در قبرستان

In The Graveyard

That night Tom went to bed at half past nine. He waited ^for Hack’s meow, and at eleven o’clock it came. He climbed quietly out of the bedroom window, and then he and Huck walked out of the village with the dead cat.

The graveyard was on a hill, about a mile from St Petersburg. When the boys got there, they put the dead cat on a grave, and sat down behind some trees. They watched, and waited. It was very dark, and very quiet.

‘Do you see that new grave there?’ whispered Huck. ‘That’s Hoss Williams’ grave, He died last week.’ ‘Perhaps he can hear us,’ Tom whispered back. ‘Do you think he can, Huck?’ ‘I don’t know, but I—’

‘shr

‘Oh, Tom, what is it?’

‘Shf whispered Tom. ‘I can see something. Look!’ Huck moved nearer to Tom. ‘Ghosts’ he said. ‘Three of them! They’re coming here, Tom! Oh, let’s go home!’; ‘They can’t see us,’ Tom whispered. ‘Not here’ ‘Ghosts can see through trees,’ said Huck unhappily.

‘They can see through everything!’ The ghosts moved quietly through the graveyard and came nearer to the trees, Huck and Tom watched very afraid. Then, after a minute, Huck said: ‘Tom! They’re not ghosts. That’s Muff Potter.’

‘So it is. And that’s Injun Joe. And the other man is doctor Robinson. What are they doing here?’

‘They’re graverobbers, Tom! They’re going to rob a grave! My father told me about it. The doctor wants a dead body, you see. He cuts it up because he wants to learn about…’ ‘Sh’ said Tom. ‘They’re getting near.’

The three men stopped at Hoss Williams’ grave and Injun Joe and Muff Potter began to dig. Ten minutes later the grave was open.

‘Now, doctor,’ said Muff Potter. ‘You want us to take the body to your house? That’s five dollars more.’ ‘No’ said the doctor. ‘I gave you the money this morning. I’m not giving you any more!’

‘Now you listen to me, doctor’ said Injun Joe. ‘I want that money! Do you remember a day five years ago? I came to your house and asked for something to eat. And you gave me nothing. Nothing! So give me that money!’ He took the doctor’s arm, but suddenly the doctor hit him, and Injun Joe fell to the ground.

‘Don’t hit my friend’ cried Muff Potter. He jumped on the doctor and the two men began to fight.

It all happened very quickly, and the two boys watched with open mouths. Injun Joe got up. He had Muff Potter’s knife in his hand now, and he moved behind the doctor. Then the doctor hit Muff Potter on the head. Muff fell to the ground, and at the same moment the knife in Injun Joe’s hand went into the doctor’s back. The doctor fell to the ground, on top of Muff Potter, and he did not move again.

The two boys could watch no more. Very quietly, they moved away from the trees, and then ran out of the graveyard and back to the village.

Injun Joe stood by Hoss Williams’ grave and looked down at the two men. Then he put the knife into Muff Potter’s hand and sat down. Three - four - five minutes went by. Potter moved a little and opened his eyes. ‘What - what happened, Joe’ he asked.

‘This is bad, Muff,’ said Joe. ‘Why did you kill him?’ Muff looked at the doctor’s dead body, then at the knife in his hand. ‘Me? Did I kill him?’ His face went white, and the knife fell from his hand. ‘It’s the whiskey, Joe! I never fight with knives usually. Oh, why did I drink all that whiskey tonight? I don’t remember anything!’ ‘It’s OK, Muff,’ said Joe. ‘I’m not going to tell anyone. You get away quickly. Go on - go now!’ Muff Potter got up and ran away. Joe watched him for a minute, then he carefully put the knife next to the doctor’s body. Then he, too, left the graveyard.

The next day the Sheriff’s men found the doctor’s body in the graveyard - and Muff Potter’s knife. That night Muff came to the graveyard to get his knife. But the Sheriff’s men were there, and they took Muff to St Petersburg’s little jail. And there Muff sat for four weeks, and waited for his trial.

Tom and Huck could not forget that night in the graveyard. They were very unhappy, and very afraid.

‘What’re we going to do’ said Tom. ‘Muff Potter didn’t kill the doctor - Injun Joe did. We saw him!’

‘I know,’ Huck said. ‘But what can we do? We can’t tell anyone. I’m afraid of Injun Joe. He’s dangerous. And he’s a killer. Do you want a knife in your back?’ ‘Yes, I’m afraid of him, too,’ Tom said. He thought for a minute. ‘I’m sorry for Muff Potter, but you’re right, ; Huck. We can’t tell anyone about Injun Joe.’