Chapter 19 Chapter 21~25

Chapter 21 Fluent eloquence, the teacher's gilded head Summer vacation is approaching, and the always strict teacher is now tougher and more demanding than ever, and his goal is to make all the students perform well on exam day.His whip and ruler are seldom idle now, at least for those younger students.Only the oldest boys and young girls between the ages of 18 and 20 were not beaten.Mr. Dubbins' whip was especially hard.Don't look at him wearing a wig and having a bald head, but he has just reached middle age, and his muscles show no sign of relaxation.As the "big exam" approached, his brute strength was gradually exposed.As long as a student makes a mistake, even if it is a trivial mistake, he will take the opportunity to play and punish the student for pleasure.As a result, this left the younger boys in a state of constant anxiety and nightly plans of revenge.They make trouble whenever they have time, and never let go of any opportunity to make trouble for the teacher.But the teacher still went his own way and ignored them.If the children succeed, the punishment that follows is sweeping and majestic, always ending in the complete failure of the children.But they were not reconciled to failure, but gathered together to conspire, and finally came up with a clever plan, which would surely lead to a brilliant victory.They found the signer's kid, swore him to secrecy first, and then told him their secret plan and asked him to help.It turned out that the teacher ate at his house and offended the child in many things.In a few days, the teacher's wife will go to the country to visit, so that they can carry out the plan smoothly.In addition, on important days, the teacher must get drunk.The child said that on the night of the big exam, when the teacher was almost drunk and dozed off on the chair, he would "take advantage of the opportunity" and then wait for the opportunity to wake him up and urge him to go to school quickly.

At the scheduled time, 8 o'clock in the evening, the interesting moment finally came. The classrooms were brightly lit and hung with garlands and streamers with leaves and flowers.On the high podium, the teacher sat in that big chair like an emperor, with the blackboard behind him.Luckily he doesn't look like he's drunk.In front of him were six rows of benches, on which sat the dignitaries of the town.There are three rows of benches on both sides, where students and parents sit.On the left front, behind the parent's seat, a large podium was set up temporarily, and all the candidates for the evening exam sat here.Rows of little boys were overdressed by their parents, all of them were washed clean and neatly dressed, which made people feel a little uncomfortable.Followed by rows of big boys, looking a little shy and dull.Look at those little girls and big girls again, they are all dressed in plain clothes, white and dazzling, all of them are dressed in soft linen clothes, with many ornaments on their heads, there are flowers, pink and blue headbands, and Various trinkets passed down from the old grandmother.They stood there with their arms exposed, especially looking a little embarrassed.

Those students who had no exam assignments were scattered elsewhere in the classroom. The exam has begun.A young boy stood up and said as prepared: "You may not have thought that a child of my age would come to the podium to speak in public." And so on.While talking, he gestured with great difficulty. Although the movements were accurate, they were very blunt, as blunt as a malfunctioning machine.He mechanically bowed and exited, receiving a round of applause from the audience. A little girl, blushing and lisping, recited "Mary had a little lamb," etc., and curtseyed very earnestly.After winning a burst of applause from everyone, she blushed and sat down happily.

Tom Sawyer stepped forward very confidently, and recited the famous book "Give me liberty or give me death" by heart.He speaks generously, and now and then makes great gestures, But I couldn't connect halfway through the back and back.Stage fright seized him like a demon, his legs trembled, and he seemed to be suffocating.All the people present really sweated for him, but no one said anything, which made him feel more uncomfortable than sympathizing with him.At last the teacher frowned, and it was all over for Tom.He stuttered and wanted to recite, but after a while, he slipped off the field like a defeated rooster.The people in the audience wanted to applaud once or twice, but the applause disappeared as soon as it started.

Then someone recited some famous passages such as "The Boy Standing on the Burning Deck", "The Assyrians Come" and so on.What follows is a reading performance and a spelling bee.The few-person Latin class seemed extremely proud when they recited it.Finally, the golden program of the evening finally arrived - the girls' own "original masterpiece".One by one, everyone stepped forward and stood at the edge of the podium. After clearing their throats, they took out the manuscript (tied with bright ribbons) and began to read.All of them recited vividly, and they worked very hard to make people feel a little unnatural.The themes of the articles were all played by their mothers and grandmothers on the same occasion.No doubt it goes back to the matrilineal ancestors of their family in the days of the Crusaders, and everybody has used that kind of theme, A Treatise on Friendship being one of them.In addition, there are "Revisiting the Past", "Religion in History", "Advantages of Culture", "Comparison of Political Systems", "Sadness", and so on.These articles have three common characteristics: first, they moan without illness and pretend to be sad; second, they pile up words and abuse flowery words;In addition, these articles have a remarkable feature, which is also their failure: each article ends with a deeply rooted preaching, like a dog with a broken tail, which is uncomfortable.No matter what their "original masterpieces" involve, they rack their brains and do everything possible to make people think about it in order to obtain moral or religious inspiration.Under the watchful eyes of the public, although this kind of preaching gives people the feeling of lying, but this kind of atmosphere cannot be eliminated, and it remains the same today.Perhaps as long as the world exists, this kind of insincere preaching will never be eliminated.What school girl in this country doesn't feel compelled to add a didactic paragraph to the end of her essay?What's more interesting is that the more unruly and less religious girls you find, the longer and more religious their articles are.

