 《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》（Adventures of Huckleberry Finn）是马克·吐温一部重要的作品，故事的主人公是在《汤姆·索亚历险记》中就跟大家见面的哈克贝利·费恩。哈克贝利是一个聪明、善良、勇敢的白人少年。他为了追求自由的生活，逃亡到密西西比河上。在逃亡途中，他遇到了黑奴吉姆。吉姆是一个勤劳朴实、热情诚实、忠心耿耿的黑奴，他为了逃脱被主人再次卖掉的命运，从主人家中出逃。两个人历经种种奇遇。这部小说从思想到技巧都有许多创新。小说赞扬了男孩哈克贝利的机智和善良，谴责了宗教的虚伪和信徒的愚昧，同时，塑造了一位富有尊严的黑奴形象。 |
第一章 你要是没有看过一本叫做《汤姆•索亚历险记》①的书，你就不会知道我这个人。不过 这没有什么。那本书是马克•吐温先生写的，他大体上讲的是实话。有些事是他生发开来 的，不过大体上，他讲的是实话。不过，实话不实话算不了什么。我没有见过从来没有撒过 一回谎的人。这一回不说，另外一回就说。葆莉姨妈也好，那位寡妇也好，也许还有玛丽， 都这样。葆莉姨妈——就是汤姆的葆莉姨妈——还有玛丽，还有道格拉斯寡妇，有关她们的 事，在那本书里都讲了——那是一本大体上讲实话的书，有些是生发开来的，这我在上面说 过了。 ①为本书的姐妹篇，参阅有关本书故事的地点、时间的注。 那本书的结尾是这样：汤姆和我找到了强盗藏在那个山洞里的钱，这一下我们可都发 了。我们俩，一人得了六千块钱——全是金灿灿的。把钱堆了起来，乍一看，好不吓人。后 来，由撒切尔法官拿去放利息，我们俩每人每天得一块钱，一年到头，天天这样——真是多 得叫人没法办。道格拉斯寡妇，她把我认做她的儿子。她许下了话，要教我学学文明规矩 ①。可是一天到晚，耽在这间屋里，有多难受。你想，寡妇的行为举止，一桩桩，一件件， 全都那么刻板，那么一本正经，这有多丧气。这样，到了我实在受不了的那一天，我就溜之 大吉啦。我重新穿上了我原来的破衣烂衫，重新钻进了那只原本装糖的大木桶里，好不自 由，好不逍遥自在。可是汤姆想方设法找到了我，说他要发起组织一个强盗帮，要是我能回 到寡妇家，过得体体面面，就可以参加他们一起，于是我就回去了。 寡妇对我大哭了一场，把我叫做一只迷途的羔羊，还叫我别的许多名称，不过，她绝对 没有什么恶意。她让我又穿上了新衣裳，我实在一点办法也没有，只是直冒汗，憋得难受。 啊，这么一来，那老的一套就又重新开始啦。寡妇打铃开饭，你就得准时到。到了饭桌子跟 前，你可不能马上吃起来，你得等着。等寡妇低下头来，朝饭菜叽哩咕噜挑剔几句，尽管这 些饭菜没什么好挑剔的。就是说，每道菜都是单做的。要是一桶杂七杂八的东西，那就不一 样，各样菜和在一起烧，连汤带水，味道就格外鲜美。 ①“教我学学文明规矩”（sivilizeme，——应为civilizeme，作sivilizeme乃 哈克讲的密苏里土话的发音）。哈克后出走河上，反对这类“文明规矩”是主要原因之一。 这既为哈克主导性格所在，亦为全书主旨所在。全书末了一句为了反对“学学文明规矩”因 而不愿回家，准备继续远走新区，这回应了本书开宗明义点出的话。可见反对当时“文明规 矩”的主旨，和反黑奴制的思想，这两者一起贯串全书。参普烈乞特《美国第一部本土产生 的杰作》（１９４１），载英格《哈克•芬评论资料集——百年纪念评论选》（１９８４） 吃过晚饭，她就拿出她那本书来，跟我讲摩西和蒲草箱的故事①。我急得直冒汗，急着 要弄清楚一切有关他的事。不过，她隔了一会儿才点明摩西是死了很久很久的了。这样，我 就不再为他操什么心了，因为我对死了的人是根本没有兴趣的。 ①《旧约•出埃及》，第二章。说的是埃及公主收养以色列一妇女的弃儿。到后 代，摩西率领受压迫的以色列人逃出埃及，后建犹太国家。 没有好久，我就想要抽烟，就要求寡妇答应我。可是她就是不答应。她说这是一种下流 的习惯，又不卫生，要我从此不再抽。世界上有些人就是这么行事。一件事，来龙去脉，一 窍不通，可偏偏要说三道四。摩西这人，与她非亲非故，对谁都没有什么用处，老早就死 了，她偏要为他操心；可我做一件事，明明有点儿好处，她偏要找岔儿。再说，她自己就吸 鼻烟，那当然是做得对的喽，因为是她这么做的嘛。 她的妹妹华珍小姐，一个细挑身材的老小姐，戴一付眼镜，前不久才来和她同住。她拿 来一本拼音课本，故意难为我。她逼着我死啃了近一个钟点，寡妇这才叫她歇口气。我实在 再也熬不住了。可是又是闷死人的整整一个钟点，我实在烦躁得不行。华珍小姐会说，“别 把你的一双脚搁在那上边，哈克贝里。”①“别闹得嘎扎嘎扎响，哈克贝里，——坐坐 正。”一会儿又说，“别这么打呵欠，伸懒腰，哈克贝里，——为什么不学得规矩些？” 然后她跟我讲到有关那个坏地方②的一切。我就说，我倒是愿意在那里，她就气坏了。我可 并非心存恶意，我心里想的只是到个什么地方走动走动，我心里想的不过是换换环境，我决 不挑三拣四。她说啊，我刚才说的那些话，全是下流坯说的话。要是她啊，她死也不肯说出 那样的话来。她可是要活得规规矩矩，为了好升入那个好地方③。啊，我看不出她要去的那 个地方有什么好，所以我已经下定决心，决不干那样的事。不过，我从没有说出口。因为一 说出口，就只会惹麻烦，讨不到好。 ①乃本书主人公的名字，全名为Huckleberry Finn马克•吐温自称，“芬”这个 姓，取自他幼年时的老家密苏里州汉尼拔小镇上一个流浪汉醉鬼Jimmy Finn的姓。但性格 上的原型是另一个流浪汉叫Tom Blankenship的，吐温赞他是新区内“唯一一个真正特立独 行的人物”（参皮佛《哈克贝里•芬》，伦敦，１９８７，１０、１６页）。 哈克贝里，乃一种野生的浆果，可做啤酒。吐温为本书主人公取这个名，可见赋予主 人公粗犷色彩与平民色彩。哈克之所以具有反抗以至叛逆性格、不是偶然的（参汤姆斯•英 格《百年纪念评论选》，纽约，１９８４，３２７页）。 一说，马克•吐温为本书主人公取名“哈克•芬’是因为这个名字发音与他自己的姓名 发音相近。“哈克”发音与“马克”相近；“芬’发音与“吐温’相近（参《百年纪念评论 选》３２７页）。哈克•芬与马克•吐温当然不能等同，但又血肉相连，某种程度上，心灵 相通。不少资料表明，乡下孩子出身、自学成才的马克•吐温对本书主人公心灵的塑造倾注 了心血，其取名是深思熟虑，含意深长的。 ②指地狱。 ③指天堂。 她话匣子既然打开了，便不停地说下去，把有关那个好地方的一切，跟我说得没完没 了。她说，在那边，一个人整天干的，只是这里走走，那里逛逛，一边弹着琴，一边唱着 歌。如此这般，永永远远如此。因此我对这一些不怎么挂在心上，只是我从没有说出口来。 我问她，据她看，汤姆会去那里么，她说，他还差一截子呢。听了这个话，我满心欢喜，因 为我要他跟我在一起。 华珍小姐不停地找我的岔子，日子过得又累又寂寞。后来，她们招了些黑奴①来，教他 们做祷告，然后一个个地去睡觉。我上楼走进我的房间，手里拿着一支蜡烛，放在桌子上， 然后在一张靠窗的椅子上坐下来，存心拣些有劲儿的事想想，可就是做不到。我只觉得寂寞 孤单，真是恨不得死去的好②。星星在一闪一闪，林子里树叶在满满作响。我听见一只猫头 鹰，在远处，正为死者呜呜地哀鸣；还有一只夜鹰和一条狗正在为一个快死去的人嚎叫。还 有那风声正想要在我耳边低声诉说，只是在诉说着什么，我捉摸不透。如此这般，不由得我 浑身一阵阵颤抖。我又听见远处林子里鬼魂声响。这个鬼，每逢他要把存在心头的话说出 来，可又说不清，于是在坟墓里安不下身来，非得每个夜晚悲悲切切地到处飘飘荡荡。我真 是丧魂落魄，十分害怕，但愿身边有个伴。一会儿，一只蜘蛛爬到我肩上，我一抹，抹到了 蜡烛火头上。我没有动一个指头，它就烧焦了。不用别人告诉我，我也明白，这可是个不祥 之兆，我认定准要有祸事临头。我便十分害怕，几乎把身上的衣服抖落在地。我立起身来， 就地转了三圈，每转一圈，就在胸前划个十字。接着用线把头上一小想头发给扎起来，让妖 怪不能近身。不过，我还是不放心。人家把找到的一块马蹄铁给弄丢了，没有能钉在门上， 才这么做的③，可从没有听说，弄死了一只蜘蛛，也用这个办法消灾避祸。 ①此处第一次写到死，也是本书开宗明义便写到死，结合全书其它部分的描写，表 现了哈克对死的敏感性，也使全书在幽默戏谑中透出了黯淡冷峻与悲凉气氛。 原文是nigger，黑人或黑奴，可以无贬义，也可以有贬义，因人因地因上下文而异。 据诺顿版注、用nigger这个词，在蓄奴州里、未必有恶意，而是一般指奴隶。从全书看， 一般往往有贬义。 ②诺顿版注：马克•吐温经常提到的一个主题是个人的极端孤独，而有关童年哈克在这 方面的描写，尤为突出。这从下面描写的树林子里和河上一片荒凉景象，可以想见。此外， 哈克的迷信心理，是当时儿童普遍的心理，也是当年拓殖过程中边疆地区普遍的心态。 ③当时迷信，找到一块马蹄铁，即说明要交好运；丢了它，就要倒楣。 我坐了下来，浑身直打颤，取出我的烟斗，抽了一口烟，因为屋子里到处象死一般静， 所以寡妇不会知道我在抽烟。隔了好一会儿，我听到远处镇上的钟声敲响。噹——噹—— 噹，——敲了十二下。——然后又一片寂静，——比原来还要静。不久，我听到一根枝桠折 断声，在那树丛的黑暗深处——啊，有什么东西在响动。我一动也不动地坐着静听。我立刻 听到隐隐约约从那边传来“咪——呜，咪——呜”的声音，多好啊！我就发出“咪—呜，咪 —呜”声，尽量越轻越好。接着，我吹熄了蜡烛，爬出窗口，爬到了棚屋顶上。再溜下草 地，爬进树丛。千准万确，汤姆正等着我哩。 Chapter 1 YOU don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow, or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly -- Tom's Aunt Polly, she is -- and Mary, and the Widow Douglas is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before. Now the way that the book winds up is this: Tom and me found the money that the robbers hid in the cave, and it made us rich. We got six thousand dollars apiece -- all gold. It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up. Well, Judge Thatcher he took it and put it out at interest, and it fetched us a dollar a day apiece all the year round -- more than a body could tell what to do with. The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. But Tom Sawyer he hunted me up and said he was going to start a band of robbers, and I might join if I would go back to the widow and be respectable. So I went back. The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn't do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn't really anything the matter with them, -- that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better. After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people. Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try to not do it any more. That is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself. Her sister, Miss Watson, a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on, had just come to live with her, and took a set at me now with a spelling-book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then the widow made her ease up. I couldn't stood it much longer. Then for an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;" and "Don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry -- set up straight;" and pretty soon she would say, "Don't gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry -- why don't you try to behave?" Then she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished I was there. She got mad then, but I didn't mean no harm. All I wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn't particular. She said it was wicked to say what I said; said she wouldn't say it for the whole world; she was going to live so as to go to the good place. Well, I couldn't see no advantage in going where she was going, so I made up my mind I wouldn't try for it. But I never said so, because it would only make trouble, and wouldn't do no good. Now she had got a start, and she went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn't think much of it. But I never said so. I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together. Miss Watson she kept pecking at me, and it got tiresome and lonesome. By and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed. I went up to my room with a piece of candle, and put it on the table. Then I set down in a chair by the window and tried to think of something cheerful, but it warn't no use. I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead. The stars were shining, and the leaves rustled in the woods ever so mournful; and I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippowill and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was, and so it made the cold shivers run over me. Then away out in the woods I heard that kind of a sound that a ghost makes when it wants to tell about something that's on its mind and can't make itself understood, and so can't rest easy in its grave, and has to go about that way every night grieving. I got so down-hearted and scared I did wish I had some company. Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away. But I hadn't no confidence. You do that when you've lost a horseshoe that you've found, instead of nailing it up over the door, but I hadn't ever heard anybody say it was any way to keep off bad luck when you'd killed a spider. I set down again, a-shaking all over, and got out my pipe for a smoke; for the house was all as still as death now, and so the widow wouldn't know. Well, after a long time I heard the clock away off in the town go boom -- boom -- boom -- twelve licks; and all still again -- stiller than ever. Pretty soon I heard a twig snap down in the dark amongst the trees -- something was a stirring. I set still and listened. Directly I could just barely hear a "me-yow! me-yow!" down there. That was good! Says I, "me-yow! me-yow!" as soft as I could, and then I put out the light and scrambled out of the window on to the shed. Then I slipped down to the ground and crawled in among the trees, and, sure enough, there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me. |
| 第二章 我们踮着脚尖，沿着树丛中小道，朝寡妇园子尽头往回走，一路上弯下身子，免得树桠 子擦破脑袋。我们走过厨房时，我给树根绊了一跤，发出了响声。我们伏下不动。华珍小姐 那个大个儿的黑奴，名叫杰姆的①，正坐在厨房门口。我们把他看得一清二楚，因为他身后 有灯光。只见他站起身来，把颈子往前探，仔细听了一会儿。接着，他说，“谁呀？” ①企鹅版注：杰姆的原型为马克•吐温幼年时叔叔家田庄上的黑奴叫做丹尼尔的。 马克•吐温曾夸他品性好。 他又仔细听了一会儿，然后踮起脚尖走下来，就在我们俩的当中，我们几乎能摸到他的 身子了。就这样，几分钟、几分钟过去了，一点儿也没有响动，可我们又都靠得那么拢。这 时候我脚脖子上有一处发痒，不过我没有动手抓。接着，我耳朵又痒起来了，然后在我的背 上，正在我两肩的中间，又痒起来了。真是再不抓便要死了。是啊，从这以后，我发现有好 多回就是如此这般。你要是跟有身份的人在一起，或者参加一处葬仪，或是明明睡不着偏要 睡，——不论在哪里，只要那里不容许你抓痒，那你就全身会有一千处发起痒来。不一会 儿，杰姆在说： “喂——你史（是）谁啊？史（是）什么人？我约（要）是没听到什摸（么），才见鬼 哩。好吧，我知道该怎么办。我要坐在这里，等到再听到响声才息（歇）。” 这样，他就坐在地上，就在我和汤姆的中间，他背靠着一棵树，两脚往前伸开，一条腿 几乎碰到了我的一条腿。我的鼻子开始发痒，痒得我的眼泪都流了出来，不过我没有抓。接 着，我鼻孔里也痒了起来，然后是鼻子底下发痒。我真不知道怎样能这么坐着一动也不动。 这么难受的罪啊，一直熬了有六七分钟之久，不过在感觉上觉得不止六七分钟。接着，我身 上有十一处在发痒。我估摸着，再熬一分钟以上，我可就要顶不住啦。不过，我还是咬咬 牙，准备再顶一顶。就在这个时刻，杰姆呼吸得气粗了。再过一会儿，他打起呼噜来了。— —这样，我就马上又舒坦起来了。 汤姆呢，他给了我一个信号——嘴里发出一点声响，——我们就手脚并用爬开去。爬了 十步远，汤姆在我耳朵边低声说，他要把杰姆捆绑在一棵树上，这样好玩儿。我说不行，这 样会弄醒他，就会闹将起来，人家就会发现我不在屋里。接着，汤姆说他蜡烛不够用，他想 溜进厨房去多找几根蜡烛。我劝他别这么干，我说，杰姆说不定会醒，会跟着来。不过汤姆 要冒一冒险，这样，我们就溜了进去，取了三支蜡烛。汤姆在桌上留下了五分钱，算是蜡烛 钱。然后，我们出了厨房。我急于想溜走，可是怎么也阻止不了汤姆，他非要手脚并用爬到 杰姆那边，跟他开个玩笑。我等着，仿佛等了很久，四下里一片寂静，感觉很孤单。 汤姆一回来，我们就绕着园子的围墙，沿着小径往前走。一步步摸上了屋那头陡陡的小 山顶。汤姆说他把杰姆的帽子从他头上轻轻摘了下来，挂在他头顶上一根枝桠上。杰姆身子 动了一下，不过没有醒。这件事过后，杰姆对人说，妖巫对他施了魔法，搞得他神志昏迷， 然后骑着他飞往本州各地，然后把他降落到原来那棵树下，并且把他的帽子桂在枝桠上，好 让他知道这究竟是谁干的。到下一回，杰姆告人说，他们把他一直骑到了新奥尔良。再后 来，每次对人家吹起来，地界越吹越宽。最后，他告人说，他们骑在他身上飞遍了全世界， 搞得他几乎累得要死，他背上也长满了马鞍子磨破了的泡泡。杰姆对这一回的经过，得意得 忘乎所以，甚至不把别的黑奴放在眼里。各地的黑奴从老远的地方来听听杰姆讲述这种种经 过，他成了这一方黑奴中间最受抬举的人。外地来的黑奴嘴张得大大的，上上下下打量他， 仿佛见到了个珍奇宝贝。黑奴一般爱讲黑地里、灶火边，妖巫怎么样怎么样。不过，逢到有 人这么讲，显得自己在这方面无所不知，无所不晓。这时，杰姆总会插一嘴，说一声， “哼！你懂得什么‘妖巫’？”那个黑奴就被堵住嘴，不得不往后靠了。杰姆总是把那个五 分钱的角子用细绳挂在颈子上，说这是那个妖巫亲手给他的一种法宝，还亲口告诉他这能治 一切疑难杂症。并且说只要念念有词，他可以随时把妖巫招请来，不过妖巫告诉他念的那些 词，他可从没有对人讲过。黑奴从四面八方来，还给杰姆带来他们所能有的礼物。他们的目 的只是为了能见识一下那个五分钱的钱币。不过他们对钱币不敢碰一下，因为这是魔鬼的手 摸过了的。作为一个仆人，杰姆这下子可给毁了。因为他既然见过魔鬼，又给妖巫骑在身上 过，他就自然而然地神气起来，目空一切了。 再说，汤姆和我到了小山头的边边上，我们往下面村子①里一望，见到有三四处闪着灯 光。也可能那里有病人吧。我们头顶上的星星呢，闪烁着迷人的光亮。下面村子边上，流淌 着那条大河②，整整一英里。那么宽阔，那么寂静，那么庄严。我们走下小山头，找到了 乔•哈贝和朋•罗杰斯，还有两三个别的男孩子，都是躲在废了的鞣皮工场里的。于是，我 们就解开了一只小舟，顺水划了两英里半路，到了小山边上一处大岩石那儿，就上了岸。 ①指书中的圣彼得堡，原型即作者故乡密苏里的汉尼拔小镇。本为移殖运动中边疆 小村，此时已是运输相当繁忙的河港。 ②指密西西比河。 我们走进了一簇矮树丛，汤姆让大家一个个都宣了誓，表示决心保守秘密，然后领他们 到小山上一处山洞前。那里正是矮树丛里树木长得最密的地方。我们就点起了蜡烛，连走带 爬地进去了。到了里边两百码处，豁然开朗。汤姆在那一条条过道之间摸索了一阵子，便在 一道石壁那里钻了下去，在那里，你根本看不到有一处洞口。我们沿着一条狭窄的过道，闯 进了一处类似一个小间的地方，那里一片湿漉漉的，又冷。 我们就在那儿停了下来。汤姆说： “啊，我们这个强盗帮就在这里成立啦。我们给它起个名字，就叫它汤姆•索亚帮吧。 凡是有心参加的，都得起个誓，还要用血写下自己的名字。” 那是人人愿意的。汤姆取出了一张纸，上面写好了誓词，他把誓词念了一遍。誓词说， 每个哥儿们忠于本帮，决不把本帮的秘密告诉任何一个人。如果有任何人伤害本帮任何一个 哥儿们，因而命令任何一个哥儿们去杀死那个人和他的家里人，那他必须照办。在他把他们 杀死，并在他们胸膛上用刀划下本帮的标记也就是十字以前，一概不准吃东西，不准睡觉。 凡非本帮的人，一律不得使用这个标志；凡使用了的，初犯者要被控告，再犯者处死。凡本 帮成员对外泄露秘密者，必须割断他的喉管，并把尸体烧掉。把骨灰撒掉，名字从血书的名 单上除掉。凡属本帮哥儿们，从此一律不许再提到他的名字，而且要加以诅咒，直到永远。 人人都说，这才是一个真正了不起的誓词。还问汤姆，这是不是用他自己的脑袋想出来 的。他说，有些地方是的，不过其余的出自海盗书上与强盗书上的①。还说，每个强盗帮， 凡是帅帅的，都有誓词。 有的人认为，凡泄露秘密的哥儿们的家属，理该处死。汤姆说这个意见很好，便用笔记 了下来。接着，朋•罗杰斯说： “这儿的哈克•芬呢②，他可没有家属啊——对他该怎么办才好？” ①诺顿版注：吐温对孩子们“假发誓”等的心理描写，暗含着作者对浪漫作品及作 家一贯的讥刺态度。译者认为，写密西西比河上水手们的下一代孩子们从小抱打不平的侠义 心理，而又充满了幻想、想象，写得如此逼真，如此迷人，这是主要问题所在。当然这并不 排斥作者借此对消极浪漫派的笔法讽刺一下。 ②诺顿版注：乃哈克贝里•芬的简称和昵称。 “啊，他不是有个父亲么？”汤姆•索亚说。 “不错，他是有个父亲。不过，在这些日子里，你从来没有见到过他的人影。他老是喝 得醉醺醺的，在鞣皮工场的猪圈里睡。在这一带，有一年多见不到他这个人影了。” 他们就进行了讨论，还正准备着把我排除在外，理由是每个哥儿们非得有个家或是有个 什么人可以杀掉才行啊。不然的话，对其他的人来说，那就太不公平了。是啊，谁都想不出 一个办法来——一个个都一筹莫展，呆呆地坐在那里，我真是快要哭出来了。可是突然之 间，我想出了一个解决办法。我给大伙儿推出了华珍小姐——他们可以杀死她啊。于是一个 个都说： “哦，她行，她行。成了，成了。哈克能加入了。” 接着，大伙儿用针头刺自个儿的手指头，刺出血来，写了姓名，我也在纸上血书了姓名。 “那么”，朋•罗杰斯说，“我们这个帮干什么样的行当呢？” “就只是抢劫和杀人，其它一律不干，”汤姆说。 “可是我们要抢的是什么呢？房子——还是牲口——还是——” “胡说！偷牲口，以及诸如此类，那算什么强盗，那是偷盗，”汤姆说。“我们可不是 偷东西的，这算什么气派。我们是拦路行劫的好汉，我们在大路之上拦劫驿车和私家马车， 我们头戴面具，我们杀人，我们夺他们的表，夺他们的钱财。” “我们非得老是要杀人么？” “哦，那当然，杀是上策。有些老行家不是这么看，不过大多数认为杀是上策。除非是 那类的人，我们把他押到山洞里来，看押在这里，到送来赎金为止。” “赎金？那是怎么一回事啊？” “我也不知道，不过人家就是这么干的，我看到书上是这么写的。因此，我们自然也得 这么干。” “我们连那是什么一回事都还没有搞清楚，怎么个干法？” “别光说泄气话，反正我们得干。我不是跟你们说过了么，书上是这么说的。难道你们 准备不按书上写的，另搞一套，把事情搞得一团糟？” “哦，说说很容易，汤姆•索亚。不过，要是我们不知道该怎样对付这些人，他妈的， 怎样勒索到赎金？我要搞清楚的恰恰正是这个。你估摸着，那该是怎么个办法？” “啊，这我不知道。不过，也许是这样，我们把他们看押好，一直到勒索到赎金，这就 是说，一直到他们死去为止。” “嗯，这还多少象句话。这能解决问题，你为什么不早说呢？我们要把他们看押住，直 到死去拉倒——也会有不少麻烦事，把什么都吃得光光的，还总是想逃跑。” “看你说的，朋•罗杰斯。有警卫看守着他们，人家怎样能溜得掉，只要胆敢一迈腿， 就干掉他们。” “一个警卫。嗯，这倒好。那就得有人整夜值班，决不打瞌睡，就只是为了把他们看押 好。我看这是个笨主意。为什么不可以把他们一押到这里，就派人拿一根棍子，马上就勒索 赎金？” “就只是因为书上没有这么写——这就是原因所在。朋•罗杰斯，我问你，你是愿意照 规矩办事，还是不愿意？——问题恰恰在这里。你以为，写书的人不知道怎样才是正确的办 法么？你自以为比他们更高明么？才不呢！先生，不，我们还是要按照通常的规矩勒索赎 金。” “好吧，我不在意，不过，我还得说这是个笨办法。——再说，妇女，我们也杀么？” “啊，朋•罗杰斯，我要是跟你一般的笨头笨脑，我不会随便乱说。杀妇女？不——这 样的事，谁也从没有在任何哪一本书上看到过。你把她们带到了山洞里。从始至终，你总是 对她们斯斯文文的；慢慢地，她们就爱上了你，再也不想回家啦。” “好，要是这样的话，我赞成。不过，我看这行不通。不用好久，山洞里就会挤满妇女 和待赎的人，没有强盗待的地方。不过，就这么干吧，我没有什么要说的了。” 小汤米•巴恩斯这会儿睡着了，人家把他弄醒的时候，他吓坏了，哭了起来，说要回 家，回到妈那里，再也不想干什么强盗了。 大家就都笑话他，叫他是个爱哭的娃娃。这样一来，把他可气疯了，说他要马上走，把 全部秘密说出去。不过，汤姆给了他五分钱，叫他别作声。还说，我们全体回家转，下星期 再聚齐，然后抢劫它几个人，杀它几个人。 朋•罗杰斯说他不能多出门，除了逢星期天。因此他主张下星期天再聚会，不过，其余 的哥儿们都说星期天干这样的事是邪恶的。这样，问题就定下来了。他们赞成要再碰一次 头，尽快定一个日子。接着，我们选举汤姆•索亚为本帮的首领，乔•哈贝为副手，大家就 打道回家了。 我爬上了棚屋，爬进我的窗户，那正是天蒙蒙亮的时刻。 我的新衣服上尽是油渍和土。我困得要命。 Chapter 2 WE went tiptoeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of the widow's garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn't scrape our heads. When we was passing by the kitchen I fell over a root and made a noise. We scrouched down and laid still. Miss Watson's big nigger, named Jim, was setting in the kitchen door; we could see him pretty clear, because there was a light behind him. He got up and stretched his neck out about a minute, listening. Then he says: "Who dah?" He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was minutes and minutes that there warn't a sound, and we all there so close together. There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I dasn't scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right between my shoulders. Seemed like I'd die if I couldn't scratch. Well, I've noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with the quality, or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain't sleepy -- if you are anywheres where it won't do for you to scratch, why you will itch all over in upwards of a thousand places. Pretty soon Jim says: "Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn' hear sumf'n. Well, I know what I's gwyne to do: I's gwyne to set down here and listen tell I hears it agin." So he set down on the ground betwixt me and Tom. He leaned his back up against a tree, and stretched his legs out till one of them most touched one of mine. My nose begun to itch. It itched till the tears come into my eyes. But I dasn't scratch. Then it begun to itch on the inside. Next I got to itching underneath. I didn't know how I was going to set still. This miserableness went on as much as six or seven minutes; but it seemed a sight longer than that. I was itching in eleven different places now. I reckoned I couldn't stand it more'n a minute longer, but I set my teeth hard and got ready to try. Just then Jim begun to breathe heavy; next he begun to snore -- and then I was pretty soon comfortable again. Tom he made a sign to me -- kind of a little noise with his mouth -- and we went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we was ten foot off Tom whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they'd find out I warn't in. Then Tom said he hadn't got candles enough, and he would slip in the kitchen and get some more. I didn't want him to try. I said Jim might wake up and come. But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there and got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay. Then we got out, and I was in a sweat to get away; but nothing would do Tom but he must crawl to where Jim was, on his hands and knees, and play something on him. I waited, and it seemed a good while, everything was so still and lonesome. As soon as Tom was back we cut along the path, around the garden fence, and by and by fetched up on the steep top of the hill the other side of the house. Tom said he slipped Jim's hat off of his head and hung it on a limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn't wake. Afterwards Jim said the witches bewitched him and put him in a trance, and rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again, and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it. And next time Jim told it he said they rode him down to New Orleans; and, after that, every time he told it he spread it more and more, till by and by he said they rode him all over the world, and tired him most to death, and his back was all over saddle-boils. Jim was monstrous proud about it, and he got so he wouldn't hardly notice the other niggers. Niggers would come miles to hear Jim tell about it, and he was more looked up to than any nigger in that country. Strange niggers would stand with their mouths open and look him all over, same as if he was a wonder. Niggers is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, Jim would happen in and say, "Hm! What you know 'bout witches?" and that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat. Jim always kept that five-center piece round his neck with a string, and said it was a charm the devil give to him with his own hands, and told him he could cure anybody with it and fetch witches whenever he wanted to just by saying something to it; but he never told what it was he said to it. Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had, just for a sight of that fivecenter piece; but they wouldn't touch it, because the devil had had his hands on it. Jim was most ruined for a servant, because he got stuck up on account of having seen the devil and been rode by witches. Well, when Tom and me got to the edge of the hilltop we looked away down into the village and could see three or four lights twinkling, where there was sick folks, maybe; and the stars over us was sparkling ever so fine; and down by the village was the river, a whole mile broad, and awful still and grand. We went down the hill and found Jo Harper and Ben Rogers, and two or three more of the boys, hid in the old tanyard. So we unhitched a skiff and pulled down the river two mile and a half, to the big scar on the hillside, and went ashore. We went to a clump of bushes, and Tom made everybody swear to keep the secret, and then showed them a hole in the hill, right in the thickest part of the bushes. Then we lit the candles, and crawled in on our hands and knees. We went about two hundred yards, and then the cave opened up. Tom poked about amongst the passages, and pretty soon ducked under a wall where you wouldn't a noticed that there was a hole. We went along a narrow place and got into a kind of room, all damp and sweaty and cold, and there we stopped. Tom says: "Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood." Everybody was willing. So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath on, and read it. It swore every boy to stick to the band, and never tell any of the secrets; and if anybody done anything to any boy in the band, whichever boy was ordered to kill that person and his family must do it, and he mustn't eat and he mustn't sleep till he had killed them and hacked a cross in their breasts, which was the sign of the band. And nobody that didn't belong to the band could use that mark, and if he did he must be sued; and if he done it again he must be killed. And if anybody that belonged to the band told the secrets, he must have his throat cut, and then have his carcass burnt up and the ashes scattered all around, and his name blotted off of the list with blood and never mentioned again by the gang, but have a curse put on it and be forgot forever. Everybody said it was a real beautiful oath, and asked Tom if he got it out of his own head. He said, some of it, but the rest was out of pirate-books and robber-books, and every gang that was high-toned had it. Some thought it would be good to kill the FAMILIES of boys that told the secrets. Tom said it was a good idea, so he took a pencil and wrote it in. Then Ben Rogers says: "Here's Huck Finn, he hain't got no family; what you going to do 'bout him?" "Well, hain't he got a father?" says Tom Sawyer. "Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tanyard, but he hain't been seen in these parts for a year or more." They talked it over, and they was going to rule me out, because they said every boy must have a family or somebody to kill, or else it wouldn't be fair and square for the others. Well, nobody could think of anything to do -- everybody was stumped, and set still. I was most ready to cry; but all at once I thought of a way, and so I offered them Miss Watson -- they could kill her. Everybody said: "Oh, she'll do. That's all right. Huck can come in." Then they all stuck a pin in their fingers to get blood to sign with, and I made my mark on the paper. "Now," says Ben Rogers, "what's the line of business of this Gang?" "Nothing only robbery and murder," Tom said. "But who are we going to rob? -- houses, or cattle, or --" "Stuff! stealing cattle and such things ain't robbery; it's burglary," says Tom Sawyer. "We ain't burglars. That ain't no sort of style. We are highwaymen. We stop stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money." "Must we always kill the people?" "Oh, certainly. It's best. Some authorities think different, but mostly it's considered best to kill them -- except some that you bring to the cave here, and keep them till they're ransomed." "Ransomed? What's that?" "I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in books; and so of course that's what we've got to do." "But how can we do it if we don't know what it is?" "Why, blame it all, we've GOT to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?" "Oh, that's all very fine to SAY, Tom Sawyer, but how in the nation are these fellows going to be ransomed if we don't know how to do it to them? -- that's the thing I want to get at. Now, what do you reckon it is?" "Well, I don't know. But per'aps if we keep them till they're ransomed, it means that we keep them till they're dead. " "Now, that's something LIKE. That'll answer. Why couldn't you said that before? We'll keep them till they're ransomed to death; and a bothersome lot they'll be, too -- eating up everything, and always trying to get loose." "How you talk, Ben Rogers. How can they get loose when there's a guard over them, ready to shoot them down if they move a peg?" "A guard! Well, that IS good. So somebody's got to set up all night and never get any sleep, just so as to watch them. I think that's foolishness. Why can't a body take a club and ransom them as soon as they get here?" "Because it ain't in the books so -- that's why. Now, Ben Rogers, do you want to do things regular, or don't you? -- that's the idea. Don't you reckon that the people that made the books knows what's the correct thing to do? Do you reckon YOU can learn 'em anything? Not by a good deal. No, sir, we'll just go on and ransom them in the regular way." "All right. I don't mind; but I say it's a fool way, anyhow. Say, do we kill the women, too?" "Well, Ben Rogers, if I was as ignorant as you I wouldn't let on. Kill the women? No; nobody ever saw anything in the books like that. You fetch them to the cave, and you're always as polite as pie to them; and by and by they fall in love with you, and never want to go home any more." "Well, if that's the way I'm agreed, but I don't take no stock in it. Mighty soon we'll have the cave so cluttered up with women, and fellows waiting to be ransomed, that there won't be no place for the robbers. But go ahead, I ain't got nothing to say." Little Tommy Barnes was asleep now, and when they waked him up he was scared, and cried, and said he wanted to go home to his ma, and didn't want to be a robber any more. So they all made fun of him, and called him crybaby, and that made him mad, and he said he would go straight and tell all the secrets. But Tom give him five cents to keep quiet, and said we would all go home and meet next week, and rob somebody and kill some people. Ben Rogers said he couldn't get out much, only Sundays, and so he wanted to begin next Sunday; but all the boys said it would be wicked to do it on Sunday, and that settled the thing. They agreed to get together and fix a day as soon as they could, and then we elected Tom Sawyer first captain and Jo Harper second captain of the Gang, and so started home. I clumb up the shed and crept into my window just before day was breaking. My new clothes was all greased up and clayey, and I was dog-tired. |
第三章 第二天早晨，为了衣服的事，我被华珍老小姐从头到脚查看了一遍，不过寡妇呢，她倒 没有剋我，只是把我衣服上的油渍和土搞干净了，一脸难过的样子。这叫我想到了，要是做 得到的话，我也该学得规矩些才是。接下来，华珍小姐把我领到那间小房间里，还做了祷告 ①。不过祷告没有什么实效。她要我每天都做祷告，还说，我求什么，就能得什么。不过， 事实并非如此。我是试过了的。有一回，我搞到了一根钓鱼竿，可就是没有钓鱼钩。没有钓 鱼钩，钓鱼竿对我有什么用？我为了钓鱼钩，祷告了三四次，可就是无法搞得灵验。有一 天，我请求华珍小姐替我求一求。不过她说我可是个傻瓜蛋。什么原因呢，她可没有说。我 自己呢，也捉摸不出一个道道来。 ①诺顿版注：《圣经》上说，“祷告时，要进你的内屋。”华珍小姐严格按照《圣 经》行事。 有一回，我在树林子后边坐着，对这件事想了好一会儿。我自个儿盘算盘算，要是一做 祷告，求什么就有什么，那么，教堂管事威恩为什么没有能讨回他买猪肉丢掉的钱？寡妇为 什么就找不到被偷走的那只银器的鼻烟盒子呢？华珍小姐又为什么不能长得胖一点？不，我 对自个儿说，没有那么一回事。我把这个道理对寡妇说了。她说，一个人，做了祷告，所能 得到的是“精神方面的礼物”。这对我可太难了。不过，她倒是把她的意思都对我讲了—— 说我务必帮助别人，该为了别人竭尽一切，并且随时随地照看他们，从不想到自己。据我推 想这包括华珍小姐在内。我进了树林子里，在心里琢磨来，琢磨去，琢磨了好长一个时辰， 可是我看不出这样琢磨有什么好处——除了对别的人有好处——这样，我想，我又何必为这 个操什么心，还是随它去吧。有的时候，寡妇会把我叫到一边去，把上帝讲得天花乱坠，能 叫小孩子听了直流口水。可是到第二天，华珍小姐也许会抓住了你，把原先那一套打得粉 碎。我就想，这样看来，是有两个上帝。一个穷光蛋，要是能摊上寡妇说的那个上帝，就会 有出头之日。不过，要是给华珍小姐的上帝管治了的话，那就什么都捞不到了。我把这个想 了又想，想来我还是归顺寡妇那个上帝划得来，只要他肯收我，尽管我不明白，他怎样能比 他过去那么样的更好些，因为我明摆着那么笨，那么下贱，脾气又坏①。 ①诺顿版注：和哈克一样，马克•吐温常常思考宗教问题。例子很多，突出的是 《神秘的陌生人》。作者常常对之运用喜剧性的评论。 至于我爸爸呢，我可有一年多没有见到了。这样，我也乐得能自在些。我根本不想再见 到他。他不醉的时候，只要见我在一旁，总是揍我。而我呢，只要有他在一起，总是溜进林 子里去。这一回，人家说，有人发现他在河里淹死了，说是在离镇上十二英里那边。他们 说，反正是他，没错。说淹死了的那个人，身材是他的身材，穿着破烂的衣衫，头发长得出 奇——这一切正是我爸爸的模样——不过从脸上就看不出什么了，因为泡在水里太久，脸就 不象脸了。人家说，他身子躺在水面上。他们把他打捞了上来，就在河边安葬了。不过我并 没有能舒坦多久，因为我突然想到了一件事。我很清楚，淹死的人决不是脸朝天浮在水面上 的，而是背朝天的。所以我就断定，那不是我的爸爸，而是一个穿了男人衣服的女子。这 样，我就舒坦不起来了。我断定，老头儿有一天又会出现，尽管我不希望他会回来。 如今有一个月光景，我们还是玩充当强盗那码子事儿。后来我退出不干了。哥儿们一个 个全都退出了。我们并没有抢劫过什么人，我们并没有杀过什么人，不过是装成这样罢了。 我们总是从林子里跳将出来，冲向那些赶猪的人和那些赶着车把菜蔬运往菜市场去的妇女。 不过我们从没有把她们扣押起来过。汤姆•索亚把那些猪叫做“金条”，把萝卜之类的东 西，叫做“珍宝”。我们会到山洞里去，吹嘘我们的功绩，我们杀了多少人啦，给多少人留 下了伤疤啦。不过我看不出这一套有什么好处。有一回，汤姆派一个哥儿们，手里举着一根 正燃着的火棍，到镇上跑了一圈。他把这火棍叫做信号（是通知全帮的哥儿们集合的）。接 着，他说他获得了他派出去的密探所得的秘密情报：明天，有一大队西班牙商人和阿拉伯富 翁要到“洼洞”那里宿营，随带有两百匹大象，六百匹骆驼和一千多头“驮骡”，满装着珍 珠宝贝，他们的警卫才只四百个人。因此，用他的话来说，我们不妨来一个伏击，把这伙子 人杀掉，把财宝抢过来。他说，我们需得把刀熗擦亮，做好一切准备。他连一辆装萝卜的车 子都对付不了，却非得把刀熗全都擦洗好，准备一切。其实刀熗不过是薄木片和扫帚把，你 再擦，擦得累死累活，这些东西原本是那个料，不过是一堆灰烬罢了。我可不相信我们能打 垮这么一大群西班牙人和阿拉伯人。不过，我倒想见识见识那些骆驼啊，大象啊之类的。因 此，第二天，星期六，伏击时我也到场。一得到消息，我们就冲出林子，冲下小山。不过不 见西班牙人和阿拉伯人，不见骆驼，不见大象。就只是主日学校举行的一次野餐，而且只是 一年级生参加。我们把他们冲散了，把小孩子们冲进了洼地。不过东西呢，我们什么也没有 捞到，就只是一些炸面包、果子酱。朋•罗杰斯总算捞到了一只破旧的洋娃娃，乔•哈贝搞 到了一本赞美诗集和一本小册子。接着，他们的老师赶来了，我们只能把一切全扔掉，赶快 溜走。我可没有见到什么钻石。我也对汤姆•索亚这么说了。他说，反正那里一驮驮有的 是。他还说，那儿还有阿拉伯人哩，还有大象哩，还有其它等等的。我说，怎么我看不见 啊？他说，只要我不是这么笨，并且读过一本叫做《堂•吉诃德》的书，我就不会这么问 了，就会懂得了。他说这是魔法搞的。他说，那儿有士兵成百上千，有大象，有珍珠宝贝， 如此等等，不一而足。不过，我们还有敌人，他把他们叫做魔法师，是他们，把整个儿这一 切这么一变，变成了主日学校，就只是为了存心捣鬼。我说，那么好吧，我们该干的就是要 去寻找那些魔法师了。汤姆•索亚说我真是个呆脑壳。 “那怎么行，”他说，“一个魔法师能召唤出一大批精灵。在你们还没有来得及喊一声 哎哟，他们就能把你们剁成肉酱。 他们的身子有大树一般高，有一座教堂那般大。 “啊，”我说，“要是我们能让一些精灵帮我们那就好了——那样我们就能把那群人打 垮了吧？” “你怎么能搞到他们呢？” “我可不知道。人家又怎么能搞到他们的呢？” “啊，他们把一盏旧的白铁灯或者铁环那么一摸，精灵们便在一阵阵雪声隆隆、一道道 电光闪闪、烟雾腾腾中，呼的一声涌现了。然后叫他们干什么，他们便马上干什么。要他们 把一座炮弹塔从塔基上拔起来，或是要他们用皮带抽打一个主日学校监督或是别的什么人的 脑袋，在他们看来，那都不在话下。”① ①诺顿版注：上边这些记叙，仿自《天方夜谭》（关于神灯）和十七世纪塞万提斯 的《堂•吉诃德》，既表现汤姆的心态，也表现了马克•吐温对幼时读书的美好回忆。有关 孩子们“假想”“假作真”的描写，既是逗趣性质，又提供了哈克与杰姆后来河上真实历险 的一个背景。 另据马克•吐温童年时的一位友人在１９１３年的回忆，当时汉尼拔没有什么书可供阅 读，全镇只有一部《天方夜谭》，是马克•吐温的父亲的书，马克•吐温对书中的故事颇为 熟悉。 “谁叫他们这么飞快赶来的呢？” “怎么啦，当然是那个擦灯、擦铁环的人啰。他们得听从擦灯、擦铁环的人的指挥，他 怎么说，他们就得怎么干。要是他叫他们造一座皇宫，四十英里长，用珍珠宝贝砌成，里边 装满了口香糖，或是别的什么的，还搞来一位中国皇帝的公主嫁给你，那他们也得服从命令 去办——并且非得在第二天太阳升起以前办好。还不只如此，——他们还得把这座宫殿在全 国各地来回地搬来又搬去，只要你高兴到哪里就到哪里，你懂么？” 我们这件事想过来、想过去，想了两三天功夫。最后决定我不妨试它一试，看究竟有没 有道理。我搞到了一盏破旧的白铁灯，还有一只铁环。我到了林子里去，擦啊，擦啊，擦得 我全身汗湿透，湿透，活象个野人，为的是指望建造一座皇宫，然后把它出售。可是啊，怎 么也不管用，始终不见精灵出现。我就断定，这全是汤姆•索亚撒的谎，这不过是其中的一 件罢了。我估摸，他还是相信阿拉伯啊，大象啊那一套，我可不是那么想。这全是主日学校 的那一套罢了①。 ①诺顿版注：哈克把传奇小说中属于幻想性质的东西跟宗教里面神鬼之事联系了起 来。这也表现了马克•吐温幽默逗笑中对传统观念那一套刻意讥刺的笔法。 Chapter 3 WELL, I got a good going-over in the morning from old Miss Watson on account of my clothes; but the widow she didn't scold, but only cleaned off the grease and clay, and looked so sorry that I thought I would behave awhile if I could. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it. But it warn't so. I tried it. Once I got a fish-line, but no hooks. It warn't any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldn't make it work. By and by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. She never told me why, and I couldn't make it out no way. I set down one time back in the woods, and had a long think about it. I says to myself, if a body can get anything they pray for, why don't Deacon Winn get back the money he lost on pork? Why can't the widow get back her silver snuffbox that was stole? Why can't Miss Watson fat up? No, says I to my self, there ain't nothing in it. I went and told the widow about it, and she said the thing a body could get by praying for it was "spiritual gifts." This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant -- I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. This was including Miss Watson, as I took it. I went out in the woods and turned it over in my mind a long time, but I couldn't see no advantage about it -- except for the other people; so at last I reckoned I wouldn't worry about it any more, but just let it go. Sometimes the widow would take me one side and talk about Providence in a way to make a body's mouth water; but maybe next day Miss Watson would take hold and knock it all down again. I judged I could see that there was two Providences, and a poor chap would stand considerable show with the widow's Providence, but if Miss Watson's got him there warn't no help for him any more. I thought it all out, and reckoned I would belong to the widow's if he wanted me, though I couldn't make out how he was a-going to be any better off then than what he was before, seeing I was so ignorant, and so kind of low-down and ornery. Pap he hadn't been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn't want to see him no more. He used to always whale me when he was sober and could get his hands on me; though I used to take to the woods most of the time when he was around. Well, about this time he was found in the river drownded, about twelve mile above town, so people said. They judged it was him, anyway; said this drownded man was just his size, and was ragged, and had uncommon long hair, which was all like pap; but they couldn't make nothing out of the face, because it had been in the water so long it warn't much like a face at all. They said he was floating on his back in the water. They took him and buried him on the bank. But I warn't comfortable long, because I happened to think of something. I knowed mighty well that a drownded man don't float on his back, but on his face. So I knowed, then, that this warn't pap, but a woman dressed up in a man's clothes. So I was uncomfortable again. I judged the old man would turn up again by and by, though I wished he wouldn't. We played robber now and then about a month, and then I resigned. All the boys did. We hadn't robbed nobody, hadn't killed any people, but only just pretended. We used to hop out of the woods and go charging down on hog-drivers and women in carts taking garden stuff to market, but we never hived any of them. Tom Sawyer called the hogs "ingots," and he called the turnips and stuff "julery," and we would go to the cave and powwow over what we had done, and how many people we had killed and marked. But I couldn't see no profit in it. One time Tom sent a boy to run about town with a blazing stick, which he called a slogan (which was the sign for the Gang to get together), and then he said he had got secret news by his spies that next day a whole parcel of Spanish merchants and rich A-rabs was going to camp in Cave Hollow with two hundred elephants, and six hundred camels, and over a thousand "sumter" mules, all loaded down with di'monds, and they didn't have only a guard of four hundred soldiers, and so we would lay in ambuscade, as he called it, and kill the lot and scoop the things. He said we must slick up our swords and guns, and get ready. He never could go after even a turnip-cart but he must have the swords and guns all scoured up for it, though they was only lath and broomsticks, and you might scour at them till you rotted, and then they warn't worth a mouthful of ashes more than what they was before. I didn't believe we could lick such a crowd of Spaniards and A-rabs, but I wanted to see the camels and elephants, so I was on hand next day, Saturday, in the ambuscade; and when we got the word we rushed out of the woods and down the hill. But there warn't no Spaniards and A-rabs, and there warn't no camels nor no elephants. It warn't anything but a Sunday-school picnic, and only a primer-class at that. We busted it up, and chased the children up the hollow; but we never got anything but some doughnuts and jam, though Ben Rogers got a rag doll, and Jo Harper got a hymn-book and a tract; and then the teacher charged in, and made us drop everything and cut. I didn't see no di'monds, and I told Tom Sawyer so. He said there was loads of them there, anyway; and he said there was A-rabs there, too, and elephants and things. I said, why couldn't we see them, then? He said if I warn't so ignorant, but had read a book called Don Quixote, I would know without asking. He said it was all done by enchantment. He said there was hundreds of soldiers there, and elephants and treasure, and so on, but we had enemies which he called magicians; and they had turned the whole thing into an infant Sundayschool, just out of spite. I said, all right; then the thing for us to do was to go for the magicians. Tom Sawyer said I was a numskull. "Why," said he, "a magician could call up a lot of genies, and they would hash you up like nothing before you could say Jack Robinson. They are as tall as a tree and as big around as a church." "Well," I says, "s'pose we got some genies to help US -- can't we lick the other crowd then?" "How you going to get them?" "I don't know. How do THEY get them?" "Why, they rub an old tin lamp or an iron ring, and then the genies come tearing in, with the thunder and lightning a-ripping around and the smoke a-rolling, and everything they're told to do they up and do it. They don't think nothing of pulling a shot-tower up by the roots, and belting a Sunday-school superintendent over the head with it -- or any other man." "Who makes them tear around so?" "Why, whoever rubs the lamp or the ring. They belong to whoever rubs the lamp or the ring, and they've got to do whatever he says. If he tells them to build a palace forty miles long out of di'monds, and fill it full of chewing-gum, or whatever you want, and fetch an emperor's daughter from China for you to marry, they've got to do it -- and they've got to do it before sun-up next morning, too. And more: they've got to waltz that palace around over the country wherever you want it, you understand." "Well," says I, "I think they are a pack of flatheads for not keeping the palace themselves 'stead of fooling them away like that. And what's more -- if I was one of them I would see a man in Jericho before I would drop my business and come to him for the rubbing of an old tin lamp." "How you talk, Huck Finn. Why, you'd HAVE to come when he rubbed it, whether you wanted to or not." "What! and I as high as a tree and as big as a church? All right, then; I WOULD come; but I lay I'd make that man climb the highest tree there was in the country." "Shucks, it ain't no use to talk to you, Huck Finn. You don't seem to know anything, somehow -- perfect saphead." I thought all this over for two or three days, and then I reckoned I would see if there was anything in it. I got an old tin lamp and an iron ring, and went out in the woods and rubbed and rubbed till I sweat like an Injun, calculating to build a palace and sell it; but it warn't no use, none of the genies come. So then I judged that all that stuff was only just one of Tom Sawyer's lies. I reckoned he believed in the A-rabs and the elephants, but as for me I think different. It had all the marks of a Sunday-school. |
第四章 三四个月就这样过去了。如今是到了冬天了。在这段时间里，我大多是去学校的。我能 拼音，能读书，能写一点儿，会背乘法表，背到六七三十五②。可是要再背字去，我一辈子 也做不到了。反正我就不相信数学那一套。 ②诺顿版和企鹅丛书版等都说哈克“会背乘法表，背到六七三十五”，这里照译。 国内也有译本译为“背到五七三十五”的。本书译者认为马克•吐温原意，有可能是在戏谑 逗笑中对传统的教育制度讥刺一下。并且译者对原文无权改动。 开头，我恨学校。不过，慢慢的，我变得能将就将就了。只要我厌倦得厉害，我就逃 学。第二天挨的揍对我也有好处，能给我鼓鼓劲。这样，上学的日子越长，也就越加好过 些。再说，对寡妇的那一套，我也习惯一些了，她们对我也不是那么急躁了。住在家里，睡 在床上，往往被管得够紧的。不过，冬季来临以前，我经常偷偷溜出去，有时候还睡在林子 里，这在我真是一种休息。我挺喜欢过去我那种生活。不过，慢慢的，我也有点儿喜欢新的 生活了。寡妇说我有长进，尽管慢些，可还稳当，表现不差。她说，她觉得我没有丢她的脸。 一天早晨，吃早饭时，我打翻了盐罐。我急忙伸手抓一些盐，往左肩后面扔，免得遭到 恶运。不过华珍小姐已经抢在我前面，为我划了十字。她说，“哈克贝里，把手拿开—— 你老是弄得一塌糊涂。”寡妇为我说了句好话。不过，这也不能叫我消灾避祸，这我心里明 白。早饭以后，我走出门来，心事重重，不知道哪里会有什么灾祸临头，又不知道会是什么 样的灾祸。有些灾祸是有法子防止的，不过目前可不是这样一类的灾祸，因此我也只能听之 任之，只是心里颓丧，打算事事留心些。 我走过了下面屋前的园子，爬上梯子，爬过高高的木栅栏。地上已有寸把积雪，我看到 了有人留下的脚印。这些人是从采石场走过来的，在梯子旁边站了一会儿，然后绕过园子里 的栅栏往前去了。这些人在这里站了一会儿却没有进来，这有点儿怪。是怎么回事，我可摸 不清，反正有点儿离奇。我打算顺着脚印走，我弯下身来先看一看脚印，开头没有发现什 么，可是再一看，却发现有一个左边鞋跟上用大钉钉的十字留下的印子，那本是为了防邪才 钉上去的。 我马上直起身子，一溜烟似地冲下山去。我往后边左右张望，不过没有发现什么人。一 会儿就飞快到了撒切尔法官家。 “怎么啦，我的孩子，这么上气不接下气的，是为了你的利息来的么？” “不是的，先生，”我说，“是有些利息归我的么？” “哦，是的，昨晚上半年到期。有一百五十来块钱。对你来说，可是不小的一笔数目 啊。最好还是由我连同你的六千块钱一起生息，你一取去，就会花掉。” “不，先生，”我说，“我不打算花掉。这笔钱我不要——六千块钱也不要了。我要给 你——那六千块钱和所有的钱。 他显得大吃一惊，仿佛摸不清头脑。他说： “怎么啦，你这是什么意思，我的孩子。” 我说，“请你别问我问题，你会收下这笔钱的，是吧？” 他说，“真把我搞胡涂了，是出了什么事吧？” “请收下，”我说，“别问我——我也不愿撒谎。” 他考虑了一会儿，接着说： “哦，哦，我想我懂得了。你是想要把你全部财产都卖给我——不是给我。这是你的本 意。” 接着，他在一张纸上写了些什么，立刻读了一下，然后说： “上面写着——你看是这样写的，‘作为报酬’。这意思是说，我从你那儿把这个买了 下来了，给你付过了钱的。这儿是一块钱。好吧，你在上面签个字吧。” 我就签了字，走开了。 华珍小姐的黑奴杰姆有一个拳头大的毛球，是从一只牛身上第四个胃里取出来的。他老 是用这个来施展法术①。据他说，这里面藏着一个精灵。这个精灵可是无所不知，无所不 晓。我就在一个晚上去找他，告诉他说，我爸又出现在这里了，因为我在雪地里发现了他的 脚印。我要问明白的是，他究竟想干些什么呢，还有他是否要在这里耽下去？杰姆就把毛球 取了出来，对着毛球口中念念有词，先往上一抛，再落到地上。落得稳稳当当，只滚了寸把 远。杰姆又来了第二回，然后又来了一回，情况跟第一回一个样。杰姆双膝趴地，耳朵凑着 毛球，仔细地听着。可是不济事。他说，它没有说话。还说，不给它钱，它有时候就不肯说 话。我对他说，我有一枚两角五分的旧伪币，又旧又光滑，已经不能用了，因为银币已经露 出一小块铜，反正人家不肯收了。即使没有把铜露了出来，也不好使用，因为旧得象抹上一 层油那样油腻腻的，一眼就给看出来了。（我心里盘算，法官给我的那块钱，我可不能说 啊。）我说，这是个伪币，不过毛球也许肯收下，因为它认不出真假所在。杰姆把伪币闻了 闻，咬了咬，擦了擦。他说，让他来想个法子，好叫毛球以为这是真的银币。他说他可以把 一块爱尔兰土豆掰开，把伪币夹在当中间，这样放一个晚上，第二天早上，你就看不见铜的 影子了，也不会滑腻腻的了。镇上的人谁都会一眼就收下它，不只是毛球会收。是啊，我原 本知道土豆有这个效果，可一下子把这个忘了。 ①诺顿版注：动物内脏里的东西，古代人认为可作占卜之用。 杰姆把那个两角五分的钱币放在毛球下边，自己趴下身子来又听。这回? 了。他说，我要是想知道我一生命运的话，它会告诉我的。我说，好啊。这样，就由毛球告 诉了杰姆，再由杰姆告诉我。他说： “你的老爸爸还布（不）知道自己该做些什么呢。他有时候说要走，有时候又说要留。 最好的办法是听任老头儿哀（爱）怎么办就怎么办。他头上正有着两个天使在转。一个白 的，光闪闪，一个黑的。白的指点他正道，一会儿黑的又飞来，把事情弄得搞垮为止。现在 还不知道哪个会占上风。不过你不会有什么事。你一生中会有些马（麻）烦，也会有些灰 （欢）乐。你有时候会受到伤害，有时候会生病，不过到最后总会逢胸（凶）化吉。你这辈 子会有两个姑娘围着你转，一个皮肤白，一个黑。一个富，一个穷。你先娶的是穷的，后来 娶富的。你忌水，要尽可能离水远远的，别冒轩（险）。因为卦上说，你命中要杯（被）吊 死。” 后来，当晚我点上蜡烛，走进我房间时，我爸爸正在那里。正是他本人。 Chapter 4 WELL, three or four months run along, and it was well into the winter now. I had been to school most all the time and could spell and read and write just a little, and could say the multiplication table up to six times seven is thirty-five, and I don't reckon I could ever get any further than that if I was to live forever. I don't take no stock in mathematics, anyway. At first I hated the school, but by and by I got so I could stand it. Whenever I got uncommon tired I played hookey, and the hiding I got next day done me good and cheered me up. So the longer I went to school the easier it got to be. I was getting sort of used to the widow's ways, too, and they warn't so raspy on me. Living in a house and sleeping in a bed pulled on me pretty tight mostly, but before the cold weather I used to slide out and sleep in the woods sometimes, and so that was a rest to me. I liked the old ways best, but I was getting so I liked the new ones, too, a little bit. The widow said I was coming along slow but sure, and doing very satisfactory. She said she warn't ashamed of me. One morning I happened to turn over the salt-cellar at breakfast. I reached for some of it as quick as I could to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck, but Miss Watson was in ahead of me, and crossed me off. She says, "Take your hands away, Huckleberry; what a mess you are always making!" The widow put in a good word for me, but that warn't going to keep off the bad luck, I knowed that well enough. I started out, after breakfast, feeling worried and shaky, and wondering where it was going to fall on me, and what it was going to be. There is ways to keep off some kinds of bad luck, but this wasn't one of them kind; so I never tried to do anything, but just poked along low-spirited and on the watch-out. I went down to the front garden and clumb over the stile where you go through the high board fence. There was an inch of new snow on the ground, and I seen somebody's tracks. They had come up from the quarry and stood around the stile a while, and then went on around the garden fence. It was funny they hadn't come in, after standing around so. I couldn't make it out. It was very curious, somehow. I was going to follow around, but I stooped down to look at the tracks first. I didn't notice anything at first, but next I did. There was a cross in the left boot-heel made with big nails, to keep off the devil. I was up in a second and shinning down the hill. I looked over my shoulder every now and then, but I didn't see nobody. I was at Judge Thatcher's as quick as I could get there. He said: "Why, my boy, you are all out of breath. Did you come for your interest?" "No, sir," I says; "is there some for me?" "Oh, yes, a half-yearly is in last night -- over a hundred and fifty dollars. Quite a fortune for you. You had better let me invest it along with your six thousand, because if you take it you'll spend it." "No, sir," I says, "I don't want to spend it. I don't want it at all -- nor the six thousand, nuther. I want you to take it; I want to give it to you -- the six thousand and all." He looked surprised. He couldn't seem to make it out. He says: "Why, what can you mean, my boy?" I says, "Don't you ask me no questions about it, please. You'll take it -- won't you?" He says: "Well, I'm puzzled. Is something the matter?" "Please take it," says I, "and don't ask me nothing -- then I won't have to tell no lies." He studied a while, and then he says: "Oho-o! I think I see. You want to SELL all your property to me -- not give it. That's the correct idea." Then he wrote something on a paper and read it over, and says: "There; you see it says 'for a consideration.' That means I have bought it of you and paid you for it. Here's a dollar for you. Now you sign it." So I signed it, and left. Miss Watson's nigger, Jim, had a hair-ball as big as your fist, which had been took out of the fourth stomach of an ox, and he used to do magic with it. He said there was a spirit inside of it, and it knowed everything. So I went to him that night and told him pap was here again, for I found his tracks in the snow. What I wanted to know was, what he was going to do, and was he going to stay? Jim got out his hair-ball and said something over it, and then he held it up and dropped it on the floor. It fell pretty solid, and only rolled about an inch. Jim tried it again, and then another time, and it acted just the same. Jim got down on his knees, and put his ear against it and listened. But it warn't no use; he said it wouldn't talk. He said sometimes it wouldn't talk without money. I told him I had an old slick counterfeit quarter that warn't no good because the brass showed through the silver a little, and it wouldn't pass nohow, even if the brass didn't show, because it was so slick it felt greasy, and so that would tell on it every time. (I reckoned I wouldn't say nothing about the dollar I got from the judge.) I said it was pretty bad money, but maybe the hair-ball would take it, because maybe it wouldn't know the difference. Jim smelt it and bit it and rubbed it, and said he would manage so the hair-ball would think it was good. He said he would split open a raw Irish potato and stick the quarter in between and keep it there all night, and next morning you couldn't see no brass, and it wouldn't feel greasy no more, and so anybody in town would take it in a minute, let alone a hair-ball. Well, I knowed a potato would do that before, but I had forgot it. Jim put the quarter under the hair-ball, and got down and listened again. This time he said the hairball was all right. He said it would tell my whole fortune if I wanted it to. I says, go on. So the hairball talked to Jim, and Jim told it to me. He says: "Yo' ole father doan' know yit what he's a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he'll go 'way, en den agin he spec he'll stay. De bes' way is to res' easy en let de ole man take his own way. Dey's two angels hoverin' roun' 'bout him. One uv 'em is white en shiny, en t'other one is black. De white one gits him to go right a little while, den de black one sail in en bust it all up. A body can't tell yit which one gwyne to fetch him at de las'. But you is all right. You gwyne to have considable trouble in yo' life, en considable joy. Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you's gwyne to git well agin. Dey's two gals flyin' 'bout you in yo' life. One uv 'em's light en t'other one is dark. One is rich en t'other is po'. You's gwyne to marry de po' one fust en de rich one by en by. You wants to keep 'way fum de water as much as you kin, en don't run no resk, 'kase it's down in de bills dat you's gwyne to git hung." When I lit my candle and went up to my room that night there sat pap -- his own self! |
