Whateveryourschemewas，ithadsenseinit，Blake’sopiniontothecontrarynotwithstanding。Idon’taskyoutorevealit，butIwillsupposeacase——acasewhichyouwillanswerasastartingpointfortherealthingIamgoingtocomeat，andthat’sallIwant。
Youofferedfivehundreddollarsfortheknife，andfivehundredforthethief。Wewillsuppose，forargument’ssake，thatthefirstrewardis_advertised_andthesecondofferedby_privateletter_topawnbrokersand——\"
Blakeslappedhisthigh，andcriedout：
\"ByJackson，he’sgotyou，Pudd’nhead！Nowwhycouldn’tI
or_any_foolhavethoughtofthat？\"
Wilsonsaidtohimself，\"Anybodywithareasonablygoodheadwouldhavethoughtofit。IamnotsurprisedthatBlakedidn’tdetectit;
IamonlysurprisedthatTomdid。ThereismoretohimthanIsupposed。\"Hesaidnothingaloud，andTomwenton：
\"Verywell。Thethiefwouldnotsuspectthattherewasatrap，andhewouldbringorsendtheknife，andsayheboughtitforasong，orfounditintheroad，orsomethinglikethat，andtrytocollectthereward，andbearrested——wouldn’the？\"
\"Yes，\"saidWilson。
\"Ithinkso，\"saidTom。\"Therecan’tbeanydoubtofit。
Haveyoueverseenthatknife？\"
\"No。\"
\"Hasanyfriendofyours？\"
\"NotthatIknowof。\"
\"Well，IbegintothinkIunderstandwhyyourschemefailed。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean，Tom？Whatareyoudrivingat？\"askedWilson，withadawningsenseofdiscomfort。
\"Why，thatthere_isn’t_anysuchknife。\"
\"Lookhere，Wilson，\"saidBlake，\"TomDriscoll’sright，forathousanddollars——ifIhadit。\"
Wilson’sbloodwarmedalittle，andhewonderedifhehadbeenplayeduponbythosestrangers;itcertainlyhadsomethingofthatlook。
Butwhatcouldtheygainbyit？Hethrewoutthatsuggestion。
Tomreplied：
\"Gain？Oh，nothingthatyouwouldvalue，maybe。Buttheyarestrangersmakingtheirwayinanewcommunity。IsitnothingtothemtoappearaspetsofanOrientalprince——atnoexpense？Itisnothingtothemtobeabletodazzlethispoortownwiththousand—dollarrewards——atnoexpense？Wilson，thereisn’tanysuchknife，oryourschemewouldhavefetchedittolight。Orifthereisanysuchknife，they’vegotityet。Ibelieve，myself，thatthey’veseensuchaknife，forAngelopictureditoutwithhispenciltooswiftlyandhandilyforhimtohavebeeninventingit，andofcourseIcan’tswearthatthey’veneverhadit;butthisI’llgobailfor——iftheyhaditwhentheycametothistown，they’vegotityet。\"
Blakesaid：
\"Itlooksmightyreasonable，thewayTomputsit;itmostcertainlydoes。\"
Tomresponded，turningtoleave：
\"Youfindtheoldwoman，Blake，andifshecan’tfurnishtheknife，goandsearchthetwins！\"
Tomsaunteredaway。Wilsonfeltagooddealdepressed。Hehardlyknewwhattothink。Hewasloathtowithdrawhisfaithfromthetwins，andwasresolvednottodoitonthepresentindecisiveevidence;
but——well，hewouldthink，andthendecidehowtoact。
\"Blake，whatdoyouthinkofthismatter？\"
\"Well，Pudd’nhead，I’mboundtosayIputitupthewayTomdoes。
Theyhadn’ttheknife;oriftheyhadit，they’vegotityet。\"
Themenparted。Wilsonsaidtohimself：
\"Ibelievetheyhadit;ifithadbeenstolen，theschemewouldhaverestoredit，thatiscertain。AndsoIbelievethey’vegotit。\"
Tomhadnopurposeinhismindwhenheencounteredthosetwomen。
Whenhebeganhistalkhehopedtobeabletogallthemalittleandgetatrifleofmaliciousentertainmentoutofit。
Butwhenheleft，heleftingreatspirits，forheperceivedthatjustbypureluckandnotroublesomelaborhehadaccomplishedseveraldelightfulthings：hehadtouchedbothmenonarawspotandseenthemsquirm;hehadmodifiedWilson’ssweetnessforthetwinswithonesmallbittertastethathewouldn’tbeabletogetoutofhismouthrightaway;and，bestofall，hehadtakenthehatedtwinsdownapegwiththecommunity;forBlakewouldgossiparoundfreely，afterthemannerofdetectives，andwithinaweekthetownwouldbelaughingattheminitssleeveforofferingagaudyrewardforabaublewhichtheyeitherneverpossessedorhadn’tlost。Tomwasverywellsatisfiedwithhimself。
Tom’sbehaviorathomehadbeenperfectduringtheentireweek。
Hisuncleandaunthadseennothinglikeitbefore。Theycouldfindnofaultwithhimanywhere。
SaturdayeveninghesaidtotheJudge：
\"I’vehadsomethingpreyingonmymind，uncle，andasIamgoingaway，andmightneverseeyouagain，Ican’tbearitanylonger。
ImadeyoubelieveIwasafraidtofightthatItalianadventurer。
Ihadtogetoutofitonsomepretextorother，andmaybeI
chosebadly，beingtakenunawares，butnohonorablepersoncouldconsenttomeethiminthefield，knowingwhatIknewabouthim。\"
\"Indeed？Whatwasthat？\"
\"CountLuigiisaconfessedassassin。\"
\"Incredible。\"
\"It’sperfectlytrue。Wilsondetecteditinhishand，bypalmistry，andchargedhimwithit，andcorneredhimupsoclosethathehadtoconfess;butbothtwinsbeggedusontheirkneestokeepthesecret，andsworetheywouldleadstraightliveshere;anditwasallsopitifulthatwegaveourwordofhonornevertoexposethemwhiletheykeptthepromise。Youwouldhavedoneityourself，uncle。\"
\"Youareright，myboy;Iwould。Aman’ssecretisstillhisownproperty，andsacred，whenithasbeensurprisedoutofhimlikethat。Youdidwell，andIamproudofyou。\"
Thenheaddedmournfully，\"ButIwishIcouldhavebeensavedtheshameofmeetinganassassinonthefieldonhonor。\"
\"Itcouldn’tbehelped，uncle。IfIhadknownyouweregoingtochallengehim，Ishouldhavefeltobligedtosacrificemypledgedwordinordertostopit，butWilsoncouldn’tbeexpectedtodootherwisethankeepsilent。\"
