-
关注Ta
-
- 注册时间 2013-06-05
- 最后登录 2024-11-23
- 在线时间20330小时
-
- 发帖156614
- 搜Ta的帖子
- 精华0
- 派派币6793
- 威望59623
- 鲜花188926
- 鸡蛋39
- 在线时间20330 小时
-
访问空间加好友用道具
|
第四十二章
老人在早饭前又去了镇上，可就是找不到汤姆的踪影。两人在饭桌上想心事，一句话也
不说，神色凄凉。咖啡冷了，他们什么都没有吃。后来老人说：
“我把信给了你么？”
“什么信？”
“我昨天从邮局取的信啊。”
“没有，你没有给我信。”
“哦，准定是我忘了。”
于是他掏了掏口袋，随后走到他放信的地方，把信找到了，递给了她，她说：
“啊，是圣•彼得堡来的——是姐寄来的嘛。”
我正想再出去遛达一会，对自己有好处，不过我已动弹不得。啊，这时，她还来不及拆
信，便把信一扔奔了出去——因为她看到了什么啦，我也看到了。是汤姆•索亚躺在床垫
上。还有那位老医生。还有杰姆，身上穿着她的那件印花布衣服，双手捆在身后。还有不少
人。我一边把信藏在近旁一样东西的后面，一边往门外冲。她朝汤姆身上扑去，哭着说：
“哦，他死啦，他死啦，我知道他死啦。”
汤姆呢，他把头微微地转过来，口中喃喃有词，这些表明了他如今已神志不清。她举起
了双手说：
“他活着呢，谢天谢地！这下好啦！”她啧地吻了他一下，往屋里飞奔，去把床铺铺
好。一路上舌头转得飞快，对黑奴和其他的人一个个下了命令，跑一步，下一个命令。
我跑在人群后边，看人家准备怎样对待杰姆。老医生和西拉斯姨父跟在汤姆后面走进了
屋里。人群里怒气冲冲，其中有些人主张要绞死杰姆，好给这儿周围的黑奴做个榜样，叫他
们从此不敢象杰姆那样逃跑，惹出这么天大的乱子来，多少个日日夜夜，吓得全家人半死。
但也有些人说别这么干，这么干不妥，他可不是我们的黑奴嘛。他的主人会出场，肯定会为
了他这个人叫我们赔偿损失。这样一说，大伙儿冷静了一些，因为那些急着要绞死那做了错
事的黑奴的人，往往是最不愿意为了出过气拿出赔偿金的。
尽管如此，他们还是恶狠狠地咒骂杰姆，还时不时地给他一个巴掌。不过杰姆决不吭一
声。他装做不认识我。他们把他押回原来那间小屋，把他自己的衣服套在他身上，再一次用
链子把他铐了起来。这一回可不是拴在床腿上了，而是拴在墙脚那根大木头上钉着的骑马钉
上，把他的双手和两条腿都用铁链拴住了。还对他说，吃的只给面包和水，此外不给别的，
一直要到他的原主人来，或者在过了一定期限原主人还不来，就把他给拍卖掉。他们把我们
当初挖掘的洞填好了。还说每晚上要派几个农民带上熗在小屋附近巡逻守夜。白天要在门口
拴一条恶狗。正在这时，正当他们把事情安排得差不多，最后骂几句作为告别的表示时，老
医生来了，四下里看了一下说：
“对待他嘛，别太过分了，因为他可不是一个坏黑奴。我一到那个孩子所在的地方，发
现非有一个助手不可，不然，我就无法把子弹取出来。按当时的情况，我无法离开，到别处
去找个帮手。病人的病情越来越糟。又过了一段时间，他神志不清了，又不允许我靠近他身
边。要是我用粉笔给木筏子上写下记号，他就要杀死我。他这类傻事几乎没有个完，我简直
给弄得束手无策。所以我对自个儿说，我非得有个助手不可，怎么说也非有不可。我这么刚
一说，这个黑奴不知从什么地方爬了出来，说他愿帮忙。他就这么做了个助手，而且做得非
常出色。当然我断定他准是个逃亡黑奴。我实在处境为难！可是我不得不钉住在那儿，整整
一个白天，又整整一个夜晚；我对你们说吧，我当时实在左右为难！我还有几个病人正在发
烧发冷，我自然想回镇上来，给他们诊治，但是我没有回。这是因为这个黑奴可能逃掉，那
我就会推脱不掉那个责任。加上过往的船只离得又远，没有一只能叫得应的。这样一来，我
得钉住在那里，一直顶到今早上大白天。这样善良、这样忠心耿耿的黑奴，我从未见过。而
且他是冒了丧失自由的危险这么干的，并且干得筋疲力竭了。再说，我看得清清楚楚，在最