Come on, honest words are harsh, let's not talk about these.Let's go on to talk about the "big test".The title of the first article read aloud was "Is this life?" ".The following is an excerpt "for the sake of" readers. The flying imagination paints scenes of rosy joy. The trendy fashionista is addicted to luxury and luxury, and finds himself in a happy crowd in a dream, becoming a star in the eyes of everyone.Elegant in her demeanor and plain robes, she dances gracefully through the maze of joy.Her eyes are the brightest and her steps are the lightest.

The dream is wonderful, time flies, and the moment waiting for her to enter heaven has come.What she saw seemed to be enchanted, like a fairy descending to earth!Everywhere you go, things change and the scenery becomes more beautiful.But after a while, she discovered that her beautiful appearance was in vain: The sweet words that once made her heart ecstasy are now clanging and harsh; the ballroom has become dull; Etc., etc., etc., during the reading, the crowd burst into a hum of satisfaction, and from time to time suddenly whispered: "How beautiful!" It was particularly uncomfortable, and everyone was eager to end it as soon as possible.As soon as the reading was finished, the audience applauded warmly.

The next to stand was a thin, melancholy girl with a striking pallor, the aftereffect of frequent medication and indigestion.She sang a "poem".Here are just two of them: Missouri teen bids farewell to Alabama Goodbye, Alabama!I love you deeply, Although the parting is short, it is hard to give up and hard to separate! Thinking of you, the past is burning in my chest, Loving and sad. Have you ever remembered that I left my footprints among thousands of flowers, By the Drapos Creek there is the sound of me reading aloud; I have heard Dedasi's flowing water like ten thousand horses galloping,

I have seen the birth of dawn on the summit of Mount Coosa. I have everything in mind, no regrets, no complaints, Looking back with tears, I feel calm. I bid farewell to the places I know, It is not a stranger who sees me sigh; I feel at home in this state, But now I will be far away from the mountains and valleys. Dear Alabama, once I lose heart, At that time, I really bid farewell to others. Few of those present understood what she meant by "really leaving the world," but the poem was satisfying nonetheless. Then another girl came up.She has black eyes, black hair and even dark skin.When she came up, she paused for a moment, which was memorable.Then she began to read in solemn and rhythmic tones with a look of distress.

a dream The night was dark, the wind was raging, and the rain was pouring.God is high above, and there are no stars twinkling around; the thunder is rolling, the sky is roaring, and it is deafening. Angry lightning pierced through the dark clouds and pierced the night sky, threatening to engulf Franklin.The outstanding scientist bravely flew a kite to measure the electrical energy when the lightning was intertwined.Strong winds also rose from the ground to help the thunder and lightning strike, making the scene even more desolate. At such a moment, so dark and gloomy, I feel compassion in my heart and mourn for all beings.

"My dearest friend, teacher, my comforter and guide— Joy in my sorrow, my blessing with joy," came to me. She is like a fairy in the Garden of Eden drawn by a romantic young painter, walking in the sun, a simple and exquisite beauty.Her steps came and went without a sound.If she hadn't caressed the world like other fairies, making people tremble with magic, she would have disappeared without a trace like a floating cloud.She pointed to the raging storm outside and asked people to think about what they each symbolized. At this moment, a cloud of sadness appeared on her face inexplicably, as if the weather in the cold winter made people tremble. The dreadful description, which took nearly ten pages and ended with a didactic passage which left non-Presbyterians hopeless, won the first prize for the article, which was considered the best of the evening. composition.When the mayor presented the award, he delivered a passionate speech.He said it was the "most beautiful" essay he had ever