{"id":"01KG16PT8N4Y3JYFS6AHK7P0EF","cid":"bafkreibwx5h6y2d22yayaupla72hsallimc2tz7m7ioumkihv42mlnirly","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# CHAPTER XXVI  \n## Overview  \nThis entity is a chapter from the novel *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete* (arke:01KG16N2K9058F4BVCSK7DDWHH), extracted from the text file `tom_sawyer.txt` (arke:01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534). It is the 26th chapter in the narrative sequence, positioned between [CHAPTER XXV](arke:01KG16PTAD3777BYPRS5GPY75F) and [CHAPTER XXVII](arke:01KG16PT9J4FMRPF2HTXEGVSMV). The chapter is structured into 16 distinct narrative scenes, detailing a pivotal sequence in the novel involving Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn’s encounter with Injun Joe.\n\n## Context  \nThis chapter is part of Mark Twain’s classic novel, originally published in 1876, and is preserved within the [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) digital collection. The text was processed from a plain-text file using automated structure extraction, enabling granular segmentation into scenes. The chapter follows the boys’ earlier treasure-hunting attempts and builds suspense around Injun Joe’s return, a central antagonist whose presence heightens the novel’s tension.\n\n## Contents  \nThe chapter opens with Tom and Huck arriving at the dead tree to retrieve their tools, only to realize it is Friday—a day they consider unlucky for treasure-hunting. After discussing superstitions and dreams of rats, they spend the afternoon playing Robin Hood. The next day, they return to the haunted house, where they cautiously explore the decaying structure. Hidden in the upstairs floor, they overhear a conversation between two men, one disguised as a deaf and dumb Spaniard—revealed to be Injun Joe.  \n\nThe men discuss a dangerous job involving revenge, not mere robbery, and decide to bury their stolen treasure (over six hundred dollars in silver and a box of gold coins) in a safer location, “Number Two—under the cross.” Injun Joe becomes suspicious upon noticing fresh earth on the boys’ tools, nearly discovering them as they hide upstairs. A collapsing staircase allows the boys to escape undetected.  \n\nIn the aftermath, Tom and Huck resolve to watch for the Spaniard and follow him to “Number Two.” A chilling realization strikes Tom: Injun Joe’s revenge may be directed at them, particularly himself, due to his testimony in court. The chapter ends with Tom feeling isolated in his fear, wishing for shared danger rather than facing it alone.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-28T02:32:25.457Z","description_model":"Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507","description_title":"CHAPTER XXVI","end_line":6833,"extracted_at":"2026-01-28T02:25:19.209Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"CHAPTER XXVI","source_file":"01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534","start_line":6484,"text":"CHAPTER XXVI\r\n\r\n\r\nAbout noon the next day the boys arrived at the dead tree; they had come\r\nfor their tools. Tom was impatient to go to the haunted house; Huck was\r\nmeasurably so, also—but suddenly said:\r\n\r\n“Lookyhere, Tom, do you know what day it is?”\r\n\r\nTom mentally ran over the days of the week, and then quickly lifted his\r\neyes with a startled look in them—\r\n\r\n“My! I never once thought of it, Huck!”\r\n\r\n“Well, I didn’t neither, but all at once it popped onto me that it was\r\nFriday.”\r\n\r\n“Blame it, a body can’t be too careful, Huck. We might ’a’ got into an\r\nawful scrape, tackling such a thing on a Friday.”\r\n\r\n“_Might_! Better say we _would_! There’s some lucky days, maybe, but\r\nFriday ain’t.”\r\n\r\n“Any fool knows that. I don’t reckon _you_ was the first that found it\r\nout, Huck.”\r\n\r\n“Well, I never said I was, did I? And Friday ain’t all, neither. I had a\r\nrotten bad dream last night—dreampt about rats.”\r\n\r\n“No! Sure sign of trouble. Did they fight?”\r\n\r\n“No.”\r\n\r\n“Well, that’s good, Huck. When they don’t fight it’s only a sign that\r\nthere’s trouble around, you know. All we got to do is to look mighty\r\nsharp and keep out of it. We’ll drop this thing for today, and play. Do\r\nyou know Robin Hood, Huck?”