That night Tom dreamed vividly about the haunted house adventure.
The next morning he wasn't sure whether it had really happened.
It seemed amazing that Injun Joe hadn't killed them, and it seemed just as amazing that ten-thousand dollars was hidden in the haunted house.
After breakfast Tom went into town.
He saw Huck fishing by the ferry landing.
"Oh, Tom, if we hadn't brought our tools into that house, we'd be rich right now!" cried Huck sadly.
"So it wasn't a dream!" said Tom. "I thought maybe I made it all up!"
"We've got to find that money," he went on.
"I don't know." Huck wasn't so sure.
"A man has but one chance in a lifetime to make it rich.
We had our chance, and we lost it, Tom," he said.
"We know Injun Joe is going to hide the loot in 'number two under the cross,'" said Tom.
"We've just got to figure out where number two is."
"It could be a house number." said Huck.
"Not in this town," said Tom.
"Tavern rooms have numbers," said Huck.
"I didn't know that," said Tom.
"Hey, there are only two taverns in this town.
You stay here, and I'll be back quick."
When Tom returned, he told Huck what he had learned.
"In the first tavern, room number two is rented by a young lawyer.
In the other tavern, the tavern owner's son said room number two is a mystery.
People only go in there at night, and it's always kept locked."
"That's got to be the number two we're after," said Huck.
"Somebody has to watch that room," said Tom.
"There's a back door that goes out into the alley.
That must be how Injun Joe comes and goes.
You will be the one to watch the back door, Huck.
People will know something is up if I do it."
Huck still looked uncertain, but Tom finally talked him into watching the door.
Tom said that if Huck watched the room, Tom could go into the tavern and look for the money.
That seemed to satisfy Huck, and the boys parted with a handshake.
After sunset the boys met again in back of the tavern.
They were hoping for a cloudy night, but instead the night was clear.
The moon was too bright for Tom to sneak into the room without being seen.
He told Huck to keep an eye on the place.
The next few nights remained clear, so Tom went home while Huck watched.
Finally, on Thursday night, clouds covered the moon.
All week Huck had seen no one coming or going, so just after midnight Tom sneaked into the tavern.
He went quietly up the stairs to the door.
Huck tried hard to watch him, but the night was too dark.
It was as if Tom had been swallowed by the night.
Suddenly Tom screamed, "Run for your life!" and he jumped over the railing of the stairs.
Huck and Tom ran until they could hardly breathe.
"Wh . . . what did you see?" gasped Huck.
"I nearly stepped on Injun Joe's hand," said Tom, panting.
Huck just stared at Tom, too scared to speak.
"He was on the floor, with his hands spread out.
There was an empty bottle and a cup near his head."
"He was drunk?" asked Huck. Tom nodded.
"Did you see the box?" continued Huck.
Tom shook his head and said, "There was no time. I just ran.
I didn't see the box, and I didn't see the cross.
But I did see lots of barrels and bottles.
I know the secret of that room—it's full of whiskey."
Huck thought about that for a moment and said, "You know, Tom, if Injun Joe is drunk, this would be a good time to get the box."
"All right," said Tom, "you try!"
Huck shook his head.
"You said there was only one empty bottle by his head. That isn't enough.
If there were three bottles, then maybe I'd do it."
"Well, there is one good thing that's come of this," said Tom.
"We know where Injun Joe is.
Now we just need to wait for him to leave, and we'll get in that room and search it properly."
Huck agreed to keep watch all night and sleep during the day.
"We'll get this money yet," he told Tom confidently.