heard in his life, and that even Daniel Webster would have been proud to hear it. By the way, some people use the word "beautiful" too much, and like to compare life experience to "a page of life". There are many articles like this as usual. The teacher was so drunk that he was almost amiable.He pushed back his chair, turned his back to the audience, and began drawing a map of the United States on the blackboard in preparation for his geography class.But he didn't listen to his hands, and as a result, the picture was not decent, which made everyone laugh secretly.He knew in his heart that everyone was laughing at him for not drawing well, so he started to revise.He erased some lines and drew them again, and the result was worse than the original one, and everyone laughed at him even more blatantly.He put all his eggs in one basket, with the tendency of not bending over Mount Taishan, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to preparing to draw the map well.He felt that everyone was staring at him, imagining that he had finally drawn a decent picture of America, but the laughter kept coming from below, and it was obviously getting louder.It turned out that there was an attic above his head, and the skylight of the attic was facing the teacher's head.A cat with a rope around its waist hangs from above, its head and mouth tied up with rags, so it can't make a sound.As it descends, the cat leans upwards, grabs the rope with its paws, then dances in the air before waving downwards.Everyone laughed louder and louder.The cat was only six inches away from the head of the teacher who was painting intently.Getting closer and lower, the cat finally grabbed the teacher's wig out of desperation.Then the cat and the wig sprinted back into the attic again.The teacher's bald head is radiant, because the kid who is the signer has put a layer of light on his head.The exams are over, the kids have their revenge, and the holidays are upon us. Chapter XXII Huck Finn Quotations Attracted by the pretty "sash" of the Temperance Society, Tom joined the new organization.He promised not to smoke, chew or blaspheme during membership.Then he made a new discovery-that is, the mouth promises to be more beautiful, but in fact it is just the opposite.Tom soon found himself tormented by a strong desire to smoke and to curse.This desire was so strong that he really wanted to withdraw from the Temperance Society, thinking that he would have the opportunity to show his face wearing a red shoulder strap, so he gave up the idea of ​​withdrawing from the Temperance Society.The Fourth of July was approaching (Independence Day in the United States), but he soon gave up this wish—within forty-eight hours since he put on the “shackles”, he gave up this wish—and pinned his hopes on the law and order On old Judge Fraser.The man was obviously dying, and since he held an important position, there must have been a grand funeral after his death.For three days Tom had watched the judge's condition with great concern, and waited eagerly for news.At times, his hope seemed within reach—he even ventured to pull out his ribbon and demonstrate himself in the mirror.But the progress of the judge's condition is not to Tom's satisfaction.Later, he actually came back to life - and then slowly recovered.Tom was furious at this; he almost felt hurt.So he immediately applied for resignation-but that night, the judge had a relapse and died.Tom swore he would never trust such a man again. The funeral was quite grand.The members of the Temperance Society paraded with pride, making the ex-member jealous to death.But anyway, it makes sense that Tom is free again.He could drink again, he could curse his mother--but he was surprised to find that he was not interested in these things.The reason is simple. Now that he is free, these practices have lost their charm, and he can get rid of desires. It didn't take long for Tom to feel that the summer vacation he had dreamed of was becoming dull and long. He tried to keep a diary—but for three days nothing unusual happened, and he abandoned the idea. The first-class black band came to this small town and caused a sensation.Tom and Harper organized a team of players and