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12 - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six, real robbers seized the box of gold.
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  Speaker 1: About noon. The next day, the boys arrived at the
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  Speaker 1: dead Tree. They had come for their tools. Tom was
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  Speaker 1: impatient to go to the haunted house. Huck was measurably
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  Speaker 1: so also, but suddenly said, look here, Tom, do you
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  Speaker 1: know what day it is? Tom mentally ran over the
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  Speaker 1: days of the week, and then quickly lifted his eyes
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  Speaker 1: with a startled look in them. My. I never once
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  Speaker 1: thought of it, huck Well. I didn't either, but all
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  Speaker 1: at once it popped on to me that it was Friday.
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  Speaker 1: Blame me. A body can't be too careful, Huck. We
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  Speaker 1: might have got into an awful scrape tackling such a
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  Speaker 1: thing on a Friday. Might better, say, we would. There's
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  Speaker 1: some lucky days maybe, But Friday ain't any fool knows
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  Speaker 1: that I don't reckon You was the first that found
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  Speaker 1: it out, huck Well. I never said it was, did I?
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  Speaker 1: And Friday ain't all neither. I had a rotten bad
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  Speaker 1: dream last night, dreamt about rats. No sure sign of trouble.
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  Speaker 1: Did they fight? No? Well that's good, Huck. When they
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  Speaker 1: don't fight, it's only a sign that there's trouble around.
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  Speaker 1: You know, all we got to do is to look
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  Speaker 1: mighty sharp and keep out of it. We'll drop this
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  Speaker 1: thing for today and play. Do you know Robin Hood? Huck, No,
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  Speaker 1: who's Robin Hood? Why? He was one of the greatest
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  Speaker 1: men that was ever in England and the best. He
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  Speaker 1: was a robber, cracky, I wished I was. Who did
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  Speaker 1: he rob? Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and
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  Speaker 1: kings and such like. But he never bothered the poor.
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  Speaker 1: He loved him. He always divided up with him perfectly square. Well,
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  Speaker 1: he must have been a brick, I bet you he was, huck. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: he was the noblest man that ever was. They ain't
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  Speaker 1: any such men now, I can tell you. He could
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  Speaker 1: lick any man in England with one hand tied behind him,
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  Speaker 1: and he could take his U bow and plug a
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  Speaker 1: ten cent piece every time a mile and a half.
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  Speaker 1: What's a U boa, I don't know. It's some kind
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  Speaker 1: of a bow, of course. And if he hit that
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  Speaker 1: dime only on the edge, he would set down and
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  Speaker 1: cry and curse. But we'll play Robin Hood and it's
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  Speaker 1: nobby fun. I'll learn you. I'm agreed. So they played
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  Speaker 1: Robin Hood all afternoon now and then casting a yearning
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  Speaker 1: eye down upon the Haunted House, and passing a remark
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  Speaker 1: about the morrow's prospects and possibilities there. As the sun
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  Speaker 1: began to sink into the west, they took their way
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  Speaker 1: homeward athwart the long shadows of the trees, and soon
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  Speaker 1: were buried from sight in the forests of Cardiff Hill.
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  Speaker 1: On Saturday, shortly afternoon, the boys were at the dead
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  Speaker 1: tree again. They had a smoke and a chat in
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  Speaker 1: the shade, and then dug a little in their last hole,
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  Speaker 1: not with great hope, but merely because Tom said there
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  Speaker 1: were so many cases where people had given up a
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  Speaker 1: treasure after getting down within six inches of it, and
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  Speaker 1: then somebody else had come along and turned it up
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  Speaker 1: with a single thrust of a shovel. The thing failed
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  Speaker 1: this time, however, so the boys shouldered their tool and
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  Speaker 1: went away, feeling that they had not trifled with fortune,
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  Speaker 1: but had fulfilled all the requirements that belonged to the
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  Speaker 1: business of treasure hunting. When they reached the Haunted House,
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  Speaker 1: there was something so weird and grisly about the dead
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  Speaker 1: silence that reigned there under the baking sun, and something
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  Speaker 1: so depressing about the loneliness and desolation of the place
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  Speaker 1: that they were afraid for a moment to venture in.
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  Speaker 1: Then they crept to the door and took a trembling peep.
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  Speaker 1: They saw a weed grown floorless room, unplastered, an ancient fireplace,
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  Speaker 1: vacant windows, a ruinous staircase, and here, there and everywhere
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  Speaker 1: hung ragged and abandoned cobwebs. They presently entered softly, with
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  Speaker 1: quickened pulses, talking in whispers, ears alert to catch the
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  Speaker 1: slightest sound, and muscles tents and ready for instant retreat.
