Huck began to pick up his scattered clothes. He said, "Tom, I wish you'd come, too. Think it over. We'll wait for you when we get to shore."

"Well, you'll wait a very long time, that's for sure."

Huck walked away, and Tom looked after him. He really wanted to go with Huck and Joe, but his pride wouldn’t let him. He hoped the boys would stop, but they still slowly moved through the water.

Tom suddenly realized that it had become very lonely and still. He made one final struggle with his pride, and then ran after his friends, shouting,

"Wait! Wait! I want to tell you something!"

They stopped and turned around. When he got to where they were, he began telling them his secret, and they listened until at last they saw the "point" he was driving at, and then they clapped and shouted and said it was "wonderful!" and said if he had told them at first, they wouldn't have walked away.

He made a logical excuse, but his real reason had been the fear that not even the secret would keep them with him for a long time, and so he had meant to hold it in reserve as a last resort.

The boys walked back happily and started playing games again. They were full of energy and constantly talking about Tom's great plan and admiring the genius of it.

After a lovely egg and fish dinner, Tom said he wanted to learn to smoke, now. Joe liked the idea and said he would like to try, too. So, Huck made pipes and filled them with tabaco.

These novices had never smoked anything before except cigars made of grape leaves. Now they stretched themselves out on their elbows and began to puff, happily, and with confidence. The smoke had an unpleasant taste, and they gagged a little, but Tom said:
"It's just as easy! If I'd known this was all, I'd have learnt a long ago."

"So would I," said Joe. "It's just nothing."

"I've watched people smoking many times, and thought well I wish I could do that, but I never thought I could," said Tom.

"That's the same as me, isn’t it, Huck? You've heard me say the same thing, haven't you, Huck?

"Yes, loads of times," said Huck.

"Well, I have too," said Tom; "oh, hundreds of times. Once down by the slaughter-house. Don't you remember, Huck? Bob Tanner was there, and Johnny Miller, and Jeff Thatcher, when I said it. Don't you remember me saying that, Huck?"

"Yes, that's true," said Huck.

"I told you so," said Tom. "Huck remembers it."

"I believe I could smoke this pipe all day," said Joe. "I don't feel sick."

"Neither do I," said Tom. "I could smoke it all day. But I bet you Jeff Thatcher couldn't."

"Jeff Thatcher! He'd fall over just with two puffs. Just let him try it once. He’d see!"

"I bet he would. And Johnny Miller. I wish could see Johnny Miller try it once."

"Oh, me too!" said Joe. "I bet you Johnny Miller couldn't do this. Just one little puff would finish him off."

"'Yes it would, Joe. Hey, I wish the boys could see us now."

"So do I."

"Boys, don't say anything about it, and next time we see them, I'll come up to you and say, 'Joe, got a pipe? I want a smoke.' And you'll say, as if it was nothing, you'll say, 'Yes, I got my old pipe, and another one, but my tobacco isn’t very good.' And I'll say, 'Oh, that's all right, if it's strong enough.' And then you'll take out the pipes, and we'll light up as calm as anything and watch them looking at us!"

"Yes! That'll be great, Tom! I wish it was now!"

"So do I! And when we tell them we learned to smoke when we were away pirating, won't they wish they'd been with us?"

"Oh, I’m sure they will!"

So the talk continued. But is soon began to become weak and unenthusiastic. The silences became longer. The two boys were feeling the effects of the tabacco. Their throats were sore, their tongues burned and they felt sick.

Both boys were looking very pale and miserable, now. Joe's pipe dropped from his fingers. Tom's pipe followed. Joe said weakly:
"I've lost my knife. I’d better go and find it."

Tom said, quietly:
"I'll help you. You go over that way and I'll look around by the water.
You don’t need to come, Huck. We can find it."

... to be continued!

* The text has been adapted from the Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain

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