第五章 我把房门关上。一转身，就见到了他。我往常总是害怕他。他揍得我可凶啊。我心想， 这回我也会害怕了。不过，顷刻之间，我知道我可错了。就是说，开头吓了一跳，真可说是 连气都喘不赢，——他来得太突然了，不过一会儿以后，我知道我用不着怕他什么。 他差不多五十了，论样子也象这么个年纪。头发长长的，乱糟糟，油腻腻，往下披。你 只见他的眼光一闪一闪，就象他正躲在青藤后面。只见一片黑色，不是灰色的。他那长长的 乱糟糟的胡子也这样。他脸上则尽是一片白色。从脸上露出的部分看尽是白色。不是一般人 的白色，是叫人见了十分难受的那种白色，叫人浑身起鸡皮疙瘩的那种白色——象树蛙的那 种白色，象鱼肚白那种白色。衣服呢——穿得破破烂烂，那就不用说了。他一条腿搁在另一 只膝盖上，那只脚上的靴子张开了口，两只脚趾露了出来，他还把两只脚趾不时动几下子。 他的帽子给扔在地下，是顶黑色的旧垂边帽子，帽顶陷了进去。 我这边站着，看着他，他那边看着我。他坐的那张椅子往后翘着点儿。我把蜡烛放好。 我发现窗子往上开着。这么说来，他是从搁子上爬进来的。他始终盯着我看。后来他说： “浆得挺挺的衣服——挺挺的。你以为自己是个大人物了，是吧？” “也许是，也许不是，”我说。 “别跟我顶嘴，”他说，“自从我走以后，你可越来越神气了吧。我非得刹一刹你的威 风，不然我和你就没个完。人家说，你还受了教育，能读会写。你以为你如今比你老子强 了，因为他不会，是吧？看我揍你。谁教你干这样的蠢事，嗯？——谁告诉你可以这么干的？ “是寡妇，是她告诉我的。” “嘿，那寡妇？——可又是谁告诉寡妇，有权插手根本与她不相干的事？” “没有人对她讲过。” “好，让我来教训教训她，瞎管闹事，会有什么下场。听我说——不准你上学去了，听 到了吧？一个小孩子，装得比他老子还神气，装得比他老子还强，教他这么干的人，我可要 好好教训他。不准你跟着学校转了，给我发现了可不依你，听到了没有？你妈她生前也不会 读，不会写。一家人在他们生前谁也不会。我也不会。可如今，你倒神气起来了。我可不是 容得下这一套的人，听到了吧？——让我听听你是怎样读的。” 我拿起一本书来，从讲到华盛顿将军和独立战争的地方读起。我才读了半分钟，他一伸 手把书抢过去，摔到了屋子那一头去。他说： “这么说，你还真行。你对我说的时候，我还有点疑疑惑惑的，现在你听好，不准你再 这么装腔作势，我不答应。你这自作聪明的家伙，我会守候着的，要是你给我在学校附近逮 住了，会够你受的。首先，你要知道，一上学，你就会信教。我可从没有见过象你这样的一 个儿子。” 他拿起了一幅小小的画片，上面画着几头牛和一个小孩子。他说： “这是什么？” “这是人家奖我学习好发的。” 他一把撕了，说： “我会给你比这更强的——给你一根皮鞭子。” 他坐在那儿，气狠狠地唠叨了一会儿，又说： “难道你还够不上一个香喷喷的花花公子了么？一张床，又是床单被褥，又是一面镜 子，地板上还铺着地毯，——可你的老子只能在旧皮革厂里和猪睡在一起。我可从来没有见 过这样一个儿子。我非得刹刹你的威风，不然我跟你没有完。哼，你那个神气可算得上派头 十足啦——人家说，你发了财，啊——这怎么回事？” “人家撒谎——就是这么回事。” “听我说——该怎么样跟我说话，这可得留点儿神。我什么都经受过了——所以不许你 瞎讲。我回镇上两天了，我听到的，都说你发财了。我在下面河上的时候就听说了，我就是 为了这个才回来的。明天你把钱给我——我要这笔钱。” “我可没有什么钱。” “撒谎。撒切尔法官收着。在你名下。我要这笔钱。” “我跟你说了，我没有什么钱。你不妨去找法官撒切尔，他也会对你这么说的。” “好吧，我会问他的。我会叫他交出来的①，再不然，我要他把理由讲讲清楚。再说— —你口袋里有多少钱？我有用。” ①诺顿版注：哈克的父亲认为自己对儿子的财产，依法有所有权。也因为这个缘 故，第四章写哈克一发现他父亲的脚印，便急忙设法把自己的钱在名义上归撒切尔法官所 有。 “我只有一块钱。我有我的用处。——” “你有你的什么用处，这无关紧要，你把钱交出来。” 他把钱拿了去。咬一咬，看是真是假。接着说他要到镇上去，买点威士忌。说他一整天 没有喝到酒了。他爬出窗子，上了棚屋，一会儿又探进头来，骂我装出一付派头，仿佛比他 还强。后来我估摸着他应该已经走了，可他又转了回来，又探进了头来，要我认真看待不许 上学的事。还说，要是我不肯停止上学，他会守候在那里，狠狠揍我一顿。 第二天，他喝醉了。他到了撒切尔法官家里，对他一味胡搅蛮缠，想方设法要他把钱交 出来，可就是做不到。他就赌咒发誓，要诉诸法律，逼他交出来。 法官和寡妇告到了法院，要求判我和他脱离关系，让他们中的一个充当我的保护人。不 过这是一位新上任的法官，不了解老头儿的情况，所以判决，非到万不得已，法院不能强迫 干预，拆散家庭。他不主张叫孩子离开父亲。这样一来，撒切尔法官和寡妇不得不作罢。 这样，老头儿就高兴得不知道怎样才好。他说，要是我不能给他凑点钱，他便要狠狠地 揍我，搞得我青一块紫一块的。我从撒切尔法官那里借了三块钱，爸爸拿去，喝得大醉，醉 后到处胡闹，乱骂人，装疯卖傻，而且敲着一只白铁锅，闹遍了全镇，直到深夜。人家就把 他关押了起来。第二天，把他带到法庭之上，又给判了关押一个星期。可是他呢，却说他挺 满意的，说他是能管住他儿子的主子，他准定会叫他够受的。 老头儿放出来以后，新上任的法官说，他要把老头儿变成一个新人。他把老头儿带到了 他自己的家里，让老头儿穿得干干净净、清清爽爽，早饭、中饭、晚饭，都跟他全家人一起 吃，真是说得上对老头儿诚心诚意的了。吃过晚饭，又跟老头儿讲戒酒之类的一套道理，讲 得老头儿大叫自己在过去简直是个傻瓜，把一生的光阴白白虚度了。可如今，他要翻开一页 新的篇章，成为一个真正的人，谁也不会为了他感到羞愧，但愿法官能帮他一把，别看不起 他。法官说，听了他这些话，他要拥抱他。这样，法官他就哭了起来，他妻子也第二回哭了 起来。我爸爸说，他过去是那么样的一个人，总是遭到人家的误解。法官说，这话我信。老 头儿说，一个落魄的人，需要的是同情。法官说，这话说得在理。这样，他们就又一次哭了 起来。等到要睡觉的时刻，老头儿站起来，把手朝外一伸，一边说： “先生们，全体女士们，请看看这只手，请抓住它，握握它。这曾经是一只猪的爪子， 可是如今不是了，如今是一个正开始新生的人的手了。我宁愿死，也决不走回头路。请注意 这些话——别忘了是我说的。如今这是一只干干净净的手了——别怕。” 这样，他们便握手，一个一个地握，握了个遍，还哭了。法官的太太，她还亲了这只 手。接着，老头儿在一份保证书上签了字——是画了押。法官说，这是有史以来最庄严神圣 的时刻，总之说了许多如此这类的话。然后他们把老头儿送进一间陈设漂亮的房间，那是间 空余的房间。有一次，到了晚上酒瘾一发，他就爬到门廊顶上，抱住了一根柱子滑了下去， 把他那件新的上衣换了一壶“四十杆子”①，然后又爬回房间，乘兴快活了一番。天快亮的 时候，他又爬出来，这时已经烂醉如泥，沿着门廊滑下来，左胳膊两处跌断了，人家在太阳 升起后发现他时，他都快冻死了。等他们要到那间客房去看一下究竟的时候，只见房间里一 片狼藉，简直无处伸脚。 ①诺顿版注：指烈性威士忌酒。 法官呢，他心里有点儿不好受。他说，我捉摸着，也许人家得使一枝熗才能把那个老头 儿改造过来，他看不出有什么别的法子。 Chapter 5 I HAD shut the door to. Then I turned around. and there he was. I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much. I reckoned I was scared now, too; but in a minute I see I was mistaken -- that is, after the first jolt, as you may say, when my breath sort of hitched, he being so unexpected; but right away after I see I warn't scared of him worth bothring about. He was most fifty, and he looked it. His hair was long and tangled and greasy, and hung down, and you could see his eyes shining through like he was behind vines. It was all black, no gray; so was his long, mixed-up whiskers. There warn't no color in his face, where his face showed; it was white; not like another man's white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body's flesh crawl -- a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white. As for his clothes -- just rags, that was all. He had one ankle resting on t'other knee; the boot on that foot was busted, and two of his toes stuck through, and he worked them now and then. His hat was laying on the floor -- an old black slouch with the top caved in, like a lid. I stood a-looking at him; he set there a-looking at me, with his chair tilted back a little. I set the candle down. I noticed the window was up; so he had clumb in by the shed. He kept a-looking me all over. By and by he says: "Starchy clothes -- very. You think you're a good deal of a big-bug, DON'T you?" "Maybe I am, maybe I ain't," I says. "Don't you give me none o' your lip," says he. "You've put on considerable many frills since I been away. I'll take you down a peg before I get done with you. You're educated, too, they say -- can read and write. You think you're better'n your father, now, don't you, because he can't? I'LL take it out of you. Who told you you might meddle with such hifalut'n foolishness, hey? -- who told you you could?" "The widow. She told me." "The widow, hey? -- and who told the widow she could put in her shovel about a thing that ain't none of her business?" "Nobody never told her." "Well, I'll learn her how to meddle. And looky here -- you drop that school, you hear? I'll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on to be better'n what HE is. You lemme catch you fooling around that school again, you hear? Your mother couldn't read, and she couldn't write, nuther, before she died. None of the family couldn't before THEY died. I can't; and here you're a-swelling yourself up like this. I ain't the man to stand it -- you hear? Say, lemme hear you read." I took up a book and begun something about General Washington and the wars. When I'd read about a half a minute, he fetched the book a whack with his hand and knocked it across the house. He says: "It's so. You can do it. I had my doubts when you told me. Now looky here; you stop that putting on frills. I won't have it. I'll lay for you, my smarty; and if I catch you about that school I'll tan you good. First you know you'll get religion, too. I never see such a son. He took up a little blue and yaller picture of some cows and a boy, and says: "What's this?" "It's something they give me for learning my lessons good." He tore it up, and says: "I'll give you something better -- I'll give you a cowhide. He set there a-mumbling and a-growling a minute, and then he says: "AIN'T you a sweet-scented dandy, though? A bed; and bedclothes; and a look'n'-glass; and a piece of carpet on the floor -- and your own father got to sleep with the hogs in the tanyard. I never see such a son. I bet I'll take some o' these frills out o' you before I'm done with you. Why, there ain't no end to your airs -- they say you're rich. Hey? -- how's that?" "They lie -- that's how." "Looky here -- mind how you talk to me; I'm astanding about all I can stand now -- so don't gimme no sass. I've been in town two days, and I hain't heard nothing but about you bein' rich. I heard about it away down the river, too. That's why I come. You git me that money to-morrow -- I want it." "I hain't got no money." "It's a lie. Judge Thatcher's got it. You git it. I want it." "I hain't got no money, I tell you. You ask Judge Thatcher; he'll tell you the same." "All right. I'll ask him; and I'll make him pungle, too, or I'll know the reason why. Say, how much you got in your pocket? I want it." "I hain't got only a dollar, and I want that to --" "It don't make no difference what you want it for -- you just shell it out." He took it and bit it to see if it was good, and then he said he was going down town to get some whisky; said he hadn't had a drink all day. When he had got out on the shed he put his head in again, and cussed me for putting on frills and trying to be better than him; and when I reckoned he was gone he come back and put his head in again, and told me to mind about that school, because he was going to lay for me and lick me if I didn't drop that. Next day he was drunk, and he went to Judge Thatcher's and bullyragged him, and tried to make him give up the money; but he couldn't, and then he swore he'd make the law force him. The judge and the widow went to law to get the court to take me away from him and let one of them be my guardian; but it was a new judge that had just come, and he didn't know the old man; so he said courts mustn't interfere and separate families if they could help it; said he'd druther not take a child away from its father. So Judge Thatcher and the widow had to quit on the business. That pleased the old man till he couldn't rest. He said he'd cowhide me till I was black and blue if I didn't raise some money for him. I borrowed three dollars from Judge Thatcher, and pap took it and got drunk, and went a-blowing around and cussing and whooping and carrying on; and he kept it up all over town, with a tin pan, till most midnight; then they jailed him, and next day they had him before court, and jailed him again for a week. But he said HE was satisfied; said he was boss of his son, and he'd make it warm for HIM. When he got out the new judge said he was a-going to make a man of him. So he took him to his own house, and dressed him up clean and nice, and had him to breakfast and dinner and supper with the family, and was just old pie to him, so to speak. And after supper he talked to him about temperance and such things till the old man cried, and said he'd been a fool, and fooled away his life; but now he was a-going to turn over a new leaf and be a man nobody wouldn't be ashamed of, and he hoped the judge would help him and not look down on him. The judge said he could hug him for them words; so he cried, and his wife she cried again; pap said he'd been a man that had always been misunderstood before, and the judge said he believed it. The old man said that what a man wanted that was down was sympathy, and the judge said it was so; so they cried again. And when it was bedtime the old man rose up and held out his hand, and says: "Look at it, gentlemen and ladies all; take a-hold of it; shake it. There's a hand that was the hand of a hog; but it ain't so no more; it's the hand of a man that's started in on a new life, and'll die before he'll go back. You mark them words -- don't forget I said them. It's a clean hand now; shake it -- don't be afeard." So they shook it, one after the other, all around, and cried. The judge's wife she kissed it. Then the old man he signed a pledge -- made his mark. The judge said it was the holiest time on record, or something like that. Then they tucked the old man into a beautiful room, which was the spare room, and in the night some time he got powerful thirsty and clumb out on to the porch-roof and slid down a stanchion and traded his new coat for a jug of forty-rod, and clumb back again and had a good old time; and towards daylight he crawled out again, drunk as a fiddler, and rolled off the porch and broke his left arm in two places, and was most froze to death when somebody found him after sun-up. And when they come to look at that spare room they had to take soundings before they could navigate it. The judge he felt kind of sore. He said he reckoned a body could reform the old man with a shotgun, maybe, but he didn't know no other way. |
第六章 时隔不久，老头儿伤好了，又到处转游了。接着，他上法庭控告法官撒切尔，要他把钱 交出来。他也来找过我，是为了我没有停止上学的事。他把我促住了几回，还揍了我。不过 我还是我上我的学。多半的时间能躲过了他，或是抢到了他的前边。早先，我本来不怎么愿 意上学。不过，我看啊，我如今上学，是为了偏偏要气气我爸爸。法律诉讼是件慢吞吞的 事，仿佛永远也不存心开审。这样，为了免得挨鞭子，三天两头，我得为了他向法官借两三 块钱。而每回拿到了钱，他就喝得烂醉，每次烂醉，便闹得全镇不得安生。每次在镇上胡 闹，就每次给关押起来。这也合他的心意——这类把戏正是他的拿手好戏。 他在寡妇家那边转游得也太勤了些，她终于正告他，要是他还上她那儿去，她可要对他 不客气了。啊，难道他不是疯了么？他扬言说，他要让大家知道，究竟谁是哈克•芬的主 子。因此，春天里有一天，他守候着，把我逮住了，划着一只小艇，把我带到上游三英里左 右的大河之上，然后过河到了伊利诺斯州的岸边。那里树林茂密，没有人家，只有一间旧木 棚，那是在密林深处，不知道的人是无法找到那里的。 他整天看住了我，我捞不到机会逃跑。我们就住在这个木棚里。他总是把木棚锁起来， 一到晚上，就把钥匙放在他枕头下面。他有一枝熗，我想是偷来的吧。我们钓鱼、打猎，我 们的生活就是如此这般。每每隔不多久，他就把我锁在木棚里，到下游三英里外的店里去， 渡口去，把钓的鱼、打的猎物换来威士忌，回转家来，喝个烂醉，快活一场，并且揍我一 顿。再说那寡妇呢，后来她知道了我的下落，她派了一个男人来，想要找我回去，可是我爸 爸拿出熗来，把他赶了回去。在这以后不久，我对这种生活也习惯了，也爱上了这样的生 活，除了挨皮鞭子这当子事。 生活过得懒洋洋的，快快活活的。整天舒舒服服躺着。抽抽烟，钓钓鱼。没有书，不用 学习。两个多月就这么过去了。我的衣服全都又烂又脏。我看啊，在寡妇家那套生活我是不 会喜欢的了。在那里，你得洗这个洗那个，你得就着盘子进食，你得梳理好头发，每天得准 时睡觉、起身，你得每天为了一本书惹出种种烦恼，还得无时无刻不遭到华珍小姐的挑剔。 我再也不愿意回去了。我原本再也不是一开口就骂人了，因为寡妇不爱听。可如今旧病又犯 了，因为我爸爸并不反对。 总而言之，在树林子里，日子过得挺称心如意的。 不过，我爸爸操起木棍就打，打得太顺手了，我实在受不住。我全身都是伤痕。再说， 他如今出去得太勤了，每次都把我锁在里边。有一回，他把我锁在里边，一锁就锁了三天。 我太孤单了。我推断，他是淹死了，这样，我就永远无法出去了。这下子我可吓坏了。我下 了决心，怎么也得想方设法逃离这里。我曾经好多回试着逃出这木棚，可就是不成功。木棚 有一扇窗，大小能容一只狗进出。我无法从烟囱里爬出去，烟囱口子太窄。门是又厚又结实 的橡木做的。我爸爸出去的时候总是很小心，木棚里决不留下一把小刀之类的东西。我在屋 里也找遍了，前前后后找了总有上百遍了。我把时间都用在这上面了，因为这是我唯一可以 消磨时间的办法。不过这一回啊，我终于找到了一样东西。我找到了一把生满了锈的旧锯 子，连把子也没有。是搁在一根缘子和屋顶板中间的。我在上面抹了油，就动手干了起来。 有一块用来遮马的旧毯子，原钉在桌子后面木屋尽头的一根圆木上，是为了免得风从木头缝 缝里钻进来，把蜡烛给吹熄了。我爬到桌子下边，把毯子掀了起来，动手锯起来，要把床底 下那根大木头锯掉一节，大小能容得下我爬进爬出。不错，这工程得花些时间，不过，正当 我干得差不多了，我听到了我爸爸的熗声在林子里响了起来。我赶快把锯木屑收拾干净，把 毯子放下来，把锯子藏起来，不一会儿，爸爸就走了进来。 爸爸今天脾气不好——他就是这么个生性。他说他今天到了镇上去，一切都是颠三倒四 的。他的律师说，他估摸着他会打赢这场官司，拿到这笔钱，只要人家能动手审理。可就是 人家有的是办法，能把案子一拖再拖，拖很长时间，何况撒切尔法官懂得种种的门道。他还 说，人家又说，眼下又生出了另外一个案子，要叫我跟他脱离父子关系，由寡妇做我的监护 人。人家还说，猜想起来，这一回啊，她能赢。我吓得吃了一惊，因为我怎么也不愿意回到 寡妇家，那么受拘束，还得象人家所说的那样守文明规矩。接着，老头子开腔骂起人来，不 论什么人，什么事，只要是他能想得到的，一概都骂。接着，又一个不漏地重新咒骂一遍， 好能确保没有漏掉任何一个，包括了连他们的姓名他都叫不上来的人。点到这些人的时候， 就说那个叫什么什么的，然后一直骂开去。 他说，他可要瞧一瞧，看寡妇怎样能把我弄到她手心里。他说他可要提防着点。他还 说，要是他们对他耍什么花招，他知道六七英里外有个去处，好把我藏在那里，人家怎么搜 寻也搜不出来，无法找到我，最后只好歇手。这又叫我心慌了起来。不过，这种感觉，一刹 那间也就过去了。我估摸着，在这个时刻来临的时候，我早已不在了①。 老头儿叫我到小艇上去搬他带来的东西。有五十镑一袋玉米，一大块腌猪肉，有火药和 四加仑一罐威士忌酒。还有一本书，两张装火药时用的报纸②，还有一些粗麻绳③。我挑回 了一批，回来在船头上坐着歇口气。我把一切在心里过了一遍，我思量着，我逃往林子里去 时，不妨把那杆熗和几根钓鱼竿一起带走。我估计，我也不会固定耽在一处地方，肯定会周 游各地到处流浪，多半是在晚上走动，靠了打猎、钓鱼维持生计，并且会走得好远好远，老 头儿也好，寡妇也好，永远也不会找到我。我估摸，今晚上，爸爸会酩酊大醉，他一醉，我 就锯断木头逃出去。我一心一意想着这一些，竟然忘掉了我已耽了多少时间，后来爸爸吼了 起来，骂我是睡着了，还是淹死了。 ①诺顿版注：哈克不愿受到镇上生活中的种种限制，喜欢林中自由自在的生活。但 当时尚未决意出逃，后来因为担心自己有生命危险，这才决心出走。这也表明了这本小说中 描绘的自由这个概念中的一个方面。 ②诺顿版注：指当时用以包装熗和火药等物件的东西。 ③诺顿版注：指由亚麻或大麻做成的一股一股的绳子。 我把这些东西一样样搬进了木屋，这时候，天已经擦黑。我烧晚饭的时候，老头儿开始 大口喝起来。酒兴一上来，便又痛饮起来。他在镇上就已经喝醉了。在脏水沟里躺了整整一 个晚上。他那个时刻啊，可真够瞧的。人家一见这模样，还以为是个亚当再世呢，全身到处 是污泥。只要一发酒疯，就会猛烈攻击政府。在这一回，他说道： “还把它叫做政府哩！嘿，你看吧，你看它究竟是个什么样的东西。还有这样的法律 哩，硬要把人家的儿子给抢走——可那是人家的亲生儿子啊，他花了多少心血，曾经多么耽 心受怕；又花了多少钱啊。正是这样一个人，终于把儿子抚养成人，正准备开始干活挣钱 了，能给他出点儿力，好叫他喘一口气了，可恰恰在这个时刻，法律出场了，朝他猛冲过 来。可人家还把它叫做政府哩！还不光是这样，法律还给撒切尔法官撑腰，帮着他夺去我的 财产。法律干的就是这么一档子事。法律硬是夺去了一个人的六千多块大洋，把他挤在这么 一间破旧的木屋里，叫他披上一件猪狗不如的衣服，到处转悠。他们还把这个叫做政府哩！ 在这样的政府下面，一个人连权利都得不到保障。我有时候真有个狠心思袭上心头，打算一 跺脚，从此永远离开这个国家，永不回头。是啊，我就是这样对他们说的。我当了撒切尔的 面这样对他说过了的。很多人听到了我说的话，能把我说过的话说清楚。我说过，这个倒霉 的国家，我看得一分不值，决心一走了事，永远不再回还。我说的就是原原本本的这些话。 再说，看看这顶帽子——要是这还能算是帽子的话——帽顶往上耸起，帽檐往下垂，竟然垂 到了我下巴望儿下边，这还叫什么帽子，还不如说是我的脑袋塞在一节火炉烟囱里头了。我 说，你们看一看吧，——叫我这样的人戴上这样一顶帽子——我可是本镇上大富翁之一啊， 如果我的权利能收回的话。 “哦，这可是个了不起的政府啊，可真了不起。好，请看吧。有一个自由的黑人①，是 从俄亥俄过来的。是个黑白混血儿，皮肤跟一般白种人一样白。身上穿的是挺白的衬衫，白 得你从没有见识过。头戴一顶帽子，亮得耀眼。身上这套衣服，镇上没有人比得上这么漂 亮。还有一只金表，有金链条。还有头上镀了银的手杖——是本州最可尊敬的满头霜染的年 老的大富翁。你猜怎么着？人家说，他是大学里一位教授，能操所有各国语言，无所不知， 无所不晓，最糟糕的还不只如此而已。人家说，他在家乡的时候，还可以投票选举。这可把 我弄糊涂了。这个国家会变成什么样的国家啊。到了选举的日子，要是我那天没有喝醉能走 得到的话，我会出去，会亲自去投票。可是啊，如果人家告诉我说，在这个国家里，有这样 一个州，人家准许黑奴投票选举，那我就不去了。我说，我从此再也不会去投什么票了。这 就是我亲口说过的话，大家都听到我这么说的。哪怕国家烂透了——只要我还活着，我就不 会去投什么票，你再看看那个黑奴那付冷冰冰的神气，——嘿，要是在大路上，如果不是被 我一肩膀把他推到一边去，他才不会让我走过去呢。我对人家说，凭什么不把这个黑奴拿出 去公开拍卖，给卖掉？——这就是我要问清楚的。你知道，人家是怎么说的？嗯，人家说， 在他耽在本州满六个月以前，你就不能把他卖掉。啊哈——这是何等的怪事一桩，一个自由 黑人在州里耽了还不满六个月便不准拍卖，这样的政府还管它叫政府。当今的政府就是这样 自称为政府，装出了一付政府的派头，还自认为这就是一个政府了，可就是非得苦苦等满六 个月，才能把一个游闲浪荡、鬼鬼祟祟、罪恶滔天、身穿白衬衫的自由黑人②给逮起来，并 且——” ①《文库》本注：俄亥俄在１８０３年成为美国的一个州。在这以前，根据１７８ ７年的西北法令，当地已禁止蓄奴，但黑人无选举权。选举权只有白人男子才有。 ②诺顿版注：据《汉尼拔的赛姆•克莱门斯》的作者狄克逊•威克特说，在十九世纪四 十年代，在密苏里州还有身份自由的黑人。 爸爸就是这么滔滔不绝，可就是从没有想一想自己那两条有气无力的老腿把他带到了何 方，这样，他给腌猪肉的木桶一绊，就翻倒在地，闹了个倒栽葱，两条小腿也给擦伤了。这 样一来，话便说得越来越火辣辣的——主要是冲着黑奴和政府说的，间或也冲木桶骂上几 句，就这样东说说，西说说，没个完。他在木屋里一只脚跳着走了好一会儿。先是提起这条 腿，靠那条腿跳，然后又换一条腿跳。先提起这条小腿，靠那条小腿跳，再轮换。到后来， 他突然提起左脚对准木桶猛踢一脚。可这下子判断失误，因为这只脚上的靴子通了，露出了 两只脚趾头，只听得一声号叫，听得叫人头发直竖起来。叭哒一声，他跌落在地，只见他滚 到东，滚到西，一手抓往了脚趾头，一边开腔痛骂起来，这一番的痛骂，能叫他过去任何一 次的成绩都相形见绌。在后来，他自己也是这么说的。在老桑勃雪•哈根生平最得意的年 代，他曾听到过哈根是怎样骂人的，他自认为他这一回可是胜过了老哈根。不过，据我看， 这也许有点儿言过其实了。 晚饭以后，爸爸又拿起了酒瓶子，说瓶里的威士忌够他喝醉两回，外加一次酒疯。这是 他的口头禅了。我估摸，大约一个钟头光景，他就会醉得人事不省，我便可以偷那把钥匙， 或是把木头锯断，偷偷溜出去，两个办法总有一个能行得通。只见他喝啊，喝啊，一会儿就 滚到了他那条毯子上。不过，这回儿我运气不佳。他并没有睡熟，而是睡得不安生。他不停 地呻唤，好长时间不停气地翻身，翻到东来翻到西。后来，我实在困得不行，连眼睛也睁不 开来，不知不觉之间，便熟睡过去了，连蜡烛还点着哩。 我不知道自己睡了多久，不过只听得一声尖声怪叫，我就爬了起来。只见爸爸神色狂 野，满屋子跳过来跳过去，一边狂叫有蛇①。他一声声说蛇爬上了腿，接着又跳又尖叫，又 说一条蛇咬了腮帮子，——可是我没有看见什么蛇啊。他在木屋里跳过来，奔过去，一边高 叫“捉住它，捉住它。蛇在咬我的颈子啦。”眼神如此狂乱的人，我可从来没有见过。一会 儿，他也实在累垮了，倒下来喘得不行，接着又滚到东、滚到西，滚得猛快，又碰到什么就 踢什么，双手在空中又是打又是抓，还尖声叫唤，说他给魔鬼抓住了。后来，他困得不行， 躺了一会儿直呻吟。再后来，他躺得更加安静了，听不见声音了。但听得远处林子里猫头鹰 和狼的响动声。一片阴森得吓人。他在屋角里躺着。慢慢地又半欠起身子，脑袋歪向一边， 仔细听着。他声音很低地说： ①《文库》本注：以下几段被认为马克•吐温写发酒疯的名篇，作者非常熟悉当时 戒酒运动中对发酒疯的描述。 “啪哒——啪哒——啪哒，这是死人；啪哒——啪哒——啪哒，是他们来抓我来啦，可 是我不去——哦，他们来啦。别碰我——别碰！把手放开——手冰凉冰凉的；放开我—— 哦，放了一个孤零零的穷鬼吧！” 但见他双手双脚伏在地下，一边爬开，一边哀求他们放开他。他用毯子把全身裹了起 来，滚到了旧的橡木桌子下面，一边还是苦苦哀求，接着又哭了起来。我还能听到那透过毯 子传出的哭声。 再后来，他滚了出来，站起身来，猛然一跳，神色狂乱。他看到了我，朝我追来。他一 圈又一圈地追我，手里拿着一把折刀，一声声叫我是死亡天使，说要杀我，好叫我从此不能 再来索他的命。我求告于他，对他说，我只是哈克啊。不过，他如此这般地惨笑了一下，又 吼了起来，咒骂了起来，又使劲追我。有一回，我突然一转身，想从他胳膊下面钻过去，可 给他一把抓住，抓住了肩膀上的茄克。我想，这下子我可完了。可是我象闪电一般把茄克一 下子褪了下来，总算保了一命。没有多久，他也累垮了，一边倒下，背靠着大门，一边还 说，且让他歇一口气，再来杀我。他把刀子放在他身下。一边说，他要睡一下，把精神恢复 起来，然后他倒要看一看究竟谁是谁。 这样，他很快便打起了瞌睡。隔了一会儿，我拖出了那张用柳条编底的旧椅子，尽量轻 手轻脚爬上去，不发出声音，终于把手熗取到了手。我用通条捅了捅熗管，为了保证它是装 了火药的，接下来，我把熗搁在萝卜桶上，瞄准好了爸爸，自己躲在后边等候着他的动静。 啊，时光过得多慢啊，又是多么静啊。 Chapter 6 WELL, pretty soon the old man was up and around again, and then he went for Judge Thatcher in the courts to make him give up that money, and he went for me, too, for not stopping school. He catched me a couple of times and thrashed me, but I went to school just the same, and dodged him or outrun him most of the time. I didn't want to go to school much before, but I reckoned I'd go now to spite pap. That law trial was a slow business -- appeared like they warn't ever going to get started on it; so every now and then I'd borrow two or three dollars off of the judge for him, to keep from getting a cowhiding. Every time he got money he got drunk; and every time he got drunk he raised Cain around town; and every time he raised Cain he got jailed. He was just suited -- this kind of thing was right in his line. He got to hanging around the widow's too much and so she told him at last that if he didn't quit using around there she would make trouble for him. Well, WASN'T he mad? He said he would show who was Huck Finn's boss. So he watched out for me one day in the spring, and catched me, and took me up the river about three mile in a skiff, and crossed over to the Illinois shore where it was woody and there warn't no houses but an old log hut in a place where the timber was so thick you couldn't find it if you didn't know where it was. He kept me with him all the time, and I never got a chance to run off. We lived in that old cabin, and he always locked the door and put the key under his head nights. He had a gun which he had stole, I reckon, and we fished and hunted, and that was what we lived on. Every little while he locked me in and went down to the store, three miles, to the ferry, and traded fish and game for whisky, and fetched it home and got drunk and had a good time, and licked me. The widow she found out where I was by and by, and she sent a man over to try to get hold of me; but pap drove him off with the gun, and it warn't long after that till I was used to being where I was, and liked it -- all but the cowhide part. It was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study. Two months or more run along, and my clothes got to be all rags and dirt, and I didn't see how I'd ever got to like it so well at the widow's, where you had to wash, and eat on a plate, and comb up, and go to bed and get up regular, and be forever bothering over a book, and have old Miss Watson pecking at you all the time. I didn't want to go back no more. I had stopped cussing, because the widow didn't like it; but now I took to it again because pap hadn't no objections. It was pretty good times up in the woods there, take it all around. But by and by pap got too handy with his hick'ry, and I couldn't stand it. I was all over welts. He got to going away so much, too, and locking me in. Once he locked me in and was gone three days. It was dreadful lonesome. I judged he had got drowned, and I wasn't ever going to get out any more. I was scared. I made up my mind I would fix up some way to leave there. I had tried to get out of that cabin many a time, but I couldn't find no way. There warn't a window to it big enough for a dog to get through. I couldn't get up the chimbly; it was too narrow. The door was thick, solid oak slabs. Pap was pretty careful not to leave a knife or anything in the cabin when he was away; I reckon I had hunted the place over as much as a hundred times; well, I was most all the time at it, because it was about the only way to put in the time. But this time I found something at last; I found an old rusty wood-saw without any handle; it was laid in between a rafter and the clapboards of the roof. I greased it up and went to work. There was an old horse-blanket nailed against the logs at the far end of the cabin behind the table, to keep the wind from blowing through the chinks and putting the candle out. I got under the table and raised the blanket, and went to work to saw a section of the big bottom log out -- big enough to let me through. Well, it was a good long job, but I was getting towards the end of it when I heard pap's gun in the woods. I got rid of the signs of my work, and dropped the blanket and hid my saw, and pretty soon pap come in. Pap warn't in a good humor -- so he was his natural self. He said he was down town, and everything was going wrong. His lawyer said he reckoned he would win his lawsuit and get the money if they ever got started on the trial; but then there was ways to put it off a long time, and Judge Thatcher knowed how to do it And he said people allowed there'd be another trial to get me away from him and give me to the widow for my guardian, and they guessed it would win this time. This shook me up considerable, because I didn't want to go back to the widow's any more and be so cramped up and sivilized, as they called it. Then the old man got to cussing, and cussed everything and everybody he could think of, and then cussed them all over again to make sure he hadn't skipped any, and after that he polished off with a kind of a general cuss all round, including a considerable parcel of people which he didn't know the names of, and so called them what's-his-name when he got to them, and went right along with his cussing. He said he would like to see the widow get me. He said he would watch out, and if they tried to come any such game on him he knowed of a place six or seven mile off to stow me in, where they might hunt till they dropped and they couldn't find me. That made me pretty uneasy again, but only for a minute; I reckoned I wouldn't stay on hand till he got that chance. The old man made me go to the skiff and fetch the things he had got. There was a fifty-pound sack of corn meal, and a side of bacon, ammunition, and a four-gallon jug of whisky, and an old book and two newspapers for wadding, besides some tow. I toted up a load, and went back and set down on the bow of the skiff to rest. I thought it all over, and I reckoned I would walk off with the gun and some lines, and take to the woods when I run away. I guessed I wouldn't stay in one place, but just tramp right across the country, mostly night times, and hunt and fish to keep alive, and so get so far away that the old man nor the widow couldn't ever find me any more. I judged I would saw out and leave that night if pap got drunk enough, and I reckoned he would. I got so full of it I didn't notice how long I was staying till the old man hollered and asked me whether I was asleep or drownded. I got the things all up to the cabin, and then it was about dark. While I was cooking supper the old man took a swig or two and got sort of warmed up, and went to ripping again. He had been drunk over in town, and laid in the gutter all night, and he was a sight to look at. A body would a thought he was Adam -- he was just all mud. Whenever his liquor begun to work he most always went for the govment. his time he says: "Call this a govment! why, just look at it and see what it's like. Here's the law a-standing ready to take a man's son away from him -- a man's own son, which he has had all the trouble and all the anxiety and all the expense of raising. Yes, just as that man has got that son raised at last, and ready to go to work and begin to do suthin' for HIM and give him a rest, the law up and goes for him. And they call THAT govment! That ain't all, nuther. The law backs that old Judge Thatcher up and helps him to keep me out o' my property. Here's what the law does: The law takes a man worth six thousand dollars and up'ards, and jams him into an old trap of a cabin like this, and lets him go round in clothes that ain't fitten for a hog. They call that govment! A man can't get his rights in a govment like this. Sometimes I've a mighty notion to just leave the country for good and all. Yes, and I TOLD 'em so; I told old Thatcher so to his face. Lots of 'em heard me, and can tell what I said. Says I, for two cents I'd leave the blamed country and never come a-near it agin. Them's the very words. I says look at my hat -- if you call it a hat -- but the lid raises up and the rest of it goes down till it's below my chin, and then it ain't rightly a hat at all, but more like my head was shoved up through a jint o' stovepipe. Look at it, says I -- such a hat for me to wear -- one of the wealthiest men in this town if I could git my rights. "Oh, yes, this is a wonderful govment, wonderful. Why, looky here. There was a free nigger there from Ohio -- a mulatter, most as white as a white man. He had the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and the shiniest hat; and there ain't a man in that town that's got as fine clothes as what he had; and he had a gold watch and chain, and a silver-headed cane -- the awfulest old gray-headed nabob in the State. And what do you think? They said he was a p'fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of languages, and knowed everything. And that ain't the wust. They said he could VOTE when he was at home. Well, that let me out. Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I'll never vote agin. Them's the very words I said; they all heard me; and the country may rot for all me -- I'll never vote agin as long as I live. And to see the cool way of that nigger -- why, he wouldn't a give me the road if I hadn't shoved him out o' the way. I says to the people, why ain't this nigger put up at auction and sold? -- that's what I want to know. And what do you reckon they said? Why, they said he couldn't be sold till he'd been in the State six months, and he hadn't been there that long yet. There, now -- that's a specimen. They call that a govment that can't sell a free nigger till he's been in the State six months. Here's a govment that calls itself a govment, and lets on to be a govment, and thinks it is a govment, and yet's got to set stock-still for six whole months before it can take a hold of a prowling, thieving, infernal, white-shirted free nigger, and --" Pap was agoing on so he never noticed where his old limber legs was taking him to, so he went head over heels over the tub of salt pork and barked both shins, and the rest of his speech was all the hottest kind of language -- mostly hove at the nigger and the govment, though he give the tub some, too, all along, here and there. He hopped around the cabin considerable, first on one leg and then on the other, holding first one shin and then the other one, and at last he let out with his left foot all of a sudden and fetched the tub a rattling kick. But it warn't good judgment, because that was the boot that had a couple of his toes leaking out of the front end of it; so now he raised a howl that fairly made a body's hair raise, and down he went in the dirt, and rolled there, and held his toes; and the cussing he done then laid over anything he had ever done previous. He said so his own self afterwards. He had heard old Sowberry Hagan in his best days, and he said it laid over him, too; but I reckon that was sort of piling it on, maybe. After supper pap took the jug, and said he had enough whisky there for two drunks and one delirium tremens. That was always his word. I judged he would be blind drunk in about an hour, and then I would steal the key, or saw myself out, one or t'other. He drank and drank, and tumbled down on his blankets by and by; but luck didn't run my way. He didn't go sound asleep, but was uneasy. He groaned and moaned and thrashed around this way and that for a long time. At last I got so sleepy I couldn't keep my eyes open all I could do, and so before I knowed what I was about I was sound asleep, and the candle burning. I don't know how long I was asleep, but all of a sudden there was an awful scream and I was up. There was pap looking wild, and skipping around every which way and yelling about snakes. He said they was crawling up his legs; and then he would give a jump and scream, and say one had bit him on the cheek -- but I couldn't see no snakes. He started and run round and round the cabin, hollering "Take him off! take him off! he's biting me on the neck!" I never see a man look so wild in the eyes. Pretty soon he was all fagged out, and fell down panting; then he rolled over and over wonderful fast, kicking things every which way, and striking and grabbing at the air with his hands, and screaming and saying there was devils a-hold of him. He wore out by and by, and laid still a while, moaning. Then he laid stiller, and didn't make a sound. I could hear the owls and the wolves away off in the woods, and it seemed terrible still. He was laying over by the corner. By and by he raised up part way and listened, with his head to one side. He says, very low: "Tramp -- tramp -- tramp; that's the dead; tramp -- tramp -- tramp; they're coming after me; but I won't go. Oh, they're here! don't touch me -- don't! hands off -- they're cold; let go. Oh, let a poor devil alone!" Then he went down on all fours and crawled off, begging them to let him alone, and he rolled himself up in his blanket and wallowed in under the old pine table, still a-begging; and then he went to crying. I could hear him through the blanket. By and by he rolled out and jumped up on his feet looking wild, and he see me and went for me. He chased me round and round the place with a claspknife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn't come for him no more. I begged, and told him I was only Huck; but he laughed SUCH a screechy laugh, and roared and cussed, and kept on chasing me up. Once when I turned short and dodged under his arm he made a grab and got me by the jacket between my shoulders, and I thought I was gone; but I slid out of the jacket quick as lightning, and saved myself. Pretty soon he was all tired out, and dropped down with his back against the door, and said he would rest a minute and then kill me. He put his knife under him, and said he would sleep and get strong, and then he would see who was who. So he dozed off pretty soon. By and by I got the old split-bottom chair and clumb up as easy as I could, not to make any noise, and got down the gun. I slipped the ramrod down it to make sure it was loaded, then I laid it across the turnip barrel, pointing towards pap, and set down behind it to wait for him to stir. And how slow and still the time did drag along. |
