It would be most anⒶalteration in the MS hour, yet, till breakfast, so we left, and struck down into the woods; because Tom said we got to have some light to see how to dig by, and a lantern makesⒶemendation too much, and might get us into trouble; what we must have was a lot of them rotten chunks that’sⒶemendation calledⒶalteration in the MS fox-fire,Ⓐhistorical collation and just makes a soft kind of a glow when you lay them in a dark place. We fetched an armful and hid it in the weeds, and set down to rest, and Tom saysⒶalteration in the MS, kind of dissatisfied:
“Blame it, this whole thingⒶalteration in the MS is justⒶalteration in the MS as easy and awkard asⒶalteration in the MS it can be. And so itⒶalteration in the MS makes it so rottenⒶalteration in the MS difficult to get up a difficultⒶalteration in the MS plan. There ain’t no watchman to be drugged—now there ought to be a watchman. There ain’t even a dog,Ⓐhistorical collation to give a sleeping-mixture to. And there’s Jim chained by one leg, with a ten-foot chain, to the leg of his bed: why, all you got to do is to lift up the bedstead and slip off the chain. And uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas heⒶemendation trusts everybody; sends the key to theⒶemendation punkinheadedⒶhistorical collation nigger, and don’t send nobodyⒶemendation to watch the nigger.Ⓐalteration in the MS Jim could a got out of that window-hole,Ⓐhistorical collation before this, only there wouldn’t be no use tryingⒶemendation to travel with a ten-foot chain on his leg. Why, drat it, Huck, it’sⒶemendation the stupidest arrangementⒶalteration in the MS I ever see.Ⓐemendation You got to invent all the difficulties. Well, we can’t help it, we got to do the best we can with the materials we’ve got. Anyhow, there’s one thing—there’s more honor in getting him out through a lot of difficulties and dangers, where there warn’t one of them furnished to you by the people who [begin page 299] it was their duty to furnish them, and you had to contrive them all out of your own head. Now look at just that one thing of the lantern. When you come downⒶalteration in the MS to the cold facts, we simply got to let on that a lantern’s reskyⒶemendation. Why,Ⓐalteration in the MS we could work with a torchlight procession if we wanted to,Ⓐalteration in the MS I believe. NowⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐhistorical collation whilst I think of it, we got to hunt up something to make a saw out of, the firstⒶalteration in the MS chance we get.”
“What do we want of a saw?”
“What do we want of it? Hain’t we got to saw the leg of Jim’s bed off, so as to get the chain loose?”
“Why, you just said a body could lift up the bedsteadⒶemendation and slip the chain off.”
“Well, if that ain’t just likeⒶalteration in the MS you, Huck Finn.Ⓐalteration in the MS You can get up the infant-schooliestⒶalteration in the MS ways of going at a thing. Why, hain’t you ever read any books at all?— Baron Trenck, nor Casanova, nor Benvenuto Chelleeny, nor Henri IVⒶhistorical collation Ⓔexplanatory note,Ⓐalteration in the MS nor none of them heroes? Whoever heard of getting a prisoner loose in such an old-maidy way as that? No; the way all the best authorities does, is to saw the bed-leg in two, and leave it just so, and swallow the sawdustⒶemendation, so it can’t be found, and put some dirt and grease around the sawed place so the very keenest seneskal can’t see no sign of itsⒶemendation beingⒶalteration in the MS sawed, and thinks theⒶemendation bed-leg is perfectly sound. Then, the night you’re ready, fetch the leg a kick, downⒶalteration in the MS she goes; slip off your chain, and there you are. NothingⒶemendation to do but hitch your rope-ladderⒶemendation to the battlements, shin down it, break your leg in the moat—because a rope-ladder is nineteen foot too shortⒺexplanatory note, you know—and there’s your horses and your trusty vasslesⒶemendation, and they scoop you up and fling you across a saddle and away you go, to your native LangudocⒶemendation, or NavarreⒺexplanatory note, or wherever it is. It’s gaudyⒶalteration in the MS Ⓐemendation, Huck. I wish there was a moat to this cabin. If we get time, the night of the escape, we’ll dig one.”