\r\n\r\n“No. Who’s Robin Hood?”\r\n\r\n“Why, he was one of the greatest men that was ever in England—and the\r\nbest. He was a robber.”\r\n\r\n“Cracky, I wisht I was. Who did he rob?”\r\n\r\n“Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. But\r\nhe never bothered the poor. He loved ’em. He always divided up with ’em\r\nperfectly square.”\r\n\r\n“Well, he must ’a’ been a brick.”\r\n\r\n“I bet you he was, Huck. Oh, he was the noblest man that ever was.\r\nThey ain’t any such men now, I can tell you. He could lick any man in\r\nEngland, with one hand tied behind him; and he could take his yew bow\r\nand plug a ten-cent piece every time, a mile and a half.”\r\n\r\n“What’s a _yew_ bow?”\r\n\r\n“I don’t know. It’s some kind of a bow, of course. And if he hit that\r\ndime only on the edge he would set down and cry—and curse. But we’ll\r\nplay Robin Hood—it’s nobby fun. I’ll learn you.”\r\n\r\n“I’m agreed.”\r\n\r\nSo they played Robin Hood all the afternoon, now and then casting a\r\nyearning eye down upon the haunted house and passing a remark about the\r\nmorrow’s prospects and possibilities there. As the sun began to sink\r\ninto the west they took their way homeward athwart the long shadows\r\nof the trees and soon were buried from sight in the forests of Cardiff\r\nHill.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday, shortly after noon, the boys were at the dead tree again.\r\nThey had a smoke and a chat in the shade, and then dug a little in their\r\nlast hole, not with great hope, but merely because Tom said there were\r\nso many cases where people had given up a treasure after getting down\r\nwithin six inches of it, and then somebody else had come along and\r\nturned it up with a single thrust of a shovel. The thing failed this\r\ntime, however, so the boys shouldered their tools and went away feeling\r\nthat they had not trifled with fortune, but had fulfilled all the\r\nrequirements that belong to the business of treasure-hunting.\r\n\r\nWhen they reached the haunted house there was something so weird and\r\ngrisly about the dead silence that reigned there under the baking sun,\r\nand something so depressing about the loneliness and desolation of the\r\nplace, that they were afraid, for a moment, to venture in. Then they\r\ncrept to the door and took a trembling peep. They saw a weedgrown,\r\nfloorless room, unplastered, an ancient fireplace, vacant windows,\r\na ruinous staircase; and here, there, and everywhere hung ragged and\r\nabandoned cobwebs. They presently entered, softly, with quickened\r\npulses, talking in whispers, ears alert to catch the slightest sound,\r\nand muscles tense and ready for instant retreat.\r\n\r\nIn a little while familiarity modified their fears and they gave the\r\nplace a critical and interested examination, rather admiring their own\r\nboldness, and wondering at it, too. Next they wanted to look upstairs.\r\nThis was something like cutting off retreat, but they got to daring\r\neach other, and of course there could be but one result—they threw their\r\ntools into a corner and made the ascent. Up there were the same signs of\r\ndecay. In one corner they found a closet that promised mystery, but the\r\npromise was a fraud—there was nothing in it. Their courage was up now\r\nand well in hand. They were about to go down and begin work when—\r\n\r\n“Sh!” said Tom.\r\n\r\n“What is it?” whispered Huck, blanching with fright.\r\n\r\n“Sh!... There!... Hear it?”\r\n\r\n“Yes!... Oh, my! Let’s run!”\r\n\r\n“Keep still! Don’t you budge! They’re coming right toward the door.”\r\n\r\nThe boys stretched themselves upon the floor with their eyes to\r\nknotholes in the planking, and lay waiting, in a misery of fear.\r\n\r\n“They’ve stopped.... No—coming.... Here they are. Don’t whisper another\r\nword, Huck. My goodness, I wish I was out of this!”\r\n\r\nTwo men entered. Each boy said to himself: “There’s the old deaf and\r\ndumb Spaniard that’s been about town once or twice lately—never saw\r\nt’other man before.”