| 第七章 “起来，你怎么搞的！” 我张开眼睛，四下里一望，想知道自己身在何处。太阳已经升起，我是睡得熟了。爸爸 站在我面前，一脸不快的模样——而且病歪歪的。他说： “你摆弄这枝熗干什么来的？” 我断定他对自己那场所作所为全不知晓，就说： “有人想进来，我埋伏好了。” “干什么不叫醒我？” “我叫过，可叫不醒，推你也推不醒。” “嗯，好吧。别一整天站在那儿，废话连篇。跟我一起出门去看看，看有没有鱼上钩， 好弄来吃早饭，我一会儿就来。” 他把上了锁的门打开了，我走了出去，上了河岸边。见到有些树枝之类的东西往下漂 去，还有些树皮。这样，我就知道大河开始涨水了。我思量，如果我是在那边镇上的话，如 今该是我的大好时光了。六月涨水，我往常总会交好运。因为一开始涨水，总有些大块木料 漂下来，还有零散的木筏子——有时候会有整打原木捆绑在一起的，你只要拦住，便可以卖 给木材场或者锯木厂。 我往河岸上走去，一只眼睛留意着爸爸，另一只眼睛留心看这回涨水能捞到些什么。 啊，但见一只独木小舟，看起来多么漂漂亮亮的，长十三、四英尺，浮在水上面活象一只鸭 子。我象一只青蛙一般，从岸上纵身一跃，身上的衣服还全都没有脱，朝独木小舟游去。我 料想，会有人躺在船身里，因为人家往往喜欢这么作弄人，只等有人把船划近，他就直起身 来，把人家取笑一顿。可是这一回倒不是这样。这是一只漂来的无主的独木小舟，肯定是如 此，我爬上了这独木小舟，划到了岸边。我心想，老头子一见到，准定会高兴——这小舟能 值十块大洋。不过我一上岸，不见爸爸的影子。我把小舟划到了一条类似溪沟的小河浜里， 水面上挂满了藤萝和柳条，这时我心生一计。我断定，小舟我能藏好，不会有差错，等我出 逃时，不必钻树林子了，不妨下到下游五十英里开外的去处，挑一个地方露营扎寨，免得靠 双脚走，搞得累死累活的。 这里离木屋很近，我仿佛老觉得老头儿正在走回来。不过，我还是把独木小舟给藏了起 来。接着，我走了出来，绕着一丛杨柳树，往四下里一张望，但见老头儿正沿着小径往下走 来，正用他那枝熗瞄准了一只小鸟。这样说来，他什么也没有看见啰。 他走过来的时候，我正使劲把拦河钩绳①往上拉。他责怪了我几句干得太慢之类的话， 不过我对他说，我掉进了河水里，这才把时间拖久了。我知道，他会看到我湿漉漉的身子， 还会问这问那。我们从拦河钩上搞到了五条大鲶鱼，就回到了家里。 ①诺顿版注：拦河钩绳是一条很长的钓鱼绳，上面拴着许多钓鱼钩，横在河上，一 头放在水底，一头拴在岸旁树枝上。 吃了早饭以后，我们开始休息，准备睡一觉。我们两人全都累坏了。我可得盘算盘算， 要是我能找到个什么法子，不让我爸爸和那个寡妇老缠着我不放，那就肯定比光靠运气要来 得强，好叫我在他们还没有发觉以前，就来个远走高飞。啊！暂时嘛，我还没有找到一个法 子。这时，爸爸起身又喝了一罐水。他说： “下一回再看见有人蹑手蹑脚到这儿转游，务必把我叫醒，听到了吧？此人来者不善， 我要打死他。下一回，你可要叫醒我，听到了吧？” 说过，就往下一躺，又睡了。——可他的话激起了我恰恰正急切需要的一个念头。此时 此刻，我得打定一个主意，好叫谁也不用想来追踪我。 十二点钟左右，我们出了门，沿着河岸走动。河水流得好急。随着涨水，不少木料淌过 去——有九根原木紧紧捆绑在一起的。我们驾着小船追过去，拖到了岸边。接着，吃了中 饭。除了爸爸，谁都会一整天守在那里，好多捞些东西，可他不是那种风格的人。一回有九 根原木，那就足够啦。他必须立时立刻搞到镇上去，把原木给卖了。这样，他就把我锁在了 屋内，驾着小船，把木筏子拖走，时间是下午三点半钟。我断定，今晚上他是不会回来了。 我安心等着，等到他早已动身了，便取出了我那把锯子，又对那个原木干开了。在他划到河 对岸以前，我已经从洞中爬了出来，他和他那节木筏子在远处河上只是一个黑点子罢了。 我拿了那袋玉米粉，拿到了藏那只独木小舟的地方，拨开了藤萝枝桠，放到了小舟上。 接着把那块腌肉和威士忌酒瓶放到了小舟上。还拿走了所有的咖啡和糖，还有火药，也全部 带走。我还带走了塞弹药的填料，还有水桶和水瓢。还有一只勺子和一只洋铁杯子。还有我 那把锯子，两条毯子。还有平底锅和咖啡壶。我还带走了钓鱼竿、火柴和诸如此类的东西— —凡是值一分钱以上的东西，一股脑儿带走。我把那个地方都给搬空了。我需要一把斧子， 不过没有多的了，只有柴堆那边唯一的一把了。我懂得为什么要把这个留下来。我找出了那 杆熗。这样，我此时此刻，一切都搞好了。 我从洞洞里爬出来，又拖出了这么多的东西，把地面磨平得相当厉害。因此我就从外面 用心收拾了一下，在那里撒些尘土，把磨平的地方用锯屑给盖住了。接下来把那段木头放回 原处，在木头下面垫上了两块石头，另外搬一块顶住那节木头，不让它坠下来——因为木头 正是在这儿有点儿弯，并不贴着地面。你要是站在四五步外，不会知道这节木头是锯过了 的。再说，这是在木屋的背后，没有人会到那儿去转游。 从这里到独木小舟那边，一路上尽长着青草，因此我并没有留下什么痕迹。我沿路察看 了一遍。我站在河岸上，望着外边的大河之上。一切太平无事。我便提了熗，走进了林子， 走了有一箭之遥，想打几只鸟。这时，我发现了一头野猪。家养的猪，从草原之上的农家一 跑出来，不久便成了野猪。我一熗把那头野猪打死了，往回拖到住处。 我拿起了斧头，砸开了门——我又劈又砍，使了好大劲，才成功了。我把猪拖了进去， 拖到了离桌子不远之处，一斧头砍进了猪的喉咙口，把它放在地上流血——我这里说的是地 上，因为这确实是地面上。是夯结实的地面，没有铺木板。好啊，下一步呢，我拿来了一只 旧的麻袋，往里面放进了不少大的石头——能拖来多少就拖多少——就从猪身子旁边开始， 拖着口袋，拖到门口，推进林子，拖到河边，扔进河里，口袋就沉了下去，不见踪影。你一 眼便可看出，在这里，有什么东西在地面上给拖过了的。我但愿汤姆•索亚能在这里。我知 道，他对这类玩意儿肯定会兴趣十足，搞出些异想天开的点子来。在这方面，没有人赶得上 汤姆•索亚那么内行。 啊，最后呢，我拔了我的几根头发，在斧头上涂满了猪血，并且把头发沾在斧头的一 边。接下来，我抱起那只猪来，贴紧了我胸前的外衣上（这样血就不会滴下来），一直到我 找定了屋外一处理想的地方，然后扔进了河里。在这么一个时刻，我又想到了另外一个念 头。我便走回去，把那袋玉米和我那把锯子，从独木小舟给取了出来，送回了木屋。把袋子 放回平常安放的原处，用锯子在口袋底下钻了一个小洞，因为那里没有刀子或者叉子——爸 爸烧菜总是光用他那把折叠刀。接下来，我背着那个袋子，走了一百码的光景，经过那片青 草地，穿过屋外东手那个柳树林，到了那浅浅的湖边，有五英里宽，长满了芦苇——你不妨 说，一到季节，还会有野鸭哩。在湖面的另一头，有一个水沟或者一处溪沟，可以通出去几 英里之外，不知道通往何处，不过并非是注入大河的。王米粉一路漏出来，到浅湖边上，留 下了小小的一道印子。我把爸爸的磨刀石也掉在那里，人家一看，会以为是无意间掉下来 的。然后我把玉米粉袋的口子给缝了起来，不会再漏了，便把那个袋子和我那把锯子又带回 了独木小舟上。 这时，天擦黑了，所以我把小舟放到了河上，河岸上的几株柳树覆盖着小舟，我就在那 儿等着月亮升起。我把独木舟系紧在一株柳树上。我吃了口东西，隔了一会儿，在小舟上躺 了下来，吸了口烟，然后计上了心头。我在心里算计，人家会跟踪这袋石块，一直追到岸 边，然后往河里寻找我。人家还会跟踪这玉米粉袋，一直追到湖面上，然后沿着从湖水流出 的小溪，寻找那些杀死了我、抢劫了财物的强盗。人家往河里找的，无非只是我的尸体。不 用多久，人家就会找得厌烦了，不会再为了我烦心。好吧，我哪里都可以去得。杰克逊岛① 呢，对我来说，可说是个好去处。这座岛我挺熟悉，没有别的人去过。这样，到了夜晚，我 就可以划到镇上去，到处偷偷地遛遛，捡些我用得着的东西。杰克逊岛恰好是这样的去处。 ①诺顿版注：《汤姆•索亚历险记》中也写了杰克逊岛，乃虚构的名字、实为格拉 索克岛，在马克•吐温故乡附近的密西西比河上，后被淹没掉了。 我也真累了，不知不觉便睡着了。待到醒回来，一时间不知道身子在何方。我直起身 子，四周一张望，可吓了一跳。不久就又回想起来了。河面上仿佛有好多英里宽。月亮通 明，那往下漂过的圆木，我几乎能数得清清楚楚。离河岸上百码外，一片漆黑，一片寂静。 一切死一般静悄悄。看来不早了，你闻得出来，时间不早了。我是什么个意思，你准知道— —我不知道用什么样的词才能表达我的这个意思。 我打了一个呵欠，伸了一下懒腰，刚准备解开绳子打算走的时候，听到远处河面上传来 一点声响。我仔细听了一下。很快，我就听出来了。这是每逢寂静的夜晚，船桨在桨架子上 发出的那种有节奏的沉闷的声音。我从柳树枝桠缝缝里往外偷偷张望，可不——河对面正有 一只敞篷平底船。上面有多少人，我一时间还看不清。它正迎面驶来，等到几乎来到我面前 的时候，才见到原来只有一个人。我心想，也许正是我爸爸吧。尽管我才不盼望是他呢。他 顺着水势，在我的下面停了桨，在水势平稳的地方划到岸边。他离我离得那么贴近，我要是 把熗杆支出去，就能触着他的身子。啊，正是爸爸，千真万确——并且不是喝醉的样子，这 从他划桨的那个模样可以看得出来。 我毫未迟疑，马上就沿着岸荫底下，悄悄地、快速地朝下游划去。我划了两英里半，然 后朝河中央划了四分之一英里多一些，因为我很快便会划到渡口，人家可能会看到我，跟我 打招呼。我插到了漂着的木头中间，然后在独木小舟上往下一躺，听任着它漂到哪里就是哪 里。我躺在那里，舒舒服服地休息，吸了一口烟，望着远处的天空，只见万里无云。在月光 下，躺着望天，才发现天这么幽深，这是我从前所不知道的。象这样的夜晚，河上的声音， 老远老远都听得到！渡口那边的说话声，我也听到了。还一个字一个字听得一清二楚。只听 见有一个人在说，现今是快到日长夜短的时刻了。另一个人说，依他看，今晚上还不是夜短 的时刻——接着他们笑了起来。这人把上面的话又说了一遍，两人又笑了起来。接下来，他 叫醒了另一个人，对他也说了一遍，并且笑开了，可是这人并没有笑，只说了句气话，叫人 家别惹他。第一个人说，他要把这话告诉他老婆——她准定会认为说得很对。不过，要是和 他当年说过的一些话相比，这就算不上什么了。我又听见一个人在说，快三点钟了，但愿等 天亮，不必象等一星期那么久。在这以后，谈话声越来越远，再也听不清在说些什么了，不 过还能依稀传来些声响，间或有一声笑声，从远处传来。 现今我已经漂过了渡口。我直起身来，杰克逊岛就在眼前啦，就在河下两英里半外，林 木深深，耸立在大河中央。又大，又黑森森，又沉稳，活象一只没有点灯的大轮。岛上顶端 的沙洲，连一点儿影子也看不见——如今都沉在水里了。 我没有花多大功夫就划到了那里。水流很急，我的小舟箭一般划过岛的顶端。接下来划 到了静水地段，便在面对着伊利诺斯州的一边上了岸。我把小划子划到了我本来熟悉的一个 深湾里去。我得拨开柳树丛的枝桠，这才进得去。等我们小划子栓好后，谁也无法从外边看 到它的影子。 我上了岸，坐在岛顶端一根圆木上，朝外一望，只见前边是大河，还有黑森森漂流着的 木头，三英里路外便是镇上了，只见三四点光亮在闪闪烁烁。上游一英里路外，正有一排庞 然大物似的木筏子漂过来，木排正中间点着一盏灯。我看着它慢悠悠地过来，快到跟前时听 到一个男子在说，“喂，摇尾浆啊！往右边掉头！”听得一清二楚，就仿佛这人是在我身边 说的话。 天上有些发灰了。我便钻进了林子，躺了下来，在吃早饭以前，先打个瞌睡吧。 Chapter 7 GIT up! What you 'bout?" I opened my eyes and looked around, trying to make out where I was. It was after sun-up, and I had been sound asleep. Pap was standing over me looking sourÑand sick, too. He says: "What you doin' with this gun?" I judged he didn't know nothing about what he had been doing, so I says: "Somebody tried to get in, so I was laying for him." "Why didn't you roust me out?" "Well, I tried to, but I couldn't; I couldn't budge you." "Well, all right. Don't stand there palavering all day, but out with you and see if there's a fish on the lines for breakfast. I'll be along in a minute." He unlocked the door, and I cleared out up the river-bank. I noticed some pieces of limbs and such things floating down, and a sprinkling of bark; so I knowed the river had begun to rise. I reckoned I would have great times now if I was over at the town. The June rise used to be always luck for me; because as soon as that rise begins here comes cordwood floating down, and pieces of log rafts -- sometimes a dozen logs together; so all you have to do is to catch them and sell them to the wood-yards and the sawmill. I went along up the bank with one eye out for pap and t'other one out for what the rise might fetch along. Well, all at once here comes a canoe; just a beauty, too, about thirteen or fourteen foot long, riding high like a duck. I shot head-first off of the bank like a frog, clothes and all on, and struck out for the canoe. I just expected there'd be somebody laying down in it, because people often done that to fool folks, and when a chap had pulled a skiff out most to it they'd raise up and laugh at him. But it warn't so this time. It was a drift-canoe sure enough, and I clumb in and paddled her ashore. Thinks I, the old man will be glad when he sees this -- she's worth ten dollars. But when I got to shore pap wasn't in sight yet, and as I was running her into a little creek like a gully, all hung over with vines and willows, I struck another idea: I judged I'd hide her good, and then, 'stead of taking to the woods when I run off, I'd go down the river about fifty mile and camp in one place for good, and not have such a rough time tramping on foot. It was pretty close to the shanty, and I thought I heard the old man coming all the time; but I got her hid; and then I out and looked around a bunch of willows, and there was the old man down the path a piece just drawing a bead on a bird with his gun. So he hadn't seen anything. When he got along I was hard at it taking up a "trot" line. He abused me a little for being so slow; but I told him I fell in the river, and that was what made me so long. I knowed he would see I was wet, and then he would be asking questions. We got five catfish off the lines and went home. While we laid off after breakfast to sleep up, both of us being about wore out, I got to thinking that if I could fix up some way to keep pap and the widow from trying to follow me, it would be a certainer thing than trusting to luck to get far enough off before they missed me; you see, all kinds of things might happen. Well, I didn't see no way for a while, but by and by pap raised up a minute to drink another barrel of water, and he says: "Another time a man comes a-prowling round here you roust me out, you hear? That man warn't here for no good. I'd a shot him. Next time you roust me out, you hear?" Then he dropped down and went to sleep again; but what he had been saying give me the very idea I wanted. I says to myself, I can fix it now so nobody won't think of following me. About twelve o'clock we turned out and went along up the bank. The river was coming up pretty fast, and lots of driftwood going by on the rise. By and by along comes part of a log raft -- nine logs fast together. We went out with the skiff and towed it ashore. Then we had dinner. Anybody but pap would a waited and seen the day through, so as to catch more stuff; but that warn't pap's style. Nine logs was enough for one time; he must shove right over to town and sell. So he locked me in and took the skiff, and started off towing the raft about halfpast three. I judged he wouldn't come back that night. I waited till I reckoned he had got a good start; then I out with my saw, and went to work on that log again. Before he was t'other side of the river I was out of the hole; him and his raft was just a speck on the water away off yonder. I took the sack of corn meal and took it to where the canoe was hid, and shoved the vines and branches apart and put it in; then I done the same with the side of bacon; then the whisky-jug. I took all the coffee and sugar there was, and all the ammunition; I took the wadding; I took the bucket and gourd; I took a dipper and a tin cup, and my old saw and two blankets, and the skillet and the coffee-pot. I took fish-lines and matches and other things -- everything that was worth a cent. I cleaned out the place. I wanted an axe, but there wasn't any, only the one out at the woodpile, and I knowed why I was going to leave that. I fetched out the gun, and now I was done. I had wore the ground a good deal crawling out of the hole and dragging out so many things. So I fixed that as good as I could from the outside by scattering dust on the place, which covered up the smoothness and the sawdust. Then I fixed the piece of log back into its place, and put two rocks under it and one against it to hold it there, for it was bent up at that place and didn't quite touch ground. If you stood four or five foot away and didn't know it was sawed, you wouldn't never notice it; and besides, this was the back of the cabin, and it warn't likely anybody would go fooling around there. It was all grass clear to the canoe, so I hadn't left a track. I followed around to see. I stood on the bank and looked out over the river. All safe. So I took the gun and went up a piece into the woods, and was hunting around for some birds when I see a wild pig; hogs soon went wild in them bottoms after they had got away from the prairie farms. I shot this fellow and took him into camp. I took the axe and smashed in the door. I beat it and hacked it considerable a-doing it. I fetched the pig in, and took him back nearly to the table and hacked into his throat with the axe, and laid him down on the ground to bleed; I say ground because it was ground -- hard packed, and no boards. Well, next I took an old sack and put a lot of big rocks in it -- all I could drag -- and I started it from the pig, and dragged it to the door and through the woods down to the river and dumped it in, and down it sunk, out of sight. You could easy see that something had been dragged over the ground. I did wish Tom Sawyer was there; I knowed he would take an interest in this kind of business, and throw in the fancy touches. Nobody could spread himself like Tom Sawyer in such a thing as that. Well, last I pulled out some of my hair, and blooded the axe good, and stuck it on the back side, and slung the axe in the corner. Then I took up the pig and held him to my breast with my jacket (so he couldn't drip) till I got a good piece below the house and then dumped him into the river. Now I thought of something else. So I went and got the bag of meal and my old saw out of the canoe, and fetched them to the house. I took the bag to where it used to stand, and ripped a hole in the bottom of it with the saw, for there warn't no knives and forks on the place -- pap done everything with his clasp-knife about the cooking. Then I carried the sack about a hundred yards across the grass and through the willows east of the house, to a shallow lake that was five mile wide and full of rushes -- and ducks too, you might say, in the season. There was a slough or a creek leading out of it on the other side that went miles away, I don't know where, but it didn't go to the river. The meal sifted out and made a little track all the way to the lake. I dropped pap's whetstone there too, so as to look like it had been done by accident. Then I tied up the rip in the meal sack with a string, so it wouldn't leak no more, and took it and my saw to the canoe again. It was about dark now; so I dropped the canoe down the river under some willows that hung over the bank, and waited for the moon to rise. I made fast to a willow; then I took a bite to eat, and by and by laid down in the canoe to smoke a pipe and lay out a plan. I says to myself, they'll follow the track of that sackful of rocks to the shore and then drag the river for me. And they'll follow that meal track to the lake and go browsing down the creek that leads out of it to find the robbers that killed me and took the things. They won't ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass. They'll soon get tired of that, and won't bother no more about me. All right; I can stop anywhere I want to. Jackson's Island is good enough for me; I know that island pretty well, and nobody ever comes there. And then I can paddle over to town nights, and slink around and pick up things I want. Jackson's Island's the place. I was pretty tired, and the first thing I knowed I was asleep. When I woke up I didn't know where I was for a minute. I set up and looked around, a little scared. Then I remembered. The river looked miles and miles across. The moon was so bright I could a counted the drift logs that went a-slipping along, black and still, hundreds of yards out from shore. Everything was dead quiet, and it looked late, and SMELT late. You know what I mean -- I don't know the words to put it in. I took a good gap and a stretch, and was just going to unhitch and start when I heard a sound away over the water. I listened. Pretty soon I made it out. It was that dull kind of a regular sound that comes from oars working in rowlocks when it's a still night. I peeped out through the willow branches, and there it was -- a skiff, away across the water. I couldn't tell how many was in it. It kept a-coming, and when it was abreast of me I see there warn't but one man in it. Think's I, maybe it's pap, though I warn't expecting him. He dropped below me with the current, and by and by he came a-swinging up shore in the easy water, and he went by so close I could a reached out the gun and touched him. Well, it WAS pap, sure enough -- and sober, too, by the way he laid his oars. I didn't lose no time. The next minute I was aspinning down stream soft but quick in the shade of the bank. I made two mile and a half, and then struck out a quarter of a mile or more towards the middle of the river, because pretty soon I would be passing the ferry landing, and people might see me and hail me. I got out amongst the driftwood, and then laid down in the bottom of the canoe and let her float. I laid there, and had a good rest and a smoke out of my pipe, looking away into the sky; not a cloud in it. The sky looks ever so deep when you lay down on your back in the moonshine; I never knowed it before. And how far a body can hear on the water such nights! I heard people talking at the ferry landing. I heard what they said, too -- every word of it. One man said it was getting towards the long days and the short nights now. T'other one said THIS warn't one of the short ones, he reckoned -- and then they laughed, and he said it over again, and they laughed again; then they waked up another fellow and told him, and laughed, but he didn't laugh; he ripped out something brisk, and said let him alone. The first fellow said he 'lowed to tell it to his old woman -- she would think it was pretty good; but he said that warn't nothing to some things he had said in his time. I heard one man say it was nearly three o'clock, and he hoped daylight wouldn't wait more than about a week longer. After that the talk got further and further away, and I couldn't make out the words any more; but I could hear the mumble, and now and then a laugh, too, but it seemed a long ways off. I was away below the ferry now. I rose up, and there was Jackson's Island, about two mile and a half down stream, heavy timbered and standing up out of the middle of the river, big and dark and solid, like a steamboat without any lights. There warn't any signs of the bar at the head -- it was all under water now. It didn't take me long to get there. I shot past the head at a ripping rate, the current was so swift, and then I got into the dead water and landed on the side towards the Illinois shore. I run the canoe into a deep dent in the bank that I knowed about; I had to part the willow branches to get in; and when I made fast nobody could a seen the canoe from the outside. I went up and set down on a log at the head of the island, and looked out on the big river and the black driftwood and away over to the town, three mile away, where there was three or four lights twinkling. A monstrous big lumber-raft was about a mile up stream, coming along down, with a lantern in the middle of it. I watched it come creeping down, and when it was most abreast of where I stood I heard a man say, "Stern oars, there! heave her head to stabboard!" I heard that just as plain as if the man was by my side. There was a little gray in the sky now; so I stepped into the woods, and laid down for a nap before breakfast. |
第八章 等我醒来，太阳已经老高了。我看，该是过了八点钟了吧。我躺在草地上阴凉的树荫 里，一边思量着，觉得身上已经歇过气来了，挺舒服的，挺满意的。透过树荫的一两处空 隙，我能见到阳光。不过，这里到处是一棵棵巨大的树木，一片阴森森的。有些地方，阳光 透过树叶，往下筛落，留下了地上几处斑斑点点亮色。每当这些地方亮色摇曳，便知道有微 风吹拂过。枝头有几只松鼠，态度友好地对着我吱吱地叫着。 我还是一味懒洋洋的，舒舒服服的，——还不想起身做早饭。是啊，我又打起了瞌睡。 可是忽听得河上远处传来重重的“轰”的一声，我连忙爬了起来，支起一只胳膊，仔细地倾 听。没有多久，又传来了一声。我跳起身来，走出去，通过树叶的空隙往外张望，但见远处 大河之上一团黑烟——大约是在渡口附近。渡船上挤满了人，正往下游漂来。到了这一刻， 我已懂得是怎么一回事了。“轰”，我看到渡船一侧喷出白烟。要知道，他们这是在河上放 炮，指望我的尸体能浮到水面上来。 我正饿极了，不过眼下可不是我生火的时刻，因为人家会望见烟的。所以我就坐下来， 看着炮火冒的烟，听着炮轰声声。大河河面有一英里宽，每到夏天早晨，一片好风光——这 样，看着人家忙着找寻我的尸体，委实是一种乐趣。只要我能有一口东西吃就好。嗯，我突 然想起，人们往往把水银灌到面包圈里，然后让它们在水面上漂，因为它们往往对准了沉在 下面的尸体漂去，一到那里便停下来不动了。我自言自语：我得留心看着，看有没有漂到我 身边来找我的面包。要是有的话，定要给点颜色给它们看看。我移到了岛上靠伊利诺斯州一 边的地方，看一看我的运气究竟如何。事情倒并没有叫我失望，一只特大的面包漂了过来， 我靠了一根长棍子，几乎把面包捞到手了，只是脚一滑，它就漂向远处了。当然，我是等在 水流最靠近河岸的地方的——这个窍门我是精通的。可是不久又漂来了第二个，这一回啊， 我可就旗开得胜啦。我拨开上面的塞子，把那一点儿水银给抖了出来，就咬了一口。这可是 “面包房的面包”——是供上等人吃的——可不是你们下等人吃的那种玉米面包。 我在树荫深处找到了一个绝好的去处，在那边一根原木上一坐，一边啃面包，一边看看 那只渡船上的热闹，好不开怀。正是在这么一个时刻，一个念头涌上我的心头。我对我自己 说，据我现时推想起来，那寡妇或是牧师，或是别的什么人，肯定做过祷告，但愿这块面包 会把我找到。如今它漂过来了，结果是如此这般，这已经毫无怀疑的余地。其中毕竟有些什 么奥妙吧，这就是说，当寡妇或者牧师那样的人做了祷告，结果却在我身上便不灵验，这其 中必定有些什么奥妙，我推想，大概必须是对路的人才灵，不然就不灵吧。 我点起了烟斗，痛痛快快吸了一口，一边继续看望着。渡船还在顺着水势漂流。我心 想，渡船漂过来的时候，我肯定能有机会看一看清楚，船上究竟是哪些人，因为渡船势必会 逼近面包沉下的地方漂过去。渡船顺水朝着我这个方向开来的时候，我把烟斗熄灭了，走到 了我捞那块面包的地方，伏在一小片开阔地的岸边一根木头后边。透过木头桠叉的空隙，我 能向外偷看到一切。 渡船慢慢漂了过来，离岸很近了，只要架上一块跳板，便能走到岸上来。几乎全部人马 都在船上：爸爸，法官撒切尔，贝茜•撒切尔，乔•哈贝，还有汤姆•索亚和他的老阿姨葆 莉，还有西特和玛丽等其他很多人。一个个都在谈论暗杀的事，不过船长插话说： “注意了，注意了，水流在这儿离岸最近，说不定他给冲上了岸，在水边矮树丛里给绊 住了，至少是我但愿如此。” 我可不愿如此哩。大伙儿便挤在一起，在船栏杆上探出身子，几乎跟我脸对脸。他们一 齐静静地站在那里，聚精会神地察看着。我能把他们看得清清楚楚，不过他们就是看不见 我。接着，船长忽然高声喊： “站开”！一声炮响，简直就是在我面前放的，震得我耳朵都聋了，炮灰几乎弄瞎了我 的眼睛。我心想，这下子我可完了。要是他们放进几颗子弹的话，我看他们这回准定能找到 他们寻找的那具尸体。啊，谢天谢地，我没有受伤。渡船继续往上面漂去，到了岛岬那边就 见不到了。我时不时听到老远传来的炮声，一个钟点以后，就听不见了。这个岛有三英里 长，我判断，他们已到了岛尾，便决定不找了。可事实上他们还是继续找了一会儿的。他们 从岛尾往回转，开足马力，沿着密苏里州一侧的水道找，一路上偶尔也发了炮。我跑到了岛 的那一侧去，看着动静。船开到了岛尖，他们便停止了炮轰，停靠在密苏里州一边的岸边， 纷纷回到镇上各人的家里去。 到了这一刻，我知道一切平安无事了。不会再有人来寻找我了。我把独木小舟上的物品 取了出来，在密林深处搭了个小巧的营帐。我利用毯子搭了个帐篷，下面堆放了我那些物 品，免得遭雨淋。我钓到了一条大鲶鱼，用我的那把锯子剖开了肚子。日落以前，我烧起了 篝火，吃了晚饭。接着放了鱼竿，好钓条鱼以备明天的早餐。 天黑了，我在营帐边上抽着烟，心里觉得挺满意的。慢慢地又感到有点儿寂寞。我便在 河岸上坐下，倾听着流水冲刷河岸声，数数天上的星星，数数从上游漂下来的木头和木筏 子，然后去睡觉。在寂寞的时候，这是消磨时间最好的办法了。你不会老是这样的，你很快 就会习惯的。 就这样，三天三夜过去了。没有什么不一样的——一切照旧。不过，到第二天，我走遍 了全岛，好好巡视了一番。我是一岛之主啦，这岛上一切全归于我啦，不妨这么个说法嘛。 我得通晓这儿所有的一切啊。不过，话说回来，主要原因还是为了消磨时光。我找到了好多 好多的杨莓，熟了的，最好的杨莓，还有青的野萄萄和青的草莓，还有青的黑莓子。这些不 久都会熟透。依我看，你随手可以摘来吃。 好，我在密林深处转悠，到后来，我估计已经离岛尾不远了。我随身带了熗的，不过我 没有打过什么东西，只为了防身之用，只是想到了离家不远处，打几只野味。就在这时，我 差点儿踩在一条大蛇身上。这时，这条蛇正在青草和花丛中游过。我追过去，满心想给它一 熗。我正在向前飞跑，突然之间，我踩到一堆篝火的灰烬，并且还在冒烟呢①。 ①诺顿版注：哈克发现篝火灰烬，乃富于戏剧性的细节，可与笛福《鲁滨逊漂流 记》第十一章发现脚印的细节先后媲美。 我的这颗心啊，简直要跳出来啦。我一刻也没有停下来察看，马上把熗上的扳机拉下 来，踮着脚尖，偷偷往回缩，缩得越快越好。间或有时候放下脚步，在密密的一簇簇树叶丛 中停个片刻，仔细倾听一下，可是我喘气喘得这么厉害，很难听到别的声音。一路之上，情 况便是如此。要是看见一根枯树桩，我便当作是一个人。要是我踩在了一根树枝上面，踩断 了，我便觉得仿佛有人把我的喘气砍成了两半，我只剩了半口气，而且是短的那半口气。 回到宿营地，我不再是那么急躁了，我原来的那股勇气所剩不多了。不过，我对自己 说，没时间磨蹭了。我就把自己的什物再一次放到了独木小舟上，免得给人发现。我把篝火 熄灭了，把灰烬往四周撒开，好叫人家见了以为是一年前的灰烬似的。接下来，我便爬上了 一棵树。 依我估算，我爬在树上有两个钟头。不过我什么也没有见到，什么也没有听到——我只 是自以为自己听见了、看见了上千桩事情。啊，我可不能老耽在那里啊。我终于爬了下来， 不过我还是耽在密密的林子里，自始至终留着神。我能吃到的只是草莓，还有早饭吃了剩下 的。 到了晚上，我可饿慌了。所以天黑尽的时候，我趁着月亮还没有上来，便划离岸边，找 到了伊利诺斯州岸边——大致有四分之一英里那么一段路。我上了岸，进了林子里，烧好了 晚饭，正当我快要打定主意，准备在整个儿一晚上都耽在那边的时候，突然听到了一声声 “得——得——得——得”，我便对自个儿说，是马来了。接下来听到了人的说话声。我赶 紧把所有的东西都搬上了独木小舟，偷偷穿过林子，看一看究竟。走不好远，就听到一个男 子在说： “要是我们能找到一个合适的地方，最好在这儿宿营，马快累垮了。让我们四下里察看 一下。” 我没有耽搁，便抄起桨来，划了出去。我把独木舟栓在老地方，思量着不妨在小舟里睡 它一下。 我没有睡多久。不知怎么搞的，一想心事，便睡不着。每一回醒来，总仿佛觉得有人卡 住了我的脖子。这样，睡也无益。后来，我对我自个儿说，我这样不行，我得弄明白究竟是 谁跟我一起在这岛上。不弄清楚，便完蛋了。这样一想，我马上心里好过些。 这样，我便抄起桨来，先把小舟荡开，离岸一两步，再让小舟顺着黑影往下淌。月色皎 洁，除了阴影处以外，亮得如同白昼。我小心翼翼地漂了近一个钟头。满世界如同一块岩石 那般寂静，睡得好香，不知不觉间快到岛尾了。一阵凉风微微地吹来，这等于说，夜快尽 了。我掉转船头，系到了岸边。然后带上熗，溜进了林子的边边上。我在那里的一棵圆木上 坐下，透过一簇簇树叶，向外张望。但见月亮下沉，一片黑暗遮住了大河。不过没有多久， 只见树梢头出现了一抹鱼肚白，便知白天正在来临。我就带了熗，朝发现了篝火灰烬的方向 溜去，每隔一两分钟便停下脚步，倾听一番。可是，该我运气不好，仿佛总是找不到那块地 方。不过，隔了一会儿，千真万确的，通过远处的树丛，我发现了火光一闪。我小心谨慎地 慢慢地朝这个方向走去。慢慢逼近了，能看清了。啊，有一个人正躺在地上。这下子啊，真 是吓得我簌簌打颤。他毯子蒙住了脑袋，脑袋凑近篝火。我坐在一簇矮树丛里，离他大约六 英尺光景，眼睛盯住了他。现在天色灰白了。一会儿，他打了个呵欠，伸了伸懒腰，掀掉了 毯子，啊，原来是华珍小姐的杰姆啊！见了他，我有多高兴。我说： “哈啰，杰姆！”我跳了出去。 他一下子蹦了起来，一脸狂野地瞪着我。接着他双膝下跪，双手合拢地说： “别害我，别害我！我从尾（未）伤害过一个鬼魂。我一相（向）喜欢死人，尽力为他 们做毫（好）事。你回到河里去吧，那是你的地方，可碧（别）伤害老杰姆，他可丛（从） 来都是你的好朋友。” 不用花多少功夫，我便叫他弄明白了我没有死，我见到了他又多么高兴。我对他说，如 今我便不寂寞了。我并不怕他会把我现今在哪里告诉别人。我一直说着话，可他只是坐在那 里，看着我，不吭一声。我就说： “大白天了。来，吃早饭。把你的篝火生生好。” “生篝火有什么用处？草莓这类东西也用得着煮？不过你有一枝熗，不是么？我们能弄 到比草莓祥（强）的东西。” “草莓一类的东西，”我说，“难道你只靠这些活命？” “我找不到碧（别）的东西啊，”他说。 “啊，杰姆，你在岛上有多久了？” “就在你被杀的那一天，我道（到）岛上的。” “啊，来了这么久？” “是的，确确实实。” “除了这些玩意儿，没有吃到别的？” “没有——没有碧（别）的。” “啊，你一定是饿慌了，是吧？” “我看我能吞下一匹骂（马）。你在岛上又有多久？” “从我被杀害的那一个晚上起。” “啊，你靠什么活呢？不过你有枝熗。哦，是啊，你有枝熗。这就毫（好）。你现在可 以打点什摸（么）来，我来生火。” 我们就一起到了系船的地方。他在树林里开阔地带草地上生起火，我去拿玉米、咸肉、 咖啡和咖啡壶、平底锅，还有糖和洋铁皮杯子。这些把这个黑奴可吓了一跳，因为他认为这 些都是魔法变出来的。我又钓到了一条大鲶鱼，由杰姆用他的小刀收拾干净，放在锅里煎了。 早饭准备好了，我们便歪在草地上热菜热汤吃开了。杰姆使劲往肚子里塞，因为他实在 饿慌了。等到肚子一装满，我们便懒洋洋躺了下来。 后来杰姆说： “不过听我说，哈克，要不是你被杀死的话，那又是谁在那个小见（间）里被杀死的 呢？” 我就把全部经过一古脑儿倒给他听。他说，这干得漂亮。他说，就是汤姆•索亚也不会 干得比你这下子更漂亮的了。” 我就说： “杰姆，你是怎样到这儿来的呢？你怎么会到这儿来的呢？” 他神色大为不安，有一阵子一声也不响。接下来他说： “也许我还是不说的好。” “为什么，杰姆？” “嗯，是有原因的。不过嘛，要是我告诉你的话，哈克，你不会告发我的，是吧？” “杰姆，我要是告发的话，我就是个混蛋。” “好，我相信你，哈克——我是逃跑的” “杰姆！” “当心，你说过你不会告发的——你知道你说过决不告发的，哈克。” “好啊，我是说过。我说过决不告发，我说了话算数。说老实话，我决不反悔。当然 啰，人家会骂我是一个下贱的废奴主义者①，为了这个看不起我——不过这没有什么关系。 我不会告发。反正我也决不会再回那儿去了。所以说，把事情原原本本全说一遍吧。” “好吧，听我说，事情是这样的。老小姐——就是说华珍小姐——她从早到晚挑剔我— —对我可凶啦——不过她老说，她不会把我卖到下游奥尔良②那里去。不过我注意到，最近 有一个黑奴贩子，老在这里走动，我就心神不定。啊，一天晚上，我偷偷到了门口，那是很 晚了，门没有关京（紧），我听到老小姐告诉寡斧（妇），说她要把我卖到下游奥尔良去。 说她本不愿意卖，不过卖了能得八百块大羊（洋），这么泰（大）的一个数目，她不能不动 心。寡妇劝她别这羊（样）干，不过我没有等她们说完，就急急忙忙溜之大吉了，就这样。 ①当时密苏里这个新成立的州是蓄奴州，当地白人普遍认为废奴主义者是大逆不道 者，就连马克•吐温年幼时也曾视奴隶制为当然的事。马克•吐温在《自传》第二章中说， “我读小学的时候，对蓄奴制还并无反感。当时我并没有认识到这样的制度有什么不对。” （参见皮佛《哈克贝里•芬》，３页。） ②诺顿版注：当时伊利诺斯州法律上是自由州，和蓄奴州（包括密苏里州），仅隔了密 西西比河和俄亥俄河。黑人如果身上没有已获自由身份的证件而进入该州的，可被逮捕，并 受到一定的处罚。杰姆当时如果要进入对逃亡黑奴表示同情的北方各州，切实可行的办法是 越过俄亥俄河。 “我溜出家门，急忙赶下山去，原想到镇上一处地方偷一只小船。不过，那里人来人 往。我就多（躲）在岸边那个箍桶匠的破屋子里，等人家一个个走开。我等了镇镇（整整） 一个晚上，总是有人。直到早上六点钟，小船一条条开过。到八九点钟，每一条经过那里的 小船都说，你爸爸怎样来到镇上，又怎样说你是如何如何被杀害的。一些船上挤满了太太和 老爷们，去到现场看个究竟。有的停告（靠）在岸边，歇一歇再开。所以从他们的谈话里， 我得知了你被杀死的全部情况。你被杀，我很难过。不过现在不难过了，哈克。 “我在刨花堆里躺了一整天，也真饿了。不过我心里并不黑（害）怕。因为我清楚，老 小姐和寡妇一吃过早饭便去参加野营会，要去一正（整）天。她们知道我白天要伺候生 （牲）口，因此她们在那里不会看到我。在天黑以前，她们不会想到找我。说到其余的佣 人，他们也不会找我，因为一看到老家伙不在家，他们便早已逍遥直（自）在去了。 “是啊，天一黑，我便溜出门去，沿着大河走了两英里多路，到了没有人家住的地方。 我该怎么办，我对此下钉（定）了决心。要知道，如果我光靠两只甲（脚）走路，狗会追中 （踪）而来。要是我偷一只船渡过去，人家会发现自己家的船失踪了，并且会知道在对面什 么地方上岸，这样也会跟踪而来。所以我对自个儿说，最好是找一个木筏子，这不会留下踪 迹。 “一会儿工夫，我看到岛尖透出一道亮广（光），我就跳下水去，抓住一根木头往前 推，泅到了河中央，游到漂着的木头堆里，把脑袋放得低低的，逆着水势游，一直等到有木 筏子过来。接着，我游到木筏的后梢，紧紧爪（抓）住不放。这时候，天上起了云，一时间 天很黑。我便乘机爬了上去，躺在木板子上。木筏上的人都聚在木筏中间有盏灯的地方。大 河帐（涨）潮了，水势很猛。我估摸着，到早上四点钟光景，我可以下去二十五英里了。到 那时候，天亮以前，我会溜下河里，游到岸上，舟（钻）进伊利诺斯州那一边的树林子里去。 “不过，我运气不好。快到岛尖了，一个人却提着登（灯）走过来。我一看不好，不能 再耽搁了，便溜下了水，朝岛尖游去。我本以为，哪里都能尚（上）得去，可是不行——河 岸太陡。快到岛尾，我才找到一个好去处。我钻进了树林子，心想木筏上灯移来移去的，我 再也不跟木筏子打交道啦。我把我的烟斗和一块板烟①，还有一盒火柴都塞在我的帽子里， 因此没有弄潮，所以我的日子还好过。” ①诺顿版注：指一种劣质烟叶。 “这样说来，你这阵子当然没有吃到肉和面包，是吧？你为什么不捉几只甲鱼吃呢？” “我怎么个捉法？总不能偷偷地过去，光用手就能捉住吧？又怎么能光靠一块石子就打 中它？在黑夜里怎么个干法？再说，在大百（白）天，我才不会在岸边暴路（露）我自己 呢。” “好，说得对。当然啰，自始至终，你得躲在树林子里。你听到了他们的炮声么？” “哦，听到的，我知道这是冲着你的。我看见他们在这里过去的，我透过矮树重 （丛），丁（盯）住了他们的。” 有几只小鸟飞来，一次飞一两码，便歇一歇。杰姆说，这是一种预兆，要下雨了。他 说，小鸡这样飞的话，就是一种预兆，因此他推想，小鸟这样飞，便也是一种预兆。我想捉 它几只，可杰姆不同意。他说，这样会死人。他说，他父亲当年病得很重，有人捉了一只小 鸟，他年老的妈妈说，父亲会死去，后来他果真死了。 杰姆还说，凡是你准备在中午煮来吃的，你不能去数它一数究竟是多少，不然会招来恶 运。太阳落山以后，你要是把桌布抖一抖，也会得恶运。他还说，一个人如果养了一窝蜂 群，一旦这人死了，必须在第二天日出以前把死讯让蜂群知晓，不然，蜂群会病歪歪的，不 采蜜了，死去了。杰姆说，蜂子不会蜇傻瓜蛋，不过我不信这个，因为我自己便试过好几 回，可就是不蜇我。 这类的事，我以前也听说过了一些，不过听得不全。杰姆可懂得所有形形色色的预兆， 他说他几乎什么都通晓。我说，据我看，仿佛预兆全都是坏的预兆，因此我问他，究竟有没 有好运的预兆。他说： “很少很少——再说，好的兆头对人一无用处。你要知道什么时候交好运，这有什么用 处？难道是为了自个儿能笃（躲）过它？”他还说，“要是胳膊上是毛茸茸的，或是胸后是 毛茸茸的，这是预兆你要发财。啊，这样的预兆还有点儿用，因为那是好旧（久）以后才会 来的事。要知道，说不定你非得先穷个很长的时间，要不是你知道终究有那么一天你会发才 （财），说不定你会灰心伤（丧）气到自杀的地步。” “那你有没有毛茸茸的胳膊、毛茸茸的胸口，杰姆？” “还用问？你没有看见我都有么？” “那么，你发了财吗？” “没有。不过，我是发过了的。下一回，我还会发。有一回，我有十四块大羊（洋）。 我用来做了投鸡（机）生意，结果都裴（赔）光了。” “你搞的什么投机生意，杰姆？” “嗯，我先搞的是股票。” “什么样的股票？” “啊，活股票。牲口嘛①，你明白么？我买一头奶牛化（花）了十块大洋。以后我可不 会在牲口上冒险化（花）钱啦。那头牛一到了我手上就私（死）啦。” ①活股票，英语中“活”与“股票”（livestock）合起来，即成另一个词：牲口。 “那你丢了十块钱？” “不，我没有全赔光。我损失了十分之九。我把牛皮和牛邮（油）给卖了一块一毛钱。” “你剩下了五块一毛钱。你后来又搞了什么投机生意了么？” “搞了的。你知道波拉狄休老先生家那个一条推（腿）的黑奴么？他开设了一家银行。 他说，谁存进一块钱，满一年可得四块钱。啊，黑奴全去存了。不过他们全没有很多钱，我 是唯一有钱的一个。我坚持要比四块钱更皋（高）一些的利息。我说，不然的话，我自己另 开一家银行。急（结）果呢，那个黑奴自然要阻挡我加进他们这一行，因为据他说，没有那 么多的生意供两家银行干的。他说，我可以存进五块钱，年低（底）他给我三十五块大羊 （洋）。 “我就干了。我还捉摸着不妨把三十五块大羊（洋）麻（马）上就投出去，好叫钱活起 来，有一个黑奴叫鲍勃的，他买了一条平底蚕（船）①。他的主人对这事并不知道。我从他 手里买了这调（条）蚕（船），告诉他，到年底，那三十五块大羊（洋）就是他的了。不 过，就在那一个晚上，有人把蚕（船）给偷走了。第二天，一条腿的黑奴说，他的那家银行 倒闭了。所以我们两个人谁也没有拿到钱。” “那么，那一毛钱你是怎么用的呢，杰姆？” “啊，我正打算化（花）掉它呢。可是我做了一个梦。梦里告诉我该把钱给一个叫做巴 鲁姆的黑奴——人家为了叫起来方便，叫他巴鲁姆的驴②。他可是个傻瓜脑袋，你知道吧。 不过，人家说这人生来云（运）气好。我呢，我自己知道生来云（运）气不好。梦里交代 我，该把一毛钱叫巴鲁姆去投放，他会给我赚钱的。好吧，巴鲁姆收下了这个钱。有一回， 他上教堂去，听到传教士说，谁把钱给穷人，就是把钱给了上帝，他会得里（利）一百倍。 巴鲁姆就把那一毛钱给了穷人，等着看急（结）果会如何。” ①诺顿版注：一种运木材的平底船。 ②诺顿版注：巴鲁姆（Balum）是杰姆把音念别了。应是巴兰（Balaam）。巴兰的故事 见《旧约•民数记》２２章２１—３４节。巴兰骑的乃仙驴。驴看见了天使挡住去路，且持 刀在手要杀他。这些巴兰自己看不见。仙驴避开天使改道走，却一次次遭到看不见天使的巴 兰鞭打。这里作者故意取笑杰姆纠缠，但也提示了杰姆在下一章中预测到了自己前途的凶 险。 “那么结果如何呢，杰姆？” “什么急（结）果也没有。我想尽办法也拿不回这钱，巴鲁姆也无发（法）。以后我要 是看不到底（抵）押品，决不把钱放出去。传教士说什么可以得里（利）一百倍！要是我能 把一毛钱收回来，我就认为是公平交叶（易），云（运）气不错啦。” “啊，反正那没有什么，杰姆，反正你迟早还是会发财的嘛，杰姆。” “是啊，——我如今已经发才（财）了。你想吧。我自己这个人，归我自个儿所有。我 值八百块大羊（洋）。我但愿我自个儿有这笔钱。再笃（多）呢，我也不要了。” Chapter 8 THE sun was up so high when I waked that I judged it was after eight o'clock. I laid there in the grass and the cool shade thinking about things, and feeling rested and ruther comfortable and satisfied. I could see the sun out at one or two holes, but mostly it was big trees all about, and gloomy in there amongst them. There was freckled places on the ground where the light sifted down through the leaves, and the freckled places swapped about a little, showing there was a little breeze up there. A couple of squirrels set on a limb and jabbered at me very friendly. I was powerful lazy and comfortable -- didn't want to get up and cook breakfast. Well, I was dozing off again when I thinks I hears a deep sound of "boom!" away up the river. I rouses up, and rests on my elbow and listens; pretty soon I hears it again. I hopped up, and went and looked out at a hole in the leaves, and I see a bunch of smoke laying on the water a long ways up -- about abreast the ferry. And there was the ferryboat full of people floating along down. I knowed what was the matter now. "Boom!" I see the white smoke squirt out of the ferryboat's side. You see, they was firing cannon over the water, trying to make my carcass come to the top. I was pretty hungry, but it warn't going to do for me to start a fire, because they might see the smoke. So I set there and watched the cannon-smoke and listened to the boom. The river was a mile wide there, and it always looks pretty on a summer morning -- so I was having a good enough time seeing them hunt for my remainders if I only had a bite to eat. Well, then I happened to think how they always put quicksilver in loaves of bread and float them off, because they always go right to the drownded carcass and stop there. So, says I, I'll keep a lookout, and if any of them's floating around after me I'll give them a show. I changed to the Illinois edge of the island to see what luck I could have, and I warn't disappointed. A big double loaf come along, and I most got it with a long stick, but my foot slipped and she floated out further. Of course I was where the current set in the closest to the shore -- I knowed enough for that. But by and by along comes another one, and this time I won. I took out the plug and shook out the little dab of quicksilver, and set my teeth in. It was "baker's bread" -- what the quality eat; none of your low-down corn-pone. I got a good place amongst the leaves, and set there on a log, munching the bread and watching the ferryboat, and very well satisfied. And then something struck me. I says, now I reckon the widow or the parson or somebody prayed that this bread would find me, and here it has gone and done it. So there ain't no doubt but there is something in that thing -- that is, there's something in it when a body like the widow or the parson prays, but it don't work for me, and I reckon it don't work for only just the right kind. I lit a pipe and had a good long smoke, and went on watching. The ferryboat was floating with the current, and I allowed I'd have a chance to see who was aboard when she come along, because she would come in close, where the bread did. When she'd got pretty well along down towards me, I put out my pipe and went to where I fished out the bread, and laid down behind a log on the bank in a little open place. Where the log forked I could peep through. By and by she come along, and she drifted in so close that they could a run out a plank and walked ashore. Most everybody was on the boat. Pap, and Judge Thatcher, and Bessie Thatcher, and Jo Harper, and Tom Sawyer, and his old Aunt Polly, and Sid and Mary, and plenty more. Everybody was talking about the murder, but the captain broke in and says: "Look sharp, now; the current sets in the closest here, and maybe he's washed ashore and got tangled amongst the brush at the water's edge. I hope so, anyway." "I didn't hope so. They all crowded up and leaned over the rails, nearly in my face, and kept still, watching with all their might. I could see them first-rate, but they couldn't see me. Then the captain sung out: "Stand away!" and the cannon let off such a blast right before me that it made me deef with the noise and pretty near blind with the smoke, and I judged I was gone. If they'd a had some bullets in, I reckon they'd a got the corpse they was after. Well, I see I warn't hurt, thanks to goodness. The boat floated on and went out of sight around the shoulder of the island. I could hear the booming now and then, further and further off, and by and by, after an hour, I didn't hear it no more. The island was three mile long. I judged they had got to the foot, and was giving it up. But they didn't yet a while. They turned around the foot of the island and started up the channel on the Missouri side, under steam, and booming once in a while as they went. I crossed over to that side and watched them. When they got abreast the head of the island they quit shooting and dropped over to the Missouri shore and went home to the town. I knowed I was all right now. Nobody else would come a-hunting after me. I got my traps out of the canoe and made me a nice camp in the thick woods. I made a kind of a tent out of my blankets to put my things under so the rain couldn't get at them. I catched a catfish and haggled him open with my saw, and towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper. Then I set out a line to catch some fish for breakfast. When it was dark I set by my camp fire smoking, and feeling pretty well satisfied; but by and by it got sort of lonesome, and so I went and set on the bank and listened to the current swashing along, and counted the stars and drift logs and rafts that come down, and then went to bed; there ain't no better way to put in time when you are lonesome; you can't stay so, you soon get over it. And so for three days and nights. No difference -- just the same thing. But the next day I went exploring around down through the island. I was boss of it; it all belonged to me, so to say, and I wanted to know all about it; but mainly I wanted to put in the time. I found plenty strawberries, ripe and prime; and green summer grapes, and green razberries; and the green blackberries was just beginning to show. They would all come handy by and by, I judged. Well, I went fooling along in the deep woods till I judged I warn't far from the foot of the island. I had my gun along, but I hadn't shot nothing; it was for protection; thought I would kill some game nigh home. About this time I mighty near stepped on a good-sized snake, and it went sliding off through the grass and flowers, and I after it, trying to get a shot at it. I clipped along, and all of a sudden I bounded right on to the ashes of a camp fire that was still smoking. My heart jumped up amongst my lungs. I never waited for to look further, but uncocked my gun and went sneaking back on my tiptoes as fast as ever I could. Every now and then I stopped a second amongst the thick leaves and listened, but my breath come so hard I couldn't hear nothing else. I slunk along another piece further, then listened again; and so on, and so on. If I see a stump, I took it for a man; if I trod on a stick and broke it, it made me feel like a person had cut one of my breaths in two and I only got half, and the short half, too. When I got to camp I warn't feeling very brash, there warn't much sand in my craw; but I says, this ain't no time to be fooling around. So I got all my traps into my canoe again so as to have them out of sight, and I put out the fire and scattered the ashes around to look like an old last year's camp, and then clumb a tree. I reckon I was up in the tree two hours; but I didn't see nothing, I didn't hear nothing -- I only THOUGHT I heard and seen as much as a thousand things. Well, I couldn't stay up there forever; so at last I got down, but I kept in the thick woods and on the lookout all the time. All I could get to eat was berries and what was left over from breakfast. By the time it was night I was pretty hungry. So when it was good and dark I slid out from shore before moonrise and paddled over to the Illinois bank -- about a quarter of a mile. I went out in the woods and cooked a supper, and I had about made up my mind I would stay there all night when I hear a PLUNKETY- PLUNK, PLUNKETY-PLUNK, and says to myself, horses coming; and next I hear people's voices. I got everything into the canoe as quick as I could, and then went creeping through the woods to see what I could find out. I hadn't got far when I hear a man say: "We better camp here if we can find a good place; the horses is about beat out. Let's look around." I didn't wait, but shoved out and paddled away easy. I tied up in the old place, and reckoned I would sleep in the canoe. I didn't sleep much. I couldn't, somehow, for thinking. And every time I waked up I thought somebody had me by the neck. So the sleep didn't do me no good. By and by I says to myself, I can't live this way; I'm a-going to find out who it is that's here on the island with me; I'll find it out or bust. Well, I felt better right off. So I took my paddle and slid out from shore just a step or two, and then let the canoe drop along down amongst the shadows. The moon was shining, and outside of the shadows it made it most as light as day. I poked along well on to an hour, everything still as rocks and sound asleep. Well, by this time I was most down to the foot of the island. A little ripply, cool breeze begun to blow, and that was as good as saying the night was about done. I give her a turn with the paddle and brung her nose to shore; then I got my gun and slipped out and into the edge of the woods. I sat down there on a log, and looked out through the leaves. I see the moon go off watch, and the darkness begin to blanket the river. But in a little while I see a pale streak over the treetops, and knowed the day was coming. So I took my gun and slipped off towards where I had run across that camp fire, stopping every minute or two to listen. But I hadn't no luck somehow; I couldn't seem to find the place. But by and by, sure enough, I catched a glimpse of fire away through the trees. I went for it, cautious and slow. By and by I was close enough to have a look, and there laid a man on the ground. It most give me the fantods. He had a blanket around his head, and his head was nearly in the fire. I set there behind a clump of bushes in about six foot of him, and kept my eyes on him steady. It was getting gray daylight now. Pretty soon he gapped and stretched himself and hove off the blanket, and it was Miss Watson's Jim! I bet I was glad to see him. I says: "Hello, Jim!" and skipped out. He bounced up and stared at me wild. Then he drops down on his knees, and puts his hands together and says: "Doan' hurt me -- don't! I hain't ever done no harm to a ghos'. I alwuz liked dead people, en done all I could for 'em. You go en git in de river agin, whah you b'longs, en doan' do nuffn to Ole Jim, 'at 'uz awluz yo' fren'." Well, I warn't long making him understand I warn't dead. I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn't lonesome now. I told him I warn't afraid of HIM telling the people where I was. I talked along, but he only set there and looked at me; never said nothing. Then I says: "It's good daylight. Le's get breakfast. Make up your camp fire good." "What's de use er makin' up de camp fire to cook strawbries en sich truck? But you got a gun, hain't you? Den we kin git sumfn better den strawbries." "Strawberries and such truck," I says. "Is that what you live on?" "I couldn' git nuffn else," he says. "Why, how long you been on the island, Jim?" "I come heah de night arter you's killed." "What, all that time?" "Yes -- indeedy." "And ain't you had nothing but that kind of rubbage to eat?" "No, sah -- nuffn else." "Well, you must be most starved, ain't you?" "I reck'n I could eat a hoss. I think I could. How long you ben on de islan'?" "Since the night I got killed." "No! W'y, what has you lived on? But you got a gun. Oh, yes, you got a gun. Dat's good. Now you kill sumfn en I'll make up de fire." So we went over to where the canoe was, and while he built a fire in a grassy open place amongst the trees, I fetched meal and bacon and coffee, and coffee-pot and frying-pan, and sugar and tin cups, and the nigger was set back considerable, because he reckoned it was all done with witchcraft. I catched a good big catfish, too, and Jim cleaned him with his knife, and fried him. When breakfast was ready we lolled on the grass and eat it smoking hot. Jim laid it in with all his might, for he was most about starved. Then when we had got pretty well stuffed, we laid off and lazied. By and by Jim says: "But looky here, Huck, who wuz it dat 'uz killed in dat shanty ef it warn't you?" Then I told him the whole thing, and he said it was smart. He said Tom Sawyer couldn't get up no better plan than what I had. Then I says: "How do you come to be here, Jim, and how'd you get here?" He looked pretty uneasy, and didn't say nothing for a minute. Then he says: "Maybe I better not tell." "Why, Jim?" "Well, dey's reasons. But you wouldn' tell on me ef I uz to tell you, would you, Huck?" "Blamed if I would, Jim." "Well, I b'lieve you, Huck. I -- I RUN OFF." "Jim!" "But mind, you said you wouldn' tell -- you know you said you wouldn' tell, Huck." "Well, I did. I said I wouldn't, and I'll stick to it. Honest INJUN, I will. People would call me a lowdown Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum -- but that don't make no difference. I ain't a-going to tell, and I ain't a-going back there, anyways. So, now, le's know all about it." "Well, you see, it 'uz dis way. Ole missus -- dat's Miss Watson -- she pecks on me all de time, en treats me pooty rough, but she awluz said she wouldn' sell me down to Orleans. But I noticed dey wuz a nigger trader roun' de place considable lately, en I begin to git oneasy. Well, one night I creeps to de do' pooty late, en de do' warn't quite shet, en I hear old missus tell de widder she gwyne to sell me down to Orleans, but she didn' want to, but she could git eight hund'd dollars for me, en it 'uz sich a big stack o' money she couldn' resis'. De widder she try to git her to say she wouldn' do it, but I never waited to hear de res'. I lit out mighty quick, I tell you. "I tuck out en shin down de hill, en 'spec to steal a skift 'long de sho' som'ers 'bove de town, but dey wuz people a-stirring yit, so I hid in de ole tumble-down cooper-shop on de bank to wait for everybody to go 'way. Well, I wuz dah all night. Dey wuz somebody roun' all de time. 'Long 'bout six in de mawnin' skifts begin to go by, en 'bout eight er nine every skift dat went 'long wuz talkin' 'bout how yo' pap come over to de town en say you's killed. Dese las' skifts wuz full o' ladies en genlmen a-goin' over for to see de place. Sometimes dey'd pull up at de sho' en take a res' b'fo' dey started acrost, so by de talk I got to know all 'bout de killin'. I 'uz powerful sorry you's killed, Huck, but I ain't no mo' now. "I laid dah under de shavin's all day. I 'uz hungry, but I warn't afeard; bekase I knowed ole missus en de widder wuz goin' to start to de campmeet'n' right arter breakfas' en be gone all day, en dey knows I goes off wid de cattle 'bout daylight, so dey wouldn' 'spec to see me roun' de place, en so dey wouldn' miss me tell arter dark in de evenin'. De yuther servants wouldn' miss me, kase dey'd shin out en take holiday soon as de ole folks 'uz out'n de way. "Well, when it come dark I tuck out up de river road, en went 'bout two mile er more to whah dey warn't no houses. I'd made up my mine 'bout what I's agwyne to do. You see, ef I kep' on tryin' to git away afoot, de dogs 'ud track me; ef I stole a skift to cross over, dey'd miss dat skift, you see, en dey'd know 'bout whah I'd lan' on de yuther side, en whah to pick up my track. So I says, a raff is what I's arter; it doan' MAKE no track. "I see a light a-comin' roun' de p'int bymeby, so I wade' in en shove' a log ahead o' me en swum more'n half way acrost de river, en got in 'mongst de driftwood, en kep' my head down low, en kinder swum agin de current tell de raff come along. Den I swum to de stern uv it en tuck a-holt. It clouded up en 'uz pooty dark for a little while. So I clumb up en laid down on de planks. De men 'uz all 'way yonder in de middle, whah de lantern wuz. De river wuz arisin', en dey wuz a good current; so I reck'n'd 'at by fo' in de mawnin' I'd be twenty-five mile down de river, en den I'd slip in jis b'fo' daylight en swim asho', en take to de woods on de Illinois side. "But I didn' have no luck. When we 'uz mos' down to de head er de islan' a man begin to come aft wid de lantern, I see it warn't no use fer to wait, so I slid overboard en struck out fer de islan'. Well, I had a notion I could lan' mos' anywhers, but I couldn't -- bank too bluff. I 'uz mos' to de foot er de islan' b'fo' I found' a good place. I went into de woods en jedged I wouldn' fool wid raffs no mo', long as dey move de lantern roun' so. I had my pipe en a plug er dog-leg, en some matches in my cap, en dey warn't wet, so I 'uz all right." "And so you ain't had no meat nor bread to eat all this time? Why didn't you get mud-turkles?" "How you gwyne to git 'm? You can't slip up on um en grab um; en how's a body gwyne to hit um wid a rock? How could a body do it in de night? En I warn't gwyne to show mysef on de bank in de daytime." "Well, that's so. You've had to keep in the woods all the time, of course. Did you hear 'em shooting the cannon?" "Oh, yes. I knowed dey was arter you. I see um go by heah -- watched um thoo de bushes." Some young birds come along, flying a yard or two at a time and lighting. Jim said it was a sign it was going to rain. He said it was a sign when young chickens flew that way, and so he reckoned it was the same way when young birds done it. I was going to catch some of them, but Jim wouldn't let me. He said it was death. He said his father laid mighty sick once, and some of them catched a bird, and his old granny said his father would die, and he did. And Jim said you mustn't count the things you are going to cook for dinner, because that would bring bad luck. The same if you shook the table-cloth after sundown. And he said if a man owned a beehive and that man died, the bees must be told about it before sun-up next morning, or else the bees would all weaken down and quit work and die. Jim said bees wouldn't sting idiots; but I didn't believe that, because I had tried them lots of times myself, and they wouldn't sting me. I had heard about some of these things before, but not all of them. Jim knowed all kinds of signs. He said he knowed most everything. I said it looked to me like all the signs was about bad luck, and so I asked him if there warn't any good-luck signs. He says: "Mighty few -- an' DEY ain't no use to a body. What you want to know when good luck's a-comin' for? Want to keep it off?" And he said: "Ef you's got hairy arms en a hairy breas', it's a sign dat you's agwyne to be rich. Well, dey's some use in a sign like dat, 'kase it's so fur ahead. You see, maybe you's got to be po' a long time fust, en so you might git discourage' en kill yo'sef 'f you didn' know by de sign dat you gwyne to be rich bymeby." "Have you got hairy arms and a hairy breast, Jim?" "What's de use to ax dat question? Don't you see I has?" "Well, are you rich?" "No, but I ben rich wunst, and gwyne to be rich agin. Wunst I had foteen dollars, but I tuck to specalat'n', en got busted out." "What did you speculate in, Jim?" "Well, fust I tackled stock." "What kind of stock?" "Why, live stock -- cattle, you know. I put ten dollars in a cow. But I ain' gwyne to resk no mo' money in stock. De cow up 'n' died on my han's." "So you lost the ten dollars." "No, I didn't lose it all. I on'y los' 'bout nine of it. I sole de hide en taller for a dollar en ten cents." "You had five dollars and ten cents left. Did you speculate any more?" "Yes. You know that one-laigged nigger dat b'longs to old Misto Bradish? Well, he sot up a bank, en say anybody dat put in a dollar would git fo' dollars mo' at de en' er de year. Well, all de niggers went in, but dey didn't have much. I wuz de on'y one dat had much. So I stuck out for mo' dan fo' dollars, en I said 'f I didn' git it I'd start a bank mysef. Well, o' course dat nigger want' to keep me out er de business, bekase he says dey warn't business 'nough for two banks, so he say I could put in my five dollars en he pay me thirty-five at de en' er de year. "So I done it. Den I reck'n'd I'd inves' de thirty-five dollars right off en keep things a-movin'. Dey wuz a nigger name' Bob, dat had ketched a woodflat, en his marster didn' know it; en I bought it off'n him en told him to take de thirty-five dollars when de en' er de year come; but somebody stole de wood-flat dat night, en nex day de one-laigged nigger say de bank's busted. So dey didn' none uv us git no money." "What did you do with the ten cents, Jim?" "Well, I 'uz gwyne to spen' it, but I had a dream, en de dream tole me to give it to a nigger name' Balum -- Balum's Ass dey call him for short; he's one er dem chuckleheads, you know. But he's lucky, dey say, en I see I warn't lucky. De dream say let Balum inves' de ten cents en he'd make a raise for me. Well, Balum he tuck de money, en when he wuz in church he hear de preacher say dat whoever give to de po' len' to de Lord, en boun' to git his money back a hund'd times. So Balum he tuck en give de ten cents to de po', en laid low to see what wuz gwyne to come of it." "Well, what did come of it, Jim?" "Nuffn never come of it. I couldn' manage to k'leck dat money no way; en Balum he couldn'. I ain' gwyne to len' no mo' money 'dout I see de security. Boun' to git yo' money back a hund'd times, de preacher says! Ef I could git de ten CENTS back, I'd call it squah, en be glad er de chanst." "Well, it's all right anyway, Jim, long as you're going to be rich again some time or other." "Yes; en I's rich now, come to look at it. I owns mysef, en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn' want no mo'." |
