mark twain, a biography, 1835-1866-第10部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


cloth　gave　way。　　He　escaped　injury；　but　the　precious　trousers　were
damaged　almost　beyond　repair。　　Sam；　with　a　boy's　heartlessness；　was
fairly　rolling　on　the　ground　with　laughter　at　Henry's　appearance。

〃Cotton…tail　rabbit！〃　he　shouted。　　〃Cotton…tail　rabbit！〃　while　Henry；
weeping；　set　out　for　home　by　a　circuitous　and　unfrequented　road。　　Let　us
hope；　if　there　was　punishment　for　this　mishap；　that　it　fell　in　the　proper
locality。

These　two　brothers　were　of　widely　different　temperament。　　Henry；　even　as
a　little　boy；　was　sturdy；　industrious；　and　dependable。　　Sam　was　volatile
and　elusive；　his　industry　of　an　erratic　kind。　　Once　his　father　set　him　to
work　with　a　hatchet　to　remove　some　plaster。　　He　hacked　at　it　for　a　time
well　enough；　then　lay　down　on　the　floor　of　the　room　and　threw　his　hatchet
at　such　areas　of　the　plaster　as　were　not　in　easy　reach。　　Henry　would　have
worked　steadily　at　a　task　like　that　until　the　last　bit　was　removed　and
the　room　swept　clean。

The　home　incidents　in　'Tom　Sawyer'；　most　of　them；　really　happened。　　Sam
Clemens　did　clod　Henry　for　getting　him　into　trouble　about　the　colored
thread　with　which　he　sewed　his　shirt　when　he　came　home　from　swimming；　he
did　inveigle　a　lot　of　boys　into　whitewashing；　a　fence　for　him；　he　did
give　Pain…killer　to　Peter；　the　cat。　　There　was　a　cholera　scare　that　year；
and　Pain…killer　was　regarded　as　a　preventive。　　Sam　had　been　ordered　to
take　it　liberally；　and　perhaps　thought　Peter　too　should　be　safeguarded。
As　for　escaping　punishment　for　his　misdeeds　in　the　manner　described　in
that　book；　this　was　a　daily　matter；　and　the　methods　adapted　themselves　to
the　conditions。　　In　the　introduction　to　Tom　Sawyer　Mark　Twain　confesses
to　the　general　truth　of　the　history；　and　to　the　reality　of　its
characters。　　〃Huck　Finn　was　drawn　from　life；〃　he　tells　us。　　〃Tom　Sawyer
also；　but　not　from　an　individualhe　is　a　combination　of　the
characteristics　of　three　boys　whom　I　knew。〃

The　three　boys　werehimself；　chiefly；　and　in　a　lesser　degree　John　Briggs
and　Will　Bowen。　　John　Briggs　was　also　the　original　of　Joe　Harper　in　that
book。　　As　for　Huck　Finn；　his　original　was　Tom　Blankenship；　neither
elaborated　nor　qualified。

There　were　several　of　the　Blankenships：　there　was　old　Ben；　the　father；
who　had　succeeded　〃General〃　Gains　as　the　town　drunkard；　young　Ben；　the
eldest　sona　hard　case　with　certain　good　traits；　and　Tomthat　is　to
say；　Huckwho　was　just　as　he　is　described　in　Tom　Sawyer：　a　ruin　of　rags；
a　river…rat；　an　irresponsible　bit　of　human　drift；　kind　of　heart　and
possessing　that　priceless　boon；　absolute　unaccountability　of　conduct　to
any　living　soul。　　He　could　came　and　go　as　he　chose；　he　never　had　to　work
or　go　to　school；　he　could　do　all　things；　good　or　bad；　that　the　other　boys
longed　to　do　and　were　forbidden。　　He　represented　to　them　the　very
embodiment　of　liberty；　and　his　general　knowledge　of　important　matters；
such　as　fishing；　hunting；　trapping；　and　all　manner　of　signs　and　spells
and　hoodoos　and　incantations；　made　him　immensely　valuable　as　a　companion。
The　fact　that　his　society　was　prohibited　gave　it　a　vastly　added　charm。

