汤姆.索亚历险记-第41节

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。〃
〃What　orgies？〃
〃I　dono。　But　robbers　always　have　orgies；　and　of　course　we've　got　to　have　them；　too。　Come　along；　Huck；　we've　been　in　here　a　long　time。　It's　getting　late；　I　reckon。　I'm　hungry；　too。　We'll　eat　and　smoke　when　we　get　to　the　skiff。〃
They　presently　emerged　into　the　clump　of　sumach　bushes；　looked　warily　out；　found　the　coast　clear；　and　were　soon　lunching　and　smoking　in　the　skiff。　As　the　sun　dipped　toward　the　horizon　they　pushed　out　and　got　under　way。　Tom　skimmed　up　the　shore　through　the　long　twilight；　chatting　cheerily　with　Huck；　and　landed　shortly　after　dark。
〃Now；　Huck；〃　said　Tom；　〃we'll　hide　the　money　in　the　loft　of　the　widow's　woodshed；　and　I'll　come　up　in　the　morning　and　we'll　count　it　and　divide；　and　then　we'll　hunt　up　a　place　out　in　the　woods　for　it　where　it　will　be　safe。　Just　you　lay　quiet　here　and　watch　the　stuff　till　I　run　and　hook　Benny　Taylor's　little　wagon；　I　won't　be　gone　a　minute。〃
He　disappeared；　and　presently　returned　with　the　wagon；　put　the　two　small　sacks　into　it；　threw　some　old　rags　on　top　of　them；　and　started　off；　dragging　his　cargo　behind　him。　When　the　boys　reached　the　Welshman's　house；　they　stopped　to　rest。　Just　as　they　were　about　to　move　on；　the　Welshman　stepped　out　and　said：
〃Hallo；　who's　that？〃
〃Huck　and　Tom　Sawyer。〃
〃Good！　Come　along　with　me；　boys；　you　are　keeping　everybody　waiting。　Here　　hurry　up；　trot　ahead　　I'll　haul　the　wagon　for　you。　Why；　it's　not　as　light　as　it　might　be。　Got　bricks　in　it？　　or　old　metal？〃
〃Old　metal；〃　said　Tom。
〃I　judged　so；　the　boys　in　this　town　will　take　more　trouble　and　fool　away　more　time　hunting　up　six　bits'　worth　of　old　iron　to　sell　to　the　foundry　than　they　would　to　make　twice　the　money　at　regular　work。　But　that's　human　nature　　hurry　along；　hurry　along！〃
The　boys　wanted　to　know　what　the　hurry　was　about。
〃Never　mind；　you'll　see；　when　we　get　to　the　Widow　Douglas'。〃
Huck　said　with　some　apprehension　　for　he　was　long　used　to　being　falsely　accused：
〃Mr。　Jones；　we　haven't　been　doing　nothing。〃
The　Welshman　laughed。
〃Well；　I　don't　know；　Huck；　my　boy。　I　don't　know　about　that。　Ain't　you　and　the　widow　good　friends？〃
〃Yes。　Well；　she's　ben　good　friends　to　me；　anyway。〃
〃All　right；　then。　What　do　you　want　to　be　afraid　for？〃
This　question　was　not　entirely　answered　in　Huck's　slow　mind　before　he　found　himself　pushed；　along　with　Tom；　into　Mrs。　Douglas'　drawing…room。　Mr。　Jones　left　the　wagon　near　the　door　and　followed。
The　place　was　grandly　lighted；　and　everybody　that　was　of　any　consequence　in　the　village　was　there。　The　Thatchers　were　there；　the　Harpers；　the　Rogerses；　Aunt　Polly；　Sid；　Mary；　the　minister；　the　editor；　and　a　great　many　more；　and　all　dressed　in　their　best。　The　widow　received　the　boys　as　heartily　as　any　one　could　well　receive　two　such　looking　beings。　They　were　covered　with　clay　and　candle…grease。　Aunt　Polly　blushed　crimson　with　humiliation；　and　frowned　and　shook　her　head　at　Tom。　Nobody　suffered　half　as　much　as　the　two　boys　did；　however。　Mr。　Jones　said：
〃Tom　wasn't　at　home；　yet；　so　I　gave　him　up；　but　I　stumbled　on　him　and　Huck　right　at　my　door；　and　so　I　just　brought　them　along　in　a　hurry。〃