\"Oh，no，Wilsondidright，andisinnowaytoblame。Tom，Tom，youhaveliftedaheavyloadfrommyheart;IwasstungtotheverysoulwhenIseemedtohavediscoveredthatIhadacowardinmyfamily。\"
\"YoumayimaginewhatitcostMEtoassumesuchapart，uncle。\"
\"Oh，Iknowit，poorboy，Iknowit。AndIcanunderstandhowmuchithascostyoutoremainunderthatunjuststigmatothistime。
Butitisallrightnow，andnoharmisdone。Youhaverestoredmycomfortofmind，andwithityourown;andbothofushadsufferedenough。\"
Theoldmansatawhileplungedinthought;thenhelookedupwithasatisfiedlightinhiseye，andsaid：\"ThatthisassassinshouldhaveputtheaffrontuponmeoflettingmemeethimonthefieldofhonorasifhewereagentlemanisamatterwhichIwillpresentlysettle——butnotnow。Iwillnotshoothimuntilafterelection。
Iseeawaytoruinthembothbefore;Iwillattendtothatfirst。
Neitherofthemshallbeelected，thatIpromise。
Youaresurethatthefactthatheisanassassinhasnotgotabroad？\"
\"Perfectlycertainofit，sir。\"
\"Itwillbeagoodcard。Iwillflingahintatitfromthestumponthepollingday。Itwillsweepthegroundfromunderbothofthem。\"
\"There’snotadoubtofit。Itwillfinishthem。\"
\"Thatandoutsideworkamongthevoterswill，toacertainty。
Iwantyoutocomedownherebyandbyandworkprivatelyamongtherag—tagandbobtail。Youshallspendmoneyamongthem;
Iwillfurnishit。\"
Anotherpointscoredagainstthedetestedtwins！ReallyitwasagreatdayforTom。Hewasencouragedtochanceapartingshot，now，atthesametarget，anddidit。
\"YouknowthatwonderfulIndianknifethatthetwinshavebeenmakingsuchato—doabout？Well，there’snotrackortraceofityet;
sothetownisbeginningtosneerandgossipandlaugh。
Halfthepeoplebelievetheyneverhadanysuchknife，theotherhalfbelievetheyhaditandhavegotitstill。
I’veheardtwentypeopletalkinglikethattoday。\"
Yes，Tom’sblemishlessweekhadrestoredhimtothefavorofhisauntanduncle。
Hismotherwassatisfiedwithhim，too。Privately，shebelievedshewascomingtolovehim，butshedidnotsayso。ShetoldhimtogoalongtoSt。Louisnow，andshewouldgetreadyandfollow。
Thenshesmashedherwhiskybottleandsaid：
\"Dahnow！I’sa—gwinetomakeyouwalkasstraightasastring，Chambers，ensoI’sbown，youain’tgwinetogitnobadexampleouto’yo’mammy。Itoleyouyoucouldn’tgointonobadcomp’ny。
Well，you’sgwineintomycomp’ny，enI’sgwinetofilldebill。
Now，den，trotalong，trotalong！\"
Tomwentaboardoneofthebigtransientboatsthatnightwithhisheavysatchelofmiscellaneousplunder，andsleptthesleepoftheunjust，whichisserenerandsounderthantheotherkind，asweknowbythehanging—evehistoryofamillionrascals。
Butwhenhegotupinthemorning，luckwasagainsthimagain：
abrotherthiefhadrobbedhimwhileheslept，andgoneashoreatsomeintermediatelanding。
CHAPTER16
SoldDowntheRiverIfyoupickupastarvingdogandmakehimprosperous，hewillnotbiteyou。Thisistheprincipaldifferencebetweenadogandaman。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarWeallknowaboutthehabitsoftheant，weknowallaboutthehabitsofthebee，butweknownothingatallaboutthehabitsoftheoyster。Itseemsalmostcertainthatwehavebeenchoosingthewrongtimeforstudyingtheoyster。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarWhenRoxanaarrived，shefoundhersoninsuchdespairandmiserythatherheartwastouchedandhermotherhoodroseupstronginher。Hewasruinedpasthopenow;hisdestructionwouldbeimmediateandsure，andhewouldbeanoutcastandfriendless。
Thatwasreasonenoughforamothertoloveachild;
soshelovedhim，andtoldhimso。Itmadehimwince，secretly——
forshewasa\"nigger。\"Thathewasonehimselfwasfarfromreconcilinghimtothatdespisedrace。
Roxanapouredoutendearmentsuponhim，towhichherespondeduncomfortably，butaswellashecould。
Andshetriedtocomforthim，butthatwasnotpossible。
Theseintimaciesquicklybecamehorribletohim，andwithinthehourbegantotrytogetupcourageenoughtotellherso，andrequirethattheybediscontinuedorveryconsiderablymodified。
Buthewasafraidofher;andbesides，therecamealullnow，forshehadbeguntothink。Shewastryingtoinventasavingplan。
Finallyshestartedup，andsaidshehadfoundawayout。Tomwasalmostsuffocatedbythejoyofthissuddengoodnews。Roxanasaid：
\"Hereisdeplan，enshe’llwin，sure。I’sanigger，ennobodyain’tgwinetodoubtitdathearsmetalk。
I’swuthsixhund’ddollahs。Takeensellme，enpayoffdesegamblers。\"
Tomwasdazed。Hewasnotsurehehadheardaright。
Hewasdumbforamoment;thenhesaid：
\"Doyoumeanthatyouwouldbesoldintoslaverytosaveme？\"
\"Ain’tyoumychile？Endoesyouknowanythingdatamotherwon’tdoforherchile？Dayain’tnothin’awhitemotherwon’tdoforherchile。Whomade’emso？DeLorddoneit。
Enwhomadedeniggers？DeLordmade’em。Indeinside，mothersisalldesame。Degoodlordhemade’emso。I’sgwinetobesoleintoslavery，eninayearyou’sgwinetobuyyo’olemammyfreeag’in。
I’llshowyouhow。Dat’sdeplan。\"
Tom’shopesbegantorise，andhisspiritsalongwiththem。Hesaid：
\"It’slovelyofyou，Mammy——it’sjust——\"
\"Sayitag’in！Enkeeponsayin’it！It’salldepayabodykinwantindisworl’，enit’smo’denenough。
Lawsblessyou，honey，whenI’sslav’aroun’，endey’busesme，ifIknowsyou’sa—sayin’dat，’wayoffyondersomers，it’llhealupalldesoreplaces，enIkinstan’’em。\"
\"IDOsayitagain，Mammy，andI’llkeeponsayingit，too。
ButhowamIgoingtosellyou？You’refree，youknow。\"
\"Muchdiff’rencedatmake！Whitefolksain’tpartic’lar。
DelawkinsellmenowifdeytellmetoleavedestateinsixmonthsenIdon’tgo。Youdrawupapaper——billo’sale——
