前言

秘方简介

常用词列表

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

CHAPTER XXV

THERE comes a time in every rightly-constructed 构造 boy’s life when he has a raging 愤怒 desire to go somewhere and dig 挖 for hidden hide treasure 金银财宝. This desire suddenly came upon Tom one day. He sallied out to find Joe Harper, but failed of success. Next he sought Ben Rogers; he had gone fishing. Presently he stumbled 绊倒 upon Huck Finn the Red-Handed. Huck would answer. Tom took him to a private place and opened the matter to him confidentially 秘密的. Huck was willing. Huck was always willing to take a hand in any enterprise 企业 that offered entertainment 娱乐 and required no capital, for he had a trouble‧some 麻烦 superabundance of that sort of time which is not money. “Where’ll we dig 挖?” said Huck.

“Oh, most any‧where 任何地方.”

“Why, is it hid hide all around?”

“No, indeed it ain’t. It’s hid hide in mighty 威武 particular places, Huck—sometimes on islands, sometimes in rotten 腐烂的 chests 胸部 under the end of a limb 肢 of an old dead tree, just where the shadow falls at mid‧night 午夜; but mostly under the floor in ha’nted houses.”

“Who hides it?”

“Why, robbers 强盗, of course—who’d you reckon 估计? Sunday-school sup SUP’rintendents?”

“I don’t know. If ‘twas mine I wouldn’t hide it; I’d spend it and have a good time.”

“So would I. But robbers 强盗 don’t do that way. They always hide it and leave it there.”

“Don’t they come after it any more?”

“No, they think they will, but they generally forget the marks, or else they die. Anyway 无论如何, it lays there a long time and gets rusty 生疏; and by and by somebody finds an old yellow paper that tells how to find the marks—a paper that’s got to be ciphered over about a week because it’s mostly signs and hy’roglyphics.”

“Hyro—which?”

“Hy’roglyphics—pictures and things, you know, that don’t seem to mean anything.”

“Have you got one of them papers, Tom?”

“No.”

“Well then, how you going to find the marks?”

“I don’t want any marks. They always bury 埋葬 it under a ha’nted house or on an island, or under a dead tree that’s got one limb 肢 sticking out. Well, we’ve tried Jackson’s Island a little, and we can try it again some time; and there’s the old ha’nted house up the Still-House branch, and there’s lots of dead- limb trees—dead loads of ‘em.”

“Is it under all of them?”

“How you talk! No!”

“Then how you going to know which one to go for?”

“Go for all of ‘em!”

“Why, Tom, it’ll take all summer.”

“Well, what of that? Suppose you find a brass 黄铜 pot 罐 with a hundred 百 dollars in it, all rusty 生疏 and gray, or rotten 腐烂的 chest 胸部 full of di’monds. How’s that?”

Huck’s eyes glowed 辉光.

“That’s bully 欺负. Plenty bully 欺负 enough for me. Just you gimme the hundred 百 dollars and I don’t want no di’monds.”

“All right. But I bet you I ain’t going to throw off on di’monds. Some of ‘em’s worth twenty 二十 dollars apiece—there ain’t any, hardly, but’s worth six bits 一点 or a dollar.”

“No! Is that so?”

“Cert’nly— any‧body 任何人’ll tell you so. Hain’t you ever seen one, Huck?”

“Not as I remember.”

“Oh, kings have slathers of them.”

“Well, I don’ know no kings, Tom.”

“I reckon 估计 you don’t. But if you was to go to Europe you’d see a raft 筏 of ‘em hopping 跳 around.”

“Do they hop 跳?”

“Hop?—your granny! No!”

“Well, what did you say they did, for?”

“Shucks, I only meant you’d see ‘em—not hopping 跳, of course—what do they want to hop 跳 for?—but I mean you’d just see ‘em— scattered 散落 around, you know, in a kind of a general way. Like that old humpbacked Richard.”

“Richard? What’s his other name?”

“He didn’t have any other name. Kings don’t have any but a given name.”

“No?”

“But they don’t.”

“Well, if they like it, Tom, all right; but I don’t want to be a king and have only just a given name, like a nigger. But say—where you going to dig 挖 first?”

“Well, I don’t know. S’ pose 以…身份出现，造成 we tackle 滑车 that old dead- limb 肢 tree on the hill t’other side of Still-House branch?”

“I’m agreed.”

So they got a crippled 削弱 pick and a shovel 铲, and set out on their three-mile tramp 流浪汉. They arrived hot and panting 喘气, and threw throw themselves down in the shade 遮阳；阴 of a neighboring elm to rest and have a smoke.

“I like this,” said Tom.

“So do I.”

“Say, Huck, if we find a treasure 金银财宝 here, what you going to do with your share?”

“Well, I’ll have pie 馅饼 and a glass of soda 苏打 every day, and I’ll go to every circus 马戏团 that comes along. I bet I’ll have a gay 快乐的 time.”

“Well, ain’t you going to save any of it?”

“Save it? What for?”

“Why, so as to have something to live on, by and by.”

“Oh, that ain’t any use. Pap would come back to thish-yer town some day and get his claws 爪 on it if I didn’t hurry up, and I tell you he’d clean it out pretty quick. What you going to do with yourn, Tom?”

“I’m going to buy a new drum 鼓, and a sure’nough sword 剑, and a red neck‧tie 颈‧打结；系上；关系 and a bull 公牛 pup 小狗, and get married.”

“Married!”

“That’s it.”

“Tom, you—why, you ain’t in your right mind.”

“Wait—you’ll see.”

“Well, that’s the foolishest 傻 thing you could do. Look at pap and my mother. Fight! Why, they used to fight all the time. I remember, mighty 威武 well.”

“That ain’t anything. The girl I’m going to marry won win’t fight.”

“Tom, I reckon 估计 they’re all alike 同样的. They’ll all comb 梳子 a body. Now you better think ‘bout 回合 this awhile 一会儿. I tell you you better. What’s the name of the gal 加仑?”

“It ain’t a gal 加仑 at all—it’s a girl.”

“It’s all the same, I reckon 估计; some says gal 加仑, some says girl—both’s right, like enough. Anyway 无论如何, what’s her name, Tom?”

“I’ll tell you some time—not now.”

“All right—that’ll do. Only if you get married I’ll be more lonesomer than ever.”

“No you won’t. You’ll come and live with me. Now stir 搅动 out of this and we’ll go to digging 挖.”

They worked and sweated 流汗 for half an hour. No result. They toiled 辛劳 another half‧hour 一半的‧小时. Still no result. Huck said:

“Do they always bury 埋葬 it as deep as this?”

“Sometimes—not always. Not generally. I reckon 估计 we haven’t got the right place.”

So they chose choose a new spot and began again. The labor 劳动 dragged 拖拽 a little, but still they made progress. They pegged 衣夹 away in silence for some time. Finally Huck leaned lean on his shovel 铲, swabbed the beaded 珠子 drops from his brow 眉头 with his sleeve 袖, and said:

“Where you going to dig 3 next, after we get this one?”

“I reckon 估计 maybe we’ll tackle 滑车 the old tree that’s over yonder on Cardiff Hill back of the widow 寡妇’s.”

“I reckon 估计 that’ll be a good one. But won’t the widow take it away from us, Tom? It’s on her land.”

“She take it away! Maybe she’d like to try it once. Whoever 无论谁 finds one of these hid hide treasures 金银财宝, it belongs to him. It don’t make any difference whose 谁的 land it’s on.”

That was satisfactory 满意. The work went on. By and by Huck said:

“ Blame 指责 it, we must be in the wrong place again. What do you think?”

“It is mighty 威武 curious, Huck. I don’t understand it. Sometimes witches 巫婆 interfere 干预. I reckon 估计 maybe that’s what’s the trouble now.”

“Shucks! Witches ain’t got no power in the day‧time 白天.”

“Well, that’s so. I didn’t think of that. Oh, I know what the matter is! What a blamed 指责 lot of fools we are! You got to find out where the shadow of the limb 4 falls at mid‧night 午夜, and that’s where you dig!”

“Then con‧sound CON‧声音 it, we’ve fooled away all this work for nothing. Now hang it all, we got to come back in the night. It’s an awful 糟糕的 long way. Can you get out?”

“I bet I will. We’ve got to do it tonight 今晚, too, because if somebody sees these holes they’ll know in a minute what’s here and they’ll go for it.”

“Well, I’ll come around and maow tonight.”

“All right. Let’s hide the tools in the bushes 灌木.”

The boys were there that night, about the appointed time. They sat sit in the shadow waiting. It was a lonely 孤独的 place, and an hour made solemn 庄严的 by old traditions 传统. Spirits whispered 低声说 in the rustling 沙沙 leaves, ghosts 鬼 lurked 匿伏 in the murky 模糊 nooks, the deep baying of a hound 猎犬 floated 漂浮 up out of the distance, an owl 猫头鹰 answered with his sepulchral note. The boys were subdued 征服 by these solemnities, and talked little. By and by they judged that twelve 十二 had come; they marked where the shadow fell fall, and began to dig. Their hopes commenced 开始 to rise. Their interest grew grow stronger, and their industry kept pace 步伐，速度 with it. The hole deepened 变深 and still deepened, but every time their hearts jumped to hear the pick strike upon something, they only suffered a new disappointment 失望. It was only a stone or a chunk 块. At last Tom said:

“It ain’t any use, Huck, we’re wrong again.”

“Well, but we can’t be wrong. We spotted the shadder to a dot 点.”

“I know it, but then there’s another thing.”

“What’s that?”.

“Why, we only guessed at the time. Like enough it was too late or too early.”

Huck dropped his shovel 铲.

“That’s it,” said he. “That’s the very trouble. We got to give this one up. We can’t ever tell the right time, and besides this kind of thing’s too awful 糟糕的, here this time of night with witches 巫婆 and ghosts 鬼 a-fluttering 扑 around so. I feel as if something’s behind me all the time;  and I’m afeard to turn around, becuz maybe there’s others in front a-waiting for a chance. I been creeping 爬行 all over, ever since I got here.”

“Well, I’ve been pretty much so, too, Huck. They most always put in a dead man when they bury 埋葬 a treasure 金银财宝 under a tree, to look out for it.”

“Lordy!”

“Yes, they do. I’ve always heard that.”

“Tom, I don’t like to fool around much where there’s dead people. A body’s bound 必定；跳 to get into trouble with ‘em, sure.”

“I don’t like to stir 搅动 ‘em up, either. S’ pose 以…身份出现，造成 this one here was to stick his skull 头骨 out and say something!”

“Don’t Tom! It’s awful 糟糕的.”

“Well, it just is. Huck, I don’t feel comfort‧able 舒服；自在 a bit 一点.”

“Say, Tom, let’s give this place up, and try somewheres else.”

“All right, I reckon 估计 we better.”

“What’ll it be?”

Tom considered awhile 一会儿; and then said:

“The ha’nted house. That’s it!”

“ Blame 指责 it, I don’t like ha’nted houses, Tom. Why, they’re a dern sight worse’n dead people. Dead people might talk, maybe, but they don’t come sliding around in a shroud 裹尸布, when you ain’t noticing, and peep 窥视 over your shoulder all of a sudden and grit 砂砾 their teeth, the way a ghost 鬼 does. I couldn’t stand such a thing as that, Tom—nobody could.”

“Yes, but, Huck, ghosts 鬼 don’t travel around only at night. They won’t hender us from digging there in the day‧time 白天.”

“Well, that’s so. But you know mighty 威武 well people don’t go about that ha’nted house in the day nor the night.”

“Well, that’s mostly because they don’t like to go where a man’s been murdered, anyway—but nothing’s ever been seen around that house except in the night—just some blue lights slipping by the windows—no regular ghosts 鬼.”

“Well, where you see one of them blue lights flickering 闪烁 around, Tom, you can bet there’s a ghost 鬼 mighty 威武 close behind it. It stands to reason. Becuz you know that they don’t any‧body 任何人 but ghosts 鬼 use ‘em.”

“Yes, that’s so. But anyway they don’t come around in the day‧time 白天, so what’s the use of our being afeard?”

“Well, all right. We’ll tackle 滑车 the ha’nted house if you say so—but I reckon 估计 it’s taking chances.”

They had started down the hill by this time. There in the middle of the moonlit valley below them stood the “ha’nted” house, utterly 完全 isolated 隔离；孤立；分离, its fences 栅栏 gone long ago, rank 排列 weeds 杂草 smothering 扼杀 the very door‧step 门阶, the chimney 烟囱 crumbled 崩溃 to ruin 破坏, the window-sashes vacant 空的, a corner of the roof caved 洞穴 in. The boys gazed 凝视 awhile 一会儿, half expecting to see a blue light flit past a window; then talking in a low tone 音, as befitted the time and the circumstances 环境, they struck strike far off to the right, to give the haunted 出没 house a wide berth 泊位, and took their way home‧ward 家‧病房 through the woods that adorned 装饰 the rearward side of Cardiff Hill.

CHAPTER XVI

ABOUT noon 正午 the next day the boys arrived at the dead tree; they had come for their tools. Tom was impatient 不耐烦 to go to the haunted 出没 house; Huck was measurably 可测量 so, also—but suddenly said:

“Lookyhere, Tom, do you know what day it is?”

Tom mentally 精神上 ran over the days of the week, and then quickly lifted his eyes with a startled 惊吓 look in them—

“My! I never once thought of it, Huck!”

“Well, I didn’t neither, but all at once it popped 流行的 onto me that it was Friday.”

“Blame it, a body can’t be too careful 小心, Huck. We might ‘a’ got into an awful 糟糕的 scrape 擦, tackling 滑车 such a thing on a Friday.”

“Might! Better say we would! There’s some lucky 幸运 days, maybe, but Friday ain’t.”

“Any fool knows that. I don’t reckon 估计 you was the first that found it out, Huck.”

“Well, I never said I was, did I? And Friday ain’t all, neither. I had a rotten 腐烂的 bad dream last night—dreampt about rats 鼠.”

“No! Sure sign of trouble. Did they fight?”

“No.”

“Well, that’s good, Huck. When they don’t fight it’s only a sign that there’s trouble around, you know. All we got to do is to look mighty 威武 sharp and keep out of it. We’ll drop this thing for today, and play. Do you know Robin Hood, Huck?”

“No. Who’s Robin Hood?”

“Why, he was one of the greatest men that was ever in England—and the best. He was a robber 抢劫.”

“Cracky, I wisht I was. Who did he rob 抢劫?”

“Only sheriffs 郡治安官 and bishops 主教 and rich people and kings, and such like. But he never bothered 烦 the poor. He loved ‘em. He always divided up with ‘em perfectly square.”

“Well, he must ‘a’ been a brick 砖.”

“I bet you he was, Huck. Oh, he was the noblest 高尚的 man that ever was. They ain’t any such men now, I can tell you. He could lick 舔 any man in England, with one hand tied behind him; and he could take his yew bow 弓 and plug 插头 a ten 十-cent piece every time, a mile and a half.”

“What’s a yew bow?”

“I don’t know. It’s some kind of a bow, of course. And if he hit that dime 十分钱 only on the edge he would set down and cry—and curse 诅咒. But we’ll play Robin Hood—it’s nobby fun 乐趣. I’ll learn you.”

“I’m agreed.”

So they played Robin Hood all the afternoon, now and then casting 种姓 a yearning 向往 eye down upon the haunted 出没 house and passing a remark about the morrow’s prospects 展望 and possibilities 可能性 there. As the sun began to sink 淹没 into the west they took their way home‧ward 家‧病房 athwart the long shadows of the trees and soon were buried 埋葬 from sight in the forests of Cardiff Hill.