〃And　you　did　just　right；〃　said　the　widow。　〃Come　with　me；　boys。〃
She　took　them　to　a　bedchamber　and　said：
〃Now　wash　and　dress　yourselves。　Here　are　two　new　suits　of　clothes　　shirts；　socks；　everything　complete。　They're　Huck's　　no；　no　thanks；　Huck　　Mr。　Jones　bought　one　and　I　the　other。　But　they'll　fit　both　of　you。　Get　into　them。　We'll　wait　　come　down　when　you　are　slicked　up　enough。〃
Then　she　left。　
CHAPTER　XXXIV
HUCK　said：　〃Tom；　we　can　slope；　if　we　can　find　a　rope。　The　window　ain't　high　from　the　ground。〃
〃Shucks！　what　do　you　want　to　slope　for？〃
〃Well；　I　ain't　used　to　that　kind　of　a　crowd。　I　can't　stand　it。　I　ain't　going　down　there；　Tom。〃
〃Oh；　bother！　It　ain't　anything。　I　don't　mind　it　a　bit。　I'll　take　care　of　you。〃
Sid　appeared。
〃Tom；〃　said　he；　〃auntie　has　been　waiting　for　you　all　the　afternoon。　Mary　got　your　Sunday　clothes　ready；　and　everybody's　been　fretting　about　you。　Say　　ain't　this　grease　and　clay；　on　your　clothes？〃
〃Now；　Mr。　Siddy；　you　jist　'tend　to　your　own　business。　What's　all　this　blow…out　about；　anyway？〃
〃It's　one　of　the　widow's　parties　that　she's　always　having。　This　time　it's　for　the　Welshman　and　his　sons；　on　account　of　that　scrape　they　helped　her　out　of　the　other　night。　And　say　　I　can　tell　you　something；　if　you　want　to　know。〃
〃Well；　what？〃
〃Why；　old　Mr。　Jones　is　going　to　try　to　spring　something　on　the　people　here　to…night；　but　I　overheard　him　tell　auntie　to…day　about　it；　as　a　secret；　but　I　reckon　it's　not　much　of　a　secret　now。　Everybody　knows　　the　widow；　too；　for　all　she　tries　to　let　on　she　don't。　Mr。　Jones　was　bound　Huck　should　be　here　　couldn't　get　along　with　his　grand　secret　without　Huck；　you　know！〃
〃Secret　about　what；　Sid？〃
〃About　Huck　tracking　the　robbers　to　the　widow's。　I　reckon　Mr。　Jones　was　going　to　make　a　grand　time　over　his　surprise；　but　I　bet　you　it　will　drop　pretty　flat。〃
Sid　chuckled　in　a　very　contented　and　satisfied　way。
〃Sid；　was　it　you　that　told？〃
〃Oh；　never　mind　who　it　was。　Somebody　told　　that's　enough。〃
〃Sid；　there's　only　one　person　in　this　town　mean　enough　to　do　that；　and　that's　you。　If　you　had　been　in　Huck's　place　you'd　'a'　sneaked　down　the　hill　and　never　told　anybody　on　the　robbers。　You　can't　do　any　but　mean　things；　and　you　can't　bear　to　see　anybody　praised　for　doing　good　ones。　There　　no　thanks；　as　the　widow　says〃　　and　Tom　cuffed　Sid's　ears　and　helped　him　to　the　door　with　several　kicks。　〃Now　go　and　tell　auntie　if　you　dare　　and　to…morrow　you'll　catch　it！〃
Some　minutes　later　the　widow's　guests　were　at　the　supper…table；　and　a　dozen　children　were　propped　up　at　little　side…tables　in　the　same　room；　after　the　fashion　of　that　country　and　that　day。　At　the　proper　time　Mr。　Jones　made　his　little　speech；　in　which　he　thanked　the　widow　for　the　honor　she　was　doing　himself　and　his　sons；　but　said　that　there　was　another　person　whose　modesty　