I says:
“What do we want of a moat, when we’re going to snake him out from under the cabin?”
But he never heard me. He had forgot me and everything else. He had his chin in his hand, thinking. Pretty soon, he sighs,Ⓐalteration in the MS and shakes his head; then sighs again, and says:
“No, it wouldn’t do—there ain’t necessity enough for it.”
“For what?” I says.
“Why, to saw Jim’s leg off,” he says.
[begin page 300] “Good land!” I says, “Why,Ⓐhistorical collation there ain’t no necessity for it. And what would you want to saw his leg off,Ⓐhistorical collation for, anyway?”
“Well, some of the best authorities has done it. They couldn’t get the chain off, so they just cut their hand off, and shoved. And a leg would be better still.Ⓐalteration in the MS But we got to let that go. There ain’t necessity enough in this case; and besides,Ⓐalteration in the MS Jim’s a nigger and wouldn’t understand the reasons for it, and how it’s the custom in Europe;Ⓐalteration in the MS so we’ll let it go. But there’s one thing—he can have a rope ladderⒶhistorical collation; we can tear up our sheets and make him a rope ladderⒶhistorical collation Ⓔexplanatory note easy enough.Ⓐalteration in the MS And we can send it to him in a pie; it’s mostly done that way. And I’ve et worse pies.”
“Why, Tom Sawyer, how you talk,” I says; “Jim ain’t got no use for a rope ladderⒶhistorical collation.”
“He has got use for it. How you talk, you better say:Ⓐhistorical collation you don’t know nothing about it. He’s got to have a rope ladder:Ⓐhistorical collation they all do.”
“What in the nation can he do with it?”
“Do with it? He can hide it in his bed, can’t he? That’s what they all do; and he’sⒶhistorical collation got to, tooⒶalteration in the MS. Huck, youⒶalteration in the MS don’t ever seem to want to do [begin page 301] anything that’s regular:Ⓐhistorical collation you want to be starting something fresh all the time. Spose he don’t do nothingⒶemendation with it? ain’t it there in his bed, for a clew, after he’s gone? and don’t you reckon they’llⒶalteration in the MS want clews? Of course they willⒶalteration in the MS. And you wouldn’t leave them any? That would be a pretty howdy-doⒶalteration in the MS, wouldn’t it!Ⓐalteration in the MS I never heard of such a thing.”
“Well,” I says, “if it’s in theⒶalteration in the MS regulations, and he’s got to have it, all right, let him have it; because I don’t wish to go back on no regulations; but there’s one thing, Tom Sawyer—if we go to tearing up our sheets to make Jim a rope ladderⒶhistorical collation, we’reⒶemendation going to get into trouble with auntⒶhistorical collation Sally,Ⓐalteration in the MS just as sure as you’reⒶemendation born. NowⒶhistorical collation the way I look at it, a hickry barkⒶhistorical collation ladder don’t cost nothing, and don’t waste nothing, and is just as good to load up a pie with, and hide in a straw tick, as any rag-ladderⒶemendation you can start;Ⓐalteration in the MS and as for Jim, he ain’t had no experience, and soⒶalteration in the MS he don’t care what kind of a—Ⓐhistorical collation”
“OⒶhistorical collation shucks, Huck Finn, if I was as ignorant as you, I’d keep still—that’s whatⒶalteration in the MS I’d do. Who ever heard of a state prisoner escaping by a hickry barkⒶhistorical collation ladder?Ⓐalteration in the MS Why, it’s perfectly ridiculousⒶemendation.”
“Well, all right, Tom, fix it your own way; but if you’ll take my advice, you’ll let me borrow a sheet off of the clothes lineⒶhistorical collation.”
He said that would do. And that give him another idea, and he says:
“Borrow a shirt, too.”
“What do we want of a shirt, Tom?”Ⓐalteration in the MS
“Want it for Jim to keep a journal onⒺexplanatory note.”
“Journal your granny— Jim can’t writeⒺexplanatory note.”
“Spose he can’t write—he can make marks on the shirt, can’t he, if we make him a pen out of an old pewter spoon or a piece of an old iron barrel-hoop?”
“Why, Tom, weⒶalteration in the MS can pull a feather out of a goose and make him a better one; and quicker, too.”