第九章 我打算到岛中央一处地方去细看一下，那是我最初察看的时候便发现了的。我们就出发 了，一会儿就到了那里，因为这个岛不过三英里长、四分之一英里宽嘛。 这个地方是个相当长相当陡的小山头，或者说山脊。有四十英尺高。我们爬到了顶顶上 也够累人的。两侧的坡坡也挺陡，矮树丛生得密密的。我们围着这处地方爬上爬下，终于发 现了山岩里有一个大山洞，是对着伊利诺斯州那一边的，快到山顶了。山洞里边有两三间房 子合起来那么大，杰姆能直起了身子走动。里边阴凉得很。杰姆主张把我们的什物立刻搬进 去。不过我说，我们可不愿意因此一天到晚爬上爬下的。 杰姆说，要是我们能把独木小舟找到一个很好的去处给藏起来，然后把什物放在山洞 里，一旦有人到岛上来，我们就能直奔那边。除非带狗来，人家永远也别想能发现我们。再 说，他说过，小鸟已经告诉我们说，天快下雨了，难道我乐意叫东西给淋湿么？ 这样，我们便往回走，找到了独木小舟，划到了和山洞成一直线的地方，把什物都推进 了山洞。等下来，在附近找到了一个地方，把划子藏在密密的柳树丛下。我们从钓鱼竿上取 下了几条鱼，再把鱼竿放好，就开始弄中饭。 洞口很宽，连一只大木桶都能滚进去。洞口的一边朝外突出了一小块地方，地势平坦， 倒是生火的好地方。我们便在那里生火做饭。 我们在里边铺了些毯子作为地毯，就在那里吃饭。我们把其余的东西放在山洞紧里边顺 手拿得到的地方。过了不多久，天黑下来了，只见雪电交作，可见鸟儿的话有道理。接下 来，下起了雨。好个倾盆大雨！风又吹得如此猛烈，可是我从没有见到过的。夏天的雷阵 雨，就是这样的阵势。天变得一片黑漆漆的，洞外又青又黑，十分好看。雨又急又密，斜打 过去，不远处的树木看起来朦朦胧胧，仿佛给一张张蜘蛛网罩住了。突然吹来一阵狂风，把 树木吹弯了腰，又把树叶背面苍白的一片片朝天翻起。接着又一阵狂风，但见树枝猛烈摇 撼，简直象发了疯的一般。说话间，正当最青最黑的一刹那——唰！天亮得耀眼，只见千万 棵树梢在暴风雨中翻滚，和往常不同，连几百码以外也看得清清楚楚。再一刹那间，又是一 片漆黑。这时只听得雷声猛烈地炸开，轰隆隆、呼噜噜从天上滚下来，朝地底下滚过去，活 象一批空空的木桶在楼梯上往下滚，而且楼梯又长，知道吧，就连滚带跳，不亦乐乎。 “杰姆，这有多痛快！”我说，“我什么地方也不想去了，就爱这里。再递给我一块 鱼，还要一点儿热的玉米饼。” “啊，要不是杰姆，你就不会得（耽）在这里，你就会留在林子里，没有饭吃，还会给 淋得半死，真是这样，乖乖。鸡知道天什么时候下雨，鸟也知道，伙计。” 大河在十天到十二天中不停地涨水，后来淹没了河岸。岛上低洼处水深三四英尺，还有 伊利诺斯州河边低地上也是这样。在这一边，河面有好几英里路宽。不过在伊利诺斯州那一 边，还是原来那样的距离——半英里路宽——因为在伊利诺斯州那一边，沿岸尽是一堵堵高 墙似的峭壁。 在大白天，我们坐了划子划遍了岛上各处。即使大太阳在外面晒得热辣辣的，密林深处 还是到处树荫，一片阴凉。我们在树丛里穿进穿出。有些地方，藤蔓长得过密，我们得退回 来，另找路走。啊，每一棵吹断倒下的老树，都能见到兔子和蛇这类东西，水漫全岛的一两 天中，它们因为饿得慌，就变得那么驯顺，你简直可以划近了，高兴的话，可以用手摸它们 身子。不过，蛇和鳖可不行——这些东西往往一溜就溜进了水里。我们那个山洞所在的山脊 那里，到处是这类东西，你要是高兴的话，可以捉到好多这类玩物。 有一个晚上，我们截到了一小节木筏子——九块松木板。有十二英尺宽，十五六英尺 长，筏面露出水面六七英寸，就好象一片结实、平滑的地板。在白昼，有时可以见到锯成的 一根根木头淌过，我们听任它们漂去，因为我们白天不露面。 另一个晚上，天快蒙蒙亮了，我们正在岛尖，上游漂来一座木头房子，是在西边的一 头。房子有两层，只见歪歪倒倒的。我们划了过去，爬了上去——从楼上窗口里爬了进去。 可是天太黑，看不清楚。我们便把小舟系好，等着天明。 我们到岛尾以前，天开始亮了起来。我们就窗口朝里边一望，看得清有一张床，一张桌 子，还有两张椅子，地板上各处还有些什物，墙上还挂着几件衣服。屋角里地板上仿佛躺着 什么东西，看上去象是一个男子模样。杰姆就说： “哈啰，你好啊！” 可是他并不动弹。我便也喊了一声，杰姆接下来说： “这人并非是睡着了，——他死了。你别动——让我去看。” 他去了，弯下身子，细看以后说： “是个死了的男子。是啊，正是这样，而且还光着身子。是背后开熗打死的。估摸着， 死了有两三天了。哈克，你进来，可是别看他的脸——样子太可怕了。” 我根本没有看他的脸。杰姆扔了几件旧衣服，遮住了他的脸。其实他不需要这么干，我 不想看他。油腻腻的纸牌，这儿一堆，那儿一堆，散遍了地板各处。还有威士忌酒瓶，还有 黑皮做成的几个面罩。墙上到处都是用木炭涂的字和画，尽是最愚蠢无聊的那一类。还有两 件脏旧不堪的花洋布衣服，还有一顶太阳帽和几件女人的内衣，都挂在墙上。墙上还挂着几 件男人的衣服。我们把一些东西放到了独木舟里。也许会有用得着的地方吧。地板上有一顶 男孩子戴的带花点儿的旧草帽，我把这个也拣了。还有一只瓶子，里面还有牛奶，上面还有 一个布奶头，是给婴儿咂奶用的。我们本想把瓶子带走，可是瓶子破了。还有一只破旧的木 柜，一只带毛的皮箱，上面的合叶都已经裂开了。皮箱没有上锁，是敞开着的，不过里面并 没有什么值钱的东西。从东西凌乱散了一地来看，我们估计，人家是匆匆忙忙离开的，没有 来得及定下主意把哪些东西带走。 我们找到了一盏旧的白铁皮灯盏，一把铁把子的割肉刀。还有一把崭新的巴罗牌大折 刀，在随便哪家铺子里卖，也值两毛五分钱。还有不少牛油蜡烛，一个白铁烛台，还有一把 葫芦瓢，一只白铁杯子，一条破烂的旧被子丢在床边，一只手提包，里边装着针线、黄蜡、 钮扣等等东西。还有一把斧头和一些钉子。还有一根钓鱼竿，跟我的个指头一般粗细，上面 还系着几只特别大号的鱼钩。还有一卷鹿皮，一只牛皮做的狗项圈，一只马蹄铁。还有几只 没有标签的药瓶。正要离开的时候，我找到了一只马梳子，东西还可以。杰姆找到了一把破 旧的提琴弓，还有一只木制假腿。上面的皮带已经裂开了，不过除此以外倒是好好的一条 腿。只是对我来说嫌太长，对杰姆来说嫌太短，那另外的一条呢，我们找遍了，也没有找到。 这样，整个儿算起来，我们发了一笔大财。我们准备划走的时候，已经是在小岛下游四 分之一英里的地段。已是大白天了。所以我让杰姆躺在小舟里，用被子蒙上。因为如果他一 坐起来，人家老远就能认出是个黑奴。我们划到了伊利诺斯州岸边，接着往下淌了半英里， 我沿着岸边静水往上划，一路之上，没有发生什么意外，也没有见到什么人。我们太太平平 回到了家。 Chapter 9 I WANTED to go and look at a place right about the middle of the island that I'd found when I was exploring; so we started and soon got to it, because the island was only three miles long and a quarter of a mile wide. This place was a tolerable long, steep hill or ridge about forty foot high. We had a rough time getting to the top, the sides was so steep and the bushes so thick. We tramped and clumb around all over it, and by and by found a good big cavern in the rock, most up to the top on the side towards Illinois. The cavern was as big as two or three rooms bunched together, and Jim could stand up straight in it. It was cool in there. Jim was for putting our traps in there right away, but I said we didn't want to be climbing up and down there all the time. Jim said if we had the canoe hid in a good place, and had all the traps in the cavern, we could rush there if anybody was to come to the island, and they would never find us without dogs. And, besides, he said them little birds had said it was going to rain, and did I want the things to get wet? So we went back and got the canoe, and paddled up abreast the cavern, and lugged all the traps up there. Then we hunted up a place close by to hide the canoe in, amongst the thick willows. We took some fish off of the lines and set them again, and begun to get ready for dinner. The door of the cavern was big enough to roll a hogshead in, and on one side of the door the floor stuck out a little bit, and was flat and a good place to build a fire on. So we built it there and cooked dinner. We spread the blankets inside for a carpet, and eat our dinner in there. We put all the other things handy at the back of the cavern. Pretty soon it darkened up, and begun to thunder and lighten; so the birds was right about it. Directly it begun to rain, and it rained like all fury, too, and I never see the wind blow so. It was one of these regular summer storms. It would get so dark that it looked all blue-black outside, and lovely; and the rain would thrash along by so thick that the trees off a little ways looked dim and spiderwebby; and here would come a blast of wind that would bend the trees down and turn up the pale underside of the leaves; and then a perfect ripper of a gust would follow along and set the branches to tossing their arms as if they was just wild; and next, when it was just about the bluest and blackest -- FST! it was as bright as glory, and you'd have a little glimpse of treetops a-plunging about away off yonder in the storm, hundreds of yards further than you could see before; dark as sin again in a second, and now you'd hear the thunder let go with an awful crash, and then go rumbling, grumbling, tumbling, down the sky towards the under side of the world, like rolling empty barrels down stairs -- where it's long stairs and they bounce a good deal, you know. "Jim, this is nice," I says. "I wouldn't want to be nowhere else but here. Pass me along another hunk of fish and some hot corn-bread." "Well, you wouldn't a ben here 'f it hadn't a ben for Jim. You'd a ben down dah in de woods widout any dinner, en gittn' mos' drownded, too; dat you would, honey. Chickens knows when it's gwyne to rain, en so do de birds, chile." The river went on raising and raising for ten or twelve days, till at last it was over the banks. The water was three or four foot deep on the island in the low places and on the Illinois bottom. On that side it was a good many miles wide, but on the Missouri side it was the same old distance across -- a half a mile -- because the Missouri shore was just a wall of high bluffs. Daytimes we paddled all over the island in the canoe, It was mighty cool and shady in the deep woods, even if the sun was blazing outside. We went winding in and out amongst the trees, and sometimes the vines hung so thick we had to back away and go some other way. Well, on every old broken-down tree you could see rabbits and snakes and such things; and when the island had been overflowed a day or two they got so tame, on account of being hungry, that you could paddle right up and put your hand on them if you wanted to; but not the snakes and turtles -- they would slide off in the water. The ridge our cavern was in was full of them. We could a had pets enough if we'd wanted them. One night we catched a little section of a lumber raft -- nice pine planks. It was twelve foot wide and about fifteen or sixteen foot long, and the top stood above water six or seven inches -- a solid, level floor. We could see saw-logs go by in the daylight sometimes, but we let them go; we didn't show ourselves in daylight. Another night when we was up at the head of the island, just before daylight, here comes a frame-house down, on the west side. She was a two-story, and tilted over considerable. We paddled out and got aboard -- clumb in at an upstairs window. But it was too dark to see yet, so we made the canoe fast and set in her to wait for daylight. The light begun to come before we got to the foot of the island. Then we looked in at the window. We could make out a bed, and a table, and two old chairs, and lots of things around about on the floor, and there was clothes hanging against the wall. There was something laying on the floor in the far corner that looked like a man. So Jim says: "Hello, you!" But it didn't budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says: "De man ain't asleep -- he's dead. You hold still -- I'll go en see." He went, and bent down and looked, and says: "It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face -- it's too gashly." I didn't look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him, but he needn't done it; I didn't want to see him. There was heaps of old greasy cards scattered around over the floor, and old whisky bottles, and a couple of masks made out of black cloth; and all over the walls was the ignorantest kind of words and pictures made with charcoal. There was two old dirty calico dresses, and a sun-bonnet, and some women's underclothes hanging against the wall, and some men's clothing, too. We put the lot into the canoe -- it might come good. There was a boy's old speckled straw hat on the floor; I took that, too. And there was a bottle that had had milk in it, and it had a rag stopper for a baby to suck. We would a took the bottle, but it was broke. There was a seedy old chest, and an old hair trunk with the hinges broke. They stood open, but there warn't nothing left in them that was any account. The way things was scattered about we reckoned the people left in a hurry, and warn't fixed so as to carry off most of their stuff. We got an old tin lantern, and a butcher-knife without any handle, and a bran-new Barlow knife worth two bits in any store, and a lot of tallow candles, and a tin candlestick, and a gourd, and a tin cup, and a ratty old bedquilt off the bed, and a reticule with needles and pins and beeswax and buttons and thread and all such truck in it, and a hatchet and some nails, and a fishline as thick as my little finger with some monstrous hooks on it, and a roll of buckskin, and a leather dog-collar, and a horseshoe, and some vials of medicine that didn't have no label on them; and just as we was leaving I found a tolerable good curry-comb, and Jim he found a ratty old fiddle-bow, and a wooden leg. The straps was broke off of it, but, barring that, it was a good enough leg, though it was too long for me and not long enough for Jim, and we couldn't find the other one, though we hunted all around. And so, take it all around, we made a good haul. When we was ready to shove off we was a quarter of a mile below the island, and it was pretty broad day; so I made Jim lay down in the canoe and cover up with the quilt, because if he set up people could tell he was a nigger a good ways off. I paddled over to the Illinois shore, and drifted down most a half a mile doing it. I crept up the dead water under the bank, and hadn't no accidents and didn't see nobody. We got home all safe. |
| 第十章 吃过早饭以后，我本想讲讲有关死人的事，猜猜他是怎样会被杀害的，不过杰姆不乐意 谈，他说，这会带来恶运。他还说，再说他也可能会来，给我们作祟。他说，一个人要是没 有入土埋葬，那么与平常埋葬的人比起来，更会到处游荡。这话听起来也很在理，我便没有 再说什么了。不过呢，我不由得不想到要琢磨琢磨这回事，心里总希望能弄清开熗打死那个 男子的是谁，又究竟为了什么缘故。 我们把搞来的衣服翻了一遍，在一条旧呢毯大衣的里子里找到了八块大洋。杰姆说，他 推想，是那间屋子里的人偷了这件大衣，因为如果他们知道里边有钱，便不会把衣服留在那 里。我呢？我说，我琢磨起来，是他们杀了他的。不过，杰姆不愿多谈这件事。我说： “你啊，以为这是件倒霉的事。可是前两天我摸了我在山脊上发现的蛇皮壳的时候，你 是怎么说的呢？你说，我用手去摸蛇皮，那是会遭到世界上最倒霉的恶运的。好啊，如今是 你所说的最倒霉的恶运啦。我们拣到了一大堆东西，还有那八块大洋。杰姆，我但愿每天都 遭到什么恶运才好呢。” “别忙啊，乖乖，别忙啊。先别太高兴啦。眼看恶运要临头了，听我说，眼看恶运要临 头了。” 真是恶运临头了。我们说这番话的时候，那是星期二。啊，星期五，吃过晚饭，我们躺 在山脊顶的草地上。我的烟草抽光了，我到山洞里去取一些，发现那里有一条响尾蛇。我把 它打死了。我把死蛇卷了起来，放在杰姆的毯子脚跟头，就象一条活生生的蛇。心想，等到 杰姆猛一见，会有好玩的事可看的。啊，到晚上，我压根儿把蛇的事全给忘了。我点灯的时 候，杰姆往毯子上一躺，那条蛇的老伴正在那里，咬了他一口。 他大吼一声跳将起来。灯光照处，照见的第一件事是那条可恶的东西昂起头来，正要再 窜一回。我抄起一根棍子，一刹那间打死了它。只见杰姆抓起爸爸那个酒罐，大口往嘴里灌。 他是光着脚的，蛇就对准了他脚跟咬了一口。就是我这个傻瓜蛋忘了那里有死蛇，它的 老伴就会游过来，盘在上面。杰姆要我把蛇头砍下来，给扔了，然后把皮剥掉，把蛇肉烤一 段吃。我照着做了。他吃了，还说这能治病。他叫我取下尾巴上的响鳞，他缠到了他的手腕 子上。他说这也管用。随后我悄悄地溜了出去，把死蛇扔到了矮树丛里。我不打算告诉杰姆 说，那都是我的过错。只要做得到，我就不对他说实话。 杰姆对着酒罐呷了又呷。时不时的神志不清，跳来跳去，高声叫唤。每一回醒过来，便 又去对着酒罐呷酒喝。他那只脚肿得好粗，小腿也肿得厉害。不过，慢慢地酒力见效了，我 断定他没有事了。不过，我宁愿给蛇咬，也不愿意喝爸爸的酒。 杰姆躺了四天四夜，肿全消了，他又活动起来了。我打定了主意，从此不说什么用我的 手摸蛇皮的话了。惹了这场大祸，不是很清楚了么？杰姆说，他估摸，下回我会信他的话。 他还说，摸蛇皮的恶运非同小可，说不定我们遭到的灾祸还没有尽头呢。他说，他宁愿朝左 肩后望新月一千遍，也不愿手摸蛇皮一回。是啊，我也开始觉得我自己在这么想了，尽管我 一向认为，往左肩后边望新月，可说是一个人最抽劣、最愚蠢的事了。老汉克•朋格这么干 过一回，还大吹大擂的，不到两年，他喝醉后，从制弹塔上摔下来，摔得简直可说是象一张 薄饼，摊在地上。人家把仓房的两扇门板作为棺材，把他的尸体给塞了进去。这是人家这么 说的，我没有亲见。是爸爸对我说了的。不过，不管怎么说吧，这么傻呼呼地张望新月，就 得了这么个下场。 日子一天天过去了，大河河水又往下回落，在两岸当中流淌。我们干的第一件事，大概 就是把一只兔子剥了皮系在大鱼钩上，放下去，结果钓到了一条大鲶鱼，简直象一个人那么 大，长六英尺两英寸，重两百磅以上。我们当然对付不了它，它会把我们一下子扔到伊利诺 斯州那边去。我们便光是坐着，看着它又蹦又跳，直到死在水里。我们在它的胃子里找到一 只铜扣子和一只圆球，还有不少杂七杂八的东西。我们用斧头把那个圆球劈了开来，里边有 一个线轴儿。杰姆说，线轴儿耽得时间久了，外面裹上了各样东西，成了个圆球。我看，这 么大的一条鱼，是密西西比河上钓到的最大的鱼了。要是在村子里的话，能值很多钱。人家 会在市场上论磅出售，每个人都会买一点。肉象雪一般白，煎着吃美味可口。 第二天早上，我说，日子过得太慢，太沉闷，我要来点儿热闹的。我说，不妨由我偷偷 渡过河去，打听打听各方面的情况。这个主意杰姆很听得进。不过他说我必须晚上去，眼睛 又要放得尖一些才行。接着，他端详了一番。然后说我能不能穿上旧衣服，打扮得象一个姑 娘家呢？这可是个好主意。我们就动手把一件印花布衫子剪短，我把我的裤腿卷到膝盖上， 穿上了衫子。杰姆用钩子替我在背后收紧了些，就弄得合身了。我带上了女用的遮阳大草 帽，系到我的下巴颏儿上，这样，人家要细看我的脸，就好比要从火炉筒子往下看一样的 难。杰姆说没有人能认出我来，即使是白天也难。我操练了一整天，让自己能掌握一些诀 窍，慢慢地也就相当熟练了。不过杰姆说，我走起路来，还不象姑娘家的样子。他还说，我 千万不可以把衣衫一提，把手插进裤子口袋，这个习惯必须改掉。这一点我注意到了，就有 些进步了。 天黑以后，我便坐划子前往伊利诺斯州的河岸那边。 我在渡口下面不远处朝镇子划去。水流把我带到了镇梢头。我把独木舟系好了，沿着河 岸往前走。有一间小小的草屋，已经好久没有人住了，如今点着亮亮的灯光。我心想，不知 道是谁住在那里。我轻手轻脚走过去，从窗口朝里偷偷一望。只见有一位妇女，四十岁上 下，正就着一张松木桌上的蜡烛光做针线活。她的脸我没有见过。她是个外乡人。镇上人的 脸没有我不认识的，这也是该我的运气好。当时我正在心虚，开始懊悔这回该不该来。人家 也许会听出我说话的声音，就会识破真相。不过嘛，如果这个妇女到小镇上来了两天了，那 我想知道的一切，她准能告诉我。这样，我便敲了敲门，并且打定主意，要自己千万别忘了 自己是个姑娘家。 Chapter 10 AFTER breakfast I wanted to talk about the dead man and guess out how he come to be killed, but Jim didn't want to. He said it would fetch bad luck; and besides, he said, he might come and ha'nt us; he said a man that warn't buried was more likely to go aha'nting around than one that was planted and comfortable. That sounded pretty reasonable, so I didn't say no more; but I couldn't keep from studying over it and wishing I knowed who shot the man, and what they done it for. We rummaged the clothes we'd got, and found eight dollars in silver sewed up in the lining of an old blanket overcoat. Jim said he reckoned the people in that house stole the coat, because if they'd a knowed the money was there they wouldn't a left it. I said I reckoned they killed him, too; but Jim didn't want to talk about that. I says: "Now you think it's bad luck; but what did you say when I fetched in the snake-skin that I found on the top of the ridge day before yesterday? You said it was the worst bad luck in the world to touch a snake-skin with my hands. Well, here's your bad luck! We've raked in all this truck and eight dollars besides. I wish we could have some bad luck like this every day, Jim." "Never you mind, honey, never you mind. Don't you git too peart. It's a-comin'. Mind I tell you, it's a-comin'." It did come, too. It was a Tuesday that we had that talk. Well, after dinner Friday we was laying around in the grass at the upper end of the ridge, and got out of tobacco. I went to the cavern to get some, and found a rattlesnake in there. I killed him, and curled him up on the foot of Jim's blanket, ever so natural, thinking there'd be some fun when Jim found him there. Well, by night I forgot all about the snake, and when Jim flung himself down on the blanket while I struck a light the snake's mate was there, and bit him. He jumped up yelling, and the first thing the light showed was the varmint curled up and ready for another spring. I laid him out in a second with a stick, and Jim grabbed pap's whisky-jug and begun to pour it down. He was barefooted, and the snake bit him right on the heel. That all comes of my being such a fool as to not remember that wherever you leave a dead snake its mate always comes there and curls around it. Jim told me to chop off the snake's head and throw it away, and then skin the body and roast a piece of it. I done it, and he eat it and said it would help cure him. He made me take off the rattles and tie them around his wrist, too. He said that that would help. Then I slid out quiet and throwed the snakes clear away amongst the bushes; for I warn't going to let Jim find out it was all my fault, not if I could help it. Jim sucked and sucked at the jug, and now and then he got out of his head and pitched around and yelled; but every time he come to himself he went to sucking at the jug again. His foot swelled up pretty big, and so did his leg; but by and by the drunk begun to come, and so I judged he was all right; but I'd druther been bit with a snake than pap's whisky. Jim was laid up for four days and nights. Then the swelling was all gone and he was around again. I made up my mind I wouldn't ever take a-holt of a snake-skin again with my hands, now that I see what had come of it. Jim said he reckoned I would believe him next time. And he said that handling a snakeskin was such awful bad luck that maybe we hadn't got to the end of it yet. He said he druther see the new moon over his left shoulder as much as a thousand times than take up a snake-skin in his hand. Well, I was getting to feel that way myself, though I've always reckoned that looking at the new moon over your left shoulder is one of the carelessest and foolishest things a body can do. Old Hank Bunker done it once, and bragged about it; and in less than two years he got drunk and fell off of the shot-tower, and spread himself out so that he was just a kind of a layer, as you may say; and they slid him edgeways between two barn doors for a coffin, and buried him so, so they say, but I didn't see it. Pap told me. But anyway it all come of looking at the moon that way, like a fool. Well, the days went along, and the river went down between its banks again; and about the first thing we done was to bait one of the big hooks with a skinned rabbit and set it and catch a catfish that was as big as a man, being six foot two inches long, and weighed over two hundred pounds. We couldn't handle him, of course; he would a flung us into Illinois. We just set there and watched him rip and tear around till he drownded. We found a brass button in his stomach and a round ball, and lots of rubbage. We split the ball open with the hatchet, and there was a spool in it. Jim said he'd had it there a long time, to coat it over so and make a ball of it. It was as big a fish as was ever catched in the Mississippi, I reckon. Jim said he hadn't ever seen a bigger one. He would a been worth a good deal over at the village. They peddle out such a fish as that by the pound in the markethouse there; everybody buys some of him; his meat's as white as snow and makes a good fry. Next morning I said it was getting slow and dull, and I wanted to get a stirring up some way. I said I reckoned I would slip over the river and find out what was going on. Jim liked that notion; but he said I must go in the dark and look sharp. Then he studied it over and said, couldn't I put on some of them old things and dress up like a girl? That was a good notion, too. So we shortened up one of the calico gowns, and I turned up my trouser-legs to my knees and got into it. Jim hitched it behind with the hooks, and it was a fair fit. I put on the sun-bonnet and tied it under my chin, and then for a body to look in and see my face was like looking down a joint of stovepipe. Jim said nobody would know me, even in the daytime, hardly. I practiced around all day to get the hang of the things, and by and by I could do pretty well in them, only Jim said I didn't walk like a girl; and he said I must quit pulling up my gown to get at my britches-pocket. I took notice, and done better. I started up the Illinois shore in the canoe just after dark. I started across to the town from a little below the ferry-landing, and the drift of the current fetched me in at the bottom of the town. I tied up and started along the bank. There was a light burning in a little shanty that hadn't been lived in for a long time, and I wondered who had took up quarters there. I slipped up and peeped in at the window. There was a woman about forty year old in there knitting by a candle that was on a pine table. I didn't know her face; she was a stranger, for you couldn't start a face in that town that I didn't know. Now this was lucky, because I was weakening; I was getting afraid I had come; people might know my voice and find me out. But if this woman had been in such a little town two days she could tell me all I wanted to know; so I knocked at the door, and made up my mind I wouldn't forget I was a girl. |
第十一章 “进来”，那个妇女说。我就走了进去。她说： “请坐。” 我坐了下来。她那亮亮的小眼睛把我端详了个仔细，接着说： “你叫什么名字啊？” “莎拉•威廉斯。” “你住哪里？是在这儿附近么？” “不。是在霍克维尔，这儿下面七英里地。我一路走得来，实在累了。” “我看也饿了吧。我给你找点东西吃。” “不，我不饿。本来我倒是饿得很。我在离这儿两英里路的一家农庄不能不歇了一口 气，所以不饿了。这样我才会弄得这么晚。我妈在家有病，又没有钱，我是来把情况告诉我 叔叔阿勃纳•摩尔的。我妈对我说，他住在这个镇上的那一头。这儿我还没有来过呢。你认 识他吧？” “不，我还不认识什么人哩。我住在这里还不到两个星期。要到镇上那一头，还有不少 路呢。你最好这晚上便歇在这里。 把你的那顶帽子给取下来吧。” “不”，我说，“我看我歇一会儿，便往前走。天黑我不怕。” 她说她可不能放我一个人走。不过，她丈夫一会儿便会回来，大概是一个半钟头左右 吧。她会让她丈夫陪我一起走。接下来便讲他的丈夫，讲她沿河上游的亲戚，讲她下游的亲 戚，讲她们过去的光景怎样比现在好得多，怎样自己对这一带并没有搞清楚，怎样打错了主 意到了这个镇上来，放了好日子不知道过——如此等等，说得没有个完。这样，我就担起心 来，深怕这回找到她打听镇上的情况，也许这个主意是错了。不过，不一会儿，她提到了我 爸爸以及那件杀人案，我就很乐意听她唠叨下去。她说到我和汤姆•索亚怎样弄到六千块钱 的事①（只是她说成了一万块钱），讲到了有关爸爸的种种情况，以及他多么命苦，我又是 多么命苦。到后来，她讲到了我怎样被杀害。我说： ①诺顿版注：在本书第一章中，以及在《汤姆•索亚历险记》中，都说是一万二千 元，此处恐是作者记错了。 “是谁干的？在霍克维尔，我们听到过很多有关这件事的说法，不过是谁杀了哈克•芬 的，我们可不知道。” “嗯，据我看，就在这儿，也有不少人想要知道是谁杀了他的。有些人认为，是老芬头 儿自己干的。” “不吧——真是这样么？” “开头，几乎谁都是这么想的。他自己永远不会知道他怎样差一点儿就会落到个私刑处 死。不过，到了天黑以前，那些人主意变了。据他们判断，认为是一个逃跑的黑奴名叫杰姆 的干的。” “怎么啦，他——” 我把话打住了。我看，最好我别则声。她滔滔不绝讲下去，根本没有注意到我的插话。 “那个黑奴逃跑的那一个晚上，正是哈克•芬被杀害的日子。因此上，悬赏捉拿他—— 悬赏三百块钱。还为了捉拿老芬头儿——悬赏两百块钱。你知道吧，他在杀人后第二天早上 来到了镇上，讲了这件事，然后和他们一起在渡轮上去寻找，可是一完事，人就走了，马上 不见人了。在天黑以前，人家要给他处私刑，可是他跑掉了，你知道吧。嗯，到第二天，人 家发现那个黑奴跑了。他们发现，杀人的那个晚上，十点钟以后，就不见这个黑奴的人影 了。知道吧，人家就把罪名安在他头上。可是他们正嚷得起劲的时候，第二天，老芬头儿又 回来了，又哭又喊地找到了撒切尔法官，索要那笔钱，为了走遍伊利诺斯州寻找那个黑奴。 法官给了他几个钱，而当天晚上，他就喝得醉醺醺的，在半夜前一直在当地。半夜后，他和 一些相貌凶恶的外地人在一起，接下来便和他们一起走掉了。啊，从此以后，再没见他回来 过。人家说，在这件案子的风头过去以前，他未必会回来。因为人家如今认为，正是他杀了 自己的孩子，把现场布置了一番，让人家以为是强盗干的，这样，他就能得到哈克的那笔 钱，不用在诉讼案件上花费很长一段时间了。人家说，他是个窝囊废，干不了这个。哦，我 看啊，这人可是够刁的了。他要是在一年之内不回来，他就不会有什么事了。你知道吧，你 拿不出什么证据来定他的罪。一切便会烟消云散。他就会不费气力地把哈克的钱弄到手。” “是的，我也这么看。我看不出他会有什么不好办的。是不是人家不再认为是黑奴干的 呢？” “哦，不。不是每个人都这么个看法。不少人认为是他干的。不过，人家很快便会逮到 那个黑奴，说不定人家会逼着他招出来的。” “怎么啦，人家还在搜捕他么？” “啊，你可真是不懂事啊！难道三百大洋是能天天摆在那里让人随手一拣就到手的么？ 有些人认为那个黑奴离这儿不远呢。我就是其中的一个——不过我没有到处说就是了。才几 天前，我对隔壁木棚里的一对老年夫妇说过话，他们随口讲到，人们如今没有去附近那个叫 做杰克逊岛的小岛。我问道，那里有人住么？他们说没有。我没有接下去说什么，不过我倒 是想过一想的。我可以十分肯定，我曾望见过那儿冒烟，是在岛的尖端那边，时间是在这以 前的一两天。我因此上曾自个儿盘算过，那个黑奴多半就在那边啊。这样就值得花工夫到岛 上去来个搜捕，在这以后，就没有再见到冒烟了。我寻思，说不定他溜走了，要是他就是那 个黑奴的话。不过，我丈夫反正就要上那边去看一趟——他和另外一个人要去。他出门到上 游去了，不过今天回来了，两个钟点以前，他一回到家，我就对他说过了。” 我搞得心神不安，坐也坐不住了。我这双手该干点什么才好啊。我就从桌子上拿起了一 只针，想要穿通一根线头，我的手抖抖的，怎么也穿不好。那个妇女话头停了下来，我抬头 一望，她正看着我，一脸好奇的神气，微微一笑。我把针和线往桌子上一放，装做听得出神 的样子，——其实我也确实听得出神——接着说： “三百块大洋可是一大笔钱啊。但愿我妈能得这笔钱。你丈夫今晚上去那边么？” “是啊。他和那个我跟你讲起的人到镇上去了，去搞一只小船，还要想想方法，看能不 能弄到一支熗。他们半夜以后动身。” “他们白天去不是能看得更清楚么？” “是啊。可是那个黑奴不是也会看得更清楚么？半夜以后，他兴许会睡着了吧。他们就 好穿过林子，轻手轻脚溜到那边，寻找到他的宿营地，乘着黑夜，找起来更方便些，如果他 真有宿营之处的话。” “这我倒没有想到。” 那个妇女还是带着好奇的神色看着我，这叫我很不舒服。 “亲爱的，你的名字叫什么来着？” “玛——玛丽•威廉斯。” 我仿佛觉得，我最初说的时候并没有说是玛丽，所以我没有抬起头来。我觉得，我最初 说的是莎拉。我因此觉得很窘，并且怕脸上露出了这样的神气。我但愿那个妇女能接着说点 什么。她越是一声不响坐在那里，我越是局促不安。可是她这时说： “亲爱的，你刚进门的时候，说的是莎拉吧？” “啊，那是的，我是这么说了的。莎拉•玛丽•威廉斯。莎拉是我第一个名字。有人叫 我莎拉，有人叫我玛丽。” “哦，是这样啊。” “是的。” 这样，我就觉得好过了一些。不过，我但愿能离开这里。 我还抬不起头来。 接下来，那个妇女就谈起了时势多么艰难，她们生活又多么穷困，老鼠又多么猖狂，仿 佛这里就是它们的天下，如此等等。这样，我觉得又舒坦了起来。说到老鼠，她讲的可是实 情。在角落头一个小洞里，每隔一会儿，就能见到一只老鼠，把脑袋伸出洞口探望一下。她 说，她一个人在家时，手边必须准备好东西扔过去，不然得不到安生的时候。她给我看一根 根铅丝拧成的一些团团，说扔起来很准。不过，一两天前，她把胳膊扭了，如今还不知道能 不能扔呢。她看准了一个机会，朝一只老鼠猛然扔了过去，不过，她扔得离目标差一截子， 一边叫了起来：“噢！胳膊扭痛了。”她接着要我扔下一个试试看。我一心想的是在她家里 的老头儿回来以前就溜之大吉，不过自然不便表露出来。我把铅团子拿到了手里，老鼠一探 头，我就猛地扔过去，它要是迟一步，准会被砸成一只病歪歪的老鼠。她说我扔得挺准，还 说她估摸，下一个我准能扔中。她把一些铅团子拿过来，又拿来一绞毛线，叫我帮她绕好。 我伸出了双手，她把毛线套在我手上，一边讲起她自己和她丈夫的事。不过，她打听了话说： “眼睛看准了老鼠。最好把铅团团放在大腿上，好随时扔过去。” 说着，她便把一些铅团子扔到我大腿上，我把双腿一并接住了。她接着说下去，不过才 只说了一分钟。接下来她取下了毛线，眼睛直盯着我的脸，不过非常和颜悦色地问： “说吧——你的真名字叫什么？” “什——什么，大娘？” “你真名是什么？是比尔？还是汤姆？还是鲍勃？——还是什么？” 我看我准定是抖得象一片树叶子。我实在不知所措。可是我说： “大娘，别作弄我这样一个穷苦的女孩吧，要是我在这里碍事，我可以——” “哪有的事？你给我坐下，别动。我不会害你，也不会告发你。把你的秘密一五一十告 诉我，相信我，我会保守秘密的。还不只这样，我会帮你忙的，我家老头儿也会的，只要你 需要他的话。要知道，你是个逃出来的学徒——就是这么一回事。这有什么大不了的，这算 得了什么啊。人家亏待了你，你就决心一跑了之。孩子，但愿你交好运，我不会告发的。原 原本本告诉我——这才是一个好孩子。” 这样，我就说，事已如此，也不用再装了。还说，我会把一切的一切原原本本都倒给她 听，只是她答应了的不许反悔。随后我告诉她，我父母双亡，按照法律，把我给栓住在乡下 一个卑鄙的农民手里，离大河有三十英里。他虐待我，我再也不能忍受了。他出门几天，我 便乘机偷了他女儿的几件旧衣服，溜出了家门。这三十英里，我走了三个晚上。我只在晚山 走，白天躲起来，找地方睡，家里带出来的一袋面包和肉供我一路上食用。东西是足够的。 我相信我的叔叔阿勃纳•摩尔会照看我的。这就是为什么我要上高申镇来。 “高申？孩子。这儿可不是高申啊！这是圣彼得堡啊①。高申还在大河上边十英里地 呢。谁跟你说这里是高申来着？” ①诺顿版注：实指马克•吐温的故乡汉尼拔，作者在小说里给它取名为圣彼得堡。 “怎么啦？今天拂晓我遇到的一个男人这么说的。? 觉。他对我说，那里是叉路口，需得走右手这一条路，走五英里便能到高申。” “我看他准是喝醉了，他指给你的恰好是相反的路。” “哦，他那样子真象是喝醉了的。不过，如今也无所谓了，我反正得往前走。天亮以 前，我能赶到高申。” “等一会儿，我给你准备点儿吃的带着，你也许用得着。” 她就给我弄了点儿吃的，还说： “听我说——一头奶牛趴在地上，要爬起来时，哪一头先离地？赶快答——不用停下来 想。哪一头先起来？” “牛屁股先离地，大娘。” “好，那么一匹马呢？” “前头的，大娘。” “一棵树，哪一侧青苔长得最盛？” “北边的一侧。” “假如有十五头牛在一处小山坡上吃草，有几头是冲着同一个方向的？” “十五头全冲着一个方向，大娘。” “嗯，我看啊，你果真是住在乡下的。我还以为你又要哄我呢。现在你说，你的真姓名 是什么？” “乔治•彼得斯，大娘。” “嗯，要把这名字记住了，乔治。别把这忘了，弄得在走以前对我说你的名字叫亚历山 大，等出了门给我逮住了，便说是乔治•亚历山大。还有，别穿着这样旧的花布衣服装成女 人啦。你装成一个姑娘家可装得蹩脚，不过你要是糊弄一个男人，也许还能对付。上天保 佑，孩子，你穿起针线来，可别捏着线头不动，光是捏着针鼻往线头上凑，而是要捏着针头 不动，把线头往针鼻上凑——妇女多半是这么穿针线的，男人多半倒过来。打老鼠或者别的 什么，应当踮着脚尖，手伸到头顶上，越高越好。打过去之后，离老鼠最好有六七英尺远。 胳膊挺直，靠肩膀的力扔出去。肩膀就好比一个轴，胳膊就在它上面转——这才象一个女孩 扔东西的姿势，可不是用手腕子和胳膊后的力，把胳膊朝外伸，象一个男孩子扔东西的姿 势。还要记住，一个女孩，人家朝她膝盖上扔东西，她接的时候，两腿总是张开的，不是象 男孩那样把两腿并拢，不象你接铅团那样把两腿并拢。啊，你穿针线的时候，我就看出你是 个男孩子了。我又想出了一些别的法子来试试你，就为的是弄得确实无误。现在你跑去找你 的叔叔去吧，莎拉•玛丽•威廉斯•乔治•亚历山大•彼得斯。你要是遇到什么麻烦，不妨 给裘第丝•洛芙特丝一个信，那就是我的名字。我会想方设法帮你解决的，顺着大河，一直 往前走。下回出远门，要随身带好袜子、鞋子。沿河的路尽是石头路。我看啊，走到高申 镇，你的脚可要遭殃了。” 我沿河岸往上游走了五十码，然后急步走回来，溜到了系独木舟的地方，就是离那家人 家相当远的一个去处。我跳上船，急急忙忙开船。我朝上水划了相当一段路，为的是能划到 岛子的顶端，然后往对岸划去。我取下了遮阳帽，因为我这时候已经不需要这遮眼的东西 了。我划到大河的水中央的时候，听到钟声响起来了。我便停了下来，仔细听着。声音从水 上传来，很轻，可是很清楚——十一下子。我一到了岛尖，尽管累得喘不过气来，不敢停下 来缓一口气，便直奔我早先宿营的林子那里，拣一个干燥的高处生起一堆大火。 随后便跳进独木舟，使出全身的劲儿，往下游一英里半我们藏身的地方划去。我跳上了 岸，窜过树林，爬上山脊，冲进山洞。杰姆正躺着。在地上睡得正香，我把他叫了起来，对 他说： “杰姆，快起来，收拾好东西。一分钟也拖延不得，人家来搜捕我们啦！” 杰姆一个问题也没有问，一句话也没有说。不过，从接下来半小时中收拾东西的那个劲 儿来看，他准是吓坏了。等到我们把所有的家当全都放到木排上的时候，我们准备从隐藏着 的柳树弯子里撑出去，我们第一件事是把洞口的火堆灰烬熄灭。在这以后，在外边，连一点 烛光也不敢点。 我把独木舟划到离岸不远的地方，然后往四下里张望了一下。不过嘛，当时即便附近有 一只小船吧，我也不会看到，因为星光黯淡，浓影深深，看不清。随后我们就把木筏撑出 去，溜进了阴影里，朝下游漂去，悄没声地漂过了岛尾，两人一句话也没有说。 Chapter 11 "COME in," says the woman, and I did. She says: "Take a cheer." I done it. She looked me all over with her little shiny eyes, and says: "What might your name be?" "Sarah Williams." "Where 'bouts do you live? In this neighborhood?' "No'm. In Hookerville, seven mile below. I've walked all the way and I'm all tired out." "Hungry, too, I reckon. I'll find you something." "No'm, I ain't hungry. I was so hungry I had to stop two miles below here at a farm; so I ain't hungry no more. It's what makes me so late. My mother's down sick, and out of money and everything, and I come to tell my uncle Abner Moore. He lives at the upper end of the town, she says. I hain't ever been here before. Do you know him?" "No; but I don't know everybody yet. I haven't lived here quite two weeks. It's a considerable ways to the upper end of the town. You better stay here all night. Take off your bonnet." "No," I says; "I'll rest a while, I reckon, and go on. I ain't afeared of the dark." She said she wouldn't let me go by myself, but her husband would be in by and by, maybe in a hour and a half, and she'd send him along with me. Then she got to talking about her husband, and about her relations up the river, and her relations down the river, and about how much better off they used to was, and how they didn't know but they'd made a mistake coming to our town, instead of letting well alone -- and so on and so on, till I was afeard I had made a mistake coming to her to find out what was going on in the town; but by and by she dropped on to pap and the murder, and then I was pretty willing to let her clatter right along. She told about me and Tom Sawyer finding the six thousand dollars (only she got it ten) and all about pap and what a hard lot he was, and what a hard lot I was, and at last she got down to where I was murdered. I says: "Who done it? We've heard considerable about these goings on down in Hookerville, but we don't know who 'twas that killed Huck Finn." "Well, I reckon there's a right smart chance of people HERE that'd like to know who killed him. Some think old Finn done it himself." "No -- is that so?" "Most everybody thought it at first. He'll never know how nigh he come to getting lynched. But before night they changed around and judged it was done by a runaway nigger named Jim." "Why HE --" I stopped. I reckoned I better keep still. She run on, and never noticed I had put in at all: "The nigger run off the very night Huck Finn was killed. So there's a reward out for him -- three hundred dollars. And there's a reward out for old Finn, too -- two hundred dollars. You see, he come to town the morning after the murder, and told about it, and was out with 'em on the ferryboat hunt, and right away after he up and left. Before night they wanted to lynch him, but he was gone, you see. Well, next day they found out the nigger was gone; they found out he hadn't ben seen sence ten o'clock the night the murder was done. So then they put it on him, you see; and while they was full of it, next day, back comes old Finn, and went boo-hooing to Judge Thatcher to get money to hunt for the nigger all over Illinois with. The judge gave him some, and that evening he got drunk, and was around till after midnight with a couple of mighty hard-looking strangers, and then went off with them. Well, he hain't come back sence, and they ain't looking for him back till this thing blows over a little, for people thinks now that he killed his boy and fixed things so folks would think robbers done it, and then he'd get Huck's money without having to bother a long time with a lawsuit. People do say he warn't any too good to do it. Oh, he's sly, I reckon. If he don't come back for a year he'll be all right. You can't prove anything on him, you know; everything will be quieted down then, and he'll walk in Huck's money as easy as nothing." "Yes, I reckon so, 'm. I don't see nothing in the way of it. Has everybody guit thinking the nigger done it?" "Oh, no, not everybody. A good many thinks he done it. But they'll get the nigger pretty soon now, and maybe they can scare it out of him." "Why, are they after him yet?" "Well, you're innocent, ain't you! Does three hundred dollars lay around every day for people to pick up? Some folks think the nigger ain't far from here. I'm one of them -- but I hain't talked it around. A few days ago I was talking with an old couple that lives next door in the log shanty, and they happened to say hardly anybody ever goes to that island over yonder that they call Jackson's Island. Don't anybody live there? says I. No, nobody, says they. I didn't say any more, but I done some thinking. I was pretty near certain I'd seen smoke over there, about the head of the island, a day or two before that, so I says to myself, like as not that nigger's hiding over there; anyway, says I, it's worth the trouble to give the place a hunt. I hain't seen any smoke sence, so I reckon maybe he's gone, if it was him; but husband's going over to see -- him and another man. He was gone up the river; but he got back to-day, and I told him as soon as he got here two hours ago." I had got so uneasy I couldn't set still. I had to do something with my hands; so I took up a needle off of the table and went to threading it. My hands shook, and I was making a bad job of it. When the woman stopped talking I looked up, and she was looking at me pretty curious and smiling a little. I put down the needle and thread, and let on to be interested -- and I was, too -- and says: "Three hundred dollars is a power of money. I wish my mother could get it. Is your husband going over there to-night?" "Oh, yes. He went up-town with the man I was telling you of, to get a boat and see if they could borrow another gun. They'll go over after midnight." "Couldn't they see better if they was to wait till daytime?" "Yes. And couldn't the nigger see better, too? After midnight he'll likely be asleep, and they can slip around through the woods and hunt up his camp fire all the better for the dark, if he's got one." "I didn't think of that." The woman kept looking at me pretty curious, and I didn't feel a bit comfortable. Pretty soon she says" "What did you say your name was, honey?" "M -- Mary Williams." Somehow it didn't seem to me that I said it was Mary before, so I didn't look up -- seemed to me I said it was Sarah; so I felt sort of cornered, and was afeared maybe I was looking it, too. I wished the woman would say something more; the longer she set still the uneasier I was. But now she says: "Honey, I thought you said it was Sarah when you first come in?" "Oh, yes'm, I did. Sarah Mary Williams. Sarah's my first name. Some calls me Sarah, some calls me Mary." "Oh, that's the way of it?" "Yes'm." I was feeling better then, but I wished I was out of there, anyway. I couldn't look up yet. Well, the woman fell to talking about how hard times was, and how poor they had to live, and how the rats was as free as if they owned the place, and so forth and so on, and then I got easy again. She was right about the rats. You'd see one stick his nose out of a hole in the corner every little while. She said she had to have things handy to throw at them when she was alone, or they wouldn't give her no peace. She showed me a bar of lead twisted up into a knot, and said she was a good shot with it generly, but she'd wrenched her arm a day or two ago, and didn't know whether she could throw true now. But she watched for a chance, and directly banged away at a rat; but she missed him wide, and said "Ouch!" it hurt her arm so. Then she told me to try for the next one. I wanted to be getting away before the old man got back, but of course I didn't let on. I got the thing, and the first rat that showed his nose I let drive, and if he'd a stayed where he was he'd a been a tolerable sick rat. She said that was first-rate, and she reckoned I would hive the next one. She went and got the lump of lead and fetched it back, and brought along a hank of yarn which she wanted me to help her with. I held up my two hands and she put the hank over them, and went on talking about her and her husband's matters. But she broke off to say: "Keep your eye on the rats. You better have the lead in your lap, handy." So she dropped the lump into my lap just at that moment, and I clapped my legs together on it and she went on talking. But only about a minute. Then she took off the hank and looked me straight in the face, and very pleasant, and says: "Come, now, what's your real name?" "Wh -- what, mum?" "What's your real name? Is it Bill, or Tom, or Bob? -- or what is it?" I reckon I shook like a leaf, and I didn't know hardly what to do. But I says: "Please to don't poke fun at a poor girl like me, mum. If I'm in the way here, I'll --" "No, you won't. Set down and stay where you are. I ain't going to hurt you, and I ain't going to tell on you, nuther. You just tell me your secret, and trust me. I'll keep it; and, what's more, I'll help you. So'll my old man if you want him to. You see, you're a runaway 'prentice, that's all. It ain't anything. There ain't no harm in it. You've been treated bad, and you made up your mind to cut. Bless you, child, I wouldn't tell on you. Tell me all about it now, that's a good boy." So I said it wouldn't be no use to try to play it any longer, and I would just make a clean breast and tell her everything, but she musn't go back on her promise. Then I told her my father and mother was dead, and the law had bound me out to a mean old farmer in the country thirty mile back from the river, and he treated me so bad I couldn't stand it no longer; he went away to be gone a couple of days, and so I took my chance and stole some of his daughter's old clothes and cleared out, and I had been three nights coming the thirty miles. I traveled nights, and hid daytimes and slept, and the bag of bread and meat I carried from home lasted me all the way, and I had a-plenty. I said I believed my uncle Abner Moore would take care of me, and so that was why I struck out for this town of Goshen. "Goshen, child? This ain't Goshen. This is St. Petersburg. Goshen's ten mile further up the river. Who told you this was Goshen?" "Why, a man I met at daybreak this morning, just as I was going to turn into the woods for my regular sleep. He told me when the roads forked I must take the right hand, and five mile would fetch me to Goshen." "He was drunk, I reckon. He told you just exactly wrong." "Well,,he did act like he was drunk, but it ain't no matter now. I got to be moving along. I'll fetch Goshen before daylight." "Hold on a minute. I'll put you up a snack to eat. You might want it." So she put me up a snack, and says: "Say, when a cow's laying down, which end of her gets up first? Answer up prompt now -- don't stop to study over it. Which end gets up first?" "The hind end, mum." "Well, then, a horse?" "The for'rard end, mum." "Which side of a tree does the moss grow on?" "North side." "If fifteen cows is browsing on a hillside, how many of them eats with their heads pointed the same direction?" "The whole fifteen, mum." "Well, I reckon you HAVE lived in the country. I thought maybe you was trying to hocus me again. What's your real name, now?" "George Peters, mum." "Well, try to remember it, George. Don't forget and tell me it's Elexander before you go, and then get out by saying it's George Elexander when I catch you. And don't go about women in that old calico. You do a girl tolerable poor, but you might fool men, maybe. Bless you, child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way. And when you throw at a rat or anything, hitch yourself up a tiptoe and fetch your hand up over your head as awkward as you can, and miss your rat about six or seven foot. Throw stiff-armed from the shoulder, like there was a pivot there for it to turn on, like a girl; not from the wrist and elbow, with your arm out to one side, like a boy. And, mind you, when a girl tries to catch anything in her lap she throws her knees apart; she don't clap them together, the way you did when you catched the lump of lead. Why, I spotted you for a boy when you was threading the needle; and I contrived the other things just to make certain. Now trot along to your uncle, Sarah Mary Williams George Elexander Peters, and if you get into trouble you send word to Mrs. Judith Loftus, which is me, and I'll do what I can to get you out of it. Keep the river road all the way, and next time you tramp take shoes and socks with you. The river road's a rocky one, and your feet'll be in a condition when you get to Goshen, I reckon." I went up the bank about fifty yards, and then I doubled on my tracks and slipped back to where my canoe was, a good piece below the house. I jumped in, and was off in a hurry. I went up-stream far enough to make the head of the island, and then started across. I took off the sun-bonnet, for I didn't want no blinders on then. When I was about the middle I heard the clock begin to strike, so I stops and listens; the sound come faint over the water but clear -- eleven. When I struck the head of the island I never waited to blow, though I was most winded, but I shoved right into the timber where my old camp used to be, and started a good fire there on a high and dry spot. Then I jumped in the canoe and dug out for our place, a mile and a half below, as hard as I could go. I landed, and slopped through the timber and up the ridge and into the cavern. There Jim laid, sound asleep on the ground. I roused him out and says: "Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain't a minute to lose. They're after us!" Jim never asked no questions, he never said a word; but the way he worked for the next half an hour showed about how he was scared. By that time everything we had in the world was on our raft, and she was ready to be shoved out from the willow cove where she was hid. We put out the camp fire at the cavern the first thing, and didn't show a candle outside after that. I took the canoe out from the shore a little piece, and took a look; but if there was a boat around I couldn't see it, for stars and shadows ain't good to see by. Then we got out the raft and slipped along down in the shade, past the foot of the island dead still -- never saying a word. |
