Chapter 9

I wanted to go and look at a place right about the middle of the island that I’d found when I was exploring; so we started and soon got to it, because the island was only three miles long and a quarter of a mile wide.

I wanted to go and look at a place near the middle of the island. I’d found it while exploring. So we set off and soon got there, because the island was only three miles long and a quarter-mile wide.

This place was a tolerable long, steep hill or ridge about forty foot high. We had a rough time getting to the top, the sides was so steep and the bushes so thick. We tramped and clumb around all over it, and by-and-by found a good big cavern in the rock, most up to the top on the side towards Illinois. The cavern was as big as two or three rooms bunched together, and Jim could stand up straight in it. It was cool in there. Jim was for putting our traps in there right away, but I said we didn’t want to be climbing up and down there all the time.

This place was a pretty long, steep hill or ridge about forty foot high. We had a rough time getting to the top, the sides was so steep and the bushes so thick. We tramped and clumb around all over it, and by-and-by found a good big cavern in the rock, most up to the top on the side towards Illinois. The cavern was as big as two or three rooms bunched together, and Jim could stand up straight in it. It was cool in there. Jim was for putting our traps in there right away, but I said we didn’t want to be climbing up and down there all the time.

Jim said if we had the canoe hid in a good place, and had all the traps in the cavern, we could rush there if anybody was to come to the island, and they would never find us without dogs. And, besides, he said them little birds had said it was going to rain, and did I want the things to get wet?

Jim said if we had the canoe hid in a good place, with all the gear in the cave, we could rush there if anybody was to come to the island. And whoever came would never find us without dogs. Besides, he said them little birds had said it was going to rain. Did I want the things to get wet?

So we went back and got the canoe, and paddled up abreast the cavern, and lugged all the traps up there. Then we hunted up a place close by to hide the canoe in, amongst the thick willows. We took some fish off of the lines and set them again, and begun to get ready for dinner.

So we went back and got the canoe, and paddled up alongside the cave. We hauled all the gear up there. Then we found a place nearby to hide the canoe among the thick willows. We took some fish off the lines and set the lines again, and begun to get ready for dinner.

The door of the cavern was big enough to roll a hogshead in, and on one side of the door the floor stuck out a little bit, and was flat and a good place to build a fire on. So we built it there and cooked dinner.

The cave entrance was big enough to roll a large barrel through. On one side of the entrance, the floor stuck out a little bit. That spot was flat and a good place to build a fire. So we built a fire there and cooked dinner.

We spread the blankets inside for a carpet, and eat our dinner in there. We put all the other things handy at the back of the cavern. Pretty soon it darkened up, and begun to thunder and lighten; so the birds was right about it. Directly it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too, and I never see the wind blow so. It was one of these regular summer storms. It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dim and spider-webby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale underside of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest—fst! it was as bright as glory, and you’d have a little glimpse of tree-tops a-plunging about away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you’d hear the thunder let go with an awful crash, and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels down stairs—where it’s long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know.

We spread the blankets inside the cave for a carpet, and eat our dinner in there. We put all the other things within easy reach at the back of the cave. Pretty soon it got dark and begun to thunder and flash lightning, so the birds was right about it. Then it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too. I never see the wind blow so hard. It was one of those regular summer storms. It would get so dark outside that everything looked blue-black, and lovely. The rain would beat down so thick that the trees a little ways off looked faint and spider-webby. Then a blast of wind would bend the trees down and turn up the pale undersides of the leaves. And then a real ripping gust would follow, setting the branches tossing their arms as if they was just wild. And next, when everything was about as blue and black as it could get, fst! Everything was as bright as glory. You'd catch a little glimpse of treetops tossing around way off in the storm. You could see hundreds of yards farther than before. In a second, everything was dark as sin again. And now you'd hear the thunder let loose with an awful crash. Then it would go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling down the sky toward the underside of the world. It sounded like empty barrels rolling down stairs. Long stairs, where the barrels bounce a good deal, you know.

“Jim, this is nice,” I says. “I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here. Pass me along another hunk of fish and some hot corn-bread.”

“Jim, this is nice,” I says. “I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here. Pass me another hunk of fish and some hot cornbread.”

