登陆注册
5200800000057

第57章

"Do they always bury it as deep as this?""Sometimes -- not always.Not generally.I reckon we haven't got the right place."So they chose a new spot and began again.The labor dragged a little, but still they made progress.They pegged away in silence for some time.Finally Huck leaned on his shovel, swabbed the beaded drops from his brow with his sleeve, and said:

"Where you going to dig next, after we get this one?""I reckon maybe we'll tackle the old tree that's over yonder on Cardiff Hill back of the widow's.""I reckon that'll be a good one.But won't the widow take it away from us, Tom? It's on her land.""She take it away! Maybe she'd like to try it once.Whoever finds one of these hid treasures, it belongs to him.It don't make any difference whose land it's on."That was satisfactory.The work went on.By and by Huck said:

"Blame it, we must be in the wrong place again.What do you think?""It is mighty curious, Huck.I don't understand it.Sometimes witches interfere.I reckon maybe that's what's the trouble now.""Shucks! Witches ain't got no power in the daytime.""Well, that's so.I didn't think of that.Oh, I know what the matter is! What a blamed lot of fools we are! You got to find out where the shadow of the limb falls at midnight, and that's where you dig!""Then consound it, we've fooled away all this work for nothing.Now hang it all, we got to come back in the night.It's an awful long way.Can you get out?""I bet I will.We've got to do it to-night, too, because if somebody sees these holes they'll know in a minute what's here and they'll go for it.""Well, I'll come around and maow to-night.""All right.Let's hide the tools in the bushes."The boys were there that night, about the appointed time.They sat in the shadow waiting.It was a lonely place, and an hour made solemn by old traditions.Spirits whispered in the rustling leaves, ghosts lurked in the murky nooks, the deep baying of a hound floated up out of the distance, an owl answered with his sepulchral note.The boys were subdued by these solemnities, and talked little.By and by they judged that twelve had come; they marked where the shadow fell, and began to dig.Their hopes commenced to rise.Their interest grew stronger, and their industry kept pace with it.The hole deepened and still deepened, but every time their hearts jumped to hear the pick strike upon something, they only suffered a new disappointment.It was only a stone or a chunk.At last Tom said:

"It ain't any use, Huck, we're wrong again.""Well, but we can't be wrong.We spotted the shadder to a dot.""I know it, but then there's another thing.""What's that?".

"Why, we only guessed at the time.Like enough it was too late or too early."Huck dropped his shovel.

"That's it," said he."That's the very trouble.We got to give this one up.We can't ever tell the right time, and besides this kind of thing's too awful, here this time of night with witches and ghosts a-fluttering around so.I feel as if something's behind me all the time; and I'm afeard to turn around, becuz maybe there's others in front a-waiting for a chance.I been creeping all over, ever since I got here.""Well, I've been pretty much so, too, Huck.They most always put in a dead man when they bury a treasure under a tree, to look out for it.""Lordy!"

"Yes, they do.I've always heard that."

"Tom, I don't like to fool around much where there's dead people.A body's bound to get into trouble with 'em, sure.""I don't like to stir 'em up, either.S'pose this one here was to stick his skull out and say something!""Don't Tom! It's awful."

"Well, it just is.Huck, I don't feel comfortable a bit.""Say, Tom, let's give this place up, and try somewheres else.""All right, I reckon we better."

"What'll it be?"

Tom considered awhile; and then said:

"The ha'nted house.That's it!"

"Blame it, I don't like ha'nted houses, Tom.Why, they're a dern sight worse'n dead people.Dead people might talk, maybe, but they don't come sliding around in a shroud, when you ain't noticing, and peep over your shoulder all of a sudden and grit their teeth, the way a ghost does.I couldn't stand such a thing as that, Tom -- nobody could.""Yes, but, Huck, ghosts don't travel around only at night.They won't hender us from digging there in the daytime.""Well, that's so.But you know mighty well people don't go about that ha'nted house in the day nor the night.""Well, that's mostly because they don't like to go where a man's been murdered, anyway -- but nothing's ever been seen around that house except in the night -- just some blue lights slipping by the windows -- no regular ghosts.""Well, where you see one of them blue lights flickering around, Tom, you can bet there's a ghost mighty close behind it.It stands to reason.Becuz you know that they don't anybody but ghosts use 'em.""Yes, that's so.But anyway they don't come around in the daytime, so what's the use of our being afeard?""Well, all right.We'll tackle the ha'nted house if you say so -- but I reckon it's taking chances."They had started down the hill by this time.There in the middle of the moonlit valley below them stood the "ha'nted" house, utterly isolated, its fences gone long ago, rank weeds smothering the very doorsteps, the chimney crumbled to ruin, the window-sashes vacant, a corner of the roof caved in.The boys gazed awhile, half expecting to see a blue light flit past a window; then talking in a low tone, as befitted the time and the circumstances, they struck far off to the right, to give the haunted house a wide berth, and took their way homeward through the woods that adorned the rearward side of Cardiff Hill.