went crazy for two days. Even the glorious Fourth of July is, in a sense, less lively.Because it rained heavily that day, there was no parade, and the greatest man in the world (in Tom's opinion), a real US Senator, Mr. Benton, was disappointing - for the fact that he was not twenty Five feet, not even close to the edge. Here comes the circus.From then on, the children put up a tent with broken blankets, and played a circus for three days in a row—the admission ticket was: three pins for boys, two for girls—and soon the circus stopped. Then came a physiognomist and a hypnotist—and they were gone, and the town was duller and duller than ever. There were parties for boys and girls, but only a limited number, and they were so much fun that the empty, distressed smell was stronger on the days when there were no parties. Becky Thatcher went home to the town of Constantinople to spend the summer with her parents--so life was no fun, no matter what. The mystery of that terrible murder tormented Tom like a never-ending cancer. Then Tom got measles again. For two long weeks Tom lay at home like a prisoner, cut off from the world.He was very ill and was not interested in anything.When he was finally able to get out of bed and walk around the town weakly, he found that the people and things around him had changed and became depressed.There was a "faith revival meeting" in the town, and everyone "believed in the Lord", not only adults, but also boys and girls.Tom walked about, hoping in despair to see even one evil face that God had spared, but everywhere he was disappointed.He found Joe Harper chewing on a Bible, and sadly avoided the disappointment.Then he found Ben Rogers, and found him visiting the poor with a basket of sermon pamphlets.He found Jim Hollis again, who reminded him to learn a valuable lesson from his recent measles.Every time he met a child, his boredom increased.Finally, when he was bored, he went to seek comfort from his friend Huckleberry Finn, but unexpectedly he also quoted a passage from the Bible to greet him.Despondent, Tom slipped home, lay in bed, and realized that of all the townspeople he was the only "lost lamb" forever, forever. That night, a terrible storm blew up, with heavy rain, lightning and thunder, which was deafening.Tom covered his head with a sheet and waited in horror for his doom.For he had no doubt that all this storm was directed at him.He was convinced that he had offended God and made him furious, and lo and behold, now came his comeuppance!In his opinion, using a row of cannons to wipe out a bug like this seems like a big deal, and it's too much of a waste of ammunition.But to completely eradicate a pest like him, it seems that nothing can be overstated. Later, the storm was exhausted, and the army ceased to achieve its goal.The kid's first impulse was to be thankful and ready to reincarnate and make his way to the new shore.The second impulse was to wait—for perhaps there would be no more storms in the future. The next day the doctors came again; Tom was ill again.This time, he stayed in bed for three weeks, which seemed to him a whole century.When he got up from the hospital bed, recalling how miserable, helpless and lonely he was, he actually felt that it was nothing to celebrate that he was not struck by lightning.He wandered dazedly into the street and came across Jim Hollis playing the judge in a children's court trying a murder case of a cat that had killed a bird, with the victim present.He also found Joe Harper and Huck Finn eating stolen melons in an alley.poor child!They—also like Tom—relapsed into old habits. Chapter Twenty-Three: Potter Is Not Guilty, Joe Is On The Run At last the trance was broken--and completely: the murder was heard in open court.This matter immediately became a hot topic of discussion in the town.Tom couldn't shake the thing off.Whenever the murder was mentioned, he shuddered, for his uneasy conscience and terrified fear almost convinced him that he was being told deliberately, to find out his "mouth"; He understood how others would doubt that he knew the facts of the case, but after hearing these arguments, he couldn't take it calmly.Those words made him shudder.He took Hack to a secluded