The Adventures of Tom Sawyer : Chapter 16-17

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Episode Transcript

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Chapter sixteen, First Pipes, I'velost my knife. After dinner, all
the gang turned out to hunt forturtle eggs on the bar. They went
about poking sticks into the sand,and when they found a soft place,
they went down on their knees anddug with their hands. Sometimes they would
take fifty or sixty eggs out ofone hole. They were perfectly round,

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white things, a trifle smaller thanan English walnut. They had a famous
fried egg feast that night and anotheron Friday morning. After breakfast, they
went whooping and prancing out on thebar and chased each other round and round,
shedding clothes as they went until theywere naked, and then continued the
frolic far away up the shoal waterof the bar against the stiff current,

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which latter tripped their legs from underthem from time to time and greatly increased
the fun. And now and thenthey stooped in a group and splashed water
on each other's faces with their palms, gradually approaching each other with averted faces
to avoid the strangling sprays, andfinally gripping and struggling till the best man
ducked his neighbor. And then theyall went under in a tangle of white

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legs and arms, and came upblowing, sputtering, laughing, and gasping
for breath. At one and thesame time, when they were well exhausted,
they would run out and sprawl onthe dry, hot sand and lie
there and cover themselves up with it, and by and by break from the
water again, and go through theoriginal performance once more. Finally it occurred

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to them that their naked skin representedflush colored tights very fairly. So they
drew a ring in the sand andhad a circus with three clowns in it,
for none would yield this proudest postto his neighbor. Next they got
their marbles and played nuts and ringtall and keeps till that amusement grew stale.

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Then Joe and Huck had another swim, but Tom would not venture because
he found that in kicking off histrousers he had kicked his string of rattlesnake
rattles off his ankle, and hewondered how he had escaped cramped so long
without the protection of this mysterious charm. He did not venture again until he
had found it, and by thattime the other boys were tired and ready
to rest. They gradually wandered apartand dropped into the dumps, and fell

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to gazing longingly across the wide riverto where the village lay. Drowsing in
the sun, Tom found himself writingBecky in the sand with his big toe.
He scratched it out, and wasangry with himself for his weakness,
but he wrote it again. Nevertheless, he could not help it. He
raised it once more, and thentook himself out of temptation by driving the

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other boys together and joining them.But Joe's spirits had gone down, almost
beyond resurrection. He was so homesickthat he could hardly endure the misery of
it. The tears lay very nearthe surface. Huck was melancholy too.
Tom was downhearted, but tried hardnot to show it. He had a
secret which he was not ready totell yet. But if this mutinous depression

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was not broken up soon, hewould have to bring it out. He
said, with a great show ofcheerfulness. I bet there's been pirates on
this island before. Boys, we'llexplore it again. They've hid treasures here
somewhere. How'd you feel to lighton a rotten chest full of gold and
silver? Hey, but it rousedonly a faint enthusiasm, which faded out

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with no reply. Tom tried oneor two other seductions, but they failed
too. It was discouraging work.Joe sat poking up the sand with a
stick and looking very gloomy. Finallyhe said, oh, boys, let's
give it up. I want togo home. It's so lonesome. Oh
no, Joe, you'll feel better. Buy and buy, said Tom.
Just think of the fishing that's here. I don't care for fishing. I

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want to go home. But Joe, there ain't such another swimming place anywhere.
Swimming's no good. I don't seemto care for it somehow, when
there ain't anybody to say, Ishan't go in. I mean to go
home. Oh shucks, baby,you want to see your mother? I
reckon, Yes, I do wantto see my mother, and you would
too if you had one. Iain't any more baby than you are.

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And Joe snuffled a little. Well, we'll let the cry baby go home
to his mother, won't we huck? Poor thing? Does it want to
see its mother? And so it? Shall? You like it here,
don't you huck? We'll stay,won't we huck? Said yes, without
any heart in it. I'll neverspeak to you again as long as I

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live, said Joe, rising therenow, and he moved moodily away and
began to dress himself. Who cares, said Tom, Nobody wants you to
go along home and get laughed at. Oh, you're a nice pirate,
hucking me. Ain't cry babies.We'll stay, won't we, Huck?
Let him go if he wants to. I reckon. We can get along
without him, perhaps. But Tomwas uneasy nevertheless, and was alarmed to

