It Was the Raft and Mighty Glad Was We to Get Aboard of It Again
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Affiliate 13
WELL, I catched my breath and most fainted. Shut up on a wreck with such a gang as that! Just information technology warn't no time to exist sentimentering. We'd GOT to find that boat now--had to have it for ourselves. So nosotros went a-quaking and shaking down the stabboard side, and ho-hum work it was, too--seemed a week before nosotros got to the stern. No sign of a boat. Jim said he didn't believe he could go any further--and so scared he hadn't hardly any forcefulness left, he said. But I said, come up on, if we get left on this wreck nosotros are in a gear up, sure. And then on nosotros prowled again. We struck for the stern of the texas, and establish information technology, so scrabbled along forwards on the skylight, hanging on from shutter to shutter, for the edge of the skylight was in the water. When nosotros got pretty close to the cross-hall door in that location was the skiff, certain enough! I could just barely come across her. I felt e'er so thankful. In another second I would a been aboard of her, but just and so the door opened. One of the men stuck his caput out merely nearly a couple of foot from me, and I thought I was gone; but he jerked it in over again, and says:
"Heave that blame lantern out o' sight, Beak!" He flung a pocketbook of something into the boat, and so got in himself and set down. It was Packard. Then Bill HE come out and got in. Packard says, in a low vocalisation:
"All ready--shove off!" I couldn't inappreciably hang on to the shutters, I was and so weak. But Nib says:
"Hold on--'d you go through him?" "No. Didn't you lot?" "No. And so he's got his share o' the cash withal." "Well, then, come forth; no use to accept truck and get out money." "Say, won't he suspicion what nosotros're up to?" "Maybe he won't. Just we got to accept it anyway. Come along." And then they got out and went in.
The door slammed to because it was on the careened side; and in a half 2nd I was in the boat, and Jim come up tumbling subsequently me. I out with my knife and cut the rope, and away nosotros went!
We didn't touch on an oar, and we didn't speak nor whisper, nor hardly even exhale. We went gliding swift along, expressionless silent, past the tip of the paddle-box, and past the stern; and so in a 2nd or two more we was a hundred yards below the wreck, and the darkness soaked her up, every terminal sign of her, and nosotros was safety, and knowed it.
When we was three or 4 hundred yards down-stream we run into the lantern show similar a footling spark at the texas door for a 2d, and we knowed by that that the rascals had missed their gunkhole, and was beginning to empathize that they was in just every bit much trouble at present as Jim Turner was.
Then Jim manned the oars, and nosotros took out later our raft. Now was the first time that I begun to worry nigh the men--I reckon I hadn't had time to before. I begun to retrieve how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a gear up. I says to myself, there ain't no telling but I might come up to exist a murderer myself nonetheless, and then how would I like information technology? And so says I to Jim:
"The first light we see we'll land a hundred yards below it or above it, in a place where it's a good hiding-place for yous and the skiff, and and so I'll go and gear up up some kind of a yarn, and get somebody to become for that gang and become them out of their scrape, so they tin can be hung when their fourth dimension comes." But that idea was a failure; for pretty presently it begun to storm again, and this time worse than ever. The rain poured downward, and never a lite showed; everybody in bed, I reckon. We boomed forth downwardly the river, watching for lights and watching for our raft. After a long time the rain let upwards, but the clouds stayed, and the lightning kept whimpering, and by and by a wink showed united states a black thing ahead, floating, and we made for information technology.
Information technology was the raft, and mighty glad was we to get aboard of it again. We seen a lite now away down to the right, on shore. And so I said I would get for information technology. The skiff was one-half full of plunder which that gang had stole in that location on the wreck. We hustled it on to the raft in a pile, and I told Jim to float along down, and prove a light when he judged he had gone most two mile, and keep it burning till I come up; and then I manned my oars and shoved for the light. As I got down towards it three or 4 more showed--up on a hillside. It was a hamlet. I closed in above the shore light, and laid on my oars and floated. As I went past I see it was a lantern hanging on the jackstaff of a double-hull ferryboat. I skimmed around for the watchman, a-wondering whereabouts he slept; and by and by I found him roosting on the bitts forrard, with his head downward between his knees. I gave his shoulder two or iii picayune shoves, and begun to cry.
