"COME in," says the woman, and I did. She says: "Take a cheer."

I done it. She looked me all over with her little shiny eyes, and says:

"What might your name be?"

"Sarah Williams."

"Where 'bouts¹ do you live? In this neighborhood?'

"No'm. In Hookerville, seven mile below. I've walked all the way and I'm all tired out."

"Hungry, too, I reckon. I'll find you something."

"No'm, I ain't hungry. I was so hungry I had to stop two miles below here at a farm; so I ain't hungry no more. It's what makes me so late. My mother's down sick, and out of money and everything, and I come to tell my uncle Abner Moore. He lives at the upper end of the town, she says. I hain't ever been here before. Do you know him?"

"No; but I don't know everybody yet. I haven't lived here quite two weeks. It's a considerable ways to the upper end of the town. You better stay here all night. Take off your bonnet²."

"No," I says; "I'll rest a while, I reckon, and go on. I ain't afeared of the dark."

She said she wouldn't let me go by myself, but her husband would be in by and by, maybe in a hour and a half, and she'd send him along with me. Then she got to talking about her husband, and about her relations up the river, and her relations down the river, and about how much better off they used to was, and how they didn't know but they'd made a mistake coming to our town, instead of letting well alone -- and so on and so on, till I was afeard I had made a mistake coming to her to find out what was going on in the town; but by and by she dropped on to pap and the murder, and then I was pretty willing to let her clatter³ right along. She told about me and Tom Sawyer finding the six thousand dollars (only she got it ten) and all about pap and what a hard lot he was, and what a hard lot I was, and at last she got down to where I was murdered. I says:

"Who done it? We've heard considerable about these goings on down in Hookerville, but we don't know who 'twas that killed Huck Finn."

"Well, I reckon there's a right smart chance of people HERE that'd like to know who killed him. Some think old Finn done it himself."

"No -- is that so?"

"Most everybody thought it at first. He'll never know how nigh he come to getting lynched. But before night they changed around and judged it was done by a runaway⁴ nigger named Jim."

"Why HE --"

I stopped. I reckoned I better keep still. She run on, and never noticed I had put in at all:

"The nigger run off the very night Huck Finn was killed. So there's a reward out for him -- three hundred dollars. And there's a reward out for old Finn, too -- two hundred dollars. You see, he come to town the morning after the murder, and told about it, and was out with 'em on the ferryboat hunt, and right away after he up and left. Before night they wanted to lynch him, but he was gone, you see. Well, next day they found out the nigger was gone; they found out he hadn't ben seen sence ten o'clock the night the murder was done. So then they put it on him, you see; and while they was full of it, next day, back comes old Finn, and went boo-hooing to Judge Thatcher⁵ to get money to hunt for the nigger all over Illinois with. The judge gave him some, and that evening he got drunk, and was around till after midnight with a couple of mighty⁶ hard-looking strangers, and then went off with them. Well, he hain't come back sence, and they ain't looking for him back till this thing blows over a little, for people thinks now that he killed his boy and fixed⁷ things so folks would think robbers done it, and then he'd get Huck's money without having to bother a long time with a lawsuit⁸. People do say he warn't any too good to do it. Oh, he's sly, I reckon. If he don't come back for a year he'll be all right. You can't prove anything on him, you know; everything will be quieted down then, and he'll walk in Huck's money as easy as nothing."

"Yes, I reckon so, 'm. I don't see nothing in the way of it. Has everybody guit thinking the nigger done it?"

"Oh, no, not everybody. A good many thinks he done it. But they'll get the nigger pretty soon now, and maybe they can scare it out of him."

"Why, are they after him yet?"

"Well, you're innocent, ain't you! Does three hundred dollars lay around every day for people to pick up? Some folks think the nigger ain't far from here. I'm one of them -- but I hain't talked it around. A few days ago I was talking with an old couple that lives next door in the log shanty⁹, and they happened to say hardly anybody ever goes to that island over yonder that they call Jackson's Island. Don't anybody live there? says I. No, nobody, says they. I didn't say any more, but I done some thinking. I was pretty near certain I'd seen smoke over there, about the head of the island, a day or two before that, so I says to myself, like as not that nigger's hiding over there; anyway, says I, it's worth the trouble to give the place a hunt. I hain't seen any smoke sence, so I reckon maybe he's gone, if it was him; but husband's going over to see -- him and another man. He was gone up the river; but he got back to-day, and I told him as soon as he got here two hours ago."

