Part 33 (1/2)

”I reckon it's wrong--but--”

”But shucks! Your mother won't know, and so what's the harm? All she wants is that you'll be safe; and I bet you she'd 'a' said go there if she'd 'a' thought of it I know she would!”

The Widow Douglas' splendid hospitality was a te bait It and Tom's persuasions presently carried the day So it was decided to say nothing anybody about the night's prograht coht took a deal of the spirit out of his anticipations Still he could not bear to give up the fun at Widow Douglas' And why should he give it up, he reasoned--the signal did not coht before, so why should it be anyoutweighed the uncertain treasure; and, boy-like, he deterer inclination and not allow himself to think of the box of money another time that day

Three miles belon the ferryboat stopped at the mouth of a woody hollow and tied up The croarhts echoed far and near with shoutings and laughter All the different ways of getting hot and tired were gone through with, and by-and-by the rovers straggled back to camp fortified with responsible appetites, and then the destruction of the good things began After the feast there was a refreshi+ng season of rest and chat in the shade of spreading oaks By-and-by somebody shouted:

”Who's ready for the cave?”

Everybody was Bundles of candles were procured, and straightway there was a general scamper up the hill Theshaped like a letter A Its massive oaken door stood unbarred Within was a small chamber, chilly as an icehouse, and walled by Nature with solid limestone that was deith a cold sweat It was roloo in the sun But the impressiveness of the situation quickly wore off, and the rohted there was a general rush upon the owner of it; a struggle and a gallant defence followed, but the candle was soon knocked down or blown out, and then there was a glad clas have an end By-and-by the procession went filing down the steep descent of thethe lofty walls of rock almost to their point of junction sixty feet overhead This ht or ten feet wide Every few steps other lofty and still narrower crevices branched froal's cave was but a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each other and out again and led nowhere It was said that one h its intricate tangle of rifts and chaso down, and down, and still down, into the earth, and it was just the same--labyrinth under labyrinth, and no end to any of the Most of the young men knew a portion of it, and it was not customary to venture much beyond this known portion Tom Sawyer knew asthe roups and couples began to slip aside into branch avenues, fly along the dismal corridors, and take each other by surprise at points where the corridors joined again Parties were able to elude each other for the space of half an hour without going beyond the ”known” ground

By-and-by, one group after another ca, hilarious, ss, daubed with clay, and entirely delighted with the success of the day Then they were astonished to find that they had been taking no note of ti bell had been calling for half an hour However, this sort of close to the day's adventures was romantic and therefore satisfactory When the ferryboat with her wild freight pushed into the stream, nobody cared sixpence for the wasted time but the captain of the craft

Huck was already upon his watch when the ferryboat's lights went glinting past the wharf He heard no noise on board, for the young people were as subdued and still as people usually are who are nearly tired to death He wondered what boat it was, and why she did not stop at the wharf--and then he dropped her out of his rowing cloudy and dark Ten o'clock caan to wink out, all straggling foot-passengers disappeared, the village betook itself to its slumbers and left the shosts Eleven o'clock cahts were put out; darkness everywhere, now Huck waited what see happened His faith eakening Was there any use?

Was there really any use? Why not give it up and turn in?

A noise fell upon his ear He was all attention in an instant The alley door closed softly He sprang to the corner of the brick store The next mo under his ar to remove the treasure

Why call Toet aith the box and never be found again No, he would stick to their wake and follow them; he would trust to the darkness for security frolided along behind thetheh ahead not to be invisible

They moved up the river street three blocks, then turned to the left up a crossstreet They went straight ahead, then, until they came to the path that led up Cardiff Hill; this they took They passed by the old Welsh, and still cliht Huck, they will bury it in the old quarry

But they never stopped at the quarry They passed on, up the sued into the narrow path between the tall suloom Huck closed up and shortened his distance, now, for they would never be able to see hi he was gaining too fast; ether; listened; no sound; none, save that he see of an owl came over the hill--o lost! He was about to spring inged feet, when a man cleared his throat not four feet from hiain; and then he stood there shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge of hiht he round He knehere he was He kneithin five steps of the stile leading into Widow Douglas'

grounds Very well, he thought, let them bury it there; it won't be hard to find

Now there was a voice--a very low voice--Injun Joe's:

”dahts, late as it is”

”I can't see any”

This was that stranger's voice--the stranger of the haunted house A deadly chill went to Huck's heart--this, then, was the ”revenge” job! His thought was, to fly Then he relas had been kind to hi to murder her He wished he dared venture to warn her; but he knew he didn't dare--they ht all this and er's remark and Injun Joe's next--which was--

”Because the bush is in your way Now--this way--now you see, don't you?”

”Yes Well, there _is_ coive it up”

”Give it up, and I just leaving this country forever! Give it up and ain, as I've told you before, I don't care for her swag--you h on h on ed rant And that ain't all It ain't a millionth part of it! He had me _horsewhipped_!--horsewhipped in front of the jail, like a nigger!--with all the town looking on!

_Horsewhipped_!--do you understand? He took advantage of me and died But I'll take it out of _her_”

”Oh, don't kill her! Don't do that!”