IT must a been close on to one o'clock when we got below the island at last, and the raft did seem to go mighty¹ slow. If a boat was to come along we was going to take to the canoe and break for the Illinois shore; and it was well a boat didn't come, for we hadn't ever thought to put the gun in the canoe, or a fishing-line, or anything to eat. We was in ruther too much of a sweat to think of so many things. It warn't good judgment² to put EVERYTHING on the raft.

If the men went to the island I just expect they found the camp fire I built, and watched it all night for Jim to come. Anyways, they stayed away from us, and if my building the fire never fooled them it warn't no fault of mine. I played it as low down on them as I could.

When the first streak³ of day began to show we tied up to a towhead in a big bend on the Illinois side, and hacked⁴ off cottonwood branches with the hatchet⁵, and covered up the raft with them so she looked like there had been a cave-in in the bank there. A towhead is a sandbar that has cottonwoods on it as thick as harrow-teeth.

We had mountains on the Missouri shore and heavy timber on the Illinois side, and the channel was down the Missouri shore at that place, so we warn't afraid of anybody running across us. We laid there all day, and watched the rafts and steamboats spin down the Missouri shore, and up-bound steamboats fight the big river in the middle. I told Jim all about the time I had jabbering⁶ with that woman; and Jim said she was a smart one, and if she was to start after us herself she wouldn't set down and watch a camp fire -- no, sir, she'd fetch a dog. Well, then, I said, why couldn't she tell her husband to fetch a dog? Jim said he bet she did think of it by the time the men was ready to start, and he believed they must a gone up-town to get a dog and so they lost all that time, or else we wouldn't be here on a towhead sixteen or seventeen mile below the village -- no, indeedy, we would be in that same old town again. So I said I didn't care what was the reason they didn't get us as long as they didn't.

When it was beginning to come on dark we poked⁷ our heads out of the cottonwood thicket⁸, and looked up and down and across; nothing in sight; so Jim took up some of the top planks⁹ of the raft and built a snug¹⁰ wigwam to get under in blazing weather and rainy, and to keep the things dry. Jim made a floor for the wigwam, and raised it a foot or more above the level of the raft, so now the blankets and all the traps was out of reach of steamboat waves. Right in the middle of the wigwam we made a layer of dirt about five or six inches deep with a frame around it for to hold it to its place; this was to build a fire on in sloppy¹¹ weather or chilly¹²; the wigwam would keep it from being seen. We made an extra steering-oar, too, because one of the others might get broke on a snag or something. We fixed¹³ up a short forked stick to hang the old lantern on, because we must always light the lantern whenever we see a steamboat coming down-stream, to keep from getting run over; but we wouldn't have to light it for up-stream boats unless we see we was in what they call a "crossing"; for the river was pretty high yet, very low banks being still a little under water; so up-bound boats didn't always run the channel, but hunted easy water.

This second night we run between seven and eight hours, with a current that was making over four mile an hour. We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn't ever feel like talking loud, and it warn't often that we laughed -- only a little kind of a low chuckle¹⁴. We had mighty good weather as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all -- that night, nor the next, nor the next.

Every night we passed towns, some of them away up on black hillsides, nothing but just a shiny bed of lights; not a house could you see. The fifth night we passed St. Louis, and it was like the whole world lit up. In St. Petersburg they used to say there was twenty or thirty thousand people in St. Louis, but I never believed it till I see that wonderful spread of lights at two o'clock that still night. There warn't a sound there; everybody was asleep.

Every night now I used to slip ashore¹⁵ towards ten o'clock at some little village, and buy ten or fifteen cents' worth of meal or bacon or other stuff to eat; and sometimes I lifted a chicken that warn't roosting comfortable, and took him along. Pap always said, take a chicken when you get a chance, because if you don't want him yourself you can easy find somebody that does, and a good deed ain't ever forgot. I never see pap when he didn't want the chicken himself, but that is what he used to say, anyway.