On Saturday, shortly after noon 正午, the boys were at the dead tree again. They had a smoke and a chat 聊 in the shade 遮阳；阴, and then dug 挖:dig a little in their last hole, not with great hope, but merely because Tom said there were so many cases where people had given up a treasure 3 after getting down within six inches of it, and then somebody else had come along and turned it up with a single thrust 推力 of a shovel 铲. The thing failed this time, however, so the boys shouldered their tools and went away feeling that they had not trifled 琐事 with for‧tune 命运, but had fulfilled 履行 all the requirements 需求 that belong to the business of treasure-hunting.

When they reached the haunted 出没 house there was something so weird 奇怪的 and grisly about the dead silence that reigned 统治 there under the baking 烤 sun, and something so depressing 压抑 about the loneliness 孤单 and desolation of the place, that they were afraid, for a moment, to venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 in. Then they crept 爬行:creep to the door and took a trembling 发抖 peep 窥视. They saw a weedgrown, floor‧less 地面‧少 room, unplastered, an ancient fire‧place 壁炉, vacant 空的 windows, a ruinous stair‧case 楼梯; and here, there, and every‧where 到处 hung ragged 抹布 and abandoned 放弃 cobwebs. They presently entered, softly, with quickened 加速 pulses 脉冲, talking in whispers 低声说, ears alert 警报 to catch the slightest sound, and muscles 肌肉，身体部份 tense 紧张 and ready for instant 瞬间 retreat 撤退.

In a little while familiarity 熟悉 modified 修改 their fears and they gave the place a critical 危急 and interested examination 检查, rather admiring their own boldness, and wondering at it, too. Next they wanted to look upstairs 楼上. This was something like cutting off retreat 撤退, but they got to daring 敢 each other, and of course there could be but one result—they threw their tools into a corner and made the ascent 上升. Up there were the same signs of decay 腐烂. In one corner they found a closet 壁橱 that promised mystery, but the promise was a fraud 舞弊—there was nothing in it. Their courage 勇气 was up now and well in hand. They were about to go down and begin work when—

“Sh!” said Tom.

“What is it?” whispered Huck, blanching with fright 恐怖.

“Sh!... There!... Hear it?”

“Yes!... Oh, my! Let’s run!”

“Keep still! Don’t you budge! They’re coming right toward the door.”

The boys stretched themselves upon the floor with their eyes to knotholes in the planking 板, and lay lie waiting, in a misery 痛苦 of fear.

“They’ve stopped.... No—coming.... Here they are. Don’t whisper 低声说 another word, Huck. My goodness 善良, I wish I was out of this!”

Two men entered. Each boy said to himself: “There’s the old deaf 聋的 and dumb 哑 Spaniard that’s been about town once or twice 两次 lately 近来—never saw t’other man before.”

“T’other” was a ragged 抹布, unkempt creature 动物；生物, with nothing very pleasant in his face. The Spaniard was wrapped 包 in a serape; he had bushy white whiskers; long white hair flowed from under his sombrero, and he wore wear green goggles 护目镜. When they came in, “t’other” was talking in a low voice; they sat down on the ground grind, facing the door, with their backs to the wall, and the speaker continued his remarks. His manner became less guarded and his words more distinct 不同 as he proceeded 继续:

“No,” said he, “I’ve thought it all over, and I don’t like it. It’s dangerous 危险.”

“Dangerous 危险!” grunted 咕噜 the “ deaf 聋的 and dumb 哑” Spaniard—to the vast 广大 surprise of the boys. “Milksop!”

This voice made the boys gasp 喘气 and quake. It was Injun Joe’s! There was silence for some time. Then Joe said:

“What’s any more dangerous 危险 than that job up yonder—but nothing’s come of it.”

“That’s different. Away up the river so, and not another house about. ‘Twon’t ever be known that we tried, anyway, long as we didn’t succeed.”

“Well, what’s more dangerous 危险 than coming here in the day‧time 白天!—anybody would suspicion 怀疑 us that saw us.”

“I know that. But there warn’t any other place as handy 便利 after that fool of a job. I want to quit 放弃 this shanty. I wanted to yesterday, only it warn’t any use trying to stir 搅动 out of here, with those infernal boys playing over there on the hill right in full view.”

“Those infernal boys” quaked again under the inspiration 灵感 of this remark, and thought how lucky 幸运 it was that they had remembered it was Friday and concluded 得出结论 to wait a day. They wished in their hearts they had waited a year.

The two men got out some food and made a luncheon 午餐. After a long and thoughtful 周到 silence, Injun Joe said:

“Look here, lad 小伙子—you go back up the river where you belong. Wait there till 到 you hear from me. I’ll take the chances on dropping into this town just once more, for a look. We’ll do that ‘dangerous 危险’ job after I’ve spied 间谍 around a little and think things look well for it. Then for Texas! We’ll leg it together!”

This was satisfactory 满意. Both men presently fell to yawning 打哈欠, and Injun Joe said:

“I’m dead for sleep! It’s your turn to watch.”

He curled 一绺鬈发 down in the weeds and soon began to snore 鼾. His comrade 同志 stirred 搅动 him once or twice 两次 and he became quiet. Presently the watcher began to nod; his head drooped lower and lower, both men began to snore 鼾 now.

The boys drew draw a long, grateful 感激的 breath. Tom whispered:

“Now’s our chance—come!”

Huck said:

“I can’t—I’d die if they was to wake 醒.”

Tom urged—Huck held back. At last Tom rose rise slowly and softly, and started alone. But the first step he made wrung such a hideous 可怕 creak 吱吱 from the crazy 荒唐的 floor that he sank 淹没:sink down almost dead with fright 恐怖. He never made a second attempt. The boys lay there counting the dragging 拖拽 moments till 到 it seemed to them that time must be done and eternity 永恒 growing gray; and then they were grateful 感激的 to note that at last the sun was setting.

Now one snore 鼾 ceased 停止. Injun Joe sat up, stared around—smiled grimly 严峻 upon his comrade 同志, whose 谁的 head was drooping upon his knees—stirred him up with his foot and said:

“Here! You’re a watch‧man 钟表；注视‧男人, ain’t you! All right, though—nothing’s happened.”

“My! have I been asleep 睡着的?”

“Oh, partly, partly. Nearly time for us to be moving, pard 平价. What’ll we do with what little swag we’ve got left?”

“I don’t know—leave it here as we’ve always done, I reckon 估计. No use to take it away till we start south. Six hundred 百 and fifty 五十 in silver 银’s something to carry.”

“Well—all right—it won’t matter to come here once more.”

“No—but I’d say come in the night as we used to do—it’s better.”

“Yes: but look here; it may be a good while before I get the right chance at that job; accidents 意外事件 might happen; ‘tain’t in such a very good place; we’ll just regularly 经常 bury 3 it—and bury it deep.”

“Good idea,” said the comrade 同志, who walked across the room, knelt 跪:kneel down, raised one of the rearward hearth 炉-stones and took out a bag 袋 that jingled 叮铃 pleasantly. He subtracted 减去 from it twenty 二十 or thirty 三十 dollars for himself and as much for Injun Joe, and passed the bag to the latter, who was on his knees in the corner, now, digging with his bowie-knife.

The boys forgot forget all their fears, all their miseries 痛苦 in an instant 瞬间. With gloating eyes they watched every movement 运动. Luck!—the splendor 辉 of it was beyond all imagination 想像力! Six hundred 百 dollars was money enough to make half a dozen boys rich! Here was treasure-hunting under the happiest auspices 前兆—there would not be any bother‧some 打搅，操心‧一些 uncertainty 不确定 as to where to dig. They nudged 微调 each other every moment—eloquent 雄辩 nudges 微调 and easily understood understand, for they simply meant—“Oh, but ain’t you glad 高兴的 now we’re here!”

Joe’s knife struck upon something.

“ Hello 哈喽!” said he.

“What is it?” said his comrade 同志.

“Half- rotten 腐烂的 plank 板—no, it’s a box, I believe. Here—bear a hand and we’ll see what it’s here for. Never mind, I’ve broke break a hole.”

He reached his hand in and drew it out—

“Man, it’s money!”

The two men examined the handful 少数 of coins 硬币. They were gold 金. The boys above were as excited as themselves, and as delighted.

Joe’s comrade 同志 said:

“We’ll make quick work of this. There’s an old rusty 生疏 pick over amongst 之中 the weeds in the corner the other side of the fire‧place 壁炉—I saw it a minute ago.”

He ran and brought the boys’ pick and shovel 铲. Injun Joe took the pick, looked it over critically 危重, shook shake his head, muttered 咕哝 something to himself, and then began to use it. The box was soon unearthed 挖掘. It was not very large; it was iron 铁器 bound 必定；跳 and had been very strong before the slow years had injured 损伤 it. The men contemplated 沉思 the treasure awhile 一会儿 in blissful silence.

“Pard, there’s thou‧sand 千 of dollars here,” said Injun Joe.

“‘Twas always said that Murrel’s gang 结伙 used to be around here one summer,” the stranger observed.

“I know it,” said Injun Joe; “and this looks like it, I should say.”

“Now you won’t need to do that job.”

The half‧breed 一半的‧养育；繁殖 frowned 皱眉. Said he:

“You don’t know me. Least you don’t know all about that thing. ‘Tain’t robbery 抢劫案 altogether 全部地—it’s revenge 报仇!” and a wicked 邪恶的 light flamed 火焰 in his eyes. “I’ll need your help in it. When it’s finished—then Texas. Go home to your Nance and your kids 孩子, and stand by till you hear from me.”

“Well—if you say so; what’ll we do with this—bury it again?”

“Yes. [Ravishing delight over‧head 高架.] No! by the great Sachem, no! [Profound distress 苦难 over‧head 高架.] I’d nearly forgot. That pick had fresh earth on it! [The boys were sick with terror 恐怖 in a moment.] What business has a pick and a shovel 铲 here? What business with fresh earth on them? Who brought them here—and where are they gone? Have you heard anybody?—seen anybody? What! bury it again and leave them to come and see the ground disturbed 打扰? Not exactly—not exactly. We’ll take it to my den 巢穴.”

“Why, of course! Might have thought of that before. You mean Number One?”

“No—Number Two—under the cross. The other place is bad—too common.”

“All right. It’s nearly dark enough to start.”

Injun Joe got up and went about from window to window cautiously 小心的 peeping 窥视 out. Presently he said:

“Who could have brought those tools here? Do you reckon 估计 they can be upstairs 楼上?”

The boys’ breath forsook them. Injun Joe put his hand on his knife, halted 停 a moment, undecided 未定, and then turned toward the stair‧way 楼梯‧路；方法. The boys thought of the closet 壁橱, but their strength was gone. The steps came creaking 吱吱 up the stairs 楼梯—the intolerable 无法忍受 distress 苦难 of the situation woke 醒:wake the stricken resolution 解析度 of the lads 小伙子—they were about to spring for the closet 壁橱, when there was a crash 碰撞 of rotten 4 timbers 木材 and Injun Joe landed on the ground amid 际 the debris 废墟 of the ruined 破坏 stair‧way 楼梯‧路；方法. He gathered himself up cursing 诅咒, and his comrade 同志 said:

“Now what’s the use of all that? If it’s anybody, and they’re up there, let them stay there—who cares? If they want to jump down, now, and get into trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen 十五 minutes—and then let them follow us if they want to. I’m willing. In my opinion, who‧ever 无论谁 hove those things in here caught catch a sight of us and took us for ghosts 鬼 or devils 魔鬼 or something. I’ll bet they’re running yet.”

Joe grumbled 叽 awhile 一会儿; then he agreed with his friend that what day‧light 日光 was left ought to be economized in getting things ready for leaving. Shortly after‧ward 之后 they slipped out of the house in the deepening 变深 twilight 暮, and moved toward the river with their precious 宝贵的 box.

Tom and Huck rose up, weak but vastly 大大 relieved 解除, and stared after them through the chinks between the logs 记录 of the house. Follow? Not they. They were content to reach ground again without broken break necks, and take the town‧ward 城镇‧病房 track 小路 over the hill. They did not talk much. They were too much absorbed 吸收 in hating themselves—hating the ill 生病 luck that made them take the spade 铁锹 and the pick there. But for that, Injun Joe never would have suspected 怀疑；嫌疑犯. He would have hidden hide the silver 银 with the gold 金 to wait there till his “ revenge 报仇” was satisfied, and then he would have had the misfortune 不幸 to find that money turn up missing. Bitter, bitter luck that the tools were ever brought there!

They resolved 解决 to keep a look‧out 小心 for that Spaniard when he should come to town spying 间谍 out for chances to do his revengeful job, and follow him to “Number Two,” wherever 随地 that might be. Then a ghastly 阴森 thought occurred 发生 to Tom.

“ Revenge 报仇? What if he means us, Huck!”

“Oh, don’t!” said Huck, nearly fainting 微弱的.

They talked it all over, and as they entered town they agreed to believe that he might possibly mean somebody else—at least that he might at least mean nobody but Tom, since only Tom had testified 作证.

Very, very small comfort it was to Tom to be alone in danger! Company would be a palpable improvement 起色, he thought.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE adventure 冒险活动 of the day mightily 威武 tormented 折磨 Tom’s dreams that night. Four times he had his hands on that rich treasure and four times it wasted to nothingness in his fingers as sleep forsook him and wakefulness brought back the hard reality 现实 of his misfortune 不幸. As he lay in the early morning recalling 召回 the incidents 事件 of his great adventure, he noticed that they seemed curiously subdued 征服 and far away—some‧what 有些 as if they had happened in another world, or in a time long gone by. Then it occurred 发生 to him that the great adventure itself 本身 must be a dream! There was one very strong argument 论据 in favor of this idea—namely, that the quantity 量 of coin 硬币 he had seen was too vast 广大 to be real. He had never seen as much as fifty 五十 dollars in one mass before, and he was like all boys of his age and station in life, in that he imagined that all references to “hundreds 百” and “thou‧sand 千” were mere fanciful forms of speech, and that no such sums 和 really existed in the world. He never had supposed for a moment that so large a sum 和 as a hundred 百 dollars was to be found in actual money in any one’s possession 所有物. If his notions 概念 of hidden hide treasure had been analyzed 分析, they would have been found to consist 组成 of a handful 少数 of real dimes 十分钱 and a bushel of vague 模糊, splendid 壮观的, ungraspable dollars.

But the incidents 事件 of his adventure 3 grew sensibly 理智 sharper and clearer under the attrition of thinking them over, and so he presently found himself leaning to the impression 印象 that the thing might not have been a dream, after all. This uncertainty 不确定 must be swept sweep away. He would snatch 抢夺 a hurried break‧fast 早餐 and go and find Huck. Huck was sitting on the gunwale of a flat‧boat 平的；公寓‧小船, listlessly dangling 吊着 his feet in the water and looking very melancholy 愁绪. Tom concluded 得出结论 to let Huck lead up to the subject. If he did not do it, then the adventure would be proved to have been only a dream.

“ Hello 哈喽, Huck!”

“ Hello, your‧self 你自己.”

Silence, for a minute.

“Tom, if we’d ‘a’ left the blame tools at the dead tree, we’d ‘a’ got the money. Oh, ain’t it awful 4!”

“‘Tain’t a dream, then, ‘tain’t a dream! Somehow I most wish it was. Dog’d if I don’t, Huck.”

“What ain’t a dream?”

“Oh, that thing yesterday. I been half thinking it was.”

“Dream! If them stairs hadn’t broke down you’d ‘a’ seen how much dream it was! I’ve had dreams enough all night—with that patch 补丁-eyed Spanish devil 魔鬼 going for me all through ‘em— rot 腐烂 him!”

“No, not rot him. Find him! Track 小路 the money!”

“Tom, we’ll never find him. A feller don’t have only one chance for such a pile 堆—and that one’s lost. I’d feel mighty 威武 shaky 摇摇欲坠 if I was to see him, anyway.”

“Well, so’d I; but I’d like to see him, anyway—and track him out—to his Number Two.”

“Number Two—yes, that’s it. I been thinking ‘bout 回合 that. But I can’t make nothing out of it. What do you reckon 估计 it is?”

