汤姆.索亚历险记-第35部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


Tom　kissed　her；　with　a　choking　sensation　in　his　throat；　and　made　a　show　of　being　confident　of　finding　the　searchers　or　an　escape　from　the　cave；　then　he　took　the　kite…line　in　his　hand　and　went　groping　down　one　of　the　passages　on　his　hands　and　knees；　distressed　with　hunger　and　sick　with　bodings　of　coming　doom。　
CHAPTER　XXXII
TUESDAY　afternoon　came；　and　waned　to　the　twilight。　The　village　of　St。　Petersburg　still　mourned。　The　lost　children　had　not　been　found。　Public　prayers　had　been　offered　up　for　them；　and　many　and　many　a　private　prayer　that　had　the　petitioner's　whole　heart　in　it；　but　still　no　good　news　came　from　the　cave。　The　majority　of　the　searchers　had　given　up　the　quest　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　down　again　with　a　moan。　Aunt　Polly　had　drooped　into　a　settled　melancholy；　and　her　gray　hair　had　grown　almost　white。　The　village　went　to　its　rest　on　Tuesday　night；　sad　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　with　frantic　half…clad　people；　who　shouted；　〃Turn　out！　turn　out！　they're　found！　they're　found！〃　Tin　pans　and　horns　were　added　to　the　din；　the　population　massed　itself　and　moved　toward　the　river；　met　the　children　coming　in　an　open　carriage　drawn　by　shouting　citizens；　thronged　around　it；　joined　its　homeward　march；　and　swept　magnificently　up　the　main　street　roaring　huzzah　after　huzzah！
The　village　was　illuminated；　nobody　went　to　bed　again；　it　was　the　greatest　night　the　little　town　had　ever　seen。　During　the　first　half…hour　a　procession　of　villagers　filed　through　Judge　Thatcher's　house；　seized　the　saved　ones　and　kissed　them；　squeezed　Mrs。　Thatcher's　hand；　tried　to　speak　but　couldn't　　and　drifted　out　raining　tears　all　over　the　place。
Aunt　Polly's　happiness　was　complete；　and　Mrs。　Thatcher's　nearly　so。　It　would　be　complete；　however；　as　soon　as　the　messenger　dispatched　with　the　great　news　to　the　cave　should　get　the　word　to　her　husband。　Tom　lay　upon　a　sofa　with　an　eager　auditory　about　him　and　told　the　history　of　the　wonderful　adventure；　putting　in　many　striking　additions　to　adorn　it　withal；　and　closed　with　a　description　of　how　he　left　Becky　and　went　on　an　exploring　expedition；　how　he　followed　two　avenues　as　far　as　his　kite…line　would　reach；　how　he　followed　a　third　to　the　fullest　stretch　of　the　kite…line；　and　was　about　to　turn　back　when　he　glimpsed　a　far…off　speck　that　looked　like　daylight；　dropped　the　line　and　groped　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　her　with　such　stuff；　for　she　was　tired；　and　knew　she　was　going　to　die；　and　wanted　to。　He　described　how　he　labored　with　her　and　convinced　her；　and　how　she　almost　died　for　joy　when　she　had　groped　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　them　and　told　them　their　situation　and　their　famished　condition；　how　the　men　didn't　believe　the　wild　tale　at　first；　〃because；〃　said　they；　〃you　are　five　miles　down　the　river　below　the　valley　the　cave　is　in〃　　then　took　them　aboard；　rowed　to　a　house；　gave　them　supper；　made　them　rest　till　two　or　three　hours　after　dark　and　then　brought　them　home。
Before　day…dawn；　Judge　Thatcher　and　the　handful　of　searchers　with　him　were　tracked　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　and　hunger　in　the　cave　were　not　to　be　shaken　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　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。
Tom　learned　of　Huck's　sickness　and　went　to　see　him　on　Friday；　but　could　not　be　admitted　to　the　bedroom；　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。　The　Widow　Douglas　stayed　by　to　see　that　he　obeyed。　At　home　Tom　learned　of　the　Cardiff　Hill　event；　also　that　the　〃ragged　man's〃　body　had　eventually　been　found　in　the　river　near　the　ferrylanding；　he　had　been　drowned　while　trying　to　escape；　perhaps。