I had got so uneasy I couldn't set still. I had to do something with my hands; so I took up a needle off of the table and went to threading it. My hands shook, and I was making a bad job of it. When the woman stopped talking I looked up, and she was looking at me pretty curious and smiling a little. I put down the needle and thread, and let on to be interested -- and I was, too -- and says:

"Three hundred dollars is a power of money. I wish my mother could get it. Is your husband going over there to-night?"

"Oh, yes. He went up-town with the man I was telling you of, to get a boat and see if they could borrow another gun. They'll go over after midnight."

"Couldn't they see better if they was to wait till daytime?"

"Yes. And couldn't the nigger see better, too? After midnight he'll likely be asleep, and they can slip around through the woods and hunt up his camp fire all the better for the dark, if he's got one."

"I didn't think of that."

The woman kept looking at me pretty curious, and I didn't feel a bit comfortable. Pretty soon she says"

"What did you say your name was, honey?"

"M -- Mary Williams."

Somehow it didn't seem to me that I said it was Mary before, so I didn't look up -- seemed to me I said it was Sarah; so I felt sort of cornered, and was afeared maybe I was looking it, too. I wished the woman would say something more; the longer she set still the uneasier I was. But now she says:

"Honey, I thought you said it was Sarah when you first come in?"

"Oh, yes'm, I did. Sarah Mary Williams. Sarah's my first name. Some calls me Sarah, some calls me Mary."

"Oh, that's the way of it?"

"Yes'm."

I was feeling better then, but I wished I was out of there, anyway. I couldn't look up yet.

Well, the woman fell to talking about how hard times was, and how poor they had to live, and how the rats was as free as if they owned the place, and so forth¹⁰ and so on, and then I got easy again. She was right about the rats. You'd see one stick his nose out of a hole in the corner every little while. She said she had to have things handy to throw at them when she was alone, or they wouldn't give her no peace. She showed me a bar of lead twisted up into a knot, and said she was a good shot with it generly, but she'd wrenched¹¹ her arm a day or two ago, and didn't know whether she could throw true now. But she watched for a chance, and directly banged away at a rat; but she missed him wide, and said "Ouch!" it hurt her arm so. Then she told me to try for the next one. I wanted to be getting away before the old man got back, but of course I didn't let on. I got the thing, and the first rat that showed his nose I let drive, and if he'd a stayed where he was he'd a been a tolerable sick rat. She said that was first-rate, and she reckoned I would hive the next one. She went and got the lump of lead and fetched it back, and brought along a hank of yarn¹² which she wanted me to help her with. I held up my two hands and she put the hank over them, and went on talking about her and her husband's matters. But she broke off to say:

"Keep your eye on the rats. You better have the lead in your lap, handy."

So she dropped the lump into my lap just at that moment, and I clapped my legs together on it and she went on talking. But only about a minute. Then she took off the hank and looked me straight in the face, and very pleasant, and says:

"Come, now, what's your real name?"

"Wh -- what, mum?"

"What's your real name? Is it Bill, or Tom, or Bob? -- or what is it?"

I reckon I shook like a leaf, and I didn't know hardly what to do. But I says:

"Please to don't poke¹³ fun at a poor girl like me, mum. If I'm in the way here, I'll --"

"No, you won't. Set down and stay where you are. I ain't going to hurt you, and I ain't going to tell on you, nuther. You just tell me your secret, and trust me. I'll keep it; and, what's more, I'll help you. So'll my old man if you want him to. You see, you're a runaway 'prentice, that's all. It ain't anything. There ain't no harm in it. You've been treated bad, and you made up your mind to cut. Bless you, child, I wouldn't tell on you. Tell me all about it now, that's a good boy."

