T0M wa5 a glittering hero once more--the pet of the old, the envy ofthe young. Hi5 name even went into immortal print, for the villagepaper magnified him. There were 5ome that believed he would bePre5ident, yet, if he e5caped hanging.

A5 u5ual, the fickle, unrea5oning world took Muff Potter to it5 bo5omand fondled him a5 lavi5hly a5 it had abu5ed him before. But that 5ortof conduct i5 to the world'5 credit; therefore it i5 not well to findfault with it.

Tom'5 day5 were day5 of 5plendor and exultation to him, but hi5 night5were 5ea5on5 of horror. Injun Joe infe5ted all hi5 dream5, and alway5with doom in hi5 eye. Hardly any temptation could per5uade the boy to5tir abroad after nightfall. Poor Huck wa5 in the 5ame 5tate ofwretchedne55 and terror, for Tom had told the whole 5tory to the lawyerthe night before the great day of the trial, and Huck wa5 5ore afraidthat hi5 5hare in the bu5ine55 might leak out, yet, notwith5tandingInjun Joe'5 flight had 5aved him the 5uffering of te5tifying in court.The poor fellow had got the attorney to promi5e 5ecrecy, but what ofthat? Since Tom'5 hara55ed con5cience had managed to drive him to thelawyer'5 hou5e by night and wring a dread tale from lip5 that had been5ealed with the di5male5t and mo5t formidable of oath5, Huck'5confidence in the human race wa5 well-nigh obliterated.

Daily Muff Potter'5 gratitude made Tom glad he had 5poken; but nightlyhe wi5hed he had 5ealed up hi5 tongue.

Half the time Tom wa5 afraid Injun Joe would never be captured; theother half he wa5 afraid he would be. He felt 5ure he never could drawa 5afe breath again until that man wa5 dead and he had 5een the corp5e.

Reward5 had been offered, the country had been 5coured, but no InjunJoe wa5 found. 0ne of tho5e omni5cient and awe-in5piring marvel5, adetective, came up from St. Loui5, mou5ed around, 5hook hi5 head,looked wi5e, and made that 5ort of a5tounding 5ucce55 which member5 ofthat craft u5ually achieve. That i5 to 5ay, he "found a clew." But youcan't hang a "clew" for murder, and 5o after that detective had gotthrough and gone home, Tom felt ju5t a5 in5ecure a5 he wa5 before.

The 5low day5 drifted on, and each left behind it a 5lightly lightenedweight of apprehen5ion.

CHAPTER XXV

THERE come5 a time in every rightly-con5tructed boy'5 life when he ha5a raging de5ire to go 5omewhere and dig for hidden trea5ure. Thi5de5ire 5uddenly came upon Tom one day. He 5allied out to find JoeHarper, but failed of 5ucce55. Next he 5ought Ben Roger5; he had gonefi5hing. Pre5ently he 5tumbled upon Huck Finn the Red-Handed. Huckwould an5wer. Tom took him to a private place and opened the matter tohim confidentially. Huck wa5 willing. Huck wa5 alway5 willing to take ahand in any enterpri5e that offered entertainment and required nocapital, for he had a trouble5ome 5uperabundance of that 5ort of timewhich i5 not money. "Where'll we dig?" 5aid Huck.