Tom Sawyer decided what to do. He felt very sad and lonely. Tom thought that nobody loved him. He wanted to make people feel sorry for him. Tom decided to lead a life of crime.
Tom walked down Meadow Lane. He heard the school bell. Tom began to cry because he thought he would never hear that sound again. He felt that people forced him to leave home. He forgave everyone for being mean to him.
Then Tom met Joe Harper. Joe Harper looked very unhappy too. Tom told Joe Harper about his plan. Tom wanted to leave home and never return.
Joe Harper had the same idea. Joe Harper's mother hit him because she thought he drank some cream. Joe Harper did not drink the cream. He felt that his mother did not want him anymore. Joe Harper wanted to leave and go into the cold world.
The two boys walked together. They promised to be brothers and stay together forever. They began to make a plan. Joe Harper wanted to be a hermit.
Tom listened to Joe Harper. But Tom thought a life of crime was better. Finally, Joe Harper agreed to be a pirate.
They chose a place to go. There was an island in the Mississippi River. The island was three miles away. It was a long, narrow island with many trees.
This place was called Jackson’s Island. No people lived there. Then the boys found Huckleberry Finn. Huck agreed to go with them. He did not care what they did.
The boys planned to meet at midnight. They wanted to meet at a quiet place by the river. They found a small raft. They planned to take it.
Each boy promised to bring fish hooks and food. They wanted to steal the food in a secret way. This was the way of outlaws. The boys felt very proud and excited.
At midnight, Tom arrived with a big ham. He stood on a bluff. It was a very quiet night with many stars. Tom gave a low whistle.
Someone answered the whistle from below. Tom whistled two more times. Then a voice asked who was there. Tom answered with a secret name.
Tom called himself the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. Joe Harper was the Terror of the Seas. Huck was Huck Finn the Red-Handed. These were names from Tom's books.
They used a secret word: "Blood!" Tom pushed the ham down the bank. Then Tom climbed down after it. He tore his clothes, but he did not care. Pirates liked danger.
Joe Harper brought some bacon. Huck brought a skillet and some tobacco. Huck also had some corn-cobs. He used them to make pipes for smoking.
Only Huck smoked. Tom said they needed a fire. They saw a small fire on a large raft nearby. They walked very quietly and took a piece of burning wood.
They acted like real pirates. They moved with their hands on imaginary knives. They spoke in whispers. They knew the workers from the other raft were in the village. But the boys wanted to be mysterious.
They pushed their raft into the river. Tom was the leader. Huck and Joe Harper used the oars. Tom stood in the middle and gave orders.
Tom used many strange sailing words. He shouted commands like "Steady!" and "Port!" Joe Harper and Huck answered him. The orders did not mean anything, but they sounded professional.
The raft moved into the middle of the river. The current was not very fast. The boys were quiet for a long time. They passed the town of St. Petersburg. The town was asleep and did not know about the pirates.
Tom looked at the town for the last time. He felt very sad but also happy. He imagined he was on a wild sea. He thought about Becky Thatcher and wished she could see him now.
Around two o'clock in the morning, the raft hit the sand in the shallow water near the island. The boys carried their things onto the land. They had an old sail. They used it to make a tent.
They built a fire near a big log. They cooked the bacon in the skillet for supper. They also ate some corn pone. It was a great adventure to eat in the forest.
The fire was bright and beautiful. It showed the big trees and the green leaves. When they finished eating, the boys lay on the grass. They felt very happy and relaxed.
Joe Harper wondered what the other boys in town would say if they could see them now. Huck said he liked this life. In the village, Huck often did not have enough food to eat. Here, nobody could tell him what to do.
Tom said that pirates did not have to go to school. He said pirates did not have to wash their faces. He explained that pirates were better than hermits. People always respected pirates.
Huck asked what pirates did. Tom said they took ships and burned them. They took money and buried it in secret places. Tom said they made people walk off a board into the sea.
Joe Harper said that pirates did not kill women. Tom agreed. He said pirates were noble and the women were always beautiful. Joe Harper said pirates also wore clothes with gold and diamonds.
Huck looked at his old, dirty clothes. He was sad because he did not have fine clothes. But Tom and Joe Harper said he would get new clothes soon. They said all pirates started with old clothes.
Soon, the boys became sleepy. Huck fell asleep first. Tom and Joe Harper had more trouble. They said their prayers quietly because they were afraid of God.
Then their conscience started to bother them. They felt bad about running away. They felt even worse about stealing the meat.
They often took candy or apples from home. They thought that was okay. But they felt that stealing ham and bacon was a real crime. They promised not to steal anymore. After this promise, they finally fell asleep.