The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Chapter 28 (2)
Chapter 21 (2)
"I think you'd better take this one and give me the one you bit off."

There was mud all over the streets and alleys, and there was nothing to be found but mud--it was as black as pitch, and it was two or three inches deep here and there, and a foot deep in places.There were pigs running around in the mud everywhere, grunting as they went.You will see a big sow covered in muddy lazily leading a litter of piglets on the dirt road, and when she turns over, she will lie in the middle of the street, and people have to walk around it.It kicked its legs, closed its eyes and shook its ears, and the piglets gathered around to suckle.The sow was as happy as if she got her paycheck on time.Then, I could hear a bastard let go of his voice and yelled: "Hey, tiger, go up and bite!" Then two dogs rushed up, each biting one ear of the pig on the left and right, dozens of dogs Dogs came from all directions.The pig jumped up and ran away, screaming desperately.All the idlers stood up to watch the excitement, talking and laughing, with joy on their faces, until the pigs and dogs ran away without a trace.Then the people went back to their respective positions, and it wasn't until there was another dog fight that the gang got their spirits up again.Nothing gets the gang up like a dog fight, and besides, pouring turpentine on a stray dog ​​and setting it on fire, or tying an iron plate to its tail to make the dog run wild, People will be fully awake.

Some crooked houses on the river bank jutted out of the river, as if they were about to fall into the river.The people in these houses have all moved out.There are also houses whose foundations have been washed away by the river at one corner, and that corner of the house hangs in the air, but there are still people living in it, which is too dangerous, because sometimes a piece of land as big as a house can collapse at once. into the river.In a single summer, the river can gradually wash away a quarter of a mile of land.A town in such a position has to retreat, move and move, retreat and retreat, because the river is always swallowing it.

At noon that day, there were more and more carriages and horses on the street, and many carriages and horses came one after another.When the country people came, they brought their lunch and ate it in the carriage.A lot of people were drinking whiskey, and I saw three gangs fighting.Then someone shouted:
"Here comes old Boggs! A month's worth of booze from the country--boys, he's coming!" All the bums rejoiced, I reckon they used to take Boggs a lot happy.One person said:
"See who he's going to scold this time. If he scolds everyone he wants to scold in the past 20 years, he should be famous."

Another said: "I'd like to hear old Boggs scare me, then I'll live a long life."

Boggs came straight up on horseback, yelling like an Indian, yelling at the people:

"Hey! Get out of the way! I'm here to fight. Be careful, the price of coffins is about to go up."

He was very drunk and staggered in the saddle.The man was over 50 years old, and his face was very red.People were yelling at him, laughing at him, cursing at him, and he was cursing back at people, saying he'd pick them up when it was their turn, but he didn't have time right now because he was in town to get rid of That old fellow in Sherborne.Because his motto is: "Eat the big pieces first, and the leftovers last."

When he saw me, he rode up to me and said:

"Baby, where did you come from? Do you want to die?"

Then, he walked away.I was terrified, but a man said to me:

"He didn't mean it. He's always like that when he's drunk. He's one of the best old dots in Arkansas—drunk or not, never hurt anybody."

Boggs rode to the largest store in the town, bent down and looked inside through the awning, and cursed loudly:

"Sherborne, get out! Get out and meet the man who fell for you and was deceived by you. I came here just to find you, you bastard, and I'm here today to kill your dog!"

He went on cursing so vigorously, using Sherborne's name as he could, that the whole street was full of people listening to him and laughing, and no one left.After a while, a man about 55 years old came out of the shop.This man was tall and broad, with a calm demeanor, and the clothes he wore were the most exquisite in the town.Everyone cleared a way for him and let him come over.He spoke calmly and slowly to Boggs:

"I've heard enough of that; I'll bear it till one. Remember, a little, no longer. If you dare speak again then, I'll find you no matter how far you run. "

