            ,,*APT] ,,XXVIII

  ,T NI<T ,TOM & ,HUCK 7 R1DY = _!
ADV5TURE4 ,!Y HUNG AB ! NEI<BORHOOD (!
TAV]N UNTIL AF N9E1 "O WAT*+ ! ALLEY AT
A 4T.E &! O!R ! TAV]N DOOR4 ,NOBODY 5T]$
! ALLEY OR LEFT X2 NOBODY RESEMBL+ !
,SPANI>D 5T]$ OR LEFT ! TAV]N DOOR4 ,!
NI<T PROMIS$ 6BE A FAIR "O2 S ,TOM W5T
HOME )! "U/&+ T IF A 3SID]A# DEGREE (
D>K;S CAME ON1 ,HUCK 0 6-E & 8MA[10 ":^U
HE WD SLIP \ & TRY ! KEYS4 ,B ! NI<T
REMA9$ CLE>1 & ,HUCK CLOS$ 8 WAT* &
RETIR$ 6B$ 9 AN EMPTY SUG> HOGSH1D AB
TWELVE4
  ,TUES"D ! BOYS _H ! SAME ILL LUCK4 ,AL
,W$NES"D4 ,B ,?URS"D NI<T PROMIS$ BETT]4
,TOM SLIPP$ \ 9 GD S1SON ) 8 AUNT'S OLD
T9 LANT]N1 &A L>GE T[EL 6BLFOLD X )4 ,HE
HID ! LANT]N 9 ,HUCK'S SUG> HOGSH1D &!
WAT* 2GAN4 ,AN H\R 2F MIDNI<T ! TAV]N
CLOS$ UP & XS LI<TS 7! ONLY "OS "!ABS7 7
PUT \4 ,NO ,SPANI>D _H BE5 SE54 ,NOBODY
_H 5T]$ OR LEFT ! ALLEY4 ,"EY?+ 0
AUSPICI\S4 ,! BLACK;S ( D>K;S REIGN$1 !
P]FECT /ILL;S 0 9T]RUPT$ ONLY 0O3A.NAL
MUTT]+S ( 4TANT ?"U4
  ,TOM GOT 8 LANT]N1 LIT X 9 ! HOGSH1D1
WRAPP$ X CLOSELY 9 ! T[EL1 &! TWO
ADV5TUR]S CREPT 9 ! GLOOM T[>D ! TAV]N4
,HUCK /OOD S5TRY & ,TOM FELT 8 WAY 96!
ALLEY4 ,!N "! 0 A S1SON ( WAIT+ ANXIETY
T WEI<$ ^U ,HUCK'S _SS L A M.TA94 ,HE
2GAN 6WI% HE CD SEE A FLA% F ! LANT]N--X
WD F"R5 HM1 B X WD AT L1/ TELL HM T ,TOM
0 ALIVE YET4 ,X SEEM$ H\RS S9CE ,TOM _H
4APPE>$4 ,SURELY HE M/ H FA9T$2 MAYBE HE
0 D1D2 MAYBE 8 HE>T _H BUR/ "U T]ROR &
EXCITE;T4 ,9 8 UNEASI;S ,HUCK F.D HMF
DRAW+ CLOS] & CLOS] 6! ALLEY2 FE>+ ALL
SORTS ( DR1D;L ?+S1 & MO;T>ILY EXPECT+
"S CATA/ROPHE 6HAPP5 T WD TAKE AWAY 8
BR1?4 ,"! 0 N M* 6TAKE AWAY1 = HE SEEM$
ONLY A# 69HALE X 0?IM#;LS1 & 8 HE>T WD
SOON WE> XF \1 ! WAY X 0 B1T+4 ,SU45LY
"! 0 A FLA% ( LI<T & ,TOM CAME TE>+ 0HM3
  @44
  8,RUN60 SD HE2 8RUN1 = YR LIFE60
  ,HE NE$N'T H REP1T$ X2 ONCE 0 5\<2
,HUCK 0 MAK+ ?IRTY OR =TY MILES AN H\R
2F ! REPETI;N 0 UTT]$4 ,! BOYS N"E /OPP$
TILL !Y R1*$ ! %$ (A DES]T$ SLAU<T]H\SE
AT ! L[] 5D (! VILLAGE4 ,J Z !Y GOT )9
XS %ELT] ! /ORM BUR/ &! RA9 P\R$ D[N4 ,Z
SOON Z ,TOM GOT 8 BR1? HE SD3
  8,HUCK1 X 0 AW;L6 ,I TRI$ TWO (! KEYS1
J Z S(T Z ,I CD2 B !Y SEEM$ 6MAKE S* A
P[] ( RACKET T ,I CDN'T H>DLY GET MY
BR1? ,I 0 S SC>$4 ,!Y WDN'T TURN 9 !
LOCK1 EI4 ,WELL1 )\T NOTIC+ :AT ,I 0
DO+1 ,I TOOK HOLD (! KNOB1 & OP5 -ES !