enputit’wayoffyonder，downindemiddleo’Kaintucksomers，ensignsomenamestoit，ensayyou’llsellmecheap’ca’seyou’shardup;you’llfindyouain’tgwinetohavenotrouble。
Youtakemeupdecountryapiece，ensellmeonafarm;
dempeopleain’tgwinetoasknoquestionsifI’sabargain。\"
TomforgedabillofsaleandsoldhimmothertoanArkansascottonplanterforatrifleoversixhundreddollars。
Hedidnotwanttocommitthistreachery，butluckthrewthemaninhisway，andthissavedhimthenecessityofgoingup—countrytohuntupapurchaser，withtheaddedriskofhavingtoansweralotofquestions，whereasthisplanterwassopleasedwithRoxythatheaskednexttononeatall。Besides，theplanterinsistedthatRoxywouldn’tknowwhereshewas，atfirst，andthatbythetimeshefoundoutshewouldalreadyhavebeencontented。
SoTomarguedwithhimselfthatitwasanimmenseadvantagedforRoxytohaveamasterwhowaspleasedwithher，asthisplantermanifestlywas。InalmostnotimehisflowingreasoningscarriedhimtothepointofevenhalfbelievinghewasdoingRoxyasplendidsurreptitiousserviceinsellingher\"downtheriver。\"
Andthenhekeptdiligentlysayingtohimselfallthetime：
\"It’sforonlyayear。InayearIbuyherfreeagain;
she’llkeepthatinmind，andit’llreconcileher。\"Yes;thelittledeceptioncoulddonoharm，andeverythingwouldcomeoutrightandpleasantintheend，anyway。Byagreement，theconversationinRoxy’spresencewasallabouttheman’s\"up—country\"farm，andhowpleasantaplaceitwas，andhowhappytheslaveswerethere;
sopoorRoxywasentirelydeceived;andeasily，forshewasnotdreamingthatherownsoncouldbeguiltyoftreasontoamotherwho，involuntarilygoingintoslavery——slaveryofanykind，mildorsevere，orofanyduration，brieforlong——wasmakingasacrificeforhimcomparedwithwhichdeathwouldhavebeenapoorandcommonplaceone。Shelavishedtearsandlovingcaressesuponhimprivately，andthenwentawaywithherowner——
wentawaybrokenhearted，andyetproudtodoit。
Tomscoredhisaccounts，andresolvedtokeeptotheveryletterofhisreform，andnevertoputthatwillinjeopardyagain。Hehadthreehundreddollarsleft。Accordingtohismother’splan，hewastoputthatsafelyaway，andaddherhalfofhispensiontoitmonthly。Inoneyearthisfundwouldbuyherfreeagain。
Forawholeweekhewasnotabletosleepwell，somuchthevillainywhichhehadplayeduponhistrustingmotherpreyeduponhisragofconscience;butafterthathebegantogetcomfortableagain，andwaspresentlyabletosleeplikeanyothermiscreant。
TheboatboreRoxyawayfromSt。Louisatfourintheafternoon，andshestoodonthelowerguardabaftthepaddleboxandwatchedTomthroughabluroftearsuntilhemeltedintothethrongofpeopleanddisappeared;thenshelookednomore，butsatthereonacoilofcablecryingtillfarintothenight。
Whenshewenttoherfoulsteeragebunkatlast，betweentheclashingengines，itwasnottosleep，butonlytowaitforthemorning，and，waiting，grieve。
Ithadbeenimaginedthatshe\"wouldnotknow，\"andwouldthinkshewastravelingupstream。She！Why，shehadbeensteamboatingforyears。Atdawnshegotupandwentlistlesslyandsatdownonthecablecoilagain。Shepassedmanyasnagwhose\"break\"couldhavetoldherathingtobreakherheart，foritshowedacurrentmovinginthesamedirectionthattheboatwasgoing;butherthoughtswereelsewhere，andshedidnotnotice。
Butatlasttheroarofabiggerandnearerbreakthanusualbroughtheroutofhertorpor，andshelookedup，andherpracticedeyefelluponthattelltalerushofwater。
Foronemomentherpetrifiedgazefixeditselfthere。
Thenherheaddroppeduponherbreast，andshesaid：
\"Oh，degoodLordGodhavemercyonpo’sinfulme——
I’SSOLEDOWNDERIVER！\"
CHAPTER17
TheJudgeUttersDireProphesyEvenpopularitycanbeoverdone。InRome，alongatfirst，youarefullofregretsthatMichelangelodied;butbyandby，youonlyregretthatyoudidn’tseehimdoit。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarJULY4。Statisticsshowthatwelosemorefoolsonthisdaythaninalltheotherdaysoftheyearputtogether。
Thisproves，bythenumberleftinstock，thatoneFourthofJulyperyearisnowinadequate，thecountryhasgrownso。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarThesummerweeksdraggedby，andthenthepoliticalcampaignopened——
openedinprettywarmfashion，andwaxedhotterandhotterdaily。
Thetwinsthrewthemselvesintoitwiththeirwholeheart，fortheirself—lovewasengaged。Theirpopularity，sogeneralatfirst，hadsufferedafterward;mainlybecausetheyhadbeenTOOpopular，andsoanaturalreactionhadfollowed。
Besides，ithadbeendiligentlywhisperedaroundthatitwascurious——indeed，VERYcurious——thatthatwonderfulknifeoftheirsdidnotturnup——IFitwassovaluable，orIFithadeverexisted。
Andwiththewhisperingswentchucklingsandnudgingsandwinks，andsuchthingshaveaneffect。Thetwinsconsideredthatsuccessintheelectionwouldreinstatethem，andthatdefeatwouldworkthemirreparabledamage。Thereforetheyworkedhard，butnotharderthanJudgeDriscollandTomworkedagainstthemintheclosingdaysofthecanvass。Tom’sconducthadremainedsoletter—perfectduringtwowholemonthsnow，thathisunclenotonlytrustedhimwithmoneywithwhichtopersuadevoters，buttrustedhimtogoandgetithimselfoutofthesafeintheprivatesittingroom。
TheclosingspeechofthecampaignwasmadebyJudgeDriscoll，andhemadeitagainstbothoftheforeigners。Itwasdisastrouslyeffective。Hepouredoutriversofridiculeuponthem，andforcedthebigmassmeetingtolaughandapplaud。