He stirred up in a kind of a startlish way; but when he see information technology was only me he took a skillful gap and stretch, and then he says:
"Hi, what's upwardly? Don't weep, bub. What's the trouble?" I says:
"Pap, and mam, and sis, and--" Then I bankrupt down. He says:
"Oh, dang it now, DON'T take on so; we all has to have our troubles, and this 'n 'll come out all right. What's the matter with 'em?" "They're--they're--are you lot the watchman of the boat?" "Yes," he says, kind of pretty-well-satisfied like. "I'm the helm and the owner and the mate and the pilot and watchman and caput deck-manus; and sometimes I'm the freight and passengers. I own't equally rich as erstwhile Jim Hornback, and I tin't be so blame' generous and good to Tom, Dick, and Harry as what he is, and slam around money the way he does; but I've told him a many a time 't I wouldn't trade places with him; for, says I, a sailor'south life'due south the life for me, and I'm derned if I'D live two mile out o' boondocks, where in that location ain't naught ever goin' on, not for all his spondulicks and equally much more on tiptop of it. Says I--" I broke in and says:
"They're in an awful peck of trouble, and--" "WHO is?" "Why, pap and mam and sister and Miss Hooker; and if you'd take your ferryboat and get upward there--" "Up where? Where are they?" "On the wreck." "What wreck?" "Why, there ain't simply one." "What, you don't hateful the Walter Scott?" "Yes." "Skillful land! what are they doin' There, for gracious sakes?" "Well, they didn't go in that location a-purpose." "I bet they didn't! Why, not bad goodness, in that location own't no run a risk for 'em if they don't git off mighty quick! Why, how in the nation did they e'er git into such a scrape?" "Like shooting fish in a barrel plenty. Miss Hooker was a-visiting upwards at that place to the town--" "Yes, Berth'southward Landing--go on." "She was a-visiting in that location at Booth's Landing, and just in the edge of the evening she started over with her nigger woman in the horse-ferry to stay all night at her friend's house, Miss What-you-may-phone call-her I disremember her name--and they lost their steering-oar, and swung around and went a- floating down, stern first, well-nigh two mile, and saddle-baggsed on the wreck, and the ferryman and the nigger woman and the horses was all lost, but Miss Hooker she fabricated a grab and got aboard the wreck. Well, about an hour after dark we come up along down in our trading-scow, and it was then dark we didn't observe the wreck till we was correct on it; and so WE saddle-baggsed; just all of us was saved but Beak Whipple--and oh, he WAS the best cretur !--I about wish 't it had been me, I practise." "My George! It's the beatenest thing I ever struck. And so what did you all do?" "Well, we hollered and took on, simply it'southward so wide there we couldn't make nobody hear. So pap said somebody got to get ashore and go help somehow. I was the merely one that could swim, so I made a dash for it, and Miss Hooker she said if I didn't strike help sooner, come hither and hunt upwards her uncle, and he'd fix the matter. I made the state about a mile below, and been fooling along ever since, trying to get people to practice something, but they said, 'What, in such a night and such a current? At that place ain't no sense in it; go for the steam ferry.' At present if yous'll become and--" "Past Jackson, I'd LIKE to, and, blame it, I don't know but I will; but who in the dingnation's a-going' to PAY for it? Do you reckon your pap--" "Why THAT'South all right. Miss Hooker she tole me, PARTICULAR, that her uncle Hornback--" "Great guns! is HE her uncle? Looky here, yous interruption for that light over yonder-mode, and turn out west when y'all git there, and about a quarter of a mile out you'll come to the tavern; tell 'em to sprint you out to Jim Hornback'due south, and he'll foot the bill. And don't y'all fool effectually whatever, considering he'll want to know the news. Tell him I'll have his niece all prophylactic before he can get to boondocks. Hump yourself, now; I'm a-going upwards around the corner here to roust out my engineer." I struck for the light, just equally before long as he turned the corner I went back and got into my skiff and bailed her out, and then pulled upward shore in the like shooting fish in a barrel water about six hundred yards, and tucked myself in amongst some woodboats; for I couldn't residual piece of cake till I could see the ferryboat start. But take it all around, I was feeling ruther comfortable on accounts of taking all this problem for that gang, for not many would a done it. I wished the widow knowed about information technology. I judged she would exist proud of me for helping these rapscallions, because rapscallions and expressionless beats is the kind the widow and practiced people takes the well-nigh interest in.