近一些日子里，他做苦工也做得够苦了。先生们，我对你们说吧，为了这一些，我挺喜欢这
个黑奴。象这样的一个黑奴，值一千块大洋——并且值得好好对待他。我要他做什么，他就
做什么，所以那个孩子在那里养病，就跟在家里养病一个样——也许比在家里养还好一些，
因为地方实在太清静了。只是光我一个人，手头要管好两个人，并且我非得钉在那里不可，
一直到今天清早，有几个人坐着小船在附近走过。也是活该交好运气，这个黑奴正坐在草褥
子旁边，头撑在膝盖上，呼呼睡着了。我就不声不响地对他们打了招呼，他们就偷偷走过
来，抓住了他，在他还莫名其妙的时候，就把他绑了起来。凡是这一切，都没有遇到过什么
麻烦。那个孩子当时正昏昏沉沉睡着了，我们就把桨用东西裹上，好叫声音小一些，又把木
筏子拴在小船上，悄悄地把它拖过河来。这个黑奴始终没有吵闹，也不吭一声。先生们，这
可不是一个坏的黑奴，这就是我对他的看法。”
有人就说：
“那好，医生，听起来挺不错，我不能不这么说。”
别的一些人态度也和缓了些。这位老医生对杰姆做了件大好事，我真是非常感激他。这
也表明了，我当初对他没有看错人，这也叫我很高兴。因为我一见他，就认为此人心肠好，
是个好人。后来大伙儿一致认为杰姆的所作所为非常好，人们应该看到这一点，并给以奖
励。于是大伙儿一个个都当场真心实意地表示，此后决不再责骂他了。
随后他们出来了，并且把他锁在里面。我本来希望大伙儿会说，不妨把他身上的镣铐去
掉一两根，因为实在太笨重了。或者有人会主张除了给他面包和水外，还该给他吃点肉和蔬
菜。不过这些人并没有想到这一些。依我看，我最好还是不必插进去。不过据我判断，等我
过了眼前这一关，我不妨设法把医生说的这番话告诉萨莉阿姨。我是说，作一些解释，说明
我怎样忘了说西特中了一熗的事，也就是指那个吓人的夜晚，我们划了小船去追那个逃跑的
黑奴，忘了提西特中熗的那回事。
不过我有的是时间。萨莉阿姨整天整夜呆在病人的房间里。每逢西拉斯姨父没精打采走
过来，我马上就躲到一边去。
第二天早上，我听说汤姆病情大大好转。他们说，萨莉阿姨已经前去打盹去了。我就偷
偷溜进了病房。我心想，如果他醒了，我们就可以编好一个经得起盘问的故事给这家子人
听。不过他正睡着哩。并且睡得非常安稳。他的脸色发白，可已经不象刚回家时那么烧得通
红的了。所以我便坐了下来，等着他醒转来。大约半个钟头光景，萨莉阿姨轻手轻脚走了进
来。这样一来，我又一次不知道怎样办才好啦。她对我摆摆手，叫我别作声。她在我旁边坐
了下来，低声说起话来。说如今大家都可以高高兴兴了，因为一切迹象都是第一等的。他睡
得这么久，看起来病不断往好处发展，病情也平静，十有八九醒来时会神志正常。
所以我们就坐在那里守着。后来他微微欠动，很自然地睁开眼睛看了看。他说：
“哈啰，我怎么在家里啊？怎么一回事啊？木筏子在哪里？”
“很好，很好。”我说。
“那杰姆呢？”
“也很好。”我说。不过没有能说得爽快。他倒没有注意到，只是说：
“好！精彩！现在我们一切平安无事啦！你跟姨妈讲过了么？”
我正想讲是，可是她插进来说：
“讲什么？西特？”
“啊，讲这件事前前后后的经过啊。”
“什么前前后后？”
“啊，就是这件事的前前后后啊。就只是一件事啊，就是我们怎样把逃亡的黑奴放走，
恢复自由啊——由我和汤姆一起。”
“天啊！放——这孩子在讲什么啊，亲爱的，亲爱的，眼看得又神志不清啦！”
“不，不是我神志不清。我此时此刻说的话，我都是一清二楚的。我们确实把他放走了
——我和汤姆。我们是有计划地干的，而且干成了，并且干得非常妙。”他的话匣子一打
开，她也一点儿不想拦住他，只是坐在那里，眼睛越睁越大，让他一股脑儿倒出来。我呢，
也知道不用我插进去。“啊，姨妈，我们可费了大劲儿啦——干了好几个星期呢——一个小
时又一个小时，一个晚上又一个晚上，当你们全熟睡的时候。并且我们还得偷蜡烛，偷床
单，偷衬衫，偷你的衣服，还有调羹啊，盘子啊，小刀啊，暖炉啊，还有磨刀石，还有面