DOOR6 ,X W>N'T LOCK$6 ,I HOPP$ IN1 &
%OOK (F ! T[EL1 &1 ,,GRT ,,CAES>'S
,,<O/60
  8,:AT6--:AT'D Y SEE1 ,TOM80
  8,HUCK1 ,I MO/ /EPP$ ONTO ,9JUN ,JOE'S
H&60
  8,NO60
  8,YES6 ,HE 0 LY+ "!1 S.D ASLEEP ON !
FLOOR1 ) 8 OLD PAT* ON 8 EYE & 8 >MS
SPR1D \40
  8,"LY1 :AT DID Y D8 ,DID HE WAKE UP80
  8,NO1 N"E BUDG$4 ,DRUNK1 ,I RECKON4 ,I
J GRA2$ T T[EL & />T$60
  8,I'D N"E 'A ?"\ (! T[EL1 ,I BET60
  8,WELL1 ,I WD4 ,MY AUNT WD MAKE ME
MI<TY SICK IF ,I LO/ X40
  8,SAY1 ,TOM1 DID Y SEE T BOX80
  8,HUCK1 ,I DIDN'T WAIT 6LOOK >.D4 ,I
DIDN'T SEE ! BOX1 ,I DIDN'T SEE ! CROSS4
,I DIDN'T SEE ANY?+ B A BOTTLE &A T9 CUP
ON ! FLOOR 0,9JUN ,JOE2 YES1 ,I SAW TWO
B>RELS & LOTS M BOTTLES 9 ! ROOM4 ,DON'T
Y SEE1 N[1 :AT'S ! MATT] ) T HA'NT$
ROOM80
  8,H[80
  8,:Y1 X'S HA'NT$ ) :ISKEY6 ,MAYBE
,,ALL ! ,TEMP].E ,TAV]NS H GOT A HA'NT$
ROOM1 HEY1 ,HUCK80
  8,WELL1 ,I RECKON MAYBE T'S S4 ,:O'D
'A ?"\ S* A ?+8 ,B SAY1 ,TOM1 N['S A
MI<TY GD "T 6GET T BOX1 IF ,9JUN ,JOE'S
DRUNK40
  8,X IS1 T6 ,Y TRY X60
  ,HUCK %U4]$4
  8,WELL1 NO--,I RECKON N40
  8,& ,I RECKON N1 ,HUCK4 ,ONLY "O
BOTTLE AL;GSIDE ( ,9JUN ,JOE A9'T 5\<4
,IF "!'D BE5 ?REE1 HE'D 2 DRUNK 5 & ,I'D
D X40
  ,"! 0 A L;G PAUSE = REFLEC;N1 & !N
,TOM SD3
  8,LOOKY"H1 ,HUCK1 LESS N TRY T ?+ ANY
M TILL WE "K ,9JUN ,JOE'S N 9 "!4 ,X'S
TOO SC>Y4 ,N[1 IF WE WAT* E NI<T1 WE'LL
2 D1D SURE 6SEE HM G \1 "S "T OR O!R1 &
!N WE'LL SNAT* T BOX QK]'N LI<TN+40
  8,WELL1 ,I'M AGRE$4 ,I'LL WAT* ! :OLE
NI<T L;G1 & ,I'LL D X E NI<T1 TOO1 IF
Y'LL D ! O!R "P (! JOB40
  8,ALL "R1 ,I W4 ,ALL Y GOT 6D IS 6TROT
UP ,HOOP] ,/REET A BLOCK & MA[--& IF
,I'M ASLEEP1 Y ?R[ "S GRAVEL AT ! W9D[ &
T'LL FET* ME40
  8,AGRE$1 & GD Z :1T60
  8,N[1 ,HUCK1 ! /ORM'S OV]1 & ,I'LL G
HOME4 ,X'LL 2G9 6BE "DLI<T 9 A C\PLE (
H\RS4 ,Y G BACK & WAT* T L;G1 W Y80
  8,I SD ,I WD1 ,TOM1 & ,I W4 ,I'LL
HA'NT T TAV]N E NI<T =A YE>6 ,I'LL SLEEP
ALL "D & ,I'LL /& WAT* ALL NI<T40
  8,T'S ALL "R4 ,N[1 ": Y GO+ 6SLEEP80
  8,IN ,B5 ,ROG]S' HAYL(T4 ,HE LETS ME1
& S DOES 8 PAP'S NI7] MAN1 ,UNCLE ,JAKE4
,I TOTE WAT] = ,UNCLE ,JAKE :5"E HE
WANTS ME TO1 & ANY "T ,I ASK HM HE GIVES
ME A LL "S?+ 6EAT IF HE C SP>E X4 ,T'S A
MI<TY GD NI7]1 ,TOM4 ,HE LIKES ME1 2CUZ
,I DON'T "E ACT Z IF ,I 0 ABV HM4 ,"S"T
,I'VE SET "R D[N & EAT ,,) HM4 ,B Y
NE$N'T TELL T4 ,A BODY'S GOT 6D ?+S :5
HE'S AW;L HUNGRY HE WDN'T WANT 6D Z A
/1DY ?+40
  8,WELL1 IF ,I DON'T WANT Y 9 ! "D"T1
,I'LL LET Y SLEEP4 ,I WON'T -E BO!R+
>.D4 ,ANY "T Y SEE "S?+'S UP1 9 ! NI<T1
J SKIP "R >.D & MA[40