Mornings before daylight I slipped into cornfields and borrowed a watermelon, or a mushmelon, or a punkin, or some new corn, or things of that kind. Pap always said it warn't no harm to borrow things if you was meaning to pay them back some time; but the widow said it warn't anything but a soft name for stealing, and no decent body would do it. Jim said he reckoned the widow was partly right and pap was partly right; so the best way would be for us to pick out two or three things from the list and say we wouldn't borrow them any more -- then he reckoned it wouldn't be no harm to borrow the others. So we talked it over all one night, drifting along down the river, trying to make up our minds whether to drop the watermelons, or the cantelopes, or the mushmelons, or what. But towards daylight we got it all settled satisfactory, and concluded to drop crabapples and p'simmons. We warn't feeling just right before that, but it was all comfortable now. I was glad the way it come out, too, because crabapples ain't ever good, and the p'simmons wouldn't be ripe for two or three months yet.

We shot a water-fowl now and then that got up too early in the morning or didn't go to bed early enough in the evening. Take it all round, we lived pretty high.

The fifth night below St. Louis we had a big storm after midnight, with a power of thunder and lightning, and the rain poured down in a solid sheet. We stayed in the wigwam and let the raft take care of itself. When the lightning glared out we could see a big straight river ahead, and high, rocky bluffs¹⁶ on both sides. By and by says I, "Hel-LO, Jim, looky yonder!" It was a steamboat that had killed herself on a rock. We was drifting straight down for her. The lightning showed her very distinct. She was leaning over, with part of her upper deck above water, and you could see every little chimbly-guy clean and clear, and a chair by the big bell, with an old slouch hat hanging on the back of it, when the flashes come.

Well, it being away in the night and stormy, and all so mysterious-like, I felt just the way any other boy would a felt when I see that wreck¹⁷ laying there so mournful and lonesome in the middle of the river. I wanted to get aboard of her and slink around a little, and see what there was there. So I says:

"Le's land on her, Jim."

But Jim was dead against it at first. He says:

"I doan' want to go fool'n 'long er no wrack¹⁸. We's doin' blame' well, en we better let blame' well alone, as de good book says. Like as not dey's a watchman on dat wrack."

"Watchman your grandmother," I says; "there ain't nothing to watch but the texas and the pilothouse; and do you reckon anybody's going to resk his life for a texas and a pilot-house such a night as this, when it's likely to break up and wash off down the river any minute?" Jim couldn't say nothing to that, so he didn't try. "And besides," I says, "we might borrow something worth having out of the captain's stateroom. Seegars, I bet you -- and cost five cents apiece, solid cash. Steamboat captains is always rich, and get sixty dollars a month, and THEY don't care a cent what a thing costs, you know, long as they want it. Stick a candle in your pocket; I can't rest, Jim, till we give her a rummaging¹⁹. Do you reckon Tom Sawyer would ever go by this thing? Not for pie, he wouldn't. He'd call it an adventure -- that's what he'd call it; and he'd land on that wreck if it was his last act. And wouldn't he throw style into it? -- wouldn't he spread himself, nor nothing? Why, you'd think it was Christopher C'lumbus discovering Kingdom-Come. I wish Tom Sawyer WAS here."

Jim he grumbled²⁰ a little, but give in. He said we mustn't talk any more than we could help, and then talk mighty low. The lightning showed us the wreck again just in time, and we fetched the stabboard derrick, and made fast there.

The deck was high out here. We went sneaking²¹ down the slope of it to labboard, in the dark, towards the texas, feeling our way slow with our feet, and spreading our hands out to fend²² off the guys, for it was so dark we couldn't see no sign of them. Pretty soon we struck the forward end of the skylight, and clumb on to it; and the next step fetched us in front of the captain's door, which was open, and by Jimminy, away down through the texas-hall we see a light! and all in the same second we seem to hear low voices in yonder!

Jim whispered and said he was feeling powerful sick, and told me to come along. I says, all right, and was going to start for the raft; but just then I heard a voice wail²³ out and say:

"Oh, please don't, boys; I swear I won't ever tell!"

Another voice said, pretty loud:

"It's a lie, Jim Turner. You've acted this way before. You always want more'n your share of the truck, and you've always got it, too, because you've swore 't if you didn't you'd tell. But this time you've said it jest one time too many. You're the meanest, treacherousest hound in this country."

