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2IO |
TOM SAWYER. |
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" No, not rot him. Find him ! Track the money! "
"Tom, we'll never find him. A feller don't have only once chance for such a pile—and that one's lost. I'd feel mighty shaky if I was to see him, anyway."
"Well, so'd I; but I'd like to see him, anyway—and track him out—to his Number Two."
"Number Two—yes, that's it. I ben thinking 'bout that. But I can't make nothing out of it. What do you reckon it is? "
"I dono. It's too deep. Say, Huck—maybe it's the number of a house ! "
"Goody!......No, Tom, that ain't it. If it is, it ain't in this one-horse
town. They ain't no numbers here."
"Well, that's so. Lemme think a minute. Here—it's the number of a room— in a tavern, you know! " ;
"O, that's the trick! They ain'.t only two taverns. We can find out quick."
"You stay here, Huck, till I come."
Tom was off at once. He did not care to have Huck's company in public places. He was gone half an hour. He found that in the best tavern, No. 2 had long been occupied by a young lawyer, and was still so occupied. In the less ostentatious house No. 2 was a mystery. The tavern-keeper's young son said it was kept locked all the time, and he never saw anybody go into it or come out of it except at night; he did not know any particular reason for this state of things; had had some little curiosity, but it was rather feeble ; had made the most of the mystery by entertaining himself with the idea that that room was " ha'nted; " had noticed that there was a light in there the night before.
" That's what I've found out, Huck. I reckon that's the very No. 2 we're after."
" I reckon it is, Tom. Now what you going to do ? "
"Lemme think."
Tom thought a long time. Then he said :
"I'll tell you. The back door of that No. 2 is the door that comes out into that little close alley between the tavern and the old rattle-trap of a brick store. Now you get hold of all the door-keys you can find, and I'll nip all of Auntie's and the first dark night we'll go there and try 'em. And mind you keep a lookout for Injun Joe, because he said he was going to drop into town and spy around |
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