# ■ 3 Huck and Jim travel south

For some days everything went along quietly，but we were getting bored． We wanted to know what was happening in town and so I decided to go and find out． Jim said，'Why don't you wear the old dress and the hat that we found in the house？ People won't know you， then． They'll think you're a girl．' And so I did．

Just after it was dark，I got into the canoe and went up the river to the bottom of the town．There，I left the canoe and went on foot． Before long， I came to a little house which was always empty．Now there was a light on，and when I looked through the window， I saw a woman of about forty．She was a stranger and that was good because she didn't know me．So I knocked on the door．'I must remember that I'm a girl'I said to myself．

The woman opened the door．'Come in，' she said．She looked at me with her little bright eyes．'What's your name？'she asked．

Sarah Williams，'I replied．'I'm going to see my uncle，on the other side of town．My mother's ill， you see，and she needs help．'

Well， you can't go there by yourself now．It's too dark．My husband will be home in about an hour． Wait for him and he'll walk with you．'

And then she began to tell me about all her troubles． I was getting bored with all this until she said something about Pop and my murder．

Who did it？'I asked．

Well，'she replied，'some people say old Finn did it him-self；other people think it was a slave who ran away that night．His name was Jim． They'll give three hundred dollars to anybody who finds him——and they'll give two hundred dollars for old Finn． He got drunk and left town with two strangers．A lot of people think he killed his boy and he's going to come back one day， and get all Huck Finn's money．' 'And what about the slave？'I asked．

Oh，they'll soon catch him． People want the three hundred dollars． I think he's on Jackson's Island， you know．I've seen smoke there．My husband's gone to get two of his friends and they're going over there with a gun later tonight．'

When I heard this， my hands began to shake． The woman looked at me strangely，but then she smiled and said kindly，'What did you say your name was？'

M－Mary Williams．'

Oh，' she said，'I thought it was Sarah．'

Er… well， yes， it is． Sarah Mary Williams． Some people call me Sarah and some people call me Mary， you see．'

Oh，do they？'She smiled again．'Come on，now—what's your real name？ Bill？ Bob？ I know you're not really a girl．'

So then I had to tell her another story， with a different name，and I said I was running away． She said she wouldn't tell anybody， and gave me some food before I left．I hurried back to the island and Jim．

Quick，Jim！'I cried，waking him up．'They're coming to get us！'

We got out the raft as fast as we could，put all our things on it， tied the canoe on behind， and moved off down the river．When it began to get light，we hid． When it was dark again，we travelled on． On the fifth night we passed St Louis， and we decided to go on down to Cairo in Illinois，sell the raft there and get a boat to Ohio．There are no slaves in Ohio．

We slept for most of that day and we began our journey again when it was dark．After some time，we saw lights on the Illinois side of the river and Jim got very excited． He thought it was Cairo． Jim got the canoe ready and I went off in it to take a look at those lights． But it wasn't Cairo．

After that， we went on down the river． It was very dark that night and it wasn't easy to see where we were going．Suddenly， a big steamboat came at us very fast， and the next minute it was right over us． Jim and I jumped off the raft into the water． The boat hit the raft and went on up the river．

When I came up out of the water， I couldn't see Jim any-where．I called out his name again and again，but there was no answer．'He's dead！' I thought．Slowly， I swam to the side of the river and got out．I saw that I was near a big old wood-en house． Suddenly a lot of very angry dogs jumped out at me．They made a terrible noise and someone called from the house，'Who's there？'

George Jackson，'I answered quickly．'I've fallen off a river boat．'

Well， the people who lived in that house were very kind，and they took me in and gave me some new clothes and a good meal． I told them that my family were all dead，so they said I could stay with them as long as I wanted． It was a beautiful house and the food was good there， so I stayed．

A few days later one of the slaves in the house came to me and said，'Come with me！'Together，we went down to some trees by the river．'In there！'he said and went away．

On the ground， I found a man， asleep． It was Jim！ I was really pleased to see him．When the steamboat hit the raft，Jim told me， the raft didn't break up．Jim swam after it and caught it． Then he began to look for me．

We decided to leave at once． It's all right living in a house for a little while， but you feel more free and easy and comfort-able on a raft．

■ 3 哈克和吉姆向南旅行

幾天來，一切都很順利。但是，我們有點煩了。我們想知道鎮上發生了什麼事情，於是，我決定去查清楚。吉姆說，“你為什麼不穿上我們在那木房子裡找到的舊衣服，戴上那帽子呢？那樣，人們就不會認出你。他們會以為你是一個女孩呢。”於是，我照著他說的做了。