粉，简直说不完的东西。并且你们也想象不到我们干的活多么艰苦：做几把锯子，磨几枝
笔，刻下题词以及这个、那个的。而且那种乐趣，你们连一半也难以想象得到。并且我们还
得画棺材和其它的东西。还要写那封强盗的匿名信，还要抱着避雷针上上下下。还要挖洞直
通到小屋里边。还要做好绳梯，并且装在烤就的馅饼里送进去。还要把需用的调羹之类的东
西放在你围裙的口袋里带进去。”
“老天爷啊！”
“还在小屋里装满了耗子、蛇等等的，好给杰姆作伴。还有你把汤姆拖住了老半天，害
得他帽子里那块黄油都化掉了，差点儿把整个儿这回事给弄糟了，因为那些人在我们从小屋
里出来以前就来到了，因此我们不得不急着冲出去。他们一听到我们的声响便追赶我们，我
就中了这一熗。我们闪开了小道，让他们过去。那些狗呢，它们追了上来，可对我们没有兴
趣，光知道往最热闹的地方跑。我们找到了独木船，划出去找木筏子，终于一切平安无事，
杰姆也成了自由人。凡此种种，都是我们自个儿干出来的，难道不是棒极了么，姨妈？”
“啊，我这一辈子还是头一回听到这样的事。原来是你们啊，是你们这些坏小子掀起了
这场祸害，害得大伙儿颠三倒四的，害得我们差点儿吓死。我恨不得在这时这刻就狠狠地揍
你一顿。你想想看，我怎样一个晚上又一个晚上在这里——等你病好以后，你这个小淘气
鬼，我不用鞭子抽你们两个，抽得你们叫爹叫娘，那才怪呢。”
可是汤姆呢，既得意，又高兴，就是不肯就此收场，他那张舌头啊，就是收不住——她
呢，始终是一边插嘴，一边火冒三丈，两个人一时间谁也不肯罢休，活象一场野猫打架。
她说：
“好啊，你从中快活得够了，如今我告诉你一句话，要是我抓住你再管那个人的闲事啊
——”
“管哪一个人的闲事？”汤姆说。他收住了笑容，显得非常吃惊的样子。
“管哪一个？当然是那个逃跑的黑奴喽。你以为指的哪一个？”
汤姆神色庄重地看着我说：
“汤姆，你不是刚才对我说，说他平安无事么？难道他还没有逃掉么？”
“他哟，”萨莉姨妈说，“那个逃跑的黑奴么？他当然跑不掉。他们把他给活活逮回来
啦，他又回到了那间小屋，只给他面包和水活命，铁链子压得他够受的，这样要一直等到主
人来领，或者给拍卖掉。”
汤姆猛然从床上坐了起来，两眼直冒火，鼻翼一开一闭，仿佛象鱼腮一般，朝我叫了起
来：
“他们没有这个权把他给关起来！快去啊——一分钟也别耽误。把他给放了！他不是个
奴隶啊！他跟全世界有腿走路的人一样自由啊！”
“这孩子说的是些什么话？”
“我说的每一个字都是实话，萨莉阿姨。要是没有人去，我去。我对他的一生清清楚
楚，汤姆也一样。两个月前，华珍老小姐死了。她为了曾想把他卖到下游去感到羞愧，而且
这样明明白白说过了。她在遗嘱里宣布了还他自由。”
“天呀，既然你知道他已经自由了，那你为什么还要放他逃走呢？”
“是啊，这是一个要害问题，这我必须得承认，而且凡是女人，都会要问的。啊，我要
的是借此过过冒险的瘾，哪怕是须得淌过齐脖子深的血泊——哎呀，葆莉姨妈①！”
①诺顿版注：葆莉姨妈，在小说开头就提到了。是汤姆的亲戚和监护人。在《汤
姆•索亚历险记》中是重要角色之一。
可不是，葆莉姨妈站在那里，站在进门口的地方，一付甜甜的、知足乐天的模样，活象
个无忧无虑的天使。真想不到啊！
萨莉姨妈朝她扑了过去，紧紧搂着她，几乎掐掉了她的脑袋，我就在床底下找到了一个
地方，往床底下一钻，因为对我来说，房间里的空气把人憋得慌。我偷偷朝外张望，汤姆的
葆莉姨妈一会儿从怀里挣脱了出来，站在那里，透过眼镜，眼睛打量着汤姆——那神情仿佛
要把他蹬到地底下去似的，这你知道。随后她说：
“是啊，你最好还是把头别过去——我要是你啊，汤姆，我也会别过去的。”
“哦，天啊，”萨莉姨妈说，“难道他变得这么凶？怎么啦，那不是汤姆嘛，是西特—
—是汤姆的——啊哟，汤姆哪里去了？刚才还在嘛。”
“你准是说的哈克•芬——你准是说的他！我看，我还不致于养了我的汤姆这坏小子这
么些年，却见了面还认不出来。
这就太难了。哈克•芬，给我从床底下爬出来！”
