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

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