Well, shortly here comes the wreck, dim and dusky, sliding forth down! A kind of cold shiver went through me, and so I struck out for her. She was very deep, and I come across in a minute at that place warn't much adventure for everyone being alive in her. I pulled all around her and hollered a petty, but there wasn't whatsoever answer; all dead however. I felt a little scrap heavy-hearted nearly the gang, simply non much, for I reckoned if they could stand it I could.
So hither comes the ferryboat; then I shoved for the middle of the river on a long downwardly-stream slant; and when I judged I was out of center-reach I laid on my oars, and looked back and run into her become and smell around the wreck for Miss Hooker's remainders, considering the captain would know her uncle Hornback would want them; and and then pretty soon the ferryboat give it up and went for the shore, and I laid into my piece of work and went a-booming downwardly the river. Information technology did seem a powerful long time earlier Jim's low-cal showed upward; and when information technology did show it looked like it was a yard mile off. Past the time I got there the heaven was beginning to go a picayune gray in the east; and so nosotros struck for an island, and hid the raft, and sunk the skiff, and turned in and slept like dead people.
WELL, I catched my breath and most fainted. Shut upwardly on a wreck with such a gang as that! But information technology warn't no time to be sentimentering. We'd GOT to find that gunkhole now--had to have information technology for ourselves. So we went a-quaking and shaking downward the stabboard side, and slow piece of work information technology was, as well--seemed a week earlier we got to the stern. No sign of a gunkhole. Jim said he didn't believe he could go any further--so scared he hadn't hardly any strength left, he said. But I said, come on, if we get left on this wreck we are in a fix, sure. And so on nosotros prowled again. We struck for the stern of the texas, and found information technology, and and then scrabbled along forwards on the skylight, hanging on from shutter to shutter, for the edge of the skylight was in the h2o. When we got pretty close to the cross-hall door there was the skiff, sure plenty! I could just barely see her. I felt ever so thankful. In another second I would a been aboard of her, but merely then the door opened. One of the men stuck his head out merely about a couple of human foot from me, and I thought I was gone; but he jerked information technology in over again, and says:
"Boost that blame lantern out o' sight, Bill!"
He flung a bag of something into the gunkhole, then got in himself and gear up down. It was Packard. Then Bill HE come out and got in. Packard says, in a low voice:
"All fix--shove off!"
I couldn't inappreciably hang on to the shutters, I was and then weak. But Bill says:
"Hold on--'d you go through him?"
"No. Didn't you?"
"No. So he's got his share o' the greenbacks even so."
"Well, so, come up along; no utilise to accept truck and exit money."
"Say, won't he suspicion what we're up to?"
"Possibly he won't. Merely we got to take it anyway. Come along."
And then they got out and went in.
The door slammed to considering it was on the careened side; and in a half 2nd I was in the boat, and Jim come tumbling subsequently me. I out with my knife and cut the rope, and abroad we went!
We didn't affect an oar, and we didn't speak nor whisper, nor inappreciably even breathe. Nosotros went gliding swift along, dead silent, past the tip of the paddle-box, and past the stern; then in a second or two more than we was a hundred yards below the wreck, and the darkness soaked her upwards, every concluding sign of her, and we was prophylactic, and knowed it.
