A la fi, l'ensopida atmòsfera fou remoguda, i ben vigorosament. La causa per assassinat comparegué al tribunal. Tot seguit esdevingué el tema de totes les converses del poblet. Tom no pogué alliberar-se'n. Cada referència a l'assassinat li esgarrifava el cor, perquè la seva consciéncia contorbada i les seves temences gairebé el persuadien que aquelles observacions eren dites al seu devora com a provatures. No sabia còm era que ell hagués pogut infondre sospites de saber cap cosa de l'assassinat, però tanmateix no podia romandre tranquil en mig d'aquell parloteig. Sentia calfreds contínuament. S'endugué Huck a una banda solitària per tenir-li una conversa. Li seria d'algun alleujament el descloure la boca una estoneta, el partir-se la càrrega de l'infortuni amb un altre malaurat. A més, necessitava assegurar-se que Huck havia romàs discret:
AT last the sleepy atmosphere was stirred--and vigorously: the murder trial came on in the court. It became the absorbing topic of village talk immediately. Tom could not get away from it. Every reference to the murder sent a shudder to his heart, for his troubled conscience and fears almost persuaded him that these remarks were put forth in his hearing as "feelers"; he did not see how he could be suspected of knowing anything about the murder, but still he could not be comfortable in the midst of this gossip. It kept him in a cold shiver all the time. He took Huck to a lonely place to have a talk with him. It would be some relief to unseal his tongue for a little while; to divide his burden of distress with another sufferer. Moreover, he wanted to assure himself that Huck had remained discreet.
-Huck: n'heu parlat a ningú, d'allò?
"Huck, have you ever told anybody about--that?"
-De què?
"'Bout what?"
-Ja ho sabeu, de què.
"You know what."
-Oh! Natural que no.
"Oh--'course I haven't."
-Ni una paraula?
"Never a word?"
-Ni una paraula tota sola: així Déu me valgui. Per què ho demaneu?
"Never a solitary word, so help me. What makes you ask?"
-Oh! En tenia por.
"Well, I was afeard."
-Ves, Tom Sawyer: poc viuríem dos dies si la cosa fos esbrinada. Massa ho sabeu això.
"Why, Tom Sawyer, we wouldn't be alive two days if that got found out. You know that."
Tom es sentí més reconfortat. Després d'una pausa:
Tom felt more comfortable. After a pause:
-Huck, ningú podria fer-vos parlar: oi que no?
"Huck, they couldn't anybody get you to tell, could they?"
-Fer-me parlar? Ves, si em passés pel cap que aquell dimoni de mestís m'ofegués, aleshores podríeu fer-me parlar. No hi ha altra manera.
"Get me to tell? Why, if I wanted that halfbreed devil to drownd me they could get me to tell. They ain't no different way."
-Bé, tot marxa, doncs. Em penso que no hi ha perill, mentre no ens llevem el cadenat de la boca. Però, jurem-ho altra vegada, tanmateix. És més segur.
"Well, that's all right, then. I reckon we're safe as long as we keep mum. But let's swear again, anyway. It's more surer."
-Ja hi firmo.
"I'm agreed."
Així, doncs, juraren de bell nou, amb paoroses solemnitats.
So they swore again with dread solemnities.
-De què garlen, Huck? He sentit que en deien qui-sap-les coses.
"What is the talk around, Huck? I've heard a power of it."
-Garlar? Bé, tot és Muff Potter per aquí i Muff Potter per allí. Em fa suar, sense repòs: així és que de vegades he d'amagar-me.
"Talk? Well, it's just Muff Potter, Muff Potter, Muff Potter all the time. It keeps me in a sweat, constant, so's I want to hide som'ers."
-És la mateixa història dels que em volten. Em penso que està perdut. No us fa pena per ell, de vegades?
"That's just the same way they go on round me. I reckon he's a goner. Don't you feel sorry for him, sometimes?"
-Gairebé sempre, gairebé sempre. És un home tot mesquinot, però que mai ha fet res per fer mal a ningú. No el veureu sinó pescar una mica per haver diners i embriagar-se, i fa el tabalot en gran manera; però, Senyor, això tots ho fem: si més no, la major part, àdhuc predicadors i gent per l'estil. Però té coses de bona jeia: una vegada em donà mig peix, quan no en tenia prou per a dos; i una pila de vegades em va fer costat quan les coses m'anaven de mal borràs.
