　and　jaded　　you　ain't　well　a　bit　　no　wonder　you're　a　little　flighty　and　off　your　balance。　But　you'll　come　out　of　it。　Rest　and　sleep　will　fetch　you　out　all　right；　I　hope。〃
Huck　was　irritated　to　think　he　had　been　such　a　goose　and　betrayed　such　a　suspicious　excitement；　for　he　had　dropped　the　idea　that　the　parcel　brought　from　the　tavern　was　the　treasure；　as　soon　as　he　had　heard　the　talk　at　the　widow's　stile。　He　had　only　thought　it　was　not　the　treasure；　however　　he　had　not　known　that　it　wasn't　　and　so　the　suggestion　of　a　captured　bundle　was　too　much　for　his　self…possession。　But　on　the　whole　he　felt　glad　the　little　episode　had　happened；　for　now　he　knew　beyond　all　question　that　that　bundle　was　not　THE　bundle；　and　so　his　mind　was　at　rest　and　exceedingly　comfortable。　In　fact；　everything　seemed　to　be　drifting　just　in　the　right　direction；　now；　the　treasure　must　be　still　in　No。　2；　the　men　would　be　captured　and　jailed　that　day；　and　he　and　Tom　could　seize　the　gold　that　night　without　any　trouble　or　any　fear　of　interruption。
Just　as　breakfast　was　completed　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door。　Huck　jumped　for　a　hiding…place；　for　he　had　no　mind　to　be　connected　even　remotely　with　the　late　event。　The　Welshman　admitted　several　ladies　and　gentlemen；　among　them　the　Widow　Douglas；　and　noticed　that　groups　of　citizens　were　climbing　up　the　hill　　to　stare　at　the　stile。　So　the　news　had　spread。　The　Welshman　had　to　tell　the　story　of　the　night　to　the　visitors。　The　widow's　gratitude　for　her　preservation　was　outspoken。
〃Don't　say　a　word　about　it；　madam。　There's　another　that　you're　more　beholden　to　than　you　are　to　me　and　my　boys；　maybe；　but　he　don't　allow　me　to　tell　his　name。　We　wouldn't　have　been　there　but　for　him。〃
Of　course　this　excited　a　curiosity　so　vast　that　it　almost　belittled　the　main　matter　　but　the　Welshman　allowed　it　to　eat　into　the　vitals　of　his　visitors；　and　through　them　be　transmitted　to　the　whole　town；　for　he　refused　to　part　with　his　secret。　When　all　else　had　been　learned；　the　widow　said：
〃I　went　to　sleep　reading　in　bed　and　slept　straight　through　all　that　noise。　Why　didn't　you　come　and　wake　me？〃
〃We　judged　it　warn't　worth　while。　Those　fellows　warn't　likely　to　come　again　　they　hadn't　any　tools　left　to　work　with；　and　what　was　the　use　of　waking　you　up　and　scaring　you　to　death？　My　three　negro　men　stood　guard　at　your　house　all　the　rest　of　the　night。　They've　just　come　back。〃
More　visitors　came；　and　the　story　had　to　be　told　and　retold　for　a　couple　of　hours　more。
There　was　no　Sabbath…school　during　day…school　vacation；　but　everybody　was　early　at　church。　The　stirring　event　was　well　canvassed。　News　came　that　not　a　sign　of　the　two　villains　had　been　yet　discovered。　When　the　sermon　was　finished；　Judge　Thatcher's　wife　dropped　alongside　of　Mrs。　Harper　as　she　moved　down　the　aisle　with　the　crowd　and　said：
〃Is　my　Becky　going　to　sleep　all　day？　I　just　expected　she　would　be　tired　to　death。〃
〃Your　Becky？〃
〃Yes；〃　with　a　startled　look　　〃didn't　she　stay　with　you　last　night？〃
〃Why；　no。〃
Mrs。　Thatcher　turned　pale；　and　sank　into　a　pew；　just　as　Aunt　Polly；　talking　briskly　with　a　friend；　passed　by。　Aunt　Polly　said：
〃Good…morning；　Mrs。　Thatcher。　Good…morning；　Mrs。　Harper。　I've　got　a　boy　that's　turned　up　missing。　I　reckon　my　Tom　stayed　at　your　house　last　night　　one　of　you。　And　now　he's　afraid　to　come　to　church。　I've　got　to　settle　with　him。〃
Mrs。　Thatcher　shook　her　head　feebly　and　turned　paler　than　ever。
〃He　didn't　stay　with　us；〃　said　Mrs。　Harper；　beginning　to　look　uneasy。　A　marked　anxiety　came　into　Aunt　Polly's　face。
〃Joe　Harper；　have　you　seen　my　Tom　this　morning？〃
〃No'm。〃
〃When　did　you　see　him　last？〃
Joe　tried　to　remember；　but　was　not　sure　he　could　say。　The　people　had　stopped　moving　out　of　church。　Whispers　passed　along；　and　a　boding　uneasiness　took　possession　of　every　countenance。　Children　were　anxiously　questioned；　and　young　teachers。　They　all　said　they　had　not　noticed　whether　Tom　and　Becky　were　on　board　the　ferryboat　on　the　homeward　trip；　it　was　dark；　no　one　thought　of　inquiring　if　any　one　was　missing。　One　young　man　finally　blurted　out　his　fear　that　they　were　still　in　the　cave！　Mrs。　Thatcher　swooned　away。　Aunt　Polly　fell　to　crying　and　wringing　her　hands。
