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A FEW minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading1 toward the Illinois shore. Before the depth reached his middle he was half-way over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards. He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected. However, he reached the shore finally, and drifted along till he found a low place and drew himself out. He put his hand on his jacket pocket, found his piece of bark safe, and then struck through the woods, following the shore, with streaming garments. Shortly before ten o'clock he came out into an open place opposite the village, and saw the ferryboat lying in the shadow of the trees and the high bank. Everything was quiet under the blinking stars. He crept down the bank, watching with all his eyes, slipped into the water, swam three or four strokes and climbed into the skiff that did "yawl" duty at the boat's stern. He laid himself down under the thwarts2 and waited, panting.
Presently the cracked bell tapped and a voice gave the order to "cast off." A minute or two later the skiff's head was standing3 high up, against the boat's swell4, and the voyage was begun. Tom felt happy in his success, for he knew it was the boat's last trip for the night. At the end of a long twelve or fifteen minutes the wheels stopped, and Tom slipped overboard and swam ashore5 in the dusk, landing fifty yards downstream, out of danger of possible stragglers.
He flew along unfrequented alleys6, and shortly found himself at his aunt's back fence. He climbed over, approached the "ell," and looked in at the sitting-room7 window, for a light was burning there. There sat Aunt Polly, Sid, Mary, and Joe Harper's mother, grouped together, talking. They were by the bed, and the bed was between them and the door. Tom went to the door and began to softly lift the latch8; then he pressed gently and the door yielded a crack; he continued pushing cautiously, and quaking every time it creaked, till he judged he might squeeze through on his knees; so he put his head through and began, warily9.
"What makes the candle blow so?" said Aunt Polly. Tom hurried up. "Why, that door's open, I believe. Why, of course it is. No end of strange things now. Go 'long and shut it, Sid."
Tom disappeared under the bed just in time. He lay and "breathed" himself for a time, and then crept to where he could almost touch his aunt's foot.
"But as I was saying," said Aunt Polly, "he warn't bad, so to say -- only mischeevous. Only just giddy, and harum-scarum, you know. He warn't any more responsible than a colt. HE never meant any harm, and he was the best-hearted boy that ever was" -- and she began to cry.
"It was just so with my Joe -- always full of his devilment, and up to every kind of mischief10, but he was just as unselfish and kind as he could be -- and laws bless me, to think I went and whipped him for taking that cream, never once recollecting11 that I throwed it out myself because it was sour, and I never to see him again in this world, never, never, never, poor abused boy!" And Mrs. Harper sobbed12 as if her heart would break.
"I hope Tom's better off where he is," said Sid, "but if he'd been better in some ways --"
"Sid!" Tom felt the glare of the old lady's eye, though he could not see it. "Not a word against my Tom, now that he's gone! God'll take care of him -- never you trouble yourself, sir! Oh, Mrs. Harper, I don't know how to give him up! I don't know how to give him up! He was such a comfort to me, although he tormented13 my old heart out of me, 'most."
"The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away -- Blessed be the name of the Lord! But it's so hard -- Oh, it's so hard! Only last Saturday my Joe busted14 a firecracker right under my nose and I knocked him sprawling15. Little did I know then, how soon -- Oh, if it was to do over again I'd hug him and bless him for it."
"Yes, yes, yes, I know just how you feel, Mrs. Harper, I know just exactly how you feel. No longer ago than yesterday noon, my Tom took and filled the cat full of Pain-killer, and I did think the cretur would tear the house down. And God forgive me, I cracked Tom's head with my thimble, poor boy, poor dead boy. But he's out of all his troubles now. And the last words I ever heard him say was to reproach --"
But this memory was too much for the old lady, and she broke entirely16 down. Tom was snuffling, now, himself -- and more in pity of himself than anybody else. He could hear Mary crying, and putting in a kindly17 word for him from time to time. He began to have a nobler opinion of himself than ever before. Still, he was sufficiently18 touched by his aunt's grief to long to rush out from under the bed and overwhelm her with joy -- and the theatrical19 gorgeousness of the thing appealed strongly to his nature, too, but he resisted and lay still.