\r\n\r\n“T’other” was a ragged, unkempt creature, with nothing very pleasant\r\nin his face. The Spaniard was wrapped in a serape; he had bushy white\r\nwhiskers; long white hair flowed from under his sombrero, and he wore\r\ngreen goggles. When they came in, “t’other” was talking in a low voice;\r\nthey sat down on the ground, facing the door, with their backs to the\r\nwall, and the speaker continued his remarks. His manner became less\r\nguarded and his words more distinct as he proceeded:\r\n\r\n“No,” said he, “I’ve thought it all over, and I don’t like it. It’s\r\ndangerous.”\r\n\r\n“Dangerous!” grunted the “deaf and dumb” Spaniard—to the vast surprise\r\nof the boys. “Milksop!”\r\n\r\nThis voice made the boys gasp and quake. It was Injun Joe’s! There was\r\nsilence for some time. Then Joe said:\r\n\r\n“What’s any more dangerous than that job up yonder—but nothing’s come of\r\nit.”\r\n\r\n“That’s different. Away up the river so, and not another house about.\r\n’Twon’t ever be known that we tried, anyway, long as we didn’t succeed.”\r\n\r\n“Well, what’s more dangerous than coming here in the daytime!—anybody\r\nwould suspicion us that saw us.”\r\n\r\n“I know that. But there warn’t any other place as handy after that fool\r\nof a job. I want to quit this shanty. I wanted to yesterday, only it\r\nwarn’t any use trying to stir out of here, with those infernal boys\r\nplaying over there on the hill right in full view.”\r\n\r\n“Those infernal boys” quaked again under the inspiration of this remark,\r\nand thought how lucky it was that they had remembered it was Friday and\r\nconcluded to wait a day. They wished in their hearts they had waited a\r\nyear.\r\n\r\nThe two men got out some food and made a luncheon. After a long and\r\nthoughtful silence, Injun Joe said:\r\n\r\n“Look here, lad—you go back up the river where you belong. Wait there\r\ntill you hear from me. I’ll take the chances on dropping into this town\r\njust once more, for a look. We’ll do that ‘dangerous’ job after I’ve\r\nspied around a little and think things look well for it. Then for Texas!\r\nWe’ll leg it together!”\r\n\r\nThis was satisfactory. Both men presently fell to yawning, and Injun Joe\r\nsaid:\r\n\r\n“I’m dead for sleep! It’s your turn to watch.”\r\n\r\nHe curled down in the weeds and soon began to snore. His comrade stirred\r\nhim once or twice and he became quiet. Presently the watcher began to\r\nnod; his head drooped lower and lower, both men began to snore now.\r\n\r\nThe boys drew a long, grateful breath. Tom whispered:\r\n\r\n“Now’s our chance—come!”\r\n\r\nHuck said:\r\n\r\n“I can’t—I’d die if they was to wake.”\r\n\r\nTom urged—Huck held back. At last Tom rose slowly and softly, and\r\nstarted alone. But the first step he made wrung such a hideous creak\r\nfrom the crazy floor that he sank down almost dead with fright. He never\r\nmade a second attempt. The boys lay there counting the dragging moments\r\ntill it seemed to them that time must be done and eternity growing gray;\r\nand then they were grateful to note that at last the sun was setting.\r\n\r\nNow one snore ceased. Injun Joe sat up, stared around—smiled grimly upon\r\nhis comrade, whose head was drooping upon his knees—stirred him up with\r\nhis foot and said:\r\n\r\n“Here! _You’re_ a watchman, ain’t you! All right, though—nothing’s\r\nhappened.”\r\n\r\n“My! have I been asleep?”\r\n\r\n“Oh, partly, partly. Nearly time for us to be moving, pard. What’ll we\r\ndo with what little swag we’ve got left?”\r\n\r\n“I don’t know—leave it here as we’ve always done, I reckon. No use to\r\ntake it away till we start south. Six hundred and fifty in silver’s\r\nsomething to carry.”\r\n\r\n“Well—all right—it won’t matter to come here once more.”\r\n\r\n“No—but I’d say come in the night as we used to do—it’s better.”\r\n\r\n“Yes: but look here; it may be a good while before I get the right\r\nchance at that job; accidents might happen; ’tain’t in such a very good\r\nplace; we’ll just regularly bury it—and bury it deep.”\r\n\r\n“Good idea,” said the comrade, who walked across the room, knelt down,\r\nraised one of the rearward hearth-stones and took out a bag that jingled\r\npleasantly. He subtracted from it twenty or thirty dollars for himself\r\nand as much for Injun Joe, and passed the bag to the latter, who was on\r\nhis knees in the corner, now, digging with his bowie-knife.