我就爬了出来。可觉得怪不好意思的。
萨莉阿姨那种给搞得颠颠倒倒、莫名其妙的神态，还真少见。无独有偶的是萨莉姨父
了。他进来，人家把所有的情况跟他一讲，他就成了那个样子。你不妨说，他就象个喝醉了
酒的人。后来的一整天里，他简直是什么都弄不懂了。那天晚上，他布了一次道。他这回布
道，使他得到了大出风头的名声，因为他布的道，就连世界上年纪最大的老人也听得不知所
云。后来葆莉姨妈把我究竟是怎样一个人原原本本说了一通。我呢，不得不告诉他们我当时
的难处。当时费尔贝斯太太把我认作了汤姆•索亚了——她就插嘴说，“哦，罢了，罢了，
还叫我萨莉阿姨吧，我已经听惯了，就不用改个称呼了。”——我接着说，当时萨莉阿姨把
我认作汤姆•索亚，我就只得认了——没有别的路子嘛。并且我知道他不会在乎的，因为这
种神秘兮兮的事，正中他的下怀，他会就此演出一场冒险，落个心满意足。结果也真是如
此。所以他就装作是西特，尽量让我的日子变得好过一些。
他的葆莉姨妈呢，她说，汤姆所说华珍老小姐在遗嘱里写明解放杰姆的话，是说的实
情。这样一来，那汤姆•索亚确确实实是吃尽苦头，费尽周折，为的是释放一个已经释放了
的黑奴！凭他的教养，他怎么可能会帮助释放一个黑奴，这是在这以前，我一直弄不懂的，
如今算弄明白了。
葆莉姨妈还说，她接到萨莉姨妈的信，说汤姆和西特都已经平安到达，她就对自个儿说：
“这下子可糟啦！我本该料到这一点的嘛，放他这样出门，却没有一个人照看好。看来
我非得搭下水的船走一千一百英里的路，才好弄明白这个小家伙这一回究竟干了些什么，既
然我接不到你这方面消息的回信。”
“啊，我可从没有接到过你的来信啊。”萨莉阿姨说。
“啊，这怪啦。我给你写了两封信，问你信上说的西特已来这里是什么意思。”
“啊，我一封也没有收到啊，姐。”
葆莉姨妈慢慢地转过身来，厉声说：
“你，汤姆！”
“嗯——怎么啦。”他有点儿不高兴地说。
“不准你对我‘怎么啦’、‘怎么啦’的，你这淘气鬼——
把那些信交出来。”
“什么信？”
“那些信。我已经打定了主意。要是我非得揪住你不可的话，那我就——”
“信在箱子里。这下好了吧。我从邮局取的，至今原封未动。我没有看。我动也没有
动。不过我知道，信准会引起麻烦。
我心想，如果你不着急，我就——”
“好啊，真该揍你一顿，准没有错。我发了另一封信，说我动身来了，我恐怕他——”
“不，那是昨天到的，我还没有看，不过这没事，这封信我拿到了。”
我愿意跟她打两块钱的赌，她肯定没有拿到。不过我想了一下，还是不打这个赌保险一
些。所以我就没有作声。
Chapter 42
THE old man was uptown again before breakfast, but couldn't get no track of Tom; and both of them set at the table thinking, and not saying nothing, and looking mournful, and their coffee getting cold, and not eating anything. And by and by the old man says:
"Did I give you the letter?"
"What letter?"
"The one I got yesterday out of the post-office."
"No, you didn't give me no letter."
"Well, I must a forgot it."
So he rummaged his pockets, and then went off somewheres where he had laid it down, and fetched it, and give it to her. She says:
"Why, it's from St. Petersburg -- it's from Sis."
