Table of Contents

onehorse 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 once more for a chance to get his revenge. If you see him, you just
follow him; and if he don’t go to that No. 2, that ain’t the place.” “Lordy I don’t
want to foller him by myself!” “Why it’ll be night, sure. He mightn’t ever see
you-and if he did, maybe he’d never think anything.” “Well, if it’s pretty dark I
reckon I’ll track him. I dono-I dono. I’ll try.” “You bet I’ll follow him, if it’s
dark, Huck. Why he might ‘a’ found out he couldn’t get his revenge, and be
going right after that money.” “It’s so, Tom, it’s so. I’ll foller him; I will, by
jingoes!”

“Now you’re talking! Don’t you ever weaken, Huck, and I won’t.”