The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Chapter 29

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Chapter twenty nine,
Huck Saves the Widow. The first thing Tom heard on
Friday morning was a glad piece of news judge Thatcher's
family had come back to town the night before. Both
injun Joe and the Treasures sank into secondary importance for

(00:22):
a moment, and Becky took the chief place in the
boy's interest. He saw her, and they had an exhausting
good time playing high spy and gully keeper with the
crowd of their schoolmates. The day was completed and crowned
in a peculiarly satisfactory way. Becky teased her mother to
appoint the next day for the long promised and long

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delayed picnic, and she consented. The child's delight was boundless,
and Tom's not more moderate. The invitations were sent out
before sunset, and straightway the young folks of the village
were thrown into a fever of preparation and pleasurable anticipation.
Tom's excitement enabled him to keep awake until a pretty

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late hour, and he had good hopes of hearing Huck's
maw and of having his treasure to astonish Becky and
the picnickers with next day, but he was disappointed. No
signal came that night. Morning came eventually, and by ten
or eleven o'clock a giddy and rollicking company were gathered
at Judge Thatcher's and everything was ready for a start.

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It was not the custom for elderly people to mar
picnics with their presents. The children were considered safe enough
under the wings of a few young ladies of eighteen
and a few young gentlemen of twenty three or thereabouts.
The old steam ferry boat was chartered for the occasion. Presently,
the gay throng filed up the main street, laden with
provision baskets. Sid was sick and had to miss the fun.

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Mary remained at home to entertain him. The last thing
Missus Thatcher said to Becky was you'll not get back
till late. Perhaps you'd better stay all night with some
of the girls that live near the fairy landing child,
then I'll stay with Susie Harper, Mamma very well and mind.
Then behave yourself and don't be any trouble. Presently, as

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they tripped along, Tom said to Becky, say, I'll tell
you what we'll do instead of going to Joe Harper's.
We'll climb right up the hill and stop at the
Widow Douglas's. She'll have ice cream, she has it most
every day, dead loads of it, and she'll be awful
glad to have us. Oh, that will be fun. Then

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Becky reflected a moment and said, but what will mamma say? Well,
she'll ever know. The girl turned the idea over in
her mind and said, reluctantly, I reckon it's wrong, But
but shucks, your mother won't know, and so what's the harm.
All she wants is that you'll be safe. And I
bet you she'd had said go there, if she'd a

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thought about it, I know she would. The Widow Douglas's
splendid hospitality was a tempting bait. It and Tom's persuasions
presently carried the day, so it was decided to say
nothing to anybody about the night's program. Presently, it occurred
to Tom that maybe Huck might come in this very
night and give the signal. The thought took a deal
of the spirit out of his anticipation. Still, he could

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not bear to give up the fun at Widow Douglas's.
And why should he give it up? He reasoned, the
signal did not come the night before, so why should
it be any more likely to come to night. The
sure fun of the evening outweighed the uncertain treasure, and
boylike he determined to yield to the stronger inclination and
not allow himself to think of the box of money
another time. That day, three miles below town, the ferryboat

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stopped at the mouth of the woody hollow and tied up.
The crowd swarmed ashore, and soon the forest distances and
craggy heights echoed far and near with shoutings and laughter.
All the different ways of getting hot and tired were
gone through with, and by and by the rovers straggled
back to camp, fortified with responsible appetites, and then the
destruction of the good things began. After the feast, there

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was a refreshing season of rest and chat in the
shade of spreading oaks, and by and by somebody shouted,
who's ready for the cave? Everybody was. Bundles of candles
were procured, and straightway there was a general scamper up
the hill. The mouth of the cave was up the hillside,
an opening shaped like a letter a. Its massive oaken

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door stood unbarred. Within was a small chamber, chilly as
an ice house, and walled by nature with solid limestone
that was dewy with a cold sweat. It was romantic
and mysterious to stand here in the deep gloom and
look out upon the green valley shining in the sun.
But the impressiveness of the situation quickly wore off, and