The　Blankenships　picked　up　a　precarious　living　fishing　and　hunting；　and
lived　at　first　in　a　miserable　house　of　bark；　under　a　tree；　but　later
moved　into　quite　a　pretentious　building　back　of　the　new　Clemens　home　on
Hill　Street。　　It　was　really　an　old　barn　of　a　placepoor　and　ramshackle
even　then；　but　now；　more　than　sixty　years　later；　a　part　of　it　is　still
standing。　　The　siding　of　the　part　that　stands　is　of　black　walnut；　which
must　have　been　very　plentiful　in　that　long…ago　time。　　。　　Old　drunken　Ben
Blankenship　never　dreamed　that　pieces　of　his　house　would　be　carried　off
as　relics　because　of　the　literary　fame　of　his　son　Toma　fame　founded　on
irresponsibility　and　inconsequence。　　Orion　Clemens；　who　was　concerned
with　missionary　work　about　this　time；　undertook　to　improve　the
Blankenships　spiritually。　　Sam　adopted　them；　outright；　and　took　them　to
his　heart。　　He　was　likely　to　be　there　at　any　hour　of　the　day；　and　he　and
Tom　had　cat…call　signals　at　night　which　would　bring　him　out　on　the　back
single…story　roof；　and　down　a　little　arbor　and　flight　of　steps；　to　the
group　of　boon　companions　which；　besides　Tom；　included　John　Briggs；　the
Bowen　boys；　Will　Pitts；　and　one　or　two　other　congenial　spirits。　　They
were　not　vicious　boys；　they　were　not　really　bad　boys；　they　were　only
mischievous；　fun…loving　boys…thoughtless；　and　rather　disregardful　of　the
comforts　and　the　rights　of　others。




XII

TOM　SAWYER'S　BAND

They　ranged　from　Holliday's　Hill　on　the　north　to　the　Cave　on　the　south；
and　over　the　fields　and　through　all　the　woods　about。　　They　navigated。
the　river　from　Turtle　Island　to　Glasscock's　Island　（now　Pearl；　or　Tom
Sawyer's　Island）；　and　far　below；　they　penetrated　the　wilderness　of　the
Illinois　shore。　　They　could　run　like　wild　turkeys　and　swim　like　ducks；
they　could　handle　a　boat　as　if　born　in　one。　　No　orchard　or　melon　patch
was　entirely　safe　from　them；　no　dog　or　slave　patrol　so　vigilant　that　they
did　not　sooner　or　later　elude　it。　　They　borrowed　boats　when　their　owners
were　not　present。　　Once　when　they　found　this　too　much　trouble；　they
decided　to　own　a　boat；　and　one　Sunday　gave　a　certain　borrowed　craft　a
coat　of　red　paint　（formerly　it　had　been　green）；　and　secluded　it　for　a
season　up　Bear　Creek。　　They　borrowed　the　paint　also；　and　the　brush；
though　they　carefully　returned　these　the　same　evening　about　nightfall；　so
the　painter　could　have　them　Monday　morning。　　Tom　Blankenship　rigged　up　a
sail　for　the　new　craft；　and　Sam　Clemens　named　it　Cecilia；　after　which
they　didn't　need　to　borrow　boats　any　more；　though　the　owner　of　it　did；
and　he　sometimes　used　to　observe　as　he　saw　it　pass　that；　if　it　had　been
any　other　color　but　red；　he　would　have　sworn　it　was　his。

Some　of　their　expeditions　were　innocent　enough。　　They　often　cruised　up　to
Turtle　Island；　about　two　miles　above　Hannibal；　and　spent　the　day
feasting。　　You　could　have　loaded　a　car　with　turtles　and　their　eggs　up
there；　and　there　were　quantities　of　mussels　and　plenty　of　fish。　　Fishing
and　swimming　were　their　chief　pastimes；　with　general　marauding　for
adventure。　　Where　the　railroad…bridge　now　ends　on　the　Missouri　side　was
their　favorite　swimming…holethat　and　along　Bear　Creek；　a　secluded
limpid　water　with　special　interests　of　its　own。　　Sometimes　at　evening
they　swam　across　to　Glasscock's　Islandthe　rendezvous　of　Tom　Sawyer's
〃Black　Avengers〃　and　the　hiding…place　of　Huck　and　Nigger　Jim；　then；　when
they　had　frolicked　on　the　sand…bar　at　the　head　of　the　island　for　an　hour
or　more；　they　would　swim　back　in　the　dusk；　a　distance　of　half　a　mile；
breasting　the　strong；　steady　Mississippi　current　without　exhaustion　or
fear。　　They　could　swim　all　day；　likely　enough；　those　graceless　young
scamps。　　Oncethough　this　was　considerably　later；　when　he　was　sixteen
Sam　Clemens　swam　across　to　the　Illinois　side；　and　then　turned　and　swam
back　again　without　landing；　a　distance　of　at　least　two　miles；　as　he　had
to　go。　　He　was　seized　with　a　cramp　on　the　return　trip。　　His　legs　became
useless；　and　he　was　obliged　to　make　the　remaining　distance　with　his　arms。
It　was　a　hardy　life　they　led；　and　it　is　not　recorded　that　they　ever　did
any　serious　damage；　though　they　narrowly　missed　it　sometimes。