“I dono. It’s too deep. Say, Huck—maybe it’s the number of a house!”

“Goody!... No, Tom, that ain’t it. If it is, it ain’t in this one-horse town. They ain’t no numbers here.”

“Well, that’s so. Lemme think a minute. Here—it’s the number of a room—in a tavern 酒馆, you know!”

“Oh, that’s the trick 哄骗；诀窍! They ain’t only two taverns 酒馆. We can find out quick.”

“You stay here, Huck, till I come.”

Tom was off at once. He did not care to have Huck’s company in public places. He was gone half an hour. He found that in the best tavern 酒馆, No. 2 had long been occupied 占据 by a young lawyer, and was still so occupied 占据. In the less ostentatious house, No. 2 was a mystery. The tavern 酒馆-keeper’s young son said it was kept locked all the time, and he never saw anybody go into it or come out of it except at night; he did not know any particular reason for this state of things; had had some little curiosity 好奇心, but it was rather feeble 微弱; had made the most of the mystery by entertaining himself with the idea that that room was “ha’nted”; had noticed that there was a light in there the night before.

“That’s what I’ve found out, Huck. I reckon 估计 that’s the very No. 2 we’re after.”

“I reckon 估计 it is, Tom. Now what you going to do?”

“Lemme think.”

Tom thought a long time. Then he said:

“I’ll tell you. The back door of that No. 2 is the door that comes out into that little close alley 胡同 between the tavern 酒馆 and the old rattle 霸王鞭 trap 陷阱；诱骗 of a brick 砖 store. Now you get hold of all the doorkeys you can find, and I’ll nip 掐 all of auntie’s, and the first dark night we’ll go there and try ‘em. And mind you, keep a look‧out 小心 for Injun Joe, because he said he was going to drop into town and spy 间谍 around once more for a chance to get his revenge 报仇. If you see him, you just follow him; and if he don’t go to that No. 2, that ain’t the place.”

“Lordy, I don’t want to foller him by myself 我!”

“Why, it’ll be night, sure. He mightn’t ever see you—and if he did, maybe he’d never think anything.”

“Well, if it’s pretty dark I reckon 估计 I’ll track him. I dono—I dono. I’ll try.”

“You bet I’ll follow him, if it’s dark, Huck. Why, he might ‘a’ found out he couldn’t get his revenge 4, and be going right after that money.”

“It’s so, Tom, it’s so. I’ll foller him; I will, by jingoes!”

“Now you’re talking! Don’t you ever weaken 柔弱的:weak, Huck, and I won’t.”

CHAPTER XXVIII

THAT night Tom and Huck were ready for their adventure. They hung about the neighborhood of the tavern 酒馆 until after nine 九, one watching the alley 胡同 at a distance and the other the tavern 酒馆 door. Nobody entered the alley 胡同 or left it; nobody resembling 类似 the Spaniard entered or left the tavern 酒馆 door. The night promised to be a fair one; so Tom went home with the understanding that if a consider‧able 大量 degree of darkness 黑暗 came on, Huck was to come and “maow,” where‧upon 哪里‧在…上面 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 食糖 hogshead about twelve 十二.

Tuesday the boys had the same ill 生病 luck. Also Wednesday. But Thursday night promised better. Tom slipped out in good season with his aunt 阿姨’s old tin 锡 lantern 灯笼, and a large towel 毛巾 to blind‧fold 失明的‧折叠 it with. He hid hide the lantern 灯笼 in Huck’s sugar hogshead and the watch began. An hour before mid‧night 午夜 the tavern 酒馆 closed up and its lights (the only ones thereabouts) were put out. No Spaniard had been seen. Nobody had entered or left the alley 胡同. Everything was auspicious. The blackness 黑 of darkness 黑暗 reigned 统治, the perfect stillness was interrupted 打断 only by occasional 偶然 mutterings 咕哝 of distant 遥远的 thunder 雷声.

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

He needn’t have repeated it; once was enough; Huck was making thirty 三十 or forty 四十 miles an hour before the repetition 重复 was uttered 说出. The boys never stopped till they reached the shed of a deserted 沙漠；抛弃 slaughter 屠宰-house at the lower end of the village. Just as they got within its shelter the storm 暴风雨 burst 爆裂 and the rain poured 淋；倒 down. As soon as Tom got his breath he said:

“Huck, it was awful 5! I tried two of the keys, just as soft as I could; but they seemed to make such a power of racket 球拍 that I couldn’t hardly get my breath I was so scared 惊恐. They wouldn’t turn in the lock, either. Well, without noticing what I was doing, I took hold of the knob 把手, and open comes the door! It warn’t locked! I hopped 跳 in, and shook off the towel 毛巾, 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 睡着的 on the floor, with his old patch 补丁 on his eye and his arms spread out.”

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

“No, never budged. Drunk drink, I reckon 估计. I just grabbed 用手抓 that towel 3 and started!”

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

“Well, I would. My aunt 阿姨 would make me mighty 威武 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 锡 cup on the floor by Injun Joe; yes, I saw two barrels 桶 and lots more bottles in the room. Don’t you see, now, what’s the matter with that ha’nted room?”

“How?”

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

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

“It is, that! You try it!”

Huck shuddered 不寒而栗.

“Well, no—I reckon 估计 not.”

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

There was a long pause 暂停 for reflection 反映, 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 害怕. 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 抢夺 that box quicker’n lightning 闪电.”

“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.”

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

“Agreed, and good as wheat 小麦!”

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

“I said I would, Tom, and I will. I’ll ha’nt that tavern 酒馆 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’ hay‧loft 干草‧阁楼. He lets me, and so does his pap’s nigger man, Uncle 叔叔 Jake. I tote water for Uncle Jake when‧ever 随时 he wants me to, and any time I ask him he gives me a little something to eat if he can spare 节省；多余的；备用件 it. That’s a mighty 威武 good nigger, Tom. He likes me, becuz I don’t ever act as if I was above him. Sometime 有时 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 饥饿 he wouldn’t want to do as a steady thing.”

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

CHAPTER XXIX

THE first thing Tom heard on Friday morning was a glad 高兴的 piece of news—Judge Thatcher’s family had come back to town the night before. Both Injun Joe and the treasure sunk 淹没:sink into secondary 第二的 importance for a moment, and Becky took the chief place in the boy’s interest. He saw her and they had an exhausting 排气 good time playing “hispy” and “gully-keeper” with a crowd of their schoolmates. The day was completed and crowned 王冠 in a peculiarly 奇怪的 satisfactory way: Becky teased 逗 her mother to appoint the next day for the long-promised and long-delayed 延迟 picnic 野餐, and she consented 同意. The child’s delight was bound‧less 必定；跳‧少; and Tom’s not more mode‧rate 有节制的. The invitations 邀请 were sent send out before sunset 日落, and straight‧way 直的‧路；方法 the young folks 民间 of the village were thrown throw into a fever 发热 of preparation 制备 and pleasurable 愉快的 anticipation 预期. Tom’s excitement 激动 enabled 启用 him to keep awake 醒着的 until a pretty late hour, and he had good hopes of hearing Huck’s “maow,” and of having his treasure to astonish 使惊讶 Becky and the picnickers with, next day; but he was disappointed 使失望. No signal came that night.

Morning came, eventually 终于, and by ten 十 or eleven 十一 o’ clock 钟 a giddy and rollicking company were gathered at Judge Thatcher’s, and everything was ready for a start. It was not the custom 习惯 for elderly 年老的；上了年纪的 people to mar 损伤 the picnics 野餐 with their presence. The children were considered safe enough under the wings 翅膀 of a few young ladies of eighteen 十八 and a few young gentlemen of twenty 二十-three or thereabouts. The old steam 蒸汽 ferry 渡船-boat was chartered 宪章 for the occasion; presently the gay 快乐的 throng 人群 filed 文件 up the main street laden 载货 with provision 规定-baskets 篮. Sid was sick and had to miss the fun 乐趣; Mary remained at home to entertain him. The last thing Mrs. Thatcher said to Becky, was:

“You’ll not get back till late. Perhaps you’d better stay all night with some of the girls that live near the ferry 渡船-landing, child.”

“Then I’ll stay with Susy Harper, mamma.”

“Very well. And mind and behave 表现 your‧self 你自己 and don’t be any trouble.”

Presently, as they tripped along, Tom said to Becky:

“Say—I’ll tell you what we’ll do. ‘Stead of going to Joe Harper’s we’ll climb right up the hill and stop at the Widow 寡妇 Douglas’. She’ll have ice 冰-cream 乳霜! She has it most every day—dead loads of it. And she’ll be awful glad to have us.”

“Oh, that will be fun!”

Then Becky reflected a moment and said:

“But what will mamma say?”

“How’ll she ever know?”

The girl turned the idea over in her mind, and said reluctantly 勉强:

“I reckon 估计 it’s wrong—but—”

“But shucks! Your mother won’t know, and so what’s the harm 损害? 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 3 Douglas’ splendid 壮观的 hospitality 待客 was a tempting 引诱 bait 饵. It and Tom’s persuasions 劝说 presently carried the day. So it was decided to say nothing to anybody about the night’s programme. Presently it occurred 发生 to Tom that maybe Huck might come this very night and give the signal. The thought took a deal of the spirit out of his anticipations 预期. 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 come the night before, so why should it be any more likely to come tonight 今晚? The sure fun of the evening out‧weigh 超过 the uncertain 不确定 treasure; and, boy-like, he determined to yield to the stronger inclination 倾角 and not allow himself to think of the box of money another time that day.

Three miles below town the ferry‧boat 渡船‧小船 stopped at the mouth of a woody hollow 空的 and tied up. The crowd swarmed 一群 ashore 岸上 and soon the forest distances and craggy heights 高度 echoed 回声 far and near with shoutings and laughter 笑. All the different ways of getting hot and tired were gone through with, and by-and-by the rovers straggled back to camp fortified 强化 with responsible appetites 食欲, and then the destruction 破坏 of the good things began. After the feast 盛会 there was a refreshing 使恢复 season of rest and chat 聊 in the shade of spreading oaks 橡木. By-and-by somebody shouted:

“Who’s ready for the cave 洞穴?”

Everybody was. Bundles of candles 蜡烛 were pro‧cure 促成, and straight‧way 直的‧路；方法 there was a general scam‧per 诈骗‧每个；依照 up the hill. The mouth of the cave was up the hill‧side 山坡—an opening shaped like a letter A. Its massive 大规模的 oaken door stood unbarred. Within was a small chamber 室, chilly 寒冷 as an ice‧house 冰‧房屋, and walled by Nature with solid lime‧stone 石灰石 that was dewy with a cold sweat 流汗. It was romantic 浪漫 and mysterious 神秘 to stand here in the deep gloom 愁云 and look out upon the green valley shining 发光 in the sun. But the impressiveness of the situation quickly wore off, and the romping began again. The moment a candle 蜡烛 was lighted there was a general rush 仓促 upon the owner of it; a struggle and a gallant defence followed, but the candle 蜡烛 was soon knocked 敲 down or blown blow out, and then there was a glad clamor 叫嚣 of laughter 笑 and a new chase 追. But all things have an end. By-and-by the procession 队伍 went filing 文件 down the steep 陡峭的 descent 下降 of the main avenue, the flickering 闪烁 rank 排列 of lights dimly 暗淡 revealing 揭示 the lofty 高远 walls of rock almost to their point of junction 连接点 sixty 六十 feet over‧head 高架. This main avenue was not more than eight 八 or ten 十 feet wide. Every few steps other lofty 高远 and still narrower crevices branched from it on either hand—for McDougal’s cave 洞穴 was but a vast 广大 labyrinth of crooked 弯曲 aisles 走道 that ran into each other and out again and led now‧here 无处. It was said that one might wander 漫步 days and nights together through its intricate 错综复杂 tangle 纠纷 of rifts 裂痕 and chasms, and never find the end of the cave 3; and that he might go down, and down, and still down, into the earth, and it was just the same—labyrinth under labyrinth, and no end to any of them. No man “knew” the cave. That was an impossible thing. Most of the young men knew a portion 一部分；一份 of it, and it was not customary 习惯的 to venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 much beyond this known portion. Tom Sawyer knew as much of the cave as any one.

The procession 队伍 moved along the main avenue some three-quarters of a mile, and then groups and couples began to slip aside into branch avenues, fly along the dismal 惨淡 corridors 走廊, and take each other by surprise at points where the corridors 走廊 joined again. Parties were able to elude 躲避 each other for the space of half an hour without going beyond the “known” ground.

By-and-by, one group after another came straggling back to the mouth of the cave, panting 喘气, hilarious 欢闹的, smeared 涂抹 from head to foot with tallow drippings 滴, daubed with clay, and entirely delighted with the success of the day. Then they were astonished 使惊讶 to find that they had been taking no note of time and that night was about at hand. The clanging bell 钟 had been calling for half an hour. However, this sort of close to the day’s adventures 冒险活动 was romantic 浪漫 and therefore satisfactory. When the ferry‧boat 渡船‧小船 with her wild freight 货物 pushed into the stream, nobody cared six‧pence 6‧便士 for the wasted time but the captain of the craft 手艺.

Huck was already upon his watch when the ferry‧boat 渡船‧小船’s lights went glinting past the wharf. He heard no noise 噪音 on board, for the young people were as subdued 征服 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 mind and put his attention upon his business. The night was growing cloudy 多云的 and dark. Ten 十 o’ clock 钟 came, and the noise 噪音 of vehicles 车辆 ceased 停止, scattered lights began to wink 眨眼 out, all straggling foot-passengers 乘客 disappeared, the village betook itself 本身 to its slumbers and left the small watcher alone with the silence and the ghosts 鬼. Eleven o’ clock came, and the tavern 酒馆 lights were put out; darkness 黑暗 every‧where 到处, now. Huck waited what seemed a weary 厌倦 long time, but nothing happened. His faith was weakening 柔弱的:weak. 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 胡同 door closed softly. He sprang to the corner of the brick 砖 store. The next moment two men brushed by him, and one seemed to have something under his arm. It must be that box! So they were going to remove 去掉 the treasure. Why call Tom now? It would be absurd 荒诞—the men would get away with the box and never be found again. No, he would stick to their wake and follow them; he would trust to the darkness 黑暗 for security 安全 from discovery 发现. So communing 公社 with himself, Huck stepped out and glided 滑行 along behind the men, cat 猫-like, with bare 光秃秃的 feet, allowing them to keep just far enough ahead not to be invisible 无形.

They moved up the river street three blocks, then turned to the left up a cross‧street 穿过；十字‧街. They went straight ahead, then, until they came to the path 小路 that led up Cardiff Hill; this they took. They passed by the old Welshman’s house, half‧way 半 up the hill, without hesitating 犹豫, and still climbed upward 向上. Good, thought Huck, they will bury it in the old quarry 采石场. But they never stopped at the quarry 采石场. They passed on, up the summit 首脑. They plunged 跳水 into the narrow path between the tall sumach bushes, and were at once hidden hide in the gloom 愁云. Huck closed up and shortened 缩短 his distance, now, for they would never be able to see him. He trotted 小跑 along awhile 一会儿; then slackened his pace 步伐，速度, fearing he was gaining too fast; moved on a piece, then stopped altogether 全部地; listened; no sound; none, save that he seemed to hear the beating of his own heart. The hooting of an owl 猫头鹰 came over the hill—ominous 不祥的 sound! But no foot‧step 脚步. Heavens, was everything lost! He was about to spring with winged 翅膀 feet, when a man cleared his throat not four feet from him! Huck’s heart shot shoot into his throat, but he swallowed 吞 it again; and then he stood there shaking as if a dozen agues had taken charge of him at once, and so weak that he thought he must surely fall to the ground. He knew where he was. He knew he was within 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:

“Damn 该死的 her, maybe she’s got company—there’s lights, late as it is.”

“I can’t see any.”

