The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 

Table of Contents
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CHAPTER 7: The Pirates Set Sail

Just when Tom’s life seemed to be worth living again, misery set in. Becky Thatcher finally returned to school. Tom was overjoyed when he saw her familiar blonde hair and glowing face in the schoolyard. He tried to get her attention by jumping over the fence, yelling, laughing, doing handsprings, standing on his head, and throwing secret glances in her direction. But nothing worked. Becky never even looked at him.

Tom’s cheeks burned in shame. He had made a fool of himself. He couldn’t stay at school and

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be miserable, so he gathered his things together and sneaked off.

He walked and walked until the school was only a tiny black speck in the distance. He was gloomy and desperate. Nothing mattered now. He was a friendless, forsaken boy, and nobody cared whether he lived or died.

He was so deep in his misery that he didn’t see his old friend Joe Harper heading towards him. Joe looked worse than Tom. He explained that his mother had just punished him for drinking some cream which he had never even tasted. He swore he was completely innocent.

The two boys walked along, spilling out their misery to each other. They made a pact to stand by one another as brothers and never separate till death.

They began to plan some way of escaping from their lives of misery and pain. Joe wanted to be a hermit and live on crusts of bread and

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Deep in Misery

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water, but Tom had a much more exciting idea. He suggested that they become pirates.

Tom knew of the perfect pirate hideout—a small, uninhabited island out in the Mississippi River called Jackson’s Island. He and Joe sought out Huck Finn and invited him to join them on this wild adventure. When Huck agreed, they made plans to meet at a lonely spot on the river bank two miles above the village at midnight. Each would bring fishing hooks and lines and as much food and other provisions as he could steal.

It was a starry and very still night as Tom made his way out of the village. The mighty river lay like an ocean at rest. When Tom reached the bank, he heard nothing, so he gave a low, distinct whistle. It was answered. Both Huck and Joe appeared from behind a bluff. Joe carried a side of bacon, and Huck carried a skillet, a bag of tobacco, and corncobs from which to

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A Midnight Meeting

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make pipes. Tom showed them the boiled ham cakes he had brought.

The boys loaded their provisions onto a small raft tied up on the bank, and they pushed silently away from shore.

About two o’clock in the morning, the raft grounded on Jackson’s Island. The boys jumped off, tied the raft to a nearby tree, and set out to gather wood for a fire.

They built their fire against the side of a great log and cooked some bacon for dinner. The climbing fire lit up their faces and threw its ruddy glare on the trees, foliage, and twisting vines.

When dinner was over, the boys stretched out on the grass and fell into a deep, contented sleep.

Tom awoke the next morning wondering where he was. It took a few minutes for him to realize that he had actually run away from home. Joe and Huck were fast asleep. Tom woke

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Reaching Jackson’s Island

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them, and they all began talking excitedly. In a minute or two, they had stripped off their clothes and were chasing each other and tumbling about in the shallow water.

They returned to camp wonderfully refreshed, happy, and very hungry. Soon, Huck had the campfire blazing again. They had a delicious breakfast of coffee, bacon, and fried catfish which Huck had caught.

After filling themselves until they could eat no more, the boys explored the island a bit. They discovered that it was about three miles long and a quarter of a mile wide. The shore that lay closest to the mainland was separated from the island by a narrow channel hardly two hundred yards wide.

The boys took a swim every hour, so it wasn’t until mid-afternoon that they finally returned to camp. After feasting on cold ham, they threw themselves down in the shade to talk. But the talk soon began to drag…and then died. The

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A Life of Swimming and Eating

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stillness and the sense of loneliness began to affect the boys.

Soon they all realized that they were truly homesick. Even poor homeless Huck Finn was dreaming of doorways and life back in town. But the boys were all ashamed of their feelings, and none of them was brave enough to utter a word.

Suddenly, the boys became aware of a peculiar sound in the distance. It was a strange, muffled boom.

“Let’s go see what it is!” shouted Tom.

They sprang to their feet and hurried to the shore. They parted the bushes on the bank and peered out over the water. A little ferryboat was steaming up the river about a mile below the village, its deck crowded with people. Suddenly, a great puff of white smoke burst from the ferryboat’s side, followed by that same dull, booming sound they had heard earlier.

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A Great Puff of White Smoke

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“I know now!” exclaimed Tom. “Somebody’s drowned!”

“That’s it!” cried Huck. “They did that last summer when Bill Turner drowned. Now I remember. Folks say that the boom will make a drowned body rise to the surface.”

“I sure wish I was over there now,” said Joe. “I wonder who it is that drowned.”

The boys stood still as they listened and watched. Presently, a thought flashed through Tom’s mind, and he shouted, “I know who’s drowned—it’s us!”

They had become heroes in an instant. They were missed. They were mourned. Hearts were breaking because of their running away. The whole town was talking about them. Here was their triumph at last! Being pirates was worthwhile after all.

As twilight drew on, the boat went back to the dock in town, and the pirates made their way back to camp, excited over their discovery.

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“I Know Who’s Drowned-It’s Us!”

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They caught a fish, fried it over the open fire, and talked all during dinner. Their conversation centered on what people might be saying about them and who was missing them.

But when the shadows of night closed in, they stopped talking and sat gazing into the fire. The excitement was gone now, and Tom and Joe could not help thinking about the people back home who were not enjoying this little adventure at all. They began to have misgivings, and soon they drifted into sad, troubled moods.

Joe was the first to timidly mention these feelings. He asked Tom and Huck how they might feel about returning to civilization. But the two boys only laughed and denied any homesickness at all.

When the fire had died, the boys all turned in for the night—all, that is, except Tom.

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Fresh Fish for Dinner

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Tom Looks in the Window.