Chapter 29 - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

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Episode Transcript

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Chapter twenty nine, Huck Saves theWidow. The first thing Tom heard on
Friday morning was a glad piece ofnews Judge Thatcher's family had come back to
town the night before. Both Injuand Joe and the treasures sank into secondary
importance for a moment, and Beckytook the chief place in the boy's interest.

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He saw her, and they hadan exhausting good time playing high spy
and gully keeper with a crowd oftheir 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 longdelayed picnic, and she consented. The
child's delight was boundless, and Tom'snot more moderate. The invitations were sent

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out before sunset, and straightway,the young folks of the village were thrown
into a fever of preparation and pleasurableanticipation. Tom's excitement enabled him to keep
awake until a pretty late hour,and he had good hopes of hearing Huck's
maw and of having his treasure toastonish Becky and the picnickers with next day,
But he was disappointed. No signalcame that night. Morning came eventually,

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and by ten or eleven o'clock agiddy and rollicking company were gathered at
Judge Thatcher's and everything was ready fora start. It was not the custom
for elderly people to mar picnics withtheir presents. The children were considered safe
enough under the wings of a fewyoung ladies of eighteen and a few young
gentlemen of twenty three or thereabouts.The old steam ferry boat was chartered for

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the occasion. Presently, the gaythrong filed up the main street laden with
provision baskets. Sid was sick andhad to miss the fun. Mary remained
at home to entertain him. Thelast 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 lived near thefairy landing child, then I'll stay.

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It's Susie Harper, mamma very well, and mind them behave yourself and don't
be any trouble. Presently, asthey tripped along, Tom said to Becky,
say, I'll tell you what we'lldo. Instead of going to Joe
Harper's, we'll climb right up thehill and stop at the Widow Douglas's.
She'll have ice cream, she hasit most every day, dead loads of

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it, and she'll be awful gladto have us. Oh, that will
be fun. Then Becky reflected amoment and said, but what will mamma
say? Well, how she'll everknow? 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

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she wants is that you'll be safe. And I bet you she'd had said
go there, if she'd a thoughtabout it, I know she would.
The Widow Douglas's splendid hospitality was atempting bait if and Tom's persuasions presently carried
the day, so it was decidedto say nothing to anybody about the Knight's
program. Presently, it occurred toTom that maybe Huck might come in this

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very night and give the signal.The thought took a deal of the spirit
out of his anticipation. Still,he could not bear to give up the
fun at Widow Douglas's. And whyshould he give it up? He reasoned?
The signal did not come the nightbefore, so why should it be
any more likely to come tonight?The sure fun of the evening outweighed the
uncertain treasure, and boylike he determinedto yield to the stronger inclination and not

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allow himself to think of the boxof money another time. That day,
three miles below town, the ferryboatstopped at the mouth of the woody hollow
and tied up. The crowd swarmedashore, and soon the forest distances and
craggy heights echoed far and near withshoutings and laughter. All the different ways
of getting hot and tired were gonethrough with, and by and by the

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rovers straggled back to camp, fortifiedwith responsible appetites, and then the destruction
of the good things began. Afterthe feast, there was a refreshing season
of rest and chat shade of spreadingoaks, and by and by somebody shouted,
Who's ready for the cave? Everybodywas. Bundles of candles were procured,

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and straightway there was a general scamperup the hill. The mouth of
the cave was up the hillside anopening shaped like a letter a. Its
massive oaken door stood unbarred. Withinwas a small chamber chilly as an ice
house, and walled by nature withsolid limestone that was dewy with a cold
sweat. It was romantic and mysteriousto stand here in the deep gloom and

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look out upon the green valley shiningin the sun. But the impressiveness of
the situation quickly wore off, andthe romping began again. The moment a
candle was lighted, there was ageneral 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 therewas a glad clamor of laughter in a

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new chase. But all things havean end. By and by the procession
went filing down the steep descent ofthe main avenue, the flickering rank of
lights dimly revealing the lofty walls ofrock almost to their point of junction.
Sixty feet overhead. This main avenuewas not more than eight or ten feet
wide. Every few steps other loftyand still narrower crevices branched from it on

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either hand. For McDougall's cave wasbut a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that
ran into each other and out again. And led nowhere. It was said
that one might wander days and nightstogether through its intricate tangle of rifts and
chasms, and never find the endof the cave, and that he might
go down and down and still downinto the earth, and it was just

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the same labyrinth underneath labyrinth, andno end to any of them. No
man knew the cave. That wasan 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 Sawyerknew as much of the cave as anyone.
The procession moved along the main avenuesome three quarters of a mile.

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Then groups and couples began to slipaside into branch avenues, fly along the
dismal corridors, and take each otherby surprise. At points where the corridors
joined again, parties were able toelude each other for the space of half
an hour without going beyond the knownground. By and by, one group
after another came straggling back to themouth of the cave, panting, hilarious

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smeared from head to foot with tallowdrippings, daubed with clay, and entirely
delighted with the success of the day. Then they were astonished to find that
they had been taking no note oftime, and that night was about at
hand. The clanging bell had beencalling for half an hour. However,
this sort of close to the day'sadventures was romantic and therefore satisfactory. When

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the ferry boat with her wild freight, pushed into the stream, nobody cared
sixpence for the wasted time, Butthe captain to the craft, Huck,
was already upon his watch. Whenthe ferry boat's lights went glinting past the
wharf. He heard no noise onboard, for the young people were as
subdued and still as people usually arewho were nearly tired to death. He

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wondered what boat it was and whyshe did not stop at the wharf,
And then he dropped her out ofhis mind and put his attention upon his
business. The night was growing cloudyand dark. Ten o'clock came, and
the noise of vehicles ceased. Scatteredlights began to wink out, All straggling
foot passengers disappeared. The village betookitself to its slumbers, and left the