"Most always--most always. He ain't no account; but then he hain't ever done anything to hurt anybody. Just fishes a little, to get money to get drunk on--and loafs around considerable; but lord, we all do that--leastways most of us--preachers and such like. But he's kind of good--he give me half a fish, once, when there warn't enough for two; and lots of times he's kind of stood by me when I was out of luck."
-Oh! I a mi va adobar-me estels, Huck, i va posar-me hams a la canya. M'agradaria que l'en poguéssim treure, d'allí.
"Well, he's mended kites for me, Huck, and knitted hooks on to my line. I wish we could get him out of there."
-Ui! Poc en trauríem, Tom! I a més, no li fora cap bé: l'engarjolarien altra vegada.
"My! we couldn't get him out, Tom. And besides, 'twouldn't do any good; they'd ketch him again."
-Sí, és clar, que ho farien. Però m'enquimera de sentir-los quan el malmenen com si fos un mal esperit, no havent fet res: vet aquí.
"Yes--so they would. But I hate to hear 'em abuse him so like the dickens when he never done--that."
-A mí també, Tom, mala negada! Els sento dir que és el facinerós que té més posat de sanguinari en tota la contrada, i que s'estranyen que no l'haguessin penjat abans.
"I do too, Tom. Lord, I hear 'em say he's the bloodiest looking villain in this country, and they wonder he wasn't ever hung before."
-Sí, així parlen de dia i de nit. Jo els he sentit dir que si el deixessin anar el linxarien.
"Yes, they talk like that, all the time. I've heard 'em say that if he was to get free they'd lynch him."
-I ho farien, talment.
"And they'd do it, too."
Els minyons conversaren bella estona, però això els donà poc reconfort. En venir l'hora baixa es trobaren rondant pel veïnatge de la presoneta isolada, potser amb una indefinida esperança que s'esdevindria quelcom que remogués llurs dificultats. Però res no esdevingué: semblava que no hi hagués àngels ni fades que s'interessessin per aquell captiu sense ventura.
The boys had a long talk, but it brought them little comfort. As the twilight drew on, they found themselves hanging about the neighborhood of the little isolated jail, perhaps with an undefined hope that something would happen that might clear away their difficulties. But nothing happened; there seemed to be no angels or fairies interested in this luckless captive.
Els minyons feren allò que havien fet ben sovint altres vegades: anaren a la reixa de la cel·la, i donaren a Potter tabac i mistos. Estava a la planta baixa i no hi havia guardes.
The boys did as they had often done before--went to the cell grating and gave Potter some tobacco and matches. He was on the ground floor and there were no guards.
La seva gratitud per llurs presents, cada vegada els havia punyit la consciència: aquesta vegada els punyí més endins que mai. Es sentiren covards i traïdors fins al darrer grau quan Potter digué:
His gratitude for their gifts had always smote their consciences before--it cut deeper than ever, this time. They felt cowardly and treacherous to the last degree when Potter said:
-Heu estat força, força bons amb mí, vailets: força més que ningú més del poble. I no me n'oblido, no. Tot sovint em dic a mi mateix, dic: -«Jo solia adobar tots els estels i les coses dels minyons, i mostrar-los on eren les bones bandes de pescar, i els era tan amic com podia, i ara tots han oblidat el vell Muff en el seu trencacoll; però Tom no, i Huck no: ells no l'han oblidat- dic, -i jo no els oblido a ells!» Bé, minyons: he fet una mala, mala cosa. Estava pet i amb el cervell trasbalsat, aleshores: aquesta és la única manera que jo tinc de capir-ho; i ara el meu cos haurà de brandar per aquesta cosa, i és just. Just; i és la millor cosa que pot passar, també, em penso; o ho espero, tanmateix. Bé, no en parlem, no us embriagueu mai, i així no vindreu mai per aquests topants. Poseu-vos una mica més cap a ponent. Així, això és: és un reconfort de primera el veure cares amigues quan un hom ha anat a raure en aquesta femta de trencacolls; i no en vénen d'altres sinó les vostres. Bones cares amigues, bones cares amigues! Enfileu-vos l'un damunt l'altre, i deixeume-les tocar. Així, deu-me la mà: les vostres mans passaran entremig de les barres, però les meves són massa grosses. Mans petites i febles... però han ajudat qui-sap-lo a Muff Potter, i l'ajudarien més si poguessin.
