CHAPTER XXVIII

At dawn, Huck finds Mary Jane crying over the enslaved family the king and duke have separated. Impulsively, he promises they’ll be reunited soon, then decides the truth is safer than a lie and confesses the “uncles” are impostors. He asks Mary Jane to hide at Mr. Lothrop’s for four days so he can act without tipping off the frauds.

Huck lays a plan: let the auction proceed, then later expose the king and duke by summoning Bricksville witnesses from the Royal Nonesuch. He warns Mary Jane not to reveal anything yet, to protect another person (Jim) and to trap the con men. He further explains the property sale will be invalid and the enslaved family’s sale won’t hold.

When Mary Jane asks about the missing cash, Huck admits he stole it from the con men and writes a note revealing he hid it in Peter Wilks’s coffin. Mary Jane departs secretly, promising to signal that night if Huck is safe.

Huck then feeds Susan and Joanna a cover story: Mary Jane has rushed across the river, and a wildly “catching” case of mixed-up mumps will delay any travel, discouraging them from alerting the uncles or neighbors. He also instructs them to tell the “uncles” Mary Jane is with the Apthorps to secure their attendance at the auction.

That afternoon, the auction proceeds in the public square with the king pressing Scripture and the duke angling for sympathy. As they try to sell even a graveyard lot, a steamboat lands and a crowd storms in, announcing a competing set of heirs to Peter Wilks, throwing the con men’s scheme into sudden jeopardy.