“Then consound it，we’ve fooled away all this work for nothing．Now hang it all，we got to come back in the night．It’s an awful 10ngway．Can you get out？’’
“I bet 1 will．We’ve got to do it to night，too，because if sOmebOdvsees these holes they’11 know in a minute what’s here and they’11 go forjt”
“WellI11 come around and maow to night．
“All right．Let’S hide the tools in the bushes．’’
The boys were there that night．about the appointed time．They sat inthe shadow waiting．It was a lonely place，and an hour made solemn byold traditions．Spirits whispered in the rustling leaves，ghosts lurked in themurky nooks，the deep baying of a hound floated up out of the distance，an owl answered with his sepulchral note．The boys were subdued bythese solemnities，and talked little．By and by they judged that twelve hadcome；they marked where the shadow fell，and began tO dig．Their hopescommenced to rise．Their interest grew stronger，and their industry keptpace with it．The hole deepened and still deepened，but every time theirhearts jumped tO hear the pick strike upon something，they only suffered anew disappointment．It was only a stone or a chunk．At last Tom said：
“It ain’t any use，Huck，we’re wrong again．’’
“Well，but we can’t be wrong．We spotted the shadder to a dot．’’
“I know it．but then there’S another thing．”
“What’S that？”
“Why，we only guessed at the time．Like enough it was too late ortoo early．’’
Huck dropped his shovel．
“That’S it．”said he．“That’S the very trouble．We got to give thisone up．We can’t ever tell the right time，and besides this kind of thing’S too awful，here this time of night with witches and ghosts a—flutteringaround SO．I feel as if something’S behind me all the time；and I’m a．feard to turn around，becuz maybe there’S others in front a—waiting for achance．I been creeping all over，ever since I got here．’’
Well，r ve been pretty much SO，too，Huck．They most always putin a dead man when they bury a treasure under a tree，to look out for it．”
“Lordy！”
“Yes．they do．I’ve always heard that．’’
“Tom，I don’t like to fool around much where there’S dead people．A body’S bound to get into trouble with them，sure．’’
“I don’t like to stir‘em up，either．Spose this one here was to stickhis skull out and say something！”
“Don’t Tom！It’S awful．”
“Well，it just is．Huck，I don’t feel comfortable a bit．’’
“Say，Tom，let’S give this place up，and try somewhere else．’’
“All right，I reckon we better．’’
“What’11 it be？”
Tom considered awhile；and then said：
“The haunted house．That’S it！”
“Blame it，I don’t like haunted houses，Tom．Why，they’re a dernsight worse’n dead people．Dead people might talk，maybe，but theydon’t come sliding around in a shroud，when you ain’t noticing，andpeep over your shoulder all of a sudden and gn‘t their teeth．the way aghost does．I couldn’t stand such a thing as that．Tom--nobody could．’’
“Yes，but，Huck，ghosts don’t travel around only at night．Theywon’t hender US from digging there in the daytime．”
“Well，that’S SO．But you know mighty well people don’t go aboutthat haunted house in the day nor the night．’’
“Well．that’S mostly because they don’t like tO go where a man’sbeen murdered，anyway--but nothing’S ever been seen around that houseexcept in thesome blue lights slipping by the windowsregular ghosts．’’
“Well，where you see one of them blue lights flickering around，Tom，you can bet there’S a ghost mighty close behind it。It stands to rea—son．Becuz you know that they don’t anybody but ghosts use‘em．’’
“Yes．that’S SO．But anyway they don’t come around in the day—time，SO what’S the use of our being afeard？’’
“Well．all fight．We’11 tackle the haunted house if you say sO—but Ireckon it’S taking chances．’’
They had started down the hill bv this time．There in the middle ofthe moonlit valley below them stood the“haunted”house，utterly isola—ted，its fences gone long ago，rank weeds smothering the very doorsteps，the chimney crumbled tO ruin，the window—sashes vacant，a comer of theroof caved in．The boys gazed awhile，half expecting to see a blue lightflit past a window；then talking in a low tone，as befitted the time and thecircumstances，they struck far off to the right，to give the haunted house awide berth，and took their way homeward through the woods that adornedthe rearward side nf Cardi仟Hilconstruct n．构思的结果，构想；概念
v．建造；创立；构造troublesome adj．麻烦的，棘手的，讨厌的cipher n．密码；密码检索本；密码文件；零
V．做算术；使用密码；计算humpbacked adj．驼背的neighboring adj．邻近的；接壤的pap n．奶头；乳头状的东西；粥类食物；幼稚无聊的读物swab V．打扫；涂抹于；擦拭