"You've been mighty good to me, boys--better'n anybody else in this town. And I don't forget it, I don't. Often I says to myself, says I, 'I used to mend all the boys' kites and things, and show 'em where the good fishin' places was, and befriend 'em what I could, and now they've all forgot old Muff when he's in trouble; but Tom don't, and Huck don't--they don't forget him, says I, 'and I don't forget them.' Well, boys, I done an awful thing--drunk and crazy at the time--that's the only way I account for it--and now I got to swing for it, and it's right. Right, and best, too, I reckon--hope so, anyway. Well, we won't talk about that. I don't want to make you feel bad; you've befriended me. But what I want to say, is, don't you ever get drunk--then you won't ever get here. Stand a litter furder west--so--that's it; it's a prime comfort to see faces that's friendly when a body's in such a muck of trouble, and there don't none come here but yourn. Good friendly faces--good friendly faces. Git up on one another's backs and let me touch 'em. That's it. Shake hands--yourn'll come through the bars, but mine's too big. Little hands, and weak--but they've helped Muff Potter a power, and they'd help him more if they could."
Tom féu via cap a casa tot desolat, i els seus somnis d'aquella nit xarbotaren d'horrors. L'endemà i l'endemà passat rondà vora el Tribunal, mogut per un impuls gairebé irresistible a entrar-hi, però forçant-se per romandre a fora. A Huck li passava el mateix cas. S'evitaven estudiadament l'un a l'altre. Tots dos vagarejaven a distància, de tant en tant; però la mateixa sinistra fascinació els feia tornar al cap de poca estona. Tom pegava llambregades quan els badocs eixien calmosament de la cambra del Tribunal; però invariablement sentía noves aflictives: les xarxes s'estrenyien, més i més implacables, al volt del pobre Potter. A la fi del segon dia, el parloteig del poble comentava com romania el testimoni de Joe l'Indi ferm i inexpugnable, i no hi havia el menor dubte sobre quín fora el veredicte del Jurat.
Tom went home miserable, and his dreams that night were full of horrors. The next day and the day after, he hung about the courtroom, drawn by an almost irresistible impulse to go in, but forcing himself to stay out. Huck was having the same experience. They studiously avoided each other. Each wandered away, from time to time, but the same dismal fascination always brought them back presently. Tom kept his ears open when idlers sauntered out of the courtroom, but invariably heard distressing news--the toils were closing more and more relentlessly around poor Potter. At the end of the second day the village talk was to the effect that Injun Joe's evidence stood firm and unshaken, and that there was not the slightest question as to what the jury's verdict would be.
Tom romangué a fora fins a una hora ben tardana, i se n'anà al llit atravessant la finestra. Son estat era d'una paorosa exaltació. Passaren hores abans que acluqués els ulls. Tot el poble s'acorruà cap a la cambra del Tribunal al matí següent, perquè aquell havia d'ésser el gran dia. Ambdós sexes estaven gairebé igualment representats en l'auditori atapeït. Després d'una llarga espera, el Jurat entrà d'un rengle. Poc temps després, Potter, pàl·lid i esmaperdut, temorenc i desemparat, fou introduït, fermat amb cadenes, i l'assegueren allà on tots els esguards tafaners poguessin veure'l. Situació no menys assenyalada era la de Joe l'Indi, estòlid com sempre. Hi hagué una altra pausa, i després el jutge arribà, i el xerif proclamà l'obertura del Tribunal. Seguiren els murmuris de costum entre els curials, i l'arreplegament de papers. Aquests detalls, i les dilacions que els acompanyaven, elaboraven una atmòsfera preparatòria tan impressionant com fascinadora.
Tom was out late, that night, and came to bed through the window. He was in a tremendous state of excitement. It was hours before he got to sleep. All the village flocked to the courthouse the next morning, for this was to be the great day. Both sexes were about equally represented in the packed audience. After a long wait the jury filed in and took their places; shortly afterward, Potter, pale and haggard, timid and hopeless, was brought in, with chains upon him, and seated where all the curious eyes could stare at him; no less conspicuous was Injun Joe, stolid as ever. There was another pause, and then the judge arrived and the sheriff proclaimed the opening of the court. The usual whisperings among the lawyers and gathering together of papers followed. These details and accompanying delays worked up an atmosphere of preparation that was as impressive as it was fascinating.
