CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES

CHAPTER 29: I Light Out in the Storm

Summary

The two brothers arrive without their baggage, so they cannot prove that they are the real William and Harvey. As the true heirs are waiting for their bags, Robinson and a lawyer, Levi Bell, conduct an investigation and are convinced that the Duke and Dauphin are frauds, along with Huck. The doctor asks the Duke to hand over the bag of gold and is told that he has no idea where it is, for one of the servants has stolen it. When Huck is questioned, he tries to lie his way through but is caught. During the investigation, all persons claiming to be a Wilks brother are asked to write on a piece of paper so that their handwriting can be compared with the letter written to Peter Wilks. They are also questioned about the tattoo marks on Peter WilksÂ’ chest.

To ascertain who the genuine brothers are, they decide to dig up the grave. The crowd starts digging up the coffin. When they open the coffin, they find the bag of gold. In the ensuing confusion, Huck manages to escape and runs towards the river. He meets Jim on the way, and they both manage to escape without incident. However, they are soon followed by the Duke and the Dauphin.

Notes

In this chapter, Huck again takes on a false identity, pretending he is from England. For the first time, his lies are unsuccessful, for the lawyer is able to catch him. The frauds are outwitted by the people and are poorer by four hundred dollars since they put their own money in the bag of gold. But like Huck, they successfully escape from the angry crowd. Unfortunately, they again join Huck and Jim.

In this chapter, the time-worn technique of mistaken identity creates comedy, humor, and a certain amount of anxiety. Every devise used to reveal the true identity of the brothers is not successful. For example, the real William cannot write because he has broken his right arm; therefore, none of the handwriting matches the letter written to Peter Wilks by William.

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