After speaking, he turned and walked in.The spectators immediately calmed down, no one moved, and no one laughed out loud.Boggs rode away, cursing Sherborne at the top of his lungs as he walked.But before long, he turned back and continued to curse endlessly.Some people surrounded him and tried to gag him, but he just wouldn't.People told him it was one o'clock in 15 minutes and he had to go home, he had to leave immediately.But none of this worked.He cursed with all his strength, threw his hat into the mud, and rode on it.In an instant, he let go of his horse and was galloping down the street, his gray hair flying behind his head.It was all in vain whoever got the chance tried to dismount him, to keep him under control, to calm him down.In an instant he was galloping again, swearing at Sherborne again.After a while, a man said:

"Go and find his daughter! Go and find his daughter. He sometimes listens to his daughter. No one can persuade him, but his daughter."

Someone immediately ran to her.I walked a part of the way along the road and stopped.A few minutes later, Boggs came again, but this time he was not on horseback.He was bareheaded, and with a friend holding his arm and urging him to hurry, he staggered down the road toward me.He stopped swearing, and looked rather embarrassed. Not only did he not hold back, but he also walked very quickly.Someone yelled:
"Boggs!"

I looked up at the shouter, and saw that it was Colonel Sherborne.He was standing firmly in the middle of the street, holding a pistol in his right hand—not aiming, just cocking the muzzle into the air.At this moment, a young girl ran quickly, followed by two men.Boggs and the two men who were carrying him turned to see who had called him, and when the two men saw the pistol, they jumped aside, and the barrel of the gun came down slowly and steadily—two The triggers on the barrels were all open.Boggs threw up his hands and yelled, "Oh, God, don't shoot!" Bang!The first shot went off, and he clawed at the air with his hands, staggered back two steps—bang!The second shot rang out, and he leaned back, his heavy body falling firmly to the ground, his arms outstretched to his sides.The girl screamed and ran, threw herself on her father, and wailed, "Oh, he's killed him, he's killed him!" They couldn't get the water to flow, and they all stretched their necks, wanting to see what happened.The people inside squeezed out, shouting: "Back back! Back up! Let him breathe, let him breathe!"

Colonel Sherborne threw the pistol down the road and turned away.

They carried Boggs into a small general store, which was still crowded with people from all over the town.I ran over quickly and found a good place outside the window to look in, and I was quite close to him.They laid him flat on the floor, put a thick Bible under his head, ripped his shirt off, and I saw a bullet hole in his chest.People unfolded another "Bible" to cover his chest. When he inhaled, the "Bible" rose high, and when he exhaled, it fell again.Later, he lay motionless and died.Afterwards, people dragged his daughter away, and she continued to cry.She was about sixteen years old, very pretty and gentle, but pale with fright.

Presently the whole town was there, and the crowd, jostling desperately, was pushing towards the windows, all wanting to have a look.But the people standing inside refused to move away, and the people behind kept chattering: "I said guys, you should have seen enough. It's unreasonable and unfair to stay there all the time. Everyone Everyone has the right to take a look."

People began to quarrel, and I saw that the momentum was wrong and something was going to happen, so I quickly slipped out.Every street was full of people, and everyone was passionate.Those who saw the shooting with their own eyes were all telling people what happened. They were surrounded by people, and everyone stretched their necks to listen carefully.A tall, thin man with long hair and a white fur cap pointed out with a crooked stick where Boggs was standing and where Sherborne was standing.People followed him from one place to another, watching his every move.People understood him and nodded their heads; they watched him bend over with his hands on his lap as he stroked the ground with his cane.Then he straightened up, frowned, pulled down the brim of his hat, and yelled, "Boggs!" and then leveled his raised cane with a "bang" in his mouth, and he staggered He took two steps back, and then let out another "bang" from his mouth, then leaned back and fell to the ground.Those who witnessed the scene at that time said that he learned it very well, saying that it happened like this at that time.A dozen people took out their bottles and offered him a drink.

Later, it was said that Sherborne should be tortured and put to death.Everyone agreed in unison, and the people ran away like crazy, shouting as they ran, and tore down the clotheslines they saw, and planned to use them for nooses.

(End of this chapter)