This was that stranger’s voice—the stranger of the haunted 出没 house. A deadly chill 寒意 went to Huck’s heart—this, then, was the “revenge 5” job! His thought was, to fly. Then he remembered that the Widow Douglas had been kind to him more than once, and maybe these men were going to murder her. He wished he dared 敢 venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 to warn her; but he knew he didn’t dare 敢—they might come and catch him. He thought all this and more in the moment that elapsed 过去 between the stranger’s remark and Injun Joe’s next—which was—

“Because the bush 灌木 is in your way. Now—this way—now you see, don’t you?”

“Yes. Well, there is company there, I reckon 估计. Better give it up.”

“Give it up, and I just leaving this country for‧ever 永远! Give it up and maybe never have another chance. I tell you again, as I’ve told you before, I don’t care for her swag—you may have it. But her husband was rough on me—many times he was rough on me—and mainly he was the justice of the peace that jugged 坛子 me for a vagrant. And that ain’t all. It ain’t a millionth part of it! He had me horsewhipped!—horsewhipped in front of the jail 监狱, 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!”

“Kill? Who said anything about killing? I would kill him if he was here; but not her. When you want to get revenge on a woman you don’t kill her—bosh! you go for her looks. You slit 裂缝 her nostrils 鼻孔—you notch 缺口 her ears like a sow!”

“By God, that’s—”

“Keep your opinion to your‧self 你自己! It will be safest for you. I’ll tie her to the bed. If she bleeds 使出血 to death, is that my fault 缺点? I’ll not cry, if she does. My friend, you’ll help me in this thing—for my sake 缘故—that’s why you’re here—I mightn’t be able alone. If you flinch, I’ll kill you. Do you understand that? And if I have to kill you, I’ll kill her—and then I reckon 估计 nobody’ll ever know much about who done this business.”

“Well, if it’s got to be done, let’s get at it. The quicker the better—I’m all in a shiver 发抖.”

“Do it now? And company there? Look here—I’ll get suspicious 可疑的 of you, first thing you know. No—we’ll wait till the lights are out—there’s no hurry.”

Huck felt that a silence was going to ensue 接踵而至—a thing still more awful than any amount of murderous 杀 talk; so he held his breath and stepped gingerly 生姜 back; planted his foot carefully 小心 and firmly, after balancing, one-legged, in a precarious 危险的 way and almost toppling 倾覆 over, first on one side and then on the other. He took another step back, with the same elaboration 阐述 and the same risks; then another and another, and—a twig 枝条 snapped 卡 under his foot! His breath stopped and he listened. There was no sound—the stillness was perfect. His gratitude 感谢 was measure‧less 测量‧少. Now he turned in his tracks 小路, between the walls of sumach bushes—turned himself as carefully 小心 as if he were a ship—and then stepped quickly but cautiously along. When he emerged 出现 at the quarry 采石场 he felt secure 安全, and so he picked up his nimble heels 脚跟 and flew fly. Down, down he sped, till he reached the Welshman’s. He banged 砰 at the door, and presently the heads of the old man and his two stalwart sons were thrust 推力 from windows.

“What’s the row 行 there? Who’s banging 砰? What do you want?”

“Let me in—quick! I’ll tell everything.”

“Why, who are you?”

“Huckleberry Finn—quick, let me in!”

“Huckleberry Finn, indeed! It ain’t a name to open many doors, I judge! But let him in, lads 小伙子, and let’s see what’s the trouble.”

“Please don’t ever tell I told you,” were Huck’s first words when he got in. “Please don’t—I’d be killed, sure—but the widow’s been good friends to me sometimes, and I want to tell—I will tell if you’ll promise you won’t ever say it was me.”

“By George, he has got something to tell, or he wouldn’t act so!” exclaimed 喊叫 the old man; “out with it and nobody here’ll ever tell, lad 小伙子.”

Three minutes later the old man and his sons, well armed, were up the hill, and just entering the sumach path on tiptoe, their weapons in their hands. Huck accompanied 陪 them no further. He hid hide behind a great bowlder and fell to listening. There was a lagging 落后, anxious 焦急的 silence, and then all of a sudden there was an explosion 爆炸 of fire‧arm 火器 and a cry.

Huck waited for no particulars. He sprang away and sped down the hill as fast as his legs could carry him.

CHAPTER XXX

AS the earliest suspicion 怀疑 of dawn 黎明 appeared on Sunday morning, Huck came groping 摸索 up the hill and rapped 敲击 gently at the old Welshman’s door. The inmates 犯人 were asleep 3, but it was a sleep that was set on a hair-trigger 触发, on account of the exciting episode 事件 of the night. A call came from a window:

“Who’s there!”

Huck’s scared voice answered in a low tone 音:

“Please let me in! It’s only Huck Finn!”

“It’s a name that can open this door night or day, lad 小伙子!—and welcome!”

These were strange words to the vagabond boy’s ears, and the pleasantest he had ever heard. He could not recollect that the closing word had ever been applied in his case before. The door was quickly unlocked 开锁, and he entered. Huck was given a seat and the old man and his brace 支撑 of tall sons speedily 迅速 dressed themselves.

“Now, my boy, I hope you’re good and hungry 饥饿, because break‧fast 早餐 will be ready as soon as the sun’s up, and we’ll have a piping 管子 hot one, too—make your‧self 你自己 easy about that! I and the boys hoped you’d turn up and stop here last night.”

“I was awful scared,” said Huck, “and I run. I took out when the pistols 手枪 went off, and I didn’t stop for three mile. I’ve come now becuz I wanted to know about it, you know; and I come before day‧light 日光 becuz I didn’t want to run across them devils, even if they was dead.”

“Well, poor chap 皴裂, you do look as if you’d had a hard night of it—but there’s a bed here for you when you’ve had your breakfast. No, they ain’t dead, lad 小伙子—we are sorry 对不起的 enough for that. You see we knew right where to put our hands on them, by your description; so we crept along on tiptoe till we got within fifteen 十五 feet of them—dark as a cellar 地窖 that sumach path was—and just then I found I was going to sneeze 喷嚏. It was the meanest kind of luck! I tried to keep it back, but no use—‘twas bound 必定；跳 to come, and it did come! I was in the lead with my pistol 手枪 raised, and when the sneeze 喷嚏 started those scoundrels a-rustling 沙沙 to get out of the path, I sung sing out, ‘Fire boys!’ and blazed 火焰 away at the place where the rustling 沙沙 was. So did the boys. But they were off in a jiffy, those villains 恶棍, and we after them, down through the woods. I judge we never touched them. They fired a shot apiece as they started, but their bullets 子弹 whizzed 呼啸 by and didn’t do us any harm 损害. As soon as we lost the sound of their feet we quit 放弃 chasing 追, and went down and stirred up the con‧stable 警官. They got a posse together, and went off to guard the river bank, and as soon as it is light the sheriff 郡治安官 and a gang 结伙 are going to beat up the woods. My boys will be with them presently. I wish we had some sort of description of those rascals—‘twould help a good deal. But you couldn’t see what they were like, in the dark, lad 小伙子, I suppose?”

“Oh yes; I saw them down‧town 市中心 and follered them.”

“ Splendid 壮观的! Describe them—describe them, my boy!”

“One’s the old deaf 聋的 and dumb 哑 Spaniard that’s ben 本 around here once or twice 两次, and t’other’s a mean-looking, ragged 抹布—”

“That’s enough, lad 小伙子, we know the men! Happened on them in the woods back of the widow’s one day, and they slunk away. Off with you, boys, and tell the sheriff 郡治安官—get your breakfast tomorrow morning!”

The Welshman’s sons departed 离开 at once. As they were leaving the room Huck sprang up and exclaimed 喊叫:

“Oh, please don’t tell anybody it was me that blowed on them! Oh, please!”

“All right if you say it, Huck, but you ought to have the credit 信用 of what you did.”

“Oh no, no! Please don’t tell!”

When the young men were gone, the old Welshman said:

“They won’t tell—and I won’t. But why don’t you want it known?”

Huck would not explain, further than to say that he already knew too much about one of those men and would not have the man know that he knew anything against him for the whole world—he would be killed for knowing it, sure.

The old man promised secrecy 保密 once more, and said:

“How did you come to follow these fellows, lad 小伙子? Were they looking suspicious 可疑的?”

Huck was silent while he framed a duly 适时地 cautious 小心的 reply. Then he said:

“Well, you see, I’m a kind of a hard lot,—least everybody says so, and I don’t see nothing agin it—and sometimes I can’t sleep much, on account of thinking about it and sort of trying to strike out a new way of doing. That was the way of it last night. I couldn’t sleep, and so I come along upstreet ‘bout 回合 mid‧night 午夜, a-turning it all over, and when I got to that old shackly 窝棚 brick 3 store by the Temperance Tavern, I backed up agin the wall to have another think. Well, just then along comes these two chaps 皴裂 slipping along close by me, with something under their arm, and I reckoned 估计 they’d stole it. One was a-smoking, and t’other one wanted a light; so they stopped right before me and the cigars 雪茄 lit up their faces and I see that the big one was the deaf 聋的 and dumb 哑 Spaniard, by his white whiskers and the patch 补丁 on his eye, and t’other one was a rusty 生疏, ragged 抹布-looking devil 魔鬼.”

“Could you see the rags 抹布 by the light of the cigars 雪茄?”

This staggered 错开 Huck for a moment. Then he said:

“Well, I don’t know—but somehow it seems as if I did.”

“Then they went on, and you—”

“Follered ‘em—yes. That was it. I wanted to see what was up—they sneaked 潜行 along so. I dogged ‘em to the widder’s stile, and stood in the dark and heard the ragged 抹布 one beg 乞讨 for the widder, and the Spaniard swear 发誓 he’d spile her looks just as I told you and your two—”

“What! The deaf 4 and dumb 哑 man said all that!”

Huck had made another terrible mistake! He was trying his best to keep the old man from getting the faintest 微弱的 hint 暗示 of who the Spaniard might be, and yet his tongue 舌头 seemed determined to get him into trouble in spite 恶意 of all he could do. He made several efforts to creep 爬行 out of his scrape 擦, but the old man’s eye was upon him and he made blunder 错误 after blunder 错误. Presently the Welshman said:

“My boy, don’t be afraid of me. I wouldn’t hurt 损害 a hair of your head for all the world. No—I’d protect you—I’d protect you. This Spaniard is not deaf 5 and dumb 哑; you’ve let that slip without intending it; you can’t cover that up now. You know something about that Spaniard that you want to keep dark. Now trust me—tell me what it is, and trust me—I won’t betray 背叛 you.”

Huck looked into the old man’s honest 诚实的 eyes a moment, then bent bend over and whispered in his ear:

“‘Tain’t a Spaniard—it’s Injun Joe!”

The Welshman almost jumped out of his chair. In a moment he said:

“It’s all plain enough, now. When you talked about notching 缺口 ears and slitting 裂缝 noses I judged that that was your own embellishment, because white men don’t take that sort of revenge. But an Injun! That’s a different matter altogether 全部地.”

During breakfast the talk went on, and in the course of it the old man said that the last thing which he and his sons had done, before going to bed, was to get a lantern 灯笼 and examine the stile and its vicinity 附近 for marks of blood. They found none, but captured 捕获 a bulky 笨重 bundle 捆 of—

“Of what?”

If the words had been lightning 闪电 they could not have leaped 飞跃 with a more stunning 击晕 suddenness from Huck’s blanched lips. His eyes were staring wide, now, and his breath suspended 暂停—waiting for the answer. The Welshman started—stared in return—three seconds—five seconds—ten 十—then replied:

“Of burglar 窃贼’s tools. Why, what’s the matter with you?”

Huck sank back, panting 喘气 gently, but deeply, unutterably grateful 感激的. The Welshman eyed him gravely 坟墓；严重的, curiously—and presently said:

“Yes, burglar 窃贼’s tools. That appears to relieve 解除 you a good deal. But what did give you that turn? What were you expecting we’d found?”

Huck was in a close place—the inquiring 打听 eye was upon him—he would have given anything for material for a plausible 似是而非 answer—nothing suggested itself 本身—the inquiring eye was boring deeper and deeper—a sense‧less 感觉‧少 reply offered—there was no time to weigh 称重 it, so at a venture 企业；投机活动；商业冒险 he uttered 说出 it—feebly 微弱:

“Sunday-school books, maybe.”

Poor Huck was too distressed 苦难 to smile, but the old man laughed loud 响亮的 and joyously, shook up the details of his anatomy 解剖学 from head to foot, and ended by saying that such a laugh was money in a-man’s pocket 口袋, because it cut down the doctor’s bill like everything. Then he added:

“Poor old chap 皴裂, you’re white and jaded 玉—you ain’t well a bit 一点—no wonder you’re a little flighty and off your balance. But you’ll come out of it. Rest and sleep will fetch 取 you out all right, I hope.”

Huck was irritated 刺激 to think he had been such a goose 鹅 and betrayed 背叛 such a suspicious 可疑的 excitement 激动, for he had dropped the idea that the parcel 包袱 brought from the tavern 酒馆 was the treasure, as soon as he had heard the talk at the widow’s stile. He had only thought it was not the treasure, however—he had not known that it wasn’t—and so the suggestion 建议 of a captured 捕获 bundle 捆 was too much for his self 自己- possession 所有物. But on the whole he felt glad the little episode 事件 had happened, for now he knew beyond all question that that bundle was not the bundle 3, and so his mind was at rest and exceedingly 非常 comfort‧able 舒服；自在. In fact, everything seemed to be drifting 漂移 just in the right direction, now; the treasure must be still in No. 2, the men would be captured 捕获 and jailed 监狱 that day, and he and Tom could seize 抓住 the gold that night without any trouble or any fear of interruption 中断.

Just as breakfast was completed there was a knock 敲 at the door. Huck jumped for a hiding-place, for he had no mind to be connected 连接 even remotely 远程 with the late event. The Welshman admitted several ladies and gentlemen, among them the Widow Douglas, and noticed that groups of citizens were climbing up the hill—to stare at the stile. So the news had spread. The Welshman had to tell the story of the night to the visitors 访问者. The widow’s gratitude 感谢 for her preservation 保存 was outspoken 直言不讳.

“Don’t say a word about it, madam 夫人. There’s another that you’re more beholden to than you are to me and my boys, maybe, but he don’t allow me to tell his name. We wouldn’t have been there but for him.”

Of course this excited a curiosity 好奇心 so vast 广大 that it almost belittled the main matter—but the Welshman allowed it to eat into the vitals 重要的 of his visitors, and through them be transmitted 发送 to the whole town, for he refused to part with his secret. When all else had been learned learn, the widow said:

“I went to sleep reading in bed and slept sleep straight through all that noise. Why didn’t you come and wake me?”

“We judged it warn’t worth while. Those fellows warn’t likely to come again—they hadn’t any tools left to work with, and what was the use of waking 醒 you up and scaring 惊恐 you to death? My three negro men stood guard at your house all the rest of the night. They’ve just come back.”

More visitors came, and the story had to be told and retold for a couple of hours more.

There was no Sabbath-school during day-school vacation 假期, but everybody was early at church. The stirring 搅动 event was well canvassed 帆布. News came that not a sign of the two villains 恶棍 had been yet discovered. When the sermon 讲道 was finished, Judge Thatcher’s wife dropped along‧side 并肩 of Mrs. Harper as she moved down the aisle 走道 with the crowd and said:

“Is my Becky going to sleep all day? I just expected she would be tired to death.”

“Your Becky?”

“Yes,” with a startled 惊吓 look—“didn’t she stay with you last night?”

“Why, no.”

Mrs. Thatcher turned pale, and sank into a pew, just as Aunt 阿姨 Polly, talking briskly 轻快 with a friend, passed by. Aunt 3 Polly said:

“Goodmorning, Mrs. Thatcher. Goodmorning, Mrs. Harper. I’ve got a boy that’s turned up missing. I reckon 估计 my Tom stayed at your house last night—one of you. And now he’s afraid to come to church. I’ve got to settle with him.”