I allowed another walk would do me good; but I couldn't stir. But before she could break it open she dropped it and run -- for she see something. And so did I. It was Tom Sawyer on a mattress; and that old doctor; and Jim, in HER calico dress, with his hands tied behind him; and a lot of people. I hid the letter behind the first thing that come handy, and rushed. She flung herself at Tom, crying, and says:
"Oh, he's dead, he's dead, I know he's dead!"
And Tom he turned his head a little, and muttered something or other, which showed he warn't in his right mind; then she flung up her hands, and says:
"He's alive, thank God! And that's enough!" and she snatched a kiss of him, and flew for the house to get the bed ready, and scattering orders right and left at the niggers and everybody else, as fast as her tongue could go, every jump of the way.
I followed the men to see what they was going to do with Jim; and the old doctor and Uncle Silas followed after Tom into the house. The men was very huffy, and some of them wanted to hang Jim for an example to all the other niggers around there, so they wouldn't be trying to run away like Jim done, and making such a raft of trouble, and keeping a whole family scared most to death for days and nights. But the others said, don't do it, it wouldn't answer at all; he ain't our nigger, and his owner would turn up and make us pay for him, sure. So that cooled them down a little, because the people that's always the most anxious for to hang a nigger that hain't done just right is always the very ones that ain't the most anxious to pay for him when they've got their satisfaction out of him.
