1We stopped talking, and got to thinking. By-and-by Tom says:

2“Looky here, Huck, what fools we are to not think of it before! I bet I know where Jim is.”

3No! Where?”

4In that hut down by the ash-hopper. Why, looky here. When we was at dinner, didn’t you see a nigger man go in there with some vittles?”

5Yes.”

6What did you think the vittles was for?”

7For a dog.”

8Sod I. Well, it wasn’t for a dog.”

9Why?”

10Because part of it was watermelon.”

11So it wasI noticed it. Well, it does beat all that I never thought about a dog not eating watermelon. It shows how a body can see and dont see at the same time.”

12Well, the nigger unlocked the padlock when he went in, and he locked it again when he came out. He fetched uncle a key about the time we got up from tablesame key, I bet. Watermelon shows man, lock shows prisoner; and it ain’t likely theres two prisoners on such a little plantation, and where the peoples all so kind and good. Jims the prisoner. All rightIm glad we found it out detective fashion; I wouldn’t give shucks for any other way. Now you work your mind, and study out a plan to steal Jim, and I will study out one, too; and well take the one we like the best.”

13What a head for just a boy to have! If I had Tom Sawyer’s head I wouldn’t trade it off to be a duke, nor mate of a steamboat, nor clown in a circus, nor nothing I can think of. I went to thinking out a plan, but only just to be doing something; I knowed very well where the right plan was going to come from. Pretty soon Tom says:

14Ready?”

15Yes,” I says.

16All rightbring it out.”

17My plan is this,” I says. We can easy find out if its Jim in there. Then get up my canoe to-morrow night, and fetch my raft over from the island. Then the first dark night that comes steal the key out of the old mans britches after he goes to bed, and shove off down the river on the raft with Jim, hiding daytimes and running nights, the way me and Jim used to do before. Wouldn’t that plan work?”

18Work? Why, cert’nly it would work, like rats a-fighting. But its too blamesimple; there ain’t nothing to it. Whats the good of a plan that ain’t no more trouble than that? Its as mild as goose-milk. Why, Huck, it wouldn’t make no more talk than breaking into a soap factory.”

19I never said nothing, because I warnt expecting nothing different; but I knowed mighty well that whenever he got his plan ready it wouldn’t have none of them objections to it.

20And it didn’t. He told me what it was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would, and maybe get us all killed besides. So I was satisfied, and said we would waltz in on it. I needn’t tell what it was here, because I knowed it wouldn’t stay the way, it was. I knowed he would be changing it around every which way as we went along, and heaving in new bullinesses wherever he got a chance. And that is what he done.

21Well, one thing was dead sure, and that was that Tom Sawyer was in earnest, and was actuly going to help steal that nigger out of slavery. That was the thing that was too many for me. Here was a boy that was respectable and well brung up; and had a character to lose; and folks at home that had characters; and he was bright and not leather-headed; and knowing and not ignorant; and not mean, but kind; and yet here he was, without any more pride, or rightness, or feeling, than to stoop to this business, and make himself a shame, and his family a shame, before everybody. I couldn’t understand it no way at all. It was outrageous, and I knowed I ought to just up and tell him so; and so be his true friend, and let him quit the thing right where he was and save himself. And I did start to tell him; but he shut me up, and says:

22Dont you reckon I know what Im about? Dont I generly know what Im about?”

23Yes.”

24“Didn’t I say I was going to help steal the nigger?”

25Yes.”

26Well, then.”

27Thats all he said, and thats all I said. It warnt no use to say any more; because when he said hed do a thing, he always done it. But I couldn’t make out how he was willing to go into this thing; so I just let it go, and never bothered no more about it. If he was bound to have it so, I couldn’t help it.

28When we got home the house was all dark and still; so we went on down to the hut by the ash-hopper for to examine it. We went through the yard so as to see what the hounds would do. They knowed us, and didn’t make no more noise than country dogs is always doing when anything comes by in the night. When we got to the cabin we took a look at the front and the two sides; and on the side I warnt acquainted withwhich was the north sidewe found a square window-hole, up tolerable high, with just one stout board nailed across it. I says:

29Heres the ticket. This holes big enough for Jim to get through if we wrench off the board.”

30Tom says:

31Its as simple as tit-tat-toe, three-in-a-row, and as easy as playing hooky. I should hope we can find a way thats a little more complicated than that, Huck Finn.”

32Well, then,” I says, “howll it do to saw him out, the way I done before I was murdered that time?”

33Thats more like,” he says. Its real mysterious, and troublesome, and good,” he says; “but I bet we can find a way thats twice as long. There ain’t no hurry; le’s keep on looking around.”

