{"id":"01KG178TTAE7SNEMWBNQHYJ49S","cid":"bafkreidssn3leuyjhitxpbxnsksmktwpp4clb3quaeq4qwqjjabzl5m7jm","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":4190,"extracted_at":"2026-01-28T02:35:09.757Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534","start_line":4107,"text":"was a long silence, profound and unbroken; then a deep, sullen boom came\r\nfloating down out of the distance.\r\n\r\n“What is it!” exclaimed Joe, under his breath.\r\n\r\n“I wonder,” said Tom in a whisper.\r\n\r\n“’Tain’t thunder,” said Huckleberry, in an awed tone, “becuz thunder—”\r\n\r\n“Hark!” said Tom. “Listen—don’t talk.”\r\n\r\nThey waited a time that seemed an age, and then the same muffled boom\r\ntroubled the solemn hush.\r\n\r\n“Let’s go and see.”\r\n\r\nThey sprang to their feet and hurried to the shore toward the town. They\r\nparted the bushes on the bank and peered out over the water. The little\r\nsteam ferry-boat was about a mile below the village, drifting with the\r\ncurrent. Her broad deck seemed crowded with people. There were a great\r\nmany skiffs rowing about or floating with the stream in the neighborhood\r\nof the ferryboat, but the boys could not determine what the men in\r\nthem were doing. Presently a great jet of white smoke burst from the\r\nferryboat’s side, and as it expanded and rose in a lazy cloud, that same\r\ndull throb of sound was borne to the listeners again.\r\n\r\n“I know now!” exclaimed Tom; “somebody’s drownded!”\r\n\r\n“That’s it!” said Huck; “they done that last summer, when Bill Turner\r\ngot drownded; they shoot a cannon over the water, and that makes\r\nhim come up to the top. Yes, and they take loaves of bread and put\r\nquicksilver in ’em and set ’em afloat, and wherever there’s anybody\r\nthat’s drownded, they’ll float right there and stop.”\r\n\r\n“Yes, I’ve heard about that,” said Joe. “I wonder what makes the bread\r\ndo that.”\r\n\r\n“Oh, it ain’t the bread, so much,” said Tom; “I reckon it’s mostly what\r\nthey _say_ over it before they start it out.”\r\n\r\n“But they don’t say anything over it,” said Huck. “I’ve seen ’em and\r\nthey don’t.”\r\n\r\n“Well, that’s funny,” said Tom. “But maybe they say it to themselves. Of\r\n_course_ they do. Anybody might know that.”\r\n\r\nThe other boys agreed that there was reason in what Tom said, because\r\nan ignorant lump of bread, uninstructed by an incantation, could not\r\nbe expected to act very intelligently when set upon an errand of such\r\ngravity.\r\n\r\n“By jings, I wish I was over there, now,” said Joe.\r\n\r\n“I do too,” said Huck. “I’d give heaps to know who it is.”\r\n\r\nThe boys still listened and watched. Presently a revealing thought\r\nflashed through Tom’s mind, and he exclaimed:\r\n\r\n“Boys, I know who’s drownded—it’s us!”\r\n\r\nThey felt like heroes in an instant. Here was a gorgeous triumph; they\r\nwere missed; they were mourned; hearts were breaking on their account;\r\ntears were being shed; accusing memories of unkindness to these poor\r\nlost lads were rising up, and unavailing regrets and remorse were being\r\nindulged; and best of all, the departed were the talk of the whole town,\r\nand the envy of all the boys, as far as this dazzling notoriety was\r\nconcerned. This was fine. It was worth while to be a pirate, after all.\r\n\r\nAs twilight drew on, the ferryboat went back to her accustomed business\r\nand the skiffs disappeared. The pirates returned to camp. They were\r\njubilant with vanity over their new grandeur and the illustrious trouble\r\nthey were making. They caught fish, cooked supper and ate it, and then\r\nfell to guessing at what the village was thinking and saying about them;\r\nand the pictures they drew of the public distress on their account were\r\ngratifying to look upon—from their point of view. But when the shadows\r\nof night closed them in, they gradually ceased to talk, and sat gazing\r\ninto the fire, with their minds evidently wandering elsewhere. The\r\nexcitement was gone, now, and Tom and Joe could not keep back thoughts\r\nof certain persons at home who were not enjoying this fine frolic as\r\nmuch as they were. Misgivings came; they grew troubled and unhappy; a\r\nsigh or two escaped, unawares. By and by Joe timidly ventured upon a\r\nroundabout “feeler” as to how the others might look upon a return to\r\ncivilization—not right now, but—\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG176GH05MMTSCETS6NZNCT6","peer_label":"CHAPTER XIV","peer_type":"chapter","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":"01KG178TT6AGEXMGR1MPECXPY0","peer_label":"Chunk 2","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG178TT254QDATWF0PZG371D","peer_label":"Chunk 4","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-28T02:35:10.089Z","ts":"2026-01-28T02:35:11.004Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}