Hescoffedatthemasadventures，mountebanks，sideshowriffraff，dimemuseumfreaks;heassailedtheirshowytitleswithmeasurelessderision;hesaidtheywereback—alleybarbersdisguisedasnobilities，peanutpeddlersmasqueradingasgentlemen，organ—grindersbereftoftheirbrothermonkey。
Atlasthestoppedandstoodstill。Hewaiteduntiltheplacehadbecomeabsolutelysilentandexpectant，thenhedeliveredhisdeadliestshot;delivereditwithice—coldseriousnessanddeliberation，withasignificantemphasisupontheclosingwords：
hesaidhebelievedthattherewardofferedforthelostknifewashumbugandbunkum，andthatitsownerwouldknowwheretofinditwheneverheshouldhaveoccasionTOASSASSINATESOMEBODY。
Thenhesteppedfromthestand，leavingastartledandimpressivehushbehindhiminsteadofthecustomaryexplosionofcheersandpartycries。
Thestrangeremarkflewfarandwideoverthetownandmadeanextraordinarysensation。Everybodywasasking，\"Whatcouldhemeanbythat？\"Andeverybodywentonaskingthatquestion，butinvain;forthejudgeonlysaidheknewwhathewastalkingabout，andstoppedthere;Tomsaidhehadn’tanyideawhathisunclemeant，andWilson，wheneverhewasaskedwhathethoughtitmeant，parriedthequestionbyaskingthequestionerwhatHEthoughtitmeant。
Wilsonwaselected，thetwinsweredefeated——crushed，infact，andleftforlornandsubstantiallyfriendless。
TomwentbacktoSt。Louishappy。
Dawson’sLandinghadaweekofreposenow，anditneededit。
Butitwasinanexpectantstate，fortheairwasfullofrumorsofanewduel。JudgeDriscoll’selectionlaborshadprostratedhim，butitwassaidthatassoonashewaswellenoughtoentertainachallengehewouldgetonefromCountLuigi。
Thebrotherswithdrewentirelyfromsociety，andnursedtheirhumiliationinprivacy。Theyavoidedthepeople，andwaitoutforexerciseonlylateatnight，whenthestreetsweredeserted。
CHAPTER18
RoxanaCommandsGratitudeandtreacheryaremerelythetwoextremitiesofthesameprocession。Youhaveseenallofitthatisworthstayingforwhenthebandandthegaudyofficialshavegoneby。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarTHANKSGIVINGDAY。Letusallgivehumble，hearty，andsincerethanksnow，buttheturkeys。IntheislandofFijitheydonotuseturkeys;theyuseplumbers。ItdoesnotbecomeyouandmetosneeratFiji。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarTheFridayaftertheelectionwasarainyoneinSt。Louis。
Itrainedalldaylong，andrainedhard，apparentlytryingitsbesttowashthatsoot—blackenedtownwhite，butofcoursenotsucceeding。TowardmidnightTomDriscollarrivedathislodgingsfromthetheaterintheheavydownpour，andclosedhisumbrellaandlethimselfin;butwhenhewouldhaveshutthedoor，hefoundthattherewasanotherpersonentering——doubtlessanotherlodger;
thispersonclosedthedoorandtrampedupstairsbehindTom。
Tomfoundhisdoorinthedark，andenteredit，andturnedupthegas。Whenhefacedabout，lightlywhistling，hesawthebackofaman。Themanwasclosingandlockinghisdoorfromhim。
Hiswhistlefadedoutandhefeltuneasy。Themanturnedaround，awreckofshabbyoldclothes，soddenwithrainandalla—drip，andshowedablackfaceunderanoldslouchhat。Tomwasfrightened。
Hetriedtoorderthemanout，butthewordsrefusedtocome，andtheothermangotthestart。Hesaid，inalowvoice：
\"Keepstill——I’syo’mother！\"
Tomsunkinaheaponachair，andgaspedout：
\"Itwasmeanofme，andbase——Iknowit;butImeantitforthebest，Ididindeed——Icanswearit。\"
Roxanastoodawhilelookingmutelydownonhimwhilehewrithedinshameandwentonincoherentlybabblingself—accusationsmixedwithpitifulattemptsatexplanationandpalliationofhiscrime;thensheseatedherselfandtookoffherhat，andherunkeptmassesoflongbrownhairtumbleddownabouthershoulders。
\"Itwarn’tnofaulto’yo’ndatdatain’tgray，\"shesaidsadly，noticingthehair。
\"Iknowit，Iknowit！I’mascoundrel。ButIswearI
meantitforthebest。Itwasamistake，ofcourse，butIthoughtitwasforthebest，Itrulydid。\"
Roxanabegantocrysoftly，andpresentlywordsbegantofindtheirwayoutbetweenhersobs。Theywereutteredlamentingly，ratherthanangrily。
\"Sellapussondownderiver——DOWNDERIVER！——fordebes’！
Iwouldn’ttreatadogso！Iisallbrokedownandenworeoutnow，ensoIreckonitain’tinmetostormaroun’nomo’，likeIusedtowhenI’uztrompledonen’bused。Idon’tknow——
butmaybeit’sso。Leastways，I’ssufferedsomuchdatmournin’seemtocomemo’handytomenowdenstormin’。\"
ThesewordsshouldhavetouchedTomDriscoll，butiftheydid，thateffectwasobliteratedbyastrongerone——onewhichremovedtheheavyweightoffearwhichlayuponhim，andgavehiscrushedspiritamostgratefulrebound，andfilledallhissmallsoulwithadeepsenseofrelief。Buthekeptprudentlystill，andventurednocomment。Therewasavoicelessintervalofsomedurationnow，inwhichnosoundswereheardbutthebeatingoftherainuponthepanes，thesighingandcomplainingofthewinds，andnowandthenamuffledsobfromRoxana。
Thesobsbecamemoreandmoreinfrequent，andatleastceased。
Thentherefugeebegantotalkagain。
\"Shetdowndatlightalittle。More。Moreyit。Apussondatishunteddon’tlikedelight。Dah——dat’lldo。Ikinseewhahyouis，endat’senough。I’sgwinetotellyoudetale，encutitjesasshortasIkin，endenI’lltellyouwhatyou’sgottodo。
