Chapter 15 Respectable Huck Joins Tom's Gang Huck looked around nervously.
That window ain't too high, Tom.
If we can find a rope, I reckon we can scoot out of here.
Shucks.
What do you want to do that for?
I ain't used to that kind of crowd, Tom.
I can't go down there.
Oh, bother.
It ain't anything.
I'll take care of you.
Some minutes later, the widow's guests were at the supper table and a dozen children were propped up at little side tables in the room.
The dinner was in honor of the old Welshman and his sons to thank them for their heroic deeds.
At the proper time, the old man got to his feet to make a speech and thanked the widow.
As the crowd listened eagerly, he paused and then said there was another person in the room who deserved the greatest honor.
Huck Finn.
A murmur of surprise ran through the room.
The widow herself wore a look of great astonishment as she now learned of Huck's role in preventing Injun Joe from harming her.
After dinner, the widow sprang a surprise of her own.
She said that she meant to give Huck a home under her roof and have him educated and that when she could spare the money, she would help him start a small business.
Then Tom spoke up.
Huck don't need it.
Huck's rich.
The crowd could hardly keep from laughing at the thought that Huck Finn was rich.
Knowing how strange he must have sounded, Tom continued.
Huck's got money.
Maybe you don't believe it, but he's got lots of it.
Oh, you needn't smile.
I reckon I could show you.
Just wait a minute.
Tom ran out of the door as the guest looked more and more puzzled.
A minute later, he was back, struggling with the weight of his money sacks.
He poured the mass of yellow coins out onto the table and said, Here, what did I tell you?
Half of it's Hawks and half of it's mine.
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Then everybody began shouting for an explanation, which Tom was quick to provide.
After he had finished, the money was counted.
It added up to a little over $12,000.
Huck Finn was rich.
The widow Douglas put Huck's money in the bank, and Aunt Polly did the same with Tom's.
As for Becky's father, Judge Thacker, now had a great opinion of Tom.
He said that no ordinary boy would have gotten his daughter out of that cave and that he hoped to see Tom become a great lawyer or soldier someday.
He would even see to it that Tom went to West Point and was later trained at the best law school in the entire country.
Huck Finn's wealth and the fact that he was now under the widow Douglas' protection introduced him to society.
Noe dragged him into it, and his sufferings were almost more than he could bear.
The widow's servants kept him neat and clean, combed and brushed at all times.
He had to eat with a knife and fork.
He had to use a napkin, cup, and plate.
He had to learn his book.
He had to go to church.
He had to talk properly as well.
Huck bravely bore these miseries for three whole weeks until one Saturday he turned up missing.
For two full days, the widow hunted for him everywhere, but no one could find the boy.
Early on the third morning Tom Sawyer went poking around some old empty hog stalls behind the abandoned grain silo, and in one of them he found his friend.
Huck had slept there that night.
When Tom found him, Huck had just finished eating some stolen odds and ends of food and was wearing his old rags and enjoying a piece of gum.
Tom told him about the trouble he was causing and urged him to go home.
Don't talk about it.
Tom, Huck sighed.
I've tried it and it don't work.
It ain't for me.
The wood is good to me and friendly, but I can't stand them ways.
She makes me get up just at the same time every morning.
She makes me wash.
They comb me all to thunder.
She won't let me sleep in the woodshed.
I gotta wear them blame clothes.
It just smothers me.
I got to go to church and sweat and sweat.
I hate them loud sermons.
Well, everybody does that way, Huck.
Tom, it makes no difference.
I ain't everybody, and I can't stand it.
Look here, Tom.
Being rich ain't what it's cracked up to be.
It's just worry and worry and sweat and sweat and wishing you was dead all the time.
You can take my share of it Tom, and give me ten cents sometimes when I need it, and you go home and apologize for me to the widow.
Oh, Huck, you know I can't do that.
If you try this thing just a while longer, you'll come to like it.
No, Tom, I won't be rich.
I like the woods and the river and all.
I'll stick to them, too.
Dang it.
Just as we was all fixed up to be robbers, this darn foolishness has got to come along and spoil it all.
Tom saw his chance.
Looky here, Huck.
Being rich ain't going to keep me back from turning robber.
Are you in real deadwood earnest, Tom?
Just as dead earnest as I'm sitting here.
But, Huck, we can't let you into the gang if you ain't respectable, you know.
Now, Tom, Huck said, ain't you always been friendly to me?
You wouldn't shut me out, would you?
You wouldn't do that now, would you, Tom?
Huck, I wouldn't want to, but what would people say?
My, my, Tom Sawyer's gang, pretty low characters in it.
They'd mean you, Huck.
You wouldn't like that, and I wouldn't either.
Huck was silent for some time, thinking over what Tom had said.
Well, I'll go back to the widow for a month and see if I can come to stand it, if you'll let me belong to the gang, Tom.
All right, Huck, it's a deal.
When do we start?
Oh, right off.
We'll get the boys together and have the initiation tonight, maybe.
What's that?
It's to swear an oath to one another and never tell the gang secrets, even if you're chopped all to pieces, and fight anyone who hurts one of the gang.
That's just great, Tom.
That's mighty great.
Well, I bet it is.
And all the oath swearing has got to be done at midnight in the lonesomest, awfulest place you can find.
And you've got to swear on a coffin and sign your oath with your own blood.
That's something why it's a million times better than pirating.
I'll stick to the wit until I rot Tom.
And if I get to be a regular ripper of a robber and everybody talking about it, I reckon she'll be right proud of how she fixed me up.
The two boys walked off talking about their new gang and imagining all the wonderful adventures they would have.