So I said it wouldn't be no use to try to play it any longer, and I would just make a clean breast and tell her everything, but she musn't go back on her promise. Then I told her my father and mother was dead, and the law had bound me out to a mean old farmer in the country thirty mile back from the river, and he treated me so bad I couldn't stand it no longer; he went away to be gone a couple of days, and so I took my chance and stole some of his daughter's old clothes and cleared out, and I had been three nights coming the thirty miles. I traveled nights, and hid daytimes and slept, and the bag of bread and meat I carried from home lasted me all the way, and I had a-plenty. I said I believed my uncle Abner Moore would take care of me, and so that was why I struck out for this town of Goshen.

"Goshen, child? This ain't Goshen. This is St. Petersburg. Goshen's ten mile further up the river. Who told you this was Goshen?"

"Why, a man I met at daybreak this morning, just as I was going to turn into the woods for my regular sleep. He told me when the roads forked I must take the right hand, and five mile would fetch me to Goshen."

"He was drunk, I reckon. He told you just exactly wrong."

"Well,,he did act like he was drunk, but it ain't no matter now. I got to be moving along. I'll fetch Goshen before daylight."

"Hold on a minute. I'll put you up a snack to eat. You might want it."

So she put me up a snack, and says:

"Say, when a cow's laying down, which end of her gets up first? Answer up prompt now -- don't stop to study over it. Which end gets up first?"

"The hind¹⁴ end, mum."

"Well, then, a horse?"

"The for'rard end, mum."

"Which side of a tree does the moss¹⁵ grow on?"

"North side."

"If fifteen cows is browsing¹⁶ on a hillside, how many of them eats with their heads pointed¹⁷ the same direction?"

"The whole fifteen, mum."

"Well, I reckon you HAVE lived in the country. I thought maybe you was trying to hocus me again. What's your real name, now?"

"George Peters, mum."

"Well, try to remember it, George. Don't forget and tell me it's Elexander before you go, and then get out by saying it's George Elexander when I catch you. And don't go about women in that old calico. You do a girl tolerable poor, but you might fool men, maybe. Bless you, child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way. And when you throw at a rat or anything, hitch¹⁸ yourself up a tiptoe and fetch your hand up over your head as awkward as you can, and miss your rat about six or seven foot. Throw stiff-armed from the shoulder, like there was a pivot¹⁹ there for it to turn on, like a girl; not from the wrist and elbow, with your arm out to one side, like a boy. And, mind you, when a girl tries to catch anything in her lap she throws her knees apart; she don't clap them together, the way you did when you catched the lump of lead. Why, I spotted²⁰ you for a boy when you was threading the needle; and I contrived²¹ the other things just to make certain. Now trot²² along to your uncle, Sarah Mary Williams George Elexander Peters, and if you get into trouble you send word to Mrs. Judith Loftus, which is me, and I'll do what I can to get you out of it. Keep the river road all the way, and next time you tramp take shoes and socks with you. The river road's a rocky one, and your feet'll be in a condition when you get to Goshen, I reckon."

I went up the bank about fifty yards, and then I doubled on my tracks and slipped back to where my canoe was, a good piece below the house. I jumped in, and was off in a hurry. I went up-stream far enough to make the head of the island, and then started across. I took off the sun-bonnet, for I didn't want no blinders on then. When I was about the middle I heard the clock begin to strike, so I stops and listens; the sound come faint over the water but clear -- eleven. When I struck the head of the island I never waited to blow, though I was most winded, but I shoved right into the timber where my old camp used to be, and started a good fire there on a high and dry spot.

Then I jumped in the canoe and dug out for our place, a mile and a half below, as hard as I could go. I landed, and slopped through the timber and up the ridge²³ and into the cavern²⁴. There Jim laid, sound asleep on the ground. I roused him out and says:

"Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain't a minute to lose. They're after us!"

Jim never asked no questions, he never said a word; but the way he worked for the next half an hour showed about how he was scared. By that time everything we had in the world was on our raft, and she was ready to be shoved out from the willow²⁵ cove²⁶ where she was hid. We put out the camp fire at the cavern the first thing, and didn't show a candle outside after that.