Datmandatboughtmeain’tabadman;he’sgoodenough，asplantersgoes;enifhecould’a’hadhiswayI’d’a’be’nahouseservantinhisfamblyenbe’ncomfortable：buthiswifeshewasaYank，ennotrightdowngoodlookin’，ensherizupaginmestraightoff;sodendeysentmeouttodequarter’mongstdecommonfiel’han’s。Datwomanwarn’tsatisfiedevenwiddat，butsheworkedupdeoverseerag’in’me，she’uzdatjealousenhateful;sodeoverseerhehadmeoutbefo’dayindemawnin’senworkedmedewholelongdayaslongasdey’uzanylighttoseeby;enmany’sdelashin’sIgot’ca’seIcouldn’tcomeuptodeworko’destronges’。DatoverseerwuzaYanktoo，outenNewEnglan’，enanybodydownSouthkintellyouwhatdatmean。
DEYknowshowtoworkaniggertodeath，endeyknowshowtowhale’emtoo——whale’emtilldeybacksisweltedlikeawashboard。
’Longatfustmymarstersaydegoodwordformetodeoverseer，butdat’uzbadforme;fordemistisshefineitout，enarterdatIjistketcheditateveryturn——deywarn’tnomercyformenomo’。\"
Tom’sheartwasfired——withfuryagainsttheplanter’swife;
andhesaidtohimself，\"Butforthatmeddlesomefool，everythingwouldhavegoneallright。\"Headdedadeepandbittercurseagainsther。
Theexpressionofthissentimentwasfiercelywritteninhisface，andstoodthusrevealedtoRoxanabyawhiteglareoflightningwhichturnedthesomberduskoftheroomintodazzlingdayatthatmoment。Shewaspleased——pleasedandgrateful;
fordidnotthatexpressionshowthatherchildwascapableofgrievingforhismother’swrongsandafeelingresentmenttowardherpersecutors？——athingwhichshehadbeendoubting。
Butherflashofhappinesswasonlyaflash，andwentoutagainandleftherspiritdark;forshesaidtoherself，\"Hesolemedownderiver——
hecan’tfeelforabodylong;dis’llpassengo。\"
Thenshetookuphertaleagain。
\"’BouttendaysagoI’uzsayin’tomyselfdatIcouldn’tlas’manymo’weeksI’uzsoworeoutwiddeawfulworkendelashin’s，ensodownheartedenmisable。EnIdidn’tcarenomo’，nuther——lifewarn’twuthnoth’n’tome，ifIgottogoonlikedat。Well，whenabodyisinaframeo’minelikedat，whatdoabodycarewhatabodydo？Deywasalittlesicklyniggerwench’bouttenyearoledat’uzgoodtome，enhadn’tnomammy，po’thing，enIlovedherenshelovedme;enshecomeoutwhahIuz’
workin’enshehadaroastedtater，entriedtoslipittome——
robbin’herself，yousee，’ca’sesheknoweddeoverseerdidn’tgivemeenoughtoeat——enheketchedheratit，engiverheralickacrostdebackwidhisstick，which’uzasthickasabroomhandle，enshedrop’screamin’ondegroun’，ensquirmin’enwallerin’aroun’indedustlikeaspiderdat’sgotcrippled。
Icouldn’tstan’it。Alldehellfiredat’uzeverinmyheartflame’up，enIsnatchdestickoutenhishan’enlaidhimflat。
Helaiddahmoanin’encussin’，enalloutofhishead，youknow，endeniggers’uzplumbsk’yredtodeath。Deygatheredroun’himtohe’phim，enIjumpedonhishossentookoutforderiverastightasIcouldgo。Iknowedwhatdeywoulddowidme。Soonashegotwellhewouldstartinenworkmetodeathifmarsterlethim;
enifdeydidn’tdodat，they’dsellmefurderdownderiver，endat’sdesamething。soI’lowedtodrownmyselfengitouto’mytroubles。It’uzgitt’n’towardsdark。I’uzatderiverintwominutes。DenIseeacanoe，enIsaysdeyain’tnousetodrownmyselftellIgotto;soItiesdehossindeedgeo’detimberenshoveoutdownderiver，keepin’inunderdesheltero’debluffbankenprayin’fordedarktoshetdownquick。
Ihadapow’fulgoodstart，’ca’sedebighouse’uzthreemilebackf’omderiverenon’ydeworkmulestoridedahon，enon’yniggersride’em，enDEYwarn’tgwinetohurry——dey’dgimmealldechancedeycould。Befo’abodycouldgotodehouseenbackitwouldbelongpas’dark，endeycouldn’ttrackdehossenfineoutwhichwayIwenttellmawnin’，endeniggerswouldtell’emalldeliesdeycould’boutit。
\"Well，dedarkcome，enIwentona—spinnin’downderiver。
Ipaddledmo’ntwohours，denIwarn’tworriednomo’，soIquitpaddlin’enfloateddowndecurrent，considerin’whatI’uzgwinetodoifIdidn’thavetodrownmyself。Imadeupsomeplans，enfloatedalong，turnin’’emoverinmymine。Well，whenit’uzalittlepas’midnight，asIreckoned，enIhadcomefifteenortwentymile，Iseedelightso’asteamboatlayin’atdebank，whahdeywarn’tnotownennowoodyard，enputtysoonIketcheddeshapeo’dechimblytopsag’in’destars，endengoodgraciousme，I’mostjumpedouto’myskinforjoy！It’uzdeGRAN’MOGUL——
I’uzchambermaidonherforeightseasonsindeCincinnatienOrleanstrade。Islid’longpas’——don’tseenobodystirrin’nowhah——
hear’ema—hammerin’awayindeengineroom，denIknowedwhatdematterwas——someo’demachinery’sbroke。Igotasho’
belowdeboatandturn’decanoeloose，denIgoes’longup，endey’uzjesoneplankout，enIstep’’boarddeboat。It’uzpow’fulhot，deckhan’senroustabouts’uzsprawledaroun’asleepondefo’cas’l’，desecondmate，JimBangs，hesotdahondebittswidhisheaddown，asleep——’ca’sedat’sdewaydesecondmatestan’decap’n’swatch！——endeolewatchman，BillyHatch，he’uza—noddin’ondecompanionway;——enIknowed’emall;en，lan’，butdeydidlookgood！Isaystomyself，Iwishedoldmarster’dcomealongNOWentrytotakeme——blessyo’heart，I’s’mongfrien’s，Iis。SoItrompedrightalong’mongst’em，enwentupondeb’ilerdecken’waybackafttodeladies’cabinguard，ensotdowndahindesamecheerdatI’dsotin’mos’ahund’dmilliontimes，Ireckon;enit’uzjisthomeag’in，Itellyou！
\"In’boutanhourIhearddereadybelljingle，endenderacketbegin。PuttysoonIheardegongstrike。’Setherbackondeoutside，’Isaystomyself。’IreckonIknowsdatmusic！’
Iheardegongag’in。’Comeaheadondeinside，’Isays。
Gongag’in。’Stopdeoutside。’gongag’in。’Comeaheadondeoutside——
nowwe’spintedforSentLouis，enI’souterdewoodsenain’tgottodrownmyselfatall。’IknoweddeMOGUL’uzindeSentLouistradenow，yousee。It’uzjesfairdaylightwhenwepassedourplantation，enIseedagango’niggersenwhitefolkshuntin’upendowndesho’，entroublin’deyselvesagooddeal’boutme;
