Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Contents
CHAPTER XXIX
Overview
Rival claimants to the Wilks inheritance arrive, triggering an inquiry that pits the king and duke against the real brothers. Handwriting and tattoo tests drive the town to exhume Peter Wilks. In the storm-lit graveyard, the hidden gold is found on the corpse, letting Huck escape to Jim and the raft—only for the king and duke to overtake them.
Summary
Two new men arrive claiming to be Harvey and William Wilks, with William’s arm in a sling. The king feigns righteous outrage and retains support from parts of the crowd, but a local man, Hines, claims he saw the king upriver that morning. The doctor detains Huck and pushes to confront both pairs at the hotel.
At the hotel inquiry, the king alleges the Wilks money was stolen by the enslaved servants, and Huck backs him under pressure. Lawyer Levi Bell tests all four men with handwriting, which undermines the king and duke but is explained away by the newcomers as copying due to William’s injury. The king blusters on, and the real Harvey proposes a decisive test: ask about a tattoo on Peter Wilks’s chest.
The king invents a blue arrow; the preparers of the body deny any mark but then contradict the real Harvey’s initials story, inflaming the crowd. Bell and the doctor propose exhumation. The mob seizes the four men and Huck and marches to the graveyard amid a rising storm.
By lightning, the coffin is opened and the bag of gold is discovered on the corpse’s breast, shocking the crowd. In the confusion, Hines releases Huck’s wrist, and Huck bolts through the storm, races to town, and then steals a canoe to reach the raft. He reunites with Jim and casts off, exulting in their escape.
Moments later, flashes reveal the king and duke pursuing in a skiff. They overhaul the raft, crushing Huck’s hopes of being rid of them.
Who Appears
- Huckleberry FinnNarrator; detained during the inquiry, escapes during the exhumation chaos, rejoins Jim, but is overtaken by the king and duke.
- The KingImpostor posing as Harvey Wilks; lies about the money, bluffs through tests, and later chases Huck to the raft.
- The DukeKing’s accomplice; falters during handwriting test, supports the ruse, and helps pursue Huck and Jim by skiff.
- Levi BellLawyer; leads the hotel inquiry, uses handwriting comparisons, and pushes for exhuming Peter Wilks.
- Dr. RobinsonSkeptical doctor; detains Huck, challenges the impostors, and helps direct the examination and exhumation.
- Harvey Wilks (real)Newly arrived brother; explains baggage loss, proposes the tattoo test, and confronts the impostors.
- William Wilks (real)Harvey’s deaf-mute brother with a broken arm; cannot write and serves as proof complication.
- HinesLocal man; claims he saw the king upriver, grips Huck during the march, then loses him at the grave.
- JimOn the raft; rescues a startled Huck, helps cast off, briefly regains freedom with Huck.
- Ab TurnerHelped prepare Peter Wilks’s body; denies any tattoo, fueling confusion before exhumation.
- Ab Turner’s companionAlso laid out the body; denies seeing tattoos, adding to the crowd’s uncertainty.