About　a　fortnight　after　Tom's　rescue　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　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　with　boiler　iron　two　weeks　ago；　and　triple…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；　well　filled　with　passengers；　soon　followed。　Tom　Sawyer　was　in　the　skiff　that　bore　Judge　Thatcher。
When　the　cave　door　was　unlocked；　a　sorrowful　sight　presented　itself　in　the　dim　twilight　of　the　place。　Injun　Joe　lay　stretched　upon　the　ground；　dead；　with　his　face　close　to　the　crack　of　the　door；　as　if　his　longing　eyes　had　been　fixed；　to　the　latest　moment；　upon　the　light　and　the　cheer　of　the　free　world　outside。　Tom　was　touched；　for　he　knew　by　his　own　experience　how　this　wretch　had　suffered。　His　pity　was　moved；　but　nevertheless　he　felt　an　abounding　sense　of　relief　and　security；　now；　which　revealed　to　him　in　a　degree　which　he　had　not　fully　appreciated　before　how　vast　a　weight　of　dread　had　been　lying　upon　him　since　the　day　he　lifted　his　voice　against　this　bloody…minded　outcast。
Injun　Joe's　bowie…knife　lay　close　by；　its　blade　broken　in　two。　The　great　foundation…beam　of　the　door　had　been　chipped　and　hacked　through；　with　tedious　labor；　useless　labor；　too；　it　was；　for　the　native　rock　formed　a　sill　outside　it；　and　upon　that　stubborn　material　the　knife　had　wrought　no　effect；　the　only　damage　done　was　to　the　knife　itself。　But　if　there　had　been　no　stony　obstruction　there　the　labor　would　have　been　useless　still；　for　if　the　beam　had　been　wholly　cut　away　Injun　Joe　could　not　have　squeezed　his　body　under　the　door；　and　he　knew　it。　So　he　had　only　hacked　that　place　in　order　to　be　doing　something　　in　order　to　pass　the　weary　time　　in　order　to　employ　his　tortured　faculties。　Ordinarily　one　could　find　half　a　dozen　bits　of　candle　stuck　around　in　the　crevices　of　this　vestibule；　left　there　by　tourists；　but　there　were　none　now。　The　prisoner　had　searched　them　out　and　eaten　them。　He　had　also　contrived　to　catch　a　few　bats；　and　these；　also；　he　had　eaten；　leaving　only　their　claws。　The　poor　unfortunate　had　starved　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　from　a　stalactite　overhead。　The　captive　had　broken　off　the　stalagmite；　and　upon　the　stump　had　placed　a　stone；　wherein　he　had　scooped　a　shallow　hollow　to　catch　the　precious　drop　that　fell　once　in　every　three　minutes　with　the　dreary　regularity　of　a　clock…tick　　a　dessertspoonful　once　in　four　and　twenty　hours。　That　drop　was　falling　when　the　Pyramids　were　new；　when　Troy　fell；　when　the　foundations　of　Rome　were　laid　when　Christ　was　crucified；　when　the　Conqueror　created　the　British　empire；　when　Columbus　sailed；　when　the　massacre　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　of　tradition；　and　been　swallowed　up　in　the　thick　night　of　oblivion。　Has　everything　a　purpose　and　a　mission？　Did　this　drop　fall　patiently　during　five　thousand　years　to　be　ready　for　this　flitting　human　insect's　need？　and　has　it　another　important　object　to　accomplish　ten　thousand　years　to　come？　No　matter。　It　is　many　and　many　a　year　since　the　hapless　half…breed　scooped　out　the　stone　to　catch　the　priceless　drops；　but　to　this　day　the　tourist　stares　longest　at　that　pathetic　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；　even　〃Aladdin's　Palace〃　cannot　rival　it。
Injun　Joe　was　buried　near　the　mouth　of　the　cave；　and　people　flocked　there　in　boats　and　wagons　from　the　towns　and　from　all　the　farms　and　hamlets　for　seven　miles　around；　they　brought　their　children；　and　all　sorts　of　provisions；　and　confessed　that　they　had　had　almost　as　satisfactory　a　time　at　the　funeral　as　they　could　have　had　at　the　hanging。
This　funeral　stopped　the　further　growth　of　one　thing　　the　petition　to　the　governor　for　Injun　Joe's　pardon。　The　petition　had　been　largely　signed；　many　tearful　and　eloquent　meetings　had　been　held；　and　a　committee　of　sappy　women　been　appointed　to　go　in　deep　mourning　and　wail　around　the　governor；　and　implore　him　to　be　a　merciful　ass　and　trample　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　their　names　to　a　pardon…petition；　and　drip　a　tear　on　it　from　their　permanently　impaired　and　leaky　water