butIwarn’ttroublin’myselfnone’boutdem。
\"’BoutdattimeSallyJackson，datusedtobemysecondchambermaiden’uzheadchambermaidnow，shecomeoutondeguard，en’uzpow’fulgladtoseeme，enso’uzalldeofficers;
enItole’emI’dgotkidnappedensoledownderiver，endeymademeuptwentydollahsengiveittome，enSallysheriggedmeoutwidgoodclo’es，enwhenIgothereIwentstraighttowhahyouusedtowuz，endenIcometodishouse，endeysayyou’sawaybut’spectedbackeveryday;soIdidn’tdasttogodownderivertoDawson’s，’ca’seImightmissyou。
\"Well，las’MondayI’uzpass’nbyoneo’demplacesinfourthstreetwhahdehsticksuprunawayniggerbills，enhe’pstoketch’em，enIseedmymarster！I’mos’floppeddownondegroun’，Ifeltsogone。Hehadhisbacktome，en’uztalkin’todemanengivin’himsomebills——niggerbills，Ireckon，enI’sdenigger。He’sofferin’areward——dat’sit。Ain’tIright，don’tyoureckon？\"
Tomhadbeengraduallysinkingintoastateofghastlyterror，andhesaidtohimself，now：\"I’mlost，nomatterwhatturnthingstake！Thismanhassaidtomethathethinkstherewassomethingsuspiciousaboutthatsale。hesaidhehadaletterfromapassengerontheGRANDMOGULsayingthatRoxycamehereonthatboatandthateverybodyonboardknewallaboutthecase;
sohesaysthathercominghereinsteadofflyingtoafreestatelooksbadforme，andthatifIdon’tfindherforhim，andthatprettysoon，hewillmaketroubleforme。Ineverbelievedthatstory;Icouldn’tbelieveshewouldbesodeadtoallmotherlyinstinctsastocomehere，knowingtheriskshewouldrunofgettingmeintoirremediabletrouble。Andafterall，heresheis！AndIstupidlysworeIwouldhelpfindher，thinkingitwasaperfectlysafethingtopromise。IfIventuretodeliverherup，she——she——buthowcanIhelpmyself？I’vegottodothatorpaythemoney，andwhere’sthemoneytocomefrom？I——I——well，Ishouldthinkthatifhewouldsweartotreatherkindlyhereafter——
andshesays，herself，thatheisagoodman——andifhewouldsweartoneverallowhertobeoverworked，orillfed，or——\"
AflashoflightningexposedTom’spallidface，drawnandrigidwiththeseworryingthoughts。Roxanaspokeupsharplynow，andtherewasapprehensioninhervoice。
\"Turnupdatlight！Iwanttoseeyo’facebetter。Dahnow——lemmelookatyou。Chambers，you’saswhiteasyo’shirt！
Hasyouseedatman？Hashebe’ntoseeyou？\"
\"Ye—s。\"
\"When？\"
\"Mondaynoon。\"
\"Mondaynoon！Washeonmytrack？\"
\"He——well，hethoughthewas。Thatis，hehopedhewas。
Thisisthebillyousaw。\"Hetookitoutofhispocket。
\"Readittome！\"
Shewaspantingwithexcitement，andtherewasaduskyglowinhereyesthatTomcouldnottranslatewithcertainty，butthereseemedtobesomethingthreateningaboutit。
ThehandbillhadtheusualrudewoodcutofaturbanedNegrowomanrunning，withthecustomarybundleonastickoverhershoulder，andtheheadinginboldtype，\"$100REWARD。\"Tomreadthebillaloud——
atleastthepartthatdescribedRoxanaandnamedthemasterandhisSt。LouisaddressandtheaddressoftheFourthstreetagency;
butheleftouttheitemthatapplicantsfortherewardmightalsoapplytoMr。ThomasDriscoll。
\"Gimmedebill！\"
Tomhadfoldeditandwasputtingitinhispocket。
Hefeltachillystreakcreepingdownhisback，butsaidascarelesslyashecould：
\"Thebill？Why，itisn’tanyusetoyou，youcan’treadit。
Whatdoyouwantwithit？\"
\"Gimmedebill！\"Tomgaveittoher，butwithareluctancewhichhecouldnotentirelydisguise。\"DidyoureaditALLtome？\"
\"CertainlyIdid。\"
\"Holeupyo’han’enswahtoit。\"
Tomdidit。Roxanaputthebillcarefullyawayinherpocket，withhereyesfixeduponTom’sfaceallthewhile;thenshesaid：
\"Yo’slyin’！\"
\"WhatwouldIwanttolieaboutitfor？\"
\"Idon’tknow——butyouis。Dat’smyopinion，anyways。
Butnemmine’boutdat。WhenIseeddatmanI’uzdatsk’yerddatI
couldsca’celywobblehome。DenIgiveaniggermanadollarfordeseclo’es，enIain’tbe’ininahousesence，nightnerday，tillnow。
Iblackedmyfaceenlaidhidindecellarofaolehousedat’sburntdown，daytimes，enrobbeddesugarhogsheadsengrainsacksondewharf，nights，togitsomethin’toeat，enneverdasttotrytobuynoth’n’，enI’s’mos’starved。
EnIneverdasttocomeneardisplacetilldisrainynight，whendeyain’tnopeopleroun’sca’cely。ButtonightIbe’na—stanin’
indedarkalleyeversencenightcome，waitin’foryoutogoby。
EnhereIis。\"
Shefelltothinking。Presentlyshesaid：
\"Youseeddatmanatnoon，las’Monday？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Iseedhimdemiddleo’datarternoon。Hehuntedyouup，didn’the？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Didhegiveyoudebilldattime？\"
\"No，hehadn’tgotitprintedyet。\"
Roxanadartedasuspiciousglanceathim。
\"Didyouhe’phimfixupdebill？\"
Tomcursedhimselfformakingthatstupidblunder，andtriedtorectifyitbysayingheremembernowthatitWASatnoonMondaythatthemangavehimthebill。Roxanasaid：
\"You’slyin’ag’in，sho。\"Thenshestraightenedupandraisedherfinger：
\"Nowden！I’sgwinetoaskyouaquestion，enIwantstoknowhowyou’sgwinetogitaroun’it。Youknowedhe’uzarterme;
enifyourunoff，’stido’stayin’heretohe’phim，he’dknowdey’uzsomethin’wrong’boutdisbusiness，endenhewouldinquire’boutyou，endatwouldtakehimtoyo’uncle，enyo’
unclewouldreaddebillenseedatyoube’nsellin’afreeniggerdownderiver，enyouknowHIM，Ireckon！He’dt’arupdewillenkickyououtendehouse。Now，den，youanswermedisquestion：hain’tyoutoledatmandatIwouldbesho’tocomehere，endenyouwouldfixitsohecouldsetatrapenketchme？\"