天剛黑，我上了獨木舟，往上游劃去來到鎮邊。我把獨木舟留在那兒，步行前往。不久，我來到了一座小房子前。這座小房子以前一直是空的，但現在裡面有亮光，當我透過窗戶往裡望時，我看到了一位大約40歲的女人。是個陌生人，這不錯，因為她不認識我。所以，我敲了敲門，“我必須記住我是一個女孩兒，”我自言自語道。

那女人開了門。“進來吧，”她說道。她用她那小小的、亮亮的眼睛打量著我。“你叫什麼名字？”她問道。

“薩拉·威廉斯，”我回答道。“我打算去見我的舅舅，他住在鎮子的另一頭。你瞧，我媽媽病了，她需要幫助。”

“噢，你現在不能自己去那兒，天太黑了。我丈夫大約一小時後會回來。等等他，他會跟你一起去的。”

然後，她開始對我講起她的煩惱。對她所講的這一切我變得厭煩了，直到她談起爸爸和我的那件凶殺案。

“是誰幹的？”我問道。

“嗯，”她回答道，“有人說是老費恩自己乾的，其他的人認為是一個那天夜裡逃走的奴隸乾的。他的名字叫吉姆。他們出價300美元懸賞捉拿吉姆——並且他們出價200美元懸賞捉拿老費恩。他喝得醉醺醺的，和兩個陌生人離開了鎮子。許多人認為是他殺了他的兒子，有朝一日，他會回來，並且會得到哈克·費恩所有的錢。”

“那奴隸怎麼樣了？”我問道。

“噢，他們不久就會抓住他的。人們想要那300美元。我想，他在傑克遜島上，我看到了那裡有煙。我丈夫去找他的兩個朋友，今夜晚些時候，他們帶著槍要到那兒去。”

當我聽到這消息時，我的手開始顫抖起來。那女人奇怪地看著我，然後，她笑了，和藹地說道：“你說你叫什麼名字？”

“瑪——瑪麗·威廉斯。”

“噢”，她說道，“我原以為是薩拉。”

“歐……噢，是的，是薩拉·瑪麗·威廉斯。聽我說，有的人叫我薩拉，有的人叫我瑪麗。”

“噢，是嗎？”她又笑道，“得啦，現在把你的真實名字告訴我？比爾？鮑勃？我知道你的確不是一個女孩兒。”

然後，我不得不又編了一個謊話告訴她，謊話中我又換了一個名字。我說道，我正在離家出走。她言道她不會告訴任何人，並給了我些吃的，然後，我走了。我急忙回到了島上，回到了吉姆那兒。

“快點，吉姆！”我喊著把他叫醒。“他們來抓我們了！”

我們儘快地把木筏拉出來，把我們所有的東西放在上面，把獨木舟拴在木筏後面，順流而下。天快亮時，我們藏起來，天再黑時，我們繼續走。第五天夜裡，我們經過了聖路易斯，我們決定繼續順流而下到伊利諾伊州的開羅去，在那兒賣掉木筏，弄條船到俄亥俄州去。俄亥俄州沒有奴隸。

那天的大部分時間我們在睡覺，天黑時，我們又開始了我們的旅行。一段時間後，我們看到了河岸邊伊利諾伊州的燈光，吉姆興奮極了，他以為是開羅。吉姆把獨木舟準備好，我乘著獨木舟前去看看那些燈光，可那不是開羅。

之後，我們繼續順流而下。那天夜裡，天很黑，不太容易看清我們在往哪兒走。突然，一隻汽船速度很快地衝著我們開過來了，緊接著，它朝我們頭頂上壓過來。我和吉姆從木筏上跳進水裡。汽船撞到了木筏，繼續往上游開去。

當我露出水面時，我哪兒也看不到吉姆。我一遍又一遍地大聲喊著他的名字，可是沒有回答。我想，“他死了！”慢慢地，我遊向河邊上了岸。就在附近，我看到了一座寬大的老式木房子。突然，許多發怒的狗撲向我。他們發出可怕的吠聲，有人在屋裡喊道，“誰在哪兒？”

“喬治·傑克遜，”我很快地回答，“我從船上掉到河裡了。”

住在那房子裡的人很和藹，他們領我進屋，給了我些新衣服和一頓豐盛的飯。我告訴他們我的家人都死了，於是，他們說我想住多久就能住多久。這是一座漂亮的房子，吃得也不錯，於是，我住下來了。

幾天後，那家的一個奴隸來找我說，“跟我來！”我們一起來到下游方向河邊的小樹林。“在那兒！”他說著走開了。

我發現一個人睡在地上，是吉姆！看見他，我真是高興極了。吉姆告訴我，汽船撞著木筏時，木筏並沒有散開。吉姆遊著追上那木筏並抓住了。然後，他開始尋找我。

我們決定立即離開。在房子裡小住一陣還行，但在木筏上，你感到更自由、更輕鬆、更舒服。