- description
- # Boys' Reaction and Plan
## Overview
This entity is a **scene** extracted from the text file [tom_sawyer.txt](arke:01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534), corresponding to lines 6660–6713 of the source. It is part of [CHAPTER XXVI](arke:01KG176GP4F0CB9EKDD7GP8249) in the novel [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete](arke:01KG17620ND2Q83R02B18E9MJZ) and is included in the [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) collection. The scene captures a pivotal moment of suspense and revelation in the narrative.
## Context
Situated within the broader structure of Chapter XXVI, this scene follows the [Dialogue between Injun Joe and his comrade](arke:01KG1772XEXB62WBTXK7EZPE3H), in which the two criminals discuss their plans and briefly mention the treasure they have hidden. The boys, Tom and Huck, are secretly observing from above, paralyzed by fear. This scene directly precedes [Injun Joe's discovery and decision](arke:01KG1772XF6V3F102220C357CC), where the criminals uncover a box of gold.
## Contents
The scene depicts Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn hiding in the haunted house, watching Injun Joe and his companion. After a failed attempt by Tom to escape unnoticed—thwarted by a creaking floor—the boys remain in hiding as Injun Joe wakes and discusses what to do with their remaining loot. The men decide to bury the money deeply rather than leave it as before. One of them retrieves a bag of silver from beneath a hearthstone, and they divide a small amount before handing the rest to Injun Joe, who begins digging a new hiding place. The boys, initially terrified, become ecstatic at the sight of the treasure, realizing they now know exactly where it is buried. Their silent, excited nudges convey their joy at having witnessed the event, setting the stage for future treasure-hunting plans.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-28T02:39:05.965Z
- description_model
- Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
- description_title
- Boys' Reaction and Plan
- end_line
- 6713
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-28T02:34:12.449Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 6660
- text
- The boys drew a long, grateful breath. Tom whispered:
“Now’s our chance—come!”
Huck said:
“I can’t—I’d die if they was to wake.”
Tom urged—Huck held back. At last Tom rose slowly and softly, and
started alone. But the first step he made wrung such a hideous creak
from the crazy floor that he sank down almost dead with fright. He never
made a second attempt. The boys lay there counting the dragging moments
till it seemed to them that time must be done and eternity growing gray;
and then they were grateful to note that at last the sun was setting.
Now one snore ceased. Injun Joe sat up, stared around—smiled grimly upon
his comrade, whose head was drooping upon his knees—stirred him up with
his foot and said:
“Here! _You’re_ a watchman, ain’t you! All right, though—nothing’s
happened.”
“My! have I been asleep?”
“Oh, partly, partly. Nearly time for us to be moving, pard. What’ll we
do with what little swag we’ve got left?”
“I don’t know—leave it here as we’ve always done, I reckon. No use to
take it away till we start south. Six hundred and fifty in silver’s
something to carry.”
“Well—all right—it won’t matter to come here once more.”
“No—but I’d say come in the night as we used to do—it’s better.”
“Yes: but look here; it may be a good while before I get the right
chance at that job; accidents might happen; ’tain’t in such a very good
place; we’ll just regularly bury it—and bury it deep.”
“Good idea,” said the comrade, who walked across the room, knelt down,
raised one of the rearward hearth-stones and took out a bag that jingled
pleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or thirty dollars for himself
and as much for Injun Joe, and passed the bag to the latter, who was on
his knees in the corner, now, digging with his bowie-knife.
The boys forgot all their fears, all their miseries in an instant. With
gloating eyes they watched every movement. Luck!—the splendor of it was
beyond all imagination! Six hundred dollars was money enough to make
half a dozen boys rich! Here was treasure-hunting under the happiest
auspices—there would not be any bothersome uncertainty as to where to
dig. They nudged each other every moment—eloquent nudges and easily
understood, for they simply meant—“Oh, but ain’t you glad _now_ we’re
here!”
- title
- Boys' reaction and plan