Mrs. Thatcher shook her head feebly 微弱 and turned paler than ever.

“He didn’t stay with us,” said Mrs. Harper, beginning to look uneasy 不安. A marked anxiety 焦虑 came into Aunt Polly’s face.

“Joe Harper, have you seen my Tom this morning?”

“No’m.”

“When did you see him last?”

Joe tried to remember, but was not sure he could say. The people had stopped moving out of church. Whispers passed along, and a boding uneasiness took possession 所有物 of every countenance 面容. Children were anxiously 焦急的 questioned, and young teachers. They all said they had not noticed whether Tom and Becky were on board the ferry‧boat 渡船‧小船 on the home‧ward 家‧病房 trip; it was dark; no one thought of inquiring if any one was missing. One young man finally blurted out his fear that they were still in the cave! Mrs. Thatcher swooned away. Aunt Polly fell to crying and wringing 拧 her hands.

The alarm 警告 swept from lip to lip, from group to group, from street to street, and within five minutes the bells 钟 were wildly clanging and the whole town was up! The Cardiff Hill episode 事件 sank into instant insignificance, the burglars 窃贼 were forgotten forget, horses were saddled 马鞍, skiffs were manned, the ferry‧boat 渡船‧小船 ordered out, and before the horror 恐怖 was half an hour old, two hundred 百 men were pouring 淋；倒 down high‧road 高的‧路 and river toward the cave.

All the long afternoon the village seemed empty and dead. Many women visited Aunt Polly and Mrs. Thatcher and tried to comfort them. They cried with them, too, and that was still better than words. All the tedious 乏味 night the town waited for news; but when the morning dawned 黎明 at last, all the word that came was, “Send more candles 蜡烛—and send food.” Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed 狂热; and Aunt Polly, also. Judge Thatcher sent messages of hope and encouragement 鼓励 from the cave, but they conveyed 传达 no real cheer 欢呼.

The old Welshman came home toward daylight 3, spattered with candle 蜡烛-grease 油脂, smeared 涂抹 with clay, and almost worn wear out. He found Huck still in the bed that had been provided for him, and delirious with fever 发热. The physicians 医师 were all at the cave, so the Widow Douglas came and took charge of the patient. She said she would do her best by him, because, whether he was good, bad, or indifferent 冷漠, he was the Lord’s, and nothing that was the Lord’s was a thing to be neglected 疏忽. The Welshman said Huck had good spots in him, and the widow said:

“You can depend on it. That’s the Lord’s mark. He don’t leave it off. He never does. Puts it somewhere on every creature 动物；生物 that comes from his hands.”

Early in the fore‧noon 前面‧正午 parties of jaded 玉 men began to straggle into the village, but the strongest of the citizens continued searching. All the news that could be gained was that remotenesses of the cavern were being ransacked that had never been visited before; that every corner and crevice was going to be thoroughly searched; that wherever 随地 one wandered 漫步 through the maze 迷宫 of passages, lights were to be seen flitting hither and thither in the distance, and shoutings and pistol 手枪-shots sent their hollow 空的 reverberations to the ear down the sombre aisles 走道. In one place, far from the section 部分 usually traversed 横过 by tourists 游客, the names “BECKY & 功放; TOM” had been found traced 跟踪 upon the rocky 岩石 wall with candle 蜡烛-smoke, and near at hand agrease 油脂-soiled bit of ribbon 带. Mrs. Thatcher recognized the ribbon and cried over it. She said it was the last relic 遗迹 she should ever have of her child; and that no other memorial 纪念馆 of her could ever be so precious 宝贵的, because this one parted latest from the living body before the awful death came. Some said that now and then, in the cave, a far-away speck of light would glimmer, and then a glorious 辉煌 shout would burst forth and a score 得分了 of men go trooping 部队 down the echoing 回声 aisle 走道—and then a sickening 厌恨 disappointment 失望 always followed; the children were not there; it was only a searcher’s light.

Three dreadful 可怕 days and nights dragged their tedious 乏味 hours along, and the village sank into a hope‧less 绝望 stupor. No one had heart for anything. The accidental 偶然 discovery 发现, just made, that the proprietor 业主 of the Temperance Tavern kept liquor 酒 on his premises 前提, scarcely 缺乏的 fluttered 扑 the public pulse 脉冲, tremendous 巨大 as the fact was. In a lucid interval 间隔, Huck feebly 微弱 led up to the subject of taverns 酒馆, and finally asked—dimly 暗淡 dreading 恐惧 the worst 生病:ill—if anything had been discovered at the Temperance Tavern since he had been ill.

“Yes,” said the widow.

Huck started up in bed, wildeyed:

“What? What was it?”

“Liquor!—and the place has been shut 关闭 up. Lie down, child—what a turn you did give me!”

“Only tell me just one thing—only just one—please! Was it Tom Sawyer that found it?”

The widow burst into tears. “Hush, hush 嘘, child, hush 嘘! I’ve told you before, you must not talk. You are very, very sick!”

Then nothing but liquor 酒 had been found; there would have been a great powwow if it had been the gold. So the treasure was gone for‧ever 永远—gone for‧ever 永远! But what could she be crying about? Curious that she should cry.

These thoughts worked their dim 暗淡 way through Huck’s mind, and under the weariness they gave him he fell asleep. The widow said to her‧self 她自己:

“There—he’s asleep, poor wreck 破坏；使遇难. Tom Sawyer find it! Pity 怜悯 but somebody could find Tom Sawyer! Ah, there ain’t many left, now, that’s got hope enough, or strength enough, either, to go on searching.”

CHAPTER XXXI

NOW to return to Tom and Becky’s share in the picnic 野餐. They tripped along the murky 模糊 aisles 走道 with the rest of the company, visiting the familiar wonders of the cave—wonders dubbed 配音 with rather over-descriptive 描述的 names, such as “The Drawing-Room,” “The Cathedral,” “Aladdin’s Palace,” and so on. Presently the hide-and-seek 寻求 frolicking began, and Tom and Becky engaged 从事 in it with zeal 热情 until the exertion began to grow a trifle 琐事 wearisome; then they wandered down a sinuous avenue holding their candles 蜡烛 aloft and reading the tangled 纠纷 web‧work 网‧工作 of names, dates, post‧office 邮件‧办公室 addresses, and mottoes 座右铭 with which the rocky 岩石 walls had been frescoed 壁画 (in candle 蜡烛-smoke). Still drifting 漂移 along and talking, they scarcely noticed that they were now in a part of the cave whose 谁的 walls were not frescoed 壁画. They smoked their own names under an over‧hang 悬垂 shelf 架子 and moved on. Presently they came to a place where a little stream of water, trickling 潺 over a ledge 窗台 and carrying a lime‧stone 石灰石 sediment 沉淀 with it, had, in the slow-dragging ages, formed a laced 花边 and ruffled 生气 Niagara in gleaming 闪光 and imperishable stone. Tom squeezed 挤 his small body behind it in order to illuminate 照亮 it for Becky’s gratification. He found that it curtained 窗帘 a sort of steep 陡峭的 natural 自然 stair‧way 楼梯‧路；方法 which was enclosed 围起来 between narrow walls, and at once the ambition 抱负 to be a discoverer seized 抓住 him.

Becky responded 响应 to his call, and they made a smoke-mark for future guidance 指导, and started upon their quest 寻求. They wound 创伤 this way and that, far down into the secret depths of the cave, made another mark, and branched off in search of novelties 新奇 to tell the upper world about. In one place they found a spacious 宽敞 cavern, from whose 谁的 ceiling 天花板 depended a multitude 苠 of shining stalactites of the length and circumference of a man’s leg; they walked all about it, wondering and admiring, and presently left it by one of the numerous 很多的 passages that opened into it. This shortly brought them to a bewitching spring, whose 4 basin 盆 was incrusted with a frost‧work 霜‧工作 of glittering 闪光 crystals 水晶; it was in the midst 中间 of a cavern whose 5 walls were supported by many fantastic 奇妙 pillars 支柱 which had been formed by the joining of great stalactites and stalagmites together, the result of the cease‧less 停止‧少 water-drip 滴 of centuries. Under the roof vast 广大 knots 结 of bats 蝙蝠 had packed themselves together, thou‧sand 千 in a bunch 束; the lights disturbed the creatures 动物；生物 and they came flocking 群 down by hundreds 百, squeaking 吱 and darting 镖 furiously 疯狂 at the candles 蜡烛. Tom knew their ways and the danger of this sort of conduct 进行. He seized Becky’s hand and hurried her into the first corridor 走廊 that offered; and none too soon, for a bat 蝙蝠 struck Becky’s light out with its wing 翅膀 while she was passing out of the cavern. The bats 蝙蝠 chased 追 the children a good distance; but the fugitives 逃亡 plunged 跳水 into every new passage that offered, and at last got rid 使摆脱 of the perilous things. Tom found a subterranean lake, shortly, which stretched its dim 暗淡 length away until its shape was lost in the shadows. He wanted to explore its borders 边；界, but concluded 得出结论 that it would be best to sit down and rest awhile 一会儿, first. Now, for the first time, the deep stillness of the place laid a clammy hand upon the spirits of the children. Becky said:

“Why, I didn’t notice, but it seems ever so long since I heard any of the others.”

“Come to think, Becky, we are away down below them—and I don’t know how far away north, or south, or east, or which‧ever 任何一个 it is. We couldn’t hear them here.”

Becky grew apprehensive.

“I wonder how long we’ve been down here, Tom? We better start back.”

“Yes, I reckon 估计 we better. P’raps 敲击 we better.”

“Can you find the way, Tom? It’s all a mixed-up crookedness to me.”

“I reckon 估计 I could find it—but then the bats 蝙蝠. If they put our candles 蜡烛 out it will be an awful fix. Let’s try some other way, so as not to go through there.”

“Well. But I hope we won’t get lost. It would be so awful!” and the girl shuddered 不寒而栗 at the thought of the dreadful 可怕 possibilities 可能性.

They started through a corridor 走廊, and traversed 横过 it in silence a long way, glancing 一瞥 at each new opening, to see if there was anything familiar about the look of it; but they were all strange. Every time Tom made an examination 检查, Becky would watch his face for an encouraging sign, and he would say cheerily:

“Oh, it’s all right. This ain’t the one, but we’ll come to it right away!”

But he felt less and less hopeful 有希望 with each failure, and presently began to turn off into diverging 偏离 avenues at sheer random 随机, in desperate 殊死 hope of finding the one that was wanted. He still said it was “all right,” but there was such a leaden dread 恐惧 at his heart that the words had lost their ring and sounded just as if he had said, “All is lost!” Becky clung to his side in an anguish 痛苦 of fear, and tried hard to keep back the tears, but they would come. At last she said:

“Oh, Tom, never mind the bats 蝙蝠, let’s go back that way! We seem to get worse and worse off all the time.”

“Listen!” said he.

Profound silence; silence so deep that even their breathings 呼吸 were conspicuous 显着 in the hush 嘘. Tom shouted. The call went echoing 回声 down the empty aisles 走道 and died out in the distance in a faint 微弱的 sound that resembled 类似 a ripple 波纹 of mocking 嘲笑 laughter 笑.

“Oh, don’t do it again, Tom, it is too horrid,” said Becky.

“It is horrid, but I better, Becky; they might hear us, you know,” and he shouted again.

The “might” was even a chillier 寒冷 horror 恐怖 than the ghostly 鬼 laughter 3, it so confessed 供认 a perishing 沦 hope. The children stood still and listened; but there was no result. Tom turned upon the back track at once, and hurried his steps. It was but a little while before a certain indecision in his manner revealed 揭示 another fearful 可怕 fact to Becky—he could not find his way back!

“Oh, Tom, you didn’t make any marks!”

“Becky, I was such a fool! Such a fool! I never thought we might want to come back! No—I can’t find the way. It’s all mixed up.”

“Tom, Tom, we’re lost! we’re lost! We never can get out of this awful place! Oh, why did we ever leave the others!”

She sank to the ground and burst into such a frenzy 发狂 of crying that Tom was appalled 惊恐 with the idea that she might die, or lose her reason. He sat down by her and put his arms around her; she buried her face in his bosom, she clung to him, she poured out her terrors 恐怖, her unavailing regrets 后悔, and the far echoes 回声 turned them all to jeering laughter. Tom begged 乞讨 her to pluck 采摘 up hope again, and she said she could not. He fell to blaming 指责 and abusing 滥用 himself for getting her into this miserable 悲惨的 situation; this had a better effect. She said she would try to hope again, she would get up and follow wherever 随地 he might lead if only he would not talk like that any more. For he was no more to blame than she, she said.

So they moved on again—aimlessly—simply at random 随机—all they could do was to move, keep moving. For a little while, hope made a show of reviving 复活—not with any reason to back it, but only because it is its nature to revive 复活 when the spring has not been taken out of it by age and familiarity 熟悉 with failure.

By-and-by Tom took Becky’s candle 蜡烛 and blew blow it out. This economy 经济 meant so much! Words were not needed. Becky understood, and her hope died again. She knew that Tom had a whole candle 蜡烛 and three or four pieces in his pockets 口袋—yet he must economize.

By-and-by, fatigue 疲劳 began to assert 断言 its claims; the children tried to pay attention, for it was dreadful 可怕 to think of sitting down when time was grown grow to be so precious 宝贵的, moving, in some direction, in any direction, was at least progress and might bear fruit; but to sit down was to invite death and shorten 缩短 its pursuit 追求.

At last Becky’s frail 脆弱 limbs 肢 refused to carry her farther. She sat down. Tom rested with her, and they talked of home, and the friends there, and the comfort‧able 舒服；自在 beds and, above all, the light! Becky cried, and Tom tried to think of some way of comforting her, but all his encouragements 鼓励 were grown thread 线- bare 光秃秃的 with use, and sounded like sarcasms. Fatigue bore bear so heavily 很大，沉重地 upon Becky that she drowsed off to sleep. Tom was grateful 3. He sat looking into her drawn draw face and saw it grow smooth and natural 自然 under the influence of pleasant dreams; and by-and-by a smile dawned 黎明 and rested there. The peaceful 平静的 face reflected some‧what 有些 of peace and healing 治愈 into his own spirit, and his thoughts wandered away to bygone times and dreamy memories. While he was deep in his musings 沉思, Becky woke up with a breezy little laugh—but it was stricken dead upon her lips, and a groan 呻吟 followed it.

“Oh, how could I sleep! I wish I never, never had waked 醒! No! No, I don’t, Tom! Don’t look so! I won’t say it again.”

“I’m glad you’ve slept, Becky; you’ll feel rested, now, and we’ll find the way out.”

“We can try, Tom; but I’ve seen such a beautiful 美丽 country in my dream. I reckon 估计 we are going there.”

“Maybe not, maybe not. Cheer 欢呼 up, Becky, and let’s go on trying.”

They rose up and wandered along, hand in hand and hope‧less 绝望. They tried to estimate 估计 how long they had been in the cave, but all they knew was that it seemed days and weeks, and yet it was plain that this could not be, for their candles 蜡烛 were not gone yet. A long time after this—they could not tell how long—Tom said they must go softly and listen for dripping 滴 water—they must find a spring. They found one presently, and Tom said it was time to rest again. Both were cruelly 残酷的 tired, yet Becky said she thought she could go a little farther. She was surprised to hear Tom dissent 异议. She could not understand it. They sat down, and Tom fastened 系牢 his candle 蜡烛 to the wall in front of them with some clay. Thought was soon busy; nothing was said for some time. Then Becky broke the silence:

“Tom, I am so hungry 饥饿!”

Tom took something out of his pocket 口袋.

“Do you remember this?” said he.

Becky almost smiled.

“It’s our wedding 结婚-cake 蛋糕, Tom.”

