9 Seeking Buried Treasure

CHAPTER 9 Seeking Buried Treasure Tom was a hero—the envy of young and old alike. His name was even in the St.Petersburg town paper. But as happy as Tom's days now were, his nights were filled with fear. Injun Joe lurked in all of his dreams, always with doom in his eye. Poor Huck felt as afraid as Tom and was desperately worried that Injun Joe might discover his own role and come after him, too. Tom's sense of right and wrong had made him secretly visit Muff Potter's lawyer and tell him what really happened. But by doing so, Tom also had betrayed a blood

oath, the most secret of all oaths. After that, Huck found it hard to have much faith in anything anymore. After the trial's dramatic end, rewards had been offered for Injun Joe's capture. The country had been searched high and low, but he was nowhere to be found. As the days drifted on without any sign of Injun Joe, Tom felt less and less scared. Soon, he had an idea to dig for hidden treasure. Tom now sought out Huck, who, he knew, was always willing to take part in any plan that seemed exciting. Huck jumped at Tom's offer, but after thinking a moment he asked, "Where'll we dig, Tom?" "Oh, most anywhere," Tom replied. "Why, is treasure hid all around?" "No, indeed it ain't. It's hid in mighty particular places, Huck—sometimes on islands, sometimes in rotten chests under the

limb of an old dead tree, just where the shadow falls at midnight. Mostly it's hid under the floor in haunted houses." "Who hides it?" "Why, robbers of course—who'd you reckon? Sunday school teachers?" "If I was a robber, I wouldn't hide it; I'd spend it and have a good time." "So would I. But robbers don't do it that way. They always hide it and leave it there." "Don't they come after it anymore?" "They think they will but they generally forget where they put the treasure map with the marks to show them just where to dig. Or sometimes they die. So the treasure just sits there a long time and gets rusty. By and by, somebody finds an old yellow paper map that tells how to find the marks." "Have you got one of them maps, Tom?"

"No." "Well then, how are you going to find them marks?" "Forget the marks. They always bury it under a haunted house, or on an island, or under a dead tree that's got one limb sticking out. There's the old haunted house up around Cardiff Hill, and there's lots of dead- limb trees, too." "There's an awful lot of dead trees around these parts, Tom. How you going to know which one to go for?" "Go for all of 'em!" "Why, Tom, it'll take all summer." "Well, what of it? Suppose you find a brass pot with a hundred dollars in it, all rusty and gray, or a rotten chest full of diamonds. How's that for a summer's work?" Huck's eyes glowed. That was all the

convincing he needed. "Suppose we tackle that old dead-limb tree way up on Cardiff Hill on the other side of the creek?" Huck suggested. "I'm agreed." So the boys got a pick and a shovel and set out on their trek. When they finally arrived at the old dead tree, hot and panting, they sat down in the shade of a neighboring elm to rest and chew gum. "I like this," said Tom. "So do I," Huck agreed. "Say, Huck, if we find a treasure here, what are you going to do with your share?" "Well, I'll have a pie and a soda every day, and I'll go to every circus that comes along." "Ain't you going to save any of it?" "Save it. What for?" "Well, what if you want to get married."

"Married!" "That's right." "Tom, you—why, you ain't in your right mind." "Wait—you'll see." "Tom, that's about the most foolish thing you could do. Look at my pa and my ma. Why, they used to fight all the time. I remember, mighty well." "The girl I'm going to marry won't fight." "Tom, you better think this out awhile. They all like to fight. What's the name of this gal?" "I'll tell you sometime—not now." "All right—that'll do. Only if you get married, I'll be more lonesome than ever." "No, you won't. You'll come and live with me. Now, let's start digging." They worked and sweated for half an hour.