第十二章 最后到达岛子下边的时候，准定快深夜一点钟了。看来木筏子是走得挺慢的。要是有船 开过来，我们准备坐上独木小舟，冲向伊利诺斯州的河岸去。幸好没有船来。我们没有想到 要把熗藏在独木小舟里，也没有想到把钓鱼竿放在小舟上钓东西吃。我们急忙慌乱之余，实 在想不到这么多。当初把什么都放到木筏上，这实在并非是个好主意。 要是人家找到岛上去的话，我估计他们一定会找到我生起的火，在那边守候整整一个晚 上，等着杰姆出现。不管怎么说吧，反正我们把他们调来了。我生的火如果没有能叫他们上 当，那也不能怪我。我对他们施的花招，也够绝的了。 天蒙蒙亮了，我们就在靠伊利诺斯州这边一个大湾的旁边，找了个沙洲靠了岸，用斧子 砍了一些杨树枝，把木筏子遮了起来。这样，这里看上去仿佛河岸在这里坍了一块似的。沙 洲是一片沙土岗子，上面长满了白杨，密得象耙齿一般。 密苏里沿岸山岭起伏，伊利诺斯一边是密密的白杨树，航道在这里沿着密苏里一边，因 此我们并不担心会遇到什么人。我们一整天躺在那里，看着一些木筏子和轮船沿着密苏里河 岸向下游驶去，看着朝上游驶去的轮船在大河的河水中央使劲搏斗。我把我跟那个妇女瞎聊 的话一五一十全讲给杰姆听，杰姆说，这个妇女可是个精明的人，还说，要是由她来搜捕我 们的话，她准不会停下来坐等在火堆旁边——不，她会找好一只狗来。我说，那么她为什么 不是叫她的丈夫找好一只狗呢？杰姆说，依他看，那几个男人准备动身的时候，她准定会想 到找条狗。他相信，这些人准定是到镇上去找一条狗，这样，他们就把时间全耽误了，不然 的话，我们此刻就不会来到下游离村子十六七英里的沙洲上了，——不，肯定不会。我们只 会又回到我们老家那个镇上了。我就说，不管是什么个原因吧，反正他们没有能逮住我们。 天快黑下来了，我们在白杨枝桠里探出脑袋，朝四下里上下左右张望了一番，什么也没 有见到。杰姆便拿起了木筏子上层的几块木板，搭起了一个挺舒适的小窝棚，好在太阳辣辣 的时候或者下雨的时候，能有个保持东西干燥的去处。杰姆还在窝棚底下安了个地板，比木 筏子高出一英尺多，这样，毯子啦和全部什物，都不会被开过来的轮船激起的水浪冲潮湿。 在窝棚的正中央，我们铺了五六英寸的土，安了个框架子，四周围得严严实实，好在刮风下 雨的天气生起火来，火光能由窝棚给遮住，从外边望不见。我们还做了一把备用的掌舵的 桨，以备万一碰上暗礁什么的把原有的桨碰坏了。我们竖起一根矮树杈子，把那盏旧的灯挂 了上去，因为每当有轮船往下游开来，我们必须点亮这盏灯，防止它把我们撞翻。不过，有 上水的轮船开来，我们不用点灯，除非我们发现自己漂到了人家所说的“横水道”①上，因 为河水还涨得很高，很低的河岸还有一小部分淹没在水下，因此上水的船往往不闯这个水 道，而寻找流得慢一些的水道走。 ①“横水道”指轮船在密西西比河上为了选择在平稳的水流中航行，有时从河中一 边横向另一边。 第二个晚上，我们乘了大约七八个钟头，水流每小时四英里。我们捉鱼，聊天，或者为 了打破瞌睡，下水游它一会儿。顺着这静静的大河往下漂，仰卧在筏子上望着星星，倒是一 件带着庄严意味的事。我们这时候无心大声说话，大笑的时候也挺少，只不过偶尔低低地格 格两声就是了。我们遇到的天气，一般总是好天气。那天夜里一切太平，第二天，第三天， 都是如此。 每个晚上，我们都要漂过一些镇子，其中有一些是在上边黑糊糊的山脚底下，除了一些 灯火之外，见不到一间房屋。第五个晚上，我们路过圣路易，顿时仿佛满世界都点上了灯。 在圣彼得堡那边，人们总说圣路易有两三万人之多，我一直不信这话，只是到那个晚上，在 两点钟的时候，亲眼见到了那奇妙的灯海，这才信了。在那里，没有一丝儿声音，家家户户 都熟睡了。 如今我每个夜晚，在十点钟左右，都要溜上岸去，到一个小村子上去，买一毛、一毛五 分钱肉或者咸肉，或者别的食品，间或遇见一只不好好躺在鸡笼子里的小鸡，便顺手提了回 来。爸爸总说，机会来时，不妨顺手捉住一只小鸡，因为，如果你不愿干，愿意干的人有的 是。再说，做了一件好事，人家是决不会忘掉的。爸爸不愿吃鸡那类事，我可从没有见过。 不过他总爱那么说就是了。 一清早，天大亮前，我便溜进玉米田，借一只西瓜或是甜瓜，或是南瓜，或者几个刚熟 的玉米，诸如此类。爸爸老说，借借东西，只要你存心在有的时候偿还人家，那没有什么害 处。不过，那位寡妇说，那不过是偷东西的好听一些的说法罢了，正派人没有一个肯干这样 的事。杰姆说，依他看，寡妇说的有一部分道理，你爸爸说的也有一部分道理，最理想的办 法是我们搞好一份清单，从中挑出两三种东西，先借到手，然后说明，往后不再借了——依 他看，这样一来以后再借别的东西就不碍事了。我们就这样商量了一整夜，一边在大河上朝 下游漂过去，一边准备定下主意，看能否不用借西瓜，或者香瓜，或者甜瓜了吧。商量到天 大亮，问题全都得到了圆满解决，决定不借山里红和柿子，把这两项从单子上删掉。在这样 决定以前，大家心里总有点儿不大痛快，决定以后，大家都觉得心里好受了。能这样作出决 定，我也很高兴，因为山里红根本不好吃，柿子呢，还要两三个月才熟透。 我们有时候用熗打下一只早晨起得太早或是夜晚睡得太迟的水鸟。把种种情况归一起来 说，我们生活得非常快活。 在第五个晚上，小船开到了圣路易下面。半夜以后，雷电交作，大雨倾盆，大雨仿佛一 股股水柱子般倒下来。我们躲在窝棚里，听任木排往前漂去。电光一闪，只见前面是一条笔 直的大河，大河两岸高高的山岩好不吓人。后来我叫了起来，“喂，杰姆，看前边！”前边 是一只轮船撞到了一处岩石之上，被置于死地了。我们的木排正对着它直往前漂。电光闪 处，照得一清二楚的。这条船已经一侧倾斜，上舱一部分浮在水面上。电光一闪，栓烟囱的 一根根小铁链看得清清楚楚。还有大钟旁边一把椅子，背后还挂着一顶垂边的旧帽子。 时已深夜，风雨交作，一片神秘气氛。我这时的想法，跟一般孩子眼看到一只破船深夜 在河上悲惨孤单的光景时是一样的。我要爬上去，偷偷遛一遭，探一探上面的究竟。因此我 说： “让我们上，杰姆。” 可是杰姆开头拼死反对。他说： “我可不乐意到破船上去胡浑（混）。我们一路上太太平平的，让我们象圣书上说的， 还是保持太太平平吧。破船上说不定还有一个看守的人呢。” “去你奶奶的看守，”我说，“除了‘德克萨斯’①和领港房之外，还有什么好看守 的。象这么一个深夜，眼看船快裂开，随时随刻会沉入河中，你说，有谁会肯冒生命危险， 光为了‘德克萨斯’和领港房？”杰姆无话可说，一声不响。我说，“再说，说不定我们还 能从船长卧室那边借到点儿什么也未可知。雪茄烟，是稳稳的——并且是五分钱现钞一支。 轮船的船长总是阔老，六十大洋一个月，要知道，只要他存心要，一件东西不论值多少钱， 他们才不在乎呢。你口袋里塞好一根蜡烛。杰姆，我们要是不在上面好好搜它一遍，我决不 死心。你猜猜，汤姆•索亚要是遇到这样的事，他会错过机会么？他才不会哩。他会把这个 叫做历险——这是他定的名字。他准会爬上这条破船，就是会死也要上。并且，他还要摆一 摆他的那一套派头出来——他要不露他那一手，那才怪呢。嗐，你准定会认为，那是哥伦布 在发现新大陆这样的派头呢！但愿今天有汤姆•索亚在这里，那才好。” ①诺顿版注：指轮船的上甲板管理人员的舱房，驾驶室在它的前面，或在它的上 面，是船上最大的舱房。德克萨斯是美国最大的州，因此把船上最大的舱房通称为德克萨 斯。 杰姆嘟嘟囔囔了一会儿，可是终于屈服了。他说，我们千万别再说话了，要说，也要说 得轻声一些。刚好又是电光一闪，我们抓住了轮船右舷的起货桅竿边，把我们的筏子系好。 甲板翘得老高。我们在黑地里轻手轻脚沿着那个坡度①遛下那个‘德克萨斯’，靠着脚 问路，靠双手摸，拨开吊货的绳索，因为黑漆漆的无法看清。没有多久，我们摸到了天窗的 前边一头，爬了进去。下一步到了船长室的前边。门是开着的。哎哟，不好，从顶舱的过厅 里望过去，但见一处灯光！ ①轮船触礁导致船身倾斜，所以甲板一头高，一头低，形成一个斜坡。 与此同时，仿佛听到了那边传来的低低的声音！ 杰姆低声跟我说话，还说他感到十分难受，要我还是一起回去吧。我说，那好吧。正准 备往筏子那边走去，突然听到有人哭着说： “哦，伙计们，别，别。我赌咒决不告发！” 另一个声音，在大声地说： “你这是撒谎，杰姆•透纳。你以前也表演过这一手的，每回分油水，你总要在应得的 一份之外多争一点，而且每回都争到手，就凭你所说的，要是争不到，就威吓着要告发。不 过，这一回，你算是白说啦。你可算得上这个国度里最卑鄙、最歹毒的畜牲了。” 这时候，杰姆往筏子那边去了。我简直压不住我这份好奇心。我跟我自个儿说，此时此 刻，汤姆•索亚决不会往后退缩，那我也不会。我要在此时此刻，看个究竟，看下边会怎么 样。在狭窄的过道里，我四肢并用，在暗中爬行，爬到离顶舱的过厅只隔一间官舱那个地 方。接下来，在那里，我看到了一个男子躺在地板上，手脚都给捆绑住了，边上站着两个男 人，其中一个一手举着一盏暗幽幽的灯，另一个手里举着一只手熗。这个男子把手熗顶着地 板上躺着的人的脑袋，说： “我真想毙了你，我也该毙了你，你这个该死的混帐东西！” 地板上的那个男子吓得缩成一团，叫道：“哦，别，求求你，比尔，我一定不说出去。” 每次他这么说，手提着灯的人便会一阵大笑，一边说： “你当然不会说喽！这样的事，你从来没有说过什么真话，不是么？”后来又说：“听 他这么苦苦哀求！可是，要不是我们制服了他，把他捆了起来，他准定会把我们两人都给杀 了。又为的什么呢？什么也不为。就为了我们要保住我们的权利——就是为了这个。不过 啊，杰姆•透纳，我料你从此也威胁不了什么人啦。比尔，把手熗先收起来。” 比尔说： “不行，杰克•巴卡特。我要毙了他——他不就是用同样的方法杀死老哈特菲尔特的 么？——他不是理该得此下场么？” “不过，我可不想叫他被杀死。我有我的理由。” “说这番话，上天会保佑你的，杰克•巴卡特！只要我活一天，我一辈子也不会忘掉你 的大恩大德！”地上的那一个带着哭声说。 巴卡特没有理会这些话，只是把灯挂在一只钉子上。在一片漆黑中，他往我藏身的地方 走过来，一边招呼比尔也过来。我赶紧拼命往后爬，往后缩了两码。可是轮船船身倾斜得太 厉害，我一时间爬不多远。为了不致被他们踩在身上，给逮住，我爬进了上舱一间官舱里， 巴卡特在黑暗里用手摸着走，摸到了我在的那间官舱。他说： “这里——到这里来。” 他进来了，比尔也随着进来了。不过啊，在他们进来以前，我爬到了上铺，已无退身的 余地。这时我真后悔，我真不该爬上了这条船啊。接着，他们站在那里，手扶住了上铺的边 上，说起了话来。我看不到他们，不过凭了他们一直在喝的威士忌的气味，能知道他们在哪 里。我幸亏没有喝威士忌，这是该高兴的事。不过话说回来，喝不喝也无所谓，因为我多半 时间里，连气也不敢喘，他们不会逮住我。再说，一个人要这样听人家说话，自己就不能喘 气的。他们说话的时候，说得声音很低，可说得十分认真。比尔想要把透纳给杀了。他说： “他说过他要告发，那就是说，他是会告发的，我们这样跟他吵了一架，又这么狠狠整 了他一通，如今即便把我们的那两份都给了他，也起不了什么作用。他会到官府去作证，把 我们给招出来。现在你还是听信我的话吧。我主张来个斩草除根，一了百了。” “我也是这么个主意”巴卡特说，说得十分镇静。 “他妈的，我还以为你不是这么想的呢。那好，就这么定了。让我们动手吧。” “等一会儿，我还没有把我的话说出来呢。你听我说。熗毙是个好方法。不过，如果事 情势在必行的话，还有更加静悄悄的一条路呢。我要说的是这样：如果事过以后，得上法 庭，把脖子往绞索上套，那可不是个好主意。如果你要办到的事，用别的方法，一样能办 到，办得结局一模一样，同时又不会给你带来什么风险，不是更好么？你看是不是这样？” “那当然。不过事到如今，你又有什么样一个办法呢？” “嗯，我的路子是这样：我们赶紧动手，到各间舱房去把我们忘了的东西都收拾好，搬 到岸上，给藏起来。然后静等着。我说啊，要不了两小时，这条破船便会裂开来，沉入河 底。懂了吧？他就会给淹死，还谁都怨不得，只能怨他自己。依我看，这比杀他好得多。只 要有一点法子可想，杀人，我是不赞成的。这不是个好主意，也不道德。你说我说得对不 对。” “对——我看你说得对。不过，万一船不裂开，不沉呢？” “那，我们不妨等它两小时啊，等着看着啊，不是么？” “那好吧，来吧。” 他们就动身了，我也溜了出来，一身冷汗。我往前爬过去。眼前是一片漆黑。不过我哑 着嗓子轻声地喊，“杰姆！”他应了声，活象有病在哼哼。原来他就在我的身旁呢。我说： “快，杰姆，这可不是磨磨蹭蹭、哼哼唧唧的时刻了。那里是一帮杀人犯。要是我们不 能把他们的小船找到，放掉，随它在大河上潮流往下漂走，好阻止这些家伙从破船上逃掉的 话，那么，他们中只有一个人会遭殃。可是如果我们能找到他们那条小船，把它放走，那就 能叫他们全体都遭殃——听候警察来抓他们。快——赶快！我由左舷找，你由右舷找。你从 木筏子那儿找起——” “哦，天啊，天啊！木筏子？木筏子不见啦！它散开了，被冲走了！——把我们给扔在 这儿啦！” Chapter 12 IT must a been close on to one o'clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty slow. If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn't come, for we hadn't ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat. We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things. It warn't good judgment to put EVERYTHING on the raft. If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come. Anyways, they stayed away from us, and if my building the fire never fooled them it warn't no fault of mine. I played it as low down on them as I could. When the first streak of day began to show we tied up to a towhead in a big bend on the Illinois side, and hacked off cottonwood branches with the hatchet, and covered up the raft with them so she looked like there had been a cave-in in the bank there. A towhead is a sandbar that has cottonwoods on it as thick as harrow-teeth. We had mountains on the Missouri shore and heavy timber on the Illinois side, and the channel was down the Missouri shore at that place, so we warn't afraid of anybody running across us. We laid there all day, and watched the rafts and steamboats spin down the Missouri shore, and up-bound steamboats fight the big river in the middle. I told Jim all about the time I had jabbering with that woman; and Jim said she was a smart one, and if she was to start after us herself she wouldn't set down and watch a camp fire -- no, sir, she'd fetch a dog. Well, then, I said, why couldn't she tell her husband to fetch a dog? Jim said he bet she did think of it by the time the men was ready to start, and he believed they must a gone up-town to get a dog and so they lost all that time, or else we wouldn't be here on a towhead sixteen or seventeen mile below the village -- no, indeedy, we would be in that same old town again. So I said I didn't care what was the reason they didn't get us as long as they didn't. When it was beginning to come on dark we poked our heads out of the cottonwood thicket, and looked up and down and across; nothing in sight; so Jim took up some of the top planks of the raft and built a snug wigwam to get under in blazing weather and rainy, and to keep the things dry. Jim made a floor for the wigwam, and raised it a foot or more above the level of the raft, so now the blankets and all the traps was out of reach of steamboat waves. Right in the middle of the wigwam we made a layer of dirt about five or six inches deep with a frame around it for to hold it to its place; this was to build a fire on in sloppy weather or chilly; the wigwam would keep it from being seen. We made an extra steering-oar, too, because one of the others might get broke on a snag or something. We fixed up a short forked stick to hang the old lantern on, because we must always light the lantern whenever we see a steamboat coming down-stream, to keep from getting run over; but we wouldn't have to light it for up-stream boats unless we see we was in what they call a "crossing"; for the river was pretty high yet, very low banks being still a little under water; so up-bound boats didn't always run the channel, but hunted easy water. This second night we run between seven and eight hours, with a current that was making over four mile an hour. We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn't ever feel like talking loud, and it warn't often that we laughed -- only a little kind of a low chuckle. We had mighty good weather as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all -- that night, nor the next, nor the next. Every night we passed towns, some of them away up on black hillsides, nothing but just a shiny bed of lights; not a house could you see. The fifth night we passed St. Louis, and it was like the whole world lit up. In St. Petersburg they used to say there was twenty or thirty thousand people in St. Louis, but I never believed it till I see that wonderful spread of lights at two o'clock that still night. There warn't a sound there; everybody was asleep. Every night now I used to slip ashore towards ten o'clock at some little village, and buy ten or fifteen cents' worth of meal or bacon or other stuff to eat; and sometimes I lifted a chicken that warn't roosting comfortable, and took him along. Pap always said, take a chicken when you get a chance, because if you don't want him yourself you can easy find somebody that does, and a good deed ain't ever forgot. I never see pap when he didn't want the chicken himself, but that is what he used to say, anyway. Mornings before daylight I slipped into cornfields and borrowed a watermelon, or a mushmelon, or a punkin, or some new corn, or things of that kind. Pap always said it warn't no harm to borrow things if you was meaning to pay them back some time; but the widow said it warn't anything but a soft name for stealing, and no decent body would do it. Jim said he reckoned the widow was partly right and pap was partly right; so the best way would be for us to pick out two or three things from the list and say we wouldn't borrow them any more -- then he reckoned it wouldn't be no harm to borrow the others. So we talked it over all one night, drifting along down the river, trying to make up our minds whether to drop the watermelons, or the cantelopes, or the mushmelons, or what. But towards daylight we got it all settled satisfactory, and concluded to drop crabapples and p'simmons. We warn't feeling just right before that, but it was all comfortable now. I was glad the way it come out, too, because crabapples ain't ever good, and the p'simmons wouldn't be ripe for two or three months yet. We shot a water-fowl now and then that got up too early in the morning or didn't go to bed early enough in the evening. Take it all round, we lived pretty high. The fifth night below St. Louis we had a big storm after midnight, with a power of thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in a solid sheet. We stayed in the wigwam and let the raft take care of itself. When the lightning glared out we could see a big straight river ahead, and high, rocky bluffs on both sides. By and by says I, "Hel-LO, Jim, looky yonder!" It was a steamboat that had killed herself on a rock. We was drifting straight down for her. The lightning showed her very distinct. She was leaning over, with part of her upper deck above water, and you could see every little chimbly-guy clean and clear, and a chair by the big bell, with an old slouch hat hanging on the back of it, when the flashes come. Well, it being away in the night and stormy, and all so mysterious-like, I felt just the way any other boy would a felt when I see that wreck laying there so mournful and lonesome in the middle of the river. I wanted to get aboard of her and slink around a little, and see what there was there. So I says: "Le's land on her, Jim." But Jim was dead against it at first. He says: "I doan' want to go fool'n 'long er no wrack. We's doin' blame' well, en we better let blame' well alone, as de good book says. Like as not dey's a watchman on dat wrack." "Watchman your grandmother," I says; "there ain't nothing to watch but the texas and the pilothouse; and do you reckon anybody's going to resk his life for a texas and a pilot-house such a night as this, when it's likely to break up and wash off down the river any minute?" Jim couldn't say nothing to that, so he didn't try. "And besides," I says, "we might borrow something worth having out of the captain's stateroom. Seegars, I bet you -- and cost five cents apiece, solid cash. Steamboat captains is always rich, and get sixty dollars a month, and THEY don't care a cent what a thing costs, you know, long as they want it. Stick a candle in your pocket; I can't rest, Jim, till we give her a rummaging. Do you reckon Tom Sawyer would ever go by this thing? Not for pie, he wouldn't. He'd call it an adventure -- that's what he'd call it; and he'd land on that wreck if it was his last act. And wouldn't he throw style into it? -- wouldn't he spread himself, nor nothing? Why, you'd think it was Christopher C'lumbus discovering Kingdom-Come. I wish Tom Sawyer WAS here." Jim he grumbled a little, but give in. He said we mustn't talk any more than we could help, and then talk mighty low. The lightning showed us the wreck again just in time, and we fetched the stabboard derrick, and made fast there. The deck was high out here. We went sneaking down the slope of it to labboard, in the dark, towards the texas, feeling our way slow with our feet, and spreading our hands out to fend off the guys, for it was so dark we couldn't see no sign of them. Pretty soon we struck the forward end of the skylight, and clumb on to it; and the next step fetched us in front of the captain's door, which was open, and by Jimminy, away down through the texas-hall we see a light! and all in the same second we seem to hear low voices in yonder! Jim whispered and said he was feeling powerful sick, and told me to come along. I says, all right, and was going to start for the raft; but just then I heard a voice wail out and say: "Oh, please don't, boys; I swear I won't ever tell!" Another voice said, pretty loud: "It's a lie, Jim Turner. You've acted this way before. You always want more'n your share of the truck, and you've always got it, too, because you've swore 't if you didn't you'd tell. But this time you've said it jest one time too many. You're the meanest, treacherousest hound in this country." By this time Jim was gone for the raft. I was just a-biling with curiosity; and I says to myself, Tom Sawyer wouldn't back out now, and so I won't either; I'm a-going to see what's going on here. So I dropped on my hands and knees in the little passage, and crept aft in the dark till there warn't but one stateroom betwixt me and the cross-hall of the texas. Then in there I see a man stretched on the floor and tied hand and foot, and two men standing over him, and one of them had a dim lantern in his hand, and the other one had a pistol. This one kept pointing the pistol at the man's head on the floor, and saying: "I'd LIKE to! And I orter, too -- a mean skunk!" The man on the floor would shrivel up and say, "Oh, please don't, Bill; I hain't ever goin' to tell." And every time he said that the man with the lantern would laugh and say: "'Deed you AIN'T! You never said no truer thing 'n that, you bet you." And once he said: "Hear him beg! and yit if we hadn't got the best of him and tied him he'd a killed us both. And what FOR? Jist for noth'n. Jist because we stood on our RIGHTS -- that's what for. But I lay you ain't a-goin' to threaten nobody any more, Jim Turner. Put UP that pistol, Bill." Bill says: "I don't want to, Jake Packard. I'm for killin' him -- and didn't he kill old Hatfield jist the same way -- and don't he deserve it?" "But I don't WANT him killed, and I've got my reasons for it." "Bless yo' heart for them words, Jake Packard! I'll never forgit you long's I live!" says the man on the floor, sort of blubbering. Packard didn't take no notice of that, but hung up his lantern on a nail and started towards where I was there in the dark, and motioned Bill to come. I crawfished as fast as I could about two yards, but the boat slanted so that I couldn't make very good time; so to keep from getting run over and catched I crawled into a stateroom on the upper side. The man came apawing along in the dark, and when Packard got to my stateroom, he says: "Here -- come in here." And in he come, and Bill after him. But before they got in I was up in the upper berth, cornered, and sorry I come. Then they stood there, with their hands on the ledge of the berth, and talked. I couldn't see them, but I could tell where they was by the whisky they'd been having. I was glad I didn't drink whisky; but it wouldn't made much difference anyway, because most of the time they couldn't a treed me because I didn't breathe. I was too scared. And, besides, a body COULDN'T breathe and hear such talk. They talked low and earnest. Bill wanted to kill Turner. He says: "He's said he'll tell, and he will. If we was to give both our shares to him NOW it wouldn't make no difference after the row and the way we've served him. Shore's you're born, he'll turn State's evidence; now you hear ME. I'm for putting him out of his troubles." "So'm I," says Packard, very quiet. "Blame it, I'd sorter begun to think you wasnÕt. Well, then, that's all right. Le's go and do it." "Hold on a minute; I hain't had my say yit. You listen to me. Shooting's good, but there's quieter ways if the thing's GOT to be done. But what I say is this: it ain't good sense to go court'n around after a halter if you can git at what you're up to in some way that's jist as good and at the same time don't bring you into no resks. Ain't that so?" "You bet it is. But how you goin' to manage it this time?" "Well, my idea is this: we'll rustle around and gather up whatever pickins we've overlooked in the staterooms, and shove for shore and hide the truck. Then we'll wait. Now I say it ain't a-goin' to be more'n two hours befo' this wrack breaks up and washes off down the river. See? He'll be drownded, and won't have nobody to blame for it but his own self. I reckon that's a considerble sight better 'n killin' of him. I'm unfavorable to killin' a man as long as you can git aroun' it; it ain't good sense, it ain't good morals. Ain't I right?" "Yes, I reck'n you are. But s'pose she DON'T break up and wash off?" "Well, we can wait the two hours anyway and see, can't we?" "All right, then; come along." So they started, and I lit out, all in a cold sweat, and scrambled forward. It was dark as pitch there; but I said, in a kind of a coarse whisper, "Jim !" and he answered up, right at my elbow, with a sort of a moan, and I says: "Quick, Jim, it ain't no time for fooling around and moaning; there's a gang of murderers in yonder, and if we don't hunt up their boat and set her drifting down the river so these fellows can't get away from the wreck there's one of 'em going to be in a bad fix. But if we find their boat we can put ALL of 'em in a bad fix -- for the sheriff 'll get 'em. Quick -- hurry! I'll hunt the labboard side, you hunt the stabboard. You start at the raft, and --" "Oh, my lordy, lordy! RAF'? Dey ain' no raf' no mo'; she done broke loose en gone I -- en here we is!" |
第十三章 啊，我吓得停止了呼吸，几乎晕了过去。跟这样一帮人困在一条破船上！不过，这可不 是感叹的时候啊。我们得把那条小船找到，马上找到——非得找来给我们自己用。我们便一 边全身抖抖嗦嗦，一边顺着右舷摸过去。这事儿干得也真慢，——仿佛花了整整一个星期的 时间才摸到了船尾。可没有小船的影子啊。杰姆说他再也走不动了，——他说，已经吓得他 有气无力了。不过我说，要挺住，要是我们给困在这条破船上，那我们准得遭殃。于是我们 继续摸索。我们朝着顶舱的后尾摸过去，摸到了，然后攀着天窗一路摸过去，抓住一块窗 板，再挪到另一块窗板，因为天窗的边儿已经歪到了水里。我们快到十字厅大门口的时候， 只见一条小船正在那儿，千真万确是在那儿！我刚好能望到这条小船。真是谢天谢地！只要 再有一秒钟，我就会上船了。可正是在这一刻，门开了。其中的一个人探出头来，离我才只 几步远。我以为这下子我可完蛋了。不过，他又把头缩了回去，说： “把他妈的那盏灯拿开吧，别叫人家看见了，比尔！” 他把一袋子什么东西扔进了小船，接着上了船，在船上坐了下来。原来是巴卡特。接着 是比尔本人走了出来，上了船。巴卡特轻声地说： “全搞好了——撑船吧！” 我在窗户板上几乎挂不住了。我全身虚弱无力。不过比尔说： “等一等——你搜过他身子了么？” “没有啊，你搜过了么？” “没有啊。这么说，他那一份现金还是拿到了手。” “那就动手吧——只把东西拿走，可钱却留了下来，这象什么话。” “喂，——他会不会猜到了我们是要干什么来着？” “也许不会。不过我们反正非得拿到手不可。走吧。” 他们便跳出小船，钻到舱里去了。 门砰地一声关上了，因为门在破船上歪着的一面。一刹那间，我跳上了船，杰姆跟着一 跌一撞上了船。我取出了小刀，割断了绳索，我们便溜之大吉啦！ 我们连桨都没有摸，也不说话，连悄声说话也没有说，连呼吸都几乎停住了。我们一声 不响，飞快地朝前直溜，溜过了外轮盖的尖顶①，溜过了船尾，刹那间离破船已有一百码。 黑暗把我们吞没了，连最后一点影子也给吞没了。我们安全啦。这我们是清楚的。 ①当时轮船靠安装在外的明轮旋转推动，轮子四周有框架保护。 朝下游划了三四百码远以后，我们还能看到那盏灯在顶舱门口忽地闪? 们知道，那两个流氓找不到他们那条船，逐渐明白了他们如今正跟杰姆•透纳一样陷进了绝 路。 随后杰姆摇起了桨，我们就去追赶我们的木筏子。到这个时刻，我才第一次想到那帮家 伙的处境。——在这以前，我实在顾不上。我在想，就算是杀人犯吧，陷入如此的绝境也真 是够受的。我对自己说，说不定哪一天我自己也会是个杀人犯呢，难道我会高兴么？我便对 杰姆说： “我们只要一遇见灯光，便在这地方的上游或者下游一百码处登岸，找一个你我和小船 躲藏的好去处。接下来，我再编出一个故事来，让人家听了去寻找那帮家伙，先把他们救出 来，时辰一到，好把他们给绞死。” 但是这个主意落空了。不一会儿，又是风雨交加，比先前还要厉害。大雨一个劲地往下 倒。又全不见一丝灯光。依我看，人们全都睡了吧。我们顺着水流往下游冲去，一边寻觅灯 光，一边寻找我们的木筏子。隔了很长一段时辰，雨停了，不过云还没有散开，电光还在一 闪一闪。电光闪处，只见前边有一个黑乌乌的什么东西，在水上漂浮。我们就追上去。 正是我们的木筏子。能重新登上自己的木筏，我们那个高兴劲儿，是没有好说的。这时 候，我们见到有一处灯光，在下游右手，在岸上。我就说，我去。小船上放着那帮家伙从旧 船上偷来的赃物，装了满满的半船。我们把这些东西胡乱堆在木筏上。我叫杰姆顺水往下 漂，估计漂出有两英里路远，便点一个灯，一直点到我回来。接下来，我摇起桨，朝灯光划 去。我顺着下水划去的时候，陆续出现了三四处灯光——在小山坡上。是个村子。我往岸上 灯光那边靠拢，停住了桨，朝下边漂去。漂过时，见到那是一艘双舱渡船，船头旗竿上挂着 灯。我四处找寻那边看船的人，心想不知道他在哪处睡觉。一会儿发现他坐在船头系缆桩 上，脑袋垂在两个膝盖当中。我轻轻地推了他肩膀两三下，就哭将起来。 他就醒了，还有点儿吃惊。不过，他见到只是我，便打了一个好大的呵欠，伸了伸懒 腰。接着说： “啊，什么事啊？别哭了，小家伙。有什么难处啊？” 我说： “我爸爸、妈妈、姐姐——” 我哭得说不下去了。他说： “哦，该死的。好了，别这么伤心吧。我们各人都会有各人的为难之处，一切会好的。 他们究竟怎么啦？” “他们——他们——你是船上看船的么？” “是的，”他说，仿佛颇为得意的样子。“我是船长，又是船主，又是大副，又是领 港，又是看船的，又是水手头儿。有的时候，我还是货物和乘客。我比不上老杰姆•洪贝克 那么富，我对待汤姆、狄克和哈利，就不能象他那么大方，那么好，象他那样把钱给乱花。 不过，我对他讲过不只一回了，我可不愿意跟他对调一下位置。我说，因为一个水手的生 活，这便是我的生活。要是叫我住在镇子外面两英里路的地方，没有什么地方好玩的，别说 他那点儿臭钱都给了我，就是再加上一倍，我也不会干。我说啊——” 我插嘴说： “他们大难临头啦，而且——” “谁啊” “啊，我爸爸、妈妈和姐姐，还有胡克小姐。只要你把渡船往上游那边开过去——” “往上游哪里啊？他们现今在哪里啊？” “在那艘破船上。” “什么破船？” “怎么啦，还不是只有一条破船么？” “什么？你不是说‘华尔特•司各特’①么？” ①诺顿版注：马克•吐温戏称这艘沉没中的轮船为华尔特•司各特，因为他对这位 英国著名作奇作家评价不高，认为他也在沉没之中。 “正是。” “天啊！他们到那儿去干什么啊，真是天知道。” “嗯，他们可不是存心故意要去的。” “我想他们也不会。可是如果他们不能赶快离开，那就天啊，那就没有命啦。怎么搞 的，他们怎么会钻进那么一个要命的地方呢？” “说起来也是事出有因。胡克小姐是到上游那个镇上走亲戚去的——” “是啊，是步斯渡口——往下说。” “她是走亲戚去的。在步斯渡口。正是黄昏时分，她和黑女佣上了渡骡马的渡船，准备 在一个朋友家住一晚上，那个朋友叫什么什么小姐来着，名字我记不住了。渡船上的人丢了 掌舵的桨，船就打圈圈，往下游漂去，船尾朝前，漂了两英里多路，碰到那条破船上，就给 撞翻了。摆渡的和黑女佣以及一些马匹，全都冲走了。只是胡克小姐一把抓住了那条破船， 就爬了上去。嗯，天黑以后一个钟点左右，我们坐着我们做生意的平底船往上前开去。天 黑，我们没有注意到那条破船，到了近处，就来不及了，所以也给撞翻了。不过我们都得了 救，除了比尔•惠贝尔一人——啊，他可是个天大的好人啊——我宁愿那是我。” “天啊，这可真是我平生遇到的最伤心的事了。接下来，你们又干了些什么呢？” “啊，我们大声喊救命，闹了半天，可是河面太阔，我们再喊，也没有人听见。这样， 爸爸说，总得有人上岸去求救啊。会游泳的，就只我一个人。于是我就争着由我来干。胡克 小姐说，要是我一时不能马上找到人来搭救，就可以到这儿来，寻找他的叔叔，他会把事情 安排得妥妥当当的。我在下边一英里路的地方上了岸，一直在白费劲，想找人帮忙，可是人 家说，‘什么，夜这么深，水这么急，要人家干？简直是胡闹。还是去找渡船吧。’现如 今，要是你愿去——。” “我倒是愿去。我要是不愿去，那才怪呢。不过，由谁来付这笔费用呢？你看你爸爸— —” “啊，那好办。胡克小姐对我说，是特为对我说的，说她叔叔霍恩贝克——” “好家伙！原来他就是她的叔叔啊。你听我说，你朝远处有灯光的那个方向跑过去，再 往西拐，走四分之一英里，你就到了那家酒店，你告诉他们，要他们赶快带你去找杰姆•霍 恩贝克。他准定会付这笔钱的。你别再瞎耽搁时间了，因为他会急于想知道你带去的消息。 你告诉他，在他到镇上来以前，我肯定已经把他的侄女儿给平平安安地救出来了。你马上加 把劲跑吧，我马上到这儿拐角那一头，去把我的司机叫起来。” 我就朝有灯光的那边走去。不过，等到他在拐角处一转弯，我就往回赶，跳上船，把船 上的积水舀光，把船停靠在六百码外静水区域的岸边，自己挤到几只木船那里看着，因为不 见渡轮出动，我就安不下心来。不过，九九归一，为了对付那帮家伙费了这么大的劲，我心 里还是舒坦的，只因为肯象我这么干的，怕为数还不多。我倒是但愿寡妇会知道这件事。据 我判断，她会把我这么帮助那帮恶棍引为骄傲，就因为这类恶棍和骗子正是寡妇和正人君子 们最感兴趣的人哩。 啊，没有多久，前面就是那条破船了，黑乌乌的一片，往下游漂漂荡荡。一时间，我全 身打了个冷战。我朝着它冲过去。它往水里下沉已经沉得挺深了。我一下子就看明白了船上 活着的人没有多少指望了。我围着它划了一圈，高声喊了几下子，不过毫无回音，一片死一 般静。我倒是为这帮家伙而感到心情沉重，不过也并非过份沉重。因为如果他们能顶得住， 那我也能顶得住。 仿佛等了好长一段时间，才见到杰姆的灯光升起。升起时，仿佛灯光远在千里之外。待 到我走拢，东方已经开始灰白。我们便去寻觅一座小岛，把木筏子藏起来，把小舟沉到水 里，钻进窝棚里，睡得死死的。 Chapter 13 WELL, I catched my breath and most fainted. Shut up on a wreck with such a gang as that! But it warn't no time to be sentimentering. We'd GOT to find that boat now -- had to have it for ourselves. So we went a-quaking and shaking down the stabboard side, and slow work it was, too -- seemed a week before we got to the stern. No sign of a boat. 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. So on we prowled again. We struck for the stern of the texas, and found it, and then scrabbled along forwards on the skylight, hanging on from shutter to shutter, for the edge of the skylight was in the water. When we got pretty close to the cross-hall door there was the skiff, sure enough! I could just barely see her. I felt ever so thankful. In another second I would a been aboard of her, but just then the door opened. One of the men stuck his head out only about a couple of foot from me, and I thought I was gone; but he jerked it in again, and says: "Heave that blame lantern out o' sight, Bill!" He flung a bag of something into the boat, and then got in himself and set down. It was Packard. Then Bill HE come out and got in. Packard says, in a low voice: "All ready -- shove off!" I couldn't hardly hang on to the shutters, I was so weak. But Bill says: "Hold on -- 'd you go through him?" "No. Didn't you?" "No. So he's got his share o' the cash yet." "Well, then, come along; no use to take truck and leave money." "Say, won't he suspicion what we're up to?" "Maybe he won't. But we got to have it anyway. Come along." So they got out and went in. The door slammed to because it was on the careened side; and in a half second I was in the boat, and Jim come tumbling after me. I out with my knife and cut the rope, and away we went! We didn't touch an oar, and we didn't speak nor whisper, nor hardly even breathe. We went gliding swift along, dead silent, past the tip of the paddlebox, and past the stern; then in a second or two more we was a hundred yards below the wreck, and the darkness soaked her up, every last sign of her, and we was safe, and knowed it. When we was three or four hundred yards downstream we see the lantern show like 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 as much trouble now as Jim Turner was. Then Jim manned the oars, and we took out after our raft. Now was the first time that I begun to worry about the men -- I reckon I hadn't had time to before. I begun to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a fix. I says to myself, there ain't no telling but I might come to be a murderer myself yet, and then how would I like it? 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 you and the skiff, and then I'll go and fix up some kind of a yarn, and get somebody to go for that gang and get them out of their scrape, so they can be hung when their time comes." But that idea was a failure; for pretty soon it begun to storm again, and this time worse than ever. The rain poured down, and never a light showed; everybody in bed, I reckon. We boomed along down the river, watching for lights and watching for our raft. After a long time the rain let up, but the clouds stayed, and the lightning kept whimpering, and by and by a flash showed us a black thing ahead, floating, and we made for it. It was the raft, and mighty glad was we to get aboard of it again. We seen a light now away down to the right, on shore. So I said I would go for it. The skiff was half full 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 down, and show a light when he judged he had gone about two mile, and keep it burning till I come; then I manned my oars and shoved for the light. As I got down towards it three or four more showed -- up on a hillside. It was a village. I closed in above the shore light, and laid on my oars and floated. As I went by I see it was a lantern hanging on the jackstaff of a double-hull ferryboat. I skimmed around for the watchman, awondering whereabouts he slept; and by and by I found him roosting on the bitts forward, with his head down between his knees. I gave his shoulder two or three little shoves, and begun to cry. He stirred up 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's the trouble?" I says: "Pap, and mam, and sis, and --" Then I broke 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 the watchman of the boat?" "Yes," he says, kind of pretty-well-satisfied like. "I'm the captain and the owner and the mate and the pilot and watchman and head deck-hand; and sometimes I'm the freight and passengers. I ain't as rich as old Jim Hornback, and I can'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's life's the life for me, and I'm derned if I'D live two mile out o' town, where there ain't nothing ever goin' on, not for all his spondulicks and as much more on top 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 sis and Miss Hooker; and if you'd take your ferryboat and go up there --" "Up where? Where are they?" "On the wreck." "What wreck?" "Why, there ain't but one." "What, you don't mean the Walter Scott?" "Yes." "Good land! what are they doin' THERE, for gracious sakes?" "Well, they didn't go there 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 ever git into such a scrape?" "Easy enough. Miss Hooker was a-visiting up there to the town --" "Yes, Booth's Landing -- go on." "She was a-visiting there 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-call-her I disremember her name -- and they lost their steeringoar, 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, about an hour after dark we come along down in our trading-scow, and it was so dark we didn't notice the wreck till we was right on it; and so WE saddle-baggsed; but all of us was saved but 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, but it's so wide there we couldn't make nobody hear. So pap said somebody got to get ashore and get help somehow. I was the only one that could swim, so I made a dash for it, and Miss Hooker she said if I didn't strike help sooner, come here and hunt up her uncle, and he'd fix the thing. I made the land about a mile below, and been fooling along ever since, trying to get people to do something, but they said, 'What, in such a night and such a current? There ain't no sense in it; go for the steam ferry.' Now if you'll go and --" "By 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'S all right. Miss Hooker she tole me, PARTICULAR, that her uncle Hornback --" "Great guns! is HE her uncle? Looky here, you break for that light over yonder-way, and turn out west when you git there, and about a quarter of a mile out you'll come to the tavern; tell 'em to dart you out to Jim Hornback's, and he'll foot the bill. And don't you fool around any, because he'll want to know the news. Tell him I'll have his niece all safe before he can get to town. Hump yourself, now; I'm agoing up around the corner here to roust out my engineer." I struck for the light, but as soon as he turned the corner I went back and got into my skiff and bailed her out, and then pulled up shore in the easy water about six hundred yards, and tucked myself in among some woodboats; for I couldn't rest easy till I could see the ferryboat start. But take it all around, I was feeling ruther comfortable on accounts of taking all this trouble for that gang, for not many would a done it. I wished the widow knowed about it. I judged she would be proud of me for helping these rapscallions, because rapscallions and dead beats is the kind the widow and good people takes the most interest in. Well, before long here comes the wreck, dim and dusky, sliding along down! A kind of cold shiver went through me, and then I struck out for her. She was very deep, and I see in a minute there warn't much chance for anybody being alive in her. I pulled all around her and hollered a little, but there wasn't any answer; all dead still. I felt a little bit heavy-hearted about the gang, but not much, for I reckoned if they could stand it I could. Then here comes the ferryboat; so I shoved for the middle of the river on a long down-stream slant; and when I judged I was out of eye-reach I laid on my oars, and looked back and see her go and smell around the wreck for Miss Hooker's remainders, because the captain would know her uncle Hornback would want them; and then pretty soon the ferryboat give it up and went for the shore, and I laid into my work and went a-booming down the river. It did seem a powerful long time before Jim's light showed up; and when it did show it looked like it was a thousand mile off. By the time I got there the sky was beginning to get a little gray in the east; so we struck for an island, and hid the raft, and sunk the skiff, and turned in and slept like dead people. |
第十四章 醒来以后，我们把破船上那帮家伙偷来的东西翻了一遍，发现有靴子、毯子、衣服和各 式各样东西。还有一些书，一架望远镜，三盒雪茄烟。在这以前，在我们两人一生中，谁也 没有这么富足过。雪茄烟是头等的。整整一个下午，我们躺在林子里聊天。我还读读这些 书。着实快活了一番。我把破船上和渡轮上发生的一切全都讲给了杰姆听。我说，这种种的 事便是历险。不过他说，他可不要再历什么险了。他说，当我爬进破船的顶舱的时候，以及 他往回爬，想寻觅木筏子却发现木筏子已不翼而飞的时候，他差一点儿死了过去。因为他断 定，这一切都是冲着他来的。反正他这下子是完了。因为要是没有人来搭救他，他就会给淹 死；而且，要是他被救，他就会被救他的人送回家，以便得到那笔悬赏，华珍小姐又肯定会 把他卖到南方去。是啊，他是对的，他往往总是对的。 对一个黑奴来说，他的脑袋可不简单。 我把书上说的那些事读给杰姆听：什么国王啊，公爵啊，伯爵啊，等等的。还有他们穿 着多么华贵，他们那个派头又何等了得；彼此称呼起来，总是陛下啊，大人啊，阁下啊，等 等的，并非只是先生而已。杰姆听了，眼睛鼓得大大的，听得入了神。他说： “我还不知道他们有这么笃（多）啊。除了老王所罗门以外，我还从不曾听说过别的国 王啦。除非你把扑克牌上的国王都算上。一个国王能挣多少全（钱）啊？” “挣？”我说，“啊，他们啊，只要他们高兴，他们一个月可得一千块大洋，他们要多 少便会有多少，什么东西都是归他们所有。” “多快活，不是么？他们又得干些什么呢，哈克？” “他们什么都不干。看你说的。他们只是这儿坐坐，那儿坐坐。” “不吧——真是这样么？” “当然是的。他们就只是四处坐坐。除非发生了战争，他们就去参加战争。不过别的时 候呢，就是到处懒洋洋地那么样，或者托着鹰去打猎——就光是打猎——嘘，——你听到了 一个什么声音了么？” 我们跳将起来，四下里张望了一下，不过没有发现什么，除了一只轮船轮子在水下搅动 的声音，这只轮船正从下游绕过河湾开过来。我们便走了回来。 “是啊，”我说，“有些时候，闷得无聊，他们便和议会无事生非。要是有人不安分， 他就砍掉他们的脑袋。不过，他们多半的时间耽在后宫里。” “那是什么啊？” “后宫。” “后宫又是什么？” “那是他把他的那些老婆放在那里的地方。你不知道后宫么？所罗门王就有一个，他有 一百万个老婆。” “啊，是的，确有其事。我——我可没有把这个忘了。我看啊，后宫是个管吃管住的大 房子。在托儿室里，他们准是热闹非反（凡）的吧。我看啊，那些老婆准是吵架吵个不停， 那就更热闹了。人家说，所罗门王是自古到今世上最聪明的人，我可不新（信）这一套。因 为什么呢：难道一个聪明人愿意从早到晚老耽在那么个乱糟糟的鬼地方？不——他才不会 呢。一个聪明人会造一座古（锅）炉厂。等到他想歇一歇的时候，把厂子乖（关）掉就是 了。” ‘嗯，不过他反正是最最聪明的人，因为是寡妇亲口对我说的。” “我才不管寡妇是怎么说的。总之，他不是个聪明人。他尽干些我从没听说过的荒糖 （唐）事。你知道他要把一个孩子一匹（劈）两半的事么？”① ①诺顿版注：见《圣经•旧约•列王纪》第三章，１６——２７节。 “知道，寡妇把这事一五一十都给我说了。” “那么好啦！那还不是世界上最狠毒的心计？你只要好好想一想。听我说，这棵树桩就 算是其中的一个妇女——那边是另一个妇女，我算是所罗门王。这张一块钱的吵（钞）票就 算是那个孩子。你们两人都说孩子是自己的。我怎么办呢？我有没有到街坊邻居去走一走， 调查清楚这张吵（钞）票究竟是谁的，然后太太平平地物归原主，这不是有点豆（头）脑的 人都会这么办的么？可是不——我把这张票子，一撕撕成了两半，一半给你，另一半给另一 个妇女。所罗门王正是这么对待那个孩子的。现在我要问你：这半张吵（钞）票有什么用？ ——能用来买东西么？那匹（劈）成了两半的孩子又有什么用？你就是给我一百万个匹 （劈）成两半的孩子，我也不西（稀）罕。” “可是，该死的是，杰姆，你根本没有抓住要害——真该死，你把问题看歪了十万八千 里啦！” “谁？我？滚你的。别跟我说什么要害。我看啊，有理没理，我一看就明白。他们这样 干，就是没理。争的不在于半个孩子，是在乎一个活蹦活跳的孩子。可有人以为可以用半个 孩子来判定一个活孩子的争吵，这就仿佛明明站在雨里头也不知道进来躲一躲。别跟我讲所 罗门王了，哈克，就瞧一眼他的半（背）影就知道他是个什么人了。” “不过我跟你说，你没有抓住问题要害。” “什么该死的问题要害！我看啊，我看明白的事，我自己心里有数。你可要知道，真正 的问题要害，还埋在里边——还埋在深处，在于所罗门是怎样成长的。譬如说，有一个人， 家里只有一两个孩子，这样的人会胡乱糟塌孩子么？不会，他不会。他糟塌不起。他准会知 道怎样宝贝孩子。可是如果另外的一个人，家里有五百万个孩子在跳来跳去，那当然就不一 样啰。他会把孩子匹（劈）成两半，就象对付一只猫一样。他还有的是啊。一个孩子，还是 两个孩子，多一点，或是少一点，对所罗门王来说，那根本无所谓，那个混帐东西！” 这样的黑奴，我可从没有见到过。只要他脑袋里有了一个想法，就再也不会打消。在黑 奴里面，这么瞧不起所罗们的，他可说是第一个了。因此，我就把话题转到了别的国王身 上，把所罗门给撇在了一边。我讲到了路易十六，就是那个好久以前被砍掉了脑袋的法国国 王。还讲到了他的小孩——那个皇太子①。他本该继位为国王的，可人家把他给逮了起来， 关在大牢里，后来有一天便死在牢里。 ①诺顿版注：皇太子路易•查理（１７８５—１７９５），继其父路易十六在１７ ９３年上断头台后，死在狱中。哈克有关他后来逃亡的说法，乃是人们误传的，这样的传 说，在民间流传颇广。比较十九章里有关所谓“国王”（以及“公爵”）的谱系的胡话。 “可怜的小家伙。” “可是也有人说，他逃出了牢，逃离了法国，来到了美国。” “这很好！不过他会孤孤单单的——他们在这里并没有国王，是这样么，哈克？” “没有。” “那么他找不到差事了吧？他打算干些什么呢？” “啊，这我可不知道了。有些法国人去干上了警察这个行当，有些人教法语。” “怎么啦？哈克，法国人讲起话来不跟我们一样么？” “不。他们讲的话，你一个字也听不懂——一个字也听不懂。 “啊，可真要命！怎么会这样？” “不知道，事实便是如此。我从一本书上学了他们的几句怪声怪气的话。譬如说，有一 个人来找你，对你说，‘巴赫符——佛朗赛’，你觉得怎么样？” “我不会觉得怎么样。我会冲他的脑袋一权（拳）打过去。这是说，如果不是白人的 话。对黑奴，我可不准他这样叫我。” “去你的吧，他并没有叫你什么啊。这只是在说，‘你会说法国话么？” “啊，那么，为什么他不能那么说呢？” “怎么啦，他不是正在这么说了么？法国人就是这么说的。” “嘿，这他妈的好滑稽。我再也不愿听了。根本没有什么意思。” “听我说，杰姆，一只猫说起话来跟我们一个样么？” “不，猫不一样。” “好，一条牛呢？” “不，牛也不一样。” “猫说起话来跟牛一样么？或者牛说起话来跟猫一样么？” “不，它们都不一样。” “它们说的各个不一样，这是自然而然的，理所当然的，是吧？” “那当然。” “那么，一只猫，一条牛，说起话来自然跟我们不一样，是吧？” “那是当然的啰。” “那么，一个法国人说起话来跟我们不一样，不也是自自然然、理所当然的么？你回答 我这个问题。” “一只猫是一个人么，哈克？” “不是。” “好，那么要一只猫象一个人那样说话，这是胡闹。一条牛是一个人么？——或者说， 一头牛是一只猫么？” “不。都不是的。” “那就好了，它就没有理由跟人或是猫一样说话。一个法国人是不是人？” “是的。” “那就好了！那他妈的，他为什么不说人话呢？你回答我这个问题。” 我知道，这样白费口舌，一点儿用处也没有——你根本没有法子跟一个黑奴展开辩论。 因此我就没有把话再说下去。 Chapter 14 BY and by, when we got up, we turned over the truck the gang had stole off of the wreck, and found boots, and blankets, and clothes, and all sorts of other things, and a lot of books, and a spyglass, and three boxes of seegars. We hadn't ever been this rich before in neither of our lives. The seegars was prime. We laid off all the afternoon in the woods talking, and me reading the books, and having a general good time. I told Jim all about what happened inside the wreck and at the ferryboat, and I said these kinds of things was adventures; but he said he didn't want no more adventures. He said that when I went in the texas and he crawled back to get on the raft and found her gone he nearly died, because he judged it was all up with HIM anyway it could be fixed; for if he didn't get saved he would get drownded; and if he did get saved, whoever saved him would send him back home so as to get the reward, and then Miss Watson would sell him South, sure. Well, he was right; he was most always right; he had an uncommon level head for a nigger. I read considerable to Jim about kings and dukes and earls and such, and how gaudy they dressed, and how much style they put on, and called each other your majesty, and your grace, and your lordship, and so on, 'stead of mister; and Jim's eyes bugged out, and he was interested. He says: "I didn' know dey was so many un um. I hain't hearn 'bout none un um, skasely, but ole King Sollermun, onless you counts dem kings dat's in a pack er k'yards. How much do a king git?" "Get?" I says; "why, they get a thousand dollars a month if they want it; they can have just as much as they want; everything belongs to them." "AIN' dat gay? En what dey got to do, Huck?" "THEY don't do nothing! Why, how you talk! They just set around." "No; is dat so?" "Of course it is. They just set around -- except, maybe, when there's a war; then they go to the war. But other times they just lazy around; or go hawking -- just hawking and sp -- Sh! -- d' you hear a noise?" We skipped out and looked; but it warn't nothing but the flutter of a steamboat's wheel away down, coming around the point; so we come back. "Yes," says I, "and other times, when things is dull, they fuss with the parlyment; and if everybody don't go just so he whacks their heads off. But mostly they hang round the harem." "Roun' de which?" "Harem." "What's de harem?" "The place where he keeps his wives. Don't you know about the harem? Solomon had one; he had about a million wives." "Why, yes, dat's so; I -- I'd done forgot it. A harem's a bo'd'n-house, I reck'n. Mos' likely dey has rackety times in de nussery. En I reck'n de wives quarrels considable; en dat 'crease de racket. Yit dey say Sollermun de wises' man dat ever live'. I doan' take no stock in dat. Bekase why: would a wise man want to live in de mids' er sich a blim-blammin' all de time? No -- 'deed he wouldn't. A wise man 'ud take en buil' a biler-factry; en den he could shet DOWN de biler-factry when he want to res'." "Well, but he WAS the wisest man, anyway; because the widow she told me so, her own self." "I doan k'yer what de widder say, he WARN'T no wise man nuther. He had some er de dad-fetchedes' ways I ever see. Does you know 'bout dat chile dat he 'uz gwyne to chop in two?" "Yes, the widow told me all about it." "WELL, den! Warn' dat de beatenes' notion in de worl'? You jes' take en look at it a minute. Dah's de stump, dah -- dat's one er de women; heah's you -- dat's de yuther one; I's Sollermun; en dish yer dollar bill's de chile. Bofe un you claims it. What does I do? Does I shin aroun' mongs' de neighbors en fine out which un you de bill DO b'long to, en han' it over to de right one, all safe en soun', de way dat anybody dat had any gumption would? No; I take en whack de bill in TWO, en give half un it to you, en de yuther half to de yuther woman. Dat's de way Sollermun was gwyne to do wid de chile. Now I want to ast you: what's de use er dat half a bill? -- can't buy noth'n wid it. En what use is a half a chile? I wouldn' give a dern for a million un um." "But hang it, Jim, you've clean missed the point -- blame it, you've missed it a thousand mile." "Who? Me? Go 'long. Doan' talk to me 'bout yo' pints. I reck'n I knows sense when I sees it; en dey ain' no sense in sich doin's as dat. De 'spute warn't 'bout a half a chile, de 'spute was 'bout a whole chile; en de man dat think he kin settle a 'spute 'bout a whole chile wid a half a chile doan' know enough to come in out'n de rain. Doan' talk to me 'bout Sollermun, Huck, I knows him by de back." "But I tell you you don't get the point." "Blame de point! I reck'n I knows what I knows. En mine you, de REAL pint is down furder -- it's down deeper. It lays in de way Sollermun was raised. You take a man dat's got on'y one or two chillen; is dat man gwyne to be waseful o' chillen? No, he ain't; he can't 'ford it. HE know how to value 'em. But you take a man dat's got 'bout five million chillen runnin' roun' de house, en it's diffunt. HE as soon chop a chile in two as a cat. Dey's plenty mo'. A chile er two, mo' er less, warn't no consekens to Sollermun, dad fatch him!" I never see such a nigger. If he got a notion in his head once, there warn't no getting it out again. He was the most down on Solomon of any nigger I ever see. So I went to talking about other kings, and let Solomon slide. I told about Louis Sixteenth that got his head cut off in France long time ago; and about his little boy the dolphin, that would a been a king, but they took and shut him up in jail, and some say he died there. "Po' little chap." "But some says he got out and got away, and come to America." "Dat's good! But he'll be pooty lonesome -- dey ain' no kings here, is dey, Huck?" "No." "Den he cain't git no situation. What he gwyne to do?" "Well, I don't know. Some of them gets on the police, and some of them learns people how to talk French." "Why, Huck, doan' de French people talk de same way we does?" "NO, Jim; you couldn't understand a word they said -- not a single word." "Well, now, I be ding-busted! How do dat come?" "I don't know; but it's so. I got some of their jabber out of a book. S'pose a man was to come to you and say Polly-voo-franzy -- what would you think?" "I wouldn' think nuff'n; I'd take en bust him over de head -- dat is, if he warn't white. I wouldn't 'low no nigger to call me dat." "Shucks, it ain't calling you anything. It's only saying, do you know how to talk French?" "Well, den, why couldn't he SAY it?" "Why, he IS a-saying it. That's a Frenchman's WAY of saying it." "Well, it's a blame ridicklous way, en I doan' want to hear no mo' 'bout it. Dey ain' no sense in it." "Looky here, Jim; does a cat talk like we do?" "No, a cat don't." "Well, does a cow?" "No, a cow don't, nuther." "Does a cat talk like a cow, or a cow talk like a cat?" "No, dey don't." "It's natural and right for 'em to talk different from each other, ain't it?" "Course." "And ain't it natural and right for a cat and a cow to talk different from US?" "Why, mos' sholy it is." "Well, then, why ain't it natural and right for a FRENCHMAN to talk different from us? You answer me that." "Is a cat a man, Huck?" "No." "Well, den, dey ain't no sense in a cat talkin' like a man. Is a cow a man? -- er is a cow a cat?" "No, she ain't either of them." "Well, den, she ain't got no business to talk like either one er the yuther of 'em. Is a Frenchman a man?" "Yes." "WELL, den! Dad blame it, why doan' he TALK like a man? You answer me DAT!" I see it warn't no use wasting words -- you can't learn a nigger to argue. So I quit. |
