Lordy, what did you do? Did he wake up?
No, never budged. Drunk, I reckon. I just grabbed that towel and
started!
I d never a thought of the towel, I bet!
Well, I would. My aunt would make me mighty sick if I lost it.
Say, Tom, did you see that box?
Huck, I didn t wait to look around. I didn t see the box, I didn t see
the cross. I didn t see anything but a bottle and a tin cup on the floor
by Injun Joe; yes, I saw two barrels and lots more bottles in the room.
Don t you see, now, what s the matter with that ha nted room?
How?
Why, it s ha nted with whiskey! Maybe _all_ the Temperance Taverns have
got a ha nted room, hey, Huck?
Well, I reckon maybe that s so. Who d a thought such a thing? But
say, Tom, now s a mighty good time to get that box, if Injun Joe s
drunk.
It is, that! You try it!
Huck shuddered.
Well, no I reckon not.
And I reckon not, Huck. Only one bottle alongside of Injun Joe ain t
enough. If there d been three, he d be drunk enough and I d do it.
There was a long pause for reflection, and then Tom said:
Lookyhere, Huck, less not try that thing any more till we know Injun
Joe s not in there. It s too scary. Now, if we watch every night, we ll
be dead sure to see him go out, some time or other, and then we ll
snatch that box quicker n lightning.
176