18 Tom’s Adventure

CHAPTER 18 Tom's Adventure Over the next few days, Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas began to notice that items were missing from the house: the sheet, spoon, candles, and other things that Tom had decided were necessary to free Jim. Tom and I tried to fool them by replacing some of the items and taking others later on. Tom's plan was also bothering Jim, who was supposed to write poems and paint a coat of

arms. The problem was that none of us knew how to do that. Tom did a pretty good job of making them up for Jim. Three weeks passed. I thought it was taking a very long time to free him. When we were finally ready to set Jim free, Tom said we had to write warning letters to Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas. The letters had to be from a mysterious stranger. Tom had read all about it in one of his books. One night he left a note that said: "Beware. Trouble is brewing. Keep a sharp lookout. Unknown Friend." He slipped it under the front door of the house. The next night he drew a skull and crossbones on the front door. The night after that he drew a coffin on the back door. It was all very mysterious and scary. Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas were quite upset. The slightest noise outside made them jump. People thought there were ghosts everywhere.

Then Tom left another letter: "I wish to be your friend. I want to warn you that there is a desperate gang who want to steal the runaway slave tonight. They have been trying to scare you so you will stay in the house and not bother them. I am one of the gang, but I wish to quit it and live an honest life again." The letter said the gang would sneak onto the farm at midnight and told how the family could capture the gang. The next day while Tom was out making preparations, I went back to the house. There was quite a crowd there! Fifteen farmers and every one of them had a weapon. I felt sick. Everyone was talking in a low voice. They all looked fidgety and uneasy. I ran and found Tom at the hut as soon as I could get away. I told him about the men. His eyes blazed and he said: "No! Is that so! Ain't that something!" "Hurry!" I said. "We have to set Jim free

now." We slipped the chain off Jim's leg. Just then we heard the men approaching. We all hid when they opened the door. It was dark and no one saw us as we crawled out of the hole we had dug. We crept around outside toward the fence and were nearly away when Tom's pants caught on a piece of wood. Someone heard us and yelled: "Who's that? Answer or I'll shoot!" We didn't answer. We just ran and ran. There was a bang, bang, bang! and the bullets whizzed around us! We heard the men yell: "There they are! They're headed for the river! After them, boys, and turn loose the dogs!" We made it to the river and found where I had hidden my canoe. We hopped in and rowed for dear life toward the island where I had hidden the raft. We were far away from the men. When we finally stepped onto the raft, I said: "Now Jim, you're free again. I bet you'll never be a slave again."

"It was a mighty good job, too, Huck," he said. "It was planned beautifully. Nobody could have come up with a better plan than that." We were all as glad as we could be, but Tom was even happier because he had a bullet in the calf of his leg. Well Jim and I didn't feel as good as we did before. It was hurting Tom a lot and bleeding pretty heavily. We tore up one of the duke's shirts to bandage him, but he wanted to do it himself. "We did it so elegantly, didn't we?" he said, still excited about the escape. Jim and I knew Tom needed a doctor, but Tom didn't want one. It never happened like that in any of his adventure books. Finally he agreed to

let me go. He didn't have a choice, but I let him think it was his decision. He made me promise to blindfold the doctor so he wouldn't know where we were hidden. I said I would and Jim said he would hide until the doctor left. The doctor I found in town was a very kind- looking old man. I told him my brother was hurt in a hunting accident and that we wanted him to help us without telling our parents. "Who are your folks?" he asked. "The Phelpses." "Oh," he said, and a few moments later: "How did you say he got shot?" "He had a dream and it shot him." "Some dream," he said. When he saw my canoe, he said it wouldn't be big enough for both of us. He told me to stay at his office until he came back. I didn't have time to argue with him, so I told him which island Tom was on and he set out for it. Well pretty soon I fell asleep out there. When