They cussed Jim considerble, though, and give him a cuff or two side the head once in a while, but Jim never said nothing, and he never let on to know me, and they took him to the same cabin, and put his own clothes on him, and chained him again, and not to no bed-leg this time, but to a big staple drove into the bottom log, and chained his hands, too, and both legs, and said he warn't to have nothing but bread and water to eat after this till his owner come, or he was sold at auction because he didn't come in a certain length of time, and filled up our hole, and said a couple of farmers with guns must stand watch around about the cabin every night, and a bulldog tied to the door in the daytime; and about this time they was through with the job and was tapering off with a kind of generl good-bye cussing, and then the old doctor comes and takes a look, and says:
"Don't be no rougher on him than you're obleeged to, because he ain't a bad nigger. When I got to where I found the boy I see I couldn't cut the bullet out without some help, and he warn't in no condition for me to leave to go and get help; and he got a little worse and a little worse, and after a long time he went out of his head, and wouldn't let me come a-nigh him any more, and said if I chalked his raft he'd kill me, and no end of wild foolishness like that, and I see I couldn't do anything at all with him; so I says, I got to have HELP somehow; and the minute I says it out crawls this nigger from somewheres and says he'll help, and he done it, too, and done it very well. Of course I judged he must be a runaway nigger, and there I WAS! and there I had to stick right straight along all the rest of the day and all night. It was a fix, I tell you! I had a couple of patients with the chills, and of course I'd of liked to run up to town and see them, but I dasn't, because the nigger might get away, and then I'd be to blame; and yet never a skiff come close enough for me to hail. So there I had to stick plumb until daylight this morning; and I never see a nigger that was a better nuss or faithfuller, and yet he was risking his freedom to do it, and was all tired out, too, and I see plain enough he'd been worked main hard lately. I liked the nigger for that; I tell you, gentlemen, a nigger like that is worth a thousand dollars -- and kind treatment, too. I had everything I needed, and the boy was doing as well there as he would a done at home -- better, maybe, because it was so quiet; but there I WAS, with both of 'm on my hands, and there I had to stick till about dawn this morning; then some men in a skiff come by, and as good luck would have it the nigger was setting by the pallet with his head propped on his knees sound asleep; so I motioned them in quiet, and they slipped up on him and grabbed him and tied him before he knowed what he was about, and we never had no trouble. And the boy being in a kind of a flighty sleep, too, we muffled the oars and hitched the raft on, and towed her over very nice and quiet, and the nigger never made the least row nor said a word from the start. He ain't no bad nigger, gentlemen; that's what I think about him."
Somebody says:
"Well, it sounds very good, doctor, I'm obleeged to say."
Then the others softened up a little, too, and I was mighty thankful to that old doctor for doing Jim that good turn; and I was glad it was according to my judgment of him, too; because I thought he had a good heart in him and was a good man the first time I see him. Then they all agreed that Jim had acted very well, and was deserving to have some notice took of it, and reward. So every one of them promised, right out and hearty, that they wouldn't cuss him no more.
Then they come out and locked him up. I hoped they was going to say he could have one or two of the chains took off, because they was rotten heavy, or could have meat and greens with his bread and water; but they didn't think of it, and I reckoned it warn't best for me to mix in, but I judged I'd get the doctor's yarn to Aunt Sally somehow or other as soon as I'd got through the breakers that was laying just ahead of me -- explanations, I mean, of how I forgot to mention about Sid being shot when I was telling how him and me put in that dratted night paddling around hunting the runaway nigger.
But I had plenty time. Aunt Sally she stuck to the sick-room all day and all night, and every time I see Uncle Silas mooning around I dodged him.
Next morning I heard Tom was a good deal better, and they said Aunt Sally was gone to get a nap. So I slips to the sick-room, and if I found him awake I reckoned we could put up a yarn for the family that would wash. But he was sleeping, and sleeping very peaceful, too; and pale, not fire-faced the way he was when he come. So I set down and laid for him to wake. In about half an hour Aunt Sally comes gliding in, and there I was, up a stump again! She motioned me to be still, and set down by me, and begun to whisper, and said we could all be joyful now, because all the symptoms was first-rate, and he'd been sleeping like that for ever so long, and looking better and peacefuller all the time, and ten to one he'd wake up in his right mind.
