Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn ran very fast. They ran toward the village because they were very afraid. They looked behind them many times. They feared that someone was following them. Every tree looked like a man and an enemy.
The boys passed some small houses near the village. The dogs at the houses began to bark. This made the boys run even faster. They wanted to reach a safe place quickly.
“We must reach the old tannery,” Tom whispered. He could not breathe well because he ran so fast. “I am very tired,” Tom said.
Huck did not answer. He was breathing very loudly. The boys ran toward their goal. Finally, they reached the building and ran through the open door. They fell on the floor in the dark shadows.
After some time, their hearts slowed down. Tom whispered to his friend. “Huck, what will happen now?” Tom asked.
“If Doctor Robinson dies, the killer will hang,” Huck answered. Tom thought about this for a long time. Then he asked another question.
“Who will tell the truth about the murder? Will we tell?” Tom asked. Huck looked at Tom. He was worried.
“No! If Indian Joe does not hang, he will kill us. He is a very dangerous man,” Huck said. Tom agreed with Huck. They were both afraid of Indian Joe.
“If someone tells, let Muff Potter do it,” Huck said. “He is a fool and he is usually drunk.” Tom stayed silent and thought.
“Huck, Muff Potter does not know the truth,” Tom whispered. “Doctor Robinson hit Muff Potter on the head before the murder. Muff Potter did not see anything.”
“You are right, Tom!” Huck said. Huck thought Muff Potter might even be dead from the hit. But Huck knew that drunk people are very strong.
“Huck, can you keep a secret?” Tom asked. Huck said they must keep the secret. If they spoke, Indian Joe would drown them like kittens.
“Let’s make a promise,” Huck said. “We must swear to keep the secret.” Tom liked this idea. He thought a promise was very important.
“We should write the promise,” Tom said. “And we should use blood.” This was a dark and serious idea. Tom found a shingle on the floor.
Tom took a piece of red chalk from his pocket. The moon gave him light. He slowly wrote some words on the wood. He worked very hard on the writing.
The writing said: ‘Huck and Tom promise they will keep this secret. They will fall down dead if they ever tell.’ Huck liked Tom’s writing very much.
Huck took a pin to prick his skin. “Stop!” Tom said. “That pin is made of brass. It might have poison on it.”
Tom took out a clean needle instead. Both boys pricked their thumbs and squeezed out a drop of blood. Tom used his blood to sign his initials.
Tom showed Huck how to write an H and an F. The promise was now finished. They buried the wood near the wall. They said incantations during the burial.
The boys felt that their secret was now safe. A person moved quietly at the other end of the building. But Tom and Huck did not see the person.
“Tom, must we keep this secret forever?” Huck asked. Tom said yes. He said they would drop down dead if they ever spoke.
Suddenly, a dog began to howl outside the building. The sound was very sad and scary. The boys held each other because they were afraid. They thought the dog was a sign of death.
“Who is the dog looking at?” Huck asked. He was shaking. Tom looked through a crack in the wall. He saw the dog.
“Oh, Huck, it is a stray dog!” Tom whispered. In their village, a stray dog meant that someone would die soon. The boys thought they were going to die.
“I have been very bad,” Huck said. Tom began to cry a little bit. He was sorry that he was a naughty boy. He promised to be good if he lived.
Then Tom looked again. The dog was not looking at the boys. Its back was toward them. Tom felt much better. The dog was not a sign for them.
The dog stopped howling. Then the boys heard a new sound. It sounded like someone was snoring. “What is that?” Tom asked. They went to look.
They walked quietly on their toes. Tom stepped on a stick and it broke. A man moved in the moonlight. The boys saw his face. It was Muff Potter.
The boys felt safe now. They walked out of the building. They saw the stray dog again. The dog was standing near Muff Potter. The dog looked at Muff Potter and howled.
“Oh, no! The dog is looking at Muff Potter!” the boys said. They believed Muff Potter would die soon. They talked about other people who died after a dog howled.
Then the boys went to their own homes. Tom climbed through his bedroom window. He was very quiet. He thought nobody saw him. But his brother Sid was awake and saw everything.
The next morning, Tom woke up late. Sid was already dressed and gone. Tom was worried. Usually, his family shouted at him to wake up.
Tom went downstairs. The family was finished with breakfast. They were very quiet. They did not shout at Tom. This silence was very scary for Tom.
After breakfast, Aunt Polly took Tom to a room. She did not hit him. She began to cry. She asked Tom why he was breaking her heart.
Aunt Polly said she could not help Tom anymore. Tom felt terrible. He cried and asked for forgiveness. He promised to be a good boy many times.
Tom went to school. He was very sad and miserable. The teacher gave Tom a flogging because he missed school the day before.
Tom sat at his desk. He felt something hard under his elbow on the desk. He picked it up. It was his brass knob from the fireplace.
Becky Thatcher had given the gift back to him. She did not want his gift anymore. This was the final sad thing for Tom. He felt that his heart was broken.