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see Joe go sullenly on with hisdressing. And then it was discomforting to
see Huck eyeing Joe's preparations so wistfullyand keeping up such an ominous silence.
Presently, without a parting word,Joe began to wade off toward the Illinois
shore. Tom's heart began to sink. He glanced at Huck. Huck could

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not bear the look and dropped hiseyes, and then he said, I
want to go too, Tom.He was getting so lonesome anyway, and
now it'll be worse. Let usgo too, Tom, I won't you
can all go if you want to, I mean to stay, Tom,
I'd better go we'll go along.Who's henderin you? Huck began to pick

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up his scattered clothes, and hesaid, Tom, I wish you'd come
too. Now you think it over, We'll wait for you when we get
to the shore. Well you'll waita blame long time, that's all.
Huck started sorrowfully away, and Tomstood looking after him, with a strong
desire tugging at his heart to yieldhis pride and go along too. He
hoped the boys would stop, butthey still waited slowly on. It suddenly

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dawned on Tom that it was becomevery lonely, and still he made one
final struggle with his pride, andthen darted after his comrades, yelling wait,
wait, I want to tell yousomething. They presently stopped and turned
round. When he got to wherethey were, he began unfolding his secret,
and they listened moodily till at lastthey saw the point he was driving

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at, and then they set upa war whoop of applause and said it
was splendid, and said if hehad told them at first, they wouldn't
have started away. He made aplausible excuse, but his real reason had
been the fear that not even thesecret would keep them with him in a
very great length of time, andso he had meant to hold it in
reserve as a last seduction. Thelads came gayly back and went at their

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sportskin with a will, chattering allthe time about Tom's stupendous plan and admiring
the genius of it. After adainty egg and fished dinner, Tom said
he wanted to learn to smoke.Now. Joe caught at the idea and
said he would like to try too, So Huck made pipes and filled them.
These novices had never smoked anything beforebut cigars made of grape vine,

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and they bit the tongue and werenot considered manly anyway. Now they stretched
themselves out on their elbows and beganto puff Charlie and with slender confidence.
The smoke had an unpleasant taste,and they gagged a little. But Tom
said, why, it's just aseasy. If I'd knowed this was all,
I'd have learned long ago, sowould I, said, Joe,

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it's just nothing. Why many atime I've looked at people smoking and thought,
well, I wish I could dothat, But I never thought I
could, said Tom, that's justthe way with me, hated Tuck.
You heard me talk just that way, haven't you, Huck. I'll leave
it to Huck if I haven't.Yes, heaps of time, said Huck.
Well I have too, said Tom. Oh hundreds of times. Once

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down by the slaughter house. Don'tyou remember, Huck, Bob Tanner was
there, and Johnny Miller and JeffThatcher when I said it. Don't you
remember Huck about me saying that,Yes, that's so, said Huck.
That was the day after I losta white alley, No, twas the
day before there I told you so, I said, Tom, how recollects
it? I believe I could smokethis pipe all day, said Joe.
I don't feel sick, neither do, I said Tom. I could smoke

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it all day. But I betyou Jeff Thatcher couldn't. Jeff Thatcher,
why he'd keel over just with twodraws, Just let him try it once
he'd see I bet he would.And Johnny Miller. I wish I could
see Johnny Miller tackle it once.Oh don't, I said Joe. Why?
I bet now? Johnny Miller couldn'tanymore do this than nothing. Just

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one little sniffer would fetch him.Indeed it would. Joe say, I
wish the boys could see us,now, so do I say? Boys
don't say anything about it. Andsometime when they're around, I'll come up
to you and say, Joe,got a pipe I want to smoke,
And you'll say kind of careless,like as if it weren't anything. You'll
say, yes, I got myold pipe and another one, but my

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tobacco ain't very good, and I'llsay, oh, that's all right if
it's strong enough, and then you'llout with the pipes, and we'll light
up just as calm, and thenjust see him look by jeans. That'll
be gay, Tom. I wishit was now, so do I.
And when we tell him we learnedwhen we was off pirating, won't they
wish they'd been long? Oh?I reckon not. I'll just bet they

