Chapter 28

5 min

That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure. They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern until after nine, one watching the alley at a distance and the other the tavern door. Nobody entered the alley or left it; nobody resembling the Spaniard entered or left the tavern door. The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a considerable degree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” whereupon he would slip out and try the keys. But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an empty sugar hogshead about twelve.

That night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure. They stayed near the tavern until after nine. One watched the alley from a distance, and the other watched the tavern door. Nobody went into or came out of the alley. Nobody resembling the Spaniard went into or came out of the tavern. The night looked likely to stay clear, so Tom went home. They agreed that if it got dark enough, Huck would come and “meow.” Then Tom would slip out and try the keys. But the night stayed clear, and around midnight Huck ended his watch and went to bed in an empty sugar barrel.

Tuesday the boys had the same ill luck. Also Wednesday. But Thursday night promised better. Tom slipped out in good season with his aunt’s old tin lantern, and a large towel to blindfold it with. He hid the lantern in Huck’s sugar hogshead and the watch began. An hour before midnight the tavern closed up and its lights (the only ones thereabouts) were put out. No Spaniard had been seen. Nobody had entered or left the alley. Everything was auspicious. The blackness of darkness reigned, the perfect stillness was interrupted only by occasional mutterings of distant thunder.

On Tuesday the boys had the same bad luck. Wednesday was no better. But Thursday night looked more promising. Tom slipped out early enough with his aunt’s old tin lantern and a large towel to cover its light. He hid the lantern in Huck’s large sugar barrel, and the watch began. An hour before midnight, the tavern closed and its lights went out. They were the only lights nearby. No Spaniard had been seen. Nobody had entered or left the alley. Everything looked favorable. Complete darkness surrounded them. Only the occasional rumble of distant thunder broke the perfect stillness.

Tom got his lantern, lit it in the hogshead, wrapped it closely in the towel, and the two adventurers crept in the gloom toward the tavern. Huck stood sentry and Tom felt his way into the alley. Then there was a season of waiting anxiety that weighed upon Huck’s spirits like a mountain. He began to wish he could see a flash from the lantern—it would frighten him, but it would at least tell him that Tom was alive yet. It seemed hours since Tom had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybe he was dead; maybe his heart had burst under terror and excitement. In his uneasiness Huck found himself drawing closer and closer to the alley; fearing all sorts of dreadful things, and momentarily expecting some catastrophe to happen that would take away his breath. There was not much to take away, for he seemed only able to inhale it by thimblefuls, and his heart would soon wear itself out, the way it was beating. Suddenly there was a flash of light and Tom came tearing by him: “Run!” said he; “run, for your life!”

Tom got his lantern, lit it inside the barrel, and wrapped it tightly in the towel. The two adventurers crept through the darkness toward the tavern. Huck stood guard while Tom felt his way into the alley. Then came an anxious wait that weighed on Huck’s spirits like a mountain. He began to wish he could see a flash from the lantern. The light would frighten him, but at least he would know Tom was still alive. It seemed like hours since Tom had disappeared. Surely Tom must have fainted. Maybe he was dead. Maybe his heart had burst from fear and excitement. Growing more uneasy, Huck found himself moving closer and closer to the alley. He feared all sorts of dreadful things and expected some disaster to take his breath away at any moment. There wasn’t much breath to take away, since he could only seem to draw it in a thimbleful at a time. And his heart would soon wear itself out, the way it was pounding. Suddenly, a light flashed, and Tom came racing past him: “Run!” he said. “Run for your life!”

He needn’t have repeated it; once was enough; Huck was making thirty or forty miles an hour before the repetition was uttered. The boys never stopped till they reached the shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower end of the village. Just as they got within its shelter the storm burst and the rain poured down. As soon as Tom got his breath he said:

He didn’t need to repeat it. Once was enough. Huck was already running thirty or forty miles an hour before he said it again. The boys didn’t stop until they reached the shed of an abandoned slaughterhouse at the lower end of the village. Just as they got under cover, the storm broke and rain poured down. As soon as Tom caught his breath, he said:

“Huck, it was awful! I tried two of the keys, just as soft as I could; but they seemed to make such a power of racket that I couldn’t hardly get my breath I was so scared. They wouldn’t turn in the lock, either. Well, without noticing what I was doing, I took hold of the knob, and open comes the door! It warn’t locked! I hopped in, and shook off the towel, and, Great Caesar’s Ghost!”

“Huck, it was awful! I tried two of the keys, just as soft as I could. But they seemed to make such a racket that I couldn’t hardly get my breath, I was so scared. They wouldn’t turn in the lock, either. Well, without noticing what I was doing, I took hold of the knob, and open comes the door! It wasn’t locked! I hopped in, and shook off the towel, and, Great Caesar’s Ghost!”

“What!—what’d you see, Tom?”

“What! What did you see, Tom?”

“Huck, I most stepped onto Injun Joe’s hand!”

“Huck, I almost stepped on Injun Joe’s hand!”

“No!”

“Yes! He was lying there, sound asleep on the floor, with his old patch on his eye and his arms spread out.”

“Yes! He was lying there, sound asleep on the floor. He had his old patch over his eye and his arms spread out.”