“Prisoners don’t have geese running around the donjon-keep to pull pens out of, you muggins. They always make their pens out of the hardest, toughest, troublesomest piece of old brass candlestick or something like thatⒶemendation they can get their hands on; and it takes them weeks and weeks, and months and months to file it out, too,Ⓐalteration in the MS because they’ve got to do it by rubbing it on the wall. They wouldn’t use a goose-quill if they had it. It ain’t regular.”
“Well, then, what’llⒶemendation we make him the ink out of?”
[begin page 302] “Many makes it out of iron-rust and tearsⒶemendation; but that’s the common sort and womenⒶemendation; the best authorities usesⒶalteration in the MS their own bloodⒺexplanatory note. Jim can do that; and when he wants to send any little common ordinary mysterious message to let the world know where he’s captivated, he can write it on the bottom of a tin plate with a fork and throw it out of the window. The Iron MaskⒺexplanatory note always done that,Ⓐalteration in the MS and it’s a blame’ good way, too.”
“Jim ain’t got no tin plates. TheyⒶalteration in the MS feed him in a pan.”
“That ain’t anything; we can get him some.”
“Can’t nobody read his plates.”
“That ain’t got nothing to do with it, Huck Finn. All he’sⒶhistorical collation Ⓐalteration in the MS got to do is to write on the plate and throw it out. You don’t have to be able to read it. Why, half the time you can’t read anything a prisoner writes on a tin plate, or anywhere else.”
“Well, then, what’s the sense in wasting the plates?”
“Why, blame it all, it ain’t the prisoner’s plates.”
“But it’s somebody’s plates, ain’t it?”
[begin page 303] “Well, spos’n it is? What does the prisoner care whose—Ⓐhistorical collation”
He broke off there, because we heard the breakfast hornⒶhistorical collation blowing. So we cleared out for the house.
AlongⒶemendation during that morning I borrowed a sheetⒶalteration in the MS and a white shirt off of the clothes lineⒶhistorical collation; and I found an old sack and put them in it, and we went down and got the fox-fire, and put that in,Ⓐhistorical collation too. I called it borrowing, because that was what pap always called it; but Tom said it warn’t borrowing, it was stealing. He said we was representing prisoners; and prisoners don’t care how they get a thing so they get it, and nobody don’t blame them for it, either. It ain’t no crime in a prisoner to steal the thingⒶemendation he needsⒶalteration in the MS to get away with, Tom said; it’s his right; and so, as long as we was representing a prisoner, we had a perfect right to steal anything on this place we had the least use for, to get ourselves out of prison with. He said if we warn’t prisoners it would be a very different thing, and nobody but a mean ornery person would steal when he warn’t a prisoner. So we allowed we would steal everything there was that come handy. And yet he made a mighty fuss, one day, after that, when I stole a watermelonⒶhistorical collation out of the nigger patch and eat it; and he made me go and give the niggers a dime, without telling them what it was for. Tom saidⒶalteration in the MS that what he meant was, we could steal anything we needed. Well, I says, I needed the watermelon. But he said I didn’t need it to get out of prison with, there’sⒶemendation where the difference was. He said if I’dⒶemendation a wanted it to hide a knife in, and smuggle it to Jim to kill the seneskal with, it would a been all right. So I let it go at that, though I couldn’t see no advantage in my representing a prisoner, if I got to set down and chaw over a lot of gold-leaf distinctions like that, every time I see a chance to hog a watermelon.
Well, as I was saying, we waited,Ⓐhistorical collation that morning,Ⓐhistorical collation tillⒶalteration in the MS everybody was settled down to business, and nobody in sight around the yard; then Tom heⒶemendation carried the sack into the lean-to whilst I stood off a piece to keep watch. By and byⒶhistorical collation he come out, and we wentⒶalteration in the MS and set down on the woodpileⒶhistorical collation, to talkⒶalteration in the MS. He says:
“Everything’s all right, now, except tools; and that’s easy fixed.”
“Tools?” I says.
“Yes.”
“Tools for what?”
“Why, to dig with. We ain’t agoing to gnaw him out, are we?”