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the romping began again. The moment a candle was lighted,
there was a general rush upon the owner of it.
A struggle and a gallant defense followed, but the candle
was soon knocked down or blown out, And then there
was a glad clamor of laughter, and a new chase.
But all things have an end. By and by the
procession went filing down the steep descent of the main avenue,

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the flickering rank of lights dimly revealing the lofty walls
of rock almost to their point of junction. Sixty feet overhead.
This main avenue was not more than eight or ten
feet wide. Every few steps other lofty and still narrower
crevices branched from it on either hand. For McDougall's cave
was but a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran

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into each other and out again, and led nowhere. It
was said that one might wander days and nights together
through its intricate tangle of rifts and chasms, and never
find the end of the cave, and that he might
go down and down and still down into the earth,
and it was just the same labyrinth underneath labyrinth, and
no end to any of them. No man knew the cave.

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That was an impossible thing. Most of the young men
knew a portion of it, and it was not customary
to venture much beyond this known portion. Tom Sawyer knew
as much of the cave as any one. The procession
moved along the main avenue some three quarters of a mile.
Then groups and couples began to slip aside into branch avenues,
fly along the dismal corridors, and take each other by surprise.

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At points where the corridors joined again, parties were able
to elude each other for the space of half an
hour without going beyond the known ground. By and by,
one group after another came straggling back to the mouth
of the cave, panting hilarious smeared from head to foot,
with tallow drippings, daubed with clay, and entirely delighted with

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the success of the day. Then they were astonished to
find that they had been taking no note of time,
and that night was about at hand. The clanging bell
had been calling for half an hour. However, this sort
of close to the day's adventures was romantic and therefore satisfactory.
When the ferry boat, with her wild freight, pushed into
the stream, nobody cared sixpence for the wasted time, But

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the captain of the craft, Huck, was already upon his wak.
When the ferryboat's lights went glinting past the wharf. He
heard no noise on board, for the young people were
as subdued and still as people usually are who were
nearly tired to death. He wondered what boat it was,
and why she did not stop at the wharf, And
then he dropped her out of his mind and put

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his attention upon his business. The night was growing cloudy
and dark. Ten o'clock came, and the noise of vehicles ceased.
Scattered lights began to wink out, All straggling foot passengers disappeared.
The village betook itself to its slumbers and left the
small watcher alone with the silence and the ghosts. Eleven

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o'clock came and the tavern lights were put out. Darkness everywhere. Now.
Huck waited what seemed a weary long time, but nothing happened.
His faith was weakening. Was there any use? Was there
really any use? Why not give it up and turn in?
A noise fell upon his ear. He was all attention.

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In an instant, the alley door closed softly. He sprang
to the corner of the brick store. The next moment
two men brushed by him, and one seemed to have
something under his arm. It must be that box. So
they were going to remove the treasurer. Why call tom now,
It would be absurd. The men would get away with
a box and never be found again. No, he would

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stick to their wake and follow them. He would trust
to the darkness for security from discovery. So, communing with himself,
Huck stepped out and glided along behind the men catlike,
with bare feet, allowing them to keep just far enough
ahead not to be invisible. They moved up the river
street three blocks, then turned to the left up across street.

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They went straight ahead then until they came to the
path that led up Cardiff Hill. This they took. They
passed by the old Welshman's house half way up the
hill without hesitating, and still climbed upward. Good thought Huck,
they will bury it in the old quarry. But they
never stopped at the quarry. They passed on up the summit.

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They plunged into the narrow path between the tall sumac bushes,
and were at once hidden in the gloom. Hut closed
up and shortened his distance now, for they would never
be able to see him. He trotted along a while,
then slackened his pace, fearing he was gaining too fast,
moved on a piece, then stopped altogether. Listened no sound,

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none save that he seemed to hear the beating of
his own heart. The hooting of an owl came from
over the hill, ominous sound, but no footsteps. Heavens, was
everything lost. He was about to spring with winged feet
when a man cleared his throat not four feet from him.
Huck's heart shot into his throat, but he swallowed it again,
and then he stood there, shaking as if a dozen

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egg yws had taken charge of him at once, and
so weak that he thought he must surely fall to
the ground. He knew where he was. He knew he
was within five steps of the style leading into Widow
Douglas's grounds. Very well, he thought, let them bury it there.
It won't be hard to find. Now. There was a voice,

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a very low voice injun Joe's damn her, Maybe she's
got company. There's lights late as it is, I can't
see any This was that stranger's voice, the stranger of
the haunted house. A deadly chill went to Huck's heart.
This then, was the revenge job. His thought was to fly.