Tomrecognizedthatneitherliesnorargumentscouldhelphimanylonger——hewasinavise，withthescrewturnedon，andoutofittherewasnobudging。Hisfacebegantotakeonanuglylook，andpresentlyhesaid，withasnarl：
\"Well，whatcouldIdo？Yousee，yourself，thatIwasinhisgripandcouldn’tgetout。\"
Roxyscorchedhimwithascornfulgazeawhile，thenshesaid：
\"Whatcouldyoudo？YoucouldbeJudastoyo’ownmothertosaveyo’wuthlesshide！Wouldanybodyb’lieveit？
No——adogcouldn’t！Youisdelowdownestorneriesthounddatwaseverpup’dintodisworl’——enI’s’sponsibleforit！\"——andshespatonhim。
Hemadenoefforttoresentthis。Roxyreflectedamoment，thenshesaid：
\"NowI’lltellyouwhatyou’sgwinetodo。You’sgwinetogivedatmandemoneydatyou’sgotlaidup，enmakehimwaittillyoukingotodejudgeengitderes’enbuymefreeagin。\"
\"Thunder！Whatareyouthinkingof？Goandaskhimforthreehundreddollarsandodd？WhatwouldItellhimIwantitfor，pray？\"
Roxy’sanswerwasdeliveredinasereneandlevelvoice。
\"You’lltellhimyou’ssolemetopayyo’gamblin’debtsendatyouliedtomeenwasavillain，endatI’quiresyoutogitdatmoneyenbuymebackag’in。\"
\"Why，you’vegonestarkmad！Hewouldtearthewilltoshreadsinaminute——don’tyouknowthat？\"
\"Yes，Idoes。\"
\"Thenyoudon’tbelieveI’midiotenoughtogotohim，doyou？\"
\"Idon’tb’lievenothin’’boutit——IKNOWSyou’sa—goin’。
Iknowsit’ca’seyouknowsdatifyoudon’traisedatmoneyI’llgotohimmyself，endenhe’llsellYOUdownderiver，enyoukinseehowyoulikeit！\"
Tomrose，tremblingandexcited，andtherewasanevillightinhiseye。
Hestrodetothedoorandsaidhemustgetoutofthissuffocatingplaceforamomentandclearhisbraininthefreshairsothathecoulddeterminewhattodo。
Thedoorwouldn’topen。Roxysmiledgrimly，andsaid：
\"I’sgotthekey，honey——setdown。Youneedn’tcle’rupyo’
brainnonetofineoutwhatyougwinetodo——_I_knowswhatyou’sgwinetodo。\"Tomsatdownandbegantopasshishandsthroughhishairwithahelplessanddesperateair。
Roxysaid，\"Isdatmanindishouse？\"
Tomglancedupwithasurprisedexpression，andasked：
\"Whatgaveyousuchanidea？\"
\"Youdoneit。Gwineouttocle’ryo’brain！Indefustplaceyouain’tgotnonetocle’r，enindesecondplaceyo’
orneryeyetoleonyou。You’sdelowdownesthounddatever——
butIdonetoldyoudatbefo’。Nowden，disisFriday。
Youkinfixitupwiddatman，entellhimyou’sgwineawaytogitderes’o’demoney，endatyou’llbebackwiditnex’Tuesday，ormaybeWednesday。Youunderstan’？\"
Tomansweredsullenly：\"Yes。\"
\"Enwhenyougitsdenewbillo’saledatsellsmetomyownself，takeensenditindemailtoMr。Pudd’nheadWilson，enwriteondebackdathe’stokeepittellIcome。Youunderstan’？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Dat’sallden。Takeyo’umbreller，enputonyo’hat。\"
\"Why？\"
\"Beca’seyou’sgwinetoseemehometodewharf。Youseedisknife？
I’stoteditaroun’sencededayIseeddatmanenboughtdeseclo’esenit。
Ifheketchme，I’sgwinetokillmyselfwidit。Nowstartalong，engosof’，enleaddeway;enifyougivesasignindishouse，orifanybodycomesuptoyouindestreet，I’sgwinetojamitrightintoyou。Chambers，doesyoub’lievemewhenIsaysdat？\"
\"It’snousetobothermewiththatquestion。Iknowyourword’sgood。\"
\"Yes，it’sdiff’rentfromyo’n！Shetdelightoutenmovealong——
here’sdekey。\"
Theywerenotfollowed。Tomtrembledeverytimealatestragglerbrushedbythemonthestreet，andhalfexpectedtofeelthecoldsteelinhisback。Roxywasrightathisheelsandalwaysinreach。Aftertrampingamiletheyreachedawidevacancyonthedesertedwharves，andinthisdarkandrainydeserttheyparted。
AsTomtrudgedhomehismindwasfullofdrearythoughtsandwildplans;butatlasthesaidtohimself，wearily：
\"Thereisbuttheonewayout。Imustfollowherplan。
Butwithavariation——Iwillnotaskforthemoneyandruinmyself;
IwillROBtheoldskinflint。\"
CHAPTER19
TheProphesyRealizedFewthingsarehardertoputupwiththantheannoyanceofagoodexample。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarItwerenotbestthatweshouldallthinkalike;itisdifferenceofopinionthatmakeshorseraces。
——Pudd’nheadWilson’sCalendarDawson’sLandingwascomfortablyfinishingitsseasonofdullreposeandwaitingpatientlyfortheduel。
CountLuigiwaswaiting，too;butnotpatiently，rumorsaid。
Sundaycame，andLuigiinsistedonhavinghischallengeconveyed。
Wilsoncarriedit。JudgeDriscolldeclinedtofightwithanassassin——
\"thatis，\"headdedsignificantly，\"inthefieldofhonor。\"
Elsewhere，ofcourse，hewouldbeready。WilsontriedtoconvincehimthatifhehadbeenpresenthimselfwhenAngelotoldhimaboutthehomicidecommittedbyLuigi，hewouldnothaveconsideredtheactdiscreditabletoLuigi;buttheobstinateoldmanwasnottobemoved。
Wilsonwentbacktohisprincipalandreportedthefailureofhismission。Luigiwasincensed，andaskedhowitcouldbethattheoldgentleman，whowasbynomeansdull—witted，heldhistriflingnephew’sevidenceininferencestobeofmorevaluethanWilson’s。
ButWilsonlaughed，andsaid：
\"Thatisquitesimple;thatiseasilyexplicable。
Iamnothisdoll——hisbaby——hisinfatuation：hisnatureis。
Thejudgeandhislatewifeneverhadanychildren。
Thejudgeandhiswifewerepastmiddleagewhenthistreasurefellintotheirlap。Onemustmakeallowancesforaparentalinstinctthathasbeenstarvingfortwenty—fiveorthirtyyears。
Itisfamished，itiscrazedwithungerbythattime，andwillbeentirelysatisfiedwithanythingthatcomeshandy;itstasteisatrophied，itcan’ttellmudcatfromshad。Adevilborntoayoungcoupleismeasurablyrecognizablebythemasadevilbeforelong，butadeviladoptedbyanoldcoupleisanangeltothem，andremainsso，throughthickandthin。Tomisthisoldman’sangel;