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  Speaker 1: In a little while, familiarity modified their fears, and they
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  Speaker 1: gave the place a critical and interested examination, rather admiring
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  Speaker 1: their own boldness and wondering at it too. Next they
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  Speaker 1: wanted to look upstairs. This was something like cutting off
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  Speaker 1: the retreat, but they got to daring each other, and
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  Speaker 1: of course there could be but one result. They threw
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  Speaker 1: their tools into a corner and made the ascent up.
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  Speaker 1: There were the same signs of decay. In one corner
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  Speaker 1: they found a closet that promised mystery, but the promise
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  Speaker 1: was a fraud. There was nothing in it. Their courage
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  Speaker 1: was up now and well in hand. They were about
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  Speaker 1: to go down and begin work. When sh said, Tom,
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  Speaker 1: what is it? Whispered Huck, blanching with fright. Sh there
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  Speaker 1: hear it? Yes, Oh my, let's run. Keep still, don't
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  Speaker 1: you budge. They're coming right toward the door. The boys
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  Speaker 1: stretched themselves upon the floor with their eyes to knot
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  Speaker 1: holes in the planking, and lay waiting in a misery
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  Speaker 1: of fear. They've stopped. No coming here they are. Don't
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  Speaker 1: whisper another word, Huck, My goodness, I wish I was
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  Speaker 1: out of this. Two men entered. Each boy said to himself,
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  Speaker 1: there's the old, deaf and dumb spaniard that's been about
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  Speaker 1: town once or twice slately. Never saw t'other man before.
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  Speaker 1: T'other was a ragged, unkempt creature with nothing very pleasant
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  Speaker 1: in his face. The spaniard was wrapped in a sarape.
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  Speaker 1: He had bushy white whiskers, long white hair flowed from
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  Speaker 1: under his sombrero, and he wore green goggles. When they
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  Speaker 1: came in, t'other was talking in a low voice. They
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  Speaker 1: sat down on the ground facing the door with their
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  Speaker 1: backs to the wall, and the speaker continued his remarks.
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  Speaker 1: His manner became less guarded, and his words more distinct
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  Speaker 1: as he proceeded. No, said he. I've thought it all over,
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  Speaker 1: and I don't like it. It's dangerous, dangerous, grunted the
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  Speaker 1: deaf and dumb Spaniard. To the vast surprise the boys
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  Speaker 1: milk sop. This voice made the boy's gasp and quake.
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  Speaker 1: It was injun Joe's. There was silence for some time.
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  Speaker 1: Then Joe said, what's any more dangerous than that job
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  Speaker 1: up yonder? But nothing's come of it. That's different away
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  Speaker 1: up the river, So and not another house about twon't
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  Speaker 1: ever be known that we tried anyway, long as we
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  Speaker 1: didn't succeed. Well, what's more dangerous than coming here in
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  Speaker 1: the daytime? Anybody would suspicion us that saw us. I
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  Speaker 1: know that, But there warn't any other places handy after
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  Speaker 1: that fool of a job. I want to quit this shanty.
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  Speaker 1: I wanted to yesterday, only it warn't any use trying
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  Speaker 1: to stir out o here with those infernal boys playing
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  Speaker 1: over there on the hill right in full view. Those
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  Speaker 1: infernal boys quaked again under the inspiration of this remark,
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  Speaker 1: and thought how lucky it was that they had remembered
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  Speaker 1: it was Friday, and concluded to wait a day. They
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  Speaker 1: wished in their hearts they had waited a year. The
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  Speaker 1: two men got out some food and made a luncheon.
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  Speaker 1: After a long and thoughtful silence, injun Joe said, look here, lad,
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  Speaker 1: you go back up the river where you belong. Wait
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  Speaker 1: there till you hear from me. I'll take the chances
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  Speaker 1: on dropping into this town just once more for a look.
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  Speaker 1: We'll do that dangerous job after I've spied around a
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  Speaker 1: little and think things look well for it. Then for Texas.
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  Speaker 1: We'll leg it together. This was satisfactory. Both men presently
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  Speaker 1: fell to yawning, and injun Joe said, I'm dead for sleep.
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  Speaker 1: It's your turn to watch. He curled down into the
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  Speaker 1: weeds and soon began to snore. His comrade stirred him
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  Speaker 1: once or twice, and he became quiet. Presently, the watcher
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  Speaker 1: began to nod. His head drooped lower and lower. Both
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  Speaker 1: men began to snore. Now the boys drew a long,
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  Speaker 1: grateful breath. Tom whispered, now's our chance, come, Huck said,
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  Speaker 1: I can't I die if they wist wake, Tom urged.