| 第十五章 我们断定，再有三个晚上，我们就会来到开罗。那是在伊利诺斯的南头，俄亥俄河在此 汇合，我们要到的地方正是这里。我们准备把木筏卖了，搭上轮船，沿着俄亥俄河往上走， 到那些不买卖黑奴的自由洲去，这样也就摆脱了是非之地啦①。 ①诺顿版注：马克•吐温为什么没有按照杰姆求得了自由那个原来的路子写下去， 评论家们对此历来都有争论。据对手稿进行过研究的人说，马克•吐温写到近第十六章结尾 处便停了下来，一搁笔，恐达两年。后来续写时，爱上了这样一个写法，即要抒写密西西比 河上的自由气氛，写成一种时间之流，在时间之流的流逝中，能免于陆地上的残酷与假冒伪 善这类的灾难。比较本书第八章中的注释。 后来，在第二个夜晚，开始起了雾，我们便朝一处沙洲划去，把木筏系好，因为在雾中 行舟是不行的。不过，我坐在独木小舟上，拉着一根缆绳，想把木筏拴在什么一个地方，却 无处可拴，除了一些小小的嫩枝。我把缆绳套在那凹岸旁边的一颗小树上。不过正好有一个 急流，木筏猛地一冲，就把小树连根拔了起来，而木筏也就往前漂去了。我见到迷雾正四面 八方聚拢来，只感到心里既不舒服，又发慌，至少有半分钟动弹不得。——抬头一望，木筏 已经无影无踪。二十码以外，就什么也望不清。我跳进了独木小舟，跑到船尾，抄起桨来， 使劲往后一退。可是它动也不动。我一慌张，忘了解开绳索啦。我立起身来，解开了独木 舟，可是我心慌意乱，两只手抖抖的，弄得什么事也干不成。 船一开动，我就顺着沙洲，朝着木筏，拼命追去。情况还算顺利，不过，沙洲还不到六 十码长，我刚窜过沙洲的末尾，眼看就一头冲进了白茫茫一片浓浓的大雾之中了。我象个死 人一般，连自己正在往哪一个方向漂行也一点儿辨不清了。 我寻思，这样一味地划可不行。首先，我知道会撞在岸上、沙洲上或是别的什么东西上 面。我必须得坐着不动，随着它漂。可是啊，在这么一个关头，偏偏要人家空有双手不动 弹，叫人如何安得下心。我喊了一声，又仔细地听。我听到，从下游那边，隐隐约约地从某 处什么地方，远远传来了微弱的喊声。这下子，我的精神就上来了。我飞快地追赶它，一边 又屏住气仔细地听。等到下一回听到那喊声的时候，我这才明白了自己并非是正对着它朝前 赶，而是偏到了右边去了。等到再下一次，又偏到了左方——偏左也好，偏右也好，进展都 不大，因为我正在团团地乱转，一会儿这一边，一会儿那一边，一会儿又回过头来，可木筏 却始终在朝着正前方走。 我心里但愿那个傻瓜会想得到敲响洋铁锅这样一个办法，可是他从没有敲过一声。叫我 最难受的，还是前后两次喊声间隙时听不到一点儿声音。啊，我一直在拼搏着，可猛听得那 喊声又硬是转到我的身后去了。这下子真是把我搞胡涂了。准是别的什么人的喊声吧，要不 然，那就是我的划子转过头了。 我把桨一扔，但听得喊声又起。还是在我身后，只是换了个地方。喊声不停地传来，又 不停地更换地方，我呢，不停地答应。到后来，又转到了我的前边了。我知道，是水流把独 木船的船头转到了朝下游的方向，只要那是杰姆的喊声，并非是别的木筏上的人叫喊声，那 我还是走对了。在沉沉迷雾中，我委实无法把声音辨认清楚，因为在沉沉迷雾中，形体也 好，声音也好，都和原来的本色不一样。 喊声继续响着。大约一分钟光景，我突然撞到一处陡峭的河岸上，但见岸上一簇簇黑黝 黝、鬼影森森的大树。河水把我一冲，冲到了左边，河水飞箭似地往前直冲，在断枝残桠中 一边咆哮着，一边夹着它们朝前猛冲。 不一会儿，又只见白茫茫的一片，四周一派寂静。我就静静地坐着，纹丝不动，听着自 己心跳的声音。据我估计，心跳了一百下，我连一口气也没有吸。 在那个时刻，我算是死了心了。我明白那究竟是怎么一回事了。那陡峭的河岸是一座小 岛。杰姆已经到了小岛的另一边了。这里可不是什么沙洲，十分钟便能漂过的。这里有一般 小岛上那种大树。小岛可能有五、六英里长，半英里多宽。 估计有十五分钟时间，我一声不响，竖起了耳朵听。我当然是在漂着，我估计，一小时 漂四五英里路，只是你并不觉得自己是在水上漂。不。你只觉得自己死了一般地躺在水面 上。要是一眼瞥见一段枝桠滑过，也不会想到自己正飞快地往前走，而只是屏住了呼吸，心 里想着，天啊，这段树枝往前冲得有多快啊。要是你想知道，一个人，在深夜里，四下一片 迷雾，此情此景，会有多凄冷，有多孤单，那你不妨也来试一试——那你就准会知道。 随后大概有半个钟点光景，我时不时地喊几声，到后来，终于听到远处传来了回答的声 音，我就使劲追踪，可是不成。我推断，我这里陷进了沙洲窝啦。因为在我的左右两旁，我 都隐隐约约瞥见了沙洲的景色。有的时候，只是在两岸中间一条狭窄的水道上漂。有些是我 看不见的。只是我知道自己是在那里，因为我听到了挂在河岸水面上的枯树残枝之类的东西 被流水撞击时发出的声音。没有好久，我在陷进了沙洲窝里以后，连喊声也听不见了。我只 是隔一会儿试着追踪一下。因为实际情况比追踪鬼火还要糟糕。声音如此地东躲西闪，难以 捉摸，地点又如此变得飞快，而且面广量大，这些可真是闻所未闻的。 有四五回，我非得用手利索地推开河岸，免得猛然撞上高出水面的小岛。因此我断定， 我们那个木筏子一定也是时不时撞到了河岸上，不然的话，它会漂到老远去，听也听不见了 ——木筏子与我的小舟比起来要漂得快一些。 再后来，我仿佛又进到了大河宽阔的河面上了。不过，到处也听不到一丝丝喊声了。我 猜想，会不会杰姆撞到了一块礁石上，遭到了什么不测呢。我这时候也够累的了，便在小舟 上躺了下来，跟自己说，别再烦什么神了吧。我当然并非存心要睡觉，不过实在困得没法 了，所以我想就先打个瞌睡吧。 不过大概不只是打了个瞌睡。我醒来时，只见星星亮晶晶，迷雾已经烟消云散，我架的 小舟舟尾朝前，正飞快地沿着一处大的河湾往下游走。开头，我还不知道自己身在何处，还 以为自己正在做梦呢。等到过去的事慢慢想起来以后，依稀仿佛象是上星期发生的事。 这里已是一片浩瀚的大河，两岸参天的大树浓浓密密，星光照处，仿佛是一堵堵结结实 实的城墙。我朝下游远处望去，只见水面上有一个黑点，我就朝它追去。一走近，原来只是 捆在一起的几根圆木。接着看到了另一个黑点，追上去，又是另一个黑点，这一回可是追得 对了，正是我们自己的木筏子。 我上去的时候，杰姆正坐在那里，脑袋往两腿中间垂着，是睡着了，右胳膊还在掌舵的 桨上耷拉着。另一柄桨已经震裂了，木筏子上到处是树叶、枝桠和灰尘。这样看来，他过去 的那段时间也充满了风险。 我把小划子系好，在木筏上杰姆跟前躺下，打起了呵欠。 我伸出拳头对杰姆捅了桶。我说： “喂，杰姆，我刚才睡着了么？你为什么没有把我叫醒啊？” “天啊，难道是你么，哈克？你没有死啊——你没有烟（淹）死啊——你又活过来了 么？这可是太好了，乖乖，难道会有这样的霍（好）事？让我好好看一看你，伙计啊，让我 墨墨（摸摸）你。是啊，你可没有死，你回来了，活蹦活跳的。还是哈克那个老样子，谢天 谢地！” “你怎么啦，杰姆？你喝醉了么？” “喝醉？我喝醉了么？我难道还有时间喝酒么？” “好，那么为什么你说话说得没头没脑？” “我又哪里说得没头没脑？” “哪里？哈，你不是在说什么我回来了，如此等等一类的话，仿佛我真的走开过似的。” “哈克——哈克•芬，你看着我，你看着我，难道你没有走开过？” “走开？你这是什么意思？我哪儿也没有去啊。我能到哪里去啊？” “嗯，听我说，老弟，该是什么地方出了岔儿吧，一定是的。我还是我么？，要不然， 我又是谁呢？我是在这儿么？要不然，我又在哪里呢？这我倒要弄个一青（清）二粗 （楚）。” “嗯，我看嘛，你是在这里，明明白白的。不过我看啊，杰姆，你可是个一脑袋浆糊的 老傻瓜。” “我是么？难道我是么？你回答我这个问题。你有没有坐着小划子，牵着绳子，想把划 子拴在沙舟（洲）上？” “没有，我没有。什么沙洲？我没有见到什么沙洲啊。” “你没有见到过什么沙舟（洲）？听我说——那根绳子不是拉松了么？木筏子不是在河 上顺着水呜呜地冲下来了么？不是把你和那只小舟给撂在大午（雾）之中么？” “什么大雾？” “连大午（雾）都——大午（雾）下了整整一个晚上。难道你不是喊了么？我不是喊了 么？喊到后来，我们便被那些小岛弄得晕头转向，我们一个迷了路，另一个也迷了路，因为 谁也不知道自己究竟是在哪里。难道我没有在那些小岛上东撞西撞，吃足了苦头，差一点儿 给烟（淹）死？你说是不是这样，老弟——是不是这样？你回答我这个问题。” “哈，这可叫我太为难了，杰姆。我没有见到什么大雾，没有见到什么岛屿，没有遇到 什么麻烦，什么都没有。我在这儿坐着，一整夜在跟你说话来着，只是在十分钟前你才睡 觉，我呢，大概也是这样。在那个时间里，你不可能喝醉啊，这样说来，你肯定是在做梦 吧。” “真他妈的怪了，我怎么能十分中（钟）里梦见这么多一大堆的事啊？” “啊，他妈的，你准定是做梦来着，因为根本没有发生过其中任何一件事啊。” “不过哈克，对我来说，这一切是冥冥（明明）白白的——” “不管多么明明白白，也没有用，根本没有这回事啊。这我明白。我自始至终，一直在 这里嘛。” 杰姆有五分钟之久什么话都没有说，只是坐在那里，想啊想的。接下来，他说： “嗯，这么说来，我看我是做了梦了，哈克。不过啊，这可真是我平生一场极大极大的 恶梦了。我平生也从没有做过这么把我类（累）死的梦哩。” “哦，不错，这可没有什么，因为做梦有时候也确实会累人。不过嘛，这场梦啊，可真 是无比美妙的梦哩——把梦的经过，一五一十全都对我说一说，杰姆。” 这样，杰姆就把全部经过从头到尾说了一遍，跟实际发生过的事说得一模一样，只是加 油加醋描画了一番。他随后说，他得“详一详”这个梦，因为这是上天降下来的一个警告 啊。他说，那第一个沙洲指的是存心对我们做好事的人，可是，那流水指的是另一个人，此 人存心要叫我们遇不到那个好人。喊声呢，指的是一些警告，警告我们会有时候遇到些什 么，要是我们不能对这些警告的含义弄个明白，那这些警告的喊声非但不能帮我们逢凶化 吉，反倒会叫我们遭殃。至于沙洲的数目有多少，指的是我们会有多少回跟爱惹事生非的家 伙和各种各样卑劣之徒吵架；不过只要我们管好自己本身的事，不去跟人家顶嘴，把事情弄 僵，我们也能顶过去，平安无事；能冲出重重浓雾，漂到宽敞的大河之上，那就是到了解放 了黑奴的自由州，从此无灾无难啦。 我上木筏的时候，起了云，天挺黑，这会儿倒是又开朗起来了。 “哦，好啊，杰姆，这样就把梦全都‘详’得个清清楚楚了，”我说，“不过嘛，这些 个事情又指的是什么呢？” 我指的是木筏上的树叶子和那些破破烂烂的东西，还有那支撞裂了的桨。这会儿，这些 能看得清清楚楚了。 杰姆看了一眼那一堆肮脏的东西，接着对我看了一眼，然后又看了一眼那一堆肮脏的东 西。做过了一场梦这样的观念，在他的脑子里印得太深了，摆脱不掉，一时间无法把发生过 的事重新理出个头路来。不过嘛，等到他把事情理清楚了，他便定神看着我，连一点儿笑容 也没有，说道： “这些个事情指的是什么嘛？我要对你说的。我使劲划，使劲喊你，累得没得命了。睡 的时候，因为丢失了你，我心都率（碎）了，对自己，对木筏子，我也不放在心上了。一醒 来，发现你可回来了，一切平安无事，我禁不住流出了眼泪，为了谢天谢地，我恨不得双膝 跪下，吻你的脚。可是啊，你心里想的只是怎样编一个荒（谎）来糊弄老杰姆。那边一堆残 枝败叶是肮脏的东西。肮脏的东西也就是人家把脏东西往朋友的脑袋上道（倒），叫人家为 他害少（臊）的人嘛。” 然后他慢慢地站起身来，往窝棚走去，走了进去，一路之上，不则一声。可是这就够 了。我只觉得自己那么卑鄙，简直想伏下身来亲他的脚，求他收回他刚才说的话。 足足经过了十五分钟，我才鼓足了勇气，在一个黑奴面前低头认错——不过我总算认了 错，并且从此以后，对此从未后悔过。从此以后，我再也没有卑鄙地作弄过他。我要是早知 道他会那么难过，我也决不会干那样的事①。 ①诺顿版注：杰姆所说的话，具有朴质而高尚的特色，那是很明白的。有关这次事 件的描写，也是作者第一次写了人与自然的启示。这样的抒写，往往是通过杰姆来写的。这 方面的抒写，也表现了哈克天性的淳朴。否则的话，当哈克在童年时代涉世渐深，深知人世 间种种罪恶以后，便很可能使淳朴的天性逐渐泯灭。 Chapter 15 WE judged that three nights more would fetch us to Cairo, at the bottom of Illinois, where the Ohio River comes in, and that was what we was after. We would sell the raft and get on a steamboat and go way up the Ohio amongst the free States, and then be out of trouble. Well, the second night a fog begun to come on, and we made for a towhead to tie to, for it wouldn't do to try to run in a fog; but when I paddled ahead in the canoe, with the line to make fast, there warn't anything but little saplings to tie to. I passed the line around one of them right on the edge of the cut bank, but there was a stiff current, and the raft come booming down so lively she tore it out by the roots and away she went. I see the fog closing down, and it made me so sick and scared I couldn't budge for most a half a minute it seemed to me -- and then there warn't no raft in sight; you couldn't see twenty yards. I jumped into the canoe and run back to the stern, and grabbed the paddle and set her back a stroke. But she didn't come. I was in such a hurry I hadn't untied her. I got up and tried to untie her, but I was so excited my hands shook so I couldn't hardly do anything with them. As soon as I got started I took out after the raft, hot and heavy, right down the towhead. That was all right as far as it went, but the towhead warn't sixty yards long, and the minute I flew by the foot of it I shot out into the solid white fog, and hadn't no more idea which way I was going than a dead man. Thinks I, it won't do to paddle; first I know I'll run into the bank or a towhead or something; I got to set still and float, and yet it's mighty fidgety business to have to hold your hands still at such a time. I whooped and listened. Away down there somewheres I hears a small whoop, and up comes my spirits. I went tearing after it, listening sharp to hear it again. The next time it come I see I warn't heading for it, but heading away to the right of it. And the next time I was heading away to the left of it -- and not gaining on it much either, for I was flying around, this way and that and t'other, but it was going straight ahead all the time. I did wish the fool would think to beat a tin pan, and beat it all the time, but he never did, and it was the still places between the whoops that was making the trouble for me. Well, I fought along, and directly I hears the whoop BEHIND me. I was tangled good now. That was somebody else's whoop, or else I was turned around. I throwed the paddle down. I heard the whoop again; it was behind me yet, but in a different place; it kept coming, and kept changing its place, and I kept answering, till by and by it was in front of me again, and I knowed the current had swung the canoe's head down-stream, and I was all right if that was Jim and not some other raftsman hollering. I couldn't tell nothing about voices in a fog, for nothing don't look natural nor sound natural in a fog. The whooping went on, and in about a minute I come a-booming down on a cut bank with smoky ghosts of big trees on it, and the current throwed me off to the left and shot by, amongst a lot of snags that fairly roared, the currrent was tearing by them so swift. In another second or two it was solid white and still again. I set perfectly still then, listening to my heart thump, and I reckon I didn't draw a breath while it thumped a hundred. I just give up then. I knowed what the matter was. That cut bank was an island, and Jim had gone down t'other side of it. It warn't no towhead that you could float by in ten minutes. It had the big timber of a regular island; it might be five or six miles long and more than half a mile wide. I kept quiet, with my ears cocked, about fifteen minutes, I reckon. I was floating along, of course, four or five miles an hour; but you don't ever think of that. No, you FEEL like you are laying dead still on the water; and if a little glimpse of a snag slips by you don't think to yourself how fast YOU'RE going, but you catch your breath and think, my! how that snag's tearing along. If you think it ain't dismal and lonesome out in a fog that way by yourself in the night, you try it once -- you'll see. Next, for about a half an hour, I whoops now and then; at last I hears the answer a long ways off, and tries to follow it, but I couldn't do it, and directly I judged I'd got into a nest of towheads, for I had little dim glimpses of them on both sides of me -- sometimes just a narrow channel between, and some that I couldn't see I knowed was there because I'd hear the wash of the current against the old dead brush and trash that hung over the banks. Well, I warn't long loosing the whoops down amongst the towheads; and I only tried to chase them a little while, anyway, because it was worse than chasing a Jack-o'-lantern. You never knowed a sound dodge around so, and swap places so quick and so much. I had to claw away from the bank pretty lively four or five times, to keep from knocking the islands out of the river; and so I judged the raft must be butting into the bank every now and then, or else it would get further ahead and clear out of hearing -- it was floating a little faster than what I was. Well, I seemed to be in the open river again by and by, but I couldn't hear no sign of a whoop nowheres. I reckoned Jim had fetched up on a snag, maybe, and it was all up with him. I was good and tired, so I laid down in the canoe and said I wouldn't bother no more. I didn't want to go to sleep, of course; but I was so sleepy I couldn't help it; so I thought I would take jest one little cat-nap. But I reckon it was more than a cat-nap, for when I waked up the stars was shining bright, the fog was all gone, and I was spinning down a big bend stern first. First I didn't know where I was; I thought I was dreaming; and when things began to come back to me they seemed to come up dim out of last week. It was a monstrous big river here, with the tallest and the thickest kind of timber on both banks; just a solid wall, as well as I could see by the stars. I looked away down-stream, and seen a black speck on the water. I took after it; but when I got to it it warn't nothing but a couple of sawlogs made fast together. Then I see another speck, and chased that; then another, and this time I was right. It was the raft. When I got to it Jim was setting there with his head down between his knees, asleep, with his right arm hanging over the steering-oar. The other oar was smashed off, and the raft was littered up with leaves and branches and dirt. So she'd had a rough time. I made fast and laid down under Jim's nose on the raft, and began to gap, and stretch my fists out against Jim, and says: "Hello, Jim, have I been asleep? Why didn't you stir me up?" "Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain' dead -- you ain' drownded -- you's back agin? It's too good for true, honey, it's too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o' you. No, you ain' dead! you's back agin, 'live en soun', jis de same ole Huck -- de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness!" "What's the matter with you, Jim? You been adrinking?" "Drinkin'? Has I ben a-drinkin'? Has I had a chance to be a-drinkin'?" "Well, then, what makes you talk so wild?" "How does I talk wild?" "HOW? Why, hain't you been talking about my coming back, and all that stuff, as if I'd been gone away?" "Huck -- Huck Finn, you look me in de eye; look me in de eye. HAIN'T you ben gone away?" "Gone away? Why, what in the nation do you mean? I hain't been gone anywheres. Where would I go to?" "Well, looky here, boss, dey's sumf'n wrong, dey is. Is I ME, or who IS I? Is I heah, or whah IS I? Now dat's what I wants to know." "Well, I think you're here, plain enough, but I think you're a tangle-headed old fool, Jim." "I is, is I? Well, you answer me dis: Didn't you tote out de line in de canoe fer to make fas' to de towhead?" "No, I didn't. What tow-head? I hain't see no tow-head." "You hain't seen no towhead? Looky here, didn't de line pull loose en de raf' go a-hummin' down de river, en leave you en de canoe behine in de fog?" "What fog?" "Why, de fog! -- de fog dat's been aroun' all night. En didn't you whoop, en didn't I whoop, tell we got mix' up in de islands en one un us got los' en t'other one was jis' as good as los', 'kase he didn' know whah he wuz? En didn't I bust up agin a lot er dem islands en have a turrible time en mos' git drownded? Now ain' dat so, boss -- ain't it so? You answer me dat." "Well, this is too many for me, Jim. I hain't seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. I been setting here talking with you all night till you went to sleep about ten minutes ago, and I reckon I done the same. You couldn't a got drunk in that time, so of course you've been dreaming." "Dad fetch it, how is I gwyne to dream all dat in ten minutes?" "Well, hang it all, you did dream it, because there didn't any of it happen." "But, Huck, it's all jis' as plain to me as --" "It don't make no difference how plain it is; there ain't nothing in it. I know, because I've been here all the time." Jim didn't say nothing for about five minutes, but set there studying over it. Then he says: "Well, den, I reck'n I did dream it, Huck; but dog my cats ef it ain't de powerfullest dream I ever see. En I hain't ever had no dream b'fo' dat's tired me like dis one." "Oh, well, that's all right, because a dream does tire a body like everything sometimes. But this one was a staving dream; tell me all about it, Jim." So Jim went to work and told me the whole thing right through, just as it happened, only he painted it up considerable. Then he said he must start in and "'terpret" it, because it was sent for a warning. He said the first towhead stood for a man that would try to do us some good, but the current was another man that would get us away from him. The whoops was warnings that would come to us every now and then, and if we didn't try hard to make out to understand them they'd just take us into bad luck, 'stead of keeping us out of it. The lot of towheads was troubles we was going to get into with quarrelsome people and all kinds of mean folks, but if we minded our business and didn't talk back and aggravate them, we would pull through and get out of the fog and into the big clear river, which was the free States, and wouldn't have no more trouble. It had clouded up pretty dark just after I got on to the raft, but it was clearing up again now. "Oh, well, that's all interpreted well enough as far as it goes, Jim," I says; "but what does THESE things stand for?" It was the leaves and rubbish on the raft and the smashed oar. You could see them first-rate now. Jim looked at the trash, and then looked at me, and back at the trash again. He had got the dream fixed so strong in his head that he couldn't seem to shake it loose and get the facts back into its place again right away. But when he did get the thing straightened around he looked at me steady without ever smiling, and says: "What do dey stan' for? I'se gwyne to tell you. When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin' for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos' broke bekase you wuz los', en I didn' k'yer no' mo' what become er me en de raf'. En when I wake up en fine you back agin, all safe en soun', de tears come, en I could a got down on my knees en kiss yo' foot, I's so thankful. En all you wuz thinkin' 'bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie. Dat truck dah is TRASH; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren's en makes 'em ashamed." Then he got up slow and walked to the wigwam, and went in there without saying anything but that. But that was enough. It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed HIS foot to get him to take it back. It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way. |
| 第十六章 我们睡了几乎一整天，在晚上才动身，这时看到了前边不远处，有一只长得出奇的木 排。木排之长，仿佛象一个好大的游行队伍一般。木排上每一头有四根长桨①，因此我们估 摸他们可能共有三十来个人之多。上面有五处窝棚，彼此离得很开。在中间的地方，露天生 了个篝火。两头竖起了高高的旗竿。那个派头非同一般。它仿佛在大声宣告，在这样的大排 上当个伙计，才称得上是个人物。 ①诺顿版注：长桨作推进或掌舵之用。 我们正顺水漂到一处大的河流里。夜晚，天上起了云，挺闷热。河水很宽，两岸巨木森 森，连绵不断，也透不出一丝亮光。我们谈到了开罗。还说，我们经过时，不知道能不能认 出那个地方。我说，也许我们认不出来，因为我听说，开罗不过十几家人家罢了，要是镇上 没有点起灯的话，我们经过时，怎么能知道那是开罗呢？杰姆说，要是两条大河在那儿合 流，那一定能看得出来。不过我说，说不定我们会以为我们只是在经过一个小岛的岛尾，又 回到了原来的河上，这也难说啊。这样一说，害得杰姆大为心神不安——我自己也如此。这 样一来，就有一个该怎么办的问题了。我说，不妨一见有灯光，便划过去走上岸。不妨跟人 家说，我爸爸在后边坐着商船，马上过来。还可以说，他做生意是个生手，想知道这儿离开 罗还有多远。杰姆认为这个主意不错。我们便一边抽烟，一边等着①。 ①诺顿版注：以下本有写密西西比河上木筏夫一节，为有关当年河上生活的名篇， 后抽去编入《密西西比河上的生活》（１８８３）。按后来的不同版本，有不同的处理，有 略去的，有移作附录的，有仍编入第十六章的。我们这个译本把这个名篇收作《附录》 （一）。 眼下无事可做，就只是睁大了眼睛，留心察看着是否到了开罗。可别不在意，错过了还 不知道啊。杰姆说，他肯定会认出来的，因为只要一认出来，从那一个时刻起，他便是一个 自由人了。反之，如果一错过，他便会再一次身在奴隶制的州里，再也没有自由的机会啦。 于是，每隔一会儿，他便会跳起来说道： “到啦。” 可是并非灯火。那不过是些鬼火或者是萤火虫罢了。他便又坐了下来，象刚才那样，又 盯着望。杰姆说，眼看自由就在眼前，他浑身发抖、发热。啊，我要说的是，听他这么一 说，也叫我全身发抖发热。因为在我的脑子里，也开始在形成一个观念，这便是，他快要自 由了。——那么，这事该怪罪谁呢？啊，该怪罪我啊。不管怎么说，不管什么个办法，在我 的良心上，这一点就是去不掉。这可叫我坐立不安啊。在过去，我从没有想到这一层，从没 有想到自己正在干的究竟是什么一回事。可是现在想到了，认真想过了，这叫我越来越心 焦。我也曾试图给自己辩解，说这怪罪不得我，因为我可没有叫杰姆从他那个合理合法的主 人那儿逃跑啊。可是辩解也没有什么用。每一回，良心会站出来，说道：“可是你明明知道 他为了自由正在逃跑啊，你尽可以划到岸上去，向人家告发他啊。”这话说得不错——这个 理是我绕不过去的，无法绕过去。这是直刺良心的，良心对我这么说，“可怜的华珍小姐有 什么地方亏待了你，你竟然可以明明看见她的黑奴在你的眼皮底下逃掉，却从未说过任何一 个字？那个可怜的老妇人有什么地方对不住你，你竟然这样卑鄙地对待她？啊，她想方设法 要你好好读你的书，她想方设法要你有规有矩，她一桩桩、一件件，凡是能见到的，总是想 尽办法对你好。她可就是那么样对待你的啊。” 我只觉得自己太卑鄙了，太难受了，但愿就此死了的好。我在木筏上忐忑不安地走来走 去，一边怪怨自己，而杰姆也在忐忑不安地在我身边走来走去。我们两人，谁也安不下心 来。每一次，他跳起了舞，说道，“开罗到啦！”我就中了一熗，并且刺透了我的心。我这 时心想，要真是开罗的话，我真会难受得死过去①。 ①诺顿版注：关于对黑奴制的态度，人们务须记住，本书所写的故事，在当时，凡 有钱人以及教会，都是支持黑奴制的。哈克当时内心里正有两种感情在交战、一种是忠于社 会上流行的维护奴隶制的，另一种是对黑人表示同情。这样一种内心的矛盾，贯串全书。 在我自言自语的时候，杰姆不停地高声讲话。他在说，一到了自由州，他第一件事要干 些什么，那就是拼命挣钱，决不乱花一分钱，等到积聚得够数目了，便要把老婆赎买回来。 她如今是属于一家农庄的，地点靠近华珍小姐那里。然后他们两个人要拼命干活，好把两个 小孩赎买回来。还说，要是他们那个主人不肯卖他们的话，他们就要找个反对黑奴制度的 人，把孩子们偷出来。 听到他这样说，我几乎全身冰凉。在他一生中，在今天以前，他决不敢说出这样的话 来。可见当他断定自己快要自由的这一刹那间，他这人的变化有多么大。正是老话说得好： “给黑奴一寸，他便要一尺。”我心想，这全只是因为我没有好好地想一想，才会有如此的 结果啊。在我的面前，如今正是这么一个黑奴，我一直等于在帮着他逃跑，如今竟然这么露 骨地说什么他要偷走他的孩子们——这些孩子原本是属于一个我所不认识的人的，而且此人 从来也没有害过我啊。 听到杰姆说出这样的话来，我非常难过。这也是杰姆太不自爱才说出了这样的话。我的 良心从我心里煽起的火正越煽越旺，到后来，我对我自己的良心说：“别再怪罪我吧——还 来得及呢——见灯光，我就划过去，上岸，去告发他。”于是我马上觉得满心舒坦，很高 兴，身子轻得像一根羽毛似的。我所有的烦恼也都烟消云散了。我继续张望着，看有没有灯 光。这时我高兴得要在心里为自己歌唱一曲哩。没有多久，出现了一处灯光。杰姆欢呼了起 来： “我们得救啦，哈克，我们得救啦！跳起来，立个正，大好的开罗终于到啦，我心里有 数的！” 我说： “我把小舟划过去，看一看，杰姆。你要知道，也许还不是呢。” 他跳将起来，弄好了小舟，把他的旧上衣放在船肚里，好叫我坐在上面。他把桨递给了 我。在我划的时候，他说： “马上，我就要欢呼啦。我要说，这一切，都得归功哈克。我是个自由人啦。可要不是 哈克，我哪里会自由呢。全是哈克干成功的。杰姆永生永世忘不掉你，哈克。你是我最好的 朋友，你也是我杰姆唯一的一个朋友。” 我刚把小船划开，急着想去告发他，可是他这么一说，我就泄气泄了个精光。我动作缓 慢起来了，也辨不清我心里是高兴呢，还是不高兴。我划了有五十码，杰姆说： “你去啦，你这个对朋友忠心耿耿的哈克。在白人绅士先生里面，你是对我老杰姆唯一 守信用的人。” 啊，我只觉得心里不是滋味。不过我心想，我还是非得这么干不行——这事我躲不过 啊。恰恰在这么一个时刻，开过来一只小船，上面有两个人，手上有熗。他们停了船，我也 停了船。他们中有人说： “那边是什么啊？” “一只木筏子”，我说。 “你是木筏子上的人么？” “是的，先生。” “上面有人么？” “只有一个，先生。” “嗯，今晚上逃掉了五个黑奴，是上边河湾口上的。你那个人是白人还是黑人？” 我并没有立刻回答。我想要回答的，可就是话说不出口。一两秒钟以后，我决定鼓起勇 气说出来，可是我那男子汉大丈夫的气概不够——连一只兔子的勇气都没有。我知道自己正 在泄气，便干脆放弃了原来的念头，直截了当地说： “一个白人。” “我看还是去亲自看一下。” “你们这样做得好”，我说，“是我爸爸在那一边，最好请你们劳驾帮个忙，把木筏子 拖到有灯光的岸边，他有病—— 跟我妈和玛丽•安一个样。” “哦，孩子，我们他妈的忙得很啊。不过我看我们还是得去一趟。来吧——使劲划起 来，一块儿去。” 我用力划，他们也用力划。划了一两下，我说： “我跟你们说实话，爸爸一定会十分感谢你们。我要人家帮个忙，把木筏子拖到岸上 去，可是一个个都溜了。我一个人又干不起来。” “嗯，这可真是卑鄙万分啦。而且很怪。再说，好孩子，你爸爸究竟是怎么一回事啊？” “是——是——嗐，也没有什么了不得的。” 他们停下来不划了。这一刻，离木筏才只一点点儿路了。 有一个人说： “孩子，你这是在撒谎。你爸爸究竟是怎么一回事啊。老老实实地回答，这样对你也 好。” “我会的，先生，老老实实——不过千万别把我们丢在这里。这病——这——先生们， 只要你们把船划过去，我把木筏子船头上的绳索递给你们，你们就不用靠拢木筏——求求你 们了。” “把船倒回去，约翰，把船倒回去！”有一个人说。他们在水上往后退。“快躲开，孩 子——躲到下风头去。他妈的，我估摸着风已经把它吹给我们了吧。你爸爸得了天花，你自 己应该是清清楚楚的。那你为什么不老老实实说出来？难道你要把这个散布得到处都是么？” “嗯，”我哭哭啼啼地说，“我跟每一个人都说了，可是他们一个个都溜了，抛下了我 们。” “可怜的小鬼头，这话也有些道理。我们也为你难过，不过，我们——滚他妈的，我们 可不愿意害什么天花，知道吧。听我说，我告诉你怎么办。你一个人可别想靠拢河岸，不然 的话，你只会落得个一塌糊涂的下场。你还是往下漂二十英里左右，就到了河上左手一个镇 子上。那个时辰，太阳出了很久了，你求人家帮忙时，不妨说你们家的人都是害的一忽儿发 冷、一忽儿发热，倒了下来。别再充当傻瓜蛋了，让人家猜想到了究竟是怎么一回事。我们 也是存心为你做一桩好事，所以嘛，你就把我们和你之间保持个二十英里吧，这才是一个好 孩子。要是到点灯的那边上岸，那是毫无用处的——那边只是个堆放木头的厂房。听我说， ——我估摸，你爸爸也是穷苦人，我不能不说，他眼前命运挺艰难。这里——我留下值二十 块钱的金元，放在这块板子上。你捞上这块板子，就是你的了。抛开你们不管，我自个儿也 觉得对不住人，不过，我的天啊，我可不愿意跟天花开什么玩笑，你明白不明白？” “别撒手，巴克，”另一个人说，“把我这二十块钱也放在木板上。再见了，孩子，还 是遵照巴克先生的嘱咐为好，你会把什么问题都给解决得好好的。” “是这样，我的孩子——再见了，再见了。你要是见到有逃跑的黑奴，不妨找人帮个 忙，把他们给逮起来，你也可以从中得些钱嘛。” “再见了，先生，”我说，“只要我办得到，我决不会让黑奴在我手里逃掉。” 他们划走了，我上了木筏，心里头可不是个滋味，因为我很清楚，自己这是做了错事。 我也明白，我这个人要想学好也是做不到的了：一个人从小起，没有一开始就学好，以后也 就成不了气候——一旦危急临头，也没有什么东西能支撑住他，把事干好，这样，就只能败 下阵来。我又思量了一会儿，就对自己说，等一等——假如说，你是做得对了，把杰姆交了 出去，你心里会比现在这个时刻好受些么？不，我说，我会难受的——我会象眼下一样地那 么个感觉。我就说，这么说来，既然学好，做得对，需得费劲，做错不必费劲，而代价都是 一个样，不多一分，不少一分，那么又何必学着做对的事呢？这个问题可把我给卡住了，我 回答不出来。我就想，从今以后，别再为这个操什么心了吧；从此以后，不论遇到什么事， 只要怎样办方便就怎样办吧。 我走进窝棚，杰姆不在那里。我四下里一找，到处见不到他。我说： “杰姆！” “我在这里啊，哈克。那些人望不见影子了么？别大声叫嚷。” 他身在河水中，在船舶的桨下，只有鼻子露出水面。我告诉他，那些人望不见了，他这 才爬上船。他说： “你们讲的话，我全听到了。我溜到了河中，要是他们上船的话，我会游上岸去。他们 一走，我就会又游到筏子上来。不过啊，我的天，你可把他们作弄得够苦的了，哈克。这一 手玩得可真帅！我跟你说，老弟，你这一下可是救了老杰姆一命——老杰姆永永远远也不会 忘掉老弟啊。” 随后我们谈到了钱。这下子可真捞了不少。每人二十块大洋呢。杰姆说，如今我们可以 在轮船上打统舱票了。这笔钱够我们到各自由州，愿去哪里就去那里的所有花费了。他说， 再走二十英里路，对木筏子来说，也不算远。他但愿我们已经到了那里才好。 拂晓时分，我们系好了木筏。杰姆对怎样能把木筏藏得好好的，特别留神。接下来，他 用了一整天把东西捆好，准备好随时可以离开木筏子。 那一个夜晚十点钟光景，我们望见左手河湾下边一个镇子上透着灯光。 我把小船划过去进行探询。不久我见到有一个人在河上驾着小船，正在水中下拦河钩 绳。我划过去问道： “先生，这里是开罗镇么？” “开罗？不，你可真是个傻瓜蛋。” “先生，那么，是什么一个镇子？” “你要想知道，不妨去问一问。你要是再缠着我半分钟，就有你好看的。” 我划到了木筏那边，杰姆失望到了极点。可是我说，不用灰心，据我估计，下面一个镇 子就会是开罗了。 我们在拂晓以前到了另一个镇子。我正要出去，一看是片高地，因此也就不出去了。杰 姆说，开罗四周并没有什么高地，我差点儿把这个给忘了。我们白天混了一天，那是在离左 岸不远的一处沙洲。我开始产生了一些疑虑，杰姆也一个样。我说： “说不定那晚上我们在大雾中漂过了开罗。” 他说： “别谈这个啦，哈克。可怜的黑人就是交不到好云（运）气。我一直在疑心，那条蛇皮 给我们带来的坏云（运）气还没有完呢。” “我但愿从没有见到过那张蛇皮的，杰姆——我但愿我这一双眼睛从没有见到过那张蛇 皮。” “这不是你的什么车（错），哈克。你根本不知道嘛。你用不着为这个怪罪自己嘛。” 天一亮，岸这一边果然是俄亥俄河清清的河水，千真万确。外边还是原先那种混浊的河 水。啊，原来开罗确实已经错过了①。 ①诺顿版注：开罗镇位于俄亥俄河注入密西西比河的入口处。俄亥俄水较清，流入 水浊的密西西比河。哈克和杰姆看到了清浊两种水，因而知道已错过了开罗镇。 我们把事情的方方面面谈了一遍。走陆路，那是不行的。我们当然无法把木筏划到上游 去。没有别的办法，只能等到天黑，再坐小划子往回走，试试运气了。所以我们便在密密的 白杨丛里睡了一整天。等到擦黑我们回木筏那里，小划子不见啦！ 一时间，我们一句话也说不出来。没有什么话好说的嘛。我们两人肚子里都明白，这是 蛇皮又一次作的怪，说有什么用？说只能仿佛我们故意找岔子，结果只能招来更多的坏运气 ——而且不停地招来恶运，一直要到我们终于懂得了该一声不吭才行。 后来我们谈到了我们最好该怎么办。最后认定没有别的什么好办法，只能坐木筏往下游 漂去，一直到找到一个机会，能买只小划子往回走。我们不打算趁四周无人时随手借它一 只，就象我爸爸当年干的那个样子，因为那么一来，就会有人在后面追我们。 因此，我们就在天黑以后，坐着筏子走开了。 蛇皮给了我们这么多祸害，要是有人至今还不相信玩弄蛇皮该是多么愚蠢，那么，只要 他继续读下去看看它怎样进一步加害我们，就一定会相信了。 要购买独木舟，通常是就在有木筏停靠着的那个岸边。不过我们并没有看见那边有什么 木筏子，所以我们一直往前走了三个多小时。啊，夜色变得灰蒙蒙的，闷得很，这是仅次于 大雾那么叫人讨厌的。河上是什么个光景，你就是看不清。连远和近也辨不清了。夜已深， 一片寂静，这时下游开来了一只轮船。我们把灯点亮了，断定人家在轮船上会见到灯光的。 下游开来的船，一般开来时不会和我们很靠近，它们开出去时沿着沙洲，挑暗礁底下水势平 缓的水上走。不过，在这样的夜晚，它们便不顾一切往水道上拱，仿佛跟整个儿的大河作对 似的。 我们听得见它轰轰轰开过来，不过在靠近以前没有看得很清楚。它恰恰正朝着我们开 来。这些轮船一般往往这么干，好露一露它们能多么贴近得一擦而过，可又能碰不到我们。 有的时候，大轮盘把一根长桨咬飞了，然后领港的会探出脑袋，大笑一声，自以为挺帅的。 好，如今它开过来了。我们说，它是想要给我们刮一刮胡子吧。可是它并没有往旁边闪那么 一闪啊。这可是一条大轮，正急匆匆地开过来，看上去活象一大片乌黑乌黑的云，四周围亮 着一排排萤火虫似的亮光，可是一刹那间，它突然露出了它庞然大物的凶相，但见一长排敞 得开开的炉门，一闪闪发着红光，仿佛红得炽热的一排排牙齿，它那大得吓人的船头和护拦 装置直接罩住了我们。对着我们发出了一声大叫，又响起了停止开动引擎的铃声，一阵阵咒 骂声，一排排放气声，——正当杰姆从那一边、我从这一边往水下跳的一刹那，大轮猛冲过 来，从木筏的中间冲过去。 我往下潜水——目的是要摸到水底，因为一只直径三丈的大轮子眼看着要在我的头项上 开过去。我得保持一个距离，我得有个足够活动的空间。我能在水下停留一分钟，这一回 嘛，我估计停留了整整一分半钟。然后我急着窜到水面上，因为我委实快要憋死了。我一下 子把脑袋探出水面，水齐着胳肢窝，一边由嘴里往外喷水，一边由鼻子里往外擤水。当然 啰，水流得很急。轮船停机以后十秒钟，又开动了机器。因为这些轮船根本没有把木筏子上 的工人放在眼里，眼下它正沿着大河往上游开过去，在浓重的夜色中消失得无影无踪，只是 偶尔我还能听到它的声音。 我大声叫唤杰姆有十来回，不过毫无回音。我就把我“踩水”时碰着我身子的一块木板 抓住了，推着它往岸上游去。不过我发现，水是朝着左岸流的①。这也就是说，我已来到了 横水道里了，于是我转了一个方向，朝那个方向游去。 这是一条两英里长的斜斜的横水道，因此我花了不少时间才游过去。我找了一个安全地 点爬上岸来。我没法看得很远，只能在坑坑洼洼的地上摸着往前走了四分之一英里路。接下 来不知不觉间走到了一座老式的那种用双层圆木搭成的大房子跟前。我正要急匆匆走过，突 然窜出几条狗，朝我汪汪乱叫，我知道，我还是站着不移动一步的为是。 ①诺顿版注：指肯塔基，下面一章写的“打冤家”就发生在这里。 Chapter 16 WE slept most all day, and started out at night, a little ways behind a monstrous long raft that was as long going by as a procession. She had four long sweeps at each end, so we judged she carried as many as thirty men, likely. She had five big wigwams aboard, wide apart, and an open camp fire in the middle, and a tall flag-pole at each end. There was a power of style about her. It AMOUNTED to something being a raftsman on such a craft as that. We went drifting down into a big bend, and the night clouded up and got hot. The river was very wide, and was walled with solid timber on both sides; you couldn't see a break in it hardly ever, or a light. We talked about Cairo, and wondered whether we would know it when we got to it. I said likely we wouldn't, because I had heard say there warn't but about a dozen houses there, and if they didn't happen to have them lit up, how was we going to know we was passing a town? Jim said if the two big rivers joined together there, that would show. But I said maybe we might think we was passing the foot of an island and coming into the same old river again. That disturbed Jim -- and me too. So the question was, what to do? I said, paddle ashore the first time a light showed, and tell them pap was behind, coming along with a trading-scow, and was a green hand at the business, and wanted to know how far it was to Cairo. Jim thought it was a good idea, so we took a smoke on it and waited. There warn't nothing to do now but to look out sharp for the town, and not pass it without seeing it. He said he'd be mighty sure to see it, because he'd be a free man the minute he seen it, but if he missed it he'd be in a slave country again and no more show for freedom. Every little while he jumps up and says: "Dah she is?" But it warn't. It was Jack-o'-lanterns, or lightning bugs; so he set down again, and went to watching, same as before. Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom. Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get it through my head that he WAS most free -- and who was to blame for it? Why, ME. I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way. It got to troubling me so I couldn't rest; I couldn't stay still in one place. It hadn't ever come home to me before, what this thing was that I was doing. But now it did; and it stayed with me, and scorched me more and more. I tried to make out to myself that I warn't to blame, because I didn't run Jim off from his rightful owner; but it warn't no use, conscience up and says, every time, "But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody." That was so -- I couldn't get around that noway. That was where it pinched. Conscience says to me, "What had poor Miss Watson done to you that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean? Why, she tried to learn you your book, she tried to learn you your manners, she tried to be good to you every way she knowed how. THAT'S what she done." I got to feeling so mean and so miserable I most wished I was dead. I fidgeted up and down the raft, abusing myself to myself, and Jim was fidgeting up and down past me. We neither of us could keep still. Every time he danced around and says, "Dah's Cairo!" it went through me like a shot, and I thought if it WAS Cairo I reckoned I would die of miserableness. Jim talked out loud all the time while I was talking to myself. He was saying how the first thing he would do when he got to a free State he would go to saving up money and never spend a single cent, and when he got enough he would buy his wife, which was owned on a farm close to where Miss Watson lived; and then they would both work to buy the two children, and if their master wouldn't sell them, they'd get an Ab'litionist to go and steal them. It most froze me to hear such talk. He wouldn't ever dared to talk such talk in his life before. Just see what a difference it made in him the minute he judged he was about free. It was according to the old saying, "Give a nigger an inch and he'll take an ell." Thinks I, this is what comes of my not thinking. Here was this nigger, which I had as good as helped to run away, coming right out flat-footed and saying he would steal his children -- children that belonged to a man I didn't even know; a man that hadn't ever done me no harm. I was sorry to hear Jim say that, it was such a lowering of him. My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, "Let up on me -- it ain't too late yet -- I'll paddle ashore at the first light and tell." I felt easy and happy and light as a feather right off. All my troubles was gone. I went to looking out sharp for a light, and sort of singing to myself. By and by one showed. Jim sings out: "We's safe, Huck, we's safe! Jump up and crack yo' heels! Dat's de good ole Cairo at las', I jis knows it!" I says: "I'll take the canoe and go and see, Jim. It mightn't be, you know." He jumped and got the canoe ready, and put his old coat in the bottom for me to set on, and give me the paddle; and as I shoved off, he says: "Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn' ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de ONLY fren' ole Jim's got now." I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me. I went along slow then, and I warn't right down certain whether I was glad I started or whether I warn't. When I was fifty yards off, Jim says: "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlman dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim." Well, I just felt sick. But I says, I GOT to do it -- I can't get OUT of it. Right then along comes a skiff with two men in it with guns, and they stopped and I stopped. One of them says: "What's that yonder?" "A piece of a raft," I says. "Do you belong on it?" "Yes, sir." "Any men on it?" "Only one, sir." "Well, there's five niggers run off to-night up yonder, above the head of the bend. Is your man white or black?" I didn't answer up prompt. I tried to, but the words wouldn't come. I tried for a second or two to brace up and out with it, but I warn't man enough -- hadn't the spunk of a rabbit. I see I was weakening; so I just give up trying, and up and says: "He's white." "I reckon we'll go and see for ourselves." "I wish you would," says I, "because it's pap that's there, and maybe you'd help me tow the raft ashore where the light is. He's sick -- and so is mam and Mary Ann." "Oh, the devil! we're in a hurry, boy. But I s'pose we've got to. Come, buckle to your paddle, and let's get along." I buckled to my paddle and they laid to their oars. When we had made a stroke or two, I says: "Pap'll be mighty much obleeged to you, I can tell you. Everybody goes away when I want them to help me tow the raft ashore, and I can't do it by myself." "Well, that's infernal mean. Odd, too. Say, boy, what's the matter with your father?" "It's the -- a -- the -- well, it ain't anything much." They stopped pulling. It warn't but a mighty little ways to the raft now. One says: "Boy, that's a lie. What IS the matter with your pap? Answer up square now, and it'll be the better for you." "I will, sir, I will, honest -- but don't leave us, please. It's the -- the -- Gentlemen, if you'll only pull ahead, and let me heave you the headline, you won't have to come a-near the raft -- please do." "Set her back, John, set her back!" says one. They backed water. "Keep away, boy -- keep to looard. Confound it, I just expect the wind has blowed it to us. Your pap's got the small-pox, and you know it precious well. Why didn't you come out and say so? Do you want to spread it all over?" "Well," says I, a-blubbering, "I've told everybody before, and they just went away and left us." "Poor devil, there's something in that. We are right down sorry for you, but we -- well, hang it, we don't want the small-pox, you see. Look here, I'll tell you what to do. Don't you try to land by yourself, or you'll smash everything to pieces. You float along down about twenty miles, and you'll come to a town on the left-hand side of the river. It will be long after sun-up then, and when you ask for help you tell them your folks are all down with chills and fever. Don't be a fool again, and let people guess what is the matter. Now we're trying to do you a kindness; so you just put twenty miles between us, that's a good boy. It wouldn't do any good to land yonder where the light is -- it's only a wood-yard. Say, I reckon your father's poor, and I'm bound to say he's in pretty hard luck. Here, I'll put a twentydollar gold piece on this board, and you get it when it floats by. I feel mighty mean to leave you; but my kingdom! it won't do to fool with small-pox, don't you see?" "Hold on, Parker," says the other man, "here's a twenty to put on the board for me. Good-bye, boy; you do as Mr. Parker told you, and you'll be all right." "That's so, my boy -- good-bye, good-bye. If you see any runaway niggers you get help and nab them, and you can make some money by it." "Good-bye, sir," says I; "I won't let no runaway niggers get by me if I can help it." They went off and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low, because I knowed very well I had done wrong, and I see it warn't no use for me to try to learn to do right; a body that don't get STARTED right when he's little ain't got no show -- when the pinch comes there ain't nothing to back him up and keep him to his work, and so he gets beat. Then I thought a minute, and says to myself, hold on; s'pose you'd a done right and give Jim up, would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad -- I'd feel just the same way I do now. Well, then, says I, what's the use you learning to do right when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same? I was stuck. I couldn't answer that. So I reckoned I wouldn't bother no more about it, but after this always do whichever come handiest at the time. I went into the wigwam; Jim warn't there. I looked all around; he warn't anywhere. I says: "Jim!" "Here I is, Huck. Is dey out o' sight yit? Don't talk loud." He was in the river under the stern oar, with just his nose out. I told him they were out of sight, so he come aboard. He says: "I was a-listenin' to all de talk, en I slips into de river en was gwyne to shove for sho' if dey come aboard. Den I was gwyne to swim to de raf' agin when dey was gone. But lawsy, how you did fool 'em, Huck! Dat WUZ de smartes' dodge! I tell you, chile, I'spec it save' ole Jim -- ole Jim ain't going to forgit you for dat, honey." Then we talked about the money. It was a pretty good raise -- twenty dollars apiece. Jim said we could take deck passage on a steamboat now, and the money would last us as far as we wanted to go in the free States. He said twenty mile more warn't far for the raft to go, but he wished we was already there. Towards daybreak we tied up, and Jim was mighty particular about hiding the raft good. Then he worked all day fixing things in bundles, and getting all ready to quit rafting. That night about ten we hove in sight of the lights of a town away down in a left-hand bend. I went off in the canoe to ask about it. Pretty soon I found a man out in the river with a skiff, setting a trotline. I ranged up and says: "Mister, is that town Cairo?" "Cairo? no. You must be a blame' fool." "What town is it, mister?" "If you want to know, go and find out. If you stay here botherin' around me for about a half a minute longer you'll get something you won't want." I paddled to the raft. Jim was awful disappointed, but I said never mind, Cairo would be the next place, I reckoned. We passed another town before daylight, and I was going out again; but it was high ground, so I didn't go. No high ground about Cairo, Jim said. I had forgot it. We laid up for the day on a towhead tolerable close to the left-hand bank. I begun to suspicion something. So did Jim. I says: "Maybe we went by Cairo in the fog that night." He says: "Doan' le's talk about it, Huck. Po' niggers can't have no luck. I awluz 'spected dat rattlesnake-skin warn't done wid its work." "I wish I'd never seen that snake-skin, Jim -- I do wish I'd never laid eyes on it." "It ain't yo' fault, Huck; you didn' know. Don't you blame yo'self 'bout it." When it was daylight, here was the clear Ohio water inshore, sure enough, and outside was the old regular Muddy! So it was all up with Cairo. We talked it all over. It wouldn't do to take to the shore; we couldn't take the raft up the stream, of course. There warn't no way but to wait for dark, and start back in the canoe and take the chances. So we slept all day amongst the cottonwood thicket, so as to be fresh for the work, and when we went back to the raft about dark the canoe was gone! We didn't say a word for a good while. There warn't anything to say. We both knowed well enough it was some more work of the rattlesnake-skin; so what was the use to talk about it? It would only look like we was finding fault, and that would be bound to fetch more bad luck -- and keep on fetching it, too, till we knowed enough to keep still. By and by we talked about what we better do, and found there warn't no way but just to go along down with the raft till we got a chance to buy a canoe to go back in. We warn't going to borrow it when there warn't anybody around, the way pap would do, for that might set people after us. So we shoved out after dark on the raft. Anybody that don't believe yet that it's foolishness to handle a snake-skin, after all that that snake-skin done for us, will believe it now if they read on and see what more it done for us. The place to buy canoes is off of rafts laying up at shore. But we didn't see no rafts laying up; so we went along during three hours and more. Well, the night got gray and ruther thick, which is the next meanest thing to fog. You can't tell the shape of the river, and you can't see no distance. It got to be very late and still, and then along comes a steamboat up the river. We lit the lantern, and judged she would see it. Up-stream boats didn't generly come close to us; they go out and follow the bars and hunt for easy water under the reefs; but nights like this they bull right up the channel against the whole river. We could hear her pounding along, but we didn't see her good till she was close. She aimed right for us. Often they do that and try to see how close they can come without touching; sometimes the wheel bites off a sweep, and then the pilot sticks his head out and laughs, and thinks he's mighty smart. Well, here she comes, and we said she was going to try and shave us; but she didn't seem to be sheering off a bit. She was a big one, and she was coming in a hurry, too, looking like a black cloud with rows of glow-worms around it; but all of a sudden she bulged out, big and scary, with a long row of wide-open furnace doors shining like red-hot teeth, and her monstrous bows and guards hanging right over us. There was a yell at us, and a jingling of bells to stop the engines, a powwow of cussing, and whistling of steam -- and as Jim went overboard on one side and I on the other, she come smashing straight through the raft. I dived -- and I aimed to find the bottom, too, for a thirty-foot wheel had got to go over me, and I wanted it to have plenty of room. I could always stay under water a minute; this time I reckon I stayed under a minute and a half. Then I bounced for the top in a hurry, for I was nearly busting. I popped out to my armpits and blowed the water out of my nose, and puffed a bit. Of course there was a booming current; and of course that boat started her engines again ten seconds after she stopped them, for they never cared much for raftsmen; so now she was churning along up the river, out of sight in the thick weather, though I could hear her. I sung out for Jim about a dozen times, but I didn't get any answer; so I grabbed a plank that touched me while I was "treading water," and struck out for shore, shoving it ahead of me. But I made out to see that the drift of the current was towards the lefthand shore, which meant that I was in a crossing; so I changed off and went that way. It was one of these long, slanting, two-mile crossings; so I was a good long time in getting over. I made a safe landing, and clumb up the bank. I couldn't see but a little ways, but I went poking along over rough ground for a quarter of a mile or more, and then I run across a big old-fashioned double log-house before I noticed it. I was going to rush by and get away, but a lot of dogs jumped out and went to howling and barking at me, and I knowed better than to move another peg. |