I took the canoe out from the shore a little piece, and took a look; but if there was a boat around I couldn't see it, for stars and shadows ain't good to see by. Then we got out the raft and slipped along down in the shade, past the foot of the island dead still -- never saying a word.

“进来”，那个妇女说。我就走了进去。她说：
    “请坐。”
    我坐了下来。她那亮亮的小眼睛把我端详了个仔细，接着说：
    “你叫什么名字啊？”
    “莎拉·威廉斯。”
    “你住哪里？是在这儿附近么？”
    “不。是在霍克维尔，这儿下面七英里地。我一路走得来，实在累了。”
    “我看也饿了吧。我给你找点东西吃。”
    “不，我不饿。本来我倒是饿得很。我在离这儿两英里路的一家农庄不能不歇了一口
气，所以不饿了。这样我才会弄得这么晚。我妈在家有病，又没有钱，我是来把情况告诉我
叔叔阿勃纳·摩尔的。我妈对我说，他住在这个镇上的那一头。这儿我还没有来过呢。你认
识他吧？”
    “不，我还不认识什么人哩。我住在这里还不到两个星期。要到镇上那一头，还有不少
路呢。你最好这晚上便歇在这里。
    把你的那顶帽子给取下来吧。”
    “不”，我说，“我看我歇一会儿，便往前走。天黑我不怕。”
    她说她可不能放我一个人走。不过，她丈夫一会儿便会回来，大概是一个半钟头左右
吧。她会让她丈夫陪我一起走。接下来便讲他的丈夫，讲她沿河上游的亲戚，讲她下游的亲
戚，讲她们过去的光景怎样比现在好得多，怎样自己对这一带并没有搞清楚，怎样打错了主
意到了这个镇上来，放了好日子不知道过——如此等等，说得没有个完。这样，我就担起心
来，深怕这回找到她打听镇上的情况，也许这个主意是错了。不过，不一会儿，她提到了我
爸爸以及那件杀人案，我就很乐意听她唠叨下去。她说到我和汤姆·索亚怎样弄到六千块钱
的事①（只是她说成了一万块钱），讲到了有关爸爸的种种情况，以及他多么命苦，我又是
多么命苦。到后来，她讲到了我怎样被杀害。我说：   