By this time Jim was gone for the raft. I was just a-biling with curiosity; and I says to myself, Tom Sawyer wouldn't back out now, and so I won't either; I'm a-going to see what's going on here. So I dropped on my hands and knees in the little passage, and crept aft in the dark till there warn't but one stateroom betwixt me and the cross-hall of the texas. Then in there I see a man stretched on the floor and tied hand and foot, and two men standing²⁴ over him, and one of them had a dim lantern in his hand, and the other one had a pistol. This one kept pointing the pistol at the man's head on the floor, and saying:

"I'd LIKE to! And I orter, too -- a mean skunk²⁵!"

The man on the floor would shrivel up and say, "Oh, please don't, Bill; I hain't ever goin' to tell."

And every time he said that the man with the lantern would laugh and say:

"'Deed you AIN'T! You never said no truer thing 'n that, you bet you." And once he said: "Hear him beg! and yit if we hadn't got the best of him and tied him he'd a killed us both. And what FOR? Jist for noth'n. Jist because we stood on our RIGHTS -- that's what for. But I lay you ain't a-goin' to threaten nobody any more, Jim Turner. Put UP that pistol, Bill."

Bill says:

"I don't want to, Jake Packard. I'm for killin' him -- and didn't he kill old Hatfield jist the same way -- and don't he deserve it?"

"But I don't WANT him killed, and I've got my reasons for it."

"Bless yo' heart for them words, Jake Packard! I'll never forgit you long's I live!" says the man on the floor, sort of blubbering.

Packard didn't take no notice of that, but hung up his lantern on a nail and started towards where I was there in the dark, and motioned Bill to come. I crawfished as fast as I could about two yards, but the boat slanted²⁶ so that I couldn't make very good time; so to keep from getting run over and catched I crawled into a stateroom on the upper side. The man came apawing along in the dark, and when Packard got to my stateroom, he says:

"Here -- come in here."

And in he come, and Bill after him. But before they got in I was up in the upper berth²⁷, cornered, and sorry I come. Then they stood there, with their hands on the ledge²⁸ of the berth, and talked. I couldn't see them, but I could tell where they was by the whisky they'd been having. I was glad I didn't drink whisky; but it wouldn't made much difference anyway, because most of the time they couldn't a treed me because I didn't breathe. I was too scared. And, besides, a body COULDN'T breathe and hear such talk. They talked low and earnest. Bill wanted to kill Turner. He says:

"He's said he'll tell, and he will. If we was to give both our shares to him NOW it wouldn't make no difference after the row and the way we've served him. Shore's you're born, he'll turn State's evidence; now you hear ME. I'm for putting him out of his troubles."

"So'm I," says Packard, very quiet.

"Blame it, I'd sorter begun to think you wasn誸. Well, then, that's all right. Le's go and do it."

"Hold on a minute; I hain't had my say yit. You listen to me. Shooting's good, but there's quieter ways if the thing's GOT to be done. But what I say is this: it ain't good sense to go court'n around after a halter if you can git at what you're up to in some way that's jist as good and at the same time don't bring you into no resks. Ain't that so?"

"You bet it is. But how you goin' to manage it this time?"

"Well, my idea is this: we'll rustle²⁹ around and gather up whatever pickins we've overlooked in the staterooms, and shove for shore and hide the truck. Then we'll wait. Now I say it ain't a-goin' to be more'n two hours befo' this wrack breaks up and washes off down the river. See? He'll be drownded, and won't have nobody to blame for it but his own self. I reckon that's a considerble sight better 'n killin' of him. I'm unfavorable to killin' a man as long as you can git aroun' it; it ain't good sense, it ain't good morals. Ain't I right?"

"Yes, I reck'n you are. But s'pose she DON'T break up and wash off?"

"Well, we can wait the two hours anyway and see, can't we?"

"All right, then; come along."

