Huckleberry Finn by Dave Mckay, Mark Twain (dark books to read TXT) đ
- Author: Dave Mckay, Mark Twain
Book online «Huckleberry Finn by Dave Mckay, Mark Twain (dark books to read TXT) đ». Author Dave Mckay, Mark Twain
âI wish Iâd never seen that snake skin, Jim -- I do wish Iâd never set eyes on it.â
âYou ainât to blame, Huck; you didnât know. Donât you hit yourself around about it.â
When the sun was up, here was the clear Ohio water on one side, sure enough, and out in the middle was the muddy water of the Mississippi! So it was all up with Cairo.
We talked it all over. It wouldnât do to walk back on land and we clearly couldnât take a raft up the river. There werenât no way but to wait for dark, and start back in the canoe and trust our luck. So we rested up all day in some thick trees, so as to be wide awake for the work, and when we went back to the raft about dark the canoe was gone!
We didnât say a word for a good while. There werenât anything to say. We both knowed well enough it was some more work of the snake skin; so what was the use to talk about it? It would only look like we was finding wrong in what was happening, and that would be sure to bring more bad luck -- and keep on bringing it, too, until we knowed enough to not fight it.
We talked about what to do, and found there werenât no way but just to go along down with the raft until we could buy a canoe to go back in. We wouldn't borrow it when people werenât around, the way pap would, for that might bring people after us.
So we started out after dark on the raft.
Anyone that donât believe yet that itâs foolishness to handle a snake skin, after all that that snake skin done for us, will believe it now if they read on and see what more it done for us.
The place to buy canoes is off rafts laying on the beach. But we didnât see none laying up; so we went on for three hours or more. Well, the night got grey and thick, which is almost as bad as fog. You canât tell the shape of the river, and you canât see no distance. It got to be late and quiet, when along comes a big river boat up the river. We put a light in the lantern, and judged she would see it. Boats going up river didnât most times come close to us; they go out and hunt for easy water; but nights like this they push right up the channel against the whole river.
We could hear her moving, but we didnât see her good until she was close. She was coming right for us. Often they do that to see how close they can come without touching; sometimes the wheel bites off an oar, and then the driver puts his head out and laughs, and thinks heâs smart. Well, here she comes, and we said she was going to try and cut it close; but she didnât turn off at all. She was a big one, and she was coming in a hurry, too, looking like a black cloud with lines of fire flies around it; but all at once she was right on us big and deadly, with a long line of wide open fire doors looking like red-hot teeth, and all of her body hanging right over us. There was a shout at us, and a ringing of bells to stop the motors, more shouting, and whistling of the hot air in the motors -- and as Jim went over on one side and I on the other, she come cutting straight through the raft.
I went down as far as I could, looking to find the bottom, for a thirty foot wheel had got to go over me, and I wanted it to have enough room. I could always stay under water a minute; this time Iâd say I stayed under a minute and a half. Then I went for the top in a hurry, for I was almost exploding. I broke the water and blowed water out of my nose, and breathed heavy for a while. The river was moving strongly; and that boat must a started her motors again ten seconds after she stopped them, as they never cared much for people on rafts; so now she was too far away to see in the thick weather, even if I could still hear her.
I shouted for Jim ten or twelve times, but I didnât get no answer; so I took hold of a board I found on the water while I was waiting there and headed for the beach, pushing it ahead of me. But the movement was toward the left side, meaning that I was in a crossing; so I changed off and went that way. It was one of those long two-mile crossings; so I was a good while getting over made a safe landing,and climbed up the side.
I couldnât see but a little ways, but I went slowly along over rough ground for a few hundred yards, and then I come across a big old log house. I was going to hurry by and get away but a lot of dogs jumped out and went to barking, andI knowed better than to move another inch.
