Huck Finn spoke to Tom Sawyer. "Tom Sawyer, we can escape if we find a rope," Huck Finn said. "The window is not high from the ground."
Tom Sawyer asked why Huck Finn wanted to leave. Huck Finn said he did not like large groups of people. He was too nervous to go to the party. Tom Sawyer told him not to worry. Tom Sawyer promised to take care of him.
Sid came into the room. He said Aunt Polly was waiting for Tom Sawyer. Mary already put his Sunday clothes on the bed. Everyone was worried about the boys. Sid saw the dirt and the wax on their clothes.
"Sid, go away!" Tom Sawyer said. "What is this party for?"
Sid said the party was for the Welshman and his sons. The Widow Douglas wanted to thank them for their help. Sid also knew a secret. He said Mr. Jones wanted to tell everyone a surprise. The surprise was about how Huck Finn followed the robbers.
"Did you tell everyone the secret, Sid?" Tom Sawyer asked.
Sid laughed. He did not say yes, but Tom Sawyer knew the truth. Tom Sawyer was very angry. He said Sid was a mean boy. He said Sid was jealous because people liked Huck Finn. Tom Sawyer hit Sid and pushed him out of the door.
Later, the guests ate supper. The children sat at small tables in the same room. Mr. Jones stood up to give a speech. He thanked the Widow Douglas for the meal. Then he told the story of Huck Finn and the robbers. He wanted to surprise everyone.
The people tried to look surprised. But the surprise was not very big. Many people already knew the secret because of Sid. The Widow Douglas thanked Huck Finn many times. Huck Finn felt very uncomfortable in his new clothes. He did not like it when everyone looked at him.
The Widow Douglas said she wanted to help Huck Finn. She wanted him to live in her house. She wanted to pay for his education (learning at a school). She said she would give him money to start a business (a company that makes or sells things) one day.
Tom Sawyer saw his chance to speak. "Huck Finn does not need money," Tom Sawyer said. "Huck Finn is rich."
The guests wanted to laugh at this joke. They thought Tom Sawyer was being funny. No one said anything for a moment. It was a very quiet and strange moment.
"Huck Finn has money," Tom Sawyer said again. "He has a lot of money. You do not believe me, but I can show you. Wait one minute."
Tom Sawyer ran out of the house. The guests looked at each other. They looked at Huck Finn, but Huck Finn did not speak. Aunt Polly said she never understood that boy.
Tom Sawyer came back into the room. He was carrying the heavy bags of gold. He poured the yellow coins onto the table. "There!" Tom Sawyer shouted. "Half of this is for Huck Finn. The other half is for me!"
The sight was amazing. Everyone stopped breathing for a moment. No one spoke. Then everyone asked for an explanation. Tom Sawyer told the long story of the cave and the treasure. Everyone listened with great interest.
When Tom Sawyer finished, Mr. Jones spoke. He said his own secret was very small now. Tom Sawyer’s surprise was much better.
The people counted the money. There was more than twelve thousand dollars. No one in the town ever saw that much money at one time. Many people in the room were rich, but they did not have that much gold in their houses.