So they started, and I lit out, all in a cold sweat, and scrambled³⁰ forward. It was dark as pitch there; but I said, in a kind of a coarse whisper, "Jim !" and he answered up, right at my elbow, with a sort of a moan, and I says:

"Quick, Jim, it ain't no time for fooling around and moaning; there's a gang of murderers in yonder, and if we don't hunt up their boat and set her drifting down the river so these fellows can't get away from the wreck there's one of 'em going to be in a bad fix. But if we find their boat we can put ALL of 'em in a bad fix -- for the sheriff 'll get 'em. Quick -- hurry! I'll hunt the labboard side, you hunt the stabboard. You start at the raft, and --"

"Oh, my lordy, lordy! RAF'? Dey ain' no raf' no mo'; she done broke loose en gone I -- en here we is!"

最后到达岛子下边的时候，准定快深夜一点钟了。看来木筏子是走得挺慢的。要是有船
开过来，我们准备坐上独木小舟，冲向伊利诺斯州的河岸去。幸好没有船来。我们没有想到
要把枪藏在独木小舟里，也没有想到把钓鱼竿放在小舟上钓东西吃。我们急忙慌乱之余，实
在想不到这么多。当初把什么都放到木筏上，这实在并非是个好主意。
    要是人家找到岛上去的话，我估计他们一定会找到我生起的火，在那边守候整整一个晚
上，等着杰姆出现。不管怎么说吧，反正我们把他们调来了。我生的火如果没有能叫他们上
当，那也不能怪我。我对他们施的花招，也够绝的了。
    天蒙蒙亮了，我们就在靠伊利诺斯州这边一个大湾的旁边，找了个沙洲靠了岸，用斧子
砍了一些杨树枝，把木筏子遮了起来。这样，这里看上去仿佛河岸在这里坍了一块似的。沙
洲是一片沙土岗子，上面长满了白杨，密得象耙齿一般。
    密苏里沿岸山岭起伏，伊利诺斯一边是密密的白杨树，航道在这里沿着密苏里一边，因
此我们并不担心会遇到什么人。我们一整天躺在那里，看着一些木筏子和轮船沿着密苏里河
岸向下游驶去，看着朝上游驶去的轮船在大河的河水中央使劲搏斗。我把我跟那个妇女瞎聊
的话一五一十全讲给杰姆听，杰姆说，这个妇女可是个精明的人，还说，要是由她来搜捕我
们的话，她准不会停下来坐等在火堆旁边——不，她会找好一只狗来。我说，那么她为什么
不是叫她的丈夫找好一只狗呢？杰姆说，依他看，那几个男人准备动身的时候，她准定会想
到找条狗。他相信，这些人准定是到镇上去找一条狗，这样，他们就把时间全耽误了，不然
的话，我们此刻就不会来到下游离村子十六七英里的沙洲上了，——不，肯定不会。我们只
会又回到我们老家那个镇上了。我就说，不管是什么个原因吧，反正他们没有能逮住我们。
    天快黑下来了，我们在白杨枝桠里探出脑袋，朝四下里上下左右张望了一番，什么也没
有见到。杰姆便拿起了木筏子上层的几块木板，搭起了一个挺舒适的小窝棚，好在太阳辣辣
的时候或者下雨的时候，能有个保持东西干燥的去处。杰姆还在窝棚底下安了个地板，比木
筏子高出一英尺多，这样，毯子啦和全部什物，都不会被开过来的轮船激起的水浪冲潮湿。
在窝棚的正中央，我们铺了五六英寸的土，安了个框架子，四周围得严严实实，好在刮风下
雨的天气生起火来，火光能由窝棚给遮住，从外边望不见。我们还做了一把备用的掌舵的
桨，以备万一碰上暗礁什么的把原有的桨碰坏了。我们竖起一根矮树杈子，把那盏旧的灯挂
了上去，因为每当有轮船往下游开来，我们必须点亮这盏灯，防止它把我们撞翻。不过，有
上水的轮船开来，我们不用点灯，除非我们发现自己漂到了人家所说的“横水道”①上，因
为河水还涨得很高，很低的河岸还有一小部分淹没在水下，因此上水的船往往不闯这个水
道，而寻找流得慢一些的水道走。   