heisinfatuatedwithhim。Tomcanpersuadehimintothingswhichotherpeoplecan’t——notallthings;Idon’tmeanthat，butagoodmany——particularlyoneclassofthings：thethingsthatcreateorabolishpersonalpartialitiesorprejudicesintheoldman’smind。Theoldmanlikedbothofyou。Tomconceivedahatredforyou。Thatwasenough;itturnedtheoldmanaroundatonce。
Theoldestandstrongestfriendshipmustgotothegroundwhenoneoftheselate—adopteddarlingsthrowsabrickatit。\"
\"It’sacuriousphilosophy，\"saidLuigi。
\"Itain’tphilosophyatall——it’safact。Andthereissomethingpatheticandbeautifulaboutit，too。Ithinkthereisnothingmorepatheticthantoseeoneofthesepooroldchildlesscouplestakingamenagerieofyelpinglittleworthlessdogstotheirhearts;andthenaddingsomecursingandsquawkingparrotsandajackass—voicedmacaw;andnextacoupleofhundredscreechingsongbirds，andpresentlysomefetidguineapigsandrabbits，andahowlingcolonyofcats。Itisallagropingandignorantefforttoconstructoutofbasemetalandbrassfilings，sotospeak，somethingtotaketheplaceofthatgoldentreasuredeniedthembyNature，achild。Butthisisadigression。
TheunwrittenlawofthisregionrequiresyoutokillJudgeDriscollonsight，andheandthecommunitywillexpectthatattentionatyourhands——thoughofcourseyourowndeathbyhisbulletwillanswereverypurpose。Lookoutforhim！Areyouhealed——thatis，fixed？\"
\"Yes，heshallhavehisopportunity。Ifheattacksme，Iwillrespond。\"
AsWilsonwasleaving，hesaid：
\"Thejudgeisstillalittleusedupbyhiscampaignwork，andwillnotgetoutforadayorso;butwhenhedoesgetout，youwanttobeonthealert。\"
Aboutelevenatnightthetwinswentoutforexercise，andstartedonalongstrollintheveiledmoonlight。
TomDriscollhadlandedatHackett’sStore，twomilesbelowDawson’s，justabouthalfanhourearlier，theonlypassengerforthatlonelyspot，andhadwalkeduptheshoreroadandenteredJudgeDriscoll’shousewithouthavingencounteredanyoneeitherontheroadorundertheroof。
Hepulleddownhiswindowblindsandlightedhiscandle。
Helaidoffhiscoatandhatandbeganhispreparations。
Heunlockedhistrunkandgothissuitofgirl’sclothesoutfromunderthemaleattireinit，andlaiditby。Thenheblackedhisfacewithburntcorkandputthecorkinhispocket。
Hisplanwastoslipdowntohisuncle’sprivatesittingroombelow，passintothebedroom，stealthesafekeyfromtheoldgentleman’sclothes，andthengobackandrobthesafe。Hetookuphiscandletostart。Hiscourageandconfidencewerehigh，uptothispoint，butbothbegantowaveralittlenow。
Supposeheshouldmakeanoise，bysomeaccident，andgetcaught——
say，intheactofopeningthesafe？Perhapsitwouldbewelltogoarmed。
HetooktheIndianknifefromitshidingplace，andfeltapleasantreturnofhiswanderingcourage。Heslippedstealthilydownthenarrowstair，hishairrisingandhispulseshaltingattheslightestcreak。Whenhewashalfwaydown，hewasdisturbedtoperceivethatthelandingbelowwastouchedbyafaintglowoflight。Whatcouldthatmean？Washisunclestillup？
No，thatwasnotlikely;hemusthavelefthisnighttapertherewhenhewenttobed。Tomcreptondown，pausingateverysteptolisten。Hefoundthedoorstandingopen，andglancedit。
Whathesawpleasedhimbeyondmeasure。Hisunclewasasleeponthesofa;onasmalltableattheheadofthesofaalampwasburninglow，andbyitstoodtheoldman’ssmallcashbox，closed。
Neartheboxwasapileofbanknotesandapieceofpapercoveredwithfiguredinpencil。Thesafedoorwasnotopen。
Evidentlythesleeperhadweariedhimselfwithworkuponhisfinances，andwastakingarest。
Tomsethiscandleonthestairs，andbegantomakehiswaytowardthepileofnotes，stoopinglowashewent。
Whenhewaspassinghisuncle，theoldmanstirredinhissleep，andTomstoppedinstantly——stopped，andsoftlydrewtheknifefromitssheath，withhisheartthumping，andhiseyesfasteneduponhisbenefactor’sface。Afteramomentortwoheventuredforwardagain——onestep——reachedforhisprizeandseizedit，droppingtheknifesheath。Thenhefelttheoldman’sstronggripuponhim，andawildcryof\"Help！help！\"ranginhisear。
Withouthesitationhedrovetheknifehome——andwasfree。
Someofthenotesescapedfromhislefthandandfellinthebloodonthefloor。Hedroppedtheknifeandsnatchedthemupandstartedtofly;
transferredthemtohislefthand，andseizedtheknifeagain，inhisfrightandconfusion，butrememberedhimselfandflungitfromhim，asbeingadangerouswitnesstocarryawaywithhim。
Hejumpedforthestair—foot，andclosedthedoorbehindhim;
andashesnatchedhiscandleandfledupward，thestillnessofthenightwasbrokenbythesoundofurgentfootstepsapproachingthehouse。Inanothermomenthewasinhisroom，andthetwinswerestandingaghastoverthebodyofthemurderedman！
Tomputonhiscoat，buttonedhishatunderit，threwonhissuitofgirl’sclothes，droppedtheveil，blewouthislight，lockedtheroomdoorbywhichhehadjustentered，takingthekey，passedthroughhisotherdoorintotheblackhall，lockedthatdoorandkeptthekey，thenworkedhiswayalonginthedarkanddescendedtheblackstairs。Hewasnotexpectingtomeetanybody，forallinterestwascenteredintheotherpartofthehousenow;hiscalculationprovedcorrect。Bythetimehewaspassingthroughthebackyard，Mrs。Pratt，herservants，andadozenhalf—dressedneighborshadjoinedthetwinsandthedead，andaccessionswerestillarrivingatthefrontdoor。