“Yes—I wish it was as big as a barrel 桶, for it’s all we’ve got.”

“I saved it from the picnic 野餐 for us to dream on, Tom, the way grownup people do with wedding 结婚- cake—but it’ll be our—”

She dropped the sentence 句子 where it was. Tom divided the cake and Becky ate with good appetite 食欲, while Tom nibbled at his moiety. There was abundance 丰富 of cold water to finish the feast 盛会 with. By-and-by Becky suggested that they move on again. Tom was silent a moment. Then he said:

“Becky, can you bear it if I tell you something?”

Becky’s face paled, but she thought she could.

“Well, then, Becky, we must stay here, where there’s water to drink. That little piece is our last candle 蜡烛!”

Becky gave loose to tears and wailings 哀号. Tom did what he could to comfort her, but with little effect. At length Becky said:

“Tom!”

“Well, Becky?”

“They’ll miss us and hunt for us!”

“Yes, they will! Certainly they will!”

“Maybe they’re hunting for us now, Tom.”

“Why, I reckon 估计 maybe they are. I hope they are.”

“When would they miss us, Tom?”

“When they get back to the boat, I reckon 估计.”

“Tom, it might be dark then—would they notice we hadn’t come?”

“I don’t know. But anyway, your mother would miss you as soon as they got home.”

A frightened 使惊恐 look in Becky’s face brought Tom to his senses and he saw that he had made a blunder 错误. Becky was not to have gone home that night! The children became silent and thoughtful 周到. In a moment a new burst of grief 哀思 from Becky showed Tom that the thing in his mind had struck hers also—that the Sabbath morning might be half spent spend before Mrs. Thatcher discovered that Becky was not at Mrs. Harper’s.

The children fastened their eyes upon their bit of candle 蜡烛 and watched it melt 熔化 slowly and pitilessly away; saw the half inch of wick stand alone at last; saw the feeble 微弱 flame 火焰 rise and fall, climb the thin column 柱 of smoke, linger 萦绕 at its top a moment, and then—the horror 恐怖 of utter 说出 darkness 黑暗 reigned 统治!

How long after‧ward 之后 it was that Becky came to a slow consciousness 意识 that she was crying in Tom’s arms, neither could tell. All that they knew was, that after what seemed a mighty 威武 stretch of time, both awoke 醒着的:awake out of a dead stupor of sleep and resumed 恢复 their miseries once more. Tom said it might be Sunday, now—maybe Monday. He tried to get Becky to talk, but her sorrows 悲痛 were too oppressive 压抑, all her hopes were gone. Tom said that they must have been missed long ago, and no doubt the search was going on. He would shout and maybe some one would come. He tried it; but in the darkness 黑暗 the distant 遥远的 echoes 回声 sounded so hideously 可怕 that he tried it no more.

The hours wasted away, and hunger 饿 came to torment 折磨 the captives 俘虏 again. A portion 一部分；一份 of Tom’s half of the cake 3 was left; they divided and ate it. But they seemed hungrier 饥饿 than before. The poor morsel of food only whetted desire.

By-and-by Tom said:

“SH! Did you hear that?”

Both held their breath and listened. There was a sound like the faintest, far-off shout. Instantly Tom answered it, and leading Becky by the hand, started groping 摸索 down the corridor 走廊 in its direction. Presently he listened again; again the sound was heard, and apparently 据…所知；看来；据说；听说 a little nearer.

“It’s them!” said Tom; “they’re coming! Come along, Becky—we’re all right now!”

The joy 喜悦 of the prisoners 犯人，囚犯 was almost overwhelming 压倒. Their speed was slow, however, because pit‧fall 陷阱 were some‧what 有些 common, and had to be guarded against. They shortly came to one and had to stop. It might be three feet deep, it might be a hundred 百—there was no passing it at any rate. Tom got down on his breast 乳房 and reached as far down as he could. No bottom. They must stay there and wait until the searchers came. They listened; evidently 明显地 the distant 遥远的 shoutings were growing more distant 3! a moment or two more and they had gone altogether 3. The heart-sinking 淹没 misery 痛苦 of it! Tom whooped 叫喊 until he was hoarse, but it was of no use. He talked hopefully 希望 to Becky; but an age of anxious 焦急的 waiting passed and no sounds came again.

The children groped 摸索 their way back to the spring. The weary 厌倦 time dragged on; they slept again, and awoke famished and woe 荣辱与共-stricken. Tom believed it must be Tuesday by this time.

Now an idea struck him. There were some side passages near at hand. It would be better to explore some of these than bear the weight of the heavy time in idleness. He took a kite 风筝-line from his pocket, tied it to a project‧ion 投影, and he and Becky started, Tom in the lead, unwinding 放松 the line as he groped 摸索 along. At the end of twenty 二十 steps the corridor 走廊 ended in a “jumping-off place.” Tom got down on his knees and felt below, and then as far around the corner as he could reach with his hands conveniently 方便的; he made an effort to stretch yet a little farther to the right, and at that moment, not twenty 二十 yards away, a human hand, holding a candle 蜡烛, appeared from behind a rock! Tom lifted up a glorious 辉煌 shout, and instantly 瞬间 that hand was followed by the body it belonged to—Injun Joe’s! Tom was paralyzed 瘫痪; he could not move. He was vastly 大大 gratified 取悦 the next moment, to see the “Spaniard” take to his heels 脚跟 and get himself out of sight. Tom wondered that Joe had not recognized his voice and come over and killed him for testifying 作证 in court. But the echoes 回声 must have disguised 伪装 the voice. Without doubt, that was it, he reasoned. Tom’s fright weakened 柔弱的:weak every muscle 肌肉，身体部份 in his body. He said to himself that if he had strength enough to get back to the spring he would stay there, and nothing should tempt 引诱 him to run the risk of meeting Injun Joe again. He was careful 小心 to keep from Becky what it was he had seen. He told her he had only shouted “for luck.”

But hunger 饿 and wretchedness rise superior 优越 to fears in the long run. Another tedious 乏味 wait at the spring and another long sleep brought changes. The children awoke tortured 拷打 with a raging 愤怒 hunger. Tom believed that it must be Wednesday or Thursday or even Friday or Saturday, now, and that the search had been given over. He proposed to explore another passage. He felt willing to risk Injun Joe and all other terrors 恐怖. But Becky was very weak. She had sunk into a dreary 凄凉 apathy and would not be roused 唤醒. She said she would wait, now, where she was, and die—it would not be long. She told Tom to go with the kite 风筝-line and explore if he chose; but she implored him to come back every little while and speak to her; and she made him promise that when the awful time came, he would stay by her and hold her hand until all was over.

Tom kissed 接吻 her, with a choking 呛 sensation 感觉 in his throat, and made a show of being confident 确信的 of finding the searchers or an escape from the cave; then he took the kite 风筝-line in his hand and went groping 摸索 down one of the passages on his hands and knees, distressed 苦难 with hunger 3 and sick with bodings of coming doom 厄运.

CHAPTER XXXII

TUESDAY afternoon came, and waned 没落 to the twilight 暮. The village of St. Petersburg still mourned 悼. The lost children had not been found. Public prayers 祷告 had been offered up for them, and many and many a private prayer that had the petitioner 请愿’s whole heart in it; but still no good news came from the cave. The majority 多数 of the searchers had given up the quest 寻求 and gone back to their daily avocations, saying that it was plain the children could never be found. Mrs. Thatcher was very ill, and a great part of the time delirious. People said it was heartbreaking to hear her call her child, and raise her head and listen a whole minute at a time, then lay it wearily 厌倦 down again with a moan 呻吟. Aunt Polly had drooped into a settled melancholy 愁绪, and her gray hair had grown almost white. The village went to its rest on Tuesday night, sad 悲哀的 and forlorn.

Away in the middle of the night a wild peal burst from the village bells, and in a moment the streets were swarming 一群 with frantic 疯狂的 half-clad 包层的 people, who shouted, “Turn out! turn out! they’re found! they’re found!” Tin 锡 pans 平底锅 and horns 角；喇叭 were added to the din 吵闹, the population massed itself 本身 and moved toward the river, met the children coming in an open carriage 运输 drawn by shouting citizens, thronged 人群 around it, joined its home‧ward 家‧病房 march 行军；三月, and swept magnificently 华丽的 up the main street roaring 咆哮 huzzah after huzzah!

The village was illuminated 照亮; nobody went to bed again; it was the greatest night the little town had ever seen. During the first half-hour a procession 队伍 of villagers 村民 filed 文件 through Judge Thatcher’s house, seized the saved ones and kissed them, squeezed 挤 Mrs. Thatcher’s hand, tried to speak but couldn’t—and drifted 漂移 out raining tears all over the place.

Aunt Polly’s happiness 幸福 was complete, and Mrs. Thatcher’s nearly so. It would be complete, however, as soon as the messenger 信使 dispatched 调度 with the great news to the cave should get the word to her husband. Tom lay upon a sofa 沙发 with an eager 渴望的 auditory about him and told the history of the wonderful 精彩 adventure, putting in many striking additions 加成 to adorn 装饰 it withal; and closed with a description of how he left Becky and went on an exploring expedition 远征; how he followed two avenues as far as his kite 风筝-line would reach; how he followed a third to the fullest stretch of the kite 风筝-line, and was about to turn back when he glimpsed 一瞥 a far-off speck that looked like daylight; dropped the line and groped 摸索 toward it, pushed his head and shoulders through a small hole, and saw the broad Mississippi rolling by!

And if it had only happened to be night he would not have seen that speck of daylight and would not have explored that passage any more! He told how he went back for Becky and broke the good news and she told him not to fret 烦恼 her with such stuff 塞满；材料, for she was tired, and knew she was going to die, and wanted to. He described how he labored 劳动 with her and convinced 说服 her; and how she almost died for joy 喜悦 when she had groped 摸索 to where she actually saw the blue speck of daylight; how he pushed his way out at the hole and then helped her out; how they sat there and cried for gladness; how some men came along in a skiff and Tom hailed 冰雹 them and told them their situation and their famished condition; how the men didn’t believe the wild tale 故事，不实之词 at first, “because,” said they, “you are five miles down the river below the valley the cave is in”—then took them aboard 船上, rowed 行 to a house, gave them supper 晚饭, made them rest till two or three hours after dark and then brought them home.

Before day-dawn 黎明, Judge Thatcher and the handful 少数 of searchers with him were tracked 小路 out, in the cave, by the twine clews they had strung behind them, and informed of the great news.

Three days and nights of toil 辛劳 and hunger in the cave were not to be shaken shake off at once, as Tom and Becky soon discovered. They were bedridden all of Wednesday and Thursday, and seemed to grow more and more tired and worn, all the time. Tom got about, a little, on Thursday, was down‧town 市中心 Friday, and nearly as whole as ever Saturday; but Becky did not leave her room until Sunday, and then she looked as if she had passed through a wasting illness 疾病.

Tom learned of Huck’s sickness 疾病 and went to see him on Friday, but could not be admitted to the bed‧room 卧室; neither could he on Saturday or Sunday. He was admitted daily after that, but was warned to keep still about his adventure and introduce no exciting topic 话题. The Widow Douglas stayed by to see that he obeyed 服从. At home Tom learned of the Cardiff Hill event; also that the “ragged 抹布 man’s” body had eventually 终于 been found in the river near the ferry 渡船-landing; he had been drowned 淹死 while trying to escape, perhaps.

About a fort‧night 两星期 after Tom’s rescue 营救 from the cave, he started off to visit Huck, who had grown plenty strong enough, now, to hear exciting talk, and Tom had some that would interest him, he thought. Judge Thatcher’s house was on Tom’s way, and he stopped to see Becky. The Judge and some friends set Tom to talking, and some one asked him ironically 讽刺地 if he wouldn’t like to go to the cave again. Tom said he thought he wouldn’t mind it. The Judge said:

“Well, there are others just like you, Tom, I’ve not the least doubt. But we have taken care of that. Nobody will get lost in that cave any more.”

“Why?”

“Because I had its big door sheathed 鞘 with boiler 煮沸 iron 铁器 two weeks ago, and triple 三倍-locked—and I’ve got the keys.”

Tom turned as white as a sheet.

“What’s the matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!”

The water was brought and thrown into Tom’s face.

“Ah, now you’re all right. What was the matter with you, Tom?”

“Oh, Judge, Injun Joe’s in the cave!”

CHAPTER XXXIII

WITHIN a few minutes the news had spread, and a dozen skiff-loads of men were on their way to McDougal’s cave, and the ferry‧boat 渡船‧小船, well filled with passengers, soon followed. Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher.

When the cave door was unlocked 开锁, a sorrowful sight presented itself 本身 in the dim 暗淡 twilight 暮 of the place. Injun Joe lay stretched upon the ground, dead, with his face close to the crack 破裂 of the door, as if his longing eyes had been fixed, to the latest moment, upon the light and the cheer 欢呼 of the free world outside. Tom was touched, for he knew by his own experience how this wretch 不幸的人 had suffered. His pity 怜悯 was moved, but nevertheless 虽然 he felt an abounding 盛产 sense of relief and security 安全, now, which revealed 揭示 to him in a degree which he had not fully 充分 appreciated 欣赏 before how vast 广大 a weight of dread 恐惧 had been lying upon him since the day he lifted his voice against this bloody 血腥的；该死的；他妈的-minded out‧cast 出‧演员.

Injun Joe’s bowie-knife lay close by, its blade 刀片 broken in two. The great foundation 基础-beam 梁 of the door had been chipped 芯片 and hacked 劈 through, with tedious 乏味 labor 劳动; use‧less 无用 labor 劳动, too, it was, for the native 本土的 rock formed a sill outside it, and upon that stubborn 倔强 material the knife had wrought 锻 no effect; the only damage 损害 done was to the knife itself 本身. But if there had been no stony obstruction 梗阻 there the labor 劳动 would have been use‧less 无用 still, for if thebeam 梁 had been wholly 全 cut away Injun Joe could not have squeezed 挤 his body under the door, and he knew it. So he had only hacked 劈 that place in order to be doing something—in order to pass the weary 厌倦 time—in order to employ his tortured 拷打 faculties 学院. Ordinarily one could find half a dozen bits of candle 蜡烛 stuck stick around in the crevices of this vestibule, left there by tourists 游客; but there were none now. The prisoner 犯人，囚犯 had searched them out and eaten them. He had also contrived 图谋 to catch a few bats 蝙蝠, and these, also, he had eaten, leaving only their claws 爪. The poor unfortunate 不幸的 had starved 饿死 to death. In one place, near at hand, a stalagmite had been slowly growing up from the ground for ages, builded by the water-drip 滴 from a stalactite over‧head 高架. The captive 俘虏 had broken off the stalagmite, and upon the stump 树墩 had placed a stone, wherein 其中， he had scooped 舀 a shallow 浅的 hollow 空的 to catch the precious 3 drop that fell once in every three minutes with the dreary 凄凉 regularity 规律性 of a clock 3-tick 蜱—a dessertspoonful once in four and twenty 二十 hours. That drop was falling when the Pyramids were new; when Troy fell; when the foundations 基础 of Rome were laid; when Christ was crucified; when the Conqueror 征服者 created the British empire 帝国; when Columbus sailed 航行；帆; when the mass‧acre 屠杀 at Lexington was “news.”

It is falling now; it will still be falling when all these things shall have sunk down the afternoon of history, and the twilight 暮 of tradition 传统, and been swallowed up in the thick night of oblivion. Has everything a purpose and a mission 任务? Did this drop fall patiently during five thou‧sand 千 years to be ready for this flitting human insect 虫’s need? and has it another important object to accomplish 完成；实现；达到；做到 ten 十 thou‧sand 千 years to come? No matter. It is many and many a year since the hapless half-breed 养育；繁殖 scooped 舀 out the stone to catch the price‧less 无价 drops, but to this day the tourist 游客 stares longest at that pathetic 可怜 stone and that slow-dropping water when he comes to see the wonders of McDougal’s cave. Injun Joe’s cup stands first in the list of the cavern’s marvels 奇迹; even “Aladdin’s Palace” cannot rival 对手 it.