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small watcher alone with the silence andthe ghosts. Eleven o'clock came and the
tavern lights were put out. Darknesseverywhere. Now Huck waited what seemed a
weary long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening. Was there
any use? Was there really anyuse? Why not give it up and

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turn in? A noise fell uponhis ear. He was all attention.
In an instant, the alley doorclosed softly. He sprang to the corner
of the brick store. The nextmoment two men brushed by him, and
one seemed to have something under hisarm. It must be that box.
So they were going to remove thetreasurer. Why call Tom now, It

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would be absurd. The men wouldget away with a box and never be
found again. No, he wouldstick to their wake and follow them.
He would trust to the darkness forsecurity from discovery. So, communing with
himself, Huck stepped out and glidedalong behind the men catlike, with bare
feet, allowing them to keep justfar enough ahead not to be invisible.
They moved up the River Street threeblocks, then turned to the left up

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across street. They went straight aheadthen until they came to the path that
led up Cardiff Hill. This theytook. They passed by the old Welshman's
house half way up the hill withouthesitating, and still climbed upward. Good
thought Huck. They were buried inthe old quarry. But they never stopped
at the quarry. They passed onup the summit. They plunged into the

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narrow path between the tall sumac bushes, and were at once hidden in the
gloom. Huck closed up and shortenedhis distance now, for they would never
be able to see him. Hetrotted along a while, then slackened his
pace, fearing he was gaining toofast, moved on a piece, then
stopped altogether. Listened no sound,none save that he seemed to hear the

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beating of his own heart. Thehooting of an owl came from over the
hill, ominous sound, but nofootsteps. Heavens, was everything lost.
He was about to spring with wingedfeet when a man cleared his throat not
four feet from him. Huck's heartshot into his throat, but he swallowed
it again. And then he stoodthere, shaking as if a dozen eggus

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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 thestile leading into Widow Douglas's grounds. Very
well, he thought, let thembury it there. It won't be hard
to find. Now. There wasa voice of a low voice injun Joe's

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damn her, Maybe she's got company. There's lights late as it is,
I can't see any This was thatstranger's voice, the stranger of the haunted
house. A deadly chill went toHuck's heart. This, then, was
the revenge job. His thought wasto fly. Then he remembered that the
widow Douglas had been kind to himmore than once, and maybe these men

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were going to murder her. Hewished he dared venture to warn her,
but he knew he didn't dare Theymight come and catch him. He thought
all this and more in the momentthat the lapse between the stranger's remark and
Injun Joe's next, which was becausethe bush is in your way, now
this way, now, you see, don't you? Yes, well there
is company there. I reckon.Better give it up, give it up,

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and I just leaving this country forever, give it up and maybe never
have another chance. I tell youagain, as I've told you before,
I don't care for her. Swa, you may have it, but her
husband was rough on me. Manytimes he was rough on me, and
mainly he was the justice of thepeace that jugged me for a vagrant.
And that ain't all. It ain'ta millionth part of it. He had

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me horsewhipped, horsewhipped in front ofthe jail like a nigger, with all
the town looking on, horsewhipped.Do you understand? He took advantage of
me and died. But I'll takeit out of her. Oh, don't
kill her. Don't do that.Kill who said anything about killing? I
would kill him if he were here, but not her. When you want

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to get revenge on a woman,you don't kill her, boss, You
go for her looks. You slidher nostrils, You notch your ears like
a sow. By God, that'skeep your opinion to yourself. It'll be
safest for you. I'll tie herto the bed if she bleeds to death?
Is that my fault? I'll notcry if she does. My friend,

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you'll help in this thing for mysake. That's why you're here.
I mightn't be able to alone.If you flinch, I'll kill you.
Do you understand that? And ifI have to kill you. I'll kill
her and then I reckon. Nobody'llever know much about who done this business.
Well, if it's got to bedone, let's get at it.
The quicker the better. I'm allin a shiver. Do it now,

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and company there, look here,I'll get suspicious of you first thing.
You know. No, we'll waittill the lights are out. There's no
hurry. Huck felt that a silencewas going to ensue a thing still more
awful than any amount of murderous talk. So he held his breath and stepped
gingerly back, planted his foot carefullyand firmly, After balancing one legged in

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a precarious way and almost toppling over, first on one side and then on
the other, he took another stepback with the same elaboration and the same
risks, Then another and another,and a twig snapped under his foot.
His breath stopped, and he listened. There was no sound. The stillness

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was perfect, His ground atitude wasmeasureless. 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 quicklybut cautiously along. When he emerged at
the quarry. He felt secure,and so he picked up his nimble heels
and flew down, down. He'ssped till he reached the Welshman's. He

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banged at the door, and presentlythe heads of the old man and his
two stalwart sons were thrust from thewindows. 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 aname to open many doors, I judge,
But let him in, lads,let's see what's the trouble. Please

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don't ever tell I told you wereHuck'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 wantto tell. I will tell, if
you'll promise you won't ever say itwas me by George. He has got
something to tell, or he wouldn'tact, so, exclaimed the old man.
Out with it, and nobody here'llever tell. Lad. Three minutes

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later, the old man and hissons, well armed, were up the
hill and just entering the Sumac pathon tiptoe. Their weapons in their hands.
Huc accompanied them no farther. Hehid behind a great boulder and fell
to listening. There was a lagging, anxious silence, and then all of
a sudden there was an explosion offirearms and a cry. Huck waited for
no particulars. He sprang away andsped down the hill as fast as his

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legs could carry him. End ofChapter twenty nine.