One　of　their　Sunday　pastimes　was　to　climb　Holliday's　Hill　and　roll　down
big　stones；　to　frighten　the　people　who　were　driving　to　church。
Holliday's　Hill　above　the　road　was　steep；　a　stone　once　started　would　go
plunging　and　leaping　down　and　bound　across　the　road　with　the　deadly
swiftness　of　a　twelve…inch　shell。　　The　boys　would　get　a　stone　poised；
then　wait　until　they　saw　a　team　approaching；　and；　calculating　the
distance；　would　give　it　a　start。　　Dropping　down　behind　the　bushes；　they
would　watch　the　dramatic　effect　upon　the　church…goers　as　the　great
missile　shot　across　the　road　a　few　yards　before　them。　　This　was　Homeric
sport；　but　they　carried　it　too　far。　　Stones　that　had　a　habit　of　getting
loose　so　numerously　on　Sundays　and　so　rarely　on　other　days　invited
suspicion；　and　the　〃Patterollers〃　（river　patrola　kind　of　police　of
those　days）　were　put　on　the　watch。　　So　the　boys　found　other　diversions
until　the　Patterollers　did　not　watch　any　more；　then　they　planned　a　grand
coup　that　would　eclipse　anything　before　attempted　in　the　stone…rolling
line。

A　rock　about　the　size　of　an　omnibus　was　lying　up　there；　in　a　good
position　to　go　down　hill；　once；　started。　　They　decided　it　would　be　a
glorious　thing　to　see　that　great　boulder　go　smashing　down；　a　hundred
yards　or　so　in　front　of　some　unsuspecting　and　peaceful…minded　church…
goer。　　Quarrymen　were　getting　out　rock　not　far　away；　and　left　their　picks
and　shovels　over　Sundays。　　The　boys　borrowed　these；　and　went　to　work　to
undermine　the　big　stone。　　It　was　a　heavier　job　than　they　had　counted　on；
but　they　worked　faithfully；　Sunday　after　Sunday。　　If　their　parents　had
wanted　them　to　work　like　that；　they　would　have　thought　they　were　being
killed。

Finally　one　Sunday；　while　they　were　digging；　it　suddenly　got　loose　and
started　down。　　They　were　not　quite　ready　for　it。　　Nobody　was　coming　but
an　old　colored　man　in　a　cart；　so　it　was　going　to　be　wasted。　　It　was　not
quite　wasted；　however。　　They　had　planned　for　a　thrilling　result；　and
there　was　thrill　enough　while　it　lasted。　　In　the　first　place；　the　stone
nearly　caught　Will　Bowen　when　it　started。　　John　Briggs　had　just　that
moment　quit　digging　and　handed　Will　the　pick。　　Will　was　about　to　step
into　the　excavation　when　Sam　Clemens；　who　was　already　there；　leaped　out
with　a　yell：

〃Look　out；　boys；　she's　coming！〃

She　came。　　The　huge　stone　kept　to　the　ground　at　first；　then；　gathering　a
wild　momentum；　it　went　bounding　into　the　air。　　About　half…way　down　the
hill　it　struck　a　tree　several　inches　through　and　cut　it　clean　off。　　This
turned　its　course　a　little；　and　the　negro　in　the　cart；　who　heard　the
noise；　saw　it　come　crashing　in　his　direction　and　made　a　wild　effort　to
whip　up　his　horse。　　It　was　also　headed　toward　a　cooper…shop　across　the
road。　　The　boys　watched　it　with　growing　interest。　　It　made　longer　leaps
with　every　bound；　and　whenever　it　struck　the　fragments　the　dust　would
fly。　　They　were　certain　it　would　demolish　the　negro　and　destr