place and talked to him about the matter.It was somewhat of a comfort to Tom to be able to pour out his heart for a while and share his sorrows with another person who was also suffering.And he wanted to know if Huck had kept the secret all along. "Huck, did you ever tell anybody--that?" "whats the matter?" "Ask knowingly." "Oh—of course I didn't." "Didn't you say a word?" "Not a word, I swear. Why are you asking?" "Oh, I'm scared." "Hey, Tom Sawyer, we can't live two days if the secret gets out. You know that." Tom felt more at ease.After a pause, he said: "Huck, what will you do if they make you confess?" "Make me confess? Hey, I'll only confess if I want to be drowned alive by that goddam bastard. Otherwise, they can't do it." "Well, that's all right. I suppose we'll be all right as long as we keep our mouths shut. But let's swear again. It's more secure that way." "I agree." So they swore again, very seriously. "What's everybody talking about, Huck? I've heard a lot!" "What's the matter? Well, it's not Muff Potter, Muff Potter, Muff Potter, on and on. These words make people break out in a cold sweat. I want to find a place to hide." "I feel the same way. I think he's finished. Do you feel sorry for him sometimes?" "Almost always sorry for him--often. He wasn't much of a man; but he never did any harm. Just fished, and sold money for a drink--loafed about; but Well, man, we're all doing the same stuff--most of us, at least--even the preachers. But he's kind--one time, when I didn't catch enough fish for two, he Gave me half a fish; and many times, when I was in bad luck, he helped me a lot." "Why, Huck, he helped me fix my kite and tie my fish-hook to my pole. I hope we can get him out. " "Oh! Tom, that's no use. Besides, getting out won't help; They will take him back again. " "Yeah—they'll take him back again. But I'd hate to hear them call him a devil when he never did—that." "Me too, Tom. Good God, I heard them call him the number one villain in the country, and they said why he wasn't hanged before." "Yes, that's what they say all the time. I also heard that if he was released, they would kill him secretly." "They really do that." The two children talked for a long time, but there was no comfort.It was getting late, and the two of them wandered around the remote small cell, with vague hopes in their hearts, hoping that something unexpected would happen to help them solve their problems.But, nothing happened; no angels or gods seemed to be interested in the hapless prisoner. The boys did what they had done before—going up to the window of the cell and passing Potter a bit of tobacco and matches.He was kept on the first floor without guards. He was very grateful to them for sending him good things, which made their consciences even more disturbed-this time, it stabbed deep into their hearts like a knife.When Potter opened the conversation, they felt that he was extremely timid and a complete traitor.He said: "Boys, you've been so kind to me—better than anyone else in town. I won't forget, I won't forget. I used to say to myself, 'I used to give the town kids Fix kites and things like that, and tell 'em where the best fishing is, and try to make friends with 'em. But now that old Potter's in trouble, they've forgotten him; but alas, neither did Tom, nor did Huck— Only they didn't forget him.' I said: 'I won't forget them either.' Ah, boys, I did a terrible thing - I was drunk and out of my mind - that's all I can say —Now, I am going to be hanged for it, and rightly so. I think it is right, and best—I wish to be hanged. Oh, let’s not talk about it. I I don't want to make you sad; you've been so kind to me, but what I want to tell you is that you mustn't drink too much—that way, you won't be locked up here. Stand a little further west— Yes—that's it; it's a great comfort to see a friendly face in a man's misfortune. Now I'm never seen by anyone but you. What a friendly face—what a friendly Ah. Climb one on the other's back and let me touch your faces. Now. Let's shake hands—you can put your hands through the window, mine's too big. So small A little hand, not much strength—but that little hand has done Muff Potter a great deal, and if it could help