And　so　forth　and　so　on。　He　sprung　his　secret　about　Huck's　share　in　the　adventure　in　the　finest　dramatic　manner　he　was　master　of；　but　the　surprise　it　occasioned　was　largely　counterfeit　and　not　as　clamorous　and　effusive　as　it　might　have　been　under　happier　circumstances。　However；　the　widow　made　a　pretty　fair　show　of　astonishment；　and　heaped　so　many　compliments　and　so　much　gratitude　upon　Huck　that　he　almost　forgot　the　nearly　intolerable　discomfort　of　his　new　clothes　in　the　entirely　intolerable　discomfort　of　being　set　up　as　a　target　for　everybody's　gaze　and　everybody's　laudations。
The　widow　said　she　meant　to　give　Huck　a　home　under　her　roof　and　have　him　educated；　and　that　when　she　could　spare　the　money　she　would　start　him　in　business　in　a　modest　way。　Tom's　chance　was　come。　He　said：
〃Huck　don't　need　it。　Huck's　rich。〃
Nothing　but　a　heavy　strain　upon　the　good　manners　of　the　company　kept　back　the　due　and　proper　complimentary　laugh　at　this　pleasant　joke。　But　the　silence　was　a　little　awkward。　Tom　broke　it：
〃Huck's　got　money。　Maybe　you　don't　believe　it；　but　he's　got　lots　of　it。　Oh；　you　needn't　smile　　I　reckon　I　can　show　you。　You　just　wait　a　minute。〃
Tom　ran　out　of　doors。　The　company　looked　at　each　other　with　a　perplexed　interest　　and　inquiringly　at　Huck；　who　was　tongue…tied。
〃Sid；　what　ails　Tom？〃　said　Aunt　Polly。　〃He　　well；　there　ain't　ever　any　making　of　that　boy　out。　I　never　〃
Tom　entered；　struggling　with　the　weight　of　his　sacks；　and　Aunt　Polly　did　not　finish　her　sentence。　Tom　poured　the　mass　of　yellow　coin　upon　the　table　and　said：
〃There　　what　did　I　tell　you？　Half　of　it's　Huck's　and　half　of　it's　mine！〃
The　spectacle　took　the　general　breath　away。　All　gazed；　nobody　spoke　for　a　moment。　Then　there　was　a　unanimous　call　for　an　explanation。　Tom　said　he　could　furnish　it；　and　he　did。　The　tale　was　long；　but　brimful　of　interest。　There　was　scarcely　an　interruption　from　any　one　to　break　the　charm　of　its　flow。　When　he　had　finished；　Mr。　Jones　said：
〃I　thought　I　had　fixed　up　a　little　surprise　for　this　occasion；　but　it　don't　amount　to　anything　now。　This　one　makes　it　sing　mighty　small；　I'm　willing　to　allow。〃
The　money　was　counted。　The　sum　amounted　to　a　little　over　twelve　thousand　dollars。　It　was　more　than　any　one　present　had　ever　seen　at　one　time　before；　though　several　persons　were　there　who　were　worth　considerably　more　than　that　in　property。　
CHAPTER　XXXV
THE　reader　may　rest　satisfied　that　Tom's　and　Huck's　windfall　made　a　mighty　stir　in　the　poor　little　village　of　St。　Petersburg。　So　vast　a　sum；　all　in　actual　cash；　seemed　next　to　incredible。　It　was　talked　about；　gloated　over；　glorified；　until　the　reason　of　many　of　the　citizens　tottered　under　the　strain　of　the　unhealthy　excitement。　Every　〃haunted〃　house　in　St。　Petersburg　and　the　neighboring　villages　was　dissected；　plank　by　plank；　and　its　foundations　dug　up　and　ransacked　for　hidden　treasure　　and　not　by　boys；　but　men　　pretty　grave；　unromantic　men；　too；　some　of　them。　Wherever　Tom　and　Huck　appeared　they　were　courted；　admired；　stared　at。　The　boys　were　not　able　to　remember　that　their　remarks　had　possessed　weight　before；　but　now　their　sayings　were　treasured　and　repeated；　everything　they　did　seemed　somehow　to　be　regarded　as　remarkable；　they　had　evidently　lost　the　power　of　doing　and　saying　commonplace　things；　moreover；　their　past　history　was　raked　up　and　discovered　to　bear　marks　of　conspi