Injun Joe was buried near the mouth of the cave; and people flocked 群 there in boats and wagons 车皮 from the towns and from all the farms and hamlets 村庄 for seven 七 miles around; they brought their children, and all sorts of provisions 规定, and confessed that they had had almost as satisfactory a time at the funeral 葬礼 as they could have had at the hanging.

This funeral stopped the further growth of one thing—the petition 请愿 to the governor for Injun Joe’s pardon 宽恕；说啥？. The petition 请愿 had been largely signed; many tearful and eloquent 雄辩 meetings had been held, and a committee of sappy women been appointed to go in deep mourning 悼 and wail 哀号 around the governor, and implore him to be a merciful ass and trample 践踏 his duty under foot. Injun Joe was believed to have killed five citizens of the village, but what of that? If he had been Satan himself there would have been plenty of weaklings ready to scribble 涂 their names to a pardon 宽恕；说啥？-petition 请愿, and drip 滴 a tear on it from their permanently 永久 impaired 妨害 and leaky water-works.

The morning after the funeral 葬礼 Tom took Huck to a private place to have an important talk. Huck had learned all about Tom’s adventure from the Welshman and the Widow Douglas, by this time, but Tom said he reckoned 估计 there was one thing they had not told him; that thing was what he wanted to talk about now. Huck’s face saddened 使悲哀. He said:

“I know what it is. You got into No. 2 and never found anything but whiskey. Nobody told me it was you; but I just knowed it must ‘a’ ben 本 you, soon as I heard ‘bout 回合 that whiskey business; and I knowed you hadn’t got the money becuz you’d ‘a’ got at me some way or other and told me even if you was mum 沉默 to everybody else. Tom, something’s always told me we’d never get holt of that swag.”

“Why, Huck, I never told on that tavern 酒馆-keeper. You know his tavern 酒馆 was all right the Saturday I went to the picnic 野餐. Don’t you remember you was to watch there that night?”

“Oh yes! Why, it seems ‘bout 回合 a year ago. It was that very night that I follered Injun Joe to the widder’s.”

“You followed him?”

“Yes—but you keep mum 沉默. I reckon 估计 Injun Joe’s left friends behind him, and I don’t want ‘em souring 有酸味的 on me and doing me mean tricks 哄骗；诀窍. If it hadn’t ben 本 for me he’d be down in Texas now, all right.”

Then Huck told his entire adventure in confidence 信心 to Tom, who had only heard of the Welshman’s part of it before.

“Well,” said Huck, presently, coming back to the main question, “ who‧ever 无论谁 nipped 掐 the whiskey in No. 2, nipped 掐 the money, too, I reckon 估计— anyways 无论如何 it’s a goner for us, Tom.”

“Huck, that money wasn’t ever in No. 2!”

“What!” Huck searched his comrade 同志’s face keenly 热切的. “Tom, have you got on the track of that money again?”

“Huck, it’s in the cave!”

Huck’s eyes blazed 火焰.

“Say it again, Tom.”

“The money’s in the cave!”

“Tom— honest 诚实的 injun, now—is it fun, or earnest 热心的?”

“ Earnest, Huck—just as earnest as ever I was in my life. Will you go in there with me and help get it out?”

“I bet I will! I will if it’s where we can blaze 火焰 our way to it and not get lost.”

“Huck, we can do that without the least little bit of trouble in the world.”

“Good as wheat 小麦! What makes you think the money’s—”

“Huck, you just wait till we get in there. If we don’t find it I’ll agree to give you my drum 鼓 and every thing I’ve got in the world. I will, by jings.”

“All right—it’s a whiz 呼啸. When do you say?”

“Right now, if you say it. Are you strong enough?”

“Is it far in the cave? I ben 本 on my pins 钉 a little, three or four days, now, but I can’t walk more’n a mile, Tom—least I don’t think I could.”

“It’s about five mile into there the way anybody but me would go, Huck, but there’s a mighty 威武 short cut that they don’t anybody but me know about. Huck, I’ll take you right to it in a skiff. I’ll float 漂浮 the skiff down there, and I’ll pull it back again all by myself 我. You needn’t ever turn your hand over.”

“Less start right off, Tom.”

“All right. We want some bread 面包 and meat 肉, and our pipes 管子, and a little bag or two, and two or three kite 风筝-strings 绳子, and some of these new-fangled things they call lucifer matches. I tell you, many’s the time I wished I had some when I was in there before.”

A trifle 琐事 after noon 正午 the boys borrowed 借 a small skiff from a citizen who was absent 缺席的, and got under way at once. When they were several miles below “Cave Hollow 3,” Tom said:

“Now you see this bluff 虚张声势 here looks all alike 同样的 all the way down from the cave hollow—no houses, no wood-yards, bushes all alike. But do you see that white place up yonder where there’s been a land‧slide 滑坡? Well, that’s one of my marks. We’ll get ashore 岸上, now.”

They landed.

“Now, Huck, where we’re a-standing you could touch that hole I got out of with a fishing-pole 极. See if you can find it.”

Huck searched all the place about, and found nothing. Tom proudly marched 行军；三月 into a thick clump 丛 of sumach bushes and said:

“Here you are! Look at it, Huck; it’s the snuggest hole in this country. You just keep mum 沉默 about it. All along I’ve been wanting to be a robber 抢劫, but I knew I’d got to have a thing like this, and where to run across it was the bother. We’ve got it now, and we’ll keep it quiet, only we’ll let Joe Harper and Ben Rogers in—because of course there’s got to be a Gang, or else there wouldn’t be any style 样式 about it. Tom Sawyer’s Gang—it sounds splendid 3, don’t it, Huck?”

“Well, it just does, Tom. And who’ll we rob 抢劫?”

“Oh, most anybody. Waylay people—that’s mostly the way.”

“And kill them?”

“No, not always. Hive them in the cave till they raise a ransom 赎金.”

“What’s a ransom 赎金?”

“Money. You make them raise all they can, off’n their friends; and after you’ve kept them a year, if it ain’t raised then you kill them. That’s the general way. Only you don’t kill the women. You shut 关闭 up the women, but you don’t kill them. They’re always beautiful 美丽 and rich, and awfully 糟糕的 scared. You take their watches and things, but you always take your hat off and talk polite 有礼貌的. They ain’t anybody as polite as robbers 强盗—you’ll see that in any book. Well, the women get to loving you, and after they’ve been in the cave a week or two weeks they stop crying and after that you couldn’t get them to leave. If you drove drive them out they’d turn right around and come back. It’s so in all the books.”

“Why, it’s real bully 欺负, Tom. I believe it’s better’n to be a pirate 海盗.”

“Yes, it’s better in some ways, because it’s close to home and circuses 马戏团 and all that.”

By this time everything was ready and the boys entered the hole, Tom in the lead. They toiled 辛劳 their way to the farther end of the tunnel 隧道, then made their spliced 拼接 kite 风筝-strings fast and moved on. A few steps brought them to the spring, and Tom felt a shudder 不寒而栗 quiver 颤动 all through him. He showed Huck the fragment 分段 of candle 蜡烛-wick perched 栖息 on a lump 块 of clay against the wall, and described how he and Becky had watched the flame 火焰 struggle and expire 到期.

The boys began to quiet down to whispers, now, for the stillness and gloom 愁云 of the place oppressed 压迫 their spirits. They went on, and presently entered and followed Tom’s other corridor 走廊 until they reached the “jumping-off place.” The candles 蜡烛 revealed 揭示 the fact that it was not really a precipice, but only a steep 陡峭的 clay hill twenty 二十 or thirty 三十 feet high. Tom whispered:

“Now I’ll show you something, Huck.”

He held his candle 蜡烛 aloft and said:

“Look as far around the corner as you can. Do you see that? There—on the big rock over yonder—done with candle 蜡烛-smoke.”

“Tom, it’s a cross!”

“Now where’s your Number Two? ‘under the cross,’ hey 嘿? Right yonder’s where I saw Injun Joe poke 戳 up his candle 蜡烛, Huck!”

Huck stared at the mystic sign awhile 一会儿, and then said with a shaky 摇摇欲坠 voice:

“Tom, less git out of here!”

“What! and leave the treasure?”

“Yes—leave it. Injun Joe’s ghost 鬼 is round about there, certain.”

“No it ain’t, Huck, no it ain’t. It would ha’nt the place where he died—away out at the mouth of the cave—five mile from here.”

“No, Tom, it wouldn’t. It would hang round the money. I know the ways of ghosts 鬼, and so do you.”

Tom began to fear that Huck was right. Mis-givings gathered in his mind. But presently an idea occurred 发生 to him—

“Lookyhere, Huck, what fools we’re making of ourselves 我们自己! Injun Joe’s ghost 鬼 ain’t a going to come around where there’s a cross!”

The point was well taken. It had its effect.

“Tom, I didn’t think of that. But that’s so. It’s luck for us, that cross is. I reckon 估计 we’ll climb down there and have a hunt for that box.”

Tom went first, cutting rude 粗鲁的 steps in the clay hill as he descended 下来. Huck followed. Four avenues opened out of the small cavern which the great rock stood in. The boys examined three of them with no result. They found a small recess 凹槽 in the one nearest the base of the rock, with a pallet of blankets 毯 spread down in it; also an old suspender 暂停, some bacon 培根 rind, and the well-gnawed bones 骨头 of two or three fowls. But there was no money‧box 钱‧盒；耳光. The lads 小伙子 searched and researched this place, but in vain 徒劳的. Tom said:

“He said under the cross. Well, this comes nearest to being under the cross. It can’t be under the rock itself 本身, because that sets solid on the ground.”

They searched everywhere once more, and then sat down discouraged 不鼓励. Huck could suggest nothing. By-and-by Tom said:

“Lookyhere, Huck, there’s foot‧print 脚印 and some candle 蜡烛-grease 油脂 on the clay about one side of this rock, but not on the other sides. Now, what’s that for? I bet you the money is under the rock. I’m going to dig in the clay.”

“That ain’t no bad notion 概念, Tom!” said Huck with animation 动画.

Tom’s “real Barlow” was out at once, and he had not dug 挖:dig four inches before he struck wood.

“Hey, Huck!—you hear that?”

Huck began to dig and scratch 刮 now. Some boards were soon uncovered 揭露 and removed 去掉. They had concealed 隐藏 a natural 自然 chasm which led under the rock. Tom got into this and held his candle 蜡烛 as far under the rock as he could, but said he could not see to the end of the rift 裂痕. He proposed to explore. He stooped 哈腰 and passed under; the narrow way descended gradually 逐步地. He followed its winding course, first to the right, then to the left, Huck at his heels 脚跟. Tom turned a short curve, by-and-by, and exclaimed 喊叫:

“My goodness 善良, Huck, lookyhere!”

It was the treasure-box, sure enough, occupying 占据 a snug little cavern, along with an empty powder 粉-keg, a couple of guns in leather 皮 cases, two or three pairs of old moccasins, a leather belt 腰带, and some other rubbish 垃圾 well soaked 浸泡 with the water-drip 滴.

“Got it at last!” said Huck, ploughing among the tarnished coins with his hand. “My, but we’re rich, Tom!”

“Huck, I always reckoned 估计 we’d get it. It’s just too good to believe, but we have got it, sure! Say—let’s not fool around here. Let’s snake it out. Lemme see if I can lift the box.”

It weighed about fifty 五十 pounds. Tom could lift it, after an awkward 难堪 fashion, but could not carry it conveniently.

“I thought so,” he said; “They carried it like it was heavy, that day at the ha’nted house. I noticed that. I reckon 估计 I was right to think of fetching 取 the little bags 袋 along.”

The money was soon in the bags and the boys took it up to the cross rock.

“Now less fetch 取 the guns and things,” said Huck.

“No, Huck—leave them there. They’re just the tricks to have when we go to robbing 抢劫. We’ll keep them there all the time, and we’ll hold our orgies there, too. It’s an awful snug place for orgies.”

“What orgies?”

“I dono. But robbers 强盗 always have orgies, and of course we’ve got to have them, too. Come along, Huck, we’ve been in here a long time. It’s getting late, I reckon 估计. I’m hungry 饥饿, too. We’ll eat and smoke when we get to the skiff.”

They presently emerged 出现 into the clump 丛 of sumach bushes, looked warily 警惕 out, found the coast clear, and were soon lunching 午餐 and smoking in the skiff. As the sun dipped 浸 toward the horizon 地平线 they pushed out and got under way. Tom skimmed 撇去 up the shore through the long twilight 暮, chatting 聊 cheerily with Huck, and landed shortly after dark.

“Now, Huck,” said Tom, “we’ll hide the money in the loft 阁楼 of the widow’s wood‧shed 木材；树林‧棚, and I’ll come up in the morning and we’ll count it and divide, and then we’ll hunt up a place out in the woods for it where it will be safe. Just you lay quiet here and watch the stuff 塞满；材料 till I run and hook 钩 Benny Taylor’s little wagon 车皮; I won’t be gone a minute.”

He disappeared, and presently returned with the wagon 车皮, put the two small sacks 解雇 into it, threw some old rags 抹布 on top of them, and started off, dragging his cargo 货物 behind him. When the boys reached the Welshman’s house, they stopped to rest. Just as they were about to move on, the Welshman stepped out and said:

“Hallo, who’s that?”

“Huck and Tom Sawyer.”

“Good! Come along with me, boys, you are keeping everybody waiting. Here—hurry up, trot 小跑 ahead—I’ll haul 运输 the wagon 车皮 for you. Why, it’s not as light as it might be. Got bricks 砖 in it?—or old metal?”

“Old metal,” said Tom.

“I judged so; the boys in this town will take more trouble and fool away more time hunting up six bits’ worth of old iron to sell to the foundry than they would to make twice 两次 the money at regular work. But that’s human nature—hurry along, hurry along!”

The boys wanted to know what the hurry was about.

“Never mind; you’ll see, when we get to the Widow Douglas’.”

Huck said with some apprehension 顾虑—for he was long used to being falsely 虚伪的 accused 指责:

“Mr. Jones, we haven’t been doing nothing.”

The Welshman laughed.

“Well, I don’t know, Huck, my boy. I don’t know about that. Ain’t you and the widow good friends?”

“Yes. Well, she’s ben 本 good friends to me, anyway.”

“All right, then. What do you want to be afraid for?”

This question was not entirely answered in Huck’s slow mind before he found himself pushed, along with Tom, into Mrs. Douglas’ drawing-room. Mr. Jones left the wagon 车皮 near the door and followed.

The place was grandly 宏大的 lighted, and everybody that was of any consequence 后果 in the village was there. The Thatchers were there, the Harpers, the Rogerses, Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary, the minister, the editor 编辑, and a great many more, and all dressed in their best. The widow received the boys as heartily 爽朗 as any one could well receive two such looking beings 蜜蜂. They were covered with clay and candle 蜡烛-grease 3. Aunt Polly blushed 脸红 crimson with humiliation 屈辱, and frowned 皱眉 and shook her head at Tom. Nobody suffered half as much as the two boys did, however. Mr. Jones said:

“Tom wasn’t at home, yet, so I gave him up; but I stumbled 绊倒 on him and Huck right at my door, and so I just brought them along in a hurry.”

“And you did just right,” said the widow. “Come with me, boys.”

She took them to a bed‧chamber 床‧房间 and said:

“Now wash and dress yourselves. Here are two new suits of clothes— shirts 衬衫, socks 短袜, everything complete. They’re Huck’s—no, no thanks, Huck—Mr. Jones bought buy one and I the other. But they’ll fit both of you. Get into them. We’ll wait—come down when you are slicked 华而不实的 up enough.”

Then she left.