more, it would." Tom returned home in grief and had many nightmares that night.On the second and third days, he wandered outside the courthouse, feeling an irresistible urge to break in, but he forced himself to stay outside.Huck had the same experience.They deliberately avoided each other.They often walked away from there, but they were all attracted back by this tragedy.Tom listened attentively whenever a spectator came out of the courtroom, but the news he heard was worrying—the French Open was increasingly relentless on poor Muff Potter.Towards the end of the second day the word came through the town that Injun Joe's evidence was beyond doubt, and that it was clear how the jury would decide the case. Tom came home very late that night, and he crawled in through the window and went to bed.It was several hours before he fell asleep from the extreme excitement.The next morning, all the townspeople went to the courthouse in droves, for today was an unusual day.The auditorium was packed, half men and half women.People waited for a long time before the jury entered and took their seats one by one. After a while, Porter was brought in in handcuffs. He was pale, haggard, shy, and resigned to fate.He sat in a prominent place, visible to all curious people in the audience.Injun Joe was no less conspicuous, and he was as unassuming as before.After a while, the judge arrived, and the law enforcement officer announced the opening of the court.Then, the sound of lawyers bowing their heads and packing up documents was heard as usual.The details and subsequent delays give an impression of preparations for a trial that is as impressive as it is fascinating. Now, a witness is brought up.He testified that he had seen Moff Potter bathing in the river early on the morning of the murder and that he had quickly slipped away. The plaintiff's lawyer asked for a while and said: "Examination of witnesses." The prisoner looked up for a moment, then lowered his eyes again.At this point his defense attorney said: "I have no questions to ask." A second witness testified that he had found the knife near the victim's body. Plaintiff's attorney said: "Examination of witnesses." "I have no questions to ask," Porter's attorney said. A third witness swore he often saw Potter with the knife. "Examination of witnesses." Porter's attorney declined to question the witness.The audience could be seen getting annoyed.Was the defense attorney not going to take his client's life without making any effort? Several witnesses testified that when Porter was brought to the scene of the murder, he acted in fear of crime.The defendants' lawyers allowed them to exit the witness stand without cross-examining them. Those present still remember the tragedy that happened in the cemetery that morning.The sworn witnesses had now told each detail, but none of them had been cross-examined by Porter's attorney.There was a murmur of voices expressing confusion and discontent, which resulted in a burst of reprimand from the judge.So the plaintiff's attorney said: "On the basis of the succinct and unquestionable testimonies of all citizens on oath, we conclude, beyond any doubt, that this horrific murder was committed by the unfortunate prisoner in the dock. This concludes the case." Poor Moff groaned, put his face in his hands, and rocked gently to and fro, while the courtroom fell into a painful silence.Many men were moved and women shed tears of sympathy.At this moment, the defense attorney stood up and said: "Your Honor, at the outset of this trial, we have stated the purpose of the trial, and we have tried to prove what I mean: my client was insane and did this terrible thing. thing. Now that I've changed my mind, I'm filing for retraction of that defense." Then he said to the clerk, "By Tom Sawyer!" Everyone present was baffled and amazed; even Potter was no exception.The people stared at him with great interest and bewilderment as Tom rose to his feet and came to the witness stand.The child seemed a little overwhelmed by being so frightened.He swore. "Tom Sawyer, where were you at about midnight on June 17th?" Seeing the grim face of Injun Joe, Tom's tongue froze, and he could not speak.The audience listened with