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will. So the talk ran on, but presently it began to flag a
trifle and grow disjointed. The silenceis widened, the expectoration marvelously increased.
Every pore inside the boy's cheeks becamea spouting fountain. They could scarcely bale
out the cellars under their tongues fastenough to prevent an inundation. Little overflowings
down their throats occurred in spite ofall they could do, and sudden wretchings

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followed every time. Both boys werelooking very pale and miserable. Now Joe's
pipe dropped from his nerveless fingers.Tom's followed. Both fountains were going furiously,
and both pumps baling with might andmain. Joe said, feebly,
I've lost my knife. I reckonI'd better go and find it. Tom

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said, with quivering lips and haltingutterance, I'll help you. You go
over that way and i'll hunt aroundby the spring. No, you needn't
come, Huck. We can findit. So Huck sat down again and
waited an hour. Then he foundit lonesome and went to find his comrades.
They were wide apart in the woods, both very pale, both fast
asleep. But something informed him thatif they had had any trouble, they'd

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got rid of it. They werenot talking of At supper that night they
had a humble look, and whenHuck prepared his pipe after the meal and
was going to prepare theirs, theysaid no, they were not feeling very
well. Something they ate at dinnerhad disagreed with them. About midnight,
Joe awoke and called the boys.There was a brooding oppressiveness in the air

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that seemed to bode something. Theboys huddled themselves together and sought the friendly
companionship of the fire. Though thedull, dead heat of the breathless atmosphere
was stifling. They sat still,intent and waiting. The solemn hush continued
beyond the light of the fire.Everything was swallowed up in the blackness of
darkness. Presently there came a quiveringglow that vaguely revealed the foliage for a

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moment, and then vanished by andby another came a little stronger, then
another. Then a faint moan camesighing through the branches of the forest,
and the boys felt a fleeting breathupon their cheeks, and shuddered with a
fancy that the spirit of the nighthad gone by. There was a pause.
Now, a weird flash turned nightinto day, and showed every little

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grass blade separate and distinct, andgrew about their feet, and it showed
three white, startled faces too.A deep peal of thunder went rolling and
tumbling down the heavens and lost itselfin sullen rumblings in the distance. A
sweep of chilly air passed by,rustling all the leaves and snowing the flaky

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ashes broadcast about the fire. Anotherfierce glare lit up the forest, and
an instant crash followed that seemed torend the tree tops right over the boy's
heads. They clung together in terrorin the thick gloom that followed. A
few big raindrops fell, pattering uponthe leaves. Quick boys go for the
tent, exclaimed Tom. They sprangaway, stumbling over the roots and among

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vines in the dark, no twoplunging in the same direction. A furious
blast roared through the trees, makingeverything sing as it went, one blinding
flash after another, and the peelon peal of deafening thunder. And now
a drenching rain poured down, andthe rising hurricane drove it in sheets along
the ground. The boys cried outto each other, but the roaring wind

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and the booming thunderblasts drowned their voicesutterly. However, one by one they
straggled in at last and took shelterunder the tent, cold, scared and
streaming with water, but to havecompany and misery seemed something to be grateful
for. They could not talk theold sail flat so furiously, even if
the other noises would have allowed them. The tempest rose higher and higher,

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and press the sail tore loose fromits fastings and went winging away on the
blast. The boys seized each other'shands and fled, with many tumblings and
bruises, to the shelter of agreat oak tree that stood upon the river
bank. Now the battle was atits highest under the ceaseless conflagration of lightning
that flamed in the skies. Everythingbelow stood out in clean cut and shadowless

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distinction, the bending trees, thebillowy river white with foam, the driving
spray of spume flakes, the dimoutlines of the high bluffs on the other
side glinted through the drifting cloud rack, and the slanting veil of rain.
Every little while, some giant treeyielded the fight and fell, crashing through

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the younger growth, and the unflaggingthunder Peels came now and ears, splitting
explosive bursts, keen and sharp andunspeakably appalling. The storm culminated in one
matchless effort that seemed likely to tearthe island to pieces, burn it up,
drown it to the tree tops,and blow it away, and deafen
every creature in it, all atonce at the same moment. It was

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a wild night for homeless young headsto be out in. But at last
the battle was done, and theforces retired with weaker and weaker threatenings and
grumblings, and peace resumed her sway. The boys went back to camp a
good deal awed, but they foundthere was still something to be thankful for,
because the great sycamore, the shelterof their beds, was a ruin,