When we was three or 4 hundred yards downwardly-stream we see the lantern show similar a little spark at the texas door for a second, and we knowed by that that the rascals had missed their boat, and was beginning to understand that they was in just equally much trouble now equally Jim Turner was.
Then Jim manned the oars, and we took out later on our raft. Now was the first time that I begun to worry most the men--I reckon I hadn't had fourth dimension to earlier. I begun to think how dreadful it was, fifty-fifty for murderers, to be in such a gear up. I says to myself, there ain't no telling merely I might come to exist a murderer myself nonetheless, and then how would I like information technology? And then says I to Jim:
"The first lite we see we'll land a hundred yards below it or above it, in a identify where it's a good hiding-place for you lot and the skiff, and then I'll get and fix upward some kind of a yarn, and get somebody to become for that gang and get them out of their scrape, so they tin can be hung when their time comes."
Simply that idea was a failure; for pretty soon it begun to storm once again, and this fourth dimension worse than ever. The rain poured downwardly, and never a calorie-free showed; everybody in bed, I reckon. We boomed along downwardly the river, watching for lights and watching for our raft. Later on a long time the rain let upwardly, but the clouds stayed, and the lightning kept whimpering, and by and by a flash showed usa a black thing alee, floating, and nosotros made for it.
It was the raft, and mighty glad was we to get aboard of information technology again. We seen a low-cal now away downwards to the right, on shore. So I said I would get for it. The skiff was half total of plunder which that gang had stole there on the wreck. We hustled it on to the raft in a pile, and I told Jim to float along downward, and prove a light when he judged he had gone about ii mile, and keep it burning till I come; then I manned my oars and shoved for the light. As I got downwardly towards information technology iii or 4 more than showed--up on a hillside. It was a village. I closed in to a higher place the shore lite, and laid on my oars and floated. As I went by I run across it was a lantern hanging on the jackstaff of a double-hull ferryboat. I skimmed around for the watchman, a-wondering whereabouts he slept; and by and past I institute him roosting on the bitts forrad, with his head downwards between his knees. I gave his shoulder two or three picayune shoves, and begun to weep.
He stirred upward in a kind of a startlish way; but when he see it was only me he took a good gap and stretch, and then he says:
"Hello, what's up? Don't cry, bub. What'due south the trouble?"
I says:
"Pap, and mam, and sis, and--"
So I broke down. He says:
"Oh, dang it now, DON'T take on so; we all has to have our troubles, and this 'northward 'll come up out all correct. What's the matter with 'em?"
"They're--they're--are y'all the watchman of the gunkhole?"
"Yeah," he says, kind of pretty-well-satisfied similar. "I'1000 the captain and the possessor and the mate and the pilot and watchman and head deck-mitt; and sometimes I'thou the freight and passengers. I own't as rich as former Jim Hornback, and I can't be and then arraign' generous and skillful to Tom, Dick, and Harry as what he is, and slam around money the way he does; just I've told him a many a fourth dimension 't I wouldn't trade places with him; for, says I, a crewman's life'south the life for me, and I'm derned if I'D live two mile out o' town, where there ain't cipher always goin' on, not for all his spondulicks and as much more than on elevation of information technology. Says I--"
I broke in and says:
"They're in an awful peck of trouble, and--"
"WHO is?"
"Why, pap and mam and sister and Miss Hooker; and if you'd take your ferryboat and go upward at that place--"
"Upwardly where? Where are they?"
"On the wreck."
"What wreck?"
"Why, at that place ain't merely one."
"What, y'all don't mean the Walter Scott?"
"Yes."
"Skillful land! what are they doin' In that location, for gracious sakes?"
"Well, they didn't get in that location a-purpose."
"I bet they didn't! Why, great goodness, there ain't no chance for 'em if they don't git off mighty quick! Why, how in the nation did they always git into such a scrape?"