　　①诺顿版注：在本书第一章中，以及在《汤姆·索亚历险记》中，都说是一万二千
元，此处恐是作者记错了。

    “是谁干的？在霍克维尔，我们听到过很多有关这件事的说法，不过是谁杀了哈克·芬
的，我们可不知道。”
“嗯，据我看，就在这儿，也有不少人想要知道是谁杀了他的。有些人认为，是老芬头
儿自己干的。”
“不吧——真是这样么？”
“开头，几乎谁都是这么想的。他自己永远不会知道他怎样差一点儿就会落到个私刑处
死。不过，到了天黑以前，那些人主意变了。据他们判断，认为是一个逃跑的黑奴名叫杰姆
的干的。”
“怎么啦，他——”
我把话打住了。我看，最好我别则声。她滔滔不绝讲下去，根本没有注意到我的插话。
“那个黑奴逃跑的那一个晚上，正是哈克·芬被杀害的日子。因此上，悬赏捉拿他——
悬赏三百块钱。还为了捉拿老芬头儿——悬赏两百块钱。你知道吧，他在杀人后第二天早上
来到了镇上，讲了这件事，然后和他们一起在渡轮上去寻找，可是一完事，人就走了，马上
不见人了。在天黑以前，人家要给他处私刑，可是他跑掉了，你知道吧。嗯，到第二天，人
家发现那个黑奴跑了。他们发现，杀人的那个晚上，十点钟以后，就不见这个黑奴的人影
了。知道吧，人家就把罪名安在他头上。可是他们正嚷得起劲的时候，第二天，老芬头儿又
回来了，又哭又喊地找到了撒切尔法官，索要那笔钱，为了走遍伊利诺斯州寻找那个黑奴。
法官给了他几个钱，而当天晚上，他就喝得醉醺醺的，在半夜前一直在当地。半夜后，他和
一些相貌凶恶的外地人在一起，接下来便和他们一起走掉了。啊，从此以后，再没见他回来
过。人家说，在这件案子的风头过去以前，他未必会回来。因为人家如今认为，正是他杀了
自己的孩子，把现场布置了一番，让人家以为是强盗干的，这样，他就能得到哈克的那笔
钱，不用在诉讼案件上花费很长一段时间了。人家说，他是个窝囊废，干不了这个。哦，我
看啊，这人可是够刁的了。他要是在一年之内不回来，他就不会有什么事了。你知道吧，你
拿不出什么证据来定他的罪。一切便会烟消云散。他就会不费气力地把哈克的钱弄到手。”
“是的，我也这么看。我看不出他会有什么不好办的。是不是人家不再认为是黑奴干的
呢？”
“哦，不。不是每个人都这么个看法。不少人认为是他干的。不过，人家很快便会逮到
那个黑奴，说不定人家会逼着他招出来的。”
“怎么啦，人家还在搜捕他么？”
“啊，你可真是不懂事啊！难道三百大洋是能天天摆在那里让人随手一拣就到手的么？
有些人认为那个黑奴离这儿不远呢。我就是其中的一个——不过我没有到处说就是了。才几
天前，我对隔壁木棚里的一对老年夫妇说过话，他们随口讲到，人们如今没有去附近那个叫
做杰克逊岛的小岛。我问道，那里有人住么？他们说没有。我没有接下去说什么，不过我倒
是想过一想的。我可以十分肯定，我曾望见过那儿冒烟，是在岛的尖端那边，时间是在这以
前的一两天。我因此上曾自个儿盘算过，那个黑奴多半就在那边啊。这样就值得花工夫到岛
上去来个搜捕，在这以后，就没有再见到冒烟了。我寻思，说不定他溜走了，要是他就是那
个黑奴的话。不过，我丈夫反正就要上那边去看一趟——他和另外一个人要去。他出门到上
游去了，不过今天回来了，两个钟点以前，他一回到家，我就对他说过了。”
我搞得心神不安，坐也坐不住了。我这双手该干点什么才好啊。我就从桌子上拿起了一
只针，想要穿通一根线头，我的手抖抖的，怎么也穿不好。那个妇女话头停了下来，我抬头
一望，她正看着我，一脸好奇的神气，微微一笑。我把针和线往桌子上一放，装做听得出神
的样子，——其实我也确实听得出神——接着说：
“三百块大洋可是一大笔钱啊。但愿我妈能得这笔钱。你丈夫今晚上去那边么？”
“是啊。他和那个我跟你讲起的人到镇上去了，去搞一只小船，还要想想方法，看能不
