Huck Finn by Mark Twain. CHAPTER 10

 

CHAPTER 10

  A few days later, Sally and Silas Phelps found this message under their door.

Don’t betray me. I  wish to be your  friend. There is a dangerous gang of criminals going to steal your runaway slave next Monday night. I am one of the gang but I wish to change and be good. On the night of the attack, I have to warn the gang of any danger. Instead I will "baa" like a sheep when they are near and warn you. Then you must attack and kill them all. I do not wish any reward except knowing I did the right  thing.

UNKNOWN FRIEND

The letter was, of course, part of Tom's plan, but the Phelpses didn't know that.

Silas and Sally were terrified by the note. They told all their neighbours about the robbery, and asked them for help. Early on Monday evening,  Aunt Sally sent the boys to bed.

"Do not come out of your room," she said, "no matter what you hear." She didn't tell them anything about the robbers, though, because she didn't want to frighten them. But before Huck went upstairs, he noticed a crowd of people in the living room.

"Tom!" he cried, when he got upstairs, terrified. "There's a dozen men downstairs, and they all have guns! They're here to fight the criminals!"

Tom laughed aloud. "Great! That's better than I hoped for! Let's put the plan into action!" As darkness fell,  Tom and Huck climbed out the window and crept through the tunnel into Jim's cabin. Jim was going to escape with Tom and go towards the river. After that Huck would hide near the house and call "baa." The men would go to the slave cabin, but of course, they would find no one there.

    Tom and Huck got into the cabin and gave Jim the nightgown to wear.  A while later, they heard someone at the door. The men came into the cabin early without waiting for the signal. Quickly, Jim and the boys climbed out  through the hole. They almost got away, but Tom tore his trousers on the fence as they were running. Now the men were very close!

     Jim and the boys ran like crazy. Behind them, they heard the sound of men and dogs, and bullets whizzed around them as the men fired at them. But the three fugitives ran quickly, and soon they lost the men. In front of them was the dark Mississippi River. "We're safe!" Huck cried, laughing. "Jim, you're a free man now!" But Jim wasn't listening. He was looking at Tom. "Hold on, Huck," he said. "They hit Tom!" Tom was limping, and his face was pale. He was bleeding because he had a bullet in his leg.