\r\n\r\nThe boys forgot all their fears, all their miseries in an instant. With\r\ngloating eyes they watched every movement. Luck!—the splendor of it was\r\nbeyond all imagination! Six hundred dollars was money enough to make\r\nhalf a dozen boys rich! Here was treasure-hunting under the happiest\r\nauspices—there would not be any bothersome uncertainty as to where to\r\ndig. They nudged each other every moment—eloquent nudges and easily\r\nunderstood, for they simply meant—“Oh, but ain’t you glad _now_ we’re\r\nhere!”\r\n\r\nJoe’s knife struck upon something.\r\n\r\n“Hello!” said he.\r\n\r\n“What is it?” said his comrade.\r\n\r\n“Half-rotten plank—no, it’s a box, I believe. Here—bear a hand and we’ll\r\nsee what it’s here for. Never mind, I’ve broke a hole.”\r\n\r\nHe reached his hand in and drew it out—\r\n\r\n“Man, it’s money!”\r\n\r\nThe two men examined the handful of coins. They were gold. The boys\r\nabove were as excited as themselves, and as delighted.\r\n\r\nJoe’s comrade said:\r\n\r\n“We’ll make quick work of this. There’s an old rusty pick over amongst\r\nthe weeds in the corner the other side of the fireplace—I saw it a\r\nminute ago.”\r\n\r\nHe ran and brought the boys’ pick and shovel. Injun Joe took the\r\npick, looked it over critically, shook his head, muttered something to\r\nhimself, and then began to use it. The box was soon unearthed. It was\r\nnot very large; it was iron bound and had been very strong before the\r\nslow years had injured it. The men contemplated the treasure awhile in\r\nblissful silence.\r\n\r\n“Pard, there’s thousands of dollars here,” said Injun Joe.\r\n\r\n“’Twas always said that Murrel’s gang used to be around here one\r\nsummer,” the stranger observed.\r\n\r\n“I know it,” said Injun Joe; “and this looks like it, I should say.”\r\n\r\n“Now you won’t need to do that job.”\r\n\r\nThe halfbreed frowned. Said he:\r\n\r\n“You don’t know me. Least you don’t know all about that thing. ’Tain’t\r\nrobbery altogether—it’s _revenge_!” and a wicked light flamed in his\r\neyes. “I’ll need your help in it. When it’s finished—then Texas. Go home\r\nto your Nance and your kids, and stand by till you hear from me.”\r\n\r\n“Well—if you say so; what’ll we do with this—bury it again?”\r\n\r\n“Yes. [Ravishing delight overhead.] _No_! by the great Sachem, no!\r\n[Profound distress overhead.] I’d nearly forgot. That pick had fresh\r\nearth on it! [The boys were sick with terror in a moment.] What business\r\nhas a pick and a shovel here? What business with fresh earth on\r\nthem? Who brought them here—and where are they gone? Have you heard\r\nanybody?—seen anybody? What! bury it again and leave them to come and\r\nsee the ground disturbed? Not exactly—not exactly. We’ll take it to my\r\nden.”\r\n\r\n“Why, of course! Might have thought of that before. You mean Number\r\nOne?”\r\n\r\n“No—Number Two—under the cross. The other place is bad—too common.”\r\n\r\n“All right. It’s nearly dark enough to start.”\r\n\r\nInjun Joe got up and went about from window to window cautiously peeping\r\nout. Presently he said:\r\n\r\n“Who could have brought those tools here? Do you reckon they can be\r\nupstairs?”\r\n\r\nThe boys’ breath forsook them. Injun Joe put his hand on his knife,\r\nhalted a moment, undecided, and then turned toward the stairway. The\r\nboys thought of the closet, but their strength was gone. The steps came\r\ncreaking up the stairs—the intolerable distress of the situation woke\r\nthe stricken resolution of the lads—they were about to spring for the\r\ncloset, when there was a crash of rotten timbers and Injun Joe landed on\r\nthe ground amid the debris of the ruined stairway. He gathered himself\r\nup cursing, and his comrade said:\r\n\r\n“Now what’s the use of all that? If it’s anybody, and they’re up there,\r\nlet them _stay_ there—who cares? If they want to jump down, now, and get\r\ninto trouble, who objects? It will be dark in fifteen minutes—and then\r\nlet them follow us if they want to. I’m willing. In my opinion, whoever\r\nhove those things in here caught a sight of us and took us for ghosts or\r\ndevils or something. I’ll bet they’re running yet.”\r\n\r\nJoe grumbled awhile; then he agreed with his friend that what daylight\r\nwas left ought to be economized in getting things ready for leaving.