bated breath, but the words still remained silent.However, after a few minutes, the child regained some strength and managed to raise his voice, but still only some people could hear him clearly: "In the cemetery!" "Please speak up a little bit. Don't be afraid. You're..." "In the cemetery." A mocking smile flashed quickly across Injun Joe's face. "Are you somewhere near Hawes Williams' grave?" "Yes, sir." "Louder—slightly louder. How far away?" "It's like I'm so far away from you." "Are you hiding?" "It's hidden." "Where?" "Hiding behind some elm trees beside the grave." Injun Joe was taken aback, hardly noticed by the others. "Anyone else?" "Yes, sir. I am with..." "Don't be busy—wait a minute. You don't mention your companion's name. We'll call him in due time. Are you going thither, and have you anything with you?" Tom hesitated, bewildered. "Speak up, boy—don't be afraid. It's always admirable to tell the truth. What did you bring? " "Just brought a—er—a dead cat." People burst into laughter.The judge stopped them. "We'll show you all the remains of that dead cat. Now, boy, tell what happened—tell the truth—and don't miss anything, don't be afraid." Tom began to talk—hesitatingly at first, but growing fond of the subject, and then more and more fluently; and soon there was no other sound but his talking, and every eye was on him; People opened their mouths and held their breath, listening to him tell this legendary experience with great interest, not paying attention to the time at all, all attracted by this terrifying and charming adventure. At last, Tom's pent-up emotions burst forth, and he said: "...The doctor waved the wooden sign, and Muff Potter fell to the ground in response. Injun Joe jumped over with a knife and gave it a hard blow..." "Wow!" That bastard rushed towards the window like lightning, rushed away all those who blocked him, and ran away! Chapter Twenty-four Once again Tom was the hero in the limelight - favored by his elders and envied by his peers.His name appeared in the newspapers, and he obtained eternal life. The newspapers in the town publicized his deeds.Some believed that as long as he was not hanged, he would one day be president. The moody, brainless people, as usual, regarded Moff Potter as an old chap, and treated him with the same kind of enthusiasm as when they had tried to abuse him.But such behavior is human virtue after all, so let us not find fault with it. Tom passed the day with pomp and triumph, but the night was all terror.Injun Joe kept appearing in his dreams with a fierce look in his eyes.No temptation, however great, could lure the child out of the house after dark.Poor Huck was in the same misery and terror.Tom had told the lawyer all the facts on the first day of the trial.Though Injun Joe's flight had spared him from testifying, he was still terribly afraid that his involvement in the case would be revealed.What was the use of the poor little chap who had been assured by his lawyer that he would keep his secret?Tom's mouth had been sealed with terrible and solemn oaths, and then, tormented by his conscience, he went to the lawyer's house at night to confide the terrible experience.In this case, Huck's trust in human beings is almost gone. During the day, Moff Potter's thanks made Tom glad to tell the truth; but at night, he regretted that he had not kept his tongue shut. One part of the time Tom was afraid that Injun Joe would never get away with it; the other half of the time he was afraid that he should be arrested.He deeply felt that unless this person died and let him see his body with his own eyes, otherwise, he would never have peace. A reward was offered by the court, and the whole district was searched, but Injun Joe was not caught.From among the mighty and formidable marvels of St. Louis came a detective.He looked around, shaking his head, looking extraordinary, and like his peers, made astonishing progress.That is to say, he "found the clue."However, you can't hang the "clue" as a murderer. So after the detective returned from his mission, Tom felt as insecure as before. The long days passed day by day, and with each passing day the psychological burden of this fear eased a little. Chapter 25 Digging for Treasure, Returning Empty 生得健全的男孩长到一定的时候就会萌生强烈的欲望：到它处去掘地寻宝。