第十七章 大约过了半分钟，窗下有个什么人在说话。他并没有探出头来，只是说： “准备好，孩子们！外边是谁？” 我说： “是我。” “‘我’是谁啊？” “乔治•杰克逊，先生。” “你要什么？” “我什么都不要，先生。我只要走过去，可是狗不让我过去。” “夜这么深，你东荡西荡，干什么来着？” “我不在东荡西荡，先生，我是在轮船上失足落了水。” “哦，是么，真是么？你们哪一个在那边点一个火。你刚才说你的姓名是什么来着？” “乔治•杰克逊，先生。我还是个孩子。” “听我说，你要是说的真话，那你就不用害怕——没有人会伤害你。不过你不要动，就 站在你那个地方。你们哪一个去把鲍勃和汤姆给叫起身来，再把熗带来。乔治•杰克逊，还 有什么人跟你在一起？” “没有，先生，没有什么人。” 这时我听见屋子里人们在走动，还看到了一处烛光。那个人喊道： “快把那个蜡烛拿开，贝茵，你这老傻瓜——你还有点儿头脑么？把它放在前门后边的 地板上。鲍勃，要是你跟汤姆准备好了，就站到你们的位置上去。” “准备好了。” “嗯，乔治•杰克逊，你知道歇佛逊家的人么？” “不知道，先生——我从没有听说过他们啊。” “嗯，也许是这样，也许又并非是这样。好，都准备好。乔治•杰克逊，往前走一步。 要注意啦——千万别急——要慢慢地慢慢地走过来。要是有什么人跟你在一起，叫他靠后— —要是他一露面，就得挨熗。好，走过来。慢慢地走，把门给推开，你自己开——只开那么 一丝丝，够挤进来就行了，听见了么？” 我没有着急，着急也没有用。我慢慢地一次走一步。什么声音都没有，只听得见自己心 砰砰地跳。狗静得跟人一个样，不过紧钉在我的后面。等到我走到了由三根圆木搭的台阶 时，我听到了开锁、拉开门闩、去插销的声音。我把一只手按住了大门，轻轻推了一点点 儿，再一点点儿，到后来有人在说话了，“好，够了，把你的脑袋伸进来。”我照着做了， 可是我还担心人家会把它“摘”下来呢。 蜡烛放在地板上，他们的人全都在场，他们望着我，我望着他们，这样有十几秒钟。三 个大汉熗对着我瞄准着，吓得我畏畏缩缩，知道吧。年纪最长的一个，头发灰白，六十岁左 右。另外两个三十多岁——全都长得一表人才——还有一位非常慈祥的头发染霜的老太太， 背后还有两位年轻妇女，我看不大清楚。老绅士说： “好吧——我看没有什么，进来吧。” 我迈进屋，老绅士就锁了大门，把门闩上，把插销插好。他招呼那些带着熗的年轻人往 里边去，他们就全聚齐在地板上铺着百衲地毯的一间大厅里。他们都挤在一个拐角上，那 里，从前面窗口朝里打熗是打不到的——两旁是没有窗的。他们举着蜡烛，对我着实打量了 一番，异口同声地说，“哈，他不是歇佛逊家的人啊——不是的，他身上一点儿也没有歇佛 逊家人的味道。”接下来，老人说，要搜一搜身，看有没有武器，希望不用介意，他并没有 什么恶意——不过是要弄一弄清楚罢了。所以他没有搜我的口袋，只是用手在外面摸了一 摸，摸后说没有什么问题。他要我别拘束，一切象在自己家里一样，把自己的身世全都讲一 讲。可是那位老太太说： “嗳，你呀，苏尔，这个可怜的孩子全身湿透啦。再说，你看他会不会已经饿慌了吧？” “你说得对，拉结——我忘了。” 老太太就说： “贝茜（这是女黑奴的名字），你赶快给他弄点吃的，这个可怜的孩子。你们哪位姑娘 去把勃克给叫醒了，告诉他说，——哦，他来了。勃克，把这个小客人带去，把他身上的湿 衣服脱下来，把你自己的干衣服给他穿上。” 勃克看样子跟我差不多大，——十四五岁光景①，但是比我长得块头大一点儿。他身上 只披着一件衬衫，头发蓬蓬松松的。他打着呵欠走进来，一个拳头揉着眼睛，另一只手里拖 着一支熗。他说： “没有歇佛逊家的人来吧？” 人家说没有。说是一场虚惊。 “好啊，”他说，“要是有的话，我看我准能打中一个。” 大家都齐声笑了起来。鲍勃说： “哈，勃克，象你这样慢慢吞吞出来，人家说不定会早把我们的头皮都剥下来了②。” ①诺顿版注：马克•吐温在一个笔记本上明确地说过，哈克是一个“十四岁的孩 子。”参见华尔特•勃莱尔《马克•吐温和哈克•芬》。 ②美国的土著印第安人常把战败的敌人的头皮剥下，作为战利品。 “啊，根本没有人来叫我啊，这可不行。我老是被落下，捞不到表现一下的机会。” “别担心，勃克，我的孩子，”老人说，“你迟早总会有机会表现表现的，急什么。现 在你去吧，照妈对你说的去做。” 我们上楼进了他的房间，他给了我一件粗布衬衫和一件短茄克，还有他的一条裤子。我 穿上了身。我正换衣服的时候，他问我叫什么名字，可是我还没有来得及回答他，他就急着 跟我说，他前两天在林子里捉到一只蓝喜鹊和一只小兔子。他还问我，蜡烛熄的时候，摩西 在哪里①？我说，我不知道，过去也从没有听过这件事。 ①这里写孩子玩的猜谜游戏。《旧约•出埃及》写摩西出生三个月，母亲把他放在 蒲草编的箱子里扔在河岸边，“河岸”与“黑暗”，英语发音接近，故这里系通过双关语玩 猜谜的游戏。 “那你猜一猜，”他说。 “我怎么猜得着？”我说，“既然过去从没有听说过。” “不过你能猜啊，不是么？容易猜啊。” “哪一支蜡烛啊？”我说。 “怎么啦，随便哪一支啊。”他说。 “我不知道他在哪里啊，”我说，“他在哪里呢？” “他在黑暗中呢！那就是他所在的地方。” “既然你知道他在哪里，你又问我干什么？” “啊，真是的，这是一个谜语嘛，你不知道么？听我说，你在这里准备耽多久？你非得 长久耽下去不可。我们会过得快快活活的——现今也没有什么学校了。你有一条狗么？我有 一条狗——这条狗能冲进河里，把你扔进河里的小木片给叼回来。在星期天，你喜欢把头发 梳得光光的，以及干诸如此类的傻玩意儿么？对你说，我是不乐意的，可是我妈逼我这么 干。这些旧裤子可真讨厌死人，我看最好还是穿上了吧，尽管我不喜欢。怪热的。你都搞好 了么？好——来吧，老伙计。” 冷的玉米饼，冷的腌牛肉，黄油，和酪乳——他们那里给我吃的就是这一些。我吃过的 东西，从来没有比这一些更加好吃的了。勃克，他妈，其他所有的人，全都抽玉米轴烟斗， 除了那个女黑奴，她走开了，还有那两位年轻妇女。他们全都一边抽烟，一边说话。我呢， 是一边吃，一边谈话。那两个年轻妇女都披着棉斗篷，头发披在背后。他们都问我一些问 题。我告诉他们说，我爸爸、我和一家人是怎样在阿肯色州南头一个小农庄上的；我姐姐玛 丽•安怎样出走，结了婚，从此杳无音讯；比尔怎样出去四处寻找他们，连自己也从此没有 下落；汤姆和摩尔怎样也死了；除了我和我爸爸，我们这一家就没有留下别的人了；爸爸磨 难重重，也穷得精光。所以等他一死，既然庄子不属于我们所有，我就把剩下的一点点东西 带着走，打了统舱往上游去，可又掉到了水里，这才投奔到了这里①。他们就说，我可以把 这里当做自己的家，爱住多久就住多久。这时天快大亮，大家一个个去睡觉了，我和勃克一 床睡，早晨一觉醒来，糟了，我把我自己的名字给忘了。我躺着想了一个钟头。勃克醒来 时，我说： ①诺顿版注：哈克编造的身世，往往反映出他个人的不幸经历，饱和着突然从天而 降的坎坷，灾难与死亡这等等方面的遭遇。另一方面，喜剧讽刺小品，传统上也往往有这类 奇闻轶事。 “你会拼字母么，勃克？” “会，”他说。 “我估摸着你才不会拼我名字的字母呢，”我说。 “我敢说，你会的，我都会，”他说。 “好吧，”我说，“那你拼拼看。” “考——治——杰——克——宋——①怎么样，”他说。 “不错，”我说，“拼出来了，我原本以为你不行呢。这名字不疙里疙瘩，——不用想 就能拼得出来。” 我私下里把名字记了下来，因为下一回可能会有人要我拼出来，我得记熟了，一张嘴就 能咔嗒咔嗒说出来，仿佛说惯了似的。 这是挺可爱的一家人，屋子也是挺可爱的屋子。以前在乡下从没见到这么可爱的，这么 有气派的。大门上并没有安装铁门闩，也不装带鹿皮绳子的门闩，用的是可以转动的铜把手 ②，镇上的人家也都是这样的。客厅里没有床，也没有铺过床的模样。可是在一些镇子上， 大厅里铺着床的可有的是哩。有一个大壁炉，底下铺了砖的，这些砖上面可以浇水，用另一 块砖在上面磨，就擦得于干净净，红红的。他们间或抹上一种叫做西班牙赫石的红色颜料， 用这个来洗擦，和镇子上的人家一个样子。壁炉的铜架大得可以放一根待锯的圆木。炉台中 间放着一只钟，钟的玻璃罩下半部画着一个镇子，玻璃罩的中间部位，画着一个圆轮，那就 算是太阳了。在这个后边，你看得见钟摆在摆动。听到钟的滴嗒声，那是挺美的。有时会有 走乡串镇的工匠来擦洗一遍，整得象模象样的，它就能一口气敲响一百五十下，这才累得停 下来。这样的一台钟，不管你愿出多少价，他们也不肯卖。 ①这里是勃克拼错了，应为GeorgeJackson，乔治•杰克逊。 ②指弹簧锁。 钟的两旁各立着一只有点儿怪模怪样的大鹦鹉，是用白垩①般的什么东西塑成的，颜色 涂得红红绿绿的。在一只鹦鹉的旁边，有一只瓷猫；另一只鹦鹉的旁边，有一只瓷狗；在这 些东西的身上一按，就会哇哇地叫起来，只是嘴并没有张开，也不变样，也没有什么表情， 是从肚子里发出声的。在这一系列东西的后边，正张开着几把由野火鸡翅膀做成的大扇子。 屋子中间有一只惹人喜爱的瓷蓝子，里边装着一堆堆苹果、橘子、桃子、樱桃，颜色比真的 还要来得更红或者更珍贵，也更可爱。这些当然不是真的，从破损处露出里面的白垩或是别 的什么东西，就可以看得很分明。 ①指石膏。 这张桌子铺着一张美丽的漆布，上面画着红蓝两色展翅翱翔的老鹰，四周围着花。人家 说，这是从老远的费城运来的。还有一些书，堆得整整齐齐，放在桌子的四角上。有一本是 大开本的家用《圣经》，附有很多的图画。一本叫做《天路历程》，是讲一个离家出走的人 的，至于为什么原因离家，上面没有说。我有时拿来读读，已经读了不少。书上的句子难 懂，但是还算有趣。另一本叫做《友谊的献礼》，①尽是美丽的文字和诗歌，不过诗歌我没 有读。还有一本是亨利•克雷的演讲集②。另一本是昆恩博士的《家庭医药大全》，是讲一 个人生了病或死了该怎么办的事的。还有一本《赞美诗集》以及其它别的一些书。屋子里有 几张柳条编底的椅子，还挺挺的，并没有象旧篮子那样中间陷下去或者开裂。 ①始刊于１８４３年，乃一年一度的感伤性诗文集。 ②亨利•克雷（１７７７—１８５２），美国共和党创始人之一。 墙上挂得有画——大多有关华盛顿、拉法耶特②和一些战役的，还有“高原上的玛丽” ③，有一幅标明为“独立宣言签字式”。有几张他们所说的炭画，是一位已故的女儿亲手画 的。她死的时候才只十五岁。她这些画跟我过去见过的不一样，大多比一般的要黑一些。其 中一张画的是一个妇女，身穿瘦长的黑衣裳，胳肢戴一顶又大又黑、象煤铲似的遮阳帽，帽 子上挂下来一张黑面纱。又白又细的腕子上绕着黑丝带。一双黑色的小巧的便鞋，活象两把 凿子。她正站在一棵垂柳下边，用右肘斜靠在一块墓碑上，作沉思状，另一只手在另一侧往 下垂着，拿着一条白手帕和一个网线袋。画的下边写着“谁料想，竟是一朝永诀。”另一幅 画，画的是一位年轻姑娘，头发从四边拢到头顶上，在一把梳子前挽了一个结，象椅子靠背 似的。她正用手帕捂着脸哭泣。她左手托着一只死鸟，两脚朝天仰卧着。这幅画下面写着 “婉转鸣啼，竟成绝唱。”在另一幅画上，一位年轻的姑娘正凭窗仰望着月亮，眼泪沿着腮 帮往下淌，一手拿着一封已经打开的信，信封的一头还有黑色的火漆。她用力把带链子、装 照片的鸡心盒子贴在嘴上。画下面写着：“难道就从此长逝了么？唉，长逝了啊，多么伤 心！”据我看，这些画都画得很好，不过，我仿佛不大喜欢这些画，因为每当我心里不痛快 的时候，这些画总叫我更加心神不定。每个人都为她的死而惋惜。因为她已经打算好要画更 多的画，人们从她已经作出的贡献，可知这损失有多大。不过我又估猜着，以她的脾性，在 坟墓里也许还开心些。人家说，她病倒的时候正在用力于她那幅最伟大的画。她每天每晚祈 祷的，便是能恩准她把这画画成功，可惜的是，没有能如愿以偿。画上是一位年轻的姑娘， 身穿一件白色长袍，站在一处桥头栏杆上，已经准备好，要纵身一跃。她秀发披肩，仰望明 月，泪流满面。她双臂抱在胸前，另有双臂朝前张开，又另有双臂伸向明月——原意是想要 看一看，哪两个双臂画得更好些，定了以后，便把其余的给抹掉。不幸的是，正如我所说 的，在她打定主意以前，突然逝世。家人如今把这幅画挂在她卧室的床头上。每到她的生 日，他们在上面放了花。平时是用一块小小的幔帐给遮了起来。画上的年轻姑娘，脸又美又 甜，只是胳膊太多了，我总觉得看起来有点儿象蜘蛛似的。 ②拉法耶特（１７５７—１８３４），法国将军和政治家，美国独立战争时，率军 援助美军。 ③指苏格兰大诗人彭斯著名的情人玛丽•坎贝尔不少感伤性诗画中的主人公。 这位年轻姑娘生前有一本剪贴簿，把《长老会观察报》上的讣告，伤亡事故和某些人默 默地忍受煎熬的事迹保留下来，还诉说自己的胸怀，写下了诗篇。诗写得好。有一首诗是为 一个名叫斯蒂芬•道林的男孩不幸坠井而死写的： 悼斯蒂芬•道林•博茨君① 莫非年轻的斯蒂芬病了？ 莫非年轻的斯蒂芬死了？ 莫非悲伤的人啊，正越加哀痛？ 莫非吊唁的人啊，在痛哭失声？ 不，年轻的斯蒂芬•道林•博茨君， 他遭到了的并非是这样的命运， 周围的人固然哀伤得愈来愈深， 他可并非因为病痛而丧身。 并非百日咳折磨了他的身子， 并非可怕的麻疹害得他斑斑点点布满身， 并非是因为什么病痛啊， 这才夺去了斯蒂芬•道林•博茨君的令名。 并非单相思啊， 折磨了这长着一头鬈发的年轻人， 并非胃部的什么病痛啊， 害得斯蒂芬•道林•博茨一命归阴。 啊，都不是的，你便流着热泪倾诉。 当你听着我把他的命运细诉， 他的灵魂已从这冷酷的世界逝去， 只因他不幸坠落了井中。 给捞起了，也挤出了肚子里的水， 可是痛哭吧，都只为迟了一步， 他的英灵已经飞逝远方， 在那至善至伟的圣境。 ①诺顿版注：马克•吐温戏拟当时流行的哀伤诗体，他对这一类诗体很喜爱。 如果说哀美琳•格伦基福特能在不满十四足岁时便能写? 她要是不死，会写出怎么样的好诗，那就是可想而知的了。勃克说，她能出口成诗，不用费 劲。她不需停下来想啊想的。他说，她随便一抹就是一行。这时，如果她找不到能为下一句 押韵的，她便把那一句抹掉，重新开头。她题目不限，不论你挑了什么题目，要她写，她就 能写。只要是写悲哀的便行。每当一个男人死了，或是一个女人死了，或是一个孩子死了， 尸体未寒，她便已把“挽诗”送来了。她把这些诗称做挽诗。邻居们都说，最先到场的是医 生，然后是哀美琳，再后面是殡仪馆里的人——殡仪馆里的人从没有能赶在哀美琳前边的， 除了一回，因为押死者惠斯勒这个名字的韵，多耽误了些功夫，这才来迟了。从这以后，她 大不如前了。她从来没有怨天尤人，只是从此消瘦了下去，没有能活下去。可怜的人，我曾 多少次下了决心，到她那生前的小房间去，找出她那本叫人伤心的剪贴簿来阅读啊。那是在 她的那些画使我感到心里发闷，甚至对她有些情绪的时候。我喜欢他们全家人，死了的，活 着的，决不让在我们之间有什么隔阂。可怜的哀美琳活着的时候曾为所有的死者写下诗篇， 如今她走了，却没有什么人为了她写诗。这也许是件憾事吧。因此，我曾绞尽脑汁，要为她 写一首挽诗，可是，不知道怎么搞的，诗总是写不成。哀美琳的这间房间，家里人总是整理 得干干净净、清清爽爽，保持着她生前喜爱的那个样子。从没有人在这间房间里睡过。老太 太亲自照料着这间房间，尽管她有的是女黑奴。她往往在这里做针线，阅读她的那本《圣 经》。 至于说到那间大厅，一扇扇窗上都挂着漂亮的窗帘。是白色的，上面画着画，象一些城 堡，藤萝在城墙上往下垂；象走下河边饮水的牛群；等等。大厅里还有一架小小的旧钢琴。 我估猜，钢琴的里面，准有不少的白铁锅吧。年轻的姑娘们唱着一曲“金链寸寸断”①，弹 着一曲“布拉格战役”②，那是再悦耳也没有了。各间房间里的墙壁都是粉过的，大都地板 上铺了地毯。这座房子在墙外一律粉刷得雪白。 ①为失恋者的悲歌。 ②弗朗兹•科茨瓦拉的乐曲，马克•吐温于１８７８年首次听到，认为是不成腔的作 品。 这是一座二合一的大屋子，两所当中有一块宽敞的空地，上面也有屋顶，下面也有地 板，有时候在中午时分在那里摆开一张桌子，委实是个阴凉、舒适的去处，没有法子再好了。 何况饭食既美味，又尽你吃饱哩！ Chapter 17 IN about a minute somebody spoke out of a window without putting his head out, and says: "Be done, boys! Who's there?" I says: "It's me." "Who's me?" "George Jackson, sir." "What do you want?" "I don't want nothing, sir. I only want to go along by, but the dogs won't let me." "What are you prowling around here this time of night for -- hey?" "I warn't prowling around, sir, I fell overboard off of the steamboat." "Oh, you did, did you? Strike a light there, somebody. What did you say your name was?" "George Jackson, sir. I'm only a boy." "Look here, if you're telling the truth you needn't be afraid -- nobody'll hurt you. But don't try to budge; stand right where you are. Rouse out Bob and Tom, some of you, and fetch the guns. George Jackson, is there anybody with you?" "No, sir, nobody." I heard the people stirring around in the house now, and see a light. The man sung out: "Snatch that light away, Betsy, you old fool -- ain't you got any sense? Put it on the floor behind the front door. Bob, if you and Tom are ready, take your places." "All ready." "Now, George Jackson, do you know the Shepherdsons?" "No, sir; I never heard of them." "Well, that may be so, and it mayn't. Now, all ready. Step forward, George Jackson. And mind, don't you hurry -- come mighty slow. If there's anybody with you, let him keep back -- if he shows himself he'll be shot. Come along now. Come slow; push the door open yourself -- just enough to squeeze in, d' you hear?" I didn't hurry; I couldn't if I'd a wanted to. I took one slow step at a time and there warn't a sound, only I thought I could hear my heart. The dogs were as still as the humans, but they followed a little behind me. When I got to the three log doorsteps I heard them unlocking and unbarring and unbolting. I put my hand on the door and pushed it a little and a little more till somebody said, "There, that's enough -- put your head in." I done it, but I judged they would take it off. The candle was on the floor, and there they all was, looking at me, and me at them, for about a quarter of a minute: Three big men with guns pointed at me, which made me wince, I tell you; the oldest, gray and about sixty, the other two thirty or more -- all of them fine and handsome -- and the sweetest old gray-headed lady, and back of her two young women which I couldn't see right well. The old gentleman says: "There; I reckon it's all right. Come in." As soon as I was in the old gentleman he locked the door and barred it and bolted it, and told the young men to come in with their guns, and they all went in a big parlor that had a new rag carpet on the floor, and got together in a corner that was out of the range of the front windows -- there warn't none on the side. They held the candle, and took a good look at me, and all said, "Why, HE ain't a Shepherdson -- no, there ain't any Shepherdson about him." Then the old man said he hoped I wouldn't mind being searched for arms, because he didn't mean no harm by it -- it was only to make sure. So he didn't pry into my pockets, but only felt outside with his hands, and said it was all right. He told me to make myself easy and at home, and tell all about myself; but the old lady says: "Why, bless you, Saul, the poor thing's as wet as he can be; and don't you reckon it may be he's hungry?" "True for you, Rachel -- I forgot." So the old lady says: "Betsy" (this was a nigger woman), you fly around and get him something to eat as quick as you can, poor thing; and one of you girls go and wake up Buck and tell him -- oh, here he is himself. Buck, take this little stranger and get the wet clothes off from him and dress him up in some of yours that's dry." Buck looked about as old as me -- thirteen or fourteen or along there, though he was a little bigger than me. He hadn't on anything but a shirt, and he was very frowzy-headed. He came in gaping and digging one fist into his eyes, and he was dragging a gun along with the other one. He says: "Ain't they no Shepherdsons around?" They said, no, 'twas a false alarm. "Well," he says, "if they'd a ben some, I reckon I'd a got one." They all laughed, and Bob says: "Why, Buck, they might have scalped us all, you've been so slow in coming." "Well, nobody come after me, and it ain't right I'm always kept down; I don't get no show." "Never mind, Buck, my boy," says the old man, "you'll have show enough, all in good time, don't you fret about that. Go 'long with you now, and do as your mother told you." When we got up-stairs to his room he got me a coarse shirt and a roundabout and pants of his, and I put them on. While I was at it he asked me what my name was, but before I could tell him he started to tell me about a bluejay and a young rabbit he had catched in the woods day before yesterday, and he asked me where Moses was when the candle went out. I said I didn't know; I hadn't heard about it before, no way. "Well, guess," he says. "How'm I going to guess," says I, "when I never heard tell of it before?" "But you can guess, can't you? It's just as easy." "WHICH candle?" I says. "Why, any candle," he says. "I don't know where he was," says I; "where was he?" "Why, he was in the DARK! That's where he was!" "Well, if you knowed where he was, what did you ask me for?" "Why, blame it, it's a riddle, don't you see? Say, how long are you going to stay here? You got to stay always. We can just have booming times -- they don't have no school now. Do you own a dog? I've got a dog -- and he'll go in the river and bring out chips that you throw in. Do you like to comb up Sundays, and all that kind of foolishness? You bet I don't, but ma she makes me. Confound these ole britches! I reckon I'd better put 'em on, but I'd ruther not, it's so warm. Are you all ready? All right. Come along, old hoss." Cold corn-pone, cold corn-beef, butter and buttermilk -- that is what they had for me down there, and there ain't nothing better that ever I've come across yet. Buck and his ma and all of them smoked cob pipes, except the nigger woman, which was gone, and the two young women. They all smoked and talked, and I eat and talked. The young women had quilts around them, and their hair down their backs. They all asked me questions, and I told them how pap and me and all the family was living on a little farm down at the bottom of Arkansaw, and my sister Mary Ann run off and got married and never was heard of no more, and Bill went to hunt them and he warn't heard of no more, and Tom and Mort died, and then there warn't nobody but just me and pap left, and he was just trimmed down to nothing, on account of his troubles; so when he died I took what there was left, because the farm didn't belong to us, and started up the river, deck passage, and fell overboard; and that was how I come to be here. So they said I could have a home there as long as I wanted it. Then it was most daylight and everybody went to bed, and I went to bed with Buck, and when I waked up in the morning, drat it all, I had forgot what my name was. So I laid there about an hour trying to think, and when Buck waked up I says: "Can you spell, Buck?" "Yes," he says. "I bet you can't spell my name," says I. "I bet you what you dare I can," says he. "All right," says I, "go ahead." "G-e-o-r-g-e J-a-x-o-n -- there now," he says. "Well," says I, "you done it, but I didn't think you could. It ain't no slouch of a name to spell -- right off without studying." I set it down, private, because somebody might want ME to spell it next, and so I wanted to be handy with it and rattle it off like I was used to it. It was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too. I hadn't seen no house out in the country before that was so nice and had so much style. It didn't have an iron latch on the front door, nor a wooden one with a buckskin string, but a brass knob to turn, the same as houses in town. There warn't no bed in the parlor, nor a sign of a bed; but heaps of parlors in towns has beds in them. There was a big fireplace that was bricked on the bottom, and the bricks was kept clean and red by pouring water on them and scrubbing them with another brick; sometimes they wash them over with red water-paint that they call Spanish-brown, same as they do in town. They had big brass dog-irons that could hold up a sawlog. There was a clock on the middle of the mantelpiece, with a picture of a town painted on the bottom half of the glass front, and a round place in the middle of it for the sun, and you could see the pendulum swinging behind it. It was beautiful to hear that clock tick; and sometimes when one of these peddlers had been along and scoured her up and got her in good shape, she would start in and strike a hundred and fifty before she got tuckered out. They wouldn't took any money for her. Well, there was a big outlandish parrot on each side of the clock, made out of something like chalk, and painted up gaudy. By one of the parrots was a cat made of crockery, and a crockery dog by the other; and when you pressed down on them they squeaked, but didn't open their mouths nor look different nor interested. They squeaked through underneath. There was a couple of big wild-turkey-wing fans spread out behind those things. On the table in the middle of the room was a kind of a lovely crockery basket that bad apples and oranges and peaches and grapes piled up in it, which was much redder and yellower and prettier than real ones is, but they warn't real because you could see where pieces had got chipped off and showed the white chalk, or whatever it was, underneath. This table had a cover made out of beautiful oilcloth, with a red and blue spread-eagle painted on it, and a painted border all around. It come all the way from Philadelphia, they said. There was some books, too, piled up perfectly exact, on each corner of the table. One was a big family Bible full of pictures. One was Pilgrim's Progress, about a man that left his family, it didn't say why. I read considerable in it now and then. The statements was interesting, but tough. Another was Friendship's Offering, full of beautiful stuff and poetry; but I didn't read the poetry. Another was Henry Clay's Speeches, and another was Dr. Gunn's Family Medicine, which told you all about what to do if a body was sick or dead. There was a hymn book, and a lot of other books. And there was nice split-bottom chairs, and perfectly sound, too -- not bagged down in the middle and busted, like an old basket. They had pictures hung on the walls -- mainly Washingtons and Lafayettes, and battles, and Highland Marys, and one called "Signing the Declaration." There was some that they called crayons, which one of the daughters which was dead made her own self when she was only fifteen years old. They was different from any pictures I ever see before -- blacker, mostly, than is common. One was a woman in a slim black dress, belted small under the armpits, with bulges like a cabbage in the middle of the sleeves, and a large black scoop-shovel bonnet with a black veil, and white slim ankles crossed about with black tape, and very wee black slippers, like a chisel, and she was leaning pensive on a tombstone on her right elbow, under a weeping willow, and her other hand hanging down her side holding a white handkerchief and a reticule, and underneath the picture it said "Shall I Never See Thee More Alas." Another one was a young lady with her hair all combed up straight to the top of her head, and knotted there in front of a comb like a chair-back, and she was crying into a handkerchief and had a dead bird laying on its back in her other hand with its heels up, and underneath the picture it said "I Shall Never Hear Thy Sweet Chirrup More Alas." There was one where a young lady was at a window looking up at the moon, and tears running down her cheeks; and she had an open letter in one hand with black sealing wax showing on one edge of it, and she was mashing a locket with a chain to it against her mouth, and underneath the picture it said "And Art Thou Gone Yes Thou Art Gone Alas." These was all nice pictures, I reckon, but I didn't somehow seem to take to them, because if ever I was down a little they always give me the fan-tods. Everybody was sorry she died, because she had laid out a lot more of these pictures to do, and a body could see by what she had done what they had lost. But I reckoned that with her disposition she was having a better time in the graveyard. She was at work on what they said was her greatest picture when she took sick, and every day and every night it was her prayer to be allowed to live till she got it done, but she never got the chance. It was a picture of a young woman in a long white gown, standing on the rail of a bridge all ready to jump off, with her hair all down her back, and looking up to the moon, with the tears running down her face, and she had two arms folded across her breast, and two arms stretched out in front, and two more reaching up towards the moon -- and the idea was to see which pair would look best, and then scratch out all the other arms; but, as I was saying, she died before she got her mind made up, and now they kept this picture over the head of the bed in her room, and every time her birthday come they hung flowers on it. Other times it was hid with a little curtain. The young woman in the picture had a kind of a nice sweet face, but there was so many arms it made her look too spidery, seemed to me. This young girl kept a scrap-book when she was alive, and used to paste obituaries and accidents and cases of patient suffering in it out of the Presbyterian Observer, and write poetry after them out of her own head. It was very good poetry. This is what she wrote about a boy by the name of Stephen Dowling Bots that fell down a well and was drownded: ODE TO STEPHEN DOWLING BOTS, DEC'D And did young Stephen sicken, And did young Stephen die? And did the sad hearts thicken, And did the mourners cry? No; such was not the fate of Young Stephen Dowling Bots; Though sad hearts round him thickened, 'Twas not from sickness' shots. No whooping-cough did rack his frame, Nor measles drear with spots; Not these impaired the sacred name Of Stephen Dowling Bots. Despised love struck not with woe That head of curly knots, Nor stomach troubles laid him low, Young Stephen Dowling Bots. O no. Then list with tearful eye, Whilst I his fate do tell. His soul did from this cold world fly By falling down a well. They got him out and emptied him; Alas it was too late; His spirit was gone for to sport aloft In the realms of the good and great. If Emmeline Grangerford could make poetry like that before she was fourteen, there ain't no telling what she could a done by and by. Buck said she could rattle off poetry like nothing. She didn't ever have to stop to think. He said she would slap down a line, and if she couldn't find anything to rhyme with it would just scratch it out and slap down another one, and go ahead. She warn't particular; she could write about anything you choose to give her to write about just so it was sadful. Every time a man died, or a woman died, or a child died, she would be on hand with her "tribute" before he was cold. She called them tributes. The neighbors said it was the doctor first, then Emmeline, then the undertaker -- the undertaker never got in ahead of Emmeline but once, and then she hung fire on a rhyme for the dead person's name, which was Whistler. She warn't ever the same after that; she never complained, but she kinder pined away and did not live long. Poor thing, many's the time I made myself go up to the little room that used to be hers and get out her poor old scrap-book and read in it when her pictures had been aggravating me and I had soured on her a little. I liked all that family, dead ones and all, and warn't going to let anything come between us. Poor Emmeline made poetry about all the dead people when she was alive, and it didn't seem right that there warn't nobody to make some about her now she was gone; so I tried to sweat out a verse or two myself, but I couldn't seem to make it go somehow. They kept Emmeline's room trim and nice, and all the things fixed in it just the way she liked to have them when she was alive, and nobody ever slept there. The old lady took care of the room herself, though there was plenty of niggers, and she sewed there a good deal and read her Bible there mostly. Well, as I was saying about the parlor, there was beautiful curtains on the windows: white, with pictures painted on them of castles with vines all down the walls, and cattle coming down to drink. There was a little old piano, too, that had tin pans in it, I reckon, and nothing was ever so lovely as to hear the young ladies sing "The Last Link is Broken" and play "The Battle of Prague" on it. The walls of all the rooms was plastered, and most had carpets on the floors, and the whole house was whitewashed on the outside. It was a double house, and the big open place betwixt them was roofed and floored, and sometimes the table was set there in the middle of the day, and it was a cool, comfortable place. Nothing couldn't be better. And warn't the cooking good, and just bushels of it too! |
| 第十八章 你知道，格伦基福特上校是位绅士。他从头到脚都是个绅士。他全家也一样。正象俗话 说的，他出生好。这对一个人来说，就如同对一匹马来说，最有值价。道格拉斯寡妇就是这 么说的。至于这位寡妇，谁也没有否认过她是我们镇上第一家贵族人家。我爸爸也总是这么 个说法，尽管他自己的身份，比一条大鲶鱼好不了多少。格伦基福特上校个子挺高，身材细 长，皮色黑里透着苍白，哪儿也找不到一点儿血色。每天早上，总把那瘦瘦的脸刮得干干净 净。他是薄嘴唇，薄鼻翼，高鼻子，浓眉毛。眼睛漆黑，深深地陷在眼眶里，看着你时，不 妨说如同从山洞里朝外望着你。额骨高高的，头发又黑又直，一直拖到肩上。双手又长又 细。他这一辈子，每天穿着一件干净衬衫，从头到脚的一套服式是细帆布做的白色西装，白 得简直刺眼睛。每逢星期天，总是穿一身蓝色的燕尾服，钮扣是黄铜的。他手提一根镶银的 红木手杖。他没有轻浮的气息，丝毫也没有；也从来没有高声说话。为人和蔼可亲——你知 道吧，人们可以感觉到这一点。因此，你也就感觉到了一种信任之感。他有时候微微一笑， 而这是挺动人的。可是一旦他把腰板子那么一挺，如同一根旗竿站立在那里，再加两道浓眉 下目光一闪一闪，那你就一心想往树上爬，然后再探问究竟出了什么事。他毋庸提醒人家注 意自己的行动举止，——不论他在哪里，在他的面前，一个个都有规有矩的。谁都喜欢和他 在一起；他多半总是一片阳光——我的意思是说，他神态象个好天气。一旦他成了层层乌 云，那就半分钟之间，一片黑压压的，可吓人啦；而一旦来了这下子，那就够了，一个星期 之内，准定不会有什么不恰当之事发生。 早上，每当他和老夫人下楼来，全家人从椅子上站起身来，向他们说一声早上好。在他 们两位就坐以前，其他人是不会坐下的。然后由汤姆和鲍勃走到橱柜那儿，取出酒瓶，配好 一杯苦味补酒递给他，他就在手里拿着，等到汤姆和鲍勃的也掺好了，并弯了腰，说一声， “敬两位老人家一杯，”他们稍稍欠一下身子，说声谢谢你们，于是三个全都喝了。鲍勃和 汤姆把一调羹水，倒在他们的杯子里，和剩下的一点儿白糖和威士忌，或者苹果白兰地掺和 起来，递给我和勃克，由我们向两位老人家举杯致敬，喝下了肚。 鲍勃年纪最长，汤姆是老二。个子高高的，肩膀宽宽的，棕色的脸，长长的黑发，两只 黑黑的眼睛，都可说是一表人才。他们从头到脚，一身细帆布服装，跟老绅士一个样。戴的 是宽边的巴拿马帽。 然后再说说夏洛特小姐。她二十五岁，个子高高的，骄傲而挺有气派。不过只要不是在 她生气的时候，她总是挺和气的。可只要她一生气，那就象她父亲一样，立时立刻，叫你蔫 了下去。她长得很美。 再有她的妹妹苏菲亚小姐。不过她是另一种类型。她又文静，又长得甜，象只鸽子。她 才只二十岁。 每一个人都有贴身黑奴侍候——勃克也有。我的贴身黑奴空闲得很，因为我不习惯于叫 人家服侍我。不过，勃克的黑奴整天跑东跑西，忙个不停。 全家人的情况都在这里了。不过，原来还有人的——另外的三个儿子。他们给杀死了。 还有哀美琳，也死了。 老绅士拥有好几处农庄，黑奴在一百个以上。有的日子里，会有许多人汇聚到这里，是 骑了马从十英里或者十五英里以外的地方来的，耽个五六天，在附近的各处、在河上，痛快 地玩一玩。白天，在林子里跳跳舞，野餐。夜晚，在屋里举行舞会。他们大多是这家人的亲 属。男人身上都带了熗。我对你说吧，这些人可称是精英啦。 附近还有另一族贵族人家——一共五六家吧——大多姓歇佛逊的。跟格伦基福特家族相 比，一样格调高，系出名门，又有钱，又气派。歇佛逊家和格伦基福特家使用同一个轮船码 头，离我们这座大屋两英里多路。所以我有时候和大伙儿上那儿去，在那里见到过不少歇佛 逊家的人，一个个骑着骏马。 有一天，勃克和我两人出了门，到林子里打猎。我们听到了朝我们走来的马声。我们正 要穿过大路。勃克说： “快！朝林子里跳！” 我们跳进了林子，透过林子里一簇簇树叶丛朝外张望。不一会儿，一个挺漂亮的小伙子 骑着马沿大道飞奔而来。他骑在马上，态度从容，神态象个军人。他把熗平放在鞍鞒上。这 人我过去见到过的，他是哈尼•歇佛逊。但听得一声熗响，勃克发的子弹从我耳边擦过，哈 尼头上戴的帽子滚落在地。他握紧了熗，径直朝我们藏身的地方冲过来。不过我们可没有耽 搁。我们在林子里奔了起来。林子长得不密，所以我曾几次回头察看，为了好躲掉子弹。我 看到哈尼两次瞄准了勃克。后来他从来处往回转——我猜想，是去找帽子的，不过我没有能 看到。我们一路上奔得不停，直到回到了家。那位老绅士的眼睛亮了一下，有半分钟，—— 据我判断，这往往是欣慰的表示。——随后，脸色平和下来，语气柔和地说： “我不喜欢躲在矮树丛里打熗那种打法。我的孩子，为什么不到大路上去呢？” “爸爸，歇佛逊家才不干呢。他们就喜欢取巧。” 夏洛特小姐呢，在勃克讲述事情的前后经过时，头部挺挺的，活象一位女王。她的鼻翼 张开，两只眼睛忽闪忽闪的。两个兄弟显得挺阴沉，可全都没有说话。苏菲亚小姐呢，一时 间脸色发白。不过，当她知道那个男子没有受伤，脸色就回过来了。 等到我把勃克带到树底下玉米仓房的旁边，光只是我们两人时，我说： “你真的想杀死他么，勃克？” “嗯，我肯定是的。” “他干了什么对不起你的事啊？” “他么？他从没有害过我啊。” “既然这么说，那你又为了什么要杀死他呢？” “啊，没有什么啊，——就只是为了打冤家嘛。” “什么叫打冤家？” “哈，你是在哪儿长大的？你不知道什么叫打冤家？” “从没有听说过啊——说给我听听。” “啊，”勃克说，“打冤家是这么一回事：一个人跟另一个人吵了架，把他杀了。另一 个人的弟兄便杀了他。接下来，其他弟兄们，这是指双方的，就我打你，你打我。再下来， 堂兄弟表兄弟，参加了进来——到后来，一个个都给杀死了，打冤家也就打光了。这是进行 得缓慢的过程，得花很长的时间。” “这里的打冤家有很长的时间了么？” “嗯，这我需要估一估了！是三十年前开始的。或者说，大致是这么久以前吧。为了什 么事发生了什么纠葛吧。然后是上法庭求得解决。判决对一方不利，他就挺身而斗，把胜诉 的一方给熗杀了——他当然会这么干。换了任何哪一位，都会这么干。” “那么是什么纠葛呢，勃克？是争田产么？” “我看也许是吧——我不清楚。” “啊，那么，先开熗的是谁呢？——是一个格伦基福特家的人还是一个歇佛逊家的人？” “老天爷，我怎么知道？是老早的事啦。” “能有人知道么？” “哦，那是的，据我看，我爸爸知道，有些老一辈人知道。不过到如今啊，一开头，最 早是怎么闹起来的，连他们也不知道了。” “死了很多人么，勃克？” “是啊，出殡的机会有的是。不过嘛，也并非总是死人的。我爸爸身上就有几颗子弹， 不过他可并不在乎，因为反正他的身子称起来也不怎么重。鲍勃给人家用长猎刀砍了几下， 汤姆也受过一两次伤。” “今年打死过人么？勃克？” “打死过。我们死了一个，他们那边也死了一个。大概三个月前，我的堂兄弟、十四岁 的勃特骑着马，穿过河对面的林子。他身边没有带武器，这真是他妈的再傻也没有了。在一 处偏僻的地方，他听得身后有马声。一看，是巴第•歇佛逊老头儿，手里拿着熗正飞快赶 来，一头白发迎风乱飘。勃特并没有跳下马来，躲到树丛里，反倒让对方赶上来。于是，两 人赛开了，一个在前飞奔，一个在后紧追，足足奔了五英里多路，老头儿越追越近。到最 后，勃特眼见自己没有希望了，便勒住了马，转过身来，正面朝着人家，于是一熗打进了胸 膛。你知道吧，老头儿赶上前来，把他打倒在地。不过呢，老头儿也并没有多少时间庆祝自 己的好运气。一星期之内，我们这边的人把他给干掉了。” “我看啊，那个老头儿准是个懦夫，勃克。” “我看他可不是个懦夫。怎么说也不是。歇佛逊家的人没有懦夫——一个也不是。格伦 基福特家的人呢，也一个懦夫也没有。是啊，就是那个老头儿有一天跟三个格伦基福特家的 人，三对一干了一仗，干了半个钟头，结果他是赢家。他们这几个人都是骑了马的。他下了 马，躲在一小堆木材后面，把他的马推到前边挡子弹。可是格伦基福特家的人呢，还是骑在 马上，围着老头儿，窜来窜去，熗弹雨点般地对他打去，他的子弹也雨点般朝着他们猛击。 他和他的那匹马淌着血，一瘸一拐地回了家，可歇佛逊家的是给抬回家的——其中一个死 了，另一个第二天死了。不，老弟，要是有人要寻找懦夫的话，他大可不必在歇佛逊家的人 身上白白浪费时间，因为他们从没有这样的孬种。” 下一个星期天，我们都去了教堂。有三英里路远。全都是骑了马去的。男的都带上了 熗，勃克也带了。他们把熗插在两腿当中，或者放在靠墙随手可拿的地方。歇佛逊家的人， 也是这般架势。布讲的道，说的没有什么意思——尽是兄弟般的爱这类叫人听了厌烦的话， 可是人家一个个都说布道布得好，回家的一路之上说个不停，大谈什么信仰啦，积德啦，普 济众生啦，前世注定的天命①啦，等等的，叫我说也说不清还有些什么。总之，在我看来， 这可说是我一生中最难受的星期天啦。 ①诺顿版注：哈克把长老会的两种教义混在一起了，一是前世因缘说，一是天意决 定论，这是以逗笑的文笔表现了边疆人故意把两个词合并起来，从而制造出新的词汇的特色 这样的语言风尚。 吃过中饭以后一个小时，大家一个个在打瞌睡，有坐在椅子上的，有在卧室里的，总 之，气氛挺沉闷。勃克带着一条狗在草地上大模大样在日光下躺着，睡得挺熟。我往我们那 间卧室走去，心想不妨睡个午觉。我见到苏菲亚小姐站在她卧室的门口。她的卧室就在我们 那一间的紧隔壁。她把我带进她的房间，轻轻把门关上，问我喜欢不喜欢她。我说喜欢。她 问我肯不肯替她做件事，并且不告诉别的人。我说我愿意。她就说，她把她的《圣经》忘了 带回来了，是放在教堂里的位子上了，这位子在另外两本书的中间。问我能不能一声不响地 溜出去，到那边把书给她带回来，并且对任何人也不说。我说愿意。于是我一溜烟似地走出 了家门，走到大路上。教堂里没有什么人，也许除了一两只猪吧。因为教堂门上没有上锁， 猪在夏天喜欢上了木条铺的地板①图个凉快。你要是留心注意的话，便可以知道大多数的人 总是不得不去的时候才上教堂，可是猪呢，就不一样。 ①诺顿版注：这种地板用一面刨平的圆木铺成，刨平的一面朝上。 我自己寻思，总是出了什么事吧——一个姑娘家对一本《圣经》这? 于是我把书在手里抖了一抖，一小片纸抖了下来，上面用铅笔写着“两点半”。我找了个 遍，除此以外，什么也没有找到。这意味着什么，我也搞不清，于是我把它放回书里。我回 了家，上了楼，苏菲亚小姐正在门口等着我。她把我一把拉了进去，关上了门，然后往《圣 经》里找，终于找到了那片纸。她看到了上面写的，就显得很高兴。她冷不防一下就抱住了 我，紧紧地搂了搂，还说我是世上最好的孩子，还要我不跟任何人说。一时间，她满脸红通 通的，眼睛闪着亮光，看起来可真是绝色美人。我倒是吃了一惊。不过，我喘过气来，便问 她纸片是怎么一回事。她问我看了没有，我说没有。她问我认得不认得写的字。我告诉她， “不，只认得印刷字体。”她说，这片纸只是起个书签的作用，没有什么别的意思。随后 说，我可以走了，可以玩儿去了。 我走到了河边，把这件事思量了一番。一会儿注意到我那个黑奴跟在我的后面。我们走 到了后面那间大屋子里的人看不到我们身影的地方，他往后、往左右张望了一下，然后走过 来说： “左（乔）治少爷，你要是到下边泥水塘那里去，我指给你看，那么一大堆黑水蛇。” ① ①美国南方特有的一种类似响尾蛇的毒蛇。 我想，这好怪啊，他昨天也这么说过啊。照理他应该知道人家不会那么喜爱黑水蛇，不 会到处去寻觅啊。他究竟是什么个意思呢？所以我说—— “好吧，你头里走吧。” 我跟在后面有半英里多路，他就蹚着泥水塘，泥水没到膝盖骨。又走了半英里路，我们 就走到了一小片平地，地势干燥，密密长满了大树、矮树丛和藤萝。他说： “左（乔）治少爷，你往前走，只要几步路，就可以看见黑水蛇啦。我以前看过，不想 再看了。” 随后，他蹚着泥水马上走开了，才不一会儿，树木把他给遮住，看不见他人了。我摸索 着往里走，到了一小块开阔地段，才只象一间卧室那么大，四周满是青藤，有一个人正在那 里睡着了——天啊，这正是我那老杰姆啊！ 我把他叫醒了。我原以为，又见到了我，他准定会大吃一惊，可是并非如此。他差点儿 哭了起来，他高兴得非同一般，不过并没有吃惊。他说，那天晚上落水以后，他跟在我后边 泅水。我每喊一声，他都听到了的，不过没有回答，因为他不想让人家把他逮住，再一次沦 为奴隶。他说： “我受了点儿双（伤），游不快了，到最后，我掉在你后边相当一段路了。你上岸的时 候，我原想，我能赶上来。我正想朝你叫喊，但是我看到了那座大屋子，我便放慢了。我离 你离得远了些，人家对你说了些什么，我没有听清——我害怕那些勾（狗）——不过，当一 切静了下来，我知道你是进了屋里去了，我便走到了树林子里，等候白天来到。拂晓时分， 你们家的几个黑奴走过来，到田里去干活。他们把我领到这儿来，指点给我这个地方，因为 有水，勾（狗）追踪不到我。每晚上，他们给我东西吃。说说看，你过得怎么样。” “啊，你为什么没有早一点叫我的杰克把我带到这儿来呢，杰姆？” “唉，哈克，在我们还没有想好办法之前，去打搅你有什么用呢？——不过，如今我们 一切太平了。一有机会，我总去买些盆、碗、口粮，晚上我就修补木伐（筏）。” “什么木筏，杰姆？” “我们原来那个木伐（筏）啊。” “你是说我们原来那个木筏没有给撞成碎片片？” “没有，没有撞成碎片片。撞还（坏）了不少——有一头损还（坏）得可厉害——不过 还碍不了大事，只是我们那些东西可全完了。要不是我们往水里扎得那么深，泅得又那么 远，加上天又那么黑，我们又给下（吓）得那么晕头转向，我们原本是可以看到我们的木伐 （筏）的。不过，看到也好，没有看到也好，如今是无所谓了，因为如今木伐（筏）已经整 修得跟原来那个样子差不多了，原来损失掉的东西也给布（补）上了。” “啊，你究竟怎样又把那个木筏给弄回来的呢——是你一把抓住了它的么？” “我已经躲到那边林子里了，怎么能张（抓）住？是这儿几个黑人发现木伐（筏）给一 块礁石当（挡）住了，就在这儿河湾里，他们就把它藏在小河浜里，在柳树的深处。他们为 了争木伐（筏）归谁所有，争得不可开焦（交），很快就给我听到了。我跟他们说，木伐 （筏）本不是他们中间哪一个人的，原本属于你和我的。我还说，你们难道是想从一个白人 少爷手里，把他的财产给夺过去，藏起来？这样，才把他们间的纠葛给解决了。我还给他们 每人一角全（钱），他们这才欢添（天）喜地，但愿以后还有木伐（筏）漂来，好叫他们伐 （发）财。他们对待我可好哩。凡是我要他们为我干些什么，从来不需要我说第二匹 （遍），老弟。那个杰克可是个很好的黑人，为人挺鸡（机）灵。” “是啊，他挺机灵。他没有对我说你在这里。他要我到这儿来，说是要给我看黑水蛇。 要是出了什么事啊，与他可毫不相关。他可以说他自己从没有看见我们两个在一起，这倒也 是实情。” 关于第二天的事，我简直不愿意多说啦。我看还是长话短说吧。我清早醒来，本想翻个 身，再睡一会儿，发现一片寂静——没有任何人走动的声音，这可是异常的事。第二件事我 注意到的，是勃克也已经起了身，人不在了。好，我马上起了身，心里疑疑惑惑的，一边走 下楼梯——四周寂无一人，四下里一片静悄悄。门外边呢，也是一样。我心想，这是怎么一 回事啊？到了堆木场那儿，我遇到了杰克，我说： “怎么一回事啊？” 他说： “你不知道么，左（乔）治少爷？” “不，”我说，“不知道。” “啊，苏菲亚小姐出走啦！她确实出走啦。她是晚上什么一个时候出走的——究竟是什 么一个时间，谁也不知道——是出走去和年轻的哈尼•歇佛逊结昏（婚）去的，知道吧—— 至少人家是这么个说法，是家里给发现的，大约是在半个钟头以前——也许还更早一些—— 我告诉你吧，他们可真是没有耽误一点儿时间。那么样急急忙忙立刻带抢（熗）上马，真是 恐怕你从来也没有见识过。那些妇女也出动了去孤同（鼓动）她们的亲戚们。骚尔老爷和儿 辈们拿了抢（熗），上了马，沿着河边大道追，要想方设法在那个年轻人带着苏菲亚小姐过 河以前抓住他，打死他。我看啊，前途可是匈（凶）多吉少啊。” “勃克没有叫醒我就出去了？” “是啊，我料想他是没有叫醒你。他们不想把你绢（卷）进去。勃克少爷把抢（熗）装 好子弹，说要淡（逮）住一个歇佛逊家的人押回家来，要不然，就是他自个儿玩淡（完 蛋）。我看啊，歇佛逊家的人在那边有的是，他只要有机会，准会谈（逮）一个回来。” 我沿着河边的路拼命往上游赶去。一会儿听到稍远处传来了熗声。等到我能望见堆木场 和轮船停靠的木材堆那边，我拨开树枝和灌木丛使劲往前走，后来找到了一个理想的处所。 我爬上了一棵白杨树，躲在树杈那儿。子弹打不到那里，我就在那里张望。不远处，在这棵 大树的前边，有一排四英尺高的木头堆在那里。我本想躲到木垛后边去的，后来没有去，这 也许是我的运气好。 有四五个人在木场前一片空地上骑着马来回转动，一边咒骂吼叫，想要把沿轮船码头木 垛后边的一对年轻人打死——可就是不能得手。他们这伙人中，每次有人在河边木垛那儿一 露面，就会遭到熗击。那一对年轻人在木垛后边背靠着背，因此对两边都把守得牢牢的。 隔了一会儿，那些人不再骑着马一边转游一边吼叫了。他们骑着马往木场冲过来。就有 一个孩子站了起来，把熗搁在木头上面瞄准，一熗，就有一人翻身落马。其他的人纷纷跳下 了马，抓住受伤的人，抬着往木场那边走过去。正是在这一个时刻，那两个孩子撒腿就跑。 他们跑到了离我这棵树有一半路的时候，对方还没有发现。等到他们一发现，就立刻跳上马 在后紧追。眼看着越追越近，可是仍然无济于事，因为那两个孩子起步早，这时已经赶到木 垛后边躲了起来，又占了对方的上风。这木垛就在我那棵树的前边。两个孩子中，有一个就 是勃克，另一个是细挑个儿的年轻人，大约有十九岁左右。 这些马上的人乱闯了一阵，然后骑着马走开了。等到望不见他们的影子了，我便朝勃克 大叫一声，告诉他我在这里。他起初还弄不清楚我是从树上发出的声音，被吓了一大跳。他 叮嘱我仔细瞭望，一见那些人重新出现，立刻告诉他。还说他们准定是在玩弄鬼花招——不 会走远的。我原来想要从树上爬下来，可是没有下去。这时勃克就一边大哭、一边跳脚，说 他和他的堂兄乔（就是那另一个年轻人）发誓要报今日之仇。说他父亲和两个哥哥给打死 了；敌人方面，也死了两三个人。说歇佛逊家的人设了埋伏。勃克说，他的父亲和他的哥哥 们本应等候他们的亲属来增援以后再行动的——歇佛逊家的人的力量，远远胜过他们。我问 他，那个年轻的哈尼和苏菲亚小姐的情况怎么样。他说，他们已经过了河，平安无事。听到 这么说，我是高兴的。可是勃克是另一个样子。他又气又恨，因为这一天他朝哈尼开了熗， 可是没有打死他—— 象这样的事，我还闻所未闻哩。 突然之间，砰！砰！砰！响起了三四响熗声。那边的人没有骑马，偷偷穿过林子，绕到 他们后边，冲了过来。那两个孩子往河里跳——两人都受了伤——他们往下水划，对方在岸 上对着他们一边射击，一边大叫，“打死他们，打死他们！”我当时是多么难受啊！几乎从 树上栽下来。这种种全部的经过，我也不想叙说了，——要是这样做的话，只会叫我更难 受。我但愿，当初那个夜晚，我根本没有爬上岸来，以致亲眼目击这次的惨祸。我的脑子 里，将永远赶不掉这种种的一切——有好多回，我在梦里还梦见了这种种的一切啊。 我躲在树上，一直躲到天黑，害怕爬下树来。我间或听到远处林子里有熗声。有两回， 我看到有一小伙的人骑着马、带着熗，驰过木材场，因此我估摸着冲突还没有完。我心里万 分沉重，因此打定了主意，从此决不再走近那座房子。因为我寻思，这全是我闯的祸啊！我 推想，那张纸片是苏菲亚小姐要和哈尼•歇佛逊在晚上两点半钟一起出奔。我寻思起来，我 原本应该把这张纸片的事以及她行动的怪异之处告诉她父亲的。这样，他父亲也许会把她关 在房间里不许出来。这么一来，这多么可怕的灾祸就根本不会发生。 我一下了树，就沿着河岸下游偷偷走了一段路。我发现河边躺着两具尸体。我把他们一 步步拖上岸来，然后盖住了他们的脸。随后我就赶快离开。把勃克的脸盖起来的时候，我不 禁哭了一会儿，因为他对我多么好啊。 这时天刚黑。从此以后，我从未走近那座房子。我穿过林子，往泥水塘那边走。杰姆不 在他那片小岛上。我急忙往小河浜那边赶，一路拨开了柳树丛，火烧火燎地只想跳上木筏， 远离这片可怕的土地——可是木筏不见了！我的天啊！我多么惊慌啊！我几乎有一分钟时间 喘不过气来。我使劲吼叫了一声。离我二十五英尺，响起了一个声音： “天啊，难到（道）是你么，老弟？别作申（声）。” 是杰姆的声音——这样美妙的声音，过去可从来没有听到过啊。我在岸边跑了一段路， 登上了木筏，杰姆一把抱住了我。见了我，他真是异常高兴。他说： “上帝保佑你，乖乖。我断定你又丝（死）啦。杰克来过。他说他料想你已经中蛋 （弹）丝（死）了，因为你再也没有回家。所以我这会儿正要把木伐（筏）划到小河浜口口 去。我已经做好准备工作，只要杰克回来告诉我你肯定已丝（死），我就把木伐（筏）划出 去。天啊，见你又回来了，我多么高兴啊，乖乖。” 我说： “好——好极啦。他们再也找不到我啦。他们会以为我已经打死了，尸体往下游漂走了 ——那边确实有些东西会叫他们有这样的想法——所以杰姆啊，别再耽误时间了，赶快朝大 河划去，越快越好。” 木筏向下游走了两英里多路，到了密西西比河的河中间了，我这才放下了心。然后我们 悬挂起了信号灯，断定我们如今又自由、又平安无事了。从昨天起，我一口东西也没有吃 过，因此，杰姆拿出一些玉米饼、酪乳、猪肉、白菜和青菜——味道又烧得可口，世上没有 更好吃的了——我一边吃晚饭，一边和他谈起来，高兴得什么似的。能够离打冤家远远的， 我十分高兴。杰姆呢，能离开那片泥水塘，也十分高兴。我们说，说来说去全世界没有一个 家能赶得上木筏子的。别的地方总是那么别扭、那么憋死人，只有木筏子是另一个天地。在 一只木筏子上啊，你感觉到的，就是自由，就是舒坦，就是轻松愉快①。 ①诺顿版注：有关格伦基福特事件的两章把有关这家人家诗情画意的描写和“打冤 家”的野蛮、不人道、令人生厌的虚骄，形成鲜明对比。并且马克•吐温始终以河上风光与 陆上生活作对比，以淳朴的自然与人性作对比。这章末了一句话，是哈克带有总结性质的体 会。 Chapter 18 COL. GRANGERFORD was a gentleman, you see. He was a gentleman all over; and so was his family. He was well born, as the saying is, and that's worth as much in a man as it is in a horse, so the Widow Douglas said, and nobody ever denied that she was of the first aristocracy in our town; and pap he always said it, too, though he warn't no more quality than a mudcat himself. Col. Grangerford was very tall and very slim, and had a darkish-paly complexion, not a sign of red in it anywheres; he was clean shaved every morning all over his thin face, and he had the thinnest kind of lips, and the thinnest kind of nostrils, and a high nose, and heavy eyebrows, and the blackest kind of eyes, sunk so deep back that they seemed like they was looking out of caverns at you, as you may say. His forehead was high, and his hair was black and straight and hung to his shoulders. His hands was long and thin, and every day of his life he put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to foot made out of linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it; and on Sundays he wore a blue tail-coat with brass buttons on it. He carried a mahogany cane with a silver head to it. There warn't no frivolishness about him, not a bit, and he warn't ever loud. He was as kind as he could be -- you could feel that, you know, and so you had confidence. Sometimes he smiled, and it was good to see; but when he straightened himself up like a liberty-pole, and the lightning begun to flicker out from under his eyebrows, you wanted to climb a tree first, and find out what the matter was afterwards. He didn't ever have to tell anybody to mind their manners -- everybody was always goodmannered where he was. Everybody loved to have him around, too; he was sunshine most always -- I mean he made it seem like good weather. When he turned into a cloudbank it was awful dark for half a minute, and that was enough; there wouldn't nothing go wrong again for a week. When him and the old lady come down in the morning all the family got up out of their chairs and give them good-day, and didn't set down again till they had set down. Then Tom and Bob went to the sideboard where the decanter was, and mixed a glass of bitters and handed it to him, and he held it in his hand and waited till Tom's and Bob's was mixed, and then they bowed and said, "Our duty to you, sir, and madam;" and THEY bowed the least bit in the world and said thank you, and so they drank, all three, and Bob and Tom poured a spoonful of water on the sugar and the mite of whisky or apple brandy in the bottom of their tumblers, and give it to me and Buck, and we drank to the old people too. Bob was the oldest and Tom next -- tall, beautiful men with very broad shoulders and brown faces, and long black hair and black eyes. They dressed in white linen from head to foot, like the old gentleman, and wore broad Panama hats. Then there was Miss Charlotte; she was twentyfive, and tall and proud and grand, but as good as she could be when she warn't stirred up; but when she was she had a look that would make you wilt in your tracks, like her father. She was beautiful. So was her sister, Miss Sophia, but it was a different kind. She was gentle and sweet like a dove, and she was only twenty. Each person had their own nigger to wait on them -- Buck too. My nigger had a monstrous easy time, because I warn't used to having anybody do anything for me, but Buck's was on the jump most of the time. This was all there was of the family now, but there used to be more -- three sons; they got killed; and Emmeline that died. The old gentleman owned a lot of farms and over a hundred niggers. Sometimes a stack of people would come there, horseback, from ten or fifteen mile around, and stay five or six days, and have such junketings round about and on the river, and dances and picnics in the woods daytimes, and balls at the house nights. These people was mostly kinfolks of the family. The men brought their guns with them. It was a handsome lot of quality, I tell you. There was another clan of aristocracy around there -- five or six families -- mostly of the name of Shepherdson. They was as high-toned and well born and rich and grand as the tribe of Grangerfords. The Shepherdsons and Grangerfords used the same steamboat landing, which was about two mile above our house; so sometimes when I went up there with a lot of our folks I used to see a lot of the Shepherdsons there on their fine horses. One day Buck and me was away out in the woods hunting, and heard a horse coming. We was crossing the road. Buck says: "Quick! Jump for the woods!" We done it, and then peeped down the woods through the leaves. Pretty soon a splendid young man come galloping down the road, setting his horse easy and looking like a soldier. He had his gun across his pommel. I had seen him before. It was young Harney Shepherdson. I heard Buck's gun go off at my ear, and Harney's hat tumbled off from his head. He grabbed his gun and rode straight to the place where we was hid. But we didn't wait. We started through the woods on a run. The woods warn't thick, so I looked over my shoulder to dodge the bullet, and twice I seen Harney cover Buck with his gun; and then he rode away the way he come -- to get his hat, I reckon, but I couldn't see. We never stopped running till we got home. The old gentleman's eyes blazed a minute -- 'twas pleasure, mainly, I judged -- then his face sort of smoothed down, and he says, kind of gentle: "I don't like that shooting from behind a bush. Why didn't you step into the road, my boy?" "The Shepherdsons don't, father. They always take advantage." Miss Charlotte she held her head up like a queen while Buck was telling his tale, and her nostrils spread and her eyes snapped. The two young men looked dark, but never said nothing. Miss Sophia she turned pale, but the color come back when she found the man warn't hurt. Soon as I could get Buck down by the corn-cribs under the trees by ourselves, I says: "Did you want to kill him, Buck?" "Well, I bet I did." "What did he do to you?" "Him? He never done nothing to me." "Well, then, what did you want to kill him for?" "Why, nothing -- only it's on account of the feud." "What's a feud?" "Why, where was you raised? Don't you know what a feud is?" "Never heard of it before -- tell me about it." "Well," says Buck, "a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man's brother kills HIM; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the COUSINS chip in -- and by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud. But it's kind of slow, and takes a long time." "Has this one been going on long, Buck?" "Well, I should RECKON! It started thirty year ago, or som'ers along there. There was trouble 'bout something, and then a lawsuit to settle it; and the suit went agin one of the men, and so he up and shot the man that won the suit -- which he would naturally do, of course. Anybody would." "What was the trouble about, Buck? -- land?" "I reckon maybe -- I don't know." "Well, who done the shooting? Was it a Grangerford or a Shepherdson?" "Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago." "Don't anybody know?" "Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old people; but they don't know now what the row was about in the first place." "Has there been many killed, Buck?" "Yes; right smart chance of funerals. But they don't always kill. Pa's got a few buckshot in him; but he don't mind it 'cuz he don't weigh much, anyway. Bob's been carved up some with a bowie, and Tom's been hurt once or twice." "Has anybody been killed this year, Buck?" "Yes; we got one and they got one. 