Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Contents
CHAPTER XXIV
Overview
The duke disguises Jim as a painted “Sick Arab” to avoid suspicion while they target two river towns. The king extracts detailed news of Peter Wilks’s death and heirs from a traveler, then returns with the duke to impersonate Wilks’s English brothers. Arriving by steamboat, they stage a tearful reunion and win the town’s sympathy, setting up a major con.
Summary
As evening nears, the group anchors near two towns. Jim begs not to be left tied all day, so the duke devises a disguise: Jim is dressed in theatrical rags, painted dead blue, and labeled a “Sick Arab,” so curious onlookers will keep away if he howls and raves.
Seeking a fresh scam, the king dresses in black finery and takes Huck toward a steamboat. They meet a young traveler bound for New Orleans, and the king—posing as Reverend Alexander Blodgett—coaxes from him news that Peter Wilks died last night, his English brothers Harvey and William were summoned, and Wilks left a letter with instructions and hidden cash for his nieces: Mary Jane, Susan, and Joanna.
Learning key names, occupations, and town notables, the king sends Huck to fetch the duke. He recounts the details and assigns parts: the king will be Harvey Wilks, speaking in an English accent; the duke, experienced at pantomime, will play the deaf and dumb William.
They flag a Cincinnati steamboat and pay dearly to be set ashore at the Wilks town. On landing, the king inquires for Peter Wilks’s home; when told Wilks died yesterday, he collapses weeping and signs frantically to the “deaf” duke, deepening the deception.
The gathered townsmen, moved by their display of grief, carry their baggage, share details of Wilks’s last moments, and accept the pair as the dead man’s brothers. Huck, observing their brazen act and the town’s gullibility, is ashamed of the human race as the con takes hold.
Who Appears
- The King (Dauphin)Masterminds a new con; pumps a traveler for Wilks family details; impersonates Harvey Wilks with feigned grief.
- The DukeDisguises Jim as a blue “Sick Arab”; agrees to play the deaf and dumb William Wilks to support the con.
- Huckleberry FinnNarrates; assists the king’s travel and errands; witnesses the setup and is disgusted by the deception.
- JimForced into a grotesque disguise to avoid suspicion while left on the raft.
- Young traveler to New OrleansInnocently reveals Peter Wilks’s death and family particulars, enabling the king’s impersonation scheme.
- Townsmen at the landingSympathize with the impostors, carry their bags, and accept them as Wilks’s brothers.