“Well, you wouldn’t a ben here ’f it hadn’t a ben for Jim. You’d a ben down dah in de woods widout any dinner, en gittn’ mos’ drownded, too; dat you would, honey. Chickens knows when it’s gwyne to rain, en so do de birds, chile.”

“Well, you wouldn’t have been here if it hadn’t been for Jim. You’d have been down there in the woods without any dinner and getting most drowned, too. That you would, honey. Chickens knows when it’s going to rain, and so do the birds, child.”

The river went on raising and raising for ten or twelve days, till at last it was over the banks. The water was three or four foot deep on the island in the low places and on the Illinois bottom. On that side it was a good many miles wide, but on the Missouri side it was the same old distance across—a half a mile—because the Missouri shore was just a wall of high bluffs.

The river went on raising and raising for ten or twelve days, till at last it overflowed its banks. The water was three or four foot deep in the island’s low places and on the Illinois lowlands. On the Illinois side, the river was a good many miles wide. But on the Missouri side, it was the same old distance across, half a mile. That was because the Missouri shore was just a wall of high bluffs.

Daytimes we paddled all over the island in the canoe, It was mighty cool and shady in the deep woods, even if the sun was blazing outside. We went winding in and out amongst the trees, and sometimes the vines hung so thick we had to back away and go some other way. Well, on every old broken-down tree you could see rabbits and snakes and such things; and when the island had been overflowed a day or two they got so tame, on account of being hungry, that you could paddle right up and put your hand on them if you wanted to; but not the snakes and turtles—they would slide off in the water. The ridge our cavern was in was full of them. We could a had pets enough if we’d wanted them.

Daytimes we paddled all over the island in the canoe. It was mighty cool and shady in the deep woods, even if the sun was blazing outside. We wound in and out among the trees. Sometimes the vines hung so thick we had to back away and go some other way. Well, on every old broken-down tree you could see rabbits and snakes and such things. After the island had been flooded a day or two, the animals got so tame because they were hungry. You could paddle right up and put your hand on them if you wanted to. But not the snakes and turtles. They would slide off into the water. The ridge our cave was in was full of them. We could have had pets enough if we’d wanted them.

One night we catched a little section of a lumber raft—nice pine planks. It was twelve foot wide and about fifteen or sixteen foot long, and the top stood above water six or seven inches—a solid, level floor. We could see saw-logs go by in the daylight sometimes, but we let them go; we didn’t show ourselves in daylight.

One night we catched a small section of a lumber raft made of nice pine planks. It was twelve foot wide and about fifteen or sixteen foot long. The top stood six or seven inches above the water, making a solid, level floor. Sometimes we could see logs for lumber floating by in daylight, but we let them go. We didn’t show ourselves in daylight.

Another night when we was up at the head of the island, just before daylight, here comes a frame-house down, on the west side. She was a two-story, and tilted over considerable. We paddled out and got aboard—clumb in at an upstairs window. But it was too dark to see yet, so we made the canoe fast and set in her to wait for daylight.

Another night when we was up at the head of the island, just before daylight, here comes a frame house down, on the west side. She was a two-story, and tilted over considerable. We paddled out and got aboard. We clumb in at an upstairs window. But it was too dark to see yet, so we made the canoe fast and set in her to wait for daylight.

The light begun to come before we got to the foot of the island. Then we looked in at the window. We could make out a bed, and a table, and two old chairs, and lots of things around about on the floor, and there was clothes hanging against the wall. There was something laying on the floor in the far corner that looked like a man. So Jim says:

The light begun to come before we got to the lower end of the island. Then we looked in through the window. We could make out a bed, a table, and two old chairs. There were lots of things scattered around on the floor, and there was clothes hanging on the wall. There was something laying on the floor in the far corner that looked like a man. So Jim says:

“Hello, you!”

“Hey, you!”

But it didn’t budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says:

But it didn’t budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says:

“De man ain’t asleep—he’s dead. You hold still—I’ll go en see.”

“The man ain’t asleep. He’s dead. You hold still. I’ll go and see.”

He went, and bent down and looked, and says:

He went and bent down and looked, and says:

“It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He’s ben shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face—it’s too gashly.”

“It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedy. Naked, too. He’s been shot in the back. I reckon he’s been dead two or three days. Come in, Huck, but don’t look at his face. It’s too ghastly.”