Chapter 17
In about a minute someone spoke out of a window without putting his head out, and says:
âBe done, boys! Whoâs there?â
I says: âItâs me.â
âWhoâs me?â
âGeorge Jackson, sir.â
âWhat do you want?â
âI donât want nothing, sir. I only want to go along by, but the dogs wonât let me.â
âWhat are you looking around here for this time of night?â
âI werenât looking around, sir, I fell off the river boat.â
âOh, you did, did you? Bring a light here, someone. What did you say your name was?â
âGeorge Jackson, sir. Iâm only a boy.â
âLook here, if youâre telling the truth you neednât be afraid -- nobodyâll hurt you. But donât try to move; stand right where you are. Wake up Bob and Tom, some of you, and bring the guns. George Jackson, is there anyone with you?â
âNo, sir, nobody.â
I heard the people moving around in the house now, and I seen a light. The man shouted out: âTake that light away, Betsy, you stupid old thing -- donât you understand? Put it on the floor behind the front door. Bob, if you and Tom are ready, take your places.â
âAll ready.â
âNow, George Jackson, do you know the Shepherdsons?â
âNo, sir; I never heard of them.â
âWell, that may be, and it may not. Now, all ready. Step forward, George Jackson. And remember, donât hurry -- come very slowly. If thereâs anyone with you, let him stay back -- if he shows himself weâll shoot. Come along now. Come slow; push the door open yourself -- just enough to squeeze in, you hear?â
I didnât hurry; I couldnât if Iâd a wanted to. I took one slow step at a time and there werenât a sound, only I thought I could hear my heart. The dogs were as quiet as the people, but they followed a little behind me. When I got to the three log steps in front of the door I heard them taking off locks and bars. I put my hand on the door and pushed it a little and a little more until someone said, âThere, thatâs enough -- put your head in.â I done it, but I judged they would take it off.
The candle was on the floor, and there they all was, looking at me, and me at them, for about fifteen seconds: Three big men with guns pointed at me, which made me pull back in fear, I tell you; the oldest, grey and about sixty, the other two thirty or more -- all of them strong and good looking -- and the sweetest old grey-headed woman, and back of her two young women which I couldnât see right well.
The old man says: âThere; I think itâs all right. Come in.â
As soon as I was in the old man he locked the door and put a bar across it, and told the young men to come in with their guns, and they all went in a big room that had a new cloth rug on the floor, and got together in a corner that was out of the line of the front windows. They held the candle, and took a good look at me, and all said, âWhy, he ainât a Shepherdson -- no, there ainât any Shepherdson about him.â
Then the old man said he hoped I would agree to him feeling me for weapons, because he didnât mean nothing by it -- it was only to make sure. So he didnât put his hands into my pockets, but only felt outside with his hands, and said it was all right. He told me to make myself easy and at home, and tell all about myself; but the old woman says: âWhy, bless you, Saul, the poor thingâs as wet as can be; and donât you think it may be heâs hungry?â
âRight you are, Rachel -- Forgive me for not thinking of it.â
So the old woman says: âBetsyâ (This was a black woman.) âyou fly around and get him something to eat as fast as you can, poor thing; and one of you girls go and wake up Buck and tell him -- oh, here he is himself. Buck, take this little stranger and get the wet clothes off him and dress him up in some of yours thatâs dry.â
Buck looked about as old as me -- thirteen or fourteen or along there, but he was a little bigger than me. He hadnât on anything but a shirt, and his hair was very messy. He came in with his mouth wide open and digging one fist into his eyes, and he was pulling a rifle along with the other hand.
He says: âAinât they no Shepherdsons around?â
They said, no, it was a false warning.
âWell,â he says, âif theyâd been some, I think Iâd a got one.â
They all laughed, and Bob says: âWhy, Buck, they might have killed us all, youâve been so slow in coming.â
âWell, nobody come after me, and it ainât right Iâm always put down; I donât get no show.â
âDonât worry, Buck, my boy,â says the old man, âyouâll have show enough, all in good time, donât you worry about that. Go along with you now, and do as your mother told you.â
When we got up to his room he got me a rough shirt and a short coat and pants of his, and I put them on.
While I was at it he asked me what my name was, and then he started to tell me about a blue-bird and a young rabbit he had caught in the trees day before yesterday, and he asked me where Moses was when the candle went out. I said I didnât know; I hadnât heard about it before, no way.
âWell, try,â he says.
âHow am I going to try,â says I, âwhen I never heard tell of it before?â
âBut you can try, canât you? Itâs just as easy.â
âWhich candle?â I says.
âAny candle,â he says.
âI donât know where he was. Where was he?â
âHe was in the dark! Thatâs where he was!â
âWell, if you knowed where he was, what'd you ask me for?â
âWhy, shoot, itâs a joke, donât you see? Say, how long are you going to stay here? You got to stay always. We can just have great times -- they donât have no school now. Do you own a dog? Iâve got a dog -- and heâll go in the river and bring out sticks that you throw in. Do you like to brush up Sundays, and all that kind of foolishness? You can be sure I donât, but mum she makes me. I hate these old pants! Iâd better put âem on, but Iâd be happier not, itâs so warm. Are you all ready? All right. Come along, old horse.â
Cold corn-bread, cold salt-meat, butter and milk -- that is what they had for me down there, and there ainât nothing better that ever Iâve come across yet. Buck and his mum and all of them smoked corn pipes, all but the black woman, who was gone, and the
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