CHAPTER XXXIV

HUCK said: “Tom, we can slope 斜坡, if we can find a rope 粗绳. The window ain’t high from the ground.”

“Shucks! what do you want to slope for?”

“Well, I ain’t used to that kind of a crowd. I can’t stand it. I ain’t going down there, Tom.”

“Oh, bother! It ain’t anything. I don’t mind it a bit. I’ll take care of you.”

Sid appeared.

“Tom,” said he, “auntie has been waiting for you all the afternoon. Mary got your Sunday clothes ready, and everybody’s been fretting 烦恼 about you. Say—ain’t this grease and clay, on your clothes?”

“Now, Mr. Siddy, you jist ‘tend to your own business. What’s all this blow‧out 吹；殴打‧出 about, anyway?”

“It’s one of the widow’s parties that she’s always having. This time it’s for the Welshman and his sons, on account of that scrape 擦 they helped her out of the other night. And say—I can tell you something, if you want to know.”

“Well, what?”

“Why, old Mr. Jones is going to try to spring something on the people here tonight 3, but I over‧hear 偷听 him tell auntie today about it, as a secret, but I reckon 估计 it’s not much of a secret now. Everybody knows—the widow, too, for all she tries to let on she don’t. Mr. Jones was bound 3 Huck should be here—couldn’t get along with his grand 宏大的 secret without Huck, you know!”

“Secret about what, Sid?”

“About Huck tracking 小路 the robbers 强盗 to the widow’s. I reckon 估计 Mr. Jones was going to make a grand time over his surprise, but I bet you it will drop pretty flat.”

Sid chuckled 暗笑 in a very contented and satisfied way.

“Sid, was it you that told?”

“Oh, never mind who it was. Somebody told—that’s enough.”

“Sid, there’s only one person in this town mean enough to do that, and that’s you. If you had been in Huck’s place you’d ‘a’ sneaked 潜行 down the hill and never told anybody on the robbers 强盗. You can’t do any but mean things, and you can’t bear to see anybody praised 赞扬 for doing good ones. There—no thanks, as the widow says”—and Tom cuffed 袖口 Sid’s ears and helped him to the door with several kicks 踢. “Now go and tell auntie if you dare 敢—and tomorrow you’ll catch it!”

Some minutes later the widow’s guests were at the supper 晚饭-table, and a dozen children were propped 支柱 up at little side-tables in the same room, after the fashion of that country and that day. At the proper time Mr. Jones made his little speech, in which he thanked the widow for the honor she was doing himself and his sons, but said that there was another person whose modesty 谦虚—

And so forth and so on. He sprung his secret about Huck’s share in the adventure in the finest dramatic 戏剧性 manner he was master of, but the surprise it occasioned was largely counterfeit 伪造 and not as clamorous and effusive as it might have been under happier circumstances 环境. However, the widow made a pretty fair show of astonishment 惊愕, and heaped 堆 so many compliments 赞扬 and so much gratitude 感谢 upon Huck that he almost forgot the nearly intolerable 无法忍受 discomfort 不舒适 of his new clothes in the entirely intolerable 无法忍受 discomfort of being set up as a target 目标 for everybody’s gaze 凝视 and everybody’s laudations.

The widow said she meant to give Huck a home under her roof and have him educated 教育; and that when she could spare 节省；多余的；备用件 the money she would start him in business in a modest 谦虚的 way. Tom’s chance was come. He said:

“Huck don’t need it. Huck’s rich.”

Nothing but a heavy strain 压力 upon the good manners of the company kept back the due and proper complimentary 免费 laugh at this pleasant joke 笑话. But the silence was a little awkward 难堪. Tom broke it:

“Huck’s got money. Maybe you don’t believe it, but he’s got lots of it. Oh, you needn’t smile—I reckon 估计 I can show you. You just wait a minute.”

Tom ran out of doors. The company looked at each other with a perplexed 困扰 interest—and inquiringly at Huck, who was tongue 舌头-tied.

“Sid, what ails AIL Tom?” said Aunt Polly. “He—well, there ain’t ever any making of that boy out. I never—”

Tom entered, struggling with the weight of his sacks 解雇, and Aunt Polly did not finish her sentence 句子. Tom poured the mass of yellow coin 硬币 upon the table and said:

“There—what did I tell you? Half of it’s Huck’s and half of it’s mine!”

The spectacle 场面；眼镜 took the general breath away. All gazed 凝视, nobody spoke speak for a moment. Then there was a unanimous 一致 call for an explanation 说明. Tom said he could furnish it, and he did. The tale 故事，不实之词 was long, but brimful of interest. There was scarcely an interruption 中断 from any one to break the charm 魔力；使陶醉 of its flow. When he had finished, Mr. Jones said:

“I thought I had fixed up a little surprise for this occasion, but it don’t amount to anything now. This one makes it sing mighty 威武 small, I’m willing to allow.”

The money was counted. The sum 和 amounted to a little over twelve 十二 thou‧sand 千 dollars. It was more than any one present had ever seen at one time before, though several persons were there who were worth consider‧able 相当 more than that in property.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE reader may rest satisfied that Tom’s and Huck’s wind‧fall 风‧落下 made a mighty 威武 stir 3 in the poor little village of St. Petersburg. So vast 广大 a sum 和, all in actual cash 现金, seemed next to incredible 难以置信. It was talked about, gloated over, glorified 荣耀, until the reason of many of the citizens tottered under the strain 压力 of the unhealthy 不良 excitement 激动. Every “haunted 出没” house in St. Petersburg and the neighboring villages was dissected 解剖, plank 板 by plank 板, and its foundations dug 挖:dig up and ransacked for hidden hide treasure—and not by boys, but men—pretty grave 坟墓；严重的, unromantic men, too, some of them. Wherever 3 Tom and Huck appeared they were courted, admired, stared at. The boys were not able to remember that their remarks had possessed 拥有 weight before; but now their sayings were treasured 金银财宝 and repeated; everything they did seemed somehow to be regarded as remark‧able 非凡的；奇异的；引人注目的; they had evidently 明显地 lost the power of doing and saying common‧place 平凡 things; moreover, their past history was raked 耙子 up and discovered to bear marks of conspicuous 显着 originality 独创性. The village paper published 发布 biographical 传记 sketches 草图 of the boys.

The Widow Douglas put Huck’s money out at six per cent., and Judge Thatcher did the same with Tom’s at Aunt Polly’s request. Each lad 小伙子 had an income 收入, now, that was simply prodigious—a dollar for every week‧day 非周末日 in the year and half of the Sundays. It was just what the minister got—no, it was what he was promised—he generally couldn’t collect it. A dollar and a quarter a week would board, lodge 存放, and school a boy in those old simple days—and clothe him and wash him, too, for that matter.

Judge Thatcher had conceived 构想 a great opinion of Tom. He said that no common‧place 平凡 boy would ever have got his daughter out of the cave. When Becky told her father, in strict 严格的 confidence 信心, how Tom had taken her whipping 鞭打 at school, the Judge was visibly 可以看见的；可视的 moved; and when she pleaded 求情 grace 优雅；惠赐 for the mighty 威武 lie which Tom had told in order to shift 转移 that whipping from her shoulders to his own, the Judge said with a fine out‧burst 突发 that it was a noble 高尚的, a generous 慷慨的, a magnanimous lie—a lie that was worthy 值得 to hold up its head and march 行军；三月 down through history breast 乳房 to breast 乳房 with George Washington’s lauded Truth about the hatchet! Becky thought her father had never looked so tall and so superb 高超 as when he walked the floor and stamped 邮票 his foot and said that. She went straight off and told Tom about it.

Judge Thatcher hoped to see Tom a great lawyer or a great soldier some day. He said he meant to look to it that Tom should be admitted to the National 国民 Military 军事 Academy and after‧ward 之后 trained in the best law school in the country, in order that he might be ready for either career or both.

Huck Finn’s wealth 财产 and the fact that he was now under the Widow Douglas’ protection introduced him into society—no, dragged him into it, hurled 投 him into it—and his sufferings were almost more than he could bear. The widow’s servants 仆人 kept him clean and neat 整洁的, combed 梳子 and brushed, and they bedded him nightly in unsympathetic sheets that had not one little spot or stain which he could press to his heart and know for a friend. He had to eat with a knife and fork 叉; he had to use napkin 餐巾, cup, and plate 盘子; he had to learn his book, he had to go to church; he had to talk so properly that speech was become insipid in his mouth; whithersoever he turned, the bars and shackles of civilization 文明 shut him in and bound him hand and foot.

He bravely 勇敢的 bore his miseries three weeks, and then one day turned up missing. For forty 四十-eight 八 hours the widow hunted for him everywhere in great distress 苦难. The public were profoundly 深深 concerned; they searched high and low, they dragged the river for his body. Early the third morning Tom Sawyer wisely 明智的；聪明的 went poking 戳 among some old empty hogsheads down behind the abandoned 放弃 slaughter 屠宰-house, and in one of them he found the refugee 难民. Huck had slept there; he had just break‧fast 早餐 upon some stolen odds 奇 and ends of food, and was lying off, now, in comfort, with his pipe 管子. He was unkempt, uncombed, and clad 包层的 in the same old ruin 破坏 of rags 抹布 that had made him picturesque 如画 in the days when he was free and happy. Tom routed 路线 him out, told him the trouble he had been causing, and urged him to go home. Huck’s face lost its tranquil 宁静 content, and took a melancholy 愁绪 cast 投. He said:

“Don’t talk about it, Tom. I’ve tried it, and it don’t work; it don’t work, Tom. It ain’t for me; I ain’t used to it. The widder’s good to me, and friendly; but I can’t stand them ways. She makes me get up just at the same time every morning; she makes me wash, they comb me all to thunder 雷声; she won’t let me sleep in the wood‧shed 木材；树林‧棚; I got to wear them blamed clothes that just smothers 扼杀 me, Tom; they don’t seem to any air git through ‘em, somehow; and they’re so rotten 5 nice that I can’t set down, nor lay down, nor roll around anywher’s; I hain’t slid slide on a cellar 地窖-door for—well, it ‘pears 梨 to be years; I got to go to church and sweat 流汗 and sweat—I hate them ornery sermons 讲道! I can’t ketch a fly in there, I can’t chaw. I got to wear shoes all Sunday. The widder eats by a bell 钟; she goes to bed by a bell; she gits up by a bell 3—everything’s so awful reg’lar a body can’t stand it.”

“Well, everybody does that way, Huck.”

“Tom, it don’t make no difference. I ain’t everybody, and I can’t stand it. It’s awful to be tied up so. And grub comes too easy—I don’t take no interest in vittles, that way. I got to ask to go a-fishing; I got to ask to go in a-swimming 游泳—dern’d if I hain’t got to ask to do everything. Well, I’d got to talk so nice it wasn’t no comfort—I’d got to go up in the attic 阁楼 and rip 安息 out awhile 一会儿, every day, to git a taste in my mouth, or I’d a died, Tom. The widder wouldn’t let me smoke; she wouldn’t let me yell 叫喊, she wouldn’t let me gape 盱；目瞪口呆, nor stretch, nor scratch 刮, before folks 民间—” [Then with a spasm of special irritation 刺激 and injury 伤]—“And dad 爸 fetch 取 it, she prayed all the time! I never see such a woman! I had to shove 推, Tom—I just had to. And besides, that school’s going to open, and I’d a had to go to it—well, I wouldn’t stand that, Tom. Looky-here, Tom, being rich ain’t what it’s cracked 破裂 up to be. It’s just worry and worry, and sweat 3 and sweat, and a-wishing you was dead all the time. Now these clothes suits me, and this bar’l suits me, and I ain’t ever going to shake ‘em any more. Tom, I wouldn’t ever got into all this trouble if it hadn’t ‘a’ ben 本 for that money; now you just take my sheer of it along with your’n, and gimme a ten 十-center sometimes—not many times, becuz I don’t give a dern for a thing ‘thout it’s toll‧able 收费‧能够的 hard to git—and you go and beg off for me with the widder.”

“Oh, Huck, you know I can’t do that. ‘Tain’t fair; and besides if you’ll try this thing just a while longer you’ll come to like it.”

“Like it! Yes—the way I’d like a hot stove 炉 if I was to set on it long enough. No, Tom, I won’t be rich, and I won’t live in them cussed smothery houses. I like the woods, and the river, and hogsheads, and I’ll stick to ‘em, too. Blame it all! just as we’d got guns, and a cave, and all just fixed to rob 抢劫, here this dern foolishness has got to come up and spile it all!”

Tom saw his opportunity—

“Lookyhere, Huck, being rich ain’t going to keep me back from turning robber 抢劫.”

“No! Oh, good-licks 舔; are you in real dead-wood earnest 3, Tom?”

“Just as dead earnest as I’m sitting here. But Huck, we can’t let you into the gang 结伙 if you ain’t respect‧able 可敬, you know.”

Huck’s joy was quenched.

“Can’t let me in, Tom? Didn’t you let me go for a pirate 海盗?”

“Yes, but that’s different. A robber 抢劫 is more high-toned 音 than what a pirate 海盗 is—as a general thing. In most countries they’re awful high up in the nobility 贵族—dukes 公爵 and such.”

“Now, Tom, hain’t you always ben 本 friendly to me? You wouldn’t shet me out, would you, Tom? You wouldn’t do that, now, would you, Tom?”

“Huck, I wouldn’t want to, and I don’t want to—but what would people say? Why, they’d say, ‘Mph! Tom Sawyer’s Gang! pretty low characters in it!’ They’d mean you, Huck. You wouldn’t like that, and I wouldn’t.”

Huck was silent for some time, engaged 从事 in a mental 心理 struggle. Finally he said:

“Well, I’ll go back to the widder for a month and tackle 滑车 it and see if I can come to stand it, if you’ll let me b’long to the gang 结伙, Tom.”

“All right, Huck, it’s a whiz 呼啸! Come along, old chap 皴裂, and I’ll ask the widow to let up on you a little, Huck.”

“Will you, Tom—now will you? That’s good. If she’ll let up on some of the roughest things, I’ll smoke private and cuss private, and crowd through or bust 胸围. When you going to start the gang 结伙 and turn robbers 强盗?”

“Oh, right off. We’ll get the boys together and have the initiation 引发 tonight, maybe.”

“Have the which?”

“Have the initiation 引发.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s to swear 发誓 to stand by one another, and never tell the gang 结伙’s secrets, even if you’re chopped 劈 all to flinders, and kill anybody and all his family that hurts 损害 one of the gang 结伙.”

“That’s gay 快乐的—that’s mighty 威武 gay 3, Tom, I tell you.”

“Well, I bet it is. And all that swearing 发誓’s got to be done at mid‧night 午夜, in the lonesomest, awfulest 糟糕的 place you can find—a ha’nted house is the best, but they’re all ripped 安息 up now.”

“Well, mid‧night 午夜’s good, anyway, Tom.”

“Yes, so it is. And you’ve got to swear 发誓 on a coffin 棺材, and sign it with blood.”

“Now, that’s something like! Why, it’s a million times bullier 欺负 than pirating 海盗. I’ll stick to the widder till I rot 腐烂, Tom; and if I git to be a reg’lar ripper 安息 of a robber 4, and everybody talking ‘bout 回合 it, I reckon 估计 she’ll be proud she snaked me in out of the wet 湿的.”

CONCLUSION 结论

SO endeth this chronicle 编年史. It being strictly 严格的 a history of a boy, it must stop here; the story could not go much further without becoming the history of a man. When one writes a novel 小说 about grown people, he knows exactly where to stop—that is, with a marriage; but when he writes of juveniles 少年, he must stop where he best can.

Most of the characters that perform in this book still live, and are prosperous 繁荣 and happy. Some day it may seem worth while to take up the story of the younger ones again and see what sort of men and women they turned out to be; therefore it will be wisest 明智的；聪明的 not to reveal 揭示 any of that part of their lives at present.