一天，汤姆也突生此念。他外出去找乔·哈帕，但没有找到。接着，他又去找本·罗杰斯，可是他去钓鱼去了。不久，他碰到了赤手大盗哈克·费恩。这倒也不错。汤姆把他拉到一个没人的地方，推心置腹地和他摊了牌。哈克欣然表示同意。凡是好玩的，又无须花本钱的冒险活动，哈克总是乐而不疲的。他有足够的时间，而时间又不是金钱，他正愁着没处花呢。 “我们上哪儿挖去？”哈克问。 “噢，好多地方都行哪。” “怎么，难道到处都藏金匿银吗？” “不，当然不是。财宝埋在一些相当特殊的地方，哈克——埋在岛上，有的装在朽木箱子里，埋在一棵枯死的大树底下，就是半夜时分树影照到的地方；不过，大多数情况下是埋在神鬼出没的房子下面。” “是谁埋的呢？” “嘿，你想还会有谁？当然是强盗们喽——难道是主日学校的校长不成？” “我不知道。换了我，我才不把它给埋起来，我会拿出去花掉，痛痛快快地潇洒一回。” “我也会的。但是，强盗们不这样干。他们总把钱埋起来，就撒手不问了。” “埋过以后他们就不再来找它吗？” “不，他们是想再找的。可是，他们要不是忘记当初留下的标志，就是死了。总之，财宝埋在那里，时间长了，都上了锈。渐渐地等到后来，就有人发现一张变了色的旧纸条，上面写着如何去找那些记号——这种纸条要花一个星期才能读通，因为上面用的差不多尽是些密码和象形文字。” “象形——象形什么？” “象形文字——图画之类的玩艺儿，你知道那玩艺儿看上去，好像没有什么意思。” “你得到那样的纸条了吗，汤姆？” “还没有。” “那么，你打算怎么去找那些记号呢？” “我不需要什么记号。他们老爱把财宝埋在闹鬼的屋子里或是一个岛上，再不就埋在枯死的树下面，那树上有一独枝伸出来。哼，我们已经在杰克逊岛上找过一阵子了，以后什么时候，我们可以再去找找。在鬼屋河岸上，有间闹鬼的老宅，那儿还有许许多多的枯树——多得很呢。” “下面全埋着财宝吗？” “瞧你说的！哪有那么多！” “那么，你怎么知道该在哪一棵下面挖呢？” “所有的树下面都要挖一挖。” “哎，汤姆，这样干，可得挖上一整个夏天呀。” “哦，那又怎么样？想想看你挖到一个铜罐子，里面装了一百块大洋，都上了锈，变了颜色；或者挖到了一只箱子，里面尽是些钻石。你该作何感想？” 哈克的眼睛亮了起来。 “那可真太棒了。对我来说，简直棒极了。你只要把那一百块大洋给我就得了，钻石我就不要了。” “好吧。不过，钻石我可不会随便扔掉。有的钻石一颗就值二十美元——有的也不那么值钱，不过也要值六角到一块。” “哎呀！是真的吗？” “那当然啦——人人都这么说。你难道未见过钻石，哈克？” “记忆中好像没见过。” “嗨，国王的钻石可多着呢。” “唉，汤姆，我一个国王也不认识呀。” “这我知道。不过，你要是到欧洲去，你就能看到一大群国王，到处乱窜乱跳。” “他们乱窜乱跳？” “什么乱窜乱跳——你这糊涂蛋！不是！” “哦，那你刚才说他们什么来着？” “真是瞎胡闹，我的意思是说你会看见他们的——当然不是乱窜乱跳——他们乱窜乱跳干什么？——不过，我是说你会看见他们——用通俗的话说就是到处都有国王。比方说那个驼背的理查老国王。” “理查？他姓什么？” “他没有什么姓。国王只有名，没有姓。” “没有姓？” “确实没有。” “唉，要是他们喜欢，汤姆，那也好；不过，我不想当国王，只有名，没有姓，像个黑鬼似的。得了，我问你——你打算从哪儿动手呢？” “嗯，我也不知道。我们先去鬼屋河岸对面的小山上，从那棵枯树那儿开始挖，你说好不好？” "I agree." 于是，他们就找到一把不大好使的镐和一把铁锹，踏上了三英里的路程。等到达目的地，俩人已经热得满头大汗，气喘吁吁，于是往就近的榆树下面一躺，歇歇脚，抽袋烟。 “我喜欢干这活儿。”汤姆说。 "me too." “喂，我说哈克，要是现在就找到了财宝，你打算怎么花你的那份呢？” “嗨，我就天天吃馅饼，喝汽水，有多少场马戏，我就看多少场，场场不落。我敢说我会快活得像活神仙。” “嗯，不过你不打算攒点钱吗？” “攒钱？干什么用？” “嘿，细水长流嘛。” “哦，那没用的。我爸迟早会回到镇上，要是我不抓紧把钱花光，他一准会手伸得老长，抢我的钱。告诉你吧，他会很快把钱花得一个子儿不剩。你打算怎么花你的钱呢，汤姆？” “我打算买一面新鼓，一把货真价实的宝剑，一条红领带和一只小斗犬，还要娶个老婆。” “娶老婆！” "That's what happened." “汤姆，你——喂，你脑子不正常吧。” “等着瞧吧，你会明白的。” “唉，要娶老婆，你可真傻冒透了。看看我爸跟我妈。穷争恶吵！唉，他们见面就打。自我记事他们一直打个没完。” “这是两码子的事。我要娶的这个女孩子可不会跟我干仗。” “汤姆，我以为她们都是一样。她们都会跟你胡搅蛮缠。你最好事先多想想。我劝你三思而后行。这个妞叫什么？” “她不是什么妞——是个女孩子。” “反正都一样，我想；有人喊妞，有人喊女孩——都是一码子事，一样。噢，对了，她到底叫什么来着，汤姆？” “等以后再告诉你——现在不行。” “那好吧——以后告诉就以后告诉吧，只是你成了家就孤独了我喽。” “那怎么会呢，你可以搬过来，跟我们一起住。咱们还是别谈这些，动手挖吧。” 他们干了半个小时，大汗淋漓而未果。他们又拼命地干了半个钟头，还是一无所获。Hack said: “他们总是埋得这样深吗？” “有时候是的——不过不总是这样。一般是不会这样的。 我想我们是不是没找准地方。 " 于是，他们又换了个新地方，开始挖起来。他们干得不快，但仍有所进步。他们坚持不懈，默默地干了一段时间。末了，哈克倚着铁锹，用袖子抹了把额头上豆大的汗珠，说道： “挖完这个，你打算再到哪里去挖呢？” “我想咱们也许可以到那儿去挖，卡第夫山上寡妇家后面的那棵老树下面挖。” “那地方不错。不过，那寡妇会不会把咱们挖到的财宝据为己有呢，汤姆？那可是在她家的地上呀。” “据为己有！说得倒轻松，叫她试试看。谁找到的宝藏，就该归谁，这与谁家的地没任何关系。” 这种说法令人满意。他们继续挖着。后来，哈克说： “妈的，咱们准是又挖错了地方。你看呢？” “这就怪了，哈克。我真搞不懂。有时候，巫婆会暗中捣鬼。我猜问题出在这儿。” “胡说！巫婆白天是没有法力的。” “对，这话不假。我没想到这一点。啊，我知道问题出在哪儿了！咱俩真是他妈的大傻瓜两个！你得搞清楚夜半时分，那个伸出的树杈影子落在什么地方，然后就在那里开挖才行呀！” “可不是吗。真是的，我俩傻乎乎地白挖了一场。这事真该死，咱们得半夜三更跑到这儿来。路程可不近。你能溜出来吗？” “我想我会出来。咱们今晚非来不可，因为要是给旁人看见这些坑坑洼洼，他们立刻就会知道这儿有什么，号上这块地方。” “那么，我今晚就到你家附近学猫叫。” “好吧。咱们把工具藏到矮树丛里。” 当夜，两个孩子果然如约而来。他们坐在树荫底下等着。这是个偏僻的地方，又值夜半，迷信的说法把这地方搞得阴森森的。沙沙作响的树叶像是鬼怪们在窃窃私语，暗影里不知有多少魂灵埋伏着，远处不时传来沉沉的狗吠，一只猫头鹰阴森地厉叫着。两个孩子给这种阴沉恐怖的气氛吓住了，他们很少讲话。后来，估模时间该到１２点钟了，他们就在树影垂落的地方作了记号，开始挖起来。他们的希望开始涨潮，兴致越来越高，干劲越来越大，坑越挖越深。每次他们听到镐碰到什么东西的声响，心都激动得怦怦狂跳，可每次又都免不了失望。原来那不过是碰到了一块石头或是一块木头。汤姆终于开口道： “这样干还是不行，哈克，咱们又搞错了。” “哎，怎么会呢。咱们在树影落下的地方作的记号，一点没错。” “我知道，不过还有一点。” "What is it?" “唉，咱们只是在估摸时间。也可能太早了或太迟了。” 哈克把铁锹往地上一扔。 “对，”他说，“问题就出在这儿。咱们别挖这个坑了。咱们根本搞不准时间，而且这事太可怕了，半夜三更的，在这么个鬼蜮横流的地方。我老觉得背后有什么东西盯着我。我简直不敢回头；前面说不定也有什么怪物在等着害咱们呢。自打来到这地方，我就浑身直起鸡皮疙瘩。” “唉，我也差不多有同感，哈克。他们在树下埋财宝的时候，通常还埋上一个死人来作看守。” "Oh my God!" “是真的。我常听人家这么说。” “汤姆，我不喜欢在有死人的地方闲荡。否则一定会遇上麻烦的，肯定会的。” “我也不想打扰他们。说不定这儿会有个死人伸出脑袋，开口说话呢！” “别说了，汤姆！真恐怖。” “嘿，可不是。哈克，我也觉得不对劲儿。” “喂，汤姆，咱们还是别在这儿挖了，再到别处碰碰运气。” "Okay, let's do it." “再到哪儿去挖呢？” 汤姆思忖了一会，然后说： “到那间闹鬼的屋子里去挖。对，就这么办！” “妈的，我也不喜欢闹鬼的屋子，汤姆。唉，那里比死人还可怕。也许死人会说话，可是他们不会趁你不注意，披着寿衣悄悄溜过来，猛地从你背后探出身来，龇牙咧嘴；但他们就爱这么干。我可吃不住这份惊吓，汤姆——没人吃得住。” “是呀。不过，哈克，鬼怪只是在夜间才出来。咱们白天到那儿去挖，他们不会碍事的。” “对，这话不错。可是你知道，不管是白天，还是夜里，都没人去那间鬼屋。” “噢，这大概是因为他们不喜欢到一个出过人命案的地方去——可是，除了夜里，那所房子周围倒没谁看见过什么——夜里，只有些蓝光在窗户那儿飘来荡去——不是总有鬼。” “哦，汤姆，你看到蓝光飘忽的地方，那后面一准跟着一个鬼。这是有道理的，因为你知道，除了鬼怪，没有什么人点蓝色的火光。” “是呀，这话没错。不过，既然他们白天不会出来，咱们还怕什么呢？” “唉，好吧。既然你这么说，咱们就去探探那间鬼屋——不过，我想我们只是在碰运气。” 这时候，他们已经动身往山下走。在他们下面的山谷中间，那间“鬼屋”，孤零零地立在月光底下，围墙早就没有了， 遍地杂草丛生，台阶半掩，烟囱倾坍，窗框空空荡荡，屋顶一个犄角也塌掉了。两个孩子瞪大眼睛看了一会，想见一见窗户边有蓝幽幽的火光飘过；在这种特定的氛围里他们压低了嗓音说着话，一边尽量靠右边走，远远躲开那间鬼屋，穿过卡第夫山后的树林，一路走回家去。