The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Page 34

  CHAPTER XXXII

  TUESDAY afternoon came, and waned to the twilight. The village of St.Petersburg still mourned. The lost children had not been found. Publicprayers had been offered up for them, and many and many a private prayerthat had the petitioner's whole heart in it; but still no good news camefrom the cave. The majority of the searchers had given up the questand gone back to their daily avocations, saying that it was plain thechildren could never be found. Mrs. Thatcher was very ill, and a greatpart of the time delirious. People said it was heartbreaking to hear hercall 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 intoa settled melancholy, and her gray hair had grown almost white. Thevillage went to its rest on Tuesday night, sad and forlorn.

  Away in the middle of the night a wild peal burst from the villagebells, and in a moment the streets were swarming with frantic half-cladpeople, who shouted, "Turn out! turn out! they're found! they're found!"Tin pans and horns were added to the din, the population massed itselfand moved toward the river, met the children coming in an open carriagedrawn by shouting citizens, thronged around it, joined its homewardmarch, and swept magnificently up the main street roaring huzzah afterhuzzah!

  The village was illuminated; nobody went to bed again; it was thegreatest night the little town had ever seen. During the first half-houra procession of villagers filed through Judge Thatcher's house, seizedthe saved ones and kissed them, squeezed Mrs. Thatcher's hand, tried tospeak but couldn't--and drifted out raining tears all over the place.

  Aunt Polly's happiness was complete, and Mrs. Thatcher's nearly so. Itwould be complete, however, as soon as the messenger dispatched with thegreat news to the cave should get the word to her husband. Tom lay upona sofa with an eager auditory about him and told the history of thewonderful adventure, putting in many striking additions to adorn itwithal; and closed with a description of how he left Becky and wenton an exploring expedition; how he followed two avenues as far as hiskite-line would reach; how he followed a third to the fullest stretchof the kite-line, and was about to turn back when he glimpsed a far-offspeck that looked like daylight; dropped the line and groped toward it,pushed his head and shoulders through a small hole, and saw the broadMississippi rolling by!

  And if it had only happened to be night he would not have seen thatspeck of daylight and would not have explored that passage any more! Hetold how he went back for Becky and broke the good news and she toldhim not to fret her with such stuff, for she was tired, and knew she wasgoing to die, and wanted to. He described how he labored with her andconvinced her; and how she almost died for joy when she had groped towhere she actually saw the blue speck of daylight; how he pushed his wayout at the hole and then helped her out; how they sat there and criedfor gladness; how some men came along in a skiff and Tom hailed themand told them their situation and their famished condition; how the mendidn't believe the wild tale at first, "because," said they, "you arefive miles down the river below the valley the cave is in"--then tookthem aboard, rowed to a house, gave them supper, made them rest till twoor three hours after dark and then brought them home.

  Before day-dawn, Judge Thatcher and the handful of searchers with himwere tracked out, in the cave, by the twine clews they had strung behindthem, and informed of the great news.

  Three days and nights of toil and hunger in the cave were not tobe shaken off at once, as Tom and Becky soon discovered. They werebedridden all of Wednesday and Thursday, and seemed to grow more andmore tired and worn, all the time. Tom got about, a little, on Thursday,was downtown Friday, and nearly as whole as ever Saturday; but Beckydid not leave her room until Sunday, and then she looked as if she hadpassed through a wasting illness.

  Tom learned of Huck's sickness and went to see him on Friday, but couldnot 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 hisadventure and introduce no exciting topic. The Widow Douglas stayed byto 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 rivernear the ferry-landing; he had been drowned while trying to escape,perhaps.

  About a fortnight after Tom's rescue from the cave, he started off tovisit Huck, who had grown plenty strong enough, now, to hear excitingtalk, and Tom had some that would interest him, he thought. JudgeThatcher's house was on Tom's way, and he stopped to see Becky. TheJudge and some friends set Tom to talking, and some one asked himironically if he wouldn't like to go to the cave again. Tom said hethought 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 anymore."

  "Why?"

  "Because I had its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, andtriple-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!"