and would not have explored that passage any more!
He told how he went back for Becky and broke the good
news and she told him not to fret her with such stuff,
for she was tired, and knew she was going to die,
and wanted to. He described how he labored with
her and convinced her; and how she almost died for
joy when she had groped to where she actually saw
the blue speck of daylight; how he pushed his way
out at the hole and then helped her out; how they sat
there and cried for gladness; how some men came along
in a skiff and Tom hailed them and told them their
situation and their famished condition; how the men
didn’t believe the wild tale at first, “because,”
said they, “you are five miles down the river
below the valley the cave is in” —then
took them aboard, rowed to a house, gave them supper,
made them rest till two or three hours after dark
and then brought them home.
Before day-dawn, Judge Thatcher and the handful of
searchers with him were tracked out, in the cave,
by the twine clews they had strung behind them, and
informed of the great news.
Three days and nights of toil and hunger in the cave
were not to be shaken off at once, as Tom and Becky
soon discovered. They were bedridden all of Wednesday
and Thursday, and seemed to grow more and more tired
and worn, all the time. Tom got about, a little,
on Thursday, was down-town Friday, and nearly as whole
as ever Saturday; but Becky did not leave her room
until Sunday, and then she looked as if she had passed
through a wasting illness.
Tom learned of Huck’s sickness and went to see
him on Friday, but could not be admitted to the bedroom;
neither could he on Saturday or Sunday. He was
admitted daily after that, but was warned to keep still
about his adventure and introduce no exciting topic.
The Widow Douglas stayed by to see that he obeyed.
At home Tom learned of the Cardiff Hill event; also
that the “ragged man’s” body had
eventually been found in the river near the ferry-landing;
he had been drowned while trying to escape, perhaps.
About a fortnight after Tom’s rescue from the
cave, he started off to visit Huck, who had grown
plenty strong enough, now, to hear exciting talk,
and Tom had some that would interest him, he thought.
Judge Thatcher’s house was on Tom’s way,
and he stopped to see Becky. The Judge and some
friends set Tom to talking, and some one asked him
ironically if he wouldn’t like to go to the cave
again. Tom said he thought he wouldn’t
mind it. The Judge said:
“Well, there are others just like you, Tom,
I’ve not the least doubt. But we have taken
care of that. Nobody will get lost in that cave
any more.”
“Why?”
“Because I had its big door sheathed with boiler
iron two weeks ago, and triple-locked—and
I’ve got the keys.”
Tom turned as white as a sheet.
“What’s the matter, boy! Here, run,
somebody! Fetch a glass of water!”
The water was brought and thrown into Tom’s
face.