[begin page 304] “Ain’t them old crippledⒶalteration in the MS picks and things in there good enough to dig a nigger out with?” I says.
He turns on me looking pitying enough to make a body cry;Ⓐhistorical collation and says:
“Huck Finn, did you ever hear of a prisoner having picks and shovelsⒶhistorical collation and all the modern conveniences in his wardrobe to dig himself out with? Now I want to ask you—if you got any reasonableness in you at all—what kind of a showⒶalteration in the MS would that give him to be a hero? WhyⒶhistorical collation they might as well lend him the key, and done with it. Picks and shovels—why they wouldn’t furnish ’em to a king.”
“Well, then,” I says, “if we don’t want the picks and shovels, what do we want?”
“A couple of caseknivesⒶhistorical collation.”
“To dig the foundations out from under that cabin with?”
“Yes.”
“ ConfoundⒶtextual note Ⓐemendation it, it’s foolish, Tom.”
“It don’t make no difference how foolish it is,Ⓐalteration in the MS it’s the right way—and it’s the regular way. And there ain’t no other way, that ever I heard of;Ⓐhistorical collation and I’ve read all the books that gives any information about these things. They always dig out with a caseknifeⒶhistorical collation Ⓔexplanatory note—and not through dirt, mind you; generlyⒶemendation it’s through solid rock. And it takes them weeks and weeks and weeks, and foreverⒶhistorical collation and ever. Why, look at one of them prisoners in the bottom dungeon of the Castle DeefⒺexplanatory note, in the harbor of Marseilles, that dug himself out that way:Ⓐhistorical collation how long was he at it, youⒶemendation reckon?”
“IⒶemendation don’t know.”
“Well, guess.”
“I don’t know. A month and a half?”
“ Thirty-seven year Ⓔexplanatory note—and he come out in China. That’s the kind. I wish the bottom of this fortress was solid rock.”
“Jim don’t know nobody in China.”
“What’sⒶalteration in the MS that got to do with it? Neither did that other fellow. But you’re always a-wandering off on a side issue. Why can’t you stick to the main point?”
“All right—I don’t care where he comes out, so he comes out; and Jim don’t, either, I reckon. But there’s one thing, anyway—Jim’s too old to be dug out with a caseknifeⒶhistorical collation. He won’t last.”
“Yes he will last, too. You don’t reckon it’s going to take thirty-seven yearsⒶalteration in the MS to dig out throughⒶemendation a dirt foundation, do you?”
[begin page 305] “How long will it take, Tom?”
“Well, we can’t resk being as long as we ought to, because itⒶalteration in the MS mayn’t take very long for uncleⒶhistorical collation Silas to hearⒶalteration in the MS from down there by New Orleans. He’ll hearⒶemendation Jim ain’t from there. Then his next move will be to advertise Jim, or something like that. So we can’t resk being as long digging him out as we ought to.Ⓐalteration in the MS By rights I reckon we ought to be a couple of years; but we can’t. Things being so uncertain, what I recommend is this: that we reallyⒶalteration in the MS dig right in, as quick as we can; and after that, we can let on, to ourselves, that we was at it thirty-seven years. Then we can snatch him out and rush him away the first time there’s an alarm. Yes, I reckon that’ll be the best way.Ⓐhistorical collation”
“NowⒶhistorical collation there’s sense in that,” I says. “Letting-onⒶhistorical collation don’t cost nothing; letting-onⒶemendation ain’t no trouble; and if it’s any object, I don’t mind letting on we wasⒶalteration in the MS at it a hundred and fifty year. It wouldn’t strain me none, after I got my hand in. So I’ll mosey along,Ⓐhistorical collation now, and smouch a couple of caseknivesⒶhistorical collation.”
“Smouch three,” he says; “we want one to make a saw out of.”
“Tom, if it ain’t unregularⒶalteration in the MS and irreligious to sejest it,” I says, “there’s an old rusty saw-blade around yonder sticking under the weatherboarding behind the smokehouseⒶhistorical collation.”
He looked kind of weary and discouraged-like, and says:
“It ain’t no use to try to learn you nothing, Huck. Run along and smouch the knives—three of them.” SoⒶemendation I done it.