34Betwixt the hut and the fence, on the back side, was a lean-to that joined the hut at the eaves, and was made out of plank. It was as long as the hut, but narrowonly about six foot wide. The door to it was at the south end, and was padlocked. Tom he went to the soap-kettle and searched around, and fetched back the iron thing they lift the lid with; so he took it and prized out one of the staples. The chain fell down, and we opened the door and went in, and shut it, and struck a match, and see the shed was only built against a cabin and hadn’t no connection with it; and there warnt no floor to the shed, nor nothing in it but some old rusty played-out hoes and spades and picks and a crippled plow. The match went out, and so did we, and shoved in the staple again, and the door was locked as good as ever. Tom was joyful. He says;

35Now were all right. Well dig him out. Itll take about a week!”

36Then we started for the house, and I went in the back dooryou only have to pull a buckskin latch-string, they dont fasten the doorsbut that warnt romantical enough for Tom Sawyer; no way would do him but he must climb up the lightning-rod. But after he got up half way about three times, and missed fire and fell every time, and the last time most busted his brains out, he thought hed got to give it up; but after he was rested he allowed he would give her one more turn for luck, and this time he made the trip.

37In the morning we was up at break of day, and down to the nigger cabins to pet the dogs and make friends with the nigger that fed Jimif it was Jim that was being fed. The niggers was just getting through breakfast and starting for the fields; and Jims nigger was piling up a tin pan with bread and meat and things; and whilst the others was leaving, the key come from the house.

38This nigger had a good-natured, chuckle-headed face, and his wool was all tied up in little bunches with thread. That was to keep witches off. He said the witches was pestering him awful these nights, and making him see all kinds of strange things, and hear all kinds of strange words and noises, and he didn’t believe he was ever witched so long before in his life. He got so worked up, and got to running on so about his troubles, he forgot all about what hed been a-going to do. So Tom says:

39Whats the vittles for? Going to feed the dogs?”

40The nigger kind of smiled around gradually over his face, like when you heave a brickbat in a mud-puddle, and he says:

41Yes, Mars Sid, a dog. Curus dog, too. Does you want to go en look atim?”

42Yes.”

43I hunched Tom, and whispers:

44You going, right here in the daybreak? That warnt the plan.”

45No, it warnt; but its the plan now.”

46So, drat him, we went along, but I didn’t like it much. When we got in we couldn’t hardly see anything, it was so dark; but Jim was there, sure enough, and could see us; and he sings out:

47Why, Huck! En good lan’! ain’ dat Misto Tom?”

48I just knowed how it would be; I just expected it. I didn’t know nothing to do; and if I had I couldn’t a done it, because that nigger busted in and says:

49Why, de gracious sakes! do he know you genlmen?”

50We could see pretty well now. Tom he looked at the nigger, steady and kind of wondering, and says:

51Does who know us?”

52Why, dis-yer runaway nigger.”

53I dont reckon he does; but what put that into your head?”

54What put it dar? Didn’ he jis’ dis minute sing out like he knowed you?”

55Tom says, in a puzzled-up kind of way:

56Well, thats mighty curious. Who sung out? When did he sing out? what did he sing out?” And turns to me, perfectly cam, and says, “Did you hear anybody sing out?”

57Of course there warnt nothing to be said but the one thing; so I says:

58No; I ain’t heard nobody say nothing.”

59Then he turns to Jim, and looks him over like he never see him before, and says:

60Did you sing out?”

61No, sah,” says Jim; “I hain’t said nothing, sah.”

62Not a word?”

63No, sah, I hain’t said a word.”

64Did you ever see us before?”

65No, sah; not as I knows on.”

66So Tom turns to the nigger, which was looking wild and distressed, and says, kind of severe:

67What do you reckons the matter with you, anyway? What made you think somebody sung out?”

68Oh, its de dad-blamewitches, sah, en I wisht I was dead, I do. Dey’s awluz at it, sah, en dey do moskill me, dey sk’yers me so. Please to dont tell nobodybout it sah, er ole Mars Silas hell scole me; ’kase he say dey ain’t no witches. I jis’ wish to goodness he was heah nowden what would he say! I jis’ bet he couldn’ fine no way to git aroun’ it dis time. But its awluz jis’ so; people dats sot, stays sot; dey wont look into noth’nen fine it out fr deyselves, en when you fine it out en tell umbout it, dey doan’ b’lieve you.”

69Tom give him a dime, and said we wouldn’t tell nobody; and told him to buy some more thread to tie up his wool with; and then looks at Jim, and says:

70I wonder if Uncle Silas is going to hang this nigger. If I was to catch a nigger that was ungrateful enough to run away, I wouldn’t give him up, Id hang him.” And whilst the nigger stepped to the door to look at the dime and bite it to see if it was good, he whispers to Jim and says:

71Dont ever let on to know us. And if you hear any digging going on nights, its us; were going to set you free.”

72Jim only had time to grab us by the hand and squeeze it; then the nigger come back, and we said wed come again some time if the nigger wanted us to; and he said he would, more particular if it was dark, because the witches went for him mostly in the dark, and it was good to have folks around then.