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  Speaker 1: Huck held back. At last, Tom rose slowly and softly
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  Speaker 1: and started alone. But the first step he made wrung
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  Speaker 1: such a hideous creak from the crazy floor that he
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  Speaker 1: sank down, almost dead with fright. He never made a
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  Speaker 1: second attempt. The boys lay there, counting the dragging moments
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  Speaker 1: till it seemed to them that time must be done,
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  Speaker 1: an eternity growing gray. And then they were grateful to
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  Speaker 1: note that at last the sun was setting. Now one
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  Speaker 1: snore ceased injun Joe sat up, stared around, smiled grimly
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  Speaker 1: upon his comrade, whose head was drooping upon his knees,
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  Speaker 1: stirred him up with his foot and said, here, you're
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  Speaker 1: a watch man, ain't you all right? Though nothing's happened my?
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  Speaker 1: Have I been asleep? Oh? Partly? Partly? Nearly time for
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  Speaker 1: us to be moving part? What'll we do with what
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  Speaker 1: little swag we've got left? I don't know, Leave it
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  Speaker 1: here as we've always done, I reckon no use to
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  Speaker 1: take it away till we start south. Six hundred and
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  Speaker 1: fifty in Silver's something to carry? Well, all right, it
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  Speaker 1: won't matter to come here once more. No, But i'd
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  Speaker 1: say come in the night as we used to do.
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  Speaker 1: It's better, yes, But look here. It may be a
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  Speaker 1: good while before I get the right chance at that job.
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  Speaker 1: Accidents might happen taint in such a very good place,
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  Speaker 1: we'll just regularly bury it and bury it deep. Good idea,
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  Speaker 1: said the comrade, who walked a cross the room, knelt down,
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  Speaker 1: raised one of the rearward hearthstones, and took out a
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  Speaker 1: bag that jingled pleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or
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  Speaker 1: thirty dollars for himself and as much for injun Joe,
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  Speaker 1: and passed the bag to the latter, who was on
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  Speaker 1: his knees in the corner, now digging with his bowie knife.
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  Speaker 1: The boys forgot all their fears, all their miseries in
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  Speaker 1: an instant. With gloating eyes, they watched every movement luck.
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  Speaker 1: The splendor of it was beyond all imagination. Six hundred
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  Speaker 1: dollars was money enough to make half a dozen boys rich.
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  Speaker 1: Here was treasure hunting under the happiest auspices. There would
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  Speaker 1: not be any bothersome uncertainty as to where to dig.
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  Speaker 1: They nudged each other every moment, eloquent nudges and easily understood,
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  Speaker 1: for they simply meant, oh, but ain't you glad now
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  Speaker 1: we're here? Joe's knife struck upon something hullo, he said,
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  Speaker 1: what is it, said his comrade, half rotten plank. No,
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  Speaker 1: it's a box, I believe. Here. Bear a hand and
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  Speaker 1: we'll see what it's here for. And never mind I've
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  Speaker 1: broke a hole. He reached his hand in and drew
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  Speaker 1: it out. Man, it's money. The two men examined the
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  Speaker 1: handful of coins. They were gold. The boys above were
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  Speaker 1: as excited as themselves and as delighted. Joe's comrade said,
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  Speaker 1: we'll make quick work of this. There's an old rusty
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  Speaker 1: pick over amongst the weeds in the corner the other
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  Speaker 1: side of the fireplace. I saw it a minute ago.
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  Speaker 1: He ran and brought the boy's pick and shovel. Injun
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  Speaker 1: Joe took the pick, looked it over, critically, shook his head,
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  Speaker 1: muttered something to himself, and then began to use it.
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  Speaker 1: The box was soon unearthed. It was not very large.