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now blasted by the lightnings, andthey were not under it. When
the catastrophe happened. Everything in campwas drenched the camp fire as well,
for they were but heedless lads liketheir generation, and had made no provision
against rain. Here was matter fordismay, for they were soaked through and
chilled. They were eloquent in theirdistress. But they presently discovered that the

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fire had eaten so far up underthe great log it had been built against,
where it curved upward and separated itselffrom the ground, that a handbreadth
or so of it had escaped weddingso they paid patiently wrought until with shreds
and bark gathered from under sides ofsheltered logs, they coaxed the fire to

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burn again. Then they piled ongreat dead boughs till they had a roaring
furnace, and were glad hearted oncemore. They dried their boiled ham and
had a feast. And after thatthey sat by the fire and expanded and
glorified their midnight adventure until morning,for there was not a dry spot to
sleep on anywhere around. As thesun began to steal in upon the boys,

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drowsiness came over them, and theywent out on the sand bar and
lay down to sleep. They gotscorched out by and by, and drearily
set about getting breakfast. After themeal, they felt rusty and stiff jointed,
and a little homesick. Once more, Tom saw the signs and fell
to cheering up the pirates as wellas he could, But they cared nothing

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for marbles or circus, or swimmingor anything. He reminded them of the
imposing secret and raised a ray ofcheer, while at last he got them
interested in a new device. Thiswas to knock off being pirates for a
while. And be Indians for achange. They were attracted by this idea.
So it was not long before theywere stripped and striped from head to

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heel with black mud, like somany zebras, all of them chiefs,
of course. And then they wenttearing through the woods to attack an English
settlement. By and by they separatedinto three hostile tribes and darted upon each
other from ambush with dreadful war whoops, and killed and scalped each other by
thousands. It was a gory day. Consequently, it was an extremely satisfactory

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one. They assembled in camp towardssupper time, hungry and happy. But
now a difficulty arose. Hostile Indianscould not break the bread of hospitality together
without first making peace, and thiswas a simple impossibility without smoking a pipe
of peace. There was no otherprocess that they ever had heard of.
Two of the savages almost wished theyhad remained pirates. However, there was

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no other way. So with suchof cheerfulness as they could muster, they
called for the pipe and took theirwhiff as it passed in due form.
And behold, they were glad theyhad gone into savagery, for they had
gained something. They found that theycould now smoke a little without having to
go and hunt for a lost knife. They did not get sick enough to

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be seriously uncomfortable. They were notlikely to fool away this high promise for
lack of effort. No, theypracticed cautiously after supper with right fair success,
and so they spent a jubilant evening. They were prouder and happier in
their new acquirement than they would havebeen in the scalping and skinning of the
six nations. We will leave themto smoke and chatter and brag, since

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we have no further use for themat present end of chapter sixteen, Chapter
seventeen, pirates at their own funeral, But there was no hilarity in the
little town. That same tranquil Saturdayafternoon, the Harpers and Aunt Polly's family
were being put into mourning with greatgrief and many tears. An unusual quiet

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possessed the village, although it wasordinarily quiet enough in all conscience. The
villagers conducted their concerns with an absentmind and talked little, but they sighed
often. The Saturday holiday seemed toburden to the children. They had no
heart in their sports and gradually gavethem up. In the afternoon, Becky
Thatcher found herself moping about the desertedschoolhouse yard and feeling very melancholy, but

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she found nothing there to comfort her. She soliloquized, Oh, if I
only had a brass and iron knobagain, but I haven't got anything now
to remember him by, and shechoked back a little sob Presently, she
stopped and said to herself, itwas right here. Oh, if it
was to do over again, Iwouldn't say that. I wouldn't say it

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for the whole world. But he'sgone now. I'll never, never,
never see him anymore. This thoughtbroke her down, and she wandered away,
with the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then quite a group of boys
and girls, playmates of Tom's andJoe's, came by and stood looking over
the paling fence and talking in reverenttones of how Tom did so and so

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the last time they saw him,and how Joe said this and that small
trifle pregnant with awful prophecy as theycould easily see now, and each speaker
pointed out the exact spot where thelost lad stood at the time, and
then added something like and I wasa standing just so just as I am
now, and as if you washim, I was as close as that,