En acabat, hom cridà un testimoni, el qual declarà que havia trobat Muff Potter rentant-se en el rierol, a primera hora, el dia que l'assassinat fou descobert, i que immediatament es féu escàpol. Després d'algunes preguntes, el curial de l'acusació digué:
Now a witness was called who testified that he found Muff Potter washing in the brook, at an early hour of the morning that the murder was discovered, and that he immediately sneaked away. After some further questioning, counsel for the prosecution said:
-Adreceu-vos al testimoni.
"Take the witness."
El presoner aixecà sos ulls per un moment, però tornà a acalar-los quan son curial digué:
The prisoner raised his eyes for a moment, but dropped them again when his own counsel said:
-No tinc preguntes a fer.
"I have no questions to ask him."
El següent testimoni establí la troballa del ganivet vora el cadàver. El curial de l'acusació digué:
The next witness proved the finding of the knife near the corpse. Counsel for the prosecution said:
-Adreceu-vos al testimoni.
"Take the witness."
-No tinc preguntes a fer- replicà l'advocat de Potter.
"I have no questions to ask him," Potter's lawyer replied.
Un tercer testimoni jurà que havia vist tot sovint el ganivet en possessió de Potter.
A third witness swore he had often seen the knife in Potter's possession.
-Adreceu-vos al testimoni.
"Take the witness."
El curial de Potter declinà d'interrogar-lo.
Counsel for Potter declined to question him. The faces of the audience began to betray annoyance. Did this attorney mean to throw away his client's life without an effort?
Les cares de l'auditori començaren de traslluir el tedi. Volia el curial tirar per la borda la vida de son client, sense cap esforç?
Several witnesses deposed concerning Potter's guilty behavior when brought to the scene of the murder. They were allowed to leave the stand without being cross-questioned.
Cada detall de les perjudicadores circumstàncies esdevingudes al cementiri, en aquell matí que tots els presents recordaven tan bé, fou declarat per testimonis fefaents; però cap d'ells no fou contraexaminat pel curial de Potter. La perplexitat i descontent de l'auditori es manifestà en murmuris i determinà un reny del Tribunal. El curial de l'acusació digué aleshores:
Every detail of the damaging circumstances that occurred in the graveyard upon that morning which all present remembered so well was brought out by credible witnesses, but none of them were cross-examined by Potter's lawyer. The perplexity and dissatisfaction of the house expressed itself in murmurs and provoked a reproof from the bench. Counsel for the prosecution now said:
-Mitjançant el jurament d'uns ciutadans, la simple paraula dels quals està damunt tota sospita, hem anat nuant aquest crim paorós, sense deixar possibilitat de dubte quant al dissortat presoner que hi ha a la barra. Ens dem per satisfets.
"By the oaths of citizens whose simple word is above suspicion, we have fastened this awful crime, beyond all possibility of question, upon the unhappy prisoner at the bar. We rest our case here."
Al pobre Potter se li escapà un gemec, i es posà la cara entre les mans, i gronxà son cos blanament d'ací d'allí, mentre regnava un penós silenci dins la cambra. Molts d'homes es sentiren commoguts, i la compassió de moltes dones es palesà en llàgrimes. El curial de la defensa s'aixecà i digué:
A groan escaped from poor Potter, and he put his face in his hands and rocked his body softly to and fro, while a painful silence reigned in the courtroom. Many men were moved, and many women's compassion testified itself in tears. Counsel for the defence rose and said:
-Vostre Honor: En les nostres observacions fetes a l'inici d'aquesta causa, prefiguràrem el nostre propòsit de demostrar que el nostre client realitzà aquesta feta paorosa trobant-se sota la influència d'un orb, irresponsable deliri produït per la beguda. Hem canviat de parer; la nostra defensa serà una altra.
I, adreçant-se al dependent: -Féu venir Tomàs Sawyer.
"Your honor, in our remarks at the opening of this trial, we foreshadowed our purpose to prove that our client did this fearful deed while under the influence of a blind and irresponsible delirium produced by drink. We have changed our mind. We shall not offer that plea." [Then to the clerk:] "Call Thomas Sawyer!"
Un pasme intrigat es desvetllà en tota cara de l'auditori, sense exceptuar la de Potter. Totes les mirades es clavaren amb meravellada atenció en Tom quan ell s'aixecà i prengué son lloc a la plataforma. El minyó semblava prou esverat, perquè tenia qui-sap-la por. El jurament fou administrat.
A puzzled amazement awoke in every face in the house, not even excepting Potter's. Every eye fastened itself with wondering interest upon Tom as he rose and took his place upon the stand. The boy looked wild enough, for he was badly scared. The oath was administered.
-Tomàs Sawyer: on éreu, el 17 de juny, als volts de la mitja nit?
"Thomas Sawyer, where were you on the seventeenth of June, about the hour of midnight?"
Tom donà una llambregada a la cara ferrenya de Joe l'Indi, i no pogué moure la llengua. Semblava que l'auditori es contingués l'alè, però les paraules refusaven de venir. Al cap d'una breu estona, tanmateix, el minyó recobrà una mica de la seva força, i aconseguí de posar-ne abastament en la seva veu perquè una part de l'auditori sentís:
Tom glanced at Injun Joe's iron face and his tongue failed him. The audience listened breathless, but the words refused to come. After a few moments, however, the boy got a little of his strength back, and managed to put enough of it into his voice to make part of the house hear:
-Al cementiri!
"In the graveyard!"
-En veu una mica més alta, si us plau. No tingueu por. Ereu...
"A little bit louder, please. Don't be afraid. You were--"
-Al cementiri.
"In the graveyard."
Un somriure de menyspreu passà ràpidament per la cara de Joe l'Indi.
A contemptuous smile flitted across Injun Joe's face.
-Ereu gens a la vora de la tomba de Horse Williams?
"Were you anywhere near Horse Williams' grave?"
-Sí, senyor.
"Yes, sir."
-Parleu una mica més alt. A quína distància n'éreu?
"Speak up--just a trifle louder. How near were you?"
-Tan a la vora com n'estic de vós.
"Near as I am to you."
-Estàveu amagat o no?
"Were you hidden, or not?"
-Estava amagat.
"I was hid."
-On?
"Where?"
-Darrera els oms que hi ha al caire de la tomba.
"Behind the elms that's on the edge of the grave."
Joe l'Indi féu un moviment gairebé imperceptible.
Injun Joe gave a barely perceptible start.
-Hi havia algú, amb vós?
"Any one with you?"
-Sí, senyor. Vaig anar-hi amb...
"Yes, sir. I went there with--"
-Espereu, espereu un moment. No importa que digueu el nom del vostre company. Ja el farem comparèixer a l'hora que pertoqui. Portàveu alguna cosa?
"Wait--wait a moment. Never mind mentioning your companion's name. We will produce him at the proper time. Did you carry anything there with you."
Tom vacil·lava i semblava tot confós.
Tom hesitated and looked confused.
-Parleu, fill meu: deixeu de banda tota desconfiança. La veritat sempre és respectable. Què portàveu?
"Speak out, my boy--don't be diffident. The truth is always respectable. What did you take there?"
-Només que un... un... gat mort.
"Only a--a--dead cat."
Hi hagué una onada d'alegria, que el Tribunal reprimí.
There was a ripple of mirth, which the court checked.
-Mostrarem l'esquelet d'aquell gat. Ara, fill meu, digueu-nos tot el que esdevingué: digueu-ho a la vostra manera, digueu-ho ben bé tot, i no tingueu por.
"We will produce the skeleton of that cat. Now, my boy, tell us everything that occurred--tell it in your own way--don't skip anything, and don't be afraid."
Tom començà, vacil·lant a la primeria; però, a mesura que el tema l'anava encalentint, ses paraules brollaven amb creixent facilitat. Als pocs moments va aturar-se tot renou, fora de la seva veu. Tothom el mirava de fit a fit; l'auditori, bocabadat i amb l'alè contingut, estava suspès de les seves paraules, oblidant-se del temps que passava, arrabassat per la tètrica fascinació de la història. La tensió imposada a l'emoció continguda arribà a son apogeu quan el minyó digue:
Tom began--hesitatingly at first, but as he warmed to his subject his words flowed more and more easily; in a little while every sound ceased but his own voice; every eye fixed itself upon him; with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words, taking no note of time, rapt in the ghastly fascinations of the tale. The strain upon pent emotion reached its climax when the boy said:
-I, mentre el doctor brandava la post i Muff Potter queia, Joe l'Indi saltà amb el ganivet i...
"--and as the doctor fetched the board around and Muff Potter fell, Injun Joe jumped with the knife and--"
Crac! Ràpid com el llamp, el mestís saltà des de una finestra, havent-se fet pas entre els que li estaven en front, i desaparegué!
Crash! Quick as lightning the halfbreed sprang for a window, tore his way through all opposers, and was gone!