'Bout three months ago my cousin Bud, fourteen year old, was riding through the woods on t'other side of the river, and didn't have no weapon with him, which was blame' foolishness, and in a lonesome place he hears a horse a-coming behind him, and sees old Baldy Shepherdson a-linkin' after him with his gun in his hand and his white hair a-flying in the wind; and 'stead of jumping off and taking to the brush, Bud 'lowed he could outrun him; so they had it, nip and tuck, for five mile or more, the old man a-gaining all the time; so at last Bud seen it warn't any use, so he stopped and faced around so as to have the bullet holes in front, you know, and the old man he rode up and shot him down. But he didn't git much chance to enjoy his luck, for inside of a week our folks laid HIM out." "I reckon that old man was a coward, Buck." "I reckon he WARN'T a coward. Not by a blame' sight. There ain't a coward amongst them Shepherdsons -- not a one. And there ain't no cowards amongst the Grangerfords either. Why, that old man kep' up his end in a fight one day for half an hour against three Grangerfords, and come out winner. They was all a-horseback; he lit off of his horse and got behind a little woodpile, and kep' his horse before him to stop the bullets; but the Grangerfords stayed on their horses and capered around the old man, and peppered away at him, and he peppered away at them. Him and his horse both went home pretty leaky and crippled, but the Grangerfords had to be FETCHED home -- and one of 'em was dead, and another died the next day. No, sir; if a body's out hunting for cowards he don't want to fool away any time amongst them Shepherdsons, becuz they don't breed any of that KIND." Next Sunday we all went to church, about three mile, everybody a-horseback. The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching -- all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith and good works and free grace and preforeordestination, and I don't know what all, that it did seem to me to be one of the roughest Sundays I had run across yet. About an hour after dinner everybody was dozing around, some in their chairs and some in their rooms, and it got to be pretty dull. Buck and a dog was stretched out on the grass in the sun sound asleep. I went up to our room, and judged I would take a nap myself. I found that sweet Miss Sophia standing in her door, which was next to ours, and she took me in her room and shut the door very soft, and asked me if I liked her, and I said I did; and she asked me if I would do something for her and not tell anybody, and I said I would. Then she said she'd forgot her Testament, and left it in the seat at church between two other books, and would I slip out quiet and go there and fetch it to her, and not say nothing to nobody. I said I would. So I slid out and slipped off up the road, and there warn't anybody at the church, except maybe a hog or two, for there warn't any lock on the door, and hogs likes a puncheon floor in summer-time because it's cool. If you notice, most folks don't go to church only when they've got to; but a hog is different. Says I to myself, something's up; it ain't natural for a girl to be in such a sweat about a Testament. So I give it a shake, and out drops a little piece of paper with "HALF-PAST TWO" wrote on it with a pencil. I ransacked it, but couldn't find anything else. I couldn't make anything out of that, so I put the paper in the book again, and when I got home and upstairs there was Miss Sophia in her door waiting for me. She pulled me in and shut the door; then she looked in the Testament till she found the paper, and as soon as she read it she looked glad; and before a body could think she grabbed me and give me a squeeze, and said I was the best boy in the world, and not to tell anybody. She was mighty red in the face for a minute, and her eyes lighted up, and it made her powerful pretty. I was a good deal astonished, but when I got my breath I asked her what the paper was about, and she asked me if I had read it, and I said no, and she asked me if I could read writing, and I told her "no, only coarse-hand," and then she said the paper warn't anything but a book-mark to keep her place, and I might go and play now. I went off down to the river, studying over this thing, and pretty soon I noticed that my nigger was following along behind. When we was out of sight of the house he looked back and around a second, and then comes a-running, and says: "Mars Jawge, if you'll come down into de swamp I'll show you a whole stack o' water-moccasins." Thinks I, that's mighty curious; he said that yesterday. He oughter know a body don't love watermoccasins enough to go around hunting for them. What is he up to, anyway? So I says: "All right; trot ahead." I followed a half a mile; then he struck out over the swamp, and waded ankle deep as much as another half-mile. We come to a little flat piece of land which was dry and very thick with trees and bushes and vines, and he says: "You shove right in dah jist a few steps, Mars Jawge; dah's whah dey is. I's seed 'm befo'; I don't k'yer to see 'em no mo'." Then he slopped right along and went away, and pretty soon the trees hid him. I poked into the place a-ways and come to a little open patch as big as a bedroom all hung around with vines, and found a man laying there asleep -- and, by jings, it was my old Jim! I waked him up, and I reckoned it was going to be a grand surprise to him to see me again, but it warn't. He nearly cried he was so glad, but he warn't surprised. Said he swum along behind me that night, and heard me yell every time, but dasn't answer, because he didn't want nobody to pick HIM up and take him into slavery again. Says he: "I got hurt a little, en couldn't swim fas', so I wuz a considable ways behine you towards de las'; when you landed I reck'ned I could ketch up wid you on de lan' 'dout havin' to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go slow. I 'uz off too fur to hear what dey say to you -- I wuz 'fraid o' de dogs; but when it 'uz all quiet agin I knowed you's in de house, so I struck out for de woods to wait for day. Early in de mawnin' some er de niggers come along, gwyne to de fields, en dey tuk me en showed me dis place, whah de dogs can't track me on accounts o' de water, en dey brings me truck to eat every night, en tells me how you's a-gitt'n along." "Why didn't you tell my Jack to fetch me here sooner, Jim?" "Well, 'twarn't no use to 'sturb you, Huck, tell we could do sumfn -- but we's all right now. I ben abuyin' pots en pans en vittles, as I got a chanst, en apatchin' up de raf' nights when --" "WHAT raft, Jim?" "Our ole raf'." "You mean to say our old raft warn't smashed all to flinders?" "No, she warn't. She was tore up a good deal -- one en' of her was; but dey warn't no great harm done, on'y our traps was mos' all los'. Ef we hadn' dive' so deep en swum so fur under water, en de night hadn' ben so dark, en we warn't so sk'yerd, en ben sich punkin-heads, as de sayin' is, we'd a seed de raf'. But it's jis' as well we didn't, 'kase now she's all fixed up agin mos' as good as new, en we's got a new lot o' stuff, in de place o' what 'uz los'." "Why, how did you get hold of the raft again, Jim -- did you catch her?" "How I gwyne to ketch her en I out in de woods? No; some er de niggers foun' her ketched on a snag along heah in de ben', en dey hid her in a crick 'mongst de willows, en dey wuz so much jawin' 'bout which un 'um she b'long to de mos' dat I come to heah 'bout it pooty soon, so I ups en settles de trouble by tellin' 'um she don't b'long to none uv um, but to you en me; en I ast 'm if dey gwyne to grab a young white genlman's propaty, en git a hid'n for it? Den I gin 'm ten cents apiece, en dey 'uz mighty well satisfied, en wisht some mo' raf's 'ud come along en make 'm rich agin. Dey's mighty good to me, dese niggers is, en whatever I wants 'm to do fur me I doan' have to ast 'm twice, honey. Dat Jack's a good nigger, en pooty smart." "Yes, he is. He ain't ever told me you was here; told me to come, and he'd show me a lot of watermoccasins. If anything happens HE ain't mixed up in it. He can say he never seen us together, and it 'll be the truth." I don't want to talk much about the next day. I reckon I'll cut it pretty short. I waked up about dawn, and was a-going to turn over and go to sleep again when I noticed how still it was -- didn't seem to be anybody stirring. That warn't usual. Next I noticed that Buck was up and gone. Well, I gets up, a-wondering, and goes down stairs -- nobody around; everything as still as a mouse. Just the same outside. Thinks I, what does it mean? Down by the woodpile I comes across my Jack, and says: "What's it all about?" Says he: "Don't you know, Mars Jawge?" "No," says I, "I don't." "Well, den, Miss Sophia's run off! 'deed she has. She run off in de night some time -- nobody don't know jis' when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson, you know -- leastways, so dey 'spec. De fambly foun' it out 'bout half an hour ago -- maybe a little mo' -- en' I TELL you dey warn't no time los'. Sich another hurryin' up guns en hosses YOU never see! De women folks has gone for to stir up de relations, en ole Mars Saul en de boys tuck dey guns en rode up de river road for to try to ketch dat young man en kill him 'fo' he kin git acrost de river wid Miss Sophia. I reck'n dey's gwyne to be mighty rough times." "Buck went off 'thout waking me up." "Well, I reck'n he DID! Dey warn't gwyne to mix you up in it. Mars Buck he loaded up his gun en 'lowed he's gwyne to fetch home a Shepherdson or bust. Well, dey'll be plenty un 'm dah, I reck'n, en you bet you he'll fetch one ef he gits a chanst." I took up the river road as hard as I could put. By and by I begin to hear guns a good ways off. When I came in sight of the log store and the woodpile where the steamboats lands I worked along under the trees and brush till I got to a good place, and then I clumb up into the forks of a cottonwood that was out of reach, and watched. There was a wood-rank four foot high a little ways in front of the tree, and first I was going to hide behind that; but maybe it was luckier I didn't. There was four or five men cavorting around on their horses in the open place before the log store, cussing and yelling, and trying to get at a couple of young chaps that was behind the wood-rank alongside of the steamboat landing; but they couldn't come it. Every time one of them showed himself on the river side of the woodpile he got shot at. The two boys was squatting back to back behind the pile, so they could watch both ways. By and by the men stopped cavorting around and yelling. They started riding towards the store; then up gets one of the boys, draws a steady bead over the wood-rank, and drops one of them out of his saddle. All the men jumped off of their horses and grabbed the hurt one and started to carry him to the store; and that minute the two boys started on the run. They got half way to the tree I was in before the men noticed. Then the men see them, and jumped on their horses and took out after them. They gained on the boys, but it didn't do no good, the boys had too good a start; they got to the woodpile that was in front of my tree, and slipped in behind it, and so they had the bulge on the men again. One of the boys was Buck, and the other was a slim young chap about nineteen years old. The men ripped around awhile, and then rode away. As soon as they was out of sight I sung out to Buck and told him. He didn't know what to make of my voice coming out of the tree at first. He was awful surprised. He told me to watch out sharp and let him know when the men come in sight again; said they was up to some devilment or other -- wouldn't be gone long. I wished I was out of that tree, but I dasn't come down. Buck begun to cry and rip, and 'lowed that him and his cousin Joe (that was the other young chap) would make up for this day yet. He said his father and his two brothers was killed, and two or three of the enemy. Said the Shepherdsons laid for them in ambush. Buck said his father and brothers ought to waited for their relations -- the Shepherdsons was too strong for them. I asked him what was become of young Harney and Miss Sophia. He said they'd got across the river and was safe. I was glad of that; but the way Buck did take on because he didn't manage to kill Harney that day he shot at him -- I hain't ever heard anything like it. All of a sudden, bang! bang! bang! goes three or four guns -- the men had slipped around through the woods and come in from behind without their horses! The boys jumped for the river -- both of them hurt -- and as they swum down the current the men run along the bank shooting at them and singing out, "Kill them, kill them!" It made me so sick I most fell out of the tree. I ain't a-going to tell ALL that happened -- it would make me sick again if I was to do that. I wished I hadn't ever come ashore that night to see such things. I ain't ever going to get shut of them -- lots of times I dream about them. I stayed in the tree till it begun to get dark, afraid to come down. Sometimes I heard guns away off in the woods; and twice I seen little gangs of men gallop past the log store with guns; so I reckoned the trouble was still a-going on. I was mighty downhearted; so I made up my mind I wouldn't ever go anear that house again, because I reckoned I was to blame, somehow. I judged that that piece of paper meant that Miss Sophia was to meet Harney somewheres at half-past two and run off; and I judged I ought to told her father about that paper and the curious way she acted, and then maybe he would a locked her up, and this awful mess wouldn't ever happened. When I got down out of the tree I crept along down the river bank a piece, and found the two bodies laying in the edge of the water, and tugged at them till I got them ashore; then I covered up their faces, and got away as quick as I could. I cried a little when I was covering up Buck's face, for he was mighty good to me. It was just dark now. I never went near the house, but struck through the woods and made for the swamp. Jim warn't on his island, so I tramped off in a hurry for the crick, and crowded through the willows, red-hot to jump aboard and get out of that awful country. The raft was gone! My souls, but I was scared! I couldn't get my breath for most a minute. Then I raised a yell. A voice not twenty-five foot from me says: "Good lan'! is dat you, honey? Doan' make no noise." It was Jim's voice -- nothing ever sounded so good before. I run along the bank a piece and got aboard, and Jim he grabbed me and hugged me, he was so glad to see me. He says: "Laws bless you, chile, I 'uz right down sho' you's dead agin. Jack's been heah; he say he reck'n you's ben shot, kase you didn' come home no mo'; so I's jes' dis minute a startin' de raf' down towards de mouf er de crick, so's to be all ready for to shove out en leave soon as Jack comes agin en tells me for certain you IS dead. Lawsy, I's mighty glad to git you back again, honey. I says: "All right -- that's mighty good; they won't find me, and they'll think I've been killed, and floated down the river -- there's something up there that 'll help them think so -- so don't you lose no time, Jim, but just shove off for the big water as fast as ever you can." I never felt easy till the raft was two mile below there and out in the middle of the Mississippi. Then we hung up our signal lantern, and judged that we was free and safe once more. I hadn't had a bite to eat since yesterday, so Jim he got out some corn-dodgers and buttermilk, and pork and cabbage and greens -- there ain't nothing in the world so good when it's cooked right -- and whilst I eat my supper we talked and had a good time. I was powerful glad to get away from the feuds, and so was Jim to get away from the swamp. We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. |
第十九章 两三个白天和夜晚就这么过去了。我看我不妨说是漂过去了，那么宁静、那么顺当、那 么甜美地滑过去了。我们是这样消磨时光的。一到下游那边，只见一条大得吓人的大河—— 有的地方河面有一英里半开阔。我们在夜晚行驶；白天，便躲起来。夜快尽了，我们便停止 航行，把筏子靠岸——总是靠在一处沙洲水流平静的地段，然后砍下白杨和柳树的嫩枝，把 木筏子给遮盖起来。随后我们放好钓鱼竿。接下来我们溜下水去，游它一下，提提精神，凉 快凉快。然后我们在沙滩上坐下来，在那里，水只有膝盖深。我们就迎接白天的到来。到处 没有一点儿声音——万籁俱寂——仿佛整个儿世界沉沉入睡了，只是偶然有牛蛙叫几声。往 水面上望去，首先看到的是灰蒙蒙的一条线——那是河对岸的树林子——别的便什么也看不 清——接着是天空中有一点儿鱼肚白；然后鱼肚白多了些，逐渐朝四周散开去；接下来，远 处河水的颜色淡了些，不是那么黑了，而是灰灰的了。更远处，可以看到小小的黑点子在漂 过来——那是些载货的驳船之类。还有黑黑的一长条——那是木筏子。有时能听到长桨吱吱 地响，或者一些杂音。四周这么寂静，声音又来自很远的远方。过了一会儿，你看到一道水 纹。凭了水纹的模样，你知道那里有一块礁石，急流朝着它冲过去，流水飞溅，成了这个模 样。你看到，雾气袅袅上升，离开水面，东方红了起来，河面红了起来。你可以看到对岸河 边树林子边上一处原木搭成的小屋，那可能是一个木材场，在那里堆着的一堆堆木材，中间 却是空的，容得狗钻来钻去，为了能叫人家上当①。然后微风轻拂，从河上一阵阵吹来，那 么凉凉的，那么清新，闻起来那么甜美，这是全凭了那些树林子和那些鲜花的缘故。可有时 候也并非全是如此美妙。因为人们把死鱼扔得到处都是，象尖嘴鱼之类，弄得臭不可闻，然 后是大白天来到了，万物在阳光下微笑，百鸟在争鸣。 ①诺顿版注：当时木材买卖论堆，木头当中的空隙也算在内，因而堆放时往往故意 搞成空隙。 到这时，有点儿炊烟不会惹人注意，我们便从鱼钩上取下几条鱼，煮一顿热呼呼的早 饭。然后我们便面对着河上的寂寞，懒洋洋地、懒洋洋地睡了过去。等到慢慢醒来，看看情 况，也许会看到一只轮船一路喘着气，往上游开去。只因为是在对岸老远的地方，所以除了 它的明轮是装在船两旁或是在船尾之外，什么也看不清。并且在一个钟点以后，连听也听不 见什么了，看也看不见什么了——留下的只是一片冷清。再隔一个时候，你也许会看到一只 木筏老远地滑过水面。也许上面会有一个楞头楞脑的小伙子在劈木柴，因为木筏子上总有人 干这个活。你会看到斧头一闪，朝下一劈——声音你是听不到的；又见斧头往上举起，举到 人头那么高，然后喀嚓一声——从水上经过一些时间才传到你耳朵里。我们在白天里就是这 么懒洋洋，这么懒懒散散，在一片寂静之中凝听着。有一会浓雾沉沉，河上驶过的木筏之 类，一路上敲打着白铁锅，免得自己被轮船撞翻。有时候一只驳船或者一只木筏贴近我们开 过去，离我们这么近，说话声、咒骂声、调笑声，声声入耳——听得一清二楚，就只是看不 见人的影子。这叫人浑身汗毛直竖，仿佛是精灵在天空中显灵。杰姆说，他肯定那是精灵， 不过我说： “不，精灵不会说什么‘开（该）死的雾’啊什么的”。 没有多久，天黑了，我们就出发。我们漂到河中心的时候，听任它自然地漂，由它随水 漂到哪儿就是哪儿。我们点燃了烟斗，两脚泡到水里面，谈天说地——不论白天、黑夜，我 们通常总是光着身子，只要没有蚊子咬——勃克家的人给我做的新衣服，做得太讲究了，穿 起来浑身不自在。再说，对衣服，我可从来不讲究。 有的时候，很长一段时间里，偌大一条大河全归我们所有。那边是河岸，是一些岛屿， 和我们隔水相望。也许会有一点微光闪闪——是船舱里的一支烛光——有的时候，你会在河 面上见到一两处闪光——是木筏子上的，或是驳船上的。也许你还能听到一处船上传来提琴 声或者歌声。生活在木筏子上，这是何等美妙。头上的天空是我们的，正布满着一闪一闪的 的星星。我们朝天躺着，仰望着星星。我们议论着这些星星是造出来的呢，还是自然而然地 生成的——杰姆认为是造出来的，我呢，认为是自然而然生成的。我断定，要造这么多，该 要多少多少时间啊，费的时间太长啦。杰姆说，这些是月亮下的蛋。啊，这仿佛也有道理， 因此我没有说什么反对的意见。因为我见到过一只青蛙便能下好多好多的卵，因此这也是做 得到的。我们也留心看着星星掉下来，看着它划过天空。杰姆认为，这些星星是变坏了，这 才被从窝里扔了出来。 每天晚上，我们总有一两回看到一只轮船轻手轻脚在暗地里溜过去，从烟囱里喷出一大 簇火花来，象雨点般地落在水面上，煞是好看。然后它拐过一个弯，灯不亮了，吵闹声停下 来了，留下的是一片寂静的大河。轮船卷起的水浪，在它开走以后好久才流到我们的面前， 把木筏轻轻摇动几下。在这以后，你耳朵里一片寂然，有好长好长一段时间里一片寂然，只 是偶然传来青蛙的叫声。 半夜过后，岸上的人都上床了。有两三个钟头，岸上一片漆黑——木屋的窗内也看不见 灯光了。这些灯光就是我们的钟表——第一道灯光表明早晨正在来临。这样，我们就会马上 寻找一处地方，好躲藏起来，并且把木筏子系好①。 有一天拂晓时分，我发现了一只独木小船②，便划过了一道狭窄的急流靠到岸边——只 有两百码路——然后划进了一英里外柏树林子里一条小河浜，看能不能摘些浆果。我正经过 一处牛走的小道，跨进小河滨，忽听得有两个人在小路上飞奔而来。我想这下子我可完啦。 因为每逢有人追什么人，我总以为追的是我——要不然，就是杰姆。我正想赶快溜，可是他 们已经逼近我了，还喊出了声，苦苦哀求我救他们一命。——还说他们并没有干什么坏事， 可人家却要追捕他们——后面正有一伙人带着狗在追来。他们想要马上跳上木筏，不过我说： “别跳。我还没有听到后边的狗和马的声音嘛，你们还有时间闯过灌木林子，往小河浜 上游走一小段路，再下到水里，蹚到下边我这里来，然后上木筏子来——这样，狗就闻不到 气味啦。” ①诺顿版注：以上是马克•吐温的名篇之一，写了回到了木筏子上的自由天地，写 了河上风光，洋溢着抒情色彩。这样的抒写，刚好插在两次有关人类暴行的描叙的中间，一 是前面的“打冤家”，另一是后面要写的冒充国王与公爵的丑态；一个有悲剧性，另一个有 讽刺喜剧性，插在中间的抒情性，与之形成鲜明对照。 ②《文库》本注：十六章本来已写到哈克他们已丢失了独木小舟，后来作者续写时写成 “我上了那独木小舟”，校清样时发现错了，于是改写成“我找到了一只独木小舟”，这样 便可以继续抒写作者所熟悉的密西西比河两岸的风物人情。 他们就照我的话做了。他们一上筏子，我就开往一处沙洲。三五分钟后，我们听到远处 狗啊，人啊，吵做一团。从声音听来，他们是往小河浜来的，不过我们没有看到他们。仿佛 他们在那里停了下来，转了一会儿。在这个时间里，我们愈走愈远，后来就根本听不见他们 的声音了。等到我们离林子一英里多路，驶进了大河，一切平静了下来。我们划到了沙洲那 边，躲到了白杨树丛里，就平安无事了。 两人中有一个七十岁光景，也许更大些，秃头，胡子快白了。头戴一顶宽边软呢帽，身 穿一件油腻腻的蓝色羊毛衬衣，一条破破烂烂的蓝斜纹布旧裤子，裤脚塞在靴筒里，背腰用 家织的两条背带吊着——不，只剩了一条了。他胳膊上搭着一件蓝斜纹布旧上衣，钉着亮堂 堂的铜扣子，下摆老长①。两人各提着一只用毡子做的又大又肥的旧提包。 ①哈克不识燕尾服，才这样形容。 另一个人呢，有三十上下，一样的穷酸打扮。早饭过后，我们躺下来闲聊。首先暴露出 来的一件事，却是这两个家伙谁也不认识谁。 “你遇到了什么麻烦啦？”秃头问另一个人。 “我在推销一种去牙垢的药水——这药水确实能去掉牙垢，往往连牙磁也一块儿去掉— —不过，错就错在我不该多住了一个夜晚。我正要溜走的时候，半路上在镇子的这一头碰到 了你。你对我说，人家正在追你，要我帮你一把，摆脱他们。我就对你说，我正遇到麻烦， 自身难保，那就跟你一道溜之大吉吧。事情的全部经过便是这样，——你的呢？” “啊，我正在那边搞点儿重振戒酒运动的事，大致搞了个把星期。告诉你吧，娘儿们， 不论大的小的，都挺宠我，因为我把那些酒鬼描画得够他们受的。一个晚上，我能得五六块 大洋——一人一毛，儿童、黑奴免收——生意好兴隆。不料，昨晚上，有人到处散布一个小 道消息，说我私下里藏着一罐子酒，自个儿偷偷地喝。今早上，一个黑奴叫醒了我，说人家 正在静悄悄集合起来，带着狗，带着马，马上要来聚齐。他们会先放我一码，先走半个钟 头，然后他们就追上我。追上以后，肯定要给我浇柏油，撒羽毛，骑木杠①。我没有等到吃 早饭就溜啦——反正我不饿②。” “老头子，”那个年轻的说，“我看，我们两个不妨来一搭一档，你看如何？” “我不反对。你的行当——主要的——是什么？” “就职业来说，是个打零工的印刷工人③。还干点儿医药、演员——你知道吧，演悲 剧。有机会时，搞点儿催眠和摸头颅算算命。为了换换口味，也曾在歌唱——地理学校教过 书，偶尔来次演讲④，——哦，我能干不少行当哩——多半是什么方便就干什么，所以也算 不上什么职业。你的行当呢？”⑤“我干的是行医的，干了不少时候。我的拿手好戏是‘按 手’——专治癌症，半身不遂，诸如此类⑥。我算个命还挺准的，只要有人替我把事情打听 个明白。传道也是我的一行，还有野营会啊，巡回布道啊，等等的。 ①《文库》本注：十九世纪美国盛行私刑，南方尤甚。将犯众怒的人身上浇热的柏 油，上撒羽毛。另外有一种叫受刑的人骑在一根劈开的圆木尖利的一边上，抬着游街。这类 私刑，往往造成重伤，甚至致死。 ②喝了半夜的酒，故不饿。 ③四处漂泊打零工的印刷工人。马克•吐温本人十八岁——十九岁时便当过印刷工人。 ④当时的地理学校，把地理知识编成歌曲教学生唱，以便学生易记。 ⑤诺顿版注：当时有关西部开发的作品中往往有行骗的流浪汉这类人物，马克•吐温的 特色在于把笔下的两个人写得充分的个性化。 ⑥当时南方落后、迷信，故有这种用祷告、念咒治病的。 大家沉默了一会儿，后来那个年轻人叹了一口气，说道： “可叹啊！” “你叹些什么啊，”秃头说。 “我落得如此一个下场，堕落得跟这伙人为伍，想起来也可叹。”他用一块破布头抹抹 眼角。 “他妈的，这伙人有哪一点配不上你？”秃头说。话说得相当不客气。 “是啊，是配得上我，也是我该受的。是谁把我从那么高贵弄成这么低贱？还不是我自 己。我不责怪你们，先生们——不光如此，我谁也不怪，是我自作自受。叫冷酷的世界露出 它的凶相吧。有一点我是清楚的——反正世界上总有我一块葬身之地。这世界会照样的转， 并且从我身边把一切都夺过去——我爱的人，财产，一切的一切——可就是这一个它拿不 走。有一天，我将长眠在那里，并且把种种的一切忘得一干二净。我那破碎的心将永久安 息。”他一边又擦起泪来。“收起你那可怜见的破碎的心吧！”秃头说，“你那颗可怜见的 破碎的心朝着我们唏嘘悲叹干什么呀？我们可没有害过你啊。” “是的，我知道你们没有害过我。先生们，我不是在责怪你们。我自己把自己从上面掉 了下来，——是的，我咎由自取。我理当受难——完全活该——我决不哼一声。” “从什么地方掉了下来？你从什么地方把自己掉了下来？” “啊，说来你们也不会相信。全世界也永远不会相信——随它去吧——一切无关紧要。 我出身的那个秘密——” “你出身的秘密？你的意思是说——” “先生们，”那个年轻人非常庄严地说，“我现在向你们透露，因为我觉得我对你们是 信任的。从出身的权利来说，我是一个公爵。” 一听见这话，杰姆的眼睛鼓鼓的。我看啊，我自己也如此。随后，秃头说，“不！你不 可能是这个意思。” “是的。我的曾祖父，勃里奇华特公爵的长子，在上世纪末，逃亡到这个国家来，好呼 吸最纯粹的自由的空气。在这里结的婚，死在这个国家，留下了一个儿子，而他自己的父亲 呢，也差不多在同一个时候逝世的。已故公爵的次子夺取了爵位和财产——可那个真正的公 爵、那个婴儿，却被抛在一边。我就是那个婴儿的直系后代——我才是名正言顺的勃里奇华 特公爵。如今我就在这里，形单影只，被剥夺了高位的尊荣，遭到人家的追捕，冷酷的世界 白眼相加，衣衫褴褛，心灵破碎，落难到与木筏子上的罪人为伍！” 杰姆对他无限同情，我也如此。我们试图安慰安慰他。不过他说，这于事无补，他不可 能得到多大安慰。他说，要是我们有心认可他是公爵，那就会比任何其它的事更有价值了。 我们就说我们有心，并且问他该怎么一个做法。他说，我们该在对他说话的时候对他鞠躬， 并且称他为“大人”，或者说“我的爵爷”，或者“爵爷大人”——还说，如果我们光称他 为“勃里奇华特”，他也不会介意。他说，那反正是一个封号，而不是一个人的姓名。还 说，在吃饭的时候，我们应该有一个人在他边上侍候他，还做些他希望他们干的零星小事。 啊，这好办，我们就照办了。吃饭的时候，杰姆自始至终站在边上，侍候着他，还说， “大人，你来点这个，或者来点那个？”如此等等。旁人一看就知道他对这样做挺满意。 不过那个老头儿一会儿不作声了——没有多话要说的，对围着公爵团团转的吹捧那一 套，仿佛不很舒服，好象他心里有些什么。所以到了下午，他开口了： “听我说，毕奇华特，”①他说，“我真是为你难过极了，不过嘛，象你那样落难的， 你可并非是唯一的一个。” ①冒充的公爵自称是勃里奇华特（Bridgewater）公爵，老头儿仿佛不经意，念成了 毕奇华特（Bildgewater）公爵。毕奇华特，乃船舱里的污水，又脏又臭，这是水上人家都 知道的。 “不是唯一的一个？” “不是的。你不是唯一的一个。象你这样从高位给人家违反正义，一口咬住，拖下来 的，可并不是唯一的一个。” “可叹啊！” “不，怀有出身的秘密的，你并非是唯一的一个。”真糟糕，他竟哭了起来。 “等一等！你这是什么意思？” “毕奇华特，我能信得过你么？”那老头儿说，一边还不停地呜呜咽咽。 “我要是靠不住，天诛地灭。”他握住了老头儿的手，紧紧握着，并且说，“把你的来 历的秘密说出来吧！” “毕奇华特，我是当年的法国皇太子！” 你准能猜得到，这一回啊，杰姆和我可吓了一大跳。随后公爵说： “你是什么啊？” “是的，我的朋友，——这可是千真万确——你的眼睛现今这一刻看到的是可怜的、失 踪的路埃十七，路埃十六和曼雷•安东纳特的儿子①。” “你呀！就凭你这个岁数！没有那么回事②！你莫非要说你是当年的查理曼么③？至少 至少，你非得是六百岁、七百岁的人吧。” ①骗子把路易说成路埃，把安东埃纳特说成安东纳特，连国王、王后的名字都说不全。 ②诺顿版注：法国王太子如果当时活着，应该只有五十多岁，可见冒充者的年龄不合。 ③查理曼，佛兰克斯和罗马帝国大帝，死于８１４年。 “都怨我遭的劫难啊，毕奇华特。劫难招来了这一切。劫难叫我头发白了，额头未老先 秃。是啊，先生们，你们看到了，在你们面前，是身穿蓝布裤子，身陷灾祸、漂泊、流亡、 被糟塌、受苦受难的合法的法国国王。” 啊，他一边说，一边伤心痛哭，叫我和杰姆简直不知道怎么办才好。我们非常难过—— 又非常高兴，非常骄傲，因为能有他和我们在一起。于是我们就凑上前来，象刚才对待公爵 那样，试图安慰安慰他。不过他说，这于事无补，除非人死了，一了百了。不过他又说，要 是人家按他的名分对待他，对他说话时，双膝跪下，并且总是称呼他“皇上”，吃饭时第一 件事是侍奉他，在他面前非经面谕，不敢坐下。如果那样的话，他总会感觉到舒服一些，好 过一些。因此，杰姆和我就称呼他为皇上，为了侍候他，做这做那，当他的面站得直挺挺 的，一直要等到他发了话。叫我们坐下为止。这样百般地侍候他，他就变得高兴起来，舒坦 起来了。不过公爵对他还有点儿酸溜溜的，对这般光景仿佛有所不满。可国王还是主动对他 表示真情实意的友好。国王说，公爵的曾祖父和其他的毕奇华特公爵曾经得到他先父的恩 宠，经常被召入宫内。只是公爵还是有好长时间在睹气。后来国王说： “毕奇华特，说不定我们得在这个木筏子上，耽在一起一个相当长的时光，你这样酸溜 溜的有什么用呢？只能叫大家心里不痛快。我并非生来就是一个公爵，这不是我的过错；你 并非生来就是一个国王，这也不是你的过错——因此，干吗要烦那个心？我说啊，随遇而安 ——这是我的座右铭。我们碰巧在这里相聚，这也并非是件坏事——吃的还丰富，活的还清 闲——好，把你的手给我，公爵，让我们交个朋友。” 公爵依着他的话做了。杰姆和我眼见这一切，心里挺高兴的。种种不快，一扫而光，我 们都觉得高高兴兴的。如果在木筏子上彼此不和，这该多么倒霉，在木筏子上，人家图的便 是能一个个感到心满意足，对别人合情合理，和和气气。 我无需多长时间，就在心里断定了：根本不是什么国王、公爵，而是下三烂、骗子手。 不过我从没有说出口来，从没有露出口风，只是自个儿心里明白。还是这样最好，免得争 吵，也不致招来麻烦。要是他们要我们称呼他们皇上，公爵什么的，我们也不反对，只要这 一家子能保个太平。再说，把实情告诉杰姆，也没有什么好处，所以我就没有告诉他。也许 从我爸爸那里我从没有学到什么有益的东西，只是除了一件，那就是，和这么一类人相处， 最好的办法是：他们爱干什么，就随他们干什么。 Chapter 19 TWO or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely. Here is the way we put in the time. It was a monstrous big river down there -- sometimes a mile and a half wide; we run nights, and laid up and hid daytimes; soon as night was most gone we stopped navigating and tied up -- nearly always in the dead water under a towhead; and then cut young cottonwoods and willows, and hid the raft with them. Then we set out the lines. Next we slid into the river and had a swim, so as to freshen up and cool off; then we set down on the sandy bottom where the water was about knee deep, and watched the daylight come. Not a sound anywheres -- perfectly still -- just like the whole world was asleep, only sometimes the bullfrogs a-cluttering, maybe. The first thing to see, looking away over the water, was a kind of dull line -- that was the woods on t'other side; you couldn't make nothing else out; then a pale place in the sky; then more paleness spreading around; then the river softened up away off, and warn't black any more, but gray; you could see little dark spots drifting along ever so far away -- trading scows, and such things; and long black streaks -- rafts; sometimes you could hear a sweep screaking; or jumbled up voices, it was so still, and sounds come so far; and by and by you could see a streak on the water which you know by the look of the streak that there's a snag there in a swift current which breaks on it and makes that streak look that way; and you see the mist curl up off of the water, and the east reddens up, and the river, and you make out a log-cabin in the edge of the woods, away on the bank on t'other side of the river, being a woodyard, likely, and piled by them cheats so you can throw a dog through it anywheres; then the nice breeze springs up, and comes fanning you from over there, so cool and fresh and sweet to smell on account of the woods and the flowers; but sometimes not that way, because they've left dead fish laying around, gars and such, and they do get pretty rank; and next you've got the full day, and everything smiling in the sun, and the song-birds just going it! A little smoke couldn't be noticed now, so we would take some fish off of the lines and cook up a hot breakfast. And afterwards we would watch the lonesomeness of the river, and kind of lazy along, and by and by lazy off to sleep. Wake up by and by, and look to see what done it, and maybe see a steamboat coughing along up-stream, so far off towards the other side you couldn't tell nothing about her only whether she was a stern-wheel or side-wheel; then for about an hour there wouldn't be nothing to hear nor nothing to see -- just solid lonesomeness. Next you'd see a raft sliding by, away off yonder, and maybe a galoot on it chopping, because they're most always doing it on a raft; you'd see the axe flash and come down -- you don't hear nothing; you see that axe go up again, and by the time it's above the man's head then you hear the K'CHUNK! -- it had took all that time to come over the water. So we would put in the day, lazying around, listening to the stillness. Once there was a thick fog, and the rafts and things that went by was beating tin pans so the steamboats wouldn't run over them. A scow or a raft went by so close we could hear them talking and cussing and laughing -- heard them plain; but we couldn't see no sign of them; it made you feel crawly; it was like spirits carrying on that way in the air. Jim said he believed it was spirits; but I says: "No; spirits wouldn't say, 'Dern the dern fog.'" Soon as it was night out we shoved; when we got her out to about the middle we let her alone, and let her float wherever the current wanted her to; then we lit the pipes, and dangled our legs in the water, and talked about all kinds of things -- we was always naked, day and night, whenever the mosquitoes would let us -- the new clothes Buck's folks made for me was too good to be comfortable, and besides I didn't go much on clothes, nohow. Sometimes we'd have that whole river all to ourselves for the longest time. Yonder was the banks and the islands, across the water; and maybe a spark -- which was a candle in a cabin window; and sometimes on the water you could see a spark or two -- on a raft or a scow, you know; and maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song coming over from one of them crafts. It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. Jim he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; I judged it would have took too long to MAKE so many. Jim said the moon could a LAID them; well, that looked kind of reasonable, so I didn't say nothing against it, because I've seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it could be done. We used to watch the stars that fell, too, and see them streak down. Jim allowed they'd got spoiled and was hove out of the nest. Once or twice of a night we would see a steamboat slipping along in the dark, and now and then she would belch a whole world of sparks up out of her chimbleys, and they would rain down in the river and look awful pretty; then she would turn a corner and her lights would wink out and her powwow shut off and leave the river still again; and by and by her waves would get to us, a long time after she was gone, and joggle the raft a bit, and after that you wouldn't hear nothing for you couldn't tell how long, except maybe frogs or something. After midnight the people on shore went to bed, and then for two or three hours the shores was black -- no more sparks in the cabin windows. These sparks was our clock -- the first one that showed again meant morning was coming, so we hunted a place to hide and tie up right away. One morning about daybreak I found a canoe and crossed over a chute to the main shore -- it was only two hundred yards -- and paddled about a mile up a crick amongst the cypress woods, to see if I couldn't get some berries. Just as I was passing a place where a kind of a cowpath crossed the crick, here comes a couple of men tearing up the path as tight as they could foot it. I thought I was a goner, for whenever anybody was after anybody I judged it was ME -- or maybe Jim. I was about to dig out from there in a hurry, but they was pretty close to me then, and sung out and begged me to save their lives -- said they hadn't been doing nothing, and was being chased for it -- said there was men and dogs a-coming. They wanted to jump right in, but I says: "Don't you do it. I don't hear the dogs and horses yet; you've got time to crowd through the brush and get up the crick a little ways; then you take to the water and wade down to me and get in -- that'll throw the dogs off the scent." They done it, and soon as they was aboard I lit out for our towhead, and in about five or ten minutes we heard the dogs and the men away off, shouting. We heard them come along towards the crick, but couldn't see them; they seemed to stop and fool around a while; then, as we got further and further away all the time, we couldn't hardly hear them at all; by the time we had left a mile of woods behind us and struck the river, everything was quiet, and we paddled over to the towhead and hid in the cottonwoods and was safe. One of these fellows was about seventy or upwards, and had a bald head and very gray whiskers. He had an old battered-up slouch hat on, and a greasy blue woollen shirt, and ragged old blue jeans britches stuffed into his boot-tops, and home-knit galluses -- no, he only had one. He had an old long-tailed blue jeans coat with slick brass buttons flung over his arm, and both of them had big, fat, ratty-looking carpet-bags. The other fellow was about thirty, and dressed about as ornery. After breakfast we all laid off and talked, and the first thing that come out was that these chaps didn't know one another. "What got you into trouble?" says the baldhead to t'other chap. "Well, I'd been selling an article to take the tartar off the teeth -- and it does take it off, too, and generly the enamel along with it -- but I stayed about one night longer than I ought to, and was just in the act of sliding out when I ran across you on the trail this side of town, and you told me they were coming, and begged me to help you to get off. So I told you I was expecting trouble myself, and would scatter out WITH you. That's the whole yarn -- what's yourn? "Well, I'd ben a-running' a little temperance revival thar 'bout a week, and was the pet of the women folks, big and little, for I was makin' it mighty warm for the rummies, I TELL you, and takin' as much as five or six dollars a night -- ten cents a head, children and niggers free -- and business a-growin' all the time, when somehow or another a little report got around last night that I had a way of puttin' in my time with a private jug on the sly. A nigger rousted me out this mornin', and told me the people was getherin' on the quiet with their dogs and horses, and they'd be along pretty soon and give me 'bout half an hour's start, and then run me down if they could; and if they got me they'd tar and feather me and ride me on a rail, sure. I didn't wait for no breakfast -- I warn't hungry." "Old man," said the young one, "I reckon we might double-team it together; what do you think?" "I ain't undisposed. What's your line -- mainly?" "Jour printer by trade; do a little in patent medicines; theater-actor -- tragedy, you know; take a turn to mesmerism and phrenology when there's a chance; teach singing-geography school for a change; sling a lecture sometimes -- oh, I do lots of things -- most anything that comes handy, so it ain't work. What's your lay?" "I've done considerble in the doctoring way in my time. Layin' on o' hands is my best holt -- for cancer and paralysis, and sich things; and I k'n tell a fortune pretty good when I've got somebody along to find out the facts for me. Preachin's my line, too, and workin' camp-meetin's, and missionaryin' around." Nobody never said anything for a while; then the young man hove a sigh and says: "Alas!" "What 're you alassin' about?" says the baldhead. "To think I should have lived to be leading such a life, and be degraded down into such company." And he begun to wipe the corner of his eye with a rag. "Dern your skin, ain't the company good enough for you?" says the baldhead, pretty pert and uppish. " Yes, it IS good enough for me; it's as good as I deserve; for who fetched me so low when I was so high? I did myself. I don't blame YOU, gentlemen -- far from it; I don't blame anybody. I deserve it all. Let the cold world do its worst; one thing I know -- there's a grave somewhere for me. The world may go on just as it's always done, and take everything from me -- loved ones, property, everything; but it can't take that. Some day I'll lie down in it and forget it all, and my poor broken heart will be at rest." He went on a-wiping. "Drot your pore broken heart," says the baldhead; "what are you heaving your pore broken heart at US f'r? WE hain't done nothing." "No, I know you haven't. I ain't blaming you, gentlemen. I brought myself down -- yes, I did it myself. It's right I should suffer -- perfectly right -- I don't make any moan." "Brought you down from whar? Whar was you brought down from?" "Ah, you would not believe me; the world never believes -- let it pass -- 'tis no matter. The secret of my birth --" "The secret of your birth! Do you mean to say --" "Gentlemen," says the young man, very solemn, "I will reveal it to you, for I feel I may have confidence in you. By rights I am a duke!" Jim's eyes bugged out when he heard that; and I reckon mine did, too. Then the baldhead says: "No! you can't mean it?" "Yes. My great-grandfather, eldest son of the Duke of Bridgewater, fled to this country about the end of the last century, to breathe the pure air of freedom; married here, and died, leaving a son, his own father dying about the same time. The second son of the late duke seized the titles and estates -- the infant real duke was ignored. I am the lineal descendant of that infant -- I am the rightful Duke of Bridgewater; and here am I, forlorn, torn from my high estate, hunted of men, despised by the cold world, ragged, worn, heart-broken, and degraded to the companionship of felons on a raft!" Jim pitied him ever so much, and so did I. We tried to comfort him, but he said it warn't much use, he couldn't be much comforted; said if we was a mind to acknowledge him, that would do him more good than most anything else; so we said we would, if he would tell us how. He said we ought to bow when we spoke to him, and say "Your Grace," or "My Lord," or "Your Lordship" -- and he wouldn't mind it if we called him plain "Bridgewater," which, he said, was a title anyway, and not a name; and one of us ought to wait on him at dinner, and do any little thing for him he wanted done. Well, that was all easy, so we done it. All through dinner Jim stood around and waited on him, and says, "Will yo' Grace have some o' dis or some o' dat?" and so on, and a body could see it was mighty pleasing to him. But the old man got pretty silent by and by -- didn't have much to say, and didn't look pretty comfortable over all that petting that was going on around that duke. He seemed to have something on his mind. So, along in the afternoon, he says: "Looky here, Bilgewater," he says, "I'm nation sorry for you, but you ain't the only person that's had troubles like that." "No?" "No you ain't. You ain't the only person that's ben snaked down wrongfully out'n a high place." "Alas!" "No, you ain't the only person that's had a secret of his birth." And, by jings, HE begins to cry. "Hold! What do you mean?" "Bilgewater, kin I trust you?" says the old man, still sort of sobbing. "To the bitter death!" He took the old man by the hand and squeezed it, and says, "That secret of your being: speak!" "Bilgewater, I am the late Dauphin!" You bet you, Jim and me stared this time. Then the duke says: "You are what?" "Yes, my friend, it is too true -- your eyes is lookin' at this very moment on the pore disappeared Dauphin, Looy the Seventeen, son of Looy the Sixteen and Marry Antonette." "You! At your age! No! You mean you're the late Charlemagne; you must be six or seven hundred years old, at the very least." "Trouble has done it, Bilgewater, trouble has done it; trouble has brung these gray hairs and this premature balditude. Yes, gentlemen, you see before you, in blue jeans and misery, the wanderin', exiled, trampled-on, and sufferin' rightful King of France." Well, he cried and took on so that me and Jim didn't know hardly what to do, we was so sorry -- and so glad and proud we'd got him with us, too. So we set in, like we done before with the duke, and tried to comfort HIM. But he said it warn't no use, nothing but to be dead and done with it all could do him any good; though he said it often made him feel easier and better for a while if people treated him according to his rights, and got down on one knee to speak to him, and always called him "Your Majesty," and waited on him first at meals, and didn't set down in his presence till he asked them. So Jim and me set to majestying him, and doing this and that and t'other for him, and standing up till he told us we might set down. This done him heaps of good, and so he got cheerful and comfortable. But the duke kind of soured on him, and didn't look a bit satisfied with the way things was going; still, the king acted real friendly towards him, and said the duke's great-grandfather and all the other Dukes of Bilgewater was a good deal thought of by HIS father, and was allowed to come to the palace considerable; but the duke stayed huffy a good while, till by and by the king says: "Like as not we got to be together a blamed long time on this h-yer raft, Bilgewater, and so what's the use o' your bein' sour? It 'll only make things oncomfortable. It ain't my fault I warn't born a duke, it ain't your fault you warn't born a king -- so what's the use to worry? Make the best o' things the way you find 'em, says I -- that's my motto. This ain't no bad thing that we've struck here -- plenty grub and an easy life -- come, give us your hand, duke, and le's all be friends." The duke done it, and Jim and me was pretty glad to see it. It took away all the uncomfortableness and we felt mighty good over it, because it would a been a miserable business to have any unfriendliness on the raft; for what you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everybody to be satisfied, and feel right and kind towards the others. It didn't take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn't no kings nor dukes at all, but just low-down humbugs and frauds. But I never said nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it's the best way; then you don't have no quarrels, and don't get into no trouble. If they wanted us to call them kings and dukes, I hadn't no objections, 'long as it would keep peace in the family; and it warn't no use to tell Jim, so I didn't tell him. If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way. |