He went on listening, and gathered by odds20 and ends that it was conjectured21 at first that the boys had got drowned while taking a swim; then the small raft had been missed; next, certain boys said the missing lads had promised that the village should "hear something" soon; the wise-heads had "put this and that together" and decided22 that the lads had gone off on that raft and would turn up at the next town below, presently; but toward noon the raft had been found, lodged23 against the Missouri shore some five or six miles below the village -- and then hope perished; they must be drowned, else hunger would have driven them home by nightfall if not sooner. It was believed that the search for the bodies had been a fruitless effort merely because the drowning must have occurred in mid-channel, since the boys, being good swimmers, would otherwise have escaped to shore. This was Wednesday night. If the bodies continued missing until Sunday, all hope would be given over, and the funerals would be preached on that morning. Tom shuddered24.
Mrs. Harper gave a sobbing25 good-night and turned to go. Then with a mutual26 impulse the two bereaved27 women flung themselves into each other's arms and had a good, consoling cry, and then parted. Aunt Polly was tender far beyond her wont28, in her good-night to Sid and Mary. Sid snuffled a bit and Mary went off crying with all her heart.
Aunt Polly knelt down and prayed for Tom so touchingly29, so appealingly, and with such measureless love in her words and her old trembling voice, that he was weltering in tears again, long before she was through.
He had to keep still long after she went to bed, for she kept making broken-hearted ejaculations from time to time, tossing unrestfully, and turning over. But at last she was still, only moaning a little in her sleep. Now the boy stole out, rose gradually by the bedside, shaded the candle-light with his hand, and stood regarding her. His heart was full of pity for her. He took out his sycamore scroll30 and placed it by the candle. But something occurred to him, and he lingered considering. His face lighted with a happy solution of his thought; he put the bark hastily in his pocket. Then he bent31 over and kissed the faded lips, and straightway made his stealthy exit, latching32 the door behind him.
He threaded his way back to the ferry landing, found nobody at large there, and walked boldly on board the boat, for he knew she was tenantless33 except that there was a watchman, who always turned in and slept like a graven image. He untied34 the skiff at the stern, slipped into it, and was soon rowing cautiously upstream. When he had pulled a mile above the village, he started quartering across and bent himself stoutly35 to his work. He hit the landing on the other side neatly36, for this was a familiar bit of work to him. He was moved to capture the skiff, arguing that it might be considered a ship and therefore legitimate37 prey38 for a pirate, but he knew a thorough search would be made for it and that might end in revelations. So he stepped ashore and entered the woods.
He sat down and took a long rest, torturing himself meanwhile to keep awake, and then started warily down the home-stretch. The night was far spent. It was broad daylight before he found himself fairly abreast39 the island bar. He rested again until the sun was well up and gilding40 the great river with its splendor41, and then he plunged42 into the stream. A little later he paused, dripping, upon the threshold of the camp, and heard Joe say:
"No, Tom's true-blue, Huck, and he'll come back. He won't desert. He knows that would be a disgrace to a pirate, and Tom's too proud for that sort of thing. He's up to something or other. Now I wonder what?"
"Well, the things is ours, anyway, ain't they?"
Pretty near, but not yet, Huck. The writing says they are if he ain't back here to breakfast."
"Which he is!" exclaimed Tom, with fine dramatic effect, stepping grandly into camp.
A sumptuous43 breakfast of bacon and fish was shortly provided, and as the boys set to work upon it, Tom recounted (and adorned) his adventures. They were a vain and boastful company of heroes when the tale was done. Then Tom hid himself away in a shady nook to sleep till noon, and the other pirates got ready to fish and explore.
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1
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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2
thwarts
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| 阻挠( thwart的第三人称单数 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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3
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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4
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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6
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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8
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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12
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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14
busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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15
sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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16
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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20
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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21
conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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23
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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24
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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25
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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26
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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27
bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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28
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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touchingly
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| adv.令人同情地，感人地，动人地 | |
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30
scroll
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| n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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31
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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32
latching
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| n.闭塞；闭锁；关闭；闭塞装置v.理解( latch的现在分词 )；纠缠；用碰锁锁上（门等）；附着（在某物上） | |
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33
tenantless
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| adj.无人租赁的，无人居住的 | |
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34
untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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37
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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38
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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39
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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40
gilding
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| n.贴金箔，镀金 | |
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41
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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42
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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43
sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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