"Like shooting fish in a barrel enough. Miss Hooker was a-visiting up there to the town--"
"Yep, Booth's Landing--go along."
"She was a-visiting there at Booth'due south Landing, and just in the border of the evening she started over with her nigger woman in the horse-ferry to stay all night at her friend's house, Miss What-you lot-may-call-her I disremember her proper name--and they lost their steering-oar, and swung around and went a- floating down, stern first, about two mile, and saddle-baggsed on the wreck, and the ferryman and the nigger woman and the horses was all lost, but Miss Hooker she made a grab and got aboard the wreck. Well, well-nigh an hour after nighttime we come up forth downwardly in our trading-scow, and it was then dark we didn't find the wreck till we was correct on information technology; then We saddle-baggsed; only all of us was saved just Bill Whipple--and oh, he WAS the best cretur !--I most wish 't it had been me, I do."
"My George! It's the beatenest thing I ever struck. And Then what did you all do?"
"Well, we hollered and took on, only it's so broad there nosotros couldn't make nobody hear. And then pap said somebody got to get ashore and get help somehow. I was the only one that could swim, so I fabricated a dash for it, and Miss Hooker she said if I didn't strike aid sooner, come here and hunt up her uncle, and he'd set up the matter. I made the land well-nigh a mile below, and been fooling forth ever since, trying to get people to do something, just they said, 'What, in such a night and such a current? There ain't no sense in information technology; become for the steam ferry.' At present if you'll go and--"
"Past Jackson, I'd LIKE to, and, blame information technology, I don't know but I will; simply who in the dingnation's a-going' to PAY for it? Do you reckon your pap--"
"Why THAT'S all right. Miss Hooker she tole me, PARTICULAR, that her uncle Hornback--"
"Peachy guns! is HE her uncle? Looky here, you break for that light over yonder-way, and turn out due west when you git at that place, and nigh a quarter of a mile out you'll come up to the tavern; tell 'em to dart y'all out to Jim Hornback'due south, and he'll foot the nib. And don't you fool effectually whatever, because he'll want to know the news. Tell him I'll have his niece all safe earlier he can get to boondocks. Hump yourself, now; I'1000 a-going upward effectually the corner here to roust out my engineer."
I struck for the lite, merely as soon as he turned the corner I went back and got into my skiff and bailed her out, and then pulled upwards shore in the easy water about six hundred yards, and tucked myself in among some woodboats; for I couldn't residuum piece of cake till I could see the ferryboat starting time. But take it all around, I was feeling ruther comfortable on accounts of taking all this trouble for that gang, for non many would a done it. I wished the widow knowed about it. I judged she would exist proud of me for helping these rapscallions, because rapscallions and dead beats is the kind the widow and skillful people takes the nigh interest in.
Well, earlier long hither comes the wreck, dim and dusky, sliding along down! A kind of cold shiver went through me, and and then I struck out for her. She was very deep, and I see in a infinitesimal in that location warn't much chance for anybody being live in her. I pulled all around her and hollered a little, but there wasn't whatsoever answer; all expressionless still. I felt a little bit heavy-hearted about the gang, but not much, for I reckoned if they could stand it I could.
And so here comes the ferryboat; and so I shoved for the middle of the river on a long down-stream slant; and when I judged I was out of center-reach I laid on my oars, and looked back and run across her get and olfactory property around the wreck for Miss Hooker's remainders, because the helm would know her uncle Hornback would want them; and and so pretty shortly the ferryboat requite information technology up and went for the shore, and I laid into my piece of work and went a-booming down the river.
It did seem a powerful long fourth dimension before Jim's light showed up; and when information technology did show it looked like it was a 1000 mile off. By the time I got there the sky was beginning to get a little gray in the e; so nosotros struck for an island, and hid the raft, and sunk the skiff, and turned in and slept like dead people.
Source: https://www.lingq.com/en/learn-english-online/courses/37459/chapter-13-53830/
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