\r\nShortly afterward they slipped out of the house in the deepening\r\ntwilight, and moved toward the river with their precious box.\r\n\r\nTom and Huck rose up, weak but vastly relieved, and stared after them\r\nthrough the chinks between the logs of the house. Follow? Not they. They\r\nwere content to reach ground again without broken necks, and take the\r\ntownward track over the hill. They did not talk much. They were too much\r\nabsorbed in hating themselves—hating the ill luck that made them take\r\nthe spade and the pick there. But for that, Injun Joe never would have\r\nsuspected. He would have hidden the silver with the gold to wait\r\nthere till his “revenge” was satisfied, and then he would have had the\r\nmisfortune to find that money turn up missing. Bitter, bitter luck that\r\nthe tools were ever brought there!\r\n\r\nThey resolved to keep a lookout for that Spaniard when he should come to\r\ntown spying out for chances to do his revengeful job, and follow him to\r\n“Number Two,” wherever that might be. Then a ghastly thought occurred to\r\nTom.\r\n\r\n“Revenge? What if he means _us_, Huck!”\r\n\r\n“Oh, don’t!” said Huck, nearly fainting.\r\n\r\nThey talked it all over, and as they entered town they agreed to believe\r\nthat he might possibly mean somebody else—at least that he might at\r\nleast mean nobody but Tom, since only Tom had testified.\r\n\r\nVery, very small comfort it was to Tom to be alone in danger! Company\r\nwould be a palpable improvement, he thought.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"CHAPTER XXVI"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG16N2K9058F4BVCSK7DDWHH","peer_label":"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete","peer_type":"novel","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534","peer_label":"tom_sawyer.txt","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS","peer_label":"More Classics","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG16PTAD3777BYPRS5GPY75F","peer_label":"CHAPTER XXV","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG16PT9J4FMRPF2HTXEGVSMV","peer_label":"CHAPTER XXVII","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"next"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTGXJ7R320G5S7EQ7PV","peer_label":"CHAPTER XXVI","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBSXBV4Q02W9Z9K2W8N2","peer_label":"Arrival at the Dead Tree","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTHTAW48B1WG7NPQ13C","peer_label":"Discussion About Friday","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBV15G0Y9FEGXB8AQ0QN","peer_label":"Dream About Rats","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBT82PAK7W0JSYKNGAP8","peer_label":"Playing Robin Hood","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTY7J8KY1NC51MG8K1S","peer_label":"Return to the Dead Tree","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTBCQF66510W3DN55B7","peer_label":"Exploring the Haunted House","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTQ95422HYZBC3VAQ88","peer_label":"Encounter with Two Men","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTVZ5VWQ4WRP9MWQZBM","peer_label":"Dialogue between Injun Joe and his comrade","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBT3BRAQVKYH9SRFYSCT","peer_label":"Boys overhearing the conversation","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBV4JQFPWHJ5XVT2XY45","peer_label":"Injun Joe and comrade discussing their plans","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBV7HD562JDVW9WSDTTT","peer_label":"Discovery of the treasure","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBST8G96C9J6EV14VV51","peer_label":"Injun Joe's revelation about revenge","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBTKXF6NK5PRR9PFVSXT","peer_label":"Dialogue and Action in the House","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBVA96B5PE10D0EHJWT0","peer_label":"Tom and Huck's Relief and Resolution","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KG16QBVA7HF1GSBEA8VP7TW4","peer_label":"Discussion and Decision in Town","peer_type":"scene","predicate":"contains"}],"ver":4,"created_at":"2026-01-28T02:25:19.835Z","ts":"2026-01-28T02:32:25.658Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}