　　①“横水道”指轮船在密西西比河上为了选择在平稳的水流中航行，有时从河中一
边横向另一边。

    第二个晚上，我们乘了大约七八个钟头，水流每小时四英里。我们捉鱼，聊天，或者为
了打破瞌睡，下水游它一会儿。顺着这静静的大河往下漂，仰卧在筏子上望着星星，倒是一
件带着庄严意味的事。我们这时候无心大声说话，大笑的时候也挺少，只不过偶尔低低地格
格两声就是了。我们遇到的天气，一般总是好天气。那天夜里一切太平，第二天，第三天，
都是如此。
每个晚上，我们都要漂过一些镇子，其中有一些是在上边黑糊糊的山脚底下，除了一些
灯火之外，见不到一间房屋。第五个晚上，我们路过圣路易，顿时仿佛满世界都点上了灯。
在圣彼得堡那边，人们总说圣路易有两三万人之多，我一直不信这话，只是到那个晚上，在
两点钟的时候，亲眼见到了那奇妙的灯海，这才信了。在那里，没有一丝儿声音，家家户户
都熟睡了。
如今我每个夜晚，在十点钟左右，都要溜上岸去，到一个小村子上去，买一毛、一毛五
分钱肉或者咸肉，或者别的食品，间或遇见一只不好好躺在鸡笼子里的小鸡，便顺手提了回
来。爸爸总说，机会来时，不妨顺手捉住一只小鸡，因为，如果你不愿干，愿意干的人有的
是。再说，做了一件好事，人家是决不会忘掉的。爸爸不愿吃鸡那类事，我可从没有见过。
不过他总爱那么说就是了。
一清早，天大亮前，我便溜进玉米田，借一只西瓜或是甜瓜，或是南瓜，或者几个刚熟
的玉米，诸如此类。爸爸老说，借借东西，只要你存心在有的时候偿还人家，那没有什么害
处。不过，那位寡妇说，那不过是偷东西的好听一些的说法罢了，正派人没有一个肯干这样
的事。杰姆说，依他看，寡妇说的有一部分道理，你爸爸说的也有一部分道理，最理想的办
法是我们搞好一份清单，从中挑出两三种东西，先借到手，然后说明，往后不再借了——依
他看，这样一来以后再借别的东西就不碍事了。我们就这样商量了一整夜，一边在大河上朝
下游漂过去，一边准备定下主意，看能否不用借西瓜，或者香瓜，或者甜瓜了吧。商量到天
大亮，问题全都得到了圆满解决，决定不借山里红和柿子，把这两项从单子上删掉。在这样
决定以前，大家心里总有点儿不大痛快，决定以后，大家都觉得心里好受了。能这样作出决
定，我也很高兴，因为山里红根本不好吃，柿子呢，还要两三个月才熟透。
我们有时候用枪打下一只早晨起得太早或是夜晚睡得太迟的水鸟。把种种情况归一起来
说，我们生活得非常快活。
在第五个晚上，小船开到了圣路易下面。半夜以后，雷电交作，大雨倾盆，大雨仿佛一
股股水柱子般倒下来。我们躲在窝棚里，听任木排往前漂去。电光一闪，只见前面是一条笔
直的大河，大河两岸高高的山岩好不吓人。后来我叫了起来，“喂，杰姆，看前边！”前边
是一只轮船撞到了一处岩石之上，被置于死地了。我们的木排正对着它直往前漂。电光闪
处，照得一清二楚的。这条船已经一侧倾斜，上舱一部分浮在水面上。电光一闪，栓烟囱的
一根根小铁链看得清清楚楚。还有大钟旁边一把椅子，背后还挂着一顶垂边的旧帽子。
时已深夜，风雨交作，一片神秘气氛。我这时的想法，跟一般孩子眼看到一只破船深夜
在河上悲惨孤单的光景时是一样的。我要爬上去，偷偷遛一遭，探一探上面的究竟。因此我
说：
“让我们上，杰姆。”
可是杰姆开头拼死反对。他说：
“我可不乐意到破船上去胡浑（混）。我们一路上太太平平的，让我们象圣书上说的，
还是保持太太平平吧。破船上说不定还有一个看守的人呢。”
“去你奶奶的看守，”我说，“除了‘德克萨斯’①和领港房之外，还有什么好看守
的。象这么一个深夜，眼看船快裂开，随时随刻会沉入河中，你说，有谁会肯冒生命危险，
光为了‘德克萨斯’和领港房？”杰姆无话可说，一声不响。我说，“再说，说不定我们还
能从船长卧室那边借到点儿什么也未可知。雪茄烟，是稳稳的——并且是五分钱现钞一支。
轮船的船长总是阔老，六十大洋一个月，要知道，只要他存心要，一件东西不论值多少钱，
他们才不在乎呢。你口袋里塞好一根蜡烛。杰姆，我们要是不在上面好好搜它一遍，我决不
死心。你猜猜，汤姆·索亚要是遇到这样的事，他会错过机会么？他才不会哩。他会把这个
叫做历险——这是他定的名字。他准会爬上这条破船，就是会死也要上。并且，他还要摆一
摆他的那一套派头出来——他要不露他那一手，那才怪呢。嗐，你准定会认为，那是哥伦布
在发现新大陆这样的派头呢！但愿今天有汤姆·索亚在这里，那才好。”    

