Part 32 (1/2)

THAT night To 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 reseht promised to be a fair one; so Toree of darkness came on, Huck was to come and ”maohereupon he would slip out and try the keys

But the night remained clear, and Huck closed his watch and retired to bed in an eshead about twelve

Tuesday the boys had the saht proood 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 hts (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 ot 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 an to wish he could see a flash frohten 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 excite closer and closer to the alley; fearing all sorts of dreadful things, andsome 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 To by him: ”Run!” said he; ”run, for your life!”

He needn't have repeated it; once was enough; Huck wasthirty 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 storot his breath he said:

”Huck, it ful! I tried two of the keys, just as soft as I could; but they seeet 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!_”

”What!--what'd you see, Tom?”

”Huck, I most stepped onto 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”

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

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

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

”Well, I would My aunt would hty sick if I lost it”

”Say, 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 sao barrels and lots more bottles in the room

Don't you see, nohat's the matter with that ha'nted room?”

”How?”

”Why, it's ha'nted hiskey! Maybe _all_ the Teot a ha'nted room, hey, Huck?”

”Well, I reckon ? But say, Toet that box, if Injun Joe's drunk”

”It is, that! You try it!”

Huck shuddered