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and he smiled just this way.And then something seemed to go all
over me, like awful, youknow. And I never thought what it
meant, of course, but Ican see now. Then there was a
dispute about who saw the dead boyslast in life, and many claimed that
dismal distinction and offered evidences more orless tampered with by the witness. And

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when it was ultimately decided who didsee the departed last and exchanged the last
words with them, the lucky partiestook upon themselves a sort of sacred importance,
and were gaped at and envied byall the rest. One, poor
Chap, who had no other grandeurto offer, said, with tolerably manifest
pride in the remembrance, well,Tom Sawyer, he licked me once,

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But that bid for glory was afailure. Most of the boys could say
that, and so that cheapened thedistinction too much. The group loitered away,
still recalling memories of the lost heroesin awed voices. When the Sunday
school hour was finished the next morning, the bell began to toll instead of
ringing in the usual way. Itwas a very still Sabbath, and the

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mournful sound seemed in keeping with amusing hush that lay upon nature. The
villagers began to gather, loitering amoment in the vestibule to converse in whispers
about the sad event, But therewas no whispering in the house. Only
the funereal rustling of dresses as thewomen gathered to their seats disturbed the silence.
There None could remember when the littlechurch had been so full before.

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There was finally a waiting pause,an expectant dumbness, and then Aunt Polly
entered, followed by Sid and Mary, and they by the Harper family,
all in deep black, and thewhole congregation the old Minister's well rose reverently
and stood until the mourners were seatedin the front pew. There was another
communing silence, broken at intervals bymuffled sobs, and then the minister spread

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his hands abroad and prayed, movinghim was sung, and the text followed,
I Am the Resurrection and the Life. As the service proceeded, the
clergyman drew such pictures of the graces, the winning ways and the rare promise
of the lost lads, that everysoul there, thinking he recognized these pictures,
felt a pang in remembering that hehad persistently blinded himself to them always

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before, and had as persistently seenonly faults and flaws and the poor boys.
The minister related many a touching incidentin the lives of the departed two
which illustrated their sweet, generous natures, and the people could easily see now
how noble and beautiful those episodes were, and remembered with grief that at the

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time they occurred, they had seemedrank rascalities, well deserving of the cowhide.
The congregation became more and more movedas the pathetic tale went on,
till at last the whole company brokedown and joined the weeping mourners in a
chorus of anguished sobs, the preacherhimself giving way to his feelings and crying

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in the pulpit. There was arustle in the gallery, which nobody noticed.
A moment later, the church doorcreaked. The minister raised his streaming
eyes above his handkerchief and stood transfixed. First one and another pair of eyes
followed the ministers, and then almostwith one impulse, the congregation rose and
stared, while the three dead boyscame marching up the aisle. Tom and

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the lead Joe next, and Hucka ruin of drooping rags, sneaking sheepishly
in the rear. They had beenhid in the unused gallery, listening to
their own funeral sermon. Aunt Polly, Mary and the Harpers threw themselves upon
their restored ones, smothered them withkisses, and poured out thanksgivings, while
poor Huck stood abashed and uncomfortable,not knowing exactly what to do or where

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to hide from so many unwelcoming eyes. He wavered and started to slink away,
but Tom seized him and said,Aunt Polly, it ain't fair.
Somebody's got to be glad to seeHuck, and so they shall. I'm
glad to see him, poor motherlessthing. And the loving attentions Aunt Polly
lavished upon him were the one thingcapable of making him more uncomfortable than he

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was before. Suddenly, the ministershouted, at the top of his voice,
Praise God, from whom all blessingsflow, sing and put your hearts
in it. And they did.Old hundreds swelled up with a triumphant burst,
and while it shook the rafters,Tom Sawyer the Pirate looked around upon
the envying juveniles about him, andconfessed in his heart that this was the

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proudest moment of his life. Asthe souled congregation trooped out, they said
they would almost be willing to bemade ridiculous again to hear Old hundred sung
like that once more. Tom gotmore cuffs and kisses that day, according
to Aunt Polly's varying moods, thanhe had earned before in a year,
and he hardly knew which expressed themost gratefulness to God and affection for himself.

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End of Chapter seventeen.