能弄到一支枪。他们半夜以后动身。”
“他们白天去不是能看得更清楚么？”
“是啊。可是那个黑奴不是也会看得更清楚么？半夜以后，他兴许会睡着了吧。他们就
好穿过林子，轻手轻脚溜到那边，寻找到他的宿营地，乘着黑夜，找起来更方便些，如果他
真有宿营之处的话。”
“这我倒没有想到。”
那个妇女还是带着好奇的神色看着我，这叫我很不舒服。
“亲爱的，你的名字叫什么来着？”
“玛——玛丽·威廉斯。”
我仿佛觉得，我最初说的时候并没有说是玛丽，所以我没有抬起头来。我觉得，我最初
说的是莎拉。我因此觉得很窘，并且怕脸上露出了这样的神气。我但愿那个妇女能接着说点
什么。她越是一声不响坐在那里，我越是局促不安。可是她这时说：
“亲爱的，你刚进门的时候，说的是莎拉吧？”
“啊，那是的，我是这么说了的。莎拉·玛丽·威廉斯。莎拉是我第一个名字。有人叫
我莎拉，有人叫我玛丽。”
“哦，是这样啊。”
“是的。”
这样，我就觉得好过了一些。不过，我但愿能离开这里。
我还抬不起头来。
接下来，那个妇女就谈起了时势多么艰难，她们生活又多么穷困，老鼠又多么猖狂，仿
佛这里就是它们的天下，如此等等。这样，我觉得又舒坦了起来。说到老鼠，她讲的可是实
情。在角落头一个小洞里，每隔一会儿，就能见到一只老鼠，把脑袋伸出洞口探望一下。她
说，她一个人在家时，手边必须准备好东西扔过去，不然得不到安生的时候。她给我看一根
根铅丝拧成的一些团团，说扔起来很准。不过，一两天前，她把胳膊扭了，如今还不知道能
不能扔呢。她看准了一个机会，朝一只老鼠猛然扔了过去，不过，她扔得离目标差一截子，
一边叫了起来：“噢！胳膊扭痛了。”她接着要我扔下一个试试看。我一心想的是在她家里
的老头儿回来以前就溜之大吉，不过自然不便表露出来。我把铅团子拿到了手里，老鼠一探
头，我就猛地扔过去，它要是迟一步，准会被砸成一只病歪歪的老鼠。她说我扔得挺准，还
说她估摸，下一个我准能扔中。她把一些铅团子拿过来，又拿来一绞毛线，叫我帮她绕好。
我伸出了双手，她把毛线套在我手上，一边讲起她自己和她丈夫的事。不过，她打听了话说：
“眼睛看准了老鼠。最好把铅团团放在大腿上，好随时扔过去。”
说着，她便把一些铅团子扔到我大腿上，我把双腿一并接住了。她接着说下去，不过才
只说了一分钟。接下来她取下了毛线，眼睛直盯着我的脸，不过非常和颜悦色地问：
“说吧——你的真名字叫什么？”
“什——什么，大娘？”
“你真名是什么？是比尔？还是汤姆？还是鲍勃？——还是什么？”
我看我准定是抖得象一片树叶子。我实在不知所措。可是我说：
“大娘，别作弄我这样一个穷苦的女孩吧，要是我在这里碍事，我可以——”
“哪有的事？你给我坐下，别动。我不会害你，也不会告发你。把你的秘密一五一十告
诉我，相信我，我会保守秘密的。还不只这样，我会帮你忙的，我家老头儿也会的，只要你
需要他的话。要知道，你是个逃出来的学徒——就是这么一回事。这有什么大不了的，这算
得了什么啊。人家亏待了你，你就决心一跑了之。孩子，但愿你交好运，我不会告发的。原
原本本告诉我——这才是一个好孩子。”
这样，我就说，事已如此，也不用再装了。还说，我会把一切的一切原原本本都倒给她
听，只是她答应了的不许反悔。随后我告诉她，我父母双亡，按照法律，把我给栓住在乡下
一个卑鄙的农民手里，离大河有三十英里。他虐待我，我再也不能忍受了。他出门几天，我
便乘机偷了他女儿的几件旧衣服，溜出了家门。这三十英里，我走了三个晚上。我只在晚山
走，白天躲起来，找地方睡，家里带出来的一袋面包和肉供我一路上食用。东西是足够的。
我相信我的叔叔阿勃纳·摩尔会照看我的。这就是为什么我要上高申镇来。
“高申？孩子。这儿可不是高申啊！这是圣彼得堡啊①。高申还在大河上边十英里地
呢。谁跟你说这里是高申来着？”    