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Then he remembered that the widow Douglas had been kind
to him more than once, and maybe these men were
going to murder her. He wished he dared venture to
warn her, but he knew he didn't dare They might
come and catch him. He thought all this and more
in the moment that lapsed between the stranger's remark and
injun Joe's next, which was, because the bush is in
your way. Now this way, now you see, don't you? Yes, well,

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there is company there. I reckon. Better give it up,
give it up, and I just leaving this country forever,
give it up and maybe never have another chance. Ants
I tell you again. As I've told you before, I
don't care for her swag. You may have it, But
her husband was rough on me. Many times. He was
rough on me, and mainly he was the justice of

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the peace that jugged me for a vagrant. And that
ain't all. It ain't a millionth part of it. He
had me horsewhipped, horsewhipped in front of the jail like
a nigger, with all the town looking on horsewhipped. Do
you understand? He took advantage of me and died. But
I'll take it out of her. Oh, don't kill her.
Don't do that. Kill who said anything about killing? I

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would kill him if he were here, but not her.
When you want to get revenge on a woman, you
don't kill her. Bash. You go for her looks. You
slit her nostrils. You you notch your ears like a sow.
By God, that's keep your opinion to yourself. It'll be
safest for you. I'll tire her to the bed. If
she bleeds to death. Is that my fault? I'll not

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cry if she does. My friend, you'll help in this
thing for my sake. That's why you're here. I mightn't
be able alone. If you flinch I'll kill you. Do
you understand that? And if I have to kill you,
I'll kill her and then I reckon. Nobody'll ever know
much about who done this business. Well, if it's got
to be done, let's get at it. The quicker the better.

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I'm all in a shiver. Do it now, and company there,
look here, I'll get suspicious of you first thing. You know. No,
we'll wait till the lights are out. There's no hurry.
Huck felt that a silence was going to ensue a
thing still more awful than any amount of murderous talk.
So he held his breath and stepped gingerly back, planted

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his foot carefully and firmly, After balancing one legged in
a precarious way and almost toppling over, first on one
side and then on the other. He took another step
back with the same elaboration and the same risks, then
another and another, and a twig snapped under his foot.

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His breath stopped, and he listened. There was no sound.
The stillness was perfect. His gratitude was measureless. Now he
turned in his tracks between the walls of sumac bushes,
turned himself as carefully as if he were a ship,
and then stepped quickly but cautiously along. When he emerged
at the quarry, he felt secure, and so he picked
up his nimble heels and flew down, down. He's sped

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till he reached the Welshman's. He banged at the door,
and presently the heads of the old man and his
two stalwart sons were thrust from the windows. What's the
row there? Who's banging? What do you want? Let me
in quick, I'll tell everything. Why who are you? Huckleberry Finn? Quick?
Let me in, Huckleberry Finn. Indeed, it ain't a name
to open many doors, I judge, But let him in, lads,

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let's see what's the trouble. Please don't ever tell I
told you were Huck's first words when he got in.
Please don't. I'd be killed, sure, but the widow's been
good friends to me sometimes, and I want to tell.
I will tell, if you'll promise you won't ever say
it was me by George. He has got something to tell,
or he wouldn't act, so, exclaimed the old man. Out

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with it, and nobody here'll ever tell. Lad. Three minutes later,
the old man and his sons, well armed, were up
the hill and just entering the Sumac path on tiptoe,
their weapons in their hands. Huck accompanied them no farther.
He hid behind a great boulder and fell to listening.
There was a lagging, anxious silence, and then all of
a sudden there was an explosion of firearms and a cry.

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Huck waited for no particulars. He sprang away and sped
down the hill as fast as his legs could carry him.
End of Chapter twenty nine.