The　alarm　swept　from　lip　to　lip；　from　group　to　group；　from　street　to　street；　and　within　five　minutes　the　bells　were　wildly　clanging　and　the　whole　town　was　up！　The　Cardiff　Hill　episode　sank　into　instant　insignificance；　the　burglars　were　forgotten；　horses　were　saddled；　skiffs　were　manned；　the　ferryboat　ordered　out；　and　before　the　horror　was　half　an　hour　old；　two　hundred　men　were　pouring　down　highroad　and　river　toward　the　cave。
All　the　long　afternoon　the　village　seemed　empty　and　dead。　Many　women　visited　Aunt　Polly　and　Mrs。　Thatcher　and　tried　to　comfort　them。　They　cried　with　them；　too；　and　that　was　still　better　than　words。　All　the　tedious　night　the　town　waited　for　news；　but　when　the　morning　dawned　at　last；　all　the　word　that　came　was；　〃Send　more　candles　　and　send　food。〃　Mrs。　Thatcher　was　almost　crazed；　and　Aunt　Polly；　also。　Judge　Thatcher　sent　messages　of　hope　and　encouragement　from　the　cave；　but　they　conveyed　no　real　cheer。
The　old　Welshman　came　home　toward　daylight；　spattered　with　candle…grease；　smeared　with　clay；　and　almost　worn　out。　He　found　Huck　still　in　the　bed　that　had　been　provided　for　him；　and　delirious　with　fever。　The　physicians　were　all　at　the　cave；　so　the　Widow　Douglas　came　and　took　charge　of　the　patient。　She　said　she　would　do　her　best　by　him；　because；　whether　he　was　good；　bad；　or　indifferent；　he　was　the　Lord's；　and　nothing　that　was　the　Lord's　was　a　thing　to　be　neglected。　The　Welshman　said　Huck　had　good　spots　in　him；　and　the　widow　said：
〃You　can　depend　on　it。　That's　the　Lord's　mark。　He　don't　leave　it　off。　He　never　does。　Puts　it　somewhere　on　every　creature　that　comes　from　his　hands。〃
Early　in　the　forenoon　parties　of　jaded　men　began　to　straggle　into　the　village；　but　the　strongest　of　the　citizens　continued　searching。　All　the　news　that　could　be　gained　was　that　remotenesses　of　the　cavern　were　being　ransacked　that　had　never　been　visited　before；　that　every　corner　and　crevice　was　going　to　be　thoroughly　searched；　that　wherever　one　wandered　through　the　maze　of　passages；　lights　were　to　be　seen　flitting　hither　and　thither　in　the　distance；　and　shoutings　and　pistol…shots　sent　their　hollow　reverberations　to　the　ear　down　the　sombre　aisles。　In　one　place；　far　from　the　section　usually　traversed　by　tourists；　the　names　〃BECKY　&　TOM〃　had　been　found　traced　upon　the　rocky　wall　with　candle…smoke；　and　near　at　hand　a　grease…soiled　bit　of　ribbon。　Mrs。　Thatcher　recognized　the　ribbon　and　cried　over　it。　She　said　it　was　the　last　relic　she　should　ever　have　of　her　child；　and　that　no　other　memorial　of　her　could　ever　be　so　precious；　because　this　one　parted　latest　from　the　living　body　before　the　awful　death　came。　Some　said　that　now　and　then；　in　the　cave；　a　far…away　speck　of　light　would　glimmer；　and　then　a　glorious　shout　would　burst　forth　and　a　score　of　men　go　trooping　down　the　echoing　aisle　　and　then　a　sickening　disappointment　always　followed；　the　children　were　not　there；　it　was　only　a　searcher's　light。
Three　dreadful　days　and　nights　dragged　their　tedious　hours　along；　and　the　village　sank　into　a　hopeless　stupor。　No　one　had　heart　for　anything。　The　accidental　discovery；　just　made；　that　the　proprietor　of　the　Temperance　Tavern　kept　liquor　on　his　premises；　scarcely　fluttered　the　public　pulse；　tremendous　as　the　fact　was。　In　a　lucid　interval；　Huck　feebly　led　up　to　the　subject　of　taverns；　and　finally　asked　　dimly　dreading　the　worst　　if　anything　had　been　discovered　at　the　Temperance　Tavern　since　he　had　been　ill。
〃Yes；〃　said　the　widow。
Huck　started　up　in　bed；　wild…eyed：
〃What？　What　was　it？〃
〃Liquor！　　and　the　place　has　been　shut　up。　Lie　down；　child　　what　a　turn　you　did　give　me！〃
〃Only　tell　me　just　one　thing　　only　just　one　　please！　Was　it　Tom　Sawyer　that　found　it？〃
The　widow　burst　into　tears。　〃Hush；　hush；　child；　hush！　I've　told　you　before；　you　must　not　talk。　You　are　very；　very　sick！〃
Then　nothing　but　liquor　had　been　found；　there　would　have　been　a　great　powwow　if　it　had　been　the　gold。　So　the　treasure　was　gone　forever　　gone　forever！　But　what　could　she　be　crying　about？　Curious　that　she　should　cry。
These　thoughts　worked　their　dim　way　through　Huck's　mind；　and　under　the　weariness　they　gave　him　he　fell　asleep。　The　widow　said