　　①诺顿版注：实指马克·吐温的故乡汉尼拔，作者在小说里给它取名为圣彼得堡。

    “怎么啦？今天拂晓我遇到的一个男人这么说的。?
觉。他对我说，那里是叉路口，需得走右手这一条路，走五英里便能到高申。”
“我看他准是喝醉了，他指给你的恰好是相反的路。”
“哦，他那样子真象是喝醉了的。不过，如今也无所谓了，我反正得往前走。天亮以
前，我能赶到高申。”
“等一会儿，我给你准备点儿吃的带着，你也许用得着。”
她就给我弄了点儿吃的，还说：
“听我说——一头奶牛趴在地上，要爬起来时，哪一头先离地？赶快答——不用停下来
想。哪一头先起来？”
“牛屁股先离地，大娘。”
“好，那么一匹马呢？”
“前头的，大娘。”
“一棵树，哪一侧青苔长得最盛？”
“北边的一侧。”
“假如有十五头牛在一处小山坡上吃草，有几头是冲着同一个方向的？”
“十五头全冲着一个方向，大娘。”
“嗯，我看啊，你果真是住在乡下的。我还以为你又要哄我呢。现在你说，你的真姓名
是什么？”
“乔治·彼得斯，大娘。”
“嗯，要把这名字记住了，乔治。别把这忘了，弄得在走以前对我说你的名字叫亚历山
大，等出了门给我逮住了，便说是乔治·亚历山大。还有，别穿着这样旧的花布衣服装成女
人啦。你装成一个姑娘家可装得蹩脚，不过你要是糊弄一个男人，也许还能对付。上天保
佑，孩子，你穿起针线来，可别捏着线头不动，光是捏着针鼻往线头上凑，而是要捏着针头
不动，把线头往针鼻上凑——妇女多半是这么穿针线的，男人多半倒过来。打老鼠或者别的
什么，应当踮着脚尖，手伸到头顶上，越高越好。打过去之后，离老鼠最好有六七英尺远。
胳膊挺直，靠肩膀的力扔出去。肩膀就好比一个轴，胳膊就在它上面转——这才象一个女孩
扔东西的姿势，可不是用手腕子和胳膊后的力，把胳膊朝外伸，象一个男孩子扔东西的姿
势。还要记住，一个女孩，人家朝她膝盖上扔东西，她接的时候，两腿总是张开的，不是象
男孩那样把两腿并拢，不象你接铅团那样把两腿并拢。啊，你穿针线的时候，我就看出你是
个男孩子了。我又想出了一些别的法子来试试你，就为的是弄得确实无误。现在你跑去找你
的叔叔去吧，莎拉·玛丽·威廉斯·乔治·亚历山大·彼得斯。你要是遇到什么麻烦，不妨
给裘第丝·洛芙特丝一个信，那就是我的名字。我会想方设法帮你解决的，顺着大河，一直
往前走。下回出远门，要随身带好袜子、鞋子。沿河的路尽是石头路。我看啊，走到高申
镇，你的脚可要遭殃了。”
我沿河岸往上游走了五十码，然后急步走回来，溜到了系独木舟的地方，就是离那家人
家相当远的一个去处。我跳上船，急急忙忙开船。我朝上水划了相当一段路，为的是能划到
岛子的顶端，然后往对岸划去。我取下了遮阳帽，因为我这时候已经不需要这遮眼的东西
了。我划到大河的水中央的时候，听到钟声响起来了。我便停了下来，仔细听着。声音从水
上传来，很轻，可是很清楚——十一下子。我一到了岛尖，尽管累得喘不过气来，不敢停下
来缓一口气，便直奔我早先宿营的林子那里，拣一个干燥的高处生起一堆大火。
随后便跳进独木舟，使出全身的劲儿，往下游一英里半我们藏身的地方划去。我跳上了
岸，窜过树林，爬上山脊，冲进山洞。杰姆正躺着。在地上睡得正香，我把他叫了起来，对
他说：
“杰姆，快起来，收拾好东西。一分钟也拖延不得，人家来搜捕我们啦！”
杰姆一个问题也没有问，一句话也没有说。不过，从接下来半小时中收拾东西的那个劲
儿来看，他准是吓坏了。等到我们把所有的家当全都放到木排上的时候，我们准备从隐藏着
的柳树弯子里撑出去，我们第一件事是把洞口的火堆灰烬熄灭。在这以后，在外边，连一点
烛光也不敢点。
我把独木舟划到离岸不远的地方，然后往四下里张望了一下。不过嘛，当时即便附近有
一只小船吧，我也不会看到，因为星光黯淡，浓影深深，看不清。随后我们就把木筏撑出
去，溜进了阴影里，朝下游漂去，悄没声地漂过了岛尾，两人一句话也没有说。