Tom Sawyer decided what to do. He felt very sad and lonely. Tom Sawyer thought that nobody loved him. He wanted to make people feel sorry for him. Tom Sawyer decided to lead a life of crime.
Tom Sawyer walked down Meadow Lane. He heard the school bell. Tom Sawyer 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 Sawyer met Joe Harper (Tom Sawyer's best friend). Joe Harper looked very unhappy too. Tom Sawyer told Joe Harper about his plan. Tom Sawyer 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 (a person who lives alone and away from other people).
Tom Sawyer listened to Joe Harper. But Tom Sawyer thought a life of crime was better. Finally, Joe Harper agreed to be a pirate (a criminal who sails on the water and steals from ships).
They chose a place to go. There was an island in the Mississippi River (a very long and famous river in America). 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. Huckleberry Finn 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 (a simple, flat boat made of pieces of wood tied together). 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 (people who live outside the law). The boys felt very proud and excited.
At midnight, Tom Sawyer arrived with a big ham. He stood on a bluff (a high, steep bank of land next to the river). It was a very quiet night with many stars. Tom Sawyer gave a low whistle.
Someone answered the whistle from below. Tom Sawyer whistled two more times. Then a voice asked who was there. Tom Sawyer answered with a secret name.
Tom Sawyer called himself the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main (a scary pirate name). Joe Harper was the Terror of the Seas. Huckleberry Finn was Huck Finn the Red-Handed. These were names from Tom Sawyer's books.
They used a secret word: "Blood!" Tom Sawyer pushed the ham down the bank. Then Tom Sawyer climbed down after it. He tore his clothes, but he did not care. Pirates liked danger.
Joe Harper brought some bacon. Huckleberry Finn brought a skillet (a heavy metal pan used for frying food) and some tobacco. Huckleberry Finn also had some corn-cobs (the middle part of a corn plant). He used them to make pipes for smoking.
Only Huckleberry Finn smoked. Tom Sawyer said they needed a fire. They saw a small fire on another large raft. 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 Sawyer was the leader. Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper used the oars (long poles with flat ends used to move a boat). Tom Sawyer stood in the middle and gave orders.
Tom Sawyer used many strange sailing words. He shouted commands like "Steady!" and "Port!" Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn 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 Sawyer 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 ground near the island. The boys carried their things onto the land. They had an old sail (a large piece of strong cloth used to catch the wind). 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 (a simple type of bread made from corn). 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 asked if the other boys in town could see them. Huckleberry Finn said he liked this life. Huckleberry Finn often did not have enough food at home. Here, nobody could tell him what to do.
Tom Sawyer 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.
Huckleberry Finn asked what pirates did. Tom Sawyer said they took ships and burned them. They took money and buried it in secret places. Tom Sawyer said they made people walk on a board over the water.
Joe Harper said that pirates did not kill women. Tom Sawyer agreed. He said pirates were noble and the women were always beautiful. Joe Harper said pirates also wore clothes with gold and diamonds.
Huckleberry Finn looked at his old, dirty clothes. He was sad because he did not have fine clothes. But Tom Sawyer and Joe Harper said he would get new clothes soon. They said all pirates started with old clothes.
Soon, the boys became sleepy. Huckleberry Finn fell asleep first. Tom Sawyer and Joe Harper had more trouble. They said their prayers quietly because they were afraid of God.
Then their conscience (the part of the mind that tells you if an action is right or wrong) 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.