So we set there watching, and by and by he stirs a bit, and opened his eyes very natural, and takes a look, and says:
"Hello! -- why, I'm at HOME! How's that? Where's the raft?"
"It's all right," I says.
"And JIM?"
"The same," I says, but couldn't say it pretty brash. But he never noticed, but says:
"Good! Splendid! NOW we're all right and safe! Did you tell Aunty?"
I was going to say yes; but she chipped in and says: "About what, Sid?"
"Why, about the way the whole thing was done."
"What whole thing?"
"Why, THE whole thing. There ain't but one; how we set the runaway nigger free -- me and Tom."
"Good land! Set the run -- What IS the child talking about! Dear, dear, out of his head again!"
"NO, I ain't out of my HEAD; I know all what I'm talking about. We DID set him free -- me and Tom. We laid out to do it, and we DONE it. And we done it elegant, too." He'd got a start, and she never checked him up, just set and stared and stared, and let him clip along, and I see it warn't no use for ME to put in. "Why, Aunty, it cost us a power of work -- weeks of it -- hours and hours, every night, whilst you was all asleep. And we had to steal candles, and the sheet, and the shirt, and your dress, and spoons, and tin plates, and case-knives, and the warming-pan, and the grindstone, and flour, and just no end of things, and you can't think what work it was to make the saws, and pens, and inscriptions, and one thing or another, and you can't think HALF the fun it was. And we had to make up the pictures of coffins and things, and nonnamous letters from the robbers, and get up and down the lightning-rod, and dig the hole into the cabin, and made the rope ladder and send it in cooked up in a pie, and send in spoons and things to work with in your apron pocket --"
"Mercy sakes!"
"-- and load up the cabin with rats and snakes and so on, for company for Jim; and then you kept Tom here so long with the butter in his hat that you come near spiling the whole business, because the men come before we was out of the cabin, and we had to rush, and they heard us and let drive at us, and I got my share, and we dodged out of the path and let them go by, and when the dogs come they warn't interested in us, but went for the most noise, and we got our canoe, and made for the raft, and was all safe, and Jim was a free man, and we done it all by ourselves, and WASN'T it bully, Aunty!"
"Well, I never heard the likes of it in all my born days! So it was YOU, you little rapscallions, that's been making all this trouble, and turned everybody's wits clean inside out and scared us all most to death. I've as good a notion as ever I had in my life to take it out o' you this very minute. To think, here I've been, night after night, a -- YOU just get well once, you young scamp, and I lay I'll tan the Old Harry out o' both o' ye!"
But Tom, he WAS so proud and joyful, he just COULDN'T hold in, and his tongue just WENT it -- she a-chipping in, and spitting fire all along, and both of them going it at once, like a cat convention; and she says:
"WELL, you get all the enjoyment you can out of it NOW, for mind I tell you if I catch you meddling with him again --"
"Meddling with WHO?" Tom says, dropping his smile and looking surprised.
"With WHO? Why, the runaway nigger, of course. Who'd you reckon?"
Tom looks at me very grave, and says:
"Tom, didn't you just tell me he was all right? Hasn't he got away?"
"HIM?" says Aunt Sally; "the runaway nigger? 'Deed he hasn't. They've got him back, safe and sound, and he's in that cabin again, on bread and water, and loaded down with chains, till he's claimed or sold!"
Tom rose square up in bed, with his eye hot, and his nostrils opening and shutting like gills, and sings out to me:
"They hain't no RIGHT to shut him up! SHOVE! -- and don't you lose a minute. Turn him loose! he ain't no slave; he's as free as any cretur that walks this earth!"
"What DOES the child mean?"