“Lordy, what did you do? Did he wake up?”

“Gosh, what did you do? Did he wake up?”

“No, never budged. Drunk, I reckon. I just grabbed that towel and started!”

“No, never budged. Drunk, I reckon. I just grabbed that towel and took off!”

“I’d never ’a’ thought of the towel, I bet!”

“I’d never have thought of the towel, I bet!”

“Well, I would. My aunt would make me mighty sick if I lost it.”

“Well, I would. My aunt would make me really sorry if I lost it.”

“Say, Tom, did you see that box?”

“Hey, Tom, did you see that box?”

“Huck, I didn’t wait to look around. I didn’t see the box, I didn’t see the cross. I didn’t see anything but a bottle and a tin cup on the floor by Injun Joe; yes, I saw two barrels and lots more bottles in the room. Don’t you see, now, what’s the matter with that ha’nted room?”

“Huck, I didn’t wait to look around. I didn’t see the box. I didn’t see the cross. I didn’t see anything but a bottle and a tin cup on the floor by Injun Joe. Yes, I saw two barrels and lots more bottles in the room. Don’t you see, now, what’s the matter with that haunted room?”

“How?”

“Why, it’s ha’nted with whiskey! Maybe all the Temperance Taverns have got a ha’nted room, hey, Huck?”

“Why, it’s haunted with whiskey! Maybe all the Temperance Taverns have got a haunted room, hey, Huck?”

“Well, I reckon maybe that’s so. Who’d ’a’ thought such a thing? But say, Tom, now’s a mighty good time to get that box, if Injun Joe’s drunk.”

“Well, I reckon maybe that’s so. Who would have thought such a thing? But say, Tom, now’s a mighty good time to get that box, if Injun Joe’s drunk.”

“It is, that! You try it!”

“It sure is! You try it!”

Huck shuddered.

“Well, no—I reckon not.”

“Well, no, I reckon not.”

“And I reckon not, Huck. Only one bottle alongside of Injun Joe ain’t enough. If there’d been three, he’d be drunk enough and I’d do it.”

“And I reckon not, Huck. Only one bottle beside Injun Joe ain’t enough. If there’d been three bottles, he’d be drunk enough and I’d do it.”

There was a long pause for reflection, and then Tom said:

There was a long pause to think, and then Tom said:

“Lookyhere, Huck, less not try that thing any more till we know Injun Joe’s not in there. It’s too scary. Now, if we watch every night, we’ll be dead sure to see him go out, some time or other, and then we’ll snatch that box quicker’n lightning.”

“Look here, Huck, let's not try that thing any more till we know Injun Joe's not in there. It's too scary. Now, if we watch every night, we'll be dead sure to see him go out sometime or other. And then we'll snatch that box quicker than lightning.”

“Well, I’m agreed. I’ll watch the whole night long, and I’ll do it every night, too, if you’ll do the other part of the job.”

“Well, I agree. I’ll keep watch all night. And I’ll do it every night, too, if you’ll do the other part of the job.”

“All right, I will. All you got to do is to trot up Hooper Street a block and maow—and if I’m asleep, you throw some gravel at the window and that’ll fetch me.”

“All right, I will. All you got to do is to trot up Hooper Street a block and meow. And if I’m asleep, you throw some gravel at the window. That’ll wake me up.”

“Agreed, and good as wheat!”

“Agreed, and it's a done deal!”

“Now, Huck, the storm’s over, and I’ll go home. It’ll begin to be daylight in a couple of hours. You go back and watch that long, will you?”

“Now, Huck, the storm’s over, and I’ll go home. It’ll start getting light in a couple of hours. You go back and keep watch until then, will you?”

“I said I would, Tom, and I will. I’ll ha’nt that tavern every night for a year! I’ll sleep all day and I’ll stand watch all night.”

“I said I would, Tom, and I will. I’ll haunt that tavern every night for a year! I’ll sleep all day and I’ll stand watch all night.”

“That’s all right. Now, where you going to sleep?”

“In Ben Rogers’ hayloft. He lets me, and so does his pap’s man, Uncle Jake. I tote water for Uncle Jake whenever he wants me to, and any time I ask him he gives me a little something to eat if he can spare it. That’s a mighty good , Tom. He likes me, becuz I don’t ever act as if I was above him. Sometime I’ve set right down and eat with him. But you needn’t tell that. A body’s got to do things when he’s awful hungry he wouldn’t want to do as a steady thing.”

“In Ben Rogers’ hayloft. He lets me, and so does his pap’s man, Uncle Jake. I tote water for Uncle Jake whenever he wants me to. And any time I ask him, he gives me a little something to eat if he can spare it. That’s a mighty good , Tom. He likes me, because I don’t ever act as if I was above him. Sometimes I’ve set right down and eat with him. But you needn’t tell anyone I eat with him. A body’s got to do things when he’s awful hungry that he wouldn’t want to do all the time.”

“Well, if I don’t want you in the daytime, I’ll let you sleep. I won’t come bothering around. Any time you see something’s up, in the night, just skip right around and maow.”

“Well, if I don’t need you during the day, I’ll let you sleep. I won’t come around bothering you. Anytime you see something’s up at night, just hurry over and meow.”