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- 8176
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-28T02:27:52.145Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
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- 8122
- text
- five miles down the river below the valley the cave is in”—then took
them aboard, rowed to a house, gave them supper, made them rest till two
or three hours after dark and then brought them home.
Before day-dawn, Judge Thatcher and the handful of searchers with him
were tracked out, in the cave, by the twine clews they had strung behind
them, and informed of the great news.
Three days and nights of toil and hunger in the cave were not to
be shaken off at once, as Tom and Becky soon discovered. They were
bedridden all of Wednesday and Thursday, and seemed to grow more and
more tired and worn, all the time. Tom got about, a little, on Thursday,
was downtown Friday, and nearly as whole as ever Saturday; but Becky
did not leave her room until Sunday, and then she looked as if she had
passed through a wasting illness.
Tom learned of Huck’s sickness and went to see him on Friday, but could
not be admitted to the bedroom; neither could he on Saturday or Sunday.
He was admitted daily after that, but was warned to keep still about his
adventure and introduce no exciting topic. The Widow Douglas stayed by
to see that he obeyed. At home Tom learned of the Cardiff Hill event;
also that the “ragged man’s” body had eventually been found in the river
near the ferry-landing; he had been drowned while trying to escape,
perhaps.
About a fortnight after Tom’s rescue from the cave, he started off to
visit Huck, who had grown plenty strong enough, now, to hear exciting
talk, and Tom had some that would interest him, he thought. Judge
Thatcher’s house was on Tom’s way, and he stopped to see Becky. The
Judge and some friends set Tom to talking, and some one asked him
ironically if he wouldn’t like to go to the cave again. Tom said he
thought he wouldn’t mind it. The Judge said:
“Well, there are others just like you, Tom, I’ve not the least doubt.
But we have taken care of that. Nobody will get lost in that cave any
more.”
“Why?”
“Because I had its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago, and
triple-locked—and I’ve got the keys.”
Tom turned as white as a sheet.
“What’s the matter, boy! Here, run, somebody! Fetch a glass of water!”
The water was brought and thrown into Tom’s face.
“Ah, now you’re all right. What was the matter with you, Tom?”
“Oh, Judge, Injun Joe’s in the cave!”
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- Chunk 2