"I mean every word I SAY, Aunt Sally, and if somebody don't go, I'LL go. I've knowed him all his life, and so has Tom, there. Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and SAID so; and she set him free in her will."
"Then what on earth did YOU want to set him free for, seeing he was already free?"
"Well, that IS a question, I must say; and just like women! Why, I wanted the ADVENTURE of it; and I'd a waded neck-deep in blood to -- goodness alive, AUNT POLLY!"
If she warn't standing right there, just inside the door, looking as sweet and contented as an angel half full of pie, I wish I may never!
Aunt Sally jumped for her, and most hugged the head off of her, and cried over her, and I found a good enough place for me under the bed, for it was getting pretty sultry for us, seemed to me. And I peeped out, and in a little while Tom's Aunt Polly shook herself loose and stood there looking across at Tom over her spectacles -- kind of grinding him into the earth, you know. And then she says:
"Yes, you BETTER turn y'r head away -- I would if I was you, Tom."
"Oh, deary me!" says Aunt Sally; "IS he changed so? Why, that ain't TOM, it's Sid; Tom's -- Tom's -- why, where is Tom? He was here a minute ago."
"You mean where's Huck FINN -- that's what you mean! I reckon I hain't raised such a scamp as my Tom all these years not to know him when I SEE him. That WOULD be a pretty howdy-do. Come out from under that bed, Huck Finn."
So I done it. But not feeling brash.
Aunt Sally she was one of the mixed-upest-looking persons I ever see -- except one, and that was Uncle Silas, when he come in and they told it all to him. It kind of made him drunk, as you may say, and he didn't know nothing at all the rest of the day, and preached a prayer-meeting sermon that night that gave him a rattling ruputation, because the oldest man in the world couldn't a understood it. So Tom's Aunt Polly, she told all about who I was, and what; and I had to up and tell how I was in such a tight place that when Mrs. Phelps took me for Tom Sawyer -- she chipped in and says, "Oh, go on and call me Aunt Sally, I'm used to it now, and 'tain't no need to change" -- that when Aunt Sally took me for Tom Sawyer I had to stand it -- there warn't no other way, and I knowed he wouldn't mind, because it would be nuts for him, being a mystery, and he'd make an adventure out of it, and be perfectly satisfied. And so it turned out, and he let on to be Sid, and made things as soft as he could for me.
And his Aunt Polly she said Tom was right about old Miss Watson setting Jim free in her will; and so, sure enough, Tom Sawyer had gone and took all that trouble and bother to set a free nigger free! and I couldn't ever understand before, until that minute and that talk, how he COULD help a body set a nigger free with his bringing-up.
Well, Aunt Polly she said that when Aunt Sally wrote to her that Tom and SID had come all right and safe, she says to herself:
"Look at that, now! I might have expected it, letting him go off that way without anybody to watch him. So now I got to go and trapse all the way down the river, eleven hundred mile, and find out what that creetur's up to THIS time, as long as I couldn't seem to get any answer out of you about it."
"Why, I never heard nothing from you," says Aunt Sally.
"Well, I wonder! Why, I wrote you twice to ask you what you could mean by Sid being here."
"Well, I never got 'em, Sis."
Aunt Polly she turns around slow and severe, and says:
"You, Tom!"
"Well -- WHAT?" he says, kind of pettish.
"Don t you what ME, you impudent thing -- hand out them letters."
"What letters?"
"THEM letters. I be bound, if I have to take aholt of you I'll --"
"They're in the trunk. There, now. And they're just the same as they was when I got them out of the office. I hain't looked into them, I hain't touched them. But I knowed they'd make trouble, and I thought if you warn't in no hurry, I'd --"
"Well, you DO need skinning, there ain't no mistake about it. And I wrote another one to tell you I was coming; and I s'pose he --"
"No, it come yesterday; I hain't read it yet, but IT'S all right, I've got that one."
I wanted to offer to bet two dollars she hadn't, but I reckoned maybe it was just as safe to not to. So I never said nothing.
|
|