I didn’t look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him, but he needn’t done it; I didn’t want to see him. There was heaps of old greasy cards scattered around over the floor, and old whisky bottles, and a couple of masks made out of black cloth; and all over the walls was the ignorantest kind of words and pictures made with charcoal. There was two old dirty calico dresses, and a sun-bonnet, and some women’s underclothes hanging against the wall, and some men’s clothing, too. We put the lot into the canoe—it might come good. There was a boy’s old speckled straw hat on the floor; I took that, too. And there was a bottle that had had milk in it, and it had a rag stopper for a baby to suck. We would a took the bottle, but it was broke. There was a seedy old chest, and an old hair trunk with the hinges broke. They stood open, but there warn’t nothing left in them that was any account. The way things was scattered about we reckoned the people left in a hurry, and warn’t fixed so as to carry off most of their stuff.

I didn’t look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him, but he needn’t done it. I didn’t want to see him. There was heaps of old greasy playing cards scattered over the floor, and old whiskey bottles. There was a couple of masks made out of black cloth, too. All over the walls was the ignorantest kind of words and pictures drawn with charcoal. There was two old dirty calico dresses, a sunbonnet, and some women’s underwear hanging against the wall. There was some men’s clothing, too. We put all the clothes into the canoe. They might come in handy. There was a boy’s old speckled straw hat on the floor. I took that, too. And there was a bottle that had had milk in it, with a rag stopper for a baby to suck on. We would have took the bottle, but it was broke. There was a shabby old chest, and an old hair-covered trunk with the hinges broke. They stood open, but there wasn’t nothing left in them worth anything. From the way things was scattered about, we reckoned the people left in a hurry. And they wasn’t ready to carry off most of their stuff.

We got an old tin lantern, and a butcher-knife without any handle, and a bran-new Barlow knife worth two bits in any store, and a lot of tallow candles, and a tin candlestick, and a gourd, and a tin cup, and a ratty old bedquilt off the bed, and a reticule with needles and pins and beeswax and buttons and thread and all such truck in it, and a hatchet and some nails, and a fishline as thick as my little finger with some monstrous hooks on it, and a roll of buckskin, and a leather dog-collar, and a horseshoe, and some vials of medicine that didn’t have no label on them; and just as we was leaving I found a tolerable good curry-comb, and Jim he found a ratty old fiddle-bow, and a wooden leg. The straps was broke off of it, but, barring that, it was a good enough leg, though it was too long for me and not long enough for Jim, and we couldn’t find the other one, though we hunted all around.

We got an old tin lantern, and a butcher knife without any handle, and a brand-new Barlow knife worth two bits in any store, and a lot of tallow candles, and a tin candlestick, and a gourd, and a tin cup, and a ratty old bedquilt off the bed. We got a lady’s handbag with needles and pins and beeswax and buttons and thread and all such truck in it, and a hatchet and some nails, and a fishline as thick as my little finger with some monstrous hooks on it. We got a roll of buckskin, and a leather dog collar, and a horseshoe, and some vials of medicine that didn’t have no label on them. Just as we was leaving, I found a pretty good curry-comb, and Jim he found a ratty old fiddle bow, and a wooden leg. The straps was broke off of it, but, barring that, it was a good enough leg, though it was too long for me and not long enough for Jim. And we couldn’t find the other one, though we hunted all around.

And so, take it all around, we made a good haul. When we was ready to shove off we was a quarter of a mile below the island, and it was pretty broad day; so I made Jim lay down in the canoe and cover up with the quilt, because if he set up people could tell he was a nigger a good ways off. I paddled over to the Illinois shore, and drifted down most a half a mile doing it. I crept up the dead water under the bank, and hadn’t no accidents and didn’t see nobody. We got home all safe.

And so, all in all, we made a good haul. When we was ready to push off, we was a quarter of a mile below the island. It was broad daylight by then, so I made Jim lay down in the canoe and cover up with the quilt. Because if he set up, people could tell he was a nigger from a good ways off. I paddled over to the Illinois shore and drifted down almost half a mile along the way. I crept along through the still water under the bank, and hadn’t no accidents and didn’t see nobody. We got home all safe.