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  Speaker 1: It was iron bound, and had been very strong before
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  Speaker 1: the slow years had injured it. The men contemplated the treasure, awhile,
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  Speaker 1: in blissful silence, Pard, there's thousands of dollars here, said
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  Speaker 1: injun Joe. Twas always said that Merle's gang used to
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  Speaker 1: be round here. One summer. The stranger observed I know it,
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  Speaker 1: said injun Joe, and this looks like it. I should say,
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  Speaker 1: now you won't need to do that job. The half
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  Speaker 1: breed frowned, said he you don't know me least, you
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  Speaker 1: don't know all about that thing. Tain't robbery altogether. It's revenge,
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  Speaker 1: and a wicked light flamed in his eyes. I'll need
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  Speaker 1: your help in it when it's finished. Then, Texas, go
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  Speaker 1: home to your nance and your kids, and stand by
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  Speaker 1: till you hear from me. Well, if you say so,
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  Speaker 1: what'll we do with this? Buried again? Yes, ravishing delight overhead? No,
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  Speaker 1: by the great sacum, No profound distress overhead. I'd nearly
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  Speaker 1: forgot that pick had fresh earth on it. The boys
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  Speaker 1: were sick with terror in a moment. What business has
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  Speaker 1: a pick and a shovel here? What business with fresh
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  Speaker 1: earth on them? Who brought them here? And where are
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  Speaker 1: they gone? Have you heard anybody seen anybody? What? Buried again?
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  Speaker 1: And leave them to come and see the ground disturbed?
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  Speaker 1: Not exactly, not exactly, we'll take it to men. Why,
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  Speaker 1: of course, might have thought of that before? You mean?
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  Speaker 1: Number one? No? Number two under the cross the other
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  Speaker 1: place is bad too common, all right, it's nearly dark
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  Speaker 1: enough to start injun Joe got up and went about
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  Speaker 1: from window to window, cautiously peeping out. Presently, he said,
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  Speaker 1: who could have brought those tools here? Do you reckon?
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  Speaker 1: They can be upstairs? The boy's breath forsook them injun
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  Speaker 1: Joe put his hand on his knife, halted a moment, undecided,
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  Speaker 1: and then turned toward the stairway. The boys thought of
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  Speaker 1: the closet, but their strength was gone. The steps came
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  Speaker 1: creaking up the stairs. The intolerable distress of the situation
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  Speaker 1: woke the stricken resolution of the lads. They were about
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  Speaker 1: to spring for the closet when there was a crash
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  Speaker 1: of rotten timbers, and Joe landed on the ground amid
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  Speaker 1: debris of the ruined stairway. He gathered himself up, cursing,
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  Speaker 1: and his comrade said, now, what's the use of all that?
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  Speaker 1: If it's anybody and they're up there, let him stay there.
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  Speaker 1: Who cares if they want to jump down now and
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  Speaker 1: get into trouble? Who objects? It will be dark in
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  Speaker 1: fifteen minutes, and then let them follow us if they
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  Speaker 1: want to. I'm willing, in my opinion, whoever hove those
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  Speaker 1: things in here caught a sight of us and took
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  Speaker 1: us for ghosts or devils or something. I'll bet they're
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  Speaker 1: running yet, Joe grumbled, awhile then he agreed with his
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  Speaker 1: friend that what daylight was left ought to be economized
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  Speaker 1: in getting things ready for leaving. Shortly afterward, they slipped
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  Speaker 1: out of the house in the deepening twilight and moved
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  Speaker 1: towards the river with their precious box. Tom and Huck
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  Speaker 1: rose up, weak but vastly relieved, and stared after them
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  Speaker 1: through the chinks between the logs of the house, follow
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  Speaker 1: not they They were content to reach ground again without
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  Speaker 1: broken necks and take the townward track over the hill.
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  Speaker 1: They did not talk much. They were too much absorbed
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  Speaker 1: in hating themselves, hating the ill luck that made them
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  Speaker 1: take the spade and the pick there. But for that
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  Speaker 1: injun Joe never would have suspected he would have hidden
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  Speaker 1: the silver with the gold to wait there till his
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  Speaker 1: revenge was satisfied, and then he would have had the
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  Speaker 1: misfortune to find that money turn up missing. Bitter bitter
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  Speaker 1: luck that the tools were ever brought there. They resolved
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  Speaker 1: to keep a look out for that spaniard when he
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  Speaker 1: should come to town, Spying out for chances to do
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  Speaker 1: his revengeful job and follow him to number two, wherever
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  Speaker 1: that might be. Then a ghastly thought occurred to Tom,
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  Speaker 1: revenge What if he means us? Huck? Oh, don't, said Huck,
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  Speaker 1: nearly fainting. They talked it all over, and as they
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  Speaker 1: entered town they agreed to believe that he might possibly
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  Speaker 1: mean somebody else, at least, that he might at least
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  Speaker 1: mean nobody but Tom. Since only Tom had testified very
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  Speaker 1: very small comfort, it was to Tom to be alone
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  Speaker 1: in danger company would be palpable improvement, he thought. End
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  Speaker 1: of Chapter twenty six