同类推荐
  • 考古质疑

    考古质疑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • New Collected Rhymes

    New Collected Rhymes

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE FROZEN DEEP

    THE FROZEN DEEP

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Virgin of the Sun

    The Virgin of the Sun

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 真元妙道要略

    真元妙道要略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 异术奇谭

    异术奇谭

    口味平淡、内容清淡、纯属扯淡。幻想一下世界的另一个方向。
  • 我被神做那种事情,然后开始旅行

    我被神做那种事情,然后开始旅行

    病娇病娇病娇,病娇才是最好的!高举病娇大旗帜!!!
  • 地下藏着黑金子

    地下藏着黑金子

    当年香木镇南有三个大户,三个地主都是香木镇有名的人物。一个是貌似憨厚却很有心计的樊玉玺,他是香木镇南最有人缘的大地主,有一千多垧土地。他的宅院不小,有三十六间房子,前后两院,前院十八间房子,有十四间是给长工住的。这十四间长工房的灶坑里常年燃着东山上的树根子,炕热得直烫肉皮,长工们在这房子里住,睡得暖和,睡得透,干多少活都能解乏。另有四间是车库,樊家大院有六挂大车,这些大车虽然是拉粮食的,但大车的装饰很惹眼,洋帆布围的篷盖儿,下多大的雨也进不到车厢里,帆布篷子的前面还绣着樊字。
  • 养蒙金鉴

    养蒙金鉴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 非自愿的离奇穿越

    非自愿的离奇穿越

    为什么别人魂穿之后,可以蒙混过关,而自己还没开口就露了馅。到底是自己智商不够,还是对方太过厉害。女主魂穿、升级、复仇,当然还有妥妥的男主可劲帮倒忙,喜欢这个调调的,千万不要错过哦。
  • 雪夜鹰飞

    雪夜鹰飞

    正月十四。凌晨。一场惨烈的追杀刚刚结束。大雪刚住,天地间充满了肃杀寒冷之气。十来具身着黑衣的尸体横七竖八的躺在一块空地上,与白雪相映,异常醒目。凌秣厉就坐在这些尸体当中的空地上,微微喘息着,用一块从尸体上撕下来的黑布包扎胁下那道还在渗血的伤口——只要这伤口再深上寸许,他就和躺在地上的这些刺客毫无分别了。这已经是七天之中,他遭到的第六次追杀了。敌人的攻击一次比一次迫近,也一次比一次凶猛。看来归二爷为了城外冷香园的那件事,对他恨之入骨,欲除之而后快了。
  • 把健康留给自己

    把健康留给自己

    德国哲学家叔本华说:“在一切幸福中,人的健康实甚过其他幸福。可以说,一个健康的乞丐比疾病缠身的国王幸福得多。”健康生活是幸福生活的重要组成部分,如果生活中失去了健康,我们的身体和灵魂就会披上一层阴暗。此时,即使拥有很多令众人羡慕的身外之物,也丝毫不能够从中体会或享受到幸福。
  • 大方广如来不思议境界经

    大方广如来不思议境界经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 忙里偷闲的生活指南

    忙里偷闲的生活指南

    本书是一本指导女性如何生活的图书,读完这本书,你不会再有任何心虚或不适的感觉,相反却能更好地安排和改善你生活的方方面面。你会信心百倍地开始你的新生活,并享受这种改变给你的工作和家庭带来的快乐,有自信的女人才最有魅力,所以相信自己可以的,要对自己有信心。
  • 案例:亚文化商业的“野狐禅”?(第37辑)

    案例:亚文化商业的“野狐禅”?(第37辑)

    1950年大卫·雷斯曼将亚文化诠释为具有颠覆精神。大众是“消极地接受了商业所给予的风格和价值”的人,而亚文化则是“积极地寻求一种小众的风格的人”。时至今日,各种亚文化频频出现在人们的视野中,他们有市场,有受众,还有“生意经”。创造这些亚文化的是一群如何“颠覆”传统的人?每一代人都有自己的文化,大众文化也是由小众文化过度而成,这些在社群当中形成的文化符号,即便是“垮掉的一代”自娱自乐,需要承认的是,亚文化已经开辟出了自己的市场。