　　①诺顿版注：指轮船的上甲板管理人员的舱房，驾驶室在它的前面，或在它的上
面，是船上最大的舱房。德克萨斯是美国最大的州，因此把船上最大的舱房通称为德克萨
斯。

    杰姆嘟嘟囔囔了一会儿，可是终于屈服了。他说，我们千万别再说话了，要说，也要说
得轻声一些。刚好又是电光一闪，我们抓住了轮船右舷的起货桅竿边，把我们的筏子系好。
甲板翘得老高。我们在黑地里轻手轻脚沿着那个坡度①遛下那个‘德克萨斯’，靠着脚
问路，靠双手摸，拨开吊货的绳索，因为黑漆漆的无法看清。没有多久，我们摸到了天窗的
前边一头，爬了进去。下一步到了船长室的前边。门是开着的。哎哟，不好，从顶舱的过厅
里望过去，但见一处灯光！    

　　①轮船触礁导致船身倾斜，所以甲板一头高，一头低，形成一个斜坡。

    与此同时，仿佛听到了那边传来的低低的声音！
杰姆低声跟我说话，还说他感到十分难受，要我还是一起回去吧。我说，那好吧。正准
备往筏子那边走去，突然听到有人哭着说：
“哦，伙计们，别，别。我赌咒决不告发！”
另一个声音，在大声地说：
“你这是撒谎，杰姆·透纳。你以前也表演过这一手的，每回分油水，你总要在应得的
一份之外多争一点，而且每回都争到手，就凭你所说的，要是争不到，就威吓着要告发。不
过，这一回，你算是白说啦。你可算得上这个国度里最卑鄙、最歹毒的畜牲了。”
这时候，杰姆往筏子那边去了。我简直压不住我这份好奇心。我跟我自个儿说，此时此
刻，汤姆·索亚决不会往后退缩，那我也不会。我要在此时此刻，看个究竟，看下边会怎么
样。在狭窄的过道里，我四肢并用，在暗中爬行，爬到离顶舱的过厅只隔一间官舱那个地
方。接下来，在那里，我看到了一个男子躺在地板上，手脚都给捆绑住了，边上站着两个男
人，其中一个一手举着一盏暗幽幽的灯，另一个手里举着一只手枪。这个男子把手枪顶着地
板上躺着的人的脑袋，说：
“我真想毙了你，我也该毙了你，你这个该死的混帐东西！”
地板上的那个男子吓得缩成一团，叫道：“哦，别，求求你，比尔，我一定不说出去。”
每次他这么说，手提着灯的人便会一阵大笑，一边说：
“你当然不会说喽！这样的事，你从来没有说过什么真话，不是么？”后来又说：“听
他这么苦苦哀求！可是，要不是我们制服了他，把他捆了起来，他准定会把我们两人都给杀
了。又为的什么呢？什么也不为。就为了我们要保住我们的权利——就是为了这个。不过
啊，杰姆·透纳，我料你从此也威胁不了什么人啦。比尔，把手枪先收起来。”
比尔说：
“不行，杰克·巴卡特。我要毙了他——他不就是用同样的方法杀死老哈特菲尔特的
么？——他不是理该得此下场么？”
“不过，我可不想叫他被杀死。我有我的理由。”
“说这番话，上天会保佑你的，杰克·巴卡特！只要我活一天，我一辈子也不会忘掉你
的大恩大德！”地上的那一个带着哭声说。
巴卡特没有理会这些话，只是把灯挂在一只钉子上。在一片漆黑中，他往我藏身的地方
