Nascent Drama

[The Dork Lord]

Everything was auspicious.

 

[The Dork Lord]

The blackness of darkness reigned, the perfect stillness was interrupted only by occasional mutterings of distant thunder.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Tom got his lantern, lit it in the hogshead, wrapped it closely in the towel, and the two adventurers crept in the gloom toward the tavern.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Huck stood sentry and Tom felt his way into the alley.

 

[The Dork Lord]

Then there was a season of waiting anxiety that weighed upon Huck's spirits like a mountain.

 

[The Dork Lord]

He began to wish he could see a flash from the lantern -- it would frighten him, but it would at least tell him that Tom was alive yet.

 

[The Dork Lord]

It seemed hours since Tom had disappeared. Surely he must have fainted; maybe he was dead; maybe his heart had burst under terror and excitement. In his uneasiness Huck found himself drawing closer and closer to the alley; fearing all sorts of dreadful things, and momentarily expecting some catastrophe to happen that would take away his breath. There was not much to take away, for he seemed only able to inhale it by thimblefuls, and his heart would soon wear itself out, the way it was beating. Suddenly there was a flash of light and Tom came tearing by him: . "Run!" said he; "run, for your life!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

He needn't have repeated it; once was enough; Huck was making thirty or forty miles an hour before the repetition was uttered. The boys never stopped till they reached the shed of a deserted slaughter-house at the lower end of the village. Just as they got within its shelter the storm burst and the rain poured down. As soon as Tom got his breath he said:

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Huck, it was awful! I tried two of the keys, just as soft as I could; but they seemed to make such a power of racket that I couldn't hardly get my breath I was so scared. They wouldn't turn in the lock, either. Well, without noticing what I was doing, I took hold of the knob, and open comes the door! It warn't locked! I hopped in, and shook off the towel, and, great Caesar's ghost!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"What! -- what'd you see, Tom?"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Huck, I most stepped onto Injun Joe's hand!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"No!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Yes! He was lying there, sound asleep on the floor, with his old patch on his eye and his arms spread out."

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Lordy, what did you do? Did he wake up?"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"No, never budged. Drunk, I reckon. I just grabbed that towel and started!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"I'd never 'a' thought of the towel, I bet!"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Well, I would. My aunt would make me mighty sick if I lost it."

 

[The Dork Lord]

"Say, Tom, did you see that box?"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"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?"

 

[The Dork Lord]

"How?"