Tom and Huck's Howling Adventure by Tim Champlin

Author:Tim Champlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning
Published: 2017-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

“Did you ever think you’d be wearin’ chains like a slave?” Tom Sawyer asked, examining the metal shackles that fastened his hands together in front of him.

“Never in my life,” Huck replied, shifting his back against the wall, and jingling the links of the chain that held his hands only six inches apart.

The two boys were sitting on the floor of an empty room in the kidnappers’ hideout. The rickety house was one of the old-fashioned kind that was two stories tall, but only one room deep. Hot as it was, the upper story at least absorbed some of the fierce sun. And the back door was missing, leaving a gap in the wall for some air and also allowing a view of the waist-deep weeds and the tilting barn behind. The kidnappers’ two horses were quietly grazing in the deep grass.

Tom wiped a sleeve across his sweaty face. “This place looks like it could fall down in a strong wind.”

“I seen old barns leanin’ like this mos’ likely since Columbus discovered the Injuns,” Huck replied absently, his mind apparently elsewhere.

After several seconds of silence, Tom suddenly burst out, “Wow! Hucky, that’s it! That’s it!”

“What’s it?”

“It only just come to me!”

“It did? What did?”

“I been thinkin’ all along I knew that Smealey from somers, and now I know!”

“Yeah?”

“You recollect when we was hidin’ upstairs in that old haunted house and Injun Joe and his partner come in there and found our pick and shovel with the fresh dirt on ’em?”

“Lordy! I ain’t likely to forget. ’Most gives me the fantods thinkin’ about it. Hadn’t been for them steps breakin’ we’d of been found and kilt for sure.”

“And we didn’t know at first it was Injun Joe because he was in disguise like a Spaniard, with white whiskers and wearin’ them green goggles and all?”

“Yeah, what about it? He’s dead now.”

“But the man who was with him ain’t dead. His name is Chigger Smealey and he’s settin’ out front there right now.”

“Oh, Lordy! How do you know?”

“I mostly recollect his voice. That face is some older and it’s covered over with about two weeks o’ whiskers, but it’s him. I’m certain of it.”

“Tom, we’re in a fix for sure now. Everybody but King Arthur knows we wound up with that gold stash they discovered under the hearth that day.” He brushed away a fly that lit on his nose. His hands trembled, rattling the chains on his shackles.

“It took me the longest time to figure out why them kidnappers wanted me and you to deliver the ransom. Now it makes sense. Right before they found that treasure under the fireplace, Injun Joe was talkin’ about takin’ revenge. He had to be meanin’ revenge on us—mostly me—for speakin’ out in court and tellin’ how we saw him murder Doc Robinson. Now this Smealey is doin’ the same because we stole his gold.”

“What d’ya think he’s gonna do to us?”

Tom paused for a moment, thinking. “Well, he ain’t gonna kill us—not right away, anyhow.

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