走过来，一边招呼比尔也过来。我赶紧拼命往后爬，往后缩了两码。可是轮船船身倾斜得太
厉害，我一时间爬不多远。为了不致被他们踩在身上，给逮住，我爬进了上舱一间官舱里，
巴卡特在黑暗里用手摸着走，摸到了我在的那间官舱。他说：
“这里——到这里来。”
他进来了，比尔也随着进来了。不过啊，在他们进来以前，我爬到了上铺，已无退身的
余地。这时我真后悔，我真不该爬上了这条船啊。接着，他们站在那里，手扶住了上铺的边
上，说起了话来。我看不到他们，不过凭了他们一直在喝的威士忌的气味，能知道他们在哪
里。我幸亏没有喝威士忌，这是该高兴的事。不过话说回来，喝不喝也无所谓，因为我多半
时间里，连气也不敢喘，他们不会逮住我。再说，一个人要这样听人家说话，自己就不能喘
气的。他们说话的时候，说得声音很低，可说得十分认真。比尔想要把透纳给杀了。他说：
“他说过他要告发，那就是说，他是会告发的，我们这样跟他吵了一架，又这么狠狠整
了他一通，如今即便把我们的那两份都给了他，也起不了什么作用。他会到官府去作证，把
我们给招出来。现在你还是听信我的话吧。我主张来个斩草除根，一了百了。”
“我也是这么个主意”巴卡特说，说得十分镇静。
“他妈的，我还以为你不是这么想的呢。那好，就这么定了。让我们动手吧。”
“等一会儿，我还没有把我的话说出来呢。你听我说。枪毙是个好方法。不过，如果事
情势在必行的话，还有更加静悄悄的一条路呢。我要说的是这样：如果事过以后，得上法
庭，把脖子往绞索上套，那可不是个好主意。如果你要办到的事，用别的方法，一样能办
到，办得结局一模一样，同时又不会给你带来什么风险，不是更好么？你看是不是这样？”
“那当然。不过事到如今，你又有什么样一个办法呢？”
“嗯，我的路子是这样：我们赶紧动手，到各间舱房去把我们忘了的东西都收拾好，搬
到岸上，给藏起来。然后静等着。我说啊，要不了两小时，这条破船便会裂开来，沉入河
底。懂了吧？他就会给淹死，还谁都怨不得，只能怨他自己。依我看，这比杀他好得多。只
要有一点法子可想，杀人，我是不赞成的。这不是个好主意，也不道德。你说我说得对不
对。”
“对——我看你说得对。不过，万一船不裂开，不沉呢？”
“那，我们不妨等它两小时啊，等着看着啊，不是么？”
“那好吧，来吧。”
他们就动身了，我也溜了出来，一身冷汗。我往前爬过去。眼前是一片漆黑。不过我哑
着嗓子轻声地喊，“杰姆！”他应了声，活象有病在哼哼。原来他就在我的身旁呢。我说：
“快，杰姆，这可不是磨磨蹭蹭、哼哼唧唧的时刻了。那里是一帮杀人犯。要是我们不
能把他们的小船找到，放掉，随它在大河上潮流往下漂走，好阻止这些家伙从破船上逃掉的
话，那么，他们中只有一个人会遭殃。可是如果我们能找到他们那条小船，把它放走，那就
能叫他们全体都遭殃——听候警察来抓他们。快——赶快！我由左舷找，你由右舷找。你从
木筏子那儿找起——”
“哦，天啊，天啊！木筏子？木筏子不见啦！它散开了，被冲走了！——把我们给扔在
这儿啦！”