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TUESDAY afternoon came , and waned to the twilight . The village of St . Peters - burg still mourned . The lost children had not been found . Public prayers had been offered up for them , and many and many a private prayer that had the petitioner 's whole heart in it ; but still no good news came from the cave . The majority of the searchers had given up the quest and gone back to their daily avocations , saying that it was plain the children could never be found . Mrs . Thatcher was very ill , and a great part of the time delirious . People said it was heartbreaking to hear her call her child , and raise her head and listen a whole minute at a time , then lay it wearily down again with a moan . Aunt Polly had drooped into a settled melancholy , and her gray hair had grown almost white . The village went to its rest on Tuesday night , sad and forlorn .
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Away in the middle of the night a wild peal burst from the village bells , and in a moment the streets were swarming with frantic half -clad people , who shouted , "Turn out ! turn out ! they 're found ! they 're found !" Tin pans and horns were added to the din , the popula - tion massed itself and moved toward the river , met the children coming in an open carriage drawn by shouting citizens , thronged around it , joined its home - ward march , and swept magnificently up the main street roaring huzzah after huzzah !
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The village was illuminated ; nobody went to bed again ; it was the greatest night the little town had ever seen . During the first half -hour a procession of villagers filed through Judge Thatcher 's house , seized the saved ones and kissed them , squeezed Mrs . Thatch - er 's hand , tried to speak but couldn 't -- and drifted out raining tears all over the place .
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Aunt Polly 's happiness was complete , and Mrs . Thatcher 's nearly so . It would be complete , how - ever , as soon as the messenger dispatched with the great news to the cave should get the word to her husband . Tom lay upon a sofa with an eager audi - tory about him and told the history of the wonderful adventure , putting in many striking additions to adorn it withal ; and closed with a description of how he left Becky and went on an exploring expedition ; how he followed two avenues as far as his kite -line would reach ; how he followed a third to the fullest stretch of the kite -line , and was about to turn back when he glimpsed a far -off speck that looked like daylight ; dropped the line and groped toward it , pushed his head and shoulders through a small hole , and saw the broad Mississippi rolling by ! And if it had only hap - pened to be night he would not have seen that speck of daylight and would not have explored that passage any more ! He told how he went back for Becky and broke the good news and she told him not to fret her with such stuff , for she was tired , and knew she was going to die , and wanted to . He described how he labored with her and convinced her ; and how she almost died for joy when she had groped to where she actually saw the blue speck of daylight ; how he pushed his way out at the hole and then helped her out ; how they sat there and cried for gladness ; how some men came along in a skiff and Tom hailed them and told them their situation and their famished condition ; how the men didn 't believe the wild tale at first , "because ," said they , "you are five miles down the river below the valley the cave is in " -- then took them aboard , rowed to a house , gave them supper , made them rest till two or three hours after dark and then brought them home .
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Before day -dawn , Judge Thatcher and the handful of searchers with him were tracked out , in the cave , by the twine clews they had strung behind them , and informed of the great news .
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Three days and nights of toil and hunger in the cave were not to be shaken off at once , as Tom and Becky soon discovered . They were bedridden all of Wednesday and Thursday , and seemed to grow more and more tired and worn , all the time . Tom got about , a little , on Thursday , was down -town Friday , and nearly as whole as ever Saturday ; but Becky did not leave her room until Sunday , and then she looked as if she had passed through a wasting illness .
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Tom learned of Huck 's sickness and went to see him on Friday , but could not be admitted to the bedroom ; neither could he on Saturday or Sunday . He was admitted daily after that , but was warned to keep still about his adventure and introduce no ex - citing topic . The Widow Douglas stayed by to see that he obeyed . At home Tom learned of the Cardiff Hill event ; also that the "ragged man 's" body had eventually been found in the river near the ferry - landing ; he had been drowned while trying to escape , perhaps .
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About a fortnight after Tom 's rescue from the cave , he started off to visit Huck , who had grown plenty strong enough , now , to hear exciting talk , and Tom had some that would interest him , he thought . Judge Thatcher 's house was on Tom 's way , and he stopped to see Becky . The Judge and some friends set Tom to talking , and some one asked him ironically if he wouldn 't like to go to the cave again . Tom said he thought he wouldn 't mind it . The Judge said :
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"Well , there are others just like you , Tom , I've not the least doubt . But we have taken care of that . Nobody will get lost in that cave any more ."
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"Why ?"
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"Because I had its big door sheathed with boiler iron two weeks ago , and triple -locked -- and I've got the keys ."
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Tom turned as white as a sheet .
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"What 's the matter , boy ! Here , run , somebody ! Fetch a glass of water !"
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The water was brought